May 6, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

Just breathe: yoga for athletes

- written by Tania Tetrault Vrga, originally published in the Free Press

What do crossfitters, runners, soccer players, and stressed out executives have in common?  The answer is that they could all benefit from adding yoga to their regular fitness routine.  As a personal trainer and strength coach, I find that most clients don’t have any trouble building strength and endurance, as long as they show up to the gym on a regular basis.  Most often, their limiting factors are the kinds of things that require a commitment outside the gym.  The most overlooked aspects of fitness are flexibility, mobility, sleep and stress management, recovery, focus, and breath.

 The beauty of yoga is that it provides a platform to improve all of these areas at once.  I’m not a yoga instructor and I don’t pretend to have knowledge of which types of yoga are most beneficial.  I also think that you can likely get all the benefits of yoga through meditation and stretching.  However, a qualified and experienced yoga instructor can provide all of the benefits of meditation, breathing practice, and stretching in a comfortable and affordable class setting.

Let’s look at the top four benefits of yoga for athletes:

Breath: Proper yoga practice starts with a full rhythmic breath.  This can be extremely difficult at the beginning, but learning to control your breath is one of the best things you can do to master your body and become even more skilled at your sport.

Focus: Many elite athletes experience a state of flow when they compete.  They often describe this as a heightened state of awareness, similar to deep meditation, during which time appears to slow down.  Spending an hour listening to your breath and being aware of your body is a great way to learn how to focus under pressure and get in the zone.

Flexibility: Perhaps the most obvious benefit of yoga is increased flexibility.  Lifting weights and playing hockey are not recommended if you can’t touch your toes or reach your arms overhead. It’s common sense.  Luckily yoga can help with that.

Recovery: There is an old saying ‘There is no such thing as overtraining, only under-recovering.”  I’m not sure that’s completely accurate but it serves to illustrate an important point.  In order to perform well on the playing field or in the gym, you need to rest and recover between sessions.  That means taking time to relax and get some sleep.  Think of yoga as a lesson in chilling out.

It almost seems like a no-brainer, but it’s hard for an athlete who only has 24 hours in the day to commit to spending one of those hours doing essentially nothing.

I’ve always dabbled in Yoga, but in the past few months, I have committed to doing at least two Yoga practices per week and I have embarked on a 200 hour yoga teacher training.  The result has been an unmistakable improvement in energy and performance in the gym.  I didn’t change anything else, my nutrition stayed the same and I did the same type of strength training I usually do.  So how does Yoga account for this?

One of the concepts that kept cropping up over and over again was the Yin and Yang of Chinese medicine and philosophy, the idea that yoga is beneficial in that its Yin properties balance out the Yang activities in our day to day lives.   As Yoga instructor Monica Angelatos notes in a recent article:  “Yang has energetic qualities such as active, rapid, fiery, explosive, hot and masculine. Yet, for every Yang quality there is an opposite Yin energy, like passive, slow, cold, and feminine.  Because in the Western world we engage predominantly in Yang-type practices, it is important to bring our awareness to its counterpart. Yang stimulates the muscles encouraging strength, physical fitness and health. Over time, however, if Yin is not practiced, the body will weaken and the less flexible joints of the body will become susceptible to injury.”

Being educated in the Western world, I struggle to reconcile the concept of Yin and Yang with something that I can recognize as a scientifically sound mechanism.   I suspect that the magic of the Yin and Yang is related to the autonomic nervous system, which handles many of the body’s unconscious bodily mechanisms.  It is composed of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous systems.  To put it perhaps too simply, the sympathetic system is the Yang, the “fight or flight” response, which mobilizes the body’s energy and resources, whereas the parasympathetic system is the Yin, the “rest and digest” response, which slows down breathing to focus on the body’s restorative functions.

The Yang is important, just as the fight or flight response is necessary in times of real physical danger.  However, any number of perceived stressors or psychological stressors can cause prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system, leading to chronic stress and all its modern physical manifestations.  It seems many of us could use Yin tools to help us control our body’s response to perceived stressors.

Meditation, deep breathing and Yoga can all be valuable Yin tools.  Interestingly, studies have shown that deep breathing upregulates the parasympathetic nervous system and allows the body to rest and heal.  Many Yoga classes in the West focus on the Asanas or the physical poses of Yoga, but the benefits become evident when the Yoga class becomes a Yoga practice, a practice of meditation, a practice of breath and a practice of awareness.   Cheers to less stress and better health.

April 14, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

All about tempo training

- by Tania Tétrault Vrga

You will notice that our workouts often have a string of 4 digits following the lifts, for example Press @20X2.  This actually doesn’t mean that you should do 2 sets of 20.  It refers to the tempo of the lift and it usually means that I want you to slow it down or reenforce certain parts of the lift.  Tempo work was introduced to me by Coach James ‘OPT’ Fitzgerald and Coach Charles Poliquin, who have successfully used it to train elite athletes, including some top CrossFit competitors.

What does 20×2 mean?

We give tempo prescriptions as a series of four numbers representing the times in which it should take to complete four stages of the lift.  In a workout, the tempo prescription will follow the assigned number of reps, such as:

Press x 2-3 reps @ 20X2

The 1st number – The first number refers to the lowering (eccentric) phase of the lift.  Using our press example, the 2 will represent the amount of time (in seconds) that it should take you to descend to lower the bar to the shoulders.  The first number always refers to the lowering/eccentric phase, even if the movement begins with the ascending/concentric phase, such as in a deadlift or a pull-up.

The 2nd number – The second number refers to the amount of time spent in the bottom position of the lift – the point in which the lift transitions from lowering to ascending.  In our press example, the prescribed 0 means that the athlete should reach the bottom position and immediately begin pressing the bar up again.  If, however, the prescription was 22X2, the athlete would be expected to pause for 2 seconds at the bottom position.

The 3rd Number – The third number refers to ascending (concentric) phase of the lift – the amount of time it takes you to get to the top of the lift.  This might be a number or an “X”. The X signifies that the athlete should explosively lift the weight up as quickly as possible.  Note that it is the INTENT that counts, and in many cases, the lift will not  be very fast, but as long as you try try to accelerate the weight as fast as you can you will benefit from this tempo.  If the third number is a 2, it should take the athlete 2 seconds to get the lift to the top regardless of whether they are capable of moving it faster.

The 4th Number – The fourth number refers to how long you should pause at the top of the lift.  In our pressing example, this would mean pausing for 2 seconds with the weight overhead.  This might be prescribed if we want you to get stronger in that overhead stabilization position.  In the case of a weighted pull-up prescription of 20X2, the athlete would be expected to hold his or her chin over the bar for two seconds before beginning to come down.

It is important to note that 3 seconds feels like an eternity at the bottom of an overhead squat, however, if we prescribe Overhead Squat 33X1, you should do whatever it takes to stick to the tempo.  This means properly counting and reducing the weight as necessary to achieve this.  Counting is tough, one way to do this is to do the lift facing the clock so that you can actually see the seconds counting.  Another option is to count in your head, however, you’ll need to count 1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one thousand, or count bananas or whatever, as long as it’s long enough to span  full second.  Second, keep in mind that tempo work can significantly reduce the amount of weight you will use on the lift.  So if you can usually front squat 200lbs for 5 reps, expect to reduce that to around 165 or 170lbs with a tough tempo.

Why should I do tempo work?

The first reason I like tempo training is that improves quality of movement.  By slowing things down, the athlete is encouraged to be mindful and deliberate about each part of the movement.  We can also reenforce certain parts of the movement or certain positions by lengthening that part of the exercise.  For example, if you have trouble maintaining good positioning at the bottom of an overhead squat, we might prescribe a pause at the bottom.  You might use less weight but you will learn to maintain tension and improve that bottom position.

