This post is for the dates: 0526 - 0604


Post challenge results for these days here.

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This post is for the dates: 0515 - 052509


Post challenge results for these days here.

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This post is for the dates: 050909 - 051409


Post challenge results for these days here.

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I am consolidating the challenge post into 5 day blocks, makes it easy to manage.

Also, take some photos of yourself doing pullups in or on curious places and objects... I would love to post them to the blog.

Happy pullups!

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For dates 050409 - 050909

And here we go. Remember guys, only do 10-25% of baseline each set. The key is to not put yourself into muscular fatigue. If you cant do a single pullup, jumping pullups and or negatives will suffice.

Post your number of sets and reps here at the end each day.

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Hello everyone!

Today is the day we establish our baselines for the challenge. This part is easy... you perform as many pullups as possible without dismounting from the bar or rings. push yourself to the max on this one, and find your true max set. Either kipping pullups or dead hangs are allowed, but whichever you choose is the one you will be greasing the groove with, so keep that in mind.

Post your max reps pullups to comments.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

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Read How to execute a GTG program to get detail on how our pull up challenge will run.

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Just finished the preliminary article explaining how the protocol of our next challenge works.

Check out How Grease the Groove Works.

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Ok guys. Here is the info.

May 1 is our go day for the new challenge. It is a Grease the Groove Challenge with an emphasis on pullups.

This gives you plenty of time to get rings or a pullup bar... And also time to recruit your friends!

DO IT NOW!

Articles on the how's and why's coming shortly.

Please Comment Here if you are going to take part.
Grease the Groove explained

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For time:

25 situps
20 dive bombers (Hindu pushups)
20 flutter kicks (each leg)
20 close grip pushups
20 straight leg raises
20 pushups
25 situps

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Hey guys,

Moving lots of posts around and toying with new structure. Sorry for the confusion.

The "about" tab is broken, as is some of the training module stuff. I am working hard to fix this.

Moving all main blog posts into new categories now!

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Hey guys,

The past 5 days have been crazy for spam attacks on the comments sections. I am still working on clearing them out, and have taken some new security measures. You may notice a new captcha that is a little harder to crack, and other measures have been taken behind the scenes to reduce the attacks. trying to make this website experience as positive as possible.

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As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 minutes of:

- 10 pushups
- 20 situps
- 30 squats

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Hey guys, having trouble with something. I have a couple of logos created, and I am torn between using one of these.... or making a new one.

HELP ME CHOOSE!!

Should I go with the original?



This one?



Or should I just get a new one made.


Please comment on which one you like or dislike, and why?

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5 rounds for time:

30 squats
20 situps
10 pushups

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I am actively working on the site while it is live, so things are getting moved around, created, and destroyed. Just an FYI

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New paint, new lights, and some new equipment. Here is the new and improved CrossFit Alpha

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Hey Guys,

Been working hard on the site. Have a new personal blog that I am still debugging: http://crossfitalphachris.blogspot.com/

This is where I will be hosting my own day to day adventures, and this website will be reserved for things like the workouts and challenges, and general CFA news.

The new challenge will be started soon as well too. Hope you are all ready to do some squats!

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Hey Guys!

Working on a new site layout and navigation.

If there are any improvements you would like made to the site, let me know!

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Congrats to Brian who made a 40lb jump to a new PR with his deadlift.

GREAT JOB MAN!!!

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Our next fitness challenge is going to be centered on the body weight squat and based on "Greasing the Groove" methodology.

Date has not been determined yet.... nor has length of time.

What are your thoughts? Post to comments.

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Surgery went well. I am now mostly recovered. My apologies for dropping of the face of the internet and Earth like I did, recovery was BRUTAL for me.

I am working on returning your e-mails, please be patient!.

Another challenge is in the works as well.

Hope everyone had good holidays.

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As we draw to a close on the Challenge and the holidays, I want to comment on how proud I am of every who has stuck it out and seen great progress with tis challenge.

My goal of this challenge was to provide a supportive atmosphere for a common goal. unfortunately my health took me out early.

I have a deep seated infection in my sinuses and is the cause of my extremely weakened immune system. I go under the knife on Dec 23 to correct it. Keep on pushing guys! The journey is nearly complete.

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Day 35 of the challenge.

Sarah made a comment about the site not being updated. My health has been on a sharp decline, and this is the reason for my lack of updates. I have an AB resistant infection embedded in my sinuses and ears, causing all kinds of problems such as extreme pressure and pain, ruptured eardrums, coordination difficulties, and hearing loss. I have not done my push ups for the last 2 weeks, but If I am well before the end of the challenge....I have a lot of catching up to do!

I go to an ENT specialist on Monday, and hopefully we can find the cause of all of this.

I am proud of everyone for sticking through thus far, and Sarah.... YOU GO GIRL! You are an inspiration to us all.

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Hope everyone has been going strong through the holiday weekend!

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24 days and counting.

Have your muscles adjusted yet, or do you find that you are still very sore?

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Hope every stuffs their faces... I know I will.

Photo from: CrossFit Threshhold


______________________________________________

Day 22 of the 50 day push up challenge

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A summary on holiday safety. How to help protect yourself from crime.


By Chris Drewry
http://www.crossfitalpha.com

The holidays are upon us. A time for reflection, thanksgiving, family, and merriment. This season of the year empowers some of us with a sense of giving and charity, but for others it can embolden them to commit acts of violence and wickedness. Unfortunately, crime doesn't take a holiday. In fact, it often spikes during the holidays.

