Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

friday, december 26

A.

18 mins to build to a 1RM C&J for the day

B.

3 sets:

In 60s, complete:

5 C&J (135/95) + max shuttle runs

rest 2 mins

In 60s, complete:

5 C&J (135/95) + max cal echo bike

rest 2 mins

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

wednesday, december 24

CrossFit

for time:

400-600-1000-1200m run [Rx+ 600-800-1200-1600m]

20-15-10-5 bench press*

20-15-10-5 strict pull-ups

*

20 reps @ (105-155)/(65-95)

15 reps @ (135-185)/(75-115)

10 reps @ (145-205)/(95-135)

5 reps @ (155-225)/(105-155)

HYROX

for time:

400-600-1000-1200m run [Rx+ 600-800-1200-1600m]

40-30-20-10 DB lunge steps

20-15-10-5 cal row

20-15-10-5 wall balls

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

tuesday, december 23

A.

6 sets:

2 deadlifts 

B.

4 rounds for time:

75 DUs

15 TTB

20 DB deadlifts (50/35)

25/18 cal row

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

it turns out that Strength Training Is A Super Effective Anti-Aging Tool

When people think about “anti-aging,” they usually think skincare, supplements, or cosmetic procedures. But it turns out that one of the most powerful, evidence backed anti-aging interventions comes from resistance and strength training, just like what we do in our CrossFit classes.

Not all lifting is equal

At CFGG, we love tempo, pauses, and slow eccentrics when we lift for the purpose of sound movement and strength development. However, this method of strength training also creates a stimulus in your body that supports longevity, skin integrity, and tissue resilience. In other words: we’re not just training muscles, we’re training your cells.

The Hormone effect: Why Slow, Heavy Work Matters

Strength training, particularly high-tension, slow eccentric loading (think tempo), triggers a powerful hormonal response:

  • Growth Hormone (GH)

  • IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor)

  • Testosterone (in all genders)

  • Myokines released from working muscle tissue

These hormones help you get stronger and they are also critical signals for repair, regeneration, and structural integrity throughout the entire body. 

Fibroblasts: The Hidden Players in Aging

Fibroblasts are the cells responsible for producing collagen, elastin, and extracellular matrix (the scaffolding that gives skin, fascia, and connective tissue its firmness and resilience).

As we age, fibroblast activity naturally declines. That’s one reason we see thinning skin, loss of elasticity, slower healing throughout the whole body and joint and tendon fragility. Fibroblasts respond to mechanical tension and hormonal signaling. Slow, controlled resistance training provides both and improves longevity of tendons and ligaments, fascia, and skin support structures. The hormonal environment created by this training style stimulates fibroblasts to produce new collagen, improving tissue quality from the inside out.

This is why people who strength train well don’t just seem more resilient and look stronger they often look younger too!

CrossFit Is Uniquely Effective

Strength training, especially the slow, controlled, intentional lifting that you see in our workouts at CFGG, has so many benefits other than just building strength and muscle. It signals your body to repair, reinforce, and regenerate itself. That’s not just fitness, that’s anti-aging from the inside out!

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

monday, december 22

A.

6 sets: 

1 tempo pause back squat (3211)

B.

for time:

21-15-9 thrusters (95/65)

18-15-12 box jump overs (24/20)

9-6-3 front squats (185/125)

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

Why Short, Intense CrossFit Workouts Are Powerful Dopamine Recalibrators that help reset your brain

Modern life delivers constant, effortless dopamine via scrolling, snacking, notifications, stimulation on demand. The result for many people is the opposite of happiness: restlessness, low motivation, anxiety, and compulsive habits. Short, intense CrossFit workouts are a great way to correct this.

Acute Discomfort, Real Reset

A hard CrossFit wod creates voluntary, short-term discomfort (heavy breathing, muscle fatigue, mental grit). In the moment, your body releases endorphins, which blunt pain and create that post-workout “high.” On a deeper level, that same discomfort also triggers a dopamine rebound, improving baseline mood, focus, and motivation for hours (and cumulatively, days). Instead of chasing stimulation, the nervous system resets.

Less Compulsion, More Calm

Sustained physical effort reduces the urge for quick dopamine hits afterward (mindless scrolling, snacking, impulsive behaviors). The brain has already done something difficult and meaningful. It doesn’t need instant relief.

The Value of Grueling Work

Not every CrossFit workout is fun, most of them are uncomfortable, repetitive, tedious, and simply hard. That’s what makes them effective but it’s also part of the neurochemical benefit. Choosing effort over ease restores the effort/reward relationship that modern life has eroded.

Endorphins & Dopamine

CrossFit triggers both:

  • Endorphins for immediate pain relief and post-workout euphoria

  • Dopamine recalibration for longer lasting emotional balance and reduced craving

One feels good right away, the other changes how you feel afterward. CrossFit isn’t just about improving physical fitness, it’s a perfect nervous system reset in a world that’s made things too easy.

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

thursday, december 18

A.

5 sets:

1 strict press + 4 push press

B.

2 sets, one set every 8 mins, each set for time:

400m run

15 push press (95/65, Rx+ 115/75)

9 bar muscle-ups or 3 rope climbs or 15 CTB pull-ups

15 push press (95/65)

400m run

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

wednesday, december 17

A.

deadlift

3 sets of 3 reps

3 sets of 2 reps

B.

