Posted on

Fittest Man In The World: The Ben Smith Story

The Ben Smith Story

Fittest Man In The World: The Ben Smith Story

Ben Smith is currently the top CrossFit athlete in the world, but he didn’t just get there doing 76 unbroken kipping pullups. He puts up some really impressive numbers in the Squat, Clean, Snatch, etc. Over 500 pounds on both the squat and the deadlift. This guy is 100% self taught.

He learned all of the lifts off of the internet and studied them to until he was a master. This is what it takes to be a champion. I’m excited to introduce Ben Smith to you guys.

There’s a lot to learn from this kid. Learn it here!

Posted on

The 2016 CrossFit Open Winners are Noah Ohlsen and Jamie Greene

Collage_Fotor1

The 2016 CrossFit Open Winners are Noah Ohlsen and Jamie Greene

Based on the current CrossFit Games Open Leaderboard, Noah Ohlsen and Jamie Greene have won the 2016 Open!

Noah:

Screenshot 2016-03-30 03.52.30

Jamie:

Screenshot 2016-03-30 03.54.40

Leaderboard Top 5

Men

Rich Froning – 2nd
Travis Mayer – 3rd
Scott Panchik – 4th
Kyle Frankenfeld – 5th

Women

Sam Briggs – 2nd
Kara Webb – 3rd
Sara Sigmundsdottir – 4th
Michele Letendre – 5th

Posted on

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR 16.5

unspecified-9

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR 16.5

It’s a repeat! 16.5 is 14.5 and it’s time to get crackin’ on the last CrossFit Open workout of 2016.

The WOD Life has you covered compiling all of the best tips, tricks and strategies from the best amongst the CrossFit community.

THE WORKOUT?

Workout 16.5

21-18-15-12-9-6-3:
Thrusters
Burpees

M 95 lb.      F 65 lb.

TOP 5 TIPS

Screenshot 2016-03-25 12.16.16

TWL USA athlete, Caitlin Hogan (@chogan25), placed 1st overall (28th worldwide) in 14.5 in the SoCal Region with a time of 9:28. She has shared some of her pro tips from how she managed such a good finish!

1. PACE

Notice this trend in CrossFit yet? Pace yourself based on your strengths and weaknesses. Save the sprint for the finish!

2. Rest at the top

Think of the thruster as a wall ball. At the top part of the wall ball you exhale and wait for the ball to come down. The timing on the thruster should be the same.

3. If you have to break up your thrusters, do it early on

Even if you’re great at thrusters, the set of 21 and 18 (and maybe even 15) should be broken up to reserve more energy in the tank for later on in the workout. Pushing through these high reps may leave you gassed for 9, 6, and 3.

4. Knee sleeves

To keep you bouncey out of the squat and protect your knees from scraping the ground in your burpees.

5. Step out of your burpee

The constant hinging aspect of the hips will fatigue you for your thrusters. It’s much better to save your energy by stepping your feet to your hands before hopping over the bar.

GEAR TIPS

Thrusters

Burpees

  • Wrist Wraps. The overhead position in the thruster and the bottom of the burpee will take a toll on those wrists. Support them!

PREPARATION


Jami Tikkanen

Now, from your experts (and a blast from the past)!

Barbell Shrugged


Barbell Shrugged

Carl Paoli


Freestyle Connection

Josh Bridges 14.5 Video

Train Heroic


Train Heroic

16.5

CrossFit


CrossFit®

WODprep


WODprep

MisFit Athletics


Misfit Athletics

brUTE Strength


brUTE Strength

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR OPEN ESSENTIALS!

Posted on

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.5

unspecified-7

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.5

The last Open workout of 2016 has been announced and 16.5 is 14.5!

WORKOUT 16.5

MEN – includes Masters Men up to 54 years old
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
95-lb. thrusters
Burpees

WOMEN – includes Masters Women up to 54 years old
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
65-lb. thrusters
Burpees

MASTERS MEN – includes Masters Men 55+
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
65-lb. thrusters
Burpees

MASTERS WOMEN – includes Masters Women 55+
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
45-lb. thrusters
Burpees

Notes
This workout begins from the standing position with the barbell on the floor and the athlete standing tall. Using a ball, box or other object to check for proper depth is not allowed. Every second counts in this workout. Your score will the the time it takes to complete all 168 repetitions. There is no time cap for this workout.

This workout ends when the feet land on the other side of the bar on the final rep. Time will be recorded in full seconds. Do not round up. If you finish in 14:34.8, your score is 14:34.

