United Barbell - CrossFit SOMA

As coaches, it's easy for us to get jazzed about CrossFit. But I can't tell you how often I see the "average Joe" CrossFitter watch videos of elite athletes performing WODs and read their look of "ya, but what about me? What strategies would work for me?" We are proud to present UB's own athletes Jeremy and Lisa with their solution - WODwell.

The concept behind each WODwell video is this: Here's a CrossFit athlete like you, and here's how he/she approached this WOD (with a coach's input), then here's what the athlete had to say about it afterward. The idea is that we (recreational athletes) can learn from watching other athletes who may have the same strengths and weaknesses we do.

Most good CrossFit videos online are produced by coaches/elite athletes or brands. Most of the the rest is just really low quality. A lot of the videos published by elite athletes and coaches are great. But there is still something to be said for that peer-to-peer chat you have with a fellow athlete when you're thinking about how to approach a WOD. And that is what we're trying to capture in our videos. We see an opportunity to reach a lot of recreational athletes with decent quality videos, from the perspective of other recreational athletes.

Make sure to support the innovation springing out of UB's community by checking them out online. If you are interested in participating in their project, reach out!

Paleo blog The Clothes Make the Girl has created a new meaning for March Madness - March Meatball Madness! Here is just one of her MMM recipes - Bacon-Jalapeno Burger Balls. Enjoy.

MMM: Bacon-Jalapeno Burger Balls

Serves 2-4 | Prep 10 min | Chill 20 min | Cook 25 min | Whole30 approved

CrossFit has several times been the budding source of controversy since its inception. However, 3 days ago, a CrossFit put themselves in the center of a controversy that is reaching FOX to CNN national news alike.

The story is a transgender woman from Santa Cruz prohibited from competing in a strength competition as a female is suing the fitness company sponsoring the competition, seeking $2.5 million in damages. Chloie Jonsson has been on female hormone therapy and had sexual reassignment surgery in 2006. Hormone replacement therapy for transgender women includes anti-androgen therapy, which nullifies the effects of testosterone to reduce the masculine features of the body. Therapies can also consist of the hormones, estrogen and progesterone to feminize the body.

The state of California legally recognizes her as a female, but CrossFit has responded that Jonsson was born as a male, so she should compete in the men's division as an "obligation to protect the 'rights' of all competitors and the competition itself." "The fundamental, ineluctable fact is that a male competitor who has a sex reassignment procedure still has a genetic makeup that confers a physical and physiological advantage over women," according to the letter from CrossFit's lawyer sent in October.

The lawsuit also alleges that CrossFit's policy of having to compete in a person's original birth gender, would require that transgender athletes would have to reveal their personal histories. In essence, that they'd have to "out" themselves, even if they sought privacy, the lawsuit alleges.

After her sexual reassignment surgery, Jonsson changed all her records to reflect her sex change to female, including her birth certificate, according to her lawsuit. Jonsson kept her background a secret and did not identify herself as transgender, according to the complaint.

Many discussions have broken out in the CrossFit community with proposed solutions ranging from maintaining HQs decision to creating a new competition category to adopting the International Olympic Committee rules for Olympic athletes. What are your thoughts?

Did taking fish oil blow your mind? Are you feeling totally awesome and you just know it's the fish oil? I hope your answer is no, because it takes 2 - 3 months for the full benefits of fish oil to kick in. If your answer was yes, forget I said anything and keep riding that placebo wave, baby!

WEEK 11: Check your posture

This is one that your parents probably nagged you about, if they're anything like mine. Stand up straight! Stop slouching! You would be such a pretty girl if only you didn't hunch over all the time! Hey, what can I say, it was the 90s and it was cool to be weighed down with a flannel shirt, a huge backpack, and an air of affected gloom.

Well it ain't the 90s anymore, and seeing as you're a kick-ass CrossFit athlete there's no reason to hide your light under a bushel, or a slouch, as it were. Good posture does more than makes us look taller and more confident, it will actually help you lift heavier weights. Bear with me here. You know how we're always harping on at you to get organized before you unrack a weight? Shoulders back, neck in line, etc? Imagine never having to think about that - because you were ALWAYS ready. Because your body was always in the optimum alignment. Because you trained every day to hold your body with excellent posture, leading to excellent positioning under the bar. See, good posture can make you sexy on the street AND sexy in the gym. It's a win-win!

Let's do this, Sunday Goal Setters! Your goal this week is to make a loved one, friend, or co-worker say something like, "hey, did you get taller?" or, "are you taking sexy back? because, DAYUM!" - I'll even settle for "something's different about you, man - did you get a haircut?"

