A warm WELCOME to new student, Alyssa... she's off to a strong start!



When it comes to building strength and raw power, the "low-bar" BACK SQUAT is KING. It is important to know the difference between the three main squat variations. Front Squat, High-Bar Back Squat and Low-Bar Back Squat. We teach all three and make sure our students understand the mechanics of each lift. Most novice weight lifters seem to have difficulty with bar position on the "Low-Bar Back Squat." Typically the flaw is placing the bar too high on the neck (traps). This can also be attributed to lack of shoulder flexibility. The solution for which lies in the PVC shoulder "dislocate" stretch we all know about.



Follow these 3 steps to a better Low-Bar Back Squat:
1. Begin by placing a PVC dowel across the back (photo above-far right)
2. Take a wide stance and pull the hips into a deep squat, at or slightly below parallel.
3. Drive the hips back up while holding a constant back angle (photo below-middle).



Workout of the Day
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Dumbbell Hang Squat Cleans #55
25 Sit-Ups

"Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart." -Confucius

Look at the faces of these individuals. Are they having fun? Well, as fun as it may seem, the "buddy carry" is a physical challenge. We use this drill and many others that mimic real life situations. Are you READY for life?



CHECK OUT... our best of the BUDDYCARRY photo's!



Workout of the Day
"MURPH"
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28, 2005.
For time:
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1 mile run
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with the mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

"Never discourage anyone.....who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." -Plato

The women of LALANNE FITNESS practice REAL strength and conditioning with the CrossFit method. They all had very little experience lifting weights before joining the community, now each one of them is breaking personal strength records daily. If I could provide fitness advice for everyone all at once, including WOMEN, I'd recommend using barbells and free weight such as dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls. These are the "tools of the trade" at 590 Howard Street, downtown San Francisco!


If you ain't Squatting, you ain't doing squat!

Workout of the Day
Back Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

"In a moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing." -Theodore Roosevelt

What LEVEL are you? This question is for anyone that would like to establish a personal level of fitness and skill! Our functional movements are grouped into four modalities (METABOLIC CONDITIONING, WEIGHT LIFTING, GYMNASTICS MOVEMENTS & BODY WEIGHT EXERCISES). As a means of providing attainable goals, we offer you an ATHLETIC LEVELS CHECKLIST.

Here's a few athletic challenges for measuring up to at our next class ... what level are you?
METABOLIC CONDITIONING
ROW 2,000 METERS
m-9:00 w-9:30(Beginner)
m-8:35 w-8:55(Level 1)
m-7:15 w-8:25(Level 2)
m-6:50 w-8:00(Level 3)

GYMNASTICS MOVEMENTS
HANDSTAND
1 min-against wall(Beginner)
2 min-against wall(Level 1)
30 sec Free-Standing(Level 2)
Handstand-Walking(Level 3)


The final HEAT coming off 1,000 meters on the C2!

Workout of the Day
Hang Power Clean
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
-rest
Five rounds for time:
21 Bench Press #135
Run 400m

"Scientists have proven that it's impossible to long-jump 30 feet, but I don't listen to that kind of talk. Thoughts like that have a way of sinking into your feet." -Carl Lewis

WOW... What an INCREDIBLE event, we are all winners! 8 weeks from now each one of us will return to break our personal records and compete for the fastest time and the most improved. It was a tie for the most inspirational performance, which goes to KELLY and KARI. Both of you ladies beat "JACKIE's" 45# bar and all 30 pull-ups. Great, great moment for the entire community, we are stronger now because of it! Completely humbled by the effort you guys displayed. YOU 2 ROCK!

Check out this AWESOME slideshow of the day!

Workout of the Day
"GWEN"
Clean & Jerk 15-12-9 reps
Touch and go at floor only. Even are-grip off the floor is a foul. No dumping. Use same load for each set. Rest as needed between sets.

"People don't die of old age, they die of inactivity"-Jack LaLanne
(In 1956 at the age of 42, Jack LaLanne set a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes 50 seconds.)

This weeks award goes to ALEX... a model student! He shows up (early) every day, keeps a meticulous workout and food log and is very motivated to get to the next level. Due to his commitment and discipline since day one, Alex is now a level 2 student. Let's all recognize his outstanding achievement!


Here's a look at what Alex has been up to over the last few months:
"I was able to do my first bar muscle-ups today. The secret was to use a narrower grip than you would during a Pull-Up, because that lets you bend an arm at the top without losing much lifting power."

"By clocking in at 1:29.0, I've blown past all the benchmarks straight to Level 3 for a 500m row. Oh hell yes."

"When the workout was done, Mike (who was instructing) asked me how long I'd been coming to the Brickhouse (answer: 7 weeks), and he then told me that I should see about moving up into the 2/3 classes because I've got the forms down, I'm in great shape, and he thought I showed a lot of energy. Are you reading this, Chris? What do you think?"

"I've also gone from not being able to string together kipping Pull-Ups to being able to string together almost every Pull-Up I did today. Most impressively, the final 10 all came at once, and every single one of my Pull-Ups had my chin over the bar. All this in less than a month of coming to the Brickhouse. Good stuff."

Workout of the Day
"Jackie"
For time:
Row 1,000m
50 Thrusters #45
30 Pull-Ups

"Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." Leo Buscaglia

Question of the Day: "Is CrossFit dangerous?"
Answer: "The greatest danger lies in your lack of participation!"