Remember that starting this week we will have 5:30 pm classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  

And here’s a recap of the workouts from over the weekend.

On Friday, we tackled a barbell complex known as The Bear.  The Bear is 7 cycles of the following:

1 power clean

1 front squat

1 shoulder to overhead

1 back squat

1 shoulder to overhead

After each set of 7 cycles, move up in weight and do it again.  Though this workout isn’t timed, it certainly gets you winded and no doubt tests one’s mental endurance.

Kendra and Ryan working the steel.

Sarah was almost in disbelief at how her overhead strength has increased.

Delaney getting ready for her 7th and final back squat of the sequence.

Saturday was another Hero WOD, “Whitten“

5 rounds for time of:

22 kettlebell swings (2 pood/1.5 pood)

22 box jumps (24″/20″)

400 meter run

22 burpees

22 wall ball shots (20/14)

Not a very technical WOD, but not easy by any means.  Awesome work from all the CrossFit Mergers on Saturday.

Heather, with a smile or maybe it’s a CrossFit grimace,  jumps while D1 swings his 53# kettlebell.

Sal, rocking the new CrossFit Merge tank top, came in for open gym for a hammer strike WOD.

Sunday’s workout was a team effort.  After some ‘Death by Sprints’, the workout was 4 rounds of:

7 right arm overhead squats

7 left arm overhead squats

14 lateral hops

14 toes to bar

One person completes the above work while the other holds dumbbells overhead.  If the dumbbells come down, both team members stop and perform 3 burpees before continuing.  One round is both athletes completing the work.

Nice work from Andie, Brian, and Chris.

I want to take this post today to highlight the progress and accomplishments of David V. better known as D1.  

D1 joined CrossFit Merge back in February, having come from a running background.  Barbells, pull-ups, rowing, kettlebells, and box jumps were all new training tools to him.  Reaching full depth on his squat was a challenge, and he scaled the workouts with lighter weights, knowing he wasn’t ready for heavier loading.

But here’s the deal with D1, he trains consistently (4 to 5 times a week) and works hard every time he comes to the gym.  Very soon into his CrossFit journey, I told him he could no longer do push-ups on his knees because he was getting stronger.  He then moved up from the 12″ box to the 20″ box for workouts.  He replaced the thicker green band with the thinner blue band for pull-ups on WODs, and it won’t be long before he’s off the bands entirely as he now has kipping pull-ups.  He added a whopping 30 pounds to his back squat during the Paleo Challenge, and he set a PR on his deadlift this week with 255 pounds.  

D1 truly looks and performs better in the few short months he’s been doing CrossFit.  And yesterday, D1 reached another goal by doing the workout as prescribed.  Not the women’s weight either, as he jokingly notes on the blackboard, but the men’s RX that included 24″ box jumps and 53 pound kettlebell swings.  Not a small feat and it didn’t come easy, but D1 earned it.  Keep up the great work, David.

D1 and the overhead squat.

Thursday’s Skill:

Press 4 – 4 – 4 – 4 (increasing the weight each set)

Workout of the Day (WOD):

Triple Tabata Mash

20 seconds of max reps of kettlebell swings (53#/35# for women)

10 seconds rest

20 seconds of max reps of box jumps (24″/20″ for women)

10 seconds rest

20 seconds of max reps of burpees 

10 seconds rest

Complete 8 rounds.  Your score is your total reps.

D1 taking in the moment of having just completed his first workout as prescribed.

Here are your Thursday links:

Learning your limits 

The Biggest Training Fallacy of All 

The Bamboo Cage (muscle pain is not in the muscles) 

Can Shoes Really Tone the Body?  (This is long overdue)

Nice work yesterday on the benchmark workout Annie.  Double-unders may be one of the most frustrating and elusive movements we have in CrossFit.  

I can’t recall a single person ever just getting double-unders without diligent practice and a lot of failed attempts.  CrossFitters with smokin’ double-unders have paid their dues to the jump rope gods.

Skill:

-Handstand practice: kicking up, wall climbs, then Tabata handstand hold

-Double-under practice

Workout of the Day (WOD):

“Annie”

50 – 40 – 30 – 20 – 10 reps for time of:

Double-unders

Sit-ups

(sub 3 to 1 single-unders for double-unders)

Post times to comments

First things first, the warm-up.

Dan looking very strong and relaxed on his handstand.

Anthony, Mark, and Mina getting through the jump rope portion of the WOD.

Burpee Mike may have trouble showing up on time, but he is known to bust out a double-under or two.  

Like Burpee Mike, Chris Spealler is another former wrestler that has some decent jump rope skills.

Black and grey t-shirts are back in stock.  Quantities are limited so don’t wait long to purchase yours.

Outstanding job yesterday on the deadlifts!  Many of you set new personal records as well as earned spots on the leaderboard.

Skill:

Find your 1 rep max deadlift

Deadlift 5 – 3 – 3 – 1 (Elements)

Workout of the Day (WOD):

10 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of:

10 overhead squats (95#/65# for women)

10 sumo deadlift high pulls (95#/65#)

Elements WOD:

10 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of:

10 front squats

10 sumo deadlift high pulls

Run to the short corner

Post rounds to comments

D1 with a successful lift and new best at 255#.

Marianoel’s application into the 200# deadlift club was approved yesterday afternoon.  

Kenny reached a big milestone when he pulled 305#.

Delaney and Bryan rocking the overhead squats.  Kenny in the background, not quite sure what he’s doing.

