–Epic low-fat pork rinds. I eat these a LOT. You can eat a whole bag and it has no carbs, 55 g of protein and 12 g of fat. They’re tasty and crunchy!

–Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries. No fat; not even very high in carbs. I like to mix them up when they’re in season and eat them by the cupful.

–Frozen mixed berries. Put a cup of them in a bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and microwave for 30-60 seconds. Makes for an amazing treat!

–Pure protein bars. I don’t like to overdo it with the bars ’cause they’re essentially healthy candy bars … but who doesn’t like CANDY BARS??? These have a good macro ratio (better than most) with 20 g of protein and 17 g of carbs.

–Popcorn. I like to make it at home. I use avocado oil from Costco and put about 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the microwave (in a measuring cup like this one). It’s one of our go-to Saturday (and Sunday) treats that I always look forward to. If you want it done for you, get some individual-serving-size bags to keep you from overeating.

–Treats. I like to finish the day with some sort of treat after dinner. Usually, it’s two pieces of Dave’s Killer Bread (thin sliced) with Skippy on it. Sometimes if I really want to go wild, I’ll do one of these Justin’s peanut butter single packs in different flavors.

–Mind the macros. I’m always conscious of hitting my macronutrient numbers, which usually starts with protein. So I make sure I keep some high protein/low-fat options around like Sprouts pastrami, “Ascent” protein powder or the pork rinds above.

–If I need a quick and dirty source of fat, I take some liquid fish oil or macadamia nuts.

–For pure carbs, most fruit or dried fruit will do. Dried fruit is very dangerous, though—one handful can equal 3 apples.

–For the kids, I always keep little packs of apple sauce, lots of fruit, deli meat (Tiger loves salami), and a mixed-veggie tray we get from Costco.

–Go-to snacks: Epic jerky sticks or pork bags, Greek yogurt with fruit, avocado and balsamic vinegar. I always keep hard boiled eggs around and top with mayo and salt (also makes a cheap trip to Whole Foods instead of the hot bar). Celery and natural almond butter. For “purse snacks” for the family, I always keep Epic sticks and Marcona almonds from Trader Joe’s pn hand, and Jeffrey likes Rx bars. We keep pork rinds in the glove compartment!

Announcements

Summer of Skills:

Our next few skills sessions will be:

7/10: Running Skills with Jenny Maier*
7/17: Rowing with Lauren Nielsen*
7/24: Oly Skills (Clean) with Nathan Loe*
7/31: Oly Skills (Jerk) with Nathan Loe*
8/7: Oly Skills (Snatch) with Nathan Loe*

All clinics at 6:30 p.m.

These are FREE for members.

*Advanced sign-up is required and space will be limited. Please sign up here.

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45-a.m. Group Coaching class will continue as scheduled.

Oakland Tri and Alcatraz Swim

Now that the Hero Challenge is done and dusted, the coaches are training for two upcoming events. More info to come, but the more the merrier! Give us a shout when you sign up!

1. The Oakland Triathlon: Sunday, August 18 (Coach Jay)
2. Odyssey Alcatraz Swim: Sunday, September 21 (Coach Heidi)

Outdoor Workout: Saturday, July 20

All athletes welcome, no CrossFit experience required. We’ll meet at Albany Middle School/Cougar Field. Classes at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. FREE!

Workouts for the Week

Monday—TRAIN

“Rannie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double-unders
Sit-ups
400-m run after each round

A bit longer than the traditional Annie sprint, you’ll have to pace this to keep your double-unders together! This is a test of coordination and stamina. You should (hopefully) feel like this is all downhill after the 30s!

Tuesday—TRAIN/PERFORM

A. Back squat waves (TRAIN)
(on the 2:00)
8-6-4
65-70-75%

8-6-4
70-75-80%

You’re working up to something moderately heavy … backing off … then working up a bit heavier. Get tight and grease the groove in the early sets. Stick with these sets—the last 4 should be tough!

B. “Ballin’ Outta Control” (PERFORM)

2 Rounds:
50 wall balls (20/14)
25/20-cal row
at 10 min, start again.

10-burpee penalty on the spot each time you break the set of wall balls. TWO scores today—one for each round.

Staminaaaaa! Big test of muscle endurance, breathing, and efficiency. The more you wobble as you get tired, the worse this will get. Dig deep into the pain cave on this one and try to go unbroken on the wall balls for both rounds.

Let’s not use too much strategy here. Go for as many as you can. Let’s see what’s possible.

Wednesday—RECOVER

A. 3 Rounds:
40 s on/20 s rest
Row
T Push-ups
Walking lunges
Plank up-downs

B. 15-min AMRAP:
1 turkish get-up/side
Side shuffle 50′ right/50′ left
5 T2B

Work on stability in the TGU and scale T2B to something you can do in one set. Goal is to learn LINKING or practice these so you could do them in a workout.

C. Mobility

2 mins/side monkey bars of death
3 mins/side: scap scrub with LAX ball and slam ball or 25-lb. plate

Thursday—TRAIN

5 Rounds
1 min on, 1 min off
50-m farmers carry (53/35 per side)
Max plate hops in remaining time

2 mins to rest/reset

5 Rounds:
1 min on, 1 min off:
50-m sled push (sprint! Light)
Max slam balls (15/10) in remaining time

2 mins to rest/reset

5 Rounds:
1 min on, 1 min off
10/8 cal bike
Max burpees in remaining time

This one will be SPICY. Get the first part done AS FAST AS POSSIBLE (we are working on speed!) and push for a few reps of the slams, burpees or hops in the last few seconds. Sprint, rest, repeat.

Friday—TRAIN

A. Push press for load:
5 x 5 with 1-second PAUSE at top

Working on the lockout and the “reload” of the push press—that is, PAUSE for a breath at the top, control the position and the dip down. NOT a 5-RM, but a heavy, successful reload. This will help with solid barbell cycling under fatigue!

B. 15-min AMRAP:
10 pistols
15 push press (75/55)
200-m run

WOO WOO pistol practice!! We don’t get these often, and there aren’t a ton of them. Rest as needed before picking up the barbell to keep the 15 push press unbroken.

MissFit: Lateral box step-ups w/heel tap + 45/35 lb.

Saturday—TRAIN

In pairs, for time:
80 burpees

5 Rounds:
30 med-ball cleans
400-m run
30-cal row
30 KB swings

Cash Out: 80 Burpees

This is a fun little sandwich. Buy in with burpees, cash out with burpees. COMMUNICATE with your partner to make transitions fast. You do not have to split work evenly!! Perhaps alternate who rows/runs. Consider sets of 10-15 on med-ball cleans when fresh, and break them up more as rounds go.

Cap: 45 mins

Sunday—TRAIN (or REST DAY)

NorCal Classic Online Qualifier:

10-min AMRAP:
30 double-unders
10 snatches

*Add weight after each successful round.

Rx: (45/35) (65/45) (75/55) (95/65) (115/75) (135/95)
RX Insano: (75/55) (95/65) (135/95) (155/105) (185/125) (205/135)
MissFit: 15/20/25/30/35 # alternating DB power snatch; 60 single-unders

Another fun one from Larry Legend! Find a cadence with snatches when weights are light and try to stick with smooth, steady reps. Weights should start to get heavy in rounds 3-4, possibly taking you down to 2-3 sets to get through the 10. Stick with it! Should be fun!

The post Go-To Summer Snacks appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

You don’t really appreciate the value of learning until you’re out of school.

Essays and exams kinda take the fun out of it.

Now that summer is finally here, we want to give you a list of our favorite books about fitness and life, with a couple of cool stories sprinkled in.

“Atomic Habits” by James Clear: The best book about habits ever written. It goes through the psychology and processes that hide behind all of our regular habits. If you struggle with consistency or procrastination, you gotta read this one.

“Grit” by Angela Duckworth: Talks about how developing grit (discipline) starts at an early age and how it impacts your life throughout your development. Also discusses how to develop it if you DON’T have it.

“Solve for Happy” by Mo Gawdot: Mo breaks down the story of his son’s death—the result of a medical mistake during a routine procedure—in a way that makes you relate to the pain while embracing hope. He reads the audiobook, and the emotion is palpable. I can’t recommend this book highly enough if you’ve suffered a recent loss.

“Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown: True story of a rowing team’s quest to make the 1936 Olympics. I’ve never been a rower, but this gets you inside one of the most team-oriented and mentally challenging sports in the world. The story is so well written that it feels like fiction. I won’t spoil the ending here, but suffice to say it’s the perfect summer read.

