Posts Tagged by crossfit midtown
WED 05.21.13 Increasing your rowing intensity
| May 21, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under Rowing, WOD |
Increasing Your Rowing Intensityby Rowing instructor & ITPer Uran If you’ve been coming to rowing class or just checking out the programming, you may have noticed a trend. We did a 2k time trial on May 1st, and the past couple weeks’ workouts have been based on your average 2k split time, or the time it takes to row 500m. The focus this month is on increasing our rowing intensity. Even if you have no interest in rowing specifically, it’s still built into some of the CrossFit programming. Whether during the warm-up or “Jackie” (or in tomorrow’s 1k time trial during the regular class WOD), good technique goes a long way, and it never hurts to be faster, particularly if being on the erg makes you cringe! Once you’ve established safe rowing technique, you can start to work on rowing more efficiently by applying more power and slowing the recovery. On the drive back from the starting position, increase your power by engaging the legs at the start. Only when the legs are almost completely extended should you open the hips and follow through with the arms. On the recovery, do that in reverse, but take your time. You’re not doing yourself any favors by rushing back up for another pull. Remember that it’s called recovery for a reason, and a good rule of thumb is the recovery period should be twice as long as the stroke. Here’s what that looks like: Rowing class tonight at 7p!Here’s the workout: 1 x 6 min at 2k split time 2 x 5 min at 2k split minus 1 sec 3 x 4 min at 2k split minus 2 sec 2 x 3 min at 2k split minus 3 sec 1 x 2 min at 2k split minus 4 sec Rest 1:30 between each segment. Workout of the Day (WOD)A. Bench Press: 5-5-5+ B. As many rounds & reps as possible in 15 minutes of: 5 situps 6 box jumps 30/24 7 kb swings 53/35 And coming tomorrow…A. Max ring rows: 3 sets max reps ring rows or supine ring pull ups. Rest 5 min between sets. B. Double unders: 10 min double under skill work OR Advanced athletes attempt OPT’s “FLIGHT SIMULATOR”: 5 unbroken double unders 10 unbroken double unders 15 unbroken double unders 20 unbroken double unders 25 unbroken double unders 30 unbroken double unders 35 unbroken double unders 40 unbroken double unders 45 unbroken double unders 50 unbroken double unders 45 unbroken double unders 40 unbroken double unders 35 unbroken double unders 30 unbroken double unders 25 unbroken double unders 20 unbroken double unders 15 unbroken double unders 10 unbroken double unders 5 unbroken double unders You MUST stop in between sets (the rope must stop). Once you miss at one level three times in a row, work back down the ladder. C. Rowing time trial: 1k row for time (LEADERBOARD WOD!)
TUES 05.14.13 Happy birthday to us!
| May 13, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under Events, Ninja Training, WOD |
Happy First Anniversary to CFM! Thanks to everyone for making our first year a wild success. You are all an inspiration to the CFM coaches and we promise to do our best to continue making CFM an amazingly fun place to train and become stronger & healthier! Here’s to many more memories, parties, sweat puddles, burpee penalties, inchworms, Animal Warm-Up Fridays, Whole Life Challenges, theme WODs, PRs and so much more here at Atlanta’s School of Elite Fitness. CFM Pterodactyls 4-EVA! 
