Archive for April, 2011

For those of you who don’t know, Saban gave birth to 10 lil Rotties 3 weeks ago. They stopped by the gym yesterday to see the 9am class and Saban wanted to make sure everything was still running smoothly in her absence. I look for her to return to work in another 3 weeks when her maternity leave is up.

Wendy

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Great job to everyone yesterday on the new Personal Records! It is amazing to see how strong everyone is getting, it is definitely a testament to all the hard work that you have been putting in. I believe that for a gym owner and Coach, the greatest feeling is to be surrounded by people giving everything they have everyday. I am sure that I speak for all of the Coaches here when I say, thank you for giving your all!

Devin

Remember that this week we are pulling 1RMs to see where we stand for the next 4 weeks of programming. If you see that you are going to be out at all this week, get with me so we can go ahead and pull any lifts that you may miss out on. It is amazing to see all of the progress so far and is is very important that we get these numbers to keep on track. Thank you all for believing in the programming here, I am glad that you can see for yourself that it is paying off.

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It was really cool to have all of the visitors this week from surrounding CrossFit affiliates. Erick, Mike, Devin, Eddie and Joey; it was a pleasure having you here at World Camp!

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The Nasty Honey Badger

The 3 Goodson Boys post WOD

It has been an absolute pleasure having Billy, Gina, Billy Jr. and Matt Goodson here at World Camp! They are one of many entire families that have trusted their fitness in WCCF.

Why Squat?

The squat is essential to your well-being. The squat can both greatly improve your athleticism and keep your hips, back, and knees sound and functioning in your senior years.

Not only is the squat not detrimental to the knees it is remarkably rehabilitative of cranky, damaged, or delicate knees. In fact, if you do not squat, your knees are not healthy regardless of how free of pain or discomfort you are. This is equally true of the hips and back.

at a loss for words.

The squat is no more an invention of a coach or trainer than is the hiccup or sneeze. It is a vital, natural, functional, component of your being.

The squat, in the bottom position, is nature’s intended sitting posture (chairs are not part of your biological make-up), and the rise from the bottom to the stand is the biomechanically sound method by which we stand-up. There is nothing contrived or artificial about this movement.

Most of the world’s inhabitants sit not on chairs but in a squat. Meals, ceremonies, conversation, gatherings, and defecation are all performed bereft of chairs or seats. Only in the industrialized world do we find the need for chairs, couches, benches, and stools. This comes at a loss of functionality that contributes immensely to decrepitude.

Frequently, we encounter individuals whose doctor or chiropractor has told them not to squat. In nearly every instance this is pure ignorance on the part of the practitioner. When a doctor that doesn’t like the squat is asked, “by what method should your patient get off of the toilet?” they are

In a similarly misinformed manner we have heard trainers and health care providers suggest that the knee should not be bent past 90 degrees. It’s entertaining to ask proponents of this view to sit on the ground with their legs out in front of them and then to stand without bending the legs more than 90 degrees. It can’t be done without some grotesque bit of contrived movement. The truth is that getting up off of the floor involves a force on at least one knee that is substantially greater than the squat.

Our presumption is that those who counsel against the squat are either just repeating nonsense they’ve heard in the media or at the gym, or in their clinical practice they’ve encountered people who’ve injured themselves squatting incorrectly.

It is entirely possible to injure yourself squatting incorrectly, but it is also exceedingly easy to bring the squat to a level of safety matched by walking. In the accompanying article we explain how that is done.

On the athletic front, the squat is the quintessential hip extension exercise, and hip extension is the foundation of all good human movement. Powerful, controlled hip extension is necessary and nearly sufficient for elite athleticism. “Necessary” in that without powerful, controlled hip extension you are not functioning anywhere near your potential. “Sufficient” in the sense that everyone we’ve met with the capacity to explosively open the hip could also run, jump, throw, and punch with impressive force.

Secondarily, but no less important, the squat is among those exercises eliciting a potent neuroendocrine response. This benefit is ample reason for an exercise’s inclusion in your regimen.

re: CrossFit Journal

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WCCF has some pretty awesome and special people there. That is what helps make it addicting!!! Not just the weight loss or strength you gain. But having people that I hardly even know willing to stick around, cheer me on, see me not give up and give it 110%, give you a slap on the back-fist bump-hug-good job, etc. After Wed, I want to go every freaking chance I get!!! This is why WCCF has gotten so big, so fast. It has sooooo much more to offer than any other gym. And it starts at the top with the owner and coaches. Man, I want to go again right now…..

Thanks~Sean

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The Ladies of the #4# Competition

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Kris,

Looks like tomorrow morning will be my last class, maybe Saturday morning. Regardless, wanted to thank you for all the good workouts. I know it will be difficult to find a place like your gym anywhere else, almost sad I didn’t get into it sooner. I’m stronger, faster, and a little heavier than I’ve been in a long time, but extremely satisfied with the results, looking fwd to my next half ironman, going to kickass…Can’t express how happy I am to have met you and learn from you…I can almost go and do my own workouts without even going to a class, but my addiction is there…Can’t wait to hit the gym up in Lexington.

Albany is lucky to have you, your professionalism and charismatic personality will bring you lots of happiness and success..you have impacted my life and I’m sure many others in a positive way–thanks for it all…I’ll stay in touch on FB-I’m a little worried about this place, who will stand between mother nature and the fine people of Albany?? ha!

