CrossFit Firebase, Orlando, FL
AMRAP in 24 min:
20 Air Squats
10 Tuck Jumps
20 KB Swings
10R/10L KB Snatches
No. of Rounds Completed: 9
WOD
CrossFit Evolution, Longwood, FL
"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (65#)
Pullups
Time: 4:25
Monday, December 22, 2008
Monday 12/22/2008
WOD
CrossFit Firebase, Orlando, FL
AMRAP in 24 min:
20 Air Squats
10 Tuck Jumps
20 KB Swings
10R/10L KB Snatches
No. of Rounds Completed: 9
WOD
CrossFit Evolution, Longwood, FL
"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (65#)
Pullups
Time: 4:25
CrossFit Firebase, Orlando, FL
AMRAP in 24 min:
20 Air Squats
10 Tuck Jumps
20 KB Swings
10R/10L KB Snatches
No. of Rounds Completed: 9
WOD
CrossFit Evolution, Longwood, FL
"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (65#)
Pullups
Time: 4:25
Saturday, December 20, 2008
In the Sunshine State
I'm vacationing in Florida right now, which explains the dearth of posts. So far, I've visited Harbor City CrossFit, CrossFit Palm Beach, CrossFit Delray Beach, CrossFit Broward, CrossFit Affliction, and CrossFit Hardcore -- all in 3 days. Looking forward to hitting up the affiliates in Orlando over the next few days. Will update soon!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Friday 12/05/2008
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site (Thursday 081204):
Five rounds for time of:
50 pound dumbbell, walking lunge, 10 alternating steps
50 pound dumbbell, swing, 15 reps
The instructions for this workout were pretty ambiguous, so I performed the lunges with two 50# DBs (yes, in case you were wondering, they were pretty f%&*ing heavy) at the low carry position. Swings were performed with one 50# DB to full overhead lockout. Perhaps I hadn't noticed the need for torso stabilization as much with lighter weights, but I definitely felt it today. I think weighted lunges are a great exercise for developing core stability! Oh, and heavy weighted lunges beat weighted stepups any day in terms of Ass-Kicking Potential (AKP)*.
*A term created by Keith Wittenstein of CrossFit Virtuosity, and frequently used in the CrossFit circle to objectively quantify the Suck Factor of a particular movement.
Time: 10:42
WOD
From NavySEALS.com:
"Ladder of Death"
Thrusters (Rx'd: 65#)
Pull-ups
Ladder is for thrusters only. Starting with 25, then 20, then 15, 10, 5, then 10, 15, 20 and ending at 25. Do 10 pull-ups between each set of thrusters. Try to do unbroken sets of both thrusters and pull-ups. That is very challenging though, so if you can't then do as many as you can in the first set, then finish them off. Get into the habit of only resting for 3 breath cycles between broken sets.
Time: 17:20
This workout wasn't as daunting as I originally imagined it to be. It's kind of like a Mega-Fran, which was, well, a real treat since I'd done Fran only two days ago. I must say, 65# thrusters definitely feel really light, after using 95# for all my workouts. I was glad that the prescribed weight (for males) on the Navy SEALs site was 65# for this workout, since it allowed me to gauge the progress I'd made via consistent overloading.
Breakdown of Thrusters/Pullups:
25T/10P
10T/10T/10P
8T/7T/6P/4P
10T/8P/2P
5T/10P
10T/6P/4P
8T/7T/8P/2P
10T/10T/9P/1P
10T/8T/7T
If this workout ever reappears in the cycle, I'll try to minimize the number of breaks within sets of thrusters and pullups. I realized that I didn't exactly follow the instructions of performing as many reps as possible in the first set. My strategy instead was to break the entire set down into more manageable sets, which explains sets like 10T/8T/7T. It's probably wholly psychological, but it makes it seem far more doable.
***
"It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper."
- R. Serling
From CrossFit Main Site (Thursday 081204):
Five rounds for time of:
50 pound dumbbell, walking lunge, 10 alternating steps
50 pound dumbbell, swing, 15 reps
The instructions for this workout were pretty ambiguous, so I performed the lunges with two 50# DBs (yes, in case you were wondering, they were pretty f%&*ing heavy) at the low carry position. Swings were performed with one 50# DB to full overhead lockout. Perhaps I hadn't noticed the need for torso stabilization as much with lighter weights, but I definitely felt it today. I think weighted lunges are a great exercise for developing core stability! Oh, and heavy weighted lunges beat weighted stepups any day in terms of Ass-Kicking Potential (AKP)*.
*A term created by Keith Wittenstein of CrossFit Virtuosity, and frequently used in the CrossFit circle to objectively quantify the Suck Factor of a particular movement.
Time: 10:42
WOD
From NavySEALS.com:
"Ladder of Death"
Thrusters (Rx'd: 65#)
Pull-ups
Ladder is for thrusters only. Starting with 25, then 20, then 15, 10, 5, then 10, 15, 20 and ending at 25. Do 10 pull-ups between each set of thrusters. Try to do unbroken sets of both thrusters and pull-ups. That is very challenging though, so if you can't then do as many as you can in the first set, then finish them off. Get into the habit of only resting for 3 breath cycles between broken sets.
Time: 17:20
This workout wasn't as daunting as I originally imagined it to be. It's kind of like a Mega-Fran, which was, well, a real treat since I'd done Fran only two days ago. I must say, 65# thrusters definitely feel really light, after using 95# for all my workouts. I was glad that the prescribed weight (for males) on the Navy SEALs site was 65# for this workout, since it allowed me to gauge the progress I'd made via consistent overloading.
Breakdown of Thrusters/Pullups:
25T/10P
10T/10T/10P
8T/7T/6P/4P
10T/8P/2P
5T/10P
10T/6P/4P
8T/7T/8P/2P
10T/10T/9P/1P
10T/8T/7T
If this workout ever reappears in the cycle, I'll try to minimize the number of breaks within sets of thrusters and pullups. I realized that I didn't exactly follow the instructions of performing as many reps as possible in the first set. My strategy instead was to break the entire set down into more manageable sets, which explains sets like 10T/8T/7T. It's probably wholly psychological, but it makes it seem far more doable.
***
"It is difficult to produce a television documentary that is both incisive and probing when every twelve minutes one is interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits singing about toilet paper."
- R. Serling
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thursday 12/04/2008
WOD
10 Pullups
20 Overhead Barbell Walking Lunges
30 Barbell Back Squats
40 Pushups
50 Barbell Push Presses
40 Pushups
30 Barbell Back Squats
20 Overhead Barbell Walking Lunges
10 Pullups
Time: 12:01
WOD
Mod "Linda" @ BW 125#
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Shoulder Press (65#)
Power Clean (95#)
Deadlift (185#)
Time: 24:03
***
"You can see a lot by just looking."
- Yogi Berra
10 Pullups
20 Overhead Barbell Walking Lunges
30 Barbell Back Squats
40 Pushups
50 Barbell Push Presses
40 Pushups
30 Barbell Back Squats
20 Overhead Barbell Walking Lunges
10 Pullups
Time: 12:01
WOD
Mod "Linda" @ BW 125#
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Shoulder Press (65#)
Power Clean (95#)
Deadlift (185#)
Time: 24:03
***
"You can see a lot by just looking."
- Yogi Berra
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Wednesday 12/03/2008
WOD
Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:
4 Barbell "Burpees" (135#)
4 V-Ups
Kicked it up to 5/5 for the last 5 sets.
True to my word, I had to do "Man-Fran" today... And I was pleased as hell with my time, since my initial goal was to finish under 10 minutes!
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site:
"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (95#)
Pullups
Time: 8:40
WOD: Starting Strength
Week 1, Day 2 (Workout B)
Squat
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 65#
1 x 5 @ 95#
1 x 5 @ 105#
3 x 5 @ 125#
Press
2 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 50#
3 x 5 @ 55#
Power Clean
2 x 5 @ 45#
5 x 3 @ 65#
Pullups; 3 sets to failure
1: 10
2: 9
3: 8
***
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
- Douglas Adams
Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:
4 Barbell "Burpees" (135#)
4 V-Ups
Kicked it up to 5/5 for the last 5 sets.