How do you feel after a workout?  Tired, for sure.  Sweaty, shakey, perhaps a little foggy, especially when it comes to adding up your rounds in an AMRAP WOD.  But do you also feel calm and less irritable?  

This piece summarizes some interesting tests relating exercise to mood, positing that moderate amounts of exercise can have a “stress-resistant” result.  

How Exercise Boost Mood

In a more CrossFit related article, are you ever WOD drunk?  

WOD Drunk (adj.) : people so jacked up from trying to “score more points” that they don’t know who or what they are anymore. 

Monday

Skill:

2 sets for max back squat reps at the following weights:

225#, 185#, 135#, 95# for men

185#, 135#, 95#, 65# for women

Pick one weight for the barbell and then crank out as many back squats as possible.  

Workout of the Day (WOD):

For time:

50 wall ball shots (20#/14# for women)

10 L-pull-ups (sub strict pull-ups, chest to bar, or kipping pull-ups)

40 wall ball shots

8 L-pull-ups

30 wall ball shots

6 L-pull-ups

20 wall ball shots

4 L-pull-ups

10 wall ball shots

2 L-pull-ups

Elements WOD:

4 rounds for time of:

25 wall ball shots

5 pull-ups (as difficult as possible)

Post times to comments

Delaney putting together a huge number of squats during her two sets.

DC calming himself for the storm that is about to ensue.

95# on the bar did not frighten Stephanie, she got over 20 reps on each set.

Ryan reaching his chin over the bar on 1 of his 30 L-pull-ups.

Elements peeps stepping up their game with pull-ups.

Remember that there is now a 5:30 pm class on Monday and Wednesday.  Check out the entire schedule here.

And here are some photos from Saturday’s workout at the park.  Thanks for snapping the photos, Andie.

Brian’s frisbee position looking very similar to his power clean receiving position.  Too big of a stretch?

“It’s so heavy!  Hahahahaha.”  Said Burpee Mike as he hoisted up the atlas stone.

Ryan and Christian facing off in some good old fashion tug of war.

Everyone giving a smile despite just finishing a WOD.

Quinceañera crashers we are.

Please note that the gym will be closed on Saturday and that we’re moving the workout to the park across the street (Riverside Drive) and east of the William Mulholland Memorial fountain.  

The class will start at 10:00 am and afterwards you can hang out in the park and maybe play some ultimate frisbee.  Click here to view the map.

Also note that there is now one class on Sunday at 10:00 am.  This class will be for all levels of CrossFitters.  

Wednesday

Skill:

Snatch grip deadlift: 5 – 5 – 3 – 3 

(Emphasis is on the first pull of snatch not on load)

Deadlift: 5 – 5 – 3 – 3 (Elements)

Workout of the Day (WOD):

21 power snatches (75#/53# for women)

21 box jumps (24″/20″)

Run around the short block

15 power snatches

15 box jumps

Run around the short block

9 power snatches

9 box jumps

Run around the short block

Elements sub dumbbell push presses for power snatches

Post times to comments

David at the top of his power snatch

Chris B. reaching full extension on his box jump.

Vargas looking pretty intense and stylishly geared out with the headband.

Starting July 11th, we will have 5:30 pm classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Two additional classes for you to get your CrossFit on after work.  And if these classes prove popular, we’ll soon add more.  

Tuesday

Skill:

Overhead squat – find a one rep max

Front squat – find a one rep max (Elements)

Workout of the Day (WOD): 

3 rounds for time of:

10 pull-ups (chest to bar if advanced)

10 front squats (165#/115# for women)

10 burpees

Post times to comments

This workout was from the 2009 CrossFit Games Regionals in Colorado, short and heavy, with Games veteran Matt Chan blazing through it just over 3 minutes.  

Nice work from the 12:30 gang.

Jaime fighting hard to keep those elbows up on his front squats.

And here’s a little caption contest.  Post to the comments what you think is going on here.

Thanks for coming out to CrossFit Merge and choosing to spend part of your Independence Day holiday with us.  We had a good time with the team chipper.

July 4th Workout of the Day (WOD):

In teams of 4, complete for time:

Run around the large block (~530 meters)

100 front squats (95#/65# for women)

150 sit-ups

150 box jumps

150 wall ball shots (20#/14#)

150 kettlebell swings (53#/35#)

150 burpees

100 pull-ups

Overhead walking lunges to the short corner and back (35# plate)

Post team times to comments

Post mayhem photo.

If you’ve been CrossFitting for a few weeks now, you’ve probably told your friends and family about it.  Awesome.  Great.  And then they invariably want you to explain what CrossFit is.  And there you are, exciting to talk about your new and effective fitness regimen, only to find yourself at a loss for words on how to properly articulate what CrossFit is.  

It’s a whole lot more than going to a Globo gym.  Yes, there is running, but we’re not just runners.  We lift weights, but we also time ourselves.  We do push-ups and sit-ups, but CrossFit is not just another boot camp.  It’s not P90X with its muscle confusion gimmick, it’s constantly varied.  CrossFit is a great fitness and health program, but it’s damn hard to explain.  

I wish I could claim credit for this, but I found this terrific summary of what CrossFit is all about on the Twintown CrossFit website.  

Next time you find yourself trying to explain CrossFit to someone, show her/him this site.  

CrossFit 101 courtesy of Twintown CrossFit

Skill:

Back squat

5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5

Workout of the Day (WOD):

“SQT”

3 rounds for time of:

10 ground to overhead (95# barbell for men/65# for women)

200 meter shuttle run

*Elements sub thrusters 

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This WOD was meant to be short and intense, so checkout CrossFit Apex getting sweaty with “SQT”