A Workout A Day May Keep Cancer Away

Lack Of Strength Training is Most Common U.S. Health Vice

And be sure to prep your friends for CrossFit by showing them this recent blog post.

Ara getting strong in his overhead lifts.

Thursday’s Bring a Friend Day Workout:

20 minute, teams of 2 or 3, AMRAP of:

20 one arm, overhead lunge steps (50#/30# dumbbell)

10 hand release push-ups

20 jumping pull-ups

100 meter run by each person

Only one team member working at a time, divide the reps up anyway

Wednesday’s All Levels/Beginner Skill:

Push Jerks 

5-5-5-5

All Levels Workout of the Day (WOD):

In 8 minutes:

Run 800 meters

30 box jumps (24″ for men/20″ for women)

AMRAP of clean and jerks (95#/63# for women)

Then rest 3 minutes

In 5 minutes: 

Run 400 meters

20 box jumps

AMRAP of clean and jerks

Then rest 3 minutes

In 3 minutes: 

Run 200 meters

10 box jumps

AMRAP of clean and jerks

Score is total number of clean and jerks

Beginner Workout of the Day (WOD):

In 8 minutes:

Run 800 meters

30 box jumps (24″ for men/20″ for women)

AMRAP of push jerks (95# for men/63# for women) or ~65% of skill weight

Then rest 3 minutes

In 5 minutes:

Run 400 meters

20 box jumps

AMRAP of push jerks

Then rest 3 minutes 

In 3 minutes:

Run 200 meters

10 box jumps

AMRAP of push jerks

Score is total number of push jerks

Oly Class

Split Jerk Drill & ladder

1) Bring A Friend Days are this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday May 23, 24, & 25. You can bring up to two friends to a class.  Sharing is caring, so share CrossFit with your friends!  Historically, Bring A Friend Days are ridiculously fun.  Be sure to join in!

2) Epic Sunday: Epic Funday this Sunday May 26th will be none other than CrossFit Total.  The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best of three attempts at the back squat, the press, and the deadlift. To find out your CrossFit Total, come Sunday at 10 am!  Here are a few links to help you get ready for it:

or if you’d like to read up on it:

http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/52-2006_CFTotal.pdf

3) SUMMER THROWDOWN is just around the corner!  On June 15th we will crown the fittest team at Merge in three different divisions (Beginner, Almost Rx, and Rx).  Be sure to get your teams up on the board and start training hard.  Who will be the fittest at Merge?

4) Tough Mudder : If you’re interested in running the Tough Mudder with us on Sunday,  November 10, sign up soon! Prices are going up after May 28th (currently $85).  Below find the information to sign up under CrossFit Merge’s team:

1. Send them a few articles and show them a few CrossFit videos (just let them know that they won’t be doing anything that intense and that the workout will be a team one).

2. Give them the address of the gym (1517 Railroad Street, Glendale), let them know where they can park, and give them this map just to make it as easy as possible.

3. Arrive with your friend about 10 minutes early to have him or her fill out the waiver. Then give your friend a tour of the gym and give them a rundown of how the class run.

4. Last, don’t ‘lose’ your friend. He or she might be pretty confused, so make sure you’re there to guide them through the class.

Let’s have fun and share some CrossFit love this week.

Annie’s first CrossFit experience was during our last Bring a Friend Day.

Monday

All Levels and Intermediate Classes

Skill: Front squats

1-10-1-20

Workout:

12 minute AMRAP of:

10 pull-ups
12 front squats (115#/78# for women)
10 clapping push-ups

Beginner Class

Skill: Front squats

3-3-3-3-3

Workout:

12 minute AMRAP of:

10 pull-ups
12 front squats
10 clapping push-ups

You’ll find two different kinds, PURE WHEY and RECOVERY.  Both contain high quality whey protein derived from 100% grass fed cows.  The RECOVERY version has BCAAs or branched chain amino acids.  BCAAs are the building blocks of protein and have various functions related to energy production and recovery.  It prevents the breaking down of muscle during exercise and increases performance.  Both the PURE WHEY and RECOVERY are fantastic options for that post WOD refuel.  Available in our Pro Shop in delicious vanilla or chocolate!

Friday

Intermediate and All Levels Class

Skill: Clean

2-2-2-2-2

*not touch and go, but quickly

At the end, one max set of unbroken dips – use bands as needed

Workout of the Day (WOD):

For time:

15 cleans (155#/103# for women)

30 pull ups

12 cleans

24 pull ups

9 cleans

18 pull ups

100 double unders 

Beginner Class

Skills: 

-Double under practice

-review the hang clean

Beginner Workout:

For time:

15 dumbbell hang cleans

30 pull ups to scale

12 dumbbell hang cleans

24 pull ups

9 dumbbell hang cleans

18 pull ups

The Regional competition is the penultimate phase of the CrossFit Games competition season, and we have some of the best athletes in the CrossFit world competing in our region this weekend.  Here are a few athletes to watch at the Regional:

Josh Bridges, second place at the 2011 CrossFit Games, is the top male in our region and has a legitimate shot at beating Rich Froning this year at the Games.

