CROSSFIT NEW ENGLAND
No TV's. No Machines. No Mirrors....Just Results.
CrossFit New England

Tuesday 2.9.10


Tuesday 

1.  Clean
 
2 x 3 reps at 85%
3 x 3 reps at 90%

2.  Big Foot's Lodge
AMRAP 15 of:
10 Deadlifts (225, 155)
15 Unbroken Wall Balls

Apologies for the lack of pictures this week.  We're working on it.

Monday 2.8.10

1.  3 Position Snatch
2x 3 @ 70%
3 x 3 @ 75%

2.  "JT"
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Handstand Push ups
Ring Dips
Push ups


Sunday 2.7.10


Marko.

Sunday

1.  Plyo Drills
Medball Throws 6 x 8
Single Leg Forward Hops 4 x 6

2.  "Death by Clean and Jerk"
Big Dawgs:  135, 95
Pack:  95, 65
Pups: 65, 45

Begin by doing one clean and jerk the first minute, rest the remaining time.  At the start of the second minute complete 2 clean and jerks, rest the remaining time.  At the start of the third minute, complete 3 reps, and so on.  Continue until you are no longer able to complete the prescribed number within the minute. 

Scoring:  These do not need to be squat cleans.  Every rep counts, so if you finished 10 rounds and only got 4 in the 11th minute your score would be 10+4.


CrossFit Kids broad jumps...


The Evil of Agave
Written by Calvin Sun of CrossFit Invictus
Liquid Death by CrossFit Invictus San Diego

Liquid Death

With the increasing popularity of the Paleo Diet, many people are turning to agave nectar as a sweetener in many of their favorite recipes. It’s understandable to see why people would think of using agave nectar as it doesn’t add any other flavors like many sweeteners and it tastes sweeter than sugar. Unfortunately, it’s not Paleo and it’s definitely not good for you. So imagine my surprise when I was walking through the aisles of my local Costco only to be confronted by a gigantic pallet of agave nectar. The labeling advertised it as a “low glycemic organic sweetener” and it must have worked because it was selling like there’s no tomorrow. Today, we’ll discuss some of the reasons why you should reconsider indulging in this sweet poison.

It’s a Refined Sugar

Don’t be fooled by words like “organic” and “natural” on the labeling. Substituting your usual sugar with agave nectar is far from making a healthier choice. A few weeks ago George noted that despite it’s appealing name, agave nectar is a highly processed and refined product. The fact that it’s manufacturing process is patented should probably be a big clue that it’s not as “natural” as they would like you to think. Let’s keep in mind the premise of the Paleo Diet, consumption of refined carbohydrates was an impossibility for Paleolithic humans.

Agave Nectar Makes You Fat

High-fructose corn syrup is the primary sweetener that you find in most sodas, “sports” drinks, and many other foods, and it contains about 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Agave nectar, on the other hand, contains about 90-97% fructose and 3-10% glucose. I guess marketers decided that agave nectar sounded better than “really freakin’ high fructose syrup.” Fructose is an isomer of glucose, meaning that both have the same chemical formula but different molecular arrangements. Because of their different molecular arrangements, fructose is not digested in the same fashion as glucose. This is problematic because fructose tends to promote a process known as lipogenesis (lipo- meaning “fat” and -genesis meaning “creation of”), in other words fructose consumption results in your body manufacturing fatty acids from carbohydrates. Far from ideal when looking good in a swimsuit is your goal.

Agave Nectar Might Kill You

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, fructose consumption has been directly linked to obesity. Instead of being digested in the small intestine, fructose passes unchanged into the portal vein where it is directed to the liver to be processed. Once in the liver, fructose is broken down into components that readily form triglycerides. Subjects that were fed a diet that contained 17% fructose experienced a massive 32% increase in plasma triglycerides. High triglycerides are associated with metabolic syndrome which is indicative of increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

In conclusion, you should strive to eliminate all processed and refined carbohydrates from your diet. Agave nectar, table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and even artificial sweeteners should be avoided (read my posts on Splenda here and here). You have to make an effort to read labels as refined sugar is in everything from sweet foods like sodas and ice cream to savory foods like deli meats and sauces. Of course, this is not to say that there aren’t any good uses for the agave plant. Fermented agave, for example, is a favored drink amongst many CrossFitters, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Saturday 2.6.10


Jayme.

Saturday Sweat Fest

"Big Broken Angie"
4 Rounds for time of:
25 Chest to Bar Pull ups
25 Chest Slap Push ups
25 GHD Sit ups
25 Back Squats (115, 80)

This is a bigger version of the original "Angie" wod.  But instead of 100 reps straight of Pull ups,
Push ups, Sit ups and Squats, we are breaking this into 4 rounds of 25 reps...And making the
movements more challenging.