As a result of this improved quality of movement increased mindfulness, we can also decrease the risk of injury and keep things safer.  By strengthening the muscles around a joint in various positions of the lift, we can reduce the stress on the joints.  Tempo work also reduces injuries by reigning in egos.  You will see very quickly how humbling tempo work can be when you have to slow things down.

The best reason to do tempo work is that it will make you stronger.  Varying tempo on a lift is often all you need to change the stimulus enough to get you through a plateau.  It is a great tool to manipulate time under tension. In other words by changing the tempo, we can vary the exact amount of time your muscles are working in order to illicit further adaptation.  Slowing down the tempo can be a good way to elicit strength gains without otherwise increasing the volume or load, thus reducing the overall stress on your nervous system.  We can also use tempo to help you take your training to the next level by focusing on parts of the lift that might be holding you back, such as in our overhead squat example.  Another great tick is to add an isometric pause at the bottom or top of the lift in order to force you to recruit more muscle fibers.  For example by pausing at the bottom of a deadlift or press instead of bouncing, it forces you to accelerate the bar from a dead stop, helping create power and speed.

I hope this gives you a better idea of why we program tempo on our lifts.  If you have any questions, please talk to your coach or email me.

March 28, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

Nutrition FAQ

I’ve had lots of nutrition questions lately so I thought I would post some a short primer on what to eat and why.  We are thinking of doing a spring lean out challenge. Any takers?

What should I eat?

1. Eat mostly meat, fish, lots of vegetables and healthy fats, and some fruit.

2. Eat a variety of different foods. Rotate your proteins, vegetables and fats.

3. Avoid processed foods. Prioritize quality, local, seasonal foods. Unpackaged naturally sourced foods are your best bet. Anything with an ingredient list should be considered suspect and should be carefully inspected before consuming.

4. Avoid added sugars, including natural and artificial sweeteners.

5. Minimize grains. In particular, avoid gluten.

6. Minimize legumes and beans. In particular, avoid soy, peanuts, and canned beans.

7. Minimize dairy. In particular, avoid low fat dairy products.

What types of protein should I eat?

Meat, fowl, fish, seafood and eggs. Whenever possible, choose grass fed meats and wild fish. If these are not available, stick to lower fat cuts of meat.

What types of carbs should I eat?

Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits of any kind. Green vegetables are the best bang for your buck, nutritionally speaking. Roots, tubers, and bulbs: beets, burdock root, cassava, carrots, celeriac, manioc, parsnips, rutabagas, squash (all varieties), sweet potatoes, tapioca, taro root, turnips, yams, yucca root. Limit fruit intake if you are inactive or if you want to lose bodyfat. Best choices for fruit are, in order of preference: berries, citrus fruits, orchard fruits, melons, tropical fruits.

What types of fat should I eat? Isn’t dietary fat bad for you?

Fat is essential for health and longevity, but not all fats were created equal. Good sources of fat include animal fats from pastured or grass fed meats as well as fats from fruits such as avocado, coconut and olives. Best fats for cooking are coconut oil, red palm oil and animal fats such as tallow and ghee. Olive oil is a good option for salads but should not be used for cooking. Be conscious of getting enough omega 3 fatty acids; the best sources are fish and algae, but you can also get them from eggs and a fish oil supplement. Avoid trans fats and anything labelled hydrogenated. Minimize linoleic acid. In particular, avoid vegetable oils such as canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil and grapeseed oil. If you are looking to lose body fat, limit nut and seed intake, particularly those that are high in linoleic acid, such as pine nuts and walnuts. The best nuts are macadamia nuts, cashews and hazelnuts.

What about cholesterol?

A diet high in certain fats can increase blood cholesterol in a certain subset of the population. However, increase blood cholesterol from a high fat diet is not proven to have a negative impact on cardiac health, particularly in the absence of inflammation. However, inflammation plays a huge part in heart disease and a diet lower in grains and refined carbohydrates tends to be much less inflammatory, thus lowering the risk of death by heart disease.

What’s wrong with grains? Don’t I need the fiber?

Grains contain toxic anti-nutrients such as lectins, gluten and phytates. These are defense mechanisms evolved by plants to deter animals from eating them. They cause inflammatory reactions in the gut lining, which have been linked to metabolic disorders and auto-immune diseases. They also keep us from absorbing important vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D. Lastly, grains are high in carbohydrates, which cause insulin spikes, and may contribute to gut dysbiosis. As for the fiber, you can get better quality less destructive fiber from fruits and vegetables. Grains are essentially “empty inflammatory calories”.

What’s wrong with dairy? How do I get enough calcium without dairy?

Dairy can produce an inflammatory reaction for many people, which is different than lactose intolerance. Many people who are sensitive to dairy are not aware of it until they remove it from their diet for a period of time. Dairy also has a special combination of milk protein and milk sugars that provoke an exaggerated insulin spike, which is great for gaining weight, but not so great for losing weight. Low fat dairy, in particular, is associated with stroke and heart disease.

Also keep in mind that many sources of dairy are suspect in terms of quality. Consider the cow’s diet and how this can impact the nutritional quality of the milk; fatty acid content based on whether the cow was grass fed or grain fed, anti-biotic content, growth hormone content, pesticide and herbicide content, etc.

The main context for calcium requirements is bone density in women. Dairy is not necessary to maintain good bone health. First, calcium is more available and better absorbed from sources such as greens, fish, nuts and seeds. Second, dietary calcium may not be as important in maintaining bone health as other factors; such as magnesium intake, vitamin D intake and weight bearing exercise. Even more interesting is that excess calcium can affect magnesium absorption.

The take home: organic, grass fed butter, ghee, full fat cream and full fat unsweetened yogurt might be appropriate for some people, but stay away from low fat dairy.

What’s wrong with legumes?

On the positive side, legumes such as beans, lentils and peanuts are a good source of soluble fiber so there are worst things to eat than beans and legumes. However, the main problem is the lectins, which are associated with inflammatory diseases and digestive diseases. Another common problem with peanuts specifically is a carcinogenic mold called “aflatoxin.” Beans & legumes need to be fermented, soaked, cooked or otherwise processed significantly to become edible.

What about the Food Guide?

Remember that the Canada Food Guide is created by the government, which is held accountable to lobby groups that represent our farmers and industries. They often represent what is good of the economy rather than what is good for your health. Besides, how well has the food guide served us over the past few decades?  The guidelines we recommend here are based on what has worked for our members in the past.  We think it will work for you too.

What is the best type of sweetener to use?

Your best approach is to avoid refined sugars and sweeteners altogether, particularly if you are seeking to lose body fat. The longer you avoid them, the less your body will crave them. Some of the worst offenders are artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, which are exitotoxins, meaning they can damage your brain cells.

Another red flag to watch out for is fructose. Avoid high fructose corn syrup at all costs, it is highly processed and particularly high in fructose. Fructose is associated with chronic disease and metabolic disorders and should be avoided by those who are inactive or those who seek to lose bodyfat. Other products that are high in fructose include agave nectar, honey, and concentrates or sweeteners derived from fruit such as dates and grapes.

With all of this being said, for those occasions when you absolutely need to bake something, there are “lesser evils”, such as coconut/palm sugar, corn sugar/dextrose, stevia and sugar alcohols.

What should I eat before my workout?

That depends on your goals, your body composition and the type of workout. For a regular CFW class, most people will not need to eat immediately before the workout. A well balanced meal a couple of hours before the workout should do the trick.

What should I eat after my workout?

Again, that depends on your goals, your body composition and the type of workout. If your priority is to lose bodyfat, we recommend a high protein and low to moderate carbohydrate post workout snack. This could be a whey protein shake (if not sensitive to dairy) or a solid meal focusing on meat and veggies. If you are very lean or if you exercise quite often or competitively, you can add more carbohydrate, either in your shake as maltodextrin or ribose or as a starchy vegetable in a solid meal, such as sweet potato or squash.