Equipment
• Barbell
• Plates to load to the appropriate weight for your division

* If you do not use standard size bumper plates on the barbell you will also need:
• A 9.5-inch high target to jump over on the burpees

** The official weight is in pounds. For your convenience, the minimum acceptable weights in kilograms are 43 kg for the Men and, 29 kg for the Women, 29 kg for the Masters Men, 20 kg for the Masters Women.

Video Submission Standards
Click here to see an example of a valid video submission.

Prior to starting, film the plates and barbell to be used so the loads can be seen clearly. All video submissions should be uncut and unedited in order to accurately display the performance. A second person with a stopwatch should be in the frame throughout the entire workout. Shoot the video from the side so it is clear that proper depth and lockout are being reached on the thrusters, and the chest and thighs can be seen touching the ground on the burpees.

Note: Depending on your performance, this video may be longer than previous workouts. Be sure you have enough battery life, memory and time to upload your video. You may need to increase your limit on YouTube to allow a longer video.

Posted on

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.4 – RESULTS

Screenshot 2016-03-23 06.00.10

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.4 – RESULTS

Week four of the 2016 CrossFit Open is now in the books with Josh Bridges (330 reps) and Julie Abildgaard (318 reps) from Copenhagen, Denmark, having the top scores for CrossFit Open Workout 16.4.

Check out all of the leaderboards and winner’s videos for CrossFit Open workout 16.4 below:

Josh Bridges


CrossFit®

Julie Abildgaard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyCTRmCFPb8

CrossFit®

LEADERBOARD – MEN

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.10.24

LEADERBOARD- WOMEN

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.14.44

LEADERBOARD – TEAMS

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.18.02

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN MEN

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.19.36

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN WOMEN

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.20.33

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN TEAMS

Screenshot 2016-03-23 04.21.18
Posted on

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR 16.4

unspecified-3

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR 16.4

So you are looking for some tips and tricks to dominate 16.4?

The WOD Life have you covered compiling all of the best tips, tricks and strategies from the best amongst the CrossFit community.

THE WORKOUT?

TOP 6 TIPS

1. Keep it tight in the deadlifts

Your back will thank you later.

2. Focus on your reps!

Make it a point to do all reps to perfect standards. A no rep can really slow you down, make it count the first time you do it!

3. Be Efficient on the Rower

It’s all about the strength of your pulls, not the speed. Make every pull worth it. Chest up, arms extended, drive through your whole foot, pull the handle to your sternum.

4. Transition Time

5-10 seconds can be easily wasted in this workout. Attack the snatches with those 3 bar muscle ups in mind. Unbroken snatches won’t matter if you need a break before you can get onto the bar muscle ups.

5. Handstand Push ups

Adhere to the standards. Keep your hands shoulder width apart, flex your feet, and reach up on every rep. Cut your reps into manageable sets because once you fatigue, singles are the only option.

6. Pacing

Slow and steady wins the race. With such high rep counts and a long time frame, redlining isn’t an option. It’s better to keep moving at an 80% pace the entire workout than waste valuable seconds resting.

GEAR TIPS

Deadlifts

  • Lifting belt. SAVE YOUR BACK. Velcro makes the most sense for this workout!
  • Tape for that hook grip!

Wall Balls

  • We saw the pro’s wear them, in the Open announcement last night. Knee sleeves will help you stay bouncey out of the squat portion of your wall ball shots.

 

PREPARATION


The Movement Fix

Now, from your experts!

CROSSFIT HQ


CrossFit®

MISFIT ATHLETICS

Steel and Chalk

WODprep

CrossFit Athletic

Make sure you have all of your Open Essentials!

Posted on

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.4

unspecified-1

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.4

It’s here and it’s a chipper! Time to get after the fourth workout of the 2016 CrossFit Open. 

FROM THE CROSSFIT GAMES OFFICIAL:

WORKOUT 16.4

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 handstand push-ups
Men deadlift 225 lb. and throw 20-lb. ball to 10-ft. target
Women deadlift 155 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
 

Tiebreak

The scoring for this workout includes a tiebreak. At the end of the row, time should be marked. When you submit your final result, your score will be the number of reps completed. There will be another field in which you will enter the elapsed time at which you completed the 55-calorie row. In the case where two athletes have the same score (total number of reps), the athlete with the lower tiebreak time will be ranked higher.

Note: All tiebreak times must be reported in elapsed time, not in time remaining. If you are using a countdown timer, you must convert to elapsed time before reporting your score. For this reason, it is recommended you set your clock to count up.
 

Equipment 
• Barbell
• Standard bumper plates (18” diameter) to load to the appropriate weight for your division
• Collars
• A medicine ball of the appropriate weight for your division
• A wall mark or target set at specified height for wall-ball shots
• A wall mark for the handstand push-ups
• Rower that counts calories, similar in type and calibration to a Concept 2

For each workout, be sure the athlete has adequate space to safely complete the workout. Clear the area of all extra equipment, people or other obstructions.

