120225

I cannot believe how the scores are looking. So proud.

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BP, ready for action:

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WOD 120225:

BB Gymnastics

1) 3 attempts to establish a 1RM Snatch – rest as needed.
2) 3 attempts to establish a 1RM Clean & Jerk – rest as needed.

Notes: Take as long as you’d like to warm up for these lifts, but limit yourself to ONLY 3 legit attempts. You may use any style of each lift, but try to stick to a near USAW standard.

Conditioning

“Elizabeth”

21-15-9 of:

Squat Cleans 135/95#
Ring Dips

For time.

120224

We’ve shot 2 different strategy videos for 12.1, but no matter how I try to upload them the FLA internets will not let them through. It’s gotta be a conspiracy; don’t know how, but it’s there – probably Pat Sherwood

So… I guess I’ll just write some strategic words instead. Here:

1) Put a chalk line on the floor. This will give you a target for both your hands and feet and will allow you to jump without having to look up.

2) Use a fixed target. Rings will work, but the ability to hit something and not have to worry about it moving is invaluable.

3) Use different “styles” of Burpees to stave off fatigue. We have utilized the “step-up” style of Burpee in longer WODs many times. We did some testing yesterday and found it is around 90% as fast as a feet together style, but it also saves a great deal of fatigue in the hip flexors. I’m not saying to use this for the whole piece, but for a minute or two, to recover, may not be a bad idea.

4) Calm down. Seriously, this should be a no-brainer, but I watched 2 people go crazy out of the gate and they were gasping for air within the first minute.

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Water, the mortal enemy of all Outlaws.

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The UK camps are up:

London, April 13-15th

Manchester, April 20-22nd

Dream come true.

WOD 120224:

Strength

High-Bar Back Squats: 1X5 @ 65%, 3X5 @ 75% – rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

Conditioning

7 minute AMRAP of:

Burpees

Notes: Burpees should be performed to a target that is 6″ above the highest reach.

120223

WOD 120223:

Rest day.

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What did you think it would be – 225# Power Cleans? Seriously. In the immortal words of Kenny Powers, “Before you say anything, prepare to shut the fuck up.” If you don’t think we’re prepared for Burpees and a 7 minute time signature, then you haven’t been around very long. This is NOT a “strength bias” program; whatever the fuck that means. This is a prepare for any task program, and guess what…?

We’ve done approximately 200 Burpees a week for the last 4 weeks.

You should all be hi-fiving someone; it’s just another Friday. Some heavy squats, some Burpees, and a glass of Jameson (at least that’s my Friday). This is a silver platter WOD, folks. Turn the clock on, fall down, get up… Pretty simple.

By the way, don’t fucking complain. That shit is annoying.

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Talayna Fortunato, 200# Clean and Jerk:

20120222-223134.mov

►

120222

Just in case we haven’t made this clear, here’s what the Training Camp weekend typically looks like:

-Friday night from 6-8pm is our meet and greet Weightlifting session. Make sure you arrive around 5:30pm to get warmed up and ready for what has become a huge PR session.

-Saturday we’ll get started at 9am with an introduction, explanation, and philosophy talk (it’s short, don’t worry). From there on for the duration of the Open we’ll be spending the entire morning session on the Open WOD for the week. We’ll get in another 2 WODs after lunch and ALL of you should be bringing some sort of a swim suit (yes, I just said that), as well as any other gear you would need for a competition weekend. We’ll finish up around 5pm on Saturday and head out for a group dinner at a TBD location (that sells Jameson).

-Sunday will begin again at 9am, include a squat clinic, 1 or 2 more WODs, and a Q&A session to finish the weekend. We will be completely done somewhere between 1-2pm.

All sessions will feature instruction, demos and discussion of ways to think through WODs before performing them. Again, this will not be a beat down weekend, but will be an opportunity to learn to approach the sport with as much efficiency as possible.

