CFOT Final Results

Candace and Daniel, this fall's CFO Throwdown champions

Congrats to Candace and Daniel for winning the September CFO Throwdown.

The results of the women's division have been final for a few weeks now, but the men's champion wasn't known until this past Wednesday, which is when Daniel and Brandon went head-to-head in Grace as rx'd (this was good Big Girls Don't Cry preparation for them).

Grace is 30 reps of clean-and-jerks at 135# for time.

Brandon finished in 1:39, Daniel finished in 1:55.  And the winner?  Daniel.  You read that right, Daniel is our champion.

We ended up going to the video to determine the winner.  Much credit goes to Brandon for initiating the call for Daniel as champion.  After he reviewed the video, he saw that he was not at the full lockout position for some of his reps (arms were straight, knees were soft).  And as such, he felt that Daniel deserved to be champ (and I agree with him).

Kudos to Brandon for stepping up and showing his class as a competitor.

And congratulations to all who participated in the September throwdown!  I can't wait for the next one in January!

CFOT Final Results: And the Winner Is...

So all of the tallying is finished with (by the way, if any of you disagree with your point totals, please let me know; I definitely could've made some mistakes so please double-check my figures and the workout results).

Hat's off to Candace, who ran away with the CFOT during the two weeks it was going on. She even set a women's record in Fran along the way.

And on the men's side, it's a dead heat between favorite rivals Brandon and Daniel.

Daniel needed to tie Brandon in the Chief on his final workout on the rest day, and did just that, tying Brandon with 31 rounds.

So how's it going to be decided, you may be asking? The only right way, of course: with a 1:1 workout between the two!

Because we're gearing up for FGB this coming Saturday, I'm going to come up with a workout that the two of them will do against each other next week (preferably when they're both well-rested so that they can go at it with full force). The workout will emphasize strengths (and weaknesses) of both competitors, so that there won't be an unfair advantage one way or another. And we're looking for a high-power, short-duration style of workout.

And in the spirit of giving, I'd like to fully encourage everyone to engage in bet-making on this showdown between two of our top athletes. And I'd like all of the proceeds to go to the FGB fundraising pot we're building at CFO.

So let's hear it: who's your money on?

CFOT Results: Michael

The final workout of the throwdown was Michael:

3 rounds for time:

Run 800m
50 back extensions
50 sit-ups


We threw an interesting twist to the workout: every woman who did the workout did 55# good mornings, and every man who did the workout did 75# good mornings.


Top 3 Women:

Connie 18:46
LB 20:00

Sierra 20:42


Top 3 Men:

Lance 15:36
Brandon 17:05
Daniel 17:06


In my next post, I'll post the final CFOT point totals. For now, the point totals are updated through Michael, not counting any make-up workouts that happened on the final day.

CFOT Results: Fran

Daniel and Candace, the current king and queen of Fran, respectively

It seems like it wouldn't be a CFOT without Fran showing up, and sure enough, she graced us with her presence yesterday.  This was the first C2B experience with Fran since the CF Games and nearly everyone saw major improvements across the board.

Top 3 Women:

Candace 4:18

Vee 8:36

Connie 8:42

Top 3 Men:

Mini 4:32

Daniel 4:46

Brandon 5:30

I've udpated the CFOT point totals through today's workout, Fran.

The CFOT concludes tomorrow with Michael.  So lace up them running shoes, all you cardio bunnies!

CFOT Results: The Chief

Brandon's favorite photo

Today's workout was a brand-new one: The Chief.

The Chief is as follows:

Max rounds in 3 minutes:

3 Power cleans @ 135#/85#

6 Push-Ups

9 Squats

Rest 1 minute

5 cycles in total

Top 3 Women:

Candace 26 rounds (95#)

Robyn 20 rounds
Vee 18 rounds

Top 3 Men:

Brandon & Daniel 31

Connor, Lance, and Manwell 26

We're all current, barring any make-up workouts! I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's workout, The Chief.

Please post to the blog any discrepancies in round scores for The Chief. I was working off of limited information since I was out of town all Sunday.

Get ready for Fran tomorrow!

Craig Counsell and Laila Ali

CFOT Results: Clean-and-Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 Reps

Big C and Little C, familiar faces atop the leaderboard on limit-strength days

Today's workout was Clean-and-Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 reps.

