Monthly Archives: June 2010

Just a reminder we only have 2 classes today.  9am and 5pm!

Happy Canada Day!

Todays Awesome – Locking people out of the car and pretending to drive away.

There are so many different levels to this classic gag.

“Version 1 -Locking People Out of the Car and Pretending to Drive Away Lite which involves a car full of people, a gas station bathroom break, the locked door, and the slow-rolling drive away while the victim knocks on the window and pretends not to care.

Version 2 – which involves a car full of people, a gas station bathroom break, the locked door, and a complete lap of the gas station, and return after a minute or two.

Version 3 (the granddaddy of them all) – which involves a car full of people, a gas station bathroom break, the locked door, then a full-out drive away into the sunset without any eventual return.  Unless practiced within walking distance of the victim’s house, Version 3 can be devastating!

AWESOME!

Group Warm Up

A. 4 mins Lacrosse Ball Torture -work out those kinks!
B. 2 mins Skipping @ 70% – singles, single leg, side straddle, forward straddle, and double unders
C. 10 x arm and leg swings, torso rotations
D. 5 x Walkouts
E. 3 lengths of Quadrepedal movements

Movement Prep:
A1. Groiner Circles x 10/direction/side
A2. Band squats x12

Strength:
NEW Q’s: Deadlift 3 x 5, rest 3 min
VETERAN Q’s: Front Squat 4 x 4-6, rest 3 min

Metcon:
6 Rounds for Time of:

• 6 Overhead Squats @ 65% 1RM
• 12 Kettlebell Swings
• 18 Double Unders

Strength Athletics:

A1. Hang Power Clean + Power Clean + Power Clean, 8 x 1 OR High Box Jumps, 8 x 3 – rest 60sec
(weight used should be heavy, but light enough that no misses occur )
B1. Back Squat 4 x 6-8 [40x1] – rest 3 min
C1. Split Squat 4 x 8-10 [30x1] – rest 60 sec
C2. GHD Hip Extension 4 x 10-15 [30x2] – rest 90 sec

Todays Awesome: The first scoop out of a jar of peanut butter! (ahem…or almond butter!)

“Really, I think getting the first dig in a jar of peanut butter is the kitchen equivalent of stabbing a flag into the moon and claiming it as your own.  I mean, you mark that peanut butter. You brand it.  You add your little stamp and you put it back in the pantry, ready and waiting for the next big schthlop.  AWESOME!”

Group Warm Up

A. 4 mins Lacrosse Ball Torture -work out those kinks!
B. 2 mins Skipping @ 70% – singles, single leg, side straddle, forward straddle, and double unders
C. 10 x arm and leg swings, torso rotations
D. 5 x Walkouts
E. 3 lengths of Quadrepedal movements

Movement Prep:
Heel to Butt Test
*If ya fail – Wall Quad Stretch
*If ya pass – Ankle Mobility Wall Drill

Gymnastic Skills:
A1. Hand stand progressions (tri-pod, frog stand, handstand hold, handstand push-ups)
A2. Skin the cat progressions (knee-to-elbow, inverts, skin the cat)

Metcon:

4 Rounds for Time of:

• 15 Wall Ball
• Run 100m
• 15 Wall Ball
• Rest 60 sec

Strength Athletics:

Rest/Recovery Day!  Get friendly with your foam roller and lacrosse ball!

Holiday Hours for July 1st. We will have 2 classes on Thursday!  Wear your most Canadian gear!  Alvin, those socks from the Element CrossFit Challenge are a must!

• Morning class at 9am
• Evening class at 5pm

Todays Awesome – Sweatpants!  (or Lulu’s!)  This one is a special awesome for Leah who has an extra special love of the sweatpant with pockets!

“Old faithful sweatpants.

So comfortable yet so risky for wearing out of the house.  Seriously, how many of you pull off The Sweatpant Look at the movies or grocery store.  I bet not too many, despite the fact that sweatpants are God’s Gift to Legs! “

I have to disagree…I think y’all rock The Sweatpant Look!