Ninja training (run club) tonight at 7p with Lindsay Meet at CFM at 7 or the Piedmont Park Active Oval at 7:15 for a sprint workout. Class will conclude in time for the birthday WOD. BIRTHDAY WOD at 8pm!!! Bring a friend or roll solo. Either way, please come play and celebrate our one-year anniversary. Wear your favorite party hat and prepare to break a sweat and have some fun. There will be drinking and non-drinking versions of this special WOD. Join us afterward for some birthday cake! Self-Defense seminar with Walter is SaturdayLearn to avoid, escape and evade violent persons and situations. This seminar is designed to teach students of all defensive skill levels basic, but effective techniques to subdue/overcome would-be attackers. Not only is the emphasis put on the physical techniques necessary for personal protection, but attention is drawn to the number one means of self-preservation: avoidance. Attendees will delve into the psychology of violence, learn how not to become a victim (in & outside the home), develop a means for effective striking and power production, and understand the importance of fitness (particularly CrossFit) to fighting. This self-defense course is designed specifically to empower people with the strategies and tactics to survive a violent situation. Seminar Goals: • Improve your understanding of violence • Dispel some popular myths about self-defense • Teach proper and effective striking • Teach you how to avoid and/or escape common threats/attacks When: Saturday, May 18th, 11a-1p Where: CrossFit Midtown Cost: $60 for CFM students, $70 for guests Register here. Flashback to a year ago – P-Lane & Kenley were the first students to take a class at CFM, last May 14th at 6am! Thanks to everyone who made this year so special. The CFM community wouldn’t be the same without each and every one of you! Workout of the Day (WOD)BIRTHDAY WOD AT 8PM! It’s a SURPRISE party… we’ll tell you the WOD when you arrive. SURPRISE! We won’t be doing the same WOD as other Tuesday classes. Friends & visitors are welcome. This doesn’t count toward your weekly attendance limits. All other classes – A. Hang snatch: 2-2-2-2-2 B. Overhead squat (OHS): 5-5-5+ (use 75% of last week’s weight) C. For time: 10 OHS :10 plank hold 10 OHS :20 plank hold 10 OHS :30 plank hold 10 OHS :40 plank hold 10 OHS :50 plank hold *Use 75% of the weight from part B. And coming tomorrow…A. Weighted pull up: 3-3-3+ (same weight as last week) OR 3-3-3+ strict pull ups OR 3-3-3+ negatives (weighted if possible) B. “THE DONALD”: For time – 21-15-9 Hang clean 135/95 Double unders (singles x 3) As his farewell gift, I asked Don to write today’s workout. This is a farewell WOD for Coach Don & his lovely fiance Nina, moving away this week to Charlotte, NC. We’ll miss you crazy kids! Especially Nina!
TUES 05.07.13 Snatchy snatch snatch
| May 7, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under Events, Strong4Life, WOD |
This month’s O-lifting focusIn case you didn’t already know it, TUESDAY IS OLYMPIC LIFTING DAY. Every Tuesday, the programming features some version of the snatch or clean & jerk. SPOILER ALERT AHEAD… For the month of May, we’re focusing on the snatch. Today, we’ll do several sets of two reps each of the full snatch. Power snatch if you must, but you should also know, this month’s programming ALSO features a focus on overhead squats. Coincidence? NOPE. It’s time to work on our overhead squats in order to clean up those snatches. There. I said it. Next week we’ll do hang snatches, the following week we’ll break it down further into some high-hang snatches, and on the final Tuesday of the month we’ll do a three-position snatch (each set will include a snatch rep pulling from the high-hang, the hang and the floor positions). Some CFM students tell me they avoid Tuesdays because “I hate snatches.” or “I’m so bad at that stuff.