Level 4 CrossFit

New Pull-up Bars at the NEW space!

2011-04-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

The stress test on the new pull-up bars was successful! Opening day in our new home is Saturday April 9th. New address: 4201 9th Ave NW Seattle 98107

Thank you for the great YOGA classes Jenny!

2011-03-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

Jenny taught a yoga class for us on Sundays for well over a year and we owe her a huge thank you. She is expanding her practice and can be found at these locations. Thank you Jenny!

Mondays 6am -7am Power Vinyasa at Mountain Flow Yoga
Tuesdays and Thursdays starting in May 9:30-10:45am Level 1,2 Vinyasa Yogalife Queen Anne
Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1 pm all levels Vinyasa at Twist Vinyasa

Paleo Eating Lecture this SATURDAY

2011-03-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

DATE: Saturday March 12
TIME: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
COST: Free and ANYone is welcome
WHAT: Dave and Jess will be explaining the merits of eating Paleo. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the talk.
ALSO: We will be taking "Before" pictures for the Spring LEANing Challenge. Bring $30.00 cash entry fee if you want to participate.

Crystal Mountain Fun

2011-03-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Caroline, John and Joe getting ready for some runs at Crystal

9 Week Half Marathon Group Training Program

2011-03-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

CrossFit Seattle is offering a 9-week group training program for the upcoming Seattle Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon. Our program offers training programs for novice and experienced half marathoners. Jess Mullen will be teaching this clinic.

The only requirement is an established baseline running endurance of 5 miles and regular running of 2-4 days a week is strongly recommended. Participation includes weekly group long runs, mini-clinics on various running/racing related topics (see schedule below), speed training drills, a comprehensive training schedule and coaching.

Cost:

Non-CrossFit Seattle Member - $360.00
CrossFit Seattle Member - this program counts as 16 classes

Jess Mullen: invited to BADWATER!!

2011-02-28T22:29:00.000-08:00

photo by Glenn Tachiyama

Exciting news! Our own Jess Mullen was selected to run in this year's Badwater
Ultramarathon. Entry to this race is unlike other running events.
Participants must submit a lengthy application noting all prior athletic
achievements and a committee selects the top 90 athletes to compete.

Recognized globally as "the world's toughest foot race," this legendary
event pits up to 90 of the world's toughest athletes-runners, triathletes,
adventure racers, and mountaineers-against one another and the elements.
Covering 135 miles (217km) non-stop from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA in
temperatures up to 130F (55c), and blasting hot winds up to 30 miles an
hour, it is the most demanding and extreme running race offered anywhere on
the planet.

The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, which marks the lowest
elevation in North America at 280' (85m) below sea level. The race finishes
at Mt. Whitney Portal at 8360' (2533m). The Badwater course covers three
mountain ranges for a total of 13,000' (3962m) of cumulative vertical ascent
and 4,700' (1433m) of cumulative descent. Whitney Portal is the trailhead to
the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States.

More info: http://www.badwater.com/

Congrats Jess!!

Spring LEANing Challenge 2011 is coming!

2011-02-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

Our Spring LEANing Challenge 2011 starts in 3 weeks! Here are the details:

PALEO Eating Lecture with Dave and Jess:

Saturday, MARCH 12th from 1:30pm - 3:30pm

We will be taking your 'Before' pictures at the Paleo Lecture on the 12th as well as collecting your entry fee of $30.00 (cash only).

*ANYONE and everyone is welcome to attend the food talk. Cost: Free

Also get your 'Before' pictures taken at the following times on Thursday March 10th and Friday March 11th: 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 12:00noon, 4:00pm, 5:00pm or 6:00pm. If none of these times work for you, please email nancy@crossfitseattle.com to arrange a time to meet at the gym. All 'Before' pictures must be taken by Monday March 14th.

Spring LEANing Challenge DATES:

the morning of MARCH 14th through the evening of MAY 1st.

CHALLENGE Details:

Eating: Paleo
Cost: $30.00 (cash) to be put into a kitty
The kitty will be divided in 2 for a FEMALE winner and a MALE winner
3 'Before' pictures taken: front view, side view and back view. Men are in shorts and Women are in shorts and sports bra/bikini top
Each Monday your food log for the previous week is emailed to our LEANing Yahoo Group
Anyone can enter the LEANing challenge, but to win you must submit your food logs each week
3 'After' pictures are taken on May 2nd or 3rd (or prior if those dates don't work)
CF Seattle trainers pick the top 5 men and top 5 women whose body composition changed the most
Spring LEANing participants vote on the top 10 to determine the Winners
The 2 winners win half of the kitty; 2nd place male and female win 1 month of unlimited classes
The pictures taken are PRIVATE. The pictures of the top 5 men and top 5 women will be viewed on paper at the gym to determine the winners.

Special Opportunity: Jess Mullen, RD will be giving away 8 thirty minute consultations on the Sunday before the challenge starts to give 8 folks a good head start in changing their eating habits. You must be doing the LEANing Challenge to qualify for the free consultation. To sign-up email nancy@crossfitseattle.com

Recent Clinics: Squat & Press - Deadlift & Floor Press

2011-02-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

In the past month we have had a couple clinics covering the barbell lifts: squat, press, deadlift and floor press. Lots of good teaching, learning and fun!

Kettlebells: a real bang for your buck

2011-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

Text by Maureen O'Hagan

Tom Corrigan is Mr. Kettlebell.

Seriously.

He’s taught Kettlebells, competed with Kettlebells (and won) and studied Kettlebells not only in the United States, but at an elite training camp in Russia, under men he calls the “Michael Jordans and Phil Knights” of the sport.

He’s brought that expertise to CrossFit Seattle, where he teaches Sunday mornings. He also gives Kettlebell workshops around the region.

Have you ever taken Scott’s Saturday barbell class? Tom’s Kettlebell class is the same idea. You’ll definitely sweat, but you’ll also learn technique from a real pro.

An Everett firefighter, Corrigan is a big guy. To look at him, you might think heavy-duty barbells. But he says it’s the Kettlebells, which he throws around three to five days a week, anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.

Kettlebell training he said, “gives you a real bang for your buck.” And they translate well into real-life. As a firefighter, you’re wrangling a hose pumping 250 gallons a minute. You’re lifting people who are unconscious. You wind up in awkward positions, holding stuff over your head. You need a strong back, for sure. But you also need grip strength, explosiveness—and really good stabilizer muscles.

That’s what Kettlebells do, he said. Swinging a bell generates a lot of force, and the center of gravity is constantly moving. You’ve got to brace yourself against it. He’s taught Kettlebells to area firefighters, and he’s converted a number of them.

While we’ve all experienced Kettlebells as part of our regular CrossFit workouts, a class focusing solely on those heavy little suckers gives you something more. First of all, you’ll learn the secrets to wielding them properly. You’ll also see how those secrets can translate into improved performance.

“Anybody that thinks they can do the same things with a Kettlebell that they can do with a dumbbell hasn’t trained with me,” he said. “You can flip it, toss it from side-to-side, catch it.” The workouts are scaled to suit.

“Women love it because it tones and firms up the legs and hips,” he said, adding that it translates well into other sports, from running to power lifting to everything in between.

That’s the plus side. The downside is that you don’t want to do it wrong—which is where Tom’s expertise comes in. He teaches you how to work hard, breathe and stabilize, all at the same time. Being trained under world champions, he’s got the technique dialed in.

But he also makes it fun. You can get hooked on those little cannonballs.
“People don’t name their dumbbells,” he laughed. “But they name their Kettlebells.
“There’s just something about it.”

Tom teaches the Kettlebell Class at 11:30am on Sundays. Tom's schedule as a firefighter allows him to teach 3 Sundays each month. He will be teaching on January 30, February 6, 13, and 20. Andy or Dave cover for Tom when he is out. Once we move to the new space, we will no longer offer the kettlebell class on Sundays so come while you can!

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY DAVE!!

2011-01-15T00:27:00.001-08:00

Outdoor gym in Mali (West Africa)

2011-01-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Justin came across this outdoor gym in Mali a few weeks ago. He said he had a
"What Would Dave Do?" moment and had to go pick up the weight.

Culmination of a year's worth of CrossFitting: learning to sink or swim

2011-01-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Scroll down to read about Sean's trip.

Sean's incredible vacation to Palau:

If you asked me to choose my ideal vacation the choice has always been cold climates-- boreal forests, arctic and antarctic snows, mountains of the northern and southern hemispheres. if i am on vacation, then hat and gloves, a weatherproof shell, and a down jacket, are essential. touring skis preferred. I'd stepped outside the mold just once, riding a bicycle across Australia in 2004. acclimating first to the humid heat of northern Australia, and then to the dry heat of the interior, was just plain suffering (but FUN, in a difficult-- fight-gone-bad- type of way: one week prior to landing in darwin, to begin the trek, i was working in Antarctica, fully acclimated to 40, 60 below temps).

2010-- been a few years since i had a real vacation, time to do some traveling. Dave mentioned the magnificent diving of world war ll wrecks and reefs of Palau, as well as Palau's gaint clams (they're GIANT, living up to 150 years). this got me thinking. a new dimension to my travel plans-- humid, tropical heat, ever present water (instead of snow or desert), sandy island beaches. of course there had to be suffering-- in swimming parlance I'm a "sinker". the idea of embracing water sports has always enticed but intimidated… I'm scared of the deep.

