A Christmas Present

The winners have been crowned, the dust has settled, the soreness is gone, and our gym is finally back to normal. I've been wanting to write this ever since the last wod finished Saturday afternoon (granted it was an hour and a half behind schedule, but we made it through!). I've got more to say than I'll even remember to put down right now, but let me give it a try. First off, I need to give thanks, to a lot of people. I apologize if I forget you, as there were soo many people involved in this:
THANK YOU,
Shannon, for helping with the entire process, and sticking with it all while having the flu the week of.
Every single person that judged or helped move a piece of equipment.
Kelsey Storey and Molly Jackel for running the show outside and keeping it organized.
Katie Vehr for checking everyone in and dealing with the t-shirts.
Anyone who was originally going to compete, and wasnt able to so they helped judge instead (I know how hard that must've been). I know Margaret Boone, Mark Shelton, and Heather Bassett were a few examples.
Everyone who let me borrow equipment:
Stephen from CF Middle Tennessee
Brandon and Rob from CF 615
Dennis and Tara from CF Talon
Evan and Angela from CF Murfreesboro
Preston Soechting from CF Nashville
Jason Daniel from CF Old South
Jason Hughes from Wright Rubber
Anyone who helped me get and/or return equipment (John Causley, Jeremy Hazelwood, Alex Slagle, Shannon Jansen, Stephan Oskian,. My brother, for the use of his truck anytime I need to transport anything more than a single barbell.)
All the spectators who came out to support your friends/family.
All the spectators who came out to support, not even knowing what the heck CrossFit is (even if you still think we're crazy!).
Bo Dutton from B-Unlimited for the awesome T-shirts.
Lee Maxcy for the sound system.
Lisa Perry from Paleo Works for supplying us with snacks.
Joey Scavone for setting up the scoring website. (If you want his info, let me know. He's inexpensive.)
All the members of CrossFit Rampage for helping out, and dealing with the madness in the gym the entire week.
Every single competitor, you guys are what made the day what it was!
All of the massive "support crews." I know CrossFit Nashville, CrossFit Brigade, CrossFit Middle Tennessee, goCrossFit and CrossFit Old South had real big crowds there supporting their folks.There were likely more I just can't recall.
Mike Kerul from Plymouth CF in Michigan, Jonathon Edwards from CF North Alpharetta in Georgia, and Chris Shewmaker from CF Kenessaw for testing our competition WODs on the members of your gyms and giving me feedback.
Michael Fitzgerald, Jeremy Murdock, and Stephen Baker for insight on programming.

I was recently asked, (in reference to hosting a local competition) "is the juice worth the squeeze?" The more I've thought about this, the more I can confidently say YES. Hosting a local competition is not something you do for profit (anyone who has hosted one can second that), and it surely isn't for marketing because everyone that comes is already a member of another gym somewhere. We've hosted the Christmas Throwdown 2 years in a row now, but for what? We do it because it brings people together, it's a lot of fun and the community loves it. Local competitions prove that CrossFit is a community driven sport/program/thing,...whatever you want to call it, and we like to embrace that. Seeing all of the smiling faces, the hard work and effort of the competitors on competition day makes it all worth it. The days leading up to, and the days following leave Facebook flooded with statuses and pictures of people sooo excited about being a part of the competition. That's what does it for me. I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for making people feel better, and that's exactly what a local competition will do. We had some first-timers compete from our gym, of which were pretty nervous and second-guessing themselves before-hand. Once it was all said and done, talking to these people and seeing the excitement on their faces for having completed their first CF competition was priceless.  Sure, it is a ton of work, and takes a lot of time from your regular "business" but I see it as a way to give back to the community. We all go in the gym and work hard every day, and some of us just want to show that off.

The Christmas Throwdown is also placed within close enough proximity to the CrossFit Open to give people a good idea of where their current fitness is at, but far enough away to leave room for improvements.  I've heard many compliments on the programming, and to that I would like to say thank you. We wanted to keep the entire competition simple, from the workouts, to the actual "show." This would ensure that people came for CrossFit, and that's exactly what they got. I would like to point out, that nowhere did we say anything about any prizes whatsoever. We put the registration link up on a Saturday morning and had to shut it down by that Sunday afternoon because we were full. We had 70 people sign up in 2 days, because they wanted to compete, not because they wanted a prize of some sort. This says a lot for our local community in my opinion. The CrossFit Games gives away a quarter-million dollars, the recent Outlaw Open gave away ten grand. Yes, this is a sport, but when big money gets involved sometimes people tend to have less fun and get to worked up about the little things. That's not what CrossFit is about.  Again, we had 70 people sign up in two days, and there was no prize ever mentioned. That's awesome.

