News

The Mt. Sanitas Challenge

2009-05-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

Mt Sanitas Challenge
Saturday June 20th at 8:00am

Mt Sanitas is a nasty hill in Boulder. It is a 3.2 mile loop with 1300 ft of vertical. People have been running it as a workout for years. It’s not a bad workout but we thought it would be fun to “spice” it up a bit. We are going to add in a few elements to make it a little bit more of a challenge. The challenge will consist of 3 parts: a bike ride, a run, and a CrossFit workout.

Part one:
You leave in pairs by bike from Flatirons CrossFit to Mt Sanitas. We will send a pair of riders every two minutes. The ride to Sanitas is approximately 5 miles.

Part two:
Once at the Mt Sanitas trailhead leave your bike and run the loop. We will have people to watch the bikes and time your run. The loop starts going up the steep side. Complete the loop and return by bike to FCF. The loop is 3.2 miles long with 1300 feet of vertical.

Part three:
Once back at FCF you will complete a workout to stop time. The workout will be unveiled prior to the start.

This race is open to everyone. Just be at Flatirons CrossFit at 8am with a bike and a helmet. (You must have a helmet to participate). Check in is at 8am. We will go over rules, directions to Mt Sanitas, and unveil the workout and allow time to strategize. If you are riding with clip ins we will have your running shoes brought to the start of the run.

For questions and more info: call or email Tim
Tim@flatironscrossfit.com
303.517.7114

Rocky Mountain Region CrossFit Games

2009-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain Region CrossFit Games

The Games are approaching fast. All of the hard work is about to pay off. Here is the itinarary for the weekend. A couple of quick announcements first.

Saturday's workouts will be announced on next Sunday, May 10th at 9:00 PM MST. If you can do the workouts as prescribed, you will not have to do anything else. If you will have to scale one or both of the workouts, you will need to email us by Tuesday at 9:00 PM MST to let us know. If you miss the deadline, we may not be able to accomodate your scaling needs during the event.

When we announce the workouts we will also post the Range of Motion standards. There will be no gloves, gymnastics grips, weight belts, lifting straps or knee wraps allowed. Shoes of some sort must be worn. You may use weightlifting shoes. You may tape your hands, but not the bar. Chalk will be provided.

Many of you are going to be coming into Denver earlier in the week. Front Range CrossFit is holding open gym hours from 2:00 - 4:00 PM Monday thru Thursday. These will be the only two hours of the day that you will have access to the gym. During these times you can do your own workout in the competition space. There is a $20 drop-in fee per session. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accomodate any Regional Games Athletes during our regularly scheduled workout times.

As always, post your comments or questions in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them.

Sunday, May 10th 9:00 PM Workout Announcements

Tuesday, May 12th 9:00 PM Scaling Deadline

Thursday, May 14th 9:00 PM Heat Assignments

Friday, May 15th 5:00 - 8:30 PM Athlete Registration

Saturday, May 16th 7:30 - 9:30 AM Athlete Registration
Saturday, May 16th 8:30 AM Opening Ceremonies
Saturday, May 16th 9:00 AM WOD #1 Start
Saturday, May 16th 2:00 PM Wod #2 Start
Saturday, May 16th 6:30 PM Sunday's Workout
Announcement
Sunday, May 17th 9:00 AM WOD #3 Start
Sunday, May 17th 1:00 PM Women's Finals Heat
Sunday, May 17th 1:30 PM Men's Finals Heat
Sunday, May 17th 2:30 PM Awards Ceremony

MBS CrossFit Spring Weightlifting Meet

2009-04-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sponsored by: MBS CrossFit

Location: MBS CrossFit Training Facility
10900 W. 120th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80021

Lifts: Snatch and Clean & Jerk
(USA Weightlifting rules)

Eligibility: No membership or affiliation requirement.

Entry Fee: $25 for individuals
All entries are due on or Regbefore April 18, 2009.Register at www.MBSCrossFit.com

Time: Depending on how many entries received, schedule may change.
Weigh-ins begin at 9:00am
Lifting begins at 10:00am

Awards: Awards will be presented to lifters that place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each weight category.

