Lieutenant Michael Murphy’s Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as the leader of a special reconnaissance element with Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Afghanistan on 27 and 28 June 2005. While leading a mission to locate a high-level anti-coalition militia leader, Lieutenant Murphy demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan. On 28 June 2005, operating in an extremely rugged enemy-controlled area, Lieutenant Murphy’s team was discovered by anti-coalition militia sympathizers, who revealed their position to Taliban fighters. As a result, between 30 and 40 enemy fighters besieged his four-member team. Demonstrating exceptional resolve, Lieutenant Murphy valiantly led his men in engaging the large enemy force. The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued to lead and encourage his men. When the primary communicator fell mortally wounded, Lieutenant Murphy repeatedly attempted to call for assistance for his beleaguered teammates. Realizing the impossibility of communicating in the extreme terrain, and in the face of almost certain death, he fought his way into open terrain to gain a better position to transmit a call. This deliberate, heroic act deprived him of cover, exposing him to direct enemy fire. Finally achieving contact with his headquarters, Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team. In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom. By his selfless leadership, courageous actions, and extraordinary devotion to duty, Lieutenant Murphy reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Weekly Buy In/ Cash out
Side Plank Hold 3x:30 per side (no rest between sets)
Shin on the wall stretch 2x:30 per leg
*This was a concept started by our friends at the Whole9. I will be posting two skills to work on for the week. They should be done before or after class time (or both). They will be 100% optional, and 100% beneficial to your performance.
10 Minutes 2 Snatches Every :30 seconds
then…
3 Rounds
400 M Run
20 Russian Swings (24K, 16K)
Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power. -Clint Eastwood
CrossFit, My New Love By Chad Vaughn
I have quickly come to LOVE CrossFit. It has been a pleasant surprise to finally find a group of people that actually see and understand the benefit and importance of the sport that I love, weightlifting. I have not met a CrossFitter yet that is not willing, relentless, and eager to learn, which are just a few of many CrossFit attributes that are common and important to me; attributes that took me to the Olympics. This is VERY uncommon outside of a CrossFit box even among most of my fellow weightlifters so I really feel at home within and I look forward to continuing to watch, learn from, and work with the CrossFit community in the future.
Another reason I LOVE CrossFit is that it is built on a simple, yet hugely important concept of “core to extremity.” It is taught and understood and that is EXACTLY what weightlifting is. It is what one must achieve in their technique to get the most out of themselves, not only in the amount of weight they are lifting but for overall functional improvement, flexibility, maximal carry over to the other exercises, and simply, daily life; that same daily life that CrossFit as a whole, I believe, yearns to benefit.
The more I learn about CrossFit the more I see that weightlifting is a much bigger part of it than I could have ever imagined. Of course weightlifting is only one of many components but it is sort of a base; the two Olympic Lifts being some of the basic movements taught at level one certifications and in the beginning to its general membership. Bias or not this all makes perfect sense to me since if you have strength and power to move/lift more and more weight then how much easier will it be for you to do all the things you do with your own bodyweight, whether it be a specific exercise or just walking; again, to function in general. Who would have thought?
According to CrossFit, I am a “fringe athlete.” I have trained myself specifically to lift the most weight I can lift using the technique of the snatch and then the clean and jerk. Of course, as CrossFit teaches, this takes some of my ability here and there from different exercises or movements in life. But, because I have become very good at this ONE thing, in specific these functional, athletic, powerful, flexible, strength, ……. movements of weightlifting, I have found that I am at least, pretty good, at most everything else. My point is not to “toot my own horn” but to reiterate the importance of weightlifting in your CrossFit regimen.
With all that said, as important as weightlifting is, it is equally important to execute them with proper technique for safety and benefit purposes. With CrossFitters I see many common mistakes here and there and some that are shared mostly among just CrossFitters. The biggest is that most of the “extremity” portion is being left out. The bar is being lifted in a way that puts the body/bar out of position usually from the very beginning, leading to less than optimal positions all the way up, while hindering ones flexibility and power output up top, with a question mark for where the bar may be as an end result. Only a portion of ones wanted/needed “core” is being utilized with even less of the finishing touches of the “extremities.”
So, will you benefit from these lifts with improper technique? Absolutely, but you are severely limiting the progress you could be making not only in these movements but in everything else CrossFit as well. With proper technique there is a world of strength, power, speed, agility, and flexibility to be gained. That is what we are now here for; to clean up your technique. Don’t get me wrong, most CrossFitters actually have descent technique and overall it may even be sufficient(though not optimal), but we want you to get the most bang for your buck. As hard as you guys train and the time you put in you might as well be doing it as right as possible. Also, please know, there is no easy fix or snap of the finger, but, most of the basic ideals and concepts can usually be quickly converted for utilization, though the process will be different for each person as there is no one way, just as there is no one body type. There is always a phase, after the basic introduction, of positioning trial and error in search of those “sweet spots.” In addition, it may take time and reps to be comfortable and usually weeks to months for one to overcome the weight that they were previously doing with there old technique, however, some people will “PR” on the same day.
From a coaching standpoint it is easier to teach someone correctly from scratch rather than have to overcome “bad habits,” so obviously to catch them in the beginning is the goal. For the coaches, we can show you how to do this; teach you the how and why to each segment and position of each lift. For the athletes, we can show you the basics then break down your technique and build it back up to as optimal as possible.
( editors note: Chad is competing in the USA Weightlifting National Championship this weekend Oly class will be back on schedule next Wednesday, as well as the 1 Day Seminar on Junes 27th)
The idea behind the burpee bank is simple! Purchase a burpee for anyone in the gym to do for $1… and all the proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Purchase as many as you’d like for anyone here at CFA…this burpee bank will be active until the end of July, and at the completion of the time period I will host a BBQ and burpee pay-off day! The burpee bank is in the gym now and located above the computer area! There is a small index card holder(on the key box) with cards and a sharpie to write the name of the recipient and the donor, as well as paperclips for your cash or check! I will update the bank regularly so that you can see where the standings are, and see who needs a few more!
Remember all of the days that burpees were in the WOD’s? Remember how much you love them? Remember how many each of the coaches have made you do? I will definitely remember that as bad as burpees suck, cancer sucks worse!
All of the proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to further the mission of eradicating blood cancers. Think about donating a few dollars a week to this cause, because only a few things suck more than burpees…
Weekly Buy In/ Cash out
Side Plank Hold 3x:30 per side (no rest between sets)
Shin on the wall stretch 2x:30 per leg
*This was a concept started by our friends at the Whole9. I will be posting two skills to work on for the week. They should be done before or after class time (or both). They will be 100% optional, and 100% beneficial to your performance.
5 Sets
5 Front Squats
:20 Rest
3 Weighted Chin-ups(add 3 more sets at the end)
2:00 Rest
*Post chin-up, and front squat loads
then…
Tabata Mash-up
Power Snatches (50-60% of 1 RM)
Double Unders
*Power Snatch Loads, and total reps recorded
Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then. -John Wooden
Now its time for the fine folks of CFA to get a taste of last weekend!
The 100s
100 Thrusters (115 lb, 85 lb)
100 Push-ups
100 Hang Power Cleans (115 lb, 85 lb)
100 Ring Dips
100 Overhead Squats (115 lb, 85 lb)
*4 Person teams, one person working at a time. Total time recorded.
The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. -Walter Bagehot
Major props to Dan Fuhr one of our adopted family members. Dan took 10th place overall and was rocking the Push-up man all day on day two! Good luck in Monterrey Dan, you’ll always be a part of the CFA family!
