CrossFit NYC: The Black Box

Please note, as we've done previously, Lynne will be scaled as needed for both logistical/class-size reasons as well as the fact that not everyone can handle BW bench press in the first place. Bench press subs include push ups, incline push ups, ring dips and ring pushups. For those without pullups, body rows make a good sub.

Im a little slow, who is Cheryl Cohen?

SHIT. No pull-ups for me for a few days because of my neck/headache. Otherwise I would kill this workout.

I'm shooting for 23 next max pull-ups.

I need a massage more than I ever have in my life.

I NEED to be 100% for Newport Beach next weekend.

OPT vid on the main site is amazing. Looking forward to tomorrow night.

that video is sick.

I'm down with OPT.

How many times has that joke been used?

While driving home alone tonight, I noticed that my fasten seatbelt signal was on in my car for the passenger's seat. The culprit, a 35lb kettlebell.

While driving home alone tonight, I noticed that my fasten seatbelt signal was on in my car for the passenger's seat. The culprit, a 35lb kettlebell.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=819977
Old school training w Zach!

I'm officially on my first break from CrossFitting. I'm not going to do any WODs for one week.

I messed my back up today in BK because I can't add. I wanted to put a bar on the rack so I deadlifted it then HPC it. I thought it was 100# but it was 115#. I got it but I had one elbow under I was tilted and had to force the other elbow around. OW.

So I have a new HPC PR but it was UGLY: 115#

I snuck into a Crunch today and got on the Pull-up bar. Did 5 pull-ups and on the 5th actually felt my neck pull. Then the pounding started. I NEED to rest it.

Then once it calmed down I did tabata squats. Got 22! Another PR. I had a couple of seconds left over each round.

During my break I'm going to:
-QUIT coffee and Red Bull which I've been abusing like crazy
-Get my sleeping back on track. I have not been sleeping at all. Not good for recovering
-Stop taking tylenol which I've been eating like candy
-Practice running for the cert next weekend.
-Get a massage
-Stay in the ZONE
-Train in Bk
-Tabata Squats, full ROM push-ups

I hope that when I come back my hands, neck, head and back are 100%. I've been accused of overtraining by everyone on the planet lately. I disagree but sometimes I have to listen to people who know more than me. It doesn't make sense to me because a symptom of overtraining is decreased performace and I've been hitting PRs left and right. OH well. Maybe I'll hit more when I come back.

This is going to be VERY hard for me to do. If I come to the Box please kick me out or DO NOT let me near any bars. Thanks.

:( !

AllisonNYC -

As someone who has personally probably "overtrained" in every sport or activity she has ever been involved with (whether it was encouraged or not), I order you to stop!

ESPECIALLY, if you are having throbbing headaches, hand problems, back problems, etc. These things just don't go away in a day, despite your best intentions to take a break.

Full ROM pushups are going to put a lot of strain on your neck and shoulders. Tabata squats for prs and running are going to mess with your back if it's sore. Bad back problems are notorious for taking forever to heal AND once you damage your back bad enough, there is usually some lingering pain and soreness which means back pain management for the rest of your life. Yuck.

Take if from me, doing physical therapy three to five times a week and chowing down on ibuprofen and ice therapy every day is no fun. Being unable to deadlift over 65# is not much fun either, especially when the month before you were hitting say a 200# pr. I don't know if you remember but all last year I was plagued with a right shin splint and ankle issues (too many miles running prior to CF plus I needed orthotics badly), then a muscle strain in my right and left lower back.

The back pain was bad at least three months prior (I have my blog as a record of this which I ignored thinking it would go away), and then during a back squat WOD it just gave out. Sitting on the subway became almost impossible let alone doing a workout. That was frustrating!

And I'm still not 100%. I can't run ten miles pain free or run as fast as I could and I really have to monitor the volume of training I do at the Box like too many back extensions in one day can make me crippled the next. And when I''m really, really sore, I suck it up and take a rest day.

So take the entire week off. No really, take it off. No running, no tabata anything - just sleep! Stretch! Watch television. That's what taking the full week off from CF is supposed to be. It's great that you want to follow the schedule and the prs you've had recently are amazing, but the last thing you'll want is an injury you have to deal with for a few months or more. That will really put a stop to your training and long term goals.

