At the call of “go,” the 12:00 clock will start. The athlete starts with their jump rope and moves through the “chipper” portion of the workout, finishing with their last set of double-unders or single-unders. After the athlete has completed the last set on the jump rope, they will move to the pull-up bar and complete as many bar muscle-ups (Rx) or pull-ups (scaled) as possible in the remaining time. The score for this workout is the TOTAL repetitions completed for the entire workout, not just the muscle-ups or pull-ups. Athletes who choose to perform the scaled version of the workout will have their scores appear right after the Rx scores on the leaderboard (so the top scaled score will be right after the lowest Rx score).

Double-unders or Single-unders:
For the double-under, the jump rope must pass completely under the athlete’s feet twice on each jump for the rep to count. On the single-under, the rope only has to pass under the athlete’s feet once on each rep. You are allowed to start the workout already holding your jump rope.

Deadlifts:
The weight on the deadlifts is the same for both divisions (185/125). Every rep starts with the barbell on the ground and finishes with the athlete standing all the way up with knees and hips in full extension. Touch-and-go reps are allowed, but excessive “bouncing” is not allowed. Sumo versions of the deadlift are not allowed.

Handstand push-ups:
On the handstand push-ups, the rep starts and ends with the athlete upside down and feet against the wall (facing away from the wall). You can use a mat under your head, but your hands must be at the same level as a mat. For example, you cannot have your hands on the ground and an abmat under your head as this would shorten your range of motion. If you would like to use something like an abmat, you would have to have your hands on plates or risers to make them even with the top of the abmat. Kipping or strict reps are allowed, but you must reach full extension with feet on the wall for the rep to count.

Hand release push-ups:
For the hand release push-ups, each rep starts and ends in a plank position with elbows fully extended. The chest must touch the ground, and the athlete’s hands must completely leave the ground at the bottom of the rep before re-engaging and pressing up to the plank position.

DB snatch:
The weight on the DB snatch is the same for each division. Each rep starts with the DB on the ground, and the athlete must reach full extension of the knees and hips, and full shoulder flexion at the top (lock the elbow out!). The athlete can switch hands at any point between reps (including on the way down), but both heads of the DB must touch the ground at the bottom before beginning the next rep. You must alternate arms, so if you fail a rep, you have to repeat that arm before switching again. Your opposite hand cannot be in contact with your body during the rep (CrossFit Open standard).

Toes-to-bar:
On the toes-to-bar, the athlete must establish a hang position to start the rep. Both feet must touch the bar BETWEEN the hands for the rep to count, and if stringing reps together, both feet must pass back behind the plane of the bar at the bottom (arch position).

Abmat sit-ups:
For the abmat sit-up, at the bottom, your hands must touch the ground above your head before initiating the rep upward. The rep is complete once the athlete’s torso is vertical (just touching your feet is not enough if your torso does not reach the vertical position). Arm swing is allowed here, and with each rep, you must touch the ground over your head to begin the next rep.

Bar muscle-ups:
After the athlete has completed the ‘chipper’ portion of the workout, they move to the pull-up bar to complete as many reps as possible in the remaining time of bar muscle-ups or pull-ups. For the bar muscle-up, the athlete must establish a hang position with arms straight at the bottom and finish above the bar with arms fully locked out. Any type of kip is allowed (gymnastics kip, glide kip), but the athlete’s feet must not go above the bar at any time or it will be a no-rep.

Pull-ups:
For the pull-up, kipping or strict pull-ups are allowed. Each rep starts with the athlete hanging under the bar and arms at full extension and finishes with the chin above the bar. Pronated, supinated or mixed grip is allowed.
If you have any questions, please email josh@vertexpt.com.

It’s time for Week 2! Like last week, this week’s workout has 2 scores. Get your running shoes ready!

Part A: 4 rounds

  • 400m run
  • :60 rest

Into

Part B: (starting at the conclusion of the :60 rest after the last interval)

  • 1-mile run for time

*Score A is your slowest 400m interval from Part A.
**Score B is your time to complete the second mile.

For this week’s workout, a track is preferred. This will help with the “honor system” regarding distance. If you absolutely can’t make it to a track, consider doing it at your local CrossFit gym where they often have 400m marked off. If logistics will be a problem for you this week, please send me an email at josh@vertexpt.com.

Workout structure: For this workout, you will need a clock or a watch that will allow you to track your run times. It might be helpful to have pen and paper or a whiteboard where you can write down your times as you go, or use a watch to track the splits.

Keep track of your 400m interval times during Part A, as your score is your SLOWEST time of the 4 intervals. This prevents you from sprinting one of them all out and then ‘dogging’ the rest. The rest time between each interval is 1 minute, including after the last interval before starting Part B.

