Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

19th Feb: Good, but only as good as your last competition

This time last week, Team CFR were about to embark on the second day of the weekend competition that was the SicFit London Throwdown. Team CFR represented in both the men’s individual through Bolts and in the team competition with Doods, Sav, Mike, Marie and Kate. 

This was a big competition, with top 60 guys and 60 girls and 40 teams from around Europe taking part having made it through the online qualifiers.

The venue was awesome, and the competition was fierce. And as usual, there was the fantastic display of the community all through the weekend. Team CFR had fielded a strong team in both the individuals and the Team event. We want to do well in competitions, who doesn’t? Doing well in competitions is a reflection of the hard work we put in at the CFR Box and the amazing support of our members (who also did and awesome job and helped out over the two days with judging and also cheerleading our Teams )
 
Bolts put in a strong performance on WOD 3B in which he placed 6th, but a tough 1st day meant that the cut off was missed on this occasion.
In the Team event, Team CFR went into day 2 in 3rd place. They were able to put in some massive performances to improve this by a further standing to place 2nd overall for the 2 days. There are so many memorable things to recall on the day, by highlights include, Sav, being one of few male athltes to complete the Kalsu Snatch WOD, Kate overcoming her nerves to tear into the Snatch on the final chipper, and of course, getting on that podium. This was significant as the only team ahead of us were the mighty Butchers Garage, from Denmark, last years CrossFit Open regional champions.
 
As the score board shows, we placed in the top 7 out the 10 WODs, and top 9 out of 10, only out side the top 10 in 1 WOD. Moments like these need to be savoured. Finishing in 2nd position meant we were the highest finishing UK team. This is an amazing achievement given the calibre of some of the teams in the competition. We are very fortunate that we have some amazing athletes representing Team CFR.
 
The scores and positions in the events are a reflection of the all round fitness and skills that Team CFR demonstrated on the day. But, it is important to remember, that in order to continue to strive, we should look forwards, and with the CrossFit Games open just round the corner, Team CFR are already in preparation to see what we can do on this open stage.
 
Huge thanks to the organisers Jack of In2CrossFit (Clapham) and Tom of CrossFit Bold and Sarah, all the athletes that took part. There would not be a competition without competitors, and thee would not be much of a competition without the volunteers who helped judge and organise on the day. Huge Cyber Hi5 to you all.

CrossFit Reading and London Fashion Week

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Team CFR tee, 2XU/Skins compression gear, Razorstorm wod shorts, Inov8s, knee sleeves and wrist wraps...is what the average CFR member's gear is about...but you're not going to see this on the catwalks of London Fashion Week.

However, this week, one of our members, Lauren, is working in a highly coveted role at London Fashion Week, and she attributes her success to getting this position partly to being at CFR.

Here's the story. Lauren is a Make up artist and she won a job to work with some of the very top names at LFW. Think if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it type fashion names.

This is like...getting to the CrossFit Games final because you're just so damn good at what you do...i

So how did CFR help Lauren get the role? Well, Lauren has been with us for while now, and a couple weeks before her 'trial', she took part in a Crossfit Reading team throwdown competition that we organised with some fellow affiliates taking part (see blog post 26th Feb Post Wod-Pre-Comp Partaaaaay).

Lauren later revealed that taking part in the throwdown was one of the most nerve racking things she had ever done. However, having participated in the event and overcoming her fears, Lauren told us that she felt that she could do anything....That included going to a trial for the mentioned job at LFW with enough confidence to perform and beat others also hungry for the opportunity. She tore it up.  Well done Lauren!

For those of you who 'um and ah'..about CrossFit, you should take the step as you will find it is one that will only take you forward in life, and you'll have an awesome team with which to help you do it.

17th Feb 2012: TEAM CFR and CO(E)

Thursday saw us take on Coe. This is a CrossFit.com Hero workout.
 

It's a couplet of movements of thrusters and ring push ups.
 
10 rounds, 10 reps each movement.

Coaches/trainers and affiliates owners all know that people just want to do things as Rx (prescribed). This is a wod which when you look at on the surface is simple so everyone must be able to do it as Rx.