Kenneth Leverich finished 17th at last year’s CrossFit Games.  This guy is a beast.  Check out this video of him doing a WOD called Godzilla.

Kris Clever needs no introduction.  4th place in 2009, 1st place in 2010, 2nd place in 2011, 4th place in 2012…this gal is one of the best.

Andrea Ager is well known in the SoCal region and is hungry to make it to the big show as an individual competitor.  

The 2013 Southern California CrossFit Games Regional is May 17th, 18th, and 19th at the Del Mar Fairground, just north of San Diego.  Single day tickets are $15.  

Thursday

Intermediate and All Levels Class

Skill:  Back squat

5 reps at 75% of a 1 rep max

5 reps at 80% of a 1 rep max

5+ reps at 85% of a 1 rep max

Workout:

12 minute AMRAP of:

1 arm farmer’s carry (70#/53# for women)

12 burpees

6 shoulder to overhead (135#/93# for women)

Beginner Class

Skill: Push press

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Workout:

12 minute AMRAP of:

1 arm farmer’s carry 

12 burpees

6 shoulder to overhead 

Advanced Class

A very special Trial by Fire workout to be revealed during class!  

Remember, this class is by invitation only.  If you are not an Advanced CrossFit Merge athlete, you will asked to attend the next class at 8pm.  Thanks.

Additionally, we have a new Olympic Lifting class on Wednesdays at 5 pm.  If you haven’t had a chance to come to these awesome classes on Saturday at 11 am, you now have the opportunity to do so during the week!  If you plan on coming and you are not familiar with some of the Olympic lifts we do, please review the next videos.  It’s sure to be a fun time!

Wednesday

All Levels/Intermediate Skill:

Pistols

Workout of the Day (WOD):

2 rounds:

800 meter run

40 wall ball shots (20# for men/14# for women)

Run the large block

30 toes to bar

Run the small block

20 pistols

Beginner Skill:

-Review Pistol progression

-Review WOD movements (wall ball shots, knee raises)

Beginner Workout of the Day (WOD)

16 minute AMRAP of:

300 meter run

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

200 meter run

10 knee raises

Olympic lifting Class

Establish a baseline weight – find max Clean and Jerk and Snatch

In case you haven’t noticed, our Lost and Found box has been multiplying exponentially and the time to clear it has finally arrived!  The box will be emptied and taken to be donated on Friday, May 18.  If you have misplaced anything, please check before then.  Otherwise, all contents will be donated and you’ll never find them again

The noon class tackles Fran.

Tuesday’s Beginner/All Levels Skill:

Overhead Squat

3-3-3-3-3

Workout of the Day (WOD):

12 Tabata Rounds for Lowest Scores

Goblets Squats (70# for men/44# for women)
Kettlebell Swings

Intermediate Skill:

Power Snatch Complex

Every minute on the minute for 10 minutes, increasing the weight every other minute:

1 power snatch + 2 overhead squats

*you must get the weight before you advance

Intermediate WOD:

Same as All Levels

Check out the entire new schedule below and on the website.

Also, mark your calendar because it’s THROWDOWN time again!

What: 4 person (2 men and 2 women) Team Throwdown

When: June 15th

Where: CrossFit Merge

Why: Because it’s going to be a prodigious!

More details to follow, but start planning and make sure you’re free that weekend.

Oh yeah, and we’re doing Fran on Monday.

All Levels & Beginner Class

Skills: 

20 minutes to find a 1 rep max thruster

Kipping practice with an easy band

Workout:

Fran

21-15-9 reps for time of:

Thrusters (95#/63# for women)

Pull-ups

Intermediate Class

Skills:

20 minutes to find a 1 rep max thruster

Butterfly pull-up practice

Workout:

Fran

21-15-9 reps for time of:

Thrusters (95#/63# for women)

Pull-ups

Wagon Wheels – John Welbourn

I started playing football my freshman year of high school. I was introduced to weight training the summer before as part of the football program. The first day I walked into the gym, I was 165 lbs and 6′ tall. I benched a ground breaking 115 lbs and squatted an ugly 185 lbs for 2 reps. Looking around at the seniors with full beards, I knew one thing, I needed to get stronger. I figured the easiest way to was to lift weights and try to gain weight…Read the whole article at this link.

Friday for All Classes

‘Fight Gone Bad’

3 rounds for max reps/calories of:

1 minute of max wall ball shots (20#/14# for women)

1 minute of max sumo deadlift high pulls (75#/53# for women)

1 minute of max box jumps (20″)

1 minute of max push presses (75#/53# for women)

1 minute of max calories on the rower

1 minute of rest between rounds

No rest in between movements