Catalyst Athletic and Crossfit

Gavin Grant Rowing Seminar

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!

You can register online here, or call 705-256-1344. 

Density

You may have heard this parable before:

A science teacher held up a glass tumbler for his class. In the tumbler were several large rocks; they were stacked, randomly, to the top of the glass.

"Is this full?" he asked. As a unit, the class responded, "Yes!"

From under the counter, he hoisted a paper sack and set it on the counter beside the tumbler. He ripped a small hole in the top, and then poured a fine sand into the tumbler, filling the holes between the large rocks. Soon the glass was filled; the class couldn't see daylight through the tumbler.

"NOW is it full?" he asked. The students exchanged knowing looks. Point made, Teach.

He lowered the glass, and slid it forward on the counter....until it was over the sink. He opened the tap, and added water until the tumbler was filled to the brim. The class watched the sand dampen as the water disappeared into the glass; obviously, more than a cup had been absorbed.

"NOW is it full?" 

One of the greatest lessons I picked up from my CrossFit Level 1 Cert wasn't during class time. I'd been through years of University, and a handful of other Certifications, and a dozen other seminars...but never had I seen the Coaches train. On their lunch break, while we chatted and looked on, they actually worked out. Better, they hit up workouts with which we were all familiar. It was a great show, and more than I were drawn in, cheering and 'coaching' from the sidelines.

The WOD, for most, was a clean ladder. 1 clean the first minute, and then chatting. 2 cleans the second minute, resume chatter. 3 on the third, 5 on the fifth, 7 on the 7th, 9 on the ninth minute (chatter over...) continuing for as long as possible. It's not an easy workout, but they each lasted at least 12 rounds. We clapped. But wait.....

In the 13th minute, they started doing pushups....continuing as long as possible. 13 in the thirteenth minute, 14 in the fourteenth, until they were over 20. Wow. But wait....

They started squatting. Fast. 21 in the twenty-first minute, 22 in the twenty-second...until they were all over 30. Lunch break over, class in session. Lesson learned.

If you've been reading Blair Morrison's blog, you'll have noticed something similar in the last few weeks. Morrison's doing some lactate testing with OPT, and he's changed the way he approaches his Metabolic work: he doesn't stop. He scales down, but he keeps moving.

For instance, if Morrison was having trouble with 'Fran,' he'd simply grab a lighter bar and keep going, rather than stooping over the 95lbs bar, trying to breathe. Unlike the rest of us, his motor KEEPS running, keeps doing work. He won't let it idle.

Morrison trains differently than most; he's not scared to try new things. Maybe, though, he's onto something. Mathematically, it makes sense to train through constant wattage output, even if it lessens over time, rather than stopping and starting. This mirrors our own experience in The Enduro Project. 

For the next six weeks, if you're doing the posted WOD, try something: downgrade the weights mid-WOD, but keep going. No, you won't be finishing as Rx'd...but you'll be developing a bigger engine.

Our programming will change a bit, from now until mid-February. We'll start most workouts with high-repetition skills work: overhead squats, pullups, pushups, box jumps, double-unders, toes-to-bar.... and we'll build up our capacity by doing 50 before the real work starts. I'll post a suggested weight each day, but the goal is to KEEP GOING. If you can't do it with the Rx weight, then drop the weight at any point and continue as quickly as possible.

This is great output threshold training for the Open, for the more advanced. For the intermediate, it's reinforcing your skillset (which is the next step toward becoming advanced,) and for the beginner, it's a development tool for the new exercises you'll be learning. It will also help with the mental continuity problem that many of us need to stare down before February 22.

For the next six weeks, there's no killswitch. 

Skill And Capacity for Runners

Pick up your pitchforks, runners: I'm going to start with the heresy again.

Here I sit, a guy who's never finished a marathon; who's never 'raced' at a local event; whose subscription to Runner's World ran out in 1992 (the articles are all still the same, anyway.) Who the heck am I - Coach Coop to a mere few hundred people locally - to tell YOU anything about running?

To paraphrase an old cliche about art, I don't know much about runnin', but I know what I like. And what I like is work capacity. In fact, I like it so much, I develop it in people for a living.

Work - let's just call it Capacity, okay? - is your ability to do something tough for a given timeframe. That tough thing may be running; it may be lifting weights; it may be calisthenics or gymnastics or Jiu-Jitsu or even holding your breath. These activities look very different from the outside.

Your heart, though, doesn't know the difference. It knows "rest easy"; it knows, "go a bit faster"; it knows "attack speed"; and it knows "Hit the M1 button on the phone! Now! Listen for sirens!"  The response is common to - and can be triggered by - any of the above, when delivered in the correct dose.

This big bubble of Capacity can be stretched, of course. It can be lengthened; it can be pulled up from the top. The dose determines its shape AND its size. But while the Capacity bubble is pretty awesome, it's not magical.

Will running for 30 minutes improve your Capacity to run for 30 minutes? Yep.  So will ANY activity that creates a higher heart rate than normal over that same timespan. Doesn't matter how the heart rate goes up - any stress-inducing stimulus will do it. What's important is that your heart rate and metabolism rise above your current comfort level. That's true whether you're running to improve your running, or hitting a CrossFit WOD. Running below that level will not force improvement, and neither will doing a million reps on the leg press.

Skill, though, is specific to the sport. Harder running won't make you a better gymnast or Olympic Lifter. Your "cardio" workouts on the elliptical trainer don't make you a better striker, sadly. We believe the POSE method is best for runners; others disagree; some aren't even in the conversation. What's important, though, is that you're spending a large portion of your training time working to improve your technique. 

In other sports - tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, car racing, CrossFit - technique forms the basis of practice from the earliest introduction through the pro ranks. When it's time to start running, though....most just, um, like....go running? I was a part of this overwhelming majority for years, and it's myself I'm ridiculing here. It's taken for granted that because we walk a lot, we must be good at that OTHER foot thing, because, like, running is just FAST walking, right? Right?

Not quite. Running is a skill. We work to develop that skill in our Enduro groups. We build a runner the way we build a lifter, or a gymnast: learn the technique, practice in a fun way, and refine. Many others make a career talking about this stuff, but NO expert suggests that practicing running technique is a BAD idea. We're certified by CrossFit Endurance, who are leading the anaerobic charge in many ways.

And now, of course, the elephant in the room: how does a 10-minute CrossFit workout improve my running time in a 10k race?

