Ok guys, I'll be honest.  I like having the big classes back again!  When there were multiple classes throughout the day, everyone was spread out....and I started to miss you guys.  I'm glad I get to see everyone at the evening classes again!  (I realize this is completely selfish, but it's true)

The workout last night was:

100 squats
5 muscle ups
75 squats
10 muscle ups
50 squats
15 muscle ups
25 squats
20 muscle ups

The key to this workout is NOT to add up in your head how many squats you'll be doing.  If you add it up ahead of time, your legs will start plotting against you.  They'll be like, "Ok, you've gotta be kidding.  250  squats? That's Tom Cruise Crazy; I'm not doing it." You'll then have to convince your legs to get moving or ELSE.  DON'T MAKE ME PULL THIS WORKOUT OVER!  

Everyone did a fantastic job.  I tried taking pictures, but 12 people squatting simultaneously turn out VERY blurry.  I think this goes back to my rant a while back about how I need a better camera. Once you guys got through 175 squats you started moving slow enough for pictures to turn out.  I can't wait to see who will be the next member of the muscle up club!  We have a few people very close.  You're definitely strong enough to do it, you just have to hammer away at the technique. 

Muscle Up Progressions

Want to be a member of the muscle up club?  Watch this video of Erik.  Transitioning from the pull to the bottom of the dip is the hardest part of the movement, and the most difficult part to master.  Master that part, and you'll be in the muscle up club in no time! 

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/2985855[/vimeo]

Please note that the new schedule is now effective.  With Bill leaving, we will be eliminating a few of our class times.

I want to thank everyone who came out on Saturday night to Bill's going away party.  It means a lot to both of us that you were there to share a few drinks, a few laughs and a lot of my Mom's baking.  Thanks for being the BEST group of CrossFitters ever!  

Did you guys see our neighbors to the south in the Daily Herald today?  Can anyone guess what the workout was that the reporter got to watch?  

It never fails....you try and have a civilized party, and some lumberjack shows up!  Took me 10 minutes to convince him to leave his axe outside!

Lumberjack

Happy Saturday morning everyone!  Saturday morning still remains our largest class of the week.  It's always a treat to start my weekend off working out with your bright and smiling faces.  Yesterday we worked on our overhead squats. 

As a team, complete 150 ohs (40kg)
*after each set, both team members must do 5 clapping push-ups before starting the next set.

In other words, do it in as few sets as possible, unless you like clapping push-ups!  We tried to pair everyone up based on what weights they were using, and it seemed to workout well.  It's easy to under estimate how hard it is to get that weight over your head and stabilize it.  Pete and Clark get the award for "beast skills" for being the only group to do the workout as prescribed.  

Did anyone notice Brittany's clapping push-ups?  Apparently normal clapping push-ups aren't hard enough for her.  Instead of just clapping her hands at the top, she actually gets her feet off the floor too!  Hands and feet leave the floor at the same time!

Some of us were pretty sad that we came to the Fort yesterday only to learn that the workout was NOT a team event. And then to add to our disappointment, we learned that the workout involved tabata rowing. It's like regular rowing, but with a little more suck added to it! The workout was a repeat of Bill's "Tabata Sandwich" that we did not too long ago.

Tabata Row - for distance
1/2 tabata pull-ups
1/2 tabata squats
Tabata Row - for distance

We were spared on the pull-ups and squats, and only had to do 4 intervals of those. We did the full 8 intervals on the rowing though. I jumped in with the 6PM class, and we were "Team Estrogen". Even though it wasn't a team workout, we still came up with a team name. Everyone did GREAT! Thank goodness Stacy was there, she kept us on pace for squats, while Brittany kept us on pace during the rows. Those long limbs of hers make her a dyn-o-mite rower!

So I hate to brag....but my cousin is a REALLY good deadlifter!  Yesterday we did "Mr. Joshua":

5 rounds for time:
Run 400 Meters
30 sit-ups
15 deadlifts

Not only did Liz run like a gazelle, she also busted out this amazingly good deadlift form!  Seriously...it runs in the family.  I'm fully prepared to take all the credit for her success.  Ok, just kidding.  I wonder how many other cousins I have that are closet deadlifters...

 [vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/2947638[/vimeo]

Yesterday Bill gave everyone a choice to either run or row for the workout.  The workout was:

1000M row (800M run)
9 cleans (70/40kg)
750M row (600M run)
15 cleans (50/35kg)
500M row (400M run)
21 cleans (40/40kg)

For those of you not from "around here", the temperature yesterday was hoovering right about 15.  Yep, 15 degrees.  I saw that there was an option to run, and quickly headed upstairs to the rowers.  Amazingly, some of our CrossFitters must have been DYING to run....so they did!  I wish I had a few more pictures of their red little noses as they came back in from their runs!  You guys are tough!

Um, excuse me.....who made this big mess!?  It's a good thing you're so cute!

Yesterday the workout took on a new shape. Bill has decided to tempt fate, and teach all of us how to do clapping push-ups. For those of you unfamiliar with this movement, just imagine pushing REALLY hard out of the bottom of the push-up, clapping your hands, and then catching yourself before you eat stall mat. It's a little scary for those of us with less than stellar upper body strength. That split second that your hands leave the stall mats is totally scary...but I bet it looks REALLY cool!  

The workout yesterday was heavy push jerks, followed by 5 rounds for time of: 8 pull-ups, 8 clapping push-ups, row 200 meters. Everyone did a GREAT job! Check out our newest member, Mark, and his SWEET clapping push-up!