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Here’s Lauren Brooks’s write up of the “Caution Grounds” competition. Along with the write up here’s video of Brooks and Jessica Rodriguez BOTH pr’ing their Jerks (Brooks @ 210#, J-Rod @ 200#):

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WOD 120222:

BB Gymnastics

20 minutes Snatch technique work.

Notes: Focus on bar path and footwork. Bar should be as close to the body as possible throughout the entire lift, and if you move your feet MAKE SURE you are not jumping forward.

Conditioning

3 rounds for time of:

Run 400m
Row 400m
20 KBS 24/16kg

Notes: Perform all work at around a 90% effort. Concentrate on controlling breathing and staying “comfortable” during the entire piece. There is no need for a perfect KB standard.

Midline

1a) 3×3(each arm) TGU – medium/heavy, rest 60 sec.
1b) 3×10 Fast UB T2B – rest 60 sec.

120221

Well, I’m on a train, on the way to FLA, so you’re not gonna get a super-amazing post. You will, however, get a pic of Ty Hanson’s amazing sled:

A pic of Elisabeth with my dad:

And a pic of Jason Hoggan’s amazing new NIKE shoes:

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WOD 120221:

BB Gymnastics

1a) 5×1 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Squat Clean – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec.
1b) 5×1 1 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec.
2a) 3×5 Flat Footed Clean Hi-Pulls – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec.

Notes: Pull should end at least at nipple height and with elbows as high and wide as possible. Keep the full foot in contact with the for the entire movement.

2b) 3×5 Dip Squat @ 120% of heaviest 1b rep, rest 60 sec.

Notes: The Dip Squat is simply the dip portion of a jerk. DO NOT allow the torso to pitch forward or the heals to leave the ground. These should be very heavy.

Conditioning (pain threshold training)

4 rounds for total working time of:

15 UB Push Press 115/75#
50 Double-Unders
15 UB OHS 115/75#

*Rest 2 minutes between each round.

Notes: Sets of PP and OHS should be performed unbroken, but if you cannot, every time the BB touches the floor there is a 20 Burpee penalty to be performed exactly 2 minutes after completion of the last round.

*After completing the above piece rest 5 minutes, then:

5 minute AMRAP of:

STRICT HSPU

Notes: Head to floor, hands on floor, hands must be no wider than distance between elbows. DO NOT Kip, no matter what. If you cannot perform strict HSPU then use a band for assistance.

120220

“The Outlaw Guide to the Open”

This is not and could not possibly be an exhaustive reference, but I’ll do what I can to explain our approach and hopefully guide you all in your best possible experience.

