Behind the Desk: Chas C.
Over the past month, we’ve been bringing you new installments of our Behind the Desk series, about our beloved and much appreciated front desk staff! These CrossFitters take care of the important duties of checking in our members, handling walk-ins, tidying up after classes, and so many other things that it would take forever to list them. They are the glue that holds this gym together.
Last week, it was Kate T. And now (drum roll, please)…
Name (and any nicknames):
Charles Edward Augustine Carey, Jr. (“Chas,” please, though I also answer to “Chasworth,” “Chasmo,” “Chasmeister,” “Chasimus,” and pretty much any other variation as long as you don’t spell it with a “z”)
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in scenic Connecticut, but we moved around a bit and I consider the Boston area to be “where I’m from” because it allows me to claim kinship with post-punk icons such as Mission of Burma, the Pixies, and Tom Brady.
How long have you been CrossFitting, and how did you arrive at CFSBK?
I found CrossFit via CFSBK in late January of 2015 and have been here ever since, steadily increasing my involvement to the point where I now find myself checking all you guys in and going out to trivia with you at the Rock Shop on Wednesday nights. Anyone seen my copy of “Going Clear”?
What’s your hidden talent?
Calligraphy. You can see my stunning handiwork on the whiteboard on Monday and Wednesday mornings. The later shifts usually erase it because you can have too much of a good thing.
Ask me about that time I…
…won an award in law school for producing a record-breaking three-show theatrical season for the Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society. (Do not ask me what my law school grades were.)
What are you up to when you’re not at 597 Degraw Street?
Law, theater (usually producing but some acting), writing, hanging out at 608 Degraw Street. Shameless plug for trivia on Wednesday nights… come join your fellow CFSBKers on team Brainz + Gainz!
Program your dream workout:
Tacos for time.
Any front-desk public service announcements?
Echoing Kate here: please don’t be offended if any of us forgets your name! Speaking for myself, I’m a little face-blind and have all sorts of tricks I use to remember people, but there are an awful lot of you and sometimes I just draw a blank, even if you’ve been buying a FitAid from me for months. Luckily you are all awesome and it’s a pleasure to say hi and help you out if you have any questions.
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Press | NFT Work
A 200-Burpee Penalty for Leaving Equipment Out CrossFit Akureyi
The Evolution of a Games Athlete with Wes Piatt Barbell Shrugged
Wednesday's Programming
Front Squat
Performance
1-1-1-1-1
Fitness
3-3-3-3-3
Establish a new 1RM or 3RM.
Post loads to comments.
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EMOM x 15 (5 rounds each):
A) 7 Box Jumps 24/20"
B) 5 Strict Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups/Chin Ups
C) 130m Jog
These should be completed well before the 30-second mark on the fast end. Use bands as needed for the Pull-Ups but make these strict Chest-to-Bar today.
Post work to comments.
Love it Chas!!
Hooray for Chas Day! Always a pleasure to see you behind the desk or in class. I think your handwriting is nothing short of elegant.
7am w/McDowell and Jess
Push press up to 110# x 1. I couldn't find a previous RM for this, but it felt good! Failed my last attempt at 115#, went way out in front of me and had to bail.
NFR work: played around with more free standing handstands, could stay up for a few seconds. Rowing was hard as usual, but pulled 1cal for 8/10 pulls on average. I need all the sit ups I can get.
Chas! What a delight, the murph quotes were so on point when that was happening. Especially the Dostoyevsky one.
And it's true sometimes I look up at the whiteboard and say "yes, Chas' calligraphic art touches something deep down in my soul, I just wish I could read it" 😉
Also, hey everyone! Come take my Pilates class tonight!
Take it before class to do better at class, take it after class to feel better after class, take it on it's own to have the funnest time and feel awesome afterwards!
Can Tacos for Time please happen!?!
Hopping just to say, I wasn't sure til I checked my notebook, but I did PR my push press last night with 3 reps at 88# (previous had been a 1RM at 87#). A nice surprise since tons of travel has made my attendance much more sporadic. And extra thanks Ro for not laughing TOO hard when my shoulder was so sweaty last night that the bar actually slipped right off it.
YEA CHAS! I haven't seen any of the Calligraphy you've done. Post some of it up on the blog next time around.
8am with McDowell
Wednesday's Workout
I have to admit, I was more excited not having to do tempo front squats than anything. Made my day instantly.
Front Squat: 155, 165, 185(Old PR), 200 , 210
Overall, These felt great. I haven't tested my max front squat for sometime and I remember 185 being a sloppy grind. Also, I'm glad I didn't push myself to failure on this.
WOD:
I scaled to bands for rounds 2-5. I didn't really keep track of the results, but around 25-40 seconds on each station. The pull-ups took the most time for me.
