With snow coming we ask a few things of you — first of all DRIVE CAREFULLY! Your safety inside AND outside the box is paramount!
Coach Beth is currently scheduled for the early AM classes but if the weather is too difficult, we may have to cancel them.
With that said, Open Gym, via your Kastle key card is always an option. If you don’t have a keycard, email us at info@crossfitcove.com and we can help you out.
Keep an eye on the Cove Blog and the Cove Private Facebook page, Cove the Club, for updates.
Over the next 8 weeks, we are entering what CompTrain refers to as a “power-building cycle”, which plays nicely into preparing for the upcoming CrossFit Open. It is going to offer a lot of variety in both rep schemes and movements.
Each week we will have at least 3 strength pieces, featuring a lower-body push, a lower-body pull, and an upper-body push/pull.
Those weeks will differ not only in exercises but also in the rep scheme, as we will be alternating weeks of high rep training and lower rep training.
This is a protocol in known as contrast training. Pulling directly from Comptrain’s programming notes, here is how it discusses contrast training.
“Contrast training, a well-researched strategy, improves muscle power and strength simultaneously. Heavy resistance exercises with light explosive movements enhance neuromuscular drive, motor unit recruitment, and fast-twitch muscle fiber strength, increasing force production and absolute strength. The crucial rest period between movements activates the nervous system, optimizing the benefits of contrast training. Contrast training is an efficient method for improving power and performance”.
Each week we will see three to four different lifts at these different rep schemes. This type of variety in both movements, volume, and intensity is perfect in preparation for the upcoming CrossFit Open (more to come on the Open later this week).
Join us tomorrow at 9:30 AM for a special workout as we bid farewell to one of our favorite athletes, Vince! Visiting us from Hawaii, Vince came to Maryland to spend quality time with his grandkids. Along the way, he’s become an integral part of our Cove community, inspiring us all with his energy, determination, and wisdom.
While Vince is only leaving for four months (can you blame him for swapping Maryland’s winter chill for Hawaii’s warmth?), we’ll miss him dearly. Before he heads off, we sat down with Vince to capture some of the incredible knowledge and life lessons he’s shared with us during his time here.
Vince’s CrossFit Journey
Vince’s CrossFit story began 10 years ago at the age of 54. A seasoned runner, he was drawn to the challenge of CrossFit despite initial apprehension. Reflecting on those early days, Vince described how “walking through the door was the hardest part, but once you did, everything was taken care of.” With supportive coaches and a motivating community, Vince quickly found his stride.
For the first two years, he saw great improvements in strength and conditioning, building on his running base. However, his progress skyrocketed when he learned the importance of nutrition in supporting his training.
“I was shocked to find that you could lose weight by eating more,” Vince shared. By following a Zone-style diet, he initially lost 12 pounds. Later, with the help of StrongerU, he fine-tuned his nutrition, shedding an additional 15 pounds and achieving 9% body fat. It was the awareness piece in his nutrition that made the biggest difference, understanding the macro-nutrients of his food choices allowing him to make informed decisions.
Vince’s hard work paid off—he qualified for the second round of the CrossFit Games, ranking 131st in the world for his age group.
Overcoming Challenges
Vince’s journey hasn’t been without obstacles. He faced two significant strokes due to a small hole in his heart, which has since been repaired. Though he still experiences balance issues and sensitivity to light, Vince’s determination hasn’t wavered.
CrossFit has taken on a new role in his life: it’s now a tool to maintain his health and achieve life goals, like running a 5K with his grandkids. “Training isn’t a burden; it’s a joy,” Vince said. He shows up five days a week, and his wife notes he’s always in a better mood afterward.
Wisdom and Gratitude
“It’s not just the workouts—it’s the people,” Vince emphasized. “Old people don’t want to just hang out with other old people—it makes you feel old. I love the camaraderie and esprit de corps.”
Vince’s positivity and drive have been a powerful force at the Cove. We’re so grateful for his presence and the inspiration he’s provided.
Let’s send Vince off with all our love and support tomorrow. We’ll miss him, but we can’t wait to welcome him back—and hear all about his adventures with his wonderful grandkids.
Thank you, Vince, for being an incredible part of our community. See you at 9:30 AM!
This is a testing week for our strength pieces; we will block off time for 1 rep max testing.
Monday will be bench press (Monday is generally international bench day in gyms around America), Tuesday we will be hitting snatches (power or squat) and Friday is front squats.
We have some great conditioning pieces as well this week. Thursday is one of our CompTrain benchmarks, Fortitude, which is a test of both physical and mental toughness.
Saturday we have a great 3 person partner workout, that features some heavy cleans. This might be a great chance to try something a little heavier than your normal metcon clean weight. We have been seeing some great strength gains and the gym and we want to be able to see those gains applied to our metcons as well.
Saturday’s “12 Days of Christmas Wod and Potluck” was a great time and an awesome way to open up the holiday week.
This week we have some great workouts for you and wanted to highlight a couple of them.
Monday: Not only bench press as a strength piece but we are also adding some bench work in a metcon.
Tuesday: A different version of the 12 days of Christmas but completely barbell-focused. Hopefully doing the movements correctly won’t be as confusing as Saturday. Someone always screws up the order and if it was you, don’t sweat it.