When it came to programming for this event, I wanted the winner to clearly be the fittest. Not necessarily the strongest, nor the fastest, nor the most skilled. I also wanted there to be some exercise science within the testing process, as this is what I spent 6 years of college studying. Through 6 scored workouts we were able to test all three energy systems, an equal amount of strength/power vs skill/endurance, as well as the other components of fitness as listed in CrossFit's "what is fitness" article. To anyone who says it was written for the stronger person, lets look at this. There were 6 events, 3 of which were 1) Max Double Unders, 2) A brutal trail run, box jumps and wallballs, and 3) a short AMRAP with a weight of 135/95 -which is not considered a "heavy" load to your competitive crossfitter. (Some might argue that 135/95 is heavy, and for those individuals it very well may be, however, it is still light enough that most folks who are going to finish top 10, and do well in the Open, that they can move it continuously and it not be the determining factor of the workout) So we've got 3 of 6 workouts (thats 50%) that were not determined by how strong you are. Also, I'm certain that there were people who deadlifted LESS than others, but edged them out because of a better # of Muscle Ups or Pull-ups on the DL wod. That workout was a great test of strength AND skill. It just so happens, that people with both strength and skill finished at the top of that one. I hope that puts to rest any thoughts of it being a strength-based competition.

The snatch tested power, speed, strength, flexbility, grip strength, coordination, and balance. The olympic lifts have been proven to be a larger percentage of competition exercises in CrossFit in comparison to other movements so it seemed necessary to test everyone's skill in them. This tested the first energy system (ATP-PC).

The row watts was a power specific test without a high skill component (like the snatch), of which also tested the first energy system (ATP-PC). I felt as if this were a good addition because we don't see very much of this (all-out max effort anything) outside of 1rm lifts. 
Double unders show up A LOT, so it was fair to use this as a skill test. This was a great test of coordination and didn't favor any one person. (I've seen big guys do 150+ double unders in a row). For anyone who got over 50 this could be a test of the second energy system, Anaerobic Glycolysis, but for those who didn't it was again ATP-PC.

Along with squatting, the deadlift is one of few measures of pure brute strength. No really technical skill, just all out strength. Period. My friend Jeremy Murdock presented me with this idea and I loved it. Aside from some sore backs, you can't go wrong with a max deadlift to see who is the strongest. To keep this interesting, pairing it with one of the highest skilled movements in CrossFit (the muscle-up) and for the ladies the dreaded C2B pull-up, gave everyone a shot at this.This allowed the wod to not be specifically biased towards any one individual. The better CrossFitters finished near the top here because not only were they strong, but they could crank out reps on the M.U./C2B.

Last year we had "rowing helen" so I wanted to keep with the theme of a Girl WOD with a twist, and thats how "little running Kelly" came about. In testing fitness, running should be a necessity, so I wanted to include this somehow, and we needed a longer aerobic component. The trail run added a nice touch, and made this workout much more "endurance based" than any of the other wods. This workout tested mental strength more than the others (in my opinion) and was definitely Aerobic, testing the third energy system.

The 7 minute amrap was as classic crossfit as it gets. Thrusters, Knees to Elbows, and Burpees can be found on the mainsite dating all the way back to when CrossFit started in the late 90s. Nothing new here. This wod tested Aerobic endurance for those who were able to keep moving the entire time, and Anaerobic Glycolysis for those taking multiple rest breaks. The movements were released on November 14th, and the competition was December 8th. This gave everyone plenty of time to practice these movements, regardless of what they were paired with. I really enjoyed this workout, as it was one of the most fun to watch, and because it was possibly the most difficult. Seeing everyone crammed into the gym after the sun went down to watch the numerous heats of this workout was amazing. People really laid it all on the line for this one, and the spectators gave them hell the whole time!

I could continue typing, though anyone who is still with me at this point is probably ready for me to be done. The success of the event (according to what others have told me) was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.  I would again like to say Thank you to everyone, best of luck in the CrossFit Open, and have a Merry Christmas. See you next year.

