Category Archives: Snatches

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It’s Open Season….2015

Here we go Again!

Here we go Again!

It is that time of year again. $20.00 and a quick registration provides the opportunity to compete against 200,000 of your nearest and dearest friends. Each year, thousands of hopefuls sign up in order to prove their standing in the world wide cult!

So happy we are not kicking off this year with seven minutes of puketastic burpees. Instead it is:

CrossFit Games Open 15.1 (AMRAP – Rounds and Reps)
9-Minute AMRAP of:
15 Toes To Bar
10 Dead lifts, 115#  / 75#
5 Snatches, 115# / 75#
CrossFit Games Open 15.1 Scaled (AMRAP – Rounds and Reps)
9-Minute AMRAP of:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
10 Dead lifts, 85# / 55#
5 Ground to Overhead, 85# / 55#
CrossFit Games Open 15.1A (Weight)
6-Minutes to Establish:
1-RM Clean and Jerk
The addition of the scaled class is a welcome change. Beats having to enter a zero! I can do toes to bar all day, as long as it’s a barbell and it’s on the floor.
This will be an exciting one and can already envision my forearms getting fried. Lots of forearm and lacrosse ball action prior. Also, lot’s of hamstring work.  Definitely looking forward to catching the 12Labours crowd getting together at 10:00am in Annapolis District.
12Labours
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Thoughts Going Through the Mind of a CrossFitter

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CrossFitters are goofy. Our gym dues are the equivalent of a car payment and we’ll tell you how Paleo we are while we are pounding our third beer and eyeing up a bottle for a shot. We’ll drop forty bucks on a T-shirt which is only meant to be worn working out, and we’ll rip it off eighteen seconds into a thirty minute AMRAP.

It would be nice to tell you that the only thing we think about during a WOD is being focused on proper form, doing the movements correctly, and listening ever intently to the wonderful tips and coaching provided by our trainers. That would be a lie. This is a list of thoughts that go through my mind, as well as additives from extensive interviews of other CrossFitters. Three actually. While we were having lunch at Five Guys after dropping some serious coin at the dollar over liquor store sale.

The WOD doesn’t look that bad:

They rarely do! That’s the trick. People wouldn’t come to class if the WOD looked ridiculous. Sure, some you know will straight up suck, like three rounds of 500M row, 21 burpees, and 400M run. I don’t know who came up with that one, you are evil. The 20 minute AMRAP of farmers carry, ring rows, GHD sit ups, and wall runs did not look bad. However it was. Damn. Fooled me again.

I am going to smoke this WOD:

Similar to the previous thought. Usually the response when it is what appears to be a short AMRAP. The truth is we come out of the gate like a thundercat and blow the doors off the first round and then wonder why we can’t breathe. Save a little in the tank for the remaining rounds. You can rest when it is over, however you have to get through it all for it to be over.

Get off my rower…or that’s my spot:

We are territorial and most of us are superstitious. We have the shorts that make us run faster, well maybe some people do. All of mine are like running through mashed potatoes in snow shoes. We all have a “spot” in the gym where we are stronger, faster, and perform our absolute best. Stay out of our spot….please.

WTF, What the….?:

Usually the response when the coach puts 800 meter med ball runs in the warm up. No logical reason for those to be included. Can also occur when somebody puts 5 rounds of 50 walking lunges in a WOD. You know who you are. Hang your head low…very low.

What the….?

Didn’t we just do this…?:

We all like to think those in charge of the programming spend hours meticulously going through past WOD’s and thinking up new ways of torturing us, however they are people with other obligations and once in a while we do repeat WOD’s, which aren’t the hero or the named girls. It happens. Get over it. Better have a better score than last time or it’s off to Jazzercise.

I can do this Rx (Prescribed for you non cult followers):

21-15-9 of 225lb. Dead lifts and pull ups and your max dead lift is 230lbs. Probably not a good idea. Go for it! Stud.

Those aren’t real…

Three pood Kettle bells, yes they are and they are awesome! Burpee box jump over pull ups! Yes, they are real and they are not awesome. What did you think I meant?

That is a nice Snatch:

Some people can catch it low and the rest of us rely on the tried and true reverse curl to the forehead followed up with a shoulder press. What? It’s overhead. Thinking about this lift will only make it worse. Lift the barbell, while keeping your back at the same angle, open your hips, while shrugging  and getting bar high enough for you to jump under the bar. How do you jump low? Don’t know. I stick with reverse curls and my max weight hasn’t moved in over a year. That sucks, time for a beer.

Somebody went to Lulu:

Decked out from head to toe, including the headbands. I hear their clothes are great. They don’t make it in my size. Maybe I could buy two and sew them together? I have only heard good things so have at it! They are a great company and have great messaging.

Holy crap, I want those shoes:

I am a shoe whore and proud of it. Currently I have enough shoes to fill a closet however I am eyeing up the Reebok Lifters because obviously they would make me stronger….and as it turns out I got them for Christmas. Time for some more shoes. Maybe a pair of the Nano Speed….yeah, that’s the ticket. Those will help.

What is that smell?…Shoot it’s me.

CrossFit = SWEAT. Lots and lots of sweat. Sweat = Stink. Yep, you stink. All the moisture wicking fabric in the world won’t do a damn thing. I make Under Armour a liar every damn day. It looks like I jumped in a pool with my clothes on. I have a beach towel in my Jeep to sit on during the ride home. I may have to change seat belts….it’s that bad.

