Skill work is def. important, don't get me wrong. That being said, "20 minutes of double unders" seems to be overkill and a little lacking on focus. After 10 minutes (if it goes that long) people get pissed off/frustrated and their form really goes to shit (I call this exercise ADD). 5-10 minutes more frequently throughout the week would be more than enough to improve (and better IMO). I also think progressing into a skill is better than just doing the skill for an alotted time. Start with light jumping to get a rhythm, add the rope in for consistent singles, then practice a single/double under combo, stopping after each double under attempt, then on to continuous combos (1-3 singles, 1 double, repeat), then just stringing doubles together. Also, forcing people to do doubles in a WOD (instead of copping out and doing singles) really seems to help as well.

I'm actually curious what the ENTIRE hour was filled with...

8/20/2012 4:29:49 PM

Crossfit NYC - http://www.crossfitnyc.com/

There are any number of reason why someone could make SOME sort of argument for that kind of programming, but in the end I think it's horseshit to suggest EVERYONE spend 20 minutes on double unders. IMO, there does come a point in that particular skill where expertise maxes out, and I like to think I'm one of around 10-15% of the class who would be included in that. I am not bragging and there are plenty of things I can improve on, this just isn't really one of them.

With regards to the box that came up with this, I actually hate my gym and think it's run by complete morons. But I've been there so long I put up with this stuff because (A) I pay $100 a month for life which is extremely cheap for NYC and (B) Since they know me well enough they don't mind that I'll come in today and do yesterday's workout (Angie) on my own and not bother anyone.

Oh and another reason why this WOD is stupid: Some people, including myself, get headaches if they do too many double unders...I've researched it a bit in the past and haven't found any answer for why this happens or how to prevent it

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 4:43 PM. Reason : a]

8/20/2012 4:41:12 PM

^^ this

8/20/2012 4:52:53 PM

im just not a big fan of those kinds of sessions. personally i like to see WODs programmed that combine the olympic lifts, some type of cardio component, and some type of gymnastics movement in a short time period format. then have the rest of the time either before or after the WOD to do coached skill and/or strength progression work

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 4:56 PM. Reason : double post]

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 4:57 PM. Reason : ]

8/20/2012 4:52:53 PM

What do you think about WOD that is a 5K or a 10K run ...I see them pop up every once in awhile too.

And regarding the WOD in question, if you look at the website, the first half of the class was

3x5 deadlifts(@60%)

then second half was the 20' DUs

Does this make it better?

[Edited on August 20, 2012 at 5:04 PM. Reason : run]

8/20/2012 5:02:07 PM

5k, 10k is fine for Crossfit HQ to post, but IMO, for an individual gym charging people 100-250 bucks a month than you should be offering some type of alternative programming

8/20/2012 5:05:15 PM

Yeah, I think that makes it a little better. You've got to consider the warmups too (which on some days can kick my ass as much as a WOD can). I'm sure everyone left with a good workout, but 20 minutes of DU's is a bit odd.

8/20/2012 5:05:53 PM

Not a crossfitter, but in my own training, I try to stick with the principle that performing high quality, well-controlled reps is always better than doing a whole bunch of sloppy reps for time/volume/whatever. To be fair, this is a strategy used to stimulate muscle growth, but even for people that aren't all about "getting huge", a focus on form should take priority over number of reps in my opinion.

8/20/2012 5:07:17 PM

Agreed. I was absolutely worn out on Friday morning (from playing two hours of full court basketball the night before most likely) and we had 5x3 power snatch as part of the WOD. Technique was suffering with the heavy weight, and although I was still capable of pressing it I scaled it back a bit so I could do the reps properly. I'm sure I ended up feeling much better than if I did a bunch of sloppy reps with heavy weight.

Being much bigger and stronger than the average crossfitter (not too many former offensive linemen in there), the strength workouts are MUCH easier for me than the cardio ones or anything involving my own body weight. Since my max doesn't matter like it did playing football, I try to focus on improving my technique moreso than stacking stupid amounts of weight on the bar. No one is impressed at a huge lift if it looks like shit. I still have a long way to go, but I feel like my lifts are more sound now than they were when I was doing the strength and conditioning program for NCSU football.

8/20/2012 5:24:06 PM

I'm sorry, but 3x5 deads does NOT make it any better. I would really love to see the coaching for a full 20 min of double unders....really hoping its more than 3-2-1 go...zone out...but I doubt it.

See my original post on why I think 20 min is a waste of time. Why not an 8-10 min WOD followed by 10 min of skill work. I never have my people practice skills 100% fresh. Why? A) it prevents them from over thinking because they're slightly tired and b) when are you ever (in CrossFit) going to be asked to do a skill completely fresh?