Group Warm Up

A. 4 mins Lacrosse Ball Torture -work out those kinks!
B. 2 mins Skipping @ 70% – singles, single leg, side straddle, forward straddle, and double unders
C. 10 x arm and leg swings, torso rotations
D. 5 x Walkouts
E. 3 lengths of Quadrepedal movements

Movement Prep:
A1. T Spine Mobility
A2. 15 Wall Slides

Strength:
A1. DB Press 4 x 8-10, rest 90 sec
A2. Chin-up 4 x 6-8, rest 90 sec

Metcon:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

• DB Hang Power Clean and Overhead (press, push press, jerk variations all legit)
• Toes-to-Bar

Strength Athletics:

A1. Split Jerk 8 x 2, rest 60 sec (weight used should be heavy, but light enough that no misses occur = approx 80-85%)
B1. DB Press 4 x 8-10, rest 90 sec
B2. Chest to Bar Pull-ups, 4 x max, rest 90 sec
C1. Ring Dips, 3 x 8-10, rest 60 sec
C2. Band Pull Aparts 3 x 12-15, rest 60 sec
C3. Trap 3 Raises, 3 x 12-15, rest 60 sec

A big congratulations to Alvin, Dyanne and Summer who competed this weekend at the Element CrossFit Challenge in Mississauga.  Four intense workouts in one day…with crazy weights!  Awesome job by all.

See the final standings here.

Todays Awesome:  Getting Grass Stains

“First of all, getting grass stains means that you were running around at high speeds without proper equipment.  Maybe you slid last minute to avoid a frozen tag or made an awkward somersault dive at a line-drive Wiffle Ball.  Either way, the grass stain symbolizes your large devil may care investment in having balls-out fun and that’s something worth respecting.

Group Warm Up

A. 4 mins Lacrosse Ball Torture -work out those kinks!
B. 2 mins Skipping @ 70% – singles, single leg, side straddle, forward straddle, and double unders
C. 10 x arm and leg swings, torso rotations
D. 5 x Walkouts
E. 3 lengths of Quadrepedal movements

Movement Prep:
a1. 10-12 Split Squats/side [32x0]
a2. 10 Side Lunges/side (alternating sides) [32x0]
a3. 12 X-Band Walks/side (alternating direction)

Strength:  Back Squat 4 x 4-6, rest 2.5-3 min for work sets

Metcon:

As Many Rounds as Possible in 10 mins of:

7 Thrusters  @ 55% 1RM Push Press
14 Kettlebell Swings
7 Pull-ups
(Chest-to-bar for advanced athletes)

Strength Athletics:

A1. Front Squat 4 x 4-6, rest 3mins

B1.  Metcon with Group

C1. GHD Glute Ham Raise 3 x 8-12, rest 60 sec
C2. Side Plank Holds 3 x 60 sec/side, rest 60sec
*if can’t hold 60 sec, hold for max. If  one side is stronger than the other, hold the stronger side only as long as you can hold the weaker side

We’re off to the Element CrossFit Challenge today!  Summer, Dyanne and Alvin will be doing us proud as they take on some evil WODs.  Best of Luck Guys…we’ll be the crazies screaming from the sidelines!

We’ve left you in the good hands of Tyler!  And it seems he’s taking this responsibility very seriously and declaring it “Coaches Choice Day!”  Yup…he gets to pick the lift and Named WOD!  Lucky for you all, he can be easily bribed with a tasty Americano!

So be nice, butter him up and lift heavy!

Movement Prep:
10 Groiner Circles/direction/side

Metcon: TEST WORKOUT

6 Rounds for Time of:

• 10 Burpees
• 30 Double Unders (or 50 singles)

*10min cut-off

DRUMROLL please!

Congratulations!  You all not only survived 7 weeks of Spring Leaning…you kicked serious paleo butt!

The results are in, the before and afters have been viewed and the results are UNREAL!  The transformations that took place are nothing short of awesome.  And let’s get one thing straight…the scale is not an accurate tool to measure your successes! In fact, I suggest you all toss em out the window…do it right now…I’ll wait….