One of the more common crimes is the personal attack. Be it in the form of a robbery or assault, this is one of the most pervasive encroachments of our personal security that can occur, and can often scar victims emotionally and mentally. Especially when it occurs this time of year.

The question that begs to be answered it this: How can we reduce our chances of becoming a victim to a personal attack if we are alone?

An argument can be made that you should never be out and about alone, but lets be real folks... you have to do things alone, especially this time of year.

In this article we will dive into the criminal psyche and pick apart the hows and whys of their targeting process and how to reduce our chances of being chosen for an attack. Note that I said reduce, not completely prevent.
I have broken down the attack process into stages, as each stage requires a different approach, with higher levels of risk as we progress through them.

I will go over different stages and concepts in future articles, but the first one that will will cover will be:

Stage 1: Marking
A strategic target is often called a mark. If a person has intent to commit a crime, there will be strategy involved in the act. Selecting a target is part of the process.

Think of this as the job interview you never want to have. In this phase the would-be-attacker is measuring you up using many variables to select you, his target, with one priority in mind.... Convenience! Thats right, this hardcore criminal is looking for the easy way out. He wants to have it his way, and he is often willing to wait and choose the situation and person that he deems most advantageous to himself.

But what makes an easy target, what exactly is he looking for, and how can we counter this strategy? We will now go over common marking factors and how we can minimize our potential to become a victim.

Confidence
A criminal does not choose victims who appear to be difficult to overcome. He does not look for a person who can put up a fight. He finds a person that can be overwhelmed and defeated, both physically and mentally. Someone who project confidence in their body language is a far less likely target than the person who seems passive and submissive. The more confident we appear, the less likely we are to be targeted. How do we appear confident, even if we are not?

- Walk Tall: Walk with your head upright and alert. Roll your shoulders back and walk briskly, with purpose.

*If your drag you feet, slump your shoulder forward and drag your feet along the ground.... How do you think you appear?

- Talk Tall: If/when you speak to others (people you don't know) in public, use an authoritative, yet friendly tone, with sufficient volume for the other person to hear.

*Voice fluctuations and tones are major factor in detecting a person's state of mind, it is very important to keep this in mind.

If it walks like a confident duck, looks like a confident duck, and sounds like a confident duck... It's probably one bad-a** duck that a criminal doesn't want to mess with.

Alertness
What is the best kind of offense? History has shown that the best kind of attack is the surprise attack. It is often quick, effective, and devastating; leaving little time for thought or retaliation. Getting caught "with your pants down" is the surest way to defeat, and the fastest way to become a victim. Well...how do we keep our "pants up"?

- Just Say No! To electronics: Get off the cell phone, ipod, pda, and laptop.

*We are a wired in, plugged up, and over distracted society. While these distractions can help us unwind and pass the time, they also occupy multiple senses at a time, effectively diminishing our ability to detect a threat and even follow the other guidelines in this article. Most of these items also hold monetary value, which means they would actually add value to you as a target.

*I bet you have gotten this phone call from someone: "Hey, stay on the phone with me.. I don't feel safe going through this area." This is the wrong approach to take. The person on the other side of the phone will not be able to help you in the event of a personal attack or abduction. The best they could do is call the police, but the police would not arrive until after the event took place. The argument people give me for this is this, "it could help police solve the crime." I don't know about you, but I would rather prevent the crime.

- Be prepared: Have your keys, subway pass, key card, or whatever you may need, while in transit, ready to go. Color code your keys for ease and switness of use. Have all your shopping items ready to stow away quickly.

*Rustling around in your purse or coat because you lost your keys, or fumbling with your keys at your door? I bet all you can think about is where those darn keys are... so engrossed in this search that you didn't notice the man in all black approaching you from behind. That is a bad day! And easily preventable.

- Pay attention: Pay attention to your surroundings. Does something not feel right?

*Our intuition is a great source to tap into, and can be a literal lifesaver.

They key is being alert. We have a tendency to get into the holiday rush and forget whats going on in our surroundings, and that is what the attacker wants.



Visibility
Cover and concealment is prime combat strategy in the military, and for good reason. If they cant see you, they can't shoot or detect you. For personal vigilance and crime prevention, we want to take the opposite approach from the military. We want to maximize our public visibility, where as the criminal would prefer to meet us in a dark alley. Here are some god rules to follow.

- Street Walking: If you find yourself in pedestrian mode, walk on the sidewalk, stay in the street lights and stay close to the curb. If you must walk next to parked cars, try to stay in the middle of the sidewalk.

*Creeps like to hide in side streets, alley ways, and parked cars, snatching victims into the darkness. We want to make it a little bit more difficult for them by creating distance and staying visible to the public.

- Parking: Park your car under a light to maximize visibility around your car. Make sure to look inside your car before stepping into it.

*Attacks in parking lots often happen next to or in the vehicle, you are more at risk when next to your vehicle than when walking to it.

The more visible you are, the most likely people will witness the crime, which is an outstanding deterrent to an attack.


I hope these tips help you and your family have a safe holiday season. Be sure to send this to everyone you know and love.

What are some of your own personal vigilance techniques? Post them in comments.

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No witty remarks today, still working on the self preservation article. it will be posted shortly.