Remember that bubble, and how we said it could be pulled up from the top? As it turns out, elevating your heart rate above its 'average' level - that's 'average while running,' not resting - also helps it operate for longer at a LOWER, slower rate. But hey, don't take our word for it: there's a TON of science to back me up on this stuff:

Explosive-strength training improves 5-km running time by improving running economy and muscle power. J Appl Physiol. 1999 May;86(5):1527-33.

 Burgomaster KA, Hughes SC, Heigenhauser GJ, Bradwell SN, Gibala MJ. Six sessions of sprint interval training increases muscle oxidative potential and cycle endurance capacity in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2005 Jun;98(6):1985-90.

Burgomaster KA, Heigenhauser GJ, Gibala MJ. Effect of short-term sprint interval training on human skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism during exercise and time-trial performance. J Appl Physiol. 2006 Jun;100(6):2041-7.

Gibala MJ, Little JP, van Essen M, Wilkin GP, Burgomaster KA, Safdar A, Raha S, Tarnopolsky MA. Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. J Physiol. 2006 Sep 15;575(Pt 3):901-11.

Esfarjani F, Laursen PB. Manipulating high-intensity interval training: effects on VO2max, the lactate threshold and 3000 m running performance in moderately trained males. J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Feb;10(1):27-35.

Burgomaster KA, Howarth KR, Phillips SM, Rakobowchuk M, Macdonald MJ, McGee SL, Gibala MJ. Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. J Physiol. 2008 Jan 1;586(1):151-60.

McNicol AJ, O'Brien BJ, Paton CD, Knez WL. The effects of increased absolute training intensity on adaptations to endurance exercise training. J Sci Med Sport. 2008 Aug 30.

Iaia FM, Hellsten Y, Nielsen JJ, Fernström M, Sahlin K, Bangsbo J. Four weeks of speed endurance training reduces energy expenditure during exercise and maintains muscle oxidative capacity despite a reduction in training volume. J Appl Physiol. 2009 Jan;106(1):73-80.

To demonstrate this opinion, a few us are running a marathon on July 1. Using only CrossFit-style training - and NO "long runs," or ANY runs longer than our Midnight 5k Fundraiser this weekend - we're going to try to demonstrate that we've got the capacity to do 26.2, with or without the skill. 

The best part? CrossFit and running aren't exclusionary, but complementary. You don't HAVE to run four times per week to get better at running; you can do some fun stuff instead. You can build some muscle. You can learn things that are vastly more interesting. You can lose more fat. 

By now, you may be asking: "If this stuff is so great...if it actually DOES work...why have I never read about it in a Running magazine?" Well....it doesn't sell shoes, does it? Here's one, at least, that's in the conversation.

Just flat-out LIKE running? That's awesome. We do a little program to help runners become better runners, called Enduro. It starts again tomorrow night. 

Hate running? I'm with you. My ADHD brain wriggles and yawns on every step. I sure like how I feel afterward, though, so I do it. Enduro has helped make it less painful for me, too.

 There's always another way.  This is ours.

Burn Your Bra, 2011

Ladies, please: you're smarter than this.

You're the tougher sex. You can handle pain, stress, mess; and you can do it on heels, if necessary.

This has got to stop.

Would Cleopatra have done triceps kickbacks to 'firm and tone' her arms? Would she rely on Spanx to get her point across?

As we posted a couple of years ago, Confidence is the new size four. Step aerobics, Special K, treadmill walking, prepackaged 'low-calorie' meals....you're better than this.

You KNOW how to be strong. Does 'being strong' mean that you alter yourself into a shrinking violet, feigning weakness by pretending to believe all this "firm and tone with rubber dumbbells" garbage?

By now, you KNOW that lifting weights doesn't make you mannish. You KNOW that balancing on wobbly balls and boards don't fix your "core." You KNOW that mama, in the nursing home, is in pain from osteoporosis. What are you gonna do about it?

Will you turn a blind eye to science, experience, common sense...and believe what they WANT you to believe? Or will you use that innate BS meter - the one that KNOWS when junior's done his homework, or Sissy's been seeing THAT boy after school - to help YOURSELF? Will you learn to chalk your hands, mop your brow, set your jaw, and do the things that will REALLY make a difference?

Those things are called deadlifts. And cleans, and jerks, and snatches. If it has a jelly cover, it's useless to you. Learn to do these things with other women; practice; become strong. Channel Cleopatra, or just stop taking so much guff.

Does this process cost money? Of course it does. This is what we do, after all. Want proof? Ask any of your girlfriends. We make women better.

Start here: Level II Barbell Bettys. Mondays at 5:30pm (tell someone ELSE to make dinner, for a change!). $119 includes a six-week membership to the Park...where powerful women come to play!

Why We Have Rules

There was a time, not so long ago, when we abhorred rules. We were the fitness counter-culture (still are!) and rules and regulations were for them. Not us.

We took for granted that people would know their way around a CrossFit gym; that they'd be sensitive to the same issues we were. In short, we made the mistake of projecting our values and background onto everyone, because we're all friends here.

Recently, we've had to crack down a bit. We've tried hinting, and surprise! that didn't work. You CAN'T read our minds, after all! We've tried being cute - the burpee penalties aren't working. So here it is: WHY we insist on things being done a certain way. After all, we're not just making up rules for their own sake.

1. Don't wear wet shoes in the gym. I don't want to sit in your mess. Do you want to sit in mine? I don't want to get out of a shower and step in dirt. Kinda defeats the purpose.

2. Don't drop an empty bar. A seven-foot drop of a finely-tuned, $800 instrument CAN'T end well.

3. Don't expect to train while there's a CrossFit group. We are, first and foremost, a coaching organization. We make our gym space available to our athletes for practice during our non-coaching hours. Participants in CrossFit groups - whether they number 1 or 20 - deserve (and have paid for) the exclusive use of the equipment and exclusive attention of the coach. Your gym membership is valid from 6-7am, from 8am-7pm, and from 8pm-9pm. That's twelve hours of availability, for about a buck a day. When a coach has to ask you to finish up at 7pm to make way for the group, it's incredibly awkward for everyone involved.

4. Don't leave your stuff around.  We don't want your shoes, or your water bottle. There simply isn't room to keep them here. If it were important to you, you'd remember to take it with you. Similarly, put equipment away properly. Bars fall over and make dents in equipment. A piece of dented rower costs $500 to replace; a bar costs $800. You'd have to be a member for 30 months to cover the cost of replacement, not including taxes and shipping and repair time. When you break equipment, you're taking it away from all members until we can fix it. 