8/20/2012 8:37:22 PM

^ 3,2,1 go is pretty much how it went...the coach did go around and help people out with their form as he saw fit, but I think the lack of enthusiasm was because he also agreed it was a stupid workout

for my part I did it for 2 minutes, hit a set of 63, and then did Angie

8/21/2012 9:24:39 AM

whenever DUs are in any of our WODs you have the choice to do singles. but the conversion rate is 3 singles for every 1 DU. Most people ultimately learn to do DUs better by not wanting to do that many more singles.

8/21/2012 10:28:24 AM

^^ would not go to your gym

maybe he was studying for his bar exam the night before

8/21/2012 11:13:13 AM

I wouldnt normally either...but like I said...I pay $100 a month and they let me do what I want for the most part if I don't want to participate in their program...to switch to another gym would put me at $175 a month minimum

8/21/2012 11:46:36 AM

Here is another silly WOD.

AMRAP 5 min of wall climbs

http://www.crossfit-tnt.com/blog/2012/08/wod-9.html

8/22/2012 1:26:29 AM

Today's WOD:
WOD:
3 rounds fot time:
50 Double-unders
50 Sit-ups

I would be pissed if that was it. But we also have strength work before most every WOD.

10 minutes to find 3RM Hang Power Snatch;
then:
10 minutes EMOM:
Barbell Complex:
5 Deadlifts
2 Hang Power Snatch
1 Jerk
at 90% 3RM Hang Power Snatch

8/22/2012 8:41:05 AM

Today was an easy day for us:
DB Hang Cleans: 5 x 3

Hindu Pushups: 3 x 8
Turkish Getups: 3 x 8 each side

For cumulative rep count: Squats @ bodyweight for 5 minutes
I got 45. The only person who beat me got 46

8/22/2012 9:43:06 AM

^^ I'm doing that one tomorrow on our open WOD day. I had to rest because my legs are still sore from 3RM squat max on Monday, and my ego is sore from being last to finish on the WOD yesterday (by over 3 minutes). I really suck at WODs with olympic lifts in them.

8/22/2012 12:50:40 PM

Today's WOD sucked.

100 double unders
75 burpees
400m row
800m run

It's rare that I think "Damn am I glad to be running right now."

8/22/2012 5:33:39 PM

190# Push Press (15# PR)

Had to force myself to not get greedy...it flew up

loving the Westside/CrossFit hybrid programming

[Edited on August 23, 2012 at 8:08 AM. Reason : ]

8/23/2012 8:07:35 AM

Packman, have you met Christmas Abbott in person?

8/26/2012 10:40:43 PM

Yup, she's awesome. My buddy is running "her" gym now.

8/27/2012 7:12:40 AM

Did Helen. Absolutely miserable. 16:47

8/28/2012 10:58:46 AM

^^I go to "her" gym. She's a great coach. She's also the only person that tiny that has ever intimidated me.

8/28/2012 11:16:17 AM

This is a question for Packman. When you program warmups, is there any rhyme and reason to it as well? Take for instance a screen capture from a local affiliate's website.

The warmup seem random to me, and doesn't seem to prepare you for any of the strength or conditioning portion of the WOD. Any thoughts on the warm, and reasons why the would insert something like supermans and situps?

8/28/2012 9:50:01 PM

One of my pet peeve is when the warmups are trying to be a workout.

Everyone at my gym understands to come in early and do 10 minutes of mobility specific to the WOD (I list on the board what to foam roll/lacross ball)

The first 5-10 minutes of class is a dynamic warm-up pertaining to the movements we'll be doing.

Example for today. Focus was on 1 board bench press....the accessory work and WOD complimented that (bentover rows as accessory...pullups, db push press, kb swings in wod)

We warmed up rotator cuffs, front/side delts, chest, and then did some shoulder/core stability work.

I see a lot of randomization with warm-ups...but then again, those places tend to have random programming as well. We do not.

8/29/2012 10:41:13 AM

^^It's ridiculous to even call that a warm up. Most people are going to be at least moderately fatigued by the time they finish three rounds of that.

In my opinion, a warm up should involve mobility work and some dynamic stretching. The strength/power work should come in the first half of the session, not after you've done a bunch of pull ups/push ups/whatever. You are going to be able to execute lifts so much better if you're still fresh. After you've finished the "strength" portion of the session, which should be the most taxing on your body, something similar to the "warm up" might be appropriate.

Crossfit tends to play into the conventional wisdom that a good work out is one where you feel tired and beat up when you're done. If your goal is to feel tired and beat up, great. If your goal is to improve health/appearance, then there are better approaches.

[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 11:27 AM. Reason : ]

8/29/2012 11:27:31 AM

but, guys ...



