Pictures from the 2010 Sectional Qualifiers

Check out pictures from the competition:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59397&id=1143523935&l=3a6c94ff6b

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59401&id=1143523935&l=a871c755e4

Power

Power- the ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. To move about by means of motive power.


As I mentioned to you... this week we are going to focused on strength as well as power... moving heavy weights long distances quickly... Be prepared...


Workouts thus far:


Workout 1:
Sumo Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3


Workout 2:
5 rounds of:
Bench Press max effort
Pull-ups max effort 
Rest 3 minutes


Workout 3:
Press 3-3-3-3
Push Press 3-3-3-3
Push  Jerk 3-3-3-3


Ray

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Strength

Strength-The ability to lift, pull, push, kick, and throw with force. Fiber ratios can be determined through a muscle biopsy. Other considerations are the ability to recruit muscle fibers for a particular activity, joint angles, and the length of each limb. For a given cross-section, shorter limbs are able to lift more weight. The ability to gain muscle also varies person to person, based mainly upon genes dictating the amounts of hormones secreted, age, health of the person, and adequate nutrients in the diet. A One-repetition maximum is the test to determine maximum muscular strength.


This week we will be focusing on the strength concept of fitness... Be prepared to move some heavy loads...


Ray

Remember, a GOAL without a PLAN is merely a WISH without a HOPE. There is no way you can accomplish something if you don't know how to proceed. Written plans are the essential instructions for how to reach a goal.

5th Overall in all of NJ/NY

NEW JERSEY (INC. NY) SECTIONAL

NY/NJ Sectional Wrap-Up

Weekend recap from Gregg Arsenuk.

The following report on the New York/New Jersey Sectional comes from Gregg Arsenuk of Guerrilla Fitness.


Check out some pics @: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48324345@N04/sets/72157623599485621/

Got Goals?

Hello everyone:

Thank you for all the luck and blessings this week-end... If you don't already know I took 5th overall out of 121 men in all of NJ & NY... Next... Regional Qualifiers in Albany...

Here are some opening for this week:

• Monday 3/29- openings @ 11:30am & 4:30pm
• Tuesday 3/30- opening @ 12:30pm
• Wednesday 3/31- opening @ 11:30am
• Thursday 4/1- partner needed @ 5am, 6am, & 8:30am
• Friday 4/2- partner needed @ 5am

***Every Friday GROUP TRAINING @ 11:30am join the squad***

Please call the GYM to book

No question, the first step towards achieving your goals is to develop the plans necessary for their successful achievement.

Yes, this is an obvious, circular and simplistic statement.

But if this important function is so obvious, why does it remain a problem for more than 88% of the population?

"A man/woman who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door." ~ Confucius

New Jersey (inc. NY) Sectional Overall Results (Mens)

New Jersey (inc. NY) Sectional Overall Results (Mens)

Search: # Competitor Place (Total) Row Burpee Row Front Squat Double Unders Chipper

120 McKenna, Mike 1 (1370) 542 (09:02) 240 (04:00) 588 (09:48)

102 Tyminski, Daniel 2 (1503) 576 (09:36) 381 (06:21) 546 (09:06)

41 Malleolo, Austin 3 (1540) 582 (09:42) 404 (06:44) 554 (09:14)

107 Goldberg, Dan 4 (1547) 590 (09:50) 344 (05:44) 613 (10:13)

42 Traitz, Ray 5 (1566) 620 (10:20) 310 (05:10) 636 (10:36)

Day 1- New Jersey (inc. NY) Sectional Overall Results (Mens)

New Jersey (inc. NY) Sectional Overall Results (Men)
Search: # Competitor Place (Total) Row Burpee Row Front Squat Double Unders Chipper

