Shin and Bones

"A Case for Landing With Both Feet Wholly On The Box"

An all too common cue during workouts that involve box jumps is "land with your feet all the way on the box."

Coaches love to say this. We do.
And not because it looks better that way.

It turns out that landing with the whole foot on the box during metabolically difficult workouts prevents what we call "box bite." (See photo of shamed SFCF super star MacDaddy below)



Not only does landing with both feet completely on the platform help to ensure that a wipe out will less likely result in a future WOD that includes skin sewing for time, but it actually helps the athlete learn to absorb force at the foot in a toe to heel direction.

Is there merit in doing the sneaky half foot box hop? (see Aneel aka "pogo-curry" below)



Yes, but it comes with the possibility of a bad wipe out. And it should be known that while Aneel uses his "cheaters ten" method, he also both holds the SFCF Box Jump crown AND has never wiped out. But still we don't condone it. (he's cursed now for sure)

What do we perfer? See Diesel Kitty below.



And that's after cleaning 85.lbs sixty times.

As they said in Dune: Place your feet on the Box.

Coach K

The Secret is Out. Again.

O.k. gang, if you haven't already heard, our very own Larry Gallagher has written a most excellent article about his misadventures crossfitting with SFCF in the very hot-off-the-press May edition of Men's Journal.

Look for the guy on the cover that looks like an older Coach Boz (that'd be Harrison Ford). That's the issue.

Really though, who cares about this great exposure. We are just stoked that our good man in the duct-taped pants is now in his third month with us (and kicking your asses in pullups I might add!)

If you didn't already know Larry is a man of many talents (ask him about being a great butcher) , be sure to check out his music, past articles, and general musings at:
www.larrygallagher.com

Thanks Larry!

Coach K

Born to Crossfit

How much of your athleticism did you inherit from your parents? No, I'm not talking about your genes. I'm talking about the shaping of your childhood and your early exposure to sport and fitness by your parents.

Do you have a first memory of being dragged down a ski slope? Do you remember going on family hikes or playing in the Thanksgiving Turkey flag foot ball family smack down? If you are a runner did your parents run?

Or, did you just decide one day to become an athlete. Like Georgia here at age two being tricked into playing "rope climb" by her evil coach father.

Post your first athletic memory to comments.

Coach K

Kiss The Snake

If you will recall your neuro-anatomy, you'll remember that there is a small area on the back of the human brain stem called the "area postrema". This area is of particular interest to Crossfitters because it is the area of the brain that contains chemical sensors to sample our circulating blood. The "AP" also contains our vomition centers, or pukie mission control. That is, if you have eaten something that your brain perceives is going to poison you, the AP will notice and you'll start calling dinosaurs. It's ironic, because high levels of circulating lactic acid will fool the AP into thinking that something is going horribly wrong when all you are really doing is a triplet of rowing, zercher squats, and tire flips.

Here at SFCF, we recognize that some of our athletes are going to work out so hard as to trigger the area postrema's vomition centers during a tough workout. So we have: Kiss the Snake.

The Snake Head was given to us by one of the world's best strength coaches, Mark Rippetoe. And somehow, it seemed appropriate that should a SFCF athlete go so hard as to need to hang from our fence and haver, we should in some small way acknowledge that effort. Thus "the Kiss" was born.

Take Aaron Dial as a test case last Saturday. Now Dial is a monster. But, he has poor impulse control when is comes to his output. Aaron's efforts can be characterized as gonzo, or full out. And no athlete can match his "Snake Kissing Record".

And you can see how it might happen by the photos below.



That's Dial jumping his BrainStem into happiness.


In the middle of full on fooling his brainstem.

So, neuro-anatomy wasn't a total waste eh?

Viva la Snake Head!

Coach K

Skillz Part 2

I recently had the pleasure of attending a two-day gymnastics seminar with Crossfit trainers from around the United States. I learned some nice little progressions and movements that you all can look forward to in the days to follow.


