Join us (and thousands of CrossFit affiliates around the world) on Saturday during the 9am, 10am, and 11am classes for SAVED BY THE BARBELL

Saved by the Barbell is an annual, world-wide CrossFit community Labor Day workout and fundraising effort to bring CrossFit to more kids everywhere.

Each year, rates of chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes, obesity, and liver disease – conditions once associated with the sick and elderly – rise among children, from toddlers to teenagers.

And yet each year, more schools reduce their physical education programs. Recess is becoming a thing of the past. Cafeteria food, deeply flawed nutrition education, and sugar-stocked vending machines only contribute to the problem. And schools where children grow up in poverty, food deserts, and disadvantaged communities pose even greater challenges to kids’ health.

Read more here.

DONATE HERE.

the Magical Baby Jedi loading her bar for deadlifts

Remember that each workout has a specific intention for stimulus- it’s not always JUST for speed/time or load/weight/max.

So what if you can’t do the workout “as Rx”? CrossFit is INFINITELY SCALABLE and can be adjusted for each individual and their skill level.

Being mindful of how your workout fits into the grand scheme of your fitness is just as important. You could crush it today- but will that soreness take your out for the rest of the week? What happens if you go too hard or assume you can do a movement when it’s not safe and then sustain an injury? What’s the bigger picture?

Everyday your coaches will discuss what the intended stimulus is for each workout. Pay attention and bring your best to do it right.

ARTICLES

+ See Ruth Bader Ginsberg Crush a TRX Workout – BarBend

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: WATCH ICARUS ON NETFLIX!

CrossFit WOD for Wednesday 8/29

5-4-3-2-1 reps for time:
power cleans, 84/68kg
burpee box jumps, 32/24″
muscle-ups

Post time to whiteboard!

Kettlebell WOD

1K row, Dynamax wheels

– 3×20 DKB Romanian deadlifts
– 3×20 Single leg deadlifts (10 a side)
– 3×20 KB cossack squats

5 rounds of 1-minute intervals:
row
DKB push press
DKB front squats
DKB swings
rest

finish out with abs

UPCOMING EVENTS

+ Tough Mudder w/ the FCF AWAY TEAM, 9/22

Steven was nice enough to get the ball rolling and create the team- now we just need more team members! We’re signed up for Saturday FULL LENGTH event- what I essentially call “20 rounds of a 800m run + an obstacle”. It’s a fun team event where you really want to be with a team for the entirety of the time you’re there. REGISTER HERE!

Enjoy!It’s volume week so we’re taking some of the new skills we introduced (or reintroduced) last week and we’re going to hammer that technique in through some heavier volume and time under tension.

There are a number of new workout schemes coming so be mindful of how you execute your strategies to make sure you can last through the workout as intended.

FOUNDATION BARBELL – Cycle #2, Block 3

We’re at the beginning of a new four-week block for the barbell programs! We saw so many personal records smashed from the last block in both Olympic Weightlifting and Powerlifting cycles from those who were consistent and full of effort. Will you be that lifter?

Olympic Weightlifting: Cycle 2, Block 3 – Week 1 PDF

Powerlifting: Cycle 2, Block 3 – Week 1

Remember: these classes are now available to everyone who has access to our ongoing CrossFit classes. Registration not necessary, but encouraged (since we program based on feedback)

Lauren and Nathan doing “goat belly” holds with some heavy kettles

CrossFit WOD for Saturday 8/25

with a partner AMRAP in 28 minutes:
28 wall ball
28 situps
28 cleans, 61/43kg
28 pullups
28 pushups
28 snatches, 61/43kg

Post score to whiteboard!

Foundations 3 WOD

TAG TEAM WOD
YGIG AMRAP in 14 minutes:
14-calorie row
7 push press
7 knees-to-elbows

Post score to whiteboard!

CrossFit WOD for Sunday 8/26

5 rounds for time:
400m run
24 situps
12 dumbbell overhead squats/side

Post time to whiteboard!

In CrossFit conditioning workouts, where maximum work is valued over absolute loading, it’s important to utilize technique that allows for that. Sometimes that means you have to change up traditional technique to complete the work goal.

In the traditional “classic clean & jerk”, the goal is to lift the heaviest load from the ground to the shoulders, then from the shoulder to a stable overhead standing position.

In a CrossFit conditioning workout, the most efficient way to satisfy the standard (“ground-to-shoulder-to-overhead”) is to bypass the rest at the shoulders by launching straight into the jerk from the receiving position of the clean.

Try it out!