5. Sign in.  We're tracking peak hours so that we can plan around them. We wouldn't ask if we didn't need the information. It's not hard, promise.

6. Take ownership. Stepping on skipping ropes is bad for them. Letting a three-year-old run around is bad for them. Leaving a piece of chalk on the floor is bad for everyone.

We hate being the 'bad guy.' We like everyone here. We're attempting to keep our community small and close; the atmosphere intense; and the floors clean enough to collapse upon. Rules aren't about being 'nice,' or 'in a good mood,' or 'mad' at anyone. There's a reason for every one. If you're unsure, just ask. Please, and thanks. Now let's all get back to training hard.

How To Start Exercising

or, "How To Buy A Map."

 

Over the next few weeks, you're going to hear a lot about "special offers!" and "we'll waive the signup fees!"

It's going to be tempting, I know, to make your decision about a gym based on money. But hear me out.

The fitness world is a confusing one. No given 'program' works for everyone, and doesn't work for anyone forever. On the flipside, it seems like anything will work for someone.  The donut diet? It's out there. It works...if you're a hypoglycemic amphetamine abuser.  There are maps aplenty. But maps just draw a line in the dirt, don't they? They're not great at keeping you on course after the journey begins.  And every map, eventually, becomes outdated.....

The most important thing is that you start. Start with anything. Give it three months. If it doesn't fit, do something else. But keep starting. Don't wait for the perfect time, perfect place, perfect price...those are all red herrings. 

Here's what we offer:

Tough workouts. They're fast, but they're hard. It sounds counterintuitive, but it feels like a game.
A learning curve with no end. You'll never lose interest, I promise you that.
A simple eating plan. If it wasn't available to great-grandma, you don't eat it. Simple.
Coaches who love to coach.
The 'Family.' Maybe you know one person here; maybe you don't know anyone. After a day, you'll know three people. After a week, you'll know ten. And after a month, they'll be calling you by a nickname. It's a great place to be.

Leading your caravan by the light of the wrong star may keep you headed East, O Wise One, but is that enough? Is it okay with you to be another anonymous face in a sea of melancholy? Would you rather learn to enjoy exercise - thrive on it, plan your day around it - or how to distract yourself long enough to put in your time while the dishwasher's finishing the rinse cycle?

It took us a long time to put our methods together. But if you have a friend at Catalyst, I'll guarantee that they love it. Ask them.

What's your first step? Talk to us. We'll set aside an hour, you'll come and sit, and we'll put a plan together. No charge, and no sales pitch. Call 256-1344 to book a free consultation, or click here.

Want to try CrossFit, but don't know how to do a clean, or a kip, or a handstand? You will. Her name is Whitney, and she's the Keeper of those secrets. OnRamp is our introduction to CrossFit, and it's for you.

Want to learn how to lift weights safely, effectively, with grace? Try Barbell Bettys or Fraternity Barbell, for the ladies and (cough) gentlemen, respectively.

We're coaches. It's our life work. Most of our clients do Personal Training first, but that's your choice. Heck, you're free to just drop in to a CrossFit group and try it. Pick any group, and we'll show you around. Just let us know you're coming, that's all.

This year is yours. 2011 can be a leap-off point for you, whether you've never exercised or have kept the same schedule for years. Train with us in privacy, or get very public. Stay in the dark, or make your mark. We'd love to meet you.

Purposeful Practice

By now, you've likely heard of the 10,000 hours effect.

Posited by Malcolm Gladwell in his terrific book, Outliers, the 10,000-hour-rule suggests that mastery isn't an inherited trait, or a surprise. It's practice. Chess masters, Mozart, Mike Tyson....they've all achieved over 10,000 hours of practice before they became great.

Watching Mitch and Brent roll at King Of The Cage on Saturday, I was struck by the finesse of fight.  I was especially lucky to have their dad - Ted Fryia - sitting in the row ahead of us, our own bearded Sun Tzu, explaining the Art of War while his heirs lived it out loud. Post-fight, he received more blows than they did - to the back and shoulders, in congratulations. People were talking, yelling, drinking, clapping.....and I started thinking about ping-pong.

Reading Matthew Syed's new book, Bounce, I'm becoming more convinced that it's not just the quantity of practice that matters, but the quality. Syed was a world Table Tennis champion, and points out that hard work and extraordinary circumstances got him to the top, not an innate ability. He was continually challenged to reach another level for his whole life, accumulating over 10,000 hours of quality playing and coached time by the age of eighteen.  Our brains are so elastic that we can overcome the steepest of learning curves...but we'll stagnate when we reach the top.

This, then, is the real plateau: an abate in progress, caused by an easement in learning.

One of the biggest debates in the fitness industry is the concept of overtraining vs. overreaching.  Overreaching, loosely defined, is trying to hard to achieve goals too soon. But in my opinion, the real problem in most gyms, weight-loss centres, fitness 'studios,' and health agencies in general is underreaching. 

It's not uncommon to hear, "I'm just maintaining." at these places, and for years, I've ranted about lack of forward progress among most gym-goers. It's not enough just to go through the motions; to follow the workouts, and be satisfied with finishing. There's a reason we track times and weights and say stuff like, "AMRAP." We've never prescribed a workout with the heading, "AMRA...YFL." That's because goals matter.

Starting CrossFit, it's perfectly acceptable to follow along, building strength and speed and metabolic conditioning until you can do the workouts As Rx'd. When you finish a heavy WOD for the first time Rx'd, it's a damn fine day. And when, six months later, you crush your previous best time, well....

There will come I time, I promise, when you're no longer progressing by showing up and trying hard.  Every workout, every rep, every silent tick of the digital clock has to count. Your workouts must have a goal.  'General' fitness will only be enhanced by short-term specific improvement. Get one thing better. Then the next. Build a ramp.

I received a nice, complimentary email this morning (thanks, Fergie!) about some of my more 'philosophical' posts.  I love getting emails like that.  Truth is, though, I haven't been reaching. I've been training hard, but not looking forward and upward.  I profess to know a lot about jumping and building wings, in that order, though, so here's my plan: I'm going to join CrossFit groups.

