Below is an excellent written excerpt on the subject by Coach Eric Segel of CrossFit Fenway:

Recently I was working out alone, something I don’t do all that often these days.  It included wall ball, knees to elbows, and kettlebell swings.  Several times during the workout I found myself calling “no rep” on myself.  Why did I do this?  No one was around, the only thing I was competing with was the clock, and what I was experiencing felt like a low grade form of torture.  I did it because integrity is important to me.  When I write down a time, a number of reps, or a weight, even if it’s just in my personal journal, I want it to be legit.  I want to know that everything I did was held to the highest movement standards possible, and I want all of you to do the same.

All of your coaches do their best to keep an eye on you, but we honestly cannot watch every rep of everyone’s workout.  Miss the wall ball target?  No rep yourself.  Hit your armpit instead of your elbow?  No rep yourself.  When you cheat range of motion you’re only cheating yourself.  This is important as it transfer over into everyday life.  The last thing you want to do is show up on game day and have your reps not count.

Integrity both personal, as well as of the data we’re generating matters a great deal to me, and I want it to matter to you too.  People will die for points, especially when in direct competition with one another.  Don’t let your desire to “win” get in the way of the high level of character I know you all have, or interfere with your primary goal here, improved fitness.

Today’s Workout (Wednesday, February 22, 2012):

Come to the gym and find out!…are you getting the clue yet?

In gymnastics, completing a routine without error will not get you a perfect score, the 10.0—only a 9.7. To get the last three tenths of a point, you must demonstrate “risk, originality, and virtuosity” as well as make no mistakes in execution of the routine.

Risk is simply executing a movement that is likely to be missed or botched; originality is a movement or combination of movements unique to the athlete—a move or sequence not seen before. Understandably, novice gymnasts love to demonstrate risk and originality, for both are dramatic, fun, and awe inspiring—especially among the athletes themselves, although audiences are less likely to be aware when either is demonstrated.

Virtuosity, though, is a different beast altogether. Virtuosity is defined in gymnastics as “performing the common uncommonly well.”-CFJ, Virtuosity

Where as an athlete can you demonstrate virtuosity? The air squat? The Press? The Pullup? Always take time to learn and explore. Be curious in your movement. Virtuosity is the difference between muddling through a workout or being present enough to take accountability for what you do. It is not glamorous to practice virtuosity but it is sure worth it. It’s the difference between good and great. Which do you want to be considered as?

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Today’s Workout (Tuesday, February 21, 2012): 

Come to the gym and find out!

Today’s Workout (Monday, February 20, 2012):

Come to the gym and find out!

F.G.B. was designed to match the time and domain of a UFC fight, while EXCEEDING its metabolic demands. Meaning, whatever the demands were in a UFC fight, F.G.B. exceeds them in terms of force (heavier), distance (longer ranges of motion), and time (work faster). In the workout, you work for 5 minutes on 5 different stations (Concept 2 Rower, Wall Ball, SDLHP, 20″ Box Jump, and Push Press) and rest for 1-minute. Normal F.G.B. lasts for 3 rounds, while a Championship Fight or Championship F.G.B. would be 5 rounds long. The reasoning behind the 1-minute at each station then on to the next station, was because Coach Glassman didn’t want stamina to be a significant factor in the workout. Since localized muscle endurance limitations reduces the metabolic demands by cramping you up and forcing you to rest, in this workout right when localized muscle endurance is about to be a significant factor you move to the next movement. Thus, 1 minute was deliberately chosen because it is the time limit found at the crest of the glycolytic pathway (the middle metabolic pathway).

F.G.B. in my own words: “Just when you’re getting to your threshold of pain and don’t think you can pull off another rep, 1-minute is up and you jump to the next station. So precise and so awesome!” Now, go get your fight on!

Today’s Workout:
“Fight Gone Bad”
3 rounds for total reps.
1 minute at each station, 5 stations.
1 minute rest in between each round.

5 stations:
Concept 2 Row (Calories)
Wall Ball (20/14lbs.)
Sumo-Deadlift-High-Pull (75/55lbs.)
Box Jumps(20″)
Push Press (75/55lbs.)

Original Fight Gone Bad (video)

Rowing engages all the major muscles of the body and works multiple joints through a large range of motion in a natural, powerful sequence in a no-impact manner. However, proper rowing technique is not an innate skill; mastering it requires instruction. The rowing stroke is very similar to a deadlift. In the drive (work) phase, the legs initiate the power, and arms remain straight. Then the hip flexors and torso muscles maintain the power through the leg and hip drive. Finally, the arms finish the stroke with an accelerating pull toward the torso that completes the smooth handoff of power from lower body to torso to upper body. -CFJ, Rowing Technique

Her name is MaDONNA.