Lucas recently learned that back-pythons are not to be feared...and the morning crew learned that overhead lunges are the greatest way to start your workweek. What skills have you learned or refined recently?

Learning can be fun,
-Boz

Explosive Power

Explosive power matters. Being able to move big loads slowly is important, but typically only because training for peak strength leads to improvements in an athlete's ability to generate large amounts of force quickly.

We like strong be but we worship freakish displays of power. Coach Adrian is demonstrating this concept beautifully by jumping onto a 52 inch tower after squatting a heavy 5x5.

Crossfit develops peak explosive power very well. Adding some high jumping drills to your game will definitely help your hops.

Note that all of the jumps in these photos are accompanied by pretty extreme hip range of motion. Hmmm, turns out that that the flexibility stuff sort of helps to express that peak explosive power.

Note also the low bench behind the jumper. This bench effectively places the jumper in a good squat (hip crease below knee position). All of these jumps were performed without the benefit of a stretch shortening cycle (no pre-jumping, quick down-ups, running start). Jumping assessment from this dead start, low squat position is a pretty fair expression of an athlete's ability to generate pure explosive force.

There is a good rumor that the Bulgarians choose their junior Olympic Lifting athletes
by assessing their standing broad jump. In this case Coach Adrian has cleared 8 45 lb plates on top of a 25 inch box. Wonder if he'd be selected for the team?


Coach K


Coach K hits 7 plates after back squatting 405.

Skillz

Michael and Carl have 'em. You should too. Next time you come in to workout, take a few minutes to work the technique of something you are less than perfect at. Before class is a great time to get a little something in...ask your coach for a progression if you're not sure how to approach something.



Also, Spread the word...there is no 6pm class tomorrow evening. Tell all your friends!

See you in the morning,

-Boz

SFCF Adds Five More Classes Starting Tonight!

Hey Gang!

Just a reminder that we've just added an additional 6pm class Monday through Thursday. We are going to also try a trial 7pm class on Friday for a couple of weeks and see if we have any takers.
All of these new classes are open level for now.

The new classes are also reflected on our calander.


See you then!

Coach K

Strength

How do you define Strength? Is it the ability to carry more load? To be able to control one's body to a higher degree? Making it through the work-week with a cool head? Defining what this means to you brings you one step closer to getting there. How do you want to be stronger? Add your definition/goals to comments.

In the Morning or The Evening

It's official. April marks the beginning of some new scheduling at SFCF. We are pleased to announce that we will be adding a 6pm class Monday through Thursdays and also a 7pm Friday class beginning March 31st. So spread the word and bring a friend!


See you at 6,

-Boz

Elbows UP!

Hey Gang,
I wanted to take a moment to share this picture of Coach Boz from last weekend.
Yeah, that's 270lbs on the bar. Boz weighs 165ish. One of the reasons he is such a monster (besides natural talent, freakish strength, work ethic etc) is that he does a lot of little things right. These small efficiencies aggregate and become increased functional application of talent, freakish strength, work ethic, etc.

In this photo, note how straight his back is on the catch position in the hole. Most importantly note how high his elbows are. Keeping elbows up in that position allows him to keep tension in his upper back and ultimately his back straight. As you approach the margins of your strength, power, and capacities the little things really add up.

Technique is nothing. Application of technique is everything.

Nice job Coach Boz!

Coach K

Let's make a Boxy time. Chingque?

Spring is officially here, and that means more adventures in Plyo-Boxes! And we say, why stop at 20 inches when something like 26 will do?

While this height might intimidate those SFCF athletes under 6'5", we know that there is still value in stepping up onto such a tall box.

Notice that the extreme hip flexion required to get his foot on the box forces Michael to generate a ton of force at pretty much the end of his hip range of motion. Throw a 50lb dumbell in his hand and you've got some serious work being performed by a single leg.

That's cool. Chingque?

