CF Balance Gals post-workout!  Ewunike, Jenny, Burch, Cram, Fiona

WOD for Friday:

Deadlifts

5-5-5-5-5

Shoulder Press

5-5-5-5-5

Announcements:

BIKE TO THE BEACH (100 miles) from a CROSSFITTER’S PERSPECTIVE:

WOD:

Complete 7 rounds of the following for time on bike:

15 miles

The Balance Team will be taking off at 3:40am this morning to Dewey Beach.  Good luck to Nader (afternoon crossfit goer), Graham King, Mark Crick, and other Balance Gym community members.  Looking forward to a fun post-workout recovery weekend!

Introducing Ewunike Akpan to our Community!

Written by Ewunike-
A challenge — that’s what started me on the path developing and cultivating the total body wellness services and training that I have provided for clients in the past through my own business, LOTUS FITNESS.

Having always been active, adventurous and constantly seeking new challenges, I decided to enter the 1999 AIDS Ride from Raleigh, NC, to Washington, DC. This was a bike ride that was sure to push me physically, while allowing me the opportunity to participate in a very important cause. In order to prepare myself to meet the physical challenges of the long ride, I trained for six months with a group of people who were also participating in the event. I signed up for Spinning classes and made a commitment to hit the gym daily. The more I trained, the better I felt, and the more I learned about body conditioning, and weight and endurance training, the more “hooked” I became! I read books, shadowed experts, and incorporated everything I was learning into my lifestyle. Soon, I was instructing the other riders in my group on weight training, proper technique, endurance conditioning and diet and nutrition.

My hard work paid off, allowing me to rise to the challenge and successfully complete the 330 mile race. Five months later, I applied the same enthusiasm for my race participation to my studies and received my certification as a Personal Trainer from the American Counsel on Exercise (ACE). I also became certified as a Spinning instructor through Mad Dogg Athletics. My new career was born!

After my first endurance event I decided to continue challenging myself and participated in the 2000 Marine Corps Marathon. I learned a lot about myself during my training. The biggest revelation; I enjoy biking more than running! I entered my first fitness competition in 2005; the World Natural Sports Organization’s (WNSO) FAME regional event in Baltimore, MD, where I placed first in the Figure and Fitness Model Search. I went on from there to compete in the international WNSO competition in Ontario, Canada, during that same year, and placed 8th in the Figure Category.

Now, nearly a decade after entering the fitness industry, I’m still challenging myself and combining my passion for healthy living, with my desire to help others realize their unlimited potential in a healthful way. I continue to educate myself on the latest technology and research in order to provide my trainees with a full range of comprehensive, personalized instruction and guidance in the areas of; personal training; specializing in functional training, group boot camp training, Crossfit workouts, and weight management and nutrition counseling.

I have been part of the Crossfit community (Crossfit Level I certified) for four years at Crossfit DC and excited to coach and share my passion at CF Balance.  Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

Reminder for Foundations Thurs (the 6:30pm/7:30pm groups will be combined and meeting at 7pm).  Quint will be out of town.  Danielle will be coaching.  Looking forward to coaching you.  Please email me with any potential schedule conflicts.

Schedule updates are finalized!  Please check morning times for the 7:15am (they are offered only Tues/Thurs/Fri).

Jed Clift getting creative.  Comments are welcomed.

WOD for Thursday:

Burgener Warm-up

Nor Cal Qualifer Workout A-

500m Row

30 Burpees

10 Shoulder to Overhead (165/95lbs)

*Bar taken from Ground- It is up to you to determine the best technique to employ from shoulder to overhead movement.  The shoulder press, push press, and jerk are all acceptable.  A full range of motion is required for the repetition to count.  Starting position- bar above clavicle and below chin.  Ending position-showing the full extension of elbows, hips, and knees.    Part of the ear must be visible in front of the arm.

Please post time and weight used to comments.

NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES. (All classes will be 45 minutes)- JUST A REMINDER- ONLY 7:15AM ON TUES/THURS/FRI!  NOTE EVENING CLASSES CHANGE OF TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mon-Thurs:

6:15am

12pm, 5:15pm, 6:00pm, 6:45pm, 7:30pm

Tue/Thurs/Fri:

7:15am (only Tues/Thurs/Fri- will be adding these soon for everyday!)

 Fri: (only difference is that there is no 7:30pm)

6:15 and 7:15am, 12pm, 5:15, 6:00pm, and 6:45pm

Sat:10:00am, 10:45am, 11:30am

WOD for Wednesday:

Front Squats*

5-5-5-5-5

3 rounds: (rest as needed between set)

1 L-Pull up

2 Toes To Bar

3 Strict Pull-ups

4 Knees To Elbows

5 Kipping Pull-ups

This workout is designed to test your grip.  The complex rotates between pulling movements to core movements.  Stay on the bar.  This is about grip strength and mental toughness.  Partner up.  Use each other for needed assistance and also to rest in between sets.

