For time:

Run 200m
21-15-9 of
DB Renegade Man-makers
Knees to Elbows
Run 200m

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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Update from Kyle Comeau in Brazil:

“All,

I’ve been in Rio de Janeiro for just over two weeks now. It is a great city to visit. Geographically, it is extremely interesting – a massive city tucked between massive rock formations, forests and two nice beaches. Yet the city is somehow oriented mostly north/south which makes it very easy to get around via metro/bus/taxi.

Brazilians are extremely diverse – it is not unlike the US, although the demographics are different. Unless you are obviously not from Brazil, like the Swedes, etc., most people (myself included) can easily blend into the crowds. I haven’t felt uncomfortable at all. Except when I was walking around with this German guy who sticks out. He says he thought he was going to be robbed twice. And he had a 10 year old pull a small Swiss army knife on him.

Portuguese is crazy. Although it reads likes Spanish, everything is pronounced totally differently – the differences are much greater than I expected. I am really glad I crammed the week before I left.

The food is good (HortiFruti is the best supermarket ever), the beaches are awesome, and the weather is generally very nice. It was extremely humid and uncomfortable the first two days. And the ocean was too cold for a couple days. And it rained most of today. But it has been great.

Stuff that I’m positive I never would see in Houston.

I walked through a bar/restaurant with a lot of prostitutes while a band covered “Roxanne” by the police. Ironic. Less ironic was the guy hanging out in the bar with a monkey on his shoulder. That was straight baller.

I saw three locals take offense to a pickpocket attempt in the middle of Lapa. They threw him to the ground and wailed on him for a good 15-20 seconds. For an idea on the scene at Lapa, half of my group was oblivious to the fact this was happening about 10 feet away from us.

I saw another fistfight break out during a tour of one of the favelas between some young kids. The tour guide went and broke the fight up, along with another local.

I haven’t even gone through my Carnaval photos yet. I’ll include those in my next e-mail.

I will finally leave Rio to go to Foz do Iguacu for a few days. I hear it is amazing.”

Reference  2-10-10 (5s, 3s) and compare to 10-28-09 (1s)

Power Cleans 3-3-3

Cleans 1-1-1

then after a short rest

For time, 40-20-10 of:

Squats
DB Hang Power Cleans (m:45s,f:30s)
Push-ups

Post clean loads, metcon time and thoughts to comments.

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Y’all think it’s cold here?

CFC athlete Patrick Mason doing Wall Ball Shots in Pittsburgh:

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Jeff Thomas’ comment on yesterday’s post:

Calling All Wrecking Crew Members…..

The first paintball team is set for the Serrato Family benefit on February 28. The Red team is challenging the Wrecking Crew to a battle on the paintball field that day. The winning team will draw from a hat, a pre-selected form of punishment for the defeated team.

Why? Straight from Clear Lake Crossfit’s website
“Because with God’s grace you have very likely been blessed to never endure the things this sweet baby has.”

Compare to 8-29-09

“Fight Gone Bad”

Three 5-minute rounds, with a 1-minute break between rounds. In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute of max effort. The stations are:

Wall Ball Shots (m:20lb,f:14lb)(m:10ft target,f:8ft target)(Reps)
Sumo Deadlift High-pull (m:75lb,f:55lb)(Reps)
Box Jumps (20in box)(Reps)
Push Press (m:75lb,f:55lb)(Reps)
Row (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of “rotate,” the athlete(s) must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point. Your workout score equals the sum of all your reps and calories from all rounds.

Post score and thoughts to comments.

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CrossFit Champions Is Moving!

Its Official.

Both parties have signed the lease and the deposit has been put down.  The official day 1 at our new location will be April 1, 2010.  This move will take CFC from just under 3000 sq.ft. in building to 6000 sq.ft.  And, due to layout differences, we will be increasing our total workout space by about 2.5x.

Stay tuned for more details on help with building prep and the official moving party!

New location (right around the corner):

Treeline
17575 North Eldridge Parkway, building C
Tomball, TX 77377
(map)

Skill Day / Level Test Day

Today CFC athletes can come in and work on whatever you choose, but the emphasis is working on movement deficiencies or testing out on items on your Athletic Skill Level Sheets.

Choices include:

• Work on new movements and/or skills you are having trouble with.
• Test out on items on your Athletic Skill Level Sheets.
• Work on a new PR on a given lift or movement.
• Perform a WOD you have been wanting to try or repeat.