Guilty pleasures fiction: 

“Wayward Pines” by Blake Crouch and “Crazy Rich Asians” by Kevin Kwan: Not all reading has to be educational or thought-provoking. These two (and their sequels) are page turning, read-it-in-one sitting types of books. For me, these are the MOST satisfying type of fiction.

Wayward Pines is so good I don’t want to spoil it, but it starts with a secret service agent who wakes up in a small town not remembering who he is or where he came from … it goes NUTS from there.

Crazy Rich Asians is pretty much what is written on the cover … but the book is a great deal more detailed and interesting than the movie.

Reading is one of my great joys in life, both with Audible and on physical paper… I hope this list brings you some joy.

Do you have any great books you recommend?

Email me at [email protected] and tell me!

Coach “Bookworm” Jay

Announcements

Summer of Skills:

Our next few skills sessions will be:

7/3: (off for Hero Challenge)
7/10: Running Skills with Jenny Maier*
7/17: Rowing with Lauren Nielsen*
7/24: Oly Skills (TBD) with Nathan Loe*

These are FREE for members.

*Advanced sign-up is required and space will be limited. Please sign up here.

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45-a.m. Group Coaching class will continue as scheduled.

Hero Challenge: July 1-4

We’ll complete 4 Hero workouts in 4 days. It’ll be like the 12 Days of CrossFit, but shorter, sunnier, and perhaps a little heavier!

Check out the workouts below!

Guest Day at Hale: Saturday, July 6

All athletes welcome, no CrossFit experience required. Classes at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. FREE!

Workouts for the Week

Monday—PERFORM:

“DUNN”
Complete as many rounds as possible in 19 minutes of:
3 muscle-ups
1 shuttle sprint, 5 yards, 10 yards, 15 yards
6 burpee box jump-overs (20 in.)

On the burpees, jump over the box without touching it.

WHAT!? New skill! This one will be heavy on the midline and POWER. Practice landing OVER the box with good footwork.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kielin Dunn, 19, of Chesapeake, Virginia, died on Feb. 18, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Dunn was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

His friends remember him for his passion and enthusiasm, which extended to athletic activities such as CrossFit and break dancing.

He is survived by his parents, Terri Dunn Campbell and Gary Campbell; sister, Nicole Campbell; and brother, Jonathan Campbell.

Tuesday—PERFORM

“DG”

Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
8 toes-to-bars
8 DB thrusters (35/25)
12 DB walking lunges (35/25)

We’ve done this one before! Simple, quick, and dirty.

U.S. Air Force Major Walter David Gray, 38, of Conyers, GA, assigned to the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, based in Fort Carson, CO, died on August 8, 2012, from injuries suffered during a suicide bomb attack in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife Heather, daughters Nyah and Ava, and son Garrett.

The “DG” Hero WOD was first posted on CrossFit.com as the Workout of the Day for Thursday, December 26, 2013 (131226).

Wednesday–PERFORM

“Lumberjack 20”

For time:
20 deadlifts (275/185)
Run 400 m
20 KB swings (70/53)
Run 400 m
20 overhead squats (115/75)
Run 400 m
20 burpees
Run 400 m
20 chest-to-bar pull-ups
Run 400 m
20 box jumps (24/20″)
Run 400 m
20 DB squat cleans (45/35)
Run 400 m

This is a LONG chipper. If needed, pair up to take this one on! Just keep swimming!

On November 5, 2009, at 1:34 p.m., a terrorist named Major Nidal Hasan attacked fellow soldiers and civilians at Fort Hood, TX. He killed 12 soldiers and one civilian and wounded 43 others.

SPC Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, TN, PFC Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, UT, PFC Michael Pearson, 22, of Bolingbrook, IL, and SPC Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, MN, along with eleven of the wounded were active CrossFitters in the 20th Engineer Battalion, home to Lumberjack CrossFit.

The “Lumberjack 20” Hero WOD was first posted on crossfit.com as the Workout of the Day for December 5, 2009 (091205).

Thursday—PERFORM

“Tommy V”

For time:
21 thrusters (115/75)
12 rope climbs
15 thrusters
9 rope climbs
9 thrusters
6 rope climbs

In honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, MN, who died in a training accident in Arizona on February 13, 2008.

The “Tommy V” Hero WOD was first posted on crossfit.com as the Workout of the Day for Wednesday, March 12, 2008 (080312).

Friday—RECOVER

A. Warm-up

15 mins for QUALITY:
50 single skips
30s/side box pigeon
10/side calf stretch
15 air squats

Hello, legs! Let’s recover from the last four days. Get ’em going!

B. Get Sweaty

15 min AMRAP:
50-m run
2 KB deadlifts
50-m run
4 KB deadlifts
50-m run
6 KB deadlifts

Etc.

Just moving today! Score is rounds completed (i.e. 8) + any additional reps (i.e. 57 for 50-m run + 7 reps).

Use this as recovery from the Hero Challenge. If this is your first day back, scale up to KB swings and move FAST!

C. Mobility

3 mins gut smash
2 mins/side glute smash
2 mins/side quad smash

Saturday—Guest Day

In pairs:
20-min AMRAP:
50 double-unders
20 MB weighted sit-ups
20 MB step-ups
20 partner push-ups

Share the work! Partner push-ups and sit-ups are done in tandem. For step-ups and dubs, one person works at a time. Simple, sweaty fun!

Sunday—TRAIN

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
50-foot walking lunge
Max set of strict pull-ups
Max set of strict ring dips

Score is the number of pull-ups + ring dips.

Scale back to a TOUGH ring row (no more than 8-10 reps when fresh). Working on some strict strength today. Make each set count!

The post Hale Summer Reading List appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

Human bodies are like cars: If you don’t move them enough, they get stiff, creaky, and develop lots of problems.

But even the best-cared-for car—or body—hits some bumps in the road. We get a few dings here and there, and with age and use, some parts need a little more TLC.

That’s where we come in.

Whether you’ve been sedentary for too long and have stiff, achy joints or you’re an active CrossFitter with the tight shoulders and hamstrings to prove it, a little mobility work goes a long way.

3 Ways to Relieve Lower-Back Pain

Relieve lower-back pain in less than 10 minutes per day with these 3 simple drills.

3 Ways to Relieve Knee Pain

Here are 3 simple drills you can use to help relieve knee pain and improve your performance.

3 Ways to Fix Your Shoulder

Our top 3 tips you can use to fix shoulder problems. Relieve pain and improve performance in just 10 minutes or less per day!

Warm Up Your Wrist—a Simple Way to Reduce Wrist Pain

Prepare your wrists for movement with these simple, 2-minute drills. If you have any wrist pain, this will get you ready, improve your mobility, and begin to resolve the long-term problem.

Keep On Trucking

If you’ve got just two minutes every day to do one or more of these drills, you’ll be well on your way to relieving pain, preventing injury and keeping yourself on the road for a long time to come.

Announcements

Summer of Skills:

Our next few skills sessions will be:

6/26: Improve Your Ring Skills with Wendy
7/3: (off for Hero Challenge)
7/10: Running Skills with Jenny Maier*
7/17: Rowing with Lauren Nielsen*

These are FREE for members.

*Advanced sign-up is required and space will be limited. Please sign up here.

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45-a.m. Group Coaching class will continue as scheduled.

Hero Challenge: July 1-4

We’ll complete 4 Hero workouts in 4 days. It’ll be like the 12 Days of CrossFit, but shorter, sunnier, and perhaps a little heavier!

Pace yourself a little more on this week’s training days. Be deliberate about practicing your skills. You’ll need ’em!

Guest Day at Hale: Saturday, July 6

All athletes welcome, no CrossFit experience required. Classes at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. FREE!

Workouts for the Week:

Monday—TRAIN

A. Back squat 5×5

All sets at 80%. Just getting under some heavy weight. Focus on form and driving up into the bar each rep.

B. For time:
100 burpees
EMOM: 4 wall balls (20/14)

Find a strategy and stick to it.

Options:
GO SO HARD in the first 3 minutes (think 18-20 burpees), and then try to hold on …

OR

Maintain a steady pace and try to hit 12-15 per round and keep your breathing under control.

Either way, LEARN something about yourself today! Don’t let this be mindless suffering.

Tuesday—TRAIN

6 rounds for time:
15 deadlifts (135/95)
100-m run
-rest 30 s-
25 air squats
100-m run
-rest 30 s-

Rx+ (185/135)
MissFit (95/65)

Lift, run, rest. Squat, run, rest. Try to maintain intensity on your sets, and keep transitions short! Use your rest to catch your breath. This will be a big test of stamina. Plan to use a weight for deadlifts you can do unbroken for most, if not all, rounds.

