WoD - Friday 2nd November, 2018

The weekend is upon us, the end of another hard weeks worth of work and WoDs. Unfortunately, we don’t have any super cool Halloween throw downs for you, Conroy is too busying taking a truly deserved break down under! Sunning himself in the Ozzy sun, as we freeze in the Welsh Winter!

However, come December 21st we will all be heading out to get absolutely trashed at Tiny Rebel for our annual Xmas party. Prices are still being finalised, but tickets are set to be around £20. To include a couple of free drinks, plus a hot buffet and the soul occupation of their entire top floor, including our very own bar, cwtch room and 3rd separate function suite, where Ash can blast out The Greatest Showman Sound Track until he get’s punched in the baby maker by someone more sane.
TRUST ME, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS IT!!!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
50 Cal Row
40 GHD Sit Ups
30 Handstand Push Ups
20 Ring Muscle Ups
10 Deadlifts (150/100kg)

If you survive, congratulations…write your score up on the whiteboard in celebration…

Ash following his Showman exploits

WoD - Thursday 1st November, 2018

F**K, November!! Pinch, punch…
You know what that means don’t you?! Massively shit TV is soon going to be upon us, relentless adverts from has been bands selling their greatest hits albums and some sort of dancing show building for a grand finale on Christmas day!
You are going to be resisting the temptation to string up trees and lights and stuff, just remember though…there will be plenty more sickening assault bike workouts before the big day actually arrives!

Now, one thing you can get excited about…the 2018 CrossFit Cardiff Christmas Doo!! If last years was anything to go by, this year will be entirely bonkers. Check your facebook account for your invite, more details will be added soon.

CrossFit Cardiff Partner WoD

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible, within 15mins of:
10 Dumbbell Hang Clean (50/35lbs) 
10 Dumbbell Should To Overhead (50/35lbs) 
10 Box Jumps (30/24”)

These rounds are “you go, I go”

Drag your buddy to his/her feet, stagger to the whiteboard and scribe your blistering scores, please.

WoD - Wednesday 31st October, 2018

Go on then, tell me, how are the pins? All good? How are stairs treating you?? Anyone else forced to kip out of bed so that they don’t have bend in anyway.
Lunging into squats into lunging into squat is stupid! But…the more muscle you have the harder your metabolism will be forced to work, and so therefore your body will be kicking out more heat…and so if you really think of it, we are only doing it to make you lot more comfortable throughout the winter months! ;-)
On another plus side, your butt’s will look legit in your Christmas frocks!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
21 - 15 - 9
Assault Bike Calories 
Kettlebell Swings (24/20kg)
Burpees

Write your ball bustlingly fast times to the whiteboard please…

WoD - Tuesday 30th October, 2018

Now that the dust has settled from the weekend, and the DOMs are beginning to kick in from Tabata (punch yourself in the respective private parts for 4 rounds), I guess your shoulders, biceps, lats, pecs and lower backs are fried…good job that we are leaving them well alone tomorrow then hey…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For max loading
8 Back Rack Walking Lunge
4 Back Squats
8 Back Rack Walking Lunge
4 Back Squats

This is one continuous set.

Please post loads to the whiteboard and seriously consider never sitting again…

WoD - Monday 29th October, 2018

Well then, you lot are awesome hey?! Not that I am surprised, but it looks as if you had a kick ass day yesterday! I was watching the IG stories when I could, and catching up on them afterwards when I couldn’t. Amazing to see the amount of amazing performances, especially considering that you were all dressed in attire which definitely does not make it easy to snatch. It’s a good job Conroy had something on underneath his pumpkin dress!
A particular favourite (surprise, surprise), was Aris and his team’s demise following an assault bike calorie sprint or 150. Still, in true Greek style, once some beer had been consumed he was back to his normal folk dancing self! Legit and he may well now be dubbed…”Snake Hips!”

I just have one question…what the hell does The Mask have to do with Halloween?

Welcome to another week, what better way to begin than with a cheeky number from CrossFit.com…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Tabata Push Jerk
Rest 3 minutes
Tabata Chest To Bar Pull Up
Rest 3 minutes
Tabata Press Up
Rest 3 minutes
Tabata Hang Power Snatch

The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals.

