Danielle started Crossfit last year. Today when I walked in the gym, she had just linked 2 chest to bar pull ups, and PR’d her back squat. Jordan started Crossfit last summer. Now he’s linking muscle-ups and level 1 certified. Liza watched her son do Ignite for a year before jumping into the noon group. Now she’s a regular, and she PR’d her clean and jerk yesterday (she has a great PR dance). Everyone knows where they started, and how much they’ve changed and improved through Crossfit. There’s a story to Crossfit too. Back in 2007, it wasn’t a huge world-wide competition. It was a weekend on a ranch with 70 athletes. Last year, there were 70,000 competitors from all over the world vying for a chance to get to the Games. On Saturday, March 2 at 7pm, bring your lawn chair and your favourite pre-game snack to watch “Every Second Counts” on the big screen (err... big door). This is the story of how competitors prepared for the first Crossfit Games in 2008 -- how the Crossfit Games got their start. This is your mental pre-game warm up for The Open (March 6!). A relaxing evening with some of your favourite people to get your head into the game and see where it all started, and what you are now all a part of!
Every week, I spend over four thousand minutes at Catalyst. Most of them, I really like.
Ask me to name my favourite six of those many, and I know the answer right away. It's not my best mile time. It's not my Fran time, or my fastest 100 burpees.
Six minutes was the time required to pass presents for 83 kids across the mats, fire-brigade style. Six minutes, nonstop. Some of our fastest athletes could have completed 'Fran' twice in that time.
In an interview with Marty Cej, Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit and 'Coach' to millions, was asked why he didn't sell HIS share of the company. After all, his ex-wife was 'cashing out'; surely, the opportunity must have occurred to him, too. His answer was typical of Coach: a profound concept made simple.
"This is my life's work," he said. "What would I do with fifty million? Could I build schools in Africa? Create a giant community of people who would come together every year and cheer each other on? I can do more without the money." I'm paraphrasing, but Coach was talking about leverage.
We talk, and draw, and write about leverage all the time. Leverage makes the long-femured inclined toward deadlifting, and frustrated on the bench press. The right leverage, applied with force, can move a very heavy bar. We saw that over and over again at the Supermeet.
"None of us is as good as all of us." - Ray Kroc
None of us alone could have provided gifts for 83 kids. None of us alone could have fed the multitudes of hungry CrossFitters last night. But with Carolle and Kath pushing, just a little, we used the strong lever of the Catalyst Family to change things for many families. Our own included, and maybe yours.
What's more important than money? You are. You have proven for the thousandth time that DOING something is better than HAVING something. When we move together, we can lift some pretty heavy stuff. Thank you.
Every year, we get together and do everyone's favourite party trick - 'Fran' - in a tournament. This year, the format is a bit different...and so are the rules.
The event starts at 9am. We'll take turns, in groups of four teams at once.
First round: combined score (Partner A + Partner B.) The clock doesn't stop; Partner A does 'Fran;' when they drop from the last pullup, their partner does 'Fran.' Their score is the total time from the first thruster rep of Partner A to the last pullup of Partner B.
The fastest 8 teams from the First Round will be invited to participate in the Second Round.
Second Round - Reverse 'Fran' - Alternating
One partner will perform 9 Thrusters and 9 Pullups. When they finish their final pullup, their teammate will do 9 Thrusters and Pullups. The first partner then performs 15 Thrusters and 15 pullups; the second partner follows with the same, and this is repeated for 21 reps of each by both partners in the same manner.
The fastest 4 teams from the Second Round will be invited to participate in the Third Round.
Third Round - Strengths (aka Best Ball Fran) - Rx Only
One partner will do the 'Thruster' portions, and the other will do all of the Pullups for one round of "Fran." The "One Bar In Hand" rule applies: if one partner is doing Thrusters, the other may not grab the Pullup bar until the barbell has hit the floor after the final repetition (it doesn't need to be at complete rest.) Likewise, the Thruster bar may not be re-gripped until the partner doing Pullups has dropped to the ground after their last repetition. In other words, only one partner may have their hands on either bar at any time.
Fastest team - first to finish - is winner of FranFest2011
Frandicaps
You're more than welcome to do a 'scaled' version of Fran. While only teams using the Rx weight and movements will be allowed to compete in the final, you can still be a part of this awesome event!
Instead of Scaled categories, competitors will face a time handicap for using less than Rx'd weight for Fran or doing modified Pullups.
Pullup Handicapping: Chin must clear bar or rep will not count.
Use of purple band assistance for pullups (user provides band): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of Prone Pullups (rings or bar, chin to wrists) : 1:00 Time Penalty
Thruster Handicapping: Athlete squat below parallel on each rep and come to full lockout for a rep to count. Rx weight: 95lbs men, 65lbs women.
NOTE: There will be no medicine balls allowed to check for depth.
Use of lighter weights (75lbs men, 55lbs women): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of much lighter weights (55lbs men, 35lbs women): 2:00 Time Penalty
Wanna compete with your kid? Absolutely! They can choose either a 12lbs bar, a 25lbs bar, or PVC, and even do Jumping Pullups! For safety's sake, teams with kids who aren't in the Varsity Program will participate only in the first round (the changeovers become more chaotic in the second.)
Example:
Josh and Jill are partners. Josh can do full pullups but cannot use Rx weight, so he uses 75lbs instead. Jill can do the Rx weight for women, but relies on prone pullups.
Three rounds of: Burpees 75 pound Power snatch Box jump, 24" box 75 pound Thruster Chest to bar Pull-ups
"Hope" has the same format as Fight Gone Bad. In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep.
Today is a HUGE day at the Park!
9am-5pm - Ignite NeuroMotive Certification
8pm - Varsity Cup
11:30pm - Pump'N'Run
12:00am - Midnight 5k. Proceeds from all the evening's events go to the Echo Bay Public School Playground fund. Looks like a HUGE crowd, so get in on it!
Elsewhere in the world, many CrossFit Affiliates will be doing the workout, "Hope" for St. Jude's Hospital. We applaud their efforts, and look toward possibly participating next year. "Hope" takes the place of the annual Fight Gone Bad challenge for many CrossFit Affiliates.
Three years ago, Mike Watson lay himself on the train tracks for a buddy, and started a Catalyst tradition. Every year since, we've run 5k in the middle of the night - sometimes in the snow, sometimes in the rain - and had a blast doing so.
This year, we're making it an evening.
Starting at 8pm, the Catalyst Varsity Tournament will pit teams of youth from local High Schools and our CrossFit Kids program against one another in 3 events. Teams won't know the events until that evening, but Coaches will be provided a list of potential exercises involved. Skills needed will be kept low (well, maybe) and the most fit team will come out on top.
At 11pm, adults and teens are invited to participate in our first Pump 'N Run: bench press your bodyweight before heading out on the run. Every rep achieved nets you 30 seconds off your 5k time; winner is the one with the lowest overall time (run minus bench press bonuses.)
At midnight, of course, we head out for a 5k run through the darkened city streets. It's flat, it's late...NO ONE sees you. Wear glow sticks, or run barefoot if you like. It's fun.
Best part: this year, the $10 entry fee goes to the Echo Bay Public School Playground Fund.
The biggest mental challenge of the year, "Murph," is upon us in 8 days (April 14.)
In past years, this has been pushed hard as the anti-Games: six months away from your physical best, how fit are you? After the Catalyst Games, do you start training right away, or wait 9 months to start ramping up again? Are your New Year's Resolutions still pushing you?
Every year, we tell people that the benefits of doing "Murph" are far beyond the physiological blood, sweat and tears. "Murph" is a mountain: after you've climbed it once, you'll always have it in your back pocket. Other workouts will seem easier, and in the hot days of summer, when the hammock is calling, you'll recall your personal triumph on a cold April morning and change into your workout gear. When you have self-doubt; when the scale lies to you; when the barbell feels heavy: you'll have "Murph" there, reminding you of your greatness.
We only do this once per year, because it's hard. But we do it EVERY year, because it's hard.
It's also a lot of fun - kind of an annual Family Picnic. Dripping with sweat and pride, you'll see folks having a "cheers!" outside the gym by 8am. We've seen tears of joy EVERY year for the last five years. Think you can't do it? You have the most to gain.
This year, already, 40 people have signed up just on "Murph"s reputation and legacy. It's a tradition. It's later in 2012, but never TOO late; it's still early spring, but you're never TOO green for "Murph." Anyone can do it; the elite can race it.
Register online here, or call 705-256-1344. Scared? Join the "Timids" group at 7am, long before the braver ones arrive. You can use your CrossFit punch card, or pay $10 at the door.
He's the world-record holder for most metres rowed in 30 days (over a million.)
He's training with Concept2, and world-class cyclists.
He's faster than you.
On January 21, Gavin Grant brings his no-nonsense (okay, a little nonsense) approach to coaching on the rowing Erg to Catalyst.