How can I lose weight/fat?

Most people will lose bodyfat if they follow these guidelines. However, everyone is different and may have different obstacles to overcome in order to lose fat. For example, many people will get faster results by lowering carbohydrate intake because insulin management plays a big role in body composition. This can be done by focusing on green vegetable as your main source of carbohydrates and avoiding excess fruit. Others may have issues with caloric intake, and may need to limit nut intake and be more strict with their portion control.  Others may need to focus on quality foods and detoxification in order to see fast results.

How can I gain weight/muscle?

To gain muscle, you will need to eat a lot. Adding more sources of good fat will increase overall caloric intake. A whey protein shake with some carbohydrates first thing in the morning, immediately post workout and last thing before bed is an easy way to increase overall calorie intake as well as protein intake.

What supplements should I take?

Fish oil or algae based Omega 3 supplement – 2 to 3 gr of EPA + DHA per day.

Vitamin D – 4000-5000 IU per day, especially during winter

Magnesium – 200 to 400 mg per day in chelated form in the evening.

Digestive support – enzymes, probiotics, HCl, depending on your situation

How much should I eat? Isn’t it all about calories in/calories out?

Eat when you are hungry and until you feel satisfied, but prioritize good quality foods. Although excess calories can be problematic, they are not the be all and end all of weight management. It appears that the type of foods consumed and their impact on hormones and metabolism are just as important as caloric intake.

What about “cheat days”?

Some people find that they can maintain better nutrition practices if they are less strict or if they have a regular cheat to look forward to. If you are one of those people, by all means, plan a cheat meal. The leaner you are, the more often you can plan a cheat meal. For someone who is overweight, every 2 weeks, for someone who is very lean (10% BF or under in men, 15% BF or under in women) 1 cheat meal every 5 days is appropriate. If possible try to make it a single sit down meal, and be smart about the cheats. This means that you still want to avoid trans fats, gluten and toxins during your cheat.

How long will it take me to see a difference?

Some people will see a difference within a few weeks and most will see visible results within a month.

But won’t eating like this be time consuming? I don’t have time to cook 3 meals a day.

Preparing any type of meal takes time, but a meal focussed on meat and vegetables doesn’t take any more time than other types of home cooked meal. There are strategies you can employ to make it very quick and convenient. Cooking in batches is important, as is keeping some easy staples in the house for those days when you don’t have time to cook.  There are plenty of recipe books and online recipes to choose from.

But it’s so expensive; I can’t afford to eat this way…

Home cooked foods are no more expensive than processed foods. Although meats can be expensive, you can make delicious and nutritious meals with cheaper cuts of meat. Grass fed meats are expensive but not a necessity. Grass fed should be prioritised over organic. Seek out farmer’s markets and co-ops to connect with local producers.  Check out some local resources on the Friends of CFW page.

I just started eating paleo and I have no energy.  Why do I feel so crappy? 

Your body needs time to adapt to this new way of eating.  Depending on how drastic this change is for you, you may feel worse before you feel better.  This is often a result of positive changes in how your body manages blood sugar levels, but it can also be your digestive system acclimatizing itself to the increase protein and fat intake.

March 28, 2013 in Blog, Events, WOD by Coach Quinn

Open Wrap-Up and Potluck

Please come out and join the CrossFit Winnipeg community in celebrating the end of the 2013 CrossFit Open on Saturday, April 6th. The event begins with the regularly scheduled Open session from 10am – 12pm. At noon we will have one last showcase heat featuring your CFW coaches throwing down on 13.5.

Afterwards, we will all take part in a potluck lunch, and we ask that you bring something paleo or paleo-ish to share. We are putting together some CrossFit-inspired entertainment for during the Potluck, so stay tuned for more details to come.

Finally, to conclude the Open and cap off the day, we will have an awards ceremony recognizing the top performances and most inspiring efforts of the Open.

Looking forward to getting everyone together one last time before we put the Open behind us. Keep your schedule free Saturday from noon-3pm or so, and we encourage everyone to plan to complete their 13.5 during the open session that day.

Good luck on 13.4 (and tape up your hands!)

March 25, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

Conquer your fitness fears

- By Tania Tétrault Vrga

 I used to be a systems analyst and mathematician, admittedly more nerd than jock. As it turns out I spend way more time geeking out on fitness, health and nutrition than I ever did on math or computers. Over the years, I’ve learned tons about fitness, what types of exercises work best, how to properly do those exercises, how to assess and screen athletes and how to make them faster, stronger, better. However, the most important thing I learned about fitness in 2012 has very little to do with physical training. The most important thing I learned about fitness in 2012 is that the single biggest obstacle to overcome on the path to health and fitness is fear.

Sometimes we’re afraid of starting a fitness programme, afraid that it will be too difficult or that it won’t be fun. Sometimes, we are afraid that we might get hurt or that we simply won’t get the results we want. But mostly, we’re just afraid of what others will think. We fear that we might embarrass ourselves or that we might not live up to expectations.

Fear is the main reason we procrastinate when starting up a fitness regime, but it also plays a huge part in performance for higher level athletes. Fear is simply an internal reaction to what is happening around us, but these feelings of anxiety are quite real to us and they can easily crowd out every other emotion and take over our lives. The best way to deal with it is to first talk about it, then face it head on. If you are considering starting a new group fitness program, start by talking to others who recently started the program, and then dive right in. If you are considering competing in a team sport but are anxious about how you can contribute to the team, talk to your fellow athletes. You might find that they are more worried about their own performance than yours.

Life is too short to live in fear. Every single day, every single moment, could be your last. If you don’t start today, you will go to bed tonight with regrets. You will wake up one day and realize that you never did all those things you always wanted to do, that you never became the person you always wanted to be. You can be that person, you can have that life, but first, you have to decide you are ready.

Once you let go of fear, self consciousness becomes self awareness. Once you face your fears, anxiety becomes confidence. Once you stop worrying about what people think, you can finally be yourself. Once you are able to detach yourself from the outcome of the workout, you are able to reap the benefits of that workout.

March 4, 2013 in Blog, WOD by Coach Quinn

Another CF Open Update

The CFW Open team is still recruiting! We are at 49 at the moment and looking to hit that target of 60. You have until Sunday to register and complete the first workout which will be posted on Wednesday at games.crossfit.com.

As part of the CFW team, we want to set you up for your best performance possible. As mentioned in my previous post, our 2x/week and 3x/week members will get open access to all specialty classes during the 5 weeks of the Open, but that’s not all. We are going to upgrade your membership status to UNLIMITED for the duration of the Open season. This way you have ultimate flexibility to co-ordinate your workouts around your schedule and fine-tune your skills and movements.

To our existing unlimited members who are participating in the Open, we will show our appreciation by refunding you the $20 registration fee (by means of a discount on your next membership payment).

Looking forward to seeing that team continue to grow. Our first judged Open session begins this Thursday at 6:30pm. Once you have registered for the Open at games.crossfit.com we will update your membership and you will be able to sign up for the Open classes through ZenPlanner.

Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me or shoot me an email at quinn@crossfitwinnipeg.com.

March 1, 2013 in Blog, WOD by Coach Quinn

Notice to CF Open Competitors

CFW Members participating in the CrossFit Open: Welcome to the team! We currently have 42 registered, and there are at least a few names missing on that list.

We are still looking to grow the team. If you are unsure, let’s see if I can answer some questions you may have:

- While we don’t know the workouts yet (and won’t know until each week on Wednesday), and therefore can’t promise anything, I can assure you that the intention of the CrossFit Open is to bring the competition of the CrossFit Games to the masses. Everyone who can perform the basic CrossFit movements that we practice every day in class will be well equipped to participate. I am not saying the workout will be easy or watered down in anyway–they will challenge you to a great extent–but that EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE.