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Well, we are almost upon the halfway mark. We will be switching up the training protocols soon, and I will be posting an article detailing the new approach.

Look for a Holiday Crime prevention series to be posted here soon as well.

Happy Push Ups!

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36 - 26 -16 reps for time

Squats
Situps
High Jumps

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Day 19

How many push ups can you get non stop? Let us know your progress!!!


This slam ball is slammed out.


______________________________________________________________

"High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation." Jack Kinder

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Chris H, whom is stationed in Antarctica, has made it to the front page of crossfit.com. Go check out his photo?

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Rob working it


BTW Sarah, great job on your push up progression!!! Give her a hand!
_____________________________________________________

"I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more." - Jonas Salk

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"Push Sprints"

10 Rounds for time:

100m sprint
10 push ups

These push ups will count for your challenge. This workout is done quickly, literally in a matter of minutes... so remember... MAX EFFORT!

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More Push up fun.


Big announcement coming soon!

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Have you tried changing up hand placement at all?

Try with your hands slightly narrow or wider than normal.

Do some clapping push ups, dive bombers, ring push ups.... try to mix things up!

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Guys,

Myself and my admin, Otto, are working on several new projects, so the website will be freaking out a little. I know that the comments say that everyone is from Lakeland.... I am working on that!

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Day 13

We all make excuses from time to time. Even myself! What matters is how we push through the excuses and reasons and just get things done.

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Im feeling better, and will be back in the challenge today.

How is everyone holding up physically and mentally?

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Day 11 of the Challenge BTW

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Day 10 of the Challenge



Boy am I sick, and not by Pukie chasing me during a workout this time.

PS This is one of CrossFit's mascots... "Pukie the Clown" Some of you have already met him.



Could not push through my push ups today, I hate being this ill. I will hopefully be back in the challenge tomorrow.

____________________________________________


Tactics, fitness, stroke ability, adaptability, experience, and sportsmanship are all necessary for winning. - Fred Perry

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Day 9 of the challenge

Evolutionary Aspects of Exercise, L. Cordain, R.W. Gotshall

Physical Activity, Energy Expenditure and Fitness: An Evolutionary Perspective, L. Cordain, R.W. Gotshall, S.B. Eaton

Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double Edged Sword, L. Cordain

The Slow Train To Fitness, Outside Magazine

Short Term Sprint Interval versus Traditional Endurance Training: Similar Initial Adaptations in Human Skeletal Muscle and Exercise Performance, The Journal of Physiology and Experimental Physiology

_______________________________________________________

Inspire me with love for my art and for thy creatures. In the sufferer let me see only the human being. - Moses Maimonides, The Physician's Oath

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Push up Challenge day 8


How you breathe is almost as important as how you move when we talk about fitness. Make sure that you breathe outward as you enter movements that compress the chest cavity, and inhale as the chest expands. This allows us to maintain proper postural alignment throughout the movement.

How does this relate to push ups?

Not much.

Just remember to breathe on every rep
.

We will go more into form later this week.

____________________________________________

“It has never been so bad, that it couldn't be worse...” Anynomous

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JUST PUSHUPS

PS. Day 7

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Push up Challenge Day 6




You think your push ups are difficult? This is Chris H. doing his challenge at the base of the volcanic Mt. Erebus... in Antarctica!

Awesome job Chris!

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Day 5 of the Push up Challenge


Daniel doing "in and outs"


Lets talk a bit about tenacity today. This mental toughness is what allows us to plow through our CrossFit workouts while keeping that damned clown "pukie" at bay. It makes fitness intensity the beast that it is, and allows us to push through some great physical and mental challenges. Tenacity can be our enemy too. It can cause us to ignore true pain and throw ourselves into injury.

Guys and gals...

While we continue through this challenge, and as we get closer to to the 100 consecutive goal, keep in mind that this is a training challenge and not a punishment test. If you feel you are "pushing" yourself to injury, then back off the intensity or reps. An "oopsie-daisy" while training can set you back weeks or months, now THATS tough on the ego and on our fitness... right DANIEL!?

Have you ever pushed yourself to injury? Tell us about it in comments.

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233 years of service and honor... OOH-RAH!

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The comment counts are dropping, does that mean we are losing people at day 4.

SAY IT IS NOT SO!

Any volunteers for someone to allow me to shoot video of them doing push ups for a "training" video?

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Day 3!

Even my daughter has caught push up fever. She first tried them on the floor, and then on the parallelettes (actually she just started posing on them).






Make it your goal today to try to motivate someone to join in on this challenge with you. It's free and fun!

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10 rounds for time:

10 pushups
10 squats
10 situps

Post time to comments.

Yes this workout does count for your challenge total.

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Second day of the push up challenge.

I have added a buy in option for people starting late. Should you come into this challenge late you will be "charged" a debt of push ups to be payed over a 2-5 day period. See the original challenge post for details.

SO how is everyone feeling this second day?

Document your accomplishments... take video or photos of you doing your push ups in interesting places and I will put them on the site!

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And the fun begins

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The push up....



So lets have a personal challenge: 100 Push ups a day for 50 days

Rules

- Push ups are to be performed:
. in max sets... i.e. go until you can go no more, wait a while(even if it is a few hours) and go again
. 100 total reps within a 24 hour period.
. EVERY DAY! for 50 days

- Keep track of your results, lets keep each other honest. POST HERE! I will create a new blog entry everyday for people to post their experiences.

