Unrelated:

merlin: John Cleese - “A Lecture on...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:02:34 -0500

John Cleese - “A Lecture on Creativity”

danforth:

John Cleese lectures on the topic of creativity.

Per Back to Work #62: Cultural Molasses.

Seriously: this wonderful video has had a huge impact on how I think about creativity. For years.

Unfortunately, the copy I’ve had and repeatedly enjoyed “fell off the back of a truck,” so I had no way to share it.

Now, (via danforth), I can finally share and highly recommend it.

And, I really, really do encourage you to watch it. Really. All the way through. It’s just terrific.

"The nature of despotic power in democratic ages is not to be fierce or cruel, but minute and..."

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:47:39 -0500

“The nature of despotic power in democratic ages is not to be fierce or cruel, but minute and...

Suffering is a corollary.

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:17:20 -0500

The only way to get strong enough to lift heavy things is to lift heavy things. This also applies...

"Fight like a man. Habit is overcome by habit."

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:23:19 -0500

“Fight like a man. Habit is overcome by habit.” - Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), The...

bookshelfporn: “The Brain” is a 14,280 cubic-foot cinematic...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 06:59:32 -0500

bookshelfporn:

“The Brain” is a 14,280 cubic-foot cinematic laboratory where the owner, a filmmaker, can work out ideas. By Olson Kundig Architects.

formationfit: Kettlebell Challenge 2 movements. Today is the...

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:08:53 -0600

formationfit:

Kettlebell Challenge 2 movements.

Today is the day for the Kettlebell Underground Challenge! The action starts at 8am! I am going for RX!

Here are the WODs.

The WODS:
#1 - Strongman Duo
2 Minutes for Maximum Reps Stone Shouldering (RX Weight: Men 115, Women 73)
2 Minutes for Maximum Reps Pull Ups
Your final score will be the total of your rankings in each movement.

#2 - Kettle Bell Long Cycle Clean and Jerk
5 Minutes for Maximum Reps KB Clean and Jerk (RX Weight: Men 24k, Women 16k)

#3 - WOD - 7 Minute Cap
3 Rounds for Time
9 KB Snatch Left (RX Weight: Men 24k, Women 16k)
9 KB Snatch Right
9 Burpees Over Parallette

"When the thing goes down, I want to be found trying. When the lights come up, I want to be telling..."

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:03:39 -0600

“When the thing goes down, I want to be found trying. When the lights come up, I want to be...

Danila Shokhin cranks out 161 Burpees in 7min

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:25:54 -0600

Danila Shokhin cranks out 161 Burpees in 7min: formationfit: A Russian Machine.

Perspective from Crossfit Games Open WOD 1

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:25:13 -0600

formationfit: The great thing about doing the 7min Burpee amrap is that any Burpees in the future...

bookshelfporn: Neil Gaiman’s Personal Library (The Basement,...

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:45:22 -0600

bookshelfporn:

Neil Gaiman’s Personal Library (The Basement, Neil Gaiman’s Home)

I have a hunch that the rise in the general ironic posture to the world is directly correlated with...

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:34:28 -0600

I have a hunch that the rise in the general ironic posture to the world is directly correlated with...

I’m moving so fast, I’m a blur!

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:28:33 -0600

I’m moving so fast, I’m a blur!

Sugar: The Bitter Truth This is well worth the 90 minutes.

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:57:06 -0600

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

This is well worth the 90 minutes.

unhappyhipsters: As heartbreaking as it was to watch him on the...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:30:48 -0600

unhappyhipsters:

As heartbreaking as it was to watch him on the closed circuit monitor, tottering through the halls on the search for potable water, they’d committed to self-rearing.

(Photo: David Sandison; Dwell)

grantimatter: Rules of engagement. I think I may need to make...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:53:48 -0600

grantimatter:

Rules of engagement. I think I may need to make these a wallpaper or transcribe them onto a Post-It or something.

Remind me about it tomorrow, OK?

[via girldefective: iateabee]

davemorin: 46 seconds on life from Steve Jobs.

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:53:28 -0600

davemorin:

46 seconds on life from Steve Jobs.

Birthday Benchmark #2

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:15:49 -0600

2:06:35 Half-marathon/13.1 miles around Town Lake. Longest distance in last 2 years: 5.5 miles....

Birthday Benchmark: Russian Kettlebell Challenge goal - 2 pood...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:23:45 -0600

Birthday Benchmark: Russian Kettlebell Challenge goal - 2 pood static press followed by 200 1.5 pood snatches.

I couldn’t get the static press, but managed it with a push press on each side.

I got 130 snatches in 10 min, first 100 in 8 min.

Goal for next birthday: hit the RKC!

#formationfit

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:33:31 -0600

#formationfit

fittestgames: The 2012 Fittest Games Movements Standards and...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:37:45 -0600

fittestgames:

The 2012 Fittest Games Movements Standards and Scoring

MOVEMENTS AND WODs

The movements will all be standard CrossFit movements. We are expecting all athletes to arrive on the day of competition having read this document and also having watched the movements video.

At this point in the Sport of CrossFit, we expect that athletes will know what it means to execute the movements they perform on a daily and weekly basis. There may be modifications or qualifiers to a movement, but the movement itself is to be executed with the full range of motion detailed below.

Our judges are in place to a) count reps and b) disallow non-reps. They are not cheerleaders or coaches during the WODs. There are there to hold the standards we are setting out beforehand.

This year’s WODs will be fast and furious. They will test each athlete’s strength, work capacity and skills and will offer a gauge for success moving into the 2012 Sectionals. There will be no tricks and no gimmicks – just straight up CrossFit WODs. This is the Bread and Butter; the Heart and Soul of our sport.

