Rich and I were playing around with the similarities of the handstand pushup and the press. Interestingly, the two movements should end up looking pretty similar. I could easily make a long and detailed post here about the two movements and give you a hundred things to work on the next time you are in the gym. Instead, I'll make some notes and leave the rest up to you for discussion in comments if your game…

1. Starting positions of both movements are very similar, but the finish positions aren't. Why?

2. What can we say for “skeletal support” in the pictures to the left vs. right? Can I draw a straight line through the top of the head and have it intersect the spine, hips, knees, and feet?

3. Hands anchored vs. feet anchored. Can we assume that the lower body is the “load” in the handstand pushup. If we assume the lower body is the load (weight that is being supported), shouldn't the load be over our area of base (hands)?

4. Does Rich's tan look better in the left picture, or is it just me?

Post thoughts to comments!

Crossfit Unbroken and Method CrossFit invited us up to Red Rocks for a workout on Sunday. They are meeting again next Sunday and invited MBS'ers to join. Let us know if you're interested.

Mobility & Performance Clinic Tonight

Mary Fink will be hosting a FREE 1-hour mobility clinic tonight at 6:00 PM. Mary has already helped several MBS members recover from injuries and get back into the WOD's. She will cover common injuries, symptoms, and intervention/mobility exercises. Please RSVP in comments. THERE WILL BE NO 6:00 CLASS. YOU CAN DO THE WOD AT 5:00 OR 7:00 PM. THANKS.

MBS IS HOSTING THE OPEN THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday MBS will host the CrossFit Open workout #2 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Our friends from CrossFit Verve and CrossFit Roots will be joining us for the fun. Once the WOD is announced we will post instructions for sign up as well as heat times. You will have until 6PM Friday night to sign up for a Saturday heat time. The workout on Saturday CAN BE SCALED IF NEEDED. All CrossFitters are welcome and encouraged to participate.

We are looking for volunteers to help us run 60-80 people through the workout on Saturday. If you can volunteer, please shoot janelle@mbscrossfit.com an email.

The badass lunch class climbing the ropes…I already admitted my obsession with posting rope climbing pictures, so you should've known.

Since the CrossFit Open has been delayed one week, TODAY'S CLASSES ARE RUNNING AT NORMAL 9:00 AND 10:00 TIMES. Games prep or anyone wanting to work on their snatch can show up at 11:00, where we will do a lift prior to the WOD.

The MBS crew at CrossFit Verve last weekend!! Because of the CrossFit Open deadline extension, WE WILL HAVE NORMAL SATURDAY CLASSES AT 9:00 AND 10:00. We will also have our normal games prep/advanced class at 11:00, which will include some lifting.

Michelle and her husband Bob at the Warrior Dash last year. This year MBS created a team for the Tough Mudder on June 26th & 27th. To sign up on the team, go to the registration page and search for MBS CrossFit. Because we already have more than 6 athletes on our team, we will get a $5 discount on registration. If we get 11 or more, we will get an additional $5 off registration. If you already signed up outside MBS, shoot us an email and we can get you on our team.

Here's a great vid from K-Star on delaminating your posterior bits, or another way to make a grown man cry:

Here's some top lifters in the 105 kg class, or roughly 230 lbs. Notice the different approaches to the snatch and clean among experienced lifters. You will also see that these lifters vary in height, build, and flexibility while sharing similar success on the lifts. It just goes to show that as you continue develop your lifts, you will learn how to make the lifts WORK FOR YOU!

Those that would like to do the Open WOD this week, either for their first time or for a re-run, we are coordinating Thursday as the day to do it. All you will need to do is let a coach know and they will set up the time to supervise your workout. You can help us out by posting to comments if you want to do it. Thanks.

Also, if you haven't submitted your Open WOD 1 scores online, please do so ASAP. Thanks.

Here's some video collected from various weightlifting classes over the last couple of months. Video feedback is an extremely effective tool for learning the weightlifting movements because you can evaluate yourself much better after seeing where you ACTUALLY are under the bar. I frequently video myself when I lift alone so I can critique form and technique. As you watch, you will begin to see commonalities of missed versus made lifts.

What are your thoughts on posting videos of collected weightlifting/workouts such as this one? Post thoughts to comments.

The CrossFit Games Workout 1 Deadline has been extended to Sunday, March 27th. If you have NOT registered for the Open, you have until that time to do so. MBS currently has 61 athletes competing in the Open and we are happy to have more on the team. Visit the Games Site to register.

Mobility & Performance

Mary Fink, our local “Kelly Starett” and physical therapy specialist is going to be hosting a FREE 1-hour mobility and perfomance clinic next Monday night at 6:00 PM. Mary has already helped several MBS members recover from injuries and get back into the WOD's. She will cover common injuries, symptoms, and intervention/mobility exercises. Sign up will be on the board.

Pops getting his workout in!

MBS will be closed today for our trip down to CrossFit Verve. We hope that you can all make the trip down to support our Games Athletes in the first Open WOD.

FYI…
At the end of week one (tomorrow night), there will be a prize to the affiliate with the most members signed up. We, MBS are on the verge of having 60 members on our Games Team, making us one of the largest Teams in the World. Wouldn't it be great to show the rest of the CrossFit community how wonderful our Hanger is by blowing up the internet with our numbers!?!

If you haven't signed up, you still have time. All you have to do is visit the CrossFit Games site and create an account and pay the one-time fee of $10. Once you have created your account, click on Join a Team and search for MBS CrossFit; we will gladly accept your request.

We had 89 athletes do the Games WOD on Wednesday; show your support by becoming an official MBS Games Athlete. Check out our Affiliate Games page to see everyone who has signed up.

