“I got no Place else to Go!!!”

I’ve always said Old Country is a Open forum. I invite others to share with us their training and stories. Sometimes I don’t know who reads this thing. I see that a lot of people do but I have no idea who.

Then I received a email from a reader who let me know that Old Country ment something. Here are is a clip from what he sent me.

“The things I love to do the most in life are deep-sea diving, mountaineering and surfing. These are three activities where if you cannot keep your shit together physically and mentally its going to be a very bad day, and a bad day means dead or crippled. Physically, I train hard and have been doing a combo of crossfit, heavy lifting and austere training (lots and lots of pull-ups) to keep me hard. Mentally, I have to be flexible but defiant, I have to be ready to roll with whatever. For me OCS really exemplifies all of these things and I always look forward to the blog posts and always feel ready to lift after reading.

I do not have a regular group to train with here in the Olympia area. My local crossfit gyms simply have no times that jive with my work schedule. I have also found that telling a potential partner that, for example, the days workout might consist of flipping a giant tire a hundred times and then performing a heavy deadlift session sends them packing. So I train almost monastically, by myself, either in my garage gym at home or outside with whatever is at hand-in all weather. So for me, I look to OCS to be inspired by athletes who are harder and stronger than I am and have just the right attitude.”

I can’t tell you how jacked the email got me. I myself couldn’t find a Crossfit that fit what I was looking for when I started out. I took to working out by myself and when I could wrangle the original Barbell Club I had a crew to bang with.

The picture above is from OCS supporter Gordo getting his Guerrilla lift on during lunch. He tells me he has Kb’s and a medball stashed in his office and heads out back to get after shit when he has time at. From the look of Gordo and where he’s training he already has the makings of a modern day savage. Thanks for the email my friend, Get Some…

Posted by: Z

*The hoodies are in and now available for pick up. They are sick

 

 

“There are no pacts between lions and men…”

The men and women of Old Country’s Strength Athlete Program have gravel in there guts. Six weeks, six weeks of their lives have been dedicated to one thing, to RED LINE.

I told them to come ready for one thing this Cycle, “Good ol’ fashion blunt force trauma…”

They don’t care about times. They don’t do it for glory or their name on a leader board. Pure power output. Push until you can’t push anymore then go past that. This is what they do day in and day out. And then they limp into Saturday Slobber Knocker workouts bloody but unbowed. These men and women are lions.

I had the honor to share a program with these Modern Day Vikings the last five and a half weeks. And as the programs split for the Crossfit Open I announce a arena for them to toe the line in.

This is the Old Country Combine…

The Combine will take place on Saturday, March 26th. The gym will be open at 10AM for warm up, and competition will begin promptly at 11AM. Events are as follows:

Event 1 – StrongMan/StrongLady KettleBell Ranks

Complete 24 kb jerks with right arm and 24 kb jerks with left arm in 4 minutes or less.*

Complete 24 kb cleans with right arm and 24 kb cleans with left arm in 4 minutes or less.*

*You are allowed only one hand switch in each 4 minute period The bell may not be set down or the set will be terminated.

The same weight kettlebell must be used on the jerk and the clean in order to achieve rank. Rank explanations are detailed below.

Failing to complete 24 reps of either movement on either arm will result in a failed attempt. Each athlete has 3 attempts to achieve the highest rank possible. You will be given time to rest between the jerk and clean test.

MEN	LADIES
S-32 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 32kg/70# S-36 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 36kg/79# S-40 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 40kg/88# S-44 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 44kg/97# S-48 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 48kg/106#	S-20 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 20kg/44# S-24 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 24kg/53# S-28 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 28kg/62# S-32 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 32kg/70# S-36 = 24+24 reps (Jerk & Clean) with 36kg/79#

Event 2 – The OCS Squat Test

Perform Max Rep Squat (225#/135#)
5 minute cut-off, bar may not be racked, you are allowed one attempt at the squat test.

Event 3 – “Iron Tamer”

Establish a 3 Rep Max Axel Deadlift

Each athlete will be given 3 attempts to establish a 3RM.
METAL PLATES ONLY.
The bar must be returned to the floor after each rep (i.e. no drops).

This is your time to bang, I’m proud of all of you…

Posted by: Z

“Now put Your foot on it, and STAND!!!”

“Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war…”

Caliber’s 5th Edition draws toward the end of its journey. And with it, athletes that have trained a year for the coming sectionals begin to deload. But what of those left still forging themselves with iron on their back and in hand?