True to my word, I had to do "Man-Fran" today... And I was pleased as hell with my time, since my initial goal was to finish under 10 minutes!
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site:
"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thrusters (95#)
Pullups
Time: 8:40
WOD: Starting Strength
Week 1, Day 2 (Workout B)
Squat
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 65#
1 x 5 @ 95#
1 x 5 @ 105#
3 x 5 @ 125#
Press
2 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 50#
3 x 5 @ 55#
Power Clean
2 x 5 @ 45#
5 x 3 @ 65#
Pullups; 3 sets to failure
1: 10
2: 9
3: 8
***
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
- Douglas Adams
Tuesday 12/02/2008
WOD
With a pair of 30# DBs, perform
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Burpee
DB Push Press
DB Front Squat
WOD: Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Power Clean (95#)
Thruster (95#)
Time: 19:02
I made a commitment to step it up a notch on workouts that call for the typical Rx'd women's weight (65#), by using 95# for these workouts. Now there's no turning back! While not unmanageable by any means, consistently adding 30# of weight to the bar definitely makes a considerable difference, both in terms of length of time required to complete the workout (duh) as well as recovery. I've noticed a little more soreness in the days following such workouts. It's good, I suppose, since I rarely am afflicted by DOMS from CrossFit alone (distance running and gymnastics are separate issues here). So it's good to know that I'm challenging my muscles in a different way and forcing them to adapt to using a heavier load as a baseline.
***
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
- Author Unknown
With a pair of 30# DBs, perform
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Burpee
DB Push Press
DB Front Squat
WOD: Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Power Clean (95#)
Thruster (95#)
Time: 19:02
I made a commitment to step it up a notch on workouts that call for the typical Rx'd women's weight (65#), by using 95# for these workouts. Now there's no turning back! While not unmanageable by any means, consistently adding 30# of weight to the bar definitely makes a considerable difference, both in terms of length of time required to complete the workout (duh) as well as recovery. I've noticed a little more soreness in the days following such workouts. It's good, I suppose, since I rarely am afflicted by DOMS from CrossFit alone (distance running and gymnastics are separate issues here). So it's good to know that I'm challenging my muscles in a different way and forcing them to adapt to using a heavier load as a baseline.
***
"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
- Author Unknown
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday 12/01/2008
WOD: Charge
5 rounds of 25 reps each:
KB Goblet Squat (16 kg)
KB American Swing (16 kg)
DB Weighted Step-ups (25# DBs; 20" box)
Elevated Pushups (20" box)
WOD: Starting Strength
Week 1, Day 1 (Workout A)
Squat
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 65#
1 x 5 @ 95#
3 x 5 @ 115#
Press
2 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 50#
3 x 5 @ 55#
Deadlift
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 95#
1 x 5 @ 105#
1 x 5 @ 115#
1 x 5 @ 135#
Chinups; 3 sets to failure
1: 10
2: 7
3: 7
First actual session of Starting Strength -- dialed the weights way back as per Rippetoe's recommendations, so it was a very easy day. Though I don't think I'll be saying the same thing a few weeks from now! ;)
***
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live."
- George Bernard Shaw
5 rounds of 25 reps each:
KB Goblet Squat (16 kg)
KB American Swing (16 kg)
DB Weighted Step-ups (25# DBs; 20" box)
Elevated Pushups (20" box)
WOD: Starting Strength
Week 1, Day 1 (Workout A)
Squat
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 65#
1 x 5 @ 95#
3 x 5 @ 115#
Press
2 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 50#
3 x 5 @ 55#
Deadlift
1 x 5 @ 45#
1 x 5 @ 95#
1 x 5 @ 105#
1 x 5 @ 115#
1 x 5 @ 135#
Chinups; 3 sets to failure
1: 10
2: 7
3: 7
First actual session of Starting Strength -- dialed the weights way back as per Rippetoe's recommendations, so it was a very easy day. Though I don't think I'll be saying the same thing a few weeks from now! ;)
***
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live."
- George Bernard Shaw
Sunday 11/30/2008
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlifts (185#)
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Medicine Ball Situps (14#)
***
"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbor's."
- Richard Whately
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlifts (185#)
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Medicine Ball Situps (14#)
***
"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbor's."
- Richard Whately
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Saturday 11/29/2008
WOD: Charge
"Fran + Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Full Squat Clean (95#)
Ring Dips
Thruster (95#)
Pullups
***
"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."
- Joe Paterno
"Fran + Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Full Squat Clean (95#)
Ring Dips
Thruster (95#)
Pullups
***
"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."
- Joe Paterno
Black Friday 11/28/2008
WOD
Ladders with a Partner
1-10
Box Jumps (24")
KB Double Push Jerks (30#)
Box Dips
KB Double Cleans (16 kg)
Weighted Situps (30#)
KB Snatch - R (16 kg)
KB Snatch - L (16 kg)
***
"Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy."
- Author Unknown
Ladders with a Partner
1-10
Box Jumps (24")
KB Double Push Jerks (30#)
Box Dips
KB Double Cleans (16 kg)
Weighted Situps (30#)
KB Snatch - R (16 kg)
KB Snatch - L (16 kg)
***
"Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy."
- Author Unknown
Turkey Day 11/27/2008
Turkey Day happened to be Patty's birthday as well, so we did a Painstorm-ish workout of sorts which did double duty -- celebrating her 47th year of life, as well as earning us the right to stuff our faces at dinner that evening!
WOD
"Happy Birthday, Patty!"
Perform 47 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next:
Hurdle Jumps
American KB Swings
Pullups
Push Presses (Barbell)
Yay, Burpees!
Box Jumps
I-Don't-Knows (Flutter Kicks)
Ring Rows
T-Pushups
Hands-to-Toes
Double Unders
Air Squats
Yay, Burpees!
Pistols
Arm Haulers
Thrusters (Barbell)
Twists (Russian)
Yay, Burpees!
Time: 51:09
***
"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude."
- E.P. Powell
WOD
"Happy Birthday, Patty!"
Perform 47 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next:
Hurdle Jumps
American KB Swings
Pullups
Push Presses (Barbell)
Yay, Burpees!
Box Jumps
I-Don't-Knows (Flutter Kicks)
Ring Rows
T-Pushups
Hands-to-Toes
Double Unders
Air Squats
Yay, Burpees!
Pistols
Arm Haulers
Thrusters (Barbell)
Twists (Russian)
Yay, Burpees!
Time: 51:09
***
"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude."
- E.P. Powell
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday 11/26/2008
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site:
SO1 Joshua Thomas Harris, 36, drowned during combat operations, August 30th 2008 in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents Dr. Sam and Evelyn Harris, his brother Ranchor and twin sister Kiki.
"Mr. Joshua"
5 Rounds of:
400 m Run
30 GHD Situps
15 250# Deadlifts (I used 185#)
Time: 31:09
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
20 Box Jumps (24")
15 Box Dips
12 Elevated Pushups (20")
***
"Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
- Bill Bradley
From CrossFit Main Site:
"Mr. Joshua"
5 Rounds of:
400 m Run
30 GHD Situps
15 250# Deadlifts (I used 185#)
Time: 31:09
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
20 Box Jumps (24")
15 Box Dips
12 Elevated Pushups (20")
***
"Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
- Bill Bradley
Tuesday 11/25/2008
To Dennis: Happy 16th Birthday, brother!!!!!
WOD
Tabata 00:20 on, 00:10 off
Row
Ball Slam (20#)
Thrusters (65#)
GHD Back Extension
Box Jumps (24")
Elevated Pushups
WOD: Charge
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
SDLHP (65#)
Burpees
Time: 10:42
***
"A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams."
- Author Unknown
WOD
Tabata 00:20 on, 00:10 off
Row
Ball Slam (20#)
Thrusters (65#)
GHD Back Extension
Box Jumps (24")
Elevated Pushups
WOD: Charge
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
SDLHP (65#)
Burpees
Time: 10:42
***
"A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams."
