CROSSFIT HIGH VOLTAGE. Burbank, CA.

Thursday – February 8 – Time to Get Filthy!

tthack — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:34:12 +0000

I remember when we first did today’s workout back at the old box in NoHo…one of our first members, Ryan, asked me if it was called the Filthy 50 because there were 10 movements and we did 5 reps of each (10×5=50 for my meatheads in the box…). I smiled and told him he was about to have a really good time getting fit.

Workouts like today’s are really fun for me. We’re going to have many people do this workout for the very first time, and it can seem very daunting – there’s always a moment of disbelief that you can actually get through this workout and not keel over. I especially enjoy watching people’s reaction going from how hard they perceive it to be, and then their feeling of accomplishment when they complete a workout they couldn’t have done until they started CrossFit. The fact that we don’t do that many ‘long wod’s’ like this, yet our training & programming helps us excel at doing them AND still gets you way stronger and faster is pretty cool too.

My favorite memory of Filthy 50 was on Coach Tyler’s first day training at the box over 3 years ago (wow). He had done some CrossFit on his own at the Y, and I asked him what his Filthy 50 time was. He said it was in the low 20 minute range. I was pretty impressed – no coaching or advice and he can do this workout in close to our old gym record. I asked him how he pushed through the final movements – 50 wall ball into 50 burpees – which is notoriously hard.

He replied, ‘Oh, I didn’t do that part!’. Funny to this day, and always a reminder that there’s just a certain amount of things that you’ll never do on your own if you didn’t have to. And if you wanted to know, he got it down to under 19 minutes with ALL the reps shortly after.

Still, there’s something about those 50 wall ball into 50 burpees that are just never cool.

Enjoy! ~ Tim

Caption contest – best one in comments wins a bottle of SFH Fish Oil! Winner will be announced Friday along with the week 2 winner of the Refine Your Fuel Challenge and the Paleo Recipe contest. And yes, if you have to know, the shirts were off during the skill session.

Oh, and one more thing…a pretty cool announcement to come Friday as well. Stay Ever Ready!

No caption contest needed here…just some hard work being done in spite of an injury!

Thursday’s Training:

All Levels CrossFit

‘The Filthy 50′

50 reps of each movement, in order, for time

Box Jumps (24/20)

Jumping Pull Ups

KB Swings (35/26)

Lunges

Knees 2 Elbows

Push Press (45/33)

Back Extensions

Wall Ball (20/14)

Burpees

Double Unders

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill – Review & Scaling of movements

WOD:

‘The Dirty 30′

30 Reps of each movement, for time

Box Jumps

Jumping Pull Ups

KB Swings

Lunges

Knees 2 Elbows

Push Press

Back Extensions

Wall Ball

Burpees

Double Unders

Wednesday – February 8 – The Games are Coming!

tthack — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:35:47 +0000

It’s that time of year again…for 5 weeks, starting Friday night, February 24 at 5:30pm, we are going to be putting your current level of fitness to the test…and YOU ARE NEEDED!

In conjunction with CrossFit trying to find the fittest in the world, we are trying to find the ‘Fittest in Burbank’ – a fun Community challenge to build upon the 30 Day ‘Refine Your Fuel’ Nutritional Challenge. You’ve dialed in your diet, you’ve been working out consistently…you had to know we were getting you ready for something…and this is it!

Register on games.crossfit.com and select CrossFit High Voltage as your affiliate.

The CrossFit Games is the largest fitness event on the planet – and it’s a really unique aspect of what we do. I can’t think of a time that everyone gets together and goes ‘spinning’ (can you even imagine?).

In addition to the amazing benefit of being a part of the biggest fitness event on the planet…you’ll also get these great benefits for registering:

For the entire 5 weeks of the event, all Friday training sessions will be ‘on the house!!!’ That means if you register for this event, you will be upgraded 1 training session every week for the duration of the Challenge! So, if you are coming 2x per week, for the 5 weeks you can now come 3x per week (1 of them is a Friday).
15% off all retail that we carry (Stronger Faster Healthier, High Voltage shirts, callus kits, jump ropes, stickers, gym bags, etc)
A Complementary Guest Pass for you to give to a friend to try one of our awesome classes with you (a $25 value)

So, who can do the CrossFit Games Open Secionals/Fittest in Burbank Challenge?
Everyone…and yes, that means YOU!

-There will be 4 levels of ability so everyone in our Community can be involved. These categories will be based on your current Baseline time.