- We have scheduled two primary times to complete the Open workout with a judge: Thursdays starting at 6:30pm and Saturdays starting at 10am. These sessions will not count towards your attendance for the month. If you cannot make one of these times, we have also scheduled a “Make Up Day” for Sunday 10am-noon, during which you will have one last chance to get the workout scored, or alternatively, come in and make up a workout that you missed during the week.

- If none of the times listed above work for you, we will do our absolute best to get your workout judged at a time that works for you. There are always coaches around the gym, so just ask nicely and someone will score your workout for you.

- During these scheduled Open time slots, you will get the opportunity to judge and be judged by some of your fellow competitors. We will ask that you be there and ready to go for the start of the session (6:30pm Thursday, 10am Saturday) or preferably a little early so that we can go over in detail the movement standards and judging expectations for the workout, as outlined by CrossFit HQ.

Let us sweeten the deal for you a little further. Since we want our Open athletes to have every opportunity to give their best effort each week, we will extend unlimited access to any of our specialty classes (Yoga, Mobility, Kettlebell, Barbell Club) to all open competitors. So that means if you had shied away from using up a class on one of these great options, you can now take full advantage of the full range of classes we offer. Need some work on your Snatch and Clean & Jerk? Come to Barbell. Looking for tools to help you recover and perform your best on each Open WOD? Let Joao show you his mysterious ways in Mobility. And if you have never tried one of Serge’s Yoga classes, there is no better way to take an “active recovery” day than working with him on some breathing exercises.

As we are now only days away from the reveal of the first Open workout (calling the shot: 7 minutes of burpees–just a guess!), it’s time to get excited about the coming 5 weeks! If you are still waiting to register, have a look at our team so far and see if there aren’t some familiar faces. You should be among them!

If you have any more questions about the CrossFit Open at CFW, ask a coach around the gym or shoot me an email at quinn@crossfitwinnipeg.com. Looking forward to seeing our team grow even further in the coming days!

February 26, 2013 in Blog by Coach Quinn

OPEN Your Mind: What you stand to gain from participating in the CrossFit Open

– By Quinn Taylor

The impact of participating in last year’s Open upon myself as a CrossFit athlete and CrossFit Winnipeg community member cannot be overstated. What I took from last year goes far beyond determining my ranking in our region (232nd) or worldwide (7575th), because honestly, for myself and the rest of us mere mortals, what value does that hold? It’s interesting that I had to look up the aforementioned rankings, but I could tell you every rep I completed in all five workouts, how each one felt, exactly where I performed each movement, and who was working out next to me. The true takeaways lie in the experience itself, not the outcome. Here is my top five list of what you stand to gain by donating your $20 to CrossFit HQ and committing to 5 weeks of the 2013 CrossFit Games Open.

#5 Create Memorable Stories

Our power outage during the first Open workout last year, resulting in athletes completing their 7 minutes of burpees in the foyer and the back hallway. Coach Chris completing workout 12.3 on a particularly rough day and introducing us to some previously unheard workout sounds (I’m sure he’d be happy to let you see the video). The crowds cheering each individual athlete to new heights, first pull-ups, snatch PR’s for dozens of reps, muscle-ups upon complete exhaustion… Each athlete will have their own stories to tell.

#4 Make New Friends

Meet more of the CFW and local CrossFit communities in a competition setting that brings us all together.

#3 Find your Limits and Expand Them

You will push yourself farther than you previously thought possible. This is the best form of self-discovery. You can do more than you know. Dig deeper, go faster, hold onto that bar, get that last rep before the buzzer. The experience you have during the Open will shape and refine your understanding of your own personal limits for the year to come.

#2 Enjoy a Sense of Accomplishment

Everyone has the right to approach the Open in their own way. No one is forcing you to give it everything you have. You are more than welcome, even encouraged, to register, show up, participate just like any other day and any other workout, and go home happy. But you probably won’t do just that. The setting, the hype, the atmosphere, the anticipation: these factors mean that these five workouts are a grind. However, the greatest sense of accomplishment is felt after putting yourself through a struggle, a challenge, and coming out the other side. Take pride in putting yourself out there and registering. Take pride in giving each workout your best effort. Take pride in showing others everything you’ve got. Take pride in counting yourself amongst the ranks of the CrossFit Winnipeg team.

#1 Incite a Drive to Improve

It does not matter how hard you push, you will always be left with some sense that you could have achieved more: completed one more rep, shortened your rest, used better technique on this movement or that. Let that drive motivate you to continue to grow and improve as a CrossFit athlete. Let it light that fire under you. “Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.” – Henry Rollins.

Discover your true potential.

Sign up here.

February 18, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

Top 5 reasons why you should compete in the CrossFit Games Open

– By Tania Tetrault Vrga

We currently have 15 athletes registered in the CrossFit Games Open competition on the CrossFit Winnipeg Team.  I am officially issuing a challenge  to all our members to make 2013 the year they discover the sport of fitness.  My goal for the 2013 Opens is no less than 60 competitors on our team!  The Open consists of 5 workouts, 1 per week starting on the week of March 6th.  We will do the workouts as part of our daily WODs at CrossFit Winnipeg and will have some set times when our athletes can do the WODs together and get their scores officially validated.  There will be an evening time slot and a weekend timeslot, but if you cannot make those times, sign up anyway and we’ll find someone to count your reps.

Here are my top 5 reasons why you should compete:

#5

Because that’s what CrossFit is all about.   It doesn’t matter if you are competing against yourself or others, what matters is that you do it.  They don’t call it the sport of fitness for nothing.  We all get a rush of adrenaline when we hear 3, 2, 1, Go…  and that is what makes CrossFit different from every other workout.  This rush, the moment you set aside all your doubts and commit to giving 100%, that is the moment you become an athlete.  So why not make it official?

#4

Because competing builds character.  I might even go as far as to say it makes you a better person.  Competition allows you to learn about yourself and what you are capable of.  Discovering this in the gym makes you that much stronger outside the gym.  The strength you cultivate when you dig deep in a tough WOD will always be yours to draw upon when life gets hard.

#3

Because it’s fun.  The art of play is often lost in today’s world.  Its importance for long term health cannot be overstated, from stress relief to social contact, games are part of being human.  We each have a specific definition of fun, but  if you’ve never done a competition before, you are about to experience a whole new flavour of fun.

#2

Because CrossFit is community.  There is something inherently special and powerful about a shared experience, about knowing that you are part of something bigger than yourself.  This is especially true when that shared experience involves accomplishing something worth bragging about, even if that means reaching out of your comfort zone.  The CFW family is here to support you, to help you get to your goals and to cheer you on as you contribute to our team.  On a larger scale, the Opens are especially fun because people from all over the world will do the same WODs, and will share this experience with you.

#1

Because life is too short not to compete.  One of the things I hear all the time is “I need to get in shape before coming to CrossFit”.  This is just silly, because CrossFit is how you will get in shape.  The same applies for competition. Everyone always wants an extra year of training under their belt, to be better at pullups or to improve their lifts.  Then you wake up one day at 35, or 55, or 75 and realize that you never did all those things you wanted to do, that you never became that person you always wanted to be.  Every day, every moment is precious.  Seize it.  You want to be a CrossFit athlete, then all you have to do is act like it.

Register HERE.

February 12, 2013 in Blog, Events by Turbo

No Yoga, Advanced Class or Oly on Feb 16th

Our coaching staff will be busy competing in the Valentine’s Day Massacre and La Coupe du Voyageur Weightlifting competition so we’ve cut back on the number of classes this Saturday.  Serge is also away this week, so please check the schedule before coming in and we would love to see you come out to support CFW at the competition…

February 5, 2013 in Blog, CFWRC, WOD by Coach Quinn

Winnipeg Indoor Erg Championship Recap

A huge congratulations to all members of the CFWRC who competed on Sunday in the Winnipeg Indoor Erg Championships. Simone, Leslie, Jonas and Jason B (not to mention a brief all-star Anna appearance) all represented CFW well. We came home with two division champions: Leslie Sarapu with a 8:00.1 in her first ever row and Simone Vouriot with a ~30s PR both won their age categories! Another highlight was Jason Bekolay, spurred on by the attending Olympian shouting in his ear, rowing a ~1:27 500m in not his first 4×500 after already rowing a 2K, but his SECOND!

