Jon Rosenberg practices intensely. Since day one this guy has brought IT to every workout. One of the nicest guys you will ever run across. Doesn’t say much. Just gets IT done.

Announcement:

This Saturday the SoCal Sectional Finals are GOING DOWN! As of now we have 6 men in contention to move on to the SouthWest Regionals. In order of ranking we have:

Mens Open:(Top 60 will qualify to move on)

6th place: Kenny Leverich

29th place: Matt Banwart

41st place: Justin Flynn

59th place: Vince Kong

45-49 Masters division: (Top 20 will qualify to move on)

20th place: Joe Maga

50-54 Masters division:  (Top 20 will qualify to move on)

20th place: Don Murray

As you can see, Kenny and Matt are virtual locks to move on. Justin needs a solid day on Saturday to secure his spot. While Vince, Joe, and Don need to bring IT all on Saturday to move on. The Masters don’t have a Regional so if Joe and Don make it they will go straight to the REEBOK WORLD CROSSFIT GAMES at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles in July.

We need all the support we can get from our amazing family here at Orange Coast CrossFit. PLEASE come out and support our crew as they take on some of the countrys best CrossFitters this Saturday. Go here for more info and post to comments if you plan on coming out.

Top 3 out of 6 Keys to being excellent at anything.  From Tony Schwartz (Harvard Business Review)

1.  Pursue what you love. Passion is an incredible motivator. It fuels focus, resilience, and perseverance.

2.  Do the hardest work first. We all move instinctively toward pleasure and away from pain. Most great performers, Ericsson and others have found, delay gratification and take on the difficult work of practice in the mornings, before they do anything else. That’s when most of us have the most energy and the fewest distractions.

3. Practice intensely, without interruption for short periods of no longer than 90 minutes and then take a break. Ninety minutes appears to be the maximum amount of time that we can bring the highest level of focus to any given activity. The evidence is equally strong that great performers practice no more than 4 ½ hours a day.

In the article Schwartz writes…

“Like everyone who studies performance, I’m indebted to the extraordinary Anders Ericsson, arguably the world’s leading researcher into high performance. For more than two decades, Ericsson has been making the case that it’s not inherited talent which determines how good we become at something, but rather how hard we’re willing to work — something he calls “deliberate practice.” Numerous researchers now agree that 10,000 hours of such practice is the minimum necessary to achieve expertise in any complex domain.”

Passion fuels perseverance, pain turns to pleasure, practice turns to perfection.  This is a recipe for success.  Results in any aspect of life can be difficult to attain without the proper formula.  Without guidelines for achievement there is not much room for success.  These top three keys hopefully give you a perspective not only in achieving your goals in CrossFit but also in life.

Workout of the Day

A.  3 Sets:
10x Front Squat
5x Push Jerk
Rest 3:00

(Go from the FS right into the Push jerk. Use one barbell, go has heavy as possible.)

B. 3 RFT

20 KBS (red/yellow)

20 Box Jump

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The photos above show Charles transformation on CrossFit plus a Paleolithic Diet. Photos are one year apart.

Name: Charles Lee

Age: 31

Occupation: Engineer

Hometown: Hacienda Heights

How long have you been CrossFitting: Just over a year

What were you doing before CrossFit: Globo gym, basketball, running

Favorite WoD: Grace

Favorite Lift: Snatch

Best Acheivement: An 8th place finish at the 2011 OC ThrowDown

Diet: 95% Paleo

Best thing about Orange Coast CrossFit: Definetely the energy and encouragement of the athletes at the box.

Hobbies outside of CrossFit? Basketball, snowboarding, mountain biking and mahjong.

How long before you started seeing results: 2 months…but it was more my friends noticing more than me…I’m oblivious to stuff like that

Advice to new members: Whatever movement you hate…learn to love it.

Last words: Damn Kenny…you’re done already???

Workout of the Day

A. Power Snatch 3-3-3-3-3 (keep your hands on the bar. No Dumping)

A. 7 RFT:
15 Power Snatch (75/55)
12 Pistols (alternating)
9 HSPU.

Posted in Main Posts | 21 Comments »

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Frederick Douglass

Do you avoid WoDs that expose your weaknesses?  If so, STOP!  Being a cherry picker only hurts one person, you.  An important element of CrossFit is to be well rounded and prepared for any and everything that life throws at you.  If you consistently avoid what needs the most work, then you will consistently stay the same.  Next time a WoD comes up that has a movement you tend to avoid, embrace it and look at it as an opportunity to improve.  Focus on the technique of the movement and think about how your body is moving.  And always feel free to ask the coach for a few pointers.  Who knows, maybe that weakness will soon become a strength!

