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The CrossFit Team Series is for Everyone

With the first week of the CrossFit Team Series almost coming to an end (get those scores in by 5:00 p.m. PT on Monday, September 25th!), participating athletes have been sharing their experiences completing the events with their partners — once again proving anyone and everyone can participate in the sport that’s changed fitness. Even Dave Castro got in on the action with some scaled workouts, with the help of his partner, Abby.

Then there’s this mother-daughter team and their pre-event high-fives.

Not everyone is concerned with the competition aspect of the Team Series. For many of us, it’s a way to have fun, get moving and spend time with someone special and in a community we love so much. That’s the true CrossFit spirit. Most of us will never go to the Games, and that’s okay; but being included always feels good.

CrossFit has been keeping an especially close eye on partners Josh Bridges and Dan Bailey, who completed all four events today — which is about the equivalent of what the rest of us do in an entire week. But what else could we expect from these two CrossFit champs?

With the deadline to get scores in still a couple days away, remember that you can still sign up, if you’re reconsidering competing last-minute. Grab a friend and a judge and tackle those four events. Even if your score doesn’t matter, competing brings a whole new energy to your training, and it’s something everyone should experience at least once in their life!

Main image: Dan Bailey/Facebook

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CrossFit Team Series Events Announcement

Our eager anticipation for the next big CrossFit competition has been answered: the Team Series is here. This is the Team Series’ fourth season; and this year, the event (presented by Compex and sponsored by FitAid) is using pairs: two men, two women, or mixed — making it even easier than trying to round up teams of four to complete events. Pairs will take part in two sets of workouts over the next two weeks, from September 20 to October 2. The first week’s events have been announced, and as usual, CrossFit isn’t messing around.

True to the world of CrossFit, there are Rx’d and scaled versions of each workout, as well as age groups for all divisions (which happen to be the same as the Open). Pairs must complete the event in front of a judge at a participating affiliate, or film themselves instead. Here’s what we can expect for week one:

Event 1

9-15-21 reps for time of:
Synchronized thrusters
Synchronized bar-facing burpees

Event 2

For time:
120 double-unders, each, relay
120 chest-to-bar pull-ups, total, sets of 15
120 hang power snatches, total, sets of 15
120 double-unders, each, relay

Event 3

50 synchronized wall-ball shots
30 cleans
50 synchronized wall-ball shots
20 cleans
50 synchronized wall-ball shots
10 cleans

Event 4

100-cal. row, total
100 toes-to-bars, total

There is plenty of prize money to give away to the top teams — $101,250, to be more precise — and first place gets a whopping $10,000.

While the first round of events has already been announced, there’s still time to sign up! You have until Monday, September 25 to register, complete these workouts and send in your scores. Grab a buddy and get in on the action. The events for week two will be revealed in a live announcement on September 27 at 4:50 p.m. PT. Stay tuned for more!

Main image: CrossFit/YouTube

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How to Optimize Every WOD

CrossFit is well known for the variety and unexpectedness which comes with every WOD. Your body is always surprised, challenged and pushed to your limits. Everyone is adequately challenged and you rarely do the same routine twice a week. There are always new opportunities to test your progress as an athlete. The more experienced athletes will have a better idea how to effectively complete the requirements of a WOD. This includes using the right tactics and equipment that the workout calls for. Small details matter, and this is a quick walkthrough of what you can do to optimize every WOD.

1. Concentrate on Your Breathing

Most people overlook certain breathing practices while performing different exercises. There is a reason why coaches instruct you when to inhale or exhale while executing a movement. It makes all the difference. With air and oxygen properly circulating in your body, you’ll have more fuel to move through the WOD. A calm and steady rhythm helps you establish your pace.

2. Control Your Pace

It might be tempting to go hard and fast at the start of your workout while your lungs are still at their peak and you have fresh legs; but it’s better to keep in mind that you are training for both strength and endurance. You might be considering trying heavier weights or going faster than usual, but ask yourself: Will I have enough strength to finish the rest of the WOD if I go this hard?

Some WODs are shorter than others. These in particular are designed for you to operate on your maximum pace, moving as much as possible in that given time. These WODs call for no rest — just a sprint to the finish. For longer WODs, pacing is more important. It would not be efficient to burn out within minutes of starting the WOD and have your performance suffer for the rest of it.