MA Jen has spent the past few months of rehabbing a knee injury she got while competing in
capoeira in Brazil.  She has been as dedicated as any of our healthy athlete's, and yesterday
was her first day back competing in the wod.  Unlike most rehab programs that prescribe rest,
we had her on a linear progression program of back squats and front squats.  Now, not only is
she healthy, her legs are stonger than they were pre injury.


Smaller Natale Hopes For Bigger Role

When Jeff Natale shows up at spring training in a few weeks, he's likely to hear the same question over and over again from former teammates and coaches.

"Wow Nat - how much weight did you lose?"

 

>Natale resize.jpg 

(photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor)

 

The 27-year-old infielder has followed a rigorous fitness regimen this winter in hopes of having a big year with Pawtucket in 2010.

"I've lost 20 pounds since the end of last season," Natale told me.  "I went from being about 195 pounds to about 175 right now.  I feel great.  I feel more athletic, I look better, and when you look good and feel good you play good.  That's the goal for this year."

In the off-season, Jeff works at a baseball/softball training facility near Boston called Frozen Ropes.  The owner had been following a fitness routine for several months and recommended it to Natale.

"It's been a lot of hard work," Jeff said.  "I started doing a program called CrossFit at CrossFit New England, which is like a combination of gymnastics, Olympic weight lifting, and a heck of a lot of running.  The combination of those three things has enabled me to get much stronger and in better overall shape."

Over the past two seasons, Natale has only played in 108 games.  In 2008 he broke his arm in April and missed nearly 2 ½ months.  Last season, Jeff endured two stints on the disabled list due to a strained oblique muscle.

"I want to win a position this year," Natale said.  "I don't want to just make a team; I want to be an everyday player coming out of spring training.  That motivated me to try a different program and really start to get myself into optimal shape."

There's no question that Natale can hit.  In five minor league seasons, he has a career batting average of .298 and a Moneyball-esque OBP of .432.  Former PawSox manager Ron Johnson (now the Red Sox's first base coach) raves about Natale's ability to consistently have good at-bats, and told Jeff that if he can improve defensively at second base, he can make it to the major leagues.

"I talked to RJ on the phone a couple of times in the off-season and I know he has confidence in me," Natale said.  "I'm just hoping that he'll speak highly of me up there and I think that he will.  He really encouraged me to get into the best shape possible and do all ground ball work.  He said to not even worry about my offensive game too much and just concentrate on the defensive side."

"I've been doing a lot of agility training and running every day and it's going to help me get to balls a little bit quicker," Jeff continued.  "I've been taking ground balls a lot more this off-season than I ever have before and I'm been throwing more than I ever have before as well.  I just feel that being a better athlete is going to help me tremendously defensively and if I can keep swinging the bat the way I have been, hopefully I'll be in good shape."

I know I speak for my broadcast partner Steve Hyder when I say that we would love to have Natale back in Pawtucket this season.  Not only because he's one of the toughest outs in the International League, but because of "At Bat With Nat" - the hysterically funny interviews that he does once a week for our pre-game show (you can listen to them here).

"Looking at the guys that we've picked up, we've got a whole slew of new guys that need to be initiated to the team," Jeff said with a laugh.  "I'll be learning a lot about these guys during spring training and I can't wait to share some of those stories with our fans.  Hopefully, some embarrassing stories."

Friday 2.5.10


Jenna coaches Molly through Overhead Squat portion of the snatch.

Friday

1.  Clean and Jerk
2-2-1-1-1

The first double should be at 80%.  Work up to 95%, not your 1RM.


2.  "Front Squat Terribleness"
Complete as many reps as possible in 3 sets of Front Squats,

Big Dawgs: 
Men's weights:  185, 135, 95 lbs
Women's weights:  135, 95, 65 lbs

Pack:
Men's weights: 135, 95, 65 lbs
Woment's weights:  95, 65, 45 lbs

Pups:
Men's weights:  95, 65, 45 lbs
Women's weights: 65, 45, 35 lbs

This is not for time.  Go for max reps and rest as needed between sets.

Yes, this is a gruelling challenge that will test you mentally and physically.  As you push for those last reps your legs are going to be screaming at you...sucking your will to live.  TODAY - You will push past this pain, and past limits you once thought unpassable.  If you are brave enough to give this a shot, you have my respect.  If you choose to cherry pick it...well, that's your choice.

Yes...I'm calling you out.


Casey crushed the 50 burpees for time, finishing in 2:10.  That puts him in first place on
the kids leader board...and beat his dad's PR time of 2:16....


Not to be outdone, Sean stripped out of his scrubs and tried to
beat his son's record....His time...was...2:10.  Like father, like son.


