WOD 7/8

A. 20:00 EMOM
Min 1 – 8 High Pulls / arm by feel
Min 2 – 50 M Waiters Walk Right Arm
Min 3 – 50 M Waiters Walk Left Arm
Min 4 – :20 Nose to Wall HS Hold
Min 5 – :20 Pull-up Bar Hang

B. 3 Rounds for Quality
10 Strict Pull-ups
10 Deadlifts @ 225 / 135
10 Lateral Step-ups / leg
10 Ring Rows

 

Registration for The Expert Series – Session 2 with Ursula Garza Papandrea is now open!
Details

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Potential ‘Potential’ Killer

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All too often, I see athletes push themselves day in and day out and watch their nutrition meticulously, only to come across the nagging injury or sideliner. I believe this issue can be conquered a majority of the time, but it requires a look within…

Each week. Every workout. Each movement. Every rep. Even every ….breath. We are presented with hundreds or thousands of opportunities to improve and make strides towards our goals. We can also misuse these hundreds or thousands of opportunities, working closer to the next plateau and/or injury. Be it a chronic, nagging injury, or something more serious, it’s a good bet that you can reduce your chances by practicing this principle.

Virtuosity

*vir-tu-os-i-ty

great technical skill, or captivating personal style, ESPECIALLY as exhibited in the arts

For the coach and athlete alike, the science is in the explanation. One teaches or explains, while the other (hopefully) works to truly understand. As for the art, the perceptions may differ here.

While the art of coaching maybe up for debate, I doubt you will find many that will debate the inclusion of proper program design and relaying of information. As for the athlete, the art should include a mastery of movement. I believe your approach as an athlete, your paradigm, can have just as much effect on your goals as your genetic potential. So even if you are physically gifted, an improper approach or misguided paradigm may limit your potential.

The paradigm I’m speaking of here that can get us in trouble is, “if X,Y,Z is good…then a lot more of X,Y,Z will get me to my goals,” While the drive and determination can be appreciated and respected, not knowing when to dial it back and listen to your body can set you back. If we pound away for quantity, at the expense of quality, we are in trouble. Even if your movement is impeccable, more grinding isn’t always the answer.

I recently attended a sports performance conference with many wonderful presenters. One of whom, Dr. Bob Rakowski, broke down nutrition and energy systems in impressive and effective way. A big take home from this particular presentation, “It takes twice as much energy to recover than it does to do the work”. Stop reading for a second and chew on the previous statement.

More grinding isn’t always the answer. Movement is not the only part of the puzzle where virtuosity should be applied. We need to be as proactive and purposeful in our recovery as we are with our training. Think about the time it takes for the demolition of a building compared to the time it takes to rebuild.

As a coach, the body can be a new canvas to perform his or her artistry. Are you working with a pretentious artisan, who is constantly trying to perfect his or her craft? Or are you working with a cheap home builder, pushing out cookie-cutter homes that unfortunately start to show problems all too early?

Look within. Strive for virtuosity in movement mastery. Apply discipline. Reap the benefits.

In health,

Coach Tim

WOD 7/7

A. 16:00 EMOM
Min 1 – 8 Single Arm Press / arm @ 8 RM
Min 2 – Rest
Min 3 – 75 M Farmers Walk @ by feel
Min 4-  Rest

B. 20:00 EMOM
Min 1: 6 Hang Power Clean to Ovhd @ 135 / 95
Min 2: 200 M Run
Min 3: 18 Unweighted Walking Lunges (total)
Min 4: 24 Double Unders
*Exercises must be finished under :40. Record completed round under :40

“Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

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WOD 7/6

A. 14:00 E202
Box Squat x1x7 @ 70% of 1 RM Back Squat, same weight for all sets

B. 6:00 E202
Tempo Back Squat x 5 reps @ 42X1
Rest as needed @ 70% (:04 down, :02 in bottom)

C. 12:00 E202
3-5 Partner Assisted Strict Pull-ups
*Partner can assist by holding 2 feet, 1 foot or at the waist
*Perform weighted pull-ups you are able to do 5 strict pull-ups

D. 9:00 EMOM
Min 1- 8-12 Barbell Curls
Min 2- 10-12 Banded Face Pulls

Congrats to our July Athlete of The Month – Jenni Demske!

The Expert Series || Olympic Weightlifting with Ursula Garza Papandrea

expert series

We are excited to introduce the second session of our Expert Series! Each month we offer The Expert Series we will host a guest coach who is the best of the best in their field of expertise. Our subject matter experts will offer a specialized class for the month. Primarily we will focus on the sports that are featured in CrossFit training such as Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, powerlifting, running, rowing, etc…

CrossFit Austin is proud to welcome Ursula Garza Papandrea as our Expert Series guest coach this July. Ursula is widely regarded as one of the absolute best Olympic Weightlifting coaches in the United States. She’s one of only 25 coaches designated as Level 5 Senior International Coach by USAW. This is the highest designation a coach can receive from USAW. Most recently Ursula guided her men’s Weightlifting team to the 2014 National Championship.

REGISTER HERE

Dates:
Saturdays July 23rd, 30th, and August 6th

Time:
10 am – Noon

Price:
$75/session or $200 for all 3 sessions (limited to 12 athletes / session)
**Contact info@crossfitaustin.com regarding the 3-session discounted price**

Experience Level:
This is an Intermediate to advanced course. Athletes should have at the very least a year of experience utilizing the snatch and clean & jerk consistently in their training program. This is not a beginners course, athletes should have a strong understanding of the two classic lifts (Snatch and Clean & jerk) and also be familiar with accessory lifts such as the back squat, front squat, push press, pulls, etc. If you have any question as to whether you’re prepared to take the class please contact us at info@crossfitaustin.com.