It is so easy (and so very wrong) to get frustrated by an unbudging scale.  And now you have scientific proof that those bathroom contraptions are positively useless.  YES USELESS!  They are unable to measure kipping pull ups or dead hangs, huge PR’s, or massive amounts of inches lost.  And that kids…is exactly what you all accomplished!

The box was full of performance gains and body fat losses.  Evil sugar addictions and bad relationships with unhealthy foods were stomped.  New recipes, foods and flavours were discovered.  Now show me a scale that can measure that!

I say this with the deepest sincerity…you all done us proud!  The results were mind blowing and the pictures jaw dropping. Each and every one of you Spring Leaners won.  And sticking with it will only keep you winning.

As hard as it was, we did have to stick to the rules and pick the top male and female.  And it was no easy task.  The results were super close and it came down to photo finishes.

So without further ado…please congratulate our first CFQ Paleo King and Queen!

For the ladies, Theresa (aka T-Bird) took top spot.  Our lovely 7am’er lost 18lbs and a HUGE 8.5 inches in total!  T-Bird not only smashed the stats, she also hit PR’s week after week.  Only a few short months ago T-Bird was barely able to break parallel fighting old injuries and stiffness…fast forward to last week when she put down a 95# overhead squat!  Heck ya!  The Crown couldn’t go to a more deserving Queen!

Our Paleo King is Mike I!  Yes, the once semi-primal husband of Cosmopolitan girl went fully primal and now reigns as King! Mike is not only new to paleo, he is also new to CrossFit.  A hulking strength fighting huge inflexibility, Mike never missed a morning, and is now regularly seen on the PR board!  Not to mention the dead hang pull ups he mastered a few weeks ago. That’s just how this guy rolls!  From a bread lovin’ super tight guy…to a converse wearin’ barbell master!  Yes Mike it’s official…you fell to our happy little cult!  The biggest high five to the most deserving King!

Honourable mentions need to be given to the following, as it really was a close finish, and there were some other phenomenal results:

• Sarah B…our member from afar!  Dropping fat and inches like it was nobodies business…and doing it veggie styles!
• Our bride-to-be Lisa!  Fighting her nemesis “the squat!” and she is winning the battle!
• Jodi S…who almost likes running and has seen some HUGE lifts of late!
• Sam G…who is crowned Prince!  The runner up in the male race.
• George S…pressing and deading a ridiculous number of plates…and getting shredded at the same time!

Congratulations crew!  High fives to all.

For the rest of you winners…I urge you to take a look at your before and after pics next time you are in as I don’t think you can fully appreciate all that you have accomplished until you see it with your own eyes!

So celebrate your victories…but remember Cosmopolitan Primal Girl‘s warning…don’t make it a bender!

And on that note, we cannot end without thanking our fearless primal leader Summer (aka Cosmopolitan Primal Girl).  She set us on the right path and week after week supported us with tips, recipes, articles and advice.  Thank you Summer, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Today’s Awesome – Getting a Trucker to Blow his Horn

“Truckers have the best horns…

That’s why getting a trucker to blow his horn is great.  It’s a laugh and a fun, little interactive break from highway monotony.

So let’s give thanks to truckers.  For not taking life too seriously, for indulging our simple pleasures, and for rocking that blasting air horn in a special moment we call AWESOME!”

Movement Prep:
T-spine Passes with Lacrosse Ball
x3 Quadrepedal Movements

Practice

2-4 sets of:
A1.  Turkish Get-ups 4/side,
A2.  Cast Wall Walks x 2-6 per set

OR

Practice Double Unders

Metcon:
3 Rounds for Time of:

• 10 Kettlebell Swings
• 100m Run
• 20 Kettlebell Swings
• 200m Run

After-Party:
Test max side plank, rest 90 sec between each side. Right down the result and note difference between sides.

It’s just a few days til the Element CrossFit Challenge.  High fives to our CFQ’ers who are competing…for all it’s their first CrossFit Competition and they deserve big’ ups for taking this on.  It’s very intimidating committing to any kind of race or competition and we’re super proud of you!  You are all amazing athletes and will do us proud!

