CWCF Tuesday Crew tackles Angie

CrazyWife demonstrates the assisted HSPU

Sam with some high quality push ups

Sweet victory!!!

Jason and Crazy Monkey

Crazy Monkey lovin his new bouncer...

TUESDAY 081118

A couple of extra "Crazies" showed up for Shannon's regularly scheduled Tuesday beatings. The three of them got to warm up with some assisted hand stand push ups and some good lookin hand stands against the wall.

Then it was on the tackle "Angie" as a group.

ANGIE
100 pull ups
100 push ups
100 sit ups
100 squats

I just picked this one to see their faces when I explained what the workout was going to be. There is something about 100 reps of anything that makes your face crinkle and your jaw drop a little bit. But Shannon, Sam and Emily ganged up on Angie and took her down in no time flat. 17:20 to be exact. Emily was ready for more so we are going to have to make these workouts a little more challenging I guess...

Great job guys!!!

And we'll see Jason next time to give him a little taste of the Kool-Aid!!!

Team workouts in the gym

We had a great group today in the gym at Jimmy Brought.  A few first timers joined in on the fun as well.

We warmed up with some squats with the PVC pipe and then went to work.

We formed up into three teams of two and squared off against each other in five different exercise and sprint circuits.  One partner would perform the exercise while the second partner did a sprint across the gym to the half court line and back, then the partners would switch and the person who just got done running would perform the exercise while the exerciser got after their own sprint.  We performed two circuits at each station and kept track of all the reps.  After we had rotated through all five exercises we went through one last time all the way through the five exercises going through one circuit of each one without stopping.  It was a smoker and everyone was ready for it to be over.  All of that in just under 45 minutes.  Not bad.  I'm just glad these guys are getting away from wasting their time on the treadmill and elliptical machines...  Success.

WallBalls

Frank - 10
Emily - 8
Jen - 8
Sam - 11
Jacklyn - 8
Anna - 8

Air Squats

Frank - 10
Emily - 8
Jen - 8
Sam - 10
Jacklyn - 10
Anna - 10

Push Ups

Frank - 20
Emily - 14
Jen - 10
Sam - 23
Jacklyn - 13
Anna - 10

Box Jumps

Frank - 9
Emily - 6
Jen - 9
Sam - 10
Jacklyn - 11
Anna - 10

Ball Slams

Frank - 8
Emily - 8
Jen - 8
Sam - 10
Jacklyn - 8
Anna - 8

Great job everyone!!!!

Shannon rows uphill???

TUESDAY 081111

Row 1,000 meters

Shannon - 5:19

Did some extended skill work with "Crazy" Shannon to give her a little taste of the "power" of CrossFit. A little introduction to the Russian Kettlebell and how you can get a great "cardio" workout from just a funny little round piece of steel (with a handle on it?!?!?!?).

Then it was down on the ground for some work with the rings and some ring push ups. You know the ones... where you start to shake, your shoulder, chest, back, glute, thigh and ab muscles start to spasm and you fall flat on your face (all of four inches to the ground) and you learn what a real "ab" workout is. (By the way, CrossFit doesn't "do" abs, it's all about mid line stabilization baby!!!)

Finished with a hard push on the C2 Rower. Wanted to see what kind of effort she would give all out on the rower for 1,000 meters. Now Shannon has been rowing 1,000 meters as part of every warm up but at a leisurely pace, finishing around 5:20-5:30 every time. I wanted to see what she would get going all out. She was killing it for the first two minutes or so, holding down a blistering 2:10 pace when she ran out of gas. After a couple short breaks, and a strong finish, she still managed to finish at 5:19. Looks like we need to do more speed work to get her accustomed to holding a (little bit) faster "aerobic" pace for more than a few minutes. (Glycolytic pathway here we come...)

The 1,000 meter row gave me a very good idea where her fitness level is and what we need to do to get her faster... fast. Crazy Shannon is going to hit some extra-short workouts with more rest in between and we are going to hit them harder than she is used to. Slogging away comfortably on the treadmill or elliptical is a sure way to sabotage your fitness... huh??!?!?!!???

Anyone care to join us? Shannon needs a workout partner so that I'm not focusing on her the entire workout... please give Shannon a break, she will tell you how to workout for FREE...!!!

