Fun & Games

We'll be having more fun team games tomorrow at Alki beach from 11am till LATE. Swing by whenever (workouts at 11am and 12pm, Hooverball at 2:30pm) and enjoy a day out with the crew!

We'll be setting up camp around 58th Ave SW or Marine Ave.

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WOD

"AMANDA"
9-7-5 reps for time:
muscle ups
squat snatch, 61kg/44kg

This workout became a benchmark workout at the 2010 CrossFit Games in memory of former 2009 Games competitor Amanda Miller. There was also another workout dedicated to her previously.

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Big congratulations to the July Foundations Crew!

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jeff E. aka "EL JEFE"!

Balls

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WOD

"KAREN"
for time:
150 wall ball shots, 20/14#

compare to 21JUN2010.

Ladies use a 9' target, gents use a 10' one.

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Remember the Foundations Make-Up class will be 9:00am at the gym on Saturday due to our Beach Outing!

The JULY Foundations Class graduates tomorrow and Saturday!

Nothing but smiles

Laura!

Who doesn't just absolutely LOVE rowing?!

(Don't answer that.)

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WOD

4 individually-timed rounds:
500m row

compare to 15JUN2010.

What's your favorite spot on the ceiling to stare at?

Moonboots and Tank post-500m

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Who'd be interested in an additional 10am class on Saturdays? Comment and let us know!

What's wrong Adi?

NOTHING! It's the intensity we keep asking for!

(And he's probably one of the nicest, most soft-spoken people in here)

Our programming has been in the 10-minute time domain. We're looking for hard sprints. No need to hold back- we want ALL OUT EFFORTS until you're finished. Let's push it and see what we can accomplish.

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WOD

The 40/40

for time:

40 handstand pushups

40 front squats, 71/48kg

This was workout #2 at the Washington Sectionals this year. No use of the racks are permitted- the barbell will be picked up off the ground.

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SoCal Strength & Conditioning (CrossFit Balboa) discusses what to look for in proper running form.

Bacon Makes Everything Better

Which do you prefer: regular bacon or turkey bacon?


Keepin it short and simple this week. Here's the recipe of the day!

Bacon-Wrapped Mini Frittata brought to you by Girl Gone Primal.

Ingredients per mini frittata:

• 1 middle bacon strip
• 2 medium eggs
• 1T diced fennel
• 1T diced capsicum (bell peppers)
• A few baby spinach leaves
• 1t finely chopped basil
• 1/2t minced garlic
• 1T chopped/diced meat (I used smoked salmon, but ham or cooked chicken would work well)Optional
• 1T diced cheddar cheese or feta cheese

She says you can turn this into a vegetarian recipe too. Click HERE for directions and how to!

FCF Beach Day!

This Saturday! I'm bringing my 165quart cooler, a big beach umbrella, 8# medicine ball, volleyball, frisbee, sunblock and some good eats!

FCF @ Alki in 2008

Our tentative schedule:

• 11:00am - Running Drills & Skills, Running WOD
• 12:00pm - Group WOD (will involve running, sand, buckets and burpees!)
• 1:00pm - BBQ Potluck and good times with awesome people
• 2:30pm - Hooverball Games, volleyball, frisbee, etc
• Dusk - Bon Fire if everyone's up for it...

What are YOU bringing? Please sign up on the whiteboard in the gym so we can plan accordingly- tell your friends, bring something to share and let's enjoy some Seattle summer...

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WOD

"HELEN"
3 rounds for time:
400m run
21 kettlebell swings, 24/16kg
12 pullups

compare to 16JUN2010.

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What do you feel more from doing "HELEN"- are you gassed or does your grip go?

No change this weekend

There will be no changes in the schedule because of the Capitol Hill Block Party

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WOD

"JT"
21-15-9 reps for time:
handstand pushups
ring dips
pushups

The pushups will utilize the new "hand-release" standard.

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For those interested (and for those who have friends who are interested) the next Foundations "On-Ramp" program begins Monday, August 2nd! Come learn what CrossFit is all about with our month long 12-class program!

Paolo leads class

The Fall

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WOD

3 rounds for time:
30 toes to bar
21 ground to overhead, 60/44kg

10 minute time limit.

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What was your preferred method of moving the bar from ground to overhead- clean and jerk or snatch? Why?

Tasty Thursday?

Sorry, ya'll - meant to post on Tuesday, but now it's Thursday - but who says you can't cook on Thursdays?.

There seems to be a lot of late season zucchini around and I keep getting it in my CSA box.  I'm pretty bored of grilling or stir frying it - but I saw this recipe for a really simple zucchini soup.  I whipped it up over the weekend and thought it was great and so simple - give it a shot!

