Want some? Get SOME!

What separates the strong from the weak, the successful from the unsuccessful or the victorious from the defeated? Those who take action come out on top.  Waiting for the most opportune moment is naïve.   Those who decide that they will make a change for the world or themselves start with an idea, but then they follow through with it.  It is easy to talk about what you want to accomplish or what your goals are.  What good are those dreams if you do not take action to make them a reality?

“The difference between a successful person & others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of action.”  We won’t live forever.  Don’t waste your time.  At OCCF we have seen incredible transformations.  People who we thought would have a tough time starting CrossFit have emerged to become top competitors.  They started small, never quit, put in maximum effort every day.  They set themselves up for success by taking action.  Want some? Get Some!

“Day in and day out we have an amazing opportunity to better ourselves.  No action, no change. Limited action, limited change. Lots of action change occurs.”
- Catherine Pulsifer

Announcements~

Saturday 9am class is pushed back to 9:30am and the 10am class (CF Games Open 11.4) is pushed back to 10:15am

Workout of the Day

A. Hang Power Clean 3-3-3-3-3

Immediately followed by 3 max vertical jumps

B. AMRAP in 10:00

-Hang Power Clean 5x (135/95)

-Broad Jumps 7x (6′ men 4′ women)

Name: Mike Walsh

Age: 27

Occupation: Sales Representative

Hometown: San Diego

How long CrossFitting: September 2009

What were you doing before CrossFit: Doing the whole 24 hour fitness thing, thinking I was killing it. You should have seen me on that treadmill. I was explosive baby! (yea right!)

Favorite WoD: Flight Simulator (8:36)

Favorite lift: Clean (245#)

Best achievement: 2011 OC ThrowDown 3rd Place. Beating Justin in the Flight Simulator. Nailing my first kipping pullup which now seems so easy but back then was a real achievement.

What is your diet like: Monday thru Friday is Paleo 100%  of the time. Weekends Ill be honest its more like 80/20.

Best thing about Orange Coast CrossFit? Camaraderie among the members. The people make up the gym hands down. It all stems down to the training that is offered by the trainers, Justin, Matt, Kiki, Derek, and Jennifer. There is an energy that is infectious here and it all adds up to some super awesomeness.

Hobbies outside of CrossFit? My gorgeous girlfriend Olga, hikes, going to the beach, travelling, and my amazing sneaker collection!

How long before you started seeing results: When I first started I saw body composition results within 3 weeks. Strength wise, stamina, and overall fitness and conditiong I started seeing substantial results within 2 months. I am still improving everyday. I am still getting stronger and fitter today over a year and half later. My benchmark times are going down and my lifts are going up.

Advice to new members: Stick with it. I think alot of new members get intimidated quickly because they are doing alot of things they have never seen before. This is totally different than the 24 Hr. Fitness regime. CrossFit really is a lifestyle change and to achieve that you need to stick with it and be consistent. Give it at least 2 months of coming 3-5 times a week and it really will change your life. Thats just working out. You feel better. CrossFit translates to the real world so well. Its made me more responsible and want to achieve certain goals. Its carried over to all aspects of my life (business and personal.)

Last words: I really owe the gift of CrossFit to Olga who dragged my fat ass into the gym and called me out saying that 24 Hr. was for wussies. I resisted at first but am so glad I made the decision to join. It has made me stronger, fitter, and a better man across the board. I have a CrossFit mentality now! I want to thank Justin and his awesome training staff for providing the most kick ass gym in the OC.

Workout of the Day

For time:

Row 1K

Dumbbell snatch, 50 reps (40/30)

Run 800m (holding 45# plate men, 25#plate women)

Dumbbell snatch, 35 reps

Run 400m (holding 45# plate men, 25#plate women)

Dumbbell snatch, 20 reps

(These are one-arm squat snatches, alternating arms.)

Adam Call looking LEAN, and putting up some smokin times on the WoDs!

The Paleo Party aka “Meat Fest” was super fun. Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us on Friday night. Some killer Paleo dishes that were on tap.

Congrats to everyone who competed in the Paleo Challenge. I can tell you right now that EVERYONE lost pounds of unwanted fat and added some nice lean muscle tissue. We will release the results of the Paleo Challenge winners on Wednesday.

CrossFit Open Qualifiers start tomorrow. The Open Sectionals are a series of 6 workouts that take place over 6 consecutive weeks.   Anyone can take part in this competition.  Anyone can do it.  Everyone should do it.  It is a cool test to see where you actually rank in the greater CrossFit community.  ATHLETE that wants to participate in the Open Sectionals has to register on that website.  I don’t know the exact date that registration will close, but I expect that it will be prior to the announcement of the first workout.  This registration will cost $10 FOR THE ENTIRE OPEN SECTIONAL COMPETITION. We will be doing the workouts as a group every Wednesday for the next 6 weeks. To enter the competition simply…