- Make it a social thing... Lets have fun with it, inspire each other, and get our friends and family involved.

- Ensure each rep is a good rep, chest and hips to ground on bottom, elbows fully locked at top, maintaining full plank.

- Avoid going to your knees at all costs.


- If these goals are too ambitious, then set more realistic ones... maybe 100 push ups on the knees, or 50 wall push ups... we want everyone to be able to participate.

- If you manage to hit 100 consecutive reps in one sitting, move your daily objective up to 150 push ups.

- We will start tomorrow 11/06/08

Good Luck and Have Fun!


EDIT: If you started late, here is the "buy in" procedure to catch you up to the other participants.

The formula for calculating this debt is as follows:

10 pushups x (day number you are entering on) to be paid out over a predetermined time, starting with 2 days. i.e if you start on day 4... you now owe 40 additional push ups to be paid by the end of the(your) second day.

Additional days are added per 100 push up debt owed . i.e. of you enter at day 10, you have 3 days to complete these additional 100 push ups, 4 days for 200, etc etc

If you have any questions... ASK!

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As of yesterday, I am no longer teaching classes at Mid South Krav Maga. I wish them the best of luck, and I will miss all of the members greatly.

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A new feature of the website is that we now offer online training logs. To use them, you first create a profile on our discussion forum. Then you click on the training log section, and create a thread with your name in the title and any starting information you want to post. To update your log, you simply click on the thread you created and click "reply". You then enter relevant information and submit it into the thread.

This is a great way to track your progress and also allow me to oversee and make make suggestions to tweak your training programs.

ENJOY!

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"Long Cycle Burpees"

50 Rounds For time of:

1 Squat
1 Pushup
1 Situp
1 Superman
1 Tuck Jump

Try to combine all of the movements into one fluid movement.... and the long-cycle burpee is born.

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The Pokemon wars continue!

Nice drawing!

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As Many Rounds as Possible in 12 minutes of

10 pushups
15 situps
20 m lunge

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5 rounds for time of

30 second squat hold (bottom of squat)
20 squats
30 seconds full plank (top of pushup)
20 pushups
Post time to comments

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Brit......
Your doing it wrong!@!

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3 rounds for time:

25 tuck jumps
25 pushups
25 squats
25 situps
25 supermans

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Need a place to track your workouts online?

Want to talk to others in the community, and ask questions?

Check out our discussion forum here:

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"Death by Burpee"

With a continuously running clock do one burpee the first minute, two burpees the second minute, three burpees the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Post number of minutes completed to comments.

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More website work. Re-tooling of the dynamic website gallery, addition of the whiteboards gallery, basic cleanup and re-organization.

I am still working on how to sort and search the whiteboards, stay tuned.

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Sam forgot to "hollow" out, and got real friendly with the ground.

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5 rounds of:

400m (1/4 mile) Sprint

Run as hard and fast as you can for each round.

Take adequate rest between rounds.. 3-5 minutes.

Post thoughts to comments.

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Things are looking a little bit different around here!

Here is a run down of projects currently happening with the website....

1.) Removal of the whiteboards from the main blog. I like the idea of posting the whiteboards, but I dont like how much they clutter up the main page. I am considering different options.

2.) Revamping of the navigation. Yes I am retooling the navigation yet again.... With the increase of traffic I find it necessary to streamline things a bit.

3.) Experimenting with new photo gallery widgets. I was not happy with the functionality of the old Flickr widget... it was hard to tell it what you wanted it to do. A new one is in order and I am working with a few different ones to see which I like.

4.) The addition of bodyweight exercise demos. I have finished the shooting of the demos, and now need to edit them. As soon as they are edited expect to see them in the video section.

If you have any suggestions or thoughts, let me know.

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As Many Rounds as Possible in 20 Minutes of

5 burpees
10 situps
15 squats

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Tabata Tuck-Jumps

Do as many tuck-jumps as possible in 20 seconds
followed by 10 seconds of rest

Total time 4 minutes

Post lowest number of jumps in any set.

Then... 2 minutes total time inverted in a hand stand.

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10 rounds for time:

30 seconds handstand hold (use a wall if you need to)
30 seconds squat bottom hold

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Proper lumbar alignment is, bar none, the single most important aspect to managing a load in line with your frontal plane. In plain English... when you pick an object up off the ground, or even overhead, spinal alignment is necessary to safely manage the weight. Often times, when asked to straighten their back during a lift, a CrossFitter will clean up their lumbar curve, but forget to engage active shoulders.

Active shoulder engagement is often lost as the athlete tires, causing sheer force along the top of the spine, forcing the weight away from the frontal plane (the center-most line of the body), and making a load seem much heavier that it really is, which in turn, causes form to degrade even more. This is a vicious cycle that is hard to break, and why we must focus on this even when training with PVC pipes. Take a look at the photo below for an example of a CrossFitter losing active engagement due to fatigue.

A demonstration of inactive shoulders during the deadlift.

See how his shoulders are not rolled, lats are not engaged, and generally the weight is pulling him downwards to the floor... arching his upper spine in the process. This is dangerous at heavy weights, and care should be taken to avoid this at all costs.

When performing a movement such as the deadlift, ensure you have proper spinal alignment, engagement of the shoulders, and full core tension. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the weight against your body as you raise the bar from the floor. Keeping your shoulders as upright as possible throughout the entire movement.