- Author Unknown
Monday 11/24/2008
WOD
3 Rounds of 1:00 each
Pushups
Air Squats
Jumping Squats
Burpees
1 minute rest between each round
Bonus Round
1:00 each
Lunge Steps
Mountain Climbers
V-ups
Stepups
WOD
5 Rounds of:
10 Power Clean & Jerk (95#)
25 Flutter Kicks (3-count)
***
"Gratitude is the best attitude."
- Author Unknown
3 Rounds of 1:00 each
Pushups
Air Squats
Jumping Squats
Burpees
1 minute rest between each round
Bonus Round
1:00 each
Lunge Steps
Mountain Climbers
V-ups
Stepups
WOD
5 Rounds of:
10 Power Clean & Jerk (95#)
25 Flutter Kicks (3-count)
***
"Gratitude is the best attitude."
- Author Unknown
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday 11/23/2008
Okay, so I pretty much did today's CF main site WOD twice, nearly back-to-back (about 5 minutes between workouts). We don't have ropes yet (coming next week, though), so the substitution was 21 pullups. Patty taught class so I did the workout the first time round with Sharon L. and Kathy. I forgot to include back extensions in the workout but added them back in when I did the workout the second time around with Patty.
WOD
Modified from CrossFit Main Site --
Three rounds for time of:
21 Knees to Elbows
21 KB Swings (20 kg)
21 Pushups
21 Pullups
21 Box Jumps (20")
21 GHD Back Extensions
Walking lunge, 150 ft
Time the first time around: 21:04 (w/o back extensions)
Time the second time around: 22:46 (as expected -- I always need a workout to warm up -- which kind of gives added meaning to the oft-repeated line in the CrossFit community "Your workout is our warmup". It really is, for me).
Kind of troubled because my car's transmission is acting up and I'm afraid I might have to get it replaced, which really sucks because I practically live out of my car now. Not to mention that it'll probably cost something like two or three grand, which is way more than I'm willing to fork out for something that I'm only going to be using for a couple months more. Pfffffffffffft. Oh, well. Then again, I suppose life could be a whole lot worse. At least I have many things to be grateful for. Time to put things back into perspective again.
***
"When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart."
- John Bunyan
WOD
Modified from CrossFit Main Site --
Three rounds for time of:
21 Knees to Elbows
21 KB Swings (20 kg)
21 Pushups
21 Pullups
21 Box Jumps (20")
21 GHD Back Extensions
Walking lunge, 150 ft
Time the first time around: 21:04 (w/o back extensions)
Time the second time around: 22:46 (as expected -- I always need a workout to warm up -- which kind of gives added meaning to the oft-repeated line in the CrossFit community "Your workout is our warmup". It really is, for me).
Kind of troubled because my car's transmission is acting up and I'm afraid I might have to get it replaced, which really sucks because I practically live out of my car now. Not to mention that it'll probably cost something like two or three grand, which is way more than I'm willing to fork out for something that I'm only going to be using for a couple months more. Pfffffffffffft. Oh, well. Then again, I suppose life could be a whole lot worse. At least I have many things to be grateful for. Time to put things back into perspective again.
***
"When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart."
- John Bunyan
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday 11/22/2008
Keep the Sharons and I accountable on our quest for Healthy Eating here!
WOD
Tabata 00:45 on, 00:15 off
4 rounds of:
Ring Pushups
Power Wheel Rollouts
KB Russian Swing
KB Goblet Squat
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
WOD: Charge
In honor of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America, who was assassinated this day in 1963.
Using a 95# barbell, perform 35 reps of each exercise:
Deadlift
Power Clean
Push Press
Overhead Squat
Back Squat
Finish each exercise before moving on to the next.
Time: 22:16
***
Day 5 of the 100 Pushups for 50 Days Challenge!
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
- Lao Tzu
WOD
Tabata 00:45 on, 00:15 off
4 rounds of:
Ring Pushups
Power Wheel Rollouts
KB Russian Swing
KB Goblet Squat
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
WOD: Charge
In honor of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America, who was assassinated this day in 1963.
Using a 95# barbell, perform 35 reps of each exercise:
Deadlift
Power Clean
Push Press
Overhead Squat
Back Squat
Finish each exercise before moving on to the next.
Time: 22:16
***
Day 5 of the 100 Pushups for 50 Days Challenge!
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."
- Lao Tzu
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday 11/21/2008
WOD
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 DB Deadlifts (50#)
10 Weighted Situps (25#)
15 Pushups
20 Double Unders
WOD: Charge
Every minute, on the minute, for 20 minutes:
5 DB Burpees (30#)
5 DB Front Squats (30#)
I was pretty consistent on this workout, finishing each round in 32-33 seconds. Kicked it up to 6 reps each from the 16th minute on and did 10 reps of both exercises in the last minute (which took me 55 seconds).
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead Squats (65#)
Ring Rows
Time: 3:40
***
"Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes."
- Francis Bacon
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 DB Deadlifts (50#)
10 Weighted Situps (25#)
15 Pushups
20 Double Unders
WOD: Charge
Every minute, on the minute, for 20 minutes:
5 DB Burpees (30#)
5 DB Front Squats (30#)
I was pretty consistent on this workout, finishing each round in 32-33 seconds. Kicked it up to 6 reps each from the 16th minute on and did 10 reps of both exercises in the last minute (which took me 55 seconds).
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead Squats (65#)
Ring Rows
Time: 3:40
***
"Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes."
- Francis Bacon
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday 11/20/2008
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Standing Russian Barbell Twist
American KB Swing (24 kg)
1-Arm Ring Row (R)
1-Arm Ring Row (L)
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Double KB Front Squat (30#)
Double KB Push Press
Perform 15 Double KB Walking Lunge Steps between rounds.
Patty and I were so geeked about our new Rogue Hi-Temp bumpers and Pendlay weightlifting bars (which just arrived today) that we put them to task immediately with the following workout:
WOD
"Diane"
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (185#)
Handstand Pushup
Time: 8:42
I mistook the women's Rx'd weight for this workout as being 185# -- it should have been 155#! Oh well. It's a good thing, right?
Finished the day off coaching the kids' sports performance training class. I count myself lucky to have the opportunity to work with these kids, because I learn so much from them, and how to be a better trainer. Patty and I have been marveling at the rapid progress that they've made since they first stepped into Joust. Today I had the privilege of working closely with two of the most motivated kids -- we taught them deadlifts, a much-maligned strength move in school-level athletics due to the perceived risks (hogwash, of course), and capped the session with a kettlebell workout and some good ol' ball toss situps. These kids are go-getters, and not afraid to knuckle down and gut it out for a spot on the starting lineup. Seeing the fire in their eyes caused old memories to resurface -- having stood in their place myself in the not-so-distant-past, I'm committed to doing what I can to see these kids' dreams through to fruition.
***
"My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places."
- A.A. Milne
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Standing Russian Barbell Twist
American KB Swing (24 kg)
1-Arm Ring Row (R)
1-Arm Ring Row (L)
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Double KB Front Squat (30#)
Double KB Push Press
Perform 15 Double KB Walking Lunge Steps between rounds.
Patty and I were so geeked about our new Rogue Hi-Temp bumpers and Pendlay weightlifting bars (which just arrived today) that we put them to task immediately with the following workout:
WOD
"Diane"
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (185#)
Handstand Pushup
Time: 8:42
I mistook the women's Rx'd weight for this workout as being 185# -- it should have been 155#! Oh well. It's a good thing, right?
Finished the day off coaching the kids' sports performance training class. I count myself lucky to have the opportunity to work with these kids, because I learn so much from them, and how to be a better trainer. Patty and I have been marveling at the rapid progress that they've made since they first stepped into Joust. Today I had the privilege of working closely with two of the most motivated kids -- we taught them deadlifts, a much-maligned strength move in school-level athletics due to the perceived risks (hogwash, of course), and capped the session with a kettlebell workout and some good ol' ball toss situps. These kids are go-getters, and not afraid to knuckle down and gut it out for a spot on the starting lineup. Seeing the fire in their eyes caused old memories to resurface -- having stood in their place myself in the not-so-distant-past, I'm committed to doing what I can to see these kids' dreams through to fruition.
***
"My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places."
