WoD - Thursday 7th November, 2019

In 2012 I was judging at the first CrossFit Games Invitational in London, where Team USA went against Team Europe. The event was amazing, a bunch of the members came down to watch and a few of even managed to tag along to the after party, helping to drink the bar at the Marriott hotel dry. Even really fit people get really drunk!

In the days building up, I was having dinner with Dave Castro and he was telling a story of a regional event back in 2009. All events at regionals were independently programmed and Europe had the workout “Fat Helen”
Run 400m
21 Swings (32/24kg)
12 Chest to bar pull ups…

The winning time (it was a male, there were only two females there and neither could do a pull up (crazy right)) was 6:56!!
Now, for those of you who are unsure, if you got anything sub 7 with regular Helen you are amongst an elite group. Dave saw the time and said…”if that is legit, that guy will win the games”… and they did.
Mikko Salo!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

“Stacked Helen”
3 Rounds for time:
Run 800m
21 Kettlebell Swings (32/24kg)
12 Chest To Bar Pull ups

See if you can get close to half of your regular Helen time and get the sucker up on the board…

WoD - Wednesday 6th November, 2019

Throw your hands up in the air if you enjoyed task priority fight gone bad…you all loved it right? No crying, whining nor unfamiliar, alien type noises were witnessed! Non at all! In fact, it looked easy! Maybe it should be 40 reps of each?! Next time!

Tomorrow I have a dark and dirty sprint in mind. You, a barbell and no where to hide! Good thing it’s “only” five minutes long hey?!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Complete as many rounds as possible within 5 minutes of:
8 Deadlift 
4 Thruster
(70/50kg)

Once you have scraped your sorry selves off the deck, get your round score up on the board and do something about that lactic acid!

WoD - 5th November, 2019

Remember, remember…not to be a complete pr**k when you are lighting your fireworks! Keep your fingers, you need them for pull ups and snatching and toes to bar and handstands; not to mention 20.5!

Point them in a safe direction, don’t go back to a previously lit rocket and set them off far away from the poor dogs of Cardiff! Then, come back into the gym and thrash yourself blind with tomorrow’s workout…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Complete as many rounds as possible within 10 minutes of:
2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - 10...etc
Burpees
Knees To Elbows
10m Suicide Sprints

An ascending ladder, good luck! Why not go out hot and hold on, scores to the whiteboard please team…

WoD - Monday 4th November, 2019

One month away from truly getting into silly season, people losing their shit when trying to park their cars amongst a billion other relentless, nutcase shoppers! Single minded, aggressive and 100% focused on their end goal leaving a wake of more relaxed and utterly unaware (let’s face it usually men) in their wake.
Every year, men say…”this year I will sort my shit out early”…and they never do! Repeatedly, Cardiff city centre on Christmas Eve is full of stressed out blokes, running around like idiots attempting to get last minute presents. Standard.
We can do it though, order everything while sat on your sofa, farting in your pants and get your arse to town on Christmas Eve, but to drink a chilled out beer instead!

At least your box jumps should be well rehearsed.

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Task Priority Fight Gone Bad

3 Rounds each for time:
30 Wall Balls (20/14lbs)
30 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (35/25kg)
30 Box Jumps (20”)
30 Push Press (35/25kg)
30 Calorie Row
Rest 1 minute

Please write the time for each round up to the whiteboard…

WoD - Friday 1st November, 2019

Pinch, punch, first of the month…bitches!

Please remember that the box is closed this weekend in order to host a CrossFit Kids course. Lick you're 20.4 wounds and get ready for a complete thrashing next week! 😳😉💪🏼

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5*
Front squat
Weighted Pull Up

*same weight across sets

Cheeky little superset to get you nice and pumped ready for Friday night! Really though, only the hardcore morning crew will be tackling this, and that pump will be gone unless they start boozing early!

A handy punch in the back gets you right up there, no worries

WoD - Thursday 31st October, 2019

A bunch of sandbag over the shoulders get ya? Not for the valley commando’s amongst you hey…just like a Saturday night when you’re chucking a sixteen year old, drunken innocent onto your shoulder and popping him lovingly into the back of the minibus?!
No, just me?! 😬

Now then, stop pretending to be looking at this on your phones when you are really googling quiz question answers!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
Run 1 mile
25 Strict handstand push ups
Run 1 mile
25 Kipping handstand push ups

Simple yet brutally effective. Scores on the board please team…

WoD - Wednesday 30th October, 2019

A quiet night to sit, reflect and toast to a hero! May he Rest In Peace.

Chad Wilkinson

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For 5 rounds, in teams of 3, accumulate as many reps as possible at each station of:

1 minute per station:
1: Toes to bar
2: Calorie row
3: Sandbag over shoulder (50/30kg)

Rest 2 mins

Teams rotate through and accumulate reps as they go. 1 person per station. At the end of the wod there will be 3 separate scores for each movement.

