Our elementary playground was split up into thirds the way countries are today. Our thought process wasn’t quite up to the United Nations or anything, but looking back we acted like America and the slide was our homeland and we defended it. However, it did kinda odd me out, even as a 7-year-old, that the staff had chosen to build a slide on asphalt while the merry-go-round got the soft mulch. I guess babies get the bedding because that’s where the first graders hung out. The older kids got the prime real-estate; grass.

The rain had stopped maybe an hour before my class’s fifteen minutes of supervised freedom, but it still wasn’t dry. The grayish humidity made each drop bead up like it was on the hood of a freshly waxed car, and the creek that we played in from time to time was overflowing; that made it smell like mold. It didn’t help that the lunch room crew kept the doors open while they prepared the day’s $0.70 delicacy.

Once our feet hit the pavement we decided on our favorite warm-up; dodge-ball.

The goal was to stand with your back against a brick wall in an alley where the exit was behind the guy with the weapon – a basketball. Five people made it tight, so we started each game with ten. If you moved forward, you shortened the distance from you to ball, if you moved to either side too quickly you’d head-but someone or catch a knee. And God forbid you tried to move back, brick walls to the rear of your skull is even less fun than a basketball to the face . The game always ended when someone cried and one of the teacher’s on recess duty stole our ball.

We didn’t hit our slide everyday, but that particular day seemed as good as any, so most of Ms. Smith’s class began the journey across the countryside passing the younger kids playing on a tiny obstacle course, while the older ones sat the bench. They were too mature to get messy…we weren’t.

I loved that slide because I was good at it. Myself and a few other adventurous types would go down standing, face first, sideways, anything we could think of. When one of us got to the top, the other kids watched, even some of the older ones stopped to look even though they would never admit it.

I was the first up since it had rained. Instead of thinking, I should wipe this thing off, as I climbed the rusted ladder, I thought of how much faster the water would make me. I took my normal few seconds to survey my fans before I slide down standing, surfer style. As I shifted my weight to go, I instantly learned that I was right, water did make it faster; like flying a kite versus flying a plane faster.

I remember seeing my Velcro Transformer shoes fly-up as I fell off right from the start. It goes dark for a bit after that, then I remember my teacher’s hand holding mine as she guided through the crowd of kids hanging out in two rows watching like I was a death-row inmate being led to the chair. Why can I only see out of my right eye, I thought. I finally put my hand to my face and felt the warm liquid that covered it.

I don’t remember anything after that.

I left school early that day – awesome. I was forced to stay in bed the rest of the day – not awesome. All I thought of was that slide, all I thought was; I should have taken my shoes off.

At recess the next day, I skipped dodge-ball. I watched the teacher on guard. When she finally got distracted by the fifth grade country, I moved. By the time she turned around it was too late; I was shoeless this time, looking out at the entire playground like a diver looks at the water from the board. The coolest part wasn’t even that I made it to the bottom unharmed, it was that I made it to the bottom with a bandage on my head and the teacher screaming, “STOP.”

A week later, the slide was gone, but I was still a king. Even at that age there was something about someone who was willing to fail and try again. Bandaged and beaten or not.

I still remember the little black hair girl I had a crush on asking me if I was afraid. “No way,” I lied. More than I ever have been, I thought.

Everyone’s afraid, some just make a change take their shoes off and try again, others blame the slide and give-up.

Warm-up:

Coaches choice.

For time and for score:

“Grace”
(Full squat)

30-Clean and jerks 95/135

-then-

5-Burpees
100m-run
AMRAP 20 Minutes
*After Grace, there is a mandatory two-minute recovery. The second component is then performed within whatever is left of the original 20-minute time cap. For example, if Grace takes 10-minutes, then you have eight minutes for the second piece.

Strength:

5-Strict Hspu
5-Strict pull-ups
5 Rounds
*Weighted if possible.

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In the US, psychologists will say that ADHD is a biological disorder with biological causes, therefore medication is needed to treat it. In countries like France, ADHD is a condition that presents itself as a result of psycho-social or environmental causes. Rather than medicating, doctors and families will try to address the underlying cause of the problem. This could mean psychotherapy, family counseling, or accommodations in the classroom.

French clinicians also address dietary causes of problematic behavior. After adjusting the diet of a child and educating parents on which foods and artificial products to avoid, ADHD-like behaviors seem to subside. Unfortunately for families in America, clinicians may not even suggest dietary changes because of the heavy push for pharmaceutical treatment.

Parents need to be their child’s advocate for wellness. Doctors clearly don’t always know best, and there may be several solutions to level out or at least improve your child’s hyperactivity.