We didn't mandate that you had to catch the clean in a full squat, you simply had to catch it cleanly without any hitches or adjustments upon racking the bar.  The jerk had to be caught in the locked-out position, regardless of whether you split-jerked it or push-jerked it.

Top 3 Women:

Candace 155#

Robyn 105#

Connie 90#

Top 3 Men:

Connor 235#

MJJ 230#

Brandon 220#

I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's workout, C&J 3-3-3-3-3 reps.

CFOT Results: Daniel

Today's workout was Daniel:

50 Pull-Ups

Run 400m 

21 Thrusters @ 95#/65#

Run 800m

21 Thrusters @ 95#/65#

Run 400m

50 Pull-Ups

Top 3 Women:

Candace 21:25

Connie 24:30

Vee 34:33

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 17:58

Daniel 18:55

Jed 21:06

I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's workout, Daniel.

CFOT Results: Lynne Ain't Squat

Candace and Daniel took top honors in today's WOD

The first workout in this three-day cycle was fascinating.  It was Lynne (max reps at bodyweight bench press and pull-ups) plus max reps in bodyweight squats.

5 Rounds for max reps:

Bodyweight Bench Press

Pull-Ups

Bodyweight Back Squat

The training effect of this workout was profound, to put it mildly.  As Nabil put it after the workout, he's only ever felt worse during Barbara.

There was only one woman who did it as rx'd:  Candace.

And the men's race resulted in Daniel on top, nabbing another first-place finish.

Below are the results for the gentlemen and ladies, with their total number of reps listed after their name.

Top Women:

Candace 166

Top 3 Women:

Daniel 252

Brandon 238

Jed 206

I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's workout:  Lynne Ain't Squat.

And get your pull-ups, thrusters, and running warmed up for the hero workout Daniel!

A Day of Changes

This past rest day resulted in a number of changes to the CFOT point totals.

Daniel and Jed nailed down the second- and third-place spots in FGB, while Brandon finished a mere seconds behind Daniel to finish second in Linda.

And an old, bald guy ended up finishing second in the 3k run at 12:06.

No changes occurred in the standings for the women, so all the point totals remain the same.

I've updated the CFOT point totals for everyone through the first two cycles of the throwdown.

I've also updated all of the past entries with updated results and point totals (Top 3 Women and Top 3 Men are all current now, too).

Get ready for some lactic acid as we start the next cycle with squatty Lynne!

CFOT Results: Run 3k

Today's workout represented a pretty radical shift in comparison to last cycle's strength-oriented WODs.

The workout was Run 3k.

Brandon notched his first back-to-back first-place finishes of the CFOT, while on the women's side, Connie put in a rock-solid performance to come out on top in the run.

Top 3 Women:

Connie 12:11
Sierra 13:36
Robyn 15:05


Top 3 Men:

Brandon 11:22
Mini 12:06

Jacques 12:41


I've updated the point totals through today's workout, Run 3k.

It will be interesting to see how much the point totals shift after the rest day tomorrow, as many (the author of this post included) will be making up workouts from this three-day cycle.

CFOT Results: Fight Gone Bad!

A post-FGB picture from the olden days of CFO


I guess it wouldn't be a CFO Throwdown if we weren't doing good ol' Fight Gone Bad:

Three rounds of:
Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (Reps)
Box Jump, 20" box (Reps)
Push-press, 75 pounds (Reps)
Row (Calories)

If you've never done FGB, it's difficult to understand how taxing it is physically and emotionally. If you have done FGB, you know only too well how taxing it is physically and emotionally. I'm not sure which group is better off in this case. But that's the beauty of CrossFit!

Today's workout had a familiar feel to it, with Brandon and Candace showing their stuff and taking top honors.

Top 3 Women:

Candace 326
Robyn 291
Dawn 235


Top 3 Men:

Brandon 451
Daniel 365

Jed 363


There are still a few heavy hitters on the men's side who need to take their turn at FGB, so the point totals may change over the next few days (perhaps dramatically so, since many out there are still making up Linda as well).

I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's workout, FGB.

Get your running shoes on for tomorrow's workout, as we take it to the track. We'll be meeting at the Piedmont High Track for all evening classes for tomorrow's WOD: Run 3k.

CFOT Results: Linda

Linda is one of the classic CF benchmark workouts:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time of deadlift, bench press, and clean.

The results for this workout in the men's division are preliminary, since many of the heavy hitters have not yet gone.

