Avatar

 

A BIG thank you to Riverfront Federal Credit Union for being the Title Sponsor for our 2nd Annual Call To Action Challenge on October 28th!  Riverfront has proven to be a dedicated supporter of First Responders and the Badge 27 Program here at Corps Fitness.  We thank them for their generous support of all that we do to help serve the first responders who protect all of us!

 

We hope you are getting your team of 4 together!!!  This is shaping up to be a great day!!!  Stay tuned as many new announcements about the Challenge continue to roll in!

 

 

Avatar

What is a Hero to you? Is it someone who you consider to have done a courageous or noble deed? Is it someone who has sacrificed their own well-being or life for the sake of others?

In the past, we have honored fallen military and first responders, we have honored those whose lives have been severely altered because of their heroism, and we have honored children whose lives are changed due to health or physical conditions.

This June, we look to honor YOUR heroes. Do you know a family member, friend or acquaintance who embodies the characteristics of a Hero? If there is a person in your life who you’d like to recognize this Hero Week for their heroism, you may nominate them for our Honor Roll. All submissions must be sent to [email protected] by May 31st. Please include Hero’s name and a brief summary of why they are a hero to you. Honor roll suggestions are completely up to you…..they may be someone still living or deceased, they may be a fallen soldier, someone fighting a health battle, someone currently serving in a dangerous position to maintain our freedoms.

If your submission is chosen, we will ask you for a more detailed bio to be used during Hero Week, as well as a picture or two of your Hero. Additionally, if your Hero is chosen and you’d like to add input to the workout created for his/her day, you may do so.

We look forward to hearing from you and the examples of heroes that are in your lives! And, we will look forward in June to shedding a little blood, sweat and tears to honor them the best way CFers know how!!

Hero Week Kicks Off
Sunday, June 19th

Concludes
Saturday, June 25th

Chances are you’ve heard someone, at least once in your life, say that unless you’re doing a strict dead-hang pull-up, you’re cheating or not doing a ‘real’ pull-up.  And if a workout specifically calls for dead-hang pull-ups then there may be an argument there.  However, if the goal is to get your chin over the bar and maintain a high level of intensity during your workout, kips win hands-down.  A kip pull-up is a much more full-body exercise than a dead-hang and requires significantly more coordination (and some might argue more skill…).

There’s been a lot of activity at the smokehouse this month!  Keep working those kips!  Test-out week is March 31-April 6th.

Did you enjoy that week of old-school Corps Fitness workouts back in January?  Were you introduced to something that was so old-school you didn’t even know about it (group step-ups, anyone?)??  ((Just imagine doing them on a picnic bench; there were no adjustable Reebok steps in those days!  Ouch!))

Well then you are going to LOVE the workouts coming up Thursday through Sunday this week (3/14-3/17), where we’re going back to our old-school Stone House / Happy Hollow / Gring’s Mill roots and digging up some more oldies but goodies.  Come on out and learn more new moves, formats, or maybe just experience a little CF nostalgia…  It all starts tomorrow, and we want you there!

This week’s form concentration is a continuation of kipping pull-ups.  A lot of people have been working on these, and the only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice!  Give that smokehouse a workout of its own!  We’ve already seen a lot of improvement, so keep up the good work.  Test-out week will be the first week in April so we have a full month of kip work from start to finish.  In the end, it may seem to be all about getting over the bar, but there are so many incremental ways to improve your pull-ups!  Think grip strength (KBs, quick step, bar hang), upper body work (negative chin-ups or pull-ups, push-ups, ring rows), lower body work (lunges, squats), ab work… the list goes on and it all comes in to play here!

Here is a video of the pre-kip swing using a box to stabilize your feet

And another video of the full progression starting with the jump pull-up / swing (up to the 4:00 mark is a good starting point)

Next up, check out this video of Step 1 of the kip progression on the bar

And last but not least is this video on step 2 of the kip progression - turning the hips over / the kick

More next week!  Keep up the good work!

 

“The squat is no more an invention of a coach or trainer than is the hiccup or sneeze. It is a vital, natural, functional, component of your being.” — Greg Glassman, “Squat Clinic” 12/1/2002

Another great crowd on Tuesday evening: Shoelace on one side, circuit on the other

Going back to a September 2010 post for this one!

“Variations in body type can change the appearance of a proper setup position, while still maintaining weight on the heels, neutral spine, and shoulders over the bar.” (source: crossfit.com Saturday 100918).  Don’t worry about mirroring your neighbor; focus on getting YOUR body into the correct position.

Also, stay tuned tomorrow for a New Year NO SUGAR challenge beginning Jan 14th (info session 9am on Sunday 1/13) and information about YOGA, now at CF!

All 6′ 12″ of Austin executing a squat to perfection!

Basic KB swing:

Good squat mechanics are imperative!

Weight stays in the heels, knees behind toes at all times, chest open, head up, drive all comes from the legs/hips/glutes

Loose grip on the KB, arms follow the weight

Also check out this ‘fixing the swing‘ video from the CrossFit site

Jen checking form in the 9:30 am class!
Rhabdo Urine - if your pee looks like this, seek medical attention ASAP

Rhabdomyolysis: the breakdown of muscle fibers that leads to the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Myoglobin is harmful to the kidney and often causes kidney damage. (nlm.nih.gov)  Some people are more susceptible to Rhabdo due to genetic predisposition, medications or other factors.  In athletes, rhabdo is typically caused by a combination of continued overexertion and dehydration, and is extremely dangerous if not treated promptly and correctly.

As CrossFit has gained popularity, articles have been written questioning the safety of such intense training programs - you can read more in a LiveStrong article “The Controversy Behind CrossFit” - and the NCAA issued guidelines last year regarding identification and treatment of rhabdo in college athletes, especially after extended breaks from training.  But it still happens: 13 Iowa football players ended up in the hospital with rhabdo this January.

The bottom line is, rhabdo is bad, and it’s up to each individual to know his/her limits to prevent it without sacrificing the workout.  Be safe, be smart: know your true limits, listen to your body, stay hydrated, and watch for symptoms like unusual swelling, extreme pain, and discolored urine.  If any of these symptoms occur, stop exercising and seek immediate medical attention!

To sum it all up, DON’T GET RHABDO!!

 

Double unders could probably be classified as the Yugo of CrossFit exercises… they take constant maintenance!  This is one exercise that requires a lot of practice to get right, and even more to maintain good technique.

The sting of that jump rope on your bare ankles is a constant reminder to keep practicing!

Tips:

Rope matters - pick one that comes to mid-chest height when you step in the middle

It’s all in the wrist - maintain loose/relaxed shoulders, chest and back and flip those wrists like crazy!

Try to keep moving - start out with single-unders, get a double under in there, and KEEP GOING, even with single-unders.  This will train your body not to stop after that rope goes under twice.  Once you get that motion down, try to string double unders in more frequently until you can do them without thinking.

The overhead squat is one of our basic movements.  Be sure you have a solid air squat to build on.  Notice alignment between the body’s center of mass and the weight center of mass.  Shoulders must be activated (tight against the ears).  Knees stay behind toes, butt goes back first.

Per Greg Glassman, “This functional gem trains for efficient transfer of energy from large to small body parts - the essence of sport movement. For this reason it is an indispensable tool for developing speed and power. The overhead squat also demands and develops functional flexibility, and similarly develops the squat by amplifying and cruelly punishing faults in squat posture, movement, and stability.”

Large to small body parts… hmm, sounds reminiscent of Core to Extremity!

 

Also, ESPN2 began airing the CrossFit games on 9/11/12!  Check out the schedule here.