On the Front Lines

“Joshie”

Complete three rounds for time of:

21 Dumbbell snatches, right arm

21 L Pull-ups

21 Dumbbell snatches, left arm

21 L Pull-ups

Post time to comments.

These are squat not power snatches.

Watch Developing the L-Pull up part 1 and part 2 and this short vid on the Dumbell Snatch.

From the CF Journal article, “Facebook or Fitness.”

Saratoga High School in Saratoga, Calif., is the home of CrossFit Sawmill. We are, as far as we know, the only comprehensive public high school that not only offers CrossFit classes to our students but also offers no alternative. All our physical fitness (formerly physical education) classes are based on CrossFit principles and are taught by certified CrossFit instructors. We have 10 sections of Beginning Physical Fitness throughout the schoolday, and our facility is used extensively by athletes in our after-school sports programs, as well as by groups of teachers and school staff—all under the supervision of our instructors.

This article is the realization of my CrossFit dreams.

  I have long said I believe what we do in our gym and what we teach is what they should be teaching in PE class.  The people running the program are trying to understand the effects through surveying their students. Check out the following quote from a student:

“Okay, so I get how this is supposed to get us fit or whatever but really being physically fit is a choice not a requirement. This class is stupid, for several hours a week I could have been studying for my SATs because Stanford is going to choose me for that and not for my physical fitness. This class is a complete waste of my time, I don’t need a know-it-all teacher telling me what to do in order to take care of my body. If I want to be physically fit I’ll do it on my own time, maybe when I’m older. Right now I need to focus on my future, not on my body. Thanks.”

That gives me shivers.  My bet is that this is a good student with big dreams, but they never teach us that physical and mental abilities are related. From “How to Build a Better Nueral Highway:”

While there, I witnessed a program they have implemented in Naperville Central High School and Madison Junior High School called Learning Readiness PE (LRPE). LRPE requires kids to participate in special PE courses in which they are asked to vigorously exercise immediately prior to those courses in which they are struggling.

Those kids who participate in this program experience jumps in their academic performance well beyond those of the kids in normal PE classes. picture, more easily reconstructed by the brain. The act of exercise itself improves brain function, and the complexity ensures learning will become permanent.

And this makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

  I look forward to the challenge that lies ahead as our community grows.

Check out CrossFit Kids to see the future!