Andrew, Tristan, and Megan reppin' UB hard!

Thank you all for confirming that you're reading! Don't worry, the blog isn't going anywhere - we just want to make sure that what we're writing is interesting and informative for you! We hear that the sign in and commenting functionality is clunky, especially on phones, and we'll be making that a priority later in the year.

REMINDER FOR CROSSFIT GAMES OPEN PARTICIPANTS

You must submit your scores by Friday at 5pm PST. Please make sure to write in the name of the person who judged you. If the site doesn't auto-complete their name, it doesn't matter. Scores will be validated by UB only when your score sheet is signed and submitted by your judge - so please double check that it is all in order!

Thanks and good luck for 14.2!

Jason L's fan club cheers him on for 14.2!

HEY GUYS. Are you reading this blog? We try to write fresh content and highlight excellent articles from around the web for your reading pleasure - but we don't get a lot of feedback in the comments. Are you reading this for more than the WOD? If so please let us know!

This week's Awesome brought to you by Coach Alex.

About a year ago, Tess (don't call her Tessa, she gets pissed) first dropped into United Barbell. As soon as she left, Trent and I agreed that she was kind of a bad ass. Her first free moment upon moving to San Francisco, she headed back in, and we are glad she did.

She consistently comes to four or more classes a week, and she pushes herself every single time. 3 months ago I saw Tess attempt about 100 muscle ups, failing each one. Her dip wasn't strong enough to complete the movement, so what did she do? She came to class 15 minutes early to work on dips. She must have done this for at least a month, but finally one day, with multiple people watching she got her first muscle up. It may seem like a small victory, but it illustrates more about her character than it does about her fitness.

She is always helping people who are struggling with movements, and after 2+years of CrossFitting, she is a good person to listen to. She's a fast improving athlete for a reason, because she puts the time in to get better and comes to work, out rain or shine.

Outside UB she and her sister run an awesome jewelry company, ask her about it, she can tell you more about it than I can. She is hilarious, fun, and motivated. I won't get all mushy gushy here, but if you haven't yet had the chance to meet her, you really should.

Tess is awesome upside-down and the right way up!

Last Call for a Dunk

Reminder - Want to know how you're doing on your Jan 1st goals? There are still a few spots left for this coming Monday's hydrostatic bodyfat testing. Spots are being opened up to the general public, so sign up quick!

Tickets!

Want to go see the 14.5 live announcement at CrossFit Kezar Pavillion? We do too! We know several of you already bought tickets, but we bought 12 extra tickets for the final CrossFit Open WOD announcement on March 27th, 2014 in case they sell out before you get yours. If you are interested in joining in for what will be every definition of a show, hit up the comments and grab your ticket! Should make for a great UB outing and a solid afternoon of entertainment! (tickets are 20$ a head).

Lessons Learned?

How was week 1 of the CrossFit Open? Was it better than you thought? Worse? Did you come away from 14.1 having learned anything you plan on applying to the rest of the Open? Share with the community - we wanna know!

Last week I posted this article to UB's facebook page, but I thought it brought up points that were worth sharing with the broader UB community. So if you didn't see it then, take a moment and see if any of these points from Lift Big Eat Big apply to you.

Progress: it is the reason why the majority of us are in the gym every week. However you measure progress, whether you want bigger lifts, bigger muscles, less bodyfat or a faster 400m split, progress is what keeps us training day in and day out. Disregard the individuals that are going to the gym to "maintain", that is just an excuse to not work hard. But, what if everything you put into your training doesn't amount to a hill of beans? Here are 10 things that can indicate whether or not your programming & training is being spent wisely.

1. You don't understand the difference between difficult and useful.
Just because something is hard to do, does not mean it is useful, or will do anything to progress your lifting career. I could spend 3 months mastering a strict muscle up, but will that really help me as a Strongman? Spend your time wisely, time is finite.

2. You aren't eating enough carbs.
If I had a nickel for every time we added carbs in to someone's diet improved their lifts, I would have more nickels than you. Carbs are not your enemy, stagnation is. Steak and broccoli is not eating big, so for the love of progress, put a potato on the barbie.

3. You ask everyone on the internet for advice, and listen to all of it/none of it.
Either way you end this equation, you are going to lose. If you try to follow everyone's cues and tips, you will go nowhere, because everyone on the internet has different opinions about the "right" way to do things, which may not apply to you at all. If you listen to none of it, you are wasting everyone's time, especially yours. Pick someone's advice that you trust, put on your blinders, and follow their orders.

