CrossFit San Angelo

To A Greater World

"To A Greater World" by Jon Gilson, Again Faster

We're bringing personal responsibility back.  You can't do what we do while shirking your load, depending on other people, or otherwise passing the buck.  Your WOD time is yours and yours alone. You cannot turn in a fifty-minute "Fran" and then scold your classmates for the result.  Blame is not cast in the gym.

Conversely, I can't count the number to times I've seen an athlete turn in an epic time and then thank everyone in the room for making it happen.  Adulation is shared.

I view the gym as a microcosm of the moral world, one in which control of success and failure ultimately lies with the individual.  There is no fatalism in the gym.  Your maximum pull-up number is not preordained by some higher power.  It is determined by speed, strength, coordination, accuracy, agility, and mental fortitude, all qualities that are within your domain and solely within your control.  Others can give to the effort through correction, encouragement, and support, but they cannot make your chin clear the bar.

Continue Reading Here.

Intensity and Your Crossfit Training

Did you hear the story about the guy who died doing CrossFit? It's true. He didn't go hard enough on "Helen" so his trainer killed him.
All joking aside, CrossFit is one intense MoFo. Usually, your trainer is motivating you to work harder, faster, and stronger and, usually, she/he is right. As CrossFit trainers, intensity is one of our obsessions, along with pull-ups, squats, thrusters, and any of ten thousand other ways to  help you to achieve your fitness goals. (Although, like the wonderful t-shirt over at Training Anarchy reminds us: "Obsession is what lazy people call dedication.") We push you to go harder because the simple fact of life is that most people don't go hard enough. Yet we also understand health, recovery, and the human body; so we know that, despite all our clamoring and exhortations, you simply cannot CrossFit at the same intensity each day, no more so than you can breathe the exact same number of breaths each day. (And we've tried counting, believe us. Although it wasn't exactly a full day. We had to get some pull-ups in. And we're really not that obsessive-compulsive.)

Continue Reading Here.

Lisbeth Darsh is the owner/trainer at CrossFit Watertown in Connecticut.CrossFit Watertown is a Crossfit Affiliate located in Oakville, Conneticut. I enjoy posting their articles, I hope you enjoy reading them. 

Max Effort Days

Today's WOD is Deadlift and underneath it says 1-1-1-1-1-1-1. The ones are the reps and there are seven sets. So the requirement is to do seven sets of one rep. This rep has to be as near to your 1 rep max as possible. You do need a good warmup and also have the ability to perfprm the DL with proper form.

The goal is to increase strength. We want to get stronger and this is the way. If you want to cause hypertrophy in your muscle then this isn't for you. However, if you want to get strong then you have to go for max effort on lifts.

Try it for a few months and see if your lift numbers go up. If not go back to 3 sets of 10 and enjoy it.

CrossFit: Preparing for Imagined Moments of Heroism

Let’s hope that Virginia Heffernan is right and we’re wrong. Let’s hope, like she writes in her New York Times article (God's Workout), that we CrossFitters are preparing for "an imagined moment of heroism that may never come." May all of our efforts at achieving a fighting level of General Physical Preparedness (GPP) just be the result of succumbing to ridiculous hyperbole designed to make us buy into Greg Glassman’s crazy dream of bringing people home alive. Let’s hope (outside of the military, fire, and law enforcement personnel among us) that we civilians and desk jockeys never once have to use physical strength to survive in this world. Continue reading here.

Lisbeth Darsh is the owner/trainer at CrossFit Watertown in Connecticut.

Back to School

I hope everyone had a great spring break. I slept a bunch, wish I could have slept more. I am ready to finish the semester as I hope you are. Yesterday's holy day made me realize that holy days are only valuable if they fall on Friday or Monday. I already have Sunday off so I move that all holy days be moved to occupy days that do not fall on the weekend.

I realize that this may take some work, but I know that as humans we have an ability to change things to fit our desires and comfort zones. I have confidence in our ability as a society to make this change.

Eventually, I would like to see a 4 hour workday with a 4 day work week. The rest of the time should be spent hunting, gathering, and reproducing, if we aren't sleeping.

Think about it.

New WODs

Today we are going to get away from just posting the WOD that is up at CrossFit HQ. Occassionally, it is fun to be creative and experiment with various workouts and see what you can come up with. I know that we will have more swimming events added to our workouts. I have a host of other ideas that should make the next couple of months interesting. If you have any ideas post them to the comments section and I will consider posting them in the WOD section. The only rule is that each WOD has to have a name.

You can still get the CF WOD by clicking on their link and going to their site.

Of course, we are going to follow the 3 on 1 off rotation, there is no good reason for us to deviate from that. Enjoy! I hope we both encourage and entertain you with our imagination.