- A.A. Milne
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday 11/19/2008
I'm entering into my second week of the no refined sugars/no processed carbs challenge. Energy levels have definitely shot up, though they've probably been tempered a little by the late nights over the last few days. That said, going to bed early is probably another resolution I ought to make (though at the rate that work is piling up, it might be a difficult one to stick to).
I've also started another blog for the purposes of tracking my diet/nutrition, recounting the challenges I face when it comes to making (and sticking to) proper dietary choices, and discussing issues related to the realm of food and nutrition. It's aptly titled "Getting off the Crack", which is definitely something that I hope to achieve.
WOD
Tabata: 00:20 on, 00:10 off
DB Full Squat Clean
DB Push Press
DB Front Squat
DB Burpee
DB Renegade Row
Finish 8 rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next.
WOD
30 Muscle-Ups (start in kneeling position)
Still struggling with the transition on the muscle-up. It frustrates me as I definitely have more than adequate strength to perform more than the recommended number of full ROM ring dips and ring pullups, but somehow the combination of the false grip and the dive-through during the transition muddles me up terribly. I learnt an awesome MU progression at the gymnastics cert with Coach Tucker last month, and am working it as hard as I can.
WOD
From CrossFit.com:
"Nicole"
400 m Run*
Max reps Pullups
AMRAP in 20 minutes
*Substituted the run with a 500 m row or 400 jump rope turns.
***
Day 2 of the 100 Pushups for 50 Days Challenge!
"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins."
- Bob Moawad
I've also started another blog for the purposes of tracking my diet/nutrition, recounting the challenges I face when it comes to making (and sticking to) proper dietary choices, and discussing issues related to the realm of food and nutrition. It's aptly titled "Getting off the Crack", which is definitely something that I hope to achieve.
WOD
Tabata: 00:20 on, 00:10 off
DB Full Squat Clean
DB Push Press
DB Front Squat
DB Burpee
DB Renegade Row
Finish 8 rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next.
WOD
30 Muscle-Ups (start in kneeling position)
Still struggling with the transition on the muscle-up. It frustrates me as I definitely have more than adequate strength to perform more than the recommended number of full ROM ring dips and ring pullups, but somehow the combination of the false grip and the dive-through during the transition muddles me up terribly. I learnt an awesome MU progression at the gymnastics cert with Coach Tucker last month, and am working it as hard as I can.
WOD
From CrossFit.com:
"Nicole"
400 m Run*
Max reps Pullups
AMRAP in 20 minutes
*Substituted the run with a 500 m row or 400 jump rope turns.
***
Day 2 of the 100 Pushups for 50 Days Challenge!
"The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins."
- Bob Moawad
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday 11/18/2008
What a ballsy day indeed!
WOD
10 Knees to Elbows
20 Med Ball Cleans
30 GHD Back Extensions
40 KB Russian Swings (20 kg)
50 Ring Pushups
40 Mountain Climbers (2-count)
30 Power Wheel Rollouts
20 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
10 Pullups
WOD: Charge
5 rounds of 20 reps each:
Medicine Ball Clean to Wall Ball (14#)
Medicine Ball Situp (14#)
WOD
5 rounds of:
5 Back Squats (155#)
30 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
***
"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."
- Ben Stein
WOD
10 Knees to Elbows
20 Med Ball Cleans
30 GHD Back Extensions
40 KB Russian Swings (20 kg)
50 Ring Pushups
40 Mountain Climbers (2-count)
30 Power Wheel Rollouts
20 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
10 Pullups
WOD: Charge
5 rounds of 20 reps each:
Medicine Ball Clean to Wall Ball (14#)
Medicine Ball Situp (14#)
WOD
5 rounds of:
5 Back Squats (155#)
30 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
***
"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."
- Ben Stein
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday 11/17/2008
In an attempt to prevent this blog from stagnating further, here goes...
WOD
10 Rounds for Time:
3 DB Man-makers (30#)
6 Overhead Squats (95#)
Time: 21:36
WOD
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
3 Power Cleans (95#)
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Post rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.
Full rounds completed: 5,4,4,4,5
I was in Cincinnati, OH this past weekend for the American Kettlebell Club Coach certification. I returned last night with a set of 7 kettlebells to add to my collection, as well as plenty of newfound knowledge regarding kettlebell lifting as a sport. My experience at the cert is worthy of a review, and I'll post that up soon.
So far, it's Day 5 of the No Sugar/No Grains challenge for me, and it's going amazingly well. I've managed to stay away from the crack so far and I'm really proud of myself.
Oh, and it's been a year since the day...
I've forgiven, but it's difficult to forget. I don't think I ever will.
***
"As soon as forever is through, I'll be over you."
- Toto
WOD
10 Rounds for Time:
3 DB Man-makers (30#)
6 Overhead Squats (95#)
Time: 21:36
WOD
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
3 Power Cleans (95#)
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Post rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.
Full rounds completed: 5,4,4,4,5
I was in Cincinnati, OH this past weekend for the American Kettlebell Club Coach certification. I returned last night with a set of 7 kettlebells to add to my collection, as well as plenty of newfound knowledge regarding kettlebell lifting as a sport. My experience at the cert is worthy of a review, and I'll post that up soon.
So far, it's Day 5 of the No Sugar/No Grains challenge for me, and it's going amazingly well. I've managed to stay away from the crack so far and I'm really proud of myself.
Oh, and it's been a year since the day...
I've forgiven, but it's difficult to forget. I don't think I ever will.
***
"As soon as forever is through, I'll be over you."
- Toto
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday 11/10/2008
Oh no, oh no, I BADLY need to get caught up with this blog. I'll post last week's WODs after I unearth them from the dark, dank depths of my memory. In the meantime, here's today's:
WOD: Charge
5 rounds for time:
25 Russian KB Swings (20 kg)
10R/10L KB Cleans (20 kg)
25 KB Goblet Squats (20 kg)
10R/10L KB Windmills (12 kg)
Time: 23:59
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site -
Five rounds for time of:
25 Inverted Burpees
25 Pull-ups
25 Burpees
Time: 37:42
***
"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline."
- Abraham J. Heschel
WOD: Charge
5 rounds for time:
25 Russian KB Swings (20 kg)
10R/10L KB Cleans (20 kg)
25 KB Goblet Squats (20 kg)
10R/10L KB Windmills (12 kg)
Time: 23:59
WOD
From CrossFit Main Site -
Five rounds for time of:
25 Inverted Burpees
25 Pull-ups
25 Burpees
Time: 37:42
***
"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline."
- Abraham J. Heschel
Friday, November 7, 2008
Pastry Politics?
I know the election is over, but I found this comic strip on cakespy.com and was pretty tickled by it. I found it particularly apt since someone I was talking to today (for the life of me, I can't remember who) had just mentioned Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience, with no lack of distaste. Well, this definitely puts a tasty spin on things!
(Come to think of it, Sarah Palin DOES bear more than a passing resemblance to a meringue, doesn't she? It must be the hair.)
Comic strip courtesy of Cuppie Capers at Cakespy.
(Come to think of it, Sarah Palin DOES bear more than a passing resemblance to a meringue, doesn't she? It must be the hair.)
Comic strip courtesy of Cuppie Capers at Cakespy.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Busy!
It's been a busy few days. Satisfying, nonetheless -- y'know, I'd rather have my hands tied up all day with things that need to get done, as opposed to sitting around and slacking my butt off. Tuesdays and Thursdays are typically my busiest days because I have classes during the day, and do a spot of coaching in the late evening, which means that I leave my place at 5:30 a.m. and only get back around 10:00 at night. But it's all good. I'm doing things that I enjoy, and that's definitely what keeps me going. I'll update with regards to my workouts (going swimmingly), and nutrition (on track, which is cool) more tomorrow. Right now I have to go to bed before the Sharons hand my ass to me on a platter tomorrow morning.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Food as Fuel
I developed an interest in diet and nutrition after becoming enamored with CrossFit and strength and conditioning. Time and again, I've heard people say that proper nutrition makes up 90% of the equation when it comes to maximizing performance. What exactly is proper nutrition, though?