Wednesday—RECOVER

A. 8 mins to get moving!
100-m jog
20-s side plank/side
10 bent-over KB row
Lizard walk

10 mins: Rope-climb skills

B. 15 min for QUALITY:
1 Rope Climb
3 Ring Dips
5-cal bike (AFAP)
Rest as needed to hit next round skill.

MissFit: Ring push-ups

Goal today is to work on rope climbs and dips under fatigue. Choose a scaling on one (not both) that’s DIFFICULT for you. If rope climbs, give yourself a target (legless, only 2 pulls, halfway attempt) that makes you FOCUS before hitting the rep. Bike cals and reps are low. GO HARD. Get RPMs as high as possible.

If you’re fresh from earlier this week, scale calories up to 10 and try for as many rounds and reps as possible

C. Quad Smash: 2 mins/side
Hip Flexor Stretch: 2 mins/side
Pec/Shoulder Smash: 2 mins/side

Thursday—PERFORM

A. 5-min EMOM:
3 power snatch—empty bar/PVC
–Stick your landing!!

B. 10 min EMOM:
2 power snatch

Work up to something heavy for the day. Take this part as “training.” Re-set on the ground between reps.

Make a few early, bigger jumps. As you near your max for the day, feel free to take a minute off before your next attempt.

C. “Randy”
For time:
75 Power snatches (75/55)

In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27-year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed in the line of duty February 6, 2008.

The “Randy” Hero WOD was first posted on crossfit.com as the Workout of the Day for Wednesday, February 13, 2008 (080213).

Good technique will be rewarded-—the more efficient you are with footwork, the bigger dent you’ll put in the reps early on. Here are some options to break it up.

21-18-15-12-9
5 sets of 15
5 sets of 10, 8-8-7

Friday—TRAIN

For time, in partners:
200 double-unders
150 walking lunges
100-cal row
75 toes-to-bars
50 box jumps (24/20)
25 man-makers

HARD CAP at 40 mins.

It’s a long chipper today!! Little bit of grip and a tough finish with the man makers (Push-up, row, row, burpee, cluster). One partner works at a time. Again, take a skills focus into today. Scrappy, sloppy reps will NOT help you next week. Heavy on the “power” and midline. Get it!

Saturday—TRAIN

15-12-9
DB hang clean & jerks (45/35)
C2B pull-ups

MissFit: (35/20 + jumping pull-ups)

Bust out your tank tops. This is a QUICK, grippy sprint. Choose a weight for your DBs that you can put overhead 10 times when fresh. NO MORE than 2-3 sets as you work through these, and make rests FAST.

If not unbroken, aim for:
9-6
7-5
6-3 (or 9!)

Sunday—RECOVER

No Larry Special this week. RECOVER for the Hero Challenge!

A. 10 min for quality:
10 cal-row
5 breaths/side in Scorpion
Crab walk
20-s hang from bar

B. 5 rounds on the 3-minute mark:
200-m row
1 wall walk/10 plank shoulder taps
10 slam balls (25/15)

Remember, 40-50% effort today! You should have at least 30s-1-min rest between rounds, even at a casual pace. Goal is just to get moving and shake it out before the Hero Challenge.

Tomorrow, we throw down! Score is # of hrs of sleep you’ll get tonight! (Hint: 7 or more!! do it!)

C. 2 mins: barbell shoulder smash/internal rotation
2 mins/side: PVC/LAX ball first rib
2 mins: kitchen sink stretch

The post No Pain, MORE Gainz appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

In 2010, Mark Haub, a nutrition professor, ran an experiment to see if he could eat 1800 calories a day—with Twinkies and snack foods as the staple of his diet—and lose weight.

Turns out he lost 27 lb., and all of his key health indicators showed that he was getting healthier.

So, for July, we’re announcing the Twinkie diet challen—

Kidding.

Haub was almost apologetic it worked. He really doesn’t want people going out and trying the Twinkie diet.

But it just proves a basic hypothesis that doctors have been telling us for years.

Excess body fat leads to health issues, and to lose body fat, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns.

Haub found that his cholesterol and other blood markers improved just by losing the weight, even though he was eating TWINKIES every day.

Eventually, he stopped because eating Twinkies 3 times a day sucks. It also takes a lot more discipline to limit yourself when your diet consists of snack foods.

But the bottom line is that it WORKS.

If your goal is to lose fat and get healthier, ANY diet will work!

Rule No. 1 of dieting is to eat fewer calories than you consume.

Rule No. 2 is to do it consistently.

Rule No. 2 is where things get hairy … 

It’s really hard to stick with a diet long-term.

Nutrition comes down to habits and behavior, so we come up with little tricks to help us stay on track.

Maybe you can get healthy if you …

Eat ONLY veggies.

Eat ONLY meat.

Eat ONLY between 12-8 p.m.

Eliminate gluten and dairy.

Have a green smoothie every morning.

People try these things, get results for themselves and a few friends, then they write books about their new diet revolution.

These diets become religion when tons of other people try it, then write blogs or show up on talk shows claiming their diet can solve all of the world’s problems.

But they’re not wrong …

Their diets DO work!

But if you understand the REASON they work, you can save yourself a lot of time …

Nutrition is all about behavior.

Your goal is to pick a plan that takes you forward toward your goals and is easy to follow for a long time.

Avoid the debates, keep it simple—just find something that works for you and stick with it consistently.

Coach Jay

PS – Obviously, everyone’s situation is different. We all have different goals, backgrounds, and health issues. We encourage you to find a plan that fits YOUR particular needs …

But ultimately, it always comes back to consistency. The perfect diet is useless if you cheat on it.

If you need help choosing your dietary weapon, Coach Wendy and Coach Tina are experts in behavior change. Email them at [email protected] for a free consult to help you sift through the noise to find something that works for you.

Announcements

Summer of Skills!

Our first rowing clinic was a hit! I saw many of you pick up some new cues and skills to help. Hopefully it made Thursday’s workout a little more fun!

Our next few skills sessions will be:

6/19: Improve Your Handstand Skills with Cullen
6/26: Improve Your Ring Skills with Wendy
7/3: (off for Hero Challenge)

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m., starting JUNE 19. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45-a.m. Group Coaching class will run alongside.

Stay tuned: In the coming weeks we will have specialty courses on endurance, Olympic lifting, strongman, basic gymnastics, and more.

Hero Challenge: July 1-4

We’ll complete 4 Hero workouts in 4 days. It’ll be like the 12 Days of CrossFit, but shorter, sunnier, and perhaps a little heavier!

You’ll continue to see some Hero WODs sprinkled throughout the programming to get you prepped. This would be a great time to start working on some key skills—you may see some chest-to-bar pull-ups and other high-skill gymnastics, so get a jump on it!

Guest Day at Hale: Saturday, July 6

All athletes welcome, no CrossFit experience required. Classes at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. FREE!

Workouts for the Week

Monday—TRAIN

A. Overhead squat for load:
5 x 3

Work up to a heavy 3 for today. You’re only as good as your positions on this one–full foot on the ground and strong shoulders will transfer over better to other movements, like the snatch. Stay tight, sit back, and hold on.

B. For time:
100 wall balls (20/14)

EMOM: 4 burpees

MissFit: 14/10

Breathe, and take BIG SETS on this one. Shoot for at least 20 reps in each of your first three minutes … get past halfway, and you can figure it out from there.

Tuesday—TRAIN

18-min AMRAP:
30 double-unders
10 front-rack lunges (75/55)
10 shoulder-to-overhead (press, push press, push jerk)

MissFit:
60 single-unders
Front-rack lunge 65/40
S2OH 65/40

The pump on this one should be pretty solid–try to keep the barbell work unbroken for each movement. Take a little extra rest before picking the bar up for shoulder-to-OH.

Wednesday—RECOVER

A. Warm-up

5 rounds:
45/35-lb. plate push
5 T push-ups/side
10 hanging shifts on bar

B. 15-min alt. EMOM:
Min 1: AMRAP strict pull-ups
Min 2: 10 HIGH box jumps (30/24)
Min 3: 250-m row

Score is the number of strict pull-ups. Aim for at least one big set each round, then hit singles as needed.

MissFit: Elevated ring rows

Good day to work on some higher-skill/strength movements. Stick those box landings and keep a reasonable pace. You’ll have to hustle on the row to have any time before the pull-ups, but don’t go TOO hard.

Choose a pull-up scaling you can do 5 of when fresh, but not 10. If you can hit 10 strict pull-ups, hold a weight between your feet.

C. Barbell arm smash:
2 mins/side biceps
2 mins/side forearm
2 mins/side triceps

Thursday—TRAIN

A. “Warm-Up Gone Bad”

3 rounds, 1 min each:
Bear crawl
Plate hops
Strict hanging leg raises
Bar pass-throughs
Burpees
Rest

By rounds 2 and 3, you should be hitting this at a good clip, but not going SO HARD. We’ll get you sweaty, but your primary focus today is learning and practicing the sumo deadlift.

