Weekly homework

I know most of you were out late celebrating Jason's and Garret's amazing performance at this years CrossFit Games, so I took it easy on everyone today...So tomorrow you get a double dose! 

Tuesday

Max unbroken kettlebell Turkish get ups (24/16)

Rules are you must switch hands each time, can't rest the kettlebell on your body. Session ends when you can't continue!

PLUS
(after a 10 minute break)

Tabata KB swings (24/16)

Go American style (overhead), but don't over arch your back to do so! If you don't have the shoulder flexibility to go directly overhead, go Russian style (eye level). C.J. Martin of Invictus had a great article on this - http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/must-read-posts/the-great-kettlebell-swing-debate/

Wednesday

MANDATORY CLASS

We will then do two tests:

max vertical jump (a good test of hip explosive power)

max strict press

Thursday

Mobility day!

Spend 2 minutes on each of the following stretches (that's 2 minutes each side!):

-straight leg calf

-bent knee calf

-"couch stretch"

-good morning (make sure you have a slight bend in your knee!)

- mountain climber

Then spend 10 minutes rolling out your IT band and quads

Saturday

Surprise day!

Homework

Make sure to make plans to watch Jason and Garret this weekend, either in-person down in LA, or on the Games website!
I hope the leg raises today went well (or at least that you felt their effects).
Here's your homework for the remainder of this week. I haven't listed Saturday yet, since I haven't heard from everyone on who will be around or down in LA.

Tuesday
not for time
3 sets of 10 meter handstand walks
or
3 sets of 10 nose-toward wall shoulder touches while in a nose-toward wall handstand (that is, face the wall and pick up one hand and touch that hands' shoulder, repeat with opposite hand)

Wednesday
MANDATORY CLASS
For 20 minutes, every two minutes on the minute (etmom) perform 1 full snatch and 2 overhead squats
(you must increase weight each round until failure, then drop to previous weight for reminder of sets)

Thursday
Spend 20 minutes on shoulder mobility. Yes, this is a lot, but most can use it! In the time, do at least 10 skin-the-cats and 10 bridges.

Mickey

Kip positioning and homework

This last Saturday I spoke a lot on the body position at the bottom of the kipping movement, whether it's the pullup, toes-to-bar, or knees-to-elbow kip (which is why I designed that particular day's workout the way I did). Here's a pic of what many members look like:

I'd bet you have seen this type of photo many times - someone at the extreme end of their mobility, all ready to fire off a kipping pullup. But the positioning shown here could be much safer and more efficient! She's lost all tension in her body and needs to re-engage her core to get a good "pop" to her kip, and her shoulders are completely disengaged, which will eventually lead to joint issues!

Here is a photo of Carl Paoli from Gymnastics wod also at the bottom of his kip (in this case a toes-to-bar):

Notice how he looks like he could be doing a "superman" on the floor (aka a reverse hollow body) since his core is fully active. And although it's hard to see in the pic, his shoulders are fully engaged (which will allow him to pull down on the bar to achieve that leaned back upper body for the toe touch). Safe, little body energy wasted, strong. That's what we're after!

Here's two more videos to learn from. The first is by Dusty Hyland of CrossFit Gymnastics

2012 CrossFit Games - Mastering the Bar Muscle-Up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astSQRh1-i0)

and the second is by Carl Paoli

Bar Muscle Up Progression Pt.1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObtovY6AQso)

Both describe that bottom position really well!

Here is your homework for the next week:

Monday 15th July

COMP CLUB HOMEWORK

1x10 Wrist pushups (band assisted) (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIeL0AYygiY)
This is a great gymnastics move that works the wrist strength and flexibility. The use band assistance (which everyone will!) put a large green band on the pullup structure like you were going to do a band assisted pulllup, step through the band so that when you go down into the pushup position the band is around your waist supporting much of your weight.

10 minutes wrist flexibility

Tuesday 16th July

COMP CLUB HOMEWORK

EMOM for 10 minutes of 2 rope climbs each minute.

Practice both methods described by Jason here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD0uO7JGdZU
Ideally use each method every other minute (the "clamp" on minute 1, 3, 5, etc and the Spanish Wrap on 2, 4, ..)

