As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
15(12) Calorie row
15 Box jump, 24″(20″)
15 GHD sit-up

Post times to comments and BTWB

For time:
21 Thrusters, 95#(65#)
400m Sprint
Rest 2 minutes
15 Thrusters, 95#(65#)
400m Sprint
Rest 2 minutes
9 Thrusters, 95#(65#)
400m Sprint
Rest 2 minutes
6 Thrusters, 95#(65#)
400m Sprint
Rest 2 minutes
3 Thrusters, 95#(65#)
400m Sprint

Post times to comments and BTWB

Want to get up off the toilet by yourself when you’re 80 years old? Start squatting below parallel when you’re 30 years old. Trust me. By Courtney Shepherd

In my coaching career, I have on occasion, been accused of being mean. That’s right, you heard me, mean. Following a workout once an athlete actually came up to me and said, “Dang girl, you’re mean today.” You would think this might have upset me or at least caused concern about what it was I did to this athlete to earn the distinction “mean”. Well I was not upset, and I knew exactly what I did. And I’ve done it many more times since.

I relentlessly made this athlete, along with the whole class, for the entirety of the workout, squat below parallel. Yeah, that happened.

Now, I hope at this point you realize that, while this really was said to me, it was said with humor. This athlete may have disliked me in the moment for lovingly reminding them often to get lower in their squats, but they know my constant nagging is out of a desire to see them get stronger, healthier, and live a longer, more productive life. Wait a tic. What’s that you say? Squatting below parallel isn’t just something CrossFit Games made up to help establish guidelines for a “no rep” during a workout? Nope, they sure didn’t. (Yes, I realize I’m having a conversation with myself. . . publicly, for all you to enjoy) Long before the Crossfit Games came to light CrossFit was teaching the air squat as one of it’s foundational, functional movements. A point of performance for this movement is that the hip crease gets below the knee crease, also known as getting below parallel.  Why does CrossFit teach it this way? Because that is what life demands of us. Life demands at times that we set our butt down on something that is lower to the ground, and I’ll be darned if at some point in time later life asks us to get our butts up. We want to be able to do this without the help of someone or something else. So CrossFit is preparing us for life. 

The squat is my favorite foundational, functional movement because you see it in so many other things. You see it in the thruster, snatch, clean, overhead squat, wall ball, and more. We do a workout with 150 wall balls in it, and after it kicks our butt we rack our brain trying to figure out how to get better at wall balls, but very few of us will actually say, “I bet if I worked to improve my squat I would also improve my wall balls.” I’m not talking about throwing weights on a bar and squatting our brains out. I’m talking about sitting back in our heals, driving our knees over our toes, and keeping our chest upright as we squat below parallel. Taking time to perfect the air squat translates to those sexier movements we all want so bad, like a heavier snatch or clean. 

The squat is also my favorite for it’s presence in everyday life. My Nana use to live in an assisted living facility. When I would visit, I couldn’t use her private bathroom because it had a 2 foot booster seat on top of the toilet. The facility put this there for my Nana because she had long ago lost the ability to sit down and stand up without assistance. She lost her functional ability to squat. CrossFit was not in my life at a time I could have helped make a difference in my Nana’s. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish it would have been. I would have loved to have visited Nana and done silly things with her like sit down and stand up, now do it holding this phone book. She wouldn’t have known it at the time but she would have been working on doing squats with a little bit of weight. She would have been doing CrossFit. 

Today you are going to be doing a lot of squats. When I coach I’m going to expect that each of these squats gets to the proper depth, something I will be continually reminding some of you about. I know it seems “mean” to hear my obnoxiously loud and raspy voice booming across the room, “get lower in that squat for me”, but I obviously don’t see it as mean. I see it as keeping you healthy and functional, so that when you are 80 no one puts a 2 foot booster seat on your toilet and it freaks out your grandkids. 

In short, you’re welcome.

For time:
500m Row

Then, 5 rounds:
5 STO, 155#(105#)
7 Front rack lunge steps, 155#(105#)
9 Burpees over the bar

500m Row

Post times to comments and BTWB

Speaking of partner work. . . .

Ladies, Femme Royale is coming at you fast. It’s Saturday August 19th. If you’ve been thinking about it, think no more. Grab a buddy and get signed up. If you are worried about what you may or may not be able to do physically, FR has 3 divisions you can sign up for: For Fun, 50/50, and RX. The workouts have already been announced, so find the best division and get your practice on. 

To register, click here.

To see workouts and movement standards, click here.

Gentlemen, we haven’t left you out. Verve is hosting a Bro-Down on Sunday August 20th. It will be the same format and workouts from the Femme Royale with weights adjusted for the men. We will only have 2 divisions: Open and RX. Registration for dudes is $40 per team. Because this in house competition is being put on just by Verve and just for Verve dudes, the registration money is going right back to prizes for the winners, 3 podium spots per division. 

