Spartan Performance

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

"Tyler"

Five rounds for time of:
7 Muscle-ups
95 pound Sumo-deadlift high-pull, 21 reps

 

WOD Demo with Cara Hipskind - video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

No muscle-up, no problem.  We'll work on the skill it will take to get you there! 

 

"Yeah..so what if I'm wearing a giant green rubberband around my neck...your hair is purple!"

 

 

Eat Quality Protein, Get Lean?    "If you don’t incorporate high-quality protein sources into your diet (and let’s be honest, I mean eating something that is an animal or was made by an animal), you’ll likely find it more challenging to get and stay as lean, healthy, and strong as you would like, and you’ll have to rely more on heavily processed foods such as protein powders to bring your intake up to snuff."---Krista Scott-Dixon, Stumptuous.com

The Muscle-up   "The muscle-up is astonishingly difficult to perform, unrivaled in building upper
body strength, a critical survival skill, and most amazingly of all, virtually
unknown."---Greg Glassman, CrossFit Journal, November 2002

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                     CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

Clean and Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

WOD Demo with Michael Lynch and Eric O'Connor - video [wmv] [mov] [HD mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

Toddler Tossing is just one of the many new innovations of strength and conditioning we bring to Long Island!  Unlike a medicine ball or any other "dead" piece of equipment there's more at stake here when it comes to accuracy and eye/hand coordination.  Athletes who drop toddlers are banished.  Toddlers who survive this exercise are asked to stay and train.

 

New Study:  Vitamin D Levels Of The Maasai and Hadzabe Of Africa  "The Maasai are no longer hunter-gatherers but live, along with their cattle, either a settled or a semi-nomadic lifestyle. They wear sparse clothes, which mainly cover their upper legs and upper body, and attempt to avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day. They eat mainly milk and meat from their cattle, although recently they began to add corn porridge to their diet. Their mean 25(OH) vitamin D level was 48 ng/ml (119 nmol/L) and ranged from 23 to 67 ng/ml.

The Hadzabe are traditional hunter-gatherers. Their diet consists of meat, occasional fish, honey, fruits, and tubers. They have no personal possessions. They wear fewer clothes than the Maasai in that the men often wear nothing above the waist. Like the Maasai, they avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day. Their mean 25(OH)D was 44 ng/ml and ranged from 28 to 68 ng/ml."---Dr. John Cannell, Vitamin D Newsletter  (Thanks to Mark's Daily Apple for this re-post)

 

In case you are wondering....."An intake of 1000 IU of vitamin D per day is expected to bring vitamin D blood levels in half the adult population up to 30 ng/mL.⁸ Levels of 4,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D were found to be safe in younger adults.⁸ In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, girls ages 10 to 17, were given 14,000 IU per week (2000 IU per day) for 1 year without adverse consequences.¹⁵ Ten thousand IU per day, given to adults for up to five months, found no toxic effects.^13"----How Much Vitamin D?, Elizabeth Redmond, PHD, MMSC, Metametrics Institute Blogs 

 

No Science For You!  "This is about access to peer-reviewed scientific information—research that we pay for with our tax money. If this bill passes, Americans who want to read the results of federally funded research will have to buy access to each journal article individually—at a cost of $15 or $30 apiece. In other words, as the New York Times recently noted, taxpayers who already paid for the research would have to pay again to read the results."---Alliance For Natural Health USA

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                    CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

"Desforges"

Five rounds for time of:
225 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
20 Pull-ups
135 pound Clean and jerk, 12 reps
20 Knees to elbows

 

WOD Demo with Keith Nelson - video [wmv] [mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

 

 

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On August 4, 2012 CrossFit 516 (Mineola, NY) will be hosting a CrossFit competition designed to bring out the competitor in the novice/intermediate level athletes.

The competition will begin at 9am and run until about 5pm. Athletes can visit www.festivusgames.com for further details and to see which category you fit into.   You can register by clicking here.