B. Sumo deadlift for load:
5-5-5-5-5

5 sets of 5, all pulled as singles and CONTROLLED down to the ground. This means you REALLY have to get comfortable in the set-up. You’re not looking for a 5-RM. Just nail down the skill and find something heavy-ish.

Friday—TRAIN

3 rounds for time:
800-m run
30 KB box step-overs (53/35)
30 KB swings

MissFit:
KB box step-overs (35/26)
KB swings (35/26)

This one is a little bit of stamina, a little bit of endurance. Aim for a steady pace on your 800-m run and hopefully something you can maintain. The step-overs and KB swings are enough reps that you’ll need a breathing strategy. Keep moving!

Saturday—PERFORM

“David Markland”

5 rounds for time:
5 clean and jerks (135/95)
20 pull-ups
30 push-ups
40 sit-ups
50 air squats

MissFit:
Clean and jerk (95/65)
Ring rows

The clean and jerks should be the quick part! If weight is easy for you, go unbroken. This would be a good day to Rx the weight if you know you can do at least one. To scale: Complete in pairs.

Dedicated to Warrant Officer Class 2 David Markland from 36 Engineer Regiment who died in an IED blast in Afghanistan on February 8, 2010. This was WO2 Markland’s eighth operational tour of duty during his distinguished 20-year service.

Sunday—TRAIN

3 rounds for time:
15 power cleans (135/95)
15 thrusters
1000-m row

Again, a Larry special! This one is manageable as (but heavy, YES) prescribed for many of you. Scale down weight so that you can do the thrusters in 2 sets when fresh. Today is intended to be heavy, but if you just need to move and recover, scale back as much as you need.

(Header image: By Evan-Amos – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14735063)

The post The Twinkie Diet appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

Whenever we get down on ourselves, my kids and I play the Happy Game.

The rules are simple: You take turns asking each other,

“What are you happy about?”

The best is when they ask me, completely unprompted,

“Daddy, what are you happy about?”

My answer will be something like,

“I’m happy it’s Friday and we get to hang out tomorrow.”

My 7-year-old daughter, Evie, will say something like, “I’m happy I finished my project at sewing class today,”

My 3-year-old son, Tiger, is the best at this game. His answer is something like, “I’m happy for seeing a firetruck.”

We go around the circle two or three times or until Tiger gets distracted by another firetruck or school bus.

By the end, we’re all happier, no matter how crappy we felt at the beginning.

The first time my wife and I played this game, we thought it was some high-minded concept the kids wouldn’t understand.

We went back and forth a few times, then Evie chimed in, “My turn! I’m happy we went to grandma’s,” then said, “Tiger’s turn!”

We laughed and said, “Tiger, what are you happy about?”

“I’m happy about my blanket,” he said while holding it up.

Our minds were blown!

How did they even know what we were talking about?

Turns out, kids practice gratitude and being happy ALL … THE … TIME!

Remember being a kid, and how excited you got about new toys, new trips to different places, new activities at school?

You hadn’t “done enough” or “seen enough” to be jaded, and you appreciated everything life threw at you.

At some point, we lose that and get lost in the vicissitudes of life.

But when you play the Happy Game, all that melts away.

Try it! Next time you’re in the car with your kids or having coffee with a friend, ask them, “What are you happy about?”

Whatever they say, respond and tell THEM what you’re happy about. Then ask again … and do it at least three times.

By the end, you’re both going to be MUCH happier.

Coach “happy dad” Jay

Announcements

Outdoor Guest Day: Saturday, June 15

Friends and family welcome. No prior CrossFit experience required. Please arrive 5-10 minutes early to sign a waiver if this is your first time! Classes start at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. sharp. We’ll give more details on where to meet next week.

Summer of Skills!

Our first rowing clinic was a hit! I saw many of you pick up some new cues and skills to help. Hopefully it made Thursday’s workout a little more fun!

Our next few skills sessions will be:

6/12: Fix Yo’ Squat (mobility) with Heidi
6/19: Improve Your Handstand Skills with Cullen
6/26: Improve Your Ring Skills with Wendy
7/3: (off for Hero Challenge)

Please click here to RSVP for next week’s mobility session. There’s no cap on the number of athletes, but I would like to know what you struggle with MOST.

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m., starting JUNE 19. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45-a.m. Group Coaching class will run alongside.

Stay tuned: In the coming weeks we will have specialty courses on endurance, Olympic lifting, strongman, basic gymnastics, and more.

Hero Challenge: July 1-4

We’ll complete 4 Hero workouts in 4 days. It’ll be like the 12 Days of CrossFit, but shorter, sunnier, and perhaps a little heavier!

You’ll continue to see some Hero WODs sprinkled throughout the programming to get you prepped. This would be a great time to start working on some key skills—you may see some chest-to-bar pull-ups and other high-skill gymnastics, so get a jump on it!

Workouts for the Week

Monday—TRAIN

4 rounds for time:
4 power cleans (155/115)
4 front squats
4 shoulder-to-overhead (press, push press, push jerk)

MissFit: 6 Rounds: (95/65)

Rx+: 205/145

This should be HEAVY. Like how DT is heavy—but HEAVIER.

Basically, you should be able to do the squats unbroken, but be uncertain whether you can make the rest without putting the bar down for multiple rounds. This one will feel scary. Have a strategy and hit it methodically.

If you’re uncomfortable with the movements, find a moderate weight and hit 6 rounds.

8-minute cap.

Ideally:

First round unbroken, MAYBE.

Then,

Fast 3 single power cleans
1 power clean + 4 squats + one S-to-OH
3 S-to-OH

Tuesday—TRAIN

For time:
800-m run
8 toes-to-bars/pull-ups (1 T2B + 1 PU =1)
8 rolling pistols/side
600-m run
6 T2B/PU
6 rolling pistols/side
400-m run
4 T2B/PU
4 rolling pistols/side
200-m run
2 T2B/PU
2 rolling pistols/side
100-m run
1 T2B/PU
1 rolling pistol/side

Have fun with the gymnastics skills today. The T2B/Pull-Up is ONE OF EACH and a big test of coordination in your kip. If you’re not there yet with one of those movements, you’ll work on the cadence of linking toes-to-bars, or mixing in knees-to-chest with a straight leg raise.

With all of these items DESCENDING, each round should feel lighter and brighter. Push the pace on the run as you keep going … accelerate! Long one today. Shoot for 20-25 mins. Hard cap at 30.

Scaling:
Straight leg raise/K2C (working coordination in the kip)
Candlestick roll to squat (use plate or mat assist as needed)

Wednesday—RECOVER

A. In teams of 3-4 as a relay:
3 burpee + shuttle run
Seal walk—> jog back
Lunge —> tiptoe back
Crab walk —> skip back
Wheelbarrow —> switch partners

“Sally”

B. 15 min AMRAP:
20-s handstand hold
15 kettlebell swings
15 AbMat sit-ups

Scale HS hold to 1-2 good attempts and something challenging
-wall walk
-HS kick up
-pulling feet from wall
-shoulders against box
-freestanding (w/or w/out wall)
-HS walk

Choose a weight for KB swings that feels fairly easy. Just heavy enough to get your heart rate up. The goal is to PRACTICE handstands today.

C. 2 mins/side superfriend calf smash
2 mins gut smash

Thursday—TRAIN

A. Bench press: 5 x 7

Add weight as you go and find a heavy set of 7 for today.

B. In pairs:
3 rounds for total reps:

2-min AMRAP:
Partner 1 rows for calories
Partner 2 AMRAP:
3 push-ups
6 DB snatch (40/25)
9 air squats

-1 min rest-

2-min AMRAP:
Partner 2 rows for calories
Partner 1 AMRAP
3 push-ups
6 DB snatches (40/25)
9 air squats

-1 min rest-

Score is total number of reps, cals + AMRAP (AMRAP = 18 reps/round)

Today is a solid training day—your challenge is to maintain an aggressive but not all-out pace on the row and keep moving quickly through the AMRAP. When rowing this time domain for calories, aim for efficiency. 1 calorie per 1-2 strokes would be ideal (3 cals every 4-5 strokes is usually my aim).

To do this: Keep stroke rate manageable (under 30 is the goal), and push HARD through your legs. If you blow up your heart rate too quickly, your pace will suffer more in future rounds.

Friday—PERFORM

“Omar”

For time:
10 thrusters (95/65)
15 bar-facing burpees
20 thrusters
25 bar-facing burpees
30 thrusters
35 bar-facing burpees

This one will be a test of strategy, composure, and mental toughness.