See photo below, noting the alignment of the back.

Proper alignment.

Posted by Chris on 08/10 at 05:32 PM .....

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For time:

50 jumping jacks
50 tuck jumps
50 squats
50 situps
50 pushups
50 mountain climbers

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Spend a total of 5 minutes in a hand stand, or head stand.

This is total time inverted, not total time attempting.

You may use a wall, bar, friend to assist.

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We recently had some fun in the park despite the 100 degree weather.

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Ralph, one of the full-time instructors at Midsouth Krav Maga is leaving us. He is going back to his true passion... teaching our young people proper education.

Included in the studies that he will be presenting to his students will be th 4 "R"s

Reading
Writing
Arithmatic
Right Hook

We are sad to see him go.

Ralph, you will be missed greatly sir.

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From strippercise to circus-trapeze aerobics, gyms and fitness gurus keep coming up with new ways to make working out less of a chore. But though these whimsical classes and instructional DVDs can reinvigorate your gym routine, some of the glitziest (and goofiest) new trends can also put you at risk for sprained ankles, pulled muscles and overexertion. And some don't even give you much of a workout.

Here are seven of the silliest fitness fads—with the lowdown on whether or not they really chisel and tone.

1. Weighted Hula Hooping. Maybe it was the 50th anniversary last month, or maybe it's the buzz over the new Wii Fit version, but Hula Hooping, the backyard mainstay from the 1950s, is back—and a whole lot heavier. National gym chains like Bally Total Fitness now offer hooping classes to kids and seniors alike, with weighted Hula Hoops that participants wheel around their outstretched limbs and torso.

Will the toy-based hybrid of strength and cardio give you the toned curves of Beyonce, who says she hoops to stay svelte? "The unweighted, traditional ones definitely work your core, and you can actually get the cardio system up," says Jim White, certified fitness trainer and spokesman for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). "I would recommend staying with the normal ones—with the weighted [hoops], beginners could pull a muscle."

The verdict: If you can do it, join the hoopligans. But avoid weighted hoops if you're new, and be advised of the gender divide—White says women are far more likely to be able to hoop well than men.

2. Strippercise. Toned celebrities like Kate Hudson and Carmen Electra started shilling this female-only fad five years ago, boasting both body and boudoir benefits from sensual "aerobic striptease" classes. Several variations caught on—pole-dancing classes, chair-centered lap-dance routines and floor exercises (the latter a Pilates-like workout that involves a combination of ab-stimulating moves and seductive hair-tossing). Let's forget the existential questions about whether pretending to be a stripper is empowering or degrading, can it get you in shape? "When my girlfriend first said she was going, I was kind of concerned," laughs the ADA's Jim White. "But it really increases your confidence, and you get a great workout."

However, those with weak ankles or shy spirits, beware: strapping on the eight-inch-heeled exotic-dance platforms that some classes use can result in serious injury, says Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. "The stiletto heels ... don't really put the foot and ankle in the most advantageous position," says Bryant. "It's part of the shtick, but purely from the biomedical standpoint, you really want to exercise caution."

The verdict: Sure, it's fun, but it's probably better as a novelty activity at bachelorette parties and group outings than something for dedicated gym rats.

3. The Bodyblade . Take the long, swordlike plastic bar, hoist it overhead and shake vigorously for a trunk-targeted workout that supposedly causes up to 270 muscle contractions per minute, giving you washboard abs and ropey shoulders that are rounded, not chiseled. The device uses physics as its premise: once set into motion, the oscillating bar must be stopped by your effort to overcome its inertia. That straining is the workout. Though it's making the rounds as the "new" thing, Bryant says Bodyblade-like bars have been around in physical therapy practices for years. "It helps you challenge the neuromuscular system—how the nerves communicate with the muscles, and relearning that process," he says. What if you're just looking for core stability? White, who's never tried the Bodyblade, says he has one client who bought into the trend—for a while. "To be honest, I think she used it for about a month and then moved on," he says.

The verdict: Can be good for physical therapy but otherwise a fickle fad. If you don't mind looking like an idiot, and not knowing how many calories it burns (the makers disclose no numbers, saying it's "difficult to calculate"), give it a spin.

4. Cirque du Soleil-Inspired "Aerial Aerobics." The breathtaking stunts of the world's best-known circus acrobatics troupe first inspired workouts at trendy gyms like Crunch and Equinox and have now spawned "aerial fitness studios" where you tone up by defying gravity. The premise of "fabric aerobics" is simple: just shimmy to the top of a cloth lanyard, wrap it around your feet and hang, limbs dangling. Sounds easy, right? Maybe not: "They told me it was Pilates but with hanging hammock things," says my colleague Jessica Bennett, who tried it, "but you seriously had to be an acrobat." The bare-minimum skill level for a workout like this—the class is called "Fabric" at Crunch—might be good enough to get you into the circus.

The verdict: The greatest of ease? Yeah, right. "It can backfire from the standpoint that you feel really inadequate," Bryant says—and who needs one more reason not to exercise?

5. Wind-Relieving Asana. Thought fiber was the only natural remedy for expelling excess gas? Think again: this series of yoga postures assumed in asana-based classes assists air in exiting your digestive tract—in a room full of people. The motions involve lying flat on your back and pulling your left, right or both knees into your tensed stomach, squeezing out the stale air or, in instructor's lingo, engaging your abdominal region to assist with elimination. The poses are also said to enhance supine strength and flexibility, making them optimal for those with both bad backs and Metamucil in their pantries (read: old people). "It could certainly be helpful with some individuals in terms of [their] low backs," says Bryant. "But the whole flatulence aspect—I'm not so sure that there's a great deal of physiological support for that being a need."