But we should all know by now, you don't need to do it as Rx to get the full benefit of the wod. In this instance, you should certainly not do it as Rx if you don't have basic foundation movments.

So, we scaled some members and subbed the ring push ups with...push ups on parlettes with feet raised, just push up on parlettes,   good old fusion chest and quad to floor push ups, push ups on knees.

The aim of scaling is not to male the wod easier. It's to make the wod doable with form that's to an acceptable and beneficial standard.

Well done everyone on this tough wod. Rest well earned.

Feb 15th- Great things happen at CFR…often

Since the last blog up date, some super things have happened, including Team CFR making a great show at the SicFit London Throwdown, which we’ll give you a write up about later, but prior to that weekend, there was some pretty stupendous lifting taking place.

 

1RM dead-lift night saw some fantastic efforts. Becky, who had not done a 1RM in quite a while pulled 120kg! Impressive? Hell yeah, around 2x bodyweight! Jo also pulled 100kg, great for someone who came from an endurance running back ground.

We also saw Andy R pull 175kgs, a 25kg PB….erm, could be the fish oils, shoes? Or just plain old regular training. Then there was Seth, who pulled a pretty useful 230kgs…more then 10 x his age!

 

1RM max sessions are fun…as long as you’ve put in the time and effort to make the gains. Superb work, well done everyone!

 

It's the 2nd of the 2nd Month and -2 degrees outside and some people are still procrastinating about 'getting in shape'...

...But I’m really glad to say that Team CFR members are more motivated then that. The temperature is dropping here (by that by our mdoest British standards this mean below zero), but our members passion is well above zero (check out how Jo stayed warm to get down to the box). I was just reminiscing about how this time last year, we were just getting 5-6 people over the whole eveing on a Thursday. Tonight, nearly 30 peeps turned up to rock the box.
 
 It was just brilliant. My prose aren’t that great so I won’t labour myself trying to write what us Coaches at CFR feel when it's like this. So here are some pictures of CFR members who don't do that procrastinate thing. WOOOHOOO. Cyber Hi-5 folks.
 
 

26th Feb Post Wod-Pre-Comp Partaaaaay

Work hard, Train hard, Partaaaay hard, and Compete harder

Members of Team CFR are hard working citizens of our planet, and deserve all the good and happy things that come their way. Being part of Team CFR means they get to make awesome friends who are more then happy in sharing in what ever excuse there is for a celebration.

 

This past week, there were multiple birthday celebrations for several of our members, including Jules and Georgia and a couple of others to tag on. This meant another CrossFit Reading Social, which are starting to have a bit of a cult status for their Epicness of Fun.

 

To quote:

 

‘Just experienced her first night out with CrossFit Reading = EPIC! You animals! Bring on the next social :)’

 

But of course, there’s some training to be done, and they guys have been really busting their chops this week in preparation for an epic weekend of Partying and Competing…in that order.

 

 More details of the competition coming up, but it is essentially an opportunity to get some of our CrossFit friends from other boxes to come to CFR, hang out and give the chance for more of our members to get exposed to a team competition, because as we know, there’s nothing like a bit of competition to bring out the best in you. The emphasis here though it ‘Fun’.

Gripping night!

Excuse the pun but anyone who did tonight's session might find picking things up a struggle tomorrow. Session ran as follows:

Deadlifts 5x3

15 Pull Ups
20 Swings
25 DUs 5 rounds

Also tonight we had a visit from Mr Nick Jones from CF Velocity who was in the area and dropped by to get involved - he's the guy on the left who hasn't broken a sweat...!

Photo

Sent from my iPhone

Jan 22nd. 'You must hate me, why all the double unders?'

Those were the words of one of our members this week...Iain, he's the one with 110kgs over his head (jerks for doubles).

My response was, 'No it's because I don't hate you. I put them in to make you better cause you're $hit at them.'

And in all honesty all this was in jest, becasue that's how we are fun caring and cuddly. Our guys know what weaknesses they need to work on and working on them they do. In addition to the double unders in the WOD, Ian also checks out each session with 50 double unders....and once these are fixed, it's another piece in the jigsaw of Iain being better, in some cases, most excellent, at nearly everything....and that's a good thing. And this goes to everyone. Feed you GOAT.