Keep up if you dare!

Rest Day

Today is a rest day.  So, is rest even important or can you go day after day to the gym without any recovery days? On the CrossFit program the rest days are as important as the workouts. The time that you give your body to heal is going to determine whether or not you can continue to see performance gains.

Now I know how addictive this stuff is. It seems like you want to spend the whole day in the gym, lifting & rowing but trust me when I tell you that you are not doing yourself any favors. Less is more in this area.

So enjoy your rest days. Sleep as much as you can. Take a nap. Turn off the lights, turn down the A/C, turn off the phones and sleep.

Get used to relaxing, you deserve it, you have done so much the last three days.

The Path of Least Resistance?

I wonder why people choose the path of least resistance. Do you know? Our bodies perform at their best when we put them in a stressful situtation. So why is it that we resist change so much?

When I go for  PR (personal record) in a lift or do a run faster than I did it last time, I feel so alive. As a result of this effort the rest of life is so easy. I move through life knowing I can overcome any challenge before me. I welcome any challenge that may choose me today. My attitude is better, my confidence is peaking.

However, when I sit back, eat junk, and rarely peel myself off of the couch for weeks at a time. Life becomes very difficult. Most people scoff at the idea of running a 5k or doing 100 pullups in 5 minutes but I say this is where we were intended to live. On the edge, if you will, continuing to push the body into the adaptive stage. You may not be able to do 1 pullup or even 1 descent pushup, but you can learn, and you can do many of them very, very well.

If you continue to tell yourself that you can't do something, then you never will. I say you will never truly live. I have helped too many people and seen the fire in their eyes when they realize that this is true. You can also be one of these people. But you are not going to get there throwing good money after bad at the local globo gym.

I am certain that the intentions are good, but the methods are flawed. Plain and simple. Ask yourself if you have ever attained any of your goals by becoming a member of a globo gym and wading daily through the sea of machines? This is not intended to attack globo inc., not today, I just want you to think.

Can you push yourself? Do you have the mental fortitude? Do you know that fitness isn't 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by curls & tricep extensions? You have to be intense!

Continue with the easy path if you must. Just know that you are not living. If you want to change you must leave the path of least resistance and avoid it at all costs!

King of all Exercises

If I had to choose one exercise to teach and do the rest of my life I would choose the squat. The squat? Yeah, the squat. As lowly as it may seem the squat gives the most return for the effort. What in the world does that mean? Well, it hits the most muscle for the movement IF it is done properly AND through the full ROM (range of motion).

Heels down, Chest up, Knees out, Hips below Knees, and Neck in a nuetral position. The arms and upper back are in isometric contraction. The squat has several variations that can be done by everyone. The Air Squat, just your bodyweight here, no bar. Sounds easy, well crank out 100 as fast as you can. Still easy, go for 500, fast but maintain form and full ROM. Yeah, burns doesn't it. Keep going, don't be  a meow.

The Back Squat is what every person who is starting a lift program should be doing 3 days a week for months. Men, women, children, everyone should be doing the back squat and adding weight every workout. Stay away from the Smith machine, it is just going to hurt you and you ain't going to get strong using it. At it's worst it forces you into a plane of motion that isn't natural and the pure squat gets the blame for your jacked up knees. At it's best the Smith machine is good for hanging your laundry on to dry. Squatting in the Smith machine isn't squatting, I don't know what it is but it ain't squatting.

Have you done the Front Squat? Want to tighten up you flabby arse? Then the front squat is for you. It removes the hamstring from the movement and forces the glutes to bear the burden of the lift. Stop thinking that step class and hours on the eliptical are going to rid you of the scourge of cellulite and control your diet and do the front squat. Did I mention that it helps to develop a stronger C&J?

Overhead Squatting is the king of the squats. Try it sometime, but beware, start with a very light weight. How is your balance...flexibility...intensity? O'yeah, if your hips aren't below your knees then it don't count. Are you ready....go for 15 repititions with your bodyweight. Let me know how you do.

Read Coach Mark Rippetoe's book Starting Strength 2nd Edition Basic Barbell Training to get a great breakdown on the Squat. Better yet attend one of his certifications. If you are serious about your health and performance then you should have this book in your library. Of course you can continue to do curls in the Squat rack and wonder why you don't see any progress.

Do the Squat and buy the book. You won't regret it!

What is the biggest thing you can do to lose weight?

I have people ask me all the time what they can do to lose weight? I tell them time and time again that the most important thing that they should do is learn to control what they eat. Now, I know that this is what everyone says but here is the difference that you get at CrossFit San Angelo....Are you ready? We practice what we preach and we promote the "Black Box" ideology for everyone. More on the the Black Box later but suffice it to say that if it ain't workin after 6 weeks chances are it ain't gonna work, so change again and try something else.