Yeah Allison, I have to echo what Avery said... The rest is every bit (if not more) as important as the training and the diet. I know its hard to take rests (hell I can't even take my own advice, as anyone who watched me and my pathetic attempts at HSPU with a fucked up shoulder on Friday night). But your body will have a way of making itself rest. Either for a week or if not careful, much, much longer.

Trust me AllisonNYC as well, you need the time off. I too was adamant that I didnt need it either. Actually keith kept encouraging me to rest and take time off. What did I do, CF and yoga almost everyday! I even went to Josh once and complained that Keith doesn't want to see me at the box (looking back I admit it was foolish, childish and plain outright stupid). He really did mean it for my own good though! I just had to figure it out on my own. Or rather was forced to figure it out when I couldn't move literally. Off I went to physical therapy and forced time off. Now I barely do any metcon just Oly practice. Train hard but train smart!
So on that note, you say you are going to take a week off yet you also say during that time you are going to:
-Train in Bk
-Tabata Squats, full ROM push-ups

I would think those are not rest week activities. Read your blog on the main CF site, basically everyone is telling you to take time OFF. Avery is right--read, relax, go to the movies, sit on your butt!! And that's all!

AllisonNYC, to add to my last post I just saw this on a post on Performance Menu and think it is relevant here as well:

Dan John's quotes. "You can't be your own coach". He also says if you take someones program and change it you aren't doing the program anymore.

In summary it's a great program if you can give it a try.

You're going to train in Burger King?

Jeff - I used to train everyday at Burger King. It's called the Whopper Workout. Great way to gain mass.

Brian,

Looks like you got a video to start studying OPTs pullup

The OPT video was inspiring! He's a demon! However, I did notice how wide his arms are on the bar, whereas most of us have been taught to keep arms with shoulder width. Does that matter much? But I'd love to see OPT try to that shit at the Box with the stairs!

Excellent quote on the program-that's why we go to certs and trainers run our classes because the formula works the way it's supposed to. Change it and you get a recipe for injury.

without knowing exactly what you did allison, you might want to look into sports chiropractic. i've gone to active release therapy for sports induced muscle pulls etc. in the past and it's worked wonders.

Thanks for the advice and support.

Avery, I won't do tabata squats for PRs or anything for a week. Thank you for telling me to STOP. That's why I posted here because if I didn't I probably would have been in the gym tomorrow. After all I was doing pull-ups with a pounding headache and torn hands don't keep me off the bar.

I think I'm addicted to training. I have never taken more than a few days off without being forced by sickness. Even when I had a sprained ankle I was doing pull-ups and pistols. This will give me a good lesson in recovery.

This is going to be Hell but you're right - I have to think about long term goals.

The only thing is I'm going to a running cert next weekend and wanted to get some training in before. I don't want to show up weak and lazy after a week of sitting on my ass. How bad is running for my back if it doesn't hurt when I run?? It only hurts when I bend back. How about YOGA? I need to do something!

Sarena and Jeff : when I said I'll be training in BK I meant Coaching at CrossFit South Brooklyn.

I'm not down with the whopper craze. Sorry, I may not be on the Zone 24 hours a day but I'm not scarfing down burgers, french fries and cupcakes. I want to get stronger fitter and faster not FATTER.

I think Jeff is the excepting to the rule with food and performance being linked.

I guess I'm a little cranky already.
Let HELL week begin. :(

Greg- what do u mean-wide on the bar when he did the pullups?

Brian-Gid wants to know how long it took you to learn to do the planche
and when are you are coming into the box again to work out...

whats ur email address? thx! i think you made a new 55 lb friend.

and guys when we get the new space we are going to have to remove the "don't be a pussy" sign-since my son asked me yesterday "why don't good athletes need water?"

i am just hoping the other sign was too high up for him to read and not that he actually knew what it meant

A_NYC,

Just to add to the onslaught of advice, one of the keys to effective training is to be on the brink of overtraining, without actually overtraining. You might be hitting PR's now, but your body is also showing signs of an imminent collapse.

If you want to be ready for your cert next weekend, you shouldn't work out more than once or twice over the next 7 days. Forget the tabata squats and pushups, you're going to a running and endurance cert. A few light running drills (one of your weaknesses, right) will be more than enough.

You've been willing and able to train this much recently because your body was giving you a green light. Shouldn't you also listen to your body when it's telling you to slow down?

Anyway, if I catch you doing anything remotely strenuous at the Box this week I'll hurl a kettlebell in your general direction.

A2- I second Ewen, you can't stop listening to your body just because you don't like what it's saying.