Is the only progress you've made in your rowing in 2011 to start calling it, "The Erg?" Maybe even, "I'm just going to erg..." You'll learn a LOT.
Here last year? Rowing superstar? He's got NEW tricks for more power and less effort.
Best part: it's a fundraiser. For $10, you get to hate rowing less. You ALSO get to help Joe and Marnie give kids in Thailand the gift of sport. They're headed over at the end of the month to help (with Kiera and Maija) and you KNOW Joe will be showing the kids how to squat. If it's possible, they'd like to leave something behind, like a soccer pitch. Either way, those are some lucky kids!
A GREAT mix of teams this year - we have more competitive athletes than ever before (due to their hard training in the last year) and a LOT of exciting rookies. As always, I get MOST excited for the timid first-timers...but that's me.
For the first year, we're not requiring pre-registration OR a separate event fee. Many partners have been good enough to pre-register, and they'll go first.
The event starts at 9am. We'll take turns, in groups of four teams at once.
First round: combined score (Partner A = Partner B.) The clock doesn't stop; Partner A does 'Fran;' when they drop from the last pullup, their partner does 'Fran.' Their score is the total time from the first thruster rep of Partner A to the last pullup of Partner B.
The fastest 8 teams from the First Round will be invited to participate in the Second Round.
Second Round - Alternating
One partner will perform 21 Thrusters and 21 Pullups. When they finish their final pullup, their teammate will do 21 Thrusters and Pullups. The first partner then performs 15 Thrusters and 15 pullups; the second partner follows with the same, and this is repeated for 9 reps of each by both partners in the same manner.
The fastest 4 teams from the Second Round will be invited to participate in the Third Round.
Third Round - Strengths (aka Best Ball Fran)
One partner will do the 'Thruster' portions, and the other will do all of the Pullups for one round of "Fran." The "One Bar In Hand" rule applies: if one partner is doing Thrusters, the other may not grab the Pullup bar until the barbell has hit the floor after the final repetition (it doesn't need to be at complete rest.) Likewise, the Thruster bar may not be re-gripped until the partner doing Pullups has dropped to the ground after their last repetition. In other words, only one partner may have their hands on either bar at any time.
Fastest team - first to finish - is winner of FranFest2011
Frandicaps
Instead of Scaled categories, competitors will face a time handicap for using less than Rx'd weight for Fran or doing modified Pullups.
Pullup Handicapping: Chin must clear bar or rep will not count.
Use of purple band assistance for pullups (user provides band): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of Prone Pullups (rings or bar, chin to wrists) : 1:00 Time Penalty
Thruster Handicapping: Athlete squat below parallel on each rep and come to full lockout for a rep to count. Rx weight: 95lbs men, 65lbs women.
NOTE: There will be no medicine balls allowed this year to check for depth.
Use of lighter weights (75lbs men, 55lbs women): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of much lighter weights (55lbs men, 35lbs women): 2:00 Time Penalty
Wanna compete with your kid? Absolutely! They can choose either a 12lbs bar, a 25lbs bar, or PVC, and even do Jumping Pullups! For safety's sake, teams with kids under 13 will participate only in the first round (the changeovers become more chaotic in the second.)
Example:
Josh and Jill are partners. Josh can do full pullups but cannot use Rx weight, so he uses 75lbs instead. Jill can do the Rx weight for women, but relies on prone pullups.
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
Gym members: get in and do FGB! We'll be open 8am-12 noon today for the Good Friday holiday. Saturday - 6am-5pm; Sunday - CLOSED; Monday - 6am-3pm.
This is a crowd favourite, and we love putting it on every year. Since the CrossFit Open is on, though, our numbers will be slightly less. That's fine. The challenge: make more noise!
Flights were released yesterday. If you want in, but weren't listed, show up and we'll fit you in somewhere. Game on!
...for time. Split up the pullups, pushups, and squats as desired.
First-timer or veteran, nothing on earth is like Murph. Push. Fall forward. Survive. Celebrate. Our second-biggest event of the year is today! It's a big green party! Wear something green!
Gym members: the Park will reopen for 'normal' use at noon. Come early and cheer!
Fans: you're more than welcome. Take pictures, make noise....and regret not signing up yourself!
Here we go! 40 hours until Murph starts! These are the FINAL Heat placings for Murph, with the exception of kids (they can sign up on Saturday morning.) We're staggering the heats 45 minutes apart, but don't worry: there's no time cap. Since there's no limit to the people we can put on the road, though, we'll overlap some heats for the run portion if necessary.
OK, Catalyst Family: it's time! Many of you will have a sharp dose of reality when you see this list; don't worry. I've been through it, and there's not a single person who's incapable of completing Murph on Saturday!
Since we've got a large turnout again, I'll give you until the end of the day to request a different time spot. We'll accommodate you if possible. As you can see, each spot is FULL, and so moving you will also require moving others. Luckily, things always have a way of working out at these things, so don't hesitate to ask for a different spot if it's absolutely necessary.
It's still not too late to sign up! Register here online, or call Chris at 705-256-1344. If I missed you...sorry! I'll get you in there.
Prizes: Fastest woman: CrossFit Lisbeth shirt. Fastest man: Autographed Jason Khalipa / Team Rogue shirt!
Second-fastest man and woman: 12 months of drywall-kicking. "Eight seconds! Why did I rest on that 12th round of pushups!?!?" Regret ALSO makes you eat your broccoli.
Third-fastest, etc.: COMPLETION of frickin' MURPH!
Last year, before 2010 Sectionals, I had a decision to make: a trip to Toronto for Sectionals would be expensive. Staffing at the Park would be an issue if I was away; we'd have two kids to truck around, and I really didn't have a chance of finishing on the podium. Yes, the Team would be there, and yes, I'd love to coach, but.....
As usual, I first considered the worst-case scenario: what if I finished last? I put myself in that position mentally for a few minutes, just to 'try it on.' It felt okay - I'd still have competed. After THAT, the rest was a foregone conclusion, but I still wrote down 100 reasons to go and compete. I was shocked by how easy it was to come up with 100 (and now, a year later, to replace most of them to be relevant to Murph.) Maybe it will help you decide to do the event; maybe the 'worst-case scenario' exercise will be enough.
Three words: "Go, daddy, go!"
Anxiety makes you a better athlete.
Fear makes you eat your broccoli.
You can probably finish in under 60 minutes.
If you can finish in under 60 minutes, you can probably get under 45 minutes next year.
If you can finish in under 45 minutes, the 30-minute mark is going to beckon.....
Gotta represent the "unnaturals" who didn't play sports their whole lives
Next year, you're trying the Open.
This is year One of your 15-year training plan for the Masters division
Ray Gowlett: "It's like unwrapping your Christmas presents!"
The worst-case scenario (last place?) really isn't bad at all.
It's less a fashion show than a gong show.
It's your sport.
This is your team.
Carolle's being a sherpa for some of the Timids.
The Timids are awesome. Anxiety is our cardio.
Competing at CrossFit = winning at life.
The conversation with Philsy afterward. It's always good, and he always has beer in his gym bag.
My kids tend to try the stuff they see me doing. Anyone else ever notice that?
I get to wear 3 of my favourite hats in the same day: cheerleader, coach, and athlete.
The next day, I'll wear my fourth favourite, when I write about it.
I get to watch a LOT of pullup newbies this year. Wow.
I'll do anything to get the big door open in March.
Feeling my lizard brain writhe during the last 10 seconds before the start.
Frequent exposure to physical stress makes me better at dealing with other stress. It's a physiological fact.
If you weren't an athlete in high school....this is your new 'default' setting.
Participation is good for the sport.
48 hours of post-Murph glee. Almost like a refractory period.
The incredible photography that shows up afterward!
Watching the CrossFit community flex its collective muscle.
Watching the CrossFit philosophy flex its solid muscle.
You just don't get the opportunity to be amazed that often anymore.
You know how hard it's been to get to your current level, and if there are 50 who are even better, that's going to be incredible to watch.
If I keep meeting new people, I don't have to learn any new jokes.
This train only goes forward or backward.
Posting the event on your facebook wall get you 20 new friends and 50 "you're crazy!lol" comments afterward.
I think this is the 'right' carrot to hang in front of people.
You can look in the mirror every day, but you only get to see yourself under the microscope once or twice per year.
When the Green Army qualifies for Nationals, you can say, "I did pullups with that girl a month ago!"
You never know.
You're never going to be this young again.
SOMEBODY's going to have a ridiculous costume. Happens every year.
It's all about the story.
You get to see if the wiring and the plumbing work well together.
You'll spend a whole morning with people who know how to use a foam roller.
You'll get to see some of the coaches compete. Remember all those jokes about seeing THEM suffer? It happens on Saturday.
"The walk" from the car to the front door. Nervous jokes are double-funny!
'Recovery' ice cream for lunch.
The second step on the staircase isn't visible until you're standing on the first.
Writing this list is really easy - that's reason enough!