120 McKenna, Mike 1 (782) 542 (09:02) 240 (04:00)

132 Walsh, Thomas 2 (858) 572 (09:32) 286 (04:46)

58 Lewis, Joshua 3 (872) 602 (10:02) 270 (04:30)

161 Lobotsky, Nicolas 4 (890) 583 (09:43) 307 (05:07)

46 Marshall, Dennis 5 (892) 615 (10:15) 277 (04:37)

49 Hendricks, Wes 6 (909) 610 (10:10) 299 (04:59)

48 Kaplan, Jason "Rhabdo" 7 (918) 593 (09:53) 325 (05:25)

51 Ford, Larry 8 (929) 641 (10:41) 288 (04:48)

42 Traitz, Ray 9 (930) 620 (10:20) 310 (05:10)

88 Reo, Jason 10 (933) 641 (10:41) 292 (04:52)

Become a Champion

Six Secrets of Champs


1) Picking up overall intensity: Champs display awesome aggression by playing to potential.

The full force of their abilities is unleashed through a high level of concentration and attentiveness.

2) Maintaining a business-like attitude and consistency: A single-minded focus on playing the game right, a professional approach to competition and maintaining a high level of quality, and excellence in performance

3) Displaying rare composure: Incredible fortitude, rarely show emotion or fall prey to. Are determined, and have the ability to fight, despite difficulties encountered on the mat

4) Handling pressure, surmounting any crisis: The ability to withstanding pressure and surmount a crisis is the true mark of a champ. The experience and knowledge built up over the years provides the necessary mental strength to handle pressures.

5) Seizing the moment of opportunity: Champs can accelerate the pace, use intuition and instincts to guide performance, and anticipate moves in advance. Champs don't drop their guard at any stage.

6) Adhering to training, both mental and physical: Sustaining the mental preparation process and strengthening all aspects of preparation regularly despite the star status; no complacency no matter how many championship titles has been won.

Hey endurance athletes, read this!!!

Hey endurance athletes... If you think more miles or training is better for your sport (run/bike/swim/etc.) I suggest rethinking your training... To be a better runner/biker/swimmer/etc. one must practice the skill of the sport (technique of your sport)... Less is more!!! Combining strength, conditioning, and skill work will dramatically improve your performance... Not only will you have more time to live, but see results you have never though possible... I suggest taking a look at the Crossfit Endurance site...

Ray

CrossFit Endurance was created with the belief that you have taken the time to learn the skill of your sport. If you have not, you have no business here, or competing in this sport. This website is to be used with the Anaerobic Endurance WOD, Main Site WOD, your affiliate, or your own CrossFit Programming (Beware, poor programming will come at your cost in fitness and sport). Follow the directions as indicated on each day's WOD. If you aren't recovering and hitting times that you should hit, take a day or two off... Recovery is why you get better, not more training!

With Progression!!! CrossFit 4-6 times per week. The most successful athletes will be able to follow a 3:1 CrossFit/Strength and Conditioining cycle. Choose ONE sport per day on this site. Single sport athletes should only be following this site 2-3 times a week. Typically, 1 cycle, which is 1 interval, 1 tempo/stamina workout, and 1 more interval workout... This should be spaced accordingly throughout the week. Multi-sport athletes should train no more than 2 workouts per week per sport on this site. PERIOD! Follow anything else and you are not following this site correctly.

Yes we know this is contrary to what everyone else is telling you...We aren't everyone.

I Love Burpees

I love my lovely wife Suzanne and adorable son River & Burpees!!!

Mixing family, fun, and fitness is always a good thing....

Do everyone a favor... do 5 Burpees with as many loved ones as possible...

3...2...1... GO!

