Ode to CrossFit MSP - (a.k.a., My version of an Adult Playground)
Written by: Logan Bautch
CrossFit MSP (CFMSP) is a lot of things to a lot of great people. First and foremost, it's an extremely effective gym with stellar programming and coaching. It's darn near impossible to come to the WOD and not get a great workout. It is also a gathering place that brings together an insanely good group of people. The smiles before and after the WOD are priceless...(not so many during the WOD though...what up with that?) I could go on gushing about why CFMSP is soooo great, and it is, but that's not what this post is about. Today I wanted to talk about how ridiculously fun it is to be there!
To me, CFMSP is like an adult playground. No matter how my day is going, I know that there is one place I can go to have fun. That tiny thought alone will bring a smile to my face each and every time. Knowing that I have an adult playground that I can go to and once there, all will be right with the world. Very similar to what we all learned on the playground as a little kid, we pick up after ourselves (remembering to re-stack the weights we just used to deadlift with and/or cleaning up our DNA), we share (box jumps, bars, lifting platforms, pull-up spots), and we never leave anyone behind (cheering the last person on as they finish up their last rep of the WOD). We learned to take care of things we care about because in turn, they take care of us. These are all skills that we all carry with us from our playground days. This is one aspect of what makes our box such a comfortable place to be. A FUN place to be!
In addition to it being a FUN place to be, CFMSP never fails to deliver a killer workout day in and day out. The way I see it, if you come in with the right mindset, the workout will just be a fringe benefit of your time at the box. Overall, the main event for me is the fact that I get to run around, swing from high bars and rings, jump rope, lift a bunch of stuff, swing heavy bells, jump around like a monkey, and all the while, am working shoulder to shoulder with some of the highest quality individuals out there! It is pretty amazing to see the bond that get established when you are working so hard next to one another, and how you are missed when you are not there. So, to some of our newer members, if you haven't done so, I would like to say to you embrace the opportunity to let yourselves have a great time with some really good people and get an amazing workout while you're at it. It's a win-win all around. What could be better?
For me personally, CFMSP has been a life changer in so many ways that it would take too long to post it all here. However one of the life changer for me is that Saturdays used to mean the ever-present hangover. Now most Saturdays I can be found at the box coaching or enjoying the awesome feeling of having a barbell, with body weight plus, locked out overhead. So, how has CrossFit MSP seeped into your life? What has been your life changer since becoming a member of CFMSP? I would love to hear some of your stories. See you all soon on our very own adult playground!!
I came across this amazing collection of Russian Champions training. With my obsession with the Olympic lifts being a given, what do you think made me CRACK UP before I could even think of watching the actual lifting going on...too Funny!!!
P.S. There is some pretty amazing lifting going on here...despite the distraction.
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5x Pull-ups
10x Push-ups
15x Squats
OR
"MARY"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5x Handstand Push-ups
10x One legged squats, alternating
15x Pull-ups
**Scheduling Note: For this week only, we will have a Thursday, 12:00pm class in lieu of Friday's 12:00pm class. We will resume our regular class schedule next week.**
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This picture was in a recent CrossFit Journal article titled "To Game or not to Game". One of the interesting pieces of the article that I took away from it centers around all the different ways athletes can approach a workout, based on any number of factors.
Let's take today's WOD "CINDY" as a good example. 5 Pull-ups / 10 Push-ups / 15 Squats...rinse and repeat for 20 minutes and you are done...simple enough. Most of you are either smiling because you know better or are similing because you don't. Regardless the question you have to ask yourself is what is your game plan? Which movement is going to catch you first? How can you maximize your intensity but not burn it out too early.
**NOTE: If can't finish the round within the 60 second window then the workout turns into an AMRAP ("As Many Rounds As Possible") within a 20 minute period.
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5x Pull-ups
10x Push-ups
15x Squats
OR
"MARY"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5x Handstand Push-ups
10x One legged squats, alternating
15x Pull-ups
**Previously programmed 1/12/10**
* Post Results to Comments Section and LOG
You know I am a stickler about full range of motion...but this is a little ridiculous.
For those of you wondering...so what happened AFTER, here is a little more detail: "Hiromi Miyake of Japan fails to lift the weight during the women's 48kg Group A snatch weightlifting competition at the Beijing Olympic Games '08 on August 9"
What is amazing to me is the fact that she got UNDER a 82kg/180.4lbs lift, with a bodyweight of less than 105.6lbs.
The rep range of 21-15-9 developed by Greg Glassman is known for its ability to improve metabolic conditioning, but it also helps maximize work capacity. The thruster epitomizes the idea of moving a “large load a long distance quickly” (CF Journal)