Though I've done CrossFit for two and a half years, and done personal training sessions with all our coaches, it's time to immerse myself into the cauldron.  Today, I bought my first punch card. Tomorrow night, I start participating in groups.  I'll still coach, but with the four best coaches in town working under my roof, I'd be crazy NOT to take regular advantage of what they can offer.  In the Spring, I'll do Frat Level II, and then Enduro.  But for now, instead of leaning on equipment and watching Mitch's awesome Teens groups, I'll be otherwise occupied. Tuesday and Wednesday nights, I'll be out of the frying pan.

Practice makes Permanent.

The 2010 Apprenticeship Program

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.

Download Catalyst 2010 Residency Package

April OnRamp Group

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!

Are Kipping Pullups Cheating?

This:                                                                                    is not this:

....absolutely true.  CrossFit is frequently the target of derision among those who haven't done a WOD.  Without a foothold from which to attack the science, they instead pick out minutae - like the kipping pullup - and ridicule, instead of question.

The goal of the kipping pullup? Perform more work.  Not "isolate the back" (as if such a thing were possible,) or "widen the lats" or "build thickness."  The kipping motion allows for greater wattage output in the same amount of time, and more consecutive work to be accomplished.

The most common counter-kipping position?  It's "cheating."  But by whose rule-sheet?  Is there a secret Hoyle Book of Calisthenic Exercise?  Is this guy really our best frame of reference; our greatest referee?

Kipping is different, yes; and often, different means scary.  That's our Lizard Brain talking.  

A kipping pullup and a bodybuilding pullup are different exercises. Neither are 'better' than the other without the context of the athlete's goal.  The goal of the kipping pullup is NOT to develop the 'bodybuilder' pullup; therefore, use of the kip does not detract from the usefulness of the exercise.

I'm still amazed, after 14 years in the industry, at the furious arguments online over what's "right" or "wrong" - as if there were such things.   Our goals, as part of the CrossFit community, are to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains.  Do bodybuilder-style pullups have their place at our table?  Yes, insofar as they increase our ability to do more abduction in the frontal plane in less time.  They're an assistance exercise, like front squats and bench presses.  They're means to a greater end.

The path to glory can't be charted from a couch.  If you're exploring the New World, you've got to be on this side of the globe before you can comment on the natives.

SUPERMEET 2009 - Official Rules

It's time to lift weights.  

In our original SUPERMEET post, we laid out the ground rules: You have exactly 3 hours to perform a max Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Back Squat, Shoulder Press, Deadlift, and weighted Pullup.  Here are the specifics:

1. Time clock starts from the initiation of the first recorded attempt.  Staff must be notified that an attempt is underway for the lift to count.

2. Each attempt by each lifter will be videotaped for later review.  Staff will handle the videography and provide judging on each lift.  Since judging will be done "from the hip," later review of each lift may disqualify an attempt.  Be SURE!

3. Each athlete will have precisely three hours (from first recorded attempt) to finish all six lifts.  

4. An athlete may make as many attempts at each lift as they choose...but the clock keeps ticking.  Just as there's no maximum number of attempts, there's no minimum number, as long as they complete at least one attempt per lift (ie a token lift with an empty barbell is legitimate.)

5. Athletes may begin the SUPERMEET at any time between 6am and 2pm (gym closes at 5pm.)  Athletes starting later than 2pm will finish at 5pm, regardless of the shortened time window.

6. Lifts may be done in any order.

7. We love these lifts.  The honour to be earned by big lifts is not scalable.  Half-reps do not qualify for partial credit.  

8. Lifters may wear a lifting belt on any lift, and wrist wraps on the press only.  No wraps allowed on deadlifts.

9. Respect 'platform rules': never cross a platform with a lifter on it; clean up your own chalk and sweat afterward; don't distract a lifter by walking near them while they're setting up or lifting.

 LIFTING STANDARDS:

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.  No kipping!  Weight must be suspended from a fall-arrest harness OR the gym backpack.

CLEAN & JERK - The athlete pulls the loaded barbell from the ground and receives it in a full or partial squat. Full squat is met when the crease of the hip falling below the knee or patella. From the squat, the athlete may receive the bar overhead in anyway – thruster, press, push press, jerk. Elbows and shoulders must lock out with bar overhead. Overhead defined as arms holding bar above the body whereas the ear is visible at the anterior of the bicep. Knees and hips must also be at full extension at lockout. When dropping the bar, the athlete will keep his/her hands on the barbell until it has passed the chest. There is no “dumping” the bar from overhead intentionally. 

DEADLIFT – The athlete pulls the loaded barbell from the ground and stands with knees and hips in full extension and locked. The athlete may not “dump” the bar from the standing position, but may allowed it to drop with hands on the bar at all times for safety.  Once upward motion is established, there may not be any downward motion (no hitching.)  

BACK 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.  Bar must be in a Back Squat position.  The lifter's feet may not move during the lift.  Squats must be done INSIDE a power rack, with spotter bars set.  Judging may not be done by the spotter.  Athlete must descend from - and return to - a fully locked-out position (it's a good idea to wait for the judge to say, "rack!" before you put the bar down.)

SHOULDER PRESS - Bar must travel from contact with the upper chest to full lockout of the elbows, with the bar travelling over the head.  No knee-dip or leg drive allowed.  Feet must stay in full contact with the ground, and knees may not flex.  Bar must finish over the head, with upper arm behind the ear.

SNATCH - From the ground, the lifter must move the bar overhead in one motion.  There is NO pressing allowed on a snatch.  You may perform either a power snatch (no scoop, slight dip to catch) to a full squat snatch (scoop phase, full squat at the end) but must finish the lift with feet parallel in a full standing position, arms fully locked overhead, and hold for 2 seconds.  Failure to hold lockout will result in a disqualified lift.  Hint: keep your elbows higher than the bar as long as possible.  Slow bar speed at the 'top' of the snatch, combined with low elbows, may be mistaken for a press and therefore disqualified.

When in doubt, do what you know is right.  Even if it means a lighter weight, don't cut corners.  Ask staff for clarification.  Keep it fun; make mistakes; chalk up; yell; be loud.  Slap people on the back.  Congratulate lifters you've never met.  Yell and scream and do all the things that make us happy to be part of your Catalyst family.  

Technique V Intensity

 These things we do - these lifts, these jumps, these pulls, these games - they're hard.  

They're hard because we do them fast and heavy.  And they're also hard because they're technically demanding.