How to win:
1. thrusters in 1-2-3 sets
10 is unbroken
In your 20s, do NOT put down the bar before 12 reps. Leave a second, smaller set if not UB.
In your 30s, 12-10-8 or similar. Again, leave fewer reps for the end.

2. Stay composed on the burpees. Smooth and steady wins over fast and choppy every time.

U.S. Army First Lieutenant Omar Vazquez, 25, of Hamilton, New Jersey, assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based in Fort Hood, Texas, died of wounds suffered April 22, 2011, when insurgents in Numaniyah, Iraq, attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He is survived by his parents Maria and Pablo, sister Marisel, and brothers Pablo and Javier.

Saturday—TRAIN—Guest Day @ Beach!

20-min AMRAP:
100′ run with log
50′ walking lunge
50′ run
50′ broad jump
50′ run
20 log squats

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty! Guests, family, and friends welcome. We’ll meet at the beach near the condos in Marina Bay (see map at Hale) at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Leave an extra 10 minutes to walk to site from car.

Sunday—TRAIN

“The Mule”

21-15-9 reps for time of:
Deadlifts (225/155)
Burpee pull-ups

Rx insano: 315/225

This is a quick, heavy workout Larry’s been eyeing from the Rogue Invitational (one of the CrossFit Games qualifiers).

NOW, that said, if you’ve trained hard this week, scale back. Plan 10 reps + at your deadlift weight. The burpees will blow up your forearms and grip a bit.

If you know what you’re getting yourself into and you’re here to THROW DOWN, get after it, but keep it cute. Take your time to set up for heavy deadlifts and stay composed.

The post The Happy Game appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

It’s hard not to compare yourself to other people.

No matter how hard you try to avoid it …

How many quotes you read …

When you’re using an empty barbell while the person next to you lifts 200 lb. like it’s nothing …

Or you’re struggling to do a push-up, and the person next to you is doing HANDSTAND push-ups …

It can be hard to stay motivated.

In fact, in my first ever experience at a CrossFit gym, I walked in and someone was doing handstand push-ups.

I looked down at my 300-lb. body, thought about how it couldn’t do a single push up and said:

“I’m not sure this place is for me.”

If you keep comparing yourself to others, you’re likely to quit, or do something silly.

You gotta get the whole story.

Most of the people you see doing these amazing feats didn’t start out that way.

Most had little to no experience, no athletic background and were just looking to get in shape.

If you check out the stories of Kim, Priti, or Edison, you’ll see that they weren’t always amazing athletes.

Rather than compare themselves to everyone around them, they just showed up every day and tried to improve.

And by improving every day, they found themselves doing things they never imagined.

Yes, even handstand push-ups.

Stop comparing yourself to other people.

Focus on showing up, working hard, and being better than yesterday.

If you do this, you’ll be amazed at your results.

Coach Jay

PS – You can check out MY story here.

Announcements

Class Schedule Updates: Effective Monday, June 3:

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. .and 10 a.m.; new class trial at 9:30 a.m. 
Wednesday will be dedicated to skills and recovery; we will have rotating skill sessions at 6:30 p.m. (no CrossFit class) + Open Gym if you’d like to do the WOD (see below)
Friday: 6:30 p.m; Open Gym will extend until 7:00 p.m.; please feel free to pop in and get straight to the workout or do your own thing.
Sunday: 9 a.m.; 8-am. class will remain, with Open Gym to follow until 10 a.m.

Teens Class Now 5 Days per Week, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Note: We’re adding Tuesdays and moving the time on Fridays to align with our adult Group Coaching class.

Outdoor Guest Day: Saturday, June 15

Friends and family welcome. No prior CrossFit experience required. Please arrive 5-10 mins early to sign a waiver if this is your first time! Classes start at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. sharp. We’ll give more details on where to meet next week.

Summer of Skills!

Our first skill class will be THIS WEDNESDAY at 6:30 p.m. with Coach Lauren Aschjem-Nielsen. She has many years of coaching under her belt, having worked with juniors, adaptive athletes, and the Cal rowing team.

Please click here to put your name on the list for this week or let me know you’re interested in the next round. We’ll cap this one at 16 athletes, but we will run this course again based on attendance and interest. The gym will be open for your use during the 6:30 p.m. time if you’d like to do the WOD instead.

NOTE: This course is free for members, BUT: If you sign up but are unable to come, please let Heidi know ASAP so she can notify anyone on the waiting list. If you NO SHOW without notice, you will be charged $25.

Is there something you’re dying to learn more of? Please drop a line to [email protected].

Mark Freeman (of Freeman Technique, Cirque du Soleil, and Cal Gymnastics fame) will be running his clinics on Wednesdays at 5:45 a.m. , starting JUNE 19th. Cost is $20 for members; $25 for non-members. Our regular 5:45 a.m. Group Coaching class will run alongside.

Stay tuned, in the coming weeks we will have specialty courses on endurance, oly lifting, strongman, basic gymnastics, and more.

Outdoor Guest Day: Saturday, June 15

Friends and family welcome. No prior CrossFit experience required. Please arrive 5-10 mins early to sign a waiver if this is your first time! Classes start at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. sharp. We’ll give more details on where to meet next week.

Hero Challenge: July 1-4

We’ll complete 4 hero workouts in 4 days. It’ll be like the 12 Days of CrossFit, but shorter, sunnier, and perhaps a little heavier!

You’ll continue to see some hero WODs sprinkled through the programming to get you prepped. This would be a great time to start working on some key skills—you may see some chest-to-bar pull-ups and other high-skill gymnastics, so get a jump on it!

Workouts for the Week

Monday—TRAIN

7 rounds for time:
3 ring muscle-ups
6 handstand push-ups
9 slam balls (25/15)
100-m run

MissFit:
7 RFT:
3 pull-ups scaling (hard!) – How to get your first pull up
6 DB strict press
9 slam balls (25/15)
100-m run

High-skill gymnastics day! If you’ve got a few of a movement, but Rx is too many, scale back the number of reps (i.e. 1 muscle-up/round; 3 HSPU). Reps are short, but with tough movements, expect this one to take 15-20 mins.

Scaling Options:
Muscle-up transition
C2B/pull-ups
Banded pull-ups

Pike push-ups
Strict DB press (as heavy as possible!)

Tuesday—TRAIN

A. Front Squat 5×5

All sets at 75% of max. This is a test of bracing. All sets should feel like work!

B. 9 min AMRAP:
5 burpees
4 hang power cleans (115/75)
3 thrusters (115/75)

MissFit: (75/55)

Short and spicy. Hang on to the barbell for all movements as long as you can! If you DO break, aim for 3 hang power cleans, rest, 1 hang power clean + 3 thrusters.

10+ rounds may be doable. Pace yourself aggressively—45-50s would be a good place to start. And then … hang on!

Wednesday—RECOVER + Row Clinic

Row clinic at 6:30 p.m. Coach Lauren will be focusing on skill and efficiency. You will be able to row longer, faster, easier. Click here to sign up. 

A. Warm-up:

3 Rounds:
100 single-unders
(move feet!)
Lizard walk
15 air squats

Then, 3 rounds plank tennis.

Let’s play with jumping in different positions in warm-up: split stance, skipping, one leg, backward, crossover … anything goes!

B. 10 Rounds of 1 min on, 1 min off
AMRAP:
15 plate hops
100-m farmers carry (53/35)
15 shuttle runs
15 heavy ball toss (80/50)

Think of this as an AMRAP … but you’ll be resting every other minute. If you trained hard this week, your goal is just to move. If you’re fresh, go fast! You’ll start where you left off each round. Score will be total rounds and reps. If you haven’t trained the last few days, push the pace!

C. 3 mins/side couch stretch
w/barbell on floor:
2 mins/side tricep smash
2 mins/side lat smash

Thursday—TRAIN

“The Wundy Welcome”

500-m row
50 box jumps (24/20)
500-m row
50 wall-ball shots (20/14)
500-m row
50 double-unders
500-m row

This one is a big test of rowing stamina and efficiency. Goal is sub 20 mins!

Move through the box jumps and wall balls (3 sets or less! 25-15-10, perhaps) with a steady pace and just start pulling on the rower. A slow transition will eat up time you would otherwise get to moderate your row.

Friday—TRAIN

A. Push Press
8-min EMOM:
3 @ 100% 3-RM Strict Press

Take your 3-RM STRICT press from two weeks ago and perform 3 PUSH PRESS at this weight each minute for 8. This shouldn’t be excessively heavy, but you should nail each rep and feel solid and stable. This is a great chance to practice “heavier” without the time pressure of a WOD.