I performed like shit today. Mid-warmup I was feeling really tired already. Guess that's a result of being on 3 antibiotics

Pullup Max (I got 8, which was not bad considering I was not feeling so hot; people keep telling me I should kip, but meh)

Squat: 5 x 3
DB Military Press: 4 x 7

8 minutes
“Buy In” = 40 kettlebell high pulls, 25 kettlebell swings, 10 goblet squats (24kg men; 16kg women)
cumulative rep count of burpees and lying to standing with med ball
after time ends, do buy in again as "cash out"
I was in the 60s somewhere. Awful.

[Edited on August 29, 2012 at 11:43 AM. Reason : WOD]

8/29/2012 11:30:45 AM

lol has anyone else seen this?
http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/29/kim-kardashian-crossfit-exercise-tmz-tv/2/#comments-anchor

9/3/2012 10:12:40 PM

Today we did 3 squat cleans EMOM for 10 minutes. To warm up for it, I decided to go heavy on some power cleans to the multiple reps later wouldn't feel so bad. I added some weight and kept going till it became difficult to keep my form. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I was cleaning 10 pounds+ over my max and I not realizing it. I wish I wrote down exactly what I did. I need to get a journal.

The odd thing is, we just did power clean max last month. I either magically got ripped in a few weeks, or I finally got my form down.

9/4/2012 10:17:29 PM

How much are you power cleaning?

9/5/2012 7:33:24 AM

Clean PR 230#

Finally getting up towards my Power Clean...eventually I'll be normal and actually clean more than I power clean

9/5/2012 8:25:41 AM

Yesterday was a garbage workout for me. I'm not sure if it is from taking a week off or eating like shit this weekend, but I felt disappointed when I left. It wasn't even that terrible of a WOD.

5 Rounds:
10 Overhead Walking Lungers (135lbs)
20 toe to bar

9/5/2012 8:29:56 AM

Quote :

"The odd thing is, we just did power clean max last month. I either magically got ripped in a few weeks, or I finally got my form down."

Or you been sandbagging.

9/5/2012 8:58:33 AM

Quote :

"How much are you power cleaning?"

Yesterday I worked up to around 95. My max from last month was 80. I was pretty happy with that.

9/5/2012 10:18:54 AM

Angie yesterday - 26:30

Damn I am sore today.

9/7/2012 9:36:47 AM

Does anybody own a pair of Inov8s? Or has everyone jumped on the Reebok bandwagon?

I want to get a pair of Inov8 and would like to know how they compare to Nike Free ( what I have now for running and lifting when I could).

9/13/2012 10:42:51 PM

I think mike has a pair, or ten

9/13/2012 10:57:23 PM

I train in the new balance minimus

9/14/2012 8:58:52 AM

nvm.

If you cant say anything nice, dont say it at all.

[Edited on September 14, 2012 at 10:58 AM. Reason : .]

9/14/2012 10:56:42 AM

inov8s work great...Reeboks are too cushy for me.

9/14/2012 11:13:42 AM

Bobby Light, this is TWW, you can say whatever you want.

9/14/2012 11:30:45 AM

Quote :

"I train in the new balance minimus"

I pretty much use a mix of these and chuck's. If the workout calls for running, box jumps, double unders, etc. I will use the NB, otherwise, I like my chuck's.

9/14/2012 11:45:12 AM

thats pretty much exactly what i do. i use hightop chucks for deadlift and squat strength training. everything else is the minimus.

9/14/2012 11:48:06 AM

I never really thought of Chuck's for CF, but it makes sense. Maybe I will look into it. Much cheaper than other options. (Plus I can wear them out like a hipster)

9/14/2012 1:54:55 PM

i've heard a bunch of people say that chucks are good for rope climbs. the minimus get messed up by the ropes.

9/14/2012 2:03:39 PM

Inov8s (except the 210 and 240 series) tend to get chewed up by ropes as well.

I get to hang out with Talayna Fortunado, Elizabeth Akinwale, Brandon Phillips, and the rest of the Outlaw CrossFit crew (obviously Rudy Neilson) this weekend...should be...fun?

9/14/2012 3:06:43 PM

Today we did Diane.
21-15-9
deadlift (225lb)
handstand pushups


I felt pretty good about getting the last set of deadlifts in unbroken, with a time just at 8min. Then I watched Brandon, one of the instructors (and I think owner) of Gracie Raleigh, do Diane (Rx) in 3:02.

Quote :

"(Plus I can wear them out like a hipster)"

Hipsters don't wear chucks. Ever.

[Edited on September 14, 2012 at 4:18 PM. Reason : .]

9/14/2012 4:18:05 PM

I love Rudy and what he stands for. He is legit. I like him more that he makes fun of the douchebaggery that goes on in the "crossfit culture".

I read his blog daily.

Rudy keepin' it real

http://outlawcoach.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/120831/

http://outlawcoach.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/120216/

http://outlawcoach.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/120208/

9/15/2012 1:23:08 AM

Is there a crossfit gym in Raleigh that isn't all looney about the paleo and the minimalist shoes?

9/15/2012 10:02:28 AM