Weekend WOD on Monday in London’s Hyde Park

This week’s park WOD is at the center of London in Hyde Park.

We’ll meet in front of Hyde Park Corner underground station rain or shine at 11:00am on Monday 31st May. We will wait there until 11:10, then head over to the park for the WOD. Please be on time. If you get lost or have any issues, call Jay at 077 8871 7768. This workout is free and open to everyone, and will be scaled to your abilities.

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WOD: – If you can’t make the park WOD
For 8 mins, run 100m every 30 seconds
Rest 3 minutes
For 6 mins, run 100m every 30 seconds

Give Her Some Tea and Julz Will Bring it On!

(Friday’s Fight Gone Bad WOD is at the bottom of this post)
This week we’re getting to know Julie who, like Griff, is one of our original members and a reliable source of positive energy and motivation at the gym!

Age: 28
Height: 165cm
Weight: 58kg
What do you do all day?
Analyse funds and fund managers.

What is your athletic history?
I started off doing jazz ballet as a kid, then aerobics classes at the gym and waterpolo as a teenager, in my late teens I started running and then got into karate and football. A couple of years of light kickboxing training and general gymming followed but I was frustrated at not getting the kind of results I’d had from karate. Ran a half marathon last year and joined CrossFit in February.

What is your biggest strength in the gym?
Leg work, and running to an extent.

Biggest weakness?
Pull-ups!

What’s your drink?
Herbal tea, gallons of it. Generally I prefer chamomile, peppermint, green tea or jasmine.

What’s your biggest fitness goal?
To never have to use a rubber band for pull-ups again!

What do you enjoy most about Thames CrossFit?
Working out with friends in a supportive and challenging environment where everyone’s behind you but we all come to train hard.

What has been your favourite workout so far?
My favourite? Hm. Every week I have a new favourite as Jami dreams up new ways to torture – I mean train – us. Improving all the time means I enjoy some parts much more now, like the kettlebells. I really enjoyed the one with kettlebells and dead lifts we did last Friday, what was it called? (We called it OPT)
Mostly because I did part RX with a 24kg kettlebell and my male training partner was using the same weight kettlebell hehe

Have any advice for our new members or potential CrossFitters?
Just come along and meet the crew. The worst thing would be to assume we’re elitist because we can actually all can scale our workouts to our ability. So many guys are scared to come along, but you’ve got to start somewhere and there’s only one way to get better/stronger/more buff – practise! Train harder! Don’t avoid it because soon you’ll have a six pack to die for and will be fighting off the ladies. Surely a goal worth fighting for.

Most importantly: What is the greatest sports movie of all time?
Well it’s a bit cheesy but I love “Bring It On” the cheerleading is awesome!

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WOD:

“Fight Gone Bad”

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.
This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed
before repeating. We will do 3 rounds
The stations are:
Wall-ball: 9/6 kg ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull: 35/25 kg (Reps)
Box Jump: 24/18″ box (Reps)
Push-press: 35/25 kg (Reps)
Row: Calories (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of
“rotate,” the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good
score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each
calorie is one point.

Rest Day and Paleo Results for Week 3

Paleo Challenge results: week 3!
Team Julz – 180.21 (63.62 for the week)
Team Phil – 173.17 pts (56.17for the week)

Uh oh! Team Phil‘s initial lead has waned and Team Julz has overtaken them! Another committed week from everyone, with a lot of 63’s out of 68. No perfect scores this week but the top score tie goes to Julz and Tina with 65 pts each. The prize for lowest score, and the winner of 25 burpee pull-ups is GRIFF!

Now, in this last week of the challenge, let’s all keep it clean and go for maximum points! The last official day of the challenge is next Tuesday, 1 June and we will be keeping scores until then.

Also, please note we have moved the date of the Paleo Challenge Celebration to Friday, 18 June, to make sure we have as many of you there as possible. Please let us know if the 18th of June will or won’t work for you.

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Paleo fish “tacos” = without the taco part. Grilled cod over salad, topped with spicy guacamole.

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WOD:
Rest day. You can also make up Wednesday’s Cindy, or work on skills.

Note. No sign ups for the morning rest day class today, so the morning class is cancelled. You do have an opportunity to work out in the fresh air with Jami and John today at 11:15am in the Wharf. They will be meeting near Browns and Museum of Docklands on West India Quay 11:15. Please confirm to Jami if you’re coming.

Cindy

Josh and Jay in an impromptu push-up contest to prepare for today’s WOD.

How are those push-ups treating you?

“Cindy”
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 20 mins of:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

Rest day

The gang resting after another fantastic London park WOD. This is exactly what you should do today to save yourself for Cindy on Wed.

WOD:
Rest day or Make up Fran, or work on skills

Chris brought up an interesting question yesterday at the end of class. Is it normal to feel sluggish after 3 weeks of paleo? Don’t we need carbs to keep energy levels up?

The answer is yes, it is normal to feel sluggish during the first few weeks, it takes the body a while to get used to not having a steady stream of sugar in the diet.

Once your body gets used to life without huge doses of sugar, it begins to use other sources of energy for fuel. This transition can take some time, so you’ll have to tough it out to see the results. For more information, check out this study on ketogenic (low carb) diets.

Assessment Week!

Please clean up your chalk! We have a small broom and extra towels in the gym just for cleaning it up. We will soon have a wire brush for cleaning the bars. Please please please clean up after yourself before you leave the gym!

On to more fun stuff. It’s time to see how we did over the last 6 weeks. Are you ready?

WOD:
“Fran”
21-15-9
Thruster – 42.5kg/30kg
Pull-ups

Scale weights/assistance as needed.

Weekend Workout at Hampstead Heath

Our workout this weekend will be in Hampstead Heath in north London.

