*NEW* Tonya Blanks workouts

Here we go!

1 mile run (not jog, actually run)
then 5 rounds of
-15 pushups
-5 burpees
-15 situps
Then another...
1 mile run (not jog, actually run)

REMEMBER NO BREAKS, go straight through until complete. If you're moving at a good pace you should be done in just under half hour!

Tonya Blank's Pre-season Workout Week 4

As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 12 minutes
200m run
10 push-ups
15 Squats

Tonya Blanks wants to remind you that a full squat mean that when you go down you finish past parallel, if you stop short you are cheating yourself!

Also don't forget, Knock Out! and DUDE will be hosting a women's mixer for all levels this Sunday from 1-4 PM at NTC Liberty Station Fields.

BOOM BOOM POW!

What are Tonya Blanks workouts and what is CrossFit?

To answer these questions, we've asked our friend Lori "Awesometown" Eich, current Nemesis player, and a CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach to tell us how CrossFit training improves your athletic ability on the Ultimate Field.

The weekly Tonya Blanks workouts are designed around CrossFit, which is a training program designed for general physical preparedness. CrossFit is often defined as High Intensity, Constantly Varied, Functional Fitness. "High Intensity" means we go big, go hard, always giving 400% in every workout. "Constantly Varied" means the workouts are different every week, which keeps your body from getting settled into a routine."Functional Fitness" means we use the whole body to do work just like in real life -- for example, if I'm getting ready to pull the disc,I'm not going to just stand on the end zone line and flick my wrist --I'm going to take an approach, rotate my body around, and explode with all of my muscles to send the disc flying.

You can think of "high intensity" as the sprinting stamina part of the workout. Regardless of whether or not you're actually running, if you are going as hard as you can, as fast as you can, your heart and lungs are being trained for sprinting. You are pushing your VO2max (aka sprint endurance), and the harder you push now, the longer you can last during marathon points on the field and throughout the final games on Tournament Sunday.

"Functional fitness" applies directly to the ultimate field. Think of the last time you laid out, missed the catch, and had to jump back up to immediately play D -- that's a burpee. Or when a huck goes up and you're already in position, waiting for it to sink so you can D the crap out of it -- fast air squats build your hip/thigh/butt muscles so you can explode off the ground and win in the air. The movements in the weekly workouts are designed to build strength that is directly applicable to ultimate.

The end goal is to build power output. When you're doing a set workout for time, you are doing the same amount of total work overall -- 50 pushups in 2 minutes takes the same amount of force as 50 pushups in 20 minutes. The difference lies in the time spent working. Strength and speed combine for power. If you can do more work in less time than your opponent, you are generating more power, which translates to running faster, jumping higher, throwing farther, and winning more.

To get the most out of the weekly workouts, treat each one as a sprint workout. It's okay to scale the movements (e.g. pushups from knees) if it means you can actually complete the workout in a reasonable amount of time, but remember that when you scale you are doing less work (so try to work toward not scaling). Also think about how the movements of the workouts might apply to your ultimate game, and try to be as fast and explosive as possible. The more strength and speed you build, the more power you can output, and the more you will tool up on opponents and win.

This week's workout:
3 rounds of:
100m sprint 5 burpees

100m sprint
10 pushups

100m sprint
15 squats
Rest 90 seconds between rounds (yes, you actually get a rest in this one!)

Knock Out! and DUDE sponsors a San Diego Women's Ultimate Mixer

Come join Knock Out! and the Diego Ultimate Disc Experience (DUDE) for an informal Women's Ultimate Mixer on Sunday April 17th from 1-4pm at the NTC Liberty Station fields. Whether you are new to the game or a seasoned veteran, together we comprise a group of talented women who have fallen in love with this unique and fulfilling sport. All levels are welcome as we celebrate the women Ultimate players in San Diego and promote the continued growth of this sport in our community. At the mixer we will focus on a few skills, play some games, and round it off with a BBQ and socializing with our fellow amazing female athletes. For more information, please email sdwomensdisc@gmail.com.

Also, mark your calendars for Knock Out! tryouts! April 30 (1-4PM)/May 1 (9AM-12PM) at Mission Rancho Park

and May 14 (1-4PM)/15(9AM-12PM) at Dusty Rhodes Park (locations subject to change).

We hope to see you there!

Roswell and Tambler