Health & Fitness Hierarchy

Enlarge image

A Theoretical Hierarchy of Development

A theoretical hierarchy exists for the development of an athlete. It starts with nutrition and moves to metabolic conditioning, gymnastics, weightlifting, and finally sport. This hierarchy largely reflects foundational dependence, skill, and to some degree, time ordering of development. The logical flow is from molecular foundations, cardiovascular sufficiency, body control, external object control, and ultimately mastery and application. This model has greatest utility in analyzing athletes’ shortcomings or difficulties.

We don’t deliberately order these components but nature will. If you have a deficiency at any level of “the pyramid” the components above will suffer.

--courtesy of www.crossfit.com

Please notice that NUTRITION is the base for any fitness program. No matter how hard you workout or how many extra hours a day you workout, if your nutrition sucks, you will never see the gains that you were hoping f0r. Work to get your nutrition right and the rest of it will follow.

Fight Gone Bad at Jimmy Brought

We broke out the rower and the "man box" and some weights for some Fight Gone Bad in the parking lot outside Jimmy Brought gym in some gorgeous Fall weather.

"Fight Gone Bad!"

Three rounds of:
Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (Reps)
Box Jump, 20" box (Reps)
Push-press, 75 pounds (Reps)
Row (Calories)

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of "rotate", the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

Ladies used 10 pound wall ball, 24 inch box jumps and 35 pound barbells. LTC Schiek and CrazyWife used 65 pound barbells.

246-LTC Schiek
201-Rebecca
196-Jen
230-Tyra
184-CrazyWife

Great job everybody!!!

Shannon attacks a bear...

THURSDAY 081106

Shannon got after the Dumbbell Bear Complex today.

Perform the following exercises as one set every minute on the minute.

5 Dumbbell deadlifts
5 Dumbbell hang power cleans
5 Dumbbell front squats

Shannon was able to handle ten rounds of this one with 10 pound dumbbells so she is ready for more weight next time...

Good job Shannon!!!

"Dead"lifting for your health

We finally broke out the barbells on "Crazy" Shannon from down the street and she performed beautifully. Reviewed the movements with a PVC pipe til she had it down and then started tackling our nice Pendalay bars. She tried out a little weight on one of our junior bars (10kg + 2x10lb bumpers) but that was too easy. Next was one of our women's bars (15kg + 2x10lb bumpers) but it was still no match for Shannon.

Finally got down to business with the regular men's bar (45lbs + 2x10lb bumpers) and her form got even better as the heavier weights prevented her from "cheating" the weight out of line. We eventually found her first ever 3-rep max on the Deadlift at... drumroll please... 100 pounds. Yes you read that right, 100 pounds of weight off the ground three times. Outstanding effort once again from Crazy Shannon. Now if we could just get her husband off of his treadmill/bench press addiction...



Shannon and her hubby will be out of town this weekend so they are going to miss out on our Fight Gone Bad workout at Jimmy Brought Gym on Fort Sam Houston on Saturday at 0830. Hopefully the weather will be nice and we can stay in the parking lot and collect funny looks from the elliptical bunnies... don't miss out... see you there... seriously... come on down...

"Crazies" drawing a crowd

CrazyWife was in the Jimmy Brought parking lot with our largest group
of Crazies to date.

Warm up: row 500m

Workout: AMRAP in 20 minutes of:

20m walking lunge
10 push ups
20m walking lunge

10 thrusters
20m sprint
10 push ups
20m sprint

20m medicine ball sprint (20#)
10 push ups
20m medicine ball sprint

CrazyWife
Leah
Tyra
Alicia
Jackilyn

Keith and I were inside throwing some weight around with the Dan John
Rapid Ascent Program. Power cleans, presses and front squats were a
full load. Love that workout.

Fun was had by all.

With the gorgeous fall weather, we are planning on breaking out the
gear for our own Fight Gone Bad workout next week right outside Jimmy
Brought gym. You don't wanna miss this one.

Sent from my iPhone

CWCF Benchmark Workout

Our newest "Crazy" Shannon made it for her second workout so we ran
her through our benchmark workout. CrazyWife got in on the fun too.

CWCF Benchmark

Run 400m
40 squats
30 sit ups
20 push ups
10 pull ups

CrazyWife - 6:58 (knees; lg band)
Shannon - 7:43 (knees; lg band)

Great job ladies!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Steubing Ranch CrossFit finally open for business

Our good neighbor Shannon finally found her way to the casa garage
gym. She was looking for something new to replace her boring Globo
Gym workouts...sound familiar??? I thought so.

Shannon impressed with her strength and flexibility but we do have
pull ups to work on.

