CrossFit New Zealand

Wednesday

 

It was mentioned to some of you yesterday about the high pull not really being an actual pulling of the bar to a high position, but rather a pulling of yourself DOWN to the bar and then under it.  This photo of big Russian Evgeny Chigishev shows what we mean pretty well.  He's on his way down, not up.

Jump hard and then pull yourself down under that thing!

Not as much technique and finesse for today's workout.  Don't overthink, just set your back, get some air in your belly and stand that weight up.  But remember, deadlifting doesn't hurt your back, NOT deadlifting (i.e. doing it wrong) hurts your back.  If you lose your lumbar arch, put the bar down.

Workout

Deadlift 1rm

Tuesday

Rosie going after her max back squat with great support from Rach. 1rm Snatch Then 5 Power Snatch 10 Situp 5 Rounds

Monday

 
Today is Day One of Barbell Baseline testing.  Pay attention to the leaderboard this week; there may be someone you can knock off that thing and replace with your own name! Pictured above is Jenny May coming within 3 seconds of knocking Jo off the top spot for the Benchmark workout Annie.  Miki also had a great run at this WOD, claiming 3rd spot on the board. 

Come on, anyone that says they aren't competitive is either lying or has never done a CrossFit workout......Go hard this week and get your name up in lights!

  Workout

Back Squat 1RM

Then

21 Back Squats - choose a weight and get em done. Take as long as you like as long as the bar doesnt come off your back. 

Saturday

It's great to acknowledge your peers at the end of a workout.  Shared suffering develops a sense of camaraderie with your fellow CrossFitters.  Nothing like a good ol high five or fist tap to celebrate.  But as in the high bar back squat versus low bar, the straight pull versus the catapult Oly lift, the push jerk versus the split; the big question remains unanswered - which technique is best?

Workout

100 Squats
30 Box Jumps (50/40)
30 Kettlebell swings (16/12)
30 Sit-ups
30 Power cleans (30/20)
30 Burpees - jump to target
30 Wall-ball shots (10/6)
800 meter run

Friday

This video is from the final workout of the 2008 Games. Dark horse Jason Khalipa stages an incredible come from behind win over 30 squat cleans to overhead @ 70kg. You don't get to dump the weight like he did unfortunately. We know it feels cool to chuck the weight down, but we don't have a few square metres of dirt to ourselves when we're working out in the gym. You have to be aware of other people's safety during metcons, and you can't guarantee that with a dropped bar. During max lifts it's a different story, the onus is on the spectator to watch their back.

So try this workout on for size. You'll need good technique both up and down.

Gwen

15-12-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk
Lift the heaviest weight possible for touch and go reps. Even a brief rest on the ground is a DQ. Support the weight overhead, in the rack or in the hang only. Rest as long as you want between sets.

Thursday

 
Intro Program participant Matt nailing a kipping pullup on Day 5 of his induction.  And pretty much chest to bar to boot; nice going Matt!  Not to take away from his achievement, but he was probably helped by the fact that a couple of his best mates train with us already.  All he has heard about for the last few months is CrossFit, CrossFit, CrossFit.......

We've wasted money on newspaper and magazine ads, flyers, banners and road signs, and the only thing that proves itself time and time again as an effective advertising source is word of mouth.  Friends telling friends, family telling family.  Thanks to everyone in our community for spreading the word.

Workout

Annie

50/40/30/20/10

Double Unders

Situps

Park

Dan S 7:05

Tim 7:33

Dave Castles 9:55 singles

Sam 12:20 dbl/sngl

Gretch 9:48 sngl

Wednesday

Hey look we've got our own A-Team cast training right here at CFNZ!  Dave 'Hannibal' Malcolm, Fale 'Mr T' Lea'aetalafo'ou, Chris 'Face' Swanwick and Sam 'Howling Mad Murdoch' Vernon.  Come see them and the mediocre actors who are doing a poor job of replacing them in the movie remake this Sunday 6:30pm at Hoyts Mission Bay. Tickets $25 and will support our affiliate team travelling to Los Angeles next month for the CrossFit Games.  Sign up is top left on this website.

Workout

Floor Press

3-3-3-3-3

Tuesday

CrossFit can look pretty hardcore to the casual exerciser who drops by the gym for a free trial.  "There's no way I could do that", they say as they witness huge loads being hoisted overhead, or pullups being banged out 20 or 30 at a time.  But it's important to remember that we started this gym with regular people just like you.  We didn't travel to the Soviet and cherry pick genetic freaks who have been training since they were 3 to come and work out with us (although it's possible that Fale has some Russian in him......and maybe Lauren too......).  Everyone who trains at CrossFit NZ started at a level far below where they are now, and they worked  damn hard to get the results they have. 

The workouts we post on the board each day are for elite athletes.  Most of us are not elite athletes, so we do a scaled version of the workout, but it's still a version that we find challenging enough to force our body to adapt, ready to tackle a tougher version the next time, and ultimately, tackle the prescribed weights, sets and reps in a competitive time.

