This past Saturday was a blast. Interesting workout, eh?

Warm-up: 500m Row, 10 Turkish Get-ups (35/20), 10 Hang Muscle Snatches (45/25), 10 OHS (45/25)

Clean: 1RM

Front Squat: 5RM

Press: 80% of 5RM for one set of max reps

MetCon – AMRAP 5 Min:
10 Burpees
10 Squat Jumps

Learning and playing new sports is a big part of our philosophy at Ktown.  Are you doing your part?  When’s the last time you have gone out and played a sport with friends?  Soccer, basketball, golf, trail running, and rock climbing are just some of the many possibilities.  Get out and do something.  Use your newfound athletic prowess to have some fun and maybe even pick up the ladies/fellas.

Hey, I know a great opportunity to try something new.  How does a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip in our very own Great Smoky Mountains National Park sound?  Sounds like heaven to me.  CrossFit Ktown is going on a field trip!

What: Backpacking trip

When: July 23^rd – 25^th

Where: Tremont area of the GSMNP

Why: FUN!

Novices are welcome to come.  The veterans have some extra gear they can loan out.  Talk to one of the coaches if you have any questions.

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow,
Coach G

DM as G.I. Jane

Warm-up: 500m Row, Hip Mobility, Shoulder Mobility

MetCon – G.I. Jane:
100 Burpee Pull-ups

Finisher: Roll T-spine and Lats

This Saturday’s free class will be a group hero WOD in honor of the 4^th.  Bring a friend.  It’s going to be gnarly.

Coach Gee

At least we're tanned...

Warm-up: Burgener Warm-up

High Hang Snatch: 5×2 (get under the bar!)

MetCon – For Time:
50m Walking Lunges
then 21-15-9
KB SDHP (50/35lbs)
Clapping Push-ups
Air Squat Jumps

Finisher: 90 sec L-hang

Practice CrossFit up in Troy, OH has this to say about that age old question: “Where do you workout?  Oh ya?  What’s that?”

When your questioned about where you workout at, what do you say to explain CrossFit? Try some of these the next time someone asks.

-I train in a box. It has walls…sometimes. Sometimes we go outside. Sometimes we meet elsewhere. It’s not the location I value, it’s the people.

-I train in an open space, because bars and my training partners fly everywhere. There is no equipment in the way, only my friends near me as we all struggle together, and are rewarded all the same.

-I train in a warehouse with no air conditioning and big garage doors. If you didn’t know where it was, you would never find it. There is no sign outside. The signs of training are all inside, working, or helping one another.

-I train where advertising is sacrilege. I train where I am a walking advertisement.

-I train with people I truly enjoy, and would do anything for, not where I need to put ear phones in to block out all the annoying banter. When we go, we hear yells, trainers instructing, or loud ass music making us go even harder…not elevator bullshit. Real music.

-I train in a place where if I am negative, I will be addressed by at least one person about my stupid ass attitude, and if I am unlucky enough on that day, I may be asked to leave, and come back when I’m better, because I am affecting the core by my stupid ass baggage that is meant to be burned at the door.

-I train where if I want to keep my shirt on I can….but there are no rules saying I have to. Where I train if someone disrobes to any level, wears short ass shorts, or is quasi naked after a WOD that’s fine…no attention will be paid, because it’s all about the training, not about meat markets. If you want a pick up joint, look elsewhere.

-I train where I’m valued and truly appreciate for showing up and putting forth true, real, demanding effort.

-I train where I am judged on my movements and attitude every day. Not because my friends are assholes, because they truly want to make me better at life, and want success for me not injury. A piss poor performance means someone will care enough to help me make it better, and find out why it happened to begin with.

-I train in a place void of gossip. Rumors are unwelcome at all times and if I was stupid enough to ever spout anything negative, or even just not positive about one of my training partners, or any other training location for that matter, I would be crucified on the spot, by any and all in ear shot. Drama queens are eaten alive where I train.

-I train where everyone applauds when I do well, and I applaud for them.