ARTICLES

+ How Strong Are the CrossFit Games Champions Compared To Pro Olympic Weightlifters? – heatonminded

CrossFit WOD for Friday 8/24

CGO 17.1

for time:
50-40-30-20-10 alternating dumbbell snatches, 50/35lbs
15 burpee box jumps, 24/20″

Compare to. Post time to whiteboard!

Olympic Weightlifting WOD

1x/week athletes: snatch max
2x/week athletes: snatch max on Day 1, clean & jerk on Day 2
3x/week athletes: snatch max on Day 1, clean & jerk max on Day 2, snatch and clean & jerk max on Day 3

Powerlifting WOD

strict press max
deadlift max

Russ and Jon hitting some squats at their 8am class

Air squats, while not so difficult to the seasoned-CrossFitter, are a required skill to live life physically independent. While not as much of a challenge in low-rep situations, adding speed and volume can still illicit some stamina work to improve top-end leg strength.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOUNDATION BARBELL CLUB UPDATE:

Beginning next Monday 8/27 we will be changing our strength class options: we’ll offer both Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting in our ‘Barbell’ classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6am, 11am, 5:30pm, and 6:30pm.

Attendance and participation in these classes no longer require registration (although the program is developed on the feedback of those who do fill out registration), and can be attended by any athlete cleared for our CrossFit classes.

Athletes can attend either program once, twice, or three times a week if they’d like. Talk to a coach to develop a weekly plan and see if these classes are right for you!

Manny

ARTICLES

+ How to Break the Maternal Wall, Brick by Brick – Forbes

CrossFit WOD for Thursday 8/23

Ten 1-minute rounds:
25 squats
max reps clean & jerks, 61/43kg

Rest 2-3 minutes between rounds.

Post score (total CJ reps) to whiteboard!

HIIT WOD

1 min intervals, 10 sets
10 sec Air Bike Sprint
– then –
Max Box Jump Overs

Rest 1 min then

1 min intervals, 10 sets
10 sec Air Bike Sprint
– then –
Max Burpees

Rest 1 min then

1 min intervals, 10 sets
10 sec Air Bike Sprint
– then –
Max Ball Slams

Foundations 2 WOD

tabata intervals (20sec work, 10sec rest, for 4 minutes) of:
– goblet squat
– ab-mat situp
– sumo deadlift high-pulls
– burpee

Button Sequence for today’s WOD: B-D-D-A-B-B-D-C-A-A-A-A-A-B-B-B-B-E

ARTICLES

+ USA Weightlifting AO3 May Set Guinness World Record – Barbend

CrossFit WOD for Tuesday 8/21

100 dips for time, then

ROW twenty :20 all-out bursts with :40 of light rowing in between.

Performance athletes: you may want to row these pieces at a slightly higher damper setting to add more of a strength-building component to the workout.

Post best average to whiteboard!

Foundations 1 WOD

15-12-9 reps for time:
squat
pushup
pullup

* Start and finish the workout with a 200m run.

Post time to whiteboard!

Jordan

Today’s workout involves multiple versions of the bodyweight pull in the classic CrossFit benchmark. If you can’t go Rx because you don’t have a muscle-up you can easily scale it down and modify your exercises. Examples:

jumping muscle-up + chest-to-bar pullup + pullup
chest-to-bar pullup + pullup + jumping pullup
pullup + jumping pullup + ring row
jumping chest-to-bar pullup + strict ring row + kipping ring row
etc.

ARTICLES

+ In 1955 My Grandfather Made a Trip to Seattle… and Captured These Great Images – r/Seattle

CrossFit WOD for Monday 8/20

COMPLEX FRAN

for time:
7 bar muscle-ups
7 chest-to-bar pullups
7 pullups
21 thrusters, 43/29kg
5 bar muscle-ups
5 chest-to-bar pullups
5 pullups
15 thrusters, 43/29kg
3 bar muscle-ups
3 chest-to-bar pullups
3 pullups
9 thrusters, 43/29kg

Post time to whiteboard! Compare here.

Olympic Weightlifting WOD – Week 4/4, Day 1/3

1x/week, 3x/week athletes: snatch, clean & jerk max
2x/week athletes: snatch max only

Powerlifting WOD – Week 4/4, Day 1/3

back squat max
sumo deadlift max

Kettlebell WOD

##Warmup
– Joint prep
– Sandbag drags

##Strengh
– 5:00 min double bell rack hold

##Workout
**10 min Snatch test**
Max snatches for time. Unlimited hand switches.

**5 rounds for time:**
– 30 KB swings
– 15 cal row
– 30 KB racked lunges

##Accessory work
– Odd object TGU!!!