After many hassles over flight itinerary (dealt with by my logistical magician partner-- she made the impossible possible), we were on our way to Palau, a small island nation in the southern pacific ocean.

The trip is one I'll never forget. sea kayaking and snorkeling are now part of the adventure repertoire. we chose to make the trip as cheap but adventurous as possible, finding a local wildlife biologist who outfitted us w two ocean kayaks, drybags, but more specifically, detailed waterproof charts, suggested itinerary, and a drop off point to begin our un-guided journey.

For me, day one was spent releasing mind from the fear of deep water, relaxing into a rhythm while harnessed with snorkel and fins. my travel partner was very patient. daytime itinerary always had new island beaches to reach, new reefs to snorkel. hundreds of colorful fish, every size and shape imaginable, giant clams, sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, salt water crocs-- all of it seen while slipping off the seats of our boats and into the warm water, strapping the kayaks to our ankles with leashes, and swimming with the prevailing current.

The most difficult part of our trip was not having fishing gear, having to rely on food purchased from the local supermarket. we were carrying 5 days worth of food, paddling and snorkeling for 8+ hours a day, but couldn't bring anything fresh, except for eggs (fresh food spoiled rapidly in the heat and humidity). i did learn how to husk and crack coconuts, which were delightful to drink and eat, but morning and evening meals consisted of some sort of tinned fish or one of at least 12 different varieties of spam (echhh) and eggs (we consumed the eggs within the first three days). fortunately the local market also sold Tabasco sauce.

The remote islands were home to a rare species of "tropical smooth tail squirrel" (luckily neither of us were freaked out by rats-- they were quite persistent, along with hundreds of hermit crabs). also strange birds, giant fruit bats.

We had to do two rather long open water crossings, the second proving to be quite unnerving as a 3 hour squall moved towards us from the outer reef, raising waves to whitecap and bringing heavy rain. visibility quickly became a problem. the most amazing part of being affected by adverse weather was the water temperature. if you became cold from torrential rain, simply immersing hands or body into the 80+ degree water warmed us right up.

Unforgettable moments-- snorkeling a reef known as "big drop off", the bountiful coral bed abruptly dropping 1,000 to 3,000 feet; snorkeling over a giant manta ray in the german channel; snorkeling behind my partner, like the sinker that i am, and being circled for 15 minutes by three very curious 6 foot long white-tip reef sharks.

If you ever decide to go--

bring tobacco sauce.
watch out for the rare smooth tailed squirrel.
avoid falling coconuts (but learn to harvest them).

For more pictures with captions, go here.

2010 Twelve Days of CrossFit!

2011-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

On December 17th we had our 7th Annual 12 Days of CrossFit workout. It gets better every year! Thanks everyone for a great day and fun holiday party. Scroll down for a link to all the pictures.

The 6:00am crew!

Suzie's 6th 12 Days of CF workout!

The Best Holiday Gift Ever!

2010-12-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

Holly and Seth welcomed Elijah "Eli" Walker Davis December 16th at 7:49am at 5lbs 12 ozs and 18 inches long. Here is what Holly had to say about her birth and workout experience while pregnant:

Labor and childbirth was intense, but I did it standing up most of the time, and delivered in the squatting position. Little did I know when I started CrossFit at Level 4 in September last year that it would play such a major part in an amazing, natural childbirth experience. I send sincere gratitude to not only all of the coaches (special thanks to Scott!) who were so attentive to me during my workouts and not letting me overdo it, but also to all of my fellow crossfitters who encouraged me along the way. In my opinion it is truly the greatest pregnancy fitness routine.

Congratulations to Seth and Holly and Welcome Eli!

Holly doing her last workout at 39 weeks.

Holly, Seth and Eli

Gymnastics Clinic: review and pics

2010-12-07T09:04:00.001-08:00

On Saturday we had a 2 hour gymnastics clinic. We covered hollow body drills, wrist and finger strengthening drills, dialing in the handstand, lat activation, progressions for muscle-ups and bar muscle-ups and played with hip overs. Excellent progress was made on handstands and becoming aware of how to turn on your lats. BJ got his first bar muscle-up, Drew got his first muscle-up, and several ladies made really good progress on their muscle-ups. Exciting times!

Drew

Thanksgiving HOLIDAY hours

2010-11-23T00:29:00.001-08:00

THANKSGIVING DAY: 8:00am, 9:00am and 10:00am classes

Friday: 8:00am, 9:00am and 10:00am classes

Saturday: Regular Hours

Sunday: Regular Hours

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

100th Marathon and 10th One Hundred Miler!

2010-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Jess went to Oklahoma, of all places (did you know Dave is from there?!), to compete in her 100th race (and 10th one hundred miler) last weekend. Here is her really fun story:

I never thought I’d want to run a 100 miler on the road. But when I found out some friends of mine were running this race and that it would be perfect timing to be my 100th race, I decided to try it. It also would be my 10th 100 miler and an opportunity to PR my 100 mile time. My 100 mile PR prior to this race was 20:17. My goal was to break 20 hours. I also thought it’d be kind of cool to go see Oklahoma via running, since I can’t imagine ever going there otherwise. The course was heading west on the original Route 66 in Oklahoma (from Baxter Springs, KS to Catoosa, OK).

The weather was great – clouds, sunshine, some wind and NO RAIN! We ran on the left side of the road, facing traffic, on the shoulder (when there was one). This sucked. There was a slant to the shoulder – which caused my right heel to start hurting, then my right knee and eventually all the way up to my hip. I ran the second half on the road and just dodged cars. My right leg was pretty uncomfortable by about mile 45 so by the time I hit 50 miles, I was behind schedule. I thought my sub-20 hour goal was out the window and was concerned the pain might get worse and I’d have to end up walking. I don’t normally run on the roads and I didn’t know if my legs would hold up. I was pretty sure I was 2nd woman at that point so I figured I could at least try and hold on to that position for the rest of the race.

A friend of Kristine’s – Christina, lives in Kansas (she’s come to visit our gym a few times) and drove down with her boyfriend, Vince, and another friend, Merissa, to crew and pace me through the night. They met me at the mile 67 aid station. At that point, the lead woman was about 30 minutes ahead of me. I told Christina there was no way I was going to break 20 hours (I was a little bummed). Anyway, we ran together for 10 miles and then Vince and Merissa ran with me. I finally started to get my 2nd wind and picked up the pace. The pain went away (or I finally successfully blocked it out) and I felt fantastic. I kept pushing the pace as we got further and further along. I knew by the time we hit 86 miles that I’d be able to get under 20 hours. I didn’t think I’d be able to catch the lead girl but I was definitely trying to and looking ahead for any sight of her.

When we were about a mile and a half from the finish, Vince told me the lead girl was up ahead and she looked like she was walking (he was driving the car and crewing at that point). Merissa and I took off after her. I still couldn’t really see her ahead and wasn’t sure how close the finish was or if I’d overtake her by then. Finally we got close to her and she was running, but not running fast enough! I passed her a half mile from the finish line. Merissa kept looking back and checking to see how far she was behind us. I was running as hard as I could and prayed that she wouldn’t catch back up with me (that would have sucked big time). We finished at a high school, on the track. As I ran the track I knew I was going to win and I was way ahead of my goal. It was an amazing feeling. I have to say I yelled and did a few fist pumps (I’m a total dork). I crossed the finish at 19:21. The girl I passed ended up a minute and nine seconds behind me.

I found out I was 11th overall. There were 167 starters and 133 finishers. There were 37 women that started and 29 that finished. It was a great run. Did I love running the roads? No. Will I run roads again? Most likely. Will I take some time off now? Yes. It’s been a great year and it was really nice to end the season with a successful race :-)

Congratulations JESS!!

Watch Tracy, John, Holly and Nicola CYCLOCROSS this Sunday at Greenlake

2010-11-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

Come watch the only Cyclocross Race within Seattle City Limits. Woodland Park GP!! This Sunday, November 14, all day at Woodland Park (next to the zoo) there will be bike racing madness!!!

Come heckle your favorite riders. Come see some mud and crashes. Come see the Pros fly around the course.

It is a family affair. Bring your little ripper out to race the kids race.
Hope to see you there!

Cheers
Nicola, Tracy, John, and Holly of AlkiRubicon Racing and Level 4 CrossFit!

More INFO here.

John Herzog

Jules takes #1!!

2010-11-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Jules took first place at the 2010 Washington State CrossFit Weightlifting meet at Thrush Sports Performance on October 23rd. Congratulations Jules!!

Fall LEANing 2010 WINNERS!

2010-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Nat Burnett and Jessica Carroll for winning the Fall LEANing Challenge. They each took home $975.00 for their disciplined paleo eating over the last 7 weeks. Nice work!

The Top 5 women were: Kate Smith, Carrie Hite, Sarah Teague, Caroline Deer, Jessica Carroll
The Top 5 men were: Rodger Kohn, Mike Hansen, Nat Burnett, Mike Rokasy, Steve Harris

We had 65 people enter this LEANing Challenge. We were so encouraged with all the changes, good experiences and revelations people had.