B. 5-min AMRAP:
10 KB swing (53/35)
10 push-ups
10 KB hop-overs

3 mins rest:

5 min AMRAP:
5 KB swings
5 push-ups
5 KB hop-overs

Two quick sprints! Aim for a round per minute in the first set, but keep your push-ups together! In the second one, muscle fatigue should be less of an issue, but breathing will get tough. Keep pushing and transition quickly!

Saturday—PERFORM

“WHITE”

Five rounds of:
• 15′ rope climb, 3 ascents
• 10 toes-to-bars
• 21 walking lunge steps with 45/35-lb. plate held overhead
• Run 400 m

U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ashley White, 24, of Alliance, OH, assigned to the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, based in Goldsboro, NC, died on October 22, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device.

She is survived by her husband Captain Jason Stumpf, her parents Robert and Deborah, brother Josh, and sister Brittney.

“White” was the first CrossFit female Hero WOD, first posted on crossfit.com as the workout of the day for Tuesday, November 8, 2011 (111108).

CrossFit’s next female hero WOD was “Jenny,” first posted in 2014.

Sunday—TRAIN with Larry Legend or Recovery/Rest day

We’ll have class at 8 a.m. ONLY. The gym will be open for any workout you’d like to make up until 10 a.m. Yoga will resume at normal time of 12:30pm.

“Team Iron Triathlon”

In teams of 3:
3-6-9-12-15-18-21-24-27-30
Deadlift (225/155)
Bench Press (135/95)
Squat Clean (185/125)

30 min cap

Just Movin’:
(135/95)
(95/65)
(115/75)

Rx+:
DL 1.5x bodyweight
Bench 1x bodyweight
Squat Cleans 1.25x bodyweight

Sundays with Larry Legend, part 1. We’ll be running a series of Sunday workouts chosen by Larry, our resident scout of workouts that “look fun” and are a big challenge. The Iron Triathlon was originally completed by CF Games athlete Jason Khalipa as a riff on “Linda.”

Choose weights that, when fresh, you could foreseeably do 10 (as quick singles as needed) without going to complete failure. This is a heavier barbell WOD, but a lot of reps, so start on the conservative side.

Notes:
1. This is meant to be FUN, NOT to crush you 
2. The challenge is in attempting; there’s no reward for grinding through reps for 45 minutes and beyond. Scale back to hit the stimulus, please!
3. If you have already or are planning to hit the other workouts this week hard, consider scaling back. I WANT you to be able to train tomorrow.

The post The Comparison Trap appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

People that see success with us are a different breed, and it has nothing to do with their athletic background or physical prowess.

Here are four things we’ve seen successful people do at Hale:

1) They stop looking for quick fixes.

Even if you start with a very specific and short term goal (lose 20 lbs, fit into a dress, run a half marathon), you eventually realize fitness is not easily solved with a 30 day challenge.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with these challenges, we’ve use them and they work to get us unstuck or out of a rut. However, to get long term results, you have to find a way to integrate new habits into your life long term.

2) They care about learning

We do tell you what to do when you come in for class, but it’s more like a university class than a military boot camp.

We expect you to ask questions and wonder why. We don’t want you to follow our theories mindlessly and just accept that it’s going to work.

It’s why we coach you in the classes, tell you the workouts ahead of time, and publish so many blog posts and YouTube videos. When you learn more about why you’re doing things, you approach it with more intention and you get a lot more out of it.

3) They use performance as a measure of success.

Almost everyone would love to lose a few pounds or see their six pack…but when you’re 80 years old, you’ll be a lot more interested in your ability to get out of a chair and take your grandkids to the park.

Losing weight is a fun game to play, but it’s not life.

Once you are in a healthy range, how much weight do you have to lose to be truly happy? How thin do you really need to be?

However, learning how to do a push up, climb a rope, or lift some weights is a fun and validating use of your body. If you can train and learn to run a 5k or do a pull up, does it really matter if you weigh an extra 10 lbs?

Take a look around you…In real life (not in Instagram), not on Instagram, the fittest people people you know are almost all athletes.

They aren’t trying to LOOK like athletes, they actually do real things that look like sports.

Unless your job is to look good for TV or magazines, it’s really hard to stay motivated long term to only improve your physical appearance.

Focus on improving what you and your body can do and you will not only lose weight and look better, but fitness stays interesting and fun.

4) They make the habits more important than the result.

The first thing we say to you is “just show up”. In fact, we do our best to try and replace whatever goal you had coming in with a habit of showing up 3 times per week.

Humans are wired for immediate gratification, even though most rewards in life only come from delayed gratification. How do you reach your goal of losing 20 lbs (delayed gratification) when that cheese and crackers are staring you in the face (immediate gratification)?

You have to align your long term goals with short term rewards.

That’s why we focus on habits! If we can get you to change your goal to showing up 3 times per week, you get immediate gratification each time you come in, because you are achieving your goal.

Once you establish that habit and cast enough votes for your healthy self, you can start adding more habits that cast additional votes…eating a good breakfast, sleeping 7-8 hours per night, adding an extra day of training.

Each of these daily habits is celebrated (immediate gratification), and it eventually leads to your long term goal.

Coach “habits first” Jay

PS – For more info/reference, check out “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

Announcements

Summer Guest Days: 1st and 3rd Saturdays

On Saturday, 5/18 we’ll have an OUTDOOR guest day, 8am and 9am. Family and friends welcome; workouts will be suitable (and scalable) for all levels. Location TBD.

Assessment Days: Monday 5/13-Wednesday 5/15

Please see the athlete levels document here or at the gym for more information on what you’re aiming for. We’ll test 3 skills + a workout each day. This is not a pass/fail or do or die test. This is, however, a great way to create some goals to be a well rounded athlete if there are some areas you crush versus some you could use work.

Memorial Day Murph: Monday, 5/27

Mark your calendars! This is one we look forward to EVERY year. Whether this is your first or fifth time, we’ll have plenty of scaling options available.

Teens Camp: June 24th-28th

Teens 13-18 are invited to spend a week learning about fitness, health, nutrition, and positive body image. Past activities have included pool workouts and interactive meal prep. Each day will be a mix of exercise (suitable for all levels; modifications provided) and activities or talks aimed to build confidence and healthy habits.

Space is limited. Please email coach Katie for more info. [email protected] 

Workouts for the Week

Monday–TRAIN

10 rounds for time of:
4 chest to bar pull ups
10 dumbbell push press 50/35
100 m run

MissFit – 8 jumping pull ups, 30/20 lbs

Rx+ 2 bar muscle ups instead of C2B pull ups

Training day – Keeping the reps on the pull ups low so you can get through them quickly. If you don’t have pull ups, scake to jumping pull ups so you get the cardio effect. If you’re really feeling it, try for bar muscle ups, and scale down to c2b if needed.

Tuesday–TRAIN

A. Front Squat
5-5-5-5-5

Start at 60% and work up to 75%. DO NOT FAIL ANY SETS.

Training day – start at 60% of your 1 rep for the first set of 5, and add each set until you get to 75% for the last one. DO NOT GO FOR A NEW 5 REP MAX. The goal is to work with heavy load and do not fail.

B. 6 rounds of 90 secs on, 90 secs off

30 double unders
7 Front squats 135/95
Max burpees over bar in remaining time

MissFit – 95/65
Rx+ – 155/105

Select the weight for part B that allows you to do all the front squats unbroken. Scale for the double unders on this one is 1:1 single unders, so just do 30 singles if you don’t have doubles. Score is total number of burpees each round!