Additional Info: USA Weightlifting rules will be used in judging the competition and all equipment usage rules will apply with the exception of the wearing of a singlet, which is optional to the lifter. Loose fitting clothing is discouraged and may prevent the lifter from being able to compete at the discretion of the meet supervisor. For additional questions about rules of the meet, contact Patrick at the number below.

Contact: Contact Patrick at MBS CrossFit for additional information. Email Patrick@MBSCrossFit.com or call (720)323-6242.

Tactical Strength Challenge

2009-02-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

Flatirons CrossFit will be one of several locations around the country hosting this April's TSC. This contest is open to everybody. We will have all divisions from novice to beginner available to enter. For more information about the TSC click here.You must register for this event online

Details:
Location: 4847 Pearl St Boulder, Co 80301
Date: Saturday April 4th
Time: Weigh-ins at 9:00am lifting starts at 10:00am
We will be serving lunch afterwards approximately 12:30
Cost: $25.00

INTRO TO OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING CLINIC

2009-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

Intro to Olympic Weightlifting Clinic.

Olympic weightlifting is the sport of weightlifting. It encompasses two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. The sport is nearly dead in the United States but is very popular in the eastern countries and China. Top level strength and conditioning coaches have discovered its benefits and are increasingly using the Olympic lifts in their training program to increase athletic ability.

Olympic weightlifters have the vertical leap of NBA players the speed of top level sprinters and the flexibility of gymnasts, not to mention they are the strongest people on the planet. The benefits of training these movements are: increased speed and explosive power which is crucial to just about any sport. Olympic weightlifting strengthens joints as they are worked thru a full range of motion during training and lifting. Our joints like full range of motion. Flexibility is increased as lifters move their body into positions to complete the lift. Flexibility and strength work hand in hand to help to prevent injuries.

Everyone can benefit from learning these lifts and this clinic will lay the foundation for correctly performing these movements. If you are an athlete and serious about your sport, Olympic weightlifting will greatly improve your performance. Our coaches have over 20 years of experience and have trained with Olympic athletes and the best coaches in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Olympic weightlifting is safe and beneficial for people of all ages. At Flatirons CrossFit we train these lifts with people from ages 9 to people in their late fifties.

This clinic will run from 9am to 4pm. We will cover the snatch in the morning, break for lunch and then cover the clean and jerk in the afternoon.

For more information contact Tim at Flatirons CrossFit. Phone: 303.517.7114. Email tim@flatironscrossfit.com

Click here to regiser

KETTLEBELL CHALLENGE

2009-01-20T18:10:00.001-08:00

FLATIRONS CROSSFIT KETTLEBELL CHALLENGE
Saturday February 21st @ 10:30
Check in at 9:30

The snatch and the clean and jerk are the backbone of kettlebell training. Holding kettlebells bells in exaggerated positions has its place in kettlebell training but it doesn’t really work well in competition. We will be testing our skill with the kettlebell snatch and clean and jerk. This event is designed and open to kettlebell enthusiasts of all levels. If you can clean, jerk, and snatch a kettlebell then come out and compete. Competition is a great way to take your skill to the next level and really push yourself.

The Rules
. There will be a men’s and women’s divisions based on kettlebell size. Athletes will use one bell any size they choose. (8,12,16,24,32 kg bells) They must use the same size bell for both tests.

The snatch test will be as many reps in 10 minutes as possible. The bell may be set down at any time and the athlete may switch hands as often as they like. The bell must be swung from between the legs to full lock out overhead for the rep to count. The bell must not be pressed into position. Score is total reps in 10 minutes

The clean and jerk is as many reps as possible in 10 minutes using one bell. It will be performed long cycle. The long cycle clean and jerk is a clean and a jerk for each rep. Rep starts from the hang and is cleaned to the rack with the arm holding the bell tight to the chest. The bell is then jerked overhead. The rep is complete when the bell is fixed overhead arm body and torso are straight. You may switch hands as often as you like and the bell may be set down. Score is total reps in 10 minutes.