Many CrossFitters swear by a modified version of Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet (to find out more about CrossFit and the Zone Diet, download CrossFit Journal Issue #21 here). It advocates consuming calories from carbohydrates, protein and fat in a ratio of 40:30:30, respectively. Success on the Zone Diet is reliant to a large extent on weighing and measuring meal portions, which are counted in terms of "blocks". The number of "blocks" to be consumed in a day is dependent on age, gender, as well as activity level of the individual.
Another buzzword in the CrossFit nutrition sphere is the Paleolithic (or Paleo) Diet, popularized by Dr. Loren Cordain, who published three books detailing the benefits of such a diet. The Paleo Diet is a way of eating in the modern age that replicates the diet of hunter-gatherers in ancient times, who primarily relied on lean meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts for sustenance. To someone who adheres strictly to the principles of the Paleo Diet, all processed foods are taboo, including grains and dairy products.
There has been plenty of discussion on the CrossFit message boards regarding the best nutrition practices. As expected, there hasn't been (and probably never will be) a consensus. After all, different people react in varying ways to different nutritional protocols. A lot of the time, it's a function of genetic predisposition. For example, individual A might lose a ton of weight by adhering to a high-protein diet with low levels of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of fat, while individual B might see considerable success by following the Anabolic Diet (a diet that advocates a high fat intake, where approximately 50% of calories come from fat).
Whatever it is, I'm convinced that proper nutrition plays a large role in supplementing and boosting performance levels, and I've decided to get serious about my diet. Managing my diet has been something that I've wrestled with for quite a while now, and it's time to get that back under control. Even though this borders on quite personal aspects of my life, I'll lay this all out here -- after all, nothing works quite like publicly acknowledging weaknesses, since it provides the impetus necessary to make lasting changes.
It's definitely going to be challenging -- I spent close to three hours on Sunday preparing all my food for the week ahead, and precisely weighing and measuring portions using my nifty little kitchen scale, a $4.99 acquisition from Target. A small price to pay for the assurance that comes from knowing the nutritional composition of everything I ingest over the next few days. I'm pretty much going to be living off chicken breasts, green beans, eggs, and broccoli over the next couple days (it's hard to have much diversity when you're cooking for one). The lack of choice can be interpreted as a good thing, I suppose, since it prevents any ambiguity when it comes to knowing what I'm feeding myself. I don't want it to be unnecessarily complicated, especially during the outset.
I'll post more about the motivation behind the nutrition plan and how I plan to tweak things after the initial period. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm not following either the Zone Diet or strict Paleo (though my diet can pretty much be categorized as Paleo-ish, since it eschews processed foods and is comprised primarily of the types of food that the Paleo diet champions). It's based off Lyle McDonald's (a respected exercise physiologist and a noted figure in the area of performance nutrition) Rapid Fat Loss Handbook plan, and looks to be an effective, relatively short (10-14 days) protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) program that will help set me on the path towards a sustainable, healthy nutrition program.
Many CrossFitters swear by a modified version of Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet (to find out more about CrossFit and the Zone Diet, download CrossFit Journal Issue #21 here). It advocates consuming calories from carbohydrates, protein and fat in a ratio of 40:30:30, respectively. Success on the Zone Diet is reliant to a large extent on weighing and measuring meal portions, which are counted in terms of "blocks". The number of "blocks" to be consumed in a day is dependent on age, gender, as well as activity level of the individual.
Another buzzword in the CrossFit nutrition sphere is the Paleolithic (or Paleo) Diet, popularized by Dr. Loren Cordain, who published three books detailing the benefits of such a diet. The Paleo Diet is a way of eating in the modern age that replicates the diet of hunter-gatherers in ancient times, who primarily relied on lean meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts for sustenance. To someone who adheres strictly to the principles of the Paleo Diet, all processed foods are taboo, including grains and dairy products.
There has been plenty of discussion on the CrossFit message boards regarding the best nutrition practices. As expected, there hasn't been (and probably never will be) a consensus. After all, different people react in varying ways to different nutritional protocols. A lot of the time, it's a function of genetic predisposition. For example, individual A might lose a ton of weight by adhering to a high-protein diet with low levels of carbohydrates and moderate amounts of fat, while individual B might see considerable success by following the Anabolic Diet (a diet that advocates a high fat intake, where approximately 50% of calories come from fat).
Whatever it is, I'm convinced that proper nutrition plays a large role in supplementing and boosting performance levels, and I've decided to get serious about my diet. Managing my diet has been something that I've wrestled with for quite a while now, and it's time to get that back under control. Even though this borders on quite personal aspects of my life, I'll lay this all out here -- after all, nothing works quite like publicly acknowledging weaknesses, since it provides the impetus necessary to make lasting changes.
It's definitely going to be challenging -- I spent close to three hours on Sunday preparing all my food for the week ahead, and precisely weighing and measuring portions using my nifty little kitchen scale, a $4.99 acquisition from Target. A small price to pay for the assurance that comes from knowing the nutritional composition of everything I ingest over the next few days. I'm pretty much going to be living off chicken breasts, green beans, eggs, and broccoli over the next couple days (it's hard to have much diversity when you're cooking for one). The lack of choice can be interpreted as a good thing, I suppose, since it prevents any ambiguity when it comes to knowing what I'm feeding myself. I don't want it to be unnecessarily complicated, especially during the outset.
I'll post more about the motivation behind the nutrition plan and how I plan to tweak things after the initial period. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm not following either the Zone Diet or strict Paleo (though my diet can pretty much be categorized as Paleo-ish, since it eschews processed foods and is comprised primarily of the types of food that the Paleo diet champions). It's based off Lyle McDonald's (a respected exercise physiologist and a noted figure in the area of performance nutrition) Rapid Fat Loss Handbook plan, and looks to be an effective, relatively short (10-14 days) protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) program that will help set me on the path towards a sustainable, healthy nutrition program.
Monday 11/03/2008
WOD: Charge
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
DB Lunging Thruster (25#)
Burpee Box Jump (20")
Ring Pushup
Time: 22:30
WOD: Revolution
20-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk (105#)
Medicine Ball Situp (14#)
WOD
10-8-6-4-2 reps of DB Manmakers
100 m Overhead DB Waiter's Walk between rounds
Time: 21:09
***
"What flatterers say, try to make true."
- German Proverb
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
DB Lunging Thruster (25#)
Burpee Box Jump (20")
Ring Pushup
Time: 22:30
WOD: Revolution
20-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk (105#)
Medicine Ball Situp (14#)
WOD
10-8-6-4-2 reps of DB Manmakers
100 m Overhead DB Waiter's Walk between rounds
Time: 21:09
***
"What flatterers say, try to make true."
- German Proverb
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sunday 11/02/2008
WOD
Run 3 Miles
100 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
75 Barbell Push Presses
50 Ring Pushups
25 KB Situps
WOD: Revolution
20-minute spin, followed by -
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
5 Thrusters (95#)
7 Hang Power Cleans (95#)
9 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (these SUCK with 95#)
***
"If Heaven made him - earth can find some use for him."
- Chinese Proverb
Run 3 Miles
100 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
75 Barbell Push Presses
50 Ring Pushups
25 KB Situps
WOD: Revolution
20-minute spin, followed by -
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
5 Thrusters (95#)
7 Hang Power Cleans (95#)
9 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (these SUCK with 95#)
***
"If Heaven made him - earth can find some use for him."
- Chinese Proverb
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday 11/01/2008
This is what I look like if I don't get my CrossFit fix:
This picture cracks me up so bad every time I look at it. I pulled it off a random funny-picture website a while back -- I'm afraid I can't remember where. Love it!
WOD
10 rounds of 5 reps each:
Thrusters (65#)
American KB Swings (20 kg)
Ring Dips
WOD: Charge
"Barbara"
Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest precisely three minutes between each round.
Scores from "Barbara"
***
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."
- Jonathan Winters
This picture cracks me up so bad every time I look at it. I pulled it off a random funny-picture website a while back -- I'm afraid I can't remember where. Love it!
WOD
10 rounds of 5 reps each:
Thrusters (65#)
American KB Swings (20 kg)
Ring Dips
WOD: Charge
"Barbara"
Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest precisely three minutes between each round.
***
"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."
