Recently, Sean’s buddy posted this video to raise awareness for the abuse that takes place every day in CrossFit gyms around the world. Ours in no exception. Please watch the above video (wfs) and follow up with a moment of silence before you read on.

In all seriousness though, bumper plates are made for your protection. You have the luxury and safety net of dumping the bar if and when it gets too heavy to return in a safe manner. It allows us to go heavy with confidence. However, careless dumping of the bar from overhead when it’s loaded with one little 10 pound plate (or even 15#) each side is silly and disrespectful. These are your plates to use; if abused, they won’t last for long.

We’ve been pushing for the alternative shown in the video for some time of using a 15# bar and loading it with 25#’s on each side instead. However, we find people don’t want to do this for a couple of reasons:

1. EGO: They don’t want to use the light bar.  For some reason, people think of  the weight of their bar as a marker of their level as an athlete.  ”Only beginners use the light bar!  I don’t want to regress to that and look weak.”  Bull.  You have two choices:  suck it up and use the 15# bar or grow stronger and use the 45# bar with 25#s on each side.
2. GRIP:  While I can sympathize with this reason as my hands are small and I have a hard time effectively hook gripping any bar thicker than the 33# one.  However, most workouts with lots of reps resulting in dumping the bar usually don’t require weights heavy enough to make grip a TRUE factor.  You also have two choices: suck it up and use the 15# bar or grow stronger and use the 33# bar with 25#s on each side.

As you may have heard, costumes are required for anyone coming in on Halloween (next Wednesday) to work out.  There will be a severe burpee penalty for showing up without one, so don’t be that stick in the mud.  It doesn’t have to be extravagant or fancy, but it has to be a costume.  No, you can’t dress up as a CrossFitter.  You can, however, dress up as a specific CrossFitter (ie Holley’s Annie costume last year).

This year, we’ll be taking photos and voting on overall best costume.  Photos will be posted on our facebook page and the vote will take place on the day after.  Winner will receive a Paleo Kit Sampler. There’s a prize for 1st place only, so be creative!  Just keep in mind that you will be working out in it, so try not to sport a full polar bear outfit or we’ll have to have IVs on standby for your heat stroke.

WOD 10.23.12

Deadlift 1×5 or Wendler

3 Rounds:
5 Power Cleans
5 High Box Jumps

Cash Out: Double Under skill work