Congratulations to Jeff for completing his CrossFit Level 1 Cert!

What’s bigger than the super bowl?  Bigger than March Madness?  Bigger than, dare I say NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics?!  Of course, it’s CrossFit Pacific Coast’s Bring a Friend Day!!  We’re looking forward to meeting all of your friends tomorrow morning at 9am and watching them get to experience exactly what it is that makes you as awesome as you are.  Come one, come all! 

Today’s Workout:
AMRAP 15
10 Power Snatch (75#/45#)
10 Knees to Elbows

Conclusion = 105 on one side, nothing on the other is as close as you can get.

A few weeks back Ethan asked a great question when unloading the weights off of a bar after back-squatting.  How much weight can be left on each side of bar when unloading it?  Will 45 pounds on one side and 0 pounds on the other cause the bar to topple off onto the weighted side?  My first exposure to weightlifting came from one of my best friends (and designer of this website) Drew Sgoutas.  Drew had a complete weight set in his bedroom and after school 2 or three of us would congregate there to lift.  He didn’t have the Olympic bar that we use here at CPC and one time when we unloaded one side before the other, we inevitably caused the un-weighted end to fly up and over and break his window.  To answer Ethan’s question, Eric and I put on our safety goggles watched an episode of Bill Nye The Science Guy and conducted an experiment.  How much weight can we put onto only one side of a bar before it tips.  The above photo will answer your question! (this does not mean that you SHOULD leave that much weight on one side of the bar though)

Today’s Workout:
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3
Followed by:
3 Rounds of – 1 Minute Max Ring Hold
                         -  1 Minute of Max Squats
                         -  1 Minute of Rest

Eric in great company with Coach Burgener and Coach Takano.

Ever wonder what CrossFit coaches do in our off time?  Well here’s Eric on his weekend down in Orange County learning the in’s and out’s of Olympic Lifting:

I don’t know about you guys, but it has been a long time since I’ve attended P.E. class.  I have to admit my skepticism during the first hour or two of this certification when I had to yell “YES COACH!” after every question and “YAY BURPEES” every time “Coach B” said the word “burpee.”  By the end of day one I was screaming at the top of my lungs with the enthusiasm of a 5^th grader.  Towards the end of day 2, I was beating myself with a PVC pipe because I cost the entire team of 50 people five burpees for bringing the bar down before Coach B instructed us to do so…a.k.a. “Motivational Consequences.”
This weekend’s Olympic cert at CrossFit Balboa was an intense and extremely fun two days led by some of the best coaches in the WORLD.  We were taught a systematic approach to very complicated movements and, more importantly, we learned how to be better coaches.  One thing that I especially took note of was that, after 33 years, Coach B was still adjusting his game and constantly looking for feedback.  He truly runs an “open source” program and that definitely hit home.  Traver and I are consistently looking for new ideas and methods to improve what we do here on a daily basis.  Each time we expose ourselves to different coaches, athletes, gyms and sports, we are taking the pieces we like and working them into our program here at CPC.
I want to really emphasize that these seminars and certifications are NOT just for coaches.  They are great opportunities to meet other people, refine your skills, and gain new experiences.  We should all be hungry to learn and grow as people and, in turn, bring that back to our community here at CPC.
Many thanks to Coach B, Coach Takano, Max and CrossFit Balboa, Julianne, Mike, and Jason.

 Today’s Workout:
“Frank”  (yes, Fran is tougher than Frank)
21 – 15 – 9 Reps of
Front Squats
Pull ups

It's never to early to start kicking ass!

Please take a moment to read this article. Article.  Why is it relevant to you, you ask?  I don’t believe that we have any diabetics currently training at CPC, however, I’d be surprised if you don’t know any in your personal lives who does.  The bigger picture of the article is more what I’m after here anyway.  What is striking about this article is two fold.  One is the fact that there is doubt as to whether the company that profited immensely from the sale of this drug knew in advance that it would kill people.  This would not be the first time that this has happened.  That’s part 1.  Part 2 is that for the most part diabetes is a lifestyle related disease – meaning that proper nutrition (not “replacing my current fast-food intake with Taco Bell’s new healthy menu”, as the commercial says, but real nutrition) and exercise can eliminate it in the vast majority of cases.  So here we have a situation in which a company has made a lot of money by selling a deadly drug to people that could have avoided the whole mess by eating well and working out.  This is not who you all are, but who you walk among on a daily basis.  I’ve said this before, but will stand on my soapbox and say it again and again – protect your health at all costs!  The alternative might kill you.

