CrossFit Watertown

Movin' On Up

We have a new blog! Come join the party over at www.crossfitwatertown.com.

(We'll still keep this site up for a little while but it won't be updated.)

Thanks for visiting and we'll see you over at the new place!

Deadlifting Makes Us Happy

Sue enjoys the refreshing mixed grip as she hits a new PR in deadlift: 175lbs! Despite the words of the naysayers (Kathrine), the mixed grip is just like a Corona on a Cancun beach.

Chris likes to jump high. Really.

And Jackie was tired this morning so she just took a little nap while Kirk finished some Tabata squats during "Tabata This." (Oh, okay, she was doing sit-ups.)

(Extra points to anyone who noticed that Kirk is like Forrest Gump: he's in the background of every photo. Run, Kirk, Run!)

Lastly, we have a video of last night's deadlifting crew. But, first, what is it about the deadlift? Seriously, it makes us all giddy like children -- so excited to deadlift. Mark Rippetoe has talked about it being the most basic of lifts: "In the real world, you bend over and you pick sh** up."

But we suspect the appeal of the deadlift is part primal and part childlike. Remember when, as kids, we used to see who could lift each other up? It was just fabulous fun. You'd wrap your arms around your buddy and see if you could lift him off the floor, as he chuckled and grinned.

People would look at us strangely if we did that as adults. (Now, "picking up" an adult has an entirely different connotation.) But, still, we can deadlift. And it makes us really happy.

Jill and the Dalai Lama

Jill, lookin' long and lean during some thrusters.

So, the Dalai Lama puts out a Page-a-Day calendar and, go figure, you can apply it to CrossFit. Who knew?

Try this DL insight on for size: It is said that if you want to know what you were doing in the past, look at your body now; if you want to know what will happen to you in the future, look at what your mind is doing now.

Ooooh, good one. And, again: You have to work. There are thousands of people who will help you. You are never alone. But the main work is on your shoulders.

Could there be truer words about CrossFit? There are literally thousands of CrossFitters out there who will help you to reach your goals in any way that they can. But you have to do the work. So, get out there and do it. Your body may show where you've been but your mindset shows where you're going . . .

(And, a reminder: tonight's class starts at the new 5:45pm time. Wear pants: it's Deadlift Day!)

Lastly, Tabata Squats are just like vanilla ice cream. And who doesn't like vanilla ice cream?

The Importance of Effort

Renee, using the bands to get her pull-ups done during "Helen" -- and, still, her nails look great!

Our newest member, Alex, post-Helen. It's just a guess but we bet his nails don't look as nice as Renee's. (Still, we think he really enjoyed Helen. Keep at it, Alex, it'll get better!)

Also, take a look at The Warrior's Heart blog. It's a bit different but the writer has some interesting points about expanding our definition of warriors and heroism: So when you are out and about in your daily lives, just remember that the person giving you change for the drink you just bought may be fighting a dragon that you only have nightmares about.

And, a video clip from "Friday Night Lights" to remind us that effort matters, sometimes even more than results:

Hot, Hot, Hot

Want some proof that CrossFit works? Read Kathrine's comment under yesterday's post. The pants don't lie.

Here, Caitlin and K. practice snatching -- and there's only one word that we need to describe women Oly lifting: hot.

In fact, that's the only adjective we're going to use at all today.

Kirk lateral hop squats: hot.

Kirk's wife Melissa still pounding out the ring push-ups at 5+ months pregnant: hot. (Oh, and she only ran 2.5 miles yesterday and cranked out 100 wallball, in addition to the 100 ring push-ups.)

Our Dalmatian on a June day? Hot.

And, you know if we use the word hot this many times, we are bound by international law to now show a video of CrossFit superstar Nicole Carroll:

Friday Menagerie

The family that rows together, stays together: Rich, Taylor, and Mary warm up before "3 Bars of Death." (Wait, why didn't that sound as "Hallmarky" as we wanted it to?)

We're not sure what Janice was doing here but we did notice her awesome biceps! Go Janice!

Two more reasons to love Mystery Woman: her new real pushups and her incredible sense of humor. (We lent her some socks, which she kept for like a month, and then returned them in a beautiful gift bag, with ribbon. We would have settled for just washing them, really.)

And, yesterday, we discovered one more reason to love our building, which is part of the historic Old Pin Shop. Not only is it one of those awesome brick treasures of the Northeast (we have an actual walk-in safe and wainscoting in our space) but we have interesting neighbors (need a kayak? or a forge to craft a sword?) and our landlord is one of the most decent people we know. And now we have baby birds in the nest right outside our window. Red-breasted robins. Very cool.

Lastly, take a look at this guy's blog and read what he has to say about sugar -- because he's spot on. (He's also really funny, check out his other posts.) The rest of it may be a little funky but he's got CrossFit nailed when he writes (in another post): You can do it on your own if you have the right equipment, but I would HIGHLY recommend taking a group class with some friends (or alone, if you can’t convince anyone). The motivation of seeing a 60 year old woman push more iron than I can is priceless. Form is very important in exercises, and with compound movements that Crossfit favors it helps to have someone to make sure you’re doing it right. Again - I can’t really recommend Crossfit highly enough. 