We seem to have impressed the folks over at the Winnipeg Rowing Club. Said Olympic team crew member was even trying to get Leslie to row on the Canada Games team (or was he just looking for your phone number?) We are planning a learn to row session out on the water in real boats for sometime in the early summer season. Look for further details in the coming months.

I am in the planning stages of the next phase of Row club. Right now, I will be posting 2-3 workouts per week. First one of this week has been posted to the Facebook group, as we are still in the process of setting up a blog on this site. In the meantime here it is:

A. Row @ your Threshold Pace (established in 30-min test) for 2 minutes at each of 5 stroke ratings (total 10 minutes straight row): 30, 27, 24, 21, 18 s/m.

B. 10 sets: 20sec ME (max effort), 40sec Rest. Set this workout on the machine (Intervals), and record or take a photo of the memory screen, which should give you paces and meters rowed in each set.

Once again, congrats and way to represent!

P.S. The Olympian rowed a 6:03 2K. Actually. But, then again, he was wearing a onesie.

January 28, 2013 in Blog, Events by Coach Quinn

Valentine’s Day Massacre @ CrossFit [204]

Mike Warkentin and Frostfit Games Women’s Champion Jenn Webber are hosting a team competition at CrossFit [204] on Saturday, February 16th. Each affiliate has been offered a spot, so CFW will be sending a team of 2 Men and 2 Women to compete. The event goes all day, from 8am-6pm. Details are posted on their website here.

Given that there will only be 4 athletes representing our gym, we will be choosing our team based upon who we feel will best represent CFW, while keeping in mind that the team should have good cohesion and access to all of CrossFit’s different technical and loaded movements. As Mike explains, the team dynamic means that not every athlete needs to be able to do everything, but the team as a whole should have a complete set of skills. Our team has not yet been chosen, so if you are interested in participating, please contact Quinn at quinn@crossfitwinnipeg.com or talk to him in the gym (if you are there, he is likely there). The cost for participating will be $45 each ($180 for the team). We will need to submit our team roster by Friday, February 1st at the latest, so please contact me as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, this event conflicts with the Coupe du Voyageur Weightlifting Competition that Coaches Scott, Anna & Stef are participating in and certainly many of us would like to be there to support them. There will be no easy decisions on where to be and when on February 16th, but if you are interested in supporting our CFW athletes and watching some exciting weightlifting/competitive exercising, you better be at one of these events (or both)!

January 28, 2013 in Blog, Events by Coach Quinn

La Coupe du Voyageur Weightlifting Competition

Coaches Scott, Anna & Stef will be participating on Saturday, February 16th in the Coupe du Voyageur Weightlifting Competition. Come out to cheer them on.  Location IS at the Gritty Grotto in the U of M’s Frank Kennedy Centre. The Women’s competition starts at 11am and the Men will follow.

Look for Scott to improve on his solid showing at the MB Open back in November, where he hit 6 of 6 lifts but had the last revoked due to a questionable time violation. And cheer on Anna and Stef in their first ever competition, wearing their brand new (matching?) singlets!

Good luck coaches!

January 27, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

Thoughts on FrostFit 2013

so proud of the CFW family

It’s been a week since FrostFit and I’ve been thinking about what to write all week.  The fact is that regardless of all the blood, sweat and tears that go into such an event, the next day, there are classes to run and work to do just like any other day.  It kind of feels like the post-vacation blues.  You spend so much time and effort and then, before you know it, it’s over.  I have so much to say and so many people to thank, so let’s start going down the list.

The People

Thanks to all the CFW staff, who helped organize everything from the registration, to events, even the food.  Annette spent a staggering amount of time handling registration, paperwork, volunteers and scheduling.  We didn’t get much sleep in January so I hope that she gets to go somewhere warm this month.  Steve is the one who did all the dirty work, the not fun stuff, thank you for taking one for the team.  Vince helped manage all the registration, sponsors, and was also the mastermind behind our delicious dinner.  Quinn did a fabulous job going through all the fine details of each workout and making sure the volunteers and athletes were well taken care of, and that all our judges were up to speed.  Big thank you to our coaches and assistant coaches for helping every step of the way, from testing out events to prepping athlete goodie bags.  We couldn’t have done it without all our volunteers, all 80 of them!  I wish I could list you all here.  In particular, thanks to all those volunteers to stepped up at the last minute to fill in the gaps.   This includes our equipment and set up staff, scorekeepers, scorecard runners, greeters, roll call and warm-up area volunteers, as well as those working in the canteen and of course our judges.  This is a tremendously difficult job, requiring a lot of knowledge and concentration.  Thank you! Thanks to all the spectators who showed up to support the athletes.  It’s amazing what such a supportive atmosphere can do for competitors, whether it’s during a workout or trying to get revved up to go out onto the floor.

The Events

I gave a lot of thought to the events this year and I am thrilled with how they turned out.  When Quinn and I set out to create the workouts, we had some criteria in mind, first, we wanted it to be a good test of fitness.  But we also wanted it to be fun to watch as a spectator event.  That’s why we went with a ladder theme, which lends itself well to a ‘last man standing’ kind of thing.  I know the clean ladder was very exciting to watch, as was the burpee ladder.  Who would have thought that a workout comprised solely of burpees could be exciting?  I also loved the skill and strategy components in workouts 2 and 3.  The tour de force was the final event in the rx division.  So fun to watch!  The room was electric.

The Scoring

We tried something new for the scoring this year for the Rx division and I have my brother Charles to thank.  Instead of simplistic ranking system, we actually evaluated each performance in each workout in relationship to the best and worst performance in that event.  This way every rep counts.  Not just the reps you do to beat the person beside you.  It also gives each competitor a good idea of where they stand in the competitor pool.  Charles created this crazy elegant spreadsheet that allowed us to enter all the scores per event and then extrapolated the scale from there.  He even made it automatically populate a printable results grid, complete with keyboard shortcuts for automatic sorting.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it out on Saturday, but we were lucky to adopt Cody as our resident Excel expert to take over scorekeeper duties, along with Hannah our lovely scorekeeper’s assistant and score double checker.  Thanks for stepping up ladies!  Click HERE to see the final standings.

The Athletes

FrostFit is all about the athletes.  CrossFit Winnipeg had 22 competitors in in this year’s games.  Our very own Rolly competed in men’s masters, inspiring us all to continue to do this for years to come.  Congrats to all the ladies in the non rx division Tiffanie, Val,  Carrie, Emily, Tammy, Amy, Sarah, Lynne, Tara and Sarah in particular to the two Sarah’s who both finished in the top 3 of their division.  Props to all the guys in non rx, including Jamie, Brendan, Jason and Jason, as well as Darrell and Micky, who are quite new to the game.  In the rx division we had Scott Gray and coach Harvey, who both placed in the top 10, which is a tribute to their hard work dedication.  In the ladies Rx we had Anroup, Helena and Léonie.  I would like to compliment Anroup and Léonie for their performance, placing 11^th and 12^th.  When they signed up they weren’t quite sure what division to compete in.  I didn’t really give them the choice, and simply registered them for Ladies Rx.  As their coach, I knew it was the right thing to do.  The only way to get better is to have someone to beat.  I have tremendous respect for both of them for trusting in that decision, and for putting themselves out there against some tough competition, which paid off tremendously.  Congrats to Helena, who threw down with some of the best competitors in the Western Canada Region and came back to finish in second overall.  What an inspiration.  We’ll be rooting for you at Opens and Regionals!  What is important to understand here is that the level of competition is comparable to Regionals, and included men and women who have significant experience competing in this young sport.  This says a lot about our athletes, 14 of whom made it to the top 16 in their category, having the pleasure of participating in the dreaded burpee ladder!  Not bad, more than two thirds of our competitors made the 4^th event…

Congrats to all the podium winners from CFW and from all the visiting affiliates.   Great performances from Tyson Takasaki and Jen Webber from CrossFit 204, who took the top spots in men’s and women’s Rx divisions.  It was so great to see all our friends come out, from here in Winnipeg, as far as Kenora, Yorkton, Saskatoon and Regina.  Every one of you is an inspiration and it was an honour to have you at FrostFit.  Special congratulations to Raquel from CrossFit Kenora for earning the Spirit of the Games award and to Jason Trihn from Synergy Saskatoon for earning the quality of movement Award.