Winners will be determined on the combined scores for both tests.

Contact: Contact Tim at Flatirons Crossfit for additional information. Email Tim@FlatironsCrossFit.com or call 303.517.7114

The Bare Knuckles Weightlifting Showdown at the Flightline

2008-12-09T05:42:00.000-08:00

MBS CrossFit Presents
The Bare Knuckles Weightlifting Showdown at the Flightline
January 24, 2009

Sponsored by: MBS CrossFit

Location: MBS CrossFit Training Facility
10900 W. 120th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80021

Lifts: Snatch and Clean & Jerk (USA Weightlifting rules)

Eligibility: No membership or affiliation requirement.

Entry Fee: $15 for individuals
All entries are due on or before January 16, 2009.
Please register via email or phone to Patrick, Patrick@mbscrossfit.com or (720) 323-6242

Time: Depending on how many entries received, schedule may change.
Weigh-in: Women: 9:00 – 10:00am, Men: 10:00 – 11:00 am
Lifting begins: Women: 11:00 am, Men: Noon

Awards: Awards will be presented to lifters that place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their weight category.

Additional Info: USA Weightlifting rules will be used in judging the competition and all equipment usage rules will apply with the exception of the wearing of a singlet, which is optional to the lifter. Loose fitting clothing is discouraged and may prevent the lifter from being able to compete at the discretion of the meet supervisor. For additional questions about rules of the meet, contact Patrick at the number below.

Contact: Contact Patrick at MBS CrossFit for additional information. Email Patrick@MBSCrossFit.com or call (720)323-6242.

RUN MT. SANITAS

2008-09-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Where: Mt. Sanitas trailhead on Mapleton in Boulder.
When: Saturday October 18th
Time: 10:30am

We will be running the Mt. Sanitas loop for time. This is a three mile loop that has about a 1300 vertical ft elevation gain. We will start up the west route (the steep side) and come back on the east route. Sign up at the gym or email tim@flatironscrossfit.com.

FIGHT GONE BAD lll

2008-08-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27TH 9:30 AM AT FLATIRONS CROSSFIT
Flatirons CrossFit and MBS CrossFit will be hosting the 3rd annual Fight Gone Bad Workout to benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project. CrossFit Affiliates all over the world will be hosting there own workouts and competing as a team to raise funds. In the past two years CrossFit has raised over half a million dollars with this event. To participate and set up your own fund raising web page join Team Flatirons CrossFit and start raising money now. We will be having lunch brought in after the workout.

What is Fight Gone Bad?

Fight Gone Bad III - 1 day, 1 workout, 1 purpose
When: Saturday September 27th
Time: 9:30
Location: Flatirons CrossFit
Cost: $12.00 (food)

Tactical Strength Challenge

2008-07-19T15:27:00.001-07:00

September 13th, 2008
MBS Crossfit and Flatirons CrossFit will be one of many sites around the world hosting the Tactical Strength Challenge. this is an international event that takes several times a year athletes compete at locations around the world and then have their scores uploaded and tallied.

The challenge will take place at MBS CrossFit in Broomfield (Rocky Mountain Airport)
Weight-ins are at 9:00am and lifting begins at 9:30.
Stick around after for the BBQ.

For more information go to www.TacticalStrengthChallenge.com.

The Tactical Strength Challenge is a great overall test of your fitness. It involves a 1-rep max deadlift (raw strength), a max set of deadhang pullups (bodyweight strength) and a 5-minute kettlebell snatch set (muscular endurance).

