Archive for May, 2009

Conquering the Clean

Written by Jenika Gordon

The clean, simply put, is a movement where an object is pulled from the ground to the shoulders. It is the most efficient way to pull weight from low to high. The clean requires and develops enormous strength, flexibility, power, speed, accuracy, agility, coordination, and balance. And as Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit explains, the clean is as complete as any exercise can be when training for useful core to extremity motor recruitment patterns – the patterns used in any athletic endeavor.

While other movements such as the deadlift, squat, and bench press will get you stronger, only the clean will help you to develop speed and force (power) in the same way. The clean is important to our overall training because while we ultimately want to get stronger, we also need to be able to use this strength in movement.

For example, do you want to climb a mountain faster or have more power when cycling up Cypress Mountain? How about driving a golf ball up to 300 yards, or having a more explosive hit in your rugby game? The clean will help you with all of these things because it builds strength and speed, two key elements in anything sports related. “There’s no part of your physical development that can’t be positively impacted by developing and improving your clean," Glassman explains.
So how do we clean?

1) Liftoff begins in the deadlift position:
• The bar sits directly above the foot
• The shoulders are slightly in front of the bar
• The chest is up, arms are locked, lats and triceps are tight
• The hands grasp the bar using the hook grip, the arms are just outside knees
• The upper back is squeezed tightly

2) Start the pull here
•The bar rises and as it reaches the knee, the shins have come to vertical
• The arms have are not bended, they are long and stiff
• As the bar pulls up the thigh, the chest is thrown upward with a violent shrug from the shoulders
•The arms still have not done any work
• As the shoulders and body reach full extension, the body then reverses its direction, pulling itself under the bar
• The elbows rotate quickly, the body lands in the squat position, and the bar is caught in its rack position, resting on the collar bone
• Elbows are pointed directly forward, triceps parallel to the ground
• Hold the bar strong; do not let the butt drop
• Then stand up, holding the bar across the collar bone and shoulders until your hips reach full extension

The clean is fast, explosive, and requires you to be focused and intense. When you go for a clean, do not hesitate – give it everything you’ve got! The clean is going to help you get better at any sport you do, whether that includes ice climbing in the Rockies or beating your last marathon time; this movement is where it’s at.

Some cool workouts that incorporate the clean are:

Elizabeth
Clean (#135 Men, 95# Women)
Ring Dips
21-15-9
For Time

Grace
30 clean and jerks
For time
Try to clean your bodyweight

posted: 10 May 09   ·   Category: NewslettersNo Comments

Chicken, Grapefruit and Raisin Salad (6 Block Meal)

Ingredients:
6 ounces grilled chicken
11 cups arugula
1 ruby grapefruit – sections
1 cup carrots
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons raisins
2 teaspoons Zone Extra Virgin Olive Oil
lettuce
lemon juice
salt

Instructions:
Coarsely chop the arugula. Peel and section grapefruit. Grate the carrots. Cut cherry tomatoes into halves and the chicken into strips. Soak raisins in cold water to soften. Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl and dress with an emulsion of olive oil, salt and lemon juice.

Recipe Source: www.zonediet.com

posted: 10 May 09   ·   Category: NewslettersNo Comments

CrossFit Westside Calendar:

Tuesday, May 12 – Nutrition Challenge results.  Good luck to everyone who took part!

Saturday, May 30 – Angie Finals – make sure you sign up now!

posted: 10 May 09   ·   Category: NewslettersNo Comments

Crossfit… Anywhere… Anytime

Spring and Jeff went to surf Bali for three weeks and still managed to fit in their crossfit workouts! Plus Spring is over six months pregnant. We love the bumper plates! Going on vacation is no reason to stop crossfitting or playing. Check out the "On the Road Workouts" link. You don’t need any equipment for these workouts and some of them can even be done in your hotel room!

posted: 9 May 09   ·   Category: PostsNo Comments

Best Fit

Kelly Starrett does an amazing job teaching the benefits of why the mid line is essential for effective and functional movement. He explains in this video how the Best Fit, offers the Best Capacity, for the Best Force; the capacity to hold a neutral spine under load.

Also, we are very proud to be supporting our Canadian athletes for the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver, B.C.. Want to be a part of this? Shaw TV will be hosting an auction to raise money for our athletes on June 7th. Check it out!

posted: 6 May 09   ·   Category: PostsNo Comments

BC Champs

CONGRATULATIONS to the Women’s Burnaby Lake Rugby Team. They won the BC Champs last weekend! You guys are amazing!

posted: 4 May 09   ·   Category: PostsNo Comments

How Much Water Do You Need?

Keeping hydrated helps you have better Crossfit workouts and it helps you live a healthier life. How much water do you need? You should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in pounds in ounces of water daily. For example, if you are a 200lbs man, you need to drink 100oz of water a day. That is 2.9 L of water a day. Basically you need about 2 liters a day minimum.

posted: 1 May 09   ·   Category: PostsNo Comments