The Highlights

There are a few moments that are really special to me.  All the personal bests during the clean ladder made me so proud.  In particular, I remember asking Brendan on Thursday night what he would aim for on the clean ladder.   He said that his best was around 165 lbs.  Now I’ve coached Brendan many times in the 4PM class and it is always a pleasure because he has one of the best looking squats I’ve ever seen.  The guy will squat a 25lb PR and it will look just as perfect as it does with an empty barbell.  He doesn’t even look like he’s trying, it’s so smooth.  I remember saying that he should aim for at least 200lbs.  Sure enough he got to 205lbs on the clean ladder, a 40lb PR!  So proud of you buddy, your attention to perfect movement is paying off.  Another great clean ladder moment was Jason B. getting to the last bar.  I knew he was strong but it’s always special to watch the evolution of a member from day one to the 225lb clean in a comp.   I see how hard you work and you deserve it.  Another emotional moment was watching former member Jason T get to the end of the clean ladder, to see someone who has come so far and to know that we were part of his journey is an honour. I don’t even know what to say about Sarah W, who, I have to admit, kind of whined a bit when she heard the first event was a clean ladder, as she didn’t seem to think this was a good event for her.  She proved herself wrong, tied for first place in that event.  We can’t forget all the first muscle ups, especially our friend Raquel from Kenora.  It reminds me of the 2008 CrossFit Games at the ranch, the first year Iceland Annie competed and got her first muscle-up at the games.  Who can forget the burpee ladder, with Wendy, the only woman in Masters schooling all the men in that division, and Sarah L. the burpee machine, showing the ladies how it’s done?  You made me so proud.  Last but not least, the final event!  Both the men and the women’s events were absolutely bananas.  The ladies lead kept changing with Vanessa really strong at handstand walking and Val kicking butt on the squats while Helena and Jen kept on trucking at a strong steady pace.  As for the men, Tyson gave a strong showing as usual, looking calm and collected throughout, though I could swear I saw him break out in a barely perceptible grin when he heard the last event.  All the excitement surrounding the photo finish tie between Jason from Synergy and Justin from Undefeated was electric.  As Justin’s judge, all I can say is that this guy has heart.  I know how much those backward sled pulls can hurt, and he stuck with it and even came back with a fabulous handstand walk.  When I asked him how his handstand walking was at the beginning of the event, he just shrugged and said he didn’t know!

The Why

We do it to overcome ourselves.  In the days leading up to FrostFit, I developed intense abdominal pain, fever and nausea.  I kept thinking, how unlucky is this getting sick before the big event?  My loved ones kept saying it was just nerves, but I couldn’t imagine ‘nerves’ causing all this physical pain and turmoil.  All the pain and discomfort disappeared sometime during the burpee ladder event.  They were right. It was nerves.  I guess the idea of my reputation riding on this event was quite stressful after all.   I thought, what if after all this work, this thing is a flop?  What if I do my best and my best is just not good enough? What if the whole thing is a disaster? It turned out wonderfully, but the thought occurred to me that if I was this nervous and I wasn’t even competing, imagine how the competitors felt.  It is a courageous thing to put yourself out there, to invite a certain vulnerability, to lay it all on the line and to say: I will do my best, even if my best turns out to not be quite as good as someone else’s best.  I have tremendous respect for the competitors who knew they were up against some giants and yet still show up and gave it their all.  The following quote from Henry Rollins comes to mind.  ‘Finding out what you’re made of is time well spent’.  I applaud everyone who came out to learn about themselves and find out what they are made of.  For me, as a coach, this event is almost like a culmination of everything I’ve put into the last 4 years at CFW.  Not only do I get to see my athletes compete, but I get to see what kind of community we’ve created together.  I get to see my baby grow up.  I get to see that my life’s work has some purpose, even if it’s just bringing people together to learn something about themselves.  I have goose bumps thinking about it now and I can’t even described what a ride last Saturday was, witnessing the PRs, hearing the crowd go wild, it was all worth it.  It is what inspires me.  When things get hard, when I feel hurt or betrayed or sad or depressed, I know I need to remind myself of what inspires me. It’s easy, all I have to do is think of FrostFit and remember ‘The Why’.  You guys are ‘The Why’ and you are my inspiration, and for that I thank you.  Let’s take all this momentum and look forward to the CrossFit Games Open starting March 6^th.

– Coach Tania

January 26, 2013 in Blog, Events by Tiffanie

Master’s CrossFit Classes

CFW will continue with our Master’s CrossFit classes starting up again February 5th. Classes will run Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am.

If interested registration can be done at this link MastersSignup or dropping in at the gym and reception can help you register.  Registration cost for the month is 82$.

If there are further questions or concerns, please email Tiffanie or Annette at info@crossfitwinnipeg.com

January 26, 2013 in Blog by Tiffanie

Mommy & Me CrossFit

Starting February 5th, there will be mommy & me CrossFit classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 1pm.

If interested, registration can be done online at this link:  Mom&Me Signup  or you can drop in at the gym and reception would be happy to help you register. Registration cost for the month is 100$.

If there are further questions or concerns, please email Tiffanie or Annette at info@crossfitwinnipeg.com

January 23, 2013 in Blog, WOD by Coach Quinn

5, 6, 7PM & Oly Classes Cancelled this evening.

CLASSES CANCELLED THIS EVENING DUE TO POWER OUTAGE.

We have confirmed that work has stopped on the power lines and unfortunately that means we will be without light or heat for the evening. We are cancelling our 5, 6, and 7PM classes as well as the Olympic Lifting class. 4PM class is still on in the dusk light of the On Ramp room.

Sorry for the inconvenience! Please pass this message along to any friends who were planning on coming into the gym tonight. Any questions, contact Quinn on his cell @ (204) 229-4026.

January 23, 2013 in Blog, WOD by Coach Quinn

UPDATE: Power Down @ CFW

Notice to all members registered for classes this evening, Wednesday, January 23rd:

The power is currently out in our building. A few of the power line in the area are down, and crews are on site working to fix the problem.

We will run the 3 and 4PM classes as scheduled.

If not fixed by 4PM, we may be forced to cancel remaining classes due to lack of sunlight. Therefore we will make the call at 4PM and post to the website the status. We will also contact all members registered for classes for the remainder of the evening via email and phone.

If you get this message and are looking for an on-the-spot update, contact Quinn on his cell @ (204) 229-4026 as the gym landline is down.

January 21, 2013 in Blog, CFWRC by Coach Quinn

Introducing the CFW Rowing Club

CrossFit Winnipeg,

Welcome to the inauguration of the CFW Rowing Club. Created less than an hour ago, we are now recruiting members. More details to follow. However, in the meantime, mark our first competition on your calendar:

The Manitoba Indoor ERG Championships takes place Sunday, February 3rd 8am-12noon. Events include the 2K, the 4x500m team event, and the 500m challenge. More details here.