WoD

“Helton”

3 RFT
Run 800 meters
30 reps dumbell squat cleans (40/20)
30 Burpees

In memory of…

U.S. Air Force Security Forces 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, 24, of Monroe, GA, assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, was killed September 8th, 2009, while on a mission near Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.

Posted in Main Posts | 4 Comments »

One word…Ferocious

Now that most of you have participated in all six of workouts from this years Open, which has been your favorite?  Regardless if you competed in The Open or not, we’d love to hear your feedback about any and all of the WoDs!

If you need a quick refresher…

11.1 Double Unders/Snatch

11.2 Deadlift/Push-up/Box Jump

11.3 Squat Clean & Jerk

11.4 Burpee/OHS/Muscle Up

11.5 Power Clean/Toes to Bar/Wall Ball

11.6 Thruster/Pull Up

Announcement~

If you are part of the morning crew please follow this link.

WoD

A. Deadlift  5-5-3-3-1-1-1

B. Grace

30 clean and jerks FT (135/85)

Posted in Main Posts | 14 Comments »

Sheree…once a newbie…now a WoDKILLA!

This blog goes out to all the newbs!  Congrats on making life changes and stepping “outside” the box.  Even though CrossFit is becoming more and more popular, it still takes some nerves to come to that first class!  The best advice I can give you is simple, be consistent.  I must talk about consistency once a month not to bore you but to remind you that that is what it takes.  No one can do the work for you but we can help encourage you along the way.

I know it must feel intimidating watching some of our athletes get after it but trust me when I say they all started out the same way.  I remember when some of our top athletes were learning how to do their first kipping pull-up or handstand pushup.  We all had to start somewhere and to be honest, we are all students of elite fitness here constantly learning how to get stronger, faster, and more mentally capable of completing the feats before us.

The last workout of the 2011 CrossFit Games Open happens this Saturday in Aliso Viejo. Its all going down in a huge warehouse with about two hundred athletes competing for just a 6o spots in the Open mens and womens and 2o spots for the masters. We have about 2o OCCF athletes competing this Saturday. There will be quite a few members who are coming out to support our box. Come out and join us!! For more info go here, and talk to anyone of the coaches to find out how you can get involved. We need your support!

If you’re interested here’s the latest blog I wrote for SICFIT

WOD 11.6

- 7 Minute AMRRAP (Sort of) – Thruster weight (100lb men, 65lb women) – Chest to Bar Pullups

- 3 Thrusters/3 CTB Pullups, 6 Thrusters/6 CTB Pullups, 9 Thrusters/9 CTB Pullups, 12,15,18,21,24 etc…

This workout is ongoing for 7 minutes so the more you can complete the better you’ll do! All out on this one for sure

Posted in Main Posts | 12 Comments »

Ryan Flanagan feeling the pain set in…

CrossFit.com started off simple.  Everyday a new workout is posted and people around the world post their results to comments.  This is a great way to track your progress and look back in the archive to see how you have improved over the days, months, or years.  We encourage you to being posting your results of the workout of the day to comments.  This will be a great way to encourage each other, give advice, and connect with people in different class times.  This also allows for you to be able to track your progress.  If we ever repeat the same workout you can look back and compare the results to your previous score.    Posting your time, rounds, or score will keep you motivated.  You can find others similar to your skill or strength level and chase them.

Announcements

Due to popular demand there is now a 12 noon class on Thursdays! That means we have noon classes Monday thru Friday! Come get you WoD in on your lunch hour!

Workout of the Day

Splitting up into teams of 2 if class size warrants it. First team does 2k. As soon as your partner is done jump on the erg and start your 2k. When partner is done, 1st guy/gal does a 1k…so on and so forth until both partners have done all three row pieces. Post to whiteboard the each individuals rows. This is an individual workout not a team wod.

Row 2k

Row 1k

Row 500m

Posted in Main Posts | 8 Comments »

Ryan working his way to 114 reps on WoD 11.4!