Bars loaded at 40/30kg

Please write total reps per movement to the whiteboard…

WoD - Friday 26t October, 2018

So you don’t only have Suller to thank for this workout. But, Pat Sherwood and CrossFit Linchpin. Originally programmed for the 2017 CrossFit Games, for the teenage and masters categories, we have decided to scale it due to the freaks performing there are waaaaaaay fitter than we are.
In order to preserve the intended stimulus of the workout, we have had to reduce the load to one far lighter than the 16 year olds used! Holy shit!! How good does that make you feel?!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Bar Fight
For time:
50 Chest To Bar Pull Ups
40 Toes To Bar
30 Clean and Jerks (80/60kg)*

Thank you to CrossFit Linchpin and Pat Sherwood.
The original loading for the male 16/49 year old categories was 93kg (205lbs) and for the females, 65kg.
The winning times were:
Boys 16: 9:29
Girls 16: 9:46
Masters Men (49): 12:14
Masters Women (49): 11:49

Crazy hey!

WoD - Thursday 25th October, 2018

Legs are like jelly! Thanks Suller!

Anyway, I have something very cool for you to watch, the most important part of this blog post. A very good friend of mine, Rob Lawson supported an amazing man throughout his journey of cancer treatment. Dan, a Royal Marine based in Arbroath, Scotland, at 45 Commando was diagnosed in the summer of 2017.
One day, he arrived at the gym wearing a hat and drinking a coffee, the Chemo had begun and the side-effects were obvious. Rob, being Rob, immediately and in an act of solidarity got his clippers out and shaved his head. Every Monday from then on, #coffeeandclippers was born. Sometime later, an event was organised, with a local Barbers shop named Mr Dun, £17,000 have been raised to date and all due to another amazing CrossFit Community.
CrossFit Aberdeen, you lot are fucking legends!

Having said all that, Dan still dancing like a Marine, you need to sort that out! ;-)

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

3 Rounds, each for time:
500m row

Rest 6 minutes between efforts

Please write each individual, kick ass time down on the whiteboard.

WoD - Wednesday 24th October, 2018

Enjoy that did you? I bet you did! At least it was warm and sunny, not what the end of the week is going to be like apparently! Take it while it lasts.

Just in case your legs aren’t utterly destroyed yet, and maybe because the coaching staff fancy a quieter end of week ;-) we are going to make you squat heavily and for LOTS of reps!!
Wave goodbye to your beautiful butts!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Back squat
7 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 7

Take your shakes legs on over to the whiteboard and record your scores. The team is looking for an ascending load across all sets, starting heavier than you think you really should! Failure is perfectly ok…

WoD - Tuesday 23rd October, 2018

Now I know you will all be rushing to get to class tomorrow in order to do the workout, but just remember to be courteous to your neighbours! Please refrain from screaming like a kid at Christmas in pure and utter excitement, think of the poor buggers, wrapped up in their warm beds who aren’t able to get up at 05:30 to get to an amazing gym to do an even better workout. But rather, just have to lay there, while their significant others brings them tea and toast in bed!
Poor bastards!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
1 Mile Run
10 Burpees
800m Run
20 Burpees
400m Run
30 Burpees
200m Run
40 Burpees 

Please write completed times and express your love for Suller, on the whiteboard…

The South Wales Echo interviewing the 06:30 class during their workout, multiple weeks after it began.

WoD - Monday 22nd October, 2018

I’m not sure whether you lovely lot full comprehend my constant, seemingly random rambling, specifically on Monday’s workout posts. When asking you all the open ended question of…
”who got drunk this weekend?”
”who got arrested?”
…well, here’s why…

Every Monday morning at a Commando unit, each fighting company (around 90 Marines) muster on parade at zero eight hundred hours (8am), in uniform - the only day of the week. Once assembled, as smart as a guard, just twice as hard, the beautifully coloured and coveted green beret almost glowing in the Scottish sunshine, the Company OC (Officer Commanding) addresses his men…
”Good morning chaps (officer speak), how is everyone (silence)? Hung over then I take it.” “Okay, I want to see a show of hands…”

“Who got drunk?”
90 Marines raise their hands

“Who got arrested?”
45 Marines raise their hands

“Who got laid?”
One Marine raises his hand!

