Mobility Mondays

How many of you have a hard time locking out your elbows when you’re doing an overhead lift?  Or do you ever feel soreness in your elbows after ring dips, muscle ups, or even front squats?  Well, then you should be working on your elbow mobility.  Check out the video below and get in 10-15 minutes a day.  It will make a difference!!

If anybody has suggestions for other joints you’d like me to go further into, please let me know! 🙂

Monday

Skill:

Back Squat

10×2 @ 70% of 1 rm

45 second rest in between sets

Workout of the Day (WOD):

Tabata:

Bottom to Bottom Air Squats

 

then run 1 Mile

Thrusters And Toes To Bar!

We’ve got Thrusters and Toes to Bar today!  Here are some great tips from a few of our favorite top CrossFit athletes.  

I particularly like the part about heaving the bar off your shoulders for that last push off the shoulders as your legs achieve a locked out position.  

Don’t forget to be here at CF Merge this Saturday at 1:30p.m. to take part in our WLC Potluck.  Great opportunity to show off all those WLC compliant foods you’ve been making.  

Friday

All Levels Skill:

Bench

5-5-3-3-3

Beginner skill:

Thruster

5-5-3-3-3

Workout:

21 Thrusters (115# for Men/78# for Women)

21 T2B

15 Thrusters

15 T2B

9 Thrusters

9 T2B 

Video Throwback

If a picture says a thousand words, how many words does a video speak?  This was one of the very first CrossFit videos I ever watched, and it totally lit a fire under me.

Nicole Carroll doing 15 overhead squats at bodyweight was a mind blowing feat.  I remember watching that video and immediately setting that as a goal for myself.  It took me about two years, but I eventually did it.  Unfortunately, the only video I have is of me coming up just short of that goal.  

What videos have you seen that inspired you to set a goal?  Post the video links in the comments.  

Thursday

All Levels and Beginner Class

Skill: Suicide sprints

Workout:

12 minute AMRAP of:

20 double-unders

10 ring dips

5 handstand push-ups

Women’s Class

Skill: Deadlift

2-2-2-2-2

12 minute AMRAP of:

10 wall ball shots (14)

12 deadlifts (105)

100 meter run

Advanced Class

Part 1:

EMOTM for 20 minutes

Odd minutes – Row 20 or 15 calories for women

Even minutes – 15 burpees

Part 2:

10 minute AMRAP of:

5 shoulder to overhead (155#/103# for women)

7 burpees

9 back squats (155#/103#)

Guess What Today Is?!

It’s HUMP day!!! And that means you should be as happy!!

You want to know why?  I’ll tell you why! Because we have an awesome WOD prepared for you! 😀  Come on in, get over the hump, and get stronger, fitter, faster, sexier by doing an awesome CrossFit Merge WOD.  Trust me, you’ll be happy you did 😀 — happier than a camel on hump day 😉

 
Wednesday

Skill:

Max height Box Jump

Workout of the Day (WOD):

5 Rounds for time:

50 Double Unders
30 Box Jumps (24″ for men/20″ for women)
30 Wall Ball Shots (20# for men/14# for women)

Weightlifting:

Clean and Jerks

5×1 @ 80% of 1 rm
5×1 @ 90% of 1 rm
5×1 @ 80% of 1 rm

30s rest in between sets

 

Welcome back Urbanie!

Potluck Anyone?

The Whole Life Challenge is into its second week.  Everyone still going strong, right?  

Let’s keep on track by having another weekly event.  

This week’s event is a potluck at CrossFit Merge on Saturday, the 21st at 1:30pm.  What are the detail you ask?  Simple, just bring a WLC compliant dish and the recipe to share with others.  Swap dishes, recipes, tips, and just hang out.  I hope to see everyone there.