Ray

"Set your sights high, the higher the better. Expect the most wonderful things to happen, not in the future but right now. Realize that nothing is too good. Allow absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold you up in any way." ~ Eileen Caddy

The Zone and Athletic Performance

By Robb Wolf | August 12, 2009

Amidst yesterdays comments the question was asked “Where is the science for the Zone or paleo with regards to improving athletic performance?” as both a scientist and coach I would have normally told this person to go pound sand as my gym is full of people who are performing FAR better with a paleo diet than the standard high-carb, low-fat chow. The reason this person hooked me in however was because they cited a paper that I had already written a rebuttal to for the CFJ. I’m not really game for a re-write to get that piece up to CFJ standards so I’ll just post it here today. A point I’d like to make here that I did not make in the paper is asking for “science” in many instance is like asking for the answer to every question imaginable all at once. Bright-eyed, bushy-tailed undergrads who hear their prof’s say “it must be scientific!” have not hit the real world yet and do not realize the complexity of designing a study that tells you something meaningful vs. just being a means to your next grant. As I make the point below, no one bothered to look at how the Zone has been used with ATHLETES. Instead the guidelines from the weight-loss book were followed, with predictable results. The following is the content of that article:

I received an interesting email several weeks ago that contained a blog post recommending AGAINST the Zone nutritional approach for individuals entering BUD/S or similar, highly demanding selection programs. The author makes his case against the Zone in three basic ways:

1-The Zone is counter to standard endurance nutrition “wisdom”.

2-Scientific investigations of the Zone have produced lack-luster results.

3-The supposed scientific underpinnings of the Zone are inaccurate and thus, the Zone’s efficacy must be called into question. To properly consider the author’s position, let’s take a look at his blog post in it’s full glory:

Our Future

Forging Future Fitness

Please read this article... We can make a change and give our community more aware of our future generation...

Ray

The Pussification of America

February 4th, 2010

· by admin · Filed Under: Announcements · Articles

No photos or art work today, just a straight up rant…..

Something has been irking me lately and it’s exactly what I coin “The Pussification of America.”
On the flip side, I’m sure this article will get me in a lot of heat, mainly by those who are contributing to the weakness.
There is a rare breed of people out there who are also ranting about this and will understand where I am coming from, regardless of being male or female. I have a funny feeling it’s on the minds of many and I do not stand alone.
Not sure what’s going on in other countries, but in the states we’ve got one too many strained hamstrings, too much “I’m tired”, too much “I just gotta get my mind into it” B.S. floating around.

The Prowler

It seems to me several of you enjoied the "Prowler"... it was a good time even t in the rain... Now we are talking...

This weeks workout:

Annie

For time:

100 jump rope/50 sit ups

80 jump rope/ 40 sit ups

60 jump rope/ 30 sit ups

40 jump rope/ 20 sit ups

20 jump rope/ 10 sit ups

Chad (**Happy B-day Chad**)

3 Rounds For time:

49 Push press

49 Push-ups (scaling will be applied if necessary)

49 Jump rope

"When I am delivering my very best, then that is when I feel successful."~ Art Fettig

4 days till The Crossfit Sectional Qualifiers...

The Avocado Advantage

High in the Good Fat
The avocado's image first took on some polish with a 1996 study by researchers at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico (Archives of Medical Research, Winter 1996) that looked at the health benefits of daily avocado consumption. The 45 volunteers who ate avocados every day for a week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol. Their cholesterol ratio also changed in a healthy way: Their levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or "bad fat") and triglycerides, both associated with heart disease, went down. Their HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or "good fat") levels, which tend to lower the risk of heart disease, climbed.

Researchers have also discovered that avocados are rich in beta-sitosterol, a natural substance shown to significantly lower blood cholesterol levels. In a review article published in the December 1999 issue of the American Journal of Medicine, researchers pointed out that beta-sitosterol was shown to reduce cholesterol in 16 human studies.

Everything in Moderation
Sneaking monounsaturated fats into your own daily diet may allow you to enjoy similar health benefits, says Melanie Polk, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. Used creatively, she says, avocados can add variety -- and good nutrition -- to your diet. Instead of spreading butter or cream cheese on your bread or bagel, use some mashed avocado instead. Replace that mayo you'd usually put on a sandwich with avocado slices. You'll not only save calories, you'll be cutting out saturated fat and increasing your daily intake of monounsaturated fat as well.

Unknown & Unknowable

Be advidsied that training this week will be RANDOM... You could be training inside, outside, for time, Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy...

