Page 1 of 8 MARCH/APRIL 2012 VOL 1 ISSUE 2 CROSSFIT REBELS NEWS CrossFit the Firefighter By Thomas McClave A firefighter’s job is demanding and dangerous. In order to battle this way of life, a firefighter should be in outstanding physical shape. “Studies have shown that the exertion of firefighting is equivalent to the metabolic effort engaged in by Navy SEASs (Sea, Air and Land) and professional boxers.” So what is the best way to accomplish this task and to maintain this high level of fitness? Many firefighters believe that lifting weights and jogging on treadmills is sufficient; or sadly enough, some do not do any physical fitness training at all. Recently many firefighters, police officers, military and fitness enthusiasts have discovered CrossFit fitness. This methodology of training combines much more than lifting weights and/or jogging could ever accomplish. That is why CrossFit is the ultimate physical fitness program for firefighters. Firefighters work in challenging conditions such as extreme heat, confined spaces, IDLH atmospheres (Immediately Dangers to Life and Health) and busy highways just to name a few. They wear protective clothing, and Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) that weighs 50-75 pounds, while carrying tolls and hoses to be able to perform their jobs. Inside burning structures, they crawl down smoke-filled hallways searching for victims, while advancing hose lines full of water to the seat of the fire, then operating the nozzles and flowing water until the fire is out. If victims are found, they must be removed rapidly and safely; this involves lifting , carrying or dragging the person to safety. At vehicle accidents, firefighters maneuver into crushed cars, treating patients and using heavy extrication equipment to remove the mangled metal away from the injured occupants. (continued on page 3) The simplest things … can be so hard! You think jumping rope and you think of schoolgirls with pigtails and double-dutch, right? WRONG! We’re CrossFitters…we do Double Unders and Triple Unders until our legs bleed from rope lashes. So isn’t it odd that after all that effort, we still don’t know how to adjust the rope lengths? Metal screw-tight stoppers must be adjusted with small screw drivers. Ask a coach if you need help. Plastic stopper-ends are adjustable, but you need to be delicate with the small teeth that grip the plastic-coated ropes. WHAT NOT TO DO: Step on the rope handle to stretch the rope. It won’t work! Tie knots in the rope to shorten it…i t just kinks rope permanently… doesn’t work! Tie knots in the handles end-stoppers. Seriously? IT WON’T WORK! It keeps the rope from spinning. We’ve recently ordered replacement cords for the damaged, kinked and knotted cords, and new ends for those without proper fitting stoppers. Please help keep them kinkless, unbroken and in good shape. “If you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to work out.”~Coach Glassman
Transcript
Page 1 of 8
MARCH/APRIL 2012
VOL 1 ISSUE 2
CROSSFIT REBELS NEWS
CrossFit & the Firefighter By Thomas McClave
A firefighter’s job is demanding and dangerous. In
order to battle this way of life, a firefighter should be
in outstanding physical shape. “Studies have shown
that the exertion of firefighting is equivalent to the
metabolic effort engaged in by Navy SEASs (Sea, Air
and Land) and professional boxers.” So what is the
best way to accomplish this task and to maintain this
high level of fitness? Many firefighters believe that
lifting weights and jogging on treadmills is sufficient;
or sadly enough, some do not do any physical fitness
training at all. Recently many firefighters, police
officers, military and fitness enthusiasts have
discovered CrossFit fitness. This methodology of
training combines much more than lifting weights
and/or jogging could ever accomplish. That is why
CrossFit is the ultimate physical fitness program for
firefighters.
Firefighters work in challenging conditions such as
extreme heat, confined spaces, IDLH atmospheres
(Immediately Dangers to Life and Health) and busy
highways just to name a few. They wear protective
clothing, and Self-contained Breathing Apparatus
(SCBA) that weighs 50-75 pounds, while carrying tolls
and hoses to be able to perform their jobs. Inside
burning structures, they crawl down smoke-filled
hallways searching for victims, while advancing hose
lines full of water to the seat of the fire, then operating
the nozzles and flowing water until the fire is out. If
victims are found, they must be removed rapidly and
safely; this involves lifting , carrying or dragging the
person to safety. At vehicle accidents, firefighters
maneuver into crushed cars, treating patients and
using heavy extrication equipment to remove the
mangled metal away from the injured occupants.