The CFC Instructors will be on hand all day to help you with whatever you wish to work on.  But, again, understand that the emphasis of the day will be skills/movements and testing.  If you wish to perform a WOD, please do your best to get everything set up on your own but have an Instructor sign off on the WOD and your set up and/or weights before you actually start.

Post your days activities and thoughts to comments.

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Paintball!

We have one full paintball team (10 members) filled but we still need one more team!  Jamie of the Wrecking Crew is the first member of the 2nd team and is calling on CFC athletes to help fill it up (he specifically called out the Wrecking Crew to step up!).

What are the paintball teams for, you ask?  To benefit William Serrato of the CrossFit Clear Lake family!  We have 1 10-person team formed already and are wanting at leaset 1 more full team.  Team members don’t have to be CFC members.  The sign up sheet is in the lobby.

More on William and his family HERE.

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Raw Milk!

Want to learn about Raw Milk.  Start with this page, About Raw Milk from www.raw-milk-facts.com.  Fantastic reading.

And, if you weren’t already aware, you can buy Raw Milk from Yonder Way Farm, of which CrossFit Champions happens to be an order pickup location (1st Thursday of each month!).

Compare to 12-23-09

Push Press 3-3-3

Push Jerk 1-1-1

then after a short rest

5 rounds for time:

10 Pull-ups
5 Handstand Push-ups

Post loads, time and thoughts to comments.

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WOW! Monday, 2-15-10, was one of the lowest attendance days CFC has had in a long, long time (64).

What’s up?  The cold?  It’s been colder.

I’m thinking it’s the fear of the unknown since the movements of the workout weren’t actually listed on the post.  Well, I commend all who came in to see what awaited them!  And, I remind everyone that an important part of CrossFit and why we train the way we do is to prepare ourselves for the unknown and unknowable!

Feel free to share your thoughts to comments.

CFC Athletes’ Wish List

For time:

Run 800m
5 ?
10 ?
20 ?
40 ?
80 ?
40 ?
20 ?
10 ?
5 ?

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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Have you signed up for a paintball team yet? For what you ask?  To benefit William Serrato of the CrossFit Clear Lake family!  We have 1 10-person team formed already and are wanting at leaset 1 more full team.  Team members don’t have to be CFC members.  The sign up sheet is in the lobby.

More on William and his family HERE.

Compare to 1-18-10

Back Squat

5-5-5-3-3-3

then after a short rest:

For time:
3-6-9-12-15-18-21 reps of
Jumping Squats, with 100m sprints in between.

Post back squat loads, metcon time and thoughts to comments.

Team WOD
with 4 athletes

AMRAP in 25 min of:
Box Jumps (m:30in,f:24in)
Burpees
Pull-ups
Row 200m

WOD procedure: Team will rotate every time the rowing team member completes 200m. The order stays the same; box jumps to burpess to pull-ups to rower, etc.

Team score = total number of reps completed (not counting the row – the row just sets the pace).

Post team score and thoughts to comments.

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Will Smith on life and work ethic:

Good stuff.  Feel free to post thoughts to comments.

3 rounds for time:

15 Deadlifts (m:245lb,f:165lb)
Run 400m
15 GHD Sit-ups (or 30 Ab-Mat Sit-ups)

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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Hey all,

Don’t forget, CFC Instructor, Robert, and the Jaxon Lane Band will be playing live music at Swanny’s Grill (Swanson Golf Center, 6224 Theall Rd., Houston, TX 77066) from 7:00-10:00pm.

Swanny’s is a family friendly environment so feel free to bring the kids out as well for good music and good food.

Hope to see you all there!

Matt & Pam

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Wounded Warrior Wine!

The Tackitt Family Vineyards has established the “EOD Wounded Warrior Wine Boxes”.  The boxes include 3 bottles of wine and are $175.00 with half of the purchase price going to the Foundation. We also have single bottles available for $50.00 with half of that going to the foundation as well. Sorry, Shipping is not included. You can purchase the boxes at www.tackittfamilyvineyards.com and select wine store. You can read about the foundation at www.woundedeodwarrior.org.

Compare to 10-28-09

Power Cleans
5-5-5

Cleans
3-3-3

then after a short rest

10 rounds for time of:

10 Wall Ball Shots (m:20lb,f:14lb)
10 Push-ups

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Congratulations to CFC athlete Isaac Tran, now Deputy Sheriff Isaac Tran, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, who gratuated today from the Harris County Sheriff’s Academy.

