Probably one of the most despised exercises for beginning CrossFitters is the double under. The double under is the act of turning the rope two times under each jump. As simple as it sounds, it can be quite challenging for the beginner. But, as with everything in CrossFit, jumproping is a skill that takes time to develop – it doesn’t happen overnight. As Ross Enamait over at Ross Training puts it, “practice is the mother of all skills.” Check out Ross’s Part I and Part II tutorials of Jumprope Training.

In the pics above, left to right:
1. (good) Rich with vertical torso, tight knees, head forward.
2. (bad) Chris collapsed torso, loose knees, head down.
3. (good) Rich with elbows in tight and minimal time on ground/time in air.
4. (bad) Jay with elbows extended and much more time in air and probably as much or more time to on ground.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a minute and look at the pictures. Notice how the body follows the head and eyes – does this apply to anything else we do at CrossFit? Also, you can see how Chris’ hands are much further out in front than Rich’s. This is because he spends much more time on the ground and has to slow the rope down with a bigger hand circle. Another commonly heard phrase around the gym is “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Typically, we are referring to weightlifting and the reaction of the barbell to movements of the body but in this case it is a jumprope and somewhat of a compensation because of another action…

Is this picture tutorial helpful? Post thoughts to comments.

Workout
4 Rounds
Run 400 meters
30 Ball slams 30 lb./20 lb.
Rest 1 minute

Post times to comments.

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Zach will be competing in the Mountain Sectional Qualifier this weekend.

Workout
SoCal Sectionals Modified WOD #3:
Event 1: Row – max calories
3 min rest
Event 2: Deadlift (275#/185#) – max reps
3 min rest
Event 3: L-sit/hang – accumulate as many seconds as possible in 3 minutes
3 min rest
Event 4: Overhead Squat (95#/65#) – max reps
3 min rest
Event 5: Pull-ups (chin over bar) – one max effort without coming off the bar
**must begin pull ups within 5 seconds of the start**
Rest begins when you finish your pull-ups until start of run (6 min after start of pull-ups)
Event 6: Double unders – max reps

Each event is 3 minutes long, followed by a 3 minute rest. Post scores to comments.

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David during an "easy" lunch workout at MBS.

Workout
Modified Florida Sectionals WOD #4
1500 Meter row
400 Meter sandbag run
1/2 Mile hill run

Post times to comments.

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Wait...is that a mirror in the background? Hell yeah, now I can get my poses in after the WOD!

Workout
7 rounds for time:
15 DB Hang Power Clean 40 lb./25 lb.
100′ Farmers walk 80 lb./50 lb.
200′ Sprint

Post times to comments.

Whats Going On at MBS
An MBS Newsletter should be hitting everyone’s mailboxes over the weekend. In it you will find that we have a ton of exciting stuff coming up.

Here’s a quick preview of what to expect this Spring. Details on everything will be following shortly:

March 20-21: Mountain Sectional Qualifiers
March 22-26: Spring Break MBS Youth Speed Camp 1
March 27: MBS Olympic Lifting Clinic Part II
March 29 – April 2: Spring Break MBS Youth Speed Camp 2
April 10: International Tactical Strength Challenge
April 10: MBS Affiliate Team tryouts
April 12-16: MBS Hangar move and “Hell Week”
April 17: MBS 2-Year Party and Spring Barbeque
April – May: MBS Spring Lean Paleo Nutrition Challenge
April 30 – May 2: CrossFit Regional Qualifiers

We love to hear your thoughts! If you think there is a challenge, event, volunteer oppurtunity, or party that you think we should do, we want to hear about it. Email Pat or Janelle at info@mbscrossfit.com.

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Sharon busting out kettlebell swings on the hangar patio.

Workout
Weighted Box Step-ups
5-5-5-5

AMRAP in 12 minutes of:
20 Kettlebell snatch
10 Pushups
30 Air Squats

For the weighted box step-ups, men use 20″ and women use 16″ boxes. Use a kettlebell or dumbbell held tight to the chest like goblet or front squat. Stay high in the chest as you step on top of the box with both feet. Both legs stepping on top equal 1 rep. Work up in weight on each set.

For kettlebell snatch, use a weight that you can do the reps consecutively without putting it down mid-set (10 on ea hand).

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The vid here is Nicole Carrol from CrossFit HQ talking about the importance of nutrition to your performance. So, you’ve bought in on the whole nutrition thing and want to do it, but the wife/husband won’t have it. Or, the guys and gals at work just don’t understand it so it makes it that much harder to stay paleo while at work. Well, check out this easy Paleo/Primal Email Template for Freinds and Family from the Pay Now Live Later blog. I know, what would you guys do without me?

Workout
With a partner, for time:
Row 2,000 meters then
10, 9, 8, …2, 1 reps of
Partner jumps
no-kip toes to bar or 3-second L-hang/sit
Handstand pushup or 3-second kick to handstand

This is another one of those gymnastics days where we all get a little challenged with modifying the movements to our own skill levels. First, don’t be frustrated. Just because you are an “elite” Crossfitter, it doesn’t mean you have mastered the body awareness skills required by many of the gymnastic movements…take your time, it will pay off. Second, be prepared to come in with a list of “I can’s” versus “I can’ts”. You are not the first person that has came into the gym without a handstand pushup or slick-looking L-sit. Many people have came before you and our instructors have identified helpful modifications that will move you from one technique to the next…the joy is in the journy, right? Lastly, have fun. Did 24-Hour fitness ever let you hang upside down on their walls?

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Rob hitting 225 lbs. on clean and jerk ladder Saturday.