(continued on page 3)
The simplest things … can be so hard!
You think jumping rope and you think of
schoolgirls with pigtails and double-dutch, right?
WRONG! We’re CrossFitters…we do Double
Unders and Triple Unders until our legs bleed
from rope lashes.
So isn’t it odd that after all that effort, we still don’t
know how to adjust the rope lengths?
Metal screw-tight stoppers must be
adjusted with small screw drivers. Ask a
coach if you need help.
Plastic stopper-ends are adjustable, but
you need to be delicate with the small
teeth that grip the plastic-coated ropes.
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Step on the rope handle to stretch the
rope. It won’t work!
Tie knots in the rope to
shorten it…it just kinks the
rope permanently… it won’t
doesn’t work!
Tie knots in the handles as
end-stoppers. Seriously?
IT WON’T WORK! It keeps the rope
from spinning.
We’ve recently ordered replacement cords for
the damaged, kinked and knotted cords, and
new ends for those without proper fitting
stoppers. Please help keep them kinkless,
unbroken and in good shape.
“If you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to work out.”~Coach Glassman
Page 2 of 8
MARCH/APRIL 2012
VOL 1 ISSUE 2
COACHes, in person and on paper!
New: Coaching Cards!
Got extra time after your WOD? Not totally spent?
Need to work on a weakness but Coaches are still
with the active class? Got a plaguing ITB
Syndrome or does your Pigeon suck? Well, it’s
your lucky…month! Our new Coaching Card
system is in play!
In the milk crate on the shelf at the front of the
gym (where the Skill Level Tests are) there are
new “tools” for athletes to use to improve in areas
of weakness. Check out what’s completed and
what’s on the docket to come: (c/o = cash out)
CORE C/O – mini-WODs or “skill sets”
that focus on the core (loose definition:
the body, minus the arms and legs).
BODYWEIGHT C/O – mini WODs, some
set in interval fashion, some set up as one
quick bout of effort. There is a section of
running WODs, a section of rowing WODs
and a section of combo WODs to choose
from.
YOGA FOR CROSSFITTERS –coming
soon - you guessed it – specific static
stretches designed to target a
CrossFitters least mobile and most
inflexible areas!
UE STRENGTH – coming soon
LE STRENGTH – coming soon
TWEAK SHEETS – coming soon -
designed to give you pre-and post-WOD
options to address injury prevention,
areas of chronic soreness or injury.
Examples are Low Back Pain (non-
specific), IT Band Syndrome,
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Tight
External Rotators. We’re very excited
about these! Again, hoping to help
decompress Mouth!
New Coaches! We officially welcome Chris Wessler as of February and Earl Smith as of March to our coaching team. Chris comes to us with a strong CrossFitting background and huge desire to play a role in the progress and success of each of our athletes. You’ll see him at the box on a rotating schedule opposite his firefighting schedule. As well, Earl, we think, was “coerced” into trying CrossFit by his lovely wife, Brenda, and got hooked! He’s got a serious passion for CrossFit and is helping us out in the mornings, Tues/Thurs 6 & 7am. We’re hoping he’ll sign on with us until he moves to the Carolinas!
Smarter Coaches! Nicole, Angie & Earl attended the USAW Sports Performance Coach Certification on March 10-11. The Sports Performance Coach takes participants through the technical progressions of the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, and all associated movements including Power Snatch, Power Clean, Power Jerk, Squat variations, and pulling progressions. USAW and the IWF (International Weightlifting Foundation) are closely related and are the two “go to” organizations for the sport of competitive weightlifting. Sam attended the Poliquin BioSignature Certification March 7-11. BioSignature Modulation was created by world renowned strength and conditioning coach Charles Poliquin, and uses gender-based bodyfat distribution to determine hormonal imbalances, and then provides protocols for targeting stubborn or overall body fat, decreasing inflammation and improving health through diet and supplementation. Not exactly “CrossFit”, but definitely a hot topic in the box!