Contact quinn@crossfitwinnipeg.com if you are interested in participating. Anyone and everyone is welcome. We may even make shirts. Like I said, more details to follow, including “practice” times over the next 13 days leading up to the meet.

This is an exciting moment in the soon to be storied history of the CFW Rowing Club.

January 18, 2013 in Blog by Coach Quinn

FrostFit 2013 Final Event Information

The final event will consist of two heats: one each for the Top 4 Men’s and Women’s competitors through the first four events.

The workout will consist of three movements:

- Handstand Walk

- Sled Pull (Rogue S-25 sleds) loaded with 180#/135#

- Front Squat @ 155#/105#

There will be a 10 minute time cap on the workout.

Good luck competitors!

January 18, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

FrostFit 2013 Event #4 Movement Standards

Event #4 will included the top 16 athletes in each division.  This event is comprised of a single movement, the burpee.  The rest of the event details will be released on Saturday, including the rep & timing scheme.

Each station will be comprised of a line drawn on the floor, with a 45lb plate placed on the floor directly behind the line. The athlete will start from standing with both feet on their plate. The athlete will jump or step off the plate and drop to the ground behind the line. The athlete will pick their hands up off the floor, as if to do a hand-release pushup, except instead they will reach forward and touch the plate with both hands. The athlete will then bring their hands back to the floor behind the line and pop up off the ground and jump or step onto the plate. At the bottom of the burpee, the athlete’s chest must touch the ground and the athlete’s hands may not touch the ground in front of the line beside the plate.

January 16, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

FrostFit 2013 Event 3

Keep Calm and Kettlebell Jerk On

2:00PM – 3:45PM

DESCRIPTION

Workout #3 will consist of 2 separately scored events, each 5 minutes in duration, with a 1 minute rest in between events. The first event will be a 5 minute Single-Arm Kettlebell Jerk Test in which athletes will attempt to complete as many Jerks as possible with each arm. After the KB Jerk test, there will be a 1 minute rest, during which the athlete will sign off on their score and get set for the second scored event. For the second event, athletes will have 5 minutes to Row 1000m(Men)/800m(Women), and then complete as many Toes-to-Bar as possible in the remaining time.

For Jerk Test, athletes will be allowed one arm change for the duration of the 5 minute time limit, during which they will attempt to complete as many Jerks as possible with each arm. That is to say each athlete gets one set per arm to completed within the 5 minute time cap. The weight cannot be put down nor rested on the top of the shoulder, thigh, knee, or foot during the duration of the event, but the weight may contact the shoulder first as the competitor brings it back into the rack position. At no time can the athlete rest with both hands touching the kettlebell. The athlete’s score for this event is the lower of the two rep counts. Therefore if an athlete completes 30 reps with the right arm, and then only 25 reps with the left, their score will be 25. Pay careful attention to the movement standards, which are described below.

LOADING

The following are the weights being used for the Single-Arm KB Jerk Test:
Men’s RX: 24 kg (Green competition kettlebell)
Men’s Non-RX & Masters: 22 kg (Purple competition kettlebell)
Women’s RX: 16 KG (Yellow competition kettlebell)
Women’s Non-RX & Masters: 12 kg (Blue competition kettlebell)

SCALING & SCORING

The Non-RX division will be allowed to scale the Toes-to-Bar, however everyone who scales will be scored below non-scaled. Scaling for Non-RX on toes to bar is hanging leg raises. Both feet must start under or behind the hips at the bottom and both feet in their entirety must finish above the crease of the hip. Given the scoring system, the athlete can get at least one Toes-to-Bar, they will be greatly rewarded in the scoring as opposed to going straight to hanging leg raises.  See description above for scoring on kettlebell jerks.  Additional scoring details will be released on Thursday, January 17th.

MOVEMENT STANDARDS

KB Jerk
Rack position to start is ideal, but at a minimum the kettlebell must be below the shoulder but above the hip to start. A repetition is counted when the arm is extended overhead, parallel to the head, with the KB over the shoulder.  The rep is complete upon final controlled fixation of the kettlebell overhead and hips and knees locked out. Though a traditional kettlebell jerk can include an initial bend of the knees and hips and a rebending of the the knees and hips to get under the weight, competitors may choose to press or push press the weight overhead, without penalty. The weight must be brought back to rack position before starting the next rep. If rest is needed, the KB can be rested in the rack position or hanging with arm extended down. However, it may not be rested on the shoulder, thigh, knee, foot, or ground. You may not use both hands to hold the kettlebell while resting. Only the arm being used may touch the kettlebell. Upon any such infraction, your judge will be instructed to give you one warning. After this, any such infraction, whether accidental or not, will constitute an end to that arm’s set. Athlete’s will be allowed one warning per arm.

Rowing
The athlete may set their choice of damper setting when they get on rower. No touching the paddle until “go.” The competitor is free to get off the rower once the counter has cleared 1,000 meters (Men) or 800 meters (Women).  The athlete must place the handlebar back in the cradle before moving on to the toes to bar.

Toes to Bar
The athlete must go from a full hang to having the toes touch the pull-up bar. The arms and hips must be fully extended at the bottom and the feet must be brought back to behind the bar, not out front. Both feet must touch the bar together at some point, some point between the toes and ankles on both feet must make contact with the bar at the same time. The arms can be bent or straight at the top.

January 16, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

FrostFit 2013 Event 2

Couplet Ladder

11:30AM – 1:30PM

DESCRIPTION

This workout is comprised of three stations, each with a couplet of two movements. Athletes will alternate between the two movements in a ladder rep scheme, starting with one rep of each, followed by two reps of each, followed by three reps of each, and so on until time expires. Each set of one movement must be completed before moving onto the next movement, as shown below.

Example:
1 rep Movement A1
1 rep Movement A2
2 reps Movement A1
2 reps Movement A2
3 reps Movement A1
3 reps Movement A2
… and so on.

Athletes will have three minutes to work at each station, with a 30 second rest between stations.  Each athlete will be required to bring their score sheet from one station to the next, providing it to the judge at each station. The judge will score their performance and ask that the athlete initial beside the score given, acknowledging that they accept the judge’s count.

THE MOVEMENTS (listed by category)

Men’s RX:
A1: Snatch @ 135#
A2: Muscle-ups
B1: Handstand Pushups (to 1 abmat between 45# plates)
B2: Chest-to-Bar Pullups
C1: Thrusters @ 155#
C2: Box Jumps @ 30”

Women’s RX:
A1: Snatch @ 85#
A2: Muscle-ups
B1: Handstand Pushups (to 1 abmat between 35# plates)
B2: Chest-to-Bar Pullups
C1: Thrusters @ 105#
C2: Box Jumps @ 24”

Men’s Non-RX & Masters:
A1: Snatch @ 85#
A2: Parallette shoot throughs
B1: Pushups (to 25# plates)
B2: Pullups
C1: Thrusters @ 105#
C2: Box Jumps @ 24” (Masters can do step-ups)

Women’s Non-RX & Masters:
A1: Snatch @ 55#
A2: Parallette shoot throughs
B1: Pushups (to 45# plates)
B2: Pullups
C1: Thrusters @ 65#
C2: Box Jumps @ 20” (Masters can do step-ups)

SCALING & SCORING

Masters competitors may choose to do a step up onto the box with each leg, which combine to count as one box jump. This is not considered a scaled movement and will not result in being ranked below other masters competitors that elect to do box jumps. There will be no scaling allowed in Men’s and Women’s RX divisions. Non-RX and Masters competitors may choose to scale the Pullups (Movement B2) to ring rows. Rings will be available near their station. If ring rows are performed instead of pullups, this will count as a scaled movement and the athlete will be ranked below other competitors who perform at least one pullup on this couplet. This will not affect their ranking in the other two scored couplets (A1/A2 and C1/C2). No other scaling will be allowed.