- Jonathan Winters
Friday 10/31/2008
WOD
From the Hopper Deck:
400 m Walking Lunge
This workout takes longer than it looks!
WOD
Happy Hallowheel!
With your feet strapped into the Power Wheel, perform 3 rounds of the following sequence:
10 Pushups
Walk on your hands across the length of the gym
10 Pikes/Jackknives
Explosively push yourself backward across the length of the gym
10 Knees to Elbows
Bear crawl on your forearms across the length of the gym
10 Hamstring Curls
***
"A hair in the head is worth two in the brush."
- Oliver Herford
From the Hopper Deck:
400 m Walking Lunge
This workout takes longer than it looks!
WOD
Happy Hallowheel!
With your feet strapped into the Power Wheel, perform 3 rounds of the following sequence:
10 Pushups
Walk on your hands across the length of the gym
10 Pikes/Jackknives
Explosively push yourself backward across the length of the gym
10 Knees to Elbows
Bear crawl on your forearms across the length of the gym
10 Hamstring Curls
***
"A hair in the head is worth two in the brush."
- Oliver Herford
Friday, October 31, 2008
Waitin' and Workin' -- for what yer be Wantin'
A little anecdote I pulled off Lyle McDonald's blog:
***I'm not big on patience myself. In fact, I'm pretty notorious for being impatient. There's little I detest more than unwonted slowness. I look for the quickest route through the maze of cars in traffic, and sometimes (though I probably shouldn't admit this) tailgate cars with my high beams turned on if I think they've been insufferable slowpokes.
A wanna-be martial arts student once went to the dojo and asked the sensei how long it would take for him to become a master of the art.
The sensei replied “First, you must learn patience.”
And the student asked “Yeah, yeah, patience. How long is that going to take?”
***
During CrossFit WODs, I hate it when people dilly-dally between exercises while the clock is still running, or take unnecessary breaks to gripe and feel sorry for themselves. There's a distinct difference between being physically unable to complete another rep due to muscular failure, and dumping the bar just because your arms are tired. But I won't get too far off track.
Patience is closely connected to effort and reward. It takes time to achieve goals. No thanks to my short attention span, I frequently get sidetracked before I reach what I originally hoped to achieve. It's probably also because I get fed up when I don't seem to be making any apparent progress, and drop it for something else. The fact that the world today is pretty much founded upon principles of instant gratification doesn't help as well.
I've been thinking about some of the goals that I hope to achieve and I think the best way for me to remain committed to seeing them come to fruition will be to post them on this blog. Nothing works better than accountability (or public shaming, for that matter... haha). Hopefully this will motivate me to stay true to these goals, no matter how lofty or faraway they might seem at this initial point in time.
The first goal will be related to diet/nutrition and eating to achieve maximum performance, and I'll post it here. Most probably by the end of this weekend, once I've tinkered with all the necessary macronutrient ratios in the nutrition plan and tweaked it in accordance with my current activity level, as well as my goals, i.e. ideal body composition, and improved performance levels.
"The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools."
- Confucius
***
Image courtesy of Inmagine.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday 10/30/2008
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Hang Squat Cleans (30#)
Weighted Pistols (R) (25#)
2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Weighted Pistols (L) (25#)
WOD
20-15-10-5 reps of:
Box Jumps (24")
Shoulder Presses (65#)
Back Squats
Barbell Rollouts
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
20R/20L Weighted Barbell Stepups (20" box)
20 Ring Rows
20 Barbell Good Mornings
20 Elevated Pushups
***
"A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined."
- Anne Petry
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Hang Squat Cleans (30#)
Weighted Pistols (R) (25#)
2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
Weighted Pistols (L) (25#)
WOD
20-15-10-5 reps of:
Box Jumps (24")
Shoulder Presses (65#)
Back Squats
Barbell Rollouts
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
20R/20L Weighted Barbell Stepups (20" box)
20 Ring Rows
20 Barbell Good Mornings
20 Elevated Pushups
***
"A man hasn't got a corner on virtue just because his shoes are shined."
- Anne Petry
Wednesday 10/29/2008
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Wall Ball (14#)
Hang Power Clean (75#)
Knees to Elbows
WOD
"Balls and Bells"
Perform 5 rounds of 10 reps each:
KB American Swing (20 kg)
Medicine Ball Burpee to Clean (20#)
KB Goblet Squat
Medicine Ball Slam
KB Hand Switching Pushup
Medicine Ball Situp with Overhead Toss
***
"It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes."
- Henry David Thoreau
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Wall Ball (14#)
Hang Power Clean (75#)
Knees to Elbows
WOD
"Balls and Bells"
Perform 5 rounds of 10 reps each:
KB American Swing (20 kg)
Medicine Ball Burpee to Clean (20#)
KB Goblet Squat
Medicine Ball Slam
KB Hand Switching Pushup
Medicine Ball Situp with Overhead Toss
***
"It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes."
- Henry David Thoreau
Tuesday 10/28/2008
WOD
With a barbell, perform 10-20-30-20-10 reps of:
Shoulder Press
Weighted Jumping Squat
Thruster
***
"Keep doing some kind of work, that the devil may always find you employed."
- St. Jerome
With a barbell, perform 10-20-30-20-10 reps of:
Shoulder Press
Weighted Jumping Squat
Thruster
***
"Keep doing some kind of work, that the devil may always find you employed."
- St. Jerome
Monday 10/27/2008
WOD
5 Rounds of:
15 American KB Swings (16 kg)
10 Toes to Bar
10 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
10 Dead Hang Pullups
30 Jumping Lunges
5R/5L KB Slashers (16 kg)
Time: 21:17
WOD
from CrossFit NYC:
For time:
50 Back Squats, 135# (men)/95# (women)
15 laps* Double Overhead Waiter's Walk with Kettlebells, 2x24kg (men)/2x16kg (women)
*Please note that one "lap" is down the length of the gym and back (approx. 20 meters total).
Time: 13:35
***
"The idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest, for he has not earned it."
- John Lubbock
5 Rounds of:
15 American KB Swings (16 kg)
10 Toes to Bar
10 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
10 Dead Hang Pullups
30 Jumping Lunges
5R/5L KB Slashers (16 kg)
Time: 21:17
WOD
from CrossFit NYC:
For time:
50 Back Squats, 135# (men)/95# (women)
15 laps* Double Overhead Waiter's Walk with Kettlebells, 2x24kg (men)/2x16kg (women)
*Please note that one "lap" is down the length of the gym and back (approx. 20 meters total).
Time: 13:35
***
"The idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest, for he has not earned it."
- John Lubbock
Sunday 10/26/2008
WOD
"Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Full Squat Cleans (95#)
Ring Dips
Time: 7:42
***
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
- Robert Brault
"Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Full Squat Cleans (95#)
Ring Dips
Time: 7:42
***
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
- Robert Brault
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Review: CrossFit Gymnastics Certification (Day 2)
Y'know, I had harbored pipe dreams of becoming a lean, mean, flippin', twistin' gymnastics machine after attending the CrossFit Gymnastics Certification. Well, obviously, that wasn't going to happen in two days, but day 2 of the CrossFit Gymnastics Certification proved to be yet another excellent day of learning and drilling (honestly, could I ever have expected anything but?).
It was pretty gray and gloomy outside when I left the hostel where I had spent the night (hey, you can't beat $40/night lodging in Boston, can you?), and trekked the one-and-a-half miles to CrossFit Boston. I got there at 8:30 a.m., in time to knock out an easy 6-K on the Concept 2 rower to warm myself up for the day ahead.
We began promptly at 9:00 a.m. (actually, 8:00 a.m. according to the clock at the gym, which had mysteriously wound itself back an hour -- kind of odd since it had been just fine the day before). Gillian led us through the paces with a dynamic warmup. I'll have to post more about the warmups we did during the gymnastics cert sometime -- I was introduced to many novel exercises and I think they'll be immensely useful as part of future warmups.
We then went straight into forward roll basics (Tucker: "Keep your chin tucked to your chest! Make like a doodlebug!), and spent a fair bit of time practicing our rolls on gymnastic mats to ensure that we weren't impacting the ground headfirst but rather cushioning the landing by using our upper backs. Forward rolls are very basic, but a useful tool, for instance as an exit strategy when you've overbalanced on a handstand, or when you take a nasty spill, or something.
