CrossFit Ocean City

HAL GETS A 1000 CFT!

Monday morning, after a weekend of being sick, Hal pulled a CrossFit Total score of 1000.  Hal's the first CrossFitter from CrossFit Ocean City to hit the 1000 CFT mark! This is an 85 point increase from January without focusing on lifting other than training with the CrossFit method and programming.  Aside from this, Hal began the Zone Diet on December 1st and has stayed with it.  Nutrition was obviously the key to Hal's success.

 

Hal sets up for a deadlift attempt at 452 after getting 450 pounds.  He missed the lift, but with 450, he hit 1000 on the nose.  (In case anyone is adding the plates, the iron plates are 100# each.)

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE WOMEN'S CFT SCORES FROM THE FINALS!

CFT NUMBERS IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY

The loads lifted in the finals this weekend were unbelievable!  The largest improvement came from those who focused on their diet and were a part of the 12-week Ultimate Gift of Fitness Challenge.  Way to go everyone!

  Kristin locks out 75 pounds on the shoulder press.  Stevie pulled 405 in the deadlift.  And Valerie pulled 225 about 1/2 way up, but the bar slipped out of her hands.  Bummer!

   

PUSHING THE EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE

Katie pushed the edge of the envelope Saturday morning on the CrossFit Total.  She's held back on her loads a bit in past 1RM efforts, but not yesterday.  She ended up with a 145 pound back squat, a 70 pound shoulder press, and a 185 pound deadlift.

 

Katie coming out of the bottom of the squat (above) and fully extended overhead on the shoulder press (right).

DOUG JACOBS POSTS A HUGE CFT GAIN!

The CrossFit Total (CFT) finals opened last night and Doug Jacobs posted a huge improvement over his preliminary score from twelve weeks ago.  Not only is Doug a strong guy when it comes to powerlifting, but he's been more focused and consistent in his training.  As a result, he raised his score 45 points to finish the total finals with an 895.  We'll see how the others do over the next three days, but Doug is the one to beat right now!

CROSSFIT TOTAL FINALS 27TH - 30TH

Yes, the time has finally come - the CrossFit Total Winter Challenge Finals.  Starts tomorrow and runs through Monday.  All workouts on Friday will be a CrossFit total regardless of whether you entered the challenge.  There is also a special CrossFit Total workout tomorrow (Friday) afternoon at 4:30 and on Sunday at 3:30 just for CrossFit Total.  Log onto the member sign-in and sign-up for your CrossFit Total Challenge workout time.

Prizes -

Overall highest total Men and Women - $100 each

Most improved total Men and Women - $100 each

Check your email for details.  Read the rules HERE if you need a refresher!

 

Linda squats 115# to the ball as Kate looks on.

THE TEN GENERAL PHYSICAL SKILLS

Thanks to Jim Crawley and Bruce Evans of Dynamax (yes, the guys that created Dynamax medicine balls), we have the ten general physical skills.  CrossFit's first standard of fitness states that you are only as fit as you are competent in each of these.  Ask yourself if your workouts cover these skills and how many are covered during each workout.  At CrossFit, we hit just about every one every time we train!  Here we define each of these skills (there will be a test at your next CrossFit class!):

1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – the ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen
2. Stamina – the ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength – the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units to apply force.
4. Flexibility – the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power – the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed – the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination – the ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Agility – the ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance – the ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy – the ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

 

Hal displaying some strength and flexibility during his 5 sets of 5 rep squats.  In case you were wondering, that's 315 pounds he's squatting.  Everyone else got PRs that day too!

UNIVERSAL SCALABILITY

One of our new CrossFitters mentioned to me the other day that her friends warned her that CrossFit was just too hard and she would never be able to do the workouts.  What she realized was that not only could she do the workouts, but she could do them because she was pushed to the limits of her ability and experience - not beyond to the point of injury.  Quite simply, coaching and scaling of the workouts ensured that she can, and does, get the same workout as all the other CrossFitters.  We scale load and intensity, but everyone's functional movement needs are the same.

A classic example of scaling is adjusting the box jump.  The height of the box can be adjusted up or down.  The CrossFitter can then either jump, or step, up on the box.  Is jumping on a 8" box, or jumping on a 20" box equally demanding?  It depends upon the ability of the CrossFitter.  Either way, the scaled workout is still performed right along with the rest of the group.  That's universal scalability.  And if you're still not sure if the workout can be scaled to your ability, then watch this video: click HERE.

 

Paula jumping, Louise stepping, and Sarah (background) jumping on a lower box.

CROSSFIT GIRL'S CLUB

Our first session of CrossFit Girls Club, grades 2-6, was a huge success. In the past six weeks, the girls have explored what it means to be strong physically and mentally. They have shown compassion by creating their own philanthropic mission called, “Cash for Critters.”  To date they have collected over $110 which will go directly to the Worcester Co Humane Society.  They have worked on enhancing their self-esteem by creating a colorful Acrostics Poem about themselves using creative, positive, self-describing adjectives.  The girls have improved their fitness by participating in CrossFit Kids.  Most importantly, the girls have created a place they like to be. 

 

Our club is open and the girls would like to extend an invitation to your daughter to check it out.  Contact kelrakow@crossfitocmd.com.

KRISTIN IN THE ZONE

Kristin's body comp changed drastically.  While she didn't see a huge shift in the scale, her bodyfat percentage decreased and her lean muscle mass increased.  Just because the scale doesn't move doesn't mean you don't look better than ever.  And her endurance, strength, and power output improved across the board.

   

Kristin just came back from a 2+ week training session in Indianapolis for her new job.  While there, she worked out on her own doing CrossFit WODs in a local globo gym.  She told me a story of how one of her co-workers commented that he had never, ever seen anyone work out so hard.  She also said how funny it was to see people training with such low intensity on all the machines.