Please let us know if you're interested.  We don't need a commitment right now, but we would like to start a list of potential competitors.  We don't know if space will be limited, but it's best not to wait too long before registering.

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Speaking of registering......don't forget we will be participating in, not one, but TWO Spartan Races.  The June event will be a Sprint (about 3 miles) in Tuxedo Park, NY and the September event will be The Beast (12 miles) in Vermont.  There is still time to sign up and join us in glory....or just to run and negotiate obstacles then eat shortly after crossing the finish line!  If you have questions we have answers!

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History of MMA: Fred Ettish   Fred Ettish fought in an early Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC) and lost.  He returned to the cage recently, fighting at the age of 53.  The video clip contains interesting commentary by Ettish about his life after he lost his match and his return to the cage years later.  Thanks to Ross Enamait of Ross Training for this post!---George 

 

Turning To Kettlebells To Ease Back Pain   "The study’s senior author, Lars L. Andersen, a government researcher in Denmark, noted that workers who spend much of the day sitting are particularly vulnerable to back, shoulder and neck pain because they develop tightness and weak spots along the posterior muscle chain, which includes the muscles running from the lower back down to the glutes, hamstrings and calves. Kettlebell workouts strengthen the posterior muscle chain, and the increased blood flow to the back and leg muscles also may lessen pain by reducing the buildup of lactic acid, the authors wrote."--Anahad O'Connor, NY Times

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                             CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

For time:
75 pound Back squat, 50 reps
15 foot Rope climb, 5 ascents
75 pound Back squat, 40 reps
15 foot Rope climb, 4 ascents
75 pound Back squat, 30 reps
15 foot Rope climb, 3 ascents
75 pound Back squat, 20 reps
15 foot Rope climb, 2 ascents
75 pound Back squat, 10 reps
15 foot Rope climb, 1 ascents

 

 WOD Demo with CrossFit San Jose - video [wmv] [mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

 KETTLEBELL RX   THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR ATHLETES AND COACHES By Jeff Martone

Reviewed by George Demetriou

 

Jeff Martone, the CrossFit Kettlebell Certification coach and Subject Matter Expert has written the most comprehensive training manual on kettlebells to be found:  Kettlebell RX, The Complete Guide For Athletes And Coaches.

Jeff offers valuable insight and experience having used kettlebells to rehab his shoulders to becoming one of the top kettlebell coaches on the planet to competing in the sport of kettlebell.  Kettlebell RX contains a clear step by step, easy to understand breakdown of every kettlebell technique known to mankind.  Learning or enhancing techniques is simple thanks to the numerous photos, inclusion of common errors to look for and the corrective actions to fix those errors. 

Kettlebell RX is broken up into 3 parts: Kettlebells For CrossFitters, Rotational Power Development and Introduction To Kettlebell Sport.  The first and largest part, Kettlebells For CrossFitters, is divided into six sections.  The first two sections of part 1, Joint Mobility/Flexibility and the Swing Series, are worth the price of the book and make Kettlebell RX worth owning if you have any interest at all in strength and conditioning--with or without a kettlebell.  I use most of the joint mobility, drills and skills and "movement prep"  that I learned from Martone to train athletes whether we are using kettlebells or not.  Both coaches and athletes will find Kettlebell RX a must-own reference. 

Kettlebell RX contains sections on all major kettlebell techniques, program design, kettlebell circuits, using kettlebells substituted in various CrossFit workouts and much more.

Martone's observations and the inspirational quotes from various authors makes Kettlebell RX entertaining and informative beyond being a wealth instruction.  Jeff was considering a third surgery for his shoulder when he began strengthening it with kettlebell exercises.  Martone never went for the third surgery because "knowing what I know today I'm thoroughly convinced that I could have avoided all three surgeries."  Martone attributes kettlebells for strengthening around the shoulder and providing quality flexibility, the likes of which he didn't have prior to kettlebell work.