The verdict: Group flatu-fitness? We'll pass.

6. Wii Fit Ski-Jump. Some of the applications for Nintendo's latest gee-whiz gadget are gathering a cultlike following for their fitness-is-fun virtual workouts, all centered on a floor pad that senses your movement. The "Two-Person Run" lets you jog around a lush digital island, for example, without leaving your living room, and White says it's very popular with his clients. But others, like "Ski Jumping," require extra vigilance to get the full fitness payoff—meaning, holding the poses for the right amount of time and managing your breath correctly. Marked as a balance-improver, the ski jump requires the jumper to remain in a slight squat position for a few seconds before quickly straightening up. But White says: slow your release in any squat to get the toning payoff. "Make sure you're not holding your breath, and hold the release for anywhere from four to five seconds," he says. The other requirements? Ponying up the $90 for the Fit (plus about $250 for the Wii console).

The verdict: Wii workouts can be virtually sweat-free, but hold it right, and you could improve your rear view.

7. Dorm Room Workouts. College-geared fitness guides like "Dorm Room Diet Workout," by Daphne Oz (daughter of oft-quoted health guru Dr. Mehmet Oz) say the freshman 15 is an elective, not a requirement—and with just 20 minutes of milling around your 9-by-10-foot room, you can stave off the creeping pudge. But when just about every college in America has a gym, why do pushups under a backpack of textbooks? Lack of time, says Oz, whose 20-minute fitness DVD shows a series of room-based stretches and leg lifts that profess to be a shortcut to a toned physique.

But by itself, it's not enough, says Bryant. A Cornell study of college diets suggests that freshman gain over a third of a pound per week during their first semester—meaning a calorie intake that commercial-break chair dips alone won't cancel out. "You can't spot reduce, and everything has to be combined—cardio, weight training and the proper diet," says White. "That's the bottom line with respect to all of these fads—it comes down to hard work."

The verdict: 20 minutes alone in your room won't justify pizza and beer—or win you lasting college memories. But when combined with other healthy habits, it earns high marks.

Original Source: Newsweek

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For Time:

75 Burpees


Compare to This Workout

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Today's Workout

10 Burpees
50 Mountian Climbers
10 Burpees
50 Situps
10 Burpees
50 Squats
10 Burpees
50 Pushups
10 Burpees

Compare to This Workout

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When you think of strength, what comes to mind? Most likely, the image floating in your head is of the quintessential large male complex perpetrated by the king of bodybuilding. The words I use may seem harsh, and while Arnold may have motivated an army of followers to get into the gym... I would argue he is neither the definition of strength, nor fitness. He is a specialist in the ability to produce large muscle mass, that it all, not a poster-child for fitness.

When I think of fitness, I imagine individuals doing what seems to be incredulous, and well beyond normal expectations. Simply the ability to manipulate the body as it was intended and expressing the motions in a manifestation of physical prowess across multiple time and modal domains... that is what is in my mind.

If I could choose one person to epitomize this, my vision, my goal; it would be Nicole Carrol.

Here she is spanking the pants off of a much larger, seemingly "fit" male. Please note that the weight they are using is 95 lbs. and she weighs in at 123 lbs.






What is your definition of fitness/strength?

To be continued...

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Todays workout is one of my favorites:

10 rounds for time:

10 Push-ups
10 Situps
10 Squats

Post times

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Great job everyone who attended! It was a great class.

Sam pushing through Tabata Squats

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I am implementing a FAQ, please enter questions you would like to see added to the comments section Here

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4 Rounds For Time:

15 Pushups
25 Squats
25 Situps

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For time:

10 pushups
20 tuck jumps
30 situps
40 squats
50 mountain climbers
40 squats
30 situps
20 tuck jumps
10 pushups

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Thank you to everyone who attended! It was a smashing success, and I can't wait until next week. Click here for more photos.

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21-15-9 reps for time.

Lunges (both legs per 1 rep)
Situps
Burpees

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Wow!

The website has been dead!

I went from editing it daily, to none in a week.

I apologize for this, I have been prepping for the transition from Corporate slave, to full time trainer. Program integration is going well at Mid South Krav Maga, and we hope to have the CrossFit program there in full swing by Aug 1. Personal training will still be available at the Lakeland garage gym, but will also be available at the midtown center as well.

Group classes will only be offered at the midtown center after Aug 1.

I will post new bodyweight workouts this week.. I promise!

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Mini Cindy

as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

50 Jumping jacks
10 Pushups
15 Squats

Post rounds completed to comments.

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I am revamping the website, moving it more towards the community aspect that I originally envisioned. It will still support my personal training sessions, and also the classes I will be hosting at Mid South Krav Maga , but will be more community orientated. The forums will also be revamped to prepare for this move into a combined effort of MSKM and CFA.

Great things on the fitness front for Memphis.

Please note the addition of Mid South Krav Maga as the primary facility. This will be the new home for our group training classes.

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Run 3 miles.

Its boring, its tedious, but we do have to do some LSD running sometimes.

