This seems to happen almost every year, inevitably I end up traveling somewhere right at the end of the Whole Life Challenge or the CrossFit Open. This year I was called by the mountains and the snow. Sorry for the delay, I'm back now so let's chat.

Every year brings a new set of challenges and as the year begins many people strive to make some significant life changes. I think the New Year is a great time to focus all that motivation as a catalyst for something tremendous. Sadly though most people give up with less than a week or two of effort. What happened to all that ambition?

I'll tell you what happens...

People can't commit to the hard stuff. Making a change in your life is rarely eas...

Needed a vacation from your vacation?

I have heard this is a pretty common condition from folks with kids.

I returned from our Aspen mountain vacation yesterday and I am ready for a few more days of R&R. While my training more than prepared me for our snowboarding and ski adventures, it did not prepare me for being in the elements, at elevation for seven full days. We had one rest day outside of our travel days.

Don't get me wrong, you'll find no complaining here, this is exactly what I signed up for. Being in good condition, physically, allowed me to do this with relative ease. I'm not the squat record holder and I'm not going to make it to the CrossFit Games Super Regional...but my fitnes...

Last night we watched the reigning Fittest Woman on Earth, Katrin Davidsdottir, face bronze medalist Sara Sigmundsdottir. That was a lot of work to watch...274 reps by Sara to take the event. How many reps will you get?

As the largest CrossFit community event of the season, the Open ties together athletes from within our gym to those in the broader city, country and world. This is week four, you—and the hundreds of thousands of other people who signed up—are at the whim of the Director of the Games Dave Castro, taking on workouts that may push you to learn a new skill, improve the skills you already have, or go into a darker place than you've ever been before.

We will run heats ...

Now you know...

If you every questioned the ideas behind our coaching and programming this is a great day to step up and test yourself against the principles that drive our coaching.

"Any conditioning exercise can be a muscle builder if you go heavy and hard." - Ben Bruno

Strength always comes first... Any athlete, mother, father, brother, sister or child can benefit from sled work. Please leave us a few comments when you finish the workout.

Then...

Tonight we will find out what the Dave Castro and CrossFit HQ have in store for us in 16.4...Don't forget to swing by the gym tonight for the announcement. We'll find out at 5pm PST...

This is a guaranteed winner with 1st place Katrin Davidsdott...

Until then it's time to do some Bench Press!!!

Today's Program

BENCH PRESS

3 x 10

Then...

5 Rounds for Time

16 Burpees

8 Shoulder to Overhead (155/105)

Today's Program

ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS

3 X 8

Then...

22 Min AMRAP

400m Run
12 Ring Dips
6 Box Jumps (30/24)
3 Power Cleans (205/125)

This gang...Strongman 101...

I snapped this one during a discussion of who had better rap game and how we should all take on new rap names(as if we had old ones) to make our workout game that much more legit. One day I'll even share the dance video...

Until then I am in the Rockies doing my best to test my fitness, strapped to a board, on seemingly vertical slopes. It might not be the same thing as doing muscle ups, but I can tell you that axel bar deadlifts have helped keep my goofy foot in perfect alignment with my hips over the last three days.

Keeping me from eating a bunch of snow and pine needles as I attempt to race mean old Mr Gravity.

Train with a purpose and train to exceed your e...

"It's an old fashioned bar fight!"-Rory Mckernan

Like the Dave Castro said, "it's time to put the pedal to the metal." It's gonna be 7min of Heaven for all of you fitness fans tonight. 16.3 is 7min AMRAP of 10 Power Snatches and 3 Bar Muscle ups. I won't lie it was nice to see the Master's Athlete win last night.

Way to go Shawn Ramirez!!!.

Now, if your worried about the muscle ups or the the weight on the snatches these moves are easily scalable. This workout can be modified for anyone. If you just want to come in tonight for your daily workout that's fine too. One of our coaches will walk you through the movements and get you in one of the heats.

Start time is promptly at 6pm tonight. Tha...

Today's Program

For Time

500m Row

Then...

30min AMRAP

700m Row

100m Sand Bag Carry