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Night Of Champions || WOD ANNOUNCEMENT

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We are 5 short days from our Night of Champions competition! As promised, below are the WODs we’ll see this Friday with Rx and Scaled weights listed below. Get yourself a partner and get registered! Remember, only 1 team member must register through the online system ($50 per team). We’ll email you to get your partner’s name and which division you’ll be competing in.

REGISTER HERE

Event 1

Max Deadlift

Each team member will find a max deadlift.  Teams will be grouped on bars together by announced opening weights and each bar will move up in weight every minute. Teammates best lifts will be added together to give the team a score.

Event 2

1200 M Run
50 Burpee Box Jump / Step-up
40 Hang Cleans
15:00 Cap

Rx 
M: 24” box, 165 lb barbell
W: 20” box, 105 lb barbell

Scaled
M: 20” box, 115 lb barbell
W: 12” box, 75 lb barbell

Athletes will run a total of 1200 meters between them. This can be split into an 800 and a a 400 or two even 600s. The athletes will then proceed to the burpee box jump / step ups where the reps can be split anyway they see fit. Athletes may jump or step onto the box at their own discretion. Teams will then move to the hang cleans where they may split the reps however they see fit. Hang cleans must start between the knee and the hip and can be received in muscle, power, squat or split position.

*15:00 Time Cap

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Movement of the Week || Chest To Bar Pull Ups – Part 2

Here's part 2 of our chest to bar series. This time around, focusing on the kip. These can also help with regular pull ups! Check out more videos at www.youtube.com/channel/UCJz-dOyuDWguw1OoRCkaq_w #kipping #chestobar #ctb #c2b #crossfit #intheopen #crossfitopen2016 #austin #tx #shoulders Traditional Kip – Muscle Kip Swing This drill is used to reinforce using the shoulder to initiate the swing. The lower body and hips should not swing at all. The athlete will push himself into a tight hollow position, and pull themselves into a tight arch position. The goal is to be as controlled as possible. – Arch / Hollow Kip Swing A tight compact kip swing is important to correctly perform dynamic gymnastics movements. The swing should be initiated with the shoulders, the elbows must remain locked out, keep the belly tight in both the arch and hollow position, and keep the heels together and toes pointed. – Skips This drill is an extension of the Arch/Hollow Kip Swing, with a more aggressive finish. The ’skip’ helps to develop straight arm strength/power, reinforces necessity of tight midline, and can be used as a tool used to understand/develop the timing of when to pull. – Pause at top with Push Away This is used to improve the athlete’s ability to connect pull-ups. The athlete performs a kip pull-up and stop and hold their chest against the bar. The athlete will then push themselves away from the bar and into another swing to pull. This is also a good test of actually pulling strength, if you can perform kip pull-ups but can’t hold the top position for longer than 5 seconds the athlete should work to improve strict static strength in the pull-up. – Full CTB Pull-ups The full CTB pull-up should look fluid and rythmic. Common faults include athletes losing control of the core in the “arch” phase of the swing, leaving the feet behind the bar while pulling the chest to the bar, and allowing the knees to bend or elbow during the “arch” phase of the swing.

A video posted by CrossFit Austin (@crossfitaustin) on

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Movement of the Week || Chest To Bar Pull Ups