A quick tip about injury: All of your coaches with a personal training background have worked through basic injury prevention, care and are pretty competent with orthopedic “tweaks” through experience and working with Ed. Just remember that, as about 70% of the requests Ed gets “to look at me” could have been triaged through a coach. Where CrossFit is all about efficiency, so are we. Let’s don’t bog down our lead guy “just because he’s the P.T.”. More on that later...
Page 3 of 8
MARCH/APRIL 2012
VOL 1 ISSUE 2
(Cont’d from page 1)
CrossFit & the Firefighter
Firefighters are responsible for many physical tasks,
including extending, lowering and climbing ladders,
handling heavy hose lines, forcing entry into locked
doors using sledge hammers and axes, pulling down
ceilings with pike poles looking for hidden fire; this is
all performed while controlling breathing and heart
rate to make the air in their SCBA last as long as
possible. As stated above, there are many physical
duties that a firefighter must be able to perform in
order to survive the demands of the fire service;
simply lifting weights and jogging will not suffice. This
is where Crossfit excels in preparing the firefighter.
fitness is about performing well at every imaginable
task. The third standard is training all three metabolic
pathways; this assures metabolic conditioning or
cardio. When combining these standards as CrossFit
does, the result is high intensity workouts that
constantly change while using functional movements.
On CrossFit’s main website, it attests “Our program
delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general
and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing”
(CrossFit.com).
So what makes a physically superior firefighter?
Someone that can work at high intensity for longer
periods at a time: For example, cardiovascular/
respiratory endurance is necessary. An individual that
can carry heavy equipment while wearing fire
protective clothing (i.e. strength and stamina) is
required. A rescuer crawling into a wrecked vehicle or
confined space takes flexibility, coordination and
agility. Swinging an axe or sledgehammer to open
locked doors while on a wet or uneven surface
requires balance, accuracy and speed. Equally
important, some of these tasks take seconds or
minutes, while others could be an hour or more;
therefore, training in the three metabolic
Jan 2011.
Tommy…DOUBLE UNDERS!
pathways is necessary in order to develop a
well-balance, physically fit firefighter. Additionally,
firefighters do not know when the next fire is or how large or how much
time it will take to battle, so the challenges cannot
be predicted.
For this purpose, a firefighter’s physical
training must be “deliberately broad,
general and inclusive”.
More importantly, firefighters are at higher risk for heart disease, cancer and on-the-job injuries. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among firefighters. Being physically fit has shown repeatedly to reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer and preventable injures (Brennan 79). Firefighters have a unique occupational and the physical demands of their job can be extremely taxing. CrossFit training program mimics this unique job field like not other. Many experts agree. David Pearson, PhD an associate professor of exercise science at Ball State University states “…not ideal for the average fitness enthusiast, but if you run into a burning building, hoist a wood beam, and then run out with a person over your shoulder, this might be the best program for you” (Stoddard 132). Furthermore, Christopher Brennan, author of The Combat Position Achieving Firefighter Readiness, says “CrossFit’s philosophy lends itself well to developing the physical skills…which are a great benefit to the fire service warrior”. (85).
CrossFit is hands down the superior training
program for firefighters; it prepares the firefighter
for the unknown physical challenges that wait at
the next emergency. In addition to preparing the
firefighter for fighting fires., CrossFit is also an
excellent method to prevent injuries, heart
disease, and possible cardiac-related death. This
is why CrossFit is the ultimate training program for
firefighters.
THANK YOU, TOM, FOR LETTING US SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS!
Page 4 of 8
MARCH/APRIL 2012
VOL 1 ISSUE 2
INSERT HEADLINE HERE
Running the box…
Here are a few reminders for those of you who might not be aware or
might have been here so long you forgot how we do things….you
forgot? NO WAY!
1. Dues are due the 1st of the month. (Duh!) We don’t start
chasing you till the 5th, but don’t make us chase you…most of
us are fast!
2. Re: #1, don’t wait to see Sam or Ed to pay your dues…Nic,
Mal, Legs and Chris all know how to collect dues and account
for them with our system.
3. Re: #1 again, we will prorate your membership if you are on
vacation or away for 2 or more consecutive weeks. But we
need to know this in advance. We’re pretty nice, and we’ll
sometimes make exceptions when you “forget” to tell us, but no
longer will we make refunds for this. Rather, we MAY credit
you the following month. But please – in advance.
