uran piedra

Mobility Resources

by Uran
I see this happen all the time. As people start to filter in a little early for class, everyone has a tendency to just stand there staring at the current class while they work out. I’m not judging. I do it too. It’s a nice time to catch up with your CFM friends. But if you’re coming in early, why not make good use of the time you’ve dedicated to the gym by getting a little extra work in?
Make a habit of getting in some foam-rolling (see below) or mobility work while you wait for class to start. If you have no idea where to begin when it comes to mobility, there are some great posters hanging up by the rowers that can give you some ideas. They’re RIGHT THERE, so it’s super easy to work on something. No excuses.
You can also check out MobilityWod. While some of the site content is only available via a paid subscription, there are still TONS of free videos. They even make it really easy to find something related to a specific area of the body or a particular CrossFit movement with the filters at the top of the page. So, get this: You can peep the CFM programming for that day on the blog, watch a quick mobility video related to a movement you’ll be doing, and spend that extra 5-10 minutes before class becoming even more prepared for the WOD. Great idea, huh?

Speaking of mobility…Yoga class with Beth is today at 12n!

Rowing class with Uran is tonight at 7p!

Rowing WOD:
1k time trial (get on the leaderboard!)
rest 6:00, then,
10 rounds of row 1:30, rest 0:30.

Kay rockin’ the push presses.

Workout of the Day (WOD)

A. Press: 3-3-3+
B. Kelly:
Five rounds for time of –
Run 400 meters
30 Box jump, 24/20″
30 Wall ball shots, 20/14#

*Newbies: scale down rounds, jump height and ball weight as needed!

And coming tomorrow…

A. Back Squat: 3-3-3+
B. AMRAP in 12 minutes of:
3 Burpees AFAP*
10 Double Unders (50 Singles) AFAP*
30 second rest

*AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

WED 06.12.13 Mobility Resources Read More »

Approaching Your WODs

by 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 time

A. 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 FRIDAY

A. 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

02.14.13 Happy Valentine’s Day! Read More »

Uran killing that Hooverball serve.

Athlete Profile – Urán Piedra

Hometown: Lawrenceville (OTP)
Age: 25 and I’ve got a BIRTHDAY COMING UP ON AUGUST 5TH!!! Just sayin 😉
Occupation: Sales/Marketing/Accounting/Finance/Operations at a biotech startup
When did you first start CrossFitting?: I actually spent about 3 months or so at BTB a few years back, but I just restarted Crossfit when I joined CFM about three weeks ago. Since then, I have been working out every day. I am soon planning to buy peptides usa as well to burn the excessive stubborn fat I have.
Favorite WOD: I don’t really know them well yet. Modified Annie seemed pretty good.
Least Favorite WOD: Fran *shivers*
Three words to describe you: Determined, resourceful, hungry
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I was not at all athletic until college when I joined the crew team. That’s when I really started to get the motivation to want to improve my physical fitness. For the past few years though, my workouts have been sporadic at best.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? My first exposure to CF was through BTB’s boot camp years ago. We got free Saturday classes at the gym as part of the boot camp, so I went in that first Saturday and did something called “Helen on Crack”. I don’t remember what they added to Helen, but it was brutal.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? So far nothing major, but its only been three weeks. 🙂
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? Seeing how amazing the community is at CFM. Everyone there is so nice and welcoming. To be honest, Crossfit intimidated the hell out of me, but I’m constantly blown away by how friendly and helpful the people are.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit/CFM moments: HOOVERBALL! It’s seriously awesome even if you’re terrible and uncoordinated like I am. Also, the Fran challenge was really cool to watch. Actually participating was another story, but watching the heat before mine was really inspiring.
Any advice for people just getting started? Listen to your coach, and don’t get discouraged. Some of the movements are really complex and take people years to get right, so if you don’t get it the first day, don’t beat yourself up. Also, focus on how much you’re learning/improving day to day rather than the things you can’t do yet. Those are the things I try to remember every time I go to the gym.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I mostly just work, sleep, and eat. Not very exciting.
What did you eat today? Breakfast was coffee and a Fage greek yogurt. For lunch I brought balsamic grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, and a banana. Dinner remains to be seen.
Do you follow the paleo or primal lifestyle? What is your nutrition philosophy? I’m usually Paleo about 90% of the time. The other 10% is reserved for the occasional slice of pizza or plate of tater tots (sometimes together). Although, eating grains usually leaves me feeling horrible, so I tend to stay away.

How was your first half of 2012?

Can you believe it’s the end of June already? It seems like just yesterday I was scouring Midtown for the right gym space. And now here we are, seven weeks since opening and almost 50 members strong. I am so proud of what we’re building here, and I appreciate all of you being a part of it.

So before we dive on into July, take some time to reflect on the first half of 2012. What was awesome about it? What can you do to make the second half of 2012 even better? Set some goals for the rest of the year. Where do you want to be at the end of July…the end of the summer…the end of the year…by July 2013…July 2017…July 2022?

If you need some help with goal-setting, let me know. AND plan to attend our Goal-Setting Workshop on Wednesday, July 11 at 7pm as Rachel from lululemon howell mill will lead us through some imagination, vision and goal-setting exercises.

Hooverball is Sunday at 10!

Join us Sundays at 10 am for Hooverball in the park (meet in the Piedmont Park Active Oval, nearest the Botanical Gardens/14th St gate). It’s lots of fun. Don’t forget to bring water, sunscreen and a towel. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll do a short pre-Hooverball warm up WOD.

July 4th Holiday Schedule

CFM will be closed on Wednesday, July 4th. The 6 and 7 am classes will also be cancelled on Thursday, July 5th. All other classes next week will be held as regularly scheduled.
We’ll post a no-equipment-needed WOD on Tuesday in case you wish to get moving on your own on the 4th.