They are – Recruit, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Veteran.

And a special final incentive…our Coaches have set a goal of getting 100 of you registered for this great event. Because we’re goal oriented and goal achieving CrossFitters, if we can reach this achievement, we’ll have a celebration at our first Friday Night Event – Friday, February 24 @ 5:30pm.

A partner push up high 5 before…

The action begins…

The usual shenanigans occur…

But it always ends up the same…See you all Wednesday for something…completely different…

Wednesday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

Ax3. Row 350 meters, 20 kb swings, rest 3 minutes

Score is slowest round

B. 3 Rounds for time

10x Deadlifts

50x Double Unders

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Rowing – Row 300 Meters, rest 3 minutes x 3 sets

WOD: 10 Minute AMRAP

10x Deadlifts

75x Jump Rope Passes

Tuesday – February 7 – Hand Care

tthack — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:34:30 +0000

Take Care of Your Hands!

One of the great aspects of CrossFit training is improved grip strength without having to walk around with those silly looking ‘grip squeezer’ thingies all day. Because our full body movements really do mean ‘full body movements’, your hands are an important part of your training – whether on the barbell, kettlebell, or pull up bar. We’ve all seen photos of someone’s torn up hands, and while having ‘some’ callus on your hands is important…you do NOT want to rip! Ripping happens, but I repeat…you do NOT want to rip.

Often times when someone tears their hand it could have been avoided. There are three steps to taking care of your hands before, during, and after your workout.

-The first step is being proactive and keeping your callouses under control; most tears are from mountainous callouses.

-The second step takes place during training; keep an awareness for the condition of your hands. Movements can always be substituted when your hands getting close to a tear due to improper maintenance.

-Lastly, the third step is keeping the skin on your hands healthy and recovered post workout with moisturizing and callous maintenance. Torn hands are nothing to be proud of and are an uncomfortable obstacle to your daily training. They keep you off the barbell, out of much gymnastics work, and away from your core goals. Keeping your hands healthy and happy is well worth it!

….Now if only someone put together a convenient kit for hand care…

-Coach Tyler

The Great Wall of Stronger Faster Healthier…getting people fit and healthy…it’s a beautiful thing (oh, and bonus points for knowing what is in the upper left corner just above the plant).

Tuesday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

A1. Hang Power Clean

3-3-3-3-3

A2. L-Sit

20 second minimum cumulative hold

B. 15 Minute AMRAP

‘Chest to Bar Cindy’

5x Chest to Bar Pull Ups

10x Push Ups

15x Air Squat

-scale reps down first (4/8/12, 3,6,9 – then movements – chin over bar, etc)

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: L-Sit & Kipping Pull Ups

WOD: ‘Cindy’

20 Minute AMRAP

5x Pull Ups

10x Push Ups

15x Air Squats

Monday – February 6

tthack — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:20:33 +0000

Monday is here. Today will be what you are ready to make of it. Can today be the day you are ready to take another step towards your goals, another step towards your future – another step towards the things you know you are capable of but have been limited in achieving?

Step up. Take control. Take another step towards what you know you can become.

Coach Jose stepped up at the NLI Competition on Saturday and got 37 Overhead Squats in 2 minutes and represented our entire Community. How many are you going to get today?

Monday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

15) A1. Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

A2. Alternating Sets – 20 second AMRAP of

1. HSPU

2. Ring Dips

3. Clapping Push Ups

4. Push Ups

B. For Max Combined Reps -

-2 min AMRAP, Rest 2 minutes

-Overhead Squat

-Burpees

-Thruster (same weight as OHS)

-Row for Calories

Level 1 CrossFit -

Skill: Overhead Squat

Sets of 5 reps

WOD:

2 Min on, 2 min off, for max reps

Overhead Squat (keeping torso upright and head straight)

Burpees

Thruster

Row (for calories)

Friday – February 3

tthack — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:21:36 +0000

The results are in…and the week 1 winner is of our 30 Day ‘Refine Your Fuel’ Nutritional Challenge is….Allen Walker!

Allen wins 4 tickets to an upcoming Kings game!

We have been very impressed with how many of you are rocking this challenge, and this was very, very close…but for week 1, Alan rocked it the hardest.