Push-up women and men! This week, we’re back with another series of movement videos to help you prep for the Open. This time around, it’s Chest To Bar Pull Ups. These are a tough challenge for athletes new and old, alike. Be sure to practice these movements and you’ll be sure to see improvements! #crossfitopen2016 #crossfit #CTB #C2B #pullups #strict #negatives #intheopen #gymnasty #gymnastics Strict Strength – Scap Pull-ups Begin the movement with shoulders and arms completely locked out and maintain a hollow body position with the glutes and core.  Pull the scaps down and back and do not bend the elbows, then relax your shoulders to return back down into a fully extended position. The goal is to develop the ability to perform 3 sets of 12-15 perfect, controlled reps. – Passive Range Lift off In prone position (face down): while trying to maintain a neutral cervical spine lift your hands (or PVC) off of the ground with focus on squeezing your shoulder blades down and together toward the mid spine. As control improves, you can continue to increase the range by elevating your starting position. Again, purpose is for control of the range, so we are not just slinging are hands up behind us. – Banded Face Pull This is an auxiliary exercise that develops and strengthens the rhomboids, external rotators, and rear delts. Strengthening this group of muscles will help athletes develop a full and proper “finish” of pulling the chest all the way to the bar with retracted scaps. In doing so the face pull helps to prevent athletes from rolling the shoulders to the bar during the “finish”. This exercise can be performed daily, goal is to accumulate 20-40 reps in a row. – Horizontal CTB Pull-ups Focus on maintaining a tight “arch” position by staying fully engaged in the glutes and core. Only raise the feet to a level that allows perfect pulling mechanics, do not try to reach the chest to bar position by rolling the head and shoulders forward to the bar. Goal is to develop the ability to perform 5 perfect controlled reps for 5 sets. – Negatives Jump your chest to the bar and hold the chest to the bar for 2 seconds. Then, slowly lower from the bar for 5 seconds.

A video posted by CrossFit Austin (@crossfitaustin) on

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Movement of the Week || Toes To Bar – Part 3

Check out our final segment of the toes to bar series as we prep for the Open (Feb 25). Make sure to tune back in on Tuesday for our next series: Chest to Bar.  #toestobar #crossfit #intheopen #crossfitopen2016 #strict #upperbody #activeshoulders Straight Arm Strength In our final video of the toes to bar series, we focus on straight arm strength. Improving straight arm strength will make the kip swing more powerful and increase strength endurance for all “hanging” gymnastics movement.  These exercise are shown in order of least difficult to most difficult, and can be performed concurrently with the kip swing and core drills in previous videos. 1. Band Straight Arm Press Downs This can be done with the band set up you see in the video or with an old school cable pulley system if found at globo gyms and hotel/apt. gyms. Keep the arms straight as you press the bar to chest level. Maintain a tight core, and glutes similar to the hollow position. Only move up in band tension or weight when you can successfully complete 12 reps without breaking at the core. 2. Ring Fall outs This exercise integrates core stability and straight arm strength. The goal is to maintain a hollow body position throughout all phases of the movement. The tendency will be to allow the back to overextend, if this is happens shorten the length you extend the arms away from the body at the bottom. Work perfect set of 3-5 reps until you can hold your arms in line with your ears in a perfect hollow position at the bottom for 5 reps. 3. Strict Knees to elbow and Toes to bar These variations simply remove the swing and any momentum it creates from the full movement to force the arms, shoulders, and core to do more work. If you’re not strong enough to do these variations, use a spotter to help get your knees to your chest and toes to the bar. Then, slowly lower your legs for 3-5 seconds. The straighter the legs are the more demanding the exercise will be. Athletes of all ability levels benefit from increasing strength and strength endurance in the “strict” variations of bodyweight movements. Goal here is to develop the ability to complete 3 sets of 5 strict toes to bar with straight

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Movement of the Week || Toes To Bar – Part 2

As promised, here is part 2 of the toes 2 bar series, aimed at helping you prep for the Open. Enjoy! #toes2bar #t2b #open #core #hollowbody #intheopen #CrossFitGames #CrossFit #2016CrossFitOpen Compression / Core Drills In the first series we focused on the swing and how to maintain a compact rhythmic kip swing to string TTBs together. Our second series we’ll focus on developing the ability to flex and compress at the hips while strengthening the core abdominal muscles. 1. Hollow Hold (Tuck to Long) This is the fundamental position for all gymnastic movements. Being strong in the hollow position allows for better control of the kip swing and stronger transfer of power from hips to the upper body. Start by keeping the knees tucked and the arms straight by your side. The low back should be in contact with the floor, with the hips and shoulder off the floor. To make the position more difficult move the hands overhead and straighten your legs. Try to develop the ability to hold this for a solid 60 continuous seconds in the tuck version, and then do the same in the “long” version. 2. Hands Flat Knee Raises Focus on using the core to pull the hips off the ground, and keep the knees tucked as close to your body as possible. Return the hips and feet slowly back to the ground so you can feel the core working. 3. KB Knee Raises Similar to the previous drill, with the hands straight overhead holding a kettlebell or dumbbell. Focus on using the core to pull your hips off the ground, and keep the knee tucked as close to your body as possible. Return your hips and feet slowly back to the ground so you can feel the core working. 4. Toes to KB Focus on using the core to pull your hips off the ground, and keep your knees tucked as close to your body as possible, at the last second extend the feet to the handle of the KB. Return your hips and feet slowly back to the ground with straight legs so you can feel the core working. Perform 3 sets of 8-12 reps of these drills to develop adequate core strength for the toes to bar.