To register, go to Verve’s square system and make the purchase. Be sure to put team members names and team name in the notes. 

*Verve will not have any classes or open gym times during the weekend of Femme Royale and Bro-Down. So if you want to get in some fitness, get signed up for one of the events.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Sunday July 30th Verve is excited to host a workout in support of Verve’s own Frank Moore and his non profit charity CellCycle. Frank founded the charity CellCycle last year after his 6 year old niece was diagnosed with childhood leukemia. This is a family run operation where 100% of money raised is donated to individuals affected by blood cancer. 

We will have a free workout at 10am and 11am. Following the 11am WOD Whole Foods will be on site providing snacks and refreshments. The workout will be written for any and all to attend and be easily scaleable to meet any individual needs. We simply ask that instead of any drop in fees, you donate to CellCycle. Frank will be on hand to help take donations, and there will be a family present with a story to tell about their fight with cancer. 

All are invited, so bring family and friends and help support a great cause. For more information about CellCycle click here. 

For time:
Run 800 Meters
21 Pull ups
21 Cleans 95#(65#)
Run 600 Meters
15 Chest to bar pull ups
15 Cleans 135#(95#)
Run 400 Meters
9 Bar muscle ups
9 Cleans 185#(125#)

Post times to comments and BTWB

5 Rounds for reps:
Max reps bodyweight bench press
Max reps supine ring rows
Rest 3 minutes between each round

Post reps to comments and BTWB

Today’s blog has absolutely nothing to do with fitness. Well, it kind of does. . . today we are talking about fitness for the brain. Studies have shown that leisure activities such as crossword puzzles, card games, and reading provide an avenue to stimulate the mind, thus delaying the onset of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. I like to think of this as doing our mental push-ups. So today’s blog is an informative one to help improve your lexicon and common vernacular. And when you are ready to tackle that New York Times crossword puzzle, you got some extra knowledge in your back pocket.

20 misused English words that make smart people look silly
By Travis Bradberry President, TalentSmart

We’re all tempted to use words that we’re not too familiar with. If this were the only problem, I wouldn’t have much to write about. That’s because we’re cautious with words we’re unsure of and, thus, they don’t create much of an issue for us. It’s the words that we think we’re using correctly that wreak the most havoc. We throw them around in meetings, e-mails and important documents (such as resumes and client reports), and they land, like fingernails across a chalkboard, on everyone who has to hear or read them. We’re all guilty of this from time to time, myself included.

When I write, I hire an editor who is an expert in grammar to review my articles before I post them online. It’s bad enough to have a roomful of people witness your blunder—it’s something else entirely to stumble in front of 100,000! The point is, we can all benefit from opportunities to sharpen the saw and minimize our mistakes. Often, it’s the words we perceive as being more correct or sophisticated that don’t really mean what we think they do. There are 20 such words that have a tendency to make even really smart people stumble.

Have a look to see which of these commonly confused words throw you off.

Accept vs. Except

These two words sound similar but have very different meanings. Acceptmeans to receive something willingly: “His mom accepted his explanation” or “She accepted the gift graciously.” Except signifies exclusion: “I can attend every meeting except the one next week.” To help you remember, note that both except and exclusion begin with ex.

Affect vs. Effect

To make these words even more confusing than they already are, both can be used as either a noun or a verb. Let’s start with the verbs. Affectmeans to influence something or someone; effect means to accomplish something. “Your job was affected by the organizational restructuring” but “These changes will be effected on Monday.” As a noun, an effect is the result of something: “The sunny weather had a huge effect on sales.” It’s almost always the right choice because the noun affect refers to an emotional state and is rarely used outside of psychological circles: “The patient’s affect was flat.”

Lie vs. Lay

We’re all pretty clear on the lie that means an untruth. It’s the other usage that trips us up. Lie also means to recline: “Why don’t you liedown and rest?” Lay requires an object: “Lay the book on the table.” Lieis something you can do by yourself, but you need an object to lay. It’s more confusing in the past tense. The past tense of lie is—you guessed it—lay: “I lay down for an hour last night.” And the past tense of lay is laid: “I laid the book on the table.”

Bring vs. Take

Bring and take both describe transporting something or someone from one place to another, but the correct usage depends on the speaker’s point of view. Somebody brings something to you, but you take it to somewhere else: “Bring me the mail, then take your shoes to your room.” Just remember, if the movement is toward you, use bring; if the movement is away from you, use take.

Ironic vs. Coincidental

A lot of people get this wrong. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, that’s not ironic—it’s coincidental (and bad luck). Ironic has several meanings, all of which include some type of reversal of what was expected. Verbal irony is when a person says one thing but clearly means another. Situational irony is when a result is the opposite of what was expected. O. Henry was a master of situational irony. In his famous short story The Gift of the Magi, Jim sells his watch to buy combs for his wife’s hair, and she sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim’s watch. Each character sold something precious to buy a gift for the other, but those gifts were intended for what the other person sold. That is true irony. If you break your leg the day before a ski trip, that’s coincidental. If you drive up to the mountains to ski, and there was more snow back at your house, that’s ironic.