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we’re all adults. It’s up to you to decide which workouts you want to come in for, and which you want to avoid. BUT if you asked me for ONE discipline/sport/area to work on, within CrossFit, that would positively impact and improve ALLLLLL the rest of your CrossFit game & skills… I would say it’s Olympic Lifting. Keep at it. Be patient. Listen to your coaches and push through the frustrating times. Eventually, after LOTS of reps, things will start to click. Trust me. NO CLASSES AT CFM SATURDAY! We’ll hold ONE WOD Saturday at 10am over at the Piedmont Park Active Oval. So come for that OR PLEASE join us for the entire Field Day, Saturday morning from 9a-12noon. All proceeds benefit Strong4Life. Email Tirzah if you’d like to volunteer or if you still want to register a team. ANNIVERSARY PARTY SATURDAY 7-10p AT CFM!Here’s why you should come: Someone’s tongue might get stuck to this thing! Today’s snatch motivation: Check it out as Elisabeth Akinwale (8th at last year’s CrossFit Games) PRs her snatch at 190# Ninja Training is tonight at 7 with Lindsay!Meet at CFM at 7p OR at the Piedmont Park Active Oval at 7:15 (meet them on the edge of the Oval, at the stairs closest to the 14th St gate). Don’t be late! These ninjas only stay in the Active Oval for warm-up… some days, they slither* off to other parts of the park by 7:25, so catch them before they enter stealth mode. *Do ninjas slither? Traipse? Galivant? Workout of the DayA. Snatch: 2-2-2-2-2 Rest 2-3 minutes between sets. DO 1-2 WARM UP SETS. Use 80-85% of your 1 rep max from last week. B. For time: 20 rounds 10 double unders or 20 singles 10 abmat situps And coming tomorrow…20 min to find 1-rep max bench press THEN… 2 min to find max standing broad jump THEN… 2 rounds: 1 min max plyo push ups 1 min max overhead lunges 45#/25# No rest between movements/rounds. ALSO WEDNESDAY: Yoga with Beth at 12n & Rowing with Uran at 7p!
MON 05.06.13 May Goals
| May 5, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under WOD |
New Strength Program: It was great seeing everyone’s progress last week as we retested several benchmarks for quarterly progress checks! This week, we’re starting a new strength cycle, based on a percentage of your 1-rep max on certain lifts. We’ll also be establishing a max on a few more lifts (bench press & overhead squat this week) to use for future strength work. We’ll be doing lots of lower-rep sets, to put a focus on great technique and lifting HEAVY and explosively. On today’s back squats, use the 1-rep max chart (or a calculator) to figure out 80% of the 1RM you established on Friday. If you didn’t max out, we’ll work with you to determine a good starting weight. For the first two sets, lift five reps at 80% of last week’s one-rep max. On the third set, you’ll do as many reps as possible (5+)… shoot for at least 5, then as many as possible beyond that, in the same set, until you fail. Don’t worry, we’ll practice proper technique to bail out/dump the bar once you get to failure. RECORD TODAY’S RESULTS. Your performance this week (and specifically how many reps you get on your 3rd set) will determine how much weight you add (if any) next week. More on that later… GET STRONG! Congrats to all who set new PRs and set and/or achieved goals in April. Now it’s time to help us update the board for May. Add your goals this week if you haven’t already! Workout of the Day (WOD)A. Back Squat: 5-5-5+ Rest 3 minutes between sets. DO 1-2 WARM UP SETS. Use 80% of your 1 rep max on all sets. On the third “burnout” set, go to FAILURE… as in, until you fail a rep and must bail/dump the bar. Record weight and reps on set 3. B. 7 rounds: Handstand hold for max time 10 supine ring pull ups Score is total time accumulated in handstand hold. And coming tomorrow… A. Snatch: 2-2-2-2-2 Rest 2-3 minutes between sets. DO 1-2 WARM UP SETS. Use 80-85% of your 1 rep max from last week. B. For time: 20 rounds 10 double unders or 20 singles 10 abmat situps