3. Break Up Your Sets

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You should not push yourself to failure during every round of every workout. This is part of controlling your pace. Choose a number of reps that you are confident you are able to complete and break up your sets accordingly.

One of the most popular and effective rep schemes is 21-15-9. This is because you can break it up into distinct subsets. You can have 3 sets of 7 reps, 3 sets of 5 reps and finally 3 sets of 3 reps. Another popular way to break up this scheme is 11 and 10, 8 and 7, then 5 and 4. Think of this every time you have to do a particularly challenging WOD.

4. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Being aware of what you do best and what you need improvement on can help a lot with optimizing every WOD. It takes a lot to turn weaknesses into strengths, but it can be done.

The biggest step to overcoming your weaknesses is to step up and just do it. You will never improve on something you avoid doing. Be humble and face them head on. Work on them, train hard and never stop trying to improve.

5. Rest

While it’s important not to rest too long, rest remains a vital part of every WOD. Don’t beat yourself up. You might even beat your personal record if you actually plan to rest. Rest is not for the weak. Rest is for smart people who know how to optimize their workouts.

Pacing yourself and focusing on quality over quantity is beyond important when it comes to optimizing your WODs. Aside from getting the most out of your workout, you also reduce the risk of injury and help yourself to achieve more in the long run.

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The 2017 CrossFit Invitational is Coming to Australia

They describe it as CrossFit’s “all-star game”; and for the last several years, it’s brought the fittest men and women from around the globe together in teams for a little friendly competition. This year, the Reebok CrossFit Invitational will take place at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and we couldn’t be more anxious for November 5th to get here. Having the event in Australia this year is quite fitting, considering how well they did at the Games.

The teams for the USA, Canada, Europe, and Pacific have yet to be announced, in addition to this year’s events (although you can probably guess who you might see); but if previous years are any indication, we’re undoubtedly in for a treat. Last year’s Invitational included accomplishing a max snatch and clean and jerk, a handstand walk relay and the infamous 500-pound Pig. With CrossFit’s knack for creativity, we don’t expect this year to disappoint. And as these athletes repeatedly raise the bar year after year, plan on competition being tight!

Similar to previous years, there will be an Affiliate Competition prior to the big show, where fans will have the opportunity to compete. Staying true to the CrossFit culture and community, the Invitational is about bringing people together with a shared love of fitness and fun competition, and being something everyone can participate in.

Tickets will be available online, by phone or at the box office; and registration is open for anyone who is interested in volunteering. For anyone who can’t be there in person, you’ll be able to watch it live at Games.CrossFit.com, as well as on their Instagram and Facebook pages. November will be here before you know it; so stay tuned for updates and announcements.

Main image: fikowski/Instagram

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Knee Sleeve Thickness: 3 Levels Explained

In one of our previous pieces, we talked about knee sleeves and what they can do for you. As support equipment for athletes, they can provide a much needed advantage and bring about improvements to your current training. That being said, there’s more to know about them than just what they do — one must also take thickness into consideration.

A Refresher on How Knee Sleeves Work

Before we talk about the varying thickness for knee sleeves, along with what forms of activities each is good for, let’s go into a little detail about how these things work.

Knee sleeves provide warmth and compression to the knees. Due to the compression, blood flow is increased along with the receptive input from the knee. This helps an athlete perform stable, more controlled movements.

As for receptive input, this means your brain is receiving more information from the particular part of your body where the compression is experienced, thus allowing more awareness of how that body part is being used. When using a knee sleeve, you’ll be able to perform movements better.

Knee sleeves come in differing levels of thickness, measured in millimeters. For now, we’ll talk about sleeves that come in 3mm, 5mm and 7mm variants.

3mm Knee Sleeves

These are ideal for athletes in endurance sports and training. Due to their lighter weight, they are ideal for carrying light equipment, long distance training and the like. These sleeves serve to support an athlete when they’re starting out and at the end of their workout. Additionally, it helps the wearer regain control of their knee movements.