So not only is the quality of the food that you put in your mouth important but also the types of foods that you eat are even more important. Dare I even mention caloric restriction here? I believe that humans do not have the ability to process grains, starches, and dairy, unless we alter it from it's natural state. So, I also believe that most of todays health problems are food allergies resulting from this altering. Now I am not a doctor or a nutrtionist, but I am a human and I do apply this to my dietary habits and believe it or not I have seen the results I desired.

I was just like you not so long ago. Having been a gym member for some number of years. Eating my daily allotment of whole grains, low-fat dairy, and yes, even soy, I couldn't lose any weight. Not only that but my performance gains stopped. When I would ask the "professionals"...aka...gym owners, personal trainers, nutritionist, and doctors...'cough','cough', about this, the response as I am sure that you have heard too, is that I was on a plateau or I was a liar about my diet or better yet "Some people just can't lose weight." Could it be that these professionals are full of crapola? That they really don't know their way around half the stuff they say they do? Just a repetition of what they have heard others say? Intellectual thieves that do more harm than good? Fortunately, for the rest of us there are a few people who refuse to accept this as the gospel. That 20% bodyfat is not a plateau nor is it acceptable state of being, people who realize that measuring inches is not an accurate measure of success, people who want the most return for their time and refuse to ingest the copius amounts of BS that is readily handed out to those willing to attempt digesting it.

I found the best method of eating in applying the principles I read about in The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. In this book Cordain goes into why we shouldn't eat certain foods. The next book that you should read is Enter the Zone by Dr. Barry Sears. The Zone tells you how to proportion your macro nutrients in your meals. By using the Zone template with Paleo foods you will see the weight loss you want but not only that you will see your performance improve dramatically. Strength will go up, speed will increase, and you will gain super health.

To further your understanding, read the books. I have provided a link to Amazon to make it easy for you. After you have read them feel free to ask any questions. Good luck. 

Tuesday March 18, 2008

Rest Day.

The workout of the day will be posted under the WOD link from now on. Just click on the link to the left and get your workout. Be sure to look at the photo albums and check our pricing to see if there is something we can do for you.

Let us know what you think of the new design. Have a great day!

Monday March 17, 2008

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time – a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic.
-- Adrienne Cook

WOD

"Nate"

Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:

2 Muscle-ups
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings

Post rounds completed to comments.

Jo Jo learning the deadlift. 

Sunday March 16, 2008

WOD

"Nicole"

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Run 400 meters
Max rep Pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round to comments.

The Top 10 Lessons For Surviving A Zombie Attack

1. Organize before they rise!

2. They feal no fear, why should you?

3. Use your head: cut off theirs.

4. Blades don't need reloading.

5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.

6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.

8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!

9. No place is safe, only safer.

10. The zombie may be gone but the threat lives on.

Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide

Richie Clemens' first CF WOD. Watch his video.Download richie_first_cfwod.wmv

Saturday March 15, 2008

People hear what we say but they see what we do.
And seeing is believing.
-- Eric Harvey and Al Lucia

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Post loads to comments.

Lisbeth Darsh is the owner/trainer at CrossFit Watertown in Connecticut. She wrote the following article:

Here is where I leave it all on the floor. Here, at CrossFit Watertown, I sweat, toil, and labor my way through WODs named for heroes and WODs named for beautiful women and WODs that have names like “10 Rounds of Garbage” and “That F**king One" only because I gave them those names.  Here is where I swear like a longshoreman, sweat and shake in delirium, and beat myself into the ground with each thruster rep and each horribly inadequate pull-up. It’s penance or punishment. Or more like purgatory. But I need it. I crave it. CrossFit is a drug, like they say. If I was cut off from it, I really don’t know what I would do. At this point, I am willing to throw rocks through car windows and steal spare change in order to feed my habit. I am an addict. Ragged calluses are my track marks.

Click here to read more.

A variety of Medicine Balls. We hidghly recommend calling Jim at Dynamax and talking to him prior to placing your order. He will definately get you the right ball for your needs.

Friday March 14, 2008

Rest Day!

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost (1874-1963)

When did it get dark?

Thursday March 13, 2008

If we’re really serious about walking the talk all
the time, we have to focus on the small stuff.
-- Eric Harvey and Al Lucia

WOD

"Michael"

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

Post time to comments.

                                                   

115lb Thrusters and 15' Rope Climb. Piece of cake!