Tom Corrigan wins the National Master's Long Cycle event with 20kg Kettlebells

2010-10-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Tom took first place at the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IFKK) National Championship last month.

He competed in the Master's Long Cycle with 20kg kettlebells. He did 80 reps in 10 minutes! Nice work Tom!

Jess runs another 100+ miles...in the pouring rain and freezing wind!

2010-10-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jess ran another 100+ miles a few weekends ago from Williams to Ashland, Oregon. Several people from CrossFit Seattle went down with her to keep her motivated on this difficult run.

Here is her write up of the weekend:

The race. Wow. It was hard. And long. And bad weather. But, having everyone there made a HUGE difference. Overall, I had a very fun weekend with everyone. Race day, Steven drove me to the start and saw me off. It wasn't raining at first but started raining within a few hours of the start. Everyone came to see me at mile 31. I was nice and chafed already, so changed my shirt and switched from a camelbak to hand-held bottles. Off I went in the rain and misery and off they went to hang out in the cold and rain. I felt really bad for them the whole time, it must have sucked to sit in the cold and rain all day.

Then I saw them at mile 42 and 45. They lifted my spirits, as I was feeling depressed about the course and weather (the course was mostly dirt roads, which was not advertised - I hate dirt roads). On I went and the course kept seeming longer than they said (5 miles felt like 6, etc) and finally I saw them again at like 11:30 at night at mile 67. Steven and his friend ran with me to mile 83. Then I saw everyone again (at like 3:30am) and Sean took over pacing me. And poor Sean, my asthma was really bad so I was moving SLOW. He stuck it out with me for the last 20+ miles in the pouring rain and freezing wind until we finished at 9:30am. The last climb we did together had a terrible wet and slippery rock scramble at the top. It was a pain in the ass!!!

The course was advertised as being 101.5 miles. The race director even said it was a bit longer than that but didn't say how much. Multiple friends that wore GPS's got 106 miles for the course. It felt that long.

Stats on the race- I came in 5th woman and 34th overall. (Nice work Jess!!) My time was 27:34. There were 131 starters and 72 finishers (55%).

Metro Dash -- CrossFit Seattle team

2010-10-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Several members from CrossFit Seattle got together to participate in the Metro Dash last weekend. They did awesome and had a lot of fun! BJ did a write up about the workout:

The workout was a lot of fun. We started off at the school (Bailey Gatzert Elementary on Yesler) with the "gauntlet," which began with a 30 second power rope blast. From there we had to run over and do 12 TRX (rings) pulls, 12 tire flips (150lb tractor tires), 50yd sled drag (50lb sled), 12 ball slams, 12 KB swings, 12 box jumps and then scale an 8ft wall.

Then the run. The total for the run was about 3.5 miles (maybe a bit less). We had to run to different "stations" where additional workouts were set-up. There were five stations in total, and the first four were Tabata-style workouts. The first station (3rd and Yesler) was Tabata push-ups, the second station (Seneca and 6th) was Tabata star jumps, the third station (Virginia St. and Western) was Tabata burpees, the fourth station (Alaskan Way, between University and Union) was Tabata squats, and the final station (S. Washington and Occidental) was lunges one direction, bear crawls the other. When we returned to the school we had to go through the gauntlet again. Though there were slight adjustments this time - there was no wall and the tire flips were reduced from 12 to 6, but everything else stayed the same.

It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes start to finish. Not a bad time. It was also a lot of fun running through the city and doing different workouts in somewhat populated places (I think the best reactions were during the burpees).

Welcome to the world Uilliam!

2010-10-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Uilliam Patrick Werner was born October 7th to Shane and Chelo. Chelo worked out 14 hours before she went into labor! She said she had hard labor for about 1/2 an hour and then pushed a few times and there he was. Mom and baby are doing great.

Rowing Clinic with Chris: pictures and recap

2010-10-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Chris put on a rowing clinic for us this last Saturday. Chris has an amazing background with rowing, coaching and competing all over the world. She gave us all some great tips for our posture, power and general technique. Thank you Chris!

Fight Gone Bad 5 at Urban CrossFit - CrossFit Seattle ladies clean up!

2010-10-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Urban CrossFit (Craig and Crew) hosted Fight Gone Bad 5 this year on September 25th. CrossFit Seattle put together a men's team and a women's team to compete. They all did awesome and had a great time. AND... the women took first place! Congratulations ladies!

#1 Ladies: Mary, Linda, Shannon, Kathy and Caroline

Roy, Steve, Robert, Al and Chris

Portland Oregon to Portland Maine...on your bike

2010-09-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Joe along with a friend, took a ride of a lifetime this summer on his bike. Here's what he said about the trip:

The bike ride covered 3,840 miles from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. My friend and I left Oregon the first week of June, and finished the trip about 10 weeks later (although, only about 7 weeks of biking). The fully loaded rigs each weighed about 80 lbs. The essentials included a change of clothes, rain gear, food, water, camping gear, whiskey, and a mandolin. As expected, the trip was filled with incredible terrain and some stunning scenery. The real surprise was the unsolicited generosity we were shown by people we met along the way. Often, people would stop us and offer their backyard for free camping, or invite us to join them for a meal. It was refreshing to know that so many people are willing to help out when they can. Slowing down and seeing the country at 12mph was by far the best road trip that I have ever had!

Checkout Joe's slide show of his trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_toIjezA8

LABOR DAY Hours

2010-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

We will be OPEN for the following classes on Labor Day September 6th:

*8:00am
*9:00am
*10:00am (Seniors)
*12:00noon

We will be closed at 1:00pm

FGB / BBQ pics

2010-08-27T21:21:00.001-07:00

Last Friday we had our annual FGB / End of Summer BBQ and it gets better every year! Thanks to everyone who came out to work and eat!

Thank you Sean for running 6 of the 8 classes that day -- things went really smoothly! And thanks Wen for wearing your HOT shorts!

As promised Dave BBQ'ing in his lederhosen!

Jim! A huge thank you for all the meat and bringing out your grill!

You guys bring the best food! Thanks for the spread!

The Bike Squat and the Cascades

2010-08-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

Annually a group of friends bike over the North Cascades highway. This year they decided to stop and overhead squat their bikes for some added variety. Tracy would like you to note that it's not trivial 'squatting in bike shoes! Not to mention after riding up that damn pass in the HEAT, after a night of beer hydration (of course, i could have abstained, but what fun would that be?)'

Nicola, Tracy and Spencer

Wonderwoman Shawna! And the New Edie!

2010-08-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Shawna and David just had their first child and daughter, Edie Harper Kitzman on August 1st. Congratulations and welcome Edie!

Shawna worked out at Level 4 during her entire pregnancy. She was 2 weeks overdue and still doing CrossFit to try to induce labor! She said it didn't work but she thinks she might have made Andy and Scott a little anxious. Andy asked her "Please do not go into labor during my class." She obliged.

Shawna 8 months pregnant

Shawna and Edie

STP and slick jerseys!

2010-08-18T11:19:00.001-07:00

Jason and Shannon got together with friends last month and rode STP (Seattle to Portland). They covered 130 miles the first day to Vader and cruised 70 the second day into Portland. Shannon had some 'totally fresh' jersey's done up for the team -- notice the logo on their sleeves!

Welcome to the World Violet!

2010-08-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Ross and Val McKillop on the birth of their first child and daughter, Violet Elizabeth McKillop! Violet and Val are doing great and Ross has been able to make it into the gym once since Violet's birth 2 weeks ago - impressive!! We can't wait to meet Violet!

Purtty PlyoBoxes!

2010-08-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Dave with alot of help from Sean and some very appreciated work from Shane and Tom made up these incredibly spiffy plyoboxes for the gym. Come jump with us!

Sean and Dave putting in the time.

Evan

Try not to sacrifice your shins when jumping like Jason here. On the otherhand, CrossFit war wounds are good conversation pieces!

CrossFit Seniors Class: starts July 26th

2010-07-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that CrossFit Seattle will start offering a Seniors CrossFit Class on July 26th. The class will be offered at 10:00am Monday through Thursday. Andy Ulrickson will be the lead trainer for this class.

Improve your quality of life with carefully structured strength training. Improving flexibility is not enough. Our trainers will guide your development of stability, balance, and increased ranged of motion. Useful strength delivered!

Our Seniors classes are primarily intended for people who need/want a more careful, methodical approach to their fitness programming.

* Seniors do NOT need to do our introductory personal training sessions to join the Seniors classes.

* The first class is free for new Senior members to check us out.

When people are putting on their bathingsuits, Sean is putting on his skiis!

2010-07-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

Backcountry skiing is one of Sean's passions. A couple weekends ago, he and a couple friends hiked up to 11,000 feet on Emmons Glacier and skied down. They were trying to summit Rainier and ski from there but the stove to melt the drinking water was broken and they aren't quite the camels they used to be so they only hiked to 11,000 feet!

Justin

Just 2 days ago, Sean summited Mt. Adams and then flew down the mountain.

Kettlebell Clinic Review

2010-07-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

We offered our first Kettlebell Clinic on Saturday June 26th. Tom Corrigan lead the clinic and taught everyone the wonderful nuances of the KB Snatch. If you are looking for a little variety in your training, spend some time specializing with kettlebells. Tom is a great guide! He is teaching a Kettlebell class every Sunday at 11:30am. This class is open to all CrossFit Seattle members. Drop-ins are welcome.

