Thursday 070810 – Chelsea

July 7th, 2010 by Mike J

 

On the minute for 30 minutes, perform the following:

5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

*Compare to 030210*

For the purposes of scoring this workout, we’ll assign points according to your rep count for each round as follows:
5pts = 5 pull, 10 push, 15 sq.
4pts = 4, 8, 12;
3pts = 3, 6, 9.
2pts = 2, 4, 6
1pt = 1, 2, 3
Getting through the whole workout Rx’d will give you a score of 150.  If you’re scaling with bands or scaling pushups, use the same scoring but without the “rx” designator.  If you are scaling the exercises, they should be difficult enough that you cannot do all 30 minutes at the prescribed rep count.

Extended Family
I found out yesterday via Facebook that a friend of mine who I played basketball with in high school does CrossFit in Virginia, here’s a picture of him on their website (he’s on Tuesday’s WOD).  This got me thinking about how CrossFit has spread over such a short time almost completely via word-of-mouth and the internet, and the power of this growth.  I started CrossFit about 2 years ago after having lunch with a family friend who mentioned that he’d been doing it in preparation for joining the Marines.  At the time I was coming off a minor surgery that kept me from exercising for a month, along with a month-long experiment with vegetarianism that left me about 15 lbs overweight and lethargic, so I was ready to try something new.  Within about 2 weeks of doing the crossfit.com WOD’s and extensive online research I was completely hooked, and within about 4 months I’d exceeded my previous fitness levels as a college lacrosse player and infantry officer in the Marine Corps, and I’ve made steady gains since then in pretty much every measure of fitness, especially strength which has been a focus of mine for the past 8 months.  Since starting CrossFit, the following people have started CrossFit as a result of my influence – my younger brother, my wife, my sister-in-law, about 5 people I work with at my day job, a few friends from the military, and a handful of members at the box who wouldn’t have tried CrossFit if it weren’t for my harrassment.  I know my wife, Andrea, has influenced as many or more people to start CrossFit, especially because she convinced a large percentage of our first 30 members to try it out, most of whom still train with us. 

Every single one of the people I’ve influenced to start CrossFit are fitter & more healthy than they were before they started.  A good example is my younger brother Andy.  He started training at CrossFit Fairfax about a year ago, and since then has lost 20 lbs, gotten stronger in every single way, developed endurance that he never had before, quit smoking, and is generally a healthier person.  Here’s a good quote from him about his performance gains:

When I started I could probably bench 275 lbs or so, but would’ve had trouble back squatting 225 lbs, which is disturbing now that I think about it.  I had never done a proper dead lift, clean, jerk, or most of the other movements that CrossFit workouts entail.   After a year, I can still bench around 275 lbs,which is pretty funny since I don’t focus on bench at all and do it only when it’s in our workouts.

Andy’s results aren’t remarkable, in fact they’re pretty standard for someone who starts CrossFit and sticks with it.  What is remarkable is that a few conversations about this new way of training that I was doing could have a lasting impact on my brother’s health and alter the course of his life.  I didn’t ask Andy how many of his friends do CrossFit now, but I’d be willing to bet it’s more than 1 or 2.  This is how CrossFit has grown, one person telling his friends and family about a new program that actually works, a few of those people giving it a try, and so on.  I was given an incredible gift the day I learned about CrossFit, and I take great pride in passing on my story to my friends, family, and new friends in the box.  How did you hear about CrossFit, and who have you influenced to start CrossFit, or change their diet, or start taking walks, or start riding their bike again, since you started?  If you have any specific stories we’d love to hear them in comments.

  1. Jon Jul 08, 2010 / 9am

    Which lifts are being worked during the 7pm focus session tonight?

  2. Beth Jul 08, 2010 / 10am

    I first heard about Crossfit on a blind (and only) date. When I got home, I looked up the website and fell in love.

  3. Mike J Jul 08, 2010 / 10am

    Jon, quit being demanding and tell me how you heard about CrossFit and why you haven’t gotten your twin brother in yet.

    We’ll do a standard, snatch singles or doubles, then clean & jerk singles, followed by either front squats or overhead squats for most people. As you become more regular we can customize the programming to work on areas of weakness or to supplement your week’s training cycle. For example, I’ll be doing snatch doubles, followed by light C&J for technique only, followed by snatch balance tonight.

  4. Jeff B. Jul 08, 2010 / 11am

    Wow, they do bench during their workouts?

    Anyways, my brother got me hooked. It’s been great.