Coach k

All you need to know

"Civilize the mind and make savage the body" so that one day you too may be



-Boz

Beware of the Big "C"

In an ideal world, we would all have access to the freshest produce and most minimally processed food stuffs available. The reality of the situation is that we overwork, undersleep and often times grab what is most convenient to satiate our hunger pangs. When shopping for sustenance, the more health conscious of us will look for the "hot button" words like, "organic," "all natural," or "minimally processed," and feel they have taken one step closer to adequate nutrition. Truth is the container of soy milk you just purchased, while containing less fat, more protein and all sorts of other proported health benefits is probably better than soaking your Cheerios with Red Bull, it may also contain a seriously dangerous "NATURAL" ingredient: Carrageenan.

What is Carrageenan? It is a "natural" gum made from seaweed extract that helps preserve foods.

From HowStuffWorks.com:
Two gums that are pretty familiar are gelatin and corn starch. If you look at processed food, you see all sorts of other gums like carrageenan, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, locust bean gum, agar, and so on. Food scientists (not cooks -- food scientists make processed foods) use these substances for four main reasons:
1. They thicken things: Ice cream, marshmallow fluff, pancake syrup, etc., all benefit from thickening.
2. They emulsify things: They help liquids to stay mixed together without separating.
3. They change the texture: Generally, a gum will make something thicker or chewier.
4. They stabilize crystals: A gum might help prevent sugar or ice from crystallizing

That's right, food scientists make these processed foods so they can bake a cookie in Texas in January and have it fresh for the New Englanders in May. Foods containing Carrageenan: deli meats, toothpastes, apple cider, hot dogs, most ice creams and prepared sauces and jellies (among many others).

Carrageenan has been found to cause colitis and anaphylaxis in humans, but it is often present in baby “formulas” and a wide range of milk products, with the result that many people have come to believe that it was the milk-product that was responsible for their allergic symptoms. Because the regulators claim that it is a safe natural substance, it is very likely that it sometimes appears in foods that don’t list it on the label, for example when it is part of another ingredient. Check your box of Girl Scout Cookies!!

The health conscious know to avoid high fructose corn syrup and transfats...add Carrageenan to your list. It is processed, it is a chemical and there is nothing natural about it.

Your assignment: Look at the labels in your refrigerator. Throw out anything containing this product. Post your results to comments.

Coach Kevin

No Bums 'Round Here

An interesting visitor stopped by during the weekend's running clinic. Looking for bridge-dwellers, but finding only us, Officer Shannon stopped in for a few pullups. Fully geared (pistols, tazer, vest etc) he estimated he was about 50lbs heavier...still managed an easy 15 pullups. Hopefully we will see him again soon!




Austin from Crossfit Unlimited also set a PR in the Snatch that same lunch break...200lbs!! Here's one of the first attempts and a textbook bail. Very nice footwork displayed here. Musta been all the POSE drills:




See you at 6
-Boz

What a bunch of POSERs!

Thanks to everyone that attended this weekend's POSE running clinics!
The feed back so far is that we need to have another round very soon.
Special thanks to JD Cafaro for his amazing cooking.

Most importantly, thanks to Brian and Melissa McKenzie for the fantastic coaching and for not making too much fun of my running.

Anyone else notice a little new calf tightness?

Coach K

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Corned beef. Cabbage. Potatoes. Ahhh...childhood. Add a few Guinness (or green beers)and you can call yourself Irish. Enjoy the day, go see the parade and if you've had so much to drink that you're doing Irish Yoga - you need to go home.

For those of you not indulging, I'll see you at 7.

Coach Kevin

"Don't be that guy..."

Yeah, when the arms bend the power ends.
or.
Pulling with the arms before reaching full hip extension is not ideal.
or.
Hey, that doesn't look like a great shoulder position.

No.
It just looks bad. And, after all, it's not how your crossfit that matters, but how you LOOK crossfitting that matters.