Zucchini Garlic Soup
1 1/2 quarts

4 tablespoons butter (**I subbed olive oil)
1 white onion, sliced
8-9 large cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
4 medium zucchini, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy 4-quart pot over medium heat. When it foams, add the sliced garlic and onions and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Keep the heat low enough that the garlic doesn't brown; you want everything to sweat. 

When the onions are soft, add the zucchini and cook until soft. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer at a low heat for about 45 minutes. 

Let cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender until creamy, or transfer to a standing blender to puree. Be very careful if you use the latter; only fill the blender half full with each batch, and hold the lid down tightly with a towel. 

Taste and season with ginger, salt and pepper. Like most soups, this is significantly better after a night in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld. 

It's also summer - which means that cooking isn't always the most desirable option.  I made this salad this weekend and loved it!

 Asparagus Basil Salad
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and halved
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
1 cup sliced basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper 

Steam asparagus for 5-7 minutes until fork tender. Place asparagus, tomatoes, avocado and basil in a large bowl. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice and mustard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

I added some cooked chicken to make it a full meal.  Super delicious!  Thanks to Paolo for tipping me off to Elana's Pantry where I found this recipe.

TL's box

Foundation CrossFit x CrossFit Surf City

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WOD

tabata intervals of:

• pullups
• pushups
• squats
• double unders
• situps

the total of all is your score.

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When you travel, do you visit other CrossFit affiliates?

Catching up!

What a great California weekend!! A trip down to the CrossFit Games for Andrew and Adam, so that they can experience and study all that's needed to send our own athletes to local competitions as well as next year's Games! But, first things first...

Zzzzzz....Time for some much needed rest and recovery from the extra long hours these two have been putting in. Seattle coffee must be way stronger than California coffee!

We saw many incredibly gifted athletes with a strong determination to work hard, event after event. The crowds were greatly supportive, and each individual athlete put in an inspiring performance. Additionally, a strong sense of camaraderie was exhibited in the Games, with athletes encouraging each other even in the face of competition.

The Games Affiliate Team event, an obstacle course with wallballs and rope climbs!

Andrew, Adam, and I also spent much of the weekend brainstorming and preparing many more events and activities for the upcoming months. We are excited (even giddy!) to bring you refreshed programming, teach you new skills, and continue to refine and enhance your technique. And for you, that translates to more exercise programs, more fun and unique workouts, and more Challenges!

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WOD

"The Triplet"
amrap in 10 minutes:
6 squat cleans, 55/30kg
12 pullups
24 double unders

This is the CrossFit/USA Weightlifting Open workout.

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If you didn't catch any part of the Games, the video archives are up (and free) here.

Two great competitors, Jason Khalipa and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, join their fans in the stands.

The Games 2010

Two words: AWESOME SHIT.

the battles happen here

the sweet 16

the judges meeting before the final WOD

I'd have more pictures, but we didn't bring a camera and my phone died early each day we were there. )=

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WOD

do something that makes you sweat

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The Capitol Hill Block Party is this weekend (July 24, 25 and 26) and they will be closing off the majority of the nearby roads so if you drive PLAN ACCORDINGLY. There is plenty of parking along 12th Ave so find a spot and walk to the gym.

King CrossFit will be holding an affiliate team WOD & BBQ this weekend at their box in Renton. Teams of 4 (3 dudes, 1 lady) will compete in the following:

(similar to Affiliate competition #3)

2 rounds for time:
600m sandbag run
15 Jumps over 24” Box
15 Squat Cleans (Weight TBD)
50 Double-unders
15 Push-ups (hand must release from floor)
15 Toes-to-bar
15 Wall balls, 20/12#

We can have multiple teams if people are interested!

Otherwise we will run a normal schedule on Saturday.

Your Weekend Homework

Watch the stream for the CrossFit Games here!

Don't forget- Margaret will be at Bobby Morris Playfield at 11am Saturday morning for a fun workout!

Margo!

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WOD

for 30 minutes:
go "persistence running"

OR

4 rounds for time:
400m run
50 squats

compare to 01DEC2009.

OR

for time:
5k run

compare to 03JUN2010.

NOW GO OUT AT PLAY!

We're off!

Adam and I (AB) are off to Carson, CA for the 2010 CrossFit Games!

The entire weekend of events will be streamed in HD and LIVE here.

Be prepared! We're coming back inspired by the WODs that these athletes will have done.

Foundation CrossFit at the 2011 CrossFit Games!

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WOD

"FRAN"
21-15-9 reps for time:
thruster, 44/30kg
pullups

compare to 21MAY2010.