Good news, we’ll begin our expansion May 15th!  We’ll be meeting with a contractor soon to workout the logistics for the new space…everybody say shower!!!  Until we have the extra space, please be sure to sign up for class through MindBody.  If you don’t have a login or are not sure how to use it, shoot us an email and we’ll get you squared away.  Also, please make sure you are only reserving one spot, not signing up for 6pm and 7pm just in case you’re running late.  And lastly, if the class is full and you still decide to show up please understand if the coach has to turn you away.  It is not fair to those who signed up for the class if they do not have the adequate equipment and space or if there are so many heats that the next class gets started late.  With that said, we are looking forward to giving you more space!

There will only be ONE CLASS THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 23rd. START TIME IS 9:30. PLEASE MAKE NOTE.

Workout of the Day

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Walking lunge, carrying 30/20 pound dumbbells, 10 steps
Weighted pull-ups, with 30/20 pound dumbbell, 10 reps

Posted in Main Posts | 3 Comments »

Orange Coast CrossFit – Interview – Meaghan from Matt Banwart on Vimeo.

The 6am class is compiled of a solid crew of committed members.  One of these awesome 6amers is Meaghan.  Her hard work and consistency has paid off in a major way.  Just one of her many accomplishments here at OCCF include winning the Paleo Challenge.  Watch the video above to get to know Meaghan a little better than before and her thoughts on Paleo.

WoD

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Power cleans (145lbs / 65kg)
10 Toes to bar
15 Wall balls (20lbs to 10′ target)

Posted in Main Posts | 14 Comments »

Derek’s face says it all…GET SOME!

Last year we had Mark Sisson, author of Primal Blue Print, come out to OCCF and speak Paleo to us.  It was a great opportunity for us to gain some of his knowledge first hand and have a Q&A session at the end.  Well the wealth of information doesn’t stop there as Mark writes a daily blog at marksdailyapple.com that is full of articles supporting a healthy Primal Lifestyle.  I wanted to share an article that one of our veteran members, Mel, posted on her facebook page:

When making the transition into the Primal way of life, a lot of people get tripped up on the question of grass-fed beef. Is it necessary? (No.) Is there really that big a difference between conventional beef and grass-fed beef? (Kinda.) What does grass-fed actually mean? How do conventional cows live and what do they eat – and does that matter enough to me to make the effort to incorporate true grass-fed beef into my diet?

Hopefully, the following article will shed a bit of light on the subject, making it easier for you to make an informed decision based on your preferences, your needs, your budget, your personal ethics, and the objective information provided. Get the answers to those questions by continuing the article here.  And when he gets to the part about the Harris Ranch feedlot, I know too well what he is talking about…it’s just plain gross.  When Justin and I drove up north, Justin explained to me that there are two kinds of cows…happy cows and sad cows.  Grass Fed, roaming the range = a happy cow.  Feedlots = a sad, sad cow!

Announcements~

Don’t forget this Wednesday @ 7pm we start our Oly lifting class with super star Josh Coleman!  Be sure to sign up…it is free to our members so take advantage!

Workout of the Day

Three rounds for time of:
Run 100 meters
50 Push-ups
Run 100 meters
50 Sit-ups
Run 100 meters
50 Squats
Run 100 meters
50 Back extensions

Posted in Main Posts | 2 Comments »

Smiles all around, knowing that they will probably never see that wicked workout again.

What makes you who you are?  What defines you?  What inspires you?  What do you love?  What do you stand for?  What are you made of?

Life is full of so many experiences…some are amazing, some not so much.  We will always have someone attempting to bring us down, a crappy day at work, or negative thoughts that take up  too much of our precious time SO make today ALL about YOU and what YOU love.  Appreciate yourself for being the radical CrossFitter you are!  Focus on all of the progress you are making here cause we all know the road to elite fitness is on ongoing journey.  Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments thus far because ladies and gentlemen, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but ya’ll are kicking some butt.

See you at the box and don’t forget that fantastic smile of yours!

New Photos are up!

Workout of the Day

“Hammer”

Five rounds, each for time, of:
135 pound Power clean, 5 reps
135 pound Front squat, 10 reps
135 pound Jerk, 5 reps
20 Pull-ups
Rest 90 seconds

Posted in Main Posts | 4 Comments »