4th of July Weekend Hours

2010-06-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 4th: We are OPEN

Monday July 5th: We are OPEN until 5:00pm (closed for the 5pm, 6pm and 7pm classes)

Happy 4th!

They Did It!!

2010-06-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Scott Takenaga, Steven Bin and David Werner summited Mt. Rainier on Saturday morning at 6:30am under the expert guidance of Seth Waterfall and Solveig Garhart of Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. They had fantastic weather and a great experience.

Scott, Dave and Steven at Camp Muir

Steven at the top!

Dave and his pemmican.

Scott at Camp Muir

Seth, Dave, Scott, Steven, and Solveig in the summit crater.

The Endurance Queen runs her last race for a few months

2010-06-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

Jess put in another 100 miles a couple weekends ago in San Diego. She came in 26th overall out of 149 runners (90 finishers) and was the 7th woman to finish. This is what she had to say about the race:

This same race last year I ran a 25:34 and the course only had 12,000 feet of climbing. This year they changed the course and it had 18,500 feet of climbing and I ran it in 24:18! Over an hour faster with over 6,000 more feet of climbing! I felt really strong on the climbs. I think those tire drags and prowler pushes have been helping!

Welcome to the World Isaak!

2010-06-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome Isaak Thorne Morton
born- June 11th, 2010 at 10:08 p.m.
7lbs 4oz, 20 inches

Congratulations to Kristine Kitayama and David Morton

Kristine was able to work out until a week before she gave birth. Dave reports that Kristine is feeling great and getting around well.

Kettlebell Class every Sunday at 11:30am

2010-06-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Starting this Sunday, June 20th, from 11:30am - 12:30pm we will be offering a kettlebell class at CrossFit Seattle. Tom Corrigan, KB extraordinaire, will be teaching the class.

For CrossFit Seattle members, the Kettlebell class will count as a regular class and anyone can attend. For anyone else interested, drop-ins are welcome. The cost is $20.00

Tom competing at CrossFit Seattle's (then CrossFit North) first
Kettlebell Championship on July 26, 2003.

The Story of Jules Marsh

2010-06-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Text by Maureen O'Hagan

"I'm one of those firebreathers. I just don't look like it yet."

When Jules Marsh walked in the door at CrossFit Seattle in February 2009, she had one goal: lose 190 pounds. In a year.

Looking back, head trainer Dave Werner admits he was a little bit skeptical. “When you get way out of whack like that,” he said, “it’s extremely hard to make changes.” Part of it’s physical, of course. But there are also mental and emotional challenges that most people simply aren’t prepared for.

Jules, however, was ready.

A few months earlier, she visited her family in Tennessee, and saw her mother, at 67, struggling with “the ravages of long-term obesity,” Jules recalled. Diabetes. Arthritis. Mobility issues. Depression.

“I didn’t want to head down that road,” she said. “But I knew I was.”

From the day she was born, at 11 pounds 12 ounces, Jules had been large. Over the years, she tried different diets or exercise regimens, and some worked all right for a while. Invariably, however, things would fall apart and she was back to square one. Her health only got worse in medical school. During her residency, when she put in 100 hours a week, shopping for and cooking healthy meals wasn’t even in the realm of possibility. So for years, she dined on sodas and Doritos, Jack in the Box and Wendy’s.

And then she decided to change her life.

To some people in her shoes, CrossFit might have felt intimidating. Jules saw it differently. Looking around the gym, she had a realization: “I’m one of those fire breathers,” she thought. “I just don’t look like it yet.”

Initially, because of her size, she had a hard time getting into a rower, or stepping up on a box. But, she said, all the trainers have helped her scale the workouts, so no matter what it is, she can do it, and she can push herself like everyone else. Her work ethic is impressive, by any measure.

But just as important as the exercise, Jules made radical changes to her diet, which Dave emphasized from the start. “I threw it out there almost like a challenge,” he recalled. Sometimes, people react emotionally when he suggests diet changes. “I’ve had people yell at me,” Dave said. “But Jules didn’t resist. She was determined from the get-go.”

She's focused mostly on the Paleo diet, but has tried incorporating some elements of Atkins and Intermittent Fasting, as well. Cutting out the carbs was key. Jules said part of it is discipline, but eventually, she felt a cognitive shift. “I used to pick what I ate based on taste, or on what gave me endorphins or made me feel pleasure just for the food,” she said. “Now, I get my dopamine from working out here and feeling pleased and happy about what I eat because it’s a way of caring for myself.”

She used to allow herself one “cheat meal” each month, but the last time she did that was back in June. It made her feel so sick, it gave her even more resolve to stick to her diet.

She’s 160 pounds lighter than she was a year ago.

Along the way, her daily life has changed, too. In the past, she got winded walking around downtown; this year, she did the Columbia Tower Stair Climb. It used to be, when the WOD involved running, she could make it only to the sidewalk before she had to catch her breath. Now, she said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if I could run a marathon.” Today, she can do a bodyweight dip and a bodyweight front squat.
Some of the changes are less obvious.

“It’s a so much better head space to be in, taking care of yourself and caring about yourself,” she said. “It was kind of a self destructive thing and being out of that is good.”

Dave sees Jules’ success in an even more profound way. A lot of the so-called experts say it’s really not possible to make dramatic changes in your life. Jules challenged the status quo—and won. “I think that’s a big takeaway from all this,” he said. “If you want to make changes, and you’re willing, changes can happen.

“Jules is a good reality check for everybody. It’s like pointing out what’s possible.”

Jules weight chart

Jules Before

The Now Tire Dragin' Jules

Mobility & Flexibility Clinic review and pictures

2010-05-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we offered our first Mobility & Flexibility clinic. Here are some take aways from the clinic:

- Be consistent: 5 minutes of stretching everyday for 7 days is better than 1 full hour once a week

- You ask alot of your body by working it hard at crossfit, sitting all day, going hard in your sport so remember to give back to your body by stretching.

- Find those tender spots and work them.

- Your tissues should slide again each other easily. If they don't you will feel stiff and tight. You are 'gummed' up. Analogy: right after the pasta comes off the stove it slides around easily. After it sits for an hour, it is stiff and stuck together. Don't be like cold pasta!

Spring LEANing Challenge Winners!

2010-05-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Lauren and Zach, the female and male winners of our Spring LEANing 2010 challenge. There was a lot of people that made some great changes; congrats to everyone.

Lauren

Zach

Evan at Regionals: A job well done!

2010-05-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

Evan Hales competed last weekend in the Northwest Regional competition for the CrossFit Games. His goal going in was to not have any repetitions disqualified for lack of meeting the standards. During the weekend he demonstrated some of the very best technique of all the athletes. He pushed himself incredibly hard, but had a good strategy and paced himself well. Collapsed in the dirt at the end of the final event, his comment to Dave was "This is the hardest thing I've done in my life".

Below are pictures of Evan from the final workout on Sunday.

Kristine's first Marathon!

2010-05-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago Kristine ran her first marathon in Vancouver, BC with Jess. Here's the details on her race as recapped by Jess:

Kristine ran the whole thing, no walking! This is especially amazing because her training got stalled because of an inflamed IT band. Her longest road run was only 14 miles and it was back in February! She did do a longer trail run in March but the pounding from the road is much different than trails so it was impressive that she was able to physically run the entire course. Steven Bin came out and met us at mile 18 and ran 7 miles with us to mile 25 which was super cool.

The Finisher! Congratulations Kristine!

Outback Sean

2010-05-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sean's weekend:

I spent saturday afternoon through sunday in the desert-- Umtanum falls then overnight in Umtanum canyon. We stayed near an abandoned homestead, apple/walnut orchard. The remaining homestead foundation has "nov. 25 1933" inscribed. The wilderness has reclaimed the old homestead. Everything is in bloom and fragrant. Amazing night -- bighorn sheep in rocks above, high winds (but sheltered from it), moon and stars, beavers scurrying about in overgrown thicket. We left the tent doors open for Max (the dog). He stayed up all night looking, searching, guarding (in his element, no barking, just alert and excited). We hiked a 5,000 foot peak the next day (can't remember the name)-- nine miles through fragrant desert bloom, signs of elk everywhere, up through canyon filled with Ponderosa pine, up to windy view for miles and miles.

Sean of the Wild

Olympic Weightlifting Clinic: a few pictures

2010-04-28T23:27:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at our Olympic Weightlifting Clinic last Saturday working on the Snatch. Thanks to all who came out.

Robb Wolf's Paleolithic Solutions Seminar: May 2nd at CrossFit Seattle

2010-04-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Strength coach and diet coach, Robb has many years experience guiding people in effective nutrition practices. Whether your goal is peak performance, weight loss or general health, Robb is one of the best sources of knowledge available anywhere. He is entertaining and makes complex information understandable. This is some of the best money you can spend on your health.