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5mm Knee Sleeves

The 5mm sleeve is applicable to many activities, such as long distance running or simply general gym use. This sleeve provides benefits in varied training areas where both agility and support are required by an athlete. If you’re dipping yourself into mixed activities, rest assured the 5mm will be your sleeve of choice.

7mm Knee Sleeves

This is a sleeve for some of the heavier activities. The benefit of using 7mm sleeves comes in the form of the power stabilization that it offers athletes. When you’re lifting heavy, this is what you’ll want to help you achieve stability. And when you need extra support for when you’re going through rehab, this aids in that as well.

Historically, this sleeve is mostly used by weightlifters that need extra support during their lifts. If you want to ensure that your shorter, heavier activities are performed with more precision and security, the 7mm knee sleeve is the one for the job.

Consider your specific activity, the level you’re at and the kind of assistance you need — these factors will help you find the perfect knee sleeves for your fitness.

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The 2017 Kill Cliff Granite Games

Over the last four years, the Granite Games has brought together athletes of all levels of fitness to celebrate health and conquer new obstacles. What’s more, it’s their personal goal to give back on both a local and national level. In 2013, they worked with Rogue Fitness to provide equipment to communities who needed it. In 2014, they created a program that lets people in the industry reinvest profits into their communities. In 2015, they introduced scholarships so more people can study health and wellness. And last year, even more gyms received new Rogue equipment, with one community getting a whopping $10,000 to upgrade their facility.

So, you see, it’s about so much more than one kick-butt competition…

…although that’s a big part of it, too.


And this year, like the ones before it, didn’t disappoint. This past weekend, approximately 1,000 athletes from all over the globe came together at St Cloud State University in Minnesota to test their fitness. Events included hill sprints, a trail run, muscle-ups, swimming, sandbag cleans, handstand walks, and plenty of barbell work. The leaderboard shows performances nothing short of impressive, from a weekend that brought out the best in so many athletes. Both teams and individuals competed for the top spots, and you’ll likely recognize a few names here and there. Nick Urankar, Alyssa Keith Christian, and Spencer Panchik are just a few fan favorites, with plenty more that drew thousands of eager viewers from around the world.

At the end of the weekend, Brittany Chestnut took the top spot in the Female Pro division, while Saxon Panchik took the top Male Pro spot. The number one Male Pro team of three was the Bilingual Bandits Bilingue (unaffiliated), and the female team was Team Greater Than out of CrossFit Northlake. There were many divisions, and you can view the complete results on the leaderboard.

The Granite Games always proves to be a memorable event, not just for those who compete but spectators as well. Similar to the CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games, we look forward to it each and every year. Giving back to the community is just one more thing that makes it more special. Will you compete next year?

Main image: The Granite Games/Facebook

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The Truth Behind #TransformationTuesday Posts

Let’s be honest with ourselves: we all love before-and-after pictures on Instagram. They motivate and inspire us to become better versions of ourselves; but there’s one huge problem: they’re often a lie. Those #TransformationTuesday posts on Instagram that we all love so much are often staged and edited until they look just right. One CrossFit athlete is here to set the record straight.

We all know by now not to believe everything we see; but even the brightest of us is bound to fall for an overly manipulated before-and-after photo. Powerhouse Jennifer Smith seemingly got tired of the facade, so she hit us with a dose of reality: before and after pictures taken 15 minutes apart, appearing as though she majorly shed some body fat and magically acquired a six-pack. How did she do it?! According to Smith herself, it’s all about lighting, posture, and a megawatt smile. And that’s it.


The post quickly went viral, having collected over 13,000 likes and 180 comments at the time of this blog. Words of gratitude poured in from followers thanking Smith for keeping it real and reminding us that we’re all human.

Thankfully, people are catching on and Smith isn’t the only one remaining grounded. Other athletes of all kinds have bravely posted transformation pictures of a different variety, giving us that gentle reminder we all need: you should focus on how you feel instead of being dictated by how you look in a picture and whether or not people online validate you.


CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting in particular have done wonders for the self-esteem of women especially, challenging us to run faster or lift heavier instead of obsessing over the much-desired washboard abs. The sports encourage us to care more about what we can do, while forgetting about (or even embracing) the pesky flaws that have always bothered us — because honestly, who cares about those things when you can back squat 200 pounds? (The answer is nobody.)