“Locky…you got laid? With that ginormous alien head!! Get f**ked…your new name is now Alien Heed!” “Those arrested, form a queue outside my office!”

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
21 - 15 - 9
Box step overs 24/20” (50/35lb) dumbbells
Ab mat sit ups 
Handstand Push Ups

Please write completed times and answers of the above questions to the whiteboard…

In the week…

On the weekend

WoD - Friday 19th October, 2018

I would just like to apologise on behalf of your legs and butts. If they feel anything like mine then you too will be requiring to make stupid noises every time you stand up, sit down, bend over…to pick up the soap you’ve dropped…shame or climb the stairs.

Lets lunge like that until the pain goes away and then test how much we can squat!

I bet you aren’t thinking about your butts now though hey…just your arms?!

Hands up who loves dumbbell snatch…
Hands up who after 100 pull ups no longer loves a dumbbell snatch…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For time:
30 Deadlift (100/70kg)
30 Handstand Push Ups
20 Deadlift (120/85kg)
20 Deficit Handstand Push Ups
10 Deadlift(140/100kg)
10m Handstand Walk

Please write completed times to the whiteboard…

WoD - Thursday 18th October, 2018

I don’t quite know how to tell you all this but…Aris has learnt how to pace.
Uncharacteristically, following the workout, he was back on his feet only a few short minutes after finishing. Rather than looking like his usual see through, ghost like self, as we have become so accustomed too when the assault bikes have been dragged out, he actually appeared composed; almost together. As if maybe he could go again.
Not only did he look okay, but he actually finished the workout!! Quiet impressive. He has firmly grown away from performing 25 Cals in 15 seconds and then lying on the ground for the remainder of the 12 min cap.
Today truly is a sad day!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For Time:
100 Pull ups
80 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch (50/35lbs)
60 GHD Sit Ups
40 Box Over Jumps (24/20”)
20 Calorie Row

Please kiss your biceps and write your times of the board…

WoD - Wednesday 17th October, 2018

That was just right tonight team, what I saw anyway. The lunges weren’t intended to be so heavy that they controlled you, it was meant to be the other way around. Make sure, you know your loads, this will become a staple and we will build strength in a variety of differing reps, sets and positions. Those glutes won’t know what’s hit them…and neither will the walnuts, gently roasted on the fire on Christmas day!

Tomorrow is a little different. It will hurt as much, but be a wildly different kind of hurt, you are going to love it…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

3 Rounds for time:
25 Calorie Assault Bike
20 Power Cleans (40/30kg)
15 Thrusters (40/30kg)

Rest, breathe and relax…now write your times up on the board…

WoD - Tuesday 16th October, 2018

So, proof…partner workouts are not “easier” than individual ones. Sometimes they are but…today was not one of those days! And, unfortunately, I have a special feeling that this workout is going to be setting the bar for the week to come.

Anyhow, soon enough, more info regarding the greatest party on the planet…the CrossFit Cardiff Xmas Do 2018 will be released. All you have to do, is make sure you do NOT miss it! Those that do, will be crying into their warm, flat and disgusting beer on their unimaginably boring office parties, wondering just what is going on down the road at Tiny Rebel…

December 21st…do not F**K it up!

On an entirely different note, get yourselves signed into youtube and subscribe to Mark Omrod, a former Royal Marine, hero and massive inspiration. He is currently applying final preparation for the Invictus Games, this weekend in Sydney. Trained through CrossFit, he is an utter legend…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

For the highest load that technique* will allow:
12 - 12 - 12 - 12
Back Rack Walking Lunges

*the coaching staff has been briefed hard to ensure that these reps are performed correctly. Allowing us to program repeating sessions and developing some kick ass strength via increasing volume and unflinchingly good movement…

Please write your bum wobblingly ginormous loads to the whiteboard…

WoD - Monday 15th October, 2018

Hey campers, I hope the weekend was kind to you. Full of fun, fitness and frolicking, beer and gin, but no dealings with the Police! ;-)

This week we welcome yet another bunch of legends, fresh from their foundations course, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to jump on in to the big and scary world of classes! Luckily, you old sweats, those who have a few scuffs on your nanos, will be ready and waiting to help them look a little less nervous.
Get chalky, get sweaty and ready to dish out some hugs.