1. Go to: https://games.crossfit.com/

2. Click “Register”

3. Click “Register as an Athlete”

4. Enter your email address, create a password, check the boxes, and click “sign up”

5. Enter your billing info. (the whole season costs $10) and click “review order”

6. Make sure everything is correct and click “submit order”

7. Feel free to upload a photo and add any personal info. you wish

8. Click “Athletes and Teams” near the top right and select “Find Teams”

9. Search “Orange Coast CrossFit” and then select “Join”

10. Take a deep breath. You did it!

Workout of the Day

A. Back Squat 3-3-3

B. AMRAP 15

Back Squat 5x (Use 75% of your best set of 3)

Pushups 15x

Paleo Challenge has officially ended! We had 30 members go the distance: 7 weeks of Paleolithic eating combined with Hard Core CrossFit training. The results have been astonishing! Members are looking shredded and WoD times have been falling. Attendance has been rad with 60-70 names up on whiteboard per day consistently. Vibes in the gym are rocking! Spring is here and summer is just around the corner.

To celebrate the end of this Paleo Challenge and to kick off Spring 2011 we are having a party. Join us tonight starting at 7:30 pm SHARP! at 3714 Park Lane, Newport Beach, CA. If you have not yet RSVP do so HERE! Remember all members at OCCF are invited! Come out and meet fellow Orange Coast CrossFitters and get to know that guy/gal who you sweat with a little better. Make sure to put your name on the whiteboard at the box and BRING SOMETHING TO EAT! Dont be the guest that shows up empty handed! We look forward to seeing you all there.

WoD

WoD #2 from the 2010 Southwest Regional (Results for men, and women.)

5 Rounds for time:
5 Muscle-ups Men / 2 Women
10 Power Cleans 135# / 85 #
200m Run

(coach will measure out with the measuring wheel 100m and place a cone. Athletes will round the cone and then head back to gym.)

What are the CrossFit Games? Watch this video.

Workout of the Day

Press 5-5-5

Push Press 3-3-3

Push Jerk 1-1-1

Then…

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Box Jump (24/20)

KBS (Red, Yellow)

Adam Quick looking strong here, with Katie and Meaghan looking on. Consistent 6am warriors.

I often see our members get down on themselves for not squatting, lifting, running, rowing as fast as they have ‘before.” “Yea it was good, but its still 10# off my PR. Don’t fall into this trap. You CANT PR EVERYDAY! That’s why its a PR, a personal RECORD. Often times I will say when I am briefing a class, go for TODAY’s max. Give it your all for today’s WoD or lift. Dont stress if its not an all time PR. What is important is that its the best you have for today. After all you cant ask anymore of yourself than to give 100%.

Sometimes the “Pot will be hot” and that’s the time that the new PR will be there. Other times its just not. Don’t stress over it. There are two many factors in play to realistically pinpoint why your not firing on all cylinders. (ie. not enough sleep, poor eating that day, sore from previous workouts, etc.) Tom Brady is not always having his career best game. That’s impossible right? But Brady works with what he has that game and still gets the job done. Start approaching your WoDs like that. Recognize where your at and have an open mindset and be OK with what your body is giving you for this lift or workout. I think you will find that you will begin to let go of your expectations of yourself and have a great workout regardless of what the clock says or how much weight is on the bar. Not everyday is a PR day….and that’s OK!

WoD

OPT 3

Max 3 rep Front Squat

Max 2 rep Snatch (No more than :05 on ground bw reps

Max set of pullups

(Score is total weight from bs and snatch plus number of pullups.)

Leading a normal life doesn’t mean living a stagnant life. You’re going to look ahead and you’re going to set your impossible goals that other people would say you can’t achieve. And you can go out and do it. —Kyle Maynard

If you are not actively pursuing good health and fitness then you are pursing illness and obesity.  Be hopeful not helpless.  You are in charge.  Stop blaming, justifying, and complaining.  Martyr syndrome is a term that describes people who use self-sacrifice and suffering to control or manipulate their environment. It frequently includes being stuck in a victim mentality with resulting feelings of helplessness.  Accept that you have the power to change your behavior and habits.  Take responsibility.  Make fitness an absolute priority in your life.  We get one body.  Genetically we are all different and each of us must overcome our individual health obstacles.  No matter what you may be going through, it is possible.

We’re not asking you to come in here and be an athlete with perfect technique who can lift enormous amounts of weight, kip for days, and do walking handstand push ups. We’re asking you to come in and aspire to be better than you were yesterday. We all make mistakes. We all have obstacles to face. It is your response to those challenges in life that makes you who you are.

Go out and do the impossible.

~Kiki

WoD

Deck of Cards

Here at Orange Coast CrossFit we pride ourselves on sticking to what we call “Classic CrossFit”.  There are several reasons why we do this.