Test, revise curriculum, repeat.
Your form will be checked against the highest standard.
How else would I know?
You're building an exercise habit. You don't ever stop.
You've already got the calluses. That's one investment you've already made.
You can convince 2 of your friends to come next year.
You're not going to come last. And if you did, no one would know.
Some of the most athletic physiques in the Sault....and not a single mirror.
Best seats in the house are on the stage.
Gotta stop everyone else from eating the jar of pickles before the pickle-eating contest.
You know the rest of the Family's watching.
Last year, we had people doing it around the world with us.
You'll share a chalk dish with some of the best lifters,runners, and people in the city.
More people wearing Chucks in one room than anywhere else north of Westside Barbell!
"This is a truth derived through competition, not debate." - Greg Glassman
Brent's outfits are best experienced in person.
Exercise theory funneled down to a fine point. Either it's true, or you lose.
Only the bullfighter really knows what it's like in the arena.
Tyler's "game face."
It's nice to be in an environment where "lockout" doesn't refer to picket lines.
The soundtrack is always excellent.
The sound of the pull bar a-rockin'.
Solidarity.
Charity smiling while she links pullup after pullup.
Pullups used to scare the hell out of you. You're getting comfortable with uncomfortable.
A glimpse of the next level, waiting for your footprint soon.
Not too many years ago, I would have chickened out too. And if you chicken out this year, you will next year.
Your spouse needs to SEE you to understand why you talk about this stuff all the time.
Six months until Catalyst Games 2011.
The three brand-new CrossFitters who signed up this week. They're coming. You'll seem untouchable to them; miles away. Just like the others did to you when YOU started.
It's Saturday morning. You'd be here anyway.
40 first-timer, never-evers finished Murph last year!
The anticipation is always worse than the action.
There just aren't many sunsets left to ride off into.
We're collectively nudging the human genome back in the right direction.
The species didn't go through this whole evolutionary process to be better at watching Oprah.
EVERY time we've called, the Catalyst Family has answered. Let's keep paying it forward.
There will be at least one racer with only one foot that works.
WWPDD? (What would Pam Didonato Do?) She did it last year!
94. I get to live like a professional athlete for the whole weekend (thanks, Ray!)
95. You have a reason to train hard, eat right, and sleep. Also, complain.
96. Gotta see if Cam's up to it.
97.There's no legitimate record on the Board. Who's going to go sub-30:00 and earn that spot?
98. Some of the Green Army Team is doing it - the day before their first Open WOD ever.
99. I know a couple who's cancelled their vacation to be there.
If you've been anywhere near the Park in the last 24 hours, your hair is probably STILL standing on end from the electricity. The Open will be very exciting this year...and in front of the home crowd, too!
Catalyst has a competitive Team - the Green Army - who has been training for months. They're ready to rip - but they need your help, too. Choose to compete; choose to spectate; help keep the attitude electric at the Park!
The Open is a qualifier for the Regional event - we're in the Canada East area. The top 60 men and women in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes will battle for the top 2 spots...and then on to the CrossFit Games. We've also got a great shot at qualifying a group in the Team competition.
How The Events Will Run
Tuesday - events released.
Thursday - 5:30pm - athletes' meeting - Green Army Team only.
5:45 - Green Army Team flights begin. Show up and scream!
Thursday - 7:00pm (approximately) - non-Team athletes will do the Open WOD as part of the 7pm CrossFit group (yes, this means you'll need a CrossFit punch card to participate.) Athletes will still be judged, and their scores entered just like the Team athletes.
Note to the 7pm CrossFit group: we'll still scale the workouts for you, don't worry. We'd love to have you with us; please forgive us if we're running a few minutes behind on Thursdays.
Sunday - 12:00 noon - last chance WOD for Green Army Team and other athletes. Can't make it Thursday, or want a re-do? Show up Sunday at noon. You MUST complete every WOD during each of the 6 weeks to stay eligible.
This is important: if you're doing the Open, you have two choices: Thursday evening, or Sunday at noon. That's it. We can't judge your entries at any other time.
We want you to participate - heck, we can have an unlimited amount of men and women on our team. The cost to register is $10 at the Games Open Site - and the site is worth it on its own! Compare your scores every week in your Region, or around the world!
If you're new to CrossFit - or you've been doing it for awhile, and just "don't want to compete," you're likely a bit surprised by this whole CrossFit Games thing. Maybe you're wondering, "why all the fuss?" maybe you're just hoping you won't have to try the WODs; or maybe, you've never even heard of the CrossFit Games.
It shouldn't surprise you - whether you've been a member of the Catalyst family for 1 day, or six years - to find out that we prefer the Carrot to the Stick. Even if you've never heard it iterated this way, we love the Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal - the near-impossible task that scares the living daylights out of you. We love the event that will keep you awake at night, and on the lifting platform at 6am.
We do these events all the time, and we've invited you. We want you to do stuff - and be something. We want you to face down these hurdles, and thereby sail over life's OTHER stresses with ease. We want you to be comfortable with uncomfortable. In short, we want to be your booster shot.
The larger CrossFit community - worldwide, over 2700 affiliated gyms, and hundreds of thousands of practitioners - shares those values. They've put together this annual event called, "The CrossFit Games." We use them to help you reach upward. We want to hold you up high. And first, we want to show you just how high you can get.
A great history of the Games is here. You'll find all the how, where, when, and by whom. Today, though, we're talking about the why.
If you've been through OnRamp, you'll know that we prioritize quality over quantity. We choose basic human movements - the squat, the press, the jump - and we put them together in different ways, all the time. These exercises are not unique to a specific goal, but are common to everyone in our species: we all need to sit, stand, lift, carry, and avoid. The application of these exercises change, though, depending on the scale necessary to get better.
Grandma needs an aide to get off the toilet? Her scale is low; box squats. Jennifer "Jumptastic" Jones is on the SWAT team? Her scale is higher: box jumps. Whitney's trying to qualify for the CrossFit Games? Weighted thrusters and wall ball, after a max front squat.
We measure these things - ability, progress, skill - because they're important. We want to know that you're improving. We want to measure ourselves, top to bottom. We crave the identification of weak spots. We love the necessity of practice.
It's commonly-accepted practice in Canada to promote the LOWEST common denominator: take the stairs at work. Park far away from the mall and walk. Take up gardening, walk your dog. Die of a heart attack.
These things aren't good enough for our Family. No sir.
Instead of putting you in a box and saying, "This way is up." we'd rather show you the sky. Maybe, after you've seen Rich Froning and Graham Holmberg burn their hands doing pushups, you'll do a few extra at Murph next week. Maybe, after you've seen Tanya Wagner hit a PR in the power snatch, you'll practice more. Maybe, if you've seen that video of Mikko rowing 5k every day in his dark closet, you'll think twice about the 6am group.....
You have a Team representing you at the CrossFit Games this year. The Green Army has been training for three months, and in the next six weeks, they'll be tested. You can join them: cheer, email, practice, or compete with them. More details to follow. But in the meantime, mark the next six Thursdays off in your calendar: they're spoken for.
Let me tell you a secret: we're having a riot here.
This week, we changed our kids' groups to a new schedule. To stay true to our values of Purposeful Practice, we've included some free time (for kids over 6, anyway) every week. This means that sessions are cheaper for parents; the kids and teens get to come more; and they also get to choose WHAT they practice. In other words, the Saturday sessions feel a lot like play.
Throw a bunch of kids in a room with a big mat and a great coach; teach them to roll, and jump, and squat and burpee and pullup and clean and jerk; give them a challenge; TRY to wipe the smiles off their sweaty faces afterward. THIS is Catalyst Kids. THIS is Catalyst Jiu-Jitsu. THIS is Rumble/Tumble. Led by the smilin'est coach of all: Mitch Fryia.
The absolute BEST part? If your kid is a member of our Jiu-Jitsu, Catalyst Teens, or Rumble/Tumble groups....it's 100% free. It's on us.
If YOU'RE a member, but your kid isn't a member of our Youth programs? No problem. Still free. Our pleasure.
Not a member? Kid's not a member either? Well, how's 5 bucks sound? For $5 / day, your kid can get into something they'll love for a lifetime.
Youth Jiu-Jitsu: Monday through Friday at 11am - 5 FREE classes - sign up online here!
Catalyst Teens: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am - 3 FREE classes - sign up online here!
Rumble/Tumble: Tuesday and Thursday at 10am - 2 FREE classes - sign up online here!
Kids and Teens doing awesome stuff. Mitch doing the coaching. You...sleeping in a little bit?
This is the face that rowed over two million metres. In one month, he rowed the equivalent distance of running from the Sault to Orlando, FLA. That sound like YOUR spring break holiday?
With hundreds of hours in the seat, Gavin Grant's learned a couple of things. #1: Butt pad = good. #2: Don't pull too high.