Top 3 Women:

None as Rx'd (everyone gets 1 point)


Top 3 Men:

Daniel 15:14
Brandon 15:21

Mini 24:17


And hat's off to Nabil for setting a CFO record with a Linda time of 12:42! Too bad he's not taking part in the throwdown.

I've updated the point totals (likely to change) through today's workout.

CFOT Results: Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 Reps

Connor at the top of a deadlift


Today was a familiar outcome, Connor and Candace grabbing top honors in the workout.

Today's workout was Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 reps, and followed the same format as the previous two workouts, only with different exercises (push jerks and back squats, respectively).

Top 3 Women:

Candace 255#
Kim 230#
Robyn 215#


Top 3 Men:

Connor 520#
Loren 435#
Manwell 421#


Bravo to Connor and Candace for really stepping up over these last three workouts and showing us what limit strength is all about.

I've updated the CFOT point totals through today's deadlift workout.

And in case you didn't notice, we gained one more competitor in the women's field: Connie.

Will the workouts remain in the strength domain? Or will they shift over to a metcon emphasis? Post your best guess to comments and enjoy the rest day.

[Addendum due to popular request]

Here's the lowdown on how scoring in the CFOT works.

1st place finish in WOD:  5 points

2nd place finish in WOD:  4 points

3rd place finish in WOD:  3 points

Completion of WOD as Rx'd:  2 points

Completion of WOD (not Rx'd):  1 point

Competitors have to complete all WODs within the four-day cycle (3 WODs plus 1 rest day) in order to receive points.

CFOT Results: Back Squat 3-3-3-3-3 Reps

The standard for legitimate back squat depth laid out by strength coach extraordinaires Rippetoe and Kilgore


Today's workout was another chance to test one's limit strength, and once again followed the same format as yesterday's push jerk workout.

The workout was Back Squat 3-3-3-3-3 reps. And at CFO, we all know who the king of squat is.

Meanwhile, the biggest CFOT-related news involved lots of women jumping into the fray! I guess they were just trying to build some suspense. Lydia, Robyn, Dawn, and Sierra have all joined in on the fun.

Onto the workout results...

Top 3 Women:

Candace & Robyn 185#
Dawn 140#

Top 3 Men:

Connor 475#
Brandon 345#
Daniel 335#


I've updated CFOT point totals through the back squat workout. Please note that some points have been shifted around; Connor push-jerked 250# and was awarded five points for his first-place effort, resulting in Daniel and MJJ finishing second and third, respectively (sorry, Manwell, you were pushed down to rx'd). And on the women's side, things have been shaken up, too. Lydia ended up finishing third on push jerks, resulting in three points, and Robyn was second on push jerks and tied for first on back squats.

We'll once again be testing limit strength tomorrow, and once again it follows the same format. So get your lifting shoes on and get ready for Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 reps!

CFOT Results: Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 Reps

Candace finishing a push jerk at the 2008 CrossFit Games


The first day of the September CFO Throwdown is done!

Before we get to the results, a few rule clarifications:

• Each CFOT competitor has one chance, and only one chance, to do the WOD (multiple attempts at a single WOD will not be allowed).
• Each CFOT competitor must complete the three national-site WODs within the 4-day cycle of those same WODs (three days of workouts plus the rest day).
• Each CFOT competitor must do the WOD at the CFO box.

Onto today's results...

The results of today's WOD, Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 reps, were based on each competitors single highest three-rep set.

The women's field can be summed up in one word: thin! There are only to CFO women taking part in our September throwdown. I salute all of you women out there working your weaknesses with some focused training, but sheesh, only two women. If there are any women out there on the fence, just do it! You won't regret it. The worst that will happen is that you'll get lots of great workouts in over the next couple of weeks.

At any rate, it will be fun to watch Vanessa and Candace go through the workouts over the next four cycles.

Top 3 Women:

Candace 140#
Robyn 125#

Kim 105#


On the men's side, one of our lightest competitors took top honors.

Daniel heaved an impressive 245.5# overhead for all three reps in full lockout; it was a thing of beauty. He ended up edging out MJJ by a half pound to take top honors. Manwell put in a nice showing as well, finishing in third place at 225#.

"Big C" has yet to lift, though, and has until Friday to make up this WOD, so the results are somewhat preliminary. All that being said, below are the results for today's WOD.