Wednesday March 12, 2008

"Tommy V"

For time:
115 pound Thruster, 21 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 12 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 9 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 9 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 6 ascents

Post time to comments.

Enlarge image

Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, Minnesota, died in a training accident in Arizona, on Feb. 13.

We're asking the CrossFit community to make donations to the "Thomas J. Valentine Memorial Fund" in care of the Navy Federal Credit Union, Building 200, FTC Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, VA, 23461.

Tuesday March 11, 2008

If you believe it, you can make it happen. That's all you need, is belief - and of course the willingness to follow through on whatever needs to be done on your part. - Unknown

WOD

Run 5k

Post time to comments.

We love running 5k. Today is going to be a good day!

Monday March 10,2008

Rest Day

The Flies and the Honey Pot - Aesop

A jar of honey  chanced to spill Its contents on the windowsill In many a viscous pool and rill.

The flies, attracted by the sweet, Began so greedily to eat, they smeared their fragile wings and feet.

With many a twitch and pull in vain They gasped to get away again, And died in aromatic pain.

Moral-O foolish creatures that destroy themselves for trasitory joy.

Enlarge image

Core Control Part 5, Jeff Tucker - video [wmv]

Sunday March 9, 2008

The people with whom you share your goals will play a major part in whether or not you reach your goals. - Zig Ziglar

WOD

"Lynne"

Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull-ups

Post reps for both exercises in all rounds.

                                                     

At the finish everyone seemed ok.

Saturday March 8, 2008

Ideas are worthless.

Intentions have no power.

Plans are nothing, Unless they are followed with action.

Michael Angier

WOD

Run 5k

Post time to comments

or

Hang squat clean 3-3-3-3-3-3-3 reps

Post loads to comments.

Lots and lots of Deadlifts.

5k Run Concho River Road

Ron 22.36

Chance 29.52

Daniel 29.55

Trina 35.18

Courtney 35.41

Was that fun or what? Great job, everyone!!!!

Friday March 7, 2008

There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.-Hindu Proverb

WOD

"Diane"

21-15-9 reps of:
225 pound Deadlift
Handstand push-ups

Post time to comments.

What is Daniel doing?

Thursday March 6, 2008

Rest Day!

The Character of a Happy Life.

How happy is he born and taught, that serveth not another's will;

Whose armor is the honest thought, And simple truth his utmost skill!

Whose passions not his masters are, Whose soul is still prepared for death,

Untied unto the worldly care of public fame, or private breath;

Who envies none that chance doth raise, Or vice; who never understood

How deepest wounds are given by praise; Nor rules of state, but rules of good:

Who hath his life from rumors freed, Whose conscience is his strong retreat;

Whose state can neither flatterers feed, Nor ruin make oppressors great;

Who God doth late and early pray, More of his grace than gifts to lend;

And entertains the harmless day with a religious book or friend;

This man is freed from servile bands, Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;

Lord of himself, though not of lands; And having nothing, yet hath all.

Henry Wotton

The Junell Center at ASU.

Wednesday March 5, 2008

When did you last evaluate the tasks you do
every day against what’s most important to you?
-- Sam Parker

WOD

"Cindy"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

OR

"Mary"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 One legged squats, alternating
15 Pull-ups

Post your choice of girls and rounds completed to comments.

Tuesday March 4, 2008

Never stop. One always stops as
soon as something is about to happen.
-- Peter Brook

WOD

For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

Post time to comments.

Claudia helping Courtney through her 500m rows.

Monday March 3, 2008

Waste your money and you're only out of money. But waste your time and you've lost part of your life.-Michael Leboeuf

WOD

"Linda"

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Bench press: body weight
Clean: 3/4 body weight

Set up three bars and storm through for time.

Post time to comments.

Someone told me the other day that jumping rope isn't fun. Well, they should hang out with us for a few weeks! Skill work on the double under. Theres gotta be a better progression.

Sunday March 2, 2008

REST DAY!

Painstorm workout for March. Give it a try.

Veteran Crossfitter Matt Okomsky from Crossfit Alexandria will be training with us for a few months.

James Lynn joined us for the WOD yesterday. Only his second CF WOD, he pushed through in spite of the pain. Good Job!!!!

Welcome to San Angelo guys. We are happy to have you in the community.

Saturday March 1, 2008

Perseverence

We must not hope to be mowers, And to gatherthe ripe gold ears,

Unless we have first been sowers And watered the furrows with tears.

It is not just as we take it, This mystical world of ours,

Life's field will yeild as we make it A harvest of thorns or flowers.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

WOD

Angie

For Time:

100 Pullups

100 Pushups

100 Situps

100 Squats

Post time to comments.

Dainiel Ehrlich getting a 380lb squat. Strong work!