This Saturday, the World Record Holder for most metres rowed in a month will be here - FREE - at 8am to coach. Stay for the CrossFit group at 9am (by punch card) and do rowing challenges with Gavin. Learn from a guy who's been in the trenches - for 10-16 hours per day, practicing. He's been talking to Greg Hammond at Concept2 almost weekly; he's been coaching OPP officers on rowing and kettlebells for months.
(You can participate in the Rowing seminar without staying for the CrossFit group at 9am. But if you DO stay, the regular CrossFit Group rates apply. Thanks.)
Last year around this time, we were making plans to load up our little team of CrossFitters and groove on down the road to Sectionals. We scheduled Friday team workouts; we sold Sectionals Team shirts; we enlisted Renny to handle the play-by-play from Moss Park Armoury.
This year, we're taking you all with us.
In 2011, the CrossFit first-level qualifier will feature six different workouts over six weeks. Every Tuesday night, we'll learn our challenge for the week; we'll complete it before Sunday, and submit our results against the world's fittest!
The entire Catalyst Family will get to do the same events as the Sectionals Team! Every Thursday night, beginning March 17, the 7pm CrossFit group will do the week's challenge! Show up early - the Sectionals Team does the workout at 5:30, and they could use the cheering! Can't make Thursday? Sunday at noon will feature the same WOD! Entry by punch card, as always.
Support your Green Army! Sectionals Team shirts coming soon! More importantly, show up! Make noise (you still have your rally bells from the Games, right....????) and DO THE WORKOUTS! Commisserate with us later!
Sure, I played sports. In an elementary school class containing 17 boys - of which 16 were on the St. Joe hockey team - you didn't spend a lot of recesses reading in the library. But I had close to zero hand-eye coordination. I was weak. I preferred to spend evenings playing computer games, rather than practicing hockey in the yard. My parents weren't unsupportive; they dutifully drove me to hockey all winter, and baseball in the summer. We had a driveway that was nearly a quarter-mile long, and I rode my bike all over the place. But I was never a risk-taker. I never tried out for elementary school volleyball or basketball teams. I never pursued hockey past the point when making the team was an automatic.
In high school, I didn't play varsity sports. I was done hockey after grade 9. I was more interested in computers anyway. Lucky for me, I went to CASS.
CASS has an unbelievable intramural program. On your first day of high school, you're 'drafted' to one of four houses: Kings, Knights, Aces, and Panthers (I was a Panther. So was Robin.) After a quick tour of your classes, you were drug into the gym for a pep rally for your House; you were told the traditions; you were sold the Story. Panthers, for instance, win by attrition: since Intramural points are accumulated by attendance, not just wins, we simply overwhelmed the other Houses with our attendance. That meant peer pressure to show up, no matter your competitive showing.
Every morning in homeroom, a House rep would visit and post the day's Intramural events on the chalkboard. They'd push you to sign up for next weeks' Intramural events. They honestly CARED if you showed up or not. Early on, I had a habit of signing up for everything and showing up for nothing; I was berated in homeroom for losing points for the Panther House. So I showed up.
Gradually, I overcame the fear of not winning: of losing in front of friends, girls.... I didn't train myself to lose, but I became adept at handing loss. This is maybe the most important part of Intramurals: frequent exposure to stuff you're just bad at. And I was more exposed than anyone, believe me.
There are a thousand years between here and there, spanning different athletic pursuits (racquetball in college, racing mountain bikes afterward, competing at Powerlifting for 4 years after that) but I never felt like an athlete. The 'team' aspect aside, none of those sports produced the type of well-rounded athlete I desired to be: ready for anything. Even while I was training on the mountain bike and THEN "working out" for up to 2 hours a day (doing a typical bodybuilding program - useless) I was never really "in shape." Powerlifters are incredibly strong, and I may never be that strong again; but even at 205lbs, I couldn't run 400m. Even though I had been a 'personal trainer' for twelve years, I had no appreciation for REAL fitness when I started CrossFit in 2008.
In 2009, we competed at the CrossFit Ontario Challenge. This was before the 'Sectionals' qualifier for the CrossFit Games. It was NOT a normal athletic competition. This is form, function, and fear tossed in a blender an set on 'chop.' Equal parts ballet and bulldozing. The precise art of the wrecking-ball.
These were honest-to-God athletes. Kickboxers, rowers...all united by the commonality of CrossFit. Fitness, stripped down to its rawest form, and pushed into the margins of "too much, too far, too fast." They were strong - a 255lbs deadlift, done 80 times in 10 minutes, is strong. They were fast - we saw a 400m rip that took around 1:00 flat in a WOD, done in tennis shoes. We weren't the first ones to ask about the puke bucket. We weren't last place; thank heaven; we weren't even out of place.
If you've never been a competitive athlete before, you can. That door is open again. There's a new opportunity to develop, dream, strive, reach. There's a whole new playing field. Best part: we have intramurals three times per day. Something different every day, but always an event; always an arena, not just a fitness centre. Catalyst has built me as much as I've built it, and more.
If you could go back.... if you could start over, in a NEW sport, and become a force; would you do it? Is it enough to push hard in the Mens' Beer League and relive old glory in the changerooms? Ten years from now, will it be "okay" that you let your youth slip, when you could have maybe run a mile in 5:00, or deadlifted 400lbs, or learned to do a handstand?
Hey, I started late. If I can do it, you can. I'll prove it to you: if you're doing CrossFit now - even if you've just begun - sign up to do the Intergalactic Throwdown or Defiance in February, and Murph in March. Chances are, you won't finish in first place. But chances are equally good that you won't finish in last place, either. And you'll be hooked. You'll have cleared a bar that most don't dare approach, and THAT is successful. Showing up an athletic event MAKES you an athlete, not the other way around.
CrossFit Ontario Challenge 2009. The guy in front of me is Cris Cristini, who did 17 rounds of 5 deadlifts (255) and 5 burpees in 10 minutes to win the event.
By the way, our House still wins because we show up with the most people!
3 events on February 5. All proceeds go to an The New Hope Animal Shelter in Thunder Bay. $10 to participate, but with a donation of $40 or more, you get this awesome CrossFit SubZero shirt:
#2 - Defiance! At CASS - we expect a MASSIVE turnout for this one. $10, several events. Watch the Trailer below, and scroll down for event breakdown and scorecard. Then register here.
#3: IgniteSault 4 - Coop's speaking on Change. Tickets are 5 bucks, and the first 50 people get a free beer. Cheaper than a CrossFit group, better short-term reward. How can you go wrong? Get your tickets here! Also speaking: Mayor Debbie Amaroso, and a bunch of other folks, too.
Today: Push an ancient gear around. Release Lake Superior. AMRAP in 10:00 with 5 of your toughest buddies.
10am at the Sault Canal National Historic Site. Food included for participants. We will have chili, vegetarian chili and butternut squash soup for lunch and coffee, hot chocolate and water available. There will be enough to ensure that spectators could purchase some if they want. Chili/soup will be $2 /bowl and coffee/hot choc will be $1. Again, all proceeds going towards construction of a picnic shelter.
Less than two weeks after that old epic, FranFest, we're ready to go again. This time, though, no amount of skills practice will help; there's no 'butterfly kip' out on that lawn. Instead, hard work alone will win the day.
First team kicks off at 10am. Other teams will be watching to gauge the difficulty; Parks Canada staff estimates 220-250 turns. Don't worry: we'll reopen and reclose the valve as much as necessary to accomodate all ten teams.
Not registered yet? Your registration fee MUST be paid before Saturday morning (we won't be accepting payment onsite.) Get it done online here. Unregistered participants will NOT be allowed to participate (sorry.)
Strategy? Anything you like. Go 6-on-the-bar, rotate through team members, pace or race. Up to you, your calluses, and your soul. Just push hard and turn right.
Details on the event are here. Teams of six (each member should register individually.) Participants may register online by clicking here, calling (705)256-1344, or emailing chris@catalystgym.com.
Where were you when Karl broke through? Where, when Leroux fell off the bar...for the third time? How could you have missed Cait's hands? Or Lisa's pullups; Andrea and Phil; that new kid, Logan??? Where were you when Ted said, "Winning FranFest is like peeing your pants in a dark suit...."
If you missed FranFest, you just bought a book with a chapter ripped out, friend. Counting spectators and nerve endings, we smashed over 80 people at once into the Park. The early rounds were quiet (nothing closes the mouth like a heart in the throat) but Karl cured that.
21 reps is the "easy" round - unless distraction is the toughest part for you. Then it's a looooong climb out of hell on sliding brimstone. 21 pullups - Karl's specialty - were better, but the 15 Thrusters require a lot of focus even from the fastest Franners in the world. 15 Pullups, when you're tired? Rough. I've gotta admit, as his partner, I thought I had a minute to re-warm myself before picking up a bar. Then he stood up. With a primal yell, he squeezed the bar and became machine. NO ONE ELSE did 9 Thrusters without hesitation that day. And that's when the crowd tipped.