-Korey

Morning schedule

Judges: Arrive at 8:00 for wod briefings. Competitors: Arrive at 8:30 for check-in. Parking: The gym parking lot will be blocked off. There will be someone to direct traffic to a pRking lot across the street. (Same as last year). WOD 1 men and women starts at 9:30. Rain or shine, the running and wallballs will be outside so bring extra clothes and shoes. Remeber: We have microwaves so bring your own food! There will be some paleo snacks for sale from Paleo Works.

WOD: DL + M.U./C2B

GUYS RX'D
(must be able to complete 1 muscle up)
In 10 minutes:
Find your 1 rep max deadlift.
In the remaining time,
Find your max unbroken-reps set of Muscle Ups.

10lbs per muscle-up rep will be added to your DL weight for a total score.
For example: A 400lb deadlift, plus a max set of 5 muscle ups (5x10) yields a total score of 450.

*Movements must be performed in the order as written.
*No straps will be allowed for the deadlift.
*Conventional Deadlift only, no Sumo.
*Use as many attempts, and as much of the 10 minute clock as needed for the DL.
*The set of muscle-ups must be a continuous-unbroken set, without your feet touching the floor.
*Hang as long as you'd like, once your feet touch the ground, your set is done.*If you do multiple sets, the highest rep set will count.
*You cannot do a muscle up from an inverted position.
*You must start from a hang (but your arms may be bent).
*Full lock-out of the arms must be achieved at the top of the press out.
*The clock will terminate a "still going" set of muscle ups.
(So unlike basketball, where as long as the ball is in the air the point counts, or football where as long as you're not down you can keep running, the clock will STOP your set. Your # will be however many reps were completed before the clock stopped.)


WOMENS RX'D and MENS SCALED
(must be able to complete 1 Chest to Bar pull up)

In 10 minutes:
Find your 1 rep max deadlift.
In the remaining time,
Find your max unbroken-reps set of Chest to Bar pull ups.

10lbs per C2B pull up rep will be added to your DL weight for a total score.
For example: A 250lb deadlift, plus a max set of 5 C2B pull ups (5x10) yields a total score of 300.
*Movements must be performed in the order as written.
*Use as many attempts, and as much of the 10 minute clock as needed for the DL.
*Arms must be fully extended at the bottom of each Pull up rep.
*Hang as long as you'd like, once your feet touch the ground, your set is done.
*You may Kip, Butterfly, or strict.
*Chest must clearly make contact (close doesnt count) with the bar somewhere below the Collar Bone.
*The clock will terminate a "still going" set of Pull ups.
(So unlike basketball, where as long as the ball is in the air the point counts, or football where as long as you're not down you can keep running, the clock will STOP your set. Your # will be however many reps were completed before the clock stopped.)


WOMENS SCALED and MENS Scaled Level 2.
(must be able to complete 1 un-assisted pull up)

In 10 minutes:
Find your 1 rep max deadlift.
In the remaining time,
Find your max unbroken-reps set of pull ups.

*You're chin must be clearly above the horizontal plane of the bar.
*All other "non movement specific" rules above apply.


WOMENS SCALED L2
(must be able to complete 1 assisted pull up with a 1" band hanging from the center of the bar)

In 10 minutes:
Find your 1 rep max deadlift.
In the remaining time,
Find your max unbroken-reps set of assited pull ups.

*You're chin must be clearly above the horizontal plane of the bar.
*All other "non movement specific" rules above apply.

WOD: Deadlift + Unbroken M.U./C2B

WOD: Classic CrossFit

Our next workout will be #5 for the guys and #5 for the ladies. This will be the final workout of the day. It's going to be a great work capacity test! You gotta keep moving, and be efficient!

WOD 5:
7 Minute AMRAP:
4 Squat Clean to Over Head anyhow (135/95)
6 Knees to Elbows
8 Over the Bar Burpees

*You may power clean + front squat the bar to equal the squat clean.
*The bar may be dropped after each rep.
*You can take the bar overhead from the shoulder anyhow. Press, Push Press, Push Jerk, Thruster, Thruster finishing in a jerk, Split Jerk.
*The arms must be completely straight on the Knee's to Elbows.
*No hands overhead or vertical torso required on the over the bar burpees. Both feet must however, leave the ground and land at the same time. I.E. dont "prance" over it.
*Chest must visibly touch the ground on the burpee.