While it’s alright to admire beautiful bodies on Facebook and Instagram, never lose perspective — what you see isn’t always what’s real.

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The CrossFit Kettlebell Specialty Course is Here to Up Your KB Game

While CrossFit is about being good at many different things, they still offer more specific training so you can improve in each area. Enter CrossFit courses. Aside from attending Level 1 and Level 2 seminars to receive your certification, CrossFit offers a variety of specialty courses; and they’ve recently revamped one on the list: CrossFit Kettlebell.

This course is a one-day class, and it’s intense. Coaches and athletes are encouraged to sign up to learn more about mastering kettlebell skills, moving more efficiently and purposely, and improving overall performance and endurance.

Kettlebells are perfect to incorporate in a multitude of workouts because they offer tremendous variety and a challenging twist to just about any WOD. From goblet squats to swings to Turkish get-ups and beyond, kettlebells are here to test your endurance, make you sweat and teach you a thing or two about explosiveness. CrossFitters and weightlifters alike will reap major benefits from incorporating KBs into their programming.

But you must build the foundation. Improper form and usage could ruin what would otherwise be an amazing workout; and the chance of injury also obviously goes up anytime you’re not using a piece of equipment appropriately. That’s where the kettlebell specialty course comes in.

While spending a few extra minutes in the gym playing with KBs might help, nothing beats a course backed by experts who have mastered their craft and how to teach it to others. Spend one action-packed day learning from the pros, and leave with more knowledge than you ever imagined.

CrossFit Kettlebell has already planned their next several stops between now and March of 2018, which include Maryland, Nevada, New York, California, and Texas. Spots fill up quickly; so if you’re interested in checking this CrossFit course out, visit their schedule online and find a class near you today.

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These Viral Videos From CrossFit’s Twitter Page Prove Anyone Can Do It

CrossFit is applauded for being the sport that all types of people can do. In fact, creator Greg Glassman recently declared in an interview with CBS News that it can transform anyone. Thanks to an infinite number of scaling options — methods by which challenging movements are made easier based on your fitness level — you don’t have to be able to do a strict pull-up or handstand push-ups or pistols quite yet in order to enjoy the satisfying adrenaline rush CrossFit is. For this reason (among others), the neighborhood box has become known as the gym that doesn’t discriminate. All ages, all ability levels, all walks of life are welcomed with open arms.

If you’ve taken even one class, you can vouch for the positive and uplifting energy that is contagious is every box; appropriately, CrossFit loves to share these memorable experiences across their social media. One simply need look at their Instagram or Twitter page to see examples of athletes who rejected all the “rules” – spending most of the day sitting, letting age define everything, letting health problems get the best of you — in favor of a lifestyle of deadlifts, burpees and push-ups.

You’ve likely seen at least one of these videos floating in your news feed somewhere and for a good reason: these people inspire us beyond words.

Look at those wall walks! Javier doesn’t let anything get in his way. In the words of one tweeter, “Beast mode.”


155 pounds for a set of three deadlifts with proper form and no belt? This is something we can all learn from.


Handstand push-ups are a goal for many of us. This gentleman scaled them by kneeling on a box — which is still pretty difficult to do! Way to go, friend.


Squashed your health problems? Do the burpee dance! Many of us dread this exercise; but being able to move freely like Ann truly is a gift worth celebrating.


Bob is treating his new ticker with all the love in the world with his thrice-weekly workouts. Never take your body for granted.


In a culture where we spend more time sitting than anything else, constantly take a backseat to work and responsibilities, and put our general wellbeing on the back burner, these people serve as a crucial reminder to never stop showing your body the love and respect it deserves.

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Anzac Day 2017 – Hero WODs

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Anzac Day 2017 – Hero WODs

The ANZAC day public holiday is not like other public holidays. It is a day of remembrance, reflection and honouring sacrifice.

We are sure that many of you will be attending a Dawn Service and afterwards heading to your box. As Australian’s we all embody the ANZAC Spirit.  One way in which our community can collectively do this is through throwing down and finishing a HERO WOD.