Michelle, I'll be at the Box around 1:20 today because I'm getting out early; but typically I'll be around 4:30/5 during the week, an hour before 6pm classes. The planche took me lots of hard work to work up to, around 1.5 years. For Gideon though he might be able to get it within a few months because he is young, more flexible, and much lighter. I'll be more than glad to help him work on planches, levers, and crosses.

My email is briandegennaro08@aim.com

And what Greg meant by a wide grip was that OPT and AFT take a much wider-than shoulder-width grip on the bar during pullups.

Don't worry A2, I'll do my part to kick you out of the Box-even if I have to hurl 20lb wall balls at you, for time of course-what kind of a CF man do you think I am?

And Jeff it's pretty funny that you didn't know that BK was short for Brooklyn. I'll lend you my Lil Kim cd after Michelle is done with it.

Michelle aka Hot Mom-glad Gid is having a blast, and it's funny that he asked you that question about the athletes. Imagine what he will think of his classmates during recess! He's going to be quite the elitist (tsk tsk)

There are two ways to make the rest payments your body demands:

(1) The Installment Plan
(2) Balloon Payments

CrossFit prescribes option (1), resting every fourth day. My observation is that those who avoid option (1) end up by default with option (2) sudden and complete shutdown for multiple days or weeks.

To me the advantages of option (1) include minimizing pain, injury, and Advil consumption, while maximizing the probability of my continuing with the program. It also allows me to plan my schedule in advance.

If your objective is to maximize your results over the course of the year (or a lifetime), you need to ask yourself which is the better way to go.

thx brian!!!

So I figured out what to do with myself:
I'm going to
get massages
go to the chiropractor tomorrow
shop
get a haircut
get a manicure! I want pretty hands for a week
sleep

I'm open to suggestions.

Hari: wise words from a wise man
Jack: you're just a wise-ass. ;)

Thanks again everyone. I really mean it.

Rowed 5k this am 22:18, 1st attempt at rowing 5k so its a PR

In a similar vein as the street fight article posted is a great book entitled simply, 'Fight: Everything you ever wanted to know about a**-kicking but were afraid you'd get your a** kicked asking' by punk front man/former bouncer/underground brawler/MMA fighter/author Eugene Robinson.

for the fight fans in the house whether they be of the good old-fashioned barroom brawl variety or the softer gentler pillow fighting variety

And a big thanks to Brian D for helping me w/ being aggresive in getting up into my handstand and for mr. Durden for letting me play around after beginner's class last night.

finally, catching the tail end of Gideon's workout was inspiring. Michelle, he's bonafide bad a**.

A2-

I think that taking care of yourself this week is the best thing you can do to get ready for the cert and travel. No amount of sprint practice or 5ks in the next five days are going to prepare you anymore for this cert than you already are.

Most likely you'll have more energy and fresh legs which will make it easier to run (ever try to run after a week with heavy oly lifting or squats - not fun!). Besides, this is about learning and fun. No world records or prs need to be set this weekend and I bet lots of experienced runners will be there to essentially relearn how to run properly. Take lots of notes while you're there - I'm anxious to learn more about their methods if it means less running injuries and better running performance!

Greg - you mentioned going to a sports chiropractor for active release therapy. What does that consist of and can you offer any names of places? I have tried a regular chiropractor, physical therapy and acupuncture but nothing has provided a permeate fix for my back. Thanks!

A2 get a pedicure while u r at it. no ugly feet allowed in newport beach.

Shane i will pass the words along (with the full letters inserted) to Gideon bc for a skinny white 7 year old that will make his day.

I've gone to Champion Health Institute, which has locations in Lodi, New Jersey and 11 West 67th Street (Palestra gym). The techniques focus on soft tissue massage (when I say massage I should say torture -- they go nuts breaking up the scar tissue) followed by spine adjustments if necessary.

973 777 9040 is the number I have for appointments. I saw Dr. Kyler Brown and thought he was great; the main doc there is Dr. Rob, but he works with the Giants so I imagine he's impossible to book with right now.

also i looked at the business card and it's called active release technique, not therapy. fyi.

more on the theories ... apparently a lot of sports injuries are simply scar tissue. scar tissue can build up over time (sleeping on one side over a period of years could cause shoulder pain via scar tissue in your trap, for example) or instantly in some kind of accident/fall etc.