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Do you have a favorite CrossFit athlete for the games? Who's going to take it this year?

Our Summer Newsletter

We don't do these too often, but VIEW IT IN FULL HERE.

Congratulations to KEVIN for becoming July's Member of the Month!

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WOD

"ASS-KICKER ALEX"
3 rounds for time:
15 deadlifts, 100/70kg
20 pullups
25 rolling v-ups
31 wall ball shots, 20/14#

Happy Birthday Alex!

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Margaret will be running a "Scavenger Hunt" WOD 11am on Saturday at Bobby Morris Playfield. Find her on the corner nearest Molly Moon's.

WE ARE CLOSED FRIDAY AND MONDAY!

Lumbar Extension

The superman position helps athletes develop a sense of posterior chain engagement.

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WOD

4 individually-timed rounds:
500m row
400m run

You may switch up your order as necessary (run/row or row/run), but make sure to try each version at least once.

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Big congratulations to Margaret, Linda and Colin for becoming CrossFit Certified this past weekend!

Also to Andrew V. for becoming CrossFit Kids Certified!

Real Food in Your Hood!

First, did anybody attend the Seattle Paleo Meet-Up Day last week? I'd like to hear how it went and if anybody brought back some goodies (recipes)!


What's in What You Eat? pulls through (again) with suggestions of Paleo friendly, aka real food, restaurants to eat in Seattle.

La Cocina & Cantina in Capitol Hill!

Located in the heart of Broadway on Capital Hill is a Mexican restaurant that has been around for 30 years. They must be doing some right one would assume. Well they sure are!

I haven’t tried ordering off the menu before because they have an all you can eat buffet offering daily too, and for someone like me if I have the option to eat all I can, then I’m going for that! Buffets in general are often very promising for Paleo eaters since you can really choose what you want and it is easy to avoid the things that you don’t want. I had always dreamed of someday finding a paleo all you can eat buffet, and finally did.

So for 14 bucks during the dinner hour, and around 8 bucks at lunch time, you can feast upon all you can eat Mexican cuisine, which features lots and lots of meats, vegetables, and healthy fat. On the buffet line was 3 different beef entrees, 3 chicken, some pork, and even salmon. There were also cooked vegetables, salad, and guacamole on the line which kept me happy.

They have a another post on a Mexican restaurant in the Greenwood area, Gordito's - where you can read more about here.

For the most part I think it's safe to say that the majority of Mexican food can be considered Paleo and a real food which that means you can make it yourself! I recently purchased a Magic Bullet set from Costco and have been creatively creating many different kinds of fresh drinks, smoothies, salsa, and even my own guacamole. I'd imagine that it would work wonderfully if you're looking to make your own almond meal too! Anyway, won't go further with the possibilities of this thing, I'm sure you have all seen it on TV. ;) I will, however, highly recommend getting one if you don't already own one. A definite plus: the set comes with a booklet with many recipes.

The recipe of the day comes from Everyday Paleo where she makes Stuffed Avocados.

• 3 -4 ripe avocados
• 4 cans of Trader Joe’s tuna packed in water
• 3 green onions
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 palm full of dried dill
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• grape tomatoes halved
• about 1 cup of Olive Oil Mayo
• 1egg
• 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• pinch of sea salt
• few shakes of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 cup olive oil

Cut avocados in half lengthwise and remove the stone – leave the peel on. In a large mixing bowl mix together the tuna, celery, onions, and spices. In a food processor process for 5 seconds the egg, vinegar, mustard, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. For another 5 seconds of blending slowly add the olive oil until it makes mayo.

Add the mayo mixture to the tuna, mix well, and scoop onto halved avocados and top with tomatoes.

Man those look good. Maybe I'll be able to mix the ingredients with the magic bullent seeing as I don't own a food processor (yet anyway) ... off to the kitchen I go. Have a fabulous week! :)

The Fuzz

Two Words.... Fuzz from San Francisco CrossFit:

Look. You've got to take care of your tissues. This is probably second in importance only to the universal "protect your crotch" law. Stretching or mobilizing your tight business is always a good idea, but in reality as about as sexy as laundry and taxes.

But, really, who cares if your performance suffers, or you get pulled into terribly technique poor positioning, or are really weak at the end ranges of your range of motion, or you are wearing out your joint surfaces?

Enter the Fuzz Concept.