We’ll meet in front of Hampstead underground station at the corner of Hampstead High st and Heath st rain or shine. We will wait there until 11:10, then head over to the park for the WOD. Please be on time. If you get lost or have any issues, call Jay at 077 8871 7768. This workout is free and open to everyone, and will be scaled to your abilities.

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WOD: – If you can’t make it to the park
Run 5k

A Dose of OPT

We’re almost through week 3 of the Paleo Challenge! Keep up the willpower, everyone; it will be worth it! We’re planning our Paleo Challenge celebration for Friday, 4 June, 7pm (after the last 6-7pm class). We’ll announce the individual winner of the challenge (and handing over the cash prize!), as well as toasting the winning team with treats and beer. More details and the location are TBD but please put this time and date in your diary. If anyone thinks they won’t be able to make it, let us know asap.

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If last Sunday’s brutal park workout is becoming a hazy memory, we have a slideshow of pictures that will bring it all back, kindly taken by our friend and (fantastic) photographer, Linh.

Our next park workout is this Sunday, 23rd May in Hampstead Heath. We’re meeting at the Hampstead Underground Tube station at 11am. Can’t wait to see what Jami has in store for us!

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Friday’s WOD:

On the minute every minute for a max of 20 minutes:
-2 of Power Clean and Push Jerk – 70% 1RM Clean and Jerk
-6 Kettlebell swings – 32/24 kg

Scale weights as needed.

This one came from the blog of 2007 CrossFit games champ OPT

Recovery and performance, Are you getting enough sleep?

Proper rest is often the missing element for athletes once they’ve gotten their workouts and diet dialled in. At Thames CrossFit London, we place a special emphasis on rest and recovery. Below you’ll find some common questions and answers related to sleep and performance.

Why is it important to get 8 hours of sleep?
-improves short term memory
-enhances creativity and learning performance
-stronger immune system (you’ll get sick less)
-reduces cancer risk
-promotes weight loss

What if I feel like I function well enough on 6 or 7 hours?
You may be able to function, but how effectively? As a test, try sleeping for 8 hours per night for 2 weeks and check our energy levels and general mood. You can also try taking this quiz testing your short term memory before and after the experiment to see if you have improved.

How can I tell from my workouts if I’m not getting enough sleep?
-It will be difficult to maintain good technique
-You’ll get tired more quickly during the WOD
-You may feel weaker (unable to lift heavy weights)
-Decreased motivation
-Poor concentration on movements requiring accuracy (double unders, wall balls, box jumps, etc)
-It will be more difficult to learn new skills

What can I do to ensure I have a good night’s sleep?
There are several steps you can take.

1) Set up your environment – Eliminate as much light as possible from your bedroom prior to going to sleep. Cover your windows with blackout curtains (or a blanket). Get rid of your night light, and cover up your electric clock radio. The body responds to light, so you want your room to be as dark as possible.

2) Slow down and switch off – 1-2 hours prior to bed, turn off the TV, internet, mobile phone, studies, etc. You want to avoid any activities which will lead to preoccupation and future planning. This includes reading non fiction. For best results, do an activity which relaxes you and requires present state attention. For best results, read fiction just prior to sleep.

3) Take a bath – 1-2 hours prior to bed, take a bath. A cold and warm bath work equally well in producing a relaxed state. A cold bath has the potential added benefit of improving muscle recovery.

4) Food/Drink – Avoid coffee for at least 6 hours prior to sleeping. Also, have a low GI (glycemic index) snack before bed. A small snack such as a handful of almonds, a few celery stalks, or a small piece of fruit can keep blood sugar from dropping too low overnight.

5) Get into a rhythm – Try to get to bed at the same time every night (preferably before midnight), and train yourself to wake up without an alarm clock. If you’re going to bed at 10pm for 4-5 nights in a row, you will automatically wake up between 5:30 and 6:30 as part of your normal sleep cycle.

6) Other supplements – Some people benefit from zinc, magnesium and calcium to enhance sleep quality

If you’re not already getting 8 hours of sleep per night, try the steps above for 2 weeks and note your workout performance, mood, energy levels, and short term memory before and after to see if you can improve your sleeping habits.

Resources:

http://www.fitness-n-function.co.nz/Wellness_Newsletter/Wake-Sleep.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/directory/Sleep/Insomnia/default.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kubnf5ZH18g – Authors@Google: Sara Mednick

Lights Out: Sleep, sugar and survival by TS Wiley (book)

Post observations and questions to comments.

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Thursday’s WOD:

9 – 15 – 21
Thrusters 42.5/30kg
pull ups

Reverse Fran. Can you match your original Fran time?

Beef Mince with a Side of Skills Day

As we’re about half way into week 3 of the paleo challenge (keep it up, we’re almost there!) we wanted to share what we’ve been cooking. Post any favourite paleo foods to comments or send us a pic of one of your dinners!

above: Jami’s steamed asparagus with mince beef patties, one whole avocado and few sultanas on the side, added for flavour. He grilled the meat and it was grass-fed.

above: Tina’s paleo chili/ragu over mixed salad. Beef mince, chopped onion, cherry tomatoes, tomato puree, cocoa powder, chili and cayenne pepper powder.

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Paleo challenge results, week 2!

Team Julz – 115.28 (61.71 for the week)
Team Phil – 117 pts (62.83 for the week)

Strong showing by everyone, with a lot of 65′s out of 68. Only perfect scores go to Jay and Jami, who redeem themselves after being on the low end last week. The prize for lowest score, and the winner of 25 burpee pull-ups to perform with Jami is….a tie! Josh and Petter! come on down!!!

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Wednesday’s WOD:
A: Skills day or make up a workout you’ve missed
B: Wish John a Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday John!

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