Above you can see new clients Pip, Anton and Gemma demonstrating scaled versions of the jerk, the muscle up and the pistol respectively.  All three of them work bloody hard to improve though; give them a few months and they will be scaring off our new recruits with their huge lifts and pullup numbers.........

Workout

21 DB/KB One Arm Snatch right arm
21 Dead Hang Pullups
21 DB/KB One Arm Snatch left arm
21 Dead Hang Pullups
15 DB/KB One Arm Snatch right arm
15 Dead Hang Pullups
15 DB/KB DB/KB One Arm Snatch left arm
15 Dead Hang Pullups
9 DB/KB One Arm Snatch right arm
9 Dead Hang Pullups
9 DB/KB One Arm Snatch left arm
9 Dead Hang Pullups

Monday

Nick getting some decent hip extension on the rings. What other gym lets you swing around like a kid again?!

We've noticed the occasional drop in numbers at certain sessions last week.  What's the matter, it getting too cold out?  Does the prospect of a tough workout hold less interest for you than a hot fire and a plate of stew?

Or are some of you just in that whole post-Sectionals/Regionals/Birthday Bash lull, and aren't sure what to focus on next? 

Well how about we spend the next 12 weeks becoming masters of the barbell?  Let's lift some heavy s$%t for 3 months.  Because let's face it, who couldn't use a little extra work on their squat, snatch and jerk technique?

We tend to prescribe a fairly even balance of strength and conditioning work here at CFNZ, but there is no doubt that improving your strength can help with a lot of the other elements of CrossFit.  Strength sits at the top of the Components of Fitness ladder; many of the other components (power, agility, stamina etc) are dependent on it.

So starting next Monday we will be lifting heavy every day of the week to set baseline numbers.  We will then hit a heavy lift 3 times a week, on an alternating M/W/F, T/T/S scheme for 10 weeks, with a retest at Week 12.

The baseline lifts are:

M- Back Squat

T- Clean

W- Deadlift

T- Press

F- Snatch

Come as many of the days as you can in order to have more lifts to improve upon. Three x/week members are also welcome to attend all sessions next week.  In the meantime, ponder this:

"Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general......" -Coach Mark Rippetoe

Workout

Interval Nancy

400m Run
15 OH Squats (45/30kg)
5 Rounds
1min rest in between rounds

add up interval times to get total time.

Happy Birthday Anthony and Dragan!

Saturday

 

We've lost another member to Australia.  Is it because they have more CrossFits than us?  Well we're  hot on their heels now -NZ has 11 compared to Aussies 68!! 

Kate Mullarkey is off travelling this week, and will eventually settle in Melbourne.  She wrote us a letter before she went.

"Why do I love Cross Fit so much?  Well I think it’s because I have been an athlete nearly all my life.  I was a member of Parnell Swimming Club from the age of 8 and competed in the National Champs every summer.  As a 12 year old I decided to enter a Kiwi Kids Triathlon so joined the school cycling team.  After a while I realised that being a squat stocky  5’3” swimmer was not going to take me far, but was the perfect physique for a track cyclist. So from the age of 13 I became a cyclist and it dominated my life until university.  All I did was train and race. It was all I knew. 

When I hit university I lost my way for a while and didn’t train or race very much. Even then I knew that the lack of structure in my day was damaging to my mental health.  I was so used to being regimented that I didn’t know how else to live. In 2004 I got back into the sport about the same time I met you both at Unisports.  That year I won four national medals and have won various medals since. As part of my training I have always been to the gym.  I learnt to squat as a 14 year old and I have been on some form of gym programme ever since then.

Last year I came to see you, Darren, for some nutrition advice.  You introduced me to Cross Fit and it is just about the best thing that has ever  happened in my athletic career.  

Never before have I come across something which matches the sheer intensity and hurt that I can put myself in when I’m racing.  The kind of hurt that does not allow any other thoughts in.  Athletes get lost in that hurt and they thrive on it.  It is this state along with the structure of being an athlete that I have always worried about losing when I “retired” from cycling.  I have always dreaded the day I hung up my bike because where else would I find what cycling gives me? Cross Fit gives me all that and more but without the bitchy politics of competitive sport. The people I have met and worked out with this last year have been incredible.   You are so right to call all your members athletes – some of the work outs are beyond intense!

I “retired” from cycling (for the meantime) after the nationals this year in March where my best result was fourth. But having found Cross Fit I have no concerns about my athletic future.  I may undoubtedly race my bike again, but I will always Cross Fit. Goals for Cross Fit in Melbourne are learn to pull up and rope climb, and get 1RM back squat up to 130kg! Darren and Taz I have been so proud of watching your business grow and it is a true reflection of your attitude and approach to your members.  I congratulate you both on what you have achieved and thank you for allowing me to discover Cross Fit!"

Workout

10 HSPU
then:
400m run
5 Inverted Burpees
5 Rounds
then:
10 HSPU