The silent wallflowers turned papparazi around Thruster #5. You can hear them in the video below. They - you - returned his call, and he was thus baptized into our sanctum.
Round 1 featured another epic matchup between Cam Wilson and Steve Leroux. Cam finished quickly - 3:51, if memory serves (don't quote me yet....) - and Steve was on par to finish exactly the same. Then he slipped. And spilled, again. And one more time. The strength in his forearms completely gone, his power of his guts still managed an override and he finished around 30 seconds later. It was one to watch - the room holding its collective breath. The video is below:
The 'Manitouwadge Manglers', Steve and Amy Leroux:
The final heat was one of my favourites: rising CrossFit star Kiera Scott and her brave mom, Marnie; the Woods clan, all at once; Julie and Emma. A ton of juniors ripped up the first round, including Max and Glen Fisher. Sally and "Dairy Queen" (aka Alyssa) Moore, Nicole and Super Jada (she hit every.single.pullup.) Justin Moore and Alex Brownlee went Rx'd - they're both future CrossFit superstars, as well as the gridiron. On his first pullup of the day, Logan cracked his nose off the bar. On the following 135, he was flawless. He and Ted were the models of consistency: short breaks, hard-as-steel resolve, no complaining. And it paid off. They won FranFest2010. And they'll be back.....
All told, FranFest2010 raised between $400 and $500 to help people get a better meal this Christmas. Your hunger helped ease theirs. Thank you all.
This morning, dozens of CrossFitters will throw themselves under the Fran bus. 'Fran' is a very short workout - under 3 minutes, for some - but requires an immense output of energy in that small window. Veterans and first-timers will come together today to place themselves under the heavy thumb of the 'fastest WOD on Earth.'
This is superstar Jason "Rhabdo" Kaplan doing Fran in one minute, fifty-three seconds:
...and here's Rhabdo's advice to you, the Catalyst community, from last year:
Learn to embrace the pain, everything must be done unbroken. Chalk up the hands only in the beginning prior to the start. The first 21 is the mountain, once you're done with that its all down hill. 15 is just keeping the flow while 9 is pure muscle powering you through till the end. Once you're done either walk away if you can, or collapse from relief that you are done.
...and here are 300 words by newbie (but hardcore) CrossFitter, Sally Moore:
I should be earning my pay reviewing financial statements and G/L entries but not today, not with less than 24 hours until FranFest. My stomach is ridiculously turning. My brain is constantly reviewing what I know I can do and thinking of ways I can improve. My eyes are watching Fran video after Fran video. My inner voice telling me over and over 21-15-9, that’s what I have to do. I can do 65lbs, I know I can. It may take me a bit longer than if I were to go with less weight but do I really want an extra minute penalty? No. No is my answer every time. Catalyst is the only surroundings where I feel no one is judged negatively. No one is going to care if I'm last to finish in my heat. I’m the only one that cares what my Fran time will be. I am ultimately my only competition and I plan to kick the shit out of myself tomorrow morning. I love crossfit, that’s what I do.
...300 more by veteran, Nadia "Anxiety" Amaral
When Coop asked me to write down some words on how I was feeling leading into Fran, my first reaction was..are you sure? Yes...No? I needed him to confirm..3 times. This pretty much sums up my confidence when any Catalyst Event nears. Flashback this summer to the day I was leaving the Park and Chris asked me one last time about the Games..”Are you in? Commit now, you have 15 seconds” Josh standing beside him..both in a stare down with me..It felt as though I was in a cowboy movie standing at the saloon doors. Everything slowed down, I looked back and with an air of confidence, finally committed. I’m IN!!” As I turned to leave and took my first step outside the Park, that quiet little voice in my head started laughing, hysterically..and I knew. I was out.
Back to reality, tomorrow is Fran. I remember sitting watching Fran last year as a newbie to the gym. I remember watching Josh and Ray throw the bar up, their feet almost leaving the ground on every thrust. I remember Michele sacrificing a tooth, I remember several athletes pushing to finish and collapsing afterwards and I remember the awesome shirts people had made. As I type this, the butterflies have overtaken my stomach, the doubt has been trying to squeeze into my mind and the anxiety attack is waiting to make its move. But something greater is with me this time...to the point where I catch myself in moments of comfort; looking forward to whatever time Fran will bring me, as long as I finish, Lisa by my side. Tomorrow I get to make my memory and start the chapter of my book...I think I’ll call it ‘will’.
Instructions: as soon as your team finishes its first round, report your total time to the man with the clipboard (usually Coop,) and receive your total time with penalty minutes. After the first round, the fastest eight adult teams will move on to the second.
The event starts at 8:30am sharp tomorrow. Arrive early to warm up! Last year, a team (cough! Gartshore! cough!) arrived late and still did very well despite complete lack of warmup...but don't take that chance.
Heat #1
Nadia Amaral
Lisa Proctor
Carolle Robinson
Fran Rose
Ted Fryia
Logan McKinnon
Phil Strickler
Andrea Guzzo
Games winner Lisa Proctor starts us off early. She's paired with Nadia (very strong) and facing her future father-in-law, Ted, who's brought in a 'ringer' - teenager Logan McKinnon from Ted's wrestling program. They're facing Carolle and Fran, a veteran and an enthusiastic rookie. But watch out for Philsy: he held the Fran record for a loooong time at the Park, and his new partner, Andrea, is a newbie but already TEARING UP the noon groups....
Heat #2
Coop
Karl K-L
Jo Bailey
Sarah Palumbo
Renee Leclair
Kristy
Esther Gartshore
Deb McLean
Pam Didonato
Laura Didonato
"Team Chirp" - Karl and Coop - take on a group of fast-movers. Jo Bailey and Sarah combine speed with a massive work capacity; Esther and Deb are ridiculously fast...can they overcome their penalties for scaling? Pam and her niece, Laura, have already clocked a total time under 10:00....will they avoid redoing reps? And no one knows WHAT to expect from the smilin' cousins, Renee and Kristy....
Heat #3
Ty
Charmaine K-L
Kath Fryia
Steph Parniak
Jess King
Chris Stone
Sally Moore
Alyssa
Nicole Mitchell
Jada
Ty's got our all-time Fran record with 3:03, but a nagging shoulder issue may slow him a bit. Steph is super strong, breaking all the Park's female powerlifting records in the last 30 days, but admits she doesn't like the clock much; Kath is a veteran of these events, now, after her FranFest debut last year, and that should help with pacing. Jess King was forced into the Scaled 2 class at the Games, but has already committed to competing at Sectionals this year...her partner's untested but has been training VERY hard. Sally Moore is the very definition of hardcore CrossFitter, and her daughter Alyssa is extremely fast; she's squaring off against her ol' group buddy Nicole and her young but extremely talented daughter Jada in a mother-daughter showdown!
Heat #4
Glen Fisher
Max Fisher
Kristen Hoffman
Krissie Berger
Denise Casaletto
Cory Hawke
Ed Cappelli
Anna Cappelli
The return of Max Fisher - who, with mom Amy, posted the fastest Fran time last year - can he carry his dad this year? Denise, Cory, and Krissie are ALL first-timers, and Hoffman hasn't competed in an event in months, so we're not sure what to expect, but Denise has posted a very solid sub-7:00 Fran already.... and of course, the Flying Cappellis. BOTH are doing amazing work on the WODs, and Ed's becoming a regular fixture at the top of the leaderboard. Will they go as Rx, or take a pullup penalty? Strategy is going to play huge in this one.
Heat #5
Cam Wilson
Cait Tomlinson
Jen Woods
Rachel Woods
Margot Beaudoin
Chris Pratt
Steve Leroux
Amy Leroux
matt moore
wade kraft
Winner of the mens' division at the 2010 Games, Cam Wilson takes a first-timer into the thick of things. Cait's been a competitive swimmer (she's now a coach) and is training extremely hard...Jen and Rachel Woods may well take the cup for 'Team Having The Most Fun,' and Margot and Chris have both shown strong skills on the Thrusters. Steve and Amy from Manitouwadge are back...you'll get to see Steve v. Cam all over again! Moore just tied the Park deadlift record for male members, and Kraft is a sprinter...can they combine to do some real damage in this heat?
Heat #6
Troy Woods
Katie Woods
Joe Scott
Kiera Scott
Julie Freestone
Emma Karklins
Alex Brownlee
Justin Moore
The youngest heat of the day! 5 folks under the age of 15. Troy may be a bit tired from being run off his feet by Coop as we begin the search for a new, larger home (we saw 4 buildings in 52:00 flat on Monday!) and Kiera, Emma, Alex and Justin are all veteran Catalyst Teens. Julie's been a consistent force in Bettys, and we all know what kind of surprises Joe Scott is capable of pulling off....
In nearly every heat, there's a team with a teenager or youth. Awesome! There's also a lot more to cheer about: a LOT of first-timers paired with veterans. Make noise! Bring your bells from the Games, and expect to leave hoarse! Take a million pictures, wear funny shirts.... it's FranFest tomorrow!