Still some dry tank top….

When will this be over…

It will be over when you finish. NO REST! Get going already. You won’t die. Biologically proven you’ll pass out first. You can’t catch your breath so don’t stop. Just keep moving forward.

Doesn’t everybody want a piece of this action? Sounds like fun, right? Tell your friends. The cult always needs new members. It’s like a human ponzi scheme. You can’t leave until you bring forth your replacement!

Have a great weekend!

CrossFitRook

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Back from Vacation and Back on Whole Life Challenge

We are back from our week long celebration of my brother in law’s wedding, and the ridiculous amount of eating and drinking that went along with the celebration. I think we did pretty well. We had a lot of fun and didn’t go too overboard. We did still work out while we were away. We are both back on the clean eating wagon and are both very thankful for it!

This week’s WOD’s were challenging after being away. I did set a PR on my front squat with 270 lbs which is nice.  I didn’t follow on my advice from “Cleans and Snatches”, https://crossfitrook.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/197/ yesterday though. I didn’t get under the bar and paid the price in regards to the amount of time it took to complete the WOD.

I did notice a difference this week when I ate something before the WOD. I ate hard boiled eggs, fruit, almonds…not all at once on the same day. It helped quite a bit and I noticed I had more energy.

Week’s WOD’s:

Monday:

PC 8×3 reps OTM (65%) 115lbs

then
3 sets
10 Pistols Alternating (use the video in continuing education to scale)
10 Pull Ups (Bands)
10 OH Squats 95/65

Tuesday:

5 sets
1 min AMRAP Db Push Press 40/30
1 min AMRAP Box Jumps 24/20
1 min AMRAP Burpees

204 total reps
Wednesday:

A1. Front Squat@30×1 3,2,1,1, 205. 225. 245. 270
A2. Strict Pull Ups 8-10 reps; add weight if necessary

then
B1. Kettlebell Swings 3 sets x 15 reps; rest 30 sec 2 pood
B2. GHD Sit Ups 15 reps x 3 sets; rest 30 sec

Thursday:

20 Ring Push Ups
10 Deadlfit 245
20 HSPU
10 Clean 155/105
20 Ring Dips
10 Snatch 95/65

Friday:

3 five minute sets for reps(including double unders)
Airdyne (cal) 45 sec
Slam Ball 45 sec
50 Double Unders
rest remaining time

then
Tabata Sit Ups

then
Tabata Kipping Pull Ups…

I’ll be taking Saturday off!

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Cleans and Snatches

These two lifts are definitely challenging. When done correctly they are explosive and controlled violence. Good lifters do them quickly. I usually wind up muscling them both up and then pressing out the snatch, which is obviously incredibly wrong. It is also a freight train to injury town, which is the last place we want to be.

I hear some of the same tips from trainers:

1) Slow Down!

2) Jump higher

3) Get under the bar

4) Keep your chest up

What do these mean?

The first pull, from the ground to mid thigh, is supposed to be slow. We are “loading” our hamstrings, i.e., getting them fully engaged for the explosive part.  I tend to lift from the floor, which is just wrong. Get low, and when you think you are low enough, get an inch lower. Shoulders go back, tension across traps and forearms as you are trying to snap the bar in half. This first pull should be slow and used to build the tension in one of your biggest muscle groups, hamstrings and glutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReQ2XZ5LEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9bA4a2WjqE&feature=related

The jump…my feel hardly leave the floor, and if they do, you can barely slide a stamp between my foot and the floor. The dip, which is the first part of the jump, is straight down with you knees being open. Try not to lean forward as that will put too much pressure on your lower back. Imagine jumping backwards. Lean back with the bar hanging in front of you, as if the bar is the only thing stopping you from falling backwards. Your shoulders should be in your back pockets. Low and back. This will give you the freedom for the big shrug. Your feet should come off the ground. The higher, and more explosive the jump, the better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE-aPvYTWuU&feature=relmfu

Well, I try to remember that I am not lifting the bar to my neck, or over my head. I am lowering myself under the bar and catching the bar low. Instead of catching it high, which is harder, and then doing a full front/overhead squat? Why not catch the bar low and then stand up? More efficient, right? Of course, if it were only that easy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0PITbWa0eU

Everyone, especially beginners, tends to lean forward during the squat portion. It happens. The biggest reason, is because we look down or at our feet. I know I am guilty of this. Pick  a spot on the wall, or out in the distance and keep your head neutral. Don’t look down, or look up.

I just found out heavy cleans are part of today’s WOD. Good times!

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Stop Thinking

I saw myself going backwards in terms of getting good form with cleans and snatches. I felt myself bending forward and muscling up the weight with my lower back and arms through a reverse curl. I was not jumping or getting under the bar. Basically everything you should not be doing.

I scheduled a session with Aaron, the strength Yoda, Saturday morning. He asked me to warm up with the bar, doing dead lifts, cleans, overhead presses, etc. I got done and he asked if I even felt a single thing because it looked like I didn’t. I was not paying attention to where the weight felt on my feet, or where my shoulders were, or the position of my legs. I was spending the whole time in my head instead of where I should have been focusing.

Sometimes you just have to get out of your head and remember the basics.

  • Back stays flat
  • Shoulders are back and tight
  • Build tension in your hamstrings
  • Knees bent to the outside
  • Feel like you are about to fall backwards
  • Jump from your heels
  • Get under the bar

It was a great session and I scheduled another one for next week. Thanks Aaron!