Tip of the Day w/ Coach Erin
Midline stability is the key to all movements in CrossFit, especially in weightlifting. By midline stability, we mean maintaining a neutral spine spine (neither rounded nor arched) while performing a movement. To do this, you use your abs, hip floexors, back muscles, and glutes. Next time you're in class, try to think how you can work your midline stability. Tuck that tailbone, tuck the ribcage down, & tighten your abs. When Greg Glassman (Founder/CEO on CrossFit) is asked what to do for abs, he says; "I stabilize the midline like a motherf@#%*er" ... Stabilize on!

DON'T FORGET...
FINDING OUR 1RM BACK SQUAT TOMORROW!!!

Remember that we are testing to find our One-Rep Max on our back squat tomorrow for our upcoming Squat Cycle.  We will record our numbers and use them for our percentages as we do our squat workouts.  Please avoid wearing running shoes...wear lifting shoes if you have them (or shoes with flat, sturdy soles) and bring your belts of you want.  In the meantime check out this article:

Attack your weaknesses.  In Crossfit, we ask our athletes to be good at a very wide variety of things.  The only way to get to be a well-rounded CrossFitter is by attacking your weaknesses rather than avoiding them.  The next time double-unders, or handstand push-ups, or front/overhead squats show up in a workout and you think about skipping the gym, come anyway.

"Find your weaknesses, make friends with them, then beat them to death."
- Chris Spealler

There has been a whole bunch of you asking questions about MDM this weekend...hopefully this will clear everything up.  The big MDM event will be at CF Takeover on Sunday May 26th starting at 9:20am - they will run heats every 40mins until 1:20pm.  If you want to try and get in there, you must register at: http://mdmfundraiser.com/ and then you must sign up for a heat time at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArbxrGAN9ASIdHd5VlgzQkxBUFJYQ2xNeFlFRFlVNGc#gid=0
If all of the heats are taken up, then you can keep checking back to see if any open up before Sunday, or you can go to CF 757 in Norfolk on Monday at 10am and do Murph there.  Some of your coaches will be doing Murph at 757.  It is not an event like it will be at CF Takeover, it will be the 10am class WOD, but you can get it done there.
As far as our schedule: we will still have CF class on Sunday at 11am for those who want to work out but are not doing Murph at CF Takeover, but there will be NO CLASSES ON MONDAY.  Hopefully, this clears everything up...

We all want to see progress. Get stronger, faster, have better endurance, etc... When we don't see the progress that we expect to see, we have to ask ourselves a few questions: Are we training consistently and with good intensity? Are we getting enough rest? How's our nutrition?...but one we often forget is: Are we being too hard on ourselves? I think all of the coaches, including myself, will say that we are our own worst critics and we often have to have another coach remind us how far we've really come. Most of us would do well to cut ourselves a little slack, give ourselves a little credit, and feel good about the progress we've already made while we push for more. 

- TRX WORKOUT -
(@ 5pm w/ Coach Roman)

*STRENGTH*
3 RNDS
10 x Deep Rows
10 x One-Arm OH Squats w/ KB (5/5)

**CONDITIONING**
EMOTM x 10mins
5 x Burpees
5 x I - Bridges
5 x High Jump Squats

Tip of the Day w/ Coach Erin
As the summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, hydration becomes even more important.  Not only can dehydration cause headache and dizziness, but it can affect workouts by causing fatigue and elevated body temps.  I try to drink a gallon of water a day.  If this seems like too much, start by replacing one non-water drink a day with water.  Check out this blog from CF Invictus:
http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/hydrating-for-performance/

