What is your CrossFit "goat"? That is, what movement or lift do you have trouble perfecting? For many it is double unders, for the more advanced its pistol squats or handstand push ups. Maybe it is not a specific movement, but a certain lift. The snatch is always a challenge because so much technique is involved. As olympic lifting Mike Burgener would say, "nothing feels quite like a good snatch". How do you train your goats? Do you work on them a little every day? If not then you should because practice makes perfect (cliche, but true). Work with the jump rope after the wod, practice the kipping pullup or the butterfly pullup, work on muscle ups. In time, you will succeed!
So far 7 of you have signed up for the CrossFit Open. Keep 'em coming!
The above video is of Rob Orlando lifting a heavy tire, a really heavy tire. Enjoy!
Congratulations to everybody that competed in the CrossFit HB marathon/ half marathon! You all are so amazing and you inspire everyone at CrossFit HB to continue in the pursuit of success! If you haven't already don so, Like our facebook page to get instant updates on everything CrossFit HB! Here are some of the times:
Half Marathon:
Scott 1:39
Atilio 1:54
Tom: 2:06
Mark M. 2:31
Melissa 2:09
Alia 2:55
Lilly 2:30
Rory 2:13
Marathon:
Mark T. 3:29!!
More congrats are in order for Todd finishing 5th in his division at the NLI CrossFit event held on Saturday!
Now its time for the CrossFit Open! Registration is now open and for $20, you can compete against the entire world! Sign up in the SoCal Region right here and click the "Sign In" link in the top right.
All in all it was a great weekend for CrossFit HB!
It's coming!
Registratioin for the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games Open starts February 1 with the first workout announced on February 22. However you can create an account starting now on the CrossFit SoCal Regional website right here!
EVERYONE AND I MEAN EVERYONE SHOULD REGISTER FOR THE OPEN. In the meantime I suggest creating your account now and enter in some of your stats to save yourself some time when registration comes up. You'll create a "CrossFit ID" and password that will allow you to compare your scores on the workouts with everyone around the world.
I hope everyone competed hard and had fun with the tryouts for CrossFit HB's competition team that went on this past week. You all will be a force to be reckoned with!
This upcoming Games season will be one of the best ever. Keep looking out for those commercials! ...
Keep improving.
Above is the brand spanking new Reebok CrossFit commercial. If you haven't noticed already, Reebok is putting all their chips in CrossFit's basket. They have a 10 year contract and they are just getting started. The commercial was shown on national televisioin at least twice during the highly anticipated and popular NFL playoff football game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. It was shown right before the game in the pregame show and before half time. For those who still had not heard of our little secret, they will now very, very soon.
Check out Reebok's new website, reebok.com as well. They just decked it out CrossFit style. CrossFit is going big time. And it is a good thing. Yes, CrossFit may soon lose its underground coolness factor, but that is not what CrossFit is all about. The community is only getting bigger and the workouts will stay the same. Fran will still be hard as hell, Helen will leave your forearms shot, and Murph will be that workout that nobody wants to do, but does it anyways. That is what CrossFit is about. Reebok does not own CrossFit, they are simply using their name and marketing ability to make the entire world aware of the CrossFit Revolution.
Carlos at 47'' and Scott at 45''. And there is video of David getting 49'' on the facebook page right here! Way to go!
Two upcoming CrossFit events are on the horizon! In just a few days on January 14th and 15th the OC Throwdown and starting on February 22nd, The Reebok CrossFit Games Open will begin.
The OC Throwdown is a local competition and our very own Rosario Rios-Aguilar finished second overall in the three qualifying wods. If you would like to support Rosario, you can purchase tickets on the OC Throwdown website (link above) for $20 for the first day and $30 for both days. This is with out doubt one of the most competitive CrossFit events outside of the CrossFit Games. There are awesome athletes competing in both the Men and Women's divisions. The likes of Tommy Hackenbruck (Ute CrossFit) and Lindsey Valenzuela (Valley CrossFit) will be competing along with several other games athletes.This is a great chance to see the best CrossFitters in the country right in Orange County!
It's that time of year again. The "Open" is a worldwide CrossFit Competition. For a small $10 fee you have the chance to challenge yourself against the all different types of competition. Last year the top 60 in each region qualified for the games so I am assuming it will be the same this time around. However, the Open is not truly about the Games. Whether it is your first week of CrossFit or you are a seasoned veteran, you can compete in the Open. There will be five workouts over a five week period with one week to compete each workout. You can do the workout as many times in that one week as you want to better your score. CrossFit HB will be a registered affiliate this year so all of our members will just need to do the workouts at HB in front of a qualified coach and then submit their scores online It will be much more smooth than last year when we tried to send in video of individual athletes. EVERYONE SHOULD SIGN UP FOR THE OPEN! It is a must. It's not about winning or losing, but the commraderie and the community of CrossFit. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I will be competing up here in Santa Cruz as well!