Today’s Workout (February 17, 2012)

Skill: Power Clean Cluster 5 x 1.1.1.

Conditioning:

“Time Trail”
200m row
200m run
20 double unders
4 sets; rest as needed; atleast 3 minutes

THIS IS AN ALL OUT EFFORT; NO PACING; NO TEMPO; JUST GO!

Don’t be this guy today (video)

Rowing Technique (free download from CrossFit Journal)

Mastery of the basic, entry-level “P.E. push-up” is a prerequisite to the handstand push-up. Very few people have achieved mastery of the push-up though many of you think you have. The test is simple: can you do 100 perfect push-ups? The standard for perfection, though simple, disqualifies nearly everyone. A perfect push-up is slow and deep with a body absolutely perfectly straight
and taut. We’ve listed the most common push-up faults below. Not one in fifty guys with a 300-pound bench press can do 50 honest push-ups!

So, “what is an honest push-up?” An honest push-up moves slowly from full extension to a point of maximum depth without “reaching” for the ground or perturbing the body’s taut, rigid, straight-line posture, and then returns rigidly to full extension. Done correctly, the
push-up is a super demanding whole-body movement. Engage as many stabilizers as possible.-CFJ, The Pushup

-Mike with the look of determination turned on

Today’s Workout (Thursday, February 16, 2012)

Strength: Back Squat 5 x 1

Conditioning:

15 minutes of work-
5-6-7-8….
Toes to bar
Hand Release Push Ups
Anchored Sit up

1. Hear about CrossFit through someone that is obsessed with CrossFit.

2. Attend a Free class…and one of two things happen – you love it & you are hooked already (skip to #6) OR…

3. Still very skeptical, go back to the couch or your regular way of training… but…whether you like it or not, can’t stop thinking about & hearing about CrossFit and all those fit, amazing, fun people.

4. Come back again, start asking more questions & poking around at the equipment.

5. Check out some links online, one thing leads to another.

6.  You join a CrossFit gym.

7. Start carving out 3ish hrs a week to do a bunch of crazy functional stuff that hurts a lot but feels so good.

8. Friend other CrossFitters on Facebook.

9. Rip your hands open, a little shocked and in a bit of pain…you’re smiling on the inside. It feels cool.

10. Start using the lingo… “WOD” “Rx’d”, “AMRAP” “Snatch” & “Fran”.

11. Attend some CrossFit oriented events and begin actually looking forward to working out on the weekends.

12. Lift a barbell that weighs more than you off the ground.

13. Continue to overload on carbs because now that you train so hard, you deserve to celebrate with a few beers and a pizza.

14. Buy some t-shirts that have catchy slogans on them and special shoes.

15. Stalk games athletes online.

16. Realize after 6 months or so that you are slightly stagnant and need to give this dreaded Paleo stuff a try. Educate yourself & commit to trying a Paleolitic-based Diet.

17. See drastic improvements, feel incredible, dominate workouts like never before and preach about eating like a caveman to everyone you know.

18. Talk about CrossFit. Think about CrossFit. Dream about CrossFit.

19. Get a CrossFit inspired tattoo…ok probably not but at least rock a bumper sticker.

20. Bleed this lifestyle, surround yourself with likeminded people, & want everyone that you love and care about to join your CrossFit ways…. because you know, that as of now, & as far as you can see…there is no better method.

-Katie working on her thruster

Today’s Workout (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)

Strength: Press Cluster 5 x 1.1.1.

Conditioning:
Tabata 8 sets (20seconds of work, 10 sec of rest)-
Double Unders
Wall Ball (10/12ft)
KB Swing (partial but heavy)
Chin up  (palms facing in)

I learned about CrossFit from some friends in the military in 2005. I dabbled in it for years using some of the exercises and workouts from the main website. I slowly added it more and more to my endurance and weight lifting training. In 2011 I gave up all conventional weight lifting and endurance techniques to focus on CrossFit as I had seen the great results when I practiced it. I joined CrossFit Naples to further my skills through the expertise of the coaches their. This past weekend I completed the L1 CrossFit course. I had felt like I knew a lot, but I never fully grasped the background, history and depth that went into the sport we have all helped create. The scientific formulas and evidence that went into creating what we have has made my passion for it ten fold stronger. The biggest thing that stuck out to me is how many different opinions from trainers to doctors to scientists to nutritionists have gone into the ever evolving concept of CrossFit. They have defined health and fitness and made it a sport. They have borrowed opinions from people on one basis; if they are right. CrossFit believes in what works and not in what doesn’t. Tried and true tested methods that are ever evolving make this sport the true key to health and fitness. -Conrad

Today’s Workout (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)

Strength: Deadlift 5 x 1