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When you hear "3-2-1 Go!", something clicks inside that makes you want to win. Often times you end up neck-and-neck throughout a WOD with the person next to you. This happened recently when Jill and Colby went hard and fast on a workout calling for muscle-up progressions, handstand pushups, and kettlebell swings. It was fun to watch these two battle it out.
Everyone who trains with Pat knows that she absolutely hates running. There have been many a time when running a 5k came up on the workout and Pat would not show. Within the past few months, though, Pat has turned a huge corner. She recently ran 5k on her own when she couldn't make it to class and just last Saturday at the Autism 5k Run, Pat ran her personal best!
In addition to improved running performance, Pat has made huge strength gains and her form has improved immensely. Pat has become a success story and inspiration for us all!
Pat working on her overhead squats.
**** CrossFit Ocean City's End of August Survey***
If you're a member of CrossFit Ocean City, please click the link below to provide some input to our survey.
We had a huge turnout of 23 members to support the Autism Support Group of Worcester County at the Berlin 5k Run this morning. Of this group, Louise, Lynne, Lorie, Kelley, Van, Kristin, Emma, and Alicia all placed in their respective age groups! Way to go and congratulations! This is just another example of how CrossFit training can prepare you to participate in runs without specializing or limiting your training to just running.
Katie, Colby, and Emma after the race. This was Emma's first 5k run and she placed 1st in her age group!
Ever hear the saying, "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins"? It's very true - in life and in your training. A winner is someone who gives 100% every day and comes back for more. A winner is someone who gives that extra effort to get one more round of "Cindy", or goes for five more pounds on a 1RM deadlift. Whether you get the extra round, or the heavier rep doesn't matter. What mattered was the effort put into striving for more. The difference between CrossFitters and those that don't CrossFit is that extra effort that makes us all winners.
Mendy and Peg giving it their all during today's WOD: AMRAP in 20 minutes of 5 thrusters, 7 hang power cleans, and 10 sumo deadlift high pulls. Mendy, 25, is fairly new to CrossFit, but she's seen tremendous gains in the past 6 months. Peg, in her fifties, has been CrossFitting for several years now and has as much drive and determination as anyone half her age. Watch out for these two!
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." Lance Armstrong
If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build, end up building us. - Jim Rohn
After a nice week off from running classes and throttling back on my training a bit, I'm ready to refocus my efforts and hit it hard in the gym. There's nothing quite like a vacation to reinvigorate the desire to work hard - both in and out of the gym. This week should be a good one! As summer comes to an end, think about how you want to refocus your training and go at it hard and fast!
Go heavy on your front squats and improve a whole host of essential attributes for improved athleticism. Strength, power, balance, coordination, flexibility - all of these will improve with heavy front squats. Another benefit to going heavy will be improved performance on other movements like the thruster. Plus, learning to do front squats correctly will allow you to train squats solo, unlike training back squats where you may not be able to bail out if you get stuck at the bottom.
Kristin going for a 142# front squat!
Learning to clean and jerk properly takes time and practice to get it right. Proper setup for the first pull, then full extension of the hips followed by a shrug completes the second pull. The third pull is where you pull yourself under the bar as quickly as possible. This third-pull concept is lost on some as the lifter continues to try to pull the bar up while slowly dropping into a squat with a bar out in front, all the while hoping that the load isn't too heavy when it finally comes to rest on the shoulders. These pulls are essential to success and must be practiced often before moving onto the jerk.
Once the clean is mastered, then the jerk can quickly and efficiently get the load overhead. Again, this is a dip and quick extension of the hips followed by another dip under the bar with arms fully extended overhead to receive the load. Learning to press and push press are critical skills to develop prior to moving onto the jerk.
Jess has is just about right. She's just received the bar overhead and is about to finish the movement by standing tall. Jess has made some awesome gains with her Olympic lifting movements because she focuses her efforts, practices the movements, and strives to give 100% in every workout.
Lorie is our "Trainer in the Spotlight" this month! She spent lots of hours helping with the CrossFit Ocean City Girl's Club this summer in addition to her work as a primary and assistant trainer for many of our regular CrossFit classes. She's energetic, demos moves with perfect form, is right on with her cues, and picks up the subtle details in human movement patterns that help to improve the performance of our CrossFitters. In addition to her CrossFit trainer certification, Lorie has CrossFit certifications in gymnastics, Olympic lifting, basic barbell, CrossFit Kids, and running and endurance. She's also attended the Concept 2 rowing certification and has a background in nutrition.
Lorie provides some key pointers to the class prior to a row.
SPECIAL NOTICE: AS OF 9:00 pm ON 8/14/09, WE'VE REACHED CAPACITY. PLEASE EMAIL ONLY IF YOU WISH TO BE PLACED ON THE WAIT LIST.
Who? Coach Glassman
What? CrossFit 101 - a day with Coach Glassman. Come to an open forum to discuss CrossFit, ask questions, and share the day with other CrossFitters!
When? Saturday, October 3, 2009. Starts at 8:00 and goes until about 5.
Where? CrossFit Ocean City, 10545 Friendship Rd, Berlin, MD
How much? It's FREE. Space is limited, so signup today! You just have to commit to the entire day, so don't sign up if you can't commit.
How do I sign up FOR THE WAIT LIST? Email Steve - steve@crossfitocmd.com
About Coach:
Greg Glassman, a former gymnast, created the CrossFit training methodology in the 1980s. The program gained the attention of various military and law enforcement agencies. In 1995, Glassman was hired to train the Santa Cruz, Ca police department. The first CrossFit gym opened in Santa Cruz in 1995. The CrossFit website, launched in 2001, now includes an extensive video library of exercise demonstrations and a very active discussion forum. The number of CrossFit-affiliated gyms has grown from 18 in 2005 to 1,000 on March 2, 2009. CrossFit Ocean City was number 96 when we affiliated in 2006!