5 sets:

90s on/90s off:

10 burpees over the DB

16 alternating DB snatches (50/35, Rx+ 65/45)

max cal echo bike (or ski)

score = total cals

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

ready to start preparing for your next hyrox race? we’ve got some tips!

HYROX sits at a unique intersection of endurance, strength, and mental grit. It’s not just a race, and it’s not just a workout, it’s sustained output under fatigue. That’s exactly why our CrossFit classes are such a strong foundation for HYROX preparation. Here’s why the combination works so well.

1. Strength endurance matters

HYROX isn’t about hitting one-rep maxes. It’s about repeated submaximal efforts under fatigue — sled pushes, sled pulls, wall balls, lunges, carries — all performed after running.

CrossFit’s emphasis on:

  • moderate loads

  • high reps

  • cyclical movement

  • time-based work

builds strength endurance, which is arguably the most important physical quality in HYROX. You’re training your body to keep producing force even when your heart rate is elevated and your legs are fatigued.

2. You get comfortable working while uncomfortable

One of the biggest limiters in HYROX is lactic acid accumulation, especially in the legs.

CrossFit regularly exposes athletes to:

  • quad-dominant movements (thrusters, wall balls, lunges)

  • posterior-chain fatigue (deadlifts, sleds)

  • high heart rates paired with loaded movement

This teaches you how to:

  • manage discomfort

  • keep moving when your legs feel heavy

  • stay mentally engaged when your body wants to stop

That skill transfers directly to late-race HYROX performance.

3. Running after leg fatigue is a trained skill

HYROX running isn’t fresh running. It’s running when your legs are already flooded after sleds, lunges, and carries.

CrossFit prepares you for this specific challenge by constantly forcing transitions:

  • lift → run

  • squat → assault bike

  • carry → burpee

  • push → pull

The goal isn’t to become a pure runner, it’s to become a runner who can hold form under fatigue.

4. Functional strength makes stations more efficient

HYROX rewards efficiency.

Athletes with solid CrossFit backgrounds often move through stations faster because:

  • sleds feel lighter relative to strength capacity

  • carries are less grip-limited

  • wall balls break down less technically

  • lunges remain controlled instead of sloppy

That efficiency preserves energy for the run which is where many races are won or lost.

5. Mental resilience is well trained in CrossFit

HYROX is as much psychological as it is physical.

CrossFit trains:

  • pacing judgment

  • discomfort tolerance

  • mid-workout problem solving

  • staying present under stress

You learn when to push, when to settle, and how to keep moving when your internal dialogue gets loud. That’s invaluable on race day.

If HYROX is your goal:

  • Keep doing CrossFit 4–5x/week

  • Add 2–3 runs/week

  • Practice running after leg fatigue

  • Focus on movement efficiency, not ego loads

CrossFit gives you the engine, the chassis, and the mindset. Running fine-tunes the wheels. Together, they’re one of the most effective ways to prepare for the demands of HYROX, not just to finish, but to perform well when it hurts most. Drop-in to one of our classes today!

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

tuesday, december 16

A.

6 sets:

2 back squats (no tempo or pause)

B.

12 min amrap:

12 front rack lunge steps (135/95)

12 TTB

36 DUs

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

monday, december 15

A.

8 sets:

clean + split jerk (70-75%)

B.

for time:

8-6-4-2 push jerk (155/105, Rx+ 185/125)

16-12-8-4 burpee box jumps

24-18-12-6 CTB pull-ups

cash out: 9 wall walks

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

thursday, december 11

A.

5 sets:

2 strict press + 4 push press

B.

5 rounds for time:

9 CTB pull-ups (Rx+ 5 BMUs)

12 DB bench (50/35, Rx+ 70/45)

18/15 cal row

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

wednesday, december 10

A.

deadlift
Set 1 – 4 @ 65-75%
Set 2 – 3 @ 75-80%
Set 3 – 2 @ 80-85%
Set 4 – 2 @ 85+%
Set 5 – 2 @ 85+%

B.

2 sets (4 work intervals):

3 mins to complete:
   400m run + max DUs or Echo Bike

60s rest

3 mins to complete:
   400m run + Max Russian KBS (70/53)

60s rest

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

tuesday, december 9

A.

6 sets:
1 tempo pause back squat (3211) + 1 rep no tempo

B.

10 rounds for time (18 min cap):

5 front squats

6 front rack lunges (135/95)

7 box jump overs 

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

monday, december 8

A.

6 sets: 

clean & jerk (70-75%)

B.

10 min amrap:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
bar facing burpees
push press (115/75, Rx+ 135/95)
pull-ups (Rx+ CTB)

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

friday, december 5

A.

1RM hang snatch

B.

for time:

21-15-9 

     power snatch**

     TTB

then,

1000/800m row (cash out)

** snatch reps:

21 at 75/55

15 at 95/65

9 at 135/95

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Danielle Rabkin Danielle Rabkin

thursday, december 4

A.

5 sets:

2 strict press + 3 push press

B.

for time:

21-15-9 DB bench press (50/35, Rx+ 60-70)

300m run

9-6-3 wall walks (Rx+ 12-9-6)

300m run

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