Kettlebell Head

Sometimes, things just look kind of weird. Like this photo of Chris performing a kettlebell swing. Look away and then back again and it appears that he has no arms and a kettlebell head, like some kind of strange villain from a CrossFit horror movie.

(Or, maybe, we just overthink everything. That's a possibility too.)

In other news, last night we really improved Nate's grip strength by sinking his hand in a bucket of quick-dry cement and then seeing if he could get it out before the cement set. Lucky for Nate, he made it.

(Oh, okay, we made that up too. He's actually using a bucket of sand.)

Back in the world of reality, The Atlantic has a great article on the influence of the Internet on our brains and how, in the writer's words, "what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation." Read Is Google Making Us Stupid? (And, if you finish it, let us know, because we just didn't have the attention span to make it to the end.)

Lastly, this video is painful but you have to give the guy credit: he injures himself and still turns it into a teaching moment!

Get 'Er Done

Caitlin got her first taste of "Fran" yesterday, and she tackled that bad girl with the same enthusiasm and drive that she's displayed on virtually every task we've thrown at her. Thanks for bringing that spirit, Caitlin: you make all of us better!

Kirk hits the "get 'er done" phase of Fran: when it's time to set your jaw and rip out the rest of those pull-ups. After a few more months of serious barbell work, we bet Kirk is going to start heading for the sub-4 minute category.

Fran is all about standing up and throwing it on the line. Life is to be lived, not shied away from. Dr. George Sheehan says it best in his essay: Life Is Not A Spectator Sport.

Lastly, for a little inspiration, the amazing 2:05 Fran by Chris Speal:

Bring Me Some Water

After some technical glitches, we finally have video available from the Trevor Win'E Memorial Day Challenge (where we, of course, provided inspiration for the sickly bunch from the Power Barn and the hair-braiding crew over at CF Central CT. If you're looking for a good game of mahjong or checkers though, call them: they'll hook you right up.)

The Face

Sue's got The Face here: you know what we mean. The face you gave that old man who kicked your dog when you were little. The face you showed to that bully in the fifth grade who picked on your sister -- you know, right before you buried your bookbag in his gut. (Oh wait, maybe that wasn't you. Anyways . . .)

It's the face you conjure up when the going is way past rough and the only way home is through the darkest part of your soul. So you charge ahead and The Face, in some strange way, helps you through the toughest streets in the really bad neighborhoods of Pain and Despair.

Sue's Face has helped her kick 70lbs of fat to the curb; now she needs to get down and dirty to get that last 40lbs. Get the Face on, Sue, and bring everything you've got: we're heading straight through this darkness and into the light . . .

Somebody else who knew something about struggle was the great sprinter, Wilma Rudolph. She wore braces on her legs as a child but eventually won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympic Games. Read some of her motivational words here.

Lastly, this clip from the movie Glory is a tad long at 8+ minutes, but, wow, did those guys know how to head forward, even when it was the hardest thing in the world to do:

Puppies and Guns

It's not our best photo ever but these are two of our favorite t-shirts. The source for one of them? The boys' department at Target. No kidding. Get out of the serious adult mindset and see what kind of fun stuff is out there. If CrossFit makes us feel like kids again, maybe it's okay to wear a kid's shirt sometimes. Or, at least that's what we keep telling ourselves . . .

Here's an interesting article from the The New York Times about the effects of flip-flops on your feet. While there is debate within the fitness and medical communities on the benefits of barefoot walking (or minimalist shoes like Nike Frees, Chuck Taylors, and Vibram Five Fingers) it seems that flip-flops might actually be the horrible middle ground between barefoot and well-supported athletic shoes: not quite barefoot but not supportive either. (Our solution? Soccer sandals -- but then you probably already figured that out.) Read: Summer Flip-Flops May Lead to Foot Pain.

And, since we'll be doing dumbbell snatches today, take a look at Brendan's beautiful form here:

Cleaning Women

The only kind of cleaning we look forward to at CrossFit Watertown is Olympic cleaning. (And, considering that 3 of these women were learning the Clean for the first time, they all look great! Special kudos to Mary for sticking with the Clean over the course of a few months until it finally clicked for her. Thanks for your patience, Mary: you never gave up and that's important.)

Taylor (not pictured) again had the comment of the day when she said: "I don't know why they call it cleaning, when it's the messiest thing around."

When we think "clean" we often think of water, so take a look at The Top Ten Water Photos. (They're really refreshing if you just mentally step into the photo. Go ahead, try it.)

Lastly, take a look at this video and note how the lifter gets that "lean back" with full hip extension at the top of his second pull, which is critical:

The Way You Move

Nate's come a long way with his deadlift, working diligently on his form -- and it's starting to pay off for him. He's gone from safely lifting 85lbs in April to 165lbs in May to pulling 205lbs this week. The secret to his success? Being disciplined enough to stay at lower weights while he worked his form and developed more posterior chain strength. He still has a few areas to concentrate on (we'd like to see a little more lumbar curve and less neck flexion) but, overall, our boy Nate is doing great. Way to go, Nate!