Maya wanted to show the other CrossFit kids how fun it is to eat Paleo.  On her plate
(that she made) is oranges, stawberries, cucumber, grassfeed burger with cheese (one
cheat ain't bad) and sauteed onions, broccoli, and a monster chicken sausage.  Yummy. 

Thursday 2.4.10


Mat works with Dan on the second pull of the snatch.

Thursday

1.  Snatch
2 sets of 3 at 80%
3 sets of 3 at 85%

2.  "Liquid Cocaine"
5 Rounds for time of:
5 Clean and Jerks (155, 105)
10 Chest to Bar Pull ups

Christian's pull ups...


Rowing Clinic
Tuesday's Rowing Clinic was great.  There is still room available on Saturday at 11:30. 
Cost is $15 and it's 45 minutes. 

Jeff's Party:
Jeff N. is leaving for Red Sox spring training.  We are having a going away party tonight (Thursday)
at 7:00 at Big Papi's in Framingham.  Should be a fun time.

CrossFit Kids:
There will be no kids classes during school vacation week (2/15-2/19). 

The women of CFNE snatch.

Wednesday 2.3.10


Big Jack.

Wednesday 

1.  Clean
2 sets of 3 at 85%
3 sets of 3 at 90%

2.  Row Burp 30
5 rounds of:
:30 Rowing, record avg 500/split time.
1:30 rest
:30 Burpees, record reps
1:30 rest

Each of these intervals are All Out Efforts.  Don't pace or game this wod, each one should be a max effort.  The work/rest ratio is 1:3 to allow for sufficient recovery. Record your scores for every round.

The women of CFNE Front Squat.
 

Tuesday 2.2.10


Maura pushes Ann through a set of unbroken KB Swings.

Tuesday

1.  Mainsite 100201

5 rounds for time of:
5 Thrusters (155, 105)
5 Muscle-ups
Run 400m

Thrusters are taken from the ground, and you may squat clean the first rep. 
If you are unable to do a muscle up, sub 15 Pull ups and 15 Dips every round.


2.  GHD Sit ups
3 sets of 25 reps

"Atta Peppa!"  Glen has been killing it, and as a 5-time Ironman Finisher is becoming fitter
than ever.  He is also one CFNE's best cheerleaders, and an incredible addition to our family. 
Love having you train with us buddy-brah.


Rowing Clinic: 
There are still spots available for Tuesday (11:15) and Saturday's (11:30) rowing clinic.  The cost is $15, and will last 45 minutes.

Monday 2.1.10


Jason and Kev.

Monday

1.  3 Position Snatch
2 sets of 3 at 70%
3 sets of 3 at 75%

2.  "Kamakazie"
3 Rounds for time of:
8 Deadlifts (300, 195)
400 meter Run


Missy's rack position.


From the Members...

Ben-

You were absolutely right when you mentioned "seeing extreme value" in taking the Elements course on its own merit independent of becoming a member. I really had a great time this past week learning the "methods behind the madness" of CrossFit. I loved the class format, every night was a blast. Mat is a great instructor and got everyone motivated. Major eye opener related to functional movement - the triple extension. I can see this move in just about everything that involves physical activity.

Thanks & keep up the great work!

Tom

- You folks really have something special going on at CFNE.  


Jeff is leaving for Red Sox Spring Training and we are having a going away party on Thursday
night, 7:00 at Big Papi's. 
 
January Achievements
Alex:  180# Snatch, 210# Clean and Jerk
Sam:  7.0 mph on Tabata Hill Sprint
Mary:  5 Pull ups
Tone:  1st Muscle up
Derek:  235# Overhead Squat
Susan:  6:19 Grace
Big Nick:  475# Deadlift, 200# Press
Harry:  1:48 "Grace"
Maya:  First Wall Handstand, 2:35.2 500 meter Row
Denise:  2 Pull ups
Jonah:  15 jump ropes
Lori:  Completed "Karen" as Rx'd
J Mac: 3:28 "Grace"
Elana:  3 Double Unders
Big Bri:  155# Snatch, 365# Deadlift
Heather:  120# Snatch
Paul S:  Legless Rope Climb, First Handstand Push up

Sunday 1.31.10


Whitney's kettlebell swing.

Sunday

"Mainsite 100129"

Complete As Many Reps As Possible in:
10 minutes Handstand push-ups
5 minutes Squats
2 minutes Pull-ups
1 minute Push-ups

Rowing Clinic:  There are still spots available for the Tuesday and Saturday Seminars.  To confirm your spot we must receive your $15 registration fee.

C.R.A.S.H. B's:  The largest indoor Rowing competition in the world is held every Feb in Boston!  The registration deadline is Sunday, so sign up HERE.

Flexibility is more than being able to touch your toes.  Continue to work through dynamic
range of motion and practice self myo-fascial release techniques...
Mitchell braves the PVC on the IT Band...


Will and Mat work through some shoulder mobility....
 

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