Wednesday 17th July

THIS CLASS IS MANDATORY

COMP CLUB WORKOUT

Front lever pulls (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwCv1Yjb8MI, banded) 
I will give direction on this movement during our session together. Please watch the video beforehand, and I'll demonstrate how to use a band to make it more accessible for everyone
Plus:

20 minutes, 3 position snatch, high to low. 
This will be one snatch at the high hang position, followed imediallty by one from just above the knees, followed by one from the ground. The goal is to help eliminate the early "jump" that many people do. Once you realize you can actually snatch a weight from the high hang, you hopefully will have the patience to re-achieve that jump position coming from the ground!

Thursday 18th July

COMP CLUB HOMEWORK

TEST:

max unbroken ring dips

rest 10 minutes

max weighted ring dip

Friday you should mobilize, and Saturday is the Brodown comp. 
As usual, let me know if you have any questions or issues!
Mickey

Upcoming Homework

Well, from today it looks like circle ups are something that we need to work on! Pulling and core strength should be a priority for many of you and I'll make a point of hitting these in the homework!

For tomorrow, your homework is:

Max L-sit - 5 attempts, with 3 min between attempts

For Saturday, lets meet at San Jose after the 9am class ends, so yu can either attend the 8 or 9 class beforehand. The workout that day will be:

10 minute EMOM

3 rounds of:

1 knees to elbows

1 toes to bar

1 pullup

Then after a break:

Death by 10m

This workout will be very challenging if you don't have your kipping movement for the knees to elbows and toes to bar down! The toes to bar work in the general class today should have given you an indication of how they will go Saturday, and we will review them a little before the workout.

As usual, any questions or concerns, please let me know! Feel free to leave comments on the blog! (Helen, feel free to call out anyone in particular on her core strength....)

Mickey

July 8th week

Saturday was a tough workout (anytime you start with 15 wall climbs...) but everyone did well. I hope everyone's forearms are recovered from the farmer's carry! Next time you have them, concentrate on keeping good posture and your shoulders rolled back (not slumped forward); this will help to keep your upper back from getting too sore or cramped! 

This week we're going a little more gymnastic in movements, but it should mesh well with the class workouts....

For Monday:

2 rounds

Embedded Planche progression 15 sec hold

2 muscle ups or 5 muscle up progressions

rest 3 minutes, repeat for total of 3 super-cycles

(Planche progression: frog stand, tuck stand, flat tuck stand)

In other words, do 15 sec hold, two muscle ups, another 15 sec hold and 2 muscle ups, then rest 3 minutes.

For the frog stands see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLRF9oPy6zQ

The elbows should rest one the knees, and try to point your index fingers forward - this may require better wrist flexibility than you have, so if you need to turn your wrists out slightly, go ahead. Use your fingertips to balance!

For the tuck balance see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZVk5Hltqs

If that's too easy, straighten you back more (which makes it a flat tuck stand).

(BTW is called "embedded" planche because it's done on its own, not as part of a sequence of movements...)

Only do the muscle up option if your good at muscle ups! Otherwise sub in a progression (jumping through the rings, seated with the bands, etc), I want this to be more of a technique workout than a strength one!

For Tuesday

3 rounds:

5 3-count pushups

5 3-count dips

rest as needed between rounds. The 3 count is on the negative of the movement - for both the pushup and dip concentrate on keeing a tight core! The "up" portion of both should be dynamic. It's only 15 total so make those negatives nice and slow throughout the whole range of movement! I know some members find dips hard, so if you need to sub in jumping up into the extended arm position, that's ok as long as you keep a slow negative.

Wednesday

THIS IS THE MANDATORY CLASS!

In addition, we'll do

5 rounds:

in 2 minutes, 3 circle ups

max double unders in remaining time

If we run into space issues on the pull up rig, I'll change this up (no...I'm not saying what the Wednesday class wod is....).

Any questions please let me know! 
Mickey

Happy 4th of July!

Amazing job tonight everyone! The C+J workout was a tough one, and you guys all did great - I know I did a lot of small coaching throughout, and you guys listened and responded really well. It's always more fun as a coach to have a group that is willing to work on their stuff and get better!

Your homework for the next couple of days is simple - MOBILIZE! It's been a tough few days this week, and on top of that many of you have added the extra work for comp club on top of that, so take a couple of days to spoil your body.

Saturday we will meet at Santa Clara. You should do the 10:00 class, and we will then have our workout at 11.

Enjoy your 4th of July holiday!

Mickey