-I train where justification is Lucifer, and honesty is gospel. For if I lie, I only fail myself.

-I train where I am confronted everyday by food Nazis who won’t allow me to eat shit and call it gold. Where I train we call bad, bad, quality, quality and everything in between sub-par. Where I train life happens, the difference is, here I have to confront my downfalls and improve not hide them away for tomorrow.

-I train to be better at life – the unknown and unknowable. To one day be able to help someone less fortunate than I. To be able to be moving on my own when I’m old and gray, not being moved.

-I train because I want the mirror to be an outward reflection of how I feel inside, which is pretty damn good, and I want it to stay that way.

-I train because laziness sickens me, and preventable disease is exactly that…preventable through effort, not medication.

-I train to be different than those before me. To go out swinging, not resting. To live valiantly, not cowardly.

-I train where the floor could double as a pool at times because people actually work hard. I don’t care, that’s how it should be.

-I train with football players, grandmas, kids, housewives, doctors.

-I train with people of every walk of life, and if I cared about status…someone would make me leave.

-I train where education daily is paramount, and if I’m not a constant student, I will fail quickly.

-I train where we are all equal, because we truly are. The only thing that separates people is the attitude to believe this is true or not. The ones who believe they are better than others, are so much better….they aren’t allowed to train with me.

-I train with people that make my day better.

-I train in a place where I want to be, not a place I feel I have to be.

-I train under expectations: expectations to be better than yesterday.

-I train in a community dedicated to the whole. The success of the many.  This is the reason we all change and progress so fast. Where I train, it’s not about “I”….it’s about “us.”

I train….what the hell do you?

Which one do you most subscribe to?

“The success of the many,”
Coach G

Mustachio.

Warm-up: Tennis Ball Rolling – Posterior Shoulder, Group Hip Mobility, 800m Run

Squat: 5RM

Bench: 5RM

Deadlift: 1RM

MetCon – AMRAP 5 minutes:
Handstand Push-ups

Let the picture speak for both this post and the hubris of CFKT.

Train hard and preferably mustached,
Coach G

Introspection: always good post MetCon.

Warm-up: 2 Rounds – 10 OHS (45/25lbs), 10 Walking Lunges, 10 Pass-Throughs on Parallettes, 10 Knees-to-Elbows

Shoulder Mobility

MetCon – Lynne:
5 Rounds for Reps
Max Bench Press (BW)
Max Pull-Ups

Metcon ran a bit long thanks to chatter (which you all love).  Paleo questions were a plenty (which we love).  Post will be kept short.

Remember that we are closed this Wednesday afternoon and evening.  All morning classes on Wednesday will run as scheduled.

And as for the event calendar…it seems to have crapped out on us.  I’ll chalk it up to the heavy use it received after me telling you all it was live.  We’re working on it.

It was fun seeing everyone leave the gym swoll today,
Coach G

Julie and Margot of Obligato fame!

Warm-up: 500m Row, Foam Roll T-spine, 400m Run, Hip Opener

MetCon – AMRAP 30 Minutes:
8 Thrusters (135/95 lbs)
30 Mountain Climbers
Farmer’s Walk circa bldg. (50/35 lbs)

Today was gnarly bears.  I’m glad you made it out for the nastiness.  Pay attention to your recovery tonight and tomorrow so you will be prepared for next week’s ballyhoo.

Now if I could draw your attention to our brand new event calendar over there to right.  You can now keep up with what exactly is going on at Ktown by clicking on the dates in orange.  We will update it with the remaining events soon.  So check the calendar for all the happenings at the gym from now on.

Well, one week of the new Paleo Challenge is down, and people are already looking slimmer, sexier, and fitter.  Keep up the good work because with great diet comes great responsibility.  Every man dies, but not every man truly lives.  We are but shadows and dust.  Names those three movies – in order.

Keep working hard and stuffing your mouth-hole with Paleo eats,
Coach G

A picture from last Saturday's free class.

Mark working hard for the Saturday.