Pre registration:
Wednesday, July 6 & Thursday, July 7 (This will be for CrossFit Austin members and coaches only)

Open Registration:
Friday, July 8th until spots run out

Full Bio:
Ursula Garza Papandrea is an elite international athlete and the one of only two women to attain USA Weightlifting’s Level 5 Senior International Coach. She is one of only 25 such coaches in USA Weightlifting and the only Level 5 coach in Texas. She has trained athletes that have represented Team USA at the Junior World Championships, University World Championships, Senior World Championships, Pan Am Games, and Olympic Trials. including the 2014 Men’s National Championship Team Texas Barbell.

Ursula has extensive national and international experience in competitive weightlifting as an athlete since 1987. She’s a Two-time senior national champion, two-time Olympic Festival champion, 5 time world team member (1992-1996), and former record holder in both snatch (master’s) and clean and jerk.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science and has had a career as a Professor at Austin Community College since 1994. In 2009 she competed again, winning Master’s National Championships(best lifter award) and again in 2010. She is CrossFit Level 1 certified and have been part of the CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification Staff since 2009. She also instructs the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance courses.

Congrats June Competitors!

It is so exciting for us to see so many of our folks getting out into the community to compete! We had a handful of folks get out and compete in June and we couldn’t be more proud. Great job on all your accomplishments CFA! Keep up the great work!

 

Kim Peabody, Leigh LeGare, Austin Coover, and Stacey Magnesio competed in the Guns N Bows competition on June 11

Sarah Dacy and Bev Lopez lifted in the Weightlifting Wise 2016 Championships

Matt Milldrum, Josh Harris, Aaron Garza, Erin Dickson, and Caitlin Coover all competed in the ATX Throwdown

And congrats to everyone who participated in our 4th of July Murph Event!!
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If we missed anyone please be sure to shoot us a message. If you have an event coming up in April, let us know!
Contact info@crossfitaustin.com with your competition details!

July Athlete of The Month – Jenni Demske!!

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our July Athlete of the Month is Jenni Demske! Jenni joined CrossFit Austin back in June 2015, so she’s been with us just over a year! She’s an early bird, working out with the 5:30 am crew. She’s a sweet little thing on the outside, but she’ll sneak up and crush you in a workout! This girl is in the last few weeks of her pregnancy (wow!), still hanging in there like a champ. We can’t wait to meet the little push-up man! She is one of the hardest working and friendliest athletes in our crew and we’re so happy to have Jenni as our July Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this community. Congratulations Jenni!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Jenni

Words to live by?
I am a firm believer in YOLO. You only live once. Live the best life you can.

What is your fitness background?
High school sports were soccer and swimming. I love the occasional hike and bike these days and of course.. crossfit 🙂

How long have you been CrossFitting?
Just over a year~ time flies when you’re having fun

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?
Well I didn’t do a prep course, but I highly recommend it! The first time I picked up a barbell, I literally just tried to copy what everyone else was doing. Once I figured out some techniques to the lifts, it became more fun. The workouts haven’t changed for me really. I try to put everything I have into a workout and leave the gym feeling like I did just that. It’s the best!

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
I met my future hubby, made lifelong friends and have worked next to some of the strongest/coolest people I know. You can go anywhere in the world and find a crossfit box, but it’s the people that make the experience. CFA has some of the best.

Current Training Goals/PRs?
Oh boy. 9 months ago I would have a different answer. My goal is to come back smarter, work hard and listen to my body.

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Just go out there, do your best and have fun. Work hard, be proud and practice patience.

What is your cheat meal go to?
Ice cream. All day, every day (literally for the past 9 months)

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
Doing the 2015 open. My coach had to show me what a clean and jerk was right before. It was terrifying, but I came back for the rest of them and loved every minute. This year I was 6 months pregnant for the open… bring on 2017 🙂

You are 37 weeks pregnant. How has this journey with training and growing a tiny human been for you? What does it feel like to be such a strong mama?!
This journey has been a wild ride. Apart from the physical challenges of pregnancy, the mental game has been my true challenge. It’s the hardest thing watching your friends get better, faster, stronger while I’ve taken a step back. I’ve learned to listen to my body and do what feels good. Growing a human is the most amazing, hardest thing I’ve ever done and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?

I want to give 16.5 another shot without baby. 21-18- 15-12- 9-6- 3 Bar facing burpees and thrusters. Bring it on!

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
Currently… eating spicy food, lots of squats, long walks….

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I don’t bathe frequently

Longhorns or Aggies?
Who??! GO GREEN, GO WHITE!! MSU all the way

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Leave it all on the floor 🙂 like when your water breaks.

WOD 7/5

A. In 15:00 minutes build to a 3 RM Hip Squat Clean & Jerk

B. 6:00 E202
1 Hip Squat Clean & Jerk @ 100% of today’s 3 RM

Followed immediately by…

6:00 E202
3 Hip Squat Clean & Jerk @ 80% of today’s 3 RM

Followed immediately by…
5 Hip Clean & Jerk x 5 reps @ 70% of today’s 3RM

C. For time:
75 Bar Facing Burpees
*10:00 Cap
*reps / time recorded

“To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” – Steve Prefontaine

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