Back Squat

5-5-5-5-5

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Will, doing Saturday’s WoD – Round 2 (mpg, 1:44, 25.9MB), Round 5 (mpg, 1:24, 21MB)

Ruairi, doing Saturday’s WoD – Round 4 (mpg, 1:03, 15.8MB)

The Squat is so effective an exercise because of the way it uses the muscles around the core of the body. Much is made of core strength, and fortunes have been made selling new ways to train the core muscles. A correct squat perfectly balances all the forces around the knees and the hips, using these muscles in exactly the way the skeletal biomechanics are designed for them to be used, over their anatomically full range of motion.

-Mark Rippetoe, Starting Strength

5 Rounds of:
Bodyweight Back Squat, Max Reps
Push Ups, Max Reps

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This workout is a variation of Lynne (wmv/mov)- a Crossfit main site benchmark workout. For the Back Squat you should have the same amount on the bar as you weigh. So, if you weigh 85Kg, you should have 85Kg on the bar for your squats.

Once you pause at the top or bottom of the push up to adjust your hands, take a break, or fix your wedgie, you’re done for that round and that’s your max reps. We’ll allow a longer pause on the squats.

Take as much time as necessary between rounds, as this workout is not for time. Regard it as a a max strength day over a metcon workout.

To scale: If you can do at least 3 reps of your bodyweight DO NOT scale. If you have to reduce the weight, keep it as heavy as possible to do between 3-5 reps. For this Workout, we want to build up our absolute strength until we can back squat our bodyweight, at which point it will become an endurance building workout.

If you are doing incline push ups, go as close you can to the ground to get between 5-7 good push ups. Regardless of where you do them, hold yourself to high standards.

Ten sprints for time:
Run 100 meters

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Sprint Technique video (wmv/mov)

But what if it’s raining?

William doesn’t seem to mind the rain – nothing keeps him away from getting his Squats in.
We’ll have to presume he kept his form underneath that raincoat!!!

“Jackie”

For time:
1000 meter Row
20Kg Thruster, 50 reps
30 Pull-ups

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Rowing Basics (C2), Angela Hart…[wmv][mov]

C2 Damper Settings, Angela Hart…[wmv][mov]

There’s a thread on the Crossfit Message Board about the extra, unexpected benefits that Crossfit has had on you. This is my response:

How connected my whole body feels, like it was finally working as one perfectly integrated system. It was also fantastic to know that it was all taken care of, and I didn’t have to worry that any part of my fitness or health was lacking.

From speaking to people who’ve trained in facilities like the one we’re building and that they have over in Crossfit Manchester, there’s the sense of community and being part of something. In that way, we’re much more like a sports team than a regular gym. I guess this is one of the reasons Crossfit is The Sport of Fitness.

“Cindy”
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

How to do this workout?…

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3 Rounds
Row 500m
Kettlebell swings, 21

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Meet Aine & Jacqui (our new Rowing Machines):

Guide to rowing technique, from Concept 2.

If you don’t have a kettlebell, use a grip plate or a dumbbell.

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps (wmv/mov)
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps (wmv/mov)

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WoD video of Annie from Crossfit HQ performing the above workout. Has some nice tips on breathing, focus, and execution. (wmv/mov)

It was too sunny on Saturday to stay inside, plus MFLE haven’t delivered our improved Bench, so we went outside (a rare treat for Irish Crossfitters) and did some Hang Snatches