One big reason that GloboGyms succeed? They water down exercise to its lowest common denominator.  They remove the 'think about it' barrier.  It's idiot-proof.  It's Wonder Bread.  It's vanilla.  There's never a risk in choosing vanilla, because you always know what you're going to get.  

Not so with a clean and jerk.  Kids - little kids! - practice technique in these lifts for years before they ever touch a bar.  They lift broomsticks and PVC pipe and aluminum lookalikes.  Weightlifting is a sport, but it sits on the spectrum somewhere between gymnastics and martial arts and powerlifting.  It's graceful and technical and nuanced and beautiful.  And it requires coaching.

Under heavy load, it's hard to do a perfect clean.  Full, triple-extension pulling power is nearly impossible on the second rep, let alone the thirteenth.  And this is where the argument lies, both within the CrossFit community and without: at what point do you sacrifice technique for intensity?  And when do you 'shut it down' to execute better technically?

In a famous speech, Coach (Greg Glassman) makes a few great points about Technique v. Intensity.  The video is NOT workplace safe (f-bombs away!) but here are some highlights, edited for obscenity:

"The real risk lies in not learning the mechanics.  Now, real world, can we learn the mechanics without ***ing up?  No!"  He's talking about operating in the margins: the farther you go from mediocrity, from vanilla, the more risk you're taking, and the more you have to be willing to err.  That's a good thing.

"My best performers are moving through the workouts at what - I'd give them, like, a 92 on form."  That's still really good, but maybe not realistic for the average CrossFitter.  Heck, someday I'd LOVE to earn a 92 on form on a snatch, period.  However: "There's efficiency in good mechanics.  When we define 'strength' as the productive application of force, I -by necessity - introduce form and safety into the demands."  Aha. "I'm not just looking at contractile force; I want.....productive work.  I want functional movement accomplished."

 Some classic Glassman illustrations: "No one ever won the Indy 500 where, in the last 5 miles, they were only running on two cylinders."

"(she) was a real connoisseur of good form.  Never able to generate any intensity.  What's going to happen is that if you say, I will not take my intensity past where the form goes bad, you'll never generate any intensity."  

One more good one: "Do I want good technique, or high intensity?  Yes.  It's like asking, do you want me to meet you in the right place, or be on time?  Yes.  It's gotta be both."

One thought that's my own: it's one thing to have perfect execution in a perfect situation.  It's quite another to focus enough to perform the movement under fatigue, or distraction, or haste, or duress.  Practice in those situations is absolutely necessary.  A trailer of firewood tips as you're pulling it home?  Do you want to get it back on the trailer fast, or do you do one block at a time with a prescribed rest period between each?  You're loading sandbags to stem a flood in your basement: do you change shoes, chalk up, and put your belt on?  Your buddy calls you to help move his refrigerator: do you go looking for straps, and insist on a few reps with his little bar fridge first?  No. Outside the gym, the setup will never be perfect, the load never balanced, the curveball never right across the plate.  You MUST learn adaptation here; you must learn to deal with imperfection.

Your Guide To Barbells at Catalyst

YOUR GUIDE TO BARBELLS AT CATALYST

1. 55lbs Hampton Bars – very stiff, fat diameter, great for deadlifting, pressing, and squatting. Knurling is short and not very sharp; use a little chalk, not much.
2. 45lbs Hampton bars – small amount of bar ‘whip,’ fast sleeves, narrow diameter. Okay for squatting (middle knurling) but too much flex for heavy deadlifts. Knurling is not sharp OR deep, so use a bit of chalk on your hands, but keep the bar clean.
3. 45lbs Ivanko OLY bar – more bar ‘whip,’ very fast sleeves. Built for clean and jerk and snatch. Narrow diameter, sharp knurling, no centre knurling for squatting. Not great for deadlifting.
4. 35lbs York bars – a practice “beater” bar. Sleeves must be tightened before each use. Slow sleeve rotation, no middle knurling.

Yes, you’re a savage. But a bit of barbell etiquette is appreciated:

1. Clean your own platform of chalk and sweat and DNA.Never cross a platform on which a lifter is active or setting up. These lifts require a lot of focus, and movement is very distracting.
2. Keep chalk over the bowl.
3. Put your weights away after use.
4. Never drop an empty bar; try not to drop a bar with only 10lbs or 5lbs plates on it (but if you have to, that’s ok. We’d rather rip a plate than dent your skull.)
5. Don’t use short bars on the platforms. They make dents. And when YOU make dents, WE make dents.

THANKS. You’re making it better for everyone. Now go lift hard!

The 1-1-1-1-1

Appropriately, the day after I write about Cherrypicking, a max effort CrossFit WOD pops up.  Fun for the experienced lifter, the benefit of attempting max lefts may not be as obvious to a rookie.

This is NOT about burning calories.  It's not even about improving your strength.  The 1-1-1-1-1 WOD is a test of strength, not a stimulant.  Instead, it's about something nearly invisible but definitely palpable: efficient recruitment of force.

Is this a boring topic?  A bit.  I'll make you a deal: take a deep breath, and hold it.  If I'm not done the description by the time you have to exhale, you can skip the rest.  OK?

 

Your muscles are wired together, and to your brain, through your nervous system.  But this system is wired to do LOTS of things, and learn NEW things, all the time.  It's not wired to be perfect at everything.  This system is responsible for turning on individual muscle fibres in the correct sequence, as quickly as possible.  Problem is, the first few times it has to learn a new pattern, that process is NOT quick.  And since the system teaches itself to do the same thing each time it meets the same challenge, you can actually teach your muscles to be slow.

OK, exhale.  The way we get the muscles to twitch more powerfully - to turn on quicker, line things up in sequence, and fire - is to teach speed.  We in the game call that Rate of Force Development.

We're dealing with units that are so tiny that you'd never see it with your naked eye - unless you're seeing a misfire.  An inefficient recruitment of force.  Remember when that guy was pulling that heavy deadlift, and his hamstrings were shaking? Bingo.  The body was struggling to recruit help from anywhere possible, and it was chasing thousands of rabbits at once.  Do that lift a few more times, though, and you're better at getting things lined up in the proper order.

So why do we care?  Well, for one thing, this will make you stronger without making you bigger.  This is exactly how little guys in the 165lbs weight class can do deadlifts over 600lbs.  It will also have an 'umbrella' effect on your other lifts: pulling your maximum higher will make the lighter weights easier.  