Top 3 Men:

Connor 250#

Daniel 245.5#
MJJ 245#


The CFOT point totals have been updated for everyone through today's workout.

Get those legs warmed up and ready for more heavy lifting, tomorrow's WOD is Back Squat 3-3-3-3-3 reps.

The CFO Throwdown Blog Is Back!

We're resurrecting the CFO Throwdown Blog.

The first order of business to discuss is our own CFO Throwdown schedule for the coming year.

For now, here's the deal. We'll be holding throwdowns in September 2008, January 2009, and April 2009, all in an effort to prepare for the 2009 CF Games and have a lot of fun at the same time.

Although the throwdowns are ostensibly for Games training, they're really an opportunity for everyone in our gym to take their own game to the next level, whether this means setting PRs, getting your first pull-up, or just plain doing 4 consecutive 3-on/1-off workout cycles for the first time.

The throwdowns are going to work a little differently than last year and I have a lot of territory to cover regarding the changes.

But here's how they'll work in terms of scheduling:

Each of the throwdowns will go for the first four national-site workout cycles (that's four of the 3-on/1-off national cycles) and points will be awarded based on how you do in the workout, as well as whether you do the workout as prescribed. This is a shorter cycle than last year's throwdown, which lasted the entire month of March.

That's probably enough for now.

In my post tomorrow, I'll go into how scoring works, as well as some of the rule changes.

Also on tap for the coming year (which I'll discuss in yet another post): Bay Area Affiliate Throwdowns!

Stay tuned!

CFOT Results: Fran

Greg and Annie getting their Fran on in Santa Cruz


Our final CFO Throwdown WOD was a fitting one: Fran.

Fran is as follows:

21-15-9 reps for time:

Thrusters @ 95#
Pull-ups


Top 3 Men:

Patrick 3:12
Daniel & Nabil 3:34
Loren 3:55

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 3:33
Candace 3:39
Casey 4:33


Congrats to Tamara and Daniel for winning the CFO Throwdown.

I'll have another post to follow this one, wrapping up the entire throwdown and giving my final thoughts.

Until then, the CFOT totals have been updated through Fran.

CFOT Results: Fight Gone Bad

A photo of Fight Gone Bad from a seminar at CFHQ in Santa Cruz


We got our second taste of Fight Gone Bad (FGB) this month yesterday.

The men's top three finishers remained unchanged. And two of the top three female finishers were the same as last time as well.

Most importantly, though, everyone (except yours truly!) either matched or exceeded their FGB performance from just 10 days ago! It was awesome to see such effort and output. That's what this whole month has been about: putting in the time and seeing results.

And once again, major props to Brandon and Tamara for showing us what's possible in FGB. Outstanding performances by both.

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 425
Daniel 370
Nabil 350

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 328
Candace 292
Beth 260


Enjoy the rest day.

Our final workout is perhaps the most fitting workout to end this throwdown on: Fran.

I can't wait to get it on, and I'm sure all of you already have the pre-Fran jitters going like I do.

And I can't wait to see Tamara's and Patrick Fran-fits.

The CFOT totals have been updated through our FGB workout.

CFOT Results: Split Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Reps

Natalie Woolfolk locked out at the bottom of a split jerk


The first-place finishers for our split jerk workout (seven sets of singles) was never really in doubt, much like all of our other max effort workouts. Also like our other max effort workouts, the battle for second and third place was extremely tight.

Top 3 Men:

Connor 300#
JP 251#
Daniel 250.5#

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 160#
Dawn 100#
Beth 100#


We don't get to do split jerks very often so it was a fun change of pace. A lot of people got it down over the course of the workout and it was fun to watch people progress through this movement.

The CFOT totals have been updated through the split jerk workout.

CFOT Results: Helen

OPT getting his 6:59 Helen on at CrossFit HQ in Santa Cruz


Today we got treated to yet another CrossFit benchmark workout.

Helen is a classic; in fact it's one of the earliest benchmark workouts.

Helen is as follows:

3 rounds for time:

Run 400m
21 KB swings @ 1.5 pood (1 pood for women)
12 Pull-ups


Top 3 Men:

Mini 7:42
Nabil 8:24
Lau 8:44

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 9:38
Audra 10:32
Candace 10:46


It was great having so much fan support during the evening classes tonight. It's really turning into a collegiate-style atmosphere some of these nights and creates an ideal environment for awesome performances. So thank you to all who stuck around and cheered everyone on. It's much appreciated!