Warm-up: CFWUx2

Squat: 5RM

Bench Press: 5RM

Deadlift: 5RM

MetCon – Tabata:
Tabata Double Unders
Score total reps

The free Saturday classes have been hopping as of late.  You guys and gals have really been making a push for that extra day per week, and a lot of you have brought a friend or family member in.  Thanks to everyone who has been coming out/bringing people in for some Saturday sweat.  But, since we’re greedy people, we want more.

We had 18 people in last Saturday’s 10AM.  We want 20+ this Saturday.  The coaches have some creative ideas now that it’s warmed up and we can utilize our outside space.  Can you say Frogger-style warm up across the busy Papermill Drive?   The cool things we can do are endless, so let’s utilize this beautiful weather to augment our fitness and bring new people to CrossFit.  If you haven’t made it in to one of our free Saturday workouts yet, it’s time.  Bring a friend.

On a totally unrelated note: If you know someone in Nashville and haven’t yet called to check in on them, might I suggest dialing their number?  For those of you who haven’t picked up a newspaper in years, Nashville and other areas of the South got hit very hard with some serious flooding.  I’ve spoken to several affiliate owners out there who were very lucky and one that wasn’t.  Let’s keep Nashville and the other flood-damaged areas in our thoughts and prayers while they struggle to get life back to normal.

Free Saturdays are FTW,
Coach G

Two newcomers to the Ktown free class.

The final Boaz.

Let's welcome Cesar, with his beefcake arms, back to the gym. He's been away for a while doing a cycle of curls.

Warm-up: 3 Rounds – 10 Total 1-arm KB Swings (35/20lbs), 7 Chest-to-Bar Chin-Ups, 50m Sprint

Squat: 3×5

MetCon – For Time:
200m Sprint
30 Box Jumps (24/18″)
200m Sprint
20 Box Jumps
200m Sprint
10 Box Jumps
200m Sprint

We’ve been having some trouble in the gym as of late.  I think this repost will go a long way to clear it up.  Too bad it isn’t a riposte. LOLz?  No?  Sorry.  -G

I am always listing the ways CrossFit makes you a better athlete, mother, husband, lover, fighter, and a million other occupations, but now I am going to teach you to become a better geometrician.  Why you ask?  It is because the coaches have been making too many trips to the trash dumpster lately.

Our problem is that of fitting an inordinate amount of paper towel in to a finite space, the trash can.  To maximize the trash can’s volume we need to mold our used paper towels in to the shape that has the least surface area while simultaneously having a great deal of volume.  Enter the sphere.  By balling our used paper towels up we reduce the space required to store said towels; therefore, we can fit more paper towels in to the trash can! Eureka!

Why does this matter?  Because now your coaches will have more time throughout the day to do whatever it is they do (burpees).  And hey, if you think I’m crazy just compare this short rant to what Coach ‘Cutthroat’ Miss J wanted to do: take away all hand drying privileges.  You can thank me later for keeping this Draconian measure out of our gym…

Not good.

Bad.

Not bad.

Good.

At least we didn’t go in to Euclidean spherical packing,
Coach G

1) What is the shortest distance between two points?
2)1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 What are the next five numbers in the sequence?
3) How much wood could a woodchuck chuck?
4)How many hoplites can Themistocles dispatch to Thermopylae without endangering his force of triremes at Artemisium?  Show your work.

Post to comments.

Ben Slocum knows soreness and, therefore, knows gain.

Warm-up: 6! – Sandbag C&J, Strict Chin-ups, Kettlebell Swing High Pulls

Speed Squat: 10×2 on the minute

Deadlift: 5RM

MetCon:
Tabata Row (Distance)

Finisher: Foam Roll IT Bands

Soreness, we’ve all been there.  Some of you may be currently sitting in a tub of ice reading this blog post because of the faithless mistress.  How do you cope with soreness?  Better yet, how do we keep her at bay so we don’t bay at every touch of our quadriceps or lats?  Let us discuss.