Climb Longs Peak

2008-06-28T18:03:00.001-07:00

On Saturday August 23rd Flatirons Crossfit and MBS CrossFit are teaming up for the Workout of the Day - Climb Longs Peak for time. Everyone is welcome to participate so come and join us. There is even some talk about doing a kettlebell workout at the summit.(I'm not sure what kind of an idiot would suggest such a thing, but anyways) Longs Peak is about a 15 mile summit to 14,000 ft plus. It takes about 12 hours to complete round trip. The climb is no "Fran" but a great workout none the less. Plan to start climbing at 4:00am. Email or call Tim for a head count or more information
tim@flatironscrossfit.com
303.517.7114

KETTLEBELL WORKSHOP

2008-06-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge

KETTLEBELL BOOTCAMP

2008-04-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

Comrades, Kettlebell Bootcamp is here. Come and find out what the Soviets have known for over a century- Kettlebells. Kettlebells are the ultimate tool for building superhuman cardio and muscle endurance, as well as burning fat. The kettlebell's ballistic movement creates an intense workout that delivers unparalleled physical conditioning and functional strength.

Flatirons CrossFit will be running 4 week bootcamp sessions starting May 5th. You will learn how to master such exercises as the swing, the clean and press, the snatch and the turkish get up just to name a few. At the end of the 4 week period we will test your progress. This is a challenging bootcamp but it is appropriate for anyone and any fitness level

Here is a little of what to expect

Program summary

* Sessions are restricted to small groups so everyone gets enough attention.
* Bootcamp runs for 4 weeks, Monday Wednesday Friday, from 5:30pm to 6;30pm
* Workouts are held at the new Louisville Community Park
* Performance is benchmarked at the beginning of the Bootcamp and tested at the end of session.
* All new Bootcampers receive a Flatirons CrossFit t-shirt.
* Pass the USSS Snatch Test and receive 50% off of next bootcamp session or CrossFit intro class
* Only $125.00 for all 4 weeks or $15.00 drop-in

Schedule

May 5th to May 30th
June 2nd to June 27th
July 7th to August 1st

Space is limited so sign up today.
For more information and to sign up contact Tim at:
tim@flatironscrossfit.com
303.517.7114

2008-03-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is from Skip @ Front Range CrossFit

Colorado Practice CrossFit Games

June 7th and 8th

Event schedule:

Saturday, June 7th
9:00 AM
CrossFit Total

Saturday, June 7th
3:00 PM
Running based WOD

Sunday, June 8th
3:00 PM
Randomly generated WOD

Cost
$40 Pre-registration until June 1st
$60 Day of event registration

No, you cannot email me and try to find out what the running based WOD is. It will involve running either 200 or 400 meters and some other exercises in a multi-round format. The randomly generated WOD will consist of pullups (that's a given) and some other exercises. Please email me if you plan on attending. All are welcome to compete. You can do one, two, or all three events. You need to do all three events in order to compete for the over-all title. If we have enough people we may have a master's division in addition to the men's and women's categories. If you are thinking of attending the CrossFit Games in July, this is a great way to find out where you stand.

Tactical Strength Challenge

2008-03-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Front Range CrossFit is hosting a Tactical Strength Challenge on April 5th.

Open House

2008-03-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

Flatirons CrossFit is having an Open House from 1:00 to 3:00 Sunday March 30th at the Arapahoe YMCA. Come Find out what CrossFit is all about and how our program can dramatically improve your fitness level and performance. We will have an overview of “What is CrossFit,” answer questions, teach a few of the movements we use, and then do a workout.
Attend the Open House and receive $50.00 off when you schedule an Intro Class. For more information please visit our website flatironscrossfit.com
Please call 303.517.7114 or email tim@flatironscrossfit.com (for head count) if you would like to attend.

EVENING CLASSES ARE HERE

2008-02-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

There are now three evening WOD Classes. See the schedule for times as the vary from day to day. We will eventually have more so keep checking the website for updates

CLASSES HAVE STARTED

2008-02-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Classes have started. We train Monday thru Thursday at 6 am (Evening Classes are coming soon) and 2 pm on Sundays. Complete the Intro Classes and learn how CrossFit and Functional Movement can greatly improve your Strength and Conditioning, Burn Fat and Vary your workout routine. Take your Fitness to the next level. Crossfit is for everyone, as the workouts are scaled for each individual’s fitness level.

Open House

2008-01-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

Come join us at 1:oo for Crossfit's legendary "Fight Gone Bad" workout, then stick around for a mini Olympic Lifting Clinic. Get an Introduction to the Clean & Jerk and the Snatch.