Wednesday–RECOVER

A. 15 mins for quality:
200m run/row
Lizard walk —>
5 yoga push ups
Crab walk <—
3/side scorpions

B. 18 min alt EMOM:
min 1. 1 Turkish Get Up/side
min 2. 15 KB swings
min 3. Bear crawl

Score is load on TGU. Other movements will make TGU a bit harder–really work to stabilize! If you’re super confident with these already, up the weight OR use a different object–slam ball, barbell, dumbbell, etc

C. 2 min/side partner tricep smash
2 min/side partner adductor smash

Thursday–TRAIN

Barbell Complex Prep

A: 7 min EMOM
3 squat cleans

B: 7 min EMOM
1 strict press, 1 push press, 1 jerk

C: 5 min EMOM
1 clean + 2 jerk

D. Work up to a heavy set of – 1 clean + 2 Jerk

Training Day – goal is to work up to a heavy set of 1 clean and 2 jerk as a complex. You want to keep working until you feel comfortable with the weight, and add until you feel slightly uncomfortable. Your score will be the highest weight you successfully complete of the complex

E. For time: 50/30 cal bike

The last part is just a spicy sprint to see how fast you can get the bike cranking

Friday–TRAIN

20 min amrap
2 rope climbs
4 strict ring dips
6 strict pull ups
8 push ups
10 cal row
12 burpees

Training Day – Pull, then push, working from tougher movements to easier ones as we go today. This workout will force you to keep a steady pace rather than trying to go all out, as your arms will fatigue. Look at this one as a chance to practice all these movements under a little fatigue

Saturday–PERFORM

“Collin”

6 rounds for time of:
400m run
12 push press 95/65
12 box jumps 24/20
12 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls 95/65

Rx + Carry sandbag for runs + 115/75 for push press

Perform Day – Goal is to go as hard as you can, do as many rounds unbroken as you can, and really push on this one. You should not have to rest on any of the movements, so pick a weight that allows you to keep moving

SUNDAY–RECOVER

A. 3 Rounds:
10 cal row
8 split squats/side (control your way down for 3 count!)
10 cat cow
12 slow mountain climbers (1 is 1)

B. 12 min AMRAP:
2-4-6-8-10-etc
DB Hang Power Cleans (40/25)
DB Walking Lunges (at sides)
Burpee over DB

To scale down further, use light DB and ditch them for the lunges

C. 2 mins/side scap scrub
(hold slam ball or 25# plate above chest & rotate)
2 mins/side pec/trap smash against pull up rig

The post The 4 things successful people do at Hale appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

You ever have a coach tell you to do LESS?

less weight, less reps, less speed

SLOW DOWN!!

Our coaches are just as likely to tell you to slow down as we are to tell you to go harder.

It’s not because we hate you…

Or we are trying to hold you back.

If you find your coach scaling you down, it’s usually because of.

1. Lack of Movement quality –

We want you to master the movement before adding intensity or weight. This goes to safety and performance.
If you don’t learn to move well at light weights, you will never learn to move well at heavier weights. Learn poor movement patterns and repeat them often and you’ll end up with injuries. If you want to stay injury free AND perform better, you might need to scale down.

2. To preserve the stimulus fo the workout –

Heavier weights and harder movements does NOT mean the workout is harder. When the goal of the workout is for you sprint for 9 mins, are you still sprinting if you finish in 25 mins?

It’s never random, and it’s never personal.

In the workouts for the week (posted below), you’ll find some suggestions on how to approach each day which can give you some clues on how to scale (up or down).

Check them out.

Go Crush it this week!

Coach Jay

PS – if you are still unsure, please ask! It’s your coaches job to make sure you’re getting a good workout every day.

Announcements

Hale Open–Fridays from 2/22-3/22

The Hale Open is back! Show up each Friday for a challenging and FUN workout. We’ll follow the workouts of the CrossFit Games Open, so it’ll be a surprise until the day before! We’ll align with the same AM vs PM teams as last year . Choose wisely based on when you show up most Fridays!… or with whichever of your swolemates are the most convincing.

$30 gets you a T-Shirt in your team color. Remaining proceeds will be donated to the winning team’s charity of choice. Points will be awarded for those performing the workout (and logging into Sugar WOD), spirit, and various challenges. Sign up sheet is on the front desk.

Do YOU work with a local charity? We’d love to support the causes closest to our Hale family. Please email [email protected] with info or with any other questions.

Holiday Schedule: Monday, Feb 18th – 8am and 9am only; no teens class

Spartan Race – Mar 17 @ 8am at Diablo Grande (San Jose)

Get outside and test your skills at the Spartan Sprint race in San Jose with us!

The Spartan Sprint is a 5k race (3 miles) with a bunch of obstacles like rope climbs, wall climbs, atlas stones, etc that test a lot more than just your ability to run.

It’s PERFECT for Halers, because you’re training so many different things, you’re going to get to see what you’re capable of out in the wild.

Price ranges from $99-$129 per person, but we found a GROUPON and it’s only $59.00 click here to book it! https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-spartan-race-44

If you sign up, coach Mae is going to run a FREE prep course for members to go through how to attack some of the obstacles, and how to improve your running technique. That course will be run Wednesdays from 2/20 to 3/15 at 5:30pm.

The price of the race goes up as the date approaches, and we don’t know when the groupon runs out. Sign up, add yourself to the CrossFit Hale team, and pick 10:15am as your start time on Sunday.

Workouts for the Week

Monday

On the 4:00 x 6 Rounds:
12 Dumbbell Power Snatches (50/35)
12 Burpees Over Dumbbell
12 x 10 Meter Shuttle Runs

Score is Slowest Round

This one is about speed and power. Move at a steady pace and rhythm through snatches–bobbles and wobbles will slow you down. Stay low on the burpees and go HARD. Good transitions and run quickly through shuttles. 

Basically, a skilled DB movement plus a “let’s see how fast I can push on this cardio.” Then rest & repeat. Go HARD (think 85-90% on your first set, and try to keep pace–you should have about 2 mins rest each round to recovery. 

Tuesday

AMRAP 18:
9 Power Cleans (155/105)
24 Push Ups
9 Front Squats (155/105)
12 Strict Pull-ups

Heavy-ish barbell and strict upper body strength work today. You’re looking for a great, solid set up and landing on the cleans–these should feel SMOOTH. Break ’em into smaller sets or fast singles as needed. Hit the squats unbroken :). There’s no need to force the pace today, as the pull ups and push ups will slow you down. 

Wednesday

A. Push Jerk
Build to a Heavy 3

B. AMRAP 15:
60 Double Unders
200m Run
10 Push Jerks (165/110)

After yesterday’s barbell work, the overhead today should feel both comfortable to pick up but MORE heavy, since you’re going overhead. If you’ve got the 10 unbroken (or MAAAAYYYBE), try to hit it for at least the first round as a skill goal. From there, break up into 2 sets if needed.

Your strategy on the double unders (don’t FRY YOUR SHOULDERS) and run will set you up for the push jerks. If barbell things are your jam, push on the cardio. If cardio is your jam, push for bigger sets on the barbell. Use part A to find your finesse–dropping under into a good receiving position and bringing the bar down to your shoulders will transfer over to your bigger sets well.

Thursday

A. 10 min EMOM: 1 Turkish Get Up

B. For time (but for GOOD MOVEMENT)
30 KB Swings (53/35–Russian!)
30 Ab Mat Sit-Ups
3 TGU/side
20 KB Swings
20 Sit Ups
2 TGU/side
10 KB Swings
10 Sit Ups
1 TGU/side

The Turkish Get Up is the absolute BEST for exposing you to all of the challenging positions–overhead, lunging, sitting up, etc–all while requiring absolute focus and stability.

Goal today: own your positions. Ask yourself, “Can I pause here?” on each position in the TGU. You should be comfortable enough to pause for 2-3 breaths in each SET position, or it’s like you’re not quite stable enough. Do not rush today. 

Somewhat of a recovery day–you’ll leave feeling better, stronger, and more mobile. 

Friday

For Time:
21 – 15 – 9
Row Calories (Women: 15-10-5)
Front Squats (95/65)

15 – 12 – 9
Toes to Bar
Hang Squat Cleans (95/65)

12 – 9 – 6
Burpees over Bar
Thrusters (95/65)

This one is a total body combo of gymnastics and front squat movements. Legs! Yay!

Lots of movements today, but you’ll find a general pattern and flow with the barbell. Each movement is a transition into a slightly more difficult (but lower rep!) version of a front squat.  It’s a longer effort today–plan on a steady pace throughout. If you struggle with one movement (i.e. toes to bar), have a plan to keep moving!

Saturday

Teams of 3
For Time (30 Minute Time Cap):
120 Power Snatches (75/55)
120 Box Jump Overs (24/20)
12 Rope Climbs
90 Power Snatches (95/65)
90 Box Jump Overs (24/20)
9 Rope Climbs
60 Power Snatches (115/75)
60 Box Jump Overs (24/20)
6 Rope Climbs
30 Power Snatches (135/95)
30 Box Jump Overs (24/20)
3 Rope Climbs

Another team workout with increasing weight today. Strategize to your teammates’ strengths as weight gets heavier. Perhaps it’s longer sets/longer rest on the barbell, or singles. Things may change as you go, but communicate and have fun!

Sunday

For time:
800m run
30 slam balls (25/15)
30 walking lunges
400m run
20 slam balls
20 walking lunges
200m run
10 slam balls
10 walking lunges

This one is a simple, mostly bodyweight workout. Goal is to ACCELERATE under fatigue. With runs and reps getting shorter, muscle fatigue should be a little less mentally challenging, so you should feel like you can push a bit faster through each set. 

The post Why you hatin, coach? appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

When Phil came in to Hale, he was thinking about retiring.