The Complete Guide For Athletes and Coaches is the perfect subtitle for Kettlebell RX.  If I had to own or recommend just one kettlebell instructional book it would easily be this one.  Kettlebell RX will be known as THE text book for kettlebell instruction. 

 

 

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                  CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

8 rounds of:
Run 400 meters
Rest 90 seconds

*Workout may be changed due to inclimate weather.

 

WOD Demo with Brian MacKenzie by Again Faster Equipment - video [wmv] [mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

Skill Work:

GHD Sit-up

"L" Sit

Hollow Rock

 

 

 

 

 

The Clean High Pull    "For most athletes, power is more important than maximal strength. Power, or speed strength, can be defined as the amount of work performed per unit of time. Research has shown that the weightlifting movements result in a superior average power output compared to powerlifting movements."--Allen Hedrick for TNation.com

".....one advantage of the clean high pull over the full clean is that the athlete doesn't have to catch the bar. As a result, you can typically use heavier loads. This is especially true for athletes with technique issues in the catch phase where a lighter than optimal load must be used because of their inability to catch the bar correctly."---Allen Hedrick for TNation.com

 

Navy SEALs Rescue Hostages, Snuff Somali Kidnappers   Thank you Naval Special Warfare troops and all Special Operations personnel!  Another job well done!  The SEALs and other Special Mission Unit members are the best combat athletes in the world.  They understand that not possessing elite fitness is detrimental to their mission and their lives. Check out the movie trailer clip in this link.  There's a fictional movie about SEALs where the "actors" are actual SEALs.--George

 

Tim Thomas, goalie for the Boston Bruins said that “the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties and Property of the People.” For that reason, Thomas said, “I exercised my right as a Free Citizen. ... This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country.”---Washington Post

What do you think of Tim's assertion?  Sound off by commenting below.  (Click on the the word "Comments".)---George

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                  CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

The 11:15-12:15 session on Wednesdays has been canceled until further notice. 

 

Seven rounds for time of:
165 pound Front squat, 7 reps
7 Chest-to-bar pull-ups

WOD Demo at NorCal CrossFit - video [wmv] [mov](Courtesy of CrossFit.com)

 

 

 

 

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

 Resting 60 seconds between sets:
Press 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

 

***Schedule Change for today:  The 11:15-12:15 session is changed to 10:45-11:45am.  Please be advised.

 

 

Congratulations to Lisa for performing her first Muscle-up at the Freestyle Connection seminar with Coach Carl Paoli from Naka Athletics.  The event was hosted by CrossFit Long Island City (thanks Vadim!).  Carl breaks down movement and posture, explaining in clear detail how to enhance strength, power, endurance and balance by improving the body's positioning.  This is also known as improving "skill".  When you strip away the mental side of sports (will, determination, mindset, focus, etc.) your basically left with movement and posture.  Enhancing posture and movement will improve any sport or physical endeavor.  We highly recommend this seminar for any athlete, especially CrossFitters.

 

The Truth About The Bench Press   "First, it's unnecessary for a field, court, or combat athlete (who's not training for a combine) to worry about maximal bench press strength. The principles of mathematics and physics make it impossible for anyone to even come close to matching that kind of pushing force from a standing position, regardless of the stance you're in.

Second, the limiting factor when pushing from a standing position is the stiffness of the torso muscles to maintain your body position and to coordinate the hips and shoulders while stabilizing the forces the extremities (arms and legs) create.

In other words, the standing pushing action is more of a whole body exercise, whereas the bench press is more just an upper-body exercise."----Nick Tumminello for TNation.com

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                  CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

 Seven rounds for time of:
225 pound Deadlift, 7 reps
7 L-pull-ups

 

 

The Incredible Unaging Triathlete  "It’s from a new study freely available at The Physician and Sportsmedicine that took detailed measurements of 40 masters athletes between the ages of 40 and 81, and found a surprising lack of age-related muscle loss:"(Alex Hutchinson, Sweat Science)

"This study contradicts the common observation that muscle mass and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Instead, these declines may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging."---Andrew P. Wroblewski, MBS, BS; Francesca Amati, MD, PhD; Mark A. Smiley, MBA, BS; Bret Goodpaster, PhD; and Vonda Wright, MD, MS,  Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass In Masters Athletes.