Imply vs. Infer

To imply means to suggest something without saying it outright. To infer means to draw a conclusion from what someone else implies. As a general rule, the speaker/writer implies, and the listener/reader infers.

Nauseous vs. Nauseated

Nauseous has been misused so often that the incorrect usage is accepted in some circles. Still, it’s important to note the difference. Nauseous means causing nausea; nauseated means experiencing nausea. So, if your circle includes ultra-particular grammar sticklers, never say “I’m nauseous” unless you want them to be snickering behind your back.

Comprise vs. Compose

These are two of the most commonly misused words in the English language.Comprise means to include; compose means to make up. It all comes down to parts versus the whole. When you use comprise, you put the whole first: “A soccer game comprises (includes) two halves.” When you use compose, you put the pieces first: “Fifty states compose (make up) the United States of America.”

Farther vs. Further

Farther refers to physical distance, while further describes the degree or extent of an action or situation. “I can’t run any farther,” but “I have nothing further to say.” If you can substitute “more” or “additional,” use further.

Fewer vs. Less

Use fewer when you’re referring to separate items that can be counted; use less when referring to a whole: “You have fewer dollars, but lessmoney.”

Bringing it all together

English grammar can be tricky, and, a lot of times, the words that sound right are actually wrong. With words such as those listed above, you just have to memorize the rules so that when you are about to use them, you’ll catch yourself in the act and know for certain that you’ve written or said the right one.

4 Rounds for time:
Row 500 meters
Run 400 meters with, 20#(14#) medball
15 Wall balls, 20#(14#)

Post times to comments and BTWB

We are certain that most Verve members know who Frank Moore is. He is hard to miss, especially when he is about 3-5 minutes late for class and Clancy jokingly points that out. When that happens Frank lovingly laughs along with the joke. Frank is kind of a big deal to us at Verve, and it’s not just because he has a great sense of humor. 

Frank founded the charity CellCycle last year after his 6 year old niece was diagnosed with a childhood leukemia. Here is what Frank had to say about CellCycle last year:

“I started the charity CellCycle in June (2016) to raise money and awareness for Leukemia and Lymphoma patients. This organization is 100% home grown. I took some time off work, bought the website site domain, designed the website, wrote the content and concept and then after much thought – sent CellCycle into the world to do some good. Simply put, CellCycle is me and it is deeply personal. At the website you will also learn I am not just asking for your money. I am going to ride my bike 200 miles across Switzerland over 4 days and climbing a little over 20,000 vertical feet through the Alps for your support. To put it in perspective, you can drive across Switzerland in 230 miles. I planned this ride and will complete on my own, with no support and with all my belongings on my bike. In CrossFit terms, there are no modifications; this ride must be completed as prescribed.

Patient’s with blood cancer (or leukemia and lymphoma) are important to me for a few reasons. Foremost, a member of my family was diagnosed with leukemia a little less than a year ago. And not just any member of our family, but one of the youngest members of our family. My brother’s daughter Etta, our niece, was diagnosed on December 23^rd 2015 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) at 6 years old. I struggled finding ways to be useful during this time given my brother, his wife and their 2 children live in Portland Oregon. It took some time, but I came to realize there is so much that can be done to help this community and patient’s and their families are often too busy with treatment to fundraise in earnest for this cause. Furthermore as a medical doctor who specializes blood cancer, I had diagnosed this same disease 100 times before it became personal and this has changed me forever. I am not happy that a family member has life-threatening illness, but I am not going to miss the lessons it will teach.”

Frank is at it again this year. In it’s sophomore year CellCycle is now a Colorado non-profit company, a federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, with funding to help cover operating costs, they have their own social media, they have a creative team for design, music, photo and video and they have a corporate sponsor (Thanks to Whole Foods Market who ‘gets’ their vision). They have also expanded their opportunities for donors beyond the bike with their KiloCycle events. But all the important stuff remains. They are family operated, they donate 100% of the money raised and they tell the stories of individuals affected by blood cancer. They continue to improve and grow, but only with your generous help. 

Sunday July 30th Verve proudly supports Frank and CellCycle. We will be hosting a free workout at 10am and 11am. The workout will be written specifically for the event and will be scaleable to any beginners looking to participate. Afterwords snacks and refreshments will be provided by Whole Foods. There will be an opportunity to donate to CellCycle, any donation over $30 will receive a t-shirt. Anyone and everyone is invited to join in this event. 

We are incredibly excited to be a part of helping Frank and CellCycle reach their donation goals and give back to our community. For more information about CellCycle click here.