There are 2 scaled categories to this workout. If you scale 1 movement, you will be ranked below all the Rx'd people for this particular workout. If you scale 2 movements, you will be ranked below all the Rx'd and 1 movement scaled people. See video explanation here

Scaled weight: 95lbs guys, 65lbs ladies
Scaled Knees to Elbows: Contact with the "armpit or tricep" (must be contact)

"When do I decide if I'm scaled?" 

The requirement to do this workout as Rx'd is that you must be able to get through 2 rounds of this workout completely Rx'd. You will have to make this decision yourself, before the workout begins. You do not get to start the workout Rx'd and then drop down halfway through.

"I'm pretty sure I can get to rounds"

Well, you better be really super duper sure, because if you DONT get through two rounds, it will be considered a DNF and you will be ranked below the 2 movement scaled people.

"That sounds pretty mean, you're gonna DNF me if I can't do 2 rounds?"

Yes, because it is your choice whether to do it as Rx'd or to scale it. These are classic crossfit movements, and a very common load, you should have confidence in your fitness level as to whether or not you can do 2 rounds of this. If you're really on the fence, choosing scaled will at least ensure you that you don't DNF and finish all the way at the bottom. However, this is completely your choice. There will be a place on your scorecard to distinguish this.

WOD: "Lil' Trail Run Kelly"

Last year it was Rowing Helen that everyone was talking about...this year it's going to be
 "Little Trail Run Kelly." We've got a 435m off-road trail beside the gym with some serious elevation changes that you'll be running on. Let us warn you, the ground is uneven, there are bumps and divots and such just as you would find on any trail. You will pick up some serious speed running down the hills, and will be brought almost to a walk going up them.  Having just did this workout earlier today, I can say that the hills in the run are a true physical, and mental test. Be prepared!

This will be the Guys 4th wod (starts at 1:00) and the ladies 3rd wod (starts at 11:10).

"Little Trail Run Kelly"
 18 minute time cap
Trail Run, 435m
30 wall balls (20lb/10ft men. 14lb/9ft women)
30 box jumps-*games standard. (24"/20")
Trail Run
30 wall balls
30 box jumps
Trail Run

*games standard-Upon landing on top of the box, you must stand tall, fully extending the hips and locking out at the knees before descending from the box.
*There will be no scaled version of this workout.

WOD: Peak Watts + D.U.

This will be workout 1 for the ladies (starts at 9:30) , and workout 2 for the fellas (starts at 10:20).

PEAK WATTS + MAX UNBROKEN DOUBLE UNDERS.
This will be scored as 2 events.
On a continuous 7 minute clock:
In 3 minutes:
In 20 seconds achieve Peak Wattage on the rower.
Rest 40 seconds (feet must stay strapped into the rower)
In 20 seconds, achieve Peak Wattage on the rower.
Rest 40 seconds (feet must stay strapped into the rower)
In 20 seconds, achieve Peak Wattage on the rower.
Rest 40 seconds and unstrap from rower.
*Score for part 1 will be the average of your three highest wattages. (highest from each set)
*You will possibly find your peak wattage within 8-12 seconds, you do NOT have to use the full 20 seconds. However, you must stop rowing at the 20 second marks.
-Then immediately-
In 4 minutes:
Find your max unbroken set of double unders.
*Double unders cannot start until the 3 minute mark.
*You do not have to use the full 4 minutes, but you can.
*The clock will terminate any sets of double unders that are still going as the clock runs out.
*Use as many attempts as you need, within the 4 minute clock.
*Bring your own rope.

Example of scoring:
Part 1: 645watts / 712watts / 707watts = score of 688
Part 2: Max Unbroken set of double unders = 71.

You will get a ranking for part 1, in order of highest watts to lowest watts.
You will get a ranking for part 2, in order of highest unbroken reps, to lowest.
**There will be no scaling for this WOD**

First WOD Release, and other info.

"Our main goal is to have a helluva good time."

Judges Briefing: 8:00am
*Judges, if you can try your best to make it at 8:00 that'd be great! We'll be going over standards and answering questions. If you can't, stay tuned through the rest of the week for specific standards videos.