Here’s a snapshot into Allen’s daily meals, how clear he’s been about his diet (so we can give him the very best feedback and help him get his best results), and how consistent he’s been:

Wednesday, January 25 -

Breakfast - western omelet - 09:00 AM

-100% paleo ingredients – organic tomato, 1/2 organic onion, organic green bell pepper, pastured eggs, ham w/ no nitrate or nitrite or preservatives or sugar, organic spinach

Lunch – Gingery beef w/ broccoli - 3:00 PM

100% Paleo ingredients – organic grass-fed petite sirloin cooked in coconut oil, organic ginger, organic garlic, lemon juice, organic chicken broth, organic broccoli florets, organic carrots

Dinner - Spicy Pork chops & roasted asparagus - 08:44 PM

100% paleo ingredients – organic cayenne pepper, almond flower, 4 organic grass fed pork chops, organic asparagus w/ e.v.o.o., sea salt and fresh ground pepper

The more detailed you are about your diet, the better time each of our coaches will have in giving you feedback. The more information we have in your meals, the better the results you are going to have from this Challenge.

We’re a little over 1/3 of the way done, so almost everyone should be fairly well adjusted to the positive changes in your diet. Yes, it can be hard at times. If it was easy, then everyone would already have done it. Yes, it can throw your schedule off sometimes. If you were already eating this well, you wouldn’t have needed a gym wide challenge to help reinforce good eating habits and additional accountability.

Bottom line – we believe in you and we know you can do this. We know you can do this better than you ever have before…that’s why we’re here after all.

Stay tuned for your email from your Roster Coach with feedback on your diet and beyondthewhiteboard.com

Band Sprints!!!

Looking for some fun training this weekend? Don’t forget about our awesome weekend schedule!
Saturday 9am Level 1 Team WOD, Saturday 10am All Levels Team WOD, 11am Basic Barbell Strength Class
Sunday 10am ‘The Long WOD’ & 11am ‘High Voltage Strength’ classes – both are perfect to help reach your ‘Refine Your Fuel’ Challenge Goals!

Friday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit:

A1. Front squat 2-2-2-2-2
A2. GHD Raises (not back extensions) x 8

B. 4×4 Strict Press

C. as many rounds in 7 min:
10 thrusters – 75#/55#
5 burpees

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Front Squat

Sets of 3, working up for 10 minutes

Strict Press – 4 sets of 4 reps

WOD: 7 minute AMRAP

10 front squat (barbell or goblet)

5 burpees

Thursday – February 2

tthack — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:38:09 +0000

The coaches are finishing up tallying the first week’s scores and reading each of your meals & workouts. Stay tuned for the first week’s winner of the 30 Day Nutritional Challenge – they will be announced Friday – along with the 4 Kings Tickets that go with it!
Our First Nutritional Challenge Recipe Contest is officially underway. This challenge will award 2 points to who ever wins with the best Paleo recipe. The scoring for our RYF challenge is tight, so 2 points right now will go a long way. The recipe will be graded on; whether or not it’s Paleo, then it will be graded on qualities like creativity, simplicity, variety, and uniqueness. Our Paleo Chef’s Stefan Niemzcyk and Nikki Ledford will be helping us to decide the winner! All recipes must be emailed to Nutrition@CrossFitHighVoltage.com and must have a picture of the prepared meal included. You’ve done a great job so far, and many of you are starting to see results…stay in the game and unleash your full potential!
The First Recipe Contest runs from now through Sunday night at 11:59pm…so get cooking!
Our Instructor Training Program will have its first written and movement tests tonight for their Level 2 High Voltage Coaching placement – 6:30pm. Be ready!
Finally – Did you see the new ‘page’ we’ve created on the website? We have so many great video’s made by our awesome CrossFitters that we decided to get a place that everyone can see them…and here’s the link – www.crossfithighvoltage.com/videos/ - and it can also be found under the ‘Getting Started’ drop down tab in the header. My, what fancy computer terms you have, Tim…

Just another day with an awesome start…

And another great ending…see you all on Thursday!

Thursday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

A. Band sprints – 4-6 sets – focus on good body lean & aggressive turn over
B. 3 x 1 min box jumps – rest no less than 1 min per set.
C. A Thursday Chipper – for time

Within 30 minutes, complete

10 burpees, 20 pull ups, 30 box jumps, 40 toes 2 bar, 50 wall ball, 60 kb swings, 70 push ups, 800 meter run

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Box Jumps & Wall Ball

WOD: Chipper -

30 burpees, 30 box jumps, 30 sit ups, 30 wall ball, 30 kb swings, 30 sit ups, 800m run

Wednesday – February 1 – A Comeback Story

tthack — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:13:55 +0000

~So the details are still missing from my memory about what happened. The accident is being treated as a hit and run. Since I don’t remember the accident, the theory based on vehicle and other damage is that a car pinned me against a concrete wall on the 405 at speed, I jumped or launched myself out of my bike when I saw the concrete wall at the exit ramp, my bike flipped over the wall, and I landed on the side of the road to be called in by someone else driving on the 405.