Date: Sunday, May 2nd from 9:00am - 5:00pm

Cost: $195

Kettlebell Clinic with Tom Corrigan APRIL 25th

2010-04-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Kettlebell Clinic with Tom Corrigan and Mikhail (Misha) Marshak

Sunday April 25th

Beginners Workshop
time: 11:00am - 2:00pm
cost: $70.00 cash or check ($60.00 for CrossFit Seattle members)
RSVP: kbfiremantom@yahoo.com

The Beginner workshop will be focused on learning the Kettlebell Sport swing (one handed), the clean, the press and push press. The jerk and the snatch will be introduced, but the focus will be on mastering the aforementioned basics. Many unique and time tested drills will be shown and explained.

Intermediate Workshop
time: 2:30pm - 5:00pm
cost: $50.00 cash or check ($45.00 for CrossFit Seattle members)
RSVP: kbfiremantom@yahoo.com

The Intermediate workshop will focus on the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk, with 1 and 2 KBs, the competitive snatch, and the 2 KB Jerk. You will learn many fine points of technique and training, things that will put you on the road to mastering these lifts. Detailed training programs and assistance lifts will be covered.

Check out a short video of Misha lifting during his competitive days in and around Moscow on this YouTube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYAb0tkMQk

116 Miles in 24 Hours! Jess runs the Pacific Rim 1 Day

2010-03-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

Jess ran 116 miles in the Pacific Rim 1 Day Run. (That's over the top!) She came in 1st place for women and 2nd overall. The 1st place man ran 121 miles. The 2nd place woman behind Jess only ran 109 miles (so she kicked her butt!) This is the furthest Jess has ever run. This race was also her fastest 100 mile time – she hit 100 miles at 20 hours and 15 minutes. There were 75 runners that started the race. Not everyone ran the full 24 hours. It doesn’t matter how long you run – you just have 24 hours to get as many miles as possible and ranking is by total mileage. There were counters at the mile mark that kept track of their loops.

Many people napped during the wee hours. But superwoman did not. Kristine Narciso came and ran miles 103 to 116 with Jess. Kristine met her at 5:30am and kept Jess motivated and running as best she could. (You're awesome Kristine!) The race was from 9am Saturday to 9am Sunday starting March 20th. This race has been around for a long time (relative to other ultras). It started in 1989. Jess said she did not enjoy the 1 mile loop. "Its is much harder to run a 1 mile loop 116 times than to run a trail for 116 miles. Infinitely harder!" We'll believe her.

On Saturday morning at the beginning of the race.

Sunday Morning after a gazillion miles!

Only Wen Arto!!

2010-03-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Wen wins over Venetians to CrossFit!

Spring LEANing Challenge 2010 (also interviews with Fall winners)

2010-03-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

Our Spring LEANing Challenge 2010 starts in less than 2 weeks! Here are the details:

LEANing FOOD Talk with Dave and Jess:

Saturday, MARCH 13th from 1:30 - 2:45

We will be taking your 'Before' pictures at the Food Talk this Saturday as well as collecting your entry fee of $30.00 (cash only).

*ANYONE and everyone is welcome to attend the food talk. Cost: Free

Other times to get your 'Before' pictures taken will be at all classes on Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16. If none of these times work for you, please email nancy@crossfitseattle.com to arrange a time to meet at the gym. All 'Before' pictures must be taken by Friday March 19th.

Spring LEANing Challenge DATES:

Friday Morning, MARCH 19th through Friday Evening MAY 7th.

CHALLENGE Details:

* Eating: Paleo
* Cost: $30.00 (cash) to be put into a kitty
* The kitty will be divided in 2 for a FEMALE winner and a MALE winner
* 3 'Before' pictures taken: front view, side view and back view. Men are in shorts and Women are in shorts and sports bra/bikini top
* Each Monday your food log for the previous week is emailed to our LEANing Yahoo Group
* Anyone can enter the LEANing challenge, but to win you must submit your food logs each week and you must be a member at CrossFit Seattle
* 3 'After' pictures are taken on May 7, 2010 (or no later than May 11th)
* CF Seattle trainers pick the top 5 men and top 5 women whose body composition changed the most
* Spring LEANing participants vote on the top 10 to determine the Winners
* The 2 winners win half of the kitty plus one month of unlimited classes at CF Seattle
* The pictures taken are PRIVATE. The pictures of the top 5 men and top 5 women will be viewed on paper at the gym to determine the winners.

Check out the below interviews with Wen Arto and Morrie Bills, our winners from the 2009 Fall LEANing Challenge. These are inspirational interviews worth watching!

Wen Arto 2009 Fall LEANing Challenge Winner from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Morrie Bills 2009 Fall LEANing Challenge Winner from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Evan takes 7th out of 113!

2010-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Evan's hard work paid off this weekend! To see all the scores from this weekend, check here.

Evan will be headed to the NorthWest Regionals in May at the Puyallup Fair Grounds. Congratulations Evan!!

Thank you Wen for the pictures! More are here.

Barbell Clinic Review and Pictures

2010-02-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

The Barbell Clinic last Saturday went great. Thank you to everyone who participated. We had advanced lifters to beginners.

The moves taught were the Military Press and the Deadlift. But, the real agenda was advanced techniques to tension your whole body to learn how to be really strong.

Jess Does it Again! Rocky Raccoon 100 in Texas

2010-02-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

Jess finished her 5th 100 miler a week ago in Huntsville Texas. She said it felt hot and humid during the day and was freezing (literally) at night. The trail was a 20 mile loop that she ran 5 times. Jess placed 8th out of the women and 56th overall. Her time was 22:36 (3 minutes away from her 100 mile PR time). There were 344 people (75 women) that started the race and 217 (63%) finished. This was Jess's 90th race (marathon & ultramarathons) to date!

Nice work! Wow!

Food Talk Review and Videos

2010-01-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all that came out for the Food Talk! Dave and Jess did a great job summarizing what is good food and why quality matters. Below is the lecture broken into 2 videos. Dave spoke for 45 minutes; Jess spoke for 15 minutes and there are 15 minutes of Q & A.

There were also 2 handouts given to most folks who attended (we ran out).
The first one is: Okay -- What Do I Eat by Dave Werner
The second one is: A Philosphy for Eating by Jessica Mullen

Food Talk: Level 4 CrossFit Seattle JAN 2010 Part I from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Food Talk: Level 4 CrossFit Seattle JAN 2010 Part II from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

FOOD Talk: Saturday JANUARY 23 at 1:30pm

2010-01-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

This is our third Food Talk at CrossFit Seattle. We’re getting better every time. This lecture, in particular, will focus more on the practical side of eating healthfully and exactly what that entails. Dave will be discussing food quality, high priority issues such as blood sugar control, and how the insulin-glucagon balance effects our health. He will also discuss the interaction between various foods and the immune system.

Jess Mullen, who is a CrossFit Seattle trainer and also a Washington State Certified Dietitian, will also be speaking. She will be covering specifics like “What do I eat”, “What do I NOT eat” and some encouraging tips for how to make eating changes stick.

There will be 2 very practical handouts given to attendees.

The talk will be for an hour followed by a Q & A session for 15 minutes.

This lecture is free and anyone is welcome to attend.

CrossFit Seattle has a Team for THE BIG CLIMB

2010-01-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

If you would like to join CrossFit Seattle's team for THE BIG CLIMB, go here and click on "Join Team". The Big Climb is where everyone charges up the stairs of the Columbia Tower to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society while getting some great exercise. The cost to enter is $42.50

THE BIG CLIMB happens on March 21st. Last year registration was closed a month before the event as their cap is 6000 participants, so register soon!

Jules is our Team Captain. (Thanks Jules!)

All 800+ pictures are up of the 12 Days of CrossFit Workout

2009-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

I took pictures of the 6:00am, 7:00am, 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 6:00pm classes doing the 12 Days workout on December 18th. Find yourself here :-)

Happy New Year All!

HOLIDAY HOURS

2009-12-22T23:27:00.000-08:00

Holiday Hours December 2009

December 24: CLOSED
December 25: CLOSED
December 26: CLOSED
December 31: 9:00am and 10:00am class with Dave
January 1: CLOSED

Happy Holidays Everyone!

6th Annual 12 Days of CrossFit

2009-12-20T23:30:00.001-08:00

What a fabulous day! 122 people ran through the 12 Days of CrossFit on Friday, Dec 18th. For some folks this was their 5th time participating in this overcharged chipper. After the 6:00pm class did the workout, we broke out some great food and partied. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and threw down and for a great celebration of hard work and holiday cheer!

Here is the 12 Days of CrossFit workout :

A one hundred yard Sprint

Two Bear-crawls and a one hundred yard Sprint

Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Eleven Pull-ups, Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Twelve Rocking pistols, Eleven Pull-ups, Ten Squat-thrusts, Nine Ring-dips, Eight Hanging leg-raise, Seven Kettlebell swings, Six Knees to elbows, Five Dive bomber push-ups, Four Clean & jerks, Three second Handstand, Two Bear-crawls, and a one hundred yard Sprint

Jen shows us how it's done with the best score for the women of 28:38

Evan scores the best men's time at 26:02

Kath's 5th year of the 12 days!

Suzie's 4th or 5th ? year of the 12 Days!

Anders of CrossFit Centrum in Norway joined us.

Anders is in Seattle recording a new album. Check out his music here.

Matt wore these very special shorts to help us get into our 80's theme music. Always appreciated Matt!