• SCHEDULE. We will be performing the WODs on FRIDAYS. This is the best way for us to be fairly fresh before each but stay with a template that makes sense in the overall scope of the season. I WILL NOT be programming for you to qualify for Regionals. I WILL be programming for you to continue to improve and become better at your sport. Basically, there are two groups who follow this site. There is a group who will qualify for Regionals with no problem at all, and there is a group who will not even be close. If you fall into the “no problem” category, you will do the WODs on Fridays and go about your normally scheduled business. If you fall into the “not even close” category then you are here to improve and need to treat the Open WODs as a worldwide barometer that will help you test your strengths and weaknesses and show you where you need to improve or have improved. In case you have not read the rule book, the WODs will be announced at 8PM EST on Wednesday nights and must be performed and validated by 8PM EST Sunday nights. If you’d like to read the entire document go here: Rule Book.
• PROGRAMMING. We will load early in the week with our heavier-volume days and take a sort of “active recovery” approach to Wednesdays. It is very difficult to program around an unknown set of movements, rep schemes, volume, and loading, but you can be sure that even if you are not feeling perfect from a muscle-fatigue standpoint, your CNS will be primed for each week’s test. I do understand—despite what I said about there being “two groups”— that some of you invariably will have performances that necessitate repeating the week’s WOD. This is NOT RECOMMENDED, but I do realize it is inevitable. In the event you need to repeat a WOD, the recommendation is to take a full rest day on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, perform Saturday’s Strength (BB Gymnastics) work, drop the Conditioning portion of the Saturday workout and replace it with the Open WOD. We will also remain on the Hatch Squat Cycle until its completion, with our Tuesday low-bar work moving to Mondays during the Open (our final testing week will coincide with the final week of the Open).
• TESTING. I do believe it to be very helpful to test certain aspects of the workouts in order to understand what sort of a strategy will be the best to use. My coaches and I employed this technique last year and had a great deal of success; however, I do not recommend going anywhere near a max-effort while testing. We will actually test the WODs on Thursdays at Outlaw home base and try to disseminate some strategy tips to all the Outlaws in Friday’s post. You may test portions or aspects of the workouts, but DO NOT get anywhere near the kind of intensity you will have when you are on the clock for real. Testing should be used as a time to get used to standards, transitions, and lay out your general working area.
• TRAINING CAMPS. Our Training Camp format will remain the same as it has been, which means we will NOT be performing the Open WODs on Friday (we will continue to have our Friday night lifting session), but they WILL be our first workout Saturday morning. We will be taking the entire morning session to prepare, discuss, practice, and be absolutely as ready as possible for the work. The environment at these camps will certainly be like a mini-regional, so we are not particularly worried about our competitors not living up to their potential. If, and that is a BIG if, you feel strongly about possibly repeating a WOD while attending a Training Camp, we will take those requests on a case-by-case basis. I would just honestly say—be READY to go when you get to camp. We will provide the perfect environment and best coaching available. It’s your job to perform. Also, as I’ve said many times, these weekends WILL NOT be beatdowns. They are far more instructional than work-intensive and are designed to fit into our normal volume schedule.
• THE OUTLAW WAY. Yes, I believe we will have TRIPLE-digit Outlaws qualify for Regionals. This would certainly be an unprecedented achievement for a single training regimen.  That means each and every one of you has a standard to uphold. You are prepared, primed and have put in the work that will allow you to be more successful than any group of competitors in THE HISTORY of this sport. You are the summation of many years of study, testing, sweat, and an insatiable obsession with excellence. Over the course of this season we literally will be writing the manual on how to play “the sport of fitness.”

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WOD 120220:

Strength

1) Back Squat: 1X5 @ 60%, 1X3 @ 70%, 1X2 @ 80%, 1X2 @ 90%, 1X1 95% – rest 2-3 min. between each set.
2a) 4X10 UB Weighted C2B Pullups – heaviest possible (vests may be used), rest 60 sec.
2b) Front Squats: 1X5 @ 65%, 1X4 @ 70%, 1X4 @ 80%, 1X4 @ 85% – rest 60 sec.

Conditioning

Compare to 111110 or 111111

20 minutes to get as far as possible:

30’ Sled Pull 180/135#
20 Row for Calories
10 OH Walking Lunges 135/95#
then…
60’ Sled Pull 180/135#
40 Row for Calories
20 OH Walking Lunges 135/95#
etc…

Notes: The sled pulls should be performed with a 15’ rope attached to the sled. Pulling is hand over hand (think final event at the 2011 games. Distance should be acquired by setting up 2 cones 30’ apart. After pulling the total length of rope, back pedal and repeat.

120218

Tonight I had the pleasure of sharing a meal of food with 70s Big’s Justin Lascek. Justin is a legit cool dude, and is kinda strong. See…

 

I got Justin on video sharing a few words about his favorite museums and websites.

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WOD 120218:

WOD 1:

8 minute AMRAP of:

12 Wall Balls 20/14#
12 Pullups
50 Double-Unders

*Rest EXACTLY 12 minutes.

WOD 2:

15 minutes to establish a 3RM Hang Squat Snatch.

Notes: Obviously this piece should be performed without putting the BB down. If the BB drops below the knees before the 3 reos are finished, the set is over. Use a judge for depth on the squat.

*Rest EXACTLY 5 minutes.

WOD 3:

7 Muscle-Ups
21 Box Jumps 24″
35 KBS 24/16KG
35 Pushups (hand release)
5 Muscle-Ups
21 Box Jumps 24″
35 Power Cleans 115/75#
35 Burpees
3 Muscle-Ups
21 Box Jumps 24″
35 GHD Situps
35 Push Jerks 115/75#

For time.