Friday: With all the squat snatch and front squat work we have been doing, we are offering the challenge of hang squat cleans for this workout.
Just a quick reminder! This Saturday at 9 AM, we’re hosting a special Holiday Potluck Workout featuring our 12 Days of Christmas workout. We’d love for you to bring a dish to share if you can. Spouses and friends are warmly invited to join in this fun community event!
We’ll also have someone to supervise the kids’ room, so feel free to bring your little ones along.
As for the workout, get ready for a festive challenge! It’s a playful mash-up of movements performed to the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” You’ll complete each exercise in ascending order and then work your way back down to 1, adding one new exercise per round.
1 Burpee
2 Toes-to-Bar
3 Kettlebell Swings 53/35
4 Hang Cleans 95/65
5 Push Press 95/65
6 Front Squats 95/65
7 Push Ups
8 Sit Ups
9 Wall Balls 20/14
10 Box Jumps
11 Pull Ups
12 HSPU
We know the holidays are about family and we like to think that part of your family is here at the Cove.
This Saturday at 9 AM, we’ll be hosting our traditional “12 Days of CrossFit” workout. This holiday-themed workout follows the structure of the classic song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” This will be the only Saturday class, and depending on attendance, we may look to do multiple heats. It’s a fun workout that is our way of celebrating the holidays with some fitness.
The workout can be done solo, as a partner WOD, or scaled in a variety of ways to suit your fitness level.
After the workout, we’re turning it into a festive potluck breakfast! We invite everyone to bring a dish to share if possible. Stick around afterward to enjoy good food, great company, and spread some holiday cheer with your fellow Covies.
You’ll complete each exercise in ascending order, then work your way back down to the first exercise, adding one movement per round.
Strength pieces: We have front squats, bench, and squat or power snatches featured this week. We move to heavy sets of 3’s. Check your numbers from last week and look to increase the load appropriately.
Benchmark Metcons: The middle of the week features two classic CrossFit benchmarks back-to-back. Wednesday we see the barbell class of DT. Thursday is the body weight focused “Cindy”.
New movements: Dball carries was a nice new movement we saw this past weekend and this week we see options for pistols and jump rope crossovers.
Great work on completing our last strength cycle—especially with the overhead squats! This week, we’re kicking off a brand-new cycle with some exciting lifts and workouts to look forward to.
Monday: Bench press will be our focus.
Friday: We’ll shift to front squats.
Wednesday Snatch Variations: We’ll offer two movement options this week: power snatch and squat snatch.
Power Snatch: A snatch starting from the ground, caught in a quarter or half squat. This is an excellent option if you’re still building confidence with overhead squats.
Squat Snatch: If you’re proficient with snatches and overhead squats, we encourage you to dive into the squat snatch cycle.
Highlights of the Week:
Monday: Bench press, followed by “Death Race 2.0,” a grueling combo of assault bike and burpees.
Tuesday: The weather looks promising, so we’re going outdoors for a running workout paired with thrusters—a true CrossFit classic!
Wednesday: Our first snatch cycle class kicks off. Plus, we’ve programmed a core-building couplet featuring suitcase carries (a one-arm farmer’s carry). This addition will enhance stability and core strength, which are key for progress across movements.
Friday: A strength-focused session with heavy power cleans, front squats, and some double-unders for added intensity.
Saturday: We’re keeping an eye on the weather and will adjust the programming if needed for a fun and challenging workout.
Let’s make this another fantastic week of training—can’t wait to see you all crush it!
For those of you experiencing the holidays at the Cove this year for the first time, our annual row (or bike/run/walk/ski) challenge is one of the most galvanizing things we do here – and one of the best ways to stay dialed into your fitness when surrounded by temptation. And this year, we continue to honor our “Forever Covie”, Terry Street.
For those of you who never got to meet this incredible man, this guy LOVED to row. He was famous for coming in daily between Thanksgiving and Christmas to accumulate meters, usually rowing 10K at a time. He went far above the 100,000 challenge each year, as it was his time to socialize, connect AND work on his fitness.
This year we honor him asking for a $10 “entry fee” which will be 100% donated to Step Up Foundations which serves veterans dealing with mental health issues, particularly suicide. Terry was also a veteran and this cause is so special to so many.
Here’s how it works: You have from Thanksgiving until December 31st to accumulate 100,000M on the Erg (rower) or equivalent meters running, walking or on the bike.
What do I need to do to sign up? Not much! Just put your name on the Whiteboard under 100,000 Meter Street Challenge or put your name in the comments here and you are in! We will bill your account for the $10 donation and aggregate funds to give as one donation. If you do not want to do the challenge but still want to donate, just let us know!
In terms of tracking the meters, well, you do that on your own. It is a healthy amount of meters per day(approximately 3K meters per day). And the late Thanksgiving this year makes it extra challenging! You can chip in any increments you’d like. Any rowing we do in WODs or warm-ups counts to your total. Your only requirement is to update your total meters on the whiteboard as you make progress. If there is rowing in a class and you have come to get some meters in… sorry but the class takes precedence. Of course if there’s a rower open, you are welcome to hop on!
Why are doing this? Because strength doesn’t come from what you can do. Strength comes from overcoming the things you thought you couldn’t. And Terry lived this mantra every day. And he’d be the first to tell you with a big ‘ol grin on his face… a little extra work over the holiday does a body good!