Greg-thank you so much for the info. I read up on the active release technique sounds like it could be very beneficial as well as painful!

my PT also uses ART and other methods. While he is way expensive, it has been totally worth it for me.
www.mingmethod.net
Yeah, ART can be "uncomfortable" but if that's the way to healing, bring on the "pain."

AllisonNYC - As Court might say, "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long - and you have burned so very, very brightly, Allison."

CrossFit EAST GAMES!! Who's on for this? Gotta tell ya those CFAlbany people are a great crew!
http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=26275

In a similar vein as the street fight article posted is a great book entitled simply, 'Fight: Everything you ever wanted to know about a**-kicking but were afraid you'd get your a** kicked asking' by punk front man/former bouncer/underground brawler/MMA fighter/author Eugene Robinson.

for the fight fans in the house whether they be of the good old-fashioned barroom brawl variety or the softer gentler pillow fighting variety

And a big thanks to Brian D for helping me w/ being aggresive in getting up into my handstand and for mr. Durden for letting me play around after beginner's class last night.

finally, catching the tail end of Gideon's workout was inspiring. Michelle, he's bonafide bad a**.

To be the umpteenth person to say so- Allison, take some rest. Your performance, much like that of some of the other Crossfit "names," is impressive and inspiring to the rank and file like me, but that doesn't make you a superhero no matter how much spandex you wear! :)

Everybody needs rest and burning the candle at both ends will result in weeks/months of downtime or reduced loads. Take a week off, come back better than ever and continue to be motivate the rest of us.

As to the articles today- the fight one was somewhat interesting. Only really weird advice was the "get on your belly" suggestion as an answer to ground fighting. That seems like an invitation to a beating/choking from even a begginner like myself.

The cloning one was somewhat confusing to me. If someone is knowledgeable about this issue, I would appreciate some input, but in my ignorance I don't know why cloned meat would be less healthy than the animal the genes were taken from and the article just kind of assumes that this is probably the case. Any help out there from the food experts?

Kurt I agree with your post except for the part about spandex.

clearly you have not watched our superhero fran video.
spandex absolutely made many of us superheros.

and wigs made some of us legends....

Michelle- I haven't watched the superhero Fran video. I thought it was trapped in editing limbo. All I can find on youtube is the slideshow (although I only checked that out because of your comment). Looks like it was a great time.

And Michelle brown was definitely the new black that night!

Seen walking th concourse at LGA--woman wearing Black Box RESPECT hoodie!! Have a great weekend all!

I might get flamed for this, but whatever, I'm desperate:

Does anybody by chance have Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica burned to DVD that I could borrow?

If so could you email me: mconstan at gmail dot com

thanks

Mike C

80# (half bw)
pullup w thin black band (with massive ripping blisters on palms)

5/5, 5/6, 6/6, 5/6, 5/5

interesting...

80# (half bw)
pullup w thin black band (with massive ripping blisters on palms)

5/5, 5/6, 6/6, 5/6, 5/5

interesting...

Subbed ring dips

16,10,10,6,5 = 47 r dips
25,15,21,17,14 = 92 pu

Decided to do this at my work gym this evening. (Also did yoga there this morning! First time I've tried yoga in years!)

Lynne
as Rx'd
175# bench

16 bench/12 pullups
9/9
8/7
5/6
5/5

43 reps bench, 39 pu

(7,23), (6,21), (5,17), (4,16), (2,15) = (24,92) (PR,PR)

I was the only one at the 7:30 Class. Thanks for staying, Mike.

As Rx'd (BW 152, BB 155)

Bench: 10, 10, 9, 9, 5
PUs: 20, 28, 17, 15, 16

And thus begins my 4 day rest period, cuz I'm really feeling this week's workouts (track and gymnastics included).

Hari, you make all of us younger folk look weak on the pullups. Strong work.

I got a blister the size of Smurf house on my hand from this workout.

Dips 17,10,9,6,6=47
Pu 13,10,10,12,13-58

Great work crew! It was a great class with the All-stars pushing me (Brian and Brett) Brother Moon, and Adam bashing me-again. Justin good to see you-long time. Don't forget my book!

Day two of CrossFit detox hell.

I'm going to shop my pain away :(

Dips were killing my shoulder so could only get a few at a time:

Dips: 5,4,3,3,2
Pull-ups: 13,12,10,10,9

DIPS: 14,5,5,5,6,6
Pullups: 10,6,6,5,7,4