CROSSFIT VENTURA

Farewell

Last night, some of the CFV crew got together to celebrate Billie, Alex and Emma's birthdays and to send off Kevin Boryk (aka "Salt") who worked out for his last time with us today before he moves to San Fran!

Kevin, it was a blast having you with us and it was truly an honor for us to have you as part of CrossFit Ventura!! Have fun in San Francisco and stay in touch!

TODAY'S MUST SEE VIDEO - Greg Glassman on range of motion.
----------------------------------------
Workout of The Day
(compare to Tuesday, November 11th, 2008)

7 rounds, 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps, for time of:
95 pound Power Clean (women - 65 pounds)
Ring Push-ups

Post time to comments.
----------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 90 Burpees Today

Increase Your Range

One of the quickest ways to increase your fitness is to spend time increasing your flexibility! Regular static stretching is just not enough!! As Kelly Starrett of San Francisco CrossFit likes to say, "Stretching's for losers!" Instead, PNF (proprioceptive, neuromuscular facilitation) and Contract-Relax techniques are much much more effective and useful. So, the next time you're finished with a workout, ask us how to use these techniques so you can start increasing your range!

TODAY'S MUST SEE VIDEO - I found this video and it's really similar to today's workout. Plus, it's set to a sweet soundtrack... ;)
------------------------------------------
Workout of The Day

10 rounds for time of:
20 pound Wall-Ball, 10 reps (women - 14 pounds)
10 Pull-ups

Post time to comments.
----------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 89 Burpees Today

The Gator

Meet CFV's newest athlete: Billy. Billy has been doing some CrossFit on his own for a while and is ready to start bringing up the intensity here at our facility! Having played football for the Florida Gators, Billy knows what it takes to perform at an extremely high level! Don't be surprised to see Billy climb to the top of the record boards, starting with today's "CrossFit Total"!

TODAY'S MUST READ - "A Second Opinion" by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
-----------------------------------------
Workout of The Day
(compare to Saturday, December 6th, 2008)

"CrossFit Total"
Back Squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

Post loads and total to comments.
-----------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 88 Burpees Today

Mastering The Basics

One thing we really try encourage at CFV is consistently working the basics. Too often, these basic movements are ignored quickly by the desire to work towards more complex movements. The problem is that the more complex movements can never be done well without first achieving virtuosity in these more basic, fundamental movements. So while it may be more exciting to spend time working on an overhead one-legged squat, you'll benefit much more by working towards a perfect squat.

And if you think movements like the air squat are easily perfected, consider this: Huff and I have been working towards mastering the air squat for a combined 5 years... and we still have quite a way to go!

TODAY'S MUST SEE VIDEO - Can you spot squat faults as well as these 7-year-olds?!?!
-------------------------------------------
Workout of The Day

As many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
95 pound Thruster, 10 reps (65 pounds for women)
400m Run

Post number of rounds completed to comments.
-------------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 87 Burpees Today

Bachelor

Dave, being the dedicated crossfitter he is, showed up for a workout ("Filthy Fifty") the morning after his own Bachelor party! Post the best caption you can think of for this picture to comments!

TODAY'S MUST READ -  Learn why your head position can lead to some failed lifts.
--------------------------------------
Workout of The Day
(compare to Wednesday, December 31st, 2008)

"Cindy"
As many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

or

"Mary"
As many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 One-legged Squats (pistols)
15 Pull-ups

Post your choice of girls and rounds completed to comments.
--------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 86 Burpees Today

New Video - "Nate"

---------------------------------------
Workout of The Day
(compare to Sunday, January 18th, 2009)

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps

then,
2 x 400m Sprint

Post loads and times to comments.
---------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 85 Burpees Today

Benchmark Makeup Day!

Today was our first ever "Benchmark Makeup Day"! Those who came got to pick one of the three benchmark options. Some of the performances today were nothing short of inspiring! It was a ton of fun so we will continue to have a day like this on the last Sunday of every month.

TODAY'S MUST SEE VIDEO - CrossFit's New Three-Dimensional Definition of Health and Fitness!
------------------------------------------
Workout of The Day

Pick one workout and crush it!

5k Run
(compare to Saturday, February 14th, 2008)

"Filthy Fifty"
(compare to Tuesday, February 17th, 2008)

"Helen"
(compare to Wednesday, February 4th, 2008)

Post time to comments.
------------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 84 Burpees Today

Ready To Rock!

Congratulations to Jaala and Alex for completing their Elements Course! These girls are both super athletic and really know how to push themselves! They are also a ton of fun making them a pleasure to work with! When you see either of them rockin' it in the group classes, make sure to go over and welcome them to the CFV family!

TODAY'S MUST READ - "Fatigue and Exercise - The Pacing Strategy" by Ross Tucker, PhD and Jonathon Dugas, PhD.
---------------------------------------
Workout of The Day

"Nate"
As many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
2 Muscle-ups
4 Handstand Push-ups
70# Kettlebell Swing, 8 reps (women - 53 pounds)

If you cannot do the muscle-ups, do 8 pull-ups and 8 dips each round.

Post rounds completed to comments.
---------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 83 Burpees Today

World-Class Fitness

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:
(courtesy of Greg Glassman)

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

TODAY'S MUST SEE VIDEO - Mark Rippetoe on hitting the "aiming point" of the power clean (this also applies to the squat clean and snatch.)
------------------------------------------
Workout of The Day

4 rounds for time of:
200m Run
135 pound Power Clean, 10 reps (85 pounds for women)
15 Burpees

Post time to comments.
------------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 82 Burpees Today

Dippers

How do you feel about dips? Love them? Hate them? Can't get enough of them? Dread their existence? Let us know!!

TODAY'S MUST READ - "Disturbing Counsel" by Jon Gilson, Again Faster
----------------------------------------------
Workout of The Day
(compare to Thursday, September 25th, 2008)

Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 reps

then,
For time:
1k Row

Post loads and time to comments.
----------------------------------------------
Burpee Challenge: 81 Burpees Today