If you haven't submitted your score on the CrossFit Games site, you must do so ASAP. Log into your CrossFit Games account and click on Submit Your Score. An email will be sent to the validating affiliate (MBS) and we will verify the score.

 Any questions, please shoot us an email; patrick@mbscrossfit.com

Way to Go!

Congratulations are in order;

First, to Karen for getting her first Muscle up. Way to go!

Second, to the lovely MBS women for showing the boys whose boss in the second MBS Showdown of the year. The ladies won the “Fran” Challenge on Monday with some very strong performances. Guys, as much as it hurts, the ladies have earned themselves some poetry.

Way to go MBS Ladies!

Updates

Our 3pm Friday Classes have been cancelled, sorry for any inconvenience.

MBS will be closed tomorrow, Saturday, March 19th for our trip down to CrossFit Verve. We hope that you can all make the trip down to support our Games Athletes.
If you are a Games Athlete and you still need to sign up for a workout time, you must go to CF Verve's scheduler to do so.

You will be judged…

Sam's score of 345 reps has her sitting 2nd in the WORLD at the end of day 1!!!

Emily working smoothly in the double unders…

Cherie is not about to let a cast on her hand stop her from working hard…

And Tony tearing it up.

Great job everyone. That was an awesome opening to the 2011 Games season. Remember, we are heading down to CrossFit Verve this weekend to do the workout again with all our freinds down south. 

1. If you are heading to Verve with us this Saturday, you must sign up for a heat HERE. You will create a login account to put your name in the heat. You can sign up for any heat, but we are trying to coordinate MBS members to sign up in the 11:00 - 12:00 heat times so we can carpool down and cheer each other on. Cost will be $20 at the door.

2. If you did the first workout yesterday and are satisfied with it, you must submit your score on the CrossFit Games site. An email will be sent to the validating affiliate (MBS) and we will verify the score. You are good to go.

3. If you haven't signed up, you still have time. Simply visit the CrossFit Games site and create an account and pay the one-time fee of $10. Any questions, please shoot us an email.

The wait is finally here… you all have been preparing for this day for a while! We are proud to announce that we have 50+ athletes registered to compete in this 6-week competition. If you'd like to join in on the fun, you have until the end of the week to register. Each week you will need to complete the Open Sectionals WOD, submit your time (which we will validate) and Ta Da, you can see where you stack up against the rest of the CrossFit community, while having a blast! You have the opportunity to complete the Open Sectionals Workout at any WOD class every Wednesday and we will also be doing it on Saturday's (you can even do it both days and submit your best time)!

This Saturday we are going to kick it off by heading down to CrossFit Verve to allow our athletes to complete the WOD in a friendly competition setting. If you are planning on going and would like to carpool say so in comments. More information will follow.

Tanya and Susan doing their pullups in sync…

Jeff and Bill cutting each other no slack…

Karen doing a smoking fast 4:10 Fran!!!…visualize and attack…

And Chris holding nothing back!

There were a ton of great performances in yesterday's workout. We should have the median men's and women's times by tomorrow for the announcement of the winners. Either way, I was real happy not only with everyone's performances, but also your ability to modify the workout to respective skill/ability levels…you guys make coaching fun!

Boys Versus Girls Showdown

Nearly two months ago, the first MBS Battle of 2011 took place in the Epic Showdown. The Battle of the Classes was an instant classic as we saw the “Breakfast Club” claim their victory over a long day of grueling workouts, and legendary smack talk.

Today, MBS CrossFit will continue to battle as we will once and for all put an end to the age old question… Boys Vs. Girls. That's right, the saga will come to an end today, as the Men and Women of MBS will be put to the test to see who is the superior sex. Thus far, the smack talk has proven nothing. The time for verbal intimidation is now over and the only thing standing in the way of Victory is a workout we like to call “Fran.” That's right boys and girls, a little cocktail of Thrusters and Pull ups that is sure to put your on your rear-end will determine who is the winner of the Boys Versus Girls Showdown.

3-2-1, GO!

This Week…

Wednesday
The first CrossFit Sectional Open Workout will be announced Tuesday evening and will be the Workout of the Day (WOD) on Wednesday. If you haven't signed up to compete in the Open, you still have time. What do you have to lose? It's only $10 and you will get the chance to be ranked alongside every other CrossFitter in the world; pretty cool! —>Sign up HERE.

Saturday
MBS will traveling to CrossFit Verve this Saturday to participate in the first Sectional Open Workout, therefore MBS will be closed for the day. We hope that everyone comes out to support our Athletes tear it up at Verve.
 

Eddie mastering the double Kettlebell clean. The beautiful weather was showing through yesterday and most of our classes enjoyed having the big door open and doing part of the workout under the sun. Its nice having a hangar door in good weather!

Registration for the Tough Mudder on June 26th & 27th is filling up quick. Did you know MBS has a team competing? Just go to the Tough Mudder website and join MBS. In 12 more days the registration will go up another $10.

Sprinting is hard. I think a lot of us found that out yesterday when we did 100 meter sprints 10 times. As hard as it is, the benefits highly outweigh the costs. Similar to weightlifting, sprinting requires a large recruitment of fast-twitch muscle fibers and increases bone, tendon, and ligament strength. Who wouldn't want stronger bones??!

The Showdown: MBS Boys VS. Girls

Monday, March 14th. All classes.

“Meet me after school at the bike rack.” Well, that might have worked 20 years ago (more for some of us), but school is out and the bike rack is replaced with a pullup bar and weights. All we have left to distinguish between the best and next is the ability to pump wieghts, quickly. And, it is on!

The Workout:

“Fran”
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Thrusters 95 lb./65 lb.
Pullups