Believe it or not, as elementary as they might seem, forward rolls were something that scared the shit out of me when I was nine years old and had my first taste of gymnastics during physical education class in primary school. I remember never ever working up the courage to do them (yes, I fully admit to being quite the bumbling, unathletic wuss as a child) in class. I was convinced that I was going to break my neck in the process -- you see, my PE teacher never told us to make like doodlebugs, and so a lot of the kids ended up driving the tops of their heads into the ground when attempting the rolls. But I also remember going back home and vowing that somehow I needed to summon up the courage to perform a forward roll. And what better place to try than the kingsized bed in the master bedroom back home, all bouncy with cushioned springs? I finally did get my first forward roll there (and an assortment of other miscellaneous tumbling tricks that probably won't ever cut it in the real gymnastics world, but were fun for a kid like me). Anyway, back to the gymnastics cert.
We then went on to practice handstands after demos by Gillian and instruction from Tucker. I finally understood what it felt like to be in the "hollow body position" with active shoulders while in a handstand. I don't have a problem with handstands against a wall -- I can stay inverted for pretty long periods of time -- but it was useful to know the exact position that I ought to be in while upside down (i.e. no overarching of the back, no flexed feet, etc.), since it's not exactly the most intuitive thing to be upside down on your hands. Using the drills and cues that Tucker prescribed, there were marked improvements in practically everyone's handstands by the end of the day. As always, the only way to get better at something is to work at it, and so it looks as though I'll be spending more time on my hands from now on.
I was especially thankful for the demonstration on how to use the Jumpstretch (or any other rubber resistance band, for that matter) bands to facilitate gymnastic training. By looping and hooking a band over the top of a pullup bar, and running a thinner band through it, a neat device (kind of like a shoulder harness, almost), could be fashioned to help people achieve full range of motion on their handstand pushups.
Tucker also discussed using the bands to help people achieve full ROM ring dips (place the ends of the band directly under your hands and then grab the rings such that the bands are sandwiched tightly between the heels of your palms and the rings, jump to support, and have someone pull the band directly under your knees and into position -- you can then perform supported ring dips in this manner). This method could also be applied towards iron cross training, where you gradually move your hands (with locked-out elbows) to the sides, in hope of achieving a final position where your arms end up parallel to the ground.
During lunch, I had the privilege of working out alongside Gillian and Sam (another cool lady and awesome athlete from CrossFit Boston). We did "Elizabeth", the workout that had been posted on the CrossFit main site for that day. For the record, "Elizabeth" consists of 21-15-9 reps of full squat cleans (Rx'd weight for women: 85#), and ring dips. "Elizabeth" is a relatively quick and dirty workout, much like "Fran". Well, when you're in the company of such firebreathers, you know they're going to kick it up a notch, and so we decided to use 95# for the FS cleans instead. Going head-to-head with these two on one of the famed "lady WODs" was probably one of the best moments of my trip. I really busted my ass on this workout trying to keep up with Gillian, who was knocking out the ring dips effortlessly (she made it look way too easy, in my opinion). She finished in 6 minutes and something, 6:13 I think, and I came in at 7:42, which I was extremely pleased with (who wouldn't be? Only a minute and a half behind Gillian!). Sam finished in 14 minutes -- all around, an awesome effort by everyone.
After lunch, we busted out the paralletes and worked on achieving extreme ROM on handstand pushups. Getting EROM on HSPUs definitely isn't easy, and something I need to work on. The extra distance makes a considerable difference. Working the standing press will probably help too, much as I dislike shoulder-pressing.
The parallettes also came in handy for timed L-sits and V-sits. Those really fire up your quads because of the muscular tension necessary to lock your body into position. Sucky, but necessary (much like many of the other movements found in CrossFit). Gillian also demonstrated the L-sit into handstand. Impressive stuff right there, and something I wish I'll be able to do one day!
Towards the end of the day, Tucker fielded questions from the crowd and discussed programming in further detail. Listening to him speak, I gained a better understanding of how to work gymnastic training into CrossFit instruction and daily workouts. I think a lot of people are averse to gymnastic training because of the element of difficulty. Admittedly, it is difficult -- those feats of strength that gymnasts perform are by no means easy -- but after learning how those could be scaled in a way such that they would become accessible to the masses (for instance, using the bands as a means of assistance), gymnastic training is an extremely valuable part of any fitness program.
I enjoyed the CrossFit Gymnastics cert tremendously. It was a blast hanging with Tucker and his crew (awesome coaches -- Gillian, Melissa, Keith, and John). I also got the opportunity to meet friends that I hadn't seen in a while, like Jen Conlin of Potomac CrossFit and also get acquainted with many other cool individuals, among them Tim from Bay State CrossFit and Alex of "The Hopper Deck" fame (bought a Hopper Deck from Alex and am loving it... everyone should definitely check it out!). And of course, luxuriate in the presence of all the big CrossFit names whom I talked about in my earlier post... haha!
This cert was by far one of the most worthwhile investments for me and I'm glad I managed to attend it. It's not cheap by any means ($595.00 for two days, or 16 hours, of coaching), but every penny was justified. If you can find a cert near your location, that definitely helps.
Alternatively, you can do what I did and attempt to cut costs in all other areas. I'm a member of Spirit Airlines' $9.00 fare club which you can join for a nominal fee (I believe you might even get the first year free), and snagged a roundtrip ticket from Detroit to New York City and back for $9.00 each way. I kid you not, $9.00. My roundtrip ticket came up to $39.00 total after factoring in taxes and fees ($21.00). Talk about an awesome deal (well, my flight did get delayed coming back in from NYC due to inclement weather, and I did end up in the second to last row in the plane, squashed right by the window, but I'm not about to complain for $9.00). I stayed with a friend in NYC, took an overnight Greyhound bus down to Boston for $27.00, spent Saturday night in a hostel for forty bucks, and took one of the dodgy NYC-Boston buses that operate from New York's Chinatown back for $15.00 on Sunday evening. So, yeah, pretty economical!
Notes from Day 2 of the CF Gymnastics Cert (again, courtesy of Coach Jeff Tucker):
Handstands
Forward roll – and its importance
Spotting – Controlled kick up - Controlled falling
Head Stands
Handstands – how to lunge and kick up to your spot
Body position, hands, hollow body, active shoulders
Wall support – kicking up – walking up
HSPU – Hand Stand Push Ups
Power Bands harness – self spotting technique
Press Handstands
Pirouettes
Parallettes
L-sit and progression
Tucked V-sits
L-sit into HS
Donkey kick
Planche
Push Ups and the EROM
Handstands
HSPU – EROM
Press Handstands
***
All photos courtesy of Keith Wittenstein (thanks, Keith!) from CrossFit Virtuosity.
Monday, October 27, 2008
CrossFit Rocks my Socks
Some awesome stuff right here... stay tuned for my account of Day 2 of the CrossFit Gymnastics Cert, coming up soon!
***
Photo courtesy of the CrossFit affiliate blog.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday 10/25/2008
Day 1 of CrossFit Gymnastics Certification at CrossFit Boston.
Today was a whirlwind day, to say the least. I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. last night after setting my phone alarm to 12:15 a.m. so that I could wake up in time to walk over to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (about half an hour's walk from where I'm bunking in with a friend in NYC), to catch my Greyhound bus to Boston at 2:00 a.m..
Well, as luck would have it, apparently I snoozed peacefully through my alarm at 12:15 a.m., and sat up all in a tizzy at 1:55 a.m., almost frantic and wondering how I was ever going to get to Boston by 9 the next morning. I rushed over to the terminal and was lucky to be told that there was another bus leaving for Boston at 3:30 a.m., and scheduled to reach at 8:05 in the morning. It wasn't a full bus by any means, so I continued the rest of my snooze all the way to Boston. I reached Boston's South Station at 8:15 a.m., jumped into a cab, and hightailed it all the way to CrossFit Boston, getting there at around 8:40 a.m.. Whew! What a way to begin my morning.