Tomorrow's WOD shifts back to the strength-speed end of the spectrum:

Split Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps.

As with other workouts of this set-and-rep scheme that have come up over the past month, we'll be basing workout results on the heaviest single rep you put up overhead, not on total volume.

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout, Helen.

CFOT Results: Barbara

A diagram of the start position and finish position of the pull-up, one of the four exercises of Barbara


Yesterday we got to experience, for better or for worse, Barbara:

5 rounds for time:

20 pull-ups
30 push-ups
40 sit-ups
50 squats

* Rest 3 minutes between rounds

The objective was to minimize total work time. This workout looks all right on paper, but is no walk in the park.

The results below are preliminary, since there are a few other men and women who still have to do the workout who have a chance at getting into the top three.

Top 3 Men:

Steven 13:59
Patrick 17:20
Nabil 17:28

Top 3 Women:

Candace 20:09
Tamara 24:16
Audra 24:52


The CFOT totals have been updated through Barbara, but the totals may change.

Enjoy the rest day!

CFOT Results: 30 Muscle-Ups for Time

Nicole Carroll, of CFHQ, working the transition of the muscle-up


Yesterday's WOD was another CrossFit classic workout: 30 muscle-ups for time.

These single element days, much like yesterday's clean-and-jerk workout, are some of the most interesting workouts. They don't let you make up for any lack of skill in the element through running faster or working harder. You simply have it or you don't.

The men's division was another close race, and with a couple more heavy hitters still needing to make up the workout, the results are preliminary.

In the women's division, it was Candace and Tamara once again setting a great example of what is possible in CrossFit. The two of them were the only ones to do the workout as prescribed on the women's side.

And in case you're wondering, the results only counted as prescribed if your wrists were turned out for every single muscle-up.

Top 3 Men:

Mini 4:54
Daniel 6:45
Patrick 9:34

Top 2 Women:

Candace 15:03
Tamara 18:22


It's back to benchmark workouts again today, with Barbara (5 rounds of 20 pull-ups, 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, and 50 squats) making an appearance this time.

The CFOT totals have been updated through the muscle-up workout.

CFOT Results: Clean-and-Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Reps

Dimas performing some clean-and-jerk magic at the 1996 Olympic games


We had a great opportunity to hone our Olympic lifting skills with the clean-and-jerk workout we did yesterday.

This was a good one to do on the heels of the snatches we did a couple of weeks ago.

Top 3 Men:

Connor 275#
Daniel 232.8#
Steven 232.5#

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 185#
Candace 141.2#
Kirsten 108#


Today's workout is 30 muscle-ups for time.

The CFOT totals have been updated through the clean-and-jerk workout.

CFOT Results: Handstand Push-Up/L Pull-Up Ladder

Eva T holding a handstand down under


Today's WOD was a brutal couplet that combined handstand push-ups with L pull-ups.

The format was as follows:

For time:
15 Handstand push-ups
1 L Pull-up
13 Handstand push-ups
3 L Pull-ups
11 Handstand push-ups
5 L Pull-ups
9 Handstand push-ups
7 L Pull-ups
7 Handstand push-ups
9 L Pull-ups
5 Handstand push-ups
11 L Pull-ups
3 Handstand push-ups
13 L Pull-ups
1 Handstand push-up
15 L Pull-ups


This was a workout where just doing it as rx'd was a huge accomplishment (only 8 men and 1 woman did it as rx'd at CFO).

The men's race was fairly tight, but in the end, Daniel, our resident handstand push-up king, prevailed over Nabil and Steven.

On the women's side, it was a one-woman contest, with Candace finishing the workout as rx'd. Many other women were close and I saw a lot of breakthroughs, but Candace's ability to execute strict L pull-ups is a feat worthy of recognition.

Top 3 Men:

Daniel 11:25
Nabil 12:41
Steven 13:10

Top Woman:

Candace 47:48


Enjoy the rest day. There are only seven more workouts to go!

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

CFOT Results: 400m Repeats

Michael Johnson, possibly the greatest 400m sprinter of all time, in full stride


We got to experience some serious lactic acid in today's workout:

Four rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
Rest 2 minutes

This WOD was scored by lowest total run time.

