WOD

Brando & Grizz

Strict Press
Find 1 rep max

“Dumbbell-Dore”
4 Sets:
30 Seconds max hang dumbbell squat cleans (50s/35s)
30 Seconds rest
30 Seconds max dumbbell push press (50s/35s)
90 Seconds rest

Box Brief:
It’s that time of year again. The Open is upon us! That means for 5-weeks we will over analyze our strategies, diets and workout partners. We may lose sleep and sanity while we stay up refreshing the leaderboard. Hoping this is the year you take down Fraser! To go through something this challenging, you need a support group. What better way than throwing down with some friends at Apollo?
Every Thursday, starting February 22nd, CrossFit HQ will announce an individual workout. Each athlete will have until the following Monday at 5pm to complete the workout and turn in their score to Games.CrossFit.com. Your individual score will go towards your teams overall total each week. At the end of the 5-week competition, we will crown our new team Champions! Last year our winners were The  Guns & Poses!! Who will take the belt home in 2018?!!
Below are several details about the competition:
Teams of 4

Athletes must be registered for the open to compete

We choose the teams

No one can sign up for a team after February 21st

We finalize the teams on February 22nd before 5pm

Every week we will have fun challenges allowing your team to earn extra points toward their overall score to help give them an edge. These challenges can be anything from doing burpees in the produce section at Smith’s to wearing matching costumes during the workout.

Each team will designate a team captain to track their scores and extra points. The team captain is responsible for ensuring all teammates have completed their workout and extra points have been submitted.

At the end of each week, when all scores are finalized, we will post a new leader board. The team who is ranked the highest after the five weeks, will be awarded our “Apollo Championship Belt”!

…

Marie

“18 Going On 30”
18 Minute AMRAP:
30 Push jerks (115/80)
30 Box jumps (24/20)
30 Calorie row
30 T2B

Box Brief:
People are wondering when we are hosting the Open workouts during the open. Here it is!
Thursday
Last regular class will be at 3:30pm. After the announcement we will open up heats for anyone to complete the open workout. No official classes will be run but anyone and everyone is welcome to do the Open workouts at this time. This will be our “Thursday Night Lights”.
Friday
All classes will be programmed as Goat Day. 20 Minute AMRAP of practicing two different movements. This will be a great opportunity for athletes competing on Saturday to hone in their skills before they attempt the workout. You may do the Open workout during class but you must not interrupt the class and are responsible to find your own judge.
Saturday
9am-Close we will set up heats and judges. Sign up sheets for heats are available at 8:30am. So if you want to be in the first couple heats, you’ll need to show up early. This is typically our biggest day of competing. If you want high energy and excitement then Saturday is your day. Come cheer on your friends or throw down along side them. Either way, Saturday is a ton of fun!
Sunday – 9am-11am we will set up heats and judges. We will turn off the lights at 11 so plan on being done before then. Do not show up at 11!! 🙂
Monday
You are more than welcome to give the workout another go on Monday but you need to find your own judge to count and record your time. This must be done during open gym time. No open workouts will be done during scheduled classes.

Erica

…

“Mission Impossible”
20 Minute EMOM:
Even Minutes – 20/15 Calorie row
Odd Minutes – 200 Meter run

Box Brief:
Weightlifting Clinic is this Thursday at 6:30pm. Sign up sheet is on the front desk. Cost is $20 (paid to Ricky). The 6:30 and 7:30pm classes will be cancelled to accommodate.

Taylor

Hugh

“Love Is A Battlefield”
5 Rounds: teams of 2
1 Minute – Thrusters (95/65)
1 Minute – Ring push-ups
1 Minute – Dumbbell step-ups (50/35) (20”)
1 Minute Rest

Box Brief:
Weightlifting Clinic is this Thursday at 6:30pm. Sign up sheet is on the front desk. Cost is $20 (paid to Ricky). The 6:30 and 7:30pm classes will be cancelled to accommodate.

