The Middle

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

Mobility/Warm up:

2 Rounds
Bar Activations, 10 reps
10 Reverse Snow Angels
10 Walking Lunges
10 Good mornings

Strength:

4 Rounds with 60 seconds rest between movements
ME Strict Pull ups or Ring Rows
5 Split Press, heaviest possible
8 Good mornings, moderate/heavy

     Notes:  Focus on perfect movement and staying true to the rest intervals.  

Classic Conditioning:

21-15-9 reps
Pull ups
Dumbbell Thrusters, 35/20 lbs
     -10 minute cap-

Advanced Conditioning:

15-12-9 reps
Muscle ups
Dumbbell Thrusters, 45/30
     -10 minute cap-

Cool down:

Couch stretch, 30 seconds per
Banded Hip Extension, 30 seconds per
10 Wall Extensions

 
Is Coops smiling?

Last week’s post was about how I met Diso and how I began at PCF.  This is part two …

     Diso and I immediately knew we balanced each other out from every aspect, and we intuitively understood that our differences would serve to help the gym for a long time to come.  He was very comfortable with beginners and with getting people in the door.  I was very comfortable with veterans, and with developing relationships with people once they were in the door.  He sees life as long and complicated, I see life as short and simple.  I envied him his ease with people, his willingness to try new things, sometimes improvising on the spot, and his philosophy on outdoor activities.  He told me once that he envied my single-mindedness, how when I’m teaching, the class is my entire world and nothing else exists to me.  His thoughts were ever outside the gym, what activities to do, what you can use your fitness for.  My will was bent on what happens inside the gym, how to solidify a class, how to best get them that fitness Diso wanted them to use.  He was free love to everyone, hippie-like almost, and a people pleaser.  I was black and white, fanatical, and a form nazi.  What we did have in common was a burning love of CrossFit, and absolutely zero business-sense between the both of us.   

    That’s how we launched PCF on Glencoe Avenue.  The months between April 2009 to Summer 2010 held some of the greatest and most exhilarating times of my life.  Every day, every new member, every decision we had to make, was a crazy new thing to both of us.  We had 2 bars, more metal plates than bumpers, 2 rowers (model C, wooden handle ones.  Remember those?), 1 GHD, and a pull up bar that supported 7 to 8 people.  The first two weeks in business you could hear birds chirping, there were no people around.  Every day we would have to climb on the roof to remove/put back on, this big sheet of plywood to block out the rain or let in sunlight.   I loved showing up in the evenings with the sun setting and watching as our classes grew and grew, and our gym grew and grew, and we fit 5, 10, 12 (!) athletes in that little box.  I have no idea how we did it.  But 8 months later, we were effectively ‘kicked out’ of our space because we were packed to the brim.  We operated right next to two neighbors, one of whom was crazy and invisible (she never came outside, but complained about us all the time.)  We were in legitimate danger of losing our little box.  But then, we wrote these pieces:

For those of you who have only been around for a 1 to 2 years, the above posts details how we found our beloved MDR gym.  Part One was written by yours truly, Part two by Diso, and Part three was kind of both of us (you’ll understand when you read it)  If you have been around since the beginning, give these posts a re-read, and check out the comments.

To be continued next week! . . .