The WOD Life has compiled a list of three Australian Hero WOD’s which you may choose to do to honour a fallen Australian Soldier on this very important day.

1 – “WOOD”

5 Rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
10 Burpee box jumps, 24″ box
95 pound Sumo-deadlift high-pull, 10 reps
95 pound Thruster, 10 reps
Rest 1 minute

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Australian Army Sergeant Brett Wood, 32, of Ferntree Gully, Victoria, assigned to the 2nd Commando Regiment, based in Sydney, New South Wales, died on May 23, 2011, in Helmand province, Afghanistan, after insurgents attacked him with an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his wife Elvi, his mother Allison, and his father David. Donations can be made in his name to the Commando Welfare Trust.

2 – “BAIRD”

 

MEN: 13 minutes
600m run buy in, 2min CAP – on the 2min mark the 1 min rounds commence. Run under 2mins do extra pull ups, Run over 2mins AMRepsAP the remaining 1min or over 3mins move to the next minute of movements.

then into

3 Rounds AMRepsAP

WOMEN: 14 minutes

600m run buy in, 3min CAP – on the 3min mark the 1 min rounds
commence. Run under 3mins do extra pull ups, Run over 3mins AMRepsAP the remaining 1min or over 4mins move to the next minute of movements.

then into

3 Rounds AMRepsAP

1 min Pull-Ups
1 min Deadlifts 90kg/70kg
1 min Lateral Burpees
1 min rest (rounds 1 and 2 only)

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CPL Baird died how he lived, at the front; giving his all without any indecision. He always programmed pull-ups, deadlifts and burpees to maintain his high standard of fitness. These movements were common on Baird’s battlefield; pulling himself over a wall, carrying a wounded mate, or taking cover when the enemy started firing. The ‘rest’ is recovery and preparation time for the next round, or in Baird’s case the next course of action on the battlefield.

3 – “GALLAGHER & McDONALD”

2 rounds of:-

200m run
16 kettlebell swings (24/16kg)
16 pull-ups
16 front squats (50/30kg)
200m run
14 kettlebell swings (24/16kg)
14 pull-ups
14 front squats (50/30kg)
200m run
12 kettlebell swings (24/16kg)
12 pull-ups
12 front squats (50/30kg)

gallagher & Mcdonald

Mervyn McDonald & Nathanael Gallagher

PTE Galagher & LCPL McDonald were serving together with the Special Operations Task Group in Afghanistan when they were tragically killed in a helicopter crash on 30 August, 2012. 

4 – SEAN McCARTHY WOD *UNOFFICIAL*

10 rounds of:-

5 pull-up
10 push-ups
15 sit-ups
20 squats
400m run

sean

Signaller Sean McCarthy was killed in a road-side bomb attack in the Uruzgan Province during operations in Afghanistan on Tuesday 8 July 2008.  25 year old Signaller McCarthy was from the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment (SASR).

Keep Sean McCarthy and all the other soldiers that fight on our behalf in your mind when doing this WOD, and when the going gets tough, remember how hard these men & women have it whilst just doing their “job”.

5 – LAMBO *UNOFFICIAL*

21-15-9

Squat Snatch – 50kgs

Kettlebell Swings – 32kg

Toes to Bar

Then:

100 Double Unders

For Time

MTF - 3 Portrait

1985-2011 Private Matthew Lambert was killed during operations in Afghanistan on 22 August 2011.

Private Lambert was a member of the Mentoring Task Force – Three and was from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) based in Townsville, North Queensland. Private Lambert is survived by his spouse, parents and family.

Private Lambert was born in Kogarah, NSW, in 1985. He joined the Army from southern Queensland enlisting in the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment in August 2005, transferring to the Australian Regular Army in February 2007 and posted to 2RAR in Townsville. Private Lambert is described as a well respected soldier who excelled in any task he was assigned, and was looking forward to serving his country in Afghanistan.

Lest We Forget.

If you have other Hero WODs you would like us to include in this post, please comment below.

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Digging To The Root: How To Uncover What’s Holding You Back

Let’s be honest, we all have those movements we avoid like the plague because they are not our best. We stick to the comfort of the movements and skills that we are good at because, well, they feel good. However, there is a reason why CrossFit brings influence from sports like gymnastics and weightlifting; to make us all more well rounded athletes.