Final damage was brain trauma, body bruising, and three broken vertebrae. This is after the doctors all thought I had more broken bones and was paralyzed upon first entering the ER.

The purpose of this wasn’t to rehash my trauma. It was to tell you how my training at CrossFit High Voltage limited my physical trauma and prevented the need for severe rehab. With all the box jumps, C’s and D’s, pullups, pushups, and other skills and muscle development from my training, the doctors said my physical conditioning had protected and prevented even more severe damage. I got this same message from my rehab group. After only two visits with me being up, walking, and talking, they said there was nothing more they could do for me since I was beyond their expectations in terms of conditioning.

So the bottom line is that while CrossFit is challenge and pushes you everytime you do a WOD or learn a new skill, I am a firm believer in what it has done for me in protecting me from possible worse harm and damage. The doctors, nurses, and all health industry people were amazed at just my descriptions of the activity and said that it prevented more damage and shortened my recovery.

Chris Happel

-Tuesday night was Chris’s first night back at High Voltage. He did the training with the rest of the class…scaled for his current physical condition AND based on his current level of progression. I am amazed at Chris’s fortitude, his excitement to get back in training and pick up where he left off on his goal list…and he’s going to accomplish this 1 rep at a time – just like every single person in every single training session, every single day. There is no other way it can be done.

I am constantly amazed by the strength and fortitude found everywhere in our Community. It takes a lot of strength to just come through our doors, tell yourself that you are ready to make a serious change in your life, and then begin to make the positive steps towards that. Most people get stuck on step 1 or step 2. You all haven’t. And you keep coming back. You know it’s going to be hard. You know it will somehow challenge you. But you keep coming back…1 rep at a time…just like Chris.

Pretty awesome video…

Wolfpack…you’re move!

Wednesday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit -

A. Snatch complex 4 sets, going up in weight until technique faults happen

- 3 Power Snatch, 3 Behind Neck Push Press, 3 Overhead Squat (aka, my favorite Snatch complex in the world)
B. 3x 15 Overhead Squat – Who will be the next set of people to join the 15 rep Bodyweight Overhead Squat Club? Yup, the club has a secret handshake and everything – you don’t know what the handshake is? Well have you done 15 reps @ bodyweight?

-If you’ve got 15 @bodyweight, go for max reps – current gym record is 22.
C. Row 350m, rest 3 min x 4 sets – Row hard, then try to maintain the remaining 3 sets. Don’t game this. Push yourself.

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Overhead Squat – sets of 5 reps for 10-12 minutes. Focus on straight arms and upright torso!

WOD: Row 300m, rest 3-4 min x 4 sets. Focus is on fatigue repeatability, and not falling off your initial set…but still row hard!

Finisher – Tabata Sit Ups

Tuesday – January 31 – Sleep

tthack — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:33:30 +0000

Regular sleep!

Part of the benefit of ‘Refining Your Fuel’ is that it should help carry over to many other aspects in your life…and with as hard as we train, getting enough sleep is necessary to let your body rest.

Set a time every night to try to be in bed with every light off (including the subtle ones belonging to electronic devices). Even if you aren’t falling asleep right away, try to stick to that routine.

Eventually you will find your self falling asleep sooner and sleeping more deeply.

Your bodies are making the adjustment to a cleaner more healthier diet and a regular sleep schedule will not only aid this transition, but make for a healthy habit after the 30 day challenge is over.

Train hard…sleep hard!

They’re HERE! Our sick, custom plyo boxes, brought to us courtesy of our incredible ITP’er, ‘Monster’ Dan! Each box has 3 different sizes – 20″ (red top), 24″ (blue top), and 30″…Murdered out, of course. We’ll also have them in a 12″/16″/20″ sized boxes…

Danny V approves! Wait…what? Box jumps in the training today…just could not see that coming!

Tuesday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

A. Running – 800m run, rest 1 minute, 400 meter run – score is total time.

B. 2 min Shoulder to Overhead (out of rack) 115/75,

rest 2 min.

