Monday "Did you know...?": Will CF make me insane?

Did you know the word “insane” comes from the Latin, “sanus,” which refers to health or being healthy. That being the case, you can bet your rubber-room that CF will get you in-saner than you’ve ever been!

Consider the in-sane people who showed for the Sat. class which was 5-Pods of Torment.

Or the CFers who were in-sane enough to complete the Lancaster Triathlon...Karate, K-Tri, Leah, Sammy, Scott L?

You can’t be out-of-sane to do either!

Sunday CFer

(Mike L. works on his Chi Running pose during a 400m punishment run.)

Name, age: Mike Lawrence, 50 – for real
Why do you like CF? It is a workout unlike any other. I don’t care if you are training for a marathon, triathlon, or weight lifting competition, CF is going to kick your butt.
How’d you hear about it? I was going to a gym that Chris (the Commander) taught a few classes. I decided to try one just for something different. Man was it different.




Why do you keep coming back? Chris’s positive attitude and the fellow CF’ers are a big draw. Everyone is very encouraging. Also, I’m not sure what I’d replace it with. The total body experience is amazing. I still like to swim, bike and run but you gotta have CF in the mix.
What other activities do you do to stay fit? I do some triathlons (sprint and Olympic). I am getting into some mountain biking (crashing). I do like to throw some 5 and 10k’s in there.
Do you use CF to train for any sport or activity? Not really. I do it for all around fitness. It helps me in everything I do.
Most and least favorite exercises? There are many favorites but if I have to pick just one I would have to say I love the Burpees! Least favorite is probably Burpees. That would go for pretty much every other exercise we do.
What’s a personal challenge you have at CF? When you’ve had a tough day and you show up for class, it’s sometimes difficult to push yourself to get the reps. Chris and Matt usually take care of that in short time. The other challenge is bringin’ the salt!
Most memorable moment? Ahhhh, there are so many. Some of my most memorable days at CF would be when someone else and I tried to max rep until we dropped, Karate Steve’s 12 days of Christmas, Dan’s bizarre comments and the desire of folks like Johnny U. Since going to Corp Fitness, my most memorable moment is my second place finish (in my age group) in Las Vegas Triathlon.
What would you like to see at CF? I would like to see more people get the benefit of exercise, friendship and positive environment that we all get from this crazy place.

Thursday Updates

Boring day?!
1) Remember Saturday 9/12: Only 1 Combo Class at 8:30AM
2) Saturday 9/12: Lancaster Triathlon
3) Friday 9/11: You may know what happens when milk, eggs, people, even fights go bad...but what about KBs Gone Bad?! Hmmm.

And if you have items you'd like posted here in the Thursday Updates, please send them along to us...races to run/ride or results you're proud of, upcoming community events, school or church bake-sale, local lemonade stand....just send something, let's beef up the updates!!

Weekend Class Change

Sorry for the late notice:

Saturday September 12 Class Time: 8:30AM Combo Class

(Only 1 Sat. class. There will not be separate 8 & 9am classes.)

CrossFit Style (non-circuit, self-paced), accommodating Beginner to Advanced levels.

Wednesday Form: Get a Grip!

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn’t belong!

If you identified palms facing in and palms facing out, then good for you.

Ah yes, the Pull Up vs the Chin Up. Is this another controversy thing, is there a difference? Not really. Chest-to-bar anyway you can!

Well, first, let’s look at the muscles used when you move your body toward resistance on the vertical plane (see below).



That’s quite a few! So it seems unreasonable that only one hand/arm/back orientation will target all these muscles most effectively.

If you are going for your first pull-up or trying to get 20 in a row, then work on mixing up your grip: wide, narrow, palms in, palms out, palms facing.

This diversity will recruit more back muscles and work the arms in different ways, increasing your strength and power more quickly than any single grip alone. By doing so, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your pull-up goal!


And, sure, some of the die-hard, palms-out CFers may say things like, “Why don’t you just drop down and do Renegade Rows!” or “Hey Chin Up Boy, where’s your tutu?” or “Wow, showin’ off with the chin-ups...too bad this isn’t a junior high dance.” (hypothetically, of course.)

But you gotta ignore them! Keep your chin up and say “When I use a variety of grips, I'm recruiting more muscles in a more diverse pattern!” That’ll teach ‘em!

Tuesday Attitude: People ARE Strange!

There's not much to say about 'attitude' after yesterday's showing. Was it strange that so many rolled in for a workout called "Buffet of Pain"? Or was it that so many strange folks rolled in? Either way...it's another CF inspiration to see you all pushing, digging, and eating the pain.


"People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous...You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters...You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.” -Jim Morrison


So today, offer up some "how do you know you're a hardcore CFer?"

You know you're a hardcore CFer...if you feel sad, deep down, when you don't get a 'speed round.'

You know you're a hardcore CFer...if you never ask because, "Yes, everything is 3-count."

Post to comments.

Labor Day Special

We might have reached new highs in just how low we can get at CF...even the hardcore folks were blown out. 652 reps...but apparently a villainous combination. Good thing the camera battery was out...it wasn't pretty! (PS. I'm not a professional lip reader, but it's easy to tell when you are mouthing "I hate you" and that's not nice.)

Before reading on, sit down.

A)21 Pull Ups, 42 Swings, 15 Pull Ups, 30 Swings, 9 Pull Ups, 18 Swings (Transition Run 800m)
B) 3 Rds: 10 Burpee/10 Sit Ups, 5 Burpee/5 Situps, Run/Bear Crawl
C) 50-30-20: Push Ups, Bicycle Crunch, Dips (Transition Run 400m)
D) 3 Rds: 8 Goblet Squat, 8 Rev. Lunge, 8 Good Morning, 200m run
E) 10-to-1 Countdown: Push Press, L-sit, Box Jump (Transition 100' OH Lunge)