CFCMatt, Isaac, CFCPam

Darlene (Harris County Deputy Sheriff and CFC Instructor), CFCMatt, Isaac, CFCPam, Jose (Harris County Deputy Sheriff, CFC Instructor, and one of Isaac’s instructors at the HC Academy)

Compare to 5-14-09

“Jackie”

For time:

Row 1000m
50 Thrusters (m:45lb,f:33lb)
30 Pull-ups

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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The new daytime (Tuesdays, Thursdays 10:30-11:30am) Champions Combat Arts self-defense class.  Still plenty of room for new students!

Push Jerk

5-5-5-5-5

then after a short rest

3 rounds for reps of:

1 min Push Press (m:45lb,f:33lb)
1 min Squats
1 min of Push Jerks (same wt.)
rest 1 minute

Post push jerk loads and total metcon reps and thoughts to comments.

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So everyone is aware, Jose is in charge of WOD programming for the next quite a few weeks.  So, all compliments and complaints can be directed at him.

So everyone is aware of who Jose is, here is a post WOD pic of the man.

With a partner, complete as many rounds as possible in 25 minutes of:

15 Box Jumps (m:24in,f:20in)
15 Push-ups

While partner A is performing rounds, partner B is running 400m.  When partner B returns from the run, he/she takes over on working on rounds, but only after partner A completes the round they are working on, at which partner A takes off for their 400m run.

Partners continue to take turns running and working on rounds for 25 minutes.

Post number of team completed rounds and thoughts to comments.

“Sandy”

5 rounds for time:

7 Medicine Ball Clean Wall Ball Shot 2-for-1s
21 Ab-Mat Sit-ups

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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CrossFit Champions hosted our first Yonder Way Farm pick-up tonight.  It was great seeing so many of our members, and new faces, picking up orders of grass-fed beef, pasture raised pork, honest to goodness free-range chickens and eggs, and raw grass-fed dairy milk.

Matt and Pam of CrossFit Champions with Jason and Lynsey of Yonder Way Farm:

Compare to 10-21-09

Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3

then after a short rest

1 minute max reps Burpees
rest 1 minute
50 seconds max reps Burpees
rest 50 sec.
40 seconds max reps Burpees
rest 40 sec.
30 seconds max reps Burpees
rest 30 sec.
20 seconds max reps Burpees
rest 20 sec.
10 seconds max reps Burpees

Post front squat loads and total burpee reps and thoughts to comments.

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From the Summary page of SoyOnlineServices, one of the many sites I have bookmarked highlighting the dangers of soy:

SOY DANGERS:

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic orders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

SOY INFANT FORMULA — BIRTH CONTROL PILLS FOR BABIES:

• Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula.
• Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.
• Male infants undergo a “testosterone surge” during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior.
• Pediatricians are noticing greater numbers of boys whose physical maturation is delayed, or does not occur at all, including lack of development of the sexual organs. Learning disabilities, especially in male children, have reached epidemic proportions.
• Soy infant feeding—which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that inhibit testosterone—cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments. In animals, soy feeding indicates that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters.
• Almost 15 percent of white girls and 50 percent of African-American girls show signs of puberty such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE.

Feel free to post thoughts to comments.

21-15-9 for time of:

Kettlebell Swings (m:53lb,f:35lb)
Dumbbell Thrusters (m:45lb,f:25lb)
Knees To Elbows

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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Great post on YonderWayFarm.com about cooking grass-fed beef:

5 Ways To Achieve Grass-Fed Beef Cooking Nirvana

Compare to 11-6-09

For time:

Row 2k

Post time and thoughts to comments.

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Check out Shane Gibson’s profile on the 2010 CrossFit Games site.

“Barbara”

5 rounds, each for time:

20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest 3 minutes between rounds.

Post individual time for each of the rounds, and thoughts to comments.

Compare to 9-6-09

“Annie”

50-40-30-20-10 for time of:

Double Unders
Sit-ups

Post time and thoughts to comments.

Compare to 6-5-09

“CrossFit Total”

Back Squat, 1 rep max
Shoulder Press, 1 rep max
Deadlift, 1 rep max

3 attempts for max weight for each movement.  Your ‘CrossFit Total’ score is equal to the sum of your max lift from each movement.

Post individual lifts, and CrossFit Total, and thoughts to comments.