Athlete Sign-in: 8:30am
*Athletes, please arrive no later than 9:00am

WOD 1 start time: 9:30 am
WOD 2 start time: 10:20
WOD 3 start time: 11:10
WOD 4 start time: 1:00
WOD 5 Ladies start time: 2:30
WOD 5 Guys start time: 3:30
*These are tentative times. If it rains, expect a slightly different schedule.

*Also, if it does rain, we'll still be running outside as long as its not storming.

Look for the rest of the WOD's to be released (in print) tomorrow, with standards videos to come shortly after. (Wednesday and Thursday) Because I know you are all anxious (and believe me, it's been killing me not telling anyone these workouts) to know at least something that you'll specifically be doing, here's WOD 1 (for the fellas)/WOD 2 (for the ladies).

*THIS IS NOT A STANDARDS VIDEO. Stay tuned for that tomorrow.

WOD: Snatch Complex (Wod 1 for guys, Wod 2 for ladies)
In 6 minutes: Find your 1rm for the following complex.
1 Snatch from floor
1 Snatch from the Hang (must be above knees)
1 Overhead Squat.

*These 3 movements will be performed in a back to back fashion, without the bar ever going back to the floor after the initial lift off.
*The bar starts empty.
*For both snatches, any type is allowed (Squat, Power, Split).
*The first snatch must show continuous movement from floor to overhead (i.e. cannot Hang snatch the first rep).
*A Squat Snatch from the hang DOES NOT count as your overhead squat. (See video)
*Press outs are allowed, but the bar must be clearly received higher than the top of the head, and cannot touch any part of the body upon receiving.
*The bar cannot "rest"  anywhere besides the 'hang while in a full stand.' Therefore, you cannot sit the bar in the crease of your hips and rest, nor can you lower it to your back.
*Straps cannot be used.

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Snacks on Deck + Microwaves!

Food! That's an important part of competition day. You've gotta stay fueled in order to maintain a high level of performance all day. We've got some good news for ya, and microwaves!

PALEO WORKS will be here to supply you with some healthy, energy-rich snack items:
2 Paleo Muffin Snack Pack + Bacon - $6.00
Paleo Almond-Joy w/ Whey Protein - $2.00

So what else? A food truck,...nope,... free catered Panera Bread,...nope. We told you, we're keeping it simple, real simple. However, we know that it sucks having to bring "cooler food" or "room temp food" as meals throughout the day, so we're gonna provide to you....MICROWAVES! As if we just discovered the lightbulb, we're excited. I've been to numerous competitions, and ate my fair share of cold chicken breast and sweet potatoes, only to think to myself "if only I had a microwave I could eat this hot, and no doubt PR later."

We're going to have 5 microwaves, paper plates and plastic silverware set up in our front lobby for anyone to use. So bring you own favorite "game day" food, warm that ish up and eat it hot, then PR like a boss!!

Rowing...for Watts

We'll be using the rowers to measure your ability to generate power. The Concept2 rower monitor has a unique feature of measuring Watts, of which rarely gets used in our regular workouts. This measurement tells you exactly how much power you can generate in a single pull. Hint: You should practice this. Practice with different techniques, use different damper settings, etc. No, you will not know exactly what format this will be used in, but you should try it out a couple times to get the feel for it. So there it is, you'll be rowing for short, powerful intervals, nothing long and endurance based.

Squat Clean to O.H. weight/standards

The workout that includes a squat clean to overhead is one of two workouts that might have to be scaled.

Mens weight: 135
Womens weight: 95

There will be 4 reps/round, and the rounds will be fast. Therefore, you won't have much time away from the bar, nor much time for you to catch your breath or lower your heart rate. That being said, you will need to determine ahead of time whether you feel comfortable doing these weights in a scenario such as the one stated above. The bar can be dropped from overhead, and it be be take overhead anyhow, via thruster, push press, push jerk, or split jerk.

If you decide to do this Rx'd, you must be able to complete 2 rds of this weight within a short period of time. The time/ and other reps will be released later.

If you choose to do this Rx'd, and fail to complete the second round of the squat clean + O.H. then you will automatically drop to the bottom of the rank along with anyone else who did the same.

Should you choose to scale this workout, the weights will be 95/65. Remember, scaling it is better than a DNF.

