The word that comes up most frequently when people describe the differences between their experiences at CrossFit gyms versus big-box gyms is community. We’ve posted about this before but with the arrival of new members, we repost this about every 6 months it seems. The comments have been pretty close to non-existent lately. For our newcomers, the comments on our website are for everyone. Regardless of experience level, it is a place to interact and share your times. Here’s a little further explanation:

Two comments.

At the time of this writing, that’s how many we’ve had in the last 3 days. If you are a regular poster in the comments section, then today’s post is not directed towards you. We’re talking to the lurkers out there that check out the website for the workout, come into the gym and work their tails off, and then go home and…forget to post their times or experiences to comments. Right now regular posters are screaming at their monitors, “I know! What’s up with that?!”

We hear you.

We have a lot of new people as well so many of you may not have been made aware of the benefits of using the comments section on a daily basis. So here goes:

The comments section of each day’s post is at its simplest form just another place to keep an electronic record of your times and loads for record keeping. Post your loads and times. That’s it.

But it has a much more valuable and special quality. It is one of the parts of our gym that sets us apart from being just another fitness center. It’s another place where we can continue the friendliness that causes you to introduce yourself to a newcomer, the encouragement you extend to your gym buddies and to celebrate milestones together.

We are a community and the comments section is an important part of that. Engage yourself with that community and the rewards can be far reaching. Don’t be shy, go ahead and introduce yourself if you haven’t posted yet.

We won’t bite.

WOD – 5.18.2012

Power Snatch
3-3-3-1-1-1

AMRAP 10 minutes
2 Power Snatches @ approx. 80% of today’s heavy single
2 Rounds of 3 Pull Ups, 5 Push Ups, 7 Air Squats

With modern smartphones, some say we are more connected to the rest of the world than ever before. However, if you’ve ever looked around a crowded restaurant at lunchtime, it seems that many are more disconnected to the people at their very own table than ever before too.

Staring at screens – phones, monitors or televisions – might be detaching us from real tangible connections with our friends and families and the real world around us.

Most of us can use a lot less screen time. It doesn’t have to be a sudden blackout but setting some parameters around your screen time can go a long way to getting you started. Check out these excellent articles for tips on how to unplug:

Why We’re Missing Out on Real Life (plus a Primal Health Challenge) – Mark’s Daily Apple

174,203 Things You Can Do Instead of Watching TV – Whole9 Life

WOD – 5.17.2012

Windmill Skillwork
5-5-5 each side

5 Rounds, 4 minutes to complete each round:
25 Double-Unders
10 v-ups
5 handstand pushups
You have 4 minutes to complete the prescribed work. The faster you finish, the longer you have to rest until the next rounds which begin promptly at the 4,8, 12 and 16 minute marks.

86 Year-Old Gymnast

Grandfather Athlete, 71 Years-Old

Never Leave the Playground

How To Avoid Sucking When You Get Older by Matt Foreman

WOD – 5.16.2012

Front Squat
3-3-3-1-1-1

3 Rounds:
400 meter run
21 Russian Kettlebell Swings
12 Box Jumps

Six Times from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

Awesome from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

Belief from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

WOD – 5.15.2012

Max Effort 500 meter row

Rest 3 minutes.

10 rounds for time:
10 Burpees
10 Knees To Elbow

Carlie enjoying some recovery time in the ice bath. Special thanks to CrossFit by Overload and their competitor Danielle Hale for showing that community spirit and allowing Carlie to use the ice bath.

She went out there this weekend at the CrossFit Games SoCal Regionals and gave everything. She spent the weekend climbing the standings little by little until she gave her final efforts on Sunday.

After everything was said and done, Carlie finished 12th among 60 of the fittest CrossFit females in Southern California. The word proud doesn’t even begin to describe what every one of us feels for Carlie. On one of CrossFit’s brightest stages, Carlie fit right in there with the best and brightest.

Please join us in congratulating Carlie on the culmination of months and months of hard work. The future looks ever so bright! Well done, Carlie!

WOD – 5.14.2012

Push Press
3-3-3-3-3-3

5 Rounds
Jog 100 meters, Sprint back 100 meters
5 Cleans
5 Jerks