Bearing in mind that this is rarely correct the first time (there are ALWAYS changes!) this should be the rough outline for Saturday! Missing? Email chris@catalystgym.com. Trying to back out? Email totallyfakeemailaddress@yahoo.com. Yes, it's really happening on Saturday!
Real strength carries great burdens. Real strength pushes the heavy plow. Given a long enough lever, as the saying goes, real strength can move the world.
In a City built with skinned knuckles, work is our heritage. 'Labour' isn't the description of our political leanings; it's our birthright. Steel, timber, and fast water - these are our bones, skin, and blood. We've been made in the image of the Voyageur; of the lumberjack; of the steelworker, and the farmer.
There is a place, almost hidden, where these things still live. There are ghosts here. On December 4th, we'll take up their stride. We'll place our hands where theirs once lay, unresting, on giant machinery that was built to lift ocean liners from one Great Lake to another.
This is not a new event. This is the continuation of a tradition: the closing of the Locks, by hand. This is the grit, and gristle...and it's perfect for CrossFitters. Last Spring, ten Parks Canada staff rotated in two-minute intervals; it took them six hours of walking in circles to move the giant gears that open the six-foot-diameter pipes.
We're going to do it in three. Teams of six. Ten minutes to complete the most revolutions. Get in early, and you'll get a chance (maybe two attempts!) But since we don't know how many revolutions will be required, later entries may lose out. Make your first attempt your best.
Signups open tomorrow. Choose your team of workhorses. Spike your shoes. Grit your teeth. Push.
One partner will perform "Fran" (21-15-9) of Thrusters and Pullups in its entirety. As soon as the athlete's feet strike the floor from the final pullup, the second partner can clean the bar from the floor to the 'rack' position and begin. *Note: starting partner may begin from the 'rack' position at 3-2-1-GO!* Your time is the cumulative of both Frans.
The fastest 8 teams from the First Round will be invited to participate in the Second Round.
Second Round - Alternating
One partner will perform 21 Thrusters and 21 Pullups. When they finish their final pullup, their teammate will do 21 Thrusters and Pullups. The first partner then performs 15 Thrusters and 15 pullups; the second partner follows with the same, and this is repeated for 9 reps of each by both partners in the same manner.
The fastest 4 teams from the Second Round will be invited to participate in the Third Round.
Third Round - Strengths (aka Best Ball Fran)
One partner will do the 'Thruster' portions, and the other will do all of the Pullups for one round of "Fran." The "One Bar In Hand" rule applies: if one partner is doing Thrusters, the other may not grab the Pullup bar until the barbell has hit the floor after the final repetition (it doesn't need to be at complete rest.) Likewise, the Thruster bar may not be re-gripped until the partner doing Pullups has dropped to the ground after their last repetition. In other words, only one partner may have their hands on either bar at any time.
Fastest team - first to finish - is winner of FranFest2010
Frandicaps
Instead of Scaled categories, competitors will face a time handicap for using less than Rx'd weight for Fran or doing modified Pullups.
Pullup Handicapping: Chin must clear bar or rep will not count.
Use of purple band assistance for pullups (user provides band): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of Prone Pullups (rings or bar, chin to wrists) : 1:00 Time Penalty
Thruster Handicapping: Athlete must touch a medicine ball on each rep and come to full lockout for a rep to count. Rx weight: 95lbs men, 65lbs women.
Use of lighter weights (75lbs men, 55lbs women): 1:00 Time Penalty
Use of much lighter weights (55lbs men, 35lbs women): 2:00 Time Penalty
Wanna compete with your kid? Absolutely! They can choose either a 12lbs bar, a 25lbs bar, or PVC, and even do Jumping Pullups! For safety's sake, teams with kids under 13 will participate only in the first round (the changeovers become more chaotic in the second.)
Example:
Josh and Jill are partners. Josh can do full pullups but cannot use Rx weight, so he uses 75lbs instead. Jill can do the Rx weight for women, but relies on prone pullups.
November 20 is the start of a whole new Catalyst season.
Last year, over 50 CrossFitters slammed the bar overhead 45 times; many did it more than once.
This year, you've got a few more things to be excited about!
First off, FranFest2010 will be the first event in our new POINTS SERIES. Compete/participate in events and groups through the year, either as part of a team or individually, and you get points. Catalyst Games 2011 will also be our points Championship! More to come....
FranFest2010 is a partner event. As such, we'll break down the competition into three classes:
1) Rx - both partners doing Fran as prescribed
2) Mixed / Scaled - one or both partners scaling the weight or pullups
In life, there are challenges that are acute: a one-time lightning bolt, tough but quickly finished. The bruises stick around, but life is otherwise quickly returned to normal.
The tougher stuff is the chronic: continuing recurring tests without a clear end in sight. These take a different kind of endurance; a toughness that makes survival of the short-but-tough stuff seem almost lazy.
Though we'll all certainly be faced with both, we're lucky in that preparation in the one column helps with coping in the other. You can prepare for the chronic through the practice of the acute. The opposite, however, is less true: a marathoner will not have an easier time with Fran than you will. But you, CrossFit athlete, will be able to struggle your way through 10k, given enough time, a running clock, and Mike's coaching.
Every year, just before summer, we test your resilience. Each of these workouts stands on its own as a tough highlight to a whole week of WODs. Each is a highly-contested record on the Board. If you're a CrossFitter, you may forget to buy milk, but you'll always know your Angie time. In a world where we gauge success by performance at objective tasks, these six form a good picture of your progress. Put together, they're daunting; your goal is just to survive, and try to PR at every single one.
I like my nurses the same way I like my airplane pilots: rested, happy, stress-free.
One of the greatest tragedies in medicine: our nurses are exhausted, overworked, understaffed, and possibly unsafe.
Rates of nurse burnout and depression have never been higher. Nurses are sicker themselves than they've ever been. They're getting overuse injuries; they're carrying the load of two. And they're usually smiling their way through it anyway.
Nurses need help.
This year, we're going to take action. During Nurses' Week (May 10-15,) nurses may attend any CrossFit group at either of our locations for FREE. No charge. We want you to feel better; to get stronger.
We don't want you to risk injury every time you flip a patient, or succumb to cortisol-induced cravings for sweets at midnight. We want you to have an outlet for stress.
On Saturday, May 15th at 11am, we'll host a Safe Lifting Clinic for nurses and healthcare providers (also 100% FREE.) Save your back. Save your knees. Learn to move people (and yourself) more effectively. Our Trainers are schooled and experienced educators in workplace ergonomics, safe lifting and loading practices. We're also big fans of nurses.
Catalyst family: you can help, too. Join us for Nurses' Week workouts. Welcome and thank the nurses you meet. In the long term, keep working to lighten their load. It's up to us.
For time (22 min cap):
30 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Deadlifts (225/155lbs)
400m run
30 Push-ups
15 Push Press or Jerk (135/85lbs)
30 Squats
15 Front squat (135/85lbs)
400m run
15 Deadlifts (225/155lbs)
30 Chest to bar Pull-ups
Want to see how you'd have compared? Click here for the results.
In case you missed it yesterday, find someplace private, crank the sound, and enjoy (there are two tiny bad words in there, but totally worth it!)
Question: what if we're wrong, and global climate change really is just part of the Earth's natural cycle? Does that absolve us from having to clean up our own mess?
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.
This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed
before repeating. We've used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The
stations are:
Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of
"rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good
score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each
calorie is one point.
Today, nearly 70 athletes will participate in our annual Fight On Friday challenge. This year, entry is $10, with all proceeds going to the travel fund for our Canada Regionals athletes: Josh Deluco and Whitney Pagnucco. Come. Do, or watch. Take pictures (we'll have prizes!)
Not registered? Show up anyway! We'll fit you in somewhere! However, no other workouts may be done
today. Sorry.
We’ll be open today –
a holiday – for Fight Gone Bad only. We’ll
resume regular hours tomorrow.See you
then!
In 1998, after finishing University, I started my education.
With a degree under my belt, I was still young enough to believe I knew everything - or that I could figure it out, at least. Twelve years later, I realize I'm still just starting. I scramble, every day, desperate for answers. Each new piece of research raises more 'why?'s than "a-HA!"s.
There exists a gap between a student's formal education and the readiness to apply practical knowledge. In more industrial fields, Apprenticeship programs bridge the distance. Sadly, in the fitness community, fresh-from-the-oven recruits are typically thrown into leadership roles with as little as a weekend of instruction. Ready? Fire! Aim!
Even with a four-year degree, I recognize now that I was in no way prepared to train people at an acceptable level; I thank my earliest clients for the start of my real education. I was blessed with a collective of very inquisitive teens (most of whom are now pursuing education in kinesiology-related fields) who quizzed me on every detail of their training.