After interval number 4, take the 1-minute rest and then start Part B. For this part, you are running a mile straight through, and your score is your time to complete the mile.

If you have any questions, please send me an email at josh@vertexpt.com. See you on the track!

Event 1 is here!

Remember to sign up at www.local-comp.com before the scores are due at 5 pm EST on 10/23. The workout description and movement standards are listed below. Please reach out to josh@vertexpt.com with any questions!

Week 1

On a 12:00 running clock

Part A (8:00 cap)
21-15-9 of:
Row calories
DB thrusters, 50/35

Into

Part B
Max ground to overhead in remaining time

*Score on Part A is the time for completion OR, 8:00 cap + 1 second for each remaining rep

**Score on Part B is the maximum weight lifted before the 12:00 time cap

Description and movement standards
Athletes may be seated on the rower at the start of the event but may not touch the handle until the clock starts. Each round, the rower must read the correct number of calories BEFORE the athlete exits the rower. The rower monitor must be reset to “0” before each round (you can have someone reset it for you). The athletes will then go back and forth with the row calories and the DB thrusters until 21 calories/reps of each are completed in round 1, 15 calories/reps of each are completed in round 2, and 9 calories/reps of each are completed in round 3.

Upon completion of the 9th DB thruster in the last round, the athlete/judge will note the time on the running clock. This is your score for Part A. If the clock reaches 8:00 and you are still working on your 21-15-9, stop where you are and take note of the reps you have completed by the 8:00 mark. Your score for Part A will be 8:00 + 1 second for every calorie/rep you have remaining of the 21-15-9.

Once you have completed Part A, or if you reached the 8:00 time cap for Part A, you can move into Part B. Part B is a max ground to overhead (scored in weight). You can take as many attempts as you like before the 12:00 mark, but your score will be the heaviest weight lifted within the 12:00 cap. The movement standards for each piece are listed below.

DB thruster standard
The DBs must start at the athlete’s shoulders w/ some part of the DB in contact with the shoulders. The athlete will perform a squat where the hip crease depends below the top of the knee cap (below parallel), then drive the weight up overhead in one motion to full lockout overhead. Hips, knees, and elbows need to be completely locked out at the top of each rep for it to count, and there can be no rebend of the knees or “jerking” of the weight during the pressing portion of the movement. Squat cleaning the first rep from the ground is allowed.

Ground to overhead standard
The lift must start from the ground (no hang reps), but any kind of clean is allowed (power, squat, muscle, split) and any kind of press/jerk is allowed (strict press, push press, push jerk, split jerk), and an athlete is allowed to snatch the weight if they prefer (power, squat, split). The primary points of performance are that the weight must start on the ground and can’t re-contact the ground until the lift is completed. If any kind of split stance is used to lift the weight overhead, feet must come back to within the shoulders and in line in the frontal plane. Collars must be used on the barbell, and athletes must change their own weights.

Please reach out to josh@vertexpt.com with any questions!

Do you want to take your performance to the next level!?

Are you an athlete or parent of an athlete looking to take your performance to the next level? Or have you had a nagging shoulder/hip/knee/etc pain that carries over season to season? Then this athlete screening is for you! We use a device called “Activeforce 2” that measures the peak force produced during specific muscle contractions through different ranges of motion.

We screen the entire body from neck down to ankle and everything in between. Once we gather all the data from the screen we look at the percentage differences of strength on left vs. right sides and front vs. back sided muscles to create a home exercise program for you to get stronger and correct any imbalances.

This home exercise program will give exact reps, sets, and how many days a week to perform. It will also include YouTube video demonstrations by our own strength and conditioning coach, Adam Bilodeau. 

To sign-up for a screen, please call our Vertex Cayce office at (803) 973-0100 to get on Adam’s schedule to take YOUR performance to the next level.

Weight training? Are you kidding me? My primary care physician had been recommending this for years, but I did not know how to incorporate weight training into my exercise plan. I’m a 71-year-old female runner. I played basketball and golf in high school, but I had never been introduced to weightlifting. I had never been taught how to properly weight train and had no idea where to start. Not only that, the intimidation factor in gyms for 120-pound females doing weight training beside 250-pound males is quite intense.

Vertex Physical Therapy offered a “Weight Training for Runners” class, a six-week program to build supporting muscles for running. I had been going to Vertex PT to correct a glute and hamstring issue that had developed due to poor training when this class was recommended.