Warm up:
1,000 meter Row
Pull ups
Push ups
Squats

Workout:

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:

1 pull up
2 push ups
3 squats

Shannon - 15 rounds

Great job!!! We are on for classes in the garage Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 6:15pm. Should be fun...

Sent from my iPhone

CrazyWife's APFT

CrazyWife tackled her semi-annual APFT this morning on minimal train-
up and blew it away.

That's what happens when you really start eating right and you lose 10
pounds in three weeks, makes it a little easier to drag yourself
around the track...

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Exercise: Effective for Fat...GAIN???

Here is another great post from CrossFit's Nutrition Expert, Robb Wolf.

Read more here if you want to find out why you can work out all the time and still not lose weight...

Fort Sam CrossFitters Uniting

We are finally making progress in getting people together to CrossFit at Jimmy Brought.

Our two most recent "Crazies" showed up again, happy to be saved from the elliptical machine and/or spin class I'm sure.

A new "Crazy" busted onto the scene with almost two years of CrossFitting under his belt. Keith, killed the workout today. "What a monster!"

Today's Workout:

Beginner's Ladder

1 pull up, 2 push ups, 3 squats
2 pull ups, 4 push ups, 6 squats
3 pull ups, 6 push ups, 9 squats
4 pull ups, 8 push ups, 12 squats
5 pull ups, 8 push ups, 15 squats
and all the way back down to...
1 pull up, 2 push ups, 3 squats

CrazyWife - 7:53
Leah T - 8:14
Crazy #2 - 8:32

Keith - 22:17 OUTSTANDING!!!

Keith took the ladder all the way up to 10 pull ups, 20 push ups, 30 squats and back down to 1, 2, 3. Total: 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats. What an effort...

"Calling all CrossFitters..."

"...at the Brigade Gym!!!"

I dropped off some business cards at the Brigade Gym thinking that there might be some folks hiding out there trying to get their CrossFit on by themselves. Since CrossFit is best served up as part of some group "suffering", I'm hoping to bring some small groups of us together to better spread the word...

Don't worry CrossFitters, we are doing FREE workouts on Fort Sam through December...don't miss out on an opportunity to work on your form or get some other pointers on working more CrossFit into your current PT program...

If there is enough interest, I could show up for some weekday lunchtime workouts.

The "Crazies" were REALLY Crazy Today

We didn't expect a big turnout today right after the Combat Medic 5k but Crazy Leah brought one of her friends and Big Dan also managed to drag himself in after a fun-filled night of PlayStation 3 I'm sure.

Dan and I hit some Rapid Ascent from Dan John for some good barbell work on Power Cleans, Shoulder Press and Front Squats. One of my favorite all around strength programs...

Leah, her friend and CrazyWife hit some Dumbbell Bear Complex for about 20 minutes to get in a good sweat. They were glad they didn't laze around on the elliptical for an hour when they were done...

Hopefully our numbers will continue to grow as we continue to collect funny looks from the few gym patrons there on Saturday mornings who just seem to be going through the motions...

Combat Medic Run

We will be CrossFitting at Jimmy Brought again this Saturday at 0830.  CrazyWife and I are going to hit the Combat Medic 5k Run at 0730 so we might be too tired to think of a really scary workout.  Now's your chance to try out some CrossFit and see what it's all about.  Come in and get some great tips on your form and how to successfully incorporate some CrossFIt into your current PT program.

If you are going to the Combat Medic Run, look for me in my new Vibram Five Fingers shoes as I try to get my calves and ankles used to the POSE method of running nearly barefoot without any of those fancy Shox, Air, Springy shoes we pay 100s of dollars to run in but that don't lower the rate of the incidence of running injuries.  Only by retooling your body to run with proper technique will save you from all of those afflictions that all runners suffer at one time or another during their careers: bad knees, plantar fascitis, heel spurs (orthotics anyone?), stress fractures, shin splints, bad backs, er... you get the idea...

Just Do It!!!

See this video from CrossFit Watertown as one of their members tells us why we should just start CrossFit... don't think about it... just do it!!!

CrossFit comes to Fort Sam

"If they won't come to you...go to them." This is my own quote after waiting (in vain) for new clients to line up to sign up to sweat it out in our little garage gym that could.

Well, in this Texas heat, that turned out to be a bridge too far. Not that I blame them, fitness is hard enough without working out in the sauna that is Central Texas.

So we are changing our tune.

CrazyWife CrossFit will be bringing CrossFit to the masses starting tomorrow.