No classes tomorrow!
Regular schedule starts tuesday!
Team practices resume thursday 7pm and sat 10am! We have good comps coming up!
I would like to say to everyone at CrossFit HB, HAPPY NEW YEAR! You all inspire each time I set foot in the box. some of you saw that I stopped in for a workout right after Christmas. It was great to see new and old faces. I would like to highlight two women in particular that thoroughly impressed me by the improvement they have made since summer. "T" and Karen almost brought a tear to my eye with their beautiful back squats in the middle of a long row back squat workout. Their set up was on point: feet not too wide, hands in good position, and posture tall. Next, they went down into the squat with their back straight, knees out, and well below parallel! AND there was heavy weight on the bar! It was wonderful. Their commitment to improvement and everyone else's at HB is what makes me so excited for 2012.
It is now officially 2012 and I would like all of you to set new CrossFit goals for the new year. Maybe you want to lift a certain amount or achieve a certain time on a benchmark workout. It doesn't matter. Challenge yourself and see how far you can push your body. I noticed on the Facebook page that Tom mentioned he wanted to do butterfly pull ups. Awesome, awesome goal, but give yourself a set amount of butterfly pull ups! 30, 40? Just like what you did when you said you wanted a 2:30 Fran, it's not just a really fast Fran time, but an attainable, concrete goal. If you need help deciding on a solid goal, set up a meeting with Mike, Rosario, or Mark. They'd be glad to help. Finally, make sure they know what your goals are for the new year and when you want to achieve them by. It doesn't have to take you a year to reach your goal. There is nothing wrong with two or three month goals.
The above video is of Chris Spealler and his quest for 100 pull ups in a row. It is amazing how something as functional of a pull up can be so smooth and poetic. The video is the epitome of CrossFit. Spealler's insane fitness level combined with the commraderie and support of the CrossFit community. It is rather long, but I highly recommend you watch every second of it.
I am looking forward to a great year with CrossFit HB!
Keep improving.
There seems to be a misconception in our CrossFit world that the bench press is not a functional lift or it is not "CrossFit". The bench press is a very well known and practiced lift at 24 Hour (most with poor technique), but it is rarely seen at the box. However when the bench press does come up as a strength element or a metcon, one should have proper technique and form. In the above video Shane Sweatt and Laura Phelps-Sweatt of Westside Barbell explain and differentiate between good and bad form on the bench. They go over feet, head, shoulder, and bar placement. The bench press is a very safe lift when performed properly and it is very functional. It is a pushing movement just like the push up, handstand push up, or the bottom of a burpee. Benching is not just for roided out giants. Watch the video above and learn a few tips from the best in the business. If you are looking for some more feedback, Shane Sweatt posted some comments on this video's youtube page. And you never know, the bench press might appear at this year's CrossFit Games!
Keep improving!
Happy Holidays to everyone at CrossFit HB! I hope you all will enjoy the holidays with your family and friends. Did anybody get some awesome CrossFit gear in their stockings? I know I did! Tomorrow I will be at CrossFit HB around 9:30ish to get some work in before I head back to Santa Cruz for volleyball on the 27th. Anybody is welcome to stop by and get a wod in, open gym style.
Congratulations to "T" Trang Nfab and Jason Segal for winning the Fran Challenge! They are true testaments that hard work pays off! Hard work = results! Keep improving!
Another announcement, CF HB is holding a HOLIDAY PARTY wednesday Dec. 28th, at BRIX restaurant from 6-9pm RSVP with coaches. Bring your GF, FAM, BF, BFFs and keep it classy (business/casual). Make an appearence and enjoy seeing your peers outside of workout gear!
Below are some pictures from last Saturday's competition against CrossFit Signal Hill! From what I've read on Facebook, it seemed like a great day! I hope those of you who competeted took a nice long rest day full of stretching and icing!
For those of you who took pictures at the competition, could you email me some nice shots? My email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please don't hesitate to contact me about the pictures or anything else CrossFit! I am hoping to use some of he pictures in some blog posts over the next few weeks.
Keep on wod-ing!
Congratulations to everybody that competed in the CrossFit HB marathon/ half marathon! You all are… 
It's coming! Registratioin for the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games Open starts February 1 with the… 
Carlos at 47'' and Scott at 45''. And there is video of David getting 49''… 
CrossFit Huntington Beach
18392 Enterprise Lane Suite #2,
Huntington Beach, CA, 92648
(714) 594-9215
