Happy Mother’s Day this weekend!

This week we are going back to the basics of “What is CrossFit?” starting with one aspect of it, 10 General Physical Skills.  This information is taken directly from the CrossFit Level 1 Training Manual.

“CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program.  We have designed our program to elicit as broad an adaptational response as possible.  CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains.  They are Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance and Accuracy.”

“General Physical Skills

If your goal is optimum physical competence then all the general physical skills must be considered”

1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance– The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
2. Stamina — The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength — The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
4. Flexibility — The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power — The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed — The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination — The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Ability — The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance — The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy — The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.

(Thanks to Jim Crawley and Bruce Evans of Dynamax, www.medicineballs.com)”

So looking at these 10 skills in the CrossFit world, we want to be as proficient as possible in every one of them to have balance in our abilities.  Much of this can be applied to the Level Tests we have been doing the last few weeks.  What we would like to see is having the majority of your tests land in, say, level 3, a couple in level 4 and a few scattered across levels 2 and 1.  This should show you that you most likely in a level 3 area, maybe 3.2 if you like.  But should you keep focusing on the skills you scored in 3 and 4?  Even though you do well at them, and probably enjoy doing well at them, you should work on the skills you scored in levels 1 and 2.  Work on your goats!  The things you hate! The things you are not good at!  Hit them every day and beat them into submission until you get good at them.  Until you make friends with them.  Until you look forward to showing off what you can do with them.  Then, go after the next one. So if you want more pullups, do more pullups.  If your burpees suck, beat them to death until you own them.  Lunges a challenge?  Work them every day until you’re great at them.  Then when that Filthy Fifty workout rolls around again you can nail it.  So now you will have a new job title, Goat Herder Extraordinaire!

I will be putting out information on ordering sweatshirts with the gym logo on them.  I hope to have this in the gym by Monday.  Approx price is $35

SCHEDULE- Monday – Friday 5am, 6 am, 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm.  Saturday at 8 am.   Saturday, May 21 is MURPH, 8 am.  Saturday June 4 is the Hospital 5k/10 walk/run.

WODs this week-  Strength work will be in a very slow tempo to change up the intensity.  Stay focused on this.   POKER, Lunges, Row/press, Filthy Fifty for May birthdays, Situp/front squat duet, Heavy Sumo Deadlift High Pulls(SDHP)

This Week’s Paleo Recipe is……..

Apple Cranberry Crisp