There's also a cascade of hormonal release with heavy weights.  For one, insulin sensitivity improves in the muscle, because it's looking to refuel before it begins to repair itself.  Second, the thyroid output of T3 improves to rush nutrients into the system.  Testosterone kicks up a little, which helps in saving protein and preferentially using fat for fuel.

Things like bone density and spinal stability are also improved more efficiently through the use of heavy weights than through the use of repetition.  The stimulus from a high-repetition set of leg extensions is simply not enough to trigger osteoblast (new-bone-generating cells) activity; a heavy set of squats will.

Yes, it's the redemption WOD for muscleheads.  Yes, the coaches yell themselves hoarse.  But the benefits are myriad. Don't skip "singles night."

September OnRamp Update!

Above: Four of the September Seven do wall balls at the Park 091309.

September's OnRamp group is way ahead of the curve. After their first week, Coach Whit (already nicknamed, "Meanie" by the group) brought them up to the Park gym for a little CrossFit immersion. And guess what? They rocked the workout! (Right: Madge shows some real strength!)

They still have a long road ahead, but 33% of the way, they're showing terrific technique and drive at the basics of human movement - squatting, pressing, pulling, running....

...and what's more, the Catalyst CrossFit community has been pouring out their support and welcome! Pictured (below,right): some of the blog posts on CatalystTrainer.ca, welcoming the new OnRamp students. You're not alone. Welcome to the Tribe!

So why are we posting this now? Well, to brag these folks up a bit. We're very excited about their progress.

Also, because our October OnRamp group (details below) is almost full, and November's OnRamp group is starting to fill. We're poor salespeople, so no pressure. But if you want in for one of these months, you may be wise to call sooner than later. Just call Chris at 256-1344.

Want to read the original OnRamp article? Click here.

21 days. You: an athlete, not just an exerciser.

The coach: Whitney Pagnucco, 2nd place at the CrossFit Ontario Challenge, arguably one of the most fit women in Ontario. Also, very nice.

This is a group for beginners and those who have never done CrossFit - style workouts before. It will put you on the path to a lifetime of success. It will teach you everything you'll need to know about exercise, pushing yourself...and what you're truly capable of doing.
Start date: October 5, 2009
Fee: $199 (plus gst.)
To enrol: 256-1344 or 253-0011.

Fall Beginner Running Clinic

Since we've been teaching the POSE running method, we've heard a few good ones:

"Mike - is it normal to take 3 minutes off my 5k time the day after your clinic?"

"How is it possible that I'm more than 30 seconds faster on every 800m run I did today?"

"How can this possibly make such a huge difference?"

"I'm just happy that I can finish the CrossFit WOD now!  I couldn't run a step before!"

For beginners, it's even more important to learn to run correctly, right off the bat.  Running doesn't have to hurt.  You'll progress faster.  You'll run farther.  You'll go faster.  You'll be more comfortable.

This is just an example of the time and care we put into our running instruction.  Our goal: help you to love running, whether as part of CrossFit, as a method to get in shape, or to someday race.  

It doesn't matter if you've run before.  It doesn't even matter if you like running today.  You will.  We'll show you how to use a good stride; how to eat; how to train.  We'll do video analysis of your stride so that we can tailor the coaching to you.  We'll give you homework, take you out on running excursions, and probably tell you a few jokes.

Coach: Mike Watson, BSc., CSCS, Finisher of several full and half-marathons and races

Four Saturdays, 8 to 10am

Starts October 3, 2009

Saturdays for 4 Weeks  - Industrial Park location (99 Industrial Court 'B')

$110 (plus gst.)

Plyometrics Done Properly

Plyometrics play an important role in the development of any athlete.  They're effective at turning strength into speed, which is critical in every sport.  In a simple linear plan for training an athlete, plyometrics would fall between power generation and speed development.  However, many coaches use them as a substitute for strength training exercises, or as a sport-specific developer of anaerobic capacity, which misses the point.

How They Work:  Plyometrics (as defined by a rapid stretch-shortening cycle in muscle fibre) improve speed by increasing Rate of Force Development.  This happens in three ways: by recruiting more muscle fibres with each movement; by recruiting muscle fibres in a more efficient pattern; and by turning each individual fibre on more rapidly.  All three of these are limited by the nervous system, NOT muscular energy systems.  That's absolutely critical to understand, if you're to use plyometric training appropriately.

How They're Meant To Be Used:

In very low-rep, high-rest-interval training blocks.  Plyometrics are usually used in blocks of 1,3, or 5 reps.  It's useful to have a knowledgeable trainer close by, because if form degrades, it's best to end the block early than to reinforce bad technique.  Practice makes permanent!

Since they're primarily used to improve nervous system recruitment, rest intervals should be determined by the same.  Your muscular metabolism will have the muscles prepared to move again BEFORE the neuromuscular aspect is ready, so force long rest intervals between blocks.

Plyometrics also take advantage of stored elastic energy in the muscle, which means a rapid turnover of force and a quick direction change, usually from down to up (with gravity to against gravity.)

When To Use Them:

If you really want to improve your speed and explosiveness, then plyometrics should follow a phase of solid strength training that includes some heavy movement in all planes.  If you're too young, or injury prevents you from heavy movement, plyometrics can be used effectively after a few weeks of bodyweight strengthening exercises.

Do plyometrics first in your workout, ahead of strength exercises, and immediately following skill-based exercises.  A solid warmup is required, so agility work is good beforehand, as long as it's not too intensive.  10 minutes or less is a good guideline.  Be fresh, not tired, or you'll just reinforce bad motor patterns.

How To Use Them Best:

Plyometrics, by definition, begin with a rapid shortening of the muscle (a contraction,) followed by an explosive lengthening of the muscle.  For example, dropping from a height, landing on two feet, sinking into a squat position, overcoming your downward momentum, and exploding upward into a jump is a plyometric maneuvre.  Jumping from a static position onto a box is not, since there's no pre-loading of the CNS.

A good program would be put together this way:

1. Agility/Coordination as a warmup

2. Plyometrics - lower body

3. Plyometrics - upper body

4. Explosive, non-plyometric lifts: speed squats, cleans, jerks, speed deadlifts, speed bench

5. Rep work

Common Mistakes: many coaches simply do too many repetitions, or don't allow adequate rest for the nervous system to recover.  Remember: the CNS recovers more slowly than the muscle does; increasing speed and power requires a longer rest interval, which has little correlation to heart rate.  If your goals include increasing speed and power, high-rep plyometrics (more than 5) won't work.  Best case, you're not improving; worst-case, you're reinforcing bad habits that will make you slower in the long run.