There are certain movements that when you see them written on the board you know you’re going to be sore the next day(s).  Lunges, jumping pull-ups, knees-to-elbows, and Roshambo all come to mind.  Some of this has to do with the eccentric (negative) part inherent in some of these movements like the lunge and jumping pull-up.  Another reason is the relative scarcity of some movements in our programming (like toes-to-bar).  I’m sure you guys and gals have noticed that when something comes up that we haven’t done in a while you get more sore than usual.  This stuff is inevitable, and it keeps you sick people coming back for more.

The good thing is soreness doesn’t severely hinder your performance.   The hardest part is waking up in the morning and convincing yourself you CAN go to CrossFit Ktown and perform well.  Delayed onset muscle soreness is typically at its worst 48 hours after the bout of exercise that induced it.  The soreness is also the worst after periods of inactivity like sleep or sitting in a car/at a desk.  So don’t be discouraged from working out if you’re feeling a bit stiff.  On the contrary, that should make you want to come in and get your sweat on even more.

A great way to combat Old Lady Soreness is to get the tissues warm and pliable and then move them through some full range of motion movements.  We sometimes do that here at Ktown.  Another weapon in your arsenal is plenty of sleep, water, and fish oil.  And if you’re “the real deal” you will hop in to an ice bath or contrast shower.

On the preventative side of Old Lady Soreness (which many would say is her best side) are stretching to keep tissues long and supple, Paleo diet to keep inflammation in check, and proper warm-up/cool downs.  Preach prevention.

So keep all this in mind the next time you’re in round four of your walking lunge Tabata.  You can train through what to other people would be debilitating soreness.  It is possible to do some work to amend said soreness.  But your best bet is to try your hardest to prevent that silly soreness from ever taking root.

Coach G

P.S. – Old Lady Soreness was a wooden ship used in the Civil War era.

Surekha and Geri know how to train for the impending Zombie Invasion!

Warm-up: 2 Rounds – 10 Strict Chin-ups, 10 OHS (45/25lbs), 30 Double Unders

Squat: 3×5

MetCon:
50m Tire Drag Hill Sprints x5 (plenty of rest between efforts)

There was trouble this morning at Ktown.  The dilemma began when I came in to make a pot of coffee and saw we were totally out.  Oh! The trials and tribulations we endure to keep this ship sailing true.  Now I don’t want you guys to worry about it as I have it under control now.  More precisely, Ben Slocum has it under control.  He brought in goodies such as Columbian Supremo, Sumatra Mandheling, and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.  This should tell you two things about the coaches at CrossFit Ktown:  1) We are savvy, well traveled, pretentious people and 2) We are beginning to illegally dope with caffeine again so watch our numbers take off.   Coffee is just plain good, and good coffee is the best ergogenic aid in sports.  Kelly Starrett of CrossFit San Francisco likes to point out, “I think that if you replaced two-thirds of your blood plasma with coffee, it would challenge your liver in ways that would only make you stronger.”  Take heed, Ktowners.

Coffee counts as paleo in my book, by the way, which is a perfect segue in to my next piece of information and that’s our 10 Week Spring Lean Paleo Challenge Lollapalooza.  We have a ton of new members chomping at the proverbial lean meats, nuts and seed, some fruit, no starch, no sugar bit to do a Paleo Challenge, so here it is!  We will do a lecture Saturday, May 1^st, after the free class, and begin the challenge Monday, May 3^rd.  We may host another lecture on the Sunday between if you guys ask nicely.

If you’re on the fence about doing the Paleo Challenge, ask one of the members who participated in the last one.  I think you’ll get a resounding “Dude, it was awesome” from everyone.  After all, we’re only trying to help you look, feel, and perform better – no big deal.  I hope that a few of our previous Paleo Challenge contenders let us release their before and after pics…they are amazing.

I will leave you with two videos.  One is of Scott taking the tire for a trip up the hill.  The other is a freaking gnarly video showing two of our ladies getting their first kipping pull-ups!  Congrats ma’ams!

Tire drags rub me the right way,
Coach G