Ahhh, just what I needed. I signed up and totally embraced it. The two awesome Doctors of Physical Therapy, Dr. Mara Argyriou and Dr. Thomas DeHaven, who led this program were very fun, engaging, and knowledgeable. The participants were also very enjoyable and fun to work alongside. They were of all ages, genders, sizes, strengths, and weaknesses. I looked forward to every Thursday evening’s class, though it was a bit of a drive from my house. Everyone was in the same “boat” . . . runners learning how to weight train . . . no more intimidation.

Yes, we had “homework.” I logged, printed, and practiced each exercise 2-3 times a week. I was surprised to see improvement in just three short weeks, especially with balance issues. Yes, 71-year-olds need to work on balance problems, and the lack of it probably contributed to my glute and hammy injury in the first place.

Then, Vertex PT created the “Pump and Run & 5K”, organizing the event for Saturday, April 15th. For every bench press done for your age, gender, and specified percentage of your body weight, 30 seconds were removed from your 5K time.

I was in. I signed up immediately. I learned how to do bench presses and worked on them twice a week. I sought after total stranger spotters that knew about this avenue of weight training, and they willingly provided great information and support. I was not good at it, very wobbly at first, but I was no longer intimidated by this newly found sport! The 250-pounders wanted me to do well in the Pump and Run competition!

I hope there will be another Pump and Run next year. Maybe deadlifts will be added, among other attractions. Who knows? Start training now!

Oh, I looked up the word Vertex on Dictionary.com. This is relevant and applicable to Vertex PT in Cayce:

Vertex:

  1. The highest point of something; apex; summit; top: the vertex of a mountain.
  2. Anatomy, Zoology: The crown or top of the head.
  3. Craniometry: The highest point on the midsagittal plane of the skull or head viewed from the left side when the skull or head is in the Frankfurt horizontal.
  4. Astronomy: A point in the celestial sphere toward which or from which the common motion of a group of stars is directed.
  5. Geometry:
    a. The point farthest from the base: the vertex of a cone or of a pyramid.
    b. A point in a geometrical solid common to three or more sides.
    c. The intersection of two sides of a plane figure.

Lynn Lewis Grimes
Runlynnrun33@gmail.com

 

 

 

LISS, or Low-Intensity Steady-State, training is a form of cardiovascular exercise that involves performing low-impact movements at a steady pace for an extended period of time. LISS exercises include walking, cycling, swimming, or using the elliptical machine. It is a low-intensity form of cardio that is excellent for improving cardiovascular health, burning calories and fat, and is joint-friendly. Here are some of the top benefits of LISS training:

Improves Cardiovascular Health:

LISS training is excellent for improving cardiovascular health. It strengthens the heart and lungs, improves blood flow, and enhances overall cardiovascular function. LISS training can also lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Burns Calories and Fat:

LISS training can be an effective way to burn fat and lose weight. By exercising at a steady pace for an extended period of time, the body burns fat for fuel, which can lead to weight loss and improved body composition. LISS training can also help boost metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Low-Impact and Joint-Friendly:

LISS training is low-impact and joint-friendly, making it an excellent option for people with joint pain or injuries. By using low-impact exercises such as walking or cycling, LISS training allows you to get the benefits of cardio without putting stress on your joints.

Can be Done Anywhere:

LISS training is a versatile form of cardio that can be done almost anywhere, with little to no equipment required. Whether you’re walking outside, cycling on a stationary bike, or swimming laps in a pool, you can do LISS training almost anywhere, making it an excellent option for people who travel frequently or who prefer to exercise at home.

Relieves Stress and Improves Mood:

LISS training can help relieve stress and improve mood. By increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain, LISS training can boost mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve overall mental health. It can also help you sleep better, leading to more energy and better overall health.

Here are some recommendations for frequency, intensity, and duration for LISS training:

Frequency: Aim to do LISS training 3-5 times per week.

Intensity: LISS training should be performed at a moderate intensity, with a heart rate between 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.

Duration: Aim to do LISS training for 30-60 minutes per session.

Are you looking to get into running? 🤔 Have any goal races for 2023? 🏆 Want to find a community? 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Look no further! Join Vertex Run Club and reach your goals 💪 better. FASTER. 👊

🌟There are TWO levels of membership to help best fit your needs:
Vertex Run Club, and Vertex Run Club Premium 🌟

What you get in both:
👟Initial Consultation
🏃‍♂️Access to the RECOVERY ROOM & Seminars
🏃‍♀️Running Programming & Strength Programming
👟Group workouts
🏃‍♂️Weekly e-mail/TrainingPeaks Check-Ins
🏃‍♀️Discount on Nutrition Services with Coach Kristin Drafts
👟VRC Race Day Singlet

🌟To learn more and sign up🌟:
Email jessa.w@vertexpt.com

Take advantage of this AMAZING opportunity and 🤗COME JOIN US 🤗!