6:00am Class

Gymnastics Clinic photos

2009-12-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

We had a great time and got some great positive feedback from participants. We'll try to do this more often.

Highlight: Roy got his first muscle-up! Congrats Roy!

Roy

Congratulations Kellie and Alex!

2009-11-30T23:45:00.000-08:00

Carli Marie Nohea Pecoraro has arrived! Carli was born on November 14th, weighing 7 lbs, 1 oz and measured 20 inches long. Kellie worked out up until a week before the birth. She said "the labor was fast (and painful!) but it was entirely worth it!!"
Welcome Carli!

Kellie working out on November 2nd

The Fab Fivers!

2009-11-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

In the Fall of 2004 we had the great fortune of these fabulous people below walking in our door and start training with us at CrossFit North. We are so grateful to have them all around five years later. Thank you all for your many contributions, support and friendship over these last five years!

Laura, Paula, Fran, Tom, Sean and Erika

Winners Fall LEANing Challenge 2009

2009-11-15T22:24:00.000-08:00

We had a great time Friday night announcing the top contestants in the Fall LEANing Challenge and then voting to see who won. We are proud to announce that Morrie Bills and Wen Arto are the winners. We are all inspired and impressed with your excellent results!

Congrats Morrie!

Congrats Wen!

Goodbye and THANK YOU to Fran!

2009-11-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Fran's last day at CrossFit Seattle is November 19th. We will be having a goodbye party for her at 3:00pm that day so please join us if you can.

Fran started working out with us at CrossFit North in the Fall of 2004. She started assisting Dave with our Team Survivor class in 2006 (I believe) and officially started as a trainer at CrossFit Seattle in April 2008.

Fran has started her own CrossFit affiliate, CrossFit 206 in the Central District Area. We wish her and Tom the very best and thank them for all their support over the last 5 years.

Here are some old school pics of Fran!

Watch Holly, Tracy and John CYCLOCROSS this weekend!

2009-11-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Holly

Go check out Holly Walker Davis, Tracy Erbeck and John Herzog, Cyclocross this Sunday at Woodland Park. Click here for heat times and info.

Holly, Tracy and John are great examples of athletes using CrossFit to help kick ass in their sport. There are rumors that Holly is going to clean up so go cheer her on.

Cyclocross is a very spectator friendly and fun to watch. These guys go hard and get dirty! In case you don't know what Cyclocross is, read below.

What is Cyclocross?
Cyclocross is a bicycle-related sport combining the fitness of road riding, the technical bike handling skills of mountain biking, and the finesse of running all in a 45-60 minute event. Typically, cyclocross-specific bikes are used (looking like a road bike, but with a wider, knobby tire, and good mud clearance at the brakes). Mountain bikes can be used, too.

Strategy: Go fast and make it last. Seriously. You can’t possibly sprint for a 45 minute race. You might try, though. The key is fast-paced sustainable action. Sometimes it’s faster to run sections. Sometimes, staying on the bike is the only option. Coast less often. Corner smartly. Own your place in the race.

KettleBell Technique Workshop with Tom Corrigan

2009-10-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

Tom Corrigan at
KettleBell Championship June 2004
CrossFit North

WHERE: CrossFit Seattle
DATE: Sunday, November 15, 2009

BEGINNERS WORKSHOP: 12:00 noon - 2:30 pm
COST: $70 cash or check ($60 for CrossFit Seattle members)

INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP: 3:00pm - 5:00pm
COST: $50 cash or check ($45 for CrossFit Seattle members)

SIGN-UP: Email Tom at kbfiremantom@yahoo.com
QUESTIONS: Email Tom at kbfiremantom@yahoo.com

The Beginner workshop will focus on learning the Kettlebell Sport swing (one handed), the clean, the press and push press. The jerk and the snatch will be introduced, but the focus will be on mastering the aforementioned basics. Many unique and time tested drills will be shown and explained.

The Intermediate workshop will focus on the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk, with 1 and 2 KBs, the competitive snatch, and the 2 KB Jerk. You will learn many fine points of technique and training, things that will put you on the road to mastering these lifts. Detailed training programs and assistance lifts will be covered.

These workshops will be taught by Tom Corrigan and Mikhail (Misha) Marshak, who is an expert Competitive Kettlebell lifter from Moscow. Misha moved to the Seattle area two years ago. He trained under World Champion and highly decorated Coach and Trainer Sergey Rudnev. Misha brings a huge amount of training knowledge and technique experience to each workshop.

You can see a short video of Misha lifting during his competitive days in and around Moscow on the YouTube clip: here

Learning about the Brain-Voice Connection

2009-10-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we held a workshop at our box with Anna Bernstein who teaches people things like how to access your money notes and to use more than just 3 of the 25 pitches everyone is born with. The tools she teaches are great for talking to anyone that you want to influence (i.e train).

For myself, I learned what is and can be boring about my voice or anyone else's for that matter. Now when I talk to clients, I can consciously engage them with tools I have learned (pitch, volume, etc). I can also remind myself that when talking with a client, my entire speech needs to be for their benefit. This might seem like common sense, but now I have a lot more tools to perfect this skill. Thank you Anna!

If you are interested in getting a hold of Anna or learning more about her services here is her contact information and website:

Anna Bernstein
The Brain-Voice Connection
206.216.4650
www.brain-voice.com

This is what Anna has to say about yesterday's workshop:

I had the pleasure of leading a workshop on communication and voice improvement for several CrossFit owners and trainers. We had a wonderful time learning from one another. My main focus was to educate them about how their voices influence their clients more than the words they say. Another big idea was to realize that when you open your mouth to speak, it's for the benefit of others. After all, you can talk to yourself in your head! When folks stop and realize this, they are more willing to slow down and think a bit before they start talking. Encouraging people to engage at a higher level of consciousness about how they sound and what they say is the main focus of my workshops. I applaud everyone's willingness to leave their comfort zone and try some new and expansive sounds with their voices!

Anna

Endurance athlete goes Paleo, shatters personal record

2009-10-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Are you a runner who's trying to implement a paleo diet, and not sure how to square that with the requirements of endurance events and training? Here's the story of how an experienced ultramarathon competitor gave up grains and other starchy carbs and ran her best 100-mile race.

At 34, Jess Mullen has completed an impressive 41 marathons and 45 ultramarathon-distance races. Her training? CrossFit (since October 2008); running 50 miles or more once a month with occasional 100-milers; and easy recovery runs. Doing CrossFit has increased her running speed, so she no longer does training runs for speed or tempo, decreasing her overall mileage. Jess is a a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist, and has a master's degree in nutrition from Bastyr University.

In September 2009, Jess gave up grains and started eating according to Loren Cordain's "The Paleo Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes." Twelve days into this new way of eating, she ran a 100-mile trail race, 100 in the Hood, and beat her goal time by more than an hour, finishing in 22:33. I talked with Jess about nutrition and running.

Q: How is a 100-mile run similar to a short run, nutritionally? What are the best rules of thumb for managing nutrition for a run?
Jess: No matter what the event is, eat beforehand, even if it's a 45-minute training run. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up. Depending on how much you weigh, how much you can tolerate, and how long you have before the run starts, eat. If it's less than an hour until the run, don't eat more than 200 calories, because your body can't digest very much that quickly. Have a little bit of protein, maybe one gram of protein to four grams carbohydrate. (People think that's weird, but I always have a little protein.) If you have more time, have more calories. Just don't be hungry.

Q: Why do people think it's weird to have protein before a run?
Jess: People still have the notion that "I should just eat carbohydrates." But we need protein, especially the branched-chain amino acids. That's the type your body wants to utilize and needs the most during exercise. They're primarily found in whey and in meat. If you eat protein, then as muscle breaks down, you have protein available for repair. You're already saturated with protein. Also, immediately following exercise, it's there, and your muscles can repair and recover quickest.

Q: How do nutritional needs change for longer runs?
Jess: Your needs during the run are what change. You don't need to be concerned with nutrition during a 10k run. You're working at 85 percent of your VO2 max, so your stomach basically shuts down. And it takes such a short span of time that you're not going to be nutritionally compromised. If you go into it well hydrated, the only thing that might happen is a little bit of dehydration. You don't need to carry water unless it's hot outside. There are a lot of variables determining how much fluid you might need. The bottom line is that you should go into a 10k in a state of good hydration and nourishment.

Once you get into the 90-minute range and longer is when you need to consider food and hydration during the event. They're equally important. For runs of up to two hours, for most people the preferred source of fuel during the run is sports drinks. You're getting fluid and calories, and you don't have to chew or digest food. You're still working at a high rate so drinks are easier on your stomach than food.

In events over four hours, you want to implement protein and fat. They become more and more important the longer the event is. Not just for utilizing your fat stores and having protein so you don't get sleepy, but in general because you need more food and it's hard to just eat gels all the time. You also have to start to really pay attention to your salt intake, starting around four hours, or marathon length. For every two cups of water you drink, you need about 500 milligrams of sodium. If you drink only water in a long event, you could get low blood sodium, and that could kill you.