A video posted by CrossFit Austin (@crossfitaustin) on

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Movement of the Week || Toes To Bar

Our first #Open #movement post includes one of the most notorious bad boys in the #crossfit world…duh duh duh…#toestobar…eeeekkk Check out Coach @txtim3 as he walks you through some skill building #exercises and #progressions of the swing portion of the movement: Swing Progression 1. Arch / Hollow Kip Swing A tight compact kip swing is important to correctly perform dynamic gymnastics movements. The swing should be initiated with the shoulders, the elbows must remain locked out, keep the belly tight in both the arch and hollow position, and keep the heels together and toes pointed. 2. Kipping Knee Raise Small Swing Initiate the movement with a tight compact arch/hollow kip swing. On your back swing (hollow) drive hard against the bar with straight arms and pull your knees up above your waist.  Practice connecting knee raises until you can successfully connect 8-10 reps consistently. This will help you learn the rhythm of connecting kip TTBs 3. Kipping Knee to Chest Initiate the movement with a tight compact arch/hollow kip swing. On your back swing (hollow) drive hard against the bar with straight arms and pull your knees up as high as possible. Work mastering singles and doubles of the knee to chest before trying to string more together. Once you can consistently connect 2-3 reps getting your knees to your chest you’re ready to start focusing on TTBs. 4. Kipping TTB Initiate the movement with a tight compact arch/hollow kip swing. On your back swing (hollow) drive hard against the bar with straight arms, pull your knees up as high as possible and kick your toes to the bar. Initially, focus on being consistent with singles then work to set of 2-3 at a time. The key to connecting TTBs is a great arch/hollow kip swing, so continue to practice kip swings and kip knee raises even once you accomplished your first TTB.

A video posted by CrossFit Austin (@crossfitaustin) on

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February Athlete of The Month: Lee Perry!

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 February Athlete of the Month is Lee Perry! Lee is celebrating his 1 Year Anniversary with CrossFit Austin today! He’s now training under the CFA competition programming so you’ll most likely catch him in the evenings. Lee is one of the most giving people we’ve ever met and he’s always there to help anyone who needs it. He works hard and is always focused on his goals, but tell him yours and he’ll help you get there too!  Outside of the gym, Lee is always along for the ride at our social events and is part of the “Unofficial CFA Welcoming Committee.” We’re so happy to have Lee in our community and proud to announce him as this month’s Athlete of the Month. Congratulations Lee and thanks for all you do!

 

State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Leelee1

Words to live by?
BE AGGRESSIVE AND THEN BE MORE AGGRESSIVE. NEVER SETTLE.

What is your fitness background?
Played football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer and wrestled through High School. While in the Army we stayed fit. Furthermore, I coached all levels of various athletics (team sports) through 2013. Though while coaching… my personal fitness was a fail. I have a USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Certification.

How long have you been CrossFitting?
First day in a CrossFit Box was July 1, 2013. (2 ½ years)

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel?
Embarrassed, nervous, ridiculous and mad as F*@k that I allowed myself to be in such bad shape… both physically and emotionally.