Occasionally, a coach will use a plyometric exercise (eg box jumps) to train anaerobic capacity.  This works because plyometrics require the Valsalva maneuver - closing of the glottis to aid in spinal stability - and therefore a rapidly-increasing heart rate.  That's fine, but increasing stamina and improving speed are two different things, and should be trained differently.  Plyometrics are a very valuable tool, but like everything else, they're not a magic bullet that will improve all aspects of your game by themselves.

Our boxes: Pal, Pukey, and Pandora.

Groin Pulls In Hockey

Strength and conditioning science for hockey has never been better than it is right now.

Leading the way: NCAA schools increasing their budgets for athletic training.  True, much of this budgeting is toward athletic training for basketball and football (the big moneymakers) but the carryover has been great for hockey.

Unfortunately, there's also a lot of BAD information out there for hockey players.  Stability balls, balance boards, and wobbly surfaces are prevalent - not because they work, but because the Strength and Conditioning Coaches for the players are sometimes unfamiliar with the skating motion and stride.  More balance training isn't necessary; after the age of 12, if you can't balance on skates, you're not playing at a high level, and it's too late to develop the balance necessary for NHL play anyway.  

With all this good information available, why is the rate of groin pull/strain/injury increasing in hockey every year?  Why are we seeing valuable players sit out, burning up contracts worth up to $8 million/year, with injuries that should be completely preventable?

First, consider how the groin works.  The adductor musculature (pictured, right) works to do two things that are of primary concern to a skater.  First, they bring the legs together (adduction.)  That's their primary role, and that's how most people think of them: as little muscles to be stretched and occasionally exercised on the Thigh Machine.  However, their secondary role is crucial for hockey players:  they also stabilize the pelvis when the hamstrings are engaged in rapid hip extension.

 

During a powerful hockey stride (or a rapid, short stride,) the hamstrings are fully engaged.  The pelvic muscles brace to hold the pelvis in check, so that the foot can push off without the femur popping forward or rotating out of the hip socket.  However, if the muscles of the groin can't bear the full thrust of the hamstrings, then they're at risk of damage.

Exercised properly, there's no reason for the groin muscles to ever become the weak cousin to the powerful hamstrings.  There's no reason for a large difference in strength - unless, of course, the hamstrings are being trained without the adductors being engaged at the same time.  When does that occur?  Isolation exercises on machines.

Yes, folks, when asked to name exercises for the hamstrings, most coaches would put Hamstrings Curls (prone, seated, or standing) on a machine at the top of their list.  However, during machine-based hamstrings training, the pelvis is stabilized and locked into place by the seat/machine; there's no need for the adductor group to do anything.  They laze around, getting weaker, while the hamstrings strengthen and the deficit between the two groups grows.  It's NOT GOOD ENOUGH to strengthen individual muscles; you have to teach them to work together at a high intensity.

Like any relationship, when two groups have less and less in common, they stop working together.  They lose the ability to find common ground; they're dysfunctional.

How can you avoid dysfunction of the groin, or better yet, IMPROVE its function to allow MORE hamstrings explosiveness?  Big, compound movements like squats and deadlifts and lunges and stepups.  You need to move weight around at varying speeds to get adductors and hamstrings on the same page.  If they're working together, you're going to be faster, avoid downtime (probably more important now, BEFORE you're a pro) and avoid pain.

Get a good trainer, and get in the weight room.  Spend a month machine-free, and watch your strength, speed, and power improve, while your injury risk drops dramatically.

Intro To Crossfit Workshop

CrossFit is more than a workout posted on a website.  It is a 

community of like minded, hard working individuals who believe in a system 

of short, intense, constantly varied exercises and its supporting nutritional 

beliefs.  The exercises are full body, functional, and demand attention to form.  

Our focus will be first on perfect movement. 

 

It has long been said that CF is potent medicine and the best way to approach 

it is from a long, slow on ramp. 

Our Introduction to Crossfit Workshop is designed to take people through the basics of the CrossFit exercises and prepare athletes for moving into Workout of the Day (WOD) classes with a firm grasp of the movements and intelligent substitutions for exercises that suit their specific needs.  Enrollment will be limited to 6 people in the workshop to insure more individual attention for each athlete.   The emphasis will always be on skill development before intensity. 

 

We will begin with the non-technical and get progressively more technical. 

 The cost of the Introduction to Crossfit Workshop is $60, plus GST.

Upon completion, you'll be given a punch card for 4 CrossFit group sessions 

($52 value!)

The benefits will last you forever, whether you continue with CrossFit or not.

What to Expect:

90 Minutes of constant coaching and practice in 9 fundamental movements: the squat, front squat, press, push press, Jerk, pullup, deadlift, kettlebell swing, and Clean.  We'll finish with a quick, unweighted 'Fran': a Crossfit classic WOD.  We'll discuss CrossFit philosophy and methodology; we'll answer questions; we'll laugh and cheer and sweat.  After this brief introduction, you'll be ready to join our mainstream CrossFit groups with a sound foundation in the basics.

Though we'll use only minimal weight (usually a piece of PVC pipe!) this is a tough workout, and will likely leave you very tired the next day.  We build skill through repetition, and that takes its toll.  Even those familiar with doing common exercises like squatting will change and improve their technique, and should be prepared to 'feel it' the next day!

WARNING: 

You may find it impossible to go back to your old gym after one week of high-intensity workouts here. CrossFit is quickly growing because thousands of individuals continue to see incredible results from workouts that last only 20-30 minutes each day. If you are willing to commit we can help you achieve levels you simply never thought your body was capable of performing.

Bantam-Midget Baseball Dryland Starts March 5!

It's been a long, slow winter.

Your glove has been packed away for too long. It's ready.

Baseball is waiting.

Get Ready NOW. What's on the line?

A spot on the team.

A spot on the field.

Playing time. Experience. Scholarships. Your future in the sport.

No matter what your position, you need to be training with the best. Need one good reason? Your competition IS. You'll be competing against athletes who train year-round in state-of-the-art facilities with professional strength and conditioning coaches like us. They're competing for the same spots on the same College rosters as you. Today, while you're doing your own thing, they're in the gym. They're doing cleans. They're throwing. They're squatting. They're getting stronger, faster, better. They're getting closer to that dream.