02.14.13 Happy Valentine’s Day!
| February 13, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under WOD |
Approaching Your WODsby Uran As CrossFit beginners, we’ve all been there. You’re hitting the gym regularly, and feeling pretty damn good about yourself. You SHOULD be! Making good on your commitment to train consistently is great, and it’s something even the most elite athletes struggle with from time to time. But now that you’ve got your training schedule in place, and you’re showing up for your WODs on a regular basis, it’s time to start drilling down into what’s going on during your workouts. Once you’ve learned the movements, safe technique, and the proper range of motion, you can really begin to think about your intensity. Learning to make the most of your workouts is something that takes practice if you’re new to CrossFit, so start thinking about it early. Are you scaling appropriately to reach the desired level of intensity for that particular workout? If the workout is designed to be done at a sprint, choose weights/modifications that can accommodate that kind of pace. If the programming calls for a heavy weightlifting day, challenge yourself there as well. And if you don’t know the purpose of the workout, you can always ask a coach. All of the CFM coaches can help you figure out how to approach a workout, so don’t be afraid to ask. It took me years of trial and error to figure out how to approach WODs with the right level of intensity on my own because I didn’t know how to ask for guidance. It will always be a bit of a learning process as you continue to progress and get stronger, but thinking about it early and taking the advice of your coaches will get you there much more quickly! The Mardi Gras WOD crew Workout of the Day (WOD)… for real this timeA. As many rounds & reps as possible in 20min: 10 handstand push ups 2 rope climbs 20 walking lunges B. accumulate 3min each of L side plank & R side plank And coming tomorrow…BENCHMARK FRIDAYA. Close-grip bench press: 15min to find 1 rep max B. “Cindy”: As many rounds & reps as possible in 20 min of: 5 pull ups 10 push ups 15 squats
FRI 02.07.13 CrossFit Total!
| February 7, 2013 | Posted by LisSaunders under Quarterly Progress Checks, WOD |
Olympic Lifting Seminar with Travis Cooper Sunday, March 10th, Travis Cooper will be joining us for a six-hour seminar (9a-4p with an hour break for lunch) to teach us the finer points of the snatch and clean & jerk. Travis has competed and coached at the national & world levels. He is now a member of Team MDUSA and aspires to compete in the 2016 Olympics. Register now! This seminar is limited to 24 athletes. Athletes and coaches of all levels will benefit from this course. $75.00 – CFM Members $85.00 – CFM Guests Visit the FB event page for the seminar timeline and more info about Travis. Lis & Dan make good on their lost SuperBowl bet and do 50 burpees (notice Dan actually does 51) as a triumphant Nate heckles around them. Nate was nice enough to provide background music for the festivities. Dan made good on his prediction of a 2:30 finish time and was nice enough to drag Lis out super fast, way off her pace, to a 2:42ish finish. Both would later regret this blistering pace and lack of a warm-up. Quarterly Progress Checks:This week, we’re retesting several benchmark workouts and setting new goals for the next three months. Who will you be by early May? Set your intention now. Workout of the DayA. CrossFit Total: 1 rep max of – Back squat Strict press Deadlift B. 1 minute AirDyne test for max calories And coming tomorrow…Partner WOD at all classes! Choose between – A. 5k row: you and your partner alternate as you wish. Each partner must row at least 2000 meters. B. TabataISH: you and your partner each complete 8 rounds – :20 max reps of air squats, push ups, sit ups, pull ups. While Partner A works, Partner B rests. Count all reps for total score.
TUES 08.28.12 Athlete Profile: KERRY M.