Any athlete who in any way alters the equipment or movements described in this document or shown in the workout standards video may be disqualified from the competition.

*The official weight is in pounds. For your convenience, the minimum acceptable weights in kilograms are 102 kg (225 lb.), 83 kg (185 lb.), 70 kg (155 lb.), 61 kg (135 lb.), 56 kg (125 lb.), 43 kg (95.), 29 kg (65 lb.), and 9-kg ball (20 lb.), 6-kg ball (14 lb.), 4-kg ball (10 lb.).

Workout 16.4 Variations

Rx’d (Rx’d Men, Masters Men 40-44, Masters Men 45-49, Masters Men 50-54, Rx’d Women, Masters Women 40-44, Masters Women 45-49, Masters Women 50-54) 

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 handstand push-ups

Men deadlift 225 lb. and throw 20-lb. ball to 10-ft. target
Women deadlift 155 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target

Scaled (Scaled Men, Scaled Masters Men 40-44, Scaled Masters Men 45-49, Scaled Masters Men 50-54, Scaled Women, Scaled Masters Women 40-44, Scaled Masters Women 45-49, Scaled Masters Women 50-54)

 
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 hand release push-ups

Men deadlift 135 lb. and throw 20-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Women deadlift 95 lb. and throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target

Masters (Masters Men 55-59, Masters Men 60+, Masters Women 55-59, Masters Women 60+) 
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 push presses

Men deadlift 185 lb., throw 20-lb. ball to 9-ft. target and push press 95 lb.
Women deadlift 125 lb., throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target and push press 65 lb.

 Scaled Masters (Scaled Masters Men 55-59, Scaled Masters Men 60+, Scaled Masters Women 55-59, Scaled Masters Women 60+) 
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 push presses

Men deadlift 135 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target and push press 65 lb.
Women deadlift 95 lb. and throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target and push press 45 lb.

 Teens (Teen Boys 14-15, Teen Boys 16-17, Teen Girls 14-15, Teen Girls 16-17) 
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 handstand push-ups

Boys 14-15 deadlift 135 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Boys 16-17 deadlift 185 lb. and throw 20-lb. ball to 10-ft. target
Girls 14-15 deadlift 95 lb. and throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Girls 16-17 deadlift 125 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target

 Scaled Teens (Scaled Teen Boys 14-15, Scaled Teen Boys 16-17, Scaled Teen Girls 14-15, Scaled Teen Girls 16-17) 

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts
55 wall-ball shots
55-calorie row
55 hand-release push-ups

Boys 14-15 deadlift 95 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Boys 16-17 deadlift 135 lb. and throw 14-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Girls 14-15 deadlift 65 lb. and throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target
Girls 16-17 deadlift 95 lb. and throw 10-lb. ball to 9-ft. target

Posted on

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.3

unspecified-7

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.3

CrossFit Open Workout 16.3 has been announced and it favors the athletes who have a strong engine. Bar muscle ups and snatches in a 7 minute ARAMP, this one is a lot of technical work and all about speed!

Time to AMRAP it out!

FROM THE CROSSFIT GAMES OFFICIAL:

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
3 bar muscle-ups

Men use 75 lb.
Women use 55 lb.

Notes
This workout begins with the barbell on the floor and the athlete standing tall. At the call of “3, 2, 1 … go,” the athlete will perform 10 power snatches, then move to the pull-up bar to perform muscle-ups. After 3 reps, the athlete will move back to the barbell and begin their next round.

Your score will be the total number of repetitions completed within the 7-minute time cap.

Tiebreak
The scoring for this workout includes a tiebreak. At the end of each round, time should be marked. When you submit your final result, your score will be the number of reps completed. There will be another field in which you will enter the elapsed time at which you completed your last full round. In the case where 2 athletes have the same score (total number of reps), the athlete with the lower tiebreak time will be ranked higher.

Note: All tiebreak times must be reported in elapsed time, not in time remaining. If you are using a countdown timer, you must convert to elapsed time before reporting your score. For this reason, it is recommended you set your clock to count up.

Equipment
• Barbell
• Plates to load to the appropriate weight for your division
• Collars
• Pull-up bar

For each workout, be sure the athlete has adequate space to safely complete the workout. Clear the area of all extra equipment, people or other obstructions.

*The official weight is in pounds. For your convenience, the minimum acceptable weights in kilograms are 34 kg (75 lb.), 29 kg (65 lb.), 25 kg (55 lb.), 20 kg (45 lb.), and 15 kg (35 lb.).