The passion and drive you put into your training alone makes you super heroes.

We wish you luck and most of all…have fun!  It’s a great day when we can bring the CrossFit communities together and “play!”

This doesn’t excuse those not competing either.  Cheerleading takes equal dedication adn skill.  Please come out and cheer the CFQ crew on.

And a little inspiration and ode to the iron!

Today’s Aweosme:  The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk.

“It smells best if it hasn’t rained in a while and hte sidewalk is scalding hot.  Then it sort of sizzles and steams up into a big hot, intoxicating whiff.  AWESOME!”

I just learned recently the smellof rain on dry ground has a name…petrichor.   Learning new words is also super awesome!

It’s another Benchmark Retest Day!  Great way to celebrate Hump Day!

Strength:
NEW Q’S: Back Squat - 3 sets of 5 – add 5-10lbs from last time

VETERAN Q’S: Hang Power Clean 1RM.

Metcon:

As Many Rounds as Possible in 12 minutes of:

• 6 Pull Ups
• 8 Push Ups
• 10 Deadlifts @ 45% of 1RM

*Compare to April 21, 2010

SOOOOOOO…as promised…Here’s the big news!

CrossFit Quantum: Strength Athletics Option

CrossFit Quantum is very excited to offer a new alternative to our general program. For those who want to add more strength focus to their training, we are offering a special Strength Athletics (SA) Program. The first training cycle will last for 8 weeks. We will evaluate the success of the program after the first cycle and decide how, and if, we will offer it after the first 8 weeks. We hope you like it!

Who is the SA program for?

• Athletes involved in sports requiring a strength and power bias like American football.
• Members who want more of a strength emphasis based on personal goals.
• Athletes with at least three months of consistent training. We suggest sticking with the regular program for at least that long to gain exposure to a wide variety of movements and training stimuli.

Key Info:

• Training sessions will take between 60-90minutes and will overlap with regular classes.
• All members will train 4 days/week, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Participants are expected to take the other days of the week OFF as rest/recovery days.
• Training can begin at: 6am, 5pm, 6pm.
• Participants will lift heavy 4 days per week, with between 1-3 different lifts per day.
• Participants will do 2 metcons/week with the regular class (most likely on Monday and Tuesday)
• All training will be supervised by a CFQ coach, but athletes are responsible for reading the program and beginning their warm-up and workout somewhat independently.

*Final scheduling and details subject to slight change as we make final adjustments.

Expectations of SA trainees:

1. SA trainees must commit to train 3-4 times per week for a full cycle of training. Each cycle typically lasts from 6-10 weeks. Strength is difficult to build and regular training is required. If you are serious about your training and are ready to focus on strength and peak power development, you need to come that often, and not more.
2. SA trainees who incorporate Olympic style weightlifting must complete a minimum of 2 technique sessions per lift (clean, snatch, jerk) before incorporating it into their program. The reason for this is that Olympic lifts must be performed correctly to gain the benefits. Our standards and expectations are high, and we would prefer that athletes perform the lifts correctly or not at all. The most benefit will come from private or semi private 1/2hr technique sessions, but athlete are also encouraged to attend group technique sessions held separately on weekends.
3. SA trainees must be mindful of the regular CF classes and not impede regular classes.

If you are interested in joining the Strength Athletics training program, please speak to one of the CFQ trainers.  More information will be posted in the gym this week.  Let’s get strong kids!

Today’s Awesome:  Getting Served Breakfast in Bed!

“”Let’s be honest people.  We sure do love eating.  We sure do love sleeping.  And breakfast in bed is the closest we get to combining both at the same time.  You know what we think of that.  Say it with me now.  AWESOME!”

Skill Work:

10 mins – Double Under and Kipping Pull Up drills OR

10 mins – Tripod/Frogstand/Handstand/Handstand push-ups and Skin the Cat Progressions

Metcon:
Tabata Mash-up (total of 16 intervals)

• Wall ball
• Double Unders

The After-Party:

• 3 x 90sec plank hold, rest 60 sec

*If can’t hold for 90 sec, 3 x max effort plank with 60 sec rest