| August 28, 2012 | Posted by LisSaunders under Uncategorized |
Kerry and Anna rocking some cleans. Athlete Profile: Kerry M.Hometown: LaGrange, GA Age: 40 Occupation: Regions Private Wealth Management When did you start CrossFit?: I started CrossFit about 4 years ago with an instructor for 3 months and then thought I would try just using Crossfit.com to get my WODs and instruction. BIG MISTAKE. Finally, after lackluster results and poor form that nearly shredded my shoulder, I was just about ready to quit. Then, I moved to Atlanta and a few weeks later CrossFit Midtown opened up only a block away. I joined in June and have loved it! Favorite WOD: Call me crazy but I like WODs with pull ups. Least Favorite WOD: Any AMRAP. Three words to describe you: God, Family, Work Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I played varsity tennis, wrestling, soccer and football in high-school. Even managed to be selected for GA All-State Football in 1994. After that high point, I went to college and basically stopped doing anything that closely resembled exercise. About 10 years ago I reached a peak of slothfulness and finally decided to get moving. I enjoyed spinning and exercise classes until I heard about CrossFit. How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? I went in on a Saturday and the WOD was “Fight Gone Bad”. I gave it my all, was beat by most of the girls and still nearly croaked. No really. Turns out I had “rhabdomyolysis”, which is where muscle fibers are damaged and released into the bloodstream, often causing kidney damage. Seems that it’s often seen in 30+ year old guys who think they’re still 18. I haven’t done Fight Gone Bad since! What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF? I can carry my 9 and 6 year old kids around the house while dodging our barking dog. What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I have more confidence in all aspects of life and have met some really great, interesting people. Any advice for people just getting started? You will second guess your decision to start CrossFitting for the first few weeks. Don’t give up! Follow your instructor’s guidance. Push yourself every day and you will soon be missing the days you can’t make it into CFM! What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Living my life for Jesus Christ and spending as much quality time as possible with my wife and kids. I also enjoy bird hunting and scuba diving. What did you eat today? Well, I thought about eating 3 cookies but I only ate one. That counts as progress–right, Lis?! Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? No. I might try it one day but for now I eat healthy “family” meals with lots of chicken, fish, veggies, nuts…and cookies. Labor Day WeekendCFM is open for Labor Day… please check out the following schedule updates: Saturday, September 1 – regular scheduled classes at 10 & 11 am Sunday, September 2 – Hooverball at 10 am, Piedmont Park sand volleyball courts Monday, September 3 – regular classes cancelled. Join Jeremy for open gym from 10am-12noon. Workout of the DayA. 10 minutes to a heavy power clean single B. Deadlift: 3 sets of 15, 2 min rest C. Three rounds: 8 Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift R, 30 sec rest 8 Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift L, 30 sec rest 8 Glute-Ham Raises, 30 sec rest
FRI 08.17.12 CrossFit Total
| August 16, 2012 | Posted by LisSaunders under Uncategorized |
Quarterly Check-In week wraps upIt’s been a busy week in the gym, testing several benchmark workouts including the Baseline. Congrats to everyone who conquered the Baseline this week…as a warm-up to the regular WOD, no less! SO MANY PRs! Be proud of your achievements over the past quarter and be sure to set some goals for the quarter ahead. Before we know it, November will be here, we’ll be wrapping up the Whole Life Challenge, and retesting all these workouts again. Good luck with today’s CrossFit Total! REMINDERS:Hooverball SundaysWeekly Hooverball continues Sunday at the Piedmont Park active oval. Be there by 10 am to help claim a court. You can parallel park on Piedmont, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, or in the deck (access off Monroe). Come out and play! CFM 2.0We’re already getting a facelift! This weekend we’ll be knocking down a few walls in order to expand the gym floor and install a new pull up cage with squat racks, dip stands and more rings… as well as a few other improvements. We’ll still have Saturday morning classes at 10 and 11, but they’ll be outside, so come prepared for some fun with tires and sledgehammers!!! Whole Life Challenge updateTeam CFM is up to 12 Whole Life Challengers! Alison D, Erin, Beth, Dyer, Bri, Brianne, Laura S, Uran, Vabs, Courtney, Jeremy and Lis are in the game. Who else is joining us? We’re shooting for 40. Get in the game!Register here. Mark your calendars: Saturday, September 8 at noon- WLC Pre-Challenge Huddle Friday, September 14- WLC Eve Not-Paleo Potluck Saturday, September 15- WLC Prelims Friday, October 12- Paleo Potluck Saturday, November 10- WLC Finals, Awards Ceremony and Finals Party Hooverball Sunday. Be there. Workout of the Day If it’s your first class of the week: Warm Up & retest Baseline CROSSFIT TOTAL: 1RM Back Squat 1RM Strict Press 1RM Deadlift Work up to your one rep max of each lift, in order: Back squat, then strict press, then deadlift. You’ll have 12 minutes at each lift, including warm up and three attempts. The heaviest of your three attempts will be your score for that lift. Add up the scores of the three lifts for your CrossFit Total score. CASH OUT: 1 minute max effort AirDyne sprint for calories Good Luck!