Today’s Workout:
1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Hang Power Clean
Followed by AMRAP 8 Min:

10 Push ups

10 Double Unders

I know that we’ve been posting a lot of video lately, but this one really struck me as something that is important to watch.  It’s a little bit on the long side, but the message is powerful.
We really are living during a health epidemic in this country and the change in our school cafeterias, the change in our business luncheons, and the change in the lives of those around us is going to come from the actions that we take ourselves.  Leading by example and eating and living the way that most CrossFitters do, we will inevitably empower others to be healthier as well.  Remember the early post about obesity being contagious?  We know that the opposite is true as well; we absolutely know it.  I am 100% confident that other members of your peer groups have started to workout, eat and live in a healthier manner themselves, simply because of the example that you yourselves are setting.  Please remember this fact when you are struggling with your last round of a tough workout or turning down junk food in your office for a healthier alternative.

Today’s Workout:
800 M Run
30 OHS (95#/65#)
400 M Run
30 Thrusters (95#/65#)
200 M Run
30 Burpees

Aspartame - not that awesome.

Here’s an interesting article that I stumbled across regarding aspartame; the common sweetener used in most diet sodas as well as many of the following products:
- chewing gum
- confections
- gelatins
- cake mixes
- puddings and fillings
- frozen desserts
- yogurts
- tabletop sweeteners
- chewable vitamins (and who takes those but children)
- sugar free cough drops

News Published on 17 Nov, 2009

Ajinomoto brands aspartame ‘AminoSweet’

Filed by Shaun Weston

Leading aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will brand the sweetener AminoSweet.
It’s now more than 25 years since products sweetened with aspartame were first launched in Europe. In this time, the sweetener has transformed the market for low-calorie and sugar-free foods and drinks and has become the first choice for many leading brands.
Like other low-calorie sweeteners, aspartame delivers sweetness without calories, but it’s unique in two ways:

• Aspartame tastes like sugar
• Aspartame is made from two amino acids.

In recent years, there has been more and more focus on the development of low-calorie foods and drinks that help consumers maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. At the same time, food and drink manufacturers have become more interested in what their ingredients are made of and where they come from.
Ajinomoto believes that the time is right to remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.
The name AminoSweet is appealing and memorable. It reflects that AminoSweet comes from the same amino acids that are abundant in the food we eat every day.
Source: Ajinomoto

Remember gang, no matter what they decide to call it, if you’re consuming a food or beverage that was created in a lab instead of by nature, you can be assured your body doesn’t recognize it. This opens the door to short-term and long-lasting health problems for you and your family. (Clinical trials have found the following awesome effects from “AminoSweet” consumption – Birth Defects, Cancer (Brain Cancer), Diabetes, Emotional Disorders, Epilepsy/Seizures)

Today’s “Sweet” Workout:
5-5-5 High Bar Back Squats”
Followed by:
Box Jump, Kettlebell, Jumprope Teamwork

Zach and Phil breaking in the new tires!

Do you have a car to sell?  An apartment to rent?  Know of something cool that’s going on in town that you want to promote?  Why not run it by our members here first!  Eric and I have designated our superbly decorated “What’s New” bulletin board as our new CPC Community Board.  If you’ve got something that you want to share with the rest of the members here, please feel free to bring it in and give it to us and we’ll post it up on that board.  Gracias. 

Today’s Workout:
“Grace”
30 Reps for Time:
Clean and Jerk (135#/ 95#)

Lisa inverted in Cabo!! (not Cancun)

What should you do if you are injured?  This is a great question that we get asked from time to time.  Personally I see a lot of injury cases in practice and believe that one of the worst things that you can do is come to a complete standstill.  If your arm is hurt, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still squat.  If your knee is tweaked, we can still have you doing pull ups.  Increased blood flow throughout the body, an increase in endocrine response in addition to an elevated post-workout mood will do your body and spirit good.  Does this mean that if you have a broken hand that you should be shoulder pressing and doing burpees?  Not so much.  Isolate the injured area, use the principles of RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and train the rest of your body.  Trust me on this one.

Today’ s Workout:
”Angie”
100 Pull Ups
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Squats

Taping your hands for pull-ups from CrossFit Los Angeles on Vimeo.

Yep, I’ve spent some time looking at videos over the weekend.  Here’s CFLA’s Andy Petranek going through the best way to wrap your hands.  If you have a rip, are worried about your hands ripping or are a massage therapist, then this method is definitely something that you should get acquainted with.  Where can you get athletic tape you ask?  We just had a big shipment come in last Tuesday!

Today’s Workout:
Deadlift 3-3-3
Followed by 4 Rounds For Time:
20 Wall Balls (#20/#14)
200 M Run

One of my favorite clips.  Happy Monday everyone.

Today’s Workout:
Box Jump for Max Height
Followed by AMRAP 15
3 Backsquats (Bodyweight on the bar)
6 Leg Raises (to 90 degrees)
9 Burpees