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 4:30
Nabil 4:45
Mini 4:46

Top 3 Women:

Casey 5:26
Beth 5:57
Audra 6:06


Fortunately, our next WOD doesn't really require much lower body. It's a descending ladder of handstand push-ups coupled with an ascending ladder of L-pull-ups. Good times!

The CFOT totals have been updated through the 400m-repeat workout.

CFOT Results: Fight Gone Bad

A post-FGB photo from CFO's old-school days


The theme for today's Fight Gone Bad (FGB) contest was "no contest."

While everyone put out all they had and a ton of people got to experience FGB for the first time, the truth of the matter is that this was our first workout where the men's and women's best scores were head-and-shoulders above everyone else.

Brandon dominated the men's division with a score of 386. Meanwhile, Tamara came in at 6am this morning and threw down the hammer, putting together a score of 321.

Well done to all, but a big don of the cap to Brandon and Tamara for showing what's possible in this classic CrossFit workout.

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 386
Daniel 342
Nabil 340

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 321
Beth 238
Kirsten 217


We shift gears tomorrow and move into 400m repeats, so get the running shoes on!

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout, Fight Gone Bad.

CFOT Results: Nate

Nate was the most recent WOD to hit CFO.

Nate is as follows:

Max number of rounds in 20 minutes:

2 Muscle-ups
4 Handstand push-ups
8 KB swings @ 2 pood


Top 3 Men:

Daniel 17
Nabil 13
Patrick 11 + 1 muscle-up

Top 2 Women:

Candace 6 + 1 muscle-up
Tamara 5 + 2 muscle-ups

Hope you enjoyed the rest day 'cause we have a tough one in store for us tomorrow, as well as one of CrossFit's classic workouts: Fight Gone Bad!

The CFOT totals have been updated through through today.

CFOT Results: Nicole

Today's WOD was "Nicole":

Max rounds in 20 minutes:

Run 400m
Max Pull-ups

The workout is scored by the max number of pull-ups you're able to accumulate over the entire workout.

This workout was yet another close one on the men's side, with the top two finishers separated by only 5 reps.

On the women's side, Tamara looked to have it in the bag, but Candace walked the 400m course and made up for her slow 400m pace by busting out a couple of sets of 30 pull-ups, setting a CFO women's record.

Top 3 Men:

Mini 144
Lau 139
Brandon, Nabil, and Patrick 123

Top 3 Women:

Candace 101
Tamara 90
Audra 84


Tomorrow's WOD is "Nate" (max rounds in 20 minutes of 2 muscle-ups, 4 handstand push-ups, and 8 kb swings @ 2 pood).

We'll be using the highest standard for muscle-ups in order for them to qualify as prescribed in this workout; the hands need to be turned out at the bottom at the beginning of the rep for it to count.

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

CFOT Results: Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 Reps

Dimas snatching 180.5 kg (397 lbs)


We got to show off our skills in the snatch today. This lift proved to be quite challenging for many, which is to be expected. The Olympic lifts are our most technically complex barbell movements, and much of their value lies in the skill it takes to execute them, in addition to the huge carryover they have in other athletic endeavors.

Top 3 Men:

Connor 215#
Daniel 185#
JP 165#

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 135#
Candace 110#
Kirsten 78#


Please note that the men's results are preliminary, given that there are a few more heavy hitters making up the workout. So the CFOT point totals may change still.

For now, though, the CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

CFOT Results: Michael

On Thursday and Friday, we got to do Michael, which if memory serves, is the first fallen soldier workout, in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28, 2005.

The workout is as follows:

Three rounds for time:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups


This workout provided plenty of excitement on the men's side, which resulted in our first-ever dead heat. Our top two finishers, Brandon and Steven, took on each other head to head and finished at the exact same time: 17:20. Strong work by both!

The women's race was extremely competitive as well, with Beth and Audra posting sub-20 times, separated by about 30 seconds (19:12 vs. 19:47).

There were a number of strong showings by all involved, with nearly everyone setting a PR. I wouldn't exactly call Michael a fun workout, but it was a great experience to coach, that's for sure.

Top 3 Men:

Brandon & Steven 17:20
Mini 17:55
Patrick 18:13

Top 3 Women:

Beth 19:12
Audra 19:47
LB 20:54


Tomorrow's WOD is snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps. We'll be scoring this based on the highest single snatch, not total volume throughout the workout.