Inventive team names and total rep counts to the white board please my lovelies…

WoD - Tuesday 27th October, 2019

A couple of points for you tonight team, one of which you will be acutely aware of I’m sure…Newport Road is closed in order to make a giant blockbuster film with Mr Wahlberg himself. If you see him, thank him for diverting a capital cities traffic for three days and drag him to the gym so that we can say thank you via the medium of Assault Bike.

Secondly: there will be no technique class this Wednesday. The 19:00 class will be brought forward to 18:30 in order to allow for longer in getting you guys to the quiz on time! The gym will close at 19:30. Faqurie, I know you will be able to make it bro!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Complete as many rounds and reps within 20 minutes of :
20 Wall balls (20/14lbs)
40 Double Unders
2 Rope Climbs

Keep those wall balls wall balls, not face balls, and unbroken! Get those round scores up on the board…

WoD - Monday 26th October, 2019

The open has had its hump day, now more than half way through and although you may well think that the worst has been and gone, think again. There is no way that just because thrusters were in the second workout that they won’t be in the last! Who knows what that evil mind has conjured up.
Just because we have already had a repeat, doesn’t mean that there won’t be another! We can only prey.

The only thing that you lot can do in preparation is to smash yourselves thoroughly throughout the week. Rock up for 20.4 smiling, ready to attack whatever lies in your path. Take a knee for a minute afterwards, but only after you have given your judge a fist bump. Feel sorry for yourself for a few seconds, get up and go and cheer for a friend. Shake everyone’s hand and hold your head high, understand that if it was designed to be easy then there would be no seed in its worth.

“The goal is to get fit, make it the best hour of your day, stay safe, turn up the music, high five some people and blow off some steam. So remember that. Relax. Have fun. Workout.”
– Pat Sherwood.

As an added bonus, support some local charities…

Shelter Cymru

Face Cymru

Get amongst it guys, share these links and keep those £££’s coming in.

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

4 rounds, for max reps of:

In 90s - 
20/15 Calorie Assault Bike
Max muscle ups (ring/ring/bar/bar)
Rest 4:30 mins between rounds

Accumulate a lot of different styles of muscle ups and get the total number up on the board…

WoD - Friday 25th October, 2019

Nutrition is the foundation of health. Nutrition is the foundation of athletic performance.

Irrelevant of your goal within CrossFit, life, what you put in your mouth will lead to either a positive or negative effect. Despite what someone may look like physically, health may well still be a significant issue. Metabolic derangement can exist regardless of training volume or frequency, skinny but sick! Athletic but sick! Sick and still sick!

Recently I have been lucky enough to meet some very influential people within the nutritional world, those who’s knowledge on the subject is unparalleled and so I will be turning to those experts and asking for help. In various methods, which will all be revealed soon. Keep your eyes posted.

Until then, I will repost these amazing short videos produced by CrossFit HQ. Get them made and share pictures/videos of the results.

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

B: Within a 10 minute window: 
Establish a 1RM Hang power clean 

Rest 5 mins

B: 11.1 With a Twist

Within 10 minutes, complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
30 Double unders
15 Hang power clean (40/30kg)

Again, if you are able to use a pen, please write your scores up to the whiteboard…

WoD - Thursday 24th October, 2019

When will it stop, will it stop? With any luck, before 20.3. The DOMS i’m talking about, obviously. Its ok though, as some folk have done 30 plus rounds and so clearly they are utterly messed up, likely laying up in bed. They definitely weren’t completely unaffected the following day and busting out multiple workouts after doing the bastard thing 2-3 times. Fit pricks!

CrossFit Cardiff Team WoD

In teams of 3 and within 25 minutes, complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
1 Rope Climb 
5 Bench Press (60/40kg)
10 Calorie Assault Bike

These are “you go, I go rounds”. Therefore, all out sprints…good luck!

Please write total rounds and reps to the whiteboard…

WoD - Wednesday 23rd October, 2019

I was actually writing yesterday’s blog having not yet done 20.2, and so had no idea what I was actually talking about…ish!

Guess what, it sucked and…left its mark. Embarrassingly so when attempting to walk a dog in public, the little bugger dragging me off my feet and causing excessive plantar flexion (link) and a strange facial expression. Wuoldn’t it be wonderful if everyone just understood, without even having to say the words twenty point two. They just saw the pain in your face, your uneasy gait and didn’t look twice when you were walking backwards down the stairs.

Instead they ask…”are you ok?” “What have you done?” The next 5 minutes is more awkward than the build up, trying to fine a way to explain what CrossFit is; a double under'; dumbbell thruster and toes to bar.
Forget it. Just respond with…”what are you doing tomorrow night at 5:30?”

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Okay, now pay attention, as I shall say this only once…

With a continuously running clock:
00:00 - 03:00: Max distance handstand walk (5m blocks)
03:00 - 13:00: Set a 2 Rep Max Deadlift

13:00 - 18:00: Rest 

18:00 - 26:00
For this 8 minute period, complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
1/3 of the distance completed in the handstand walk
8 Deadlift (@50% of above)

E.g. if an athlete completes 12 lengths of the HSW they perform 4 in the AMRAP. If they deadlift 120kg for a double, they do 60 for 8.