Maybe, you will start stretching because you just don't like the concept of "fuzz" accumulating in your tissues. Fuzz you ask? I have a fuzz problem? What the fuzz? Gil Hedley, rockstar anatomist, makes an excellent case and presents a compelling hypothesis for internal muscular resistance. You can think of muscular "stiffness" as a measure of how well the muscle tissue (and other connective tissues) slide past one another. The more stiffness, the greater the internal resistance of the system. Increased internal resistance means decreased efficiency and lost power output. (We actually talk about this at the Movement and Mobility Seminar.) Dr. Hedley describes the formation of fuzz as secondary to immobility (like sleeping). As an aside, Leopards do stretch by the way, and you aren't a leopard--so quit using the "leopard defense" to rationalize your stiff/tight self. Know what makes even more fuzz accumulate in your body? Muscle damage. That's right. Working out.

Go ahead, say something witty you fuzz collector.

Now watch the man himself describe the fuzz epidemic.

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WOD

as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes:
5 toes-to-bar
10 pistols, alternating
15 box jumps

What do you find as the most difficult element, if any?

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We think there's a better way to warm-up when it comes to exercise. After doing some sort of met-con (aka "cardio") we attack mobility using dynamic movements. This means moving the entire time vs. static stretching.

This allows us a greater range of motion, better mobility and we can use it to "shake it out" in the middle of a WOD. DROM can be used for cool downs too!

The Schedule for the next week

The schedule for the next weekend:

Thursday the 15th:

• 6am - CrossFit
• 7am - Foundations class #6
• 9am - CrossFit
• 10am - Foundations class #6
• 12pm - CrossFit
• 4:30pm - CrossFit
• 5:30pm - CrossFit
• 6:30pm - Foundations class #6
• 7:30pm - CrossFit

Friday the 16th: GYM CLOSED (home WOD to be announced)

Saturday the 17th: GYM CLOSED (scavenger hunt for those who can run BY the gym)

Monday the 18th: GYM CLOSED (home WOD to be announced)

Tuesday the 20th

• 6am - CrossFit
• 7am - Foundations class #7
• 9am - CrossFit
• 10am - Foundations class #7
• 12pm - CrossFit
• 4:30pm - CrossFit
• 5:30pm - CrossFit
• 6:30pm - Foundations class #7
• 7:30pm - CrossFit

Andrew and Adam will be with Tony at the 2010 CrossFit Games!

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"NANCY"

5 rounds for time:

400m run

15 overhead squats, 44/30kg

compare to 25NOV2009.

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Next Saturday we will have a FCF outdoor workout - no trainers required!

Head coach doing the job well

The details will be at the gym this week.

Just One Lap?

You ask "That's it?" as a few today have already.

Remember: be wary of workouts that look easy when written- it's not the same when actually performed!

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WOD

for time:
470m walking lunge

Placing your hands on anywhere but your hips or head is not permitted and will result in a 10 burpee penalty.

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Sheena rocking a CFSeattle tee!

Coach Dave and Nancy of Level 4 CrossFit Seattle are on the Affiliate Blog!

1st of a New Batch

Greg gets the first spot on the new Foundation CrossFit Muscle-Up Club!

Congrats and awesome work!

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WOD

5 rounds for max reps:
press, 40/30kg
ring row

The press will be taken off of the ground- no use of the racks are allowed. Rings will be set 4' high and feet must be placed on a 20" box. Standard is completely extended arms to chin above hand level. Keep the body aligned!

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How's your overhead position with your arms up and your ribcage locked down?

Where would you like to be?

Less than a week and a half away!

The 2010 CrossFit Games will begin on Friday, July 16th

Andrew and Adam will meet up with Tony in California to watch the weekend unfold! You can watch it live too!

Stream it live here: http://live.crossfit.com/

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WOD

back squat 3-3-3-3-3

max handstand

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So last year's CF Games premise was "Unknown & Unknowable" and featured a 7k trail run, max deadlifts up to 500#, 170m uphill sandbag sprints, row/sledgehammer workout, a couplet, max snatching, a triplet and a chipper.

This year's they say that whoever does more work wins.

What do you think the workouts will be? Elements from Strongman? A 30k single-speed bike ride? Learn a dance routine?



If the power was in your hands, what left-field items might you throw at the Games athletes?

Paleo Meet-up this Thursday

Those of you at the gym who strive to eat a paleo diet and those of you coming off the Summer Bodies Challenge should consider going to the Paleo Meet-up/Potluck this Thursday (7/8) at Golden Gardens.  There is an optional workout at 6pm provided by Ballard Barbell and Boxing Club.  Potluck starts at 6:45.

I'd be there, but I will be attending the Whole 9 Workshop at Crossfit Tacoma.

Get out and grill!  It's summertime!!!!

Challenge Winners!