(Thanks to Mark's Daily Apple for bringing this to our attention!)

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                       CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

For time:

35 kettlebell swings

20 sit-ups

25 kettlebell swings

30 sit-ups

15 kettlebell swings

40 sit-ups

 

 

 

Bodyweight Isometrics For Improved Strength    "One method to address this is to pair static gymnastics-based holds with our athlete's dynamic exercises. Using these types of holds allows for similar levels of muscle activation as standard isometric movements, but with the added benefit of improving overall body control, core activation, and body awareness.

If you have any doubts, spend two-minutes watching a collegiate level or higher gymnastic meet and you'll quickly come around. Not only do they look like bodybuilders, with well-defined muscles and incredibly low body fat levels, they're also some of the strongest pound-for-pound athletes in the world.

The weightroom exploits of gymnasts are legendary. Consider 140-pound gymnasts who could crush 300-pound + bench presses and triple-bodyweight deadlifts without ever having touched a weight in practice before. Conversely, there aren't many 300-pound bench-pressers rocking iron crosses their first time out."----Adam Vogel and Mike Campanella for TNation.com

 

CrossFit Games 2012   The CrossFit Games season is a three-stage test of fitness. It is comprised of the Open, Regionals, and the world championship, the CrossFit Games.

The season kicks off with the Open, the most inclusive competition in the world. The top athletes and teams in each region from the Open will move onto Regionals. The best athletes and teams at Regionals will compete at the CrossFit Games from July 13-15, the world’s premier test to find the Fittest on Earth™.

In order to identify the Fittest, we invite everyone in the world to compete in the Open, register here. Each week from February 22-March 25, an Open workout is posted and everyone does it. They have the choice to have their performance validated at a CrossFit affiliate, or submit a videotape of their performance to the Games website. The Open will consist of five workouts over five weeks.---CrossFit Games 2012

 

5 Most Imortant Skills For Protecting Yourself   "When training in a martial art it is important to learn the differences between training and the real thing. When practicing in the gym you do not suffer from elevated adrenaline levels, tunnel vision and reduce conscious thought. In a real life situation these can occur and your training should teach you how to manage them and still make a clean escape. The key is to be stressed in training but calm in real life."---Jack Roberts for Low Tech Combat

SPARTAN PERFORMANCE                                 CROSSFIT SUFFOLK

 

Row 1000 meters

45 pound thrusters, 50 reps

30 pull-ups

row 500 meters

45 pound thrusters, 25 reps

15 pull-ups

row 250 meters

45 pound thrusters, 15 reps

10 pull-ups

 

"“Jackie”
For time:
Row 1,000 meters
Thruster 45 pounds, 50 reps
30 Pull-ups
Not everyone has a rower, but “Jackie” is reason enough to buy one. A second round at 500/25/15 and a third at 250/15/10 make for a perfect workout."---CrossFit Journal, Issue 27, November 2004, The New Girls

I agree with the opinion offered in The CrossFit Journal article, sited above, that adding rounds that progressively decrease the reps make it the perfect workout.  So there you have it.--George

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Mastering The Snatch   "Getting a heavy load from the platform to overhead in one explosive, fluid movement presents the human-body machine with a complex neurophysical problem. To solve it, we need to approach the process like an art, not a science."---Eric Auciello for TNation.com

 

Lessons From Recent Jiu-jitsu Black Belt Gene Pace, 78     "Gene Pace started practicing martial arts as a way to exercise and to give his grandchildren something to get excited about.

“I thought to myself, ‘They’re not going to kill me, and I might just learn something new.’ Once I got started, I thought, “Am I going to give up and embarrass my grandkids? No way, I’m not going to disrespect them like that. And everyone kept training,” recalls the burly granddad."--GracieMag.com