4. If we bill your credit card, the charges drop first thing in the
morning on the 1st. PLEASE let us know BEFORE the first if
there’s a change in your card. We don’t pass on the fees we’re
charged for cards declined or refunded. So please do your best
to give us time to make the change before the charge drops.
5. We will prorate your membership if you are planning a vacation
or a leave for 2 weeks or more…if you tell us in advance.
Ideally, use the Change of Status Form (coaches names above
can help you with that) and document the dates you’ll be gone.
Give it to a coach and we’ll be sure to credit you those days.
We don’t prorate for a week here or there – or if you tell us
“after” you’ve been gone. Please don’t assume or ask us to.
It’s never been our policy.
6. We assume you’re on the same page as us…fear your WOD,
wait for it…wait for it…3-2-1-GO! Go HARD! Give it your all
and then some…when you think you need to rest, that’s when
you need to push…leave nothing in the tank. If you’re training
like this, there is no need for any thoughts of “two a days”. We
don’t do it unless you’re actively competing in CF competitions
and it’s communicated through the coaching staff. In other
words, it’s by invitation only.
7. DON’T STACK THE BOXES! (The box jump boxes) They’re
not meant to be stacked. Stackers will be charged with burpee
penalties or subject to Hemi’s torture!
8. Please unload your bars and put your equipment back after the
WOD (or after you recover). The “middle of the day classes are
getting really bad at not cleaning up!
9. Make sure we get your score after the WOD and before you
leave. When a large class finishes around the same time, it’s
hard to get everyone’s time as you finish, so please report in.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES- GUYS WIN!
THE CHALLENGES
There was a Scavenger Hunt, a Battle, and then after everyone was getting pretty wiped out with 5+ hours under their belts, there were “party games” to pit boy-skill against girl-skill in some common collegiate “tricks”! Chubby Bunny, Flip Cup and Corn Hole were all present!
THE FINAL SCORES
Boys win in the Corn Hole Tie Breaker!
So, the boys won out again. And their glory has been forever captured here:
3 1/2 years ago Connor relocated his family from Southern California to Indian Rocks Beach here in Pinellas County. Since 3rd grade, Connor had been a competitive surfer,
but shortly after arriving in Florida and surfing a few Gulf hurricane swells, he knew that he needed to find a new outlet and grounding rod for his energy. Over that first summer here in Florida, his wife's father, Dean Young, exposed me to spearfishing. Dean is an 8x past state champion spearfisherman as well as the author of the comic strip Blondie. Connor had been a certified diver since college, and was a licensed Captain but had no previous exposure to spearfishing. He started out scuba diving with Dean and learning the ropes of shooting fish. Soon he started to make new friends my age that also enjoyed the sport, but they mostly focused on freedive spearfishing, which is the art of holding your breath while diving and hunting fish. I immediately shifted gears and focused completely on freediving. Per Connor: “To be honest, spearfishing while on scuba should not be considered a sport. Anyone in any physical condition, and particularly the overweight will feel very comfortable while scuba diving, as being in the water will take the stress off the body and joints and will give them the freedom that they don't feel on land. Here all you have to add to that equation is a speargun, and you end up with the equivalent of shooting cars with a bb-gun while on the tram at Disney. It's really not a challenge.”
He continues: “Freediving is much different; you are operating on your own power and are limited by the capacity (mental and physical) of one breath of air. With freediving, you have no advantage over the fish that you hunt. They don't have to hold their breath, they swim much faster than you, and can hide easily or go deeper than your ability. I started out freediving at 25ft and worked my way out deeper and deeper, and have since fallen deeper in love with the sport.” As of today, the deepest Connor have dove on one breath is 118ft! He’s had the great pleasure of swimming with the greatest animals of the sea: Whale Sharks, Dolphins, Sea Turtles, an Orca and every shark featured on shark week with exception of the great white. In 2010 he finished #3 in the West Coast Council Tournament Series and have been fortunate enough to be featured in several spearfishing magazines. His friends and mentors here in the Tampa Bay area are current and past world record holders and are considered among the best in the sport. The Tampa Bay Area is one of the best areas for spearfishing in the world.