MON 08.06.12
| August 6, 2012 | Posted by LisSaunders under Uncategorized |
Thank you Rira!Thanks to Dermot and the gang at Rira Irish Pub for hosting us on Saturday to watch the Olympics and roll some dice. And happy birthday to Uran & Graham! Food as FuelNeed some help with your nutrition but don’t know where to start? Be at the box Saturday at noon for CFM’s next Food as Fuel class. We’ll discuss the basics of the paleo lifestyle, review food logs and answer questions. If you plan to attend, email Alicia to get your food journal, complete it by Saturday and bring it with you to the event. Massage dealHere’s a note from Monica Miller (LMT, CCH, RYT200), CFM student and resident massage therapist, about her August special. Check it out: As an avid Crossfitter & Massage Therapist I know what our bodies go through! I’m offering a special for Midtown CrossFitters for the month of August: $49 for a one-hour massage My specialty is the professional and amateur athlete & any tightness/pain that comes with the territory. My clients include NASCAR & Le Mans racing drivers, NFL players, NBA & WNBA players, and most importantly the owners, trainers & members of more than 10 CrossFit affiliates. CrossFitters are my clients, my friends and the athletes I understand the most, because I am one of you! I am trained in over a dozen types of massage including what I’m best know for…using ceiling mounted bars for back-walking! Monica is located at the corner of 14th & Piedmont. Call or text 404.731.3891 to make an appointment. Scott D & Jared Workout of the DayBack squat3 sets of 10, Rest 3:00 Helen 3 Rounds: 400m run 21 kettlebell swings 1.5/1 pood 12 pull ups Cash Out:Wall stretch, 2 min each side
WED 07.18.12
| July 18, 2012 | Posted by LisSaunders under Uncategorized |
Food as Fuel & Paleo Potluck is Saturday, August 11thMark your calendars for the next Food as Fuel nutrition class, on Saturday, 8/11 from 12 to 1:30 pm. Everyone bring a dish to share while Lis hosts a paleo Q&A discussion. Bring your questions and your paleo grub! CrossFit Endurance & POSE Running workshop is THIS THURSDAYDo you want to improve your running technique and race times? Are you clueless on how to work CrossFit Endurance workouts into your exercise routine? Or do you just hate running and wish to improve your form to make it less painful and more enjoyable? Join James Taylor, CrossFit Endurance-certified trainer and former Georgia Tech cross country and track & field athlete, for a 90-minute workshop to learn how to improve your technique, become a more efficient runner, and learn how to train for your next race. Workshop includes: -Pre- and post- workshop video evaluation of running technique, discussion of individual technical issues and identification of long-term solutions -Discussion of general technical principles and methods to prevent common injuries -Practical drills to improve running technique -Detailed, sample programming ideas for various training goals -Q&A Price: $25 When: Thursday, 7/19, 7-8:30 pm Register here or at the gym with cash or check. In one of my favorite moments from the Games, pictured above, the athletes did Fran to cap off a grueling weekend of competition. It came down to the final event to decide who got the final (3rd place) spot on the podium between Kristan Clever and Talayna Forunato. In the final set of nine pull ups, Kristan was a rep ahead, but a break in her butterfly kip gave Talayna the chance to pull ahead, finishing all her reps unbroken and claiming the title of 3rd Fittest Woman in the World. Considering how challenging a WOD we all know Fran is (especially as we train for it over the course of our Fran Challenge), watching these athletes complete it so quickly, after ALL the other work of the weekend, was pretty amazing. Workout of the Day 1. 3×5 Back Squat 2. FOR TIME: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Lateral box jumps* 24/20 & Wall Balls 20/14 For lateral box jumps, each side equals one rep. In other words, jumping over and back is two reps. CASH OUT – 2 min wall stretch each side; 5 min lax ball love on achilles/calves
Recent Comments