Team Hurts So Good from FCFio2018

CROSSFIT

Here’s a lookahead at this week:

Complex FRAN was the Age-Divison final workout at the 2018 CrossFit Games. We’ll do 100 dips for time followed by some sprint intervals on the rower. On Wednesday we do a weightlifting workout to get a taste of a Barbell class (for those who’ve never taken one). A new take on a recent workout we did on a Saturday. A retest of the first Open workout from 2017. A triplet team workout on Saturday. Then we’ll close it out with a cardio/midline/stability workout.

We’ll be back to our normally-scheduled daily posts as well.

OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING & POWERLIFTING

It’s test week! Make sure all your ducks are in a row: rest/recovery, nutrition, mental & emotional health, and of course, your goals!

Olympic Weightlifting

– 1x week: snatch max, clean & jerk max
– 2x week: snatch max on Day 1, clean & jerk max on Day 2
– 3x week, snatch and clean & jerk max on Day 1, snatch max on Day 2, clean & jerk max on Day 3

Powerlifting

– Monday: back squat max, sumo deadlift max
– Wednesday: power clean max, bench press max
– Friday: press max, deadlift max

 

The year is flying by and though it may not seem like it, Autumn is just around the corner.

HYFR Squad at the 2018 Big Climb For Leukemia

What have you accomplished in 2018? What WILL you accomplish by the end of 2018?

Let’s take a look at what we’ve done so far this year:

January – Our Annual Post-Holidays party.
February – the start of the CrossFit Games Open + the start of our nutrition challenge
March – the end of the CrossFit Games Open, The Big Climb 2018
April – celebrated the end of the nutrition challenge
May – CrossFit Games Regionals and Singlet Saturdays
June – PRIDE! We had our first PRIDE community day and raised money to benefit GSBA Scholarship Fund. Thanks again to those who dropped in and donated to this fund.
July – the thick of summer! Sun and fun and not a lot of clothing because the gym gets HOT

Lots of things are happening around here! You guys are working out hard.. as summer comes to an end (we think) – start to think about training goals for the fall – when the sun isn’t out as much. It’s important to keep goals fresh especially during fall/winter season, where it’s tempting to stay indoors often. We’re excited to put in that work with you all the rest of the year and gearing up for 2019!

Gustavo

ARTICLES

+ Make the Most of Your Time – Gym Jones

Many of us live busy lives. You make the bed you sleep in. Where you are in life is a result of all the daily choices you make. Are you being efficient?

+ American Open Series 3 To Be the Largest Weightlifting Competition in History – USA Weightlifting

You might see some familiar faces pop up after the event ends in Las Vegas. It’s going to be a doozy.

+ After Battling Cancer, Linda Elstun Takes Third at CrossFit Games – Battle Creek Enquirer

The way I see it, there are three sides to CrossFit: CrossFit the Sport where being competitive about performance is paramount, CrossFit the Philosophy where being prepared for the known and unknowable is the name of the game, and CrossFit the Lifestyle where you live your life AHAP (as healthy as possible): become responsible for your own activity, nutrition, rest/recovery, and all other life habits. Get into one and it can easily bleed over into the others.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars now for all these events creeping up!

Joe, AB, Sheena, and Tobias

Sheena’s Farewell Shift
Friday, 8/17 from 3:30 til 7:30pm

Come celebrate our First Lady as she embarks onto a new journey. Plenty of KILL CLIFF, rosé, and Half-Seas Sparkling Cocktails (thanks Miles) for everyone!

  Tony at last year’s meet

Olympia Fall Open
Saturday, 9/1 at Fortis Sports USA in Olympia, WA

Watch as some of your fellow FOUNDATION BARBELL athletes complete in a local weightlifting meet.

The FCF Away Team at the 2013 event

Tough Mudder WA
Saturday 9/22 or Sunday 9/23

The Tough Mudder is 10-mile 20-obstacle race in the mud that can be pretty grueling, but with a team of fun CrossFitters it’s hella fun. “With no podiums, winners, or clocks to race against, Tough Mudder isn’t about how fast you can cross the finish line. It’s about pushing yourself — and your team — to discover what you’re really made of.” More details here.

Robyn in 2017, qualified again for 2018!

Cascade Classic 2018
Saturday 9/22 and Sunday 9/23 at Magnuson Park

A fitness expo put on by our friends downtown at Riot Athletics (formerly Xplore CrossFit) there are Elite individual events, Team events, and a Weightlifting Meet all in the same weekend. Plenty of things to watch, and plenty of vendors to buy fitness gear from (my favorite part!)

Team Foundation CrossFit at Cascade Classic 2017