PLEASE NOTE: All of those feelings rapidly faded as I tried to find my breath after the “warm-up” for elements class.  Nothing else mattered but trying to find air at that point. It was horrible, but at the same time it was a reminder of why I needed to be there. Seriously opened my eyes, but not my lungs, in fact I’m pretty sure my lungs collapsed that day.  I could not breathe. Needless to say, the next day I could not move either. I had no choice but to love it.

How do you compare it to workouts today?
Today I crave and look forward to getting into the gym as much as possible. So much so that I built one in my garage so that I can train any time I’d like. I enjoy lifting and volume the most. Now if I cannot breathe or I become sore, I know I am doing something good for myself.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
Community… Though for me that is a combination of athletes, coaches, staff, programming and equipment. Frankly, one does not go without the other.  CFA checks all the boxes!

Current Training Goals/PRs?
It’s always to become stronger across the board. There is no substitute for strength in my opinion.  Though to become stronger functionally there are many areas that need to be addressed besides just slinging weight. For example form on the lifts and gymnastic skills. I’d like to pull a 585# Deadlift this year (currently @ 520#).

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit? lee2
JUST KEEP GOING! Trust the process, it is proven. It does work. If you want testimony of that come find me and we can talk.

What is your cheat meal go to?
Let me dazzle you with my creativity here, PIZZA!

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
Anytime I see improvement. Proud that I have competed in CrossFit numerous times (love that) and ran a Super Spartan.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
You can call it “Lee” if you want, but I call it “Dead Row”

EMOM for 30 Minutes
Even Minute: 2 Deadlifts @ 405 (30 reps total)
Odd Minute: 10 Cal Row (150 calories total)

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I’ll try just about anything. To relax I draw horribly. I truly enjoy coaching others as well.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I weighed 450+ lbs when I began CrossFit 2 ½ years ago.

Longhorns or Aggies?
HORNS! Sorry Wes. HOOK’EM!

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…Lee3
Help the new or the struggling. It was you once, and you will struggle at some point.

As necessary I try to help the new athlete. I cannot express in words exactly what it feels like to be new in a CrossFit Box without any experience.  It just sucks and feels awkward. So any assistance I received early on was always welcomed.  It’s the simple things that baffle the newer folks… like how to put wrist wraps on, turning on a rower, where are the damn bar clips, what are all those damn acronyms etc…

Because I felt like I was new for a really long time (still do at times), I try to ensure my fellow (new) athletes are relaxed and can enjoy what they are doing for themselves. That’s not say that I won’t assist the seasoned vets (who likely need the most help). It’s just that “my goal” is to get as many people moving as possible. Ensuring the new folks are comfortable goes a long way in their sustainability in the gym.

Lastly, I have stolen this from another CFA Athlete, but it’s a good one… “Be kind to yourself.”

in Athlete of the Month / Blog 302 comments

The CrossFit Open 2016 || February 25 – March 28

 
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CrossFit Austin is registered for The CrossFit Games 2016 Open! 
To Join our team:
1. Click link below
2. Select CrossFit Austin as your affiliate
3. Select Team CrossFit Austin 1 as your team!More info to come on this year’s Open at CFA!
Five Weeks | Feb. 25 – March 28, 2016
16.1: Feb. 25 – 29
16.2: March 3 – 7
16.3: March 10 – 14
16.4 March 17 – 21
16.5 March 24 – 28
We will be holding watch parties every Thursday through the Open for the
announcement of each Open 2016 WOD! BYOB and join us! The Open WODs will be programmed
during our Saturday morning classes.
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THE FITTEST GAMES SCHEDULE || Good Luck CFA Competitors!

{SPECTATOR TICKETS}

TOMORROW starts The Fittest Games! We want to wish our folks the very best of luck as they go out to compete this weekend. Austin Coover, Isaiah Rosario, and Matt Milldrum will be competing as Individuals and Team CrossFit Austin will have Stacey Magnesio, Leigh LeGare, Josh Harris, and Tim Garland. Go get ’em guys!

Below is the schedule for Friday and Saturday. Let’s get out there and show them some love!