Actually, Josh Cunningham is one of our best and so we feel slightly less guilty of making fun of his "flexing dog pooing" position.

The real question is (since Josh doesn't always move like this), at what point in the work out did this become ok?

The answer,it's not. Don't be that guy, or at least don't get caught on camera.

Coach K

Death by Dumbells

Tonight's workout was brought to you by The Fitness Conduit, your source for great Dumbell workouts and other solid bits of training advice. Next time you are stuck in a hotel gym somewhere, remember to check in to Coach Rut's blog for a healthy helping of dumbell delicious-ness...




Warming Up.




Marching towards the inevitable...


In other news, SFCF is expanding the evening class schedule! Stay tuned for the news to come...

See you at 6,

-Boz

POSE Clinic Details

Clinics will happen rain or shine so bring a couple of changes of clothes and a rain jacket!

Location for both clinics will be at SFCF. See www.sanfranciscocrossfit.com website for directions.

Saturday: 9:30-4:30 Lunch provided (but bring water and snacks)

Sunday: 9:00-4:00 Lunch provided (bring water and snacks)

Contact Kelly @ 415-350-9761 for questions.

See you then!

Coach K

Mental Athletes

As it turns out, memory is not unlike your fitness; it must be trained, stressed, challenged and used in order for it to function optimally and continually. There is no greater example of how finely-tuned memory can become than the incredible feats of the contestants at the National Memory Championships.

Check out The Memory Gym and see how fit your gray matter truly is.

Coach Kevin

Sport and Fitness

A quick word on Crossfit, Fitness, and Sport.
We want all of our athletes to play sports, run, swim, paddle, ski, surf, or whatever.
We believe that the kind of fitness for which we strive (broad, general, and inclusive) prepares a sort of ready state from which elite performance is possible. Whatever your sport is, we know absolutely that Crossfitting can and will improve it.

Duh Coach K, that's why we Crossfit.

But taken for granted within the above truism, is the very revolutionary idea that we must train for sport. That while we may gain physical benefits from our favorite outdoor activities, simply doing a lot of our sport will not make us fit.

I spend a great deal of time explaining to the injured runners in my physical therapy practice that they have to train to run. "But I run!" they say. "Isn't that fitness enough?" No, and that's why you are injured, slow, overweight, don't recover quickly, and not fast, quick, strong, or powerful.

The rest of the world gets fit so that they can play sport. We, the royal unenlightened we, do sports to get fit.

But not you. You Crossfit. That's why you will never be considered a weekend warrior.

So be sure to understand that sport is not enough. And, that it is not an accident that you destroyed that that other team playing dodge-ball. After all, you trained.

Coach K

(kayaking does not make you fit, but paddling with 315 lbs. of weight in your boat is a step closer)

The Way it Should be

Remember, there is no substitute for hard work. Even if there were a shortcut to better health and fitness, the benefits of having to 'sing for your supper' extend beyond the final rep of your workout. Hence, there are no substitutes for hard work...well except for the Hawaii Chair.

-Boz

Yeeeaahh BUdddaayyy!

Strength is built through a lot of hard work and dedication. There are few people I know as dedicated to their training and nutrition as SFCF's own, Coach Bozman. Check out what he was doing yesterday in-between classes...that's commitment!


The Walk-out...



In the bucket...




Light weight!

Coach Kevin

Solutions

Here Larry presents a solution to the 'what-round-am-I-on?' problem.





Unfortunately it didn't solve his 'cumulative-fatigue-leaving-me-in-a-heap-on-the-floor' problem.



Have Fun,

-Boz

Tunnel Vision

It happens every workout. During a hard effort, your world becomes a little smaller, you stop being able to hear anything but your breathing, and your vision becomes focused solely on the object or task directly ahead of you. And this works...if you are a simple, mindless piece of meat (or textured soy protein Kevin).

But you're not. You are a thinking, calculating, scheming, sentient athlete. And, you've got to know where you are, what's going on around you, and how much you've got left in the tank.