Suggested Scaling Options:

Pull-ups- performed with assistance by partner

Toes to Bar/KTEs- Shorten range of motion for Toes to Bar to 90 degrees or knees bent

*Last set aim for 90% of 5 RM as laid out in strength template on Saturday’s posting- Your first couple sets should be a light enough load that you are not doing as many warm-up sets as you would on our other approach prior to our program shift.  Be prepared to work up to your 5 RM or if you already have this, please have sets pre-determined prior to class.

“The Spirit of Crossfit” – by Danielle Dionne

The Crossfit Games is a competition to determine the “fittest person on the earth,” however, from many of the athletes’ perspectives and from the spectators’ perspectives it reflected a competition between the athlete and his or herself.  By the final workout, athletes were breaking down, frustrated, failing out, crawling on hands and knees to the shaded portions of the stadium beneath the rope.  Each athlete was in it together and anticipating the unknown (as the workouts were announced within seconds of 3-2-1 go).  As each athlete finished his/her work, they would stand beside each of the other athletes still performing and cheer and encourage one another to the finish.  This support was remarkable based on the Games notion that it is an extremely competitive individual competition.  This support distinguishes Crossfit from many other individual sports.

Additionally another difference I found can be explained by Josh Everett's (2010 Crossfit Games commentator) comments on the energy of the crowd and its relation to athlete’s efforts.  The crowd would go wild for the final heat containing the athletes in the highest ranks, for the athlete in the number one position of the heat, but most of the energy would be for the athletes who were struggling and appearing to need more encouragement.  We all have either been in the athlete’s position or as the person cheering in our gym.

This sense of community both exhibited from the athletes that day and from spectators is what distinguishes Crossfit from other sports or fitness programs.  Crossfit is evolving into a sport-at the Sectional, Regional Qualifiers, and ultimately the Games-that seeks to test your fitness capabilities (achieved through athletic prowess, intelligent programming, and discipline in diet/lifestyle habits as seen through many of the Crossfit Journal videos/articles on Games competitors).   Although as an individual competitor one may define success based on a comparison of the rankings with others, Crossfit is different because we determine success by our individual performance and personal gains. 

As Crossfitters, we all understand how performance gains are earned through discipline, determination, sweat, and pain.  We appreciate this, seek this daily, and ultimately respect one another for it.  The support and camaraderie was displayed at the games, and I see it daily at CF Balance.  I wanted to take the time for you to reflect on how important it is to encourage and support one another during the workouts.  That may make the difference between that additional repetition, faster time, and greater gains. 

Keep on training hard, everyone!  Keep up the good work!

Danielle

Announcements:

We will be having Saturday classes!

JUST A REMINDER- NEW SCHEDULE!  Everyone should try to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to class time to do some foam rolling/general warm-up, and be prepared for the dynamic warm-up at designated class time.

Schedule for weekend- This Friday/weekend is "Bike to the Beach!"  The Balance Gym Team will begin their ride at 3:40am on Friday.  Lisa will be teaching all Friday classes, however, it is unlikely that we will have classes on Saturday due to this event.  All coaches will be either participating/attending this event.  We are working to get a substitute coach for those of you eager to work out. We will keep you posted on the schedule, but be prepared to do a met con on your own for Saturday or at another time this week. 

Blair Morrison-placed 22nd at the 2010 Crossfit Games. 

WOD for Tuesday:

Burgener Warm-up/Snatch Practice

AMRAP for 10 minutes:

5 Power Cleans (155/105lbs) 

2 rounds of:

3-5-7

Handstand Push-ups

Burpees

Box Jumps (24/20")

5 Tips to Help you Succeed on the Paleo Diet

NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES. (All classes will be 45 minutes)- JUST A REMINDER- ONLY 7:15AM ON TUES/THURS/FRI!  NOTE EVENING CLASSES CHANGE OF TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mon-Thurs:

6:15 and 7:15am (only Tues/Thurs/Fri- will be adding these soon for everyday!)

12pm, 5:15pm, 6:00pm, 6:45pm, 7:30pm

 Fri: (only difference is that there is no 7:30pm)

6:15 and 7:15am, 12pm, 5:15, 6:00pm, and 6:45pm

Sat:10:00am, 10:45am, 11:30am

We will miss Frank!  He is starting grad school in NYC, but hopefully will be back to train with us next Summer!

WOD for Monday:

Back Squats

5-5-5-5-5

Push Press

5-5-5-5-5

AMRAP for 3 minutes

Wall Balls (20/16lbs)- 10 ft target

Record weights and repetitions to comments.

NOTE:

NEW STRENGTH TRAINING TEMPLATE BEGINS TODAY! Please refer to Saturday (7/24) blog posting.  Please try to get here M/W/F and build rest/recovery around those days.

*If you are unfamiliar with your 5 RM- use today to achieve this (focus on mechanics/form)- then in future take 90% of this max for your final load that you will be aiming at on the 5th working set.  All prior sets will be working up to this load.  The working sets should be in even increments.  Please refer to blog posting for more details.  Wed (we will be doing Front Squats/Shoulder Presses) and Fri (Deadlifts/Dips).