Location Anouncement

Big News:  CrossFit Banshee has found a location and signed the lease.  We will be located just off of Alameda and I-225 at 380 S Potomac St Unit 100, Aurora CO 80012.
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Scaling Blog Series: Strength

A lack of strength in a given movement is the most common reason for scaling a workout.  Almost everyone has been in a position that they just can't lift the weights written on the board.  Luckily this is probably the easiest scaling to do.  The first step, like scaling for skill, involves understanding the intent of the workout then choosing a weight that you can lift that meets that intent.  For instance, a CrossFit workout can be intended to be pretty fast around 4 minutes while other are intended to be long over 30 minutes.  There is a difference in the amount of weight that should be used in each case.  The shorter workout might use a slightly higher weight and fewer reps, while the longer workout might use light weights (or bodyweight) and lots of reps.

For example, if the workout is Diane (21-15-9 225# deadlifts and Handstand Pushups) and you know there isn't a chance that you can do 45 deadlifts at 225#.  Understanding how this workout is performed and how it should feel will help you choose the right weight.  For this workout you should be shooting to complete it within about 7 minutes and with each rep performed pretty quickly.    With that in mind you should realize that deadlifts cannot take up all of the time so the weight needs to be manageable.  The handstand pushups are also an area that can be scaled too.  I usually like to modify these by putting knees on a box but keeping my upper body vertical.  I'm still doing a handstand but my legs are able to help me through the pushup.

Free Park Workout 11/24/13

CrossFit Banshee is hosting a free park workout at Rocky Ridge park in Aurora at Noon.  It might be a little cold and wet so dress appropriately.

Skill:
Squat

Workout:
21-15-9
Thrusters
Box Jumps

Free Park Workout11/17/13

CrossFit Banshee is offering a free CrossFit workout at the Rocky Ridge park in Aurora on Sunday 11/17/13 at Noon, rain or shine.  If you are interested in trying CrossFit feel free to join us at the park.  First timers please arrive 15 minutes early.  

Skill:

Clean and Jerk

Kendrick Farris

Workout:

5 Rounds

10 Deadlift

200 M Run

Scaling Blog Series: Skill

At some point almost everyone has walked into the gym to find a movement prescribed in the workout that they simply cannot do.  This isn't the "Wow, that's just too heavy". NOPE.  You can't even do the movement.  Some obvious examples of this are muscle ups, double unders and pistols, but it can be just about anything depending on where you're coming from.

So how do you do a workout with a movement that you cannot do?  You substitute in a different movement.  Substitution is a great way of scaling a workout and gives a lot of options when you feel stuck.

Picking the right movement to use can be a bit confusing for people though and this is where a coach can certainly help.   Typically who ever is programming will have purpose behind the chosen movement and there are a couple of directions that this can go.

Intensity:  When you substitute a different movement but keep intensity as the focus, the new movement needs to be something that you can do pretty well.  The goal of this type of scaling is to pick a movement that will give you the same effect as the programmed movement.  For example, if the workout calls for muscle ups, a good substitution to keep the intensity is 3 pullups and 3 ring dips.

Skill progression: Another method of substitution can be skill work on the desired movement. Usually this involves a scaled down version of the movement.  NOTE: this usually also decreases the intensity.  Using our muscle up example, you would fall to a phase in the progression to achieving a muscle up by using something to help get you up.  Maybe you practice muscle ups from your knees as the substitution.

Either of the above substitution methods are useful when there is a movement that you can't do. There is certainly a time and place for both and it can be dependent on the programming and your personal goals.

BIG NOTE:  This same approach can be used if you have an injury and cannot perform a movement.

So here's an example:
WOD:
5 Rounds
3 Muscle Ups
6 Snatch 95/65
9 Burpees

And you can't do Muscle Ups.   If the coach says that the goal is to keep the intensity up then I would modify this way:
5 Rounds
9 Pullups/9 Ring Dips
6 Snatch
9 Burpees

Now let's say the goal (yours or your trainers) is to practice the skill behind the muscle up or work on the transition.  I would modify this way:
3 Muscle Ups from my knees
6 Snatch
9 Burpees
My focus on the knee muscle ups would be on the transition from below the rings to above and to make it as clean as possible.

I'd love to get comments or question on this.  I'm sure there are specific movements that you struggle with and would like to know how to sub.

11/3/13 Free Park Workout

Reminder, Free Park Workouts have moved to Sundays at Noon.  Come join us at Rocky Ridge Park.

Today's WOD

10 - 1 Ladder

Burpees 

KB Push Press  Left

KB Push Press Right

Run 100M between each round.