  5. Mary W. Jul 08, 2010 / 11am

    I am a Chris/Andrea follower. I took the weekend demos last summer to “support” them after we all left Lifetime. Soon after we started the 11am class for a few of us with early morning or stay-at-home jobs.
    Now I think it’s funny when people who’ve been in the fitness industry a long time are clueless about Crossfit. It has truly taken my personal training business to the next level.

  6. Mike J Jul 08, 2010 / 12pm

    This is Andrea. I do thank my dear husband of 5 years (tomorrow!) for getting me started but I actually heard of CrossFit ironically while moonlighting at a cheese shop with a co-worker and Marine reservist, Megan Jean. I am amazed every day by the gains our athletes make and can’t wait to see some postpartum changes myself now that I’m (slowly) getting back into the WODs. For those I haven’t met, I’ll be the slow one shouting cues and you’ll be thinking “who is she?!” :)

  7. Mike S. Jul 08, 2010 / 7pm

    So… I can’t do math immediately after a workout. I got 127, not 138.

    I started doing CrossFit when I was in the Marines. I was in the same unit as some guys who were really into CrossFit. I dabbled in it then, but there wasn’t a very supportive community. If you didn’t OHS 225#, you were a wuss. I got back into in Grad School when I would go to the U’s Rec Center and watch 19 year olds do bench and curls for an hour and a half. I quickly realized I needed a new scene, and started going to a box pretty regularly and got the bug. I’m happy to have a great box nearby with good people.

  8. Stephanie Jul 08, 2010 / 8pm

    I am loving these stories!

    My boyfriend started doing CrossFit in January 2009 after hearing about it from some people in our martial arts community. That summer, I went on a 6-week backpacking trip with my dad through Spain – eating out for every meal and only walking for my exercise…I needed a hardcore fitness regimen when I returned! He was keeping an eye out for CF boxes in MN for when I moved up here, found Tyler on TWITTER (!!!), and got me started at the box in Texas when I came back from abroad.

  9. Ian S Jul 08, 2010 / 10pm

    My friend Dave posted on facebook that he was gonna try CrossFit.
    I searched online and fortunately crossfit minneapolis came up first.
    Despite being highly intimidated by all things gym related, I really enjoyed the team atmosphere.
    People have noticed the change in my body (and attitude) since I started and I have convinced lots of people to test it out (Dave, Eoin, Mark, other Dave, Joey, Blake, Jenny, …)

    Olympic class at 7pm today was fun
    I think I made some progress on “getting underneath”
    Snatch – power snatch + overhead squat with 125
    real snatch with 115
    Clean and Jerk – 155. felt good.

  10. JASON M Jul 09, 2010 / 9am

    I found CrossFit by googling “workout puke die kill pain”

    google came back with “did you mean -CrossFit St Paul?”

  11. Jon Jul 09, 2010 / 9am

    Mike seems miffed that I didn’t answer the question, which was because I don’t have a good story. I got bored with the regular gym, had read a few random recommendations online for CrossFit, found out that CFSP was moving within a couple of miles of me, and decided to join.

    As for my brother, he thinks Mike is mean and CrossFit is frightening. I’d try to convince him otherwise… but he’s right. ;-)

  12. Andy Jul 09, 2010 / 10am

    Good stories!

    I heard about CrossFit quite literally… I’m in the same building as the old CF Mpls gym and could hear the weights being banged around. I also met Tyler last summer when he suggested installing a rope ladder from the ground to the roof so he could climb up and use our grill :-)

    His enthusiasm for CrossFit and the fact that it was functional, no mirrors, “real world” fitness got me interested. After months of putting it off I decided to try it after a big change in my personal life—I quit drinking. The first workout (Newbie Surprise) was devastating… I didn’t recover until 3 or 4 hours later. But something about it appealed to me (I think I like pain). And being involved with a great community of people has kept me coming.

    Unrelated side note: I’ve found something that works well for speeding up the healing of blisters—A&D Ointment. It’s used for diaper rash, but really shortens the “damn this really hurts” period after ripping open blisters. It heals the skin without making it soft and weak like lotion might do.

  13. Jaime Jul 09, 2010 / 11am

    Andy – Thanks for the time. Running to get some of that A&D Ointment asap!

  14. Margaret Jul 09, 2010 / 2pm

    I joined the “founding” group of CFSP by following Andrea from Lifetime Fitness personal training. The one year anniversary of CFSP is coming up – July 21, 2009 was the first work out I have documented in my log book. What a lot of changes over that year. I cannot imagine what-all I’ll be able to do and accomplish in a year from now. Thanks everyone for making CFSP such a great place.

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