SCORING

After weighing the pros and cons of various scoring systems, we have decided to utilize the placement system of scoring for the 5th installation of the Fittest Games. This system is very similar to what was used in the 2011 CrossFit Games in California, and we feel that it best lends itself to the type of competition we are holding.

Without delving into philosophical, ideological or methodological debate – we will simply state the rules of the game. Everyone will be held to the same standard and will be scored in the same manner. Let the best athlete win.

STANDARDS

Pros:

Chest to Bar Pullups – Athlete must start with arms in full extension and chest must touch bar below the clavicle.

Deadlift – Bar must start on the ground and athlete must finish in full lockout with shoulders behind bar.

Box Jump Over – Athlete must jump over a box without touching the box at any point.

Sandbag Run – Athlete must run with a sandbag. Sandbag may not touch the ground during forward movement.

Muscle Up – Starts in full arm extension and turnout with feet off the ground. Finishes with full arm extension at top of dip.

Muscle Up + Ring Dip – Starts with full arm extension and turn out. Athlete must complete one full muscle up and before coming off of the rings must complete a ring dip. The ring dip starts with full arm extension and ends with full arm extension with the athlete’s shoulders passing below the elbows.

Thruster – Bar must start in front rack position. Athlete must pass through a full squat with hips passing below knees and then must execute an overhead press with no stopping or pause at any point. Thruster ends with full extension of knees, hips and elbows with head neutral. No re-bend of the knees will be allowed.

Overhead Squat – The OHS starts and ends in full lockout with head neutral. The athlete must pass through a full squat.

Ground to Overhead – Object starts on the ground and finishes overhead with full lockout.

Broad Jump – Athlete must jump as far as possible with both feet together and no step up.

Med-Ball Throw – Athlete must throw a Medicine Ball as far as possible with both feet planted and both hands on the ball. A backwards overhead throw will be utilized. No step up will be allowed.

Amateurs:

Deadlift - Bar must start on the ground and athlete must finish in full lockout with shoulders behind bar.

Burpee Over Barbell – Starts standing with full knee and hip extension. Athlete takes chest and thighs to the ground and then jumps over the bar. Athlete may jump anyway they choose and may also face anyway they choose during the burpee (perpendicular – horizontal, etc).

Box Jump – Athlete will jump on a box and off the box showing full hip extension at some point after contact with the box has been made.

Sandbag Run – Athlete will run holding a sandbag. Sandbag may not touch the ground during forward movement.

Med Ball Throw - Athlete must throw a Medicine Ball as far as possible with both feet together and both hands on the ball. A backwards overhead throw will be utilized. No step up will be allowed.

Broad Jump - Athlete must jump as far as possible with both feet together and no step up.

Snatch – The bar will start on the ground. The athlete must pass through a full squat with the bar overhead and stand up to full hip extension. This may be a snatch or a power snatch to overhead squat.

Thruster – Bar will start on the shoulders in the front rack position. The athlete will pass through a full squat and then execute the overhead press portion of the thruster without pause or stop.

Clean – Bar will start on the ground. The athlete may execute a clean passing through a full front squat with hips below knees or may choose a power clean followed by a front squat. The movement ends with the athlete standing with hips and knees fully extended.

Ring Pushup – Rings will be hung at the same height for everyone. The movement starts and ends will full elbow lockout and shoulders, hips and knees in one line. Athlete must touch their chest to the ground in between the rings.

Shoulder to Overhead – The bar will start in the front rack position and will end overhead with full knee, hip and arm extension and with a neutral head position.

Pullup – Movement starts will arms in full extension. The athlete must take their chin over the horizontal plane of the bar (must pass above the bar).

Teams:

Hang Power Clean – The bar will start from above the knees. Power cleans will not be allowed. The bar will travel from a hang position to the front rack position, resting on the shoulders with elbows breaking the vertical plane of the bar from the side (elbows must pass in front of the bar).

Squat – Starts and ends with hips and knees in full extension. Athletes hips must pass below knees.

Pullup - Movement starts will arms in full extension. The athlete must take their chin over the bar.

Pushup – “Hand-release”. The movement starts and ends with arms in full extension and shoulders, hips and knees in one line from a side view. The athlete must lower their chest to the ground and release their hands while chest is on the ground.

Muscle Up – Athletes must start with arms in full extension and show turnout. The movement ends with arms in full extension at the top of the dip.

Double Under – The jump rope must pass twice under the feet on a single jump.

Ground to Overhead – The bar starts on the ground and finishes overhead with knees, hips and arms in full lockout and head neutral.

Overhead Squat – The movement starts with bar overhead and hips, knees and arms in full lockout. The athlete must pass though a full squat with hips below knees.

Kettlebell Swing – The bell will start with a portion of the bell behind the legs (under the body) and will finish overhead with the bottom of the bell vertical, arms locked out and ear showing in front of arms.

Buddy Carry – Men carry men, women carry women. Athletes must carry their counterpart. No forward progress may be made unless an athlete is being carried with no part of their body touching the ground.

Burpee – Starts standing with knees and hips fully extended. The athlete must touch both chest and thighs to the ground and finish with hands touching overhead and hips and knees in full extension.

Box Jump - Athlete will jump on a box and off the box showing full hip extension at some point after contact with the box has been made.

Goblet Squat – Holding the kettlebell in front of the body and not touching any part of the body except the hands, the athletes must start standing with knees and hips in full extension, pass through a full squat andfinish standing with hips and knees fully extended.

For those of you non CrossFitters, here are many of the movements that get combined into workouts.