Notes: Box Jumps should be performed using the ’11 Regionals standard (stand and show control on top of the box). KBS should be ABSOLUTELY vertical; please use a judge if possible. Burpees should be absolutely vertical with arms extended completely overhead.

120217

The first wave of Outlaw competition gear is about to be ordered. As promised, we’re going to start with fight shorts so you can be an Outlaw and still represent your home affiliate with some “Your warmup is our workout” shirts. (Did i mess that up?) These will be coming from Re-Evolve and are the highest quality fight shorts available. I would just like to say, the first time I saw these I definitely uttered a nice little Fuck Yeah.

We need to get an idea of how many pairs to order, so if you would take the time to post the color you’d like and size, it will help us be able to get everyone a pair as soon as possible (they’ll be around $50 a pair). We will be filling our own orders for now, while hoping to bring a “larger distributor” on very soon.

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These are happening too…

They’re fitted, and flat brimmed (you rednecks can bend them however you want). We’ll need some sizing ideas for these also, so if you’d like one please post your gigantic head measurements to comments.

BTW, these are the THE COOLEST FUCKING THINGS EVER.

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Ok, so Kevin Simons technically had the best time on BTC 1.3 at 3:24, but he did the work on one of ‘dem bouncy gymnastical bars (that’s a technical term), so I’m going to have to disallow his time (he’s getting like ten of my shirts already; he’ll live). Then T put up a 3:26, but she used one of ‘dem kickin’ flippin’ olympical kips (again, technical as fuck), so I’m giving her a gigantic no rep on this one (if I really have to explain why she doesn’t need to win something else, then you haven’t been around very long).

So… Without further ado… Your BTC 1.3 champ is Guido Trinidad. His 3:34 was the “most legit” time posted, and that WOD will be known as the “Beat the Cuban” Challenge from here on out.

Side note: Do these even count as bar Muscle-Ups? They’re pretty much just dick-to-bar pullups.

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WOD 120217:

Strength

*DO NOT raise percentages. Stick to EXACTLY what is written.

1) High-Bar Back Squat: 2X5 @ 65%, 3X5 @ 70% – rest 2-3 min. between each set.

Notes on the High-Bar Back Squat.

2a) Bench Press: 2X5 @ 85%, 2X5 @ 95% of 120120 – rest 45 sec.
2b) Front Squat: 4X5 @ 60% – rest 90 sec.

Conditioning (pain threshold training)

5 rounds for total time of:

Run 200m
12 UB Hang Squat Cleans @ 135/95#
15 DB Push Press @ 40/25#

Rest 3 minutes.

Notes: I don’t know how else to say this; try to make yourself pass out. Runs need to be absolutely 100% every round. Do not pace or hold back at all. Transitions must be as quick as possible. Time should be total of all 5 rounds WITHOUT the rest intervals.

120216

WOD 120216:

Rest day.

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This is the sound of me punching myself in the fucking face (it’s loud, trust me).

Why am I punching myself in the face?

Because less than a week after I wrote this: 120208.

I read this: The Eleet Roadkill WOD.

And watched this:

Go ahead, watch it again. I’ll wait…

Did that remind anyone else of this?

I don’t want to sound crazy, but someone deserves to be thanked for coming up with the idea for a “WOD” that ended with a seemingly sweet young lady being eviscerated by the front fender of a police car like she was coming across the middle against Patrick Willis.

Yes, I said someone should be thanked. Why? Because now THE ENTIRE WORLD thinks we’re complete fucking idiots (again). Congrats. Every person who tells his friend he wants to try “the sport of fitness” will say, “You mean that getting run over by a car workout—I’ll stick to the treadmill.” As if we didn’t have enough general douche-baggery, now we’ve got an EPIC FAIL that can be replayed for the next million years.