When I asked him about his goals, he said he wanted to get in the shape he was in his 20’s and 30’s. He wanted to lose a few pounds and feel better overall about his health and his body.

What good is retirement if your body doesn’t work, right?

So he started coming in and working with a coach, attending class, and training regularly.

He connected to the community, the coaches and the training, and he started seeing results.

And a funny thing happened on the way to him losing 35 lbs.

He reconsidered.

His body was just working better, his mind was working better. He had energy, and he was inspired.

He started setting more aggressive goals for the rest of his life outside of the gym.

As a result, he decided NOT to retire and instead GROW his law practice instead.

In this week’s living better podcast, we meet Phil A.

He’s a lawyer, a grandfather, and an amazing athlete in his 60’s.

He’s got a great story about how fitness can impact your life outside of the gym, and a great perspective on the reason WHY you should show up to the gym.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Coach Jay

The post Living Better Podcast – Ep 36 – Un-retirement with Phil A appeared first on CrossFit Hale.

All of us at Hale wish a safe and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

The hard work, dedication, and focus make you put in every day makes us feel lucky to be your coaches.

Thank you for all that you do.

Below is our holiday schedule and our workouts for this week.

Coach Jay

PS We are doing a super secret 6-7am open gym on the 25th. Come in and throw down with us!

Announcements

Holiday Schedule

Dec 24 (Monday) – 8 and 9 am class only. Our annual 12 days of CrossFit workout.
Dec 25 (Tuesday) – Closed – UNOFFICIAL OPEN GYM from 6-7am on Christmas morning.
Dec 26 (Wednesday) – 8 and 9 am class only
Dec 27 – Dec 30th – Normal Schedule
Dec 31 – Normal schedule, but no 6:00pm or 6:30pm class (last class 5:30pm)
Jan 1 – 8 and 9am class only
Jan 2 – Normal schedule resumes.

Overview for the week:

The long workouts were pretty TOUGH last week, no?

For many of you, things didn’t feel right until Thursday or Friday…and your goal was to come in and get moving.

With the holidays this week, you gotta get it in where you can. We have our 12 days of CrossFit workout on Monday, and a workout you can do on your own at home on Tuesday.

If you are up early and want to get in for some heavy stuff, we’ll have an unofficial open gym from 6-7am on Christmas, with a workout you can throw down with the coaches on.

For the rest of the week, we’re biasing towards a bit of heavy lifting and technique work on the oly lifts. You should base your effort on how you feel each day. If you’re been travelling or are otherwise fatigued, focus on moving intentionally and with good technique. If you feel great, push the intensity a bit.

Email us if you have questions at [email protected].

Monday

In the style of the song “The 12 Days of Christmas”…
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…
1 Thruster (95/65)
2 Front Squats
3 Power Cleans
4 Deadlifts
5 Bar Facing Burpees
6 Toes to Bar
7 Lunges
8 Heavy Rope Dubs
9 Weighted Sit Ups 35/25
10 Wall Balls
11 Pull Ups
12 HSPU/Push Ups

On the second day, 2 front squats AND 1 thruster…
On the third day, 3 power cleans, 2 front squats, 1 thruster… etc

I’ve been looking forward to this workout ALL YEAR. This version is extra fun, with barbell complex in 4-3-2-1. Light weights mean you should focus on quick efficiency, and it should feel snappy and fun.

There’s a good deal of upper body strength in this one. The heavy rope double unders will be hard to find a rhythm on, but at least you won’t get the whip marks. Shoot to do each movement unbroken, and minimize transitions between movements.

Tuesday

4 Rounds:
15 Burpees
20 Sit-Ups
25 Air Squats

Super simple! Do it with the whole fam (maybe in your jammies???!) before the holiday festivities get into full force. Perhaps make a game of it… 15 burpees… get to open a present… 20 sit ups…

Anyhow, just get moving. This should take 10 or so minutes. 

Wednesday

A: Build to a Heavy 3-Position Squat Clean:
1 High Hang Squat Clean + 1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 Squat Clean

Wooooo!!! How low can you go?! This one will test your comfort in getting under the bar. You’ll get more momentum through the hang and full squat clean, but you’ll be starting to fatigue. Get set for your reps and move QUICKLY. 

B: 3min AMRAP:
9/6 Calorie Assault Bike
9 Power Cleans (95/65)

Rest 3 Minutes

3min AMRAP:
9/6 Calorie Assault Bike
7 Hang Squat Cleans (115/80)

Rest 3 Minutes

3min AMRAP:
9/6 Calorie Assault Bike
5 Squat Cleans (135/95)

Score is rounds and reps for each couplet. These are SPRINTS. A stretch goal would be one round per minute–you’ll have to JAM on the bike/row, and then get straight to your bar. These are short bursts. if you’re feeling great, make it hurt!

Leg fatigue will play a part here… bike into increasing weight squat cleans… yeahhhh buddy! Use your rest periods to get your heart rate down and catch your breath. Be as purposeful as possible to take long, deep breaths before you go again.

Thursday

15 min AMRAP:
400/350 Meter Row
20 Kettlebell Swings (53/35)
100′ Bear Crawl

Bear crawl will be the dog here, and it has the potential to feel like a long slog. Best bet is to move quickly–either BIG steps with your arms to cover some extra distance, or use Coach Mike’s bear “scamper-gallop-run” strategy. 

All THREE of these movements are cardio heavy, and grip may eventually play a part. Aim to use your legs as much as possible in both the row and the swings. Should be a solid, steady 15 min effort.

Friday

A. Build to a Heavy:
Power Snatch + Overhead Squat + Squat Snatch

Another fun Oly complex today. Get comfortable with your top-down setup going into the squat snatch, as a missed position here will make or break your lift. If you’re still working on these movements (aren’t we all?!) focus on receiving in a good position each time and building consistency across each movement–if we were to take a snapshot of your power snatch and start of OHS, they should look the same… your squat snatch receiving position should mirror the bottom of your OHS. Feel it!

B. For Time:
20 Power Snatches (95/65)
20 Lateral Barbell Burpees
20 Overhead Squats (95/65)
20 Lateral Barbell Burpees
20 Squat Snatches (95/65)

Score is time.

Choose a weight you can go MINIMUM 12-15 reps when fresh. If you’re comfortable with these movements and weight, your goal is to do the power snatches and overhead squats unbroken, then either medium sized sets or FAST singles for the squat snatch. Pick up the pace as you get closer to the end.

Leave a little in the tank when you hit your burpees. Aim to move at a smooth 80% here, and stay LOW as you jump over the bar. Be ready to transition to the next movements–the OHS and squat snatch will be HARD if you’re panting uncontrollably. Times should be mostly in the 7-10 min range.

Saturday

“Saving Grace”

In Teams of 3 (30 Minute Cap)
3 Rounds:
75/50 Calorie Assault Bike
50 Toes to Bar

In Time Remaining:
30 Clean and Jerks (95/65) *(light, could do set of 10+ if needed)
30 Clean and Jerks (115/75) *(medium, set of 7+ not TOO bad)
30 Clean and Jerks (135/95) *(moderately heavy, could do a set of 5)
30 Clean and Jerks (155/105) *(heavier…  COULD do 3, but probably breaking to singles)
30 Clean and Jerks (185/135) *(you’re doing singles; a weight you can make but isn’t easy)
30 Cleans and Jerks (205/145) *(if you get here, this should be HEAVY)

Big, long team buy-in with the 3 rounds of bike and T2B. End your set/turn when you start to slow down, and do NOT go to failure with your grip.

For the increasing “Grace” weights, choose weights for your team that allow you to continue adding weight through the rounds. See notes above. There’s a 30 minute cap today, so it may help to think of more of an “AMRAP” mentality than a finish-this-for-time-no-matter-what type of deal. Do NOT go soft on the last weights–it should get heavier and heavier, and these may not be weights you often do in a workout. Good news! With your buddies around, you’re only doing one at a time anyhow!

Sunday

A. Build to Heavy Set of 5 Deadlift

Deadlift days are fun days!! Enjoy, and work up to something heavier than the workout. Aim to move smoothly “down and UP!” to transfer over to your quick touch and go reps for the workout.

B. 7 Rounds for Time:
21 AbMat Sit-ups
15 Box Jumps (24/20)
9 Deadlifts (185/135)

The first two movements WILL tax your midline AND get your heart rate up. Take a second to compose yourself when you hit the deadlifts. These should generally be unbroken, though if you feel yourself losing form, drop, take a breath, and start again. 

Simple, effective. Use the sit ups to breathe and manage your intensity. Move smoothly through everything else. You’re looking at about a 15 minute, sweaty effort today. 

The post Happy Holidays! appeared first on CrossFit Hale.