We're kicking off summer with the Element CrossFit Ontario Challenge!

Join us on Saturday, June 26th, as individual CrossFitters from across Ontario compete over the course of the day. 

Think you've got what it takes to battle Ontario's best? These workouts will test the limits of your fitness in various domains in both Rx'd and scaled categories. Spaces are limited so register now!

This event is free and open to all spectators! Come cheer for your favourites and see what the competitive side of CrossFit is all about!

Want to help out? We're looking for volunteers to help judge and run the show. Sign up here.

For more information, check out the FAQ. More details will follow as we get closer to the big day.

Please Note: For those who prefer to compete in a team setting, have no fear! Our 2nd annual Team Challenge will be bigger and badder than ever before on September 18th, 2010. Registration opens July 19th. 

For more information, please contact info@elementcrossfit.com

Ontario Online Challenge #6

This week's challenge comes to us from Catalyst CrossFit.

1 min row - men must achieve 300m, women must achieve 260m
1 min burpees - must complete 3 burpees
1 min max 1-hand barbell thrusters.  Barbell must be carried perpendicularly to the shoulders (from the side, you'll look like a 'T'.)
1 min burpees - must complete 3 burpees
1 min row - men must achieve 300m, women must achieve 260m
1 min burpees - must complete 3 burpees
1 min max 1-hand barbell thrusters - other hand.
1 min burpees - must complete 3 burpees
1 min row - men must achieve 300m, women must achieve 260m
1 min burpees - must complete 3 burpees
1 min 2-hand barbell thrusters.

Scoring: Total # of Thrusters (R + L + both.)
Weight: 55lbs Men, 35lbs Women

Scoring: Total # of Thrusters (L + R + Both)

• Thrusters: crease of hip below the knee, bar must touch shoulder and then rise to full extension overhead.  Opposite hand may not touch the barbell during a single-handed rep (touching while bar is resting on the shoulder is fine.)
• Rower: failure to reach 300m (260m women) in under 1 minute means your day is over, friend.

Note

• Once you reach 300m/260m or complete 3 burpees you can rest the remainder of that minute.
• 300m = 1:40/500m pace for men, 260m = 1:55/500m pace for women.

Video Standards

• Must be filmed from an angle that allows objective judging of the quality/completion of reps, move the camera if you need to
• You must show the weight on the bar to the camera following the workout, as well as the completed time.
• The person timing, or the timing device must be in the frame at all times.
• The submission must be all one scene, no speeding up/slowing down of the video, or cut/edited scenes allowed.

Verified Submission

• Verified submission is required to be considered for first place (one male, one female).
• Complete the workout and have someone film you, or set up a camera and film yourself!
• Upload the video of you completing the workout to a video-sharing site such as Vimeo, or YouTube.
• Send an e-mail to challenge@elementcrossfit.com from an e-mail you can be reached at with the following title: [Score] ECF Online Challenge. In the body of your e-mail please include your:

Full Name:
Link to Submission:
Score:
Comments:
I train most often at:

• You can group multiple submissions in the same e-mail if you wish.
• Submission deadline is Monday, April 26^th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. 

• Send an e-mail to challenge@elementcrossfit.com with the following title: [Score] ECF Online Challenge, and please include your full name, score, and any comments you might have along with where you train most often in the body of the e-mail. 
• Submission deadline is Monday, April 26^th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.

Distinguish Skill Training from Strength Training - There are many skill-oriented exercises masquerading as true strength exercises.  Make no mistake about it, Overhead Squats are a technique oriented exercise for all but the most elite of athletes. If you don't have at least a 1.5bw Back Squat or a bw Front Squat you are not maximizing your training when focusing on overhead squats. Should you eliminate OHS from your program? Hell no, they are a great skill exercise that require balance, shoulder strength, flexibility and tons of midline stabilization, but I'd bet a 135lb Overhead Squat will be much easier on your legs and 'core' when you are Back Squating 300# for reps. Also please don't do your skill work in a met-con, if you want to work on your cleans or your bench press do it in a well thought out manner. Technique rarely improves while your lungs are bleeding and muscles are screaming.

Rethink Your Love of Sexy Met-Cons - Yeah we all know you love the feeling of your lungs burning and your heart trying to leap out of your chest cuz it's ready to check out, but many times these workouts are more detrimental to your fitness than you think.  You know that brutal met-con you did the other day that you loved because it took you 45 minutes to complete? Did you ever look to see how much of that time was spent working and how much of that time was spent resting? Spending Wasting 35 minutes staring at the floor while breaking down your workout 5 reps at a time, is simply that - a waste of your time. Time is the only finite resource us humans have, managing it wisely is key. Ensure your workout days have enough volume to force your body to elicit an adaptation.  Brutal, muscular-failure limited met-cons have their time and place (I'll save that for another post), but are not effective as a training tool.