If any of the Crossfit Rebel Family would like some exposure to his sport:
On March 24th, he is hosting the Clearwater
Classic, a 100% charity spearfishing tournament
benefiting the American Cancer Society. This event
will be held at the Bait House Tackle & Tavern on
Clearwater Beach. The weigh in will start around
4pm and lots of FREE beer will be flowing. Wrist
bands will be complementary for any Rebels that
attend. Last year we raised $5,000 for ACS and this
year we will surely increase that number. There will
be lots of impressive fished weighed in, so come
down for the party.
FEATURED ATHLETE
Page 6 of 8
MARCH/APRIL 2012
VOL 1 ISSUE 2
Differentiating the "Cleans" NO, no, no – not THAT type of Clean! Many of you know by now that there are multiple variations of the Clean. For instance, we can
squat clean or “clean”
hang squat clean,
power clean, and
hang power clean
Let’s see if we can simplify the following terms. First of all, let’s establish what is means to "CLEAN". A clean is a type of Olympic Lift that requires “pulling” the barbell from the ground or mid thigh to a "racked" position on the deltoids. The term clean means being able to receive the barbell quickly and in one fluid motion. Differentiating the various types of cleans can have a dramatic impact on your workout time. So, here we go! 1) In CrossFit, if a given workout uses the term CLEAN, you can assume they mean fastest way to clean possible which will ultimately be the power clean, i.e. ground to racked position with only as much knee bend as you need in order to receive the bar while maintaining good alignment. In true Olympic Lifting, the sole term “Clean” means from the ground, into a full squat and then up. 2) Cleaning from the HANG position:
HANG SQUAT CLEAN OR HANG POWER CLEAN. Hang refers to the barbell literally
“hanging” at about mid-thigh while in the standing position. This hang position provides a shorter range of motion to get the bar on your shoulders.
If you are hang squat cleaning the barbell, then the barbell will be received on the shoulders in a full below parallel squat.
If you are hang power cleaning the barbell, then the barbell will be received on front rack with as little knee bend as necessary. The lift ends once the lifter stands up, while maintaining a controlled front rack.
3) Cleaning from the ground:
A full squat clean, or just the term “clean” without
the “hang” preceding it, means the barbell will start on the ground It will be received on the front rack while in a below parallel squat or in a power squat. The lift ends once you stand up out of the squat while maintaining the rack.
.
Tips from coach nic
Paleo on the Go reps stopped by the box to let us in on their new gig. Beginning Tuesday April 3, they will begin accepting orders for delivery of gourmet Paleo meals right to our box! Just place your order with them on line (average cost for 10 meals (includes 5 oz meat and 2 Paleo veggie sides) is about $95.00 and includes shipping. Your personal order will arrive at the box packed in dry ice on the subsequent Friday. Orders are every Tuesday for Friday delivery. As with Rosas, The Thomas’s and now Paleo on the Go, we are a drop point and have nothing to do with the order or payment. Please direct questions to the customer service line on their website. Check them out at www.paleoonthego.com.
LOVE ME SOME PALEO! We all love Paleo, or is it more of a Love/Hate relationship? It’s OK if it’s both. After all, we live in the 21
st century, not two million years
ago – we need some normalcy in our lives – even if that does mean Cold Stone Creamery for dessert! The next “Paleo Event” will be Saturday, April 7
th at 10:00am after the Saturday WOD. It’ll be
a new format – Paleo from beginning to end – if there is an end. And we may announce the kick off of the next Paleo Challenge at that time as well. So mark your calendars – don’t miss it!
verb Origin: 1925–30; < French: sorting, equivalent to tri ( er ) to sort ( see try) + -age -age noun 1. the process of sorting victims, as of a battle or disaster, to determine medical priority in order to increase the number of survivors. 2. the determination of priorities for action in an
emergency. adjective 3. of, pertaining to, or performing the task of triage: a triage officer.
verb (used with object) 4. to act on or in by triage: to triage a crisis.
