RX THE WOD

In the short two years since I’ve started CrossFit the number of boxes exploded around the world. The other day our box was full on a Saturday and I had 3 other gyms nearby running a WOD at the same time. Now, that is choice! Of course I ended up going to my home box anyway because I liked that WOD best.

The same is happening around the world as I travel to Asia or Europe next month I see a dozen more affiliates in cities where previously there was one or none. This is exciting.
Not having to settle for a hotel gym or the travel WODs is great. Even though I’m still a big fan of monster bodyweight workouts.

The routine is the same – emails to the affiliate owners for drop ins, picking a hotel nearby and forgetting that I could just skip a week away from it all. Not possible.

Metcon
5 rounds
– 7 front squats 135lbs
– 12 clapping pushups
– 400m run
[20:00]

It is springtime and our Box, along with many others is launching the next iteration of the 6-week Paleo Challenge. Most of us have that last few items we find hard to part with – for some it is a bread or dairy – for me it is coffee and sweeteners.

Technically I was not much of a sugar guy ever. Even in my hardcore vegetarian decade instead of sugar I just had the vegan alternative of bagels, muffins and pizza. Thin crust. And sweeteners. And every coffee type from Kona to Jamaican Blue Mountain.

In the Paleo transition in the last 2 years grain for me was easy to let go, so was dairy and legumes. Never missed those. So the last mile in the next challenge is caffeine, sweeteners and the last few processed foods like certain deli meats. Cannot be harder than the CF Open was, right?

Ever since CFDV introduced level tests (white, green, red) in the box it is much easier to determine the Rx weight for competitive athletes and scaling based on your tested level. A lot of us have been chasing Rx in every MetCon and did not always get the intensity we needed. This new system fixed that and the proper guidance for all athletes.

Strength
Hang Snatch 3-3-3-2-2-1
MetCon
3 rounds
– 12 hang snatch 135lbs
– 18 toes to bars
– 24 lateral jumps
[12:16 @ 95]

A short 2 years ago most of our friends looked puzzled when we used words like WOD, AMRAP, Tabata and even squat and deadlift. It was simply not common in polite society.
Something slowly and surely changed when there are “WODs” everywhere from the Biggest Loser to the flyer from local gym’s personal trainer. Even country clubs offer tabata classes to replace their dwindling spin class offering and the row of elliptic trainers may just give way to a rack of pullup bars in the local globo gym (I can dream, can’t I?).

It may not rival the invention of the train or the automobile but I’m glad we’re living in another and maybe even more important revolution.
Speaking of Tabata classes, that’s what the doctor ordered today. Tabatas are for sure the best and meanest workout format ever invented. Next to unbroken double unders and death by burpees, of course.

MetCon “Tabata This!”
5 times 8 rounds of 20 sec work and 10 sec rest.
1 minute rest between rounds
Score is the combined lowest score of the 5 separate tabatas
– rowing (calories)
– squats
– pullups
– pushups
– situps
[44]

Tabata at the non-profit “Being Bright Pink”