Rethink Your Love of "Fluffy" Exercises - The number of times I've seen inefficient movements programmed in ways that baffle my mind escapes me. Just because something is hard doesn't make it transferable. Squatting on a swiss ball is hard, but it won't make you better at anything other than squatting on that swiss ball. If you are doing hollow rocks, mountain climbers, and bear crawls for reps & rounds in a workout I hope that you have everything else under control. Like a bw Clean & Jerk. Those movements, arguably, have their place, however you can't make a strong argument for hollow rocks being more functional than a Clean & Jerk or hell even a simpleton movement like the thruster.

Add in Some Bench Press - The Bench Press is a great developer of upper body strength. Despite all the hubub of it being a non-functional exercise because you're lying on your back, blah blah blah.  I've seen more females make drastic improvements on their pushups after loading up weight on their bench press than by doing kneeling pushups and presses. If you're more concerned about your press (as every good crossfitter is) keep in mind the words that Mark Rippetoe once told me - "If your press is stalling you're not benching enough." Truer words have never been spoken. Remember, if you're doing the movement correctly, the Bench Press will infact engage your entire body - from your hands all the way down to your feet.

Add in Some Goat Work -  The Taming of The Goat should be of utmost importance to any well-rounded athlete or crossfitter, as you are only as good as your weakest link. There is no excuse for being totally incompetent in a skill-based exercise unless you are truely new to the game. Being able to snatch relatively light weight, perform double unders on command, kick up into a supported handstand and even overhead squatting are all skills that you need to work on regardless of how easily you pick them up at first.  These things need to be worked in addition to your big money exercises.

It is important to always stay within your comfort zone. This prevents having to subject oneself to the inconvenience of learning something new and potentially useful.

- Mark Rippetoe

Post your opinions and thoughts to comments!

Show up at the gym for 6am? You're 80% of your way to a solid workout, the tough part of waking up early, getting yourself dressed in workout gear with your eyes half closed and the worry about whether you will or won't get your workout in is over. All that is left now is for you to simply do the workout.

"You can be or do whatever you want just by showing up. If you want to be an author, show up to write your manuscript every day, show up to writing classes, show up to make phone calls to editors. Doesn't it make sense that someone who arrives at the door of opportunity has more success than someone just sitting at home?"

- Brad Issac

This means you need to start. Show up instead of worrying about what happens if you don't succeed on your first try. Show up instead of worrying what will happen if you never finish. Show up instead of getting side tracked by excuses, soreness from your last workout or reruns of Saved by the Bell. Just show up. 

Even if you don't have the best workout of your life or don't set a new Personal Record, you'll have had a better workout than if you had stayed late at work, or at home on the couch.

The hardest part of your daily battle to achieve something is always the first step.  It's where most people fail, and where you have the chance to beat them at their game. 

The Elephant's weaknesses are clear, it usually looks for the quick gain as opposed to the long-term payoff. Our efforts often fail because the many times the Rider can't keep the Elephant on the path long enough to reach the destination. The Elephant's desire for instant gratification is stronger than the Rider's vision for long-term benefits at the expense of short-term sacrifices.

That being said, it's important to remember that the Elephant isn't all bad, and the Rider isn't all good either. Compassion, loyalty, the hairs rising on the back of your neck when you need to stand up for yourself is all the Elephant. On the other hand, the Rider spends 20 minutes staring at your closet trying to figure out what to wear, or keeps you from making an important decision while you spend more time analyzing the situation.  The Elephant is the ship, and the Rider is its navigator. Understanding without motivation is what happens if you only appeal to the Rider, while passion without direction is what happens if you only appeal to the Elephant. Both are equally ineffective.

The Rider is able to overpower the Elephant for a while (willpower) but willpower is an exhaustible resource, and eventually the Elephant will have its way. The only way to ensure you reach your goals and the change you make is long lasting is to ensure that the Elephant and the Rider are working together.

You might ask "what does this have to do with working out?" but this analogy is important to keep in mind anytime you're trying to reach a goal whether at school, in the gym or for your career. 

If you can find a way to direct the Rider (appeal to the rational) and motivate the Elephant (appeal to the passionate/emotional) you will ensure the best possible chances of reaching your goal.