 

Friday
AM
8:00 – 8:20 /Team CFA / Pad 2, Gym Dense
8:20 – 8:50 /Austin Coover/ Pad 3, OHS Ladder
10:00 – 10:20 /Team CFA/ Pad 1, Cardio Density
10:50 – 11:00 /Isaiah Rosario/ Pad 2, Gym Dense

PM
12:05 – 12:15 PM /Matt Milldrum/ Pad 2. Gym Density
12:30 – 1:10 PM /Team CFA / Pad 3, OHS
1:03 – 1:33 PM /Austin Coover/ Pad 1, Cardio Density
2:20 – 2:30 PM /Matt Milldrum/ Pad 3, OHS
3:30 – 3:40 PM /Austin Coover/ Pad 2, Gym Density
3:40 – 4:10 PM /Isaiah Rosario/ Pad 3, OHS

Saturday
AM
8:50 – 9:10 /Isaiah Rosario/ Pad 1, Double Fugly
9:17 – 9:25 /Austin Coover/ Pad 2, Kong 2.0
10:30 – 10:50 /Matt Milldrum/ Pad 1, Double Fugly
11:20 – 11:40 /Team CFA/ Pad 2, Fattly Gymnasty

PM
12:53 – 1:01 PM /Isaiah Rosario Pad 2, Kong 2.0
1:48 – 2:06 PM /Matt Milldrum/ Pad 2, Kong 2.0
2:30 – 5:00 PM /All/ Finals

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The CrossFit Open Is Coming For You || What To Expect This Cycle

Much to my dismay we are almost through our first full month of 2016, which means we are getting dangerously close to the CrossFit Open. This first full training cycle of the new year is designed to prepare us for the upcoming CrossFit Open, and I’ve included several past Open workouts in our initial test week. We’d also like to encourage all of our athletes new and old to sign up for and participate in the Open.  The Open is a great “benchmark” for athletes, it provides accountability, a goal and a schedule to work towards through the following year. It also forces athlete’s out of their comfort zone that allows them to push through self imposed limitations.  Most importantly Open Saturday’s at CFA are a ton of fun and it’s a great way to enjoy the community and the great people that it’s comprised of.

 

To register for the open:

  • Login or Create an account here: https://games.crossfit.com/cf/login
  • Follow the instructions to register as an athlete.
  • Choose “CrossFit Austin” as your affiliate and “Team CrossFit Austin 1” as your team

 

That said here are a few specifics on how this cycle will shake out. It will be a bit different from our normal format since we have the open in the middle of it!

 

Here is how we will run our training cycle through the open :

Week 1: Test Week (1/18-1/23)

Week 2-6: Base Training Block (1/25 – 2/19)

Week 7-11: CrossFit Open In Season Training (2/21-3/26)
*I’ll include some specific of how our training schedule will look as we get closer to this

Weeks 12 & 13: Transition weeks

My overarching goals for this training cycle are:

  • Improve barbell cycling ability at moderate to heavy loads
  • Improve absolute strength in the Front Squat
  • Improve skill, rhythm, and strength endurance ability in CTB Pull-ups, & TTB
  • Get lots of touches on traditional CrossFit couplets, triplets and chipper to improve workout management strategies, and mental fortitude  

Some specifics you can expect in the base phase:

The days and times you see things will be a bit less predictable this cycle but you can count on  the following

  • CTB / TTB work 3-4 times / week
  • Barbell Cycling work 3-4 times / week
  • Absolute strength work  1-2 times / week
  • CrossFit Daily

A Note on Muscle-ups

We know that muscle-ups will show up in the open and I haven’t left them out of the program totally. In my experience to have a legitimate chance to
achieve a muscle-up you need somewhere in the range of 5 low strict ring dips, 5-7 kip chest to bar pull-ups, and 2-3 strict chest to bar pull-ups. So the plan is to include daily extra credit work that will help folks get to the pre requisites for for muscle-up or help you move towards a muscle-up if you have the listed prerequisite abilities.  

Looking forward to seeing all of our athletes surpass expectations this Open season. Lets get to work!

-Coach Wes

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