Raise up

Registration for The BCS Games closes Thursday, April 29th at 11:59pm. If you are on the fence about signing up JUST DO IT! It will be one of the most exciting events EVER in the BCS! Register Here
We still need volunteers!

Bench press
Work to a heavy 5


5 rounds for time:
3 Deadlifts (275 #)
10 box jumps (24 inch)


So after the most recent heat wave, many convos with some of you crossfitters both in and out of class( this is for you afternoon ladies!) and the fact that most of us are discovering the beauty of this already, i bring you an article about shirtless wods at the box. This was written by a guy named wes who owns and runs crossfit austin (along with a guy named boone). wes started out right here in college station as a client and moved to austin to pursue bigger and better things. Anyway, he wrote this some time ago, and although i've edited it somewhat for family friendly content, please read it, laugh, and take away what he is trying to say which is simply, shirts aren't required at any point during a workout.....enjoy!

Take your shirt off, wave it around your head like a helicopter. (credit to wes)

I’m going assume that all of you out there in cyberspace are either CrossFitters or involved in CrossFit somehow. As CrossFitters there are a few things that we all seem to take a great deal of pride in: taking pictures in front of things in a handstand, putting kettlebells on t-shirts, and buying shoes that really accentuate our toes. The list goes on and on. Well, I think its about to time to address an important issue in this community: as a CrossFitter when, why, and where do I remove my shirt? Is there a bigger threat to XFit (don’t call it that) than the unsolicited, unmerited, unAmerican shirt removal? Me thinks not.



The When and the Why.

These two things are, must be, and always will be intertwined. The breakdown goes something like this:


“Hey Bro, how’s the surf” guy.
This guy has his shirt on approximately 0% of time he’s in the gym. Fret not though this is only slightly below his “every day activity” shirt wearing percentage. “Hey bro, how’s the surf guy” enters the box sans (that French for without) shirt, and leaves the box without (that’s English for sans) a shirt. Since “hey bro”’s day is spent in or near a body of water I totally approve of his Tshirtlessness (Q: did he just make up a word? A: Most assuredly). Additionally keep a look out for his cousin the “I workout in my swimming trunks” guy (that can’t be comfortable).

“Is it getting hot in here?” lady.
In attempt to be evenhanded our second study subject will take the female form. “Is it getting hot in here?” lady generally feels compelled to ditch her top during the warm-up, some where in between leg swings and arm circles. Her reasoning usually consists of “the lack of AC in the gym” or she alludes to the fact that the average temperature for the last 60 days has hovered in between 120 and 1000 degrees. Does she have an argument? Absolutely! Why? Because it is really hot here, and I hear working out in a sports bra is awesome (did you guys really think I was going to discourage Women from working out in sports bra? Come ONNN!).

“The Cal”
Our last example I’ve named after my good friend Jon Callahan of Windy City CrossFit. A little back ground on Cal from his best friend Dave Regula “Cal is just plain crazy……about crossfit. This is how the guy works. When he is in love, he is in love. He once decided that he liked velour sweat suits. So he bought eight. No joke. Thought he was P.Diddy” so obviously we can see the man is passionate. Cal’s assertion is that the shirt should only be removed if the WOD moves you to do so. As we all know CrossFit workouts are epic battles, so much so that you most definitely gain a distinct advantage from shucking off those cumbersome threads. The most valid point? Certainly. I can not argue with a man, who once did “The Bear” shirtless because he felt it was the only way to show the appropriate “respect”, as Dave put it “the bar was going to clearly tear skin off his back every time he went from overhead to back squat. A true pimp in this”

So what have we learned? Basically topless is preferable in every situation with a slight edge to the spiritual one.

So now that we’re all in agreement that the Hanesless Hang Clean and Shirtless Snatches are a good thing. Lets delve into the “whom” of the bare chested back squat. My first two examples come from personal experience. So lets get to the T-Shirt tossin…

3 Bills:
That’s right I said it, going shirtless has no ceiling. I topped out at a lean 309 lbs in college, fueled by Olive Garden Breadsticks and Coors Light, I never waivered in my dedication to the shirtless workout. Now is the time to unlock the secret of the cottonless clean…. Topless WODs are strictly utilitarian ventures. When I’m 3 bills you better believe it’s considerably hotter for me out there than for Johnny Buck 50. In my opinion the bigger all the more reason to toss the T-Shirt, just because we got a spare tire doesn’t exempt us from being move to a “Cal”esque WOD.

Chubby Guy with Big Pecs and Back Hair:
See above “3 Bills”. Just wanted to throw this one in here to show you my current state. As with 3 Bills, the addition of the coat of body hair, adds to the need for threadless thrusters.

Super Ripped Guy:
Hey super ripped guy, newsflash buddy, nobody gives a crap that you have a 12 pack. Nobody’s impressed with your lats, and frankly we could all care less, that you can do 1000 air squats in a row without messing up your hair. Super ripped guy its time to take a look in the mirror (you’ve obviously been here before), am I rocking a shirtless WOD because its a spiritual experience or am I just trying to impress Suzy Sports Bra over there? Is my lack of torso covering due to a 60-day heat wave, or am I just trying to show off my 3 oblique muscles? Check yourself super ripped guy, are your intentions pure? If not lets reevaluate, maybe its time for you to did some air squats in a sweatsuit.

Women of all shapes and sizes:
I need to get something off my chest…. It takes a lot of cigarettes, cocaine, and vomiting to look like the fine ladies of US Weekly and Cosmo. Whew that felt good, you ladies are bombarded with negative body images on a daily basis, and since its been established in this fine article that topless tabatas are a strictly utilitarian venture. I implore you ladies to join in on the fun. Let go of the preconceived notions of what you “should” look like and embrace what you are DOING. CrossFit workouts are terrible, your heart is pumping something like 56575 BPMs, your lungs are on fire, and you can’t see straight. Why subject your self to the additional pain of lugging around a 15 lb shirt soaked in sweat, this stuff is hard enough. Liberate yourself ladies, everyone of you is beautiful, no matter where you are in your fitness journey.

So there you have it consider yourself educated. This is the definitive guide to shirt removal (hey! he stole that from the apple guy), get out there folks and get those shirts off and enjoy your wod!