Welcome to the party team, you are going to love it.

CrossFit Cardiff Partner WoD

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20mins of:
Run 100m
20 Kettlebell Swings (32/24kg)
Run 100m
20 Burpess

This is to be completed with a partner. Each run is to be alternated between athletes, all other work can be split however. 

Please write completed rounds to the whiteboard…

WoD - Friday 12th October, 2018

I hope you all got your bench on, maybe cracked a few drop sets before some max effort press ups so that you were pumped to the max before hitting the Philly for Medics night for some cheap added fish bowls!
Or was that what happened a few years ago, and now a days, it’s netflix and fall asleep?

Well anyway, just in case you need a real pump, we have one in store…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Within 20 minutes, get as far as possible in the ascending rep scheme of:
2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - 10etc
Squat cleans (40/30kg)
Bar muscle ups
Run 200m at the start of each round 
*The load of the barbell is to increase by 10kg per completed round

Please write scores to the whiteboard…

WoD - Thursday 11th October, 2018

Who’d have thought it was October hey? Nuts! If we all try really hard, I reckon we can convince the weather gods to leave us the f**k alone throughout the winter! Maybe, maybe not!

Ash loves a good bench! In fact, he spends nearly all of his spare time asleep, but…when he is awake he Benches. And does bicep curls, all while staring directly into the eyes of a blow up picture of me; a thoughtful present from his mother!
All of course in an effort to convert those small acorns that he has as biceps into, well, biceps. Maybe one day when he grows up he will have a set of guns that need locking up in the armoury at night. But until then, he will bicep curl!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
Bench Press

The intention is to establish a max load for each set. Make it burn!

WoD - Wednesday 10th October, 2018

All that and he didn’t even show up. Thats okay, I get it and just love a good cherry myself. I mean you can do lots with them hey?! Bake cakes, chuck them in a crumble, or…avoid disgusting workouts that you just don’t want to do by picking them! ;-)

Not to worry though, Aris rocked up and did not disappoint. In fact, he has clearly gained the title of the Drop Off King. Swooping in and effortlessly stealing the title from Nick - not even present to defend himself - by the condition caused by ALL the effort in round one of the workout.
Certainly going from 24 burpees in round one, to 9 CALORIES in round two is very impressive!

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

Complete as many reps as possible in 5 mins of:
10 Wall balls (20/14lbs)
5 Sumo Deadlift Hight Pull (60/40kg)
Rest 5 mins
Complete as many reps as possible in 5 mins of:
10 Shoulder To Overhead (40/30kg)
50 Double unders

Please write each AMRAP’s completed scores to the whiteboard…

WoD - Tuesday 9th October, 2018

Now even though this abuse will officially stem from last week’s “assault,” I can’t really see how tonight will be (I am writing this pre, yet you are reading it post) any different at all.

My prediction will be that Nick may well gain a significant amount of burpees in round one, and possibly not actually be able to complete rounds four or five.
I even took the liberty, last week, of taking a couple of pictures of Nick, post workout. Which, has really all I need for any class involving those amazing machines.

Nick, please comment below and tell me that I was wrong…I can tell the future!

If I haven’t confused the living hell out of you then I will be mighty impressed. Back to the present…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

In teams of 3 and for time:
15 rounds:
10 Handstand Push Ups
10 Toes To Bar
20/15 Calorie row

These are you go, I go rounds.

Please write completed times and inventive team names to the whiteboard…

WoD - Monday 8th October, 2018

So then team, who got drunk, arrested…”lucky?” ;-) Answers to comments…I know at least one person who was smashed, and he just loves to show off about it.

What better way to get over a weekend of drunken fear and the pain of a hang over? Partake in a week of programming designed by the Ginger Ninja…Ashwell. And, you are just going to LOVE the first instalment…

CrossFit Cardiff WoD

5 Rounds of, within 90s complete: 
25/17 Calorie Assault Bike
Max burpees
Rest 4:30 between rounds

If you aren’t outside vomiting, then please record your total burpees per round to the whiteboard…