There is a good chance you know what you need to work on, but that’s the easy part. Not to discount this, because knowing is half the battle, but the most important discover to make is figuring out what the root of the problem actually is. Let’s take the clean for example. Maybe you have a difficult time increasing weight because you aren’t getting under the bar.

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This element of the lift is extremely important and it could be that the issue isn’t in the ability to drop squat, but a mobility issue in the shoulders and traps hindering your front rack position. Or maybe your front rack position is solid and the issue lies in the neuromuscular pattern you’ve developed from pulling as hard as you can through the power clean, as opposed to pulling yourself under the bar for the full squat clean.

So, how do you find the root cause of your limitation? Even the most experienced athletes probably need support in finding what’s holding them back. This is a great time to grab a camera and press record. Ask someone who is familiar with your training, like a coach or an experienced gym partner, to take a look. Have them go over your movement patterns with you because chances are they will probably be able to identify something you are doing subconsciously.

In the analysis, be sure to really look at your own movement, too. Sometimes seeing your movement is a much difference experience than feeling the movement when you are executing the lift or skill. Something to consider, too, is that figuring out the root of the could be as easy working backwards to any previous injuries, even if they occurred years ago.

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After you figure out the root cause, the next step is to correct the problem. Make your once weakness, a strength. This will likely require the expertise of your coach in order to help you develop a program to make you stronger. For the previous clean example, if you found the neuromuscular pattern to be the issue, a lot of tall cleans could be in your future. And if your front rack was the issue, you’d have a whole lot of mobility drills to look forward to.

A few things to keep in mind is that you should always focus on one limiting factor at a time rather than going ham, trying to fix everything at once. Also, within your programming you should carve out time to measure your process every week. With this measurement you will be able to determine if you conquered your weakness or if you need to tweak your programming to get there.

Happy training!

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CrossFit On The Road

You work hard in the gym and do your best to keep your nutrition on point. To celebrate and unwind, you step away from the gym for a little relaxation. Awesome! While everyone deserves a vacation, it doesn’t mean that fitness should take a back seat. And, for most of us, not getting a workout in isn’t even an option.

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Luckily for us, there are tens of thousands of CrossFit boxes across the world and with the nature of the sport boxes are generally really accepting of drop ins. It’s always a great experience to train with different coaches and athletes at unfamiliar facilities while sharing something you all love. Having the opportunity to test your fitness outside of your home box is one of the beautiful part about the CrossFit community and we definitely recommend it.

However, regardless of how many affiliates there are, dropping in isn’t always an option. So what do you do if there isn’t a box nearby? Get really familiar with body weight WODs. Even though there may be no equipment involved, body weight movements need not be discounted because we all know how tough these WODs can be.

The good news is there are many resources to find these WODs so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. One app available is myWOD which lists all of the hero and girl WODs, but most importantly over 20 “road WODs.” You can also check out an awesome list of bodyweight metcons here.

Here are a few to get you started.

No Equipment Needed:

Road WOD 1 (from myWOD)

3 Rounds

Run 1/2 Mile

50 Air Squats

Road WOD 17 (from myWOD)

50-40-30-20-10 rep rounds of:

Pushups

Jump Squats

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Travel Friendly Equipment Needed:

Angie (Pull Up Bar)

100 pull-ups

100 push-ups

100 sit-ups

100 squats

Cindy

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

Mary

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

5 handstand push-ups

10 one-legged squats, alternating

15 pull-ups

Annie

50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:

Double-unders

Sit-ups

Now, maybe you forgot your jump rope or there isn’t a pull up bar handy or you just really don’t feel like doing a body weight WOD. All hope is not lost! A great substitute to is to get outside and explore the city you’re in! You could take a jog around the city, take a hike, or if there is water nearby, grab a standup paddle board or sign up for a surf lesson. The opportunities really are endless.

Being active even while you’re focused on relaxing will just make your experience even better. You’ll be alert and ready to try new things, won’t feel guilty about indulging in the local cuisine, and the transition back into your home box will be that much easier.