Tuesday

All Levels and Intermediate Class

Skill: Front Squat

1-10-1-20

Beginner Class

Skill: Front Squat

1-1-1-1-20

Workout:

10 minute AMRAP of:

5 dumbbell front squats (50#/30# for women)

15 kettlebell swings (53#/35# for women)

 

Mobility Mondays

Often times our WODs are affected by our lack of proper breathing.  That is partly due to a tight neck and traps.  Not only does it affect our breathing and our ability to WOD better, but it may cause pain!  No fun for anybody.  So this week, I want you to focus on stretching the neck.  If you sit in front of the computer all day, I guarantee you lack neck mobility.  If you drive around all day or watch TV slouched on the couch, bang! you suffer from this.  If you stick your head through your arms as if you were looking out of a window during lifts, or do tons of muscle-ups, bang! this is for you too.

Keep mobilizing peeps, it’s very important!! 🙂

*if you need a sub for the exercise he does with the orange tool, come see me 🙂

Monday

Skill:

Tabata Row

*Men try to reach 1000m
*Women try to reach 750m

Workout of the Day (WOD):

3 Rounds of:

250 Meter Row
21 Pull Ups
21 Hand Release Push Ups
21 Box Jumps (24″ for men/20″ for women)

*Upscale Option: 7 Muscle ups instead of pull-ups and push-ups

Mergers doing Lobsterfest the right way!

Meat Crust Frittatas!

Three words.  Meat Crust Frittata.  Here are a few of the many positive attributes to this tasty treat.

• Versatile – You can make a variety of different versions.  Packed with all your favorite macro and micro nutrients.  Add practically any combination of your favorite vegetables to make it a nutrient dense, flavor explosion with every bite.
• Portable – Individually wrap each one for a quick grab n’ go.  Great as a backup plan for when you don’t have time to prepare a meal.  They’re right there, waiting to be unwrapped and eaten.
• Delicious – So delicious, you’ll easily mistake this nutritious mini-meal for a bite sized snack.

Here’s a version I made that came out both savory and sweet.

Meat Crust Frittata w/herb roasted potatoes

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. coconut oil

1lb. 100% Grass Fed Ground Beef from Organic Pastures. – Don’t forget, this location is only open every Saturday from 10:00am – 2:00pm.  $5.25/lb.

1 large sweet potato (peeled/small dice)

1 large yam (peeled/small dice)

1 large yellow onion (small dice)

Handful of spinach

8 whole eggs

Fresh thyme (finely chopped)

Fresh rosemary (finely chopped)

Salt/Pepper

Yields 12 Frittatas

Pre-heat the oven for 400 degrees

1. Place the diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Throw in some coconut oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.  Toss it around so all the herbs are evenly distributed on the potatoes.  Spread them out on a flat baking sheet pan and bake for about 20 min. or just until brown.
2. Flatten out 12 mini patties of beef at about 2oz. each.  Season with salt and pepper on each side.  Form them into the muffin spaces in a muffin tin.  Make sure to form a lip around the edge because it will shrink!  You can see that I did NOT do that in the picture above, so be sure and make that lip so that it goes beyond the level of the muffin tin.
3. Crack 8 eggs into your mixing bowl and scramble em up nice n good.
4. Saute your onions and spinach in a frying pan.  Transfer the sauteed onions, spinach, and roasted potatoes into your mixing bowl.
5. Pour your egg mixture into each “meat cup” and bake until brown (about 20min.).
6. Let it cool, then individually wrap each one and store in the fridge.
7. Party!

This particular lift from Tracey is so efficient that her hair blows back!

Karl locking out overhead as he pays tribute to ‘Tom’.

Coaches gotta workout too!

Don’t call it a comeback!

Friday

Skill:  Cluster (squat clean to thruster)

2-2-2-2-2

Workout:

5 Rounds for time of:

5 Clusters (Squat clean to thruster) – (135# for Men/93# for Women)

10 chest to bar pull ups

Beginner Skill:  Thruster

2-2-2-2-2

Beginner WOD (Workout of the Day):

10min AMRAP:

5 dumbbell hang clean to thruster

10 pull ups

Keeping You Motivated

We are six days into the Whole Life Challenge, Fall 2013!  It’s in full swing and on like Donkey Kong.  You’re posting pictures of compliant dishes, searching for good places to eat out, and of course, rocking the workouts here at Merge.  But how can you prevent that midpoint slide, when the initial excitement has worn off and you just can’t eat anymore eggs for breakfast?

