While we love that the Cove is a home away from home for so many, that doesn’t mean ‘moving in’. Feel free to keep your gym essentials here in the cubbies (lifters, ropes, grips, etc) but it is not a place for dirty clothes and stinky socks. We will be doing a ‘cubbie cleanout’ in both the main gym cubbies AND the shower cubbies over the next two weeks. Anything non-gym essentials found will be put on a table by the goal board and, if not claimed in a week, will be washed and donated for the holidays!
HOLIDAY WOD & POTLUCK
In lieu of the regular 6:30pm class on Friday, December 22nd we will be holding our annual Holiday WOD and Potluck. For those of you who are on the blog awaiting the workout every night at 8p (and are likely angry that this post didn’t go live until 8:08pm), we CAN tell you that this one will be a “12 Days of Christmas WOD” again. But if Christmas isn’t your thing, no worries at all. Consider it a non-denominational celebration of all things CrossFit that just happens to have a rep scheme that follow the pattern of the 12 Days of Christmas. Like the song, you will complete each exercise in ascending order then work back down to 1, adding one exercise per round. Like this: 1; 2-1; 3-2-1; 4-3-2-1; etc – for a total of 364 reps. But of course we won’t reveal ALL of it. The movements will be a secret and taunt you for the next month — just like that wrapped present you’re not allowed to touch until the big day!
STRENGTH WOD
Sumo Deadlift
5/5/3/3/3 (build up in load)
7 Wall Slides between each set
WOD
40-30-20-10 1 Arm Alternating DB Snatch
15 Box Jump Overs between each set
Coach’s Tip: Today we are pulling heavy with a sumo stance to build some strength in the core and lower back. The wall slides are to keep everyone in check with their core position while going overhead. The Sumo Deads will relate to our strength cycle by letting you stay stronger through the midline while overhead. The wall slides will help reinforce that as well. The Metcon is a take on the DB snatch Open WOD, but should be a ton faster. Fewer reps and no burpees! PLEASE maintain a good position the entire time. Your legs should be tired from bringing the weight to the ground, NOT YOUR BACK! You should move quickly and be done in 15 min or less.
Even though Leigh moved to DC a while back, she comes all the way to Columbia every Saturday to work out at the Cove. She’s a Covie through and through and if you don’t know her, please introduce yourself!
In lieu of the regular 6:30pm class on Friday, December 22nd we will be holding our annual Holiday WOD and Potluck. For those of you who are on the blog awaiting the workout every night at 8p (and are likely angry that this post didn’t go live until 8:08pm), we CAN tell you that this one will be a “12 Days of Christmas WOD” again. But if Christmas isn’t your thing, no worries at all. Consider it a non-denominational celebration of all things CrossFit that just happens to have a rep scheme that follow the pattern of the 12 Days of Christmas. Like the song, you will complete each exercise in ascending order then work back down to 1, adding one exercise per round. Like this: 1; 2-1; 3-2-1; 4-3-2-1; etc – for a total of 364 reps. But of course we won’t reveal ALL of it. The movements will be a secret and taunt you for the next month — just like that wrapped present you’re not allowed to touch until the big day!
SKILL WOD
10 1 Arm DB Rows
30 Seconds OH Box Stretch
10 Close grip Push ups
4 Rounds
WOD
100 Double Unders
60 Cal Row
30 Front Squats
-For Time-
Fitness: 95/65 (200 Singles)
Performance: 135/95
Open: 155/105
Coach’s Tip: The Skill work should help keep your shoulders healthy and build some strength. The load on the front squats does not need to be unbroken. It should be a challenge as you will be under fatigue at that point in the workout.
“Old Man Michelotti” and “Young Man Wasil” made a Partner DT dream team…
It’s hard to believe, but we are approaching the Cove’s THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in February. Those of you who have been here for a while know that it is simply our excuse to throw the most EPIC party ever!
With the craziness of the holidays and winter weekends booking fast, we want EVERYONE to mark Saturday, February 3rd on their calendars! We’ll be transforming the Cove into a party space from 7:30 – 11:30pm, so start planning your outfits now! This will not incorporate a WOD, so doll yourselves up and show your fellow athletes what you REALLY look like outside in the real world. More details to come, but this will be an adult-only evening, so line up those sitters and get ready for a really fun night.
STRENGTH WOD
8 Jumping Air Squats directly into
3 Push Jerks or 3 Push Press x 6
(Build up in load)
WOD
7 Clean and Jerks
10 Toes to Bar
8 min AMRAP
Fitness: (95/65) 8 Straight Leg Raises
Performance: (115/75)
Open: (135/95)
Coach’s Tip: For the jump squats during the Strength portion today, look to open your hips all the way. We are reenforcing that full extension that will translate into better hip driven with our jerks.