The Summer Bodies Challenge came to a close on June 19th.  We want to thank everyone who participated in the Challenge - YOU made it a huge success.  Many of our athletes really changed the way they ate and reaped the benefits of a clean, minimally processed diet over the 7 weeks of the challenge.  We hope that, at a minimum, you learned some things about how you eat affects the way that you feel and perform.

First off - we neglected to mention that Erin T. won the last weekly award - a $100 Nike gift card!  Congrats, Erin!

Congratulations to our overall winners!  Rachel S. won the overall prize of one month of unlimited Crossfit classes.  Read Rachel's Challenge testimonial.  Not only did she lose weight and feel great, but she saw improvements in her performance at the gym - check out her newly acquired Rx'd pushups the next time you see her at the gym.

Matt T. (aka "Tank") ate a clean diet for 49 straight days - no cheats!  That's longer then Lent, people!  Tank was awarded the prize of most consistent and received a gift certificate for 5 weeks of organic produce delivery!

Tank and Rachel

Danielle J's food logs made me jealous.  You've seen her deadlift a million kilos, but damn!  The girl can cook, too!  Danielle kicked some serious ass during this challenge even with a trip to Vegas thrown in there.  She wins some select limited edition Foundation Crossfit apparel!

Jakob, Danielle and Jake

Jake P. gets the award for most beer consumed during the challenge - it was a tough prize to win, but Jake went after it with gusto.  Jakob P. EASILY won the award of most larabars consumed during the challenge.  When I asked him what "larabars plural" meant in his food log, he said without skipping a beat, "oh - maybe 12 a day."

Seven weeks is a long time to log your food everyday and we'd like to acknowledge the 12 athletes who managed to do it every day of the challenge!  Those are Jakob P, Alina, Brian T, Danielle J, Erin T, Jake P, Laura S, Mark B, Matt T (aka "Tank" - I'm pushing this nickname hard), Olga S, Paolo, Rachel S.

Additionally, special recognition goes to EVERYBODY who joined the Challenge in the first place. For many, just the decision of joining the Challenge was a huge step in the right direction - you made a goal to be more cognizant of what you put into your body. If you made it most of the way or even part of the way, congratulations to you for making a positive effort in your nutrition!

There was a lot to be learned from all the Challenge participants.  Here are some examples:

• People CAN change their coffee habits (Laura)
• Smoked salmon makes an awesome breakfast (Tyler)
• There is a drink called a "horny monkey" (Erin)
• People can go 30 days without a rest day - not recommended (Brian)
• Everytime you think he's dropped out of the challenge, he will surprise you (Mark)

I'd like to extend a HUGE thank you to Tony for making this all happen.  He was the man behind the Challenge website and the prizes.  Without him this Challenge would never have gone so smoothly.  Sheena was also an integral part of this challenge. Additionally, a huge thanks to Andrew, who was, as always, the glue that held it all together.

Until next time!

Intensive Classes

Our INTENSIVES are hour-long sessions where we improve your proficiency in a specific skill or learn more about a specific subject. These classes occur three times a week (same subject each class): Tuesday at 6:30pm, Thursday at 10am and 6:30pm. We will post the subject on the Friday before.

The entire month of July will be dedicated to basic and intermediate gymnastics (centering on tumbling).

This includes general "floor exercise" as well as still rings:

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WOD

"NUTTS"
for time:
10 handstand pushups
15 deadlifts, 115/81kg
25 box jumps, 30/20"
50 pullups
100 wall ball, 20/14#
200 double unders
400m run, 20/15kg

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Gymnastics At Age 69 - RossTraining.com

This is awesome. If this guy can do these movements at 69 years old, you better bet your ass that YOU can do them now with some proper training.

Happy Independence Day!

The crew at FCF would like to wish you and yours a fun, relaxing and safe Fouth of July weekend!

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We will be running a normal schedule come Monday. Expect a Hero WOD, like "NUTTZ".

CrossFit Classes:

• 6am
• 9am
• 12pm
• 4:30pm
• 5:30pm
• 7:30pm

Foundations (Class #1)

• 7am
• 10am
• 6:30pm

See you then!

What happened to sunny weather?

Is it summer yet? As soon as it gets nicer outside, we'll get back to doing workouts at the park.

FOUNDATIONS for July starts this Monday! We have about 20 new athletes to welcome and about 4 more spots left. Contact us if you want to jump in before the session starts!

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WOD

"ROXANNE"
21-15-9 reps for time:
pull ups
burpees
kb swing 24/16kg
box jumps 24/20"
push press 44/30kg

compare to 10MAR2008.

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In your opinion, what's worse: top-to-top tabata pushups or bottom-to-bottom tabata squats?