CrossFit NYC: The Black Box

I can't wait for this one!

Damn, and Ive been waiting for this one. Maybe I can find a gym back home to do this at.

Anyone thinking about going to the Pitsburgh cert? Been waiting for one on the east coast here and I think this is the one I may hit.

I thought about it but cant make plans with the 1st grandchild due around that time in Israel! I will need to go for a bit!

already did this, sorta. i've been doing starting strength.

Back squat: 5-5-5

120#-120#-120#

1RM is approximately 160#.

BW 144, 21 years

squat a2a, lifting shoes, beltless, low bar rack.

Here's a fun calculator to check what your 1RM might be after todays WOD. Or you can use your CFT score to see what you should be squatting today.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html

Last Wed:

BS: 5*5 Last three sets at 175.

LOL - Since David started it:

BW: 170; Age: 50
Vibram FiveFinger Shoes; beltless

Best, Kim

What would be your recommendations for weightlifting shoes? I've never bought or used them, so I don't want to get the most expensive if it doesn't make a difference.

Thanks in advance -- Paul

155, 165, 175, 185, 185

275 for all 5 sets. I was hoping to getting 315 today but I woke up late and was still groggy for all but my last set of lifts. I finished that up with some snatches, 10 doubles at 135 of which I felt about half of them were good.

Paul,
I think that weightlifting shoes make a huge difference in the power and olympic lifts. They stabilize the heel when you're pulling or squating and allow for a more efficient transfer of force from your pull. Running shoes are designed to minimize the force upon your heel when you run. That's great for running and most of the other crossfit activities but bad for olympic and power lifting

This morning I ran the 4-mile co-ed NYJL Mother's Day race in Central Park at 8am before doing the 11am class.

Let me just say that I haven't been running nearly as much as I used to pre-CF, and yet today I set a new PR at 35 minutes and 4 seconds, shaving nearly 3 minutes off of my previous PR at this distance. My pace of 8:46 is also the fastest racing I've EVER done, barring the one time I did a 1-mile race.

So it seems that the CrossFit is working. But let me just say that I felt my accomplishment this morning was as much mental as physical--or should I say mental AND physical. I've definitely increased my pain tolerance (and become more competitive than I ever used to be), so when I would pass 2 runners chatting with each other, all I could think was, "Why are you TALKING when you should be RUNNING! This is a RACE!!!"

For the squats I did 105 x 5, 110 x 5, 135 x 5, 145 x 3, 145 x 3.

45, 75, 95, 105, 125
Felt good to work hard and do my first WOD back as RX'd!

185, 195, 205, 205, 215
I came close to losing bowel control on the very last rep @ 215.
Bodyweight normally 158ish, but I think I just added over 5 pounds of Korean BBQ this afternoon. Ughhh.

Allison: we all loved the Screaming Squats. Strong work!

95lbs OHS x 5
96lbs FS x 5
225 BS x 5

275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5

135 OHS x 5
3x5 45lbs weighted pullups
5x5 HSPU, forehead to floor

this was hard today

Hey Paul,
In regards to expensive vs. inexpensive shoes, I've seen people lift some pretty impressive weights regardless of brand: DoWins, VS Athletics, Adidas, Power Firm, etc. They all have a solid heel, flat rubberized sole, and a strap (or multiple straps) for stabilization.

Actually, the biggest pain in the @ss when ordering my first shoes was getting the sizing right. If you can, come in on an Olift day and see if you can try on other people's shoes until you find a size/brand that fits well.

Hope this helps.

Yoon

Paul,
After reading your comment again, I realized I didn't answer it at all. I agree with Yoon, it doesn't necessarily matter which brand because they all have basically the same features. Find one within your price range and try it. You may have to send a few pairs back, I'm assuming you'll be ordering them off the internet, because of size issues. Personally, I've only used Adidas because they last so long. The pair I have now are about 6-7 years old and are still in tip-top shape. Adidas lifting shoes do tend to run a bit on the narrow side. They'll eventually stretch but you may not want to go through the trouble and pain of lifting in them.

