Still trying to get that first ring muscle-up before the CrossFit Open arrives? We feel you. Until you get there, there is plenty of other work you can do to strengthen your grip, build muscle and get more comfortable on the rings. Brooke Ence recently shared a spicy little complex she sometimes does, consisting of toes-to-bar, pull-ups and strict muscle-ups.
Main image: Brooke Ence/Instagram
It’s hard to remember even the elite were once novices. While these days, athletes who take the floor at the CrossFit Games tend to make it look easy, we don’t always see what’s been going on behind the scenes for the last several years — the blood, sweat, tears, the misses, the failures. It happens to all of us. Even the best. Even Margaux Alvarez. She’s made it to the Games multiple times; but back in 2012, she was still working on getting a muscle-up. Alvarez recently posted this epic throwback video. Yes, it’s a bit blurry — but still totally relatable.
Main image: Margaux Alvarez/Instagram
Welcome to the first Make Your Mark challenge! Every Friday for the month of October, we’re tackling a new and exciting challenge; and this week, we’re going after King Kong. If you’re not yet familiar, here’s what it consists of:
Look tough? It is! But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a scaled version for athletes who aren’t quite ready for muscle-ups and handstand push-ups. Here’s how you can scale it:
Functional fitness is all-inclusive: anyone can do it. If this is still too much for your plate, remember you can scale the pull-ups further and make push-ups more manageable by doing them on your knees.
This week, we’ve talked a lot about building strength — like how you can use wrist wraps to provide extra support for your wrists and accomplish a stronger overhead position, and the progressions you can practice for accomplishing strict handstand push-ups. This week’s strength challenge includes some very basic exercises that are crucial for building a strong foundation. Movements like deadlifts and push-ups train the same muscle groups that help accomplish simple, everyday tasks — like proper posture, and carrying 50 bags of groceries into the house in one trip. (Kidding!) These are exercises everyone can truly benefit from.
Good luck with today’s challenge! And don’t forget to share your times and accomplishments on social media using the hashtag #TheWODLife. Happy Friday, everyone.
New home. New terrain. New continents represented. New names on the leaderboard.
The first day of the 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games is in the books and it was nothing short of exciting. Individual athletes started the day with a pair of endurance tests, which brought some surprising shake ups to the leaderboard. Mid-day, the closing event was announced, a variation of Amanda which doubled the number of reps for a 13-11-9-7-5 rep scheme. With this event came history of not only a memory of an amazing athlete, Amanda Miller, but also as the first event programmed in 2010 when The CrossFit Games moved to Carson, California.
The leaderboards for the Individual Men and Women look a lot different than one might have thought with a lot of the usual subjects well out of the Top 10. The most surprising, however, is Josh Bridges who currently sits in 32nd after day 1. Another surprising twist to day one is Camille Leblanc-Bazinet withdrawing from competition after a fall on the Cyclocross course that dislocated her shoulder, a re-injury from a few weeks ago.
Here are your Top 10 Men and Women after Day 1:
On the Teams side of things, though there are almost 10 rookie teams competing this year, CrossFit Invictus and CrossFit Fort Vancouver, the only two teams in CrossFit Games history to compete for all nine eligible years, sit in first and third, respectively. Sandwiched in between is the crowd favorite and defending champs, CrossFit Mayhem. A notable moment for the Teams is for the first time, Great Britain is in the house as CrossFit JST makes it’s first ever CrossFit Games appearance.
Here is your Top 10 Teams going into Day 2:
Tomorrow, the Individual Men and Women will take the floor to test their 1RM in Event 5. Today, it was the Teenagers’ turn and two athletes set the bar with impressive numbers. It was 16-year-old Taylor Babb, the three time CrossFit Games’ athlete that snatched her way to a first place finish in the Girls 16-17 year old division with a huge 195lb lift. And on the boys’ side, 17-year-old Guilherme Malheiros opened his rookie Games debut with a 291lb snatch.
Team and Individual athletes will open Day 2 on the obstacle course. For all the information you need to know, head over to our viewing guide.
By Katie Ferraro
What have the Fittest Man and Fittest Woman in the world been doing to prepare for the 2016 CrossFit Games season? CrossFit HQ follows Ben Smith and Katrin Davidsdottir through a training sesh. Check out what a day in the life looks like for these two.
12 Rounds:
250 M-ROW, 5 Strict Deficit HSPUS
12 Minutes:
AIR ASSAULT BIKE INTERVAL
5 Rounds:
12 Dumbbell Snatches
9 Bench Presses, 225 lb.
6 Bar Muscle-ups
10 Rounds
Deficit HSPUS with Increasing Depth
FOR TIME :
15-10-5
Power Cleans, 105 lb.
HSPUS
Then:
15-10-5
Hang Power Cleans, 105 lb.
Ring Dips
10 MINUTE EMOM
3 Hang, Squat, Cleans, 275 lb.
For Time
50 GHD
75 Back Extension
25 GHD
50 Back Extensions
“If you want to be the best then you have to train like its a full time job”
Full Vid Here:
Video Creds: CrossFit
This week’s WOD looks like something we might see in the upcoming 2016 CrossFit Open. Wall balls and Muscle-ups for time! Skip out on counting amount of wall ball reps you’ll be doing and just drive right into it.
The guys over at RAW Strength & Conditioning have 2 more WOD’s coming up after this one, be sure to get them in and let us know how you go!
The above workout is just a snippet of some aspects of RAW Strength & Conditioning training and in no way replicates a complete training protocol. If you’re interested in gaining access to RAW specific training or individualized programming, be sure to get in touch with the guys at RAW Strength & Conditioning right here: Rawstrengthconditioning@gmail.com
Need some motivation? Watch Mikko Salo take on this notorious WOD below:
King Kong
3 RFT:
1 Deadlift
2 Muscle-Up
3 Squat Clean 113/70 kg
4 HSPU
Video Creds: JP Kaukonen
Thrusters, snatches, and muscle-ups are the word! WOD 04, put together by our friends over at Raw Strength & Conditioning, is the perfect way to kickoff your weekend!
Grab a mate and see who comes out on top. Check week 04 below!
Each of the WODs have been designed and tested by Raw Strength & Conditioning and will and will suit anyone from advanced to aspiring athlete.
Interested in gaining access to RAW specific training or individualized programming? Be sure to get in touch with RAW Strength & Conditioning here: Rawstrengthconditioning@gmail.com
During a recent CrossFit.com Main Site WOD, Sam Briggs proved why she’s still a relevant name in the game.
August 31, 2015
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Body-weight bench presses
Bar muscle-ups
We want to know: Has anyone come close to her time?
Check it out to see how she did:
Video Creds: CrossFit HQ
One of the rookies of the 2014 CrossFit Games was 8th place finisher Noah Ohlsen. Ohlsen trains out of Peak 360 CrossFit in Miami, Florida and has big expectations to take a place on the podium in 2015.
Thanks to CrossFit HQ, Ohlsen hits up a tidy couplet in his wheelhouse.
12-9-6 reps for time of:
315-lb / 143kg Deadlifts
Bar muscle-ups
Credit: CrossFit Games
Currently leading the CrossFit Open Leaderboard overall, Australia’s Kara Webb continues on her CrossFit Open rampage with 624 reps on CrossFit Open Workout 15.3.
Subscribing to the “one and done” strategy, Webb is running her own race in 2015 and she won’t stop until she is on the podium at the CrossFit Games!
Dave Castro recently set a challenge for the CrossFit Community.
Complete 30 Muscle Ups for time.
CrossFit Games Legend Chris Spealler took up the challenge.
His time?
Watch Now