And, of course, after deadlifting, you should drink the organic chocolate milk that we have in the back room frig. Read why in this New York Times article: Swallow This.

Lastly, just because it's really freaky to watch, take a look at how the human body can move in ways you just didn't think possible:

Why We CrossFit: Photos and Haiku

 

   

CrossFit, no shirts, hot

We were talking about sun,

What were you thinking?

(Also, go check out the Power Barn slideshow of the Albany Challenge here. Nice song choice, Larry!)

From Small Things, Big Things One Day Come

With all the activity lately at CrossFit Watertown, we forgot to welcome Taylor! The third member of her family to CrossFit, Taylor is a college athlete getting ready for soccer in the fall. Last night, between Taylor and her mom and dad (Mary and Rich), they deadlifted a family total of 505 pounds! In addition, Taylor summed up CrossFit in one short statement: "The workouts really suck but they're short." Ha! We think she's got it!

In other news, Chris set a new PR for the box jump! Unfortunately, we can't remember what it was! (Chris, please post that height to Comments.) Here, Ben holds the bumpers as an extra precaution during Chris's jump. (Tomorrow, look for Ben in his workshop as he builds a much bigger plyobox.)

Also, for those folks last night who were asking about building grip strength, here's a list of activities that will help: rope climbs, towel pull-ups, farmer's walks, fat bar pull-ups, sledgehammer work, and the bucket of sand. (What's that? You'll find out on Monday when you come in . . .)

Lastly, take a look at how small can be oh so powerful:

More Cowbell

Kathrine, in the middle of box jumps (really, you just can't see her feet) while wearing yet another interesting t-shirt. (Don't get it? Go here to watch the original SNL skit.)

Then, K. and Jill had a dance party. (Or did some slamball, you decide. But Jill really does look like she's putting some moves on here.)

And, strength guru Dan John has some interesting words: You have an amazing amount of info at your fingertips, but the ability to discern what's right and what's crap has probably never been considered by you before this article. Read How to Improve Your Fitness Literacy.

(Reminder: Today's 5pm class will be deadlifting but the 6pm class will be doing "Michael" so plan accordingly. If you haven't deadlifted this week, you should really try to be there at 5pm.)

Pull-ups and Sex Appeal

Mmmm. We love pull-ups. Here we have three kinds of pull-ups; each adapted for the member's fitness level. Jackie, as a new member, practices the jumping pull-up. Kirk, at a more advanced level, cranks out kipping pull-ups. And, Melissa, doing pull-ups for two, resorts to the band now (although, with a little jump, she can still make it above the bar on her own: we'll see how long that lasts . . .)

Welcome to two of our newest members! Caitlin and Renee enjoyed some kettlebell swings during their first time "playing cards" at CrossFit Watertown. Trust us, they'll never look at a deck of cards in the same way again . . .

And, if you are a woman or you ever met one, you should read this and tell us what you think about it: Female Athletes Sell Sex Appeal First.

Lastly, watch this video of the 2006 National Junior Women's Weightlifting Championships. The energy in the room for these young gals is phenomenal. Pay particular attention to the snatch that happens at the 1:37 mark: that's some love for a woman and her sport. Inspiring!

Making A Difference

After the Memorial Day Challenge: Rich, Ben, Jill, Lis, Melissa, Kirk, Chris, Nate, Kathrine, Sue, Mary, and Becky.

Sometimes, we need to crow about our own accomplishments a little bit. Today is one of those days, as we have the final count for funds raised from our Memorial Day Challenge. Between the efforts of us, CrossFit Power Barn, and CrossFit Central CT, we raised $2,135 for the Trevor Win'E Memorial Foundation. That money will fund the purchase and shipment of almost 11 cooling vests to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, that's something to be proud of. Making a difference in our own lives is important, but making a difference in other people's lives is significant.

On a similar note, it's an interesting blog posting that holds lines like these: We can all remember times when someone did something for us that mattered and it’s always these human things. Simple behaviors. Actions not heavily bound by technology. Suprising acts of people not being heartless. So why do we forget that it is these things, not tools and toys, that hold the essence of making a difference?
Read Scott Berkun's How To Make a Difference.

Finally, the King of Pull-ups. Watch this guy go to town -- he just never stops!

Scrutiny

Scrutiny is tough nugget. Here, you see me getting critiqued (last month at the CF Barbell Cert) on the start of my Power Clean by Sam of CrossFit Boston, Mark Rippetoe, and Eva T. Now, imagine doing something similar in competition, for a max weight, with a hundred voices around you and three judges deciding if your lift was righteous or not. Not an easy task.

But that's what went on this weekend at the CrossFit Albany East Coast Challenge and it was great. Due to an injury, I could only serve as a judge on the CrossFit Total, but to all the big guys who backsquatted, pressed, and deadlifted -- my hat's off to you. Phenomenal efforts and (mostly) sound technique were the norm among the heavy weights.

Because technique is so critical to a safe and proper deadlift (and, of course, we'll be deadlifting this week) take a look at Jon Gilson's excellent tutorial: