Fear.

A workout can test your character. The barbell can question your courage. The burn in your lungs will push your determination. CrossFit is an excellent judge of who you are and what you are made of. The WOD’s can cause us anxiety and fear, which is a very real and healthy reaction that we ultimately need to apply to our greatest task: life.

Some of us like to look at the workout before hand to see what we are in for. Others dont like to look at it for fear of what is programmed while others look at it to cherry pick whether they will come or not. Why? A fear of failure plays a role. We look at the workout as it is prescribed and we reason that we cannot do that weight, that movement, or that much volume. “The box jumps scare me. I can’t do overhead squats. This is the wrong attitude to have.” We need to come to every workout we can no matter what is programmed. We will not be experts at everything in the beginning. Rowing may crush us because we can’t seem to get a hard pull in. The only way to get better at rowing is to do rowing. You become better through struggle. Behind every obstacle is the person you want to be which happens to be the person you see in others and the person you assume will never be you. Workouts are an excellent expression of this attempt-fail-attempt-succeed lesson of life. Workouts also teach us the vital lesson of scaling. If you want to dead-lift 500 pounds you do not load up 500 pounds and lift. You start lighter, working with what you can handle right now, and you add a little bit of weight every week, every month, every year until you are lifting 500 pounds. The workout shows us that we must attempt a heavy lift, succeed or maybe fail, attempt it again, and again until we get to our goal. The workout teaches us that we must be broken down, subjected to stress, to fatigue, to our fears in order to get better. If we keep coming back and doing the things that are a struggle to us then we will be/are better.

Our body is designed to handle this process. We have muscles that are easy to repair. We have a host of hormones that are meant to increase our breathing, tighten our vision, pump more blood, and ready ourselves for action. Danger and hardships are very real but fear is a choice. As children we tend to be fearless and don’t know what is dangerous or not. We go recklessly about life without a care or a thought of the consequences. Through time we are taught about this danger, these consequences to our action. This is a healthy and natural reaction since some pain and injuries can alter the quality of our life. It is when we let this potential danger overrule our thinking that we become fearful. We ignore the benefits of the fight-or-flight response and grow scared of the world and in small scale our workouts. This healthy reaction, which is actually a call to action by our body, turns negative and we start fearing movements, we cherry pick the workouts, or we don’t push ourselves.

The gym is a wonderful place to learn these lessons. We must outgrown this place and see how these lessons apply to our job, our relationships, our finances, and our happiness. Take these lessons and stay away from compartmentalizing them to only the gym. Our workouts can always be made harder if we choose to take on more. Life can be made more rich as well as have more struggles if only we choose it. We each make that decision the moment we wake up, just like the moment we decide to check the WOD, to not look at it, or to cherry pick our workouts. I have a phrase written on the announcement board: “I’m not telling you it is going to be easy. I’m telling you it is going to be worth it.”

This article is from CrossFit Pagosa.

CrossFit Teens Class

Who has a teenager that needs to get in shape for sports, get out of the house, or a healthy dose of CrossFit butt-kicking? We are going to be starting a Teens class this week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 PM. We are looking for teenagers between the ages of 13-17 years. The class will consist of weight training and conditioning for all sports. For more information and to sign up, contact Patrick@mbscrossfit.com. Thanks!

Workout of the Day
WORKOUT
For time:
30 Ring dips
21 Power clean and jerks
30 Ring dips

L3 - 155/105 lb.
L2 - 135/95 lb.
L1 - 115/75 lb.
EXTRA CREDIT:
Split jerk, work to 1RM

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

A lot of squat practice.

Workout of the Day

25 minutes: Front Squat, work up to a heavy single

20 minutes: Deadlift on a 4-6″ lift, 1RM. Use stacked plates to lift the bar to the top of your shins. Practice lifting, then following the bar back down until the plates touch. Lowering the bar is a skill that should be practiced. Use switch grip, but use the opposite hands to reverse than you’re used to.

EXTRA CREDIT:
Good mornings, 3×8
Barbell rollouts, 3×10

The following CF1 workout is what we will be doing at 6:45am, 12:15pm, 4:00, and 6:30 pm CF1 classes in the front room. The CF1 program is great for beginners, but also for those that have been off the horse for awhile. We will spend more time focusing on technique and correcting movement. We encourage current members to cherry-pick. If you see a movement/skill being done in the CF1 classes that you’d like to work on, feel free to join this class instead of the normal WOD. Thanks!

CF1
SKILL - Kettlebell swing, abmat situps
WOD:
2 Rounds for time:
75 Abmat situps
50 Kettlebell swings (American), 35/26 lb.
25 Pushups

Lots of volume today. As usual everything can be modded. If 5 is too easy, I am going to ask you to do your reps with impeccable form and in slow motion.

Gymnastics Workout of the Day
30 Min EMOM
Min 1: 1-2 Strict Bar Muscle ups
Min 2: 5 Strict HSPU
Min 3: 5 Strict Ring Dips
Min 4: 5 Strict False Grip Ring Pull Up
Min 5: Rest

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

The Forrest.

Workout of the Day
AMRAP 20:
10 Chest to bar pullups
20 Back squats, 95/65 lb.
30 Double unders

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

MBS Holiday party next weekend!

We wanted to give you a week ahead reminder about the MBS Holiday party next Saturday (the 13th at 7:30pm) because you’re not going to want to miss it. You may have heard about our parties in the past… it’s all true. People get naughty, people are nice, memories are made. So book a baby sitter and get registered with Uber for your sober ride home.

There will be a casino theme and a live DJ

Adults only. Spouses and friends welcome.

Please bring a dish/appetizer or dessert AND your favorite adult beverage to share.

As well as a gift ($10 Max) for our fun Gift exchange – Think dumb, ugly, funny or scary…

Mixers, entertainment and fun will be provided by MBS!

Trade in your lifting shoes for your boogie shoes, call the babysitter, layout your festive outfit and RSVP today!

Workout of the Day
For Time:
500 Meter Run or row
15 Stone to shoulder 135/90 lb.
10 Pushups*
10 Stone to shoulder 165/105 lb.
20 Pushups
5 Stone to shoulder 205/135 lb.
30 Pushups
500 Meter Run or row

*If you can do Rx HSPU’s, do 5-10-15 HSPU’s instead of pushups.

then

Extra credit:
500 Meter Row for time.

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

I wish I would’ve saw this video yesterday before the power clean workout. Bending the elbows before finishing the hips is soooooo common for beginners on the Oly lifts. It really is a pretty easy fix with some focused attention to it. Watch Coach Burgener, one of the best in the business, coach an athlete through the clean and fix the “pulling with the arms.”

Workout of the Day
AMRAP 10:
Turkish Get Up, 1/1
At the 10:00, AMRAP:
16 Box step ups, 24/20″
16 KB Swings
24 Abmat Sit Ups
At the 20:00
500 yard Sandbag run for time 90/75 lb.

Record TGU’s, Rounds and reps of triplet, and time on sandbag run.

L3 - 72/53 lb.
L2 - 53/35 lb.
L1 - 44/26 lb.
EXTRA CREDIT:
Pullup/Dip complex

Post your scores to the Whiteboard.

Kale.

Workout of the Day
Each minute, on the minute:
Minutes 0-2: 7 Power cleans at 95/65 lb.
Minutes 3-5: 6 Power cleans at 115/85 lb.
Minutes 6-8: 5 Power cleans at 135/95 lb.
Minutes 9-11: 4 Power cleans at 155/105 lb.
Minutes 12-14: 3 Power cleans at 185/125 lb.
Minutes 15-17: 2 Power cleans at 205/135 lb.
Minutes 18-20: 1 Power clean at 225/155 lb. every :30.
From 21:00-25:00: Take 3 attempts at a new 1RM

The idea on this one is to start appropriately so you can continue adding weight conservatively. Focus on form more so in the beginning and then be a little more aggressive as the weight approaches your RM.

L3 - Rx (Use if your power clean is 245/165 or above)
L2 - Start at 75/55 lb. (Use if your power clean is 185/125 or above)
L1 - Start at 65/45 lb. (Use if your power clean is below 185/125)

EXTRA CREDIT:
5 trips (down and back gym) Heavy KB Farmers carry

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Strength and Beauty in Motion.

Coach Emily P. at this year’s TC.

Workout of the Day
Teams of 2, 20 min AMRAP:
30 Goblet squats, 72/53 lb.
30 Double unders
20 Box jumps 24/20″
20 Toes to bar
10 Burpee pullups

Start at the top and work your way down with only one person working at a time. Divide your reps however you like.

EXTRA CREDIT:
50 KB side bends, ea. side.

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Thanks Again To Our TC Volunteers!

So, I’m back from elk hunting…got a cow. After two years of being skunked, I’m pretty happy to be able to put some meat in the freezer. But, all I could think about over the week was how much fun this year’s Turkey Challenge ended up being. I can’t say it enough…I was so impressed with this cool group of people that ended up coming together over the weekend. Also, and probably what I’m most impressed with, is how KICK-ASS the judging crews were. The picture above shows what I’m talking about - Kyle crouching to get the best view of strict handstand pushups of the athlete, and our other (sorry, I can’t tell who this is) judge using her off-hand to make sure the kettlebell is standing straight-up when overhead. Geez, I was just so impressed with how professional and hard-working our two crews were. They weren’t afraid to take away reps either…I’m sure a few of you athletes experienced that!!

Anyway, I just want to say thanks again to all the volunteers that gave up their weekend. I hope you all had a great time as you worked your asses off!!!

TURKEY CHALLENGE PHOTOS

Robbie Wright put together a bunch of great photos that can be found and downloaded HERE. These are high-quality pics that can be printed in large-scale…great Christmas gifts to your pal or to the gym!

If you can’t find yourself in Robbie’s photos, you might check Ken Apodaca’s photo album on Facebook HERE.

Normal Class Schedule Until Christmas Week

With the exception of Endurance class being cancelled tomorrow evening, we are back on normal schedule until Christmas week. For those of you that have been on hiatus, please check out our Class Schedule and new classes!

We have added a NEW CF1 Class for our intermediate to beginner athletes. This is a great place to start, if you are new, or get a refresher course on the basics, if you’ve been coming awhile. Or, if you just want to sweat, check out the Cardio-Flex class taught by our new coach, Andrea Ager. For our advanced athletes, we have a Competitors class on Tuesday nights. For our little guys, we have CF Kids on Thursday evenings. See the full Class Schedule HERE.

Workout of the Day
Squat clean to thruster (Cluster)
Find your 1 rep max.
5-5-5-3-3-3-1-1-1
then
On the 3:00 interval, 4 Rounds:
15 Thrusters
15 Strict pullups

Use scaling chart below:
L3 - 115/75 lb. (use if over 245/155 lb. on cluster)
L2 - 95/65 lb. (use if over 185/125 lb. on cluster)
L1 - 75/55 lb. (use if below 185/125 on cluster)
EXTRA CREDIT:
3 Rounds w/partner
P1 (rotation) - 20 total KB Russian twists 53/35 lb.
P2 - hold plank on elbows

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Today we are going to do a lot. We’ll do the Crossfit Gymnastics Total which we will re-test in 4 weeks. These must be legit, (pretty) reps. You can mod as needed. L-sit is heels above hip.

Gymnastics Workout of the Day

CFG Total:
3 Attempts for max reps of:
A)Max Reps Strict MU (mod - pull up)
B)Max Reps HSPU (mod push up)
C)Max L-Sit Hold (mod tuck hold - with or without paralette)

then…

10min AMRAP:
10 candlestick pistol/squat
10 shoot thru on paralette (with push up dip)
10 burpee pull-ups

Post scores to the whiteboard.

5th Annual Turkey Classic Football Game.

Dan won the MVP trophy.

Back to normal schedule today. WOD classes at 7:45, 9:00 and 10:15. Free intro class at 9:00 and CF1 at 10:15.

Workout of the Day
WORKOUT
For time:
Run or row 400 meters
50 pull-ups
Run or row 400 meters
50 push-ups
Run or row 400 meters
50 sit-ups
Run or row 400 meters
50 squats

EXTRA CREDIT
For one week, I’d like everyone to make an extra attempt at getting a minimum of 10 minutes of mobility in after their workout. Coaches will do their best to allow some time at the end of class. Pick one or two areas and focus on those for 10 minutes. Use a band for stretching/distraction, or a roller or LAX ball for exploring deeper areas.

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Athlete Profile: Matt S.

Matt and his wife Kati are relative newcomers to MBS and to CrossFit. Matt has made huge strides in his short time here, improving his lifting form and even competing in the 2014 Turkey Challenge.

How long have you been doing crossfit?
I had done some of the movements at the firehouse. Mostly had been trying to do some pull ups and other body weight stuff. Kati and I started at MBS Skills class in May and we stayed in Skills with Forrest for almost 3 months before moving to the regular WODs.

What got you interested in CrossFit?
We have friends who have been doing crossfit for a long time and we always thought it was silly until trying it. It also became more popular at the firehouse with more people doing it and in turn more people getting hurt doing it wrong. People just did not know proper form which resulted in injury. I wanted to do it right if I was going to do it.

You’re a firefighter, have you seen a difference in your work performance since CF?
I have noticed a difference in my strength for sure. My shoulders are stronger carrying my gear, and it does not fatigue me as quickly, also my legs are stronger going up the stairs in gear. All my bunker gear, air bottle, hose and tool add about 110-120lbs to me. I did the 110 flights of stairs workout in all of that gear for September 11th this year and it was much easier than in past. Also we do training on Saturdays pulling hose at the firehouse which is usually very taxing and I feel my legs stronger and recover faster.

What made you decide to enter in the turkey challenge? How was your experience?
I had contacted Pat Burke asking him if he thought I would be able to judge or volunteer, Pat told me I should compete! I had not and still did not think that was something I had skill or strength to do. Pat met me at the gym one afternoon and went over a couple movements with me and said he thought I would do fine. I had a good time doing the turkey challenge, I had a goal of finishing each event and not getting last place. I was able to finish everything within the times and handle the weights. It was a great learning experience and can’t wait till next year.

Your wife also does crossfit, are you two competitive together? What do you like about working out together?
Kati does do crossfit also we are not competitive together more encouraging of each other. We rarely get to workout together because we have a beautiful 2 year old to take care of. In the past usually we would swap off watching our daughter, Alaina while one of us worked out. Now every time Kati or I am gone from home our Alaina says “Mommy (or Daddy) is at gym with airplanes.” MBS must be a pretty decent size of our lives now if even Alaina thinks that’s always where we are.

Today we will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD classes. Strength will go at 11:30 am.

Workout of the Day
AMRAP 20:
5 Burpees
1 Rope climb or 6x pullups
30 Double unders

EXTRA CREDIT
For one week, I’d like everyone to make an extra attempt at getting a minimum of 10 minutes of mobility in after their workout. Coaches will do their best to allow some time at the end of class. Pick one or two areas and focus on those for 10 minutes. Use a band for stretching/distraction, or a roller or LAX ball for exploring deeper areas.

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Give Thanks for Family, Friends & Good Health.

Before you get your belly full of turkey and pumpkin pie goodness, come earn your caloric intake. We have 7:45am, 9am, and 10:15 WOD classes.

Friday, November 28th: We will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD classes. Strength will go at 11:30 am.

Saturday, November 29th: We will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD ckasses. Also, Free Intro at 9:00am, and CF1 at 10:15 am.

Sunday, November 30th: Gymnastics at 9:00 am and open gym from 10:00-11:00 am

Workout of the Day
Row 5k

Extra Credit:
10 minutes of mobility

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

MBS Coaches are here to help you.

Our coaches aren’t just here to yell at you to get deeper in your squat or to open your hips on your box jump. We can help you with questions about modifying movements, achieving goals, nutrition questions, and how to improve form. Together we have many years of experience and several areas of expertise to draw on. We are here for one reason only, to help you achieve your fitness goals. If you would like to zone in on any one particular movement that needs improvement consider a one on one coaching session. We can help you tackle that goat like a roper at Cheyenne Frontier Days. In person or via email feel free to reach out to any one of us.

Thanksgiving Schedule
Thursday, November 27th: We will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD classes. There is a tag football game at 10am in Broomfield. Contact Forrest@mbscrossfit.com for details.
Friday, November 28th: We will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD classes. Strength will go at 11:30 am.
Saturday, November 29th: We will have only these classes - 7:45, 9:00, and 10:15 am WOD classes. Also, Free Intro at 9:00am, and CF1 at 10:15 am.
Sunday, November 30th: Gymnastics at 9:00 am and open gym from 10:00-11:00 am
Workout of the Day:
Each minute, on the minute:
Minutes 0-2: 7 Hang squat cleans at 95/65 lb.
Minutes 3-5: 6 Hang squat cleans at 115/85 lb.
Minutes 6-8: 5 Hang squat cleans at 135/95 lb.
Minutes 9-11: 4 Hang squat cleans at 155/105 lb.
Minutes 12-14: 3 Hang squat cleans at 175/115 lb.
Minutes 15-17: 2 Hang squat cleans at 195/125 lb.
Minutes 18-20: 1 Hang squat clean at 215/135 lb.
Minutes 21-23: 1 Hang squat clean every :30, either at last weight, or going up as you are able. You may be able to make an attempt at a PR.

L3 - Rx
L2 - Start at 75/55 lb.

Post your scores to the Whiteboard.

EXTRA CREDIT:
For one week, I’d like everyone to make an extra attempt at getting a minimum of 10 minutes of mobility in after their workout. Coaches will do their best to allow some time at the end of class. Pick one or two areas and focus on those for 10 minutes. Use a band for stretching/distraction, or a roller or LAX ball for exploring deeper areas.

Post your scores to the whiteboard.

Turkey Challenge 2014

So, the 5th Turkey Challenge is in the books! There are so many people to thank and congratulate. We had a ton of new faces on the podiums, but we also had some familiar faces. Also, on the judge and volunteer end, we had a bunch of new folks, and a lot of veterans. It was a great mix of people. I thought the workouts ended up going great…a mix of familiar movements with a mix of new stuff. I really hope to see some of the pictures and video of the obstacle course! If someone wants to put a compilation of “fails” together on that, that would be cool! We even had some F-18’s take off before the final workout..pretty freaking awesome. Our volunteers and judges killed it. It wasn’t so much about them being here and filling spaces, but they did their jobs with the most professionalism that I have seen outside the CrossFit Games. It is because of the red shirts, I feel that this year was probably the best ran Turkey Challenge yet.

Finally, the coolest thing…we, as a group, raised just over $5,000 for the Two Angels Foundation. WE will be putting 3-4 adaptive bikes into the hands of children with muscular dystrophy. Robin and the folks at Two Angels were very thankful for all of your contributions to our change buckets and contributions to their foundation. So, awesome job EVERYONE!!!

2014 Turkey Challenge Winners

Men Open
1st Place - Jeff Shuette
2nd Place - Matt Harper
3rd Place - Andy Coleman

Women Open
1st Place - Andrea Hollander
2nd Place -Stephanie Metcalf
3rd Place - Julie Rappaport

Men Masters
1st Place - Robbie Davis
2nd Place - Rob Springer
3rd Place - Jon Mckeon

Women Masters
1st Place - Stacey Cochran
2nd Place - Stacy Moller
3rd Place - Tara Carillo

Team Open
1st Place - Backcountry White
2nd Place - Backcountry White
3rd Place - Sopris CrossFit

Team Pro
1st Place - Backcountry Black
2nd Place - CrossFit Castle Rock
3rd Place - MobCoast

Men Pro
1st Place - Matt Johnson
2nd Place - Alex Duff
3rd Place - Matt Fuller

Women Pro
1st Place - Natalie McLain
2nd Place - Andrea Ager
3rd Place - Bridget Brown

Workout of the Day

6 Rounds for time:
6 Deadlifts @ 70% of 1RM
12 Pushups
then,
Row 2,000

then
EXTRA CREDIT:
For one week, I’d like everyone to make an extra attempt at getting a minimum of 10 minutes of mobility in after their workout. Coaches will do their best to allow some time at the end of class. Pick one or two areas and focus on those for 10 minutes. Use a band for stretching/distraction, or a roller or LAX ball for exploring deeper areas.

Post your scores to the Whiteboard.