-Consider the home environment. Do your children feel safe, secure, and loved?

-Does your child have clear boundaries and rules they are to abide by? If they’re running the show in your home, this could have a large effect on their ability to concentrate and follow through on tasks. Letting your child have the final say on meals, bedtime, appropriate behavior, (and on and on) not only creates a monster, but prevents them from developing coping skills and discipline- they very skills they’re lacking if they’ve been labeled with ADHD.

-Is their diet free from processed foods, sugar, artificial dyes, and preservatives? If not, try eliminating these items.

These suggestions require a lot of work on the part of the parent, but the pay-off could be a happy and productive child, free of medication. Parents often say they’d do anything for their child. This is a great place to start.

Front Squat

1×6@60%,
1×6@65%
6×2@70%

For score:

400m-Run
1-Rope climb
5-Jerks 120/185
20-Air Squats
AMRAP 15 Minutes

Auxiliary:

Push-press
2×3@65%
2×2@70%

Snatch pull
4×3@80% (don’t bend the elbows

If you’re easily objectified or have virgin ears stop right here, otherwise in the comments speak-up. Would you take the class?

The following is from CBS.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Crossfit is a popular fitness trend, but on Wednesday night one local gym was getting a lot of attention for the wrong reasons.

As CBS 2’s Alice Gainer reported, the controversy has everything to do with the name of a class for women.

At CrossFit South Brooklyn on Degraw Street, the classes are intense. But even more intense is the scrutiny the gym has been facing for the name of the class – “Tough Titsday.”

“Some people have laughed about it and joked about it a little bit, but there’s never been any sort of issue,” said gym owner David Osorio.

But that all changed, after an anonymous posting to the feminist blog “Jezebel.” A woman looking to sign up for the class took issue with the name and posted an email exchange with the owner.

“Do you really have to call a female class “titsday” really???” wrote the anonymous woman called “Rachel” by the site. “It’s kind of misogynistic — which was not the vibe I got at the gym. I suggest changing the class name to something more neutral — and I’m not an uptight person but it’s a repulsive word — my opinion and probably other women’s opinion.”

Following a response defending the class as a celebration of women’s strength, “Rachel” wrote back saying be that as it may, the word “tits” is not appropriate.

“I don’t understand why you would use the word tits for a women’s class — granted you’re being cheeky but it’s objectifying and offensive to some people and obviously if I am not the first person who wasn’t comfortable with it and didn’t get your sardonic sense of humor then isn’t that a good indication that there’s a problem?” she wrote.

Osorio confirmed emails back and forth with the woman, but defended the name, pointing out that a female trainer came up with it.

“One of our coaches, Margie Lempert, started the class about two years ago — and it was sort of born out of her transformations with developing physical strength,” he said.

Women working out in a nearby park Wednesday were horrified by the name.

“That’s not a class I would go to,” one woman said.

“Oh no, I don’t like that,” another said.

But women who work out at the gym and have taken the class argued that you have to understand the culture of the gym to appreciate the name.

“With a word like that, you’re always going to find people who might have a problem with it,” said Grace Daniel, who takes the class.

“The class actually reaches out to women who typically don’t engage in weight-lifting, may be intimidated by doing something like that and the class is fantastic,” added Noor Alam, who also takes the class.

The question now after all this controversy is, are they going to change the name?

“I don’t think so,” Osorio said. “It really hasn’t been a problem for us. I can understand how someone would take offense to it.”

But, he added, he would rather those who don’t like the class try it before judging.

The woman who complained told “Jezebel” she was banned from the gym after the e-mails. But the owner said her membership was declined because she was being disrespectful.

“Angie”

100-Pull-ups
100-Push-ups
100-Sit-ups
100-Squats

Strength:

Power clean
2-2-2-2-2@90%

Auxiliary:

10-Wall ball
EMOTM for 10 minutes

Today, our Practice CrossFit kiddos have thousands of square feet to call home. Quite the step-up considering they’ve worked out in places that can only be described as walk-in closets.

The video above has several of our kids iterations, but it leaves out exactly how thankful we are to have so many Kids trainers as an example for our young athletes today.

Thank you, Mindy, Chas, Cindy, Miko, Mo and Ryan. Thank you CrossFit Kids and CrossFit Kids trainers everywhere. You’ve made a want, a vibrant reality.

Warm-up

Coaches choice

For time:

“Partner up”

100-Jump Squats
200m-Run
-then_
20-Pull-ups
7-Flips
5-Wall climbs
AMRAP 17 Minutes

-then-

Power Clean
*Immediately following the workout, work up to one heavy rep in 8 Minutes.