If you can figure out what to write up on the whiteboard, go nuts…

WoD - Tuesday 22nd October, 2019

Screw you 20.2, that sucked! Weirdly enough. As if after 8 opens, this being my 9th, I should be surprised to learn that the simple triplets programmed by TDC are effective!

Hence the reason why we stick to the very same mantra, because it sucks! Couplets are the same, and in fact even more painful - fewer movements equal less transitions and therefore less rest. That with programmed rest/recovery is a painful recipe. Hence why you were all mullered after today’s little gem!

Onto yet more fun…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

4 rounds of:
Within 3 mins:
20 Toes To Bar
Remaining time...
Max calorie row

Rest 6 mins between rounds

Please record total calories rowed per round, to the whiteboard…

WoD - Monday 21st October, 2019

20.2 over, back into normal training, at least for five days!

Now in case you didn’t have enough, or maybe to get you ready for next year…thrusters…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

10 Round of:
For 2 minutes complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
5 Thrusters (40/30kg)
5 Burpees
2 Minutes rest between rounds

Record a continuous score and get it on the whiteboard…

WoD - Friday 17th October, 2019

The last time before the hilarity resumes. The joke this time will all be on us…should Castro program wall balls for 20.2…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For four rounds, in a continuous 8 minute timeframe, within a 2 minute window:
Sprint 200m, max rep wall balls

Rest 5 minutes

For four rounds, in a continuous 8 minute timeframe, within a 2 minute window:
Sprint 200m, max rep burpees

Please post total repetitions of both wall balls and burpees to the whiteboard…

WoD - Thursday 16th October, 2019

Told you it hurts!!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For 4 Sets of increasing load
Back Rack Walking Lunge
Back Squat
Back Rack Walking Lunge
4 - 4 - 4

In one continuous set, perform 4 back rack walking lunges, immediately into 4 back squats followed by back rack walking lunge.

Loads to the whiteboard please team…

WoD - Wednesday 16th October, 2019

As I randomly lost yesterday’s entire post after writing it, and now have even less time to get my arse into bed, today’s post will be even shorter…

Yesterday likely hurt, tomorrow’s will make you feel like your shoulders are set to fall off. I tested it last week, between Monday’s tabata snatches and 20.1, meaning I did a grand total of 257 power snatches inside of 5 days! Variance bro!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10
Power Snatch (50/35kg)
Ring Muscle Ups

Once you have stopped crying, please write your times to the whiteboard…

WoD - Tuesday 15th October, 2019

I am truly sorry to say that unfortunately you won’t be treated to the usual hilarious and banterous blog posts for this week, due to me writing them all hopefully, within a 15min window, prior to heading to bed for approximately 3 hours on this Sunday night.
But, by way of an apology, Ash has promised to tell a thigh slappingly funny joke before each class.

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

5 Rounds of:
Double unders
Ab mat sit ups
Thrusters (M/F barbell)
Calorie Rower 
1 Minute rest

In this workout you move from each of four stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a four-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of "rotate", the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

Please write total reps performed, per round, to the whiteboard…

WoD - Monday 14th October, 2019

What a night Friday was, I’d estimate that around 70 people came through the doors over the course of the evening to attack the first workout programmed in the 2020 season of the CrossFit Games Open, and…it did not disappoint!
Not only was there a huge amount of involvement from you legends throughout the workout, but you proved yet again how f**king cool this place is, so much support for others culminating in one hell of an atmosphere!

You stragglers, get your butts in and get cracking! Donations are always open!

Now you know how it works, get ready and excited for next week. Eyes peeled on the facebook group and for an event! GET STUCK IN!!

CrossFit Cardiff Partner WoD

Within 20 minutes, complete as many rounds and reps as possible of:
10 Calories Assault Bike
10m Kettlebell Farmers Carry (32/20kg)
10 Kettlebell Box Step Overs (20”)

These are you go, I go rounds…

Get those inventive team names and scores up to the whiteboard please…

WoD - Friday 11th October, 2019

The Open is here, for the second time this year we will get after it! Iron those PJs and please ensure that all your button’s are done up! See below for further info:

20.1

• The evening will start at 16:30 and this will not follow the typical class schedule - we will work on a rolling basis until everyone has done the WoD. However please arrive prior to 19:00 - if you arrive after this we will look at you like this 😒😒😒
• Please stick around and help judge - your team partner will be announced tomorrow!
• If you can, please print and bring some score sheets - if everyone can bring a couple we will be golden
• Don’t forget to wear pyjamas and bring your £2 donation!
• There is still time to register! You can still complete the WoD on Friday night if not registered.

SUBMIT YOUR SCORES. THERE WILL BE A NON-NEGOTIABLE CUT OFF TIME OF 21:00 ON MONDAY

Now then now then, you morning revellers will still have a workout to perform, however I strongly suggest that you take the extra hour in bed so that you are fighting fit for the evening, when you find out how much easier training at night is!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Back Squats
5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5

Post 16:30
20.1

Those of you back squatting your butts to all new kinds of skinny jean repelling levels, please pop your scores to the whiteboard…