After spotting several fellow CrossFitters while doing quite a few of my own CF workouts at Jimmy Brought gym after our regularly scheduled PT, I'm excited to announce that CrazyWife CrossFit will be offering Saturday morning classes for anyone interested in learning more about the fastest growing fitness phenomenon in the world.

CrazyWife CrossFit "make over"

We are fresh off last weekends CF Nutrition cert and we are jumping in the shallow end, head first. CrazyWife finally "gets it" about nutrition and we are making drastic changes, ripping off the band-aid if you will, to get our health, fitness and nutrition in order. CrazyWife came home from the cert and threw out all of the "crap" that we have always eaten. Nothing was spared. Our vast collection of alcohol...gone. All of our processed, boxed up, junk carbs...gone. All of the stuff we "thought" was "healthy"...gone.

After just a week of following a more Paleo Diet, we are feeling better and we both swear that our little pooch tummies are already starting to shrink. Can't wait to see the "after" pictures in a few weeks.

Stay tuned as we continue to discuss more of what we learned and what is working for us...

Nutrition Cert here we come!!!

CrazyWife and I are in Dallas today for the CrossFit Nutrition
Certification. Should be another incredible experience. Stay tuned...

Sent from my iPhone

Fight Gone Bad III (228)

CrazyWife showed up to San Antonio CrossFit to help me help them pull off a great event and successful fund raiser. She then proceed to get talked into competing in the Fight Gone Bad workout (all this without proper shorts and no shoes) and tried her hardest to win the women's division (and she nearly pulled it off). She took 3rd place overall with an impressive Personal Record of 228. She even beat the two men in her heat at the C2 Rower. Great job CrazyWife!!!!

Helping CF S.A. with Fight Gone Bad III

CrazyHusband will be across town helping out Brad with CrossFit San Antonio in their Fight Gone Bad III workout. Should be a fun event and it's for a great cause.

Next weekend, CrazyWife and I will be heading to Dallas for the CF nutrition certification to get our Zone dialed in with Robb Wolf. Should be an outstanding event.

Then, finally, we will be heading back to Jimmy Brought and Fort Sam Houston for a Saturday workout on 11 OCT 08. Stay tuned for more info...

CH

Saturday workout on Fort Sam Houston

CrazyWife CrossFit will taking the show on the road and working out on Fort Sam Houston at the Jimmy Brought Physical Fitness Center this Saturday at 0830.

We will meet out front on the benches for anyone interested in hitting the WOD and getting some quality instruction on form and technique.

Beginners are always welcome. Workouts are always scalebale to any ability level.

We are working on getting the blessing of the powers that be at Jimmy Brought to make this a semi-permenant situation so stay tuned...

We are also working on getting our business switched over to a not-for-profit organization so we can work primarily with Active Duty military who will be able to workout for free. This will require some buy-in from MWR but we are confident that this relationship will benefit all parties involved and especially those Soldiers and their families who are hearing more about CrossFit and want to learn more.

Lastly, we are fresh off our CrossFit Kids certification in Ramona, California over Labor Day weekend and we are very excited to look at getting approval for our very own CF Kids affiliation and bringing this wonderful program on post as well to get our kids moving and having fun while working out.

Final update(s): CrazyWife and I are headed to the CF Nutrition certification in Dallas on 4 October so we won't be full speed ahead at Jimmy Brought until the following week. We will also be working with CrossFit San Antonio on the west side of town on 27 September for the worldwide Fight Gone Bad III event so we'll be out of the net but you can contact us if you are interested in participating or helping out. It's for two worthy causes, Prostate Cancer and the Wounded Warriors Foundation and it is a kick-butt workout. Absolutely last thing...CrazyHusband is heading to the Barbell cert in Newport, California in November so he'll be brining even more expertise to a workout near you. Stay tuned...

What are you striving for?

"It must be borne in mind that the great tragedy in life is not in
failing to reach all of your goals--it is in having no goals for
which you are reaching.

It is not a calamity if somehow you die with dreams unfulfilled but
it is a calamity not to dream.

It is not a disgrace if you fail to reach the stars, but it is a
disgrace if you have no stars for which you are reaching.

It is not a disaster if you fail to achieve your highest ideals,
but it is a disaster if you have no high ideals for which you are
striving. Not failure, but lower aim is sin."

Benjamin Elijah Mays - Former President Of Morehouse college

Act...Succeed

"I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words each hour, each day, everyday, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing, and the action which follows becomes as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids.

