Drop by the Garage ... and slay yourself

CrossFit New Hampshire Event for Tonight!

If you would like to start your work week off by experiencing D.O.M.S. so severely that "waddling" becomes your primary mode of travel and the thought of "stairs" threatens to release your bowels then get on your damn hoss and ride over here to your favorite Garage Gym around 4:00PM. 

Mike Molloy, David Sailor, Kevin Omalley, Jefe, Enrique, Hore-Hay and a host of other Firebreathers, Moms, Circus Carnies, and the like will be arriving in a steady stream over the course of 6-7 hours. 

We are expecting quite a few of our CrossFitters to come trudging in from the cold and are anxious to get underway with the weekend's sado-masochistic metabolic slaughter.  The challenges available will include today's CFHQ's "Helen", Viking "Helen", and various other devious concoctions from our CrossFit NH Think Tank designed to slay those that want to make it to the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifier.

Everyone is more than welcome, and we will have some almonds and a small Tanita scale for measuring our guests' portions during snack time... no, but seriously we will.

There will also be quite a bit of family, friends, and curious onlookers coming by to check things out, so bring along anyone that wants to meet this awesome community we have up here.  The forecast definitely says snow, which we obviously are excited for because we can all head outside after and make snow demons on the lawn.  I killed several goats with my hands today to make sure we would have enough horns.

It's been awhile since we've had a little event like this and I am simultaneously drooling and soiling my pants in excitement right now, the thought of finally unveiling a nice Garage Gym without a dirt floor might give me a seizure as well.  Honestly though, the thought of gathering up all our CrossFit NH Savages and providing them with a truly first class facility is something that should make everyone feel proud to have been a part of.

I'm honored to be able to surround myself with not just a community, but a tight knit family of psychopaths ... maybe a cult depending on your social vantage point.  

Hope to see you all when the sun goes down!

I. CrossFit NH "Rest Day Ambush" WOD (02.28.2009)
Push Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

David 135-185-205-215-225*-235F-235F

Well, well, well... look who's famous over there on the left. Coach David had told me he submitted a bad ass picture to the CrossFit mainsite a few days ago and I was anxiously waiting to see if they would post it.  Little did I know that it was a handstand picture on a volcanic stone precipice taken in the Caribbean.  WTF... the Caribbean? Do you know how cold it get's when I'm all alone at night in the Garage?!    

David actually has been hammered lately with a brutal work and travel schedule, but now he is back in NH where he belongs and is foaming at the mouth for some hard training. What started out as a nice mandatory training break because of the increased workload turnout into a serious battle with the Flu, causing a painful extended layoff from delicious CrossFit.  David seemed to luck out though as his baseline of fitness and abilities hadn't eroded much at all considering the massive amount of weight he tossed above his well rested little skull today.

Back Story: David happened to be in the Manchester area and decided to visit his favorite bearded Garage Gremlin.

 

I basically live in the Garage now so he knew I would be around and the timing was prime because our buddy Kevin Omalley from East Bridgewater was hanging out picking my brain and making paralettes (getting all you crazy bastards to meet each other is ridiculously difficult). This Irish stalker is the level one CrossFit Instructor that Jefe and I met in NJ during the cert... and he really hasn't left me alone since then.

  

Kevin just got his website URL and I am trying to help him get things up and running, the sooner the better so he can dabble CrossFit Kool-aid on the tongues of unsuspecting Mass-holes (expect links and updates and also check the comments for Kevin's hybrid triathlon/MEBB/DEBB/CFE training results...yes, we all told him to take more rest days)

While David and I were catching up he mentioned that a few days ago he experienced some serious frustration with his 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Dynamic Effort Push-Jerk WOD.  Naturally I immediately broke out the PVC pipes and we began drilling the movements together to see if we could help find what was messing up his lifts.  It turns out that the "Split-Jerk" movement was at fault here as it tends to be considered the easier to execute when compared with the paralell foot version.  Most people favor the Split-Jerk because it allows for a greater degree of error when it comes to the landing and balance when in the receiving position.  I would constructively argue that the traditional Push Jerk landing would be preferable because while it does not allow for very much error I feel that it develops a better foundation for technique and timing, while the Split-Jerk can actually be counter productive by breeding habitual errors in form (bigger margin of error = larger gap for flaws to slip through).

Push Jerks have come up a lot around here recently. The other day Mike made some real progress with his landings and timing during the very same WOD David had trouble with (he is working on getting over his fear of pulling himself under the bar on all his Olympic Lifts).  Just like with Mike we went straight to the beginning of the movement with the PVC pipe only and worked on numerous landing, Snatch, Clean, Jerk and combination sequence drills (thanks to Coach Burgener it's getting very easy to instruct these movements through multiple methods, he has been unconditionally supportive of our desire to teach Olympic Lifting and we are indebted to him).  

Before he knew what was happening David found himself under the bar working his heavy max effort singles all over again (without the split-jerk comfort zone he relies on).  It took some tweaking but by the time 225lbs was overhead there was a noticeable improvement in every "performance point" for the lift.  

When the weight got heavier and crossed the 235lb mark there was an accidental reversion to the split-jerk, which was simply due to muscle memory, 

unfortunately this prevented a full and explosive opening of the hips (reduced barbell velocity) causing failed attempts. 

Despite David's frustration with the last two sets he should really be thinking of the 225 lb single as a new PR in light of the fact that he really doesn't have any rep records for the Push-Jerk form he used today (also noting that 225 lbs is a helluva lot of weight to be throwing above your skull).

Hmm, wonder if all the handstands help his overhead power and strength?

II. CrossFit Endurance WOD (03.01.2009)

Swim, Bike, Run, or C2 Rower
Goal is to use maximum effort for each 2 min interval.
(1:20 max effort x 0:60 rest) x 6 rounds
Score=Total Distance Covered