TIP OF THE DAY w/ COACH ROMAN

The subject of shoes is a hot topic when it comes to Crossfit.  With the vast array of movements and modalities that we do, it's very important to have a durable set of workout shoes for all of our activities.  The fact that our corporate sponsor is one of the major shoe companies also makes footwear a focal point.  After a few years doing CrossFit, one thing is clear: traditional running shoes with their thick padded soles are not ideal for most of the things that we do.  Because of the forward/back & inside/outside deviation that they cause your foot to do while under load, they are terrible for any type of lifting, squatting, KB swings...basically anything where you need to stay grounded and firmly planted to the floor.  Also, since they are soft and made for absorption, the energy transfer that you could receive from a harder, flatter sole is dispersed back into the ground...definitely NOT what we want to happen when Olympic lifting or under any type of load.  BOTTOM LINE: invest in some good solid shoes with flat minimal soles.  Lifting shoes are also good for pretty much any workout that doesn't involve running.  Probably a good idea to check out the Reebok website:

http://shop.reebok.com/us/

TIP OF THE DAY W/ COACH ROMAN
With CrossFit becoming more and more popular, new gyms are opening up all the time.  The Hampton Roads area has one of the biggest CrossFit communities in the world.  When I started almost 4 yrs ago, there was only 3 or 4 CF gyms in the area.  Now there's probably 20.  New people come into our doors every day.  If you're new to CF or know someone who is thinking about coming in, check out this article:
http://www.crossfitanaerobicinc.com/why-crossfit/10-tips-for-crossfit-newbies/

--TRX WORKOUT--
(@ 5pm w/ Coach Roman)

*STRENGTH*
3 RNDS
5 x Rollouts (3sec pause at top)
10 x One-Arm Thrusters (5/5 AHAP)


**CONDITIONING**
4 RNDS
10 x Pikes
15 x Bicep Curls
20 x Jump Squats

TIP OF THE DAY W/ COACH ROMAN
How do we know if a workout is "intense"?  Sweat? Nope, we can sweat when we're sitting around doing nothing.  Heart rate?  Wrong again...heart rate can also rise with no activity.  Duration of workout?  Actually, the longer a workout, the lower it's intensity.  Intensity is measured by a simple formula.  Watch this CF Whiteboard video to get a better idea of what intensity is and why it's so important in CrossFit.

WHEN: Saturday May 18th @ 3:00pm
WHERE: Janelle Pherson's casa - 928 King's Landing Circle

Don't workout on an empty stomach and always try and have a post-WOD snack on you...

TIP OF THE DAY W/ COACH ROMAN
I get asked all the time about what to eat before/after a workout.  Personally, I prefer Paleo foods so that's what I stick to for now.  Before a workout I just make sure that I have had something to eat within the past couple of hours. I don't really have a "pre-workout" meal or snack.  I do, however, have a post-workout snack.  I have taken a liking to the Cherry Pie, Cashew Cookie, and Apple Pie Lara Bars...they're Paleo, they're delicious, and they have sugar and fat, as well as a little bit of protein.  I also follow it up with a coconut water, which is an excellent recovery drink. Lastly, I'll make sure that I eat a meal within a couple of hours after working out. 

(TRX WORKOUT)
@5pm w/ Coach Roman

*STRENGTH*
3 RNDS
5 x Body Saws
10 x Pistols

**CONDITIONING**
TABATA x 16rnds
(alternating rnds)
Atomic Push-Ups
I-Bridges

(QUOTE OF THE DAY)

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs
 even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor
spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the
gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." 

~Theodore  Roosevelt~

TIP OF THE DAY W/ COACH ROMAN

Injuries...we all get them. Bumps, bruises, aches, pains, blood, sprains, pulls, tears...they're part of every athletic endeavor. A program with no injuries is an ineffective program - period. We can, however, do our best to minimize them by using listening to your coaches, using proper technique, resting when necessary, and getting them checked out by a professional if you need to.  Some things to look out for when injured are: is there swelling & discoloration, is the pain getting worse, is it limiting mobility? If you answer yes to any of those questions then it's probably a good idea to take it easy.  This is a really good site for info...check it out:

http://fitnesspainfree.com/

Register at: http://mdmfundraiser.com/
"MURPH"
(w/ body armor or 20lb weight vest)
1 mile Run
100 x Pull-Ups
200 x Push-Ups
300 x Squats
1 mile Run