Gels and Shot Bloks have some salt in them, but not enough. You can take salt tablets. Aid stations have broth or chips that are salty. It's not about your sweat rate or how much you're peeing; it's about what you're drinking. What you put into you needs to match the sodium concentration in your body fluids. If you only drink water, you'll dilute that. So, if you drink a sixteen-ounce bottle of water an hour, take a salt tablet an hour. People get sick because they forget to account for sodium needs based on what they're taking in.

In a long event like 100 in the Hood, it's critical to stay on top of your eating. You can get through a marathon without doing the best job of eating and drinking, but you can't get away with a twelve, eighteen-hour event without keeping up your eating. It depends on how big you are, but most people can't digest more than 250 to 350 calories an hour. That means you should try to eat 100 calories every 30 minutes throughout the whole race. On the other hand, you burn about 100 calories every mile you run. Because you're running more than three miles an hour, you're burning more than you're eating. You fall behind, even while eating every 30 minutes. It's easy to stay on top of that for a while, but it gets so old--eating while you're running--and you get tired of chewing. But if you fall behind on your eating, you just get screwed! I think that's why people get severely sick. Low sodium, dehydration, and being low on calories can all cause you to feel nauseous, dizzy, and weak.

Q: What did you eat before the 100 in the Hood run started, and how was this different than pre-race nutrition in years past?
Jess: This was the first time I had almost no grains before and during the race. Beforehand, I always used to have oatmeal, a muffin with yogurt, or cereal with a banana, always grains and some protein. This time I switched to primarily having fruit (bananas), turkey, and just part of a muffin before the race. I got up at 3:30 AM for this race, knowing I had 24 hours to keep eating, so I didn't feel I needed to eat a lot right beforehand. I'd just start eating earlier during the race.

The major difference between this and past races was that, in this race, I didn't have any grains while I was on the course, and no peanuts, either.

Q: What did you eat during the race? How did you do on your eating during such a successful run?
Jess: I focused on having one set of 100 calories being mainly carbohydrates, which was dried fruit (raisins, mango, dried bananas with coconut oil on them) or else Shot Bloks and gels. The next set of 100 calories would be a combination of carb, fat, and protein, or just fat and protein (turkey and avocado, or beef jerky sticks). I had trail mix and almonds. I tried to go back and forth, protein and fat versus carb. Too much fat and protein at once slows down your digestion so you can't have too much of those at once. I used to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I've given them up because the grain and legumes aren't paleo, but also because I've always known peanut butter upset my stomach. I like the taste, but it doesn't make me feel good.

In some ways, I blew it during this race. I pretty much stopped eating at mile 85, and I got sick afterward with exercise-induced asthma and nausea. Usually every five hours I'll eat something substantial even though I know I need to slow down my pace and let my stomach digest it. What happens is I know I'm getting farther behind on eating, and so I need more than just a few bites of boiled salted potatoes. (These are a great starch, potassium, and salt source, and are easy on the stomach.)

But all I had on me after 85 miles was dried fruit and Shot Bloks, and my stomach couldn't take any more dried fruit. Some raw nuts, or maybe crackers, would have been okay. Instead I would choke down some Shot Bloks, so I was getting maybe 50 calories an hour for the last four hours of the race. Not enough. So when the race was over, my lungs fell apart, from about 30 minutes after until about four hours after the race. I always have breathing issues from exercise-induced asthma, and this time my body had no extra energy to draw from because I'd stopped eating enough near the end. For several hours I could only eat about one Sun Chip at a time. (Sun Chips were the most compatible food my friends could find at the convenience store in the middle of the night.) I finished the race around 3:30 in the morning, so the rest of that day, I knew I was just pulling it back together.

I know better than not to eat enough, but it's so easy to say, "I'll just skip this hour and eat the next hour." You may think you feel okay, but it's dark, you're using a headlamp and stumbling on the trail, and you can be really dizzy and not even realize it! When I'd stop to pee I'd realize I was dizzy and in bad shape. I had a pacer with me and I was lying to her and telling her I was eating. She'd ask if I was eating and I'd fumble with a wrapper and say yes.

Q: But the race was a success despite being sick afterward?
Jess: I had the least amount of swelling I've ever had; my feet barely even hurt--usually you can't even touch my feet after a race. I had great recovery. I usually have plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinitis flare-ups, and I had none of that. None. It was crazy! Always, my feet just kill me. I think its not happening this time was due to having less acid in my body overall, from eating more fruits and vegetables, having more of a basic pH hitting my kidneys. I've read that by eating a less acid diet, you get less muscle soreness.

Also in this race, I didn't slow down much in the second half. The first 55 miles took me 11 hours, and the remainder only took about 11:30. Everyone who carried a GPS said this race was really 103.7 miles, not 100. In a recent, similar 100 miles in San Diego, the first 50 miles took me 10:53 and the remainder took me 14:41. The 100 in the Hood was my fastest second half.

Q: Were you anxious about giving up, for such a major event, the foods you had always relied on?
Jess: I was. I had all the old foods with me. Gels are one of those. The first few times I ate, I had raisins or trail mix. The next time I ate, I thought, don't go crazy with this--go back to what you know! So I had a gel, and it upset my stomach. I only had one other gel throughout the race. Instead I used Shot Bloks. I had also brought fig newtons, peanut butter crackers, animal crackers, Payday and Snickers bars. I didn't touch any of those. I'd say I ate 60 percent paleo style (fruit, nuts, turkey, avocado, beef jerky) and 40 percent Shot Bloks.

I doubt I'll ever eat another Shot Blok! I think I developed an aversion. But I can't just use dried fruit as my only carb source, because the fructose can affect the stomach and can cause you to need to go to the bathroom more. Maybe I'll be able to use gels again.

Q: Will you continue to adjust your diet for your next races?
Jess: This weekend I'm running a 50k. Pre-race, I'll have bananas, turkey, and nuts. During the race, I'm going to do the usual banana chips, dried mangoes and raisins, nuts, and beef jerky. I'll eat every 30 minutes. I know how I normally feel after a 50k. It will be interesting to see if I feel different after eating totally differently--no grains this time at all. One problem is that when I get nauseous, I can't eat anything sweet. It's revolting. I need to figure out a carb source besides dried fruit, other than gels and Shot Bloks.

Immediately after the next race, I might eat Lara bars or Nectar bars, made from dried fruit and nuts. And later that day as I recover, instead of eating Sun Chips (made from grain), I plan to have on hand delicata squash, pecan butter, meat, and lots of fruit.

Q: Has night-before-event "carbo loading" gone away among endurance athletes, and should it?
Jess: Most people eat enough carbohydrates already in a "normal" diet. They're already carbo loading. Don't avoid carbohydrates altogether the night before, but you don't need to "load."

Q: As a dietitian, do you feel you're out on a limb or doing something radical by adopting and advocating the Paleo Diet?
Jess: Most dietitians have learned that we need grains. The Paleo Diet has been a good experience because I started to read and ask myself why grains are so good. I was never getting a good answer to that. If you compare them to vegetables, they're nowhere near as nutritious no matter how you look at it, except for being higher in calories. They're not a good source of protein. Beans? All they are is filling. You can get everything you need from fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and meat.

A few of Dave's Squat Stands for sale

2009-10-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

We recently had a batch made of Dave's squat stand and have a few for sale. If you are interested, please email info@crossfitseattle.com

Price: $650.00

- Heavy wall steel tubing
- All welded construction makes these stands very rigid and strong
- Surprisingly easy to move and reconfigure
- Rapid adjustment
- Easy to store
- Great for bench press

First pull-up for Jennifer and Nicole!

2009-09-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jennifer and Nicole for each getting their first dead hang pull-up on the same day last week in the 7:00am class. Jennifer who is 37, has been coming to CrossFit Seattle for 2 years and Nicole who is 51, has been coming to CF Seattle for 1.5 years. It is exciting to see their hard work and dedication pay off.

A nice milestone

2009-09-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Our client Jules posted this on Facebook today: "Finished the Alki Beach 5K in 36:49. Woot! Not a land world speed record, but not bad considering 6 months ago I couldn't run 100 yards without stopping."

Jules has made some impressive health and performance gains since she joined us. Congratulations, Jules!

Running Clinic pictures

2009-09-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all that came out for the Running Clinic last Saturday when it was nice and rainy!

Lecture by Dave Werner for Fall LEANing Challenge 2009

2009-09-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Fall LEANing Challenge 2009 Lecture with Dave Werner PART I from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Fall LEANing Challenge 2009 Lecture with Dave Werner PART II from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Fall LEANing Challenge 2009 Lecture with Dave Werner PART III from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Before and After pictures and Interviews from Spring LEANing Challenge 2009

2009-09-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Below are pictures from some of our top 10 winners in our Spring LEANing Challenge 2009. All these folks have graciously agreed to have their pictures posted.

Below the pictures are a few interviews with 4 of the people that made it into our top 5 pick.

Aasim

Tascha

Adam

Jenn

Morrie

Josh

Here are interviews with 4 of our top 5 winners. Turn the volume UP! Unfortunately a few of the interviews were done when a workout was going on.

Here are the questions that were asked of each person:
- What was the most motivating factor for you in the Spring Leaning challenge?
- What was the hardest thing for you to cut out of your eating habits; what did you struggle with most?
- Did you notice energy level increases, better sleep, better recovery from workouts?
- Do you plan to continue eating Paleo?
- What do your cheat days look like? What kind of cheating foods do you like?
- What will you do with the pot o'money if you win?