Looking back further, had it not been for the hands-on immersion of high school co-op education, I'd be miserably fixing computers today, carrying even worse posture, nearing my first heart attack and shying away from carrying 'heavy' monitors. That gratitude toward employers willing to take on risk for no discernible benefit prompted us to accept 4 co-op students this semester, and it's been very rewarding.
One of the best things about the Catalyst Coaching Team: diversity. We're united by a common pursuit of excellence, but our backgrounds are very different. Exposure to each coach, in turn, will give a much broader perspective into excellence than any coach alone.
This summer, we're offering the type of program we wish we'd had during our formal education: hands-on, in-depth, and challenging. We'll be accepting five students to study with each coach on the Catalyst roster; assist in coaching groups; get their feet wet with individual programming; experience the endurance required to be a great coach; read and write research; coach and referee at events; and perform better, themselves, at individual skills.
We're asking each student for a small enrollment fee. The value of this program - including participation in Catalyst groups for free, a free membership, and some paid work time - exponentially exceeds the cost. That said, we don't want everybody. Students will be assigned a letter grade at the end of their residency. Not all students who pass through our Apprenticeship program will eventually be hired to work at Catalyst (in fact, most won't) but new Catalyst staff will come from this group.
Over the summer, students will:
Participate in coaching at both Sault Ste. Marie facilities;
Be enrolled in every Catalyst group offered at no additional cost;
Learn to operate the Park gym, in pairs and solo;
Write, read, and study more intensely than any University program;
Assist in coaching CrossFit groups;
Assist in coaching sport-specific groups
Assist in coaching for special populations
Assist in coaching teams
Become trained in the CAT Testing system;
Receive group training on professionalism, coaching, and client adherence strategy
Participate in coach-only meetings and clinics
Actually do the stuff that makes us great.
Prerequisites:
Enrollment in a College- or University-level exercise-science program
Confidence
Outstanding verbal and written skills (this sounds like a filler. It's not. If you can't write without correcting mistakes, save yourself the time.)
Experience in a wide variety of exercise philosophies, not just techniques
Ditto nutritional strategies
Ability to laugh at yourself
NOT be a perfectionist
"Beginner's Mind"
Familiarity with the CAT Testing system
Happy and smiley at 6am and 9pm - ideally, on the same day
You've got to care. "Liking the job" is not enough: if it wakes you up at night, you have the potential to be one of us.
Interested? Email chris@catalystgym.com for the Student Residency Package. If your email is your first contact with us, please tell us your story.
Fight Gone Bad is this Friday - Good Friday, April 2. To accommodate the religious holiday, we'll be starting early, and closing at noon. Flights times are approximate; please be early to cheer (most participants stay for the entire event.)
Haven't entered yet? Click here. Want to just drop in that day? No problem; we'll fit you in somewhere. But you're on the bubble: be ready for action!
Today is Monday. Out of a possible 24 hours, 9 are already gone; another 2 are committed for sleep later tonight. You'll spend another nine working. That leaves four.
In the Western Christian calendar, this is the season of rebirth. And about time, too: we're dying here! For the first time, our childrens' generation has a lower projected lifespan than our own. We've literally got it so easy - so pain-free, so automatic - that it's killing us.
It's a common misconception that we're just plain lazy. We're not. Our minds have been finely tuned over a million years to be primed for action. We simply haven't come all this way, done all this preparation, to be more ready to watch Oprah than ever before. It's also a mistake to think that we've reached the end of evolution....unless we're capping the genome right here. If we continue to devolve, it's over.
Our problem isn't lack of motivation. It's not weakness of character, or weak ankles, or some elusive 1950s term like, "willpower." Given a crisis, we can still respond better than our predecessors. So what's stopping us? Too much information, Jerry!
Paralysis by analysis. We're looking for the perfect way to shed our skin. In a city of a hundred avenues, we're mesmerized by the map, bagel in hand, acting the tourist. We sample the culture without becoming immersed. We do drive-by dieting. We count to 8 (sometimes 12, if Dr. Oz says so) while we kill time on the recumbent bike, waiting for the Exercise Pill to pass the patent board.
You have better options.
They're simple, but they're not easy. For one, you can spend three weeks learning to exercise. You can meet Smilin' Whit every morning for 21 days, and reap the benefits for the next 50 years.
You can give yourself permission to be bad at it - at first. We all were. The most successful are just the ones who allowed themselves to fail most often.
You can plant something.
You can come to Fight On Friday, hover near the back, and just try not to get excited. It's impossible. Try NOT to cheer, we dares ya. Try not to smile. Then remind yourself: this is exercise. Are we supposed to like it this much?
You can try a Zone meal. One thing about the Zone style of eating: forgiveness. If you eat a non-Zone meal, just eat a Zone meal at the next one, and you're back on the road to insulin bliss.
You can tithe. That is, commit in advance to spending two percent of your day, once per week - 30 minutes - with a personal trainer. 30 minutes, once per week, and then just do the homework you're given. Heck, we'll even figure out your Zone blocks for you.
By Monday, you could be living a different life. To say 'reborn' is cliched nonsense, but starting a different track will be like learning to walk again. Expect shaky legs on the upward climb to self-actualization.
One of the best compliments I've ever received was in the shower after the Ontario Sectionals.
But it's not what you think.
Athlete, to me:"You're one of those Green Army guys from the Sault, eh?"
Me, still grinning after the 4th WOD: "Oh, yeah!"
Athlete: "You guys brought some awesome athletes down! Thanks for making the drive, man!"
This was the story, echoed over and over to each of us individually: that the Catalyst crew was always smiling; always having fun; always polite. Almost as if we were grateful to be there. Which, of course, we were. You do not, as a rule, get to pull up stakes, commit two days to driving and another two to competing, without massive support. Our friends stayed with us all weekend on facebook and twitter; our spouses took care of everything you could ever imagine; our other coaches kept the Park alive and thumpin'. Thanks. We ARE grateful.
On to the event itself:
The goal of this new level of competition, Sectionals, is to qualify athletes for the Regional (National) level of competition based on skill. Obviously, there's still a time element, because the more skilled will be able to complete each task faster. But what matters at Sectionals is not how fast, but how well. It's a screen for Regionals. And that means simpler WODs, lighter weights, and an atmosphere of inclusivity.
The goal of CrossFit is to improve work, defined as force x distance. And force, in turn, is mass x acceleration. Before the event had even begun, there was plenty of criticism on various discussion boards regarding the light weights and short events. My thought: if the weight is too light, then just go faster. If the Sectionals day is too easy, go home and train afterward. Sectionals is not part of the preparatory phase for Regionals; it's just a filter. Welcome the newcomer, and elevate the most proficient.
Now, the exciting part. The following is a play-by-play, from memory. You'll have to click to read it all, and I warn you: it's going to be long. But the magic is in the details, and I don't want to leave any out.
"Feeding The Baby" - I'd probably just stand there and pantomime everything if I wasn't competing.
Gotta represent the "unnaturals" who didn't play sports their whole lives
Got an Army to feed!
Next year, Sectionals may require prequalification
This is year One of my 15-year training plan for the Masters division
Ray Gowlett: "It's like unwrapping your Christmas presents!"
The worst-case scenario (last place?) really isn't bad at all.
It's not a fashion show, and I support that.
It's my sport.
I love my team.
Carolle, who showed up for every single Team WOD every single Friday.
Competing at CrossFit = winning at life.
Two rounds of 7 hours' good conversation with my wife on the long drive.
My kids tend to try the stuff they see me doing. Anyone else ever notice that?
I get to wear 3 of my favourite hats in the same day: cheerleader, coach, and athlete.
The next day, I'll wear my fourth favourite, when I write about it.
I get to watch Josh Deluco up close. This kid's something special.
Get to hang with other Affiliate owners and friends!
I'll do anything for a cool t-shirt.
Feeling my lizard brain writhe during the last 10 seconds before the start.
Frequent exposure to physical stress makes me better at dealing with other stress. It's a physiological fact.
If you knew me in high school, you'd never have guessed I'd be here.
CTV news, baby!
Participation is good for the sport.
48 hours of post-Sectional glee. Almost like a refractory period.
The incredible photography that shows up afterward!
Watching the CrossFit community flex its collective muscle.
Watching the CrossFit philosophy flex its solid muscle.
I just don't have the opportunity to be amazed that often anymore.
I know how hard it's been to get to my current level, and if there are 100 better, that's going to be incredible to watch.
If I keep meeting new people, I don't have to learn any new jokes.
This train only goes forward or backward.
Posting the WODs on my facebook wall got 21 responses...in the first 10 minutes.
I think this is the 'right' carrot to hang in front of people.
I'm going to learn like crazy.
I'll have more people to cheer for at CrossFit Games 2010 in Aromas (hey! I warmed up with that guy!)
Event #4 might just be a max deadlift. You never know.
I'm never going to be this young again.
OPT.
It's all about the story.
I get to see if the wiring and the plumbing work well together.