Also in this workout are knees to elbows. Rx'd is knee to the elbow, scaled is knee to the "tricep/armpit area." So if you're one of those who sometimes touches their elbow, sometimes touches their tricep, you're going to have to choose wisely. Doing this Rx'd would be getting through at least 2rds of the Knees to Elbows. They will be for 6 reps/round.

Should you choose to scale this workout, you will be allowed to do knees to "armpit/tricep" area.

There will be 4 scoring divisions on this workout:
Rx'd
1 movement Scaled
2 movements Scaled
DNF

Scaling standards

Check it out folks, we've devised a way where everyone can compete together, regardless of skill/strength/fitness level. If you cannot lift a certain amount of weight, or perform a certain skill, you will be able to score the individual workout that includes that movement, but still be able to do other workouts as prescribed. This will allow for everyone to compete together and see how well you perform in a more diverse pool of fitness levels. The video does not state the amount of work required for each WOD in order to be classified as Rx'd, and thats because the workouts havent been released yet. Keep workin those Muscle ups, C2B pull ups, High rep sets of Double Unders, maybe some heavy deadlifts, lots of box jumps, hitting the 10ft/9ft target on wall balls, being powerful on the rower...etc. Check the vid.

Movement Pairings

WOD set-up

This is a non-definitive list of movements that will be paired together for the WOD's.

Running/Wall Balls/Box Jumps

Clean & O.H. / Burpees/ Knees to Elbows

Deadlifts / Muscle Ups (Men)
Deadlifts / C2B Pull Ups (Women)
Deadlifts / C2B Pull Ups (Men who scale this wod)
Deadlifts / Pull Ups (Women who scale this wod)

Rowing / Double Unders

Snatch / Swimming

*There will not be any super heavy loading on movements that have a set rep # assigned to them. However, should you decide you can not  perform a given amount of work (this will be a set amount, to be released soon) with X weight then you will have the option to scale the weight down. Same goes for the Muscle Up / C2B pull up wod. Please stay tuned for more information on the standards for scaling.

Some Tips

Ladies, it would be a good idea to work on high rep sets of C2B pull ups.
Fellas, the same goes for you on Muscle ups.
-Don't worry if you don't have them though, it will not result in a DNF for the WOD.

 Also, if you don't use the hook grip, ask a coach at your gym to teach you. And tape your thumbs!

 It would be in your best interest to get as proficient as possible at any "skill" related movements that have been listed. So if you're one of those who "has said skill" so you don't train it very often, as yourself, can I still improve on this skill?

Wanna Judge?!

‎2 things folks:

 1) We Need Judges!! Requirement- You must have been doing CrossFit for at least 3 months, and just be an awesome person!

2) Stay tuned for a video coming this weekend detailing how the Rx'd and Scaled competitors will be able to compete in the same field via our new 1 of a kind scoring system!

Movements Released!

Hello competitors!
We're sure you are all eager to find out what movements you'll be doing for the Christmas Throwdown, so we're going to present you with the movements. Practicing CrossFit on a regular basis should get you prepared for any CrossFit competition (in my opinion), however people still like to know what it is they'll be doing. That is completely understandable, however, knowing the reps/rounds/time is not as relevant. If you know how to do a movement, you should be able to do it for low, medium, and high reps, or with light, medium, and semi-heavy weights. For now we will list the movements, and in the future we'll release what movements are paired up with each other.

Know this: There will be a testing of maximum strength, maximum power, short duration aerobic endurance, longer duration aerobic endurance, and some things for the ninja's, as well as the monsters. As stated before, the goal is to test fitness in as many area's as possible within 1 day's worth of workouts. The programming also has a focus of not having any workout's results determined solely by 1 movement in the workout. For example, throw a bunch of stuff in a workout for females, then add handstand pushups, and you've created a workout that will likely be determined by how well the individual can perform one movement, the HSPU. (Understand, this is not programming for the regionals or games, so it is not expected for all local female competitors to excel at HSPU.) Another example, throw whatever bodyweight movements you want into a workout and claim you are satisfying the "ninjas," and then add 185lb clean and jerks for reps to satisfy the "monsters," though what you've done is added 1 movement that will ultimately determine the result of each individual. The 185lb clean and jerks. The larger athlete may not be "as good" at the bodyweight stuff, but still has the ability to do them-there is never a "failure point." However, the smaller athlete will possibly reach an absolute failure point on the weightlifting movement, where he cannot perform 1 rep. This is how the workout will ultimately be determined by 1 movement, regardless of how many burpees and pull ups are included. "But isn't crossfit about being good at everything no matter what?" Yes, and you should be, but if you want to truly test who is the fittest (most well rounded) at the end of the day, you may be better off testing some of these components of fitness individually, i.e. strength tests, aerobic endurance tests, power tests, etc. This ensures that ones ability to excel in a given area of fitness is not hidden by a separate component.