6 Weeks - $129

Thursdays at 6:30pm - Industrial Park Gym

Coach: Tyler Belanger (Graceland alum)

Assistant: Kai Tuomi (Nationals Draftee)

Strength Training, Conditioning, Food Plan, Position-Specific Drills, 2-Month Membership to Catalyst Gym.

Get Better. Don't Wait.

253-0011 to sign up.

Squatting

“The full squat is a perfectly natural position for the leg to occupy. That’s why there’s a joint in the middle of it, and why humans have been occupying this position, both unloaded and loaded, for millions of years. Much longer, in fact, than quasi-intellectual morons have been telling us that it’s “bad” for the knees.”  

 - Mark Rippetoe

We squat a LOT.  You're probably sitting right now, and you squatted to get there; you'll squat again to get up.  Sitting is just squattus interruptus.

The notion that squats are 'bad for the knees' is ridiculous.  There's no more basic human movement than sitting down and standing back up again; it's one of the first movements you learned as a child, and one of the last you'll ever be able to do without help.  Should you find yourself suddenly unable to stand under your own power, you'll despair.  And yet, there are those in the fitness community who think that 'squatting is bad for you.'  

This misconception comes from the bodybuilding idea that squatting is a quadriceps exercise.  In reality, real squatting should begin and end with the hip joint.  Quadriceps fire to assist in the movement, but don't do most of the work, according to electromyleogram data.  

See, back when, the thought process went like this: my thighs burn.  They must be weak.  If I raise my heels, they burn even more.  If I stay on my toes by putting a 2x4 under my heels, I must be using my quads more, and I'll get better results, because more is better.

Of course, there was no study of kinesiology back then beyond "this is what I feel."  Since the hip is such a strong joint, it's rarely the limiting factor, and thus the quadriceps 'burn' early and often.

Proponents of high-volume quadriceps training for sport or life believe that quadriceps are the key to standing and acceleration under load.  This is akin to putting new brake pads on a car to make it go faster.  Hip extension is key to running, sport, lifting stuff off the ground, and jumping.  Quadriceps play an important role, but as a knee extensor, they're largely overemphasized in most programs.  

 

We frequently see a lack of posterior-chain flexibility in new clients.  In our culture, we simply sit way too often, and don't crouch - or squat - enough.  Look at this picture of kids in a marching band, instructed to squat: they're over their toes, pressure at the knee, heels off the ground.  No wonder patellar tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon under the kneecap) is huge in young athletes!  

Squats should be done sitting back over the heels, shoulders pulled back, heels on the ground.  Not all coaches appreciate this fact, since the majority of information available in the mainstream media is geared to bodybuilding and, thus, irrelevant to athletes.  Above: the 1920s Brooklyn Dodgers developing some chronic knee issues.

Surprisingly, powerlifting has a lower incidence of knee injury than most sports, and it has nothing to do with the fancy knee wraps.  Most knee injury occurs from either contact or rotation of the upper leg with the lower leg planted, NOT from linear movement.  Chronic issues can occur, however, when the posterior chain is undeveloped, or knee angle is exacerbated by squats performed incorrectly over a long period.

Like anything else, coaching is important.  Learn to squat properly (hip-driven, over the heels, and low) and then add weight.  You can even learn perfect technique - FREE - at our boot camps or 'Sunday Morning Salvation' groups.  

Sunday Salvation - Free Group!

We can all use some coaching.  Even our Trainers - the best in their field - regularly work with other Trainers, Coaches, and experts to improve technique.  The better WE are, the better we can make YOU, right?

Every Sunday Morning, Kubis will now run his new Sunday Salvation group at the 'Park Gym.  Show up and improve.  Simple things make a HUGE difference.

Chances are, one small thing is holding you back from huge PRs.  Have Kris take a look at your technique, demonstrate perfect exercise protocol, and work to help you get better!

This is a free group.  Its goal is to help you improve at specific lifts.  Therefore, we require that you've taken the Crossfit Introductory Boot Camp (also free!) before attending Sunday Salvation.

FREE Crossfit Boot Camps Return October 18!

Call your friends - the Camp is back!
Saturday mornings - 7:30-9am.
Part 1 - Fundamentals of Movement
Learn to do everything better! This is where you improve your technique in basic human movements: squatting, standing, pushing and pulling, swinging, throwing, pulling yourself up, and picking up heavy objects.
Part 2 - Advanced Movement
More technical lifts, like Clean and Jerk and Snatch, take years to perfect. Our highly-evolved coaching technique will have you safely performing technical tasks with solid proficiency in under an hour.
Part 3 - WOD
Your first Crossfit Workout Of the Day!

The course is free, but registration is required. Please click here to email, or call 256-1344.

Diane Gone Wild!

Saturday's Crossfit Tribe kicked Diane's butt!  Records shattered, fun had by all! 
Ladies went first - we saw some pretty wild HSPU by Karen, and Suzanne broke the record (though not as prescribed - incline pushups.) 

Guys went next, and Luc's deadlifts put him out front early.  Shawn picked 235 instead of 225, and suffered for it, but his HSPUs were great. 
These videos are from the first round:

Mitch Fryia video Series : Common Mistakes

In the 4th installment of this video coaching series, Mitch discusses common mistakes in the Clean, Jerk, and Snatch. Then he cites the absolute most important criteria of improving your Olympic lifts: technique.

Mitch Fryia Video Series : The Snatch

This is Part III of our elite coaching series on Olympic lifting. In this post, Mitch coaches the Snatch. Note the dropping of the bar: this is the safest method of lowering the bar, and requires a special facility like Catalyst to do so.

Mitch Fryia Video Series : Cleans

Mitch Fryia is a big man. Emerging from behind his brother's long shadow to be National Wrestling Champion in University, Mitch spent some time with Weightlifting clubs in Thunder Bay, perfecting his lifting technique. While he was home for the summer, he spent some time at Catalyst Gym, drawing lots of looks for his form and big weights in cleans and snatches. He stopped back in the Gym on his way to Korea, where he'll teach and train for the winter.
These are the uncut versions of Mitch's coaching videos. The final version will appear on our main site on Thursday night: www.catalystfitness.ca

In Part I of this video series, Mitch instructs technique in the Clean.