We are in the process of creating an in-house, unwritten, but “want-it-to-be-known” triage system for tweaks, dings, and injuries. This is how the current system works:
ATHLETE TO ANY COACH: “When’s Ed in?” COACH replies: “Um, not sure. He doesn’t have an official schedule on the book. What’s going on?” ATHLETE: “I just want to see Ed. My knee hurts.” COACH reluctantly texts Sam or Ed to find out when Ed will be in box; Ed makes special trip to box to see athlete…and it’s a commonplace “tweak” that the coach has dealt with several times, and even with Ed, and could have helped.
THIS IS NOT meant to belittle anyone’s injury or issue. IT IS however meant to point out that by nature of the beast and for the love of CrossFit, we tend to go hard and fast – that’s our mantra – but sometimes for the love of the clock, we push through the WOD even when we know we should stop…or we continue to train day after day with a nagging issue that could easily be resolved by rest. And we’re not saying rest from CrossFit in total – many times it’s simply selecting unilateral movements that rest the injured extremity for a few days.
(continued on page 8)
Congratulations to Mike Booth who has officially
graduated from the Coast Guard Boot Camp on
Friday, March 16th.
Mike made the honor guard and his first assignment
will be stationed in Alexandria VA, for that two year
period. We caught a glimpse of Mike the week of
3/19…but he left the middle of that week to move and
get ready to serve in his new role.
Thanks to Wikipedia, we have a definition of what the
USCG Honor Guard is:
An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a
ceremonial unit, usually military in nature and
composed of volunteers who are carefully screened
for their physical ability and dexterity. Only those
persons who are highly motivated and maintain
exceptionally high standards of appearance and
conduct and show aptitude for ceremonial duty are
likely to be considered.
In the U.S., military honor guards may serve as
ambassadors to the public, presenting a positive
image of their service, and assisting with the
recruiting effort.
Congratulations go out to MIBO – we miss you and
we’re proud of you!
Better injury management
If you cheat a rep, it takes
your soul. Don’t even try it. ~ CrossFit Affiliate Community
Triage continued… It’s for this reason – and wife protecting husband who’s beginning to feel taken advantage of – we’re starting a “Triage System” among the coaches that you all need to be aware of, as well as a Screening Clinic and Treatment Hours. Here’s how it’s going to work:
STEP 1 - TRIAGE: If you tweak something or feel like you’ve sustained an injury, seek out one of the following Coaches who have been working with Ed on common injuries and injury protocols:
Sam, Nic, Mal, Angie
Chris will begin working with Ed on the protocols soon
Explain the injury in detail and follow the recommendations provided by the coach. Many times, we can resolve the issue with ice, rest, and specific stretches. If it’s an issue a coach isn’t comfortable with, they’ll consult with Ed and if Ed feels like he should be involved, we’ll the coordinate a “screening”. STEP 2 - SCREENING: If you tweak something
that cannot be resolved, or if you feel it’s acute enough “you need to seek medical attention” and want to see Ed, we’ll be doing PT Screenings on Wednesday nights starting at 7pm, every 10 minutes. These will be by appointment only and need to be scheduled by a coach (they’ll have access to the Screening Schedule). STEP 3 – TREATMENT: If you (or you and Ed)
feel you would benefit from Physical Therapy, Ed will be available for treatment, 30 & 45 minutes sessions at a rate of $75.00/45’ or $50.00/30’. Typical PT is based on a frequency of 3x/week for 2 weeks before a reassessment is done to determine the continuation of care. This can be scheduled through Sam or Nicole, as they’ll have Ed’s schedule. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we switch to this system…you never know what kind of monster you’re creating until you feed it, and the next thing you know it’s a full grown dragon breathing fire and burning your house down!
FARMER’S MARKETS NEAR YOU!
WEDNESDAY Downtown Clearwater 9:00am-2:00pm
THURSDAY
Safety Harbor John Wilson PR (401 Main) 9:00am-1:30pm
Largo 9:00am-2:00pm
FRIDAY
Belleair (1st & 3rd) 9:00am – 2:00pm Dunedin Green Market Poineer Park (Fri/Sat) 9:00am – 2:00pm
SATURDAY
Dunedin Green Market 9:00am – 2:00pm St. Pete Saturday Market 1st Ave & 1st Street 9:00am – 2:00pm