People are wondering when we are hosting the Open workouts during the open. Here it is!
Thursday
Last regular class will be at 3:30pm. After the announcement we will open up heats for anyone to complete the open workout. No official classes will be run but anyone and everyone is welcome to do the Open workouts at this time. This will be our “Thursday Night Lights”.
Friday
All classes will be programmed as Goat Day. 20 Minute AMRAP of practicing two different movements. This will be a great opportunity for athletes competing on Saturday to hone in their skills before they attempt the workout. You may do the Open workout during class but you must not interrupt the class and are responsible to find your own judge.
Saturday
9am-Close we will set up heats and judges. Sign up sheets for heats are available at 8:30am. So if you want to be in the first couple heats, you’ll need to show up early. This is typically our biggest day of competing. If you want high energy and excitement then Saturday is your day. Come cheer on your friends or throw down along side them. Either way, Saturday is a ton of fun!
Sunday – 9am-11am we will set up heats and judges. We will turn off the lights at 11 so plan on being done before then. Do not show up at 11!! 🙂
Monday
You are more than welcome to give the workout another go on Monday but you need to find your own judge to count and record your time. This must be done during open gym time. No open workouts will be done during scheduled classes.

Courtney H

Mel T

“Players Choice”
1RM Squat
Back squat
Front squat
Overhead squat
Gymnastic Test
Max muscle-ups
Max pull-ups
Max strict HSPU
Conditioning Test
500 Meter row
50 Calorie bike
400 Meter run

Box Brief:
Weightlifting Clinic is this Thursday at 6:30pm. Sign up sheet is on the front desk. Cost is $20 (paid to Ricky). The 6:30 and 7:30pm classes will be cancelled to accommodate.

Joel

…

“Dead Weight”
21 – 15 – 9
Deadlifts (275/185)
Burpees over bar

Box Brief:
People are wondering when we are hosting the Open workouts during the open. Here it is!
Thursday
Last regular class will be at 3:30pm. After the announcement we will open up heats for anyone to complete the open workout. No official classes will be run but anyone and everyone is welcome to do the Open workouts at this time. This will be our “Thursday Night Lights”.
Friday
All classes will be programmed as Goat Day. 20 Minute AMRAP of practicing two different movements. This will be a great opportunity for athletes competing on Saturday to hone in their skills before they attempt the workout. You may do the Open workout during class but you must not interrupt the class and are responsible to find your own judge.
Saturday
9am-Close we will set up heats and judges. Sign up sheets for heats are available at 8:30am. So if you want to be in the first couple heats, you’ll need to show up early. This is typically our biggest day of competing. If you want high energy and excitement then Saturday is your day. Come cheer on your friends or throw down along side them. Either way, Saturday is a ton of fun!
Sunday – 9am-11am we will set up heats and judges. We will turn off the lights at 11 so plan on being done before then. Do not show up at 11!! 🙂
Monday
You are more than welcome to give the workout another go on Monday but you need to find your own judge to count and record your time. This must be done during open gym time. No open workouts will be done during scheduled classes.

Drake

…

Box Brief:
Happy Sunday!  I’m very excited about this week’s article.  It discusses the importance to breathing correctly during workouts.  Just like with body movements we can develop bad habits with our breathing over a lifetime.  Today’s post will describe what those bad habits are and how we correct them.  Enjoy!

Janielle

“Open Test”
20 Minute AMRAP:
50 Wall balls (20/14)
50 Double unders
40 Box jumps (24/20)
40 T2B
30 C2B pull-ups
30 Burpees
20 Cleans (145/100)
20 Jerks (145/100)
10 Snatches (145/100)
10 Ring muscle-ups

Box Brief:
Congrats to Krista Pool for being the February Member of the Month at Apollo! Scroll down to learn more about Krista.

Krista

As you know you have been given the great honor of being the Apollo member of the month for February.  With this achievement comes instant celebrity, any available parking space of your choice, valued input on all warmups you are participating in and many warm and fuzzy feelings.  How do you think your life will change from here?
I must admit, I was pretty surprised when you informed me that I was elected with this great honor.  I was 2 rounds deep into one of the worst workouts I’ve done in a long time(think back on those rounds of 40 burpees…) and it was just the boost of confidence I needed to push through. I mean, I’m a role model now, I have to represent.