LA TIMES ARTICLE 2006

2007-12-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

LA TIMES ARTCLE

A workout that's fast, furious and not for the faint of heart; CrossFit promises -- and delivers -- an intense blend of aerobic and strength training. By Roy M. Wallack

I'm hyperventilating. Twelve minutes into what I thought was a simple, 20-minute workout of pull-ups, kettle bell swings and short- distance runs, I'm bent over with my hands on my knees, mouth wide open, head spinning, shoulders numb and torso heaving with giant belly breaths. I'm spent, I feel nauseated.

"Hurry up!" urges my trainer. "You're on the verge of being beaten by a 38-year-old housewife who is four months pregnant!" As a lifelong gym rat, endurance cyclist and runner, I thought I was fit - - until my first day of CrossFit, a free, fast-growing, largely underground workout plan that some say is rewriting the rules of fitness.

The conventional wisdom is that you can't accomplish aerobic and strength training at the same time, and that you certainly can't develop world-class fitness on 20 or 30 minutes a day. CrossFit says you can -- if you push hard enough.

CrossFit is extreme, intense cross-training that can be done with basic gym equipment -- in a group or alone -- both for general fitness and as a base for specific sports. It's been used for several years in law enforcement, firefighting and military circles; adherents have included members of the Miami FBI SWAT team, the Colorado State Patrol, the Jacksonville, Fla., Sheriff's Department, the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Orange County Fire Authority Academy and the Canadian Army. Now the program is exploding into the mainstream.

Eighty-four official trainers (double that of a year ago) teach CrossFit in major cities around the country. People who need to learn proper form -- or who simply need to be pushed -- can find a list of trainers on the website, www.crossfit.com. The guy who put me through my paces, Santa Monica CrossFit affiliate Andy Petranek charges $25 for the initial session and $15 for repeat visits.

People who already know how to do the moves with proper form -- and who have no trouble with self-motivation -- can go straight to the workouts, posted free online every day.

The regimens are short and brutal, replacing ordinary weight lifting and steady-state aerobic training with mixed-up, amped-up, double-espresso workouts that leave you reeling -- and quickly begin melting fat, building muscle, increasing flexibility and giving you measurable increases in both aerobic capacity and strength.

CrossFit takes basic, functional-fitness exercises -- squats, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, dead-lifts, medicine ball throws and more - - emphasizes full range of motion (i.e. on a squat, lowering your rear-end to within a foot of the ground, then fully straightening your legs as you explode to a standing position), and adds short bursts of cardio. Then it throws them into a blender and flips the switch to "puree."

The mix, different day to day, blasts every muscle in your body while providing adequate recovery time for growth. The fast pace provides metabolic benefits that have been supported by at least two small studies.

CrossFit success stories are legion. Petranek says that two months of doing only the three-days-on/one-day-off "Workouts of the Day" (WODs) regimen raised his maximum pull-up count from 15 to 42 and dropped his 5K run time from 23:50 to 21 flat.

"And the only running I did the whole time were the quarter-mile runs in the WODs," he says.

Ed Korb, 34, a loan broker from Tustin, says four months of CrossFit dropped his 5K time by 3 minutes, 29 seconds while it raised his body weight from 150 to 164 -- "all muscle," he says.

Monrovia trainer Eric LeClair, 28, who started CrossFit in 2004 and began teaching it last year, gained 14 pounds and got faster in all his running events, including four minutes in the Camp Pendleton 10K Mud Run last year.

In my class, every one of Petranek's clients -- triathletes, runners, tennis players and those just out for general fitness -- said CrossFit had helped them lose fat, add muscle and get significantly faster and fatigue-resistant on less time.

The regimen also apparently works for world-class athletes. Olympic skier Jonna Mendes credits her recovery from a poor 2004 season to CrossFit.

Ultimate Fighting world champion Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell has been undefeated since he added CrossFit to his training regimen two years ago. "Chuck dreads CrossFit because it's the hardest part of his workout," says his trainer John Hackelman, who forced it on him, "but it has raised his all-body fitness levels so high that no one can stay with him."