What are we talking about? Situation awareness.

Fortunately, being able to think clearly under physical duress if very much a practiced skill. And, this is one of the reasons your coach makes you count your own efforts and keep your own scores.

So the next time you feel your world getting a little smaller, look around and notice that everyone else is in looking out of the tunnel as well.

Coach K

Genetic Potential

Being involved in the Crossfit community has allowed me the pleasure to train and witness some amazing athletes. The common denominators they all shared were work ethic, good coaching, proper nutrition and good genes. The former attributes can be learned, taught, instilled and disciplined into anyone given proper time and dosage. The latter, well I am sad to say, you have to be born with. But, this is nothing to stop us all from reaching our own personal potential and exceed our own expectations. Eat right and Crossfit, you will be more than you ever thought possible and you will appreciate those that can do what you cannot even more.

One more piece of advice I recently read, "If you want to be an Olympic Champion, choose your parents wisely."

Mr. Erving apparently had the genetic potential to be a professional athlete; my wife sure can appreciate that.

Coach Kevin

Two Things To Notice About This Photo

1. Your coaches train very, very hard. Their capacities to suffer are incredible. They test drive your workouts. And they get, very, very sore. Just ask Adrian about the state of his arms in this photo.

2. Did you notice the six new squat stands? This brings our total to eleven. Most Crossfit facilities don't even have ten. But ours go up to eleven. Sniff the glove?


Don't forget to ask Coach Boz.

Coach K

Book Review: Skinny Bitch

There are many reasons America is full of the unfit, the latest contribution hurting forward progress is the book Skinny Bitch. A New York Times Bestseller and "secret diet" of the stars, Skinny Bitch is an emphatic endorsement of veganism. Militant veganism.

Now, as Crossfitters we strive to eat only what is necessary to fuel the body for performance and recovery, typically through a hormonally intelligent nutritional plan (Zone, Paleo, Natural Hormonal Enhancement, Metabolic Diet). That being said, in order to efficiently perform and repair the body, one must consume an adequate amount of protein, the most effective and available source is animal protein.

Skinny Bitch will have you believe that eating (more like not eating) for any reason other than being skinny is unhealthy and immoral. Wow. They even suggest some wonderful ways to stave off your hunger and lose weight; "If you're hungry, drink a big glass of cold water. It should keep you full for a few more hours before you have to eat. Or, my favorite, "Donate blood. You'll lose weight AND help save a life."

I understand that the delivery method of their completely unfounded nutritional advocation is meant to cause a rise, it gets attention. But, it is also dangerous. Condoning veganism to be skinny is sentencing their disciples to a myriad of nutritional deficiencies and probable osteoporosis by their mid-30s. You can't stress the body when you're too tired to get out of bed.

I respect everyone's personal nutritional choices; vegetarian, carnivore, omnivore even veganism. What I cannot understand and what most folks who decide to become Skinny Bitches or Bastards underestimate, is the tremendous dedication and vigilance a vegan lifestyle requires in order to be nutritionally balanced. You cannot choose a harder dietary path (if done correctly) than veganism. Don't be a vegan because some British import endorses a book. I'm sure she can't do pull-ups. Or push-ups. Or Fran.

Read the book (on a rest day, it only takes 45 minutes). Post thoughts to comments.

Think about what you're eating.

Coach Kevin

Fight the good Fight

Know this: When one of your coaches is asking for perfection (or damn near it), there is an unwritten agreement that it may not happen immediately. We understand this, but believe (truly) that over time you are capable of developing beyond your current standard. The coach's job is to re-inforce the things you know that you know, remind you of the things you forget you know, and teach you the things you didn't know you didn't know...all you have to do is fight for it. The process is the important part of this journey, and part of that process is fighting for perfection. None of us will ever attain perfection in many of the skills we practice, but merely get closer to mastery. The struggle is where the learning is and shouldn't be approached or dismissed lightly. It is your responsibility to truly want to improve no matter what your current skill level. So enjoy the process, enjoy the road, but most of all enjoy the struggle! Even if it's not perfect, fight for it!