But in all honestly, I’m really just your average Joe who shows up to Crossfit on the daily just looking for a good workout and a good time. I like to push myself a little harder than I think I can, and love I surprising myself with a decent score every once and a while.

You are married to the infamous Apollo coach known as “Strong Chad”.   So people want to know, is it cool being married to Mr. Buffness?
I mean, I won’t lie, I’ve always been attracted to a man with muscles.  I first set eyes on Strong Chad in the high school weight room ironically.  I was doing crunches on the floor and he walked by looking all strong.  Haha.  I thought he was cute and low and behold we ended up together a few years later.  He’s a lucky man!

You never workout in his classes.  Is it because he’s harder on you than others or do you just like Monica’s classes better?
Obviously it’s not a scheduling thing.  Before Apollo, poor Chad was my personal coach in our garage gym every night.  I really struggled learning the basic lifts but boy he was patient. It was pretty awesome for me, and he taught me a lot, but it’s nice to get to learn from others now.   I’m lucky because I get to go to Monica’s classes most nights, but I occasionally catch a class or two from Wes when I have to pop in early. Since joining Apollo a year ago this month, I’ve certainly progressed a lot, and I guarantee you it has a lot to do with having access to additional coaches now. Strong Chad is awesome and all, but the quality coaching and different perspectives Apollo has given me is pretty undeniable.

Ok, Seriously now.    You’re really starting to hit that next level with CrossFit.  You RX many of the wods these days and your work capacity is really growing.  What are your thoughts about this journey you’ve been on to get in shape after having 3 beautiful children?  Has it taken as long as you thought it would to get where you are?
It is pretty exciting to get to put those two letters (RX) next to your score more often than not, but I have no problems modifying when needed.  Heck, I used to modify EVERYTHING. Had I known all the cool modifications Apollo keeps up their sleeve back in my garage gym days, I’d probably be going to regionals for sure by now! Haha. 

I’ll be honest, I struggled for a loooong time after having babies to get back in shape.  I will never forget how hard it was to jump up on the box after having my last child 2 years ago.  I just felt heavy and so defeated.  I gained a lot of weight with my pregnancies (40-65 pounds with each).  I’m not exactly sure what kept me motivated other than knowing it would only get easier.  I stepped up on that box in WOD’s for months before I eventually jumped.  Chad used to tease me about how hard I would land on our homemade boxes. Haha. I can still hear the thud in my memories.  Fast forward to today and I can jump over them with ease.  Heck, I even pushed my limits with the box jump challenge a few days ago! Who would have thought that girl doing step ups all the time would eventually be stacking the plates on boxes!?

It may have taken me a long time to get back in shape, but the great thing about Crossfit is I was continually improving and breaking old personal records.  It easier to stay motivated when you’re clearly making progress and modifying less and less as the months go by.

What has been the most important factor in improving your skill and strength since you started?
he consistency of showing up to the gym everyday since joining Apollo and the level of intensity that you just don’t find at home. As much as I loved the convenience of doing CF in my garage for all those years, I just wasn’t pushing my limits enough on my own.

What would you say to people who don’t “try CrossFit” because it’s too crazy or intense?
I feel like if your workouts don’t scare you a little, they probably aren’t worth doing. I love the nervous, yet excited feeling I get when I see new workouts posted the night before.  I know any workout is only going to be as challenging as I choose to make it.  If it’s something that I know is too crazy or intense for my abilities, I simply modify.  There is always a modification for everything so there really is no reason to feel pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable with. Crossfit is functional and for everyone at any level.

Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know and might find surprising?
I tried out for Spectrum (a singing and dancing group) my freshman year in High School.  Oh boy I’m a terrible dancer and singer!  I cringe still thinking about it.  Needless to say, I didn’t make the cut. Haha.

Ok.  Hollywood is making a movie about Krista Pool.  What actress do you want to play you and why?
Jessica Biel.  She’s a total babe and doesn’t look like the typical underfed actress.