First and foremost, it works!  Body fat dropping, muscle and metcon building Classic CrossFit is a proven technique.  We have seen the results from CrossFit over and over again here at OCCF.  Some people are stuck on cardio, others are in love with strict weight lifting…we pride ourselves on being the best at both…right in the middle, balancing both elements to create an effective kick ass program!  CrossFit is a well balanced test of true fitness.  There is a reason why The CrossFit Games have coined the term, “Fittest on Earth”, because it is true.  If I can back squat like an ox but run a 17 minute mile or, on the other hand, run a 5 minute mile but fail at a 60 lbs back squat…then can you really call that true fitness?  I think one of the reasons why CrossFit is so popular is because the first time someone completes one of these workouts, they are lying on the floor thinking one of two things –  They’ve gotta get back in here and try that again because they are confused about what the hell just happened and want another crack at it OR they swear CrossFit off for the rest of their life claiming that we are crazy.

Community!  We love being surrounded by other CrossFitters because they are freakin cool.  We have a common work ethic, idea of fitness, and language…WoD, DNF, For Time, AMRAP, Paleo, MetCon, WallBall, “I’ve got my butterfly down”, and pukie…just to name a few.  We love to support one another through a WoD or entire competition.  If you are reading this now and you yourself have never done CrossFit but you know a CrossFitter, you have probably heard some of this terminology.  Or you have thought, “Why do they always talk about CrossFit?!”  Well I’ll tell you why, because it is HARD as hell most of the time…fun yes, but grueling too.  When you experience something like CrossFit, you want to share about it.  You are, as I call it, “CrossFit Drunk” or “Spreading the CrossFit gospel”.  We do really cool workouts in here and when our members walk out the door they’ve got so many damn endorphins  flowing through them they can’t help but chat about it.  Which brings me to my next point.

Endorphins – Getting that dose of endorphins is worth the WoD.  Endorphins or “endogenous morphine” are endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters.  They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during CrossFit, excitement, love, and orgasm.  We are, in a way, addicted.

There are several more points I’d like to share but I realize that writing more than one paragraph jeopardizes anybody actually reading this.  So if you’ve got any reasons of your own as to why you CrossFit, post ‘em to comments!!

~Kiki

Annoucements~

Be sure to sign up in advance for classes.  Once a class is full … it is full.  The only exception to this rule is if it is a body weight workout.  We are working out the kinks with our competition team training schedule and appreciate your patience while we figure out what works best for everyone.

WoD

5 rounds

2min work/3min rest

When the 2min timer begins, the athlete performs 20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95/65)

In the remainder of the 2 minutes they row as many calories as possible.

Rest 3 minutes.

Score is total calories rowed in the five rounds.

Coaches notes: Split group into two. One group goes first. Second group goes after first group has finished their first round of work.

We are really excited that the competition season is in full swing!  Our team is working hard and gettin’ it done.  I realize that just because you do CrossFit does not mean you are jumping up and down to enroll in the next contest that comes your way.  Here is something that may be more up your alley – The Spartan Race on February 26th!  I’ve done the Warrior Dash and although is wasn’t crazy challenging or anything, it was definitely a lot of fun!  I got to dress up for no reason and run through mud.  The Spartan Race looks to be a bit more challenging than the one I did so it should be even more fun.  You can find more information by clicking here.  If there is interest, I can contact them for a group rate.

Paleo Peeps ~  I am happy to report that I spoke with several members today who are already seeing results!  Woot woot!  Also, I have been getting specific questions regarding the diet which lets me know you are doing your research and finding the answers as best you can!  One question today was regarding Almond Milk.  You will find that depending on what website you go to, Almond Milk may or may not be considered Paleo.  Here are a few simple questions you can ask yourself to generally see if something is 100% Paleo:

*Does it go bad and die?

*Is it found at the perimeter of the store (fresh) or in the aisles (not so fresh)

*Did a caveman eat this too?

*Is this in it’s original form or has it been processed.

The above questions are not fool proof and there will be times when you will have to make your own decisions on a food item.  One thing I will say is…EMBRACE the PALEONESS over the next six weeks.  In other words, don’t try and eat Paleo by looking for every substitution and trick to make something taste or seem “un-paleo”.  I find sometimes with Paleo challenges there are people who focus on how to get around the Paleoness of the diet.  Give yourself six weeks of pure Paleo and you can thank me later

“Jack”

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
Push press, 10x (115/75)
KB Swings 10x (blue/green)
Box jumps 10x

I CrossFit for the sake of CrossFit.  It is my sport.  Had I found CrossFit earlier on while I was rowing at UCLA, it would have made a huge difference as an athlete in that particular sport.  Justin and I went bowling with some friends last night and the discussion came up how CrossFit has made us better at our hobbies such as, snowboarding and surfing.  If you ask Max, I think he’ll tell you that it’s even made him a better bowler since he was throwing strike after strike.

I firmly believe that CrossFit will make you a better athlete in any sport.  ”CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of the ten recognized fitness domains. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy.  The CrossFit Program was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at all physical tasks. Our athletes are to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges” (CrossFit.com)  Those ten fitness domains crossover into so many activities and situations we find ourselves in on a regular basis both in and out of the box.

If you are part of another sport outside of CrossFit, have you seen a difference since adding CrossFit into your training? Post to comments.

WoD

Hopper Deck

(Somone from morning sessions please post the wod to comments)