2 min max reps box jumps

3x Through
1 min on per station, rotate, rest 1 min after each time throught (like FGB) – start at any station-
-Deadlift – no rx weight, but base it off of 275/185 – or a weight they can get 10-15 reps a minute per round
-T2b
-Double unders (1pt per 5 reps)

-Level 1 CrossFit:

Pre-WOD: 800 meter run (sub rowing)

Skill: Deadlift & double Unders

WOD: 1 min per station, 3x through – rest 1 minute after a full cycle

-Deadlift

-Toes 2 bar or sit ups

-Jump Rope (1 pt for every 10 reps)

Monday – January 29 – 1 week stronger

tthack — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:32:20 +0000

1 Week Stronger…

Changing your lifestyle can sometimes seem near impossible. This past week, you have been undergoing a great reinvention of your diet. My experience with changes of this nature is that it’s easier to adopt a new lifestyle change when you focus on what you’re gaining, rather than what you’re sacrificing as a result of the change.

Rather than focusing on how much I miss the taste of bread and how hard it is to live without it, I prefer to focus on the fact that I don’t have to worry about gaining excess weight. And since diabetes runs in my family, it is comforting to know that I’m doing what I can to take care of my body. Keeping little thoughts like that in the foreground of your mind will help to get past the rough beginnings of your diet. Once you do that, you’ve created new eating habits and already begun to make lasting changes your lifestyle.

~Coach Joshua Murillo

-It’s coming…everyone get ready…because this even really is for everyone. It’s critical mass…it’s our connection with the rest of the CrossFit world. It’s part of what separates us from any other fitness concept in the world…we all get together, do the same workout, and the experience is much greater than the sum of our parts. Get ready…it’s coming…

Monday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit:

A1. Back Squat

5-5-3-3-3, rest 20 seconds

A2. Perform this in order, 20 second AMRAP – score is total reps, rest 60 – 90 seconds

-Hand Stand Push Ups (after the first set of back squat)

-Ring Dips (after the 2nd set…)

-Clapping Plyo Push Ups

-Push Ups

B. 3 Rounds for time

10x Hang Squat Clean

10x Burpees

10x Chest to Bar Pull Ups

rest exactly 2 minutes, then

2 minutes AMRAP burpees

score is time/burpee reps

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Back Squat – sets of 5 reps

Med Ball Clean

WOD: 15 minute AMRAP

10x MB Clean

10x Burpees

5x Pull Ups

rest 1 minute after each round. Score is total rounds complete

Friday – January 27 –

tthack — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:40:07 +0000

Stay tuned for your scoring instructions for week 1 of the Refine Your Fuel Nutritional Challenge. Week 1 is almost up, stay tuned for an email from your roster coach and the prize announcement!

-The Man in the Mirror

One of the hardest things to overcome is accepting when you have a flaw somewhere in your movements. I’ve had this realization first hand. When I was boxing, we were forced to shadowbox in front of mirrors. This made us see all the things we were doing wrong. For example, when I first started boxing, my combination was terrible. All of my trainers told me that I wasn’t twisting my hips and my back foot when I threw my left cross. I heard them, but I didn’t make a change until I stood in front of a mirror and threw my combo. I could see it for myself that I wasn’t doing it right. I knew what it should look like, and my reps looked nothing like what I wanted them to.

The same applied to my CrossFit training. When I first started, my coach told me I wasn’t going low enough on my air squat. I felt like I was, and I was trying as hard as I could, but he kept cueing me. So I went home and practiced squats in front of a mirror and sure enough I could see for myself that I was indeed not going low enough. I recommend that everyone try practicing basic fundamental movements in front of a mirror at home, or even take it a step further and videotape yourself. It will give you a chance to see what you look like from a different perspective. It will also give you an incentive to improve. Then, when it’s finally time to do your workout at the box, you’ll have improved coordination and technique, and a great performance.

Have a great week everyone.

~ Coach Joshua Murillo

Chad has the Best…Shoes…Ever!!!

Yeah Buddy!!!

Friday’s Training

All Levels CrossFit

A1. Deadlift

5-5-3-3-3

A2. Strict Pull Ups

AMRAP -2

B. 21-18-15-12-9-6-3

100′ walking lunge

Pull Ups (Rx + is Chest to Bar)

Sit Ups

Level 1 CrossFit

Skill: Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5

WOD: 18-15-12-9-6-3, reps for time

100′ walking lunge (scale to 50′)

Pull Ups

Sit Ups