With these words I can condition my mind to perform every action necessary for my success. I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again. I will walk where failures fear to walk. I will work when failures seek to rest. I will act now for now is all I have.

Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure. I will act now.

Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place.
I am the person."

-- Og Mandino

CrossFit Kids Certification

CrazyWife and I are off to Ramona, California this weekend to take part in the CF Kids certification. Can't wait to get in some serious DodgeBall...!!!

Wish us luck and we'll see you next week with a new schedule and new location for our workouts.

Stay tuned...

Get off the Crack...

Here is a study conducted in 2007 that confirms that these man-made sweeteners are more powerful, more addicting than even higher doses of Cocaine.

Are you kidding me? Save yourself and your children while there is still time...

Get off the crack...

Get off the "Diet" soda...

What's yer Motivation...???

"Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable."

--Coco Chanel, fashion designer

What is your fitness destiny...???

"Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved"

--William Jennings Bryant, Secretary of State

Improvements in fitness and health will not happen on their own. You have to make a commitment to achieve your goals. CrossFit can get you there, you just have to give it a shot...

Do something inspirational...

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader"

--John Quincy Adams - 6th U.S. President

Holy Zone Batman II

Still dialing in the Zone Diet and I'm going to start to add in some Intermittent Fasting to really melt the fat away.  Weighed myself this week and I was down to 209.5lbs and 19.5% BF.  This is down from a starting point a few weeks ago of 215lbs and 23% BF.  Looks promising I'd say.  Also took the ole' blood pressure for grins and it was WAAY down to 115/69.  That is crazy low considering I started out way high at 145/95 or so just two years ago.  What a difference some quality diet and exercise makes...

Six-Week Push up Challenge

Hit this workout while CrazyWife did her version of "Michael".  3 rounds of 800m run, 25 hip extensions and 25 GHD situps.

100 Push up Challenge

Week 3 - Day 3

30-22-22-20-Max (2-min rest btw sets)

21/115

Wow, the numbers keep going up despite not taking any push ups rest days this week.  Wonder how long I can keep this up.  Supposed to find a new max Monday but I might just go into the Week Four numbers and see what happens...

Leap of Faith

How many excuses do we use to talk ourselves out of working out and eating right?

I don't have time...
I can't afford it...
It's too complicated...
I've gotta watch my kids...
I'll start later...
Exercise bores me...
Maybe next time...
My family is not very supportive...
I have an injury....
My friends will think I'm crazy...
I'll lose weight first...
I'm already thin...
I don't have enough willpower...
It's too difficult...
I'll just have liposuction...
I'm too old...
I'm too tired...
It's too hot...
I'm too fat...
I'm too...

Why not ignore all of the little voices in your head and find out once and for all if CrossFit really is for you?

Find out if it truly is scalable to ANY ability level.

YOUR ability level.

We will be offering HUGE discounts on our 3-month packages to help you jump start your next New Year's Resolution (only you won't break this one by the middle of January...again).

So put down that TV remote, get off the couch and come down and see what we are all about...

Sweet Misery

I don't yet know what it is about CrossFit that makes you look forward
to suffering through that day's WOD. If you tried to make a "sweat
angel" at a Globo Gym they'd call security and have you tossed out and
probably committed to a mental institution to boot.
I mean really, don't you know that you need at least 30 minutes on the
eliptical in your "target fat burning super aerobic zone" to start
losing weight...???

Holy Zone Batman!!! (212.8lbs)

I've been tightening up my diet lately, packing a few huge salads for lunch instead of eating out mostly. Also going to take Robb Wolf's advice and try to get about half of my daily carbs post workout. This will replenish any depleted glycogen stores (not very likely even with most CrossFit WODs) and it will also lower the number of carbs I get for the rest of the day. No more meals with 3 or 4 cups of broccoli...YEAH!!! This is a bit of a departure from the strict 30-40-30 that is the Zone but if it's working for these amazing CrossFit athletes, it's gotta work for me too.

So, the really good news is that I finally jumped on the scale for fun and I'm down at least 5 pounds (212.8) and well under the Army standard for my height of 6'3" (217). I would really like to see how I might function in the 200-205lb range by the end of the year. Certainly it will be easier to run if you are carrying 10-15 fewer pounds than you usually have??? I'm also kinda excited about the body fat readings off my $49.00 Tanita BF scale (taken with a grain of salt). I was down at least 2% BF from 23.8 to 21.5%. Gotta be a good s