Seven Glorious Weeks

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Mobility:

Keg drill
10 PVC Dislocates
Posterior chain flossing
Groiners w/band
Ankle mobility w/ band

Group Warm-up:

Perform w/ barbell:
7 Front Squats
7 Push press
7 Thrusters
7x 1 Overhead squat + 1 Sotts Press (start standing with bar overhead, lower down, perform 1 Sotts press, stand, repeat 7 times)

Classic Programming:

BB Gymnastics:
5X2 Overhead Squat, rest 60 seconds

Notes: Focus on maintaining shoulder position and don’t go deeper than you can maintain that perfect position!  If you are just learning, keep the weight light, use this as a warmup for the Front Squats, and hold the top and bottom positions for 3-5 seconds each.

Strength
EMOTM for 5 minutes:
2 Pause Front Squats with bounce

Notes: 3 count pause at the bottom, then bounce and explode up.  Try to go heavier each round.  Perform High Bar Back Squats if you cannot maintain a good rack position.

Conditioning
“Jackie”
Row 1K
50 Thrusters (45)
30 Pull ups

Notes:  Everyone should ty to perform the full distance and reps, but feel free to scale the weight and scale the pullup style to maintain intensity!

Advanced Programming:

BB Gymnastics
7X1 Snatch Balance, Heavy as possible, rest 60 sec

Notes:  This is a great drill and challenging to those that are uninitiated.  They say you should be able to do more weight with the Snatch Balance than your regular Snatch!  Focus on speed under the bar and good receiving position.  Be safe lowering the bar to your back.  If you are not comfortable with that movement, just drop the bar on the ground and practice your clean!

Strength
EMOTM for 7 minutes:
2 Pause front Squats @75%

Notes: 3 count pause at the bottom, then bounce and explode up

Conditioning:
“Jackie”
Row 1K
50 Thrusters (45)
30 Pull ups

Notes:  The prescribed weight for the barbell is the same for both men and women!

Cool down:

10 Wall extensions
Pigeon, 30 seconds each side
10 Wall extensions

Today’s post is written by Jefferson.  A challenge winner himself, he exemplifies what long term success looks like.  Feel free to pick his brain over the next several weeks.  He’s been there, done that, and is fitter, healthier, and wiser. 

Seven Glorious Weeks
Nutrition challenge smutrition shmallenge. Yeah, I just wrote that. This challenge is so much more than just a nutrition challenge. Hence the name: “Everything is Everything.” I myself have been through a challenge before, about two years ago and it lasted eight glorious weeks. Right here at PCF, as a fairly new member of the gym, I signed up for the “Increased Work Capacity” challenge. It involved the same workout being done twice, eight weeks apart and comparing the final times for a percentage of improvement score. Outside of the gym I adhered one hundred percent to the guidelines of nutrition and lifestyle I had set out for myself (and were suggested by the coaches) at the beginning of the challenge. The biggest change for me during those eight weeks was cutting out all alcohol and eating a strict paleo diet. I ended up placing first for the men (boom!) and it changed my outlook on life inside the gym and out.  
I’ll be honest, your work inside the gym will be the easy part. You already have a whole support system in place with all of us coaches there to guide you. Outside the gym will be the hard part and where you have to put in the extra work and adhere to complete self-control. Be prepared to have to explain to your family and friends at weddings, birthdays, happy hours, or just hanging out at home why you’re not drinking or eating pizza and why you’re practicing pushups in the aisles of Whole Foods. Think about it: In the grand scheme of things seven weeks of your life is nothing. The challenge will be difficult— but it can be done— and it’s well worth it.
I’ve transitioned from student to coach because I have witnessed what kind of transformations can be achieved through CrossFit, but more so, I have experienced those transformations within myself. I whole-heartedly credit getting into coaching and making self-improvement a permanent fixture in my life to participating in that first challenge.  Everything is everything.
For all the smarty pants out there that signed up for the EIE challenge, I commend and applaud you. If you haven’t signed up, there is still time! If you need any advice or just some good old-fashioned encouragement, don’t hesitate to ask your coaches. “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try,’” (Star Wars nerd alert).