It’s hard to believe, but we are approaching the Cove’s THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in February. Those of you who have been here for a while know that it is simply our excuse to throw the most EPIC party ever!
With the craziness of the holidays and winter weekends booking fast, we want EVERYONE to mark Saturday, February 3rd on their calendars! We’ll be transforming the Cove into a party space from 7:30 – 11:30pm, so start planning your outfits now! This will not incorporate a WOD, so doll yourselves up and show your fellow athletes what you REALLY look like outside in the real world. More details to come, but this will be an adult-only evening, so line up those sitters and get ready for a really fun night.
WOD
25 min EMOM
Min 1: 10 Burpees
Min 2: 45 Seconds on the Assault Bike
Min 3: 20 second Handstand Hold or Handstand Walk
Min 4: 20 Sit ups
Min 5: Max KB Swings
Score = Total KB Swings
Coach’s Tip: Today’s work is all about maintaining 75-80% of Max effort all rounds. Nothing here should be maximal — meaning, you should be able to repeat your effort each round. Burpees should NOT take longer than 40 seconds to complete otherwise scale to 8 reps per round. Some days beat us up and others are more of an active recovery that lets the body heal and come back stronger. Practice pacing, staying in the slightly uncomfortable zone, but still being able to repeat.
There’s a baby in that belly! Congrats to Liz B. on number 2!
It’s hard to believe, but we are approaching the Cove’s THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in February. Those of you who have been here for a while know that it is simply our excuse to throw the most EPIC party ever!
With the craziness of the holidays and winter weekends booking fast, we want EVERYONE to mark Saturday, February 3rd on their calendars! We’ll be transforming the Cove into a party space from 7:30 – 11:30pm, so start planning your outfits now! This will not incorporate a WOD, so doll yourselves up and show your fellow athletes what you REALLY look like outside in the real world. More details to come, but this will be an adult-only evening, so line up those sitters and get ready for a really fun night.
MOBILITY WOD
15 Banded Pull aparts
15 Scap Push ups
1 min Shoulder Stretch on a Box
3 Rounds
WOD
10 min EMOM
8 Power Snatches
Max Doubles
Fitness: 45/35 (max singles)
Performance: 75/55
Open: 75/55
Coach’s Tip: This workout will feel similar to Open 14.1, but with a little different stimulus. It is 80 power snatches so make sure you are cycling with good form. The first round or 2 will be quick, but since there is no built in rest it will start to get very taxing.
It’s hard to believe, but we are approaching the Cove’s THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in February. Those of you who have been here for a while know that it is simply our excuse to throw the most EPIC party ever!
With the craziness of the holidays and winter weekends booking fast, we want EVERYONE to mark Saturday, February 3rd on their calendars! We’ll be transforming the Cove into a party space from 7:30 – 11:30pm, so start planning your outfits now! This will not incorporate a WOD, so doll yourselves up and show your fellow athletes what you REALLY look like outside in the real world. More details to come, but this will be an adult-only evening, so line up those sitters and get ready for a really fun night.
PARTNER WOD
0-8 Minutes
M/M- 50 Cals on Assault Bike
M/F- 44 Cals on Assault Bike
F/F- 37 Cals on Assault Bike
With Remaining time
20 Power Cleans
Max Burpees
8-10 minutes = Rest
3 Rounds
Fitness: 95/65
Performance: 115/75
Open: 165/110
Score = Total burpees. One partner working at a time, Divide the work up however you choose.
Coach’s Tip:Unlike yesterday’s ‘active recovery’ style workout, today will leave you on the floor. This is a fun, but super challenging partner workout. You should be on the bike around 3-4 minutes (and no longer). Coaches will get you off the bikes at 4 minutes and encourage you to scale the cals for the next rounds. The 20 power cleans after that should take another 2-3 minutes. Then 2 minutes or less for max burpees.
Today I dropped in the gym near our new house to log some meters. I was stuck at the house waiting on technicians and deliveries and only had an hour to spare, so driving to the Cove wasn’t an option. It was my first time there, but also my first time in a ‘globo gym’ in quite some time. EVERY bit of my time there was a rock solid reminder of why CrossFit (but especially the Cove) is so amazing.
The facility is what you’d expect. A sea of elliptical and treadmills and a machine “work” single body part — one at a time. The people, while I’m sure lovely at the core, looked miserable. There was no laughter, cheering or even smiles. Eye contact was minimal, except when I felt some stares as I grunted through an intense tabata interval. I did walk by someone on the way out and said “keep it up” and the look on his face was pure confusion.
The place was carpeted. WHAT? How would they clean Ronnie’s pools or Josh’s sweat angel? Oh, that’s right! No one was sweating! I’m not joking… people looked fresh as daisies. There was no one laying on the floor… or even breathing heavy.