That was exactly what Greg Glassman, 49, had in mind when he developed CrossFit at several L.A.-area Gold's Gyms in the 1980s. A former high school gymnast with a manic, fact-spewing speaking style and a pronounced limp from an old rings injury, Glassman would experiment with new exercises in order to give his police and firefighter clientele an edge.

When he spiced up their weight-lifting routines with gymnastics moves such as handstands and ring push-ups, he noticed pronounced gains in strength, flexibility and overall function and coordination. Then he added all-body fitness exercises like deep squat thrusts and medicine ball throws, and finally -- thinking that running was the most natural aerobic exercise -- added intervals. The fitness levels ramped up even more.

CrossFit and its three principles -- functionality, intensity and variety -- were born.

"It became clear that a single, blended workout of gymnastics, lifting and aerobics, done at an all-out pace, generated better all- round fitness than training each discipline separately on alternate days," says Glassman. " 'Segmented' trainers can't keep up with us on our workouts. CrossFitters may not be as strong as a pure lifter, or as fast as a pure runner, but we're better than them in everything else. And we can do more real-life stuff."

That message began to resonate with SWAT team members, Navy Seals and police. In 1995, hired to train the Santa Cruz Police Department, Glassman moved north, opened a gym, and developed more exercise routines.

In 2000, he started getting attention from the fitness world at large when he launched a website and began posting his various WODs. He gave them female names, such as "Helen," "Fran," and "Cindy," because they reminded him of hurricanes.

Glassman's theory of blended, all-out workouts gained some academic validity from a 1996 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise by Izumi Tabata of Japan's National Institute of Fitness and Sports. It showed that 20-second, all-out bursts of intermittent high-intensity training with little rest in between, similar in style to CrossFit, caused "significant" rises in both aerobic and anaerobic (strength) capacity.

"We already knew CrossFit was already doing that, but now thanks to Tabata we knew why metabolically," said Glassman. "The eggheads were pleased."

He's prouder of the pat on the back he got last summer from the Canadian Infantry School in Gagetown, New Brunswick, which conducted a seven-week trial of CrossFit versus its own rigorous Canadian Fitness Manual training plan. The results: CrossFit scored higher in every fitness category and was ranked more enjoyable by most of the 110 officer candidates tested.

"They found it challenging and pertinent to what we do in the military and enjoyed the competitive aspects," said test organizer Captain J.T. Williams.

He admitted, however, that a minority did not enjoy CrossFit's intensity or find its competitive aspects motivating. That was no surprise to Glassman, who says that 80% of the people who sign up for classes at his gym don't stick with it.

"It's too hard for them; many don't get turned on by competing -- with others or themselves," he says. "And some people just don't like working out so hard that they might puke" -- an involuntary reaction to the lactic acid that floods into the bloodstream with anaerobic workouts.

The irreverent Glassman celebrates the discomfort his workout can engender by selling a popular T-shirt featuring CrossFit's cartoon mascot, Pukie, a deranged clown spewing a stream of green bile.

On my first day, after I finished Helen (three rounds of 21 kettle bell swings, 12 pull-ups, and a quarter-mile run), I was so exhausted that I had to lie down in my car for half an hour. And that was with a time of 17 minutes, 35 seconds -- a minute behind the pregnant woman and more than double the Helen world record of 7:35, set by a Santa Cruz police officer.

Fortunately, your body gets somewhat used to and even energized by this stress, which Glassman says is "natural because it's the way we all played as kids."

Over the next two months of doing CrossFit three days a week, I cut three minutes off my Helen, saw gains in nearly all strength categories, and could ride a bike uphill noticeably faster than ever before.

And although I haven't soiled my tank top yet, I wear my Pukie shirt with pride. After you make it through a couple CrossFit workouts -- tossing your cookies or not -- you feel like you've earned it.

*

Andy Petranek can be reached at www.petranekfitness.com. For other trainers, go to www.crossfit.com.

Credit: Special to The Times