And the movements are...
Box Jumps
Double Unders
Clean & Jerk
Rowing
Deadlifts
Wall Balls
Snatches
Burpees
Muscle Ups (for the guys)
Chest to Bar pull ups (for the ladies)
Running
Knees to Elbows
Swimming.

REGISTRATION IS FULL

FOLKS, we are at capacity. Let us play with some #'s for heats/times/equipment etc and see if there will be any room for more. There are already people on the waiting list. If you haven't gotten signed up and still want in, email shannon@crossfitrampage.com ASAP.

8 Spots left

Almost sold out folks!

11 spots left

Only room for 11 more folks, don't hesitate.

13 Spots Left.

The list seen on the right-hand side of this page contains the athletes who have signed up for the competition. This list is manually entered according to our payment list, as we find time to do so. If you have paid, and your name is not on the list, don't worry, we just havent entered it yet. As of 9:20am Sunday November 11th there are only 13 spots left folks. Get on it!! And if you havent read the post below titled "Testing fitness and what to prepare for," we suggest you do so.

Why is this relevant?

Because her name is Christmas, that as relevant as it gets!

Testing Fitness and what to prepare for.

If you wanted to test how fit you were, you likely wouldn't be able to do so with a single component of fitness, (i.e. endurance, strength, power, etc.). You would need to know what encompasses fitness, and how to test those things. Understanding the above statement will help you better prepare (even though the competition is only a few short weeks away) for the CrossFit Rampage Christmas Throwdown. Pulling random movements out of a hat and assigning reps and round to them may be a lot of fun, but may not formulate the best plan for testing overall fitness. It seems as if some competitions are doing more "CrossFit" testing rather than "Fitness Testing" which are starting to become two different things. Well, we don't want them to be so. Having said that, then what might we need to look at in order to test fitness, through CrossFit? Dodgeball? A max effort strength test is always a good idea right? Well, lets hypothetically take one of the strongest powerlifters in the world, and lets pretend he has never performed a snatch before. Now, take a top level CrossFitter who snatches 250+. Likely the CrossFit athlete will beat the 1,000lb squatter due to technical efficiency/speed/power/flexibility. So, do the Olympic lifts measure pure strength? No. Do they measure strength to some extent? Of course, but there is also a high level of power/skill/coordination/flexibility needed to perform well at the snatch and clean and jerk. So am I saying that those are bad tests of fitness? Absolutely not, they are phenomenal tests because they measure multiple components all within one lift. Am I saying it is a bad measure for a pure "strength" test? Yes. Don't believe me? Refer to the 1,000lb squatter getting beat in the snatch by a CrossFitter. When measuring absolute strength, who is really stronger?... Exactly. So to sum this up... in testing fitness, a true strength test, might be better served up as something from the world of power lifting. In opposition to the last statement, in testing power (speed-strength as some might call it) skill, coordination, flexbility, and lets throw balance and "athleticism" into this, what might we look at? The Olympic lifts. Wa-Laah! Now, we can correctly call our Olympic lift a test of these things, and not solely "strength." Are either of these saying that we are going to have a max power and/or olympic lift? Maybe, then again, maybe not. However, we are testing fitness, and these are components of that. Lets reach further into power. Due to the technicality of the Olympic lifts, one must practice them exclusively to become highly proficient at them. This should be understood by anyone who has tried these movements, i.e. they're not easy. So is it fair to say, you are only as powerful as you are good at the ever-so-technical snatch or clean and jerk? NO. Now we can start to understand that measuring "power" on its own, may not be best suited to one modality (Olympic lifting), but rather by numerous things. I've seen max height box/broad/triple jumps in competitions and loved them. What about the shot-put? Great test of power, though do CrossFit gyms practice it, no, so don't expect it. These are great tests of power, and they take out the specificity of training for the Olympic lifts to be good at them. Speed is a component of power, but is only half of that equation. Speed is determined by the rate an object covers distance; or, how fast you move. Are we testing speed by doing 3 rounds of box jumps burpees and wall balls? Not necessarily. Likely, noone is ever moving at 100% of their max speed potential during this workout. If I were to line you up side by side on a football field and say first person to the other end wins, are we doing a better job of testing for speed now? I'd say so. Disagree with me if you want...and be unprepared for testing speed. When we think "stamina" and "endurance" we need to take a closer look into the exercise physiology of the body. There are 3 energy systems of which I am not going to dive deeply into, but we'll briefly discuss them. The first one, the ATP-PC system is responsible for short duration, 5-8seconds, 100% max effort power movements. Think 40yd dash, max effort lift, max distance jump, etc. The second system, Anaerobic Glycolysis lasts about 30seconds-2 minutes (some say its shorter, some say longer), think 400m sprint, "Grace", "Fran" a long volley in volleyball. Lastly, the third energy system, the Aerobic System begins shortly after 2 minutes of continuous physical activity and lasts indefinitely. This system does not allow for a very high power output, but can last a long time. Think soccer game, swimming across a lake, any endurance events, Murph, (or most all hero workouts)..etc. So when trying to test fitness, it would be of our best interest to test work capacity in each of these energy systems. For the short duration, ATP-PC system, an Olympic lift could possibly work, but again, due to the technical demands of the lift, we may not find the individual with the greatest work capacity in under 10seconds because frankly, they might suck at Olympic lifting, but be amazing at the 40yd dash. Take home note: Be ready for something short & powerful, (under 10 seconds), something short & very high intensity (2 minutes) and then some things lasting longer than 2 minutes- classic CrossFit Workouts. Other things that are noteworthy when testing fitness include muscle endurance, gymnastic skills to an extent (kinesthetic/body awareness), pushing/pulling strength, grip strength, running ability, pacing, and lactic acid removal ability. No need in explaining all of these, but be ready to see things that test all of them, within a days worth of workouts!