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From the CrossFit message board 6-22-08:

Great response from Coach to a less than brilliant comment. Original comment is first:

Lee #128- youre (sic) right on- except that alot (sic) of this success is due to great marketing as well as efficacy - and those strategies could be replicated if anyone cared to- and someone will. You downplay the importance of marketing - but remember the biggest criticism of crossfit (sic) by people who are presumably jealous of its success is that none of this is particularly new- a few elements- but its basically sourcing the extant knowledge with a few twists and the rest is in presentation.
Im (sic) just saying that marketing has a bigger role in this than youll (sic) allow. Ever heard of Ross training? Well- he isnt (sic) great at marketing-maybe thats why.
The acid test will be when a major competitor comes to the table with a new twist on the presentation- they can easily adopt the principles without acknowledging much.

Continued...... Basically, aside from the name- none of this technique is propritary (sic) - and eventually youll (sic) see more, rather than less of the people like the guy in SA - who only said that he used techniques based on Crossfit (sic) - he was riding on name recognition- but someone at some point will come out with something very similar under a different name and with a new angle-then the competition with Crossfit (sic) will begin. And that isnt necesarily a bad thing- for Crossfit (sic) or the consumer- its just the way of the market. The way I see it; Crossfit (sic) hasnt (sic) reached its tipping point- but it will and trademarked names or not- there will be meaningful competition within five years.
Globo gyms capture market share by being amentiy (sic) rich- their appeal is with day care and spa services and laundry valets- the smaller globo models will figure out that to compete they will either have to ramp up facilities or jump on the old skool bandwagon. Thats (sic) when youll (sic) see new names come out and see this model imitated more widely. They may be starting a grassroots fitness revolution- but market share is the principle behind thousands of affiliates under one name- thats (sic) the best way to keep your version of a great idea on top-its working for you isnt (sic) it?
Remember how AOL won the case against the phone companies- the ubiquity of the dial tone.
The best thing for Crossfit (sic) is to have the word turned into a verb- and surprise surprise- at my certs I dont (sic) hear the word exercise - I heard the word- "crossfitting"
Smart move.
Notice the reaction to the guy in SA- all he said was that he imitated Crossfit- he stated that he wasnt affiliated.
one day Crossfit (sic) will be so big and the competition will be sophisticated enough to the point that that very assertion would be more helpful rather than a threat.
All businesses mature- Crossfit (sic) is not only borrowing from many fitness traditions- they are utilising (sic) marketing principles well known in the entertainment industry for years now- and youll (sic) note that they offer media seminars and affiliate seminars as well now- so Im sure they are aware that growth phases only last for so long. . For my money- it works and like you and most others- thats (sic) all I need to know- I dont (sic) have a dog in this fight.

Comment #240 - Posted by: james at June 21, 2008 3:28 PM

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James,

The problem with Ross Training (which is great training) is that Ross hung out on our msg board for a couple of years before launching his program and was at first every bit as much a newbie as anyone has ever been. This is the same problem Mark Twight has compounded with his illegal copyright theft and unethical plagiarism.

Ross is guilty of nothing. He's reinvented the wheel while this community watched. He's reaching people we might not have, and it doesn't take much exposure to find your way back to the source. (Derivative is praiseworthy ONLY when accompanied by improvement. Improvement will be recognized by data. Those are the world's rules.)

The line of reasoning that "the elements of CrossFit were well known and that therefor the program is not original" is factually and logically untenable. Beethoven invented nothing - the notes were each known to all. Shakespeare did nothing original in Hamlet - the words were common place. Andrew Wyeth bought his tempera from readily available sources - colors we've all seen before, so no original works there. Wofgang Puck is no chef - he's using ingredients I can find in my local grocery store. Absurd utterances each, stupid to repeat, and dangerous if believed.

CrossFit is as original as any novel, poem, musical score, recipe OR software (always ones and zeros, therefor never original). The argument you describe is, Sir, stupid, indefensible, and shocking. I don't fault you for it, however. You didn't think it through.

This argument/observation, used sadly by our dear friend Phil Mancini last week, is so weak that when it was offered by one of the Queen's JAG's in Canada during meetings to formally decide whether Canadian Forces needed to attribute/compensate CrossFit for their use of our program, immediately on hearing this week line of argument, the majority quickly decided that this, CrossFit, was IP and that attribution, compensation, and licensing was morally, ethically, and legally required. Good, good, people Canadians. Neither stupid nor dishonest. Great combination of attributes.

And, as for your comment about this, CrossFit, being "extant knowledge", on this point you're 100% wrong.

We've weathered attacks against every single facet of this concept from academia, commercial fitness, athletic training, and Internet turds with no athletic training or experience beyond Internet posting (DD, IronGarm, T-Nation). Truth is CrossFit is "Bizarro World" different from what is going on at every university sports program (except the ones we've infected), commercial gyms (except for the ones we've infected), and among exercise physiologists (except for the ones we've infected).

Our problem, your problem, James, is that you came in during the third stage of Arthur Schopenhauer's dictum that "every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first it is ridiculed; in the second it is opposed; in the third it is regarded as self-evident." I actually enjoyed the first and second phases best!

Your comments about marketing are spot on. I mentioned unreplicatable methods only to describe the failure in using ineffective programming with the same marketing efforts, or slightly altered or indistinguishable programming to identical marketing efforts.

Let me be clear. Anyone that does for plumbing, architecture, or lawyering what we've done for fitness - create something uniquely effective, and then couple that with our open source, community developing, methods-results-criticisms held to light methodology, will find themselves significantly more successful than businesses as usual.