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Daily programming.

Event 2

200m-Row every 90 seconds
10-Rounds
*Upon the last round, row 1000m, but begin with the 200m sprint and settle in for the rest of the piece.

This hit me pretty hard when an athlete called me last night after we posted our “Battle of the Ages” fitness challenge. The conversation was more like an argument between me, who she is now, and who she once was.

These were the questions I asked her:

1. Do you know what a snatch is, a thruster, a muscle-up?

I’m not saying you have to have them mastered, or even be able to do them to enter any CrossFit inspired event. I’m saying however, that it’s a good idea to go to the driving range before you play the course. If your foundational knowledge is there, then you know what you’re capable of and you know what’s expected.

2. Can your coach be there?

If at all possible, I want to be there with PCFer’s whenever they want to throwdown. Not only do I love to compete alongside them, but I love watching and coaching them.

If your trainers can be with you, then it really isn’t that much different from your daily CrossFit training. They can help strategize with you and scale if needed.

3. Do you really like CrossFit?

Most of us love our friends cheering for us. Many athletes love the occasional correction shouted from the stands that makes an immediate improvement on our game. We can’t wait to finish our heat so we can cheer for our family competing with us.

If this doesn’t describe you, then maybe you shouldn’t be competing after all.

4. Do you really want to get better?

If you haven’t noticed, CrossFit’s pretty popular. So popular in fact, I think people are now signing on just to be involved. I’m actually OK with this because they usually get converted or booted. But, if you’re not truly interested in having a huge boost of awesome shoved up your butt, then no, competing is not for you.

For the rest of us, competing is a lot like The Matrix when Neo’s getting centuries worth of information and ability downloaded straight to his brain in seconds. “I know Kung Fu.”

5. Can you lose?

The only thing worse than a sore loser, is a sore loser at a CrossFit Event. And there is always that one guy who hates his judges, blames his equipment, and demands a recount. If you’re “That Guy;” stay home.

It took awhile, but she answered “yes” to every question and we said goodbye. Five minutes later I received an email notification of her competition registration.

Warm-up:

Coaches choice

For time:

15-Wall ball
30-Box jumps 20/24
4 Rounds

Strength:

Front Squat
2-2-2-2-2@90%

Auxiliary:

Overhead squat
*Work technique for 10 minutes.

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CrossFit is the sport for kids who don’t like sports. It promotes all the elements of competitive athletics without the potentially damaging pieces that deter many kids from taking the field. 

CrossFit can be competitive- but mainly with the kid in the mirror. Everyday is a day to challenge yourself to be better than you were last time. The scoreboard (the whiteboard) is there to measure progress and achievement.

There is no such thing as picking teams, or one team trying to defeat the other. Everyone is on the same team- its called a community. While a CrossFit workout can be an extremely individual task, the support system surrounding you reminds you that you’re not in this alone, and everyone truly wants you to do well. CrossFit makes kids and teens feel like they’re truly a part of something, even if they don’t quite recognize what it is.

If you want to be a starter on a high school sports team, you should probably start playing at age 5, possibly on a traveling team or in a league. Even then, there’s no guarantee how much you’ll actually get to play. With CrossFit there’s no experience needed. Everyone is welcome and can play from day one.

Finally, for some kids, sports are just kind of boring. Standing in the outfield and only being part of the play every now and then isn’t much fun. For others, the thought of having a team rely on their performance is terrifying, and its easier to avoid the potential embarrassment.

CrossFit will certainly help take the competitive athlete to the next level. But it will also welcome the kid who doesn’t get into sports, no matter the reason. It will allow them to be successful, perhaps for the first time in their life. That success will build confidence and the desire to try new and more difficult things, and from there the possibilities are endless.

Our goal is for athletes of ALL ages and levels to compete in one location, at one time, together. Just like we train everyday. From Masters to Individuals, Teens and even the little Kids, we’re striving to have something for everyone.

Not only that, but we’re keeping it intimate. There won’t be hundreds of athletes in your division, more like a manageable number of competitors that lets us all prove our fitness and our training.

The single day competition will kick off at 8 a.m., and will feature several Events that are scalable if necessary. More details such as movements, heats, prizes, and vendors will be released via practicecrossfit.com, or our Facebook page here.

These Events tend to sell out quickly, so get on it and get registered here.

Warm-up:

Coaches choice

For time:

30-Push press 35/45
30-Burpees
5 Rounds

Skill:

3-Position snatch
*Hold each position for three seconds.
10 Minute limit

Goat
*Chose something that does not involve a barbell for once, and get better at it. Remember, we have jump ropes and pull-up rigs, and climbing ropes.

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