We get more work done in five minutes than they did in an hour. To me, multitasking at the Cove means trying to grab some chalk or water while I transition in a matter of seconds from one thing to another. THIS is a whole different kind of multitasking! (I snapped this while resetting my tabata clock on my phone next to the rower). Ironically there is a countdown clock in the photo but it runs on 45 second cycles for eternity and is supposed to keep these people moving. It didn’t. Too busy on their phones texting, I don’t think they knew it was there…
I had a hard time motivating to the soft rock station playing. Sure, Sheryl Crow is nice for a car ride, but not for heavy Cleans I did between rowing to break up the sets.
There were no towels (and certainly no scented and chilled towels). There were no bumper plates. No whiteboards where I could count my meters (I borrowed a pen and used a business card from the trainer’s desk). Oh, and don’t get me started on said “trainer”. That’s a whole different post! No music blasting. No Franey ‘majestic’ clapping. But most importantly… no Covies.
Sometimes you don’t know how great have have it until you don’t. So, more than anything, I cannot wait to see you all tomorrow!
STRENGTH WOD
8 min EMOM
3 Back Squats (build up in load)
WOD
30 Second On/30 Seconds Off
Box Jumps
Goblet Squats
Low Plank
Toes to Bar
4 R0unds
Coach’s Tip: If you choose your weights right, the strength work will be challenging. Be sure to keep your form in tact through every single rep. One minute goes quickly, so pre-think your increments and change the bar quickly! Think of the Metcon as more of a recovery day. 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off is hard to reach a super high intensity with, especially when low planks are thrown in there. That is the whole point people! We need days that act as recovery and do not push the limit to the max. It lets you sweat without totally breaking yourself down.
The further encourage consistent attendance we have decided on unveil the “Cove Committed Club”. To become a member of this illustrious club you will need to attend the gym at least 20 times during the month of December. At the end of the month we will list everyone on the “Daily WOD” who has hit those marks. You do not necessarily have to take a class. You can just come on in and row, stretch, lift, or anything that supports you reaching your fitness goals, just be sure to sign into Wodify though. We know just walking through those doors and spending time with this supportive community can have such positive effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
10 Deadlift
20 Single Arm DB Push Press (10 each arm)
10 min AMRAP
Fitness: 185/125
Performance: 205/135
Open: 225/155
Coach’s Tip: The strength work has banded push downs between each set. They are a benefit to the push press cycle, but will strengthen the arms generally speaking. The percentage work today should not be extremely heavy– it is the beginning of our cycle so we are pushing form over anything else! The push downs will also be fairly taxing. Today’s Metocn is all about a solid pulling moving directly into a push movement. Should be a FUN combo!
We say it a hundred different ways when teaching Cleans. “Patience on the pull”…”Don’t bend those arms until your hips are open”…”When the elbow bends the power ends”. And Kyle has listened! Be like Kyle!
If you plan on signing up for the bike or row challenge, do it NOW! Time is ticking!! For those of you who have no idea what we are talking about, to add a little spice to this year’s 100,000 meter rowing challenge we decided to offer up another option… a 100 mile assault bike challenge! You can even do a hybrid challenge of 50 miles on the assault bike and 50,000 K on the rower. All you need to do to complete these challenges is hit those numbers by December 31, 2017.
Completing any of these challenges is demanding but very doable with consistent gym attendance. And this is why we do these challenges during this time of year, with the weather and social demands of the holiday season it’s hard to make it into the gym. Challenging yourself to hit these numbers gives you a little extra motivation to make it in.The sign up’s are at the Whiteboard at the front of the gym so put your name up and get to work.
THE COMMITTED CLUB
The further encourage consistent attendance we have decided on unveil the “Cove Committed Club”. To become a member of this illustrious club you will need to attend the gym at least 20 times during the month. At the end of the month we will list everyone on the “Daily Wod” who has hit those marks. You do not necessarily have to take a class. You can just come on in and row, stretch, lift, or anything that supports you reaching your fitness goals, just be sure to sign into Wodify though. We know just walking through those doors and spending time with this supportive community can have such positive effects on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
WOD
50 Cal Row
40 Sit Ups
30 Front Squats
100 Double unders
30 Front Squats
40 Sit ups
50 Cal Row
Fitness: (95/65) 200 Singles
Performance: (115/75) 100 Doubles
Open: (135/95) 150 Doubles (30 Toes to bar)
Coach’s Tip: We’ll get after a longer workout today after Monday’s 14 time capped WOD. The Front squats are the crux of this workout and they should be done in sets of 10+ on the first 30 and be more challenging on the second set of 30. YES, the meters rowed in the warm up and Metcon count towards your Row Challenge totals!.
There’s nothing like a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to decide who goes first on a Partner WOD. Yes, this really happened!