Interview with Aasim: Spring LEANing Challenge 2009 winner from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Interview with Tascha: Spring LEANing Challenge 2009 from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Interview with Adam: Spring LEANing Challenge 2009 from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Interview with Justin: Spring LEANing Challenge 2009 from Nancy Meenen on Vimeo.

Fall LEANing Challenge 2009: Details

2009-09-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

September 18, 2009 through November 6, 2009 (only 7 weeks!)

Rules of the challenge:

* Eating: Paleo or Paleo with Zone
* Cost: $30.00 (cash) to be put into a kitty
* The kitty will be divided in 2 for a FEMALE winner and a MALE winner
* 3 'Before' pictures taken: front view, side view and back view. Men are in shorts and Women are in shorts and sports bra/bikini top
* Each Monday your food log for the previous week is emailed to our LEANing Yahoo Group
* Anyone can enter the LEANing challenge, but to win you must submit your food logs each week and you must be a member at CrossFit Seattle
* 3 'After' pictures are taken on November 6, 2009 (or no later than November 10th)
* CF Seattle trainers pick the top 5 men and top 5 women whose body composition changed the most
* Fall LEANing participants vote on the top 10 to determine the Winners
* The 2 winners win half of the kitty plus one month of unlimited classes at CF Seattle
* The pictures taken are PRIVATE. The pictures of the top 5 men and top 5 women will be viewed on paper at the gym to determine the winners.

TO SIGN UP: Nancy will be at the gym at the beginning of each class on Thursday, September 17th to take 'Before' pictures and collect entry fees. OR email nancy@crossfitseattle.com and Nancy will arrange for your picture to be taken and entry fee collected.

This is our second LEANing challenge. We had 70 people sign up for our first challenge with ~55 sticking with it. For those 55, we saw results in almost every single person, some quite dramatic as you will see tomorrow when I post some Before and After pictures. There were plenty of people who participated that had wanted to take off those few extra pounds and lean out for quite some time but needed a push to get themselves started. The Challenge ended up being a perfect catalyst.

Paleo Eating Lecture on September 12, 2009 with Dave

Fight Gone Bad + BBQ = Lots 'O Fun

2009-09-13T14:29:00.001-07:00

Can't believe what good food people brought to this BBQ/Potluck! Thank you everyone for coming out and making this a great evening with really good eats. And an extra HUGE thank you to John Brown and Isernio's Sausage for providing the delicious chicken bratwurst. Those were really good.

Rowing Clinic Review

2009-09-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago (in July, in fact) we gathered for a rowing clinic at the Pocock Rowing Center on Portage Bay. We met for 2 hours and learned from silver Olympic medalist, Lianne Nelson about rowing technique. About 20 of us showed up and got in a good dose of practice and fun. Lianne did a great job of breaking down the stroke for us. Thank you to Jason Peacock, a collegiate rower, for his assistance in teaching. We'll plan on doing this clinic again in the future.

Lianne

Laurion and Jason

Barry

Dora

Gym CLOSURE: Aug 30 - Sept 7

2009-08-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

After 7 continuous years of being open we have decided to take a week off! We will be closed from August 30 through September 7th.

The Gym will reopen on September 8, 2009.

Thank you everyone for your support!!

Burgener Olympic Weightlifting Clinic - thank you Mike!

2009-08-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mike Burgener put on his 5th annual Olympic Weightlifting clinic at CrossFit Seattle and it was, of course, better than ever. Thank you Mike for another fun and knowledge-packed day!

Elena Caynwyn Werner arrives

2009-07-24T01:22:00.001-07:00

Elena Caynwyn Werner (8lbs 3oz) was born 4.5 hours after Chelo completed a workout at CrossFit Seattle yesterday, July 23rd. Chelo went to the 4:00pm class finished up at 5:00pm and had Elena at 9:33pm. Chelo did some heavy squats during the workout, trying to help things along! She said Elena came out after 10 minutes of hard pushing in the squat position. Everyone is happy and healthy and we are extremely grateful! Congratulations to Shane and Chelo.

Burgener's Olympic Weightlifting Clinic - a few spots left

2009-07-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

Coach Mike Burgener's Olympic Weightlifting Clinic

Sunday, August 16
9:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: $125.00
Register here

Coach Mike Burgener is back for his 5th summer at CrossFit Seattle teaching the Olympic lifts. Spend the day learning the snatch and the clean and jerk with PVC. Technique will be covered in great detail. The clinic is an ideal introduction for a beginner and a good refresher for more experienced lifters.

It's never too late to start CrossFit!

2009-07-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Fran turned 45 years old yesterday. She has been doing CrossFit for almost 5 years now. She made the below video as a tribute to "it's never too late!"

45th birthday stunt collection from Fran Mason on Vimeo.

Rowing Clinic at Pocock Rowing Center: 25th of JULY 1:30pm - 3:30pm

2009-07-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Improve your Rowing!

We are hosting a two hour rowing clinic on Saturday afternoon, July 25th, from 1:30 - 3:30pm at the Pocock Rowing Center.

- We will break down good stroke technique in detail
- Analyze your technique in detail
- Watch a bit of video
- Video analyze you
- And do some drills

Coaches will be the CrossFit Seattle staff along with Grant Dawson and Jason Peacock, both experienced collegiate competitors and long time CrossFitters.

COST: $5.00 at the door
RSVP: nancy@crossfitseattle.com

Anyone and everyone is welcome but everyone MUST RSVP.

If you already row a 6:00 minute 2,000 meter, please disregard this notice! The rest of you are welcome.

2009 Spring LEANing Challenge Winner: Aasim Saleh

2009-06-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Aasim for winning the 2009 Spring LEANing Challenge. Incredible job!

There were so many participants that made huge changes. What a successful seven weeks. Give yourselves a hand!

Fourth of July Hours

2009-06-26T15:40:00.001-07:00

We will be open for our regular 8:00am, 9:00am and 10:00am classes.

The Olympic Weightlifting classes at 11:00am and 12:00noon are cancelled.

Have a great 4th!

Saturday's CrossFit Kids Warm-up

2009-06-07T23:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all the kids and parents that showed up on Saturday for our CrossFit Seattle Kid's warm-up. We had a great time teaching the kids to squat, deadlift and push-up. They did a short workout using their new skills and then they played "tunnel under relay".

Paleo Potluck -- best potluck food ever!

2009-05-31T23:15:00.001-07:00

That was some really good food. Thanks so much to everyone for sharing a great meal and bringing their recipes. And special thanks to Jim for bringing his BBQ and a mountain of incredible meat and veggies!

Scott Takenaga: 5 YEARS!!

2009-05-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Five years ago this month Scott walked into our old place at Magnuson Park (back in the CrossFit North days) and said he wanted to see what CrossFit was about. Dave found out Scott had just graduated from Ashmead and was interested in learning more about training. The rest is history.

We really can't tell you how fortunate we feel that Scott walked through the door and had a desire to work with us. Scott is definitely one of the cornerstones of CrossFit Seattle and it's success. Thank you Scott!

Steven and Jason at the NW Qualifier

2009-05-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

Steven and Jason represented CF Seattle at the NW Regional Qualifier on May 16th. Nice going guys! Steven did the morning lifts even though he was very much under the weather!

MEMORIAL Day Hours

2009-05-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we will have a

9:00am class
10:00am class

and then close.

PALEO POTLUCK: Friday May 29 at 7:00pm

2009-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

!PALEO POTLUCK!
Friday, May 29 at 7:00pm

Q&A at 7:45pm
We'll answer questions and discuss progress

This is a little more than the 1/2 way mark for all those competing in the Spring LEANing Challenge so we are coming together to encourage each other to stick with it! Bring your favorite Paleo dish along with a few copies of the recipe for sharing.

Gym Closure May 15 and May 16 for Qualifier

2009-05-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

CrossFit Seattle will be closed on:
Friday, May 15th starting at 1:00pm and
Saturday, May 16th all day

We apologize for any inconvenience to our wonderful clients.

If you can, please come down to Magnuson Park, Hangar 30 to cheer on our own Jason Peacock and Steven Bin as they compete! The morning event starts at 9:00am.

For more info, go here.

$2100....who wants it the most??

2009-05-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

70 people signed up for the Spring LEANing Challenge! The winner takes all; $2100, plus one month of unlimited classes. Tune-in in 7 weeks to find out who wanted it the most!

The CrossFit Gene

2009-04-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

David Kuhl made sure his nephew got the CrossFit Bug when he came for a visit last week.

Spring LEANing Challenge update

2009-04-25T17:45:00.001-07:00

Over 70 of us gathered today to hear Dave talk about nutrition and eating similar to hunter/gatherer types. Thanks everyone for coming out. Right now we have 52 people that have signed up or will be signing up for the Challenge. This looks to be a nice pile of cash for one motivated person!

Fran's "How I lost 20 Pounds" article receives an update

2009-04-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Fran gives her excellent article about how she lost 20 pounds a 9th year update.

Today in 2009, I believe that eating right requires answering the question "what" and not "how much." Unless I eat starch and sugar; then, "how much" definitely matters.

Read the full article here.