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Marilyn Cook – CrossFitter!

Long overdue testimonial for Crossfit Champions:

Some time ago Matt and Pam asked me to write a testimonial about Crossfit and what it means to me.  Then, a few weeks ago, Matt asked again on the CFC website for people to comment on the benefits of Crossfit in general and CFC specifically.  Well, I’ve finally come through with my promise to write something, so here it is.

To really share with you why I love Crossfit so much, I really have to go back 5 years to a 49-year-old, 311-pound woman who finally worked up the courage to do something about losing weight and getting fit.  At that point in my life I didn’t dream of one day being able to do a 200-lb deadlift or run a half marathon.  No, my dreams were much simpler. I dreamed of walking across the parking lot without getting winded and playing outside with my kids.  I had never heard of Crossfit, and I probably would have run the other way if I had. So I started out with a commitment to work out 3 times a week at Curves.  That was the beginning of a whole new life for me, but even after I’d lost 130 lbs and ran my first half marathon, I knew that I was missing something.  Lots of people were amazed by my accomplishments, but I realized that I was still putting limits on myself.

And so it was that I decided to find out a bit more about the little gym on Spring Cypress with the intriguing messages on the sign out front.  I first began an email correspondence with Pam.  The workouts posted online completely intimidated me, but she told me that it would all be scaled to my fitness level.  And so I showed up for a free workout on a Saturday morning in January, 2009.  The very first person I met in the gym was Mary Sall, probably the most encouraging person on the face of the planet and someone who still fills me with inspiration and hope.  (Love you, Mary!) That first workout included burpees (something I’d never even heard of) and a bunch of other exercises that had to be performed in a circuit for as long as it took the person in the middle to do 10 burpees. I was certain that every other person in my group would kill me because it took me so long to finish my 10 burpees, but everyone was welcoming and encouraging. I went home in pain, but I couldn’t wait to see what workout we would do the next Saturday.  After 3 Saturday morning workouts, I decided to take the plunge and signed up for Elements.  My friends and family thought I was nuts to put myself through such torture when I had already achieved so much, but I knew I wanted more.

And so here I am a year later, having lost another 20 lbs, and leaner and more fit than I ever thought would be possible for someone like me.  I certainly haven’t “arrived” yet, but I know that I have made progress that I never would have imagined.  For me, the physical benefits of Crossfit are obvious.  I often hear things like, “I wish I had your arms,” or “I can’t believe how lean you’re getting,” or simply, “You look amazing!”  I won’t lie.  I love hearing those things.  But really, the biggest benefit of Crossfit for me has been mental.  The most recent example of that aspect happened this past weekend when I was set to run a half marathon in Austin.  I trained hard for this HM – incorporating Crossfit and Crossfit Endurance workouts along with my Saturday long runs into my training schedule.  I wanted to improve my previous HM pace by a minute per mile, which is a pretty challenging goal.  The forecast was favorable – about 45 degrees at the start of the race, sunny and no wind.

But in the early hours before dawn, it was clear that this would not be a good day for race PR’s.  Instead this would be a day to test the mental toughness of even the most seasoned of competitors.  It was windy.  I’m not talking about gentle breezes here.  I’m talking about the kind of wind that blows down barricades and wreaks havoc along the course.  In fact, after a 15-minute delay in the start of the race, the announcement came over the loud speaker that many of the traffic barricades had been blown over and that the windy conditions made the race course unsafe.  We were facing a long delay in the start of the race.  There I was standing in a crowd of people trying to stay warm and wondering when or even if the race would start.  As I stood there, I started thinking about the PR that I was hoping for, and started telling myself that with these conditions, I certainly couldn’t expect to achieve my time goal. I should probably adjust my expectations.  I even contemplated pulling out altogether as the delay kept getting longer and my muscles were getting colder. The race hadn’t even started yet and I was already quitting in my head.  But then I heard Pam’s voice saying, “You’ve got this!  Don’t give up!”  I knew I would have to dig deep and find that place in my head where I didn’t limit myself.  The delay lasted almost an hour, but then we were off.  With each passing mile, I told myself that I was strong and I could do it.  My previous pace for a HM was 13:45, my goal pace was 12:45, but I ran even faster – 12:35 per mile.  As I crossed the finish line, I could almost hear all of the folks at CFC cheering for me.  So thank you, Matt, Pam and all of the CFC athletes for helping me to find the athlete inside of me and helping me to say, “Yes, I can!”