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

CFOT Results: Tommy V

Today's WOD was a first time for CFOers: Tommy V. The workout was named for Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, Minnesota, who died in a training accident in Arizona, on Feb. 13.

Tommy V is as follows:

For time:
115 pound Thruster, 21 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 12 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 9 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 9 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 6 ascents


This one was tough, but not nearly as tough as some of the fallen soldier workouts. In fact, our top two male finishers were done in less time than it took most to run the 5k yesterday.

Top 3 Men:

Patrick 20:45
Lau 24:23
Mini 26:45

Top 3 Women:

Casey 30:01
Candace 34:29
Tamara 54:34


The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout, Tommy V.

Tomorrow's WOD:

"Michael"

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

CFOT Results: 5k Run

It was a blast having the evening classes do the 5k run at Lake Merritt.

Here are the top 3 finishers for each division.

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 18:16
Mini 19:58
Nabil 20:24

Top 3 Women:

Beth 22:43
Casey 23:40
Tamara 24:05



Tomorrow's WOD:

"Tommy V"

For time:
115 pound Thruster, 21 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 12 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 9 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 9 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 6 ascents

Get ready for a real grip killer!


The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

CFOT Results: Lynne

Scott Mendelson's 1,015-lb bench press


We did Lynne today, which is 5 rounds of max reps in bench press at bodyweight and pull-ups.

As many predicted, Daniel took home top honors in the men's division. Nabil, in his first time doing this workout, put up an impressive 194. Good stuff! Also warranting mention is Connor's first round of bench presses at 250#, knocking out 15 reps!

The women's division was a two-woman contest between Tamara and Candace, with Tamara edging out Candace for top honors. These two athletes hold the distinction of being the only women in CFO to do Lynne as rx'd to date.


Top 3 Men:

Daniel 204
Nabil 194
Patrick 183

Top 2 Women:

Tamara 114
Candace 112


I'm still crying over my 2-point loss to Patrick for third place. But all in all, it was great work by everyone, with a ton of PRs being hit by many.

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout.

Enjoy the rest day!

CFOT Results: Hang Squat Clean 7 x 3

Rezazadeh's 263.5 kg (580 lb) world record clean & jerk from the 2004 Olympic games


Today we got a taste of Olympic weightlifting with our hang squat clean workout.

There are still a few heavy hitters who will be making this workout up on Monday, but for now here are the top three finishers from each category (the poundage listed represents the single best 3-rep set for each competitor).

Top 3 Men:

Brandon 230#
JP 225#
Daniel & Nabil 205#

Top 3 Women:

Tamara 165#
Casey 110#
Kirsten 104#


Great work today, everyone!

The CFOT totals have been updated through today's workout (please note that the totals may change based on the results of a few competitors who have yet to go).


Tomorrow's WOD: "Lynne" (max # reps bench press @ bodyweight + pull-ups)

CFOT Results: Diane

Today's CFOT WOD was Diane, which is 21-15-9 reps of 225# deadlifts and handstand push-ups.

Daniel crushed this one, putting in a time of 3:08, leaving all others as also-rans.

The top 3 male Rx'd finishers:

Daniel 3:08
Steven 5:56
Loren 8:22


On the women's side, Candace was the only one from our ranks to do Diane as Rx'd, finishing the workout in 16:52. Well done, Candace!


Tomorrow's workout is hang squat cleans 7x3. We'll be scoring it based on the single best 3-rep set, not based on the total volume of all seven sets.

Anyone wanna handicap tomorrow's favorites?

Both the men's and women's CFOT counts have been updated.

Updated CFOT Scoreboard

We've updated the CFOT scoreboard as of today, March 6. You'll find the standings for men and women on the right side of the page.

Are there any trends you've noticed after the first 4 workouts? Do you see someone poised to make a move up or down the standings?

Post your thoughts on this first cycle of WODs to comments.

Welcome to the CFO Throwdown Blog!

Due to the overwhelming demand for CFO Throwdown results, as well as a need to give the trash-talkers an open forum, we've decided to create a CFO Throwdown blog.

We'll have updated CFOT scores for all participants tomorrow morning. In addition, we'll try and provide as much content (pictures and videos) of all the CFOT participants as possible.

So check back frequently and let the banter begin!

To get this whole thing started, let's have you post to comments your best guess for the first workout of the next three-day cycle.