Let the FUN begin...

I hope you had a great week-end....

Here is what is happening this week:

· Monday 3/22- Opening @3:30pm

· Thursday 2/24- partner needed

· Friday 2/25- I will be out... I'm taking a rest day before competing this week-end...

Please contact me if you want to train or reschedule...

Ray

2010 Crossfit Games Sectional Qualifiers

I hope you did something for FUN this week-end...

I will be competing this up coming week-end Saturday 3/27 & Sunday 3/28... Wish me luck!!!

New York / New Jersey Sectional
Mar 27-28, 2010 19 Elm StreetMontclair, NJ 007042 — Map It »Spots to the Regionals: 30 men, 30 women
Event InformationMarch is historically an unfriendly month with regard to weather. Indoors/outdoors? Rain, cold? Be prepared to deal with the elements. This isn't California, but it is CrossFit. Come to NJ and GET SOME!


Volunteer Opportunities:We need all types of volunteers with different experience levels to make this the best event possible.


Register for this event
Spectator - Registration Closed »
Space is limited! Sign up now to see all the action live. $50.

Fish Oil

What Are The Benefits Of Fish Oil?

Fish oil is one of the natural remedies for a number of health problems. It is derived from the tissues of the oily fish. The recent studies published in some of the respected scientific magazines show that fish oil has some amazing benefits for health. So what is the fish oil benefit and how fish oil is actually made?

Fish oil is yielded from the cold water fish like mackerel, tuna, salmon, cod and many other fish. It has been recommended as a heart healthy diet for a longer period. The fish oil is very effective nutrient as it contains two most important omega 3 fatty acids that can be absorbed easily. EPA and DHA are two most important fatty acids that have very crucial role in development of normal brain, proper functioning of nervous system and better eyesight. The EPA and DHA fatty acids derived from the fish oil are considered to be the protective elements for the body as they are very effective to reduce the risk of developing arthritis. Among other fish oil benefit you can find:

Friday

If you joining the group training today @ 11:30am... You may be throwing or flipping these guys around at St. Joe's...

I hope everyone has been enjoying the great weather... Take advantage this week-end & do some physical activity for FUN!!!

I am hoping to get the prowler by next week...

"How hard it is, sometimes, to trust the evidence of one's senses! How reluctantly the mind consents to reality."~ Norman Douglas

Thursday

This is the "Prowler"

Fitness In 100 Words Or Less

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

~Greg Glassman, Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."~ Albert Schweitzer

Wednesday

Outside:

5 rounds AMRAP

1 1/2 minutes of air squats

1 1/2 minutes of KBS

400m

2 minutes rest

OR

Inside

Part #1

"Grace"

For time:

30 repetitions of clean & jerk
loads will vary

Part #2

Kettlebell complex

My choice

Beware of the Prowler... It is arriving this week....

"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is a sin." ~ Benjamin E. Mayes

Tuesday

My apologies for the GYM closing... Please contact me to reschedule...


Get geared up for this week... Nice weather means outdoor training...

"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."~ Aldous Huxley

Monday

Hello all:

I have a few openings this week:
Tuesday 3/16- 12:30pm opening
Wednesday 3/17- partner needed @ 5am
Thursday 3/18- partner needed @ 3:30pm
Friday 3/19- opening @ 10:30am

***Group training every Friday @ 11:30am & 12:30pm***

Workout #1
Part 1
5 rounds of AMRAP:
3 minutes of air squats
2 minutes of push press (Mens #70 & Womens #50)
1 minute of burpees
2 minutes rest after each round

If time Part 2
Tabata
Pull-ups
Push-ups

Movement & Mobility

Hey Crew,

I'd like you to follow this routine on your off days as well as prior to training...

Thanks,

Ray

Post questions...

Sunday 3/14/10

Hey Crew,

I will begin posting information on training, opening, workouts, pictures, and videos.... I hope this makes life a bit easier for you...

Thanks,
Ray