In teams complete the following for time:
100 calories on the assault bike (switch every 10 calories)
100 10 meter prowler pushes
80 calories on the assault bike (switch every 10 calories)
80 10 meter prowler pushes
60 calories on the assault bike (switch every 10 calories)
60 10 meter prowler pushes

Post times to comments and BTWB

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
2 Rope climbs
4 Strict handstand push-ups
8 Russian kettlebell swings, 53#(35#)

Post times to comments and BTWB

It’s time for bros to get together and throw down. It’s time to Bro-Down.

Gentlemen, the registration for Verve’s Bro Down is now live!! Verve will be hosting the Femme Royale ladies only competition on Saturday August 19th. In an attempt to make sure the ladies do not have all the fun, the men will take the stage for the Bro-Down, the men’s only competition on Sunday August 20th. That’s right folks, ladies are up on Saturday, men are up on Sunday. Now the men’s version is only being opened to Verve members, however, if you have a bro that is not a Verve member but with whom you must throw down, then we cool with that. Get yourselves signed up. 

Let’s talk WODs, Verve will only have 2 competition divisions rather than 3, RX and Open. Here are the workouts for the competition:

Workout #1

8 Minute AMRAP:

RX
15 Overhead squats, 135#
10 Hang snatch (can be power or squat), 135#
5 Bar muscle-ups

OPEN
15 Overhead squats, 95#
10 Hang snatch (can be power or squat), 95#
5 Chest to bar pull-ups

*Work may be split anyway athletes choose. The minimum work requirement (MWR) is 1 rep of each movement per person.

Workout #2

In 7 minutes both athletes must find their 2RM thruster
Followed immediately by 3 min max effort:

RX
Pistols

OPEN
Box jump over, 30”

*Both athletes are working during the 7 minutes to establish a 2RM thruster for each. During the 3 minute max effort, work may be split up however athletes choose. MWR is 1 rep per person. This is 2 scored events.  

Workout #3

For time: (time cap TBD)

RX
100 Deadlift, 225#
80 Toes to bar
60 Front rack lunge steps, 135#
40 Handstand push-ups

OPEN
100 Deadlift, 185#
80 Toes to bar
60 Front rack lunge steps, 95#
40 Push-ups

*Work may be split anyway athletes choose. The MWR is 1 rep of each movement per person.

Registration will be $20/ person or $40 for the team (these are 2 man teams). All of the money will be going directly into prizes for the top 3 teams in both divisions. How do you register your team?

1. Go to the Square system at Verve
2. Find “Bro Down”
3. Swipe your card and purchase
4. In the notes section please put both team members names AND the team name

If you have any questions about this, please let me know, send an email to courtney@crossfitverve.com

For time:
21 Overhead squats 95#(65#)
6 Muscle ups
15 Overhead squats 115#(75#)
9 Muscle ups
9 Overhead squats 135#(95#)
12 Muscle ups

Post times to comments and BTWB

Hey folks, not only do we have an abbreviated schedule today and tomorrow but we will also have an abbreviated schedule on Saturday and Sunday July 8th-9th. 

Verve is hosting the CrossFit Kids Trainer Course, we will have a 7am class on Saturday and Sunday morning, Verve will then be closed for the rest of the day. 

Interested in maybe attending the course? Here’s what you need to know:

The purpose of this course is to learn specific methods for teaching CrossFit to children and adolescents. Participants learn techniques to overcome the unique challenges of teaching kids CrossFit methodology, as well as how a CrossFit Kids program can help build one’s affiliate. Attendees will also see how CrossFit Kids is changing the lives of children and teens around the world for the better. Other topics covered include neurological development as it relates to exercise, weightlifting, health and safety, programming, teaching styles, class structure, and kids games. Throughout the course, participants learn how to pair fitness with fun – which is essential in promoting a lifetime of fitness. Affiliate owners, teachers, coaches, parents, home-schooling families and others benefit from learning this unique, kid-friendly approach to teaching CrossFit.

Prerequisites for this course include:

• A criminal background check must be conducted prior to registration. More instructions can be found on the specific event registration page.
• Recommended: Level 1 Certificate Course attendance.

For more information and to  get registered, click here.

Also, remember that Verve has some changes to its Sprint schedule starting Wednesday July 5th:

Monday-Wednesday: 5:45am, 5:30pm, AND 6:15pm
Thursday: 5:45am and 6:15pm
Friday: 5:45am and 5:15pm
Saturday: 9am

For time:
Row 250 meters
30 Dumbbell hang power cleans, 40#(25#)
Row 500 meters
20 Dumbbell hang power cleans, 40#(25#)
Row 1000 meters 10
Dumbbell hang power cleans, 40#(25#)

Post times to comments and BTWB

***Don’t forget we have an abbreviated schedule Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th. Check it out in MBO.***