AG
A. Toes to bar kipping/strict
B. 3-4 rounds @85% SH effort
500m row
15 burpees, AFAP
10 toes to bar
rest/walk/correctives/skill work 10-15 min
Chasmatazz! I'm so sorry, and I feel pretty ignorant right now. I don't know anything about calligraphy and didn't realize what I was looking at all those times I teased you about your "handwritting" on the board…Please accept my apology, won't happen again.
10 am class
Decided to test out the front rack. Was going to do triples but Jess suggested singles (less time in the rack position). Felt pretty ok. Worked up to 285 which is a little above 90% and felt pretty solid.
EMOM was fun. I too, would prefer to only ever run 130m.
Wow, when I worked at the desk, everyone *also* loved my handwriting so much that they had to erase it. Glad to hear Chas is keeping Zodiac Killer-chic calligraphy alive.
Chas's handwriting is legendary. No one lets him have the pencil at pub quiz. But he sure does know his stuff!
Also, dude, you know you're just asking to have bad puns done with your name, right? Chas the World Turns? Smooth Chas? Chas I Lay Dying? (I'll be sure to call you that after a Crush Week WOD)
7 AM squatting with Jess:
Hit 190 on the FSQ, failed 195, a weight I have made before. I blame the humidity.
WOD with C2B chinups, broken into 2-3 sets each time. My lats were freakin' sore from Sunday's AG kipping pullup work so these were harder than usual.
Chasowitz!
I like everyone talking about your handwriting. Yeah Josh was also a superstar with the white board marker. lol
Never change, fellas
Chas- Once upon a time eating a taco at the gym was sacred, and had a place even on the leaderboard. That time has passed, as an evil tyrant has decided that the taco is no longer valued.
So, eating tacos for time while fun, yields no awards. Maybe one day it shall.
Chas is awesome.
6am with Jess
Push press: worked up to 1x 150#. Really stoked on this.
NFT: Arms were pretty shaky on the hand stands, and the weighted sit-ups that way were new and fun.
Yay Chas! You, Kate, Karina, Jamal and now Tori are all fantastic additions to the team. And there is something very endearing about your calligraphy skills.
Warm-up
2 Rounds
10 cal row
30 sec Sorenson hold
8 inchworm push-ups
5 chin-ups
A1) Deadlift- 5, 5, 5 rest 90 secs
225 x 5, 240 x 5, 250 x 5
A2) Close Grip Bench Press- 5, 5, 5 @3010 rest 90 secs
115 x 6, 120 x 5, 125 x 5
B1) DB Ext Rotation- 6-8 reps, rest 60 secs
12.5 x 8, 15 x 8 x 2
B2) Ring Push ups- max reps minus 1, rest 60 secs
3 x 10- prob had more but these are uncomfortable!
C) 3 sets
400m row
15 push press @75#
10 burpees
10 power cleans
4 mins rest
3:36, 3:44, 3:45
Was wondering about the intensity here and then I realized I was supposed to have 100' farmers carry in there too so yeah I messed up the workout and missed the whole point of it. But at least my times were consistent!!!
Chasiepoo!! Brilliant
One of my favorite faces at the gym and props for stepping up the dress code.
6am
FSQ 295# – I think ties PR
Push Press 195# – never really tested before
Ya CHas!!!
Today: super sore from fitness palooza YDAY, moooving slow
A) WU- 3 rds:
10 Russian KBS 20kg
10 lateral banded stepovers
5 box jumps 24"
B) 3×8 suitcase DL @ 75#
C)10 rounds, each round for time, of:
1 Deadlift | 275 lbs
Run, 100 m
Resting 1 min between each round.
Total: 3 mins 52 secs | (22 secs), (23 secs), (22 secs), (25 secs), (23 secs), (23 secs), (24 secs), (23 secs), (23 secs), and (24 secs) | Rx'd
Fun! Sprinted as fast as I could with a turnaround at 50M mark (Erik was laughing at my ugly sprinting face). Deadlift was pretty heavy- but doable. Considered going up but have a little history with back spasm after heavy deadlifts so I played it safe. Happy with ability to stay consistent across splits. Felt better than it has in 6 months! Hooray for smart accessory work and patience throughout the process!
Yay Chas! Always awesome doing partner wods with someone that loves suffering (and complaining about suffering) as much as I do.
Open gym @ NC Fit (CA)
Push Press 165 190* 200* 205* 210F
Previous PR was 185, so pretty happy with a 20lb jump here, although I was expecting it. BTWB predicted my "potential 1RM" as 204, so that was pretty spot on. 210 just isn't there yet.
Then did some NFT work with an assault bike, weighted sit-ups and wall-facing holds.
We're lucky to have such an awesome front desk team!
Thanks for always greeting us with a smile and being so helpful 🙂
Yeah Chas!
PP: 95-105-115-120F
115 is a 2# PR. Happy with this because I was worried I wasn't going to be able to match my PR. Tried 120 at the last minute just to see even though I knew it was a long shot. Got the bar pretty high but I've never been good at fighting out a press. And I just don't think I'm strong enough to PP 120 yet.
NFT done!