I also ran the 4 mile race today, and even though i am not as fit as Allison and the rest of you, I ran my own personal best!!!

I cut 2 minutes from my time two weeks ago and thats without running at all during these two weeks!!

I have been a member of Crossfit for only three weeks, I cant wait to see the difference in 6 months.

I agree with Adam and Yoon. Get some shoes. You really do feel a difference lifting with a solid-heeled shoe. You want to transfer as much of your force into the floor and back up into the bar and not loose it into your air/shox/cushion soles.

I agree that you should come in and see what everyone has got and try some of their shoes. I have a pair of Werksans and love them. I also really like the Do Wins and the new VS Athletics. The Addidas are too tight and too expensive for me. The Werksans have a smaller heel and two straps which I like.

Also if you want to get shoes, make sure you try to get yourself a crossfit discount. :)

An off-WOD-topic question for anyone familiar with Tabata (and of course, Kudos to Allison!)

Can one do Tabata with anything, I am specifically thinking of sprints using weighted gloves. I don't run long distance or want to, but I am wondering if there is a benefit to a Tabata sprint sequence with 20 seconds all out sprints, 10 seconds either rest or slow walk, 8 times. I figure the goal would be to extend the distance for a Tabata sprint set.

If so, does one do multiple tabata sets, e.g. 3 Tabata sprint sets? And if so, what is the recommended rest between sets?

Sorry for going OT on the WOD.

No worries, Michael.

I have done tabata sprints and they are brutal (in a good way). I would try them sans gloves first and see how that goes. The usual protocol is 8 rounds of 20 seconds work and 10 seconds rest. You can pretty much do tabata anything, but the more "functional" the movement, the better: e.g. pullups vs. curls.

Generally we try to score the Tabata in some way, so if you can do a run on a football field and try to run the same number of yards every round it would be better. That way you can score the least amount of yards ran in any round. But as long as you're running all out for each of the 8 rounds, I'd consider it work well done.

I don't think you need to do more than one tabata set in a day unless you were to do some other exercise, like squats, pushups, pullups, etc. You can rest 1 minute between exercises or no rest between exercises. Those are the usual protocols but you should feel free to experiment.

Ah, ok so the goal is to get the final/shortest sprint as far as possible, not necessarily the total distance. That makes total sense.

I think I'll try a Sprint/Push-up tabata outdoors this week.

Thanks for the help. Exciting stuff this.

5- 65
5- 85
5- 105
5- 125
5 - 125??

Thanks Keith - I probably would have stayed at 65 if it wasn't for you. I don't want to " lift like a girl"..

keith, my DoWins are my first pair of lifting shoes, and i love 'em. it's such a different feeling. not that they've allowed me to lift more weight, as evidenced by my mediocre squat numbers, but the feeling is still incredible!

anyone looking to buy a pair of shoes should get them from Glenn Pendlay at Wichita Falls Weightlifting. his customer service is renowned throughout the CF community, and for good reason: i ordered the less expensive DoWins. about a week later, Glenn calls me personally and apologizes profusely for not sending them, and tells me that my shoes are no longer in stock. he upgrades me to the sweet-looking suede shoes and charges me the lower price. awesome deal!

Allie you lifted 130 on your last set for 5 really solid reps. You're an animal! I can't wait to get you doing a CFT next month. It'll be very impressive.

Allison! That is awesome!!!

I am so happy to hear about your pr at the race this morning....then you went to class afterwards for heavy squats?? You're starting to become a mentally impaired runner like me...

A2, I take back my snarky comment entirely. Awesome lifting!

I second (or eighth) the lifting shoe endorsement in general, and have been quite happy with my Do Wins in particular.

For those just easing into this all, however, and not quite ready to make the commitment, consider picking up a pair of Converse All-Stars, as they make a great all-around CrossFit shoe. While they lack the elevated heel of a true lifting shoe, they're also way, way more stable than running shoes, and are still jumping / sprinting friendly enough to be a good choice for something like Helen.