“Helen” Three rounds for time:Run 400 meters21 Kettlebell swings (1 1/2 pood Kettlebell or 55 pound dumbbell)12 Pull-ups Stand Up Straight Your mother said it. Your grandmother said it. Your coaches say it. Standing up straight is not only key to good posture, it is also key to shoulder and hip mobility as well as running technique. Many of the imbalances, areas of decreased range of motion, and inefficiencies in movements such as running are directly linked to poor posture. The activities and conveniences of our daily life predispose us toward slouching, internal rotation of our shoulders, and an anterior tilt in our spine. It takes a concerted effort to combat these well ingrained habits. I’ve been reading a lot about running posture recently. Surprisingly, the first step in improving flawed running technique is to Stand Up Straight. Brian MacKenzie of CrossFit Endurance describes this position as a “flat back...Read more

21-15-9 Air squats x 2Burpee box jump up and overs (24/20) Miss Manners…Part 1 This is the first installment in an ongoing series geared toward gym etiquette. Today we will tackle the topic of what to do when you finish your workout if others are still working. If you have other topics that you would like Miss Manners to address, feel free to post to comments. Dear Miss Manners: I’m a bad-ass CrossFitter and I often find that I finish my workout seconds, even minutes, before others in the class. It annoys me that they are still working out while I’m trying to put my my weights and barbell away. How can I tell them to step it up a little bit so that I can be 1st in line at the coffee shop? Dear Bad-Ass: At Roots, we think the biggest bad-asses are those that leave their equipment where it...Read more

For time:Run 1000 meters100 Push-ups135 pound Snatch, 10 reps The CrossFit Open Showcase. The CrossFit Open kicks off March 6th! Over the next few weeks we roll out the CrossFit Open Showcase on the Roots website.  Each Monday we’ll educate you on the why, how, and when of the CrossFit Open.   We’ll give you all the details on how The Open will run at Roots.  We hope to inspire you to participate by posting first hand accounts of Roots athletes’ experiences from the 2011 and 2012 CrossFit Open. Sign-up for the CrossFit Open opens January 30th. Read the posts and don’t miss out!Read more

Swim WOD. Swim WOD! Join us today at the pool. We’ll see you at the pool! All classes are at Clare Small Pool on the CU Campus. HELL YEA! See you at 8 or 9am. What to bring: swimsuit, googles, towel. Directions to the CU Rec Center can be found here. Parking Info (thanks Odie): Lots 169 & 396 are free on weekends and provide the best access to the rec center. Lot 169 is the lower lot below Dal Ward Athletic Center, on Stadium Dr., and is the most convenient for people to use. If lot 169 is full (which I highly doubt will happen on early Sat morning), they can use Lot 396. It is a gravel lot in between the student housing and the creek, and a staircase offers access to the rec center.Read more

Two rounds for time of: Run 800m 30 pull-ups115 pound front squat, 30 reps 30 toes-to-bar 115 pound power clean, 30 reps Swim WOD Saturday! Back by popular demand and for the LAST TIME this season – the one and only Swim WOD.  This Saturday, all classes will be held at the pool! CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movements, at high intensity.  This weekend we explore constant variance with a swim WOD at CU’s Clare Pool.  Join us at 8 or 9 am on Saturday for an hour class complete with instruction, a workout, and some fun.  Athletes do not have to have an extensive swimming background but should be able to navigate across the pool.  Don’t believe us that a swim WOD can be challenging?  Come and decide! Sign-up on MBO.  Directions to Clare Pool are here.Read more