Variations

Rx’d (Rx’d Men, Masters Men 40-44, Masters Men 45-49, Masters Men 50-54, Rx’d Women, Masters Women 40-44, Masters Women 45-49, Masters Women 50-54, Teen Boys 16-17, Teen Girls 16-17)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
3 bar muscle-ups

Men use 75 lb.
Women use 55 lb.

Scaled (Scaled Men, Scaled Masters Men 40-44, Scaled Masters Men 45-49, Scaled Masters Men 50-54, Scaled Women, Scaled Masters Women 40-44, Scaled Masters Women 45-49, Scaled Masters Women 50-54)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
5 jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups

Men use 45 lb.
Women use 35 lb.

Masters (Masters Men 55-59, Masters Men 60+, Masters Women 55-59, Masters Women 60+)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
5 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Men use 65 lb.
Women use 45 lb.

Scaled Masters (Scaled Masters Men 55-59, Scaled Masters Men 60+, Scaled Masters Women 55-59, Scaled Masters Women 60+)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
5 jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups

Men use 45 lb.
Women use 35 lb.

Teens (Teen boys 14-15, Teen girls 14-15)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
3 bar muscle-ups

Boys use 65 lb.
Girls use 45 lb.

Scaled Teens (Scaled Teen Boys 14-15, Scaled Teen Girls 14-15, Scaled Teen Boys 16-17, Scaled Teen Girls 16-17)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
10 power snatches
5 jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups

Boys use 45 lb.
Girls use 35 lb.

Visit CROSSFIT GAMES for all the information.

Posted on

The Strength in Starting Over – Again

Screenshot 2016-03-10 06.23.23

The Strength in Starting Over – Again

This is a story about my friend Michelle.

Michelle was a student of mine who after graduation and years of similar athletic involvement became my good friend. For a variety of reasons, probably not too different from many others, she found herself 100 pounds overweight and facing some very serious health consequences.

Michelle and I made a plan to get her back on track and for over a year I guided, motivated, and supported her on her hard fought journey back to health. She saw great changes both physically and mentally.  Eating a somewhat Paleo diet and joining CrossFit were the foundation of this new lifestyle. She had made it! Michelle had lost 100 pounds and her health issues were resolved.

Our lives drifted in other directions, she went back to school to become a massage therapist and I continued to be highly involved with my family, teaching, coaching and now CrossFit training.

Three years later, Michelle had regained the 100 pounds. It was hard to see her this way again. I knew what it took for her to lose that weight and become healthy not too long ago. But life is not tidy. Shit happens and times get tough. We all deal with it in different ways.

Michelle has recently reached out a second time and made a commitment to change. She has been training with me twice a week since November. We began with walks, then added some lunges as we walked, did a few push ups against trees or park benches, and climbed up some hills and stairs. Now Michelle meets me at Driven Athletics where I coach and train and we have incorporated CrossFit once again into her life.

She has a long way to go, and it is even harder this time. Michelle has shown me what it takes to start over, again. I push her and she nods her head and gets to it. A weaker person would just give up. A weaker person would tell me where to go when I instruct her to get back on that rower for another 500m, but she doesn’t. Michelle is strong. She is on her way to health and vitality and this time it will be for life.

We can all take a few lessons from Michelle:  We sometimes have to start over more than once, but it is worth it.  Starting over takes guts.  Do not be afraid to ask for help. The day you decide this is not how your story is going to end, is the day you begin to make progress. Life is not tidy, ever.

Michelle authored an account of her very inspirational story in my book, Hope RX’D.

For more information about Kelly and her book or to purchase Hope RX’D visit her website: www.hoperxd.com

Also be sure to follow her:
cover from kelly for promotions
kellygraham_xfit   (Instagram)
Kelly Graham-Athlete  (Facebook)
Posted on

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.2 – RESULTS

ben kara

2016 CROSSFIT OPEN WORKOUT 16.2 – RESULTS

CrossFit Open workout 16.2 is officially over and it goes to the 2015 Games Champ Ben Smith and everyone’s favourite Aussie Kara Webb! Smith and Webb will take home $2,016 with the impressive scores of 16:57 and 15:07 respectively.

Ben Smith

Kara Webb

LEADERBOARD – MEN

Screenshot 2016-03-09 02.54.29

LEADERBOARD- WOMEN

Screenshot 2016-03-09 02.55.40

LEADERBOARD – TEAMS

Screenshot 2016-03-09 02.58.51

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN MEN

Screenshot 2016-03-09 03.00.46

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN WOMEN

Screenshot 2016-03-09 03.01.44

LEADERBOARD – AUSTRALIAN TEAMS

Screenshot 2016-03-09 03.03.09