Death Squat

Dave Tate busting out 35 reps of 365 lbs on the squat... in ONE set. (Rated "R" for language). There are some strong dudes in the video. Good stuff, and a good watch. Uhhh, I did 265 for 5 reps this morning. I'll bet that girl in that vid can probably lift circles around me.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/death_squat

2009 CrossFit Games Start Tomorrow

The events for the first day of competition are set. They are as follows:

Event 1 - The Run
The first event is a 7.1km run through varied terrain including both asphalt and extremely steep hills off trail. The athlete's time will be electronically determined by a chip given to the athlete prior to the race.

Event 2 - The Deadlift
Heaviest successful deadlift completed lifting one rep every 30sec. Each competitor will begin at the first barbell, which weighs 315lbs for men and 185lbs for women. Dropping is permitted. The athlete then has 10sec plus any portion of the 20sec remaining to set up at the next bar, which is 10lbs heavier than the previous (so the second bar weighs 325/195). Athletes continue moving to progressively heavier bars until they fail. The athletes are ranked according to the heaviest successful weight lifted before failing.

Event 3 - The Sandbag Hill Sprint
The men will pick up two 35lb sandbags (loosely packed) and sprint approximately 170m uphill. The sandbags begin flat on the ground. The sprint is steep in places, with approximately 100' in elevation gain over the 170m course. Women carry one 35lb sandbag for the same course.

Event 4 - Row / Hammer Stake
Row 500m
Hammer a 4' metal stake into specially prepared, evenly compacted ground (women use a 3' stake)
Row 500m
Details and standards will be given to the athletes on Saturday afternoon.

Event 5 - The Couplet
The two exercises are wallball and barbell snatch. The specifics of the workout will be disclosed on Saturday afternoon. We want the athletes to have the privilege of being the first to perform this exact workout.

Looks like a crazy first day... Good luck to all competitors!

It's been a while

It's been far too long since I've posted on here. I've been on vacation for 2 weeks and then had a week to catch up on work. Next week I plan to be back in the swing of things. Keep an eye out for more posts next week as time in my garage sparks ideas to write on the blog...

Don't Give up on meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I've been super busy with a ton of stuff lately. I also have not trained at all this week. I'm hoping to get out to the garage for a squat session (5x3 going for 285 x 3)... My sister-in-law is coming over, so I'm hoping that will keep my wife busy for a little bit!

Follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/jgalon04

Haven't forgot about this blog. Just been REAL busy. Hopefully some updates will be posted tomorrow.

NEW GADGET

Hey everyone, do you see the new gadget on the right above Operation Phoenix? It reads, "CrossFit- free issue." Click on that picture and read the document on that page. It's a great read and is what first introduced me to the idea of actual, measureable fitness. What is is, what it isn't, and one way to achieve it.

Lauren Erwin pictured above: http://games2009.crossfit.com/competitors/athlete-profile-lauren-erwin.html

Lies, Lies, Lies

I'll never forget the first time I lifted a barbell. I was in my cousin's basement laying on a bench at a monstrous 125 pounds. He asked me, "What weight do you think you can do 10 times for a bench press?" I said, "Ahhhh, how about just the bar?" And I struggled to get that bar up 10 times. But it was there, in that basement, that I "learned" how to lift weights... The classic rules applied- body part split with a lot of isolation movements (i.e. curls, tricep extensions, calf raises, etc.). And I continued that for many years getting pretty much no where. But the thing was, I noticed just about everybody else in the gym doing the same exact thing! Monday was bench day, Tuesday was arms day, Wednesday was back/shoulder day, Thursday was calf day, and Friday was... whatever I felt like.

I'm here to tell you that this type of program will (a) not get you anywhere near fit, (b) will get you sub-par strength, and (c) and sub-par results in strength and asthetics. You and I were lied to... The majority of your lifting should consist of the major lifts. Squats, Deadlifts, Presses, Pullups, and Benching should be the focal point of your training regimine... Why? Simple.

I am borrowing this train of thought from Pat Sherwood a head trainer at CrossFit HQ... Why am I training? Well, it's really simple. I want to move heavy stuff long distances as quickly as possible. Now.

Heavy stuff = Big loads = Force

Long distances = Distance

Quickly = Time

Some simple High School Science

Force * Distance = Work

_________________

Time= Power

It's a bit difficult doing math equations using this blogger, but the basis of the premise is that Force times Distance = Work. Divide that equation by Time, and you get POWER. Power on- tap. Hulk like power. Power that can be applied to any situation you find yourself in. Pulling out bushes from the ground, jacking up a flat tire on the highway, playing football, bringing in groceries- endless applications.

My goal is to generate raw power, and the most efficient way that has both been proven with actual numbers and in my own routines over the years has been modeling my training program around those core lifts. So, ditch those bicep curls and "skull crushers," and pick up some functional movements... Trust me, you'll be glad you did. I know I was.

You can see Pat Sherwood's lecture (under 4 minutes) here: http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_SherwoodWhyFunctional.wmv