I get to carry my blue foam roller through downtown Toronto.
I'll get to see Whit compete against other girls. Yikes.
"The walk" over in the morning with the Team. Nervous jokes are double-funny!
'Recovery' swimming with my kids.
I'd like to get it done so I can get back and try 'Muscle Murph' - 50 muscle-ups, 100 clapping pushups, 150 x 95lbs front squat, with a mile before and after
Writing this list is really easy - that's reason enough!
Test, revise curriculum, repeat.
My form will be checked against the highest standard.
How else would I know?
I'm building an exercise habit, too. You don't ever stop.
I've already got the calluses.
So I can convince 20 people to come next year.
As long as I can keep Clint healthy, I'm not the oldest.
Some of the most athletic physiques in the country....and not a single mirror.
Best seats in the house are on the stage. See # 4, "feeding the baby."
Gotta stop Josh from eating the jar of pickles before the pickle-eating contest.
I know the family's watching back home.
My sister's flying across the country to be there.
I'll share a chalk dish with some of the best lifters,writers,and businesspeople in the country.
More people wearing Chucks in one room than anywhere else north of Westside Barbell!
"This is a truth derived through competition, not debate." - Greg Glassman
Brent's outfits are best experienced in person.
Exercise theory funneled down to a fine point. Either it's true, or you lose.
Only the bullfighter really knows what it's like in the arena.
Ray's "game face."
It's nice to be in an environment where "lockout" doesn't refer to striking auto workers.
The soundtrack is always excellent.
The sound of 20 bars slamming the ground in unison.
Solidarity.
Alecia smiling while she links pullup after pullup.
There will be deadlifts there.
A glimpse of the next level, waiting for my footprint soon.
Take one minute of rest, and repeat for 3 total rounds. 17 minutes of holding your gut to the flame. 17 minutes of pouring cold water on your character and looking for leaks.
Why
A few weeks ago, someone forwarded this email:
"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body
thoroughly used up and totally worn out and screaming "woohoo what a
ride"! And that is why I did not workout today!!!!"
It's a nice turn of prose, no doubt. But it's not reality. In this-here "real world," you're far more likely to slip, sedated, into a dirty grave with only the clothes on your back and anecdotes of remorse. You'll probably have nothing to tell St. Pete that he hasn't heard already. If you're in the majority, your death - maybe, even, your life - will be a long stretch of grey cliche, with some little blips of colour around your sixth birthday, your wedding toast, and your death-bed recant.
There are no PowerBall tickets when it comes to health, quality, happiness, or longevity. The only last-second Hail Marys will be the ones whispered, on wine-fume breath, into your grey ears by the attending vicar. There's no luck. There's only work.
Right or wrong, sliding or simpering, you'll have earned it. And that should scare the hell out of you; it does me. Will your end be so terrible that you'll require the out-of-body displacement of morphine? Will you be alert, but tired? Will you be celebrated? When you're ten years in the ground, will it matter?
These are the thoughts that pry me from bed at 4:30am. These are the reasons I stumble through essays, and learn video editing, and drennrive headfirst into entrepreneurship, and would like to learn the guitar. This is why I do CrossFit: It's hard. It's work. It's not easy. That's the point.
You're alone in the cave. Mary isn't picking flowers outside. Start rolling back the stone.
When
April 2nd. Good Friday. 7:30am. Plenty of time to celebrate your rebirth afterward.
Spring is all about change. It's about second chances - or third, fourth, and fifth chances. Yes, when the snow melts, there's still some garbage beneath. Yes, we'll endure some mud for a week or two. But it's nothing we can't handle in anticipation of better things to come.
OnRamp is one of our most popular programs: it takes folks without solid exercise foundations, and turns them into full-steam locos in twenty-one days. That's a real feat. OnRamp is something special.
But it's got the wrong name. We should have called it, "Jet Pack." Or, "SpringBoard." Or something more exciting.
Yes, an OnRamp is a gradual turn onto a higher plane. It results in a change in direction, and that's its purpose. But that's not the story of OnRamp. These are:
"Whoa."
She said. She stood there, a barbell at her shoulders. The gym was
absolutely silent; I was waiting to see what she'd do next. Finally: "I never thought I could do that."
He'd been training at the Park gym for months. His deadlift was a respectable 320lbs. 21 days later, he pulled a solid 415lbs. That's not progress; that's a deadlifting miracle. But that's what technique does.
She started by driving past the gym. Three times. Somehow, our newsletter had found its way to her inbox. It took her nearly ten minutes to get out of her car and open the gym door. Three months later, she's dragging in every friend she can find on facebook. She can tell you how to deadlift; she knows what 'fast elbows!' means when her coach says it. Her biological clock has rewound ten years.
"Just want to keep up with my kids," he wrote on his release form. His kids play soccer; run track; do gymnastics. Now, they do it with him.
One of my favourite OnRamp'ers of all time just completed our Murph Challenge last weekend. When she started - four short months ago! - she wouldn't run a step. Now it's, "how many 400s are we doing?"
There are as many stories as there are OnRamp students. In her charming way, Coach Whitney takes all comers, from every background, eases them through the CrossFit funnel, and they emerge - different. They have the habits, the knowledge, and the drive to succeed. No more second-guessing every workout; no more procrastinating; no more hating gyms with mirrors and the daily Treadmill Catwalk. CrossFit has changed them. They're not going back. There's no Off-Ramp.
See why we need a better name?
7am. 21 days, every day. A private atmosphere. A small group. You, a surprising success. Try it.
April 6 class - sign up now. Small groups means we only take 8 people each month!
Pullups, pushups, and squats may be performed in any order, and split as preferred.
Today, 65 Catalyst athletes will perform Murph, in 4 different categories, and around the world. Want to watch? You're more than welcome. Bring your camera, even! Spectators will get a chance on Monday to win a free 1-month basic gym membership for submitting their best pictures!
So...if you were training for the biggest athletic event of your life, and you had 4 days to go, what would you do?
Who would you invite?
Which picture would you want taken?
Just like at the Catalyst Games, we're putting a free month basic gym membership up for Best Picture! At the Games, we got over 1000 entries, so take lots and send 'em ALL!
With over 50 athletes participating, Murph 2010 is going to be the best one ever! It will be a terrific spectator event, too: bring your family! Bring your cameras! Bring your noisemakers!
Below are our projected start times for each athlete. Need a change? Just email to: catalystfitness@yahoo.ca, or call 256-1344.
Need a band? Bring, beg, or borrow - but we won't have one here waiting. Lots of rings for prone pullups, though!
*pullups, pushups, and squats may be split in any order.
Start Time:
Timids (never-evers, and the shy types): 7am at the Park.
Open (everyone doing it solo; this is the MAIN group): 8:30am at the Park.
Teams (up to 3 members): 10:00am at the Park.
#1 Goal: survive. Celebrate afterward.
#2: Do it as Rx, or closer to Rx than you've ever done it before, even if that means a slower time
#3: Go for the board!
Performance Standards and rules:
1. 1 MILE RUN - the run will start from the large door at the Park. Athletes must be touching the front wall of the gym at the start. You'll run to Industrial Park Crescent and turn right. You'll turn left at Drive-In Road, and continue until you reach the first Kal-Tire driveway on the left side. You must pass the fire hydrant. We'll have cones ready.
2.PULL-UP -
All pull-ups must start from a dead hang (elbows completely extended)
and end with chin above the bar. Any pull-up variation is acceptable as
long as it meets the defined range of motion.
3. PUSHUP
- The athlete must start from a full lockout (elbows and knees,) and
lower until chest and thighs both strike the ground, before returning
to full lockout. Failure to touch the floor with both chest and thighs
at the same time, or failure to completely extendthe elbows will count
as a missed rep.
4. SQUAT
- The athlete will descend until the crease of the hip is below the
sweep of the quadriceps. That means thighs parallel to the floor, at a
minimum.
SCALED OPTIONS:
1. Pullups with bands - BYOB. Pullups must still reach 'full hang,' with arms fully extended.Bodyweight rows - chin must reach the wrist on every rep to count.
2. Pushups from knees - available if necessary. If the athlete starts with full pushups but switches to partial pushups partway through, their time will count as scaled.A 'Murph' that's scaled in any way is not eligible for the record board. But it will still make you feel good!
TEAM options
Each time must complete:
1 mile run
200 pullups
400 pushups
600 squats
1 mile run.
Runs must be completed as a unit. Reps may be completed in any order, in any increment, by any group member. However, ONLY TWO GROUP MEMBERS MAY BE MOVING AT A GIVEN TIME on the pullups, pushups, and squats. One group member must always be at rest. The group's time will be determined by the last group member to cross the line.
If you're not competing, make noise! This is a very spectator-friendly event, and anyone who's participated will tell you that hearing their name helps push through a very tough set of pushups. Stick around and cheer for the others. Celebrate the mutual success of a good Murph!