I know, I know, you were trying to be cool and edgy with that “WOD.” You saw the fat asses on the Biggest Loser do it and thought it’d be cool to see real athletes exercisers doing it. You probably even gave it a cool/edgy name like “Run Like you Stole Something” (I don’t know—I suck at puns). Here’s what you didn’t factor in the “It’s gonna be dope, dude—they’re pulling a cop car” equation…

When the 220# “California Bear,” Jason Khalipa, is pulling the rope that’s attached to the cop car, it’s gonna be hard for a 120# lady to keep up with his big ass. Khalipa don’t know pace; Khalipa know win (don’t know why I did the Tonto voice for Khalipa). It’s science or physics or just mufuckin’ common sense—If you TIE A HUMAN BEING TO A MOVING CAR something bad is probably gonna happen.

Look, you want to design an exciting WOD, then write the next “Amanda.” That WOD is the ESSENCE of the sport of fitness. Pulling a car around a track is about as good of a test of fitness as this:

Believe it or not, the car pull may not be as stupid as the final event from last weekend’s Garage Games One team event.

First, let me set the stage for you… Rich Froning, the fittest man alive, brought a team. Brandon Phillips was there with team 2Pood. There were enough high-level exercisers there to make a mini Games.

And do you want to know what they chose for the final event…?

Dodge Ball.

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Stop going to these events. Stop trying to win $20 trophies.

I love this sport—please don’t let it be ruined.

120215

Do I bow to the Queen or curtsey?

I can finally officially (unofficially) announce the dates for the UK leg of The Outlaw Way world tour. There will be TWO Training Camps in “The England”; the first from April 13th to the 15th and the second from April 20th to the 22nd. The dates are for sure, but we still have to nail down the actual cities for each (one will be Manchester, one will be London). We should have ALL details up by the end of the week.

This is an absolute dream come true. There has never been a more appropriate FUCK YEAH than right now.

Side note: Does anyone have a Bugatti I could borrow for a quick trip down to Germany?

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Today we have another Beat the Coach challenge, except… Today the BTC stands for Beat the Canadian.

The BTC WOD comes to us from the somewhat evil genius of Brandon Phillips and was designed as a test for our favourite Canadian, Jay Rhodes. It is:

9-6-3 of:

Bar Muscle-Ups
Squat Clean to Thrusters 185/120#

For time.

Jay’s time – 4:27.

Before the form Nazis go crazy; Jay informed me that one of his Thrusters wasn’t completely locked out and he would have no-repped himself (I think it’s the second to last). If you are within 10 seconds of his time, with all clean reps, we’ll go ahead and give you a win on this one. I’m going to just throw it out there though—I don’t think Rich Froning himself can beat this one.

Again, the rules are simple… Beat our Canadian, on video, and we’ll send you a shirt. ONLY the first 3 people who post their videos will be eligible.

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So, I promised T’s 170# Snatch on video. I have it, but it’s on a video with the entire event. You’ll have to fast forward to 5:50 to see the lift, but it’s worth it. I swear it looks easy.

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Here’s T’s recap of the event: CrossFit BGI Team Challenge Recap.

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Today The Outlaw Way Facebook page went over 1,000 likes. A few months ago, when the idea of having an Outlaw Way FB page was suggested to me, I laughed as though it was the craziest idea ever. I’m not very smart.

Now go make me look stupider: The Outlaw Way FB page.

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WOD 120215:

BB Gymnastics

1) 5X2 Hang Snatch (full squat) @ 80% – rest 60 sec.
2a) 4X3 Snatch High-Pulls – heaviest possible, use straps, rest 60 sec.

Notes: The pull should end with the BB at least at nipple height. Concentrate on pulling, not jumping.

2b) 4X3 Behind the Neck Push Press (Snatch grip) – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec.

Conditioning

Beat the Coach (Canadian) 1.3

9-6-3 of:

Bar Muscle-Ups
Squat Clean to Thrusters 185/120#

For time.

Midline

1a) 3X20 Reverse Hyper – medium, rest 45 sec.
1b) 3X20 UB GHD Situps – rest 45 sec.