Where will they make their stand?

Where will they challenge themselves?

On Saturday March 26th we will be holding the second Old Country Combine. We will see all new events that will challenge any marauder who thinks they are up for the task. Well, all new events save the Squat Test…
WHO’S READY TO BANG?

Posted by: Z

“You can Be my Wingman any Day…”

“At least I know half way in I’ll have finished my first marathon.”

That’s what my PAL Scotty said to me when he was getting ready for the White River 50 mile Ultra Marathon. Scotty is the Club’s go to guy for running advice. He’s currently out furthering his career with the USMC, so needless to say we miss the little fucker. Don’t let a sub 7 Helen, 28 rounds of Cindy, or the fact that he’s a level two Endurance Coach fool ya. Scotty is a guerilla. It’s why we get along so well, don’t believe me…

I can’t tell you how many times Scotty has gotten me to man up in my training. Scotty was the one that got me back on track for sectionals last year. We’ve sprinted hills and cried out “SPARTA” more times than I can remember on the prowler. He is one of the best training partners I’ve ever had, but more than anything Scotty is my Pal.

Posted by: Z

“I do Two things, Drive Trucks and Break Arms…”

How do the boys at Crossfit North Vancouver get down on Caliber workouts when they don’t have a Prowler?

Get Some…

Posted by: Z

“Regulators…”

“The Rat Pack”

Whose the man up in this piece? There isn’t one. The Club isn’t about one person. But who comes up with these crazy idea’s and schemes? It can’t just be one man behind the curtain like OZ can it? No.

In the Gorilla community a troop is run by a Silverback. One chest slappy, hay throwen, bad mother. Heavy is the head that lies the crown. So how does one deal? He builds pack to stand with him. If your familiar with Old Country then your familiar with Chest Slappen Guerillas. But at the head there isn’t one person. Theres a pack.

Gorilla Pit: What It Means to Be a Silverback

Posted By: Z

“He’s worried! You cut him! You hurt him! You see? You see? He’s not a machine, he’s a man!”

When Rocky Balboa traveled to Russia to bang it out with Soviet Super man Ivan Drago to avenge the death of friend and mentor Apollo Creed, he needed to be hard. You don’t get hard by taking it easy and enjoying creature comforts. No, you hoist rocks, and sprint fucking mountians, you chop wood until your hands bleed. This Guerrilla Lifting submission needs little lead in other then Emily is a badass.

And if Rocky and Emily didn’t show you gritty training then lets watch this favorite of mine from our main man Arden a competitive logging champion.

Posted by: Z

“Kong…”

Nickay submitted this picture after in his own words, “I carried that God Damn Bell all over the God Damn San Jaun Islands…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 4th Edition Caliber Cycle has wrapped. Let’s see how the work these dedicated athletes put in paided off. 

Posted by: Z        

“At any Time you Can Ring that Bell…”

We wrapped our last push on the 4th Edition of CC last week. In the end I saw a number athletes looking just like Rocky in his first fight with Apollo.
“I just want to got the distance…”

I told my athletes I did not expect all of them to be able to take the 6 weeks of mental and physical strain. I told that if they wanted at anytime they could Ring the Bell and that’d be that. Very few did rang that bell, those that stuck it out came into the Hell Week just trying to go the distance. Proud of you guys.

 

Lets not forget a number of our Road Warriors this Cycle. Derek and Betsy Porter weren’t going to let lack of kettlebells, dirty looks from staff, or the fact that they were in Oregon keep them from getting shit done.

This Guerrilla Lifting submission comes from them as they kept up with their workload this Cycle.

Get Some…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by: Z 

“Come on Rock, lets get Get out of Here and go to the Old Gym…”

Today’s Guerrilla Lifting submission comes from our Friend Mike “Dr.tri” Ross.

“My buddy Jordan is done with gyms, or boxes, or whatever you want to call them…
He bought a shipping container.
He rented some space in a storage lot down in Ballard.
He filled it up with random heavy things.

He went down to 4th Ave S. and got a couple different size tires for pulling, pushing, etc.
He invited me and Ty down there from time to time.
He lost 110lbs just beating the shit out of heavy stuff and dragging around heavy objects….” Get Some, Guerrilla Lifting…

Lets not forget our week 5 Caliber Cycle update. Lights at the end of the tunnel guys. To see what the CC group is up to check out the OCS Training Log.

Posted by: Z