Thanks, Matt Ortiz

Snatch Work

Every once in a while something pretty amazing happens at World Camp. Some sort of phenomenon, much like a Solar Eclipse. The place feels as if everyone is firing on all cylinders and the electricity in the air sets the stage for something remarkable. Last night was one of those nights. As a gym we have been doing the Online Qualifier WODs each Thursday, and last night was no different. The workout was a 10 min AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) of 60 Bar Facing Burpees, 30 Overhead Squats (120/90) and 10 Muscle Ups. This story leads to that of Billy Goodson. Billy has been at World Camp for a while now, getting stronger, leaner and more fit but none had prepared him for what was to happen next. We ran the groups in heats so everyone had a judge to count, cheer and coach each other throughout the 10 min WOD, Billy went in the first heat of the 6pm group. As the clock counted down from 10 and the music began to play, none of us had any idea what was to take place. Billy began his burpees, determined to get them all in before time. He finished them with roughly 6 min. left on the clock, stood up and grasped his bar. With one explosive movement, he snatched 120# up like it was a 5 year old Matthew (Billy’s oldest son) after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. One after another, Billy ripped through 15 Overhead Squats before taking his first break. After a few deep breaths the bar was back up and he was at it again. Upon finishing up his last 15, we noticed that there was about 3 and a half minutes left on the clock. I was actually in the process of setting some rings to the proper height even though Billy felt he was a far cry away from getting up and yelled “get over here man!” I watched Billy walk from the back of the gym to the front where the rings were, almost as if he was a cage fighter with his eyes fixed on his opponent in the ring. One look down to grab a handful of chalk and his gaze set back on the task at hand. He had never done a Muscle Up before but as he grabbed a hold of those rings, you would never had known it. By this time a small crowd had gathered of those hanging around from the last group and those early for the next. All screaming, “You can do it Billy!” In one fluid movement, Billy made the transition from the Pull Up to the Dip position and began to press himself up! With a yell as if he was a Gladiator  just before finishing off his prey, he locked both arms out and joined the “Muscle Up” club! A feeling over came me as I realized the magnitude of what had just happened. In this very moment, a man became a god… It was this moment, I wish time could have stood still for him, just for a while… Billy went on to get 2 more before time ran out. I am so thankful for World Camp and the members that make it unique.

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World Camp would like to wish Jimmy Webb HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Thanks to his fitness regimen, Jimmy feels, looks and performs better than he did 20 years ago; well, I don’t know about the “looks” part… Anyway, thank you Jimmy for your continued support. Enjoy your day brother!

The other day I found myself in a conversation with my High School Basketball coach and Health teacher about exercise and how much it has changed over the years. The idea that fitness is evolving is true however, what worked way back when still works today and vise versa. The topic then led to a very popular muscle magazine that can be found on any rack and is most likely sitting on your coffee table or in that basket to the right of your toilet. This magazine that was once filled with pictures of grossly huge individuals doing bicep curls and kickbacks is now saturated with average looking guys performing Dead Lifts, Squats and their variations on Cleans. Now, does this mean fitness is changing? Of course not! It simply means that people have finally started wising up and coming to the realization that pictures of oiled up guys in banana hammocks does not depict fitness at all. I can tell you that fitness can not be judged by the way someone looks, but only how they measure up against the task that has been set before them. Even the competitions have changed. Thanks to CrossFit Inc. athletes now have an outlet to compete on a global level without having the ability to throw a 95mph fastball or ring a hoop from 30ft out. It is because of this that muscle magazines are now eating crow and trying there best to ride the coat tails of more “functional” and performance related fitness programs, as opposed to the aesthetically driven “muscle building” programs of yester year. If you have never been to a CrossFit competition, you really should. The excitement that surrounds these competitions is absolutely amazing, the athletes are a little more dressed however, you wont have to worry about anything popping out because the guys are not wearing a girls bikini bottom doing Front Squats…

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Just got back from Dr.’s. had my yearly physical, and wanted to give you some wonderful numbers! In 2010 my total cholesterol was 268. today it is 209. Last year my LDL was 171 and today it is 112. Last year my triglyceride was 118, and this year it is 110. The only thing i have done differently is my commitment to World Camp CrossFit. March 1st marked my first anniversary. Obviously it has made a huge difference in my health and fitness.

Thanks Coach, JJ

This Friday marks two years to the day that I met Kris Morrill. It happened to be in the original gym just before he moved World Camp to it’s current location. I was seeking a better workout than my do it yourself routine. I was looking for help in order to get back into mountain sports and to set new personal goals.

Without being too long-winded, a lot has happened along the way. I have lost 38 pounds, dropped my body fat under 15%, climbed to 14,411 ft on ice and rock, descended 4,000 ft on skis in less than 15 minutes, set my sights on other peaks around the world to climb, but most importantly, I have dozens of new friends that work together every morning.
Kris has become a great friend and inspiration. His dedication to the members of World Camp have become my dedication to making the daily workout part of my life. It is simply not an option if I am going to go that day. I must make constant improvements!

Friends wonder why I am drawn to the mind bending loneliness of the cold, thin air of mountain peaks. Maybe what drives me that direction is unlike what drives our peers to compete in CrossFit competitions. A simple self assessment?
The following quote comes to mind:

“The simpler we make things, the richer the experiences become. But only if we remain active, only if we try, only if we risk – and especially when we fail. Failure is a part of learning. Through our failures we learn the most. Action is the message.”

-Reinhold Messner

Who am I? I am World Camp CrossFit!

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Reminder that this Wednesday, Shelby will be talking about life in the “ZONE” at 10am. If you have any questions about the “Zone” diet, bring them and she will be able to answer them in order to get you on the right path to living life in the Zone!

#4# Teams

This weekend was the 3 event in the Garage Games Series! #4# (Pound For Pound) in Montgomery Alabama was a 2 day event that allowed for Teams, Individuals and Masters to compete. World Camp was represented by two All Star teams and 1 individual in the Masters competition. This was Billy’s first ever competition and he absolutely showed out! I am very proud of the way each athlete handled themselves over the weekend.