Thanks for everyone’s anniversary wishes. Janelle and I are grateful for everyone that has given so much to this gym and our community. Last year we celebrated our 1-year anniversary by doing  a “Hell Week” tribute. We plan on making that an annual event, but the hangar move has our plans backed up a bit. Stay tuned for “Hell Week” and the 2-year anniversary party date…if you’ve been here long enough, you know that MBS doesn’t skip an oppurtunity to throw a party!

Workout
5 Rounds for max reps of:
Push press/bench press
Pullups

Aim for about 1 minute of rest between sets. Push press prescribed weight is 3/4 bodyweight, while bench press is bodyweight. Chuck reps to comments.

New Meal of the Day at CC Body Fuel: Pork Medallions with Rosemary and mushrooms

How Primal Are You?
Take this test to find out!

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We’ve Come a Long Way
Today is our 2-year anniversary here at MBS CrossFit. Thank you all for making MBS a part of your lives. We look forward to many more years of building a stronger community.

MBS Training Facility (March 2008)

Congratulations to Sean and Amy for completing CrossFit Level I certification this weekend. They are in the bottom picture.

Workout
For time:
12 Deadlift 225 lb./155 lb.
40 Wall ball
9 Deadlift 225 lb./155 lb.
30 Wall ball
6 Deadlift 225 lb./155 lb.
20 Wall ball
3 Deadlift 225 lb./155 lb.
10 Wall ball

Post times to comments.

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Gotta love the sleds!

Sectionals Tune-up Workout: Today at noon we are running a Sectionals Tune-up workout for all the athletes that are competing in the Mountain Sectionals on March 20-21. Heats start just after 12:00 when everyone is warmed up. Any MBS athletes that want to run with this group at noon are welcome. The regular 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM option is still available.

Workout
With a partner, complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
3 Power clean
5 Burpees
1 Suicide sprint

One partner works at a time completing each round before the next partner works. Post times to comments.

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The March On-Ramp class is in full throttle.

Sectionals Tune-up Session: MBS is hosting a Sectional Tune-up workout tomorrow at 12:00 PM. This is an open event to any other athletes in the area that want to see where they are at in preparation for the Mountain Sectionals in a few weeks. We will do the workout in a ‘games’ setting with counters for every athlete. The workout:

AL/TN/MS Sectional Workout #1:
3 Rounds for time of:
25m Down-and-Back sprint (50m total)
10 Burpees
7 Ground-to-shoulder – 155/105lbs

Today’s Workout
Back Squat
20-20-20

“Fun” O-Course
2 attempts for best time:
Farmers walk
Tire flip
Rope Pull
Wheelbarrel race
Box hurdle

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Those of you who were lucky enough to get to know LeeAnn Foster, former MBSer that moved to London, should be proud to see her and MBS featured in a UK Women's Fitness Magazine! Check it out!

Workout
For time:
Run 500
30 Good mornings 45/35
30 Ball slams 30/20
30 Overhead squats 45/35
30 Pullups
30 Wall balls 20/10
30 Burpees
Run 500

Do in order, completing each exercise before moving onto the next. Post times to comments.

Six of the 33 world-wide CrossFit sectional qualifiers have already taken place. The Mountain Sectionals are coming up in just a couple of weeks. Are you going to be there to cheer on our team? Keep up to date with all the 2010 CrossFit Games action at the CF Games Blog.

“The science will never be widely accepted, as it undermines our culture’s assumptions about civilization, instant gratification, silver bullets, political correctness and human nature. Although the science about the link between smoking and ill-health is clear, millions smoke every day; the stage of the science is not the critical determining factor. I am not particularly interested in scientific research which provides further evidence to support the palaeo way. Once you get the paradigm right, new evidence just clarifies the nature of the bricks in the foundation – it does not put them there. For example, there’s been a mass of new evidence coming in over the past couple of years about the benefits of vitamin D. But to me that’s just providing a reductionist description in terms of human metabolism. Anyone working from the evolutionary health principle, without knowing anything about vitamin D, should have been able to work out that sunlight and fresh animal fat – taken as part of a palaeo lifestyle – would be health-giving. Recommending doses in terms of IU per day or minutes of exposure to sunlight is reductionist, linear thinking outside the palaeo paradigm.”

- Keith Thomas, author of Evfit, in a recent interview on the Conditioning Research blog.

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Gary back in for a workout last week. Just goes to show that no matter what causes you to fall off the horse, you can always hop back on.

Workout
Press
1-1-1-1-1

Kettlebell snatch, each hand
3:00 minute set
2:00 minute set
1:00 minute set

Rest as needed between sets. Take your time to work with the technique part of the kettlebell snatch. Here’s a vid if you want to brush up on the KB snatch:

Kettlebell Snatch, Jeff Martone

 Mind. Body. Soul…Really? Check out the article on Embodied Cognition from Marks Daily Apple. Post thoughts to comments.

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One of the things I enjoy about CrossFit is the satisfaction I have after breaking an old personal record (PR). Some PR’s are more fun than others – deadlift, or any heavy lift for that matter are my personal favorites. Max pullups or a 400 meter run time would come a reasonably close second. Since nearly everything we do at CrossFit is measured, it is easy to track your progress. As long as you are recording your workouts, you can quickly tell if you just did more in your squat than you ever have before, or more Rx’d pullups than your last workout. The sense of accomplishment gained from knowing you just broke a PR is not only satisfying but it builds confidence and momentum to continue training and breaking PR’s. Guys and girls, take PR’s seriously. Be happy as hell when you get them…even something as simple as graduating from the red band to the blue band is a PR, or being able to finally rack the barbell in a “front rack” position for the front squat can be written down as a PR.

How about a free t-shirt to the first person that can name all 19 athletes in this picture? Hint – it is the 4:30 class yesterday.

Workout
3 Rounds for time of:
30 Double unders
12 Deadlift at Bodyweight
21 Box jumps 24″/20″

Post times to comments.

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