Each station will be scored as its own event. Therefore, this workout comprises 3 separate scored and ranked events. An athlete’s score in each event is the total reps performed within the time limit.  Additional scoring details will be released on Thursday, January 15th, 2013.

MOVEMENT STANDARDS

A1: Snatch
The barbell begins on the ground. Touch & go is permitted but no bouncing off the ground into the next rep. The barbell goes directly from the ground to overhead in one motion without stopping at the shoulders. This can be a muscle snatch, a power snatch, a squat snatch, or a split snatch. The barbell must come to full lockout overhead with arms, hips, and knees extended with barbell directly over the heels. Once the rep is complete, the athlete may drop the bar. A clean and jerk is not permitted.

A2: Ring Muscle Up
This is a standard ring muscle-up. The arms must be fully extended at the bottom with the hands turned out. A false grip is recommended but not required. The athlete must be pressed out completely (arms straight) at the top. Kipping the muscle-up is permitted. The rings will all be set at a standard high above the max reach of any of the athletes. Boxes will be available to help reach the rings.

A2: Parallette Shoot Through
Start locked out in plank position with one hand on each paralette, knees, hips and elbows locked out with only the toes touching the ground. The athlete jumps or walks through to a lockout plank on heels in front of the parallettes, with knees, hips and elbows locked out, and then jumps or walks back to the starting position. There is no pushup or dip requirement in this event, simply achieving the start and end position with hips, elbows, and knees locked out.

B1: Handstand Pushup
The start and finish positions of each rep are identical, with the hands flat and completely on the plates, the arms locked out, body straight, and feet in contact with the wall. The plates will be set one abmat width apart. The fingers cannot wrap off the edge of the plate. From the starting position, the arms bend until the head touches the abmat. The athlete presses back up until the start/finish position is achieved. The feet do not have to remain on the wall for the movement, though they must be on the wall with arms locked out to complete the rep. Kipping is allowed. If the legs are bent, no upward progress can be made while the feet are touching the wall (meaning no climbing up the wall with your legs). If your legs are straight, your feet can slide up the wall.

B1: Plate Pushup
Two 45lb (women) or 25lb (men) plates will be placed right next to each other (no space between plates). The athlete begins in plank position with one hand on each plate. Hand must be flat and completely on the plates, arms locked out, body straight and only feet touching the ground. Fingers cannot wrap off the edge of the plate, nor can they descend into the hole of the plate. From the starting position, the arms bend until the the chest touches the plates. The athlete presses back up until the start finish position is achieved. The rep will not count if any part of the athlete’s leg rests on the ground. This is to avoid any “snaking” up from the bottom of the pushup.

B2: Chest to Bar Pullups
Athlete may use any grip: supinated, pronated, or mixed. Full extension of elbows at bottom and contact between the bar and athlete’s chest or belly or any part of the body below the collarbone at the top.

B2: Pullups
Athlete may use any grip: supinated, pronated, or mixed. Full extension of elbows at bottom and chin above the horizontal plane at the top i.e. chin must reach a height that exceeds the top of the bar.

B2: Ring Row (Scaled Modification for Pullups for Non-RX and Masters divisions)
Rings are set at a height of 40 inches from bottom of rings to the floor and feet must be completely in front of the rings. Kipping is not allowed. Full extension of the elbow in the bottom position and rings touching the chest, armpits, or shoulders with elbow behind the shoulder in the top position are required for a good rep.

C1: Thruster
Bar starts on the floor. It is picked up and racked on the shoulders. There is no requirement to stand up fully before beginning the thruster, therefore a squat clean directly into thruster is allowed. The thruster begins when the athlete squats below parallel (hip crease below top of knee cap) with the barbell racked on shoulders, or at the very least below the chin. In a single movement, the athlete drives the barbell up out of the squat and overhead, finishing with knees, hips, and arms fully extended with barbell stable over the heels and earlobe visible in front of the arms. Once the athlete hits the bottom of the squat, there can be no re-bend of the knees or hips i.e. no jerks allowed. The bar can stop near the top and be pressed out but no descent of the barbell is allowed once the thruster had begun. Going up on the toes is permitted as long as there is no re-bending of the knees or jerking the bar.

C2: Box Jump
Athletes must jump from the ground onto the box with two feet. They must reach full extension on the box. Reaching full extension in the air only is not permitted. In other words, the athlete’s knees and hips must be fully extended while both feet are on the box. The entire foot is being on the box is not required, however the heels must be above the horizontal plane of the box. Both jumping and stepping down are permitted. Masters may do a step-up on each leg instead of each box jump.

C2: Step Up (Alternative for Box Jump for Masters division)
This is an optional modification for masters athletes as an alternative to box jumps. One step up per leg = one box jump. Athlete must come to stand with hips open at the top of the box on each rep. This does not count as scaling.

January 16, 2013 in Blog by Turbo

FrostFit 2013 Event 1

Clean Ladder

9:00AM – 11:10AM

DESCRIPTION

The first event of FrostFit 2013 is a CrossFit Games-inspired Clean Ladder. Athletes will have 45 seconds in which to successfully Clean the barbell. The athlete must remain at his station for the duration of the 45 second period. The athlete may attempt the clean more than once. If the athlete does not complete the clean, they are finished the event at the end of that 45 second period. However, an athlete may contribute to their score by Deadlifting the barbell for the remaining duration of their time at that station. The number of reps of Deadlift completed will be used to rank athletes who successfully Clean the same weight. After 45 seconds has passed, athletes who have successfully cleaned the bar will move on to the next bar at an incrementally higher weight. Athletes who have not successfully cleaned the bar are finished the event after that interval. If a competitor successfully reaches the tenth and final barbell, they may load it to whatever weight they wish. For example, if a Men’s RX competitor successfully cleans the 285lb bar, they will go to the last bar, which will be loaded with 290lbs. They can choose to attempt 290lbs or load up the bar to any weight above 290lbs. Time permitting, they may attempt two different weights during the 45 second period. The smallest plates available to add to the bar will be 2.5lb plates.

This event will be organized into heats comprised of each competition category. The bars will be set up with the weights described below for one category at a time. Each athlete in that category will attempt the ladder, after which there will be a short break while our equipment volunteers adjust the weights for the next category. Women’s Non-Rx and Women’s Masters competitors will compete in the same heat with the same set of barbells. Men’s Non-Rx and Men’s Masters competitors will compete in the same heat with the same set of barbells.

THE BARBELLS

Men’s RX: 185, 205, 225, 235, 245, 255, 265, 275, 285, 290 + bonus plates
Ladies’ RX: 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 190 + bonus plates
Men’s Non-RX & Masters: 95, 115, 135, 155, 175, 185, 195, 205, 225, 230 + bonus plates
Ladies’ Non-RX & Masters: 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145, 150 + bonus plates

SCALING & SCORING

There is no scaling for this event. Competitors will be ranked first according to the heaviest bar they successfully clean, and then any competitors who are tied for clean weight will be scored against each other based on number of deadlifts completed at the weight they did not successfully clean. Additional scoring details to be posted on Thursday, January 17th.

MOVEMENT STANDARDS

Clean
Every rep starts with the bar on the platform. Finish with bar racked i.e. touch collarbone/shoulders at the top. Power clean, squat clean, or muscle clean are acceptable. Athlete must achieve full hip & knee extension and have weight under control and be stationary with both feet on the lifting platform. The athlete must wait for the judge’s signal to drop the weight. Athlete must stay at station until time expires, then move on to the next station after the buzzer.

Deadlift
The barbell begins on the ground and must touch the ground between each rep, however bouncing is not allowed. The athlete’s knees and hips must be extended at the top, with the shoulders behind the bar. The athletes hands must be outside their knees. Any grip is permitted. Dropping the barbell is permitted but not required. Chalk and any injury prevention/protection such as tape are permitted. Sticky substances, wraps, or anything used for advantage are prohibited. Belts are permitted.