We "get" blogging, open-source, the Internet, and the new "peer review", like few people anywhere in business. The blogging community doesn't even recognize us as a blog - we're an experiential blog not a self-indulgent teenager's diary so they don't see us. True for folks at MoveableType, amazingly!
Comment #309 - Posted by: Coach at June 22, 2008 7:32 AM

__________________________________________

And another great reply from Coach:

SheepDawg007 #106,

You make some good points but miss more than you make.

CrossFit never took off in Santa Cruz. It took off on the Net. From arriving in 95 to launching the website in '01 we had near zero growth. From launching the website in '01 to leaving Santa Cruz in '06 we saw several thousand percent growth!!

Work capacity across broad time and modal domains, CrossFit, is hugely more correlative of athletic potential than anything except athletic fame mentioned in the WSJ article. (This is part of the absurdity of the article.) This is why we've been able to improve the level of athletic performance substantially where substantial improvements are exceedingly rare - where the margins of improved performance are tight. You want to move quickly from Bronze Medal to Gold then CrossFit holds a potential that we can find by no other means.

The question as to whether a CrossFitter is a better basketball player than Larry Bird is fruitless - even misdirected. Would Larry Bird have been a better basketball player with CrossFit? Would two players of Bird's potential remain equal in basketball capacity if one CF'd and the other did not? The first answer is, "hell yes". The second, "hell no". No one who has worked with world class sport athletes in conjunction with CrossFit have any doubt whatsoever. BJ Penn: "CrossFit is like cheating". There are 100's of his caliber who feel the same.

Sport oprtimally develops sport prowess. CrossFit is unrivaled at developing fitness. Fitness is an essential/critical component of sport and athletics. Fitness is the most important component of athleticism. NOT ONE WORLD CLASS ATHLETE OF THOUSANDS WE'VE TRAINED HAS APPROACHED THE FITNESS LEVEL OF A GOOD CROSSFITTER. Not one. (That will change - probably next year.)

No non-CrossFitting sport athlete has demonstrated work capacity like a CrossFitter for the same reason that no non football playing CrossFitter has ever demonstrated the football capacity of football player. It's not their game. We're fitter than non CrossFitting athletes because CrossFit has refined, defined, and focused on fitness far beyond what is being done for sport. The S&C training for most professional sports is....well...frankly...demonstrably ineffective, and fundamentally stupid. We prove that for a living.

We are unique in having defined fitness, first, and and in mathematical terms, second. We've given fitness a scientific footing where none existed before. That is the reason for our successes and popularity (entirely different measures).

Your claims about the mental toughness CrossFit develops are diametrically opposed to the testimony of soldiers engaged in combat, cops in gunfights, and Olympic and professional ball-sport athletes. They'd disagree with you 100%. You use the fighting example, BJ and Chuck Lidell and others, it's quite typical, will tell you they fear nothing like CF. I use those two as examples because they fight for fun and both absolutely positively DREAD CrossFit. Chuck told John Hackelman he'd rather fight Rampage everyday than do the WOD. (On a humorous but instructive note: Chuck told John Hackleman that he wanted to beat my ass more than anyone else's in the world. I actually puckered up a bit. I sent Greg Amundson to go train with him, and Greg came back and said, "great guy, so nice; he wants a piece of you!")

There are legions of NFL, NBA, NHL, Olympic, MMA mega-champions CrossFitting. None has a CrossFit WOD record. I was made privy to Fran and Helen times for starters on a decade long dominant NFL franchise. The times look much more like Brad Pitt's (yep, I just outed him and his trainer) than OPT's or Amundson's. Much closer.

The winner of the CrossFit Games will be the world champion of the "Sport of Fitness" and will have reasonable, supportable, accurate, and precise claim to being a) one of the best athletes on earth, and b) the fittest man/woman/beast alive.

I'd hate to have to argue against that. I'd lose.

Sir, with deep respect, you're very, very wrong.
Comment #114 - Posted by: Coach at June 22, 2008 1:07 PM

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Some people think so.

While performing a workout last week that involved running with a 45 lb dumbell... Tim had a lady drive by him, slow waaaaay down, and as she passed him she exclaimed "What the f***!"

To her I reply. "Elite Fitness... that's what."

GET SOME! GO AGAIN!

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Tabata Burpees

8 rounds: As many burpees as possible in 20 seconds 10 seconds of rest 4 minutes total: You score is the lowest number of burpees you did in any round.

This is not golf people, low score does NOT win.

Post score

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4 rounds for time:

25 pushups
25 squats
25 tuck jumps
25 situps
25 lunges each leg

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Helen rocking one of our new kettlebells Ask us about our new Personal Kettlebell Training program.

Posted by Chris on 06/15 at 08:51 PM .....

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For Time:

80 Jumping Jacks (2 count... 160 total)
70 Mountain Climbers (70 each leg)
60 Squats
50 Situps
40 Pushups
30 Straight Leg Raises
20 Lunges (10 each leg)
10 Burpees

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5 rounds:

- Run/jog/walk (based on physical fitness level) for 3 minutes
- 15 squats
- 15 pushups
- 15 siitups


Welcome Back Adam.. We Missed You Bud!

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I discovered the source of a few of the 6.xx errors and will be taking steps in the future to prevent problems.

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