4. You think a supplement will make up for calories.
No supplement is going to replace the calories you need to get bigger and stronger, if it comes in a pill, it has little or no calories in it. Pills and powders don't get you big on their own, that's why it is called a supplement, not a replacement.

5. You want to get better at everything, and you want it to happen yesterday.
Arguably, a lot of us are guilty of this. However, the line that separates those who want to be good and those who want to become good is the ability to break goals into smaller pieces, and accomplish them in segments. World records aren't built in a day.

6. You view training gear as non-primal/cheating.
I am going to let you in on a secret: if you are reading this article while connected to the internet, you are about as far removed from a primal state as you can be, why should your training be any different? I am not afraid to venture a guess that I am stronger than my cave dwelling ancestors, because I am not afraid to use proper assistance gear when lifting. Belts, straps, chalk, and wrist wraps are your friend, if you think that is cheating, you should start walking barefoot to work and start living in the nearest redwood forest.

7. You aren't recording your lifts.
Unless you are doing bodybuilding movements, you probably don't need to watch yourself in a mirror while lifting. However, recording your lifts and watching them after is an excellent way to study your movements and learn how to improve them next time. If you think good athletes don't record and post their videos, you are in for a rude awakening.

8. You are afraid to compete.
I can personally attest to this, because I was once afraid to compete. Sometimes failing at a competition is exactly what you need, in order to do better the next time. I have yet to work with someone who, after their first competition, did not have a fire lit under their ass to compete again ASAP.

9. You think bench/squat/deadlift is all you need to do to be a good lifter.
This may be true for those first starting out, but as you progress, you will see that it is simply not true. By not adding in supplementary bodybuilding movements, your weaknesses will still be your weaknesses as you get stronger. Suns Out, Guns Out.

10. You don't know how to detach.
What if I told you that there was a whole world out there, full of people and places that have no idea about lifting, or care about it? Sometimes getting out of the "community" for a short period of time is exactly what you need to get your mind right. Familiarity breeds contempt, and all too often we get extremely familiar with our lifestyles. Take some time off and hit lifting with renewed vigor.

14.1 Reminder - Don't forget to submit your score with the proper judge by 5pm today for your 14.1 score to count. Don't forget to assign yourself to the CrossFit SOMA affiliate and team United Barbell!

Open participants! Calling all competitors! ...You might not consider yourself to be in the '"competitors" category, but if you are doing the CrossFit Open, then you have taken the step across the threshold. We, of course, think this is awesome!

What did you think of 14.1? Did it light your competitive fire? Did you decide you're ready to compete outside UB? Yes? Well, I have 2 competitions to tell you about:

Average Joes Individual Competition

CrossFit Diablo's "Average Joe's" Competition is meant for the “average” people in the CrossFit world who love participating in classes and the CrossFit Open but would never enter a competition due to the very competitive athletes that attend the “regular” CrossFit competition circuit.

When - April 12th. Men: 8:30am- 11:30am; Women: 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Where - Universal Sports Academy 330 Ferry Street, Martinez, CA

Who - Individuals. Participant requirements will be based off the CrossFit Open placement. YOUR SCORES FOR OPEN 14.1 AND 14.2 MAY NOT BE IN THE TOP 100 IN THE NOR CAL REGION! Registration will be based off the honor system mostly, so please do you best in the Open! If you do not want to participate in the CrossFit Open, but sign up for the competition, that is allowed (but we think you should do the Open too!).

Cost - $99

More info and registration here.

Golden State Games

The Golden State Games is a classic CrossFit team competition promising to be well versed and designed for athletes to have a fun and challenging day.

When - May 10th, 8am-5pm

Where - Edison High School 1425 S Center St, Stockton, CA 95206

Who - Teams of 2 Guys or 2 Girls. Scaled and RX divisions

More Info: CrossFit 209 Sport & Another Level CrossFit have partnered up to host a team competition in the valley. Games competitor Gabe Subry of CrossFit 209 Sport will be doing all the programming so you can rest assure it will be a challenging day of high intensity WOD's and a lot of fun. CrossFit 209 Sport has been working hand in hand with Edison High School and has chosen to host a competition to help raise funds for their school athletics. So get your team signed up because its sure to be a fun day. Event participation will include a T-Shirt and goodie bag with the top 3 Teams in each division winning prizes. The day will include 3 WOD's and one final for the top 8 in each division.

Cost - $250 per team

More info and registration here.

Interested in either event? Plan on competing? Post to comments!