See you at 6,
-Boz

Squat With a Loved One

As if you needed yet another reason to Crossfit, it turns out that we constantly hear from happy couples that they get to spend quality time together while training

Now, for your average Globo-gym going man, being able to drop off you wife at the "cardio pump" room means more alone time at the cable cross over station. And that's fine. But a Crossfit man gets to simultaneously go for max effort body weight squats at the same time as his honey! (And vice versa of course but you tend to see more women ditch their men so they can spend more time on the ass blaster, not cable cross-over)

Check out SFCF originals Hellinor and Ollie spending QT on a Saturday morning.

Coach K

The 415

It is happening again. An athlete shows up, works as hard as he can, changes how he eats, and becomes the monster he is.
Ladies and gentlemen, Stephen.

And, it's official. Stephen can now deadlift all five of his children at the same time!

Coach K

Why?

Why do we focus on good movement and complicated weightlifting techniques? Recall the 10 physical skills we use to define fitness:

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance
Stamina
Strength
Power
Speed
Flexibility
Accuracy
Agility
Balance
Co-ordination



In a nutshell, the development of complete movements augments our capacity across the ten physical skills. By taking technical practice out of our movements, we limit or blunt the involvement of many of these skills (namely the 'bottom five'). Comparing an athlete with a typical gym-rat will quickly demonstrate the superiority of the former in all areas concerning body-awareness, co-ordination and in most instances, mobility and flexibility. They are simply more integrated. It is a little known fact that competitive weightlifters (as shown in the photo) are only second to gymnasts in hip and shoulder girdle flexibility. That is not a co-incidence or a mistake...good movement and good technique breeds good fitness!



See you at 6,

-Boz

Athlete Profile: Katherine Basbaum

Full name: Katherine Basbaum

Sign: Libra

Occupation: Research and Creative development-
TV/infomercial production

Nickname: Kitty (or Kat Power if you ask Josh C or
Aneel)

How long have you been Crossfitting? It'll be 2
years in April

Favorite exercise or workout? deadlift, push-jerk

Least favorite? overhead squat because I hate bringing the
weight back down (and of course burpees)

Any goals for 2008? more consistent pull-ups (quantity and quality)

One thing that people don't know about you? I was an
actress for 5 years after college and I have the VHS
tapes to prove it ;)

Theme song? Eric Clapton "It's in the Way that You
Use It"

Thank you, Kat Power! Those of us who have had the pleasure of training (or drinking) with you, thoroughly enjoy and appreciate both your hard work and your humor! Keep up the strong work!

Coach Kevin

The Incredible, Combustible Man

Step 1) Take one part thruster, one part pullup and one part sprint.

Step 2) Combine and let simmer.

Step 3) Enjoy!



See you all at 6,

-Boz

A Word About What Your Abs Reall Do

Your abs are really misunderstood. Yeah, they like to perform situps and knees to elbows. But, what they really want to do is keep your spine in a neutral position.
Your abdominals and the other associated musculature of your trunk live and die to protect your spine under load, time, or task. That being said, most people don't realize that mid-line stabilization endurance, not peak strength, is what really matters.

Check out the Saturday Class spending a few extra minutes giving their abs what they really want, a chance to keep their spines from bending!

Coach K

Zercher, Buuuudy.

The Zercher Squat is old school to be sure, and part of a collection of lifts called the "Odd Lifts". But, there is actually not anything weird about squating something that you are clutching to your chest. It turns out that while we typically train with barbells to overload functional movements, how we hold the barbell isn't really based in much reality. The Zercher squat is an attempt to bridge the divide between the lifting up of say, a heavy car transmission, and the beautiful functionality of using the modern barbell. Simple right? Definitely not easy.
Check out Saturday's crew practicing "old man strength".

Coach K