I know how it goes…you have a pretty crummy day around day 34…you forget to log your score…you don’t even remember what the lifestyle challenge is…and you’re pretty much one step away from just throwing in the towel and making a run to In ‘N’ Out Burger.  That’s no fun.

To prevent the above scenario, we’re planning weekly outings and events to keep you engaged with your fellow Whole Lifers.  What better way to see this thing through for the entire eight weeks than to hang out with like minded peeps and take advantage of the community support here?  

Our first weekly outing is Lobsterfest, this Saturday, September 14th at the Port of Call Los Angeles.  Justin is the Event Captain and has the information here.  Read up and I hope you can join us.

Yes, Kat.  You just thrustered that weight.  Atta way!

Thursday

All Levels and Beginner Class

Skill:  Split jerk

1-1-1-1-1

Workout:

In 3 minutes, run 400 meters, then AMRAP of push jerks (95#/63 for women)

Rest 1 minute

In 3 minutes, run 400 meters, then AMRAP of toes to bar

Rest 1 minute

In 3 minutes, run 400 meters, then AMRAP of air squats

Rest 1 minute

In 3 minutes, run 400 meters, then as many calories as possible

Women’s Class

Skill: Front squat

2 rep on the minute for 10 minutes

Workout:

10 minute AMRAP of:

100 meter run

10 pull-ups

10 dumbbell push presses (25#)

Advanced Class

Skill:  Split jerks

2-2-2-2-2-2

Followed by max ring dips after every other set

Workout:

1 minute row for max calories

Rest 1 minute

Then 8  minute AMRAP of:

30 double-unders

7 dumbbell hang cleans (50#/30# for women)

Rest 1 minute

1 minute row for max calories

 

Make Up Day or Hero Day

First, how about a round of applause to Rick for signing up over 20 people to the Whole Life Challenge.  With that, he won our iPad Mini giveaway!  Congratulations are definitely in order for Rick.

Rick, the winner of the iPad Mini and captain of the Disgruntled Winos.

Second, please note that Wednesday’s 7pm class will be the Whole Life Challenge baseline workout.  If you’re signed up for the challenge and haven’t done the baseline workout yet, 7pm Wednesday is your last chance.  Bring your ‘A’ game and let’s do it.  

Last, how about a Wednesday Hero WOD?  Muscle-ups, thrusters, and toes to bar…sounds wicked.

Wednesday

All Classes except the 7pm class

Skills:  Review the workout movements

Workout:

“Tom”

25 minute AMRAP of:

7 muscle-ups

11 thrusters (155#/103# for women)

14 toes to bar

Whole Life Challenge in Full Force!

We are so excited for all of those athletes that decided to join us on this Whole Life Challenge! Last weekend we had an excellent turnout for the baseline WOD. Super fun, super awesome peeps set their numbers to see how much they’ll improve within the next 8 weeks.

Here’s a recipe to keep you on track:

End of Summer Chicken Salad

If you didn’t join us this time around, don’t let it bum you out! Still try to eat healthier and stay on top of your WODs. Remember, consistency is the key to success!!

Tuesday

All Levels Skill:

Hang Snatch
1-1-1-1-1-1

Workout of the Day (WOD):

10-8-6-4-2 reps of:

Snatches (75# for men/53# for women)
Ring dips
Front Lunges

Beginner Skill:

Overhead Squat
3-3-3-3

Beginner Workout of the Day (WOD):

10-8-6-4-2 reps of:

Front Squats (95# for men/63# for women)
Push Ups
Overhead lunges with bumper plates (45# for men/25# for women)