About the 2nd Annual CFRMPG XMAS Throwdown

Get out your iphones, ipads, desk calendars, pen and paper or whatevs and clear your schedule for December 8th. You'll be glad you did. The only specific detail right now is the date. If you were there last year, or know someone who was, hopefully they can vouch for the legitimacy of last years competition. I'm tagging all the gym owners I can think of, so you can spread the word. Not sure on registration and/or a competitors cap yet. One thing I can say is this: We all started CrossFit because we were attracted to looking/feeling better, becoming more athletic, competing with others, or just becoming a better individual overall. What we did not start CrossFit for was 1 arm handstand holds, doing pistols on top of kettlebells, or other useless movements. What I'm saying is that we want to host another competition, that at the end of the day, the Fittest people in attendance are at the top of the podium; not the strongest because it was strength biased, or the fastest, or the best at endurance etc, but the best overall. We're going to bring to you classic CrossFit. Likely 4-5 wods, of different time domains, testing the different energy systems, along with the 10 general physical skills, through good ole' couplets, triplets and crossfit movements. We have no intent in testing anyone at something they havent been practicing already. Sure, we train for the "unknown and unknowable" but this isn't the CrossFit games, we want to see who's best at doing CrossFit, not adapting to a new movement or some weird standard on an old movement. So expect things like, burpees, cleans, pullups, squats, double unders, wall balls, muscle ups (yes), box jumps, swings. Don't expect to know the exact workouts to far ahead of time, rather, just the movements. Ninja's, you'll be able to get your judo on, and monsters, you'll get to be hulk for a wod....just be sure to be better at what you suck at before then! This is going to be legit CrossFit at its finest, like back when the games were at the ranch and wods were based on fitness over creativity. (Not saying creativity is bad). I want to be straightforward in saying that I am not knocking anyones competition. I've personally competed and judged in a few of the biggest comps here in middle TN this year, and they have been great. Great hosts, awesome programming, wonderful atmosphere, and a good thing for the community. Though on a more global scale, theres just a lot of (excuse my language) "dumb shit" going on in local competitions that seems as if the programmers didn't have a clue about testing fitness. (see link below) The 2nd annual CrossFit Rampage Christmas throwdown is going to as raw as it gets, no bells and whistles, just fitness. Hell, we might not even have port-a-potties! Now, please read this article: http://outlawcoach.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/120208/