Thankfully, the day only got better as we were treated to Tucker's (Coach Jeff Tucker of GSX Athletics, CrossFit's expert on gymnastic training) brand of rowdy Texan humor as he proceeded to teach us all about the elements of gymnastics. The morning was spent primarily on bar work, where we learnt the mechanics of efficient kipping (apparently, the verbal cue "push off away from the bar" isn't the right way to teach a kip, and the kip is initiated by the forward thrust of the torso, rather than the backward swing of the legs).
Now, that is SOME kip.
We also worked on progressions involving knees-to-elbows, rolls, skin-the-cats, inversions, and back levers.
Yours truly as the test subject for skin-the-cats on a bar.
After lunch, we worked on the rings with supports, more levers, and muscle-up progressions. We didn't manage to cover the iron cross support today, but I think we'll do that tomorrow (definitely am looking forward to that)! I learnt a ton of things about proper mechanics of the elementary gymnastic movements, as well as the importance of spotting and safety while attempting gymnastic moves. I also learnt a nifty way to modify ring dips (besides negatives and jumping dips) for people who're struggling to get their first ring dip. I'm hoping to apply all this newfound knowledge when I return to Ann Arbor!
Demo Girl Melissa Byers (of shower-rod-pullup and Olympic-bar-breaking fame) demonstrates a L-sit hold on the rings.
Oh, and this particular seminar is filled with huge, huuuuuuuge names in the CrossFitting world -- Kelly Moore, Lynne Pitts (both of whom have workouts named after them)
"Kelly"
5 Rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
30 box jump, 24 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
"Lynne"
5 Rounds for max reps (no time component for this WOD):
Bodyweight bench press
Pullups
... as well as Gillian Mounsey (third in this year's CF Games and by far one of the best, most well-rounded athletes I've ever seen), and Jeff Martone (CrossFit's resident kettlebell coach and famed for performing a Turkish getup using his wife). And of course affiliate owners like CrossFit NYC's Michael Pommerening, CrossFit Virtuosity's Keith Wittenstein, CrossFit Boston's Jon Gilson and Neal Thompson, and CrossFit Watertown's Lisbeth Darth (writer and editor for both the CF affiliate blog as well as the CF Journal). It's truly a privilege to be in the midst of such awesome athletes and people!
Here's a brief lowdown on what I've learnt today (courtesy of Coach Jeff Tucker's notes)
Gymnastic Seminar:
The point of this seminar is to educate you in basic gymnastic movements which in turn will allow you to progress in your CrossFit workouts. Such skills and drills, basic or otherwise, will allow you to develop strength moves and variations in your personal training. All of these movements are based on form and the progression toward form with strength. Small moves will bring great rewards – you don’t rush these movements, you LEARN them!
Basic Spotting and Safety:
SAFETY - TRUST - CONFIDENCE
How to spot others. It is a hands-on exercise. Over-spotting. Hands on exercise
Self spot using stationary objects or assistance with power bands
What to look for when spotting: muscle fatigue, form issues, correction and feedback
SAFETY – ALWAYS SAFETY –
Spotting is used until the movement and form is achieved
Grip – thumb around the bar
Terminology:
Spot – various techniques
Active Muscles
Hollow
Core - Tightness
Form – Proper form and being tight in the movements
What is gymnastics? Striving toward perfection of the forms in CF vs compulsory
Static vs. Dynamic Apparatus
Stretch
High Bar/Pull Up Bar Variations
Grip – thumb around the bar – Spot – hands ON EXERCISE!
Kipping
Inversion
Dislocates
Skin the cat / pull back through to dead hang
L-sit raise – Dead hangs
L-sit pull ups
KTE / Ball Up
Muscle up
Back Levers
Front Lever
Rings
Safety
Support - Spot
Inversion
Ring position / strap position / arms close to the body
False grip
Muscle Up progression – training the muscle memory
Muscle Up
Iron Cross variations/progressions
***
All photos courtesy of Keith Wittenstein (thanks, Keith!) from CrossFit Virtuosity.
Today was a whirlwind day, to say the least. I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. last night after setting my phone alarm to 12:15 a.m. so that I could wake up in time to walk over to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (about half an hour's walk from where I'm bunking in with a friend in NYC), to catch my Greyhound bus to Boston at 2:00 a.m..
Well, as luck would have it, apparently I snoozed peacefully through my alarm at 12:15 a.m., and sat up all in a tizzy at 1:55 a.m., almost frantic and wondering how I was ever going to get to Boston by 9 the next morning. I rushed over to the terminal and was lucky to be told that there was another bus leaving for Boston at 3:30 a.m., and scheduled to reach at 8:05 in the morning. It wasn't a full bus by any means, so I continued the rest of my snooze all the way to Boston. I reached Boston's South Station at 8:15 a.m., jumped into a cab, and hightailed it all the way to CrossFit Boston, getting there at around 8:40 a.m.. Whew! What a way to begin my morning.
Thankfully, the day only got better as we were treated to Tucker's (Coach Jeff Tucker of GSX Athletics, CrossFit's expert on gymnastic training) brand of rowdy Texan humor as he proceeded to teach us all about the elements of gymnastics. The morning was spent primarily on bar work, where we learnt the mechanics of efficient kipping (apparently, the verbal cue "push off away from the bar" isn't the right way to teach a kip, and the kip is initiated by the forward thrust of the torso, rather than the backward swing of the legs).
We also worked on progressions involving knees-to-elbows, rolls, skin-the-cats, inversions, and back levers.
After lunch, we worked on the rings with supports, more levers, and muscle-up progressions. We didn't manage to cover the iron cross support today, but I think we'll do that tomorrow (definitely am looking forward to that)! I learnt a ton of things about proper mechanics of the elementary gymnastic movements, as well as the importance of spotting and safety while attempting gymnastic moves. I also learnt a nifty way to modify ring dips (besides negatives and jumping dips) for people who're struggling to get their first ring dip. I'm hoping to apply all this newfound knowledge when I return to Ann Arbor!
Oh, and this particular seminar is filled with huge, huuuuuuuge names in the CrossFitting world -- Kelly Moore, Lynne Pitts (both of whom have workouts named after them)
"Kelly"
5 Rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
30 box jump, 24 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
"Lynne"
5 Rounds for max reps (no time component for this WOD):
Bodyweight bench press
Pullups
... as well as Gillian Mounsey (third in this year's CF Games and by far one of the best, most well-rounded athletes I've ever seen), and Jeff Martone (CrossFit's resident kettlebell coach and famed for performing a Turkish getup using his wife). And of course affiliate owners like CrossFit NYC's Michael Pommerening, CrossFit Virtuosity's Keith Wittenstein, CrossFit Boston's Jon Gilson and Neal Thompson, and CrossFit Watertown's Lisbeth Darth (writer and editor for both the CF affiliate blog as well as the CF Journal). It's truly a privilege to be in the midst of such awesome athletes and people!
Here's a brief lowdown on what I've learnt today (courtesy of Coach Jeff Tucker's notes)
Gymnastic Seminar:
The point of this seminar is to educate you in basic gymnastic movements which in turn will allow you to progress in your CrossFit workouts. Such skills and drills, basic or otherwise, will allow you to develop strength moves and variations in your personal training. All of these movements are based on form and the progression toward form with strength. Small moves will bring great rewards – you don’t rush these movements, you LEARN them!
Basic Spotting and Safety:
SAFETY - TRUST - CONFIDENCE
How to spot others. It is a hands-on exercise. Over-spotting. Hands on exercise
Self spot using stationary objects or assistance with power bands
What to look for when spotting: muscle fatigue, form issues, correction and feedback
SAFETY – ALWAYS SAFETY –
Spotting is used until the movement and form is achieved
Grip – thumb around the bar
Terminology:
Spot – various techniques
Active Muscles
Hollow
Core - Tightness
Form – Proper form and being tight in the movements
What is gymnastics? Striving toward perfection of the forms in CF vs compulsory
Static vs. Dynamic Apparatus
Stretch
High Bar/Pull Up Bar Variations
Grip – thumb around the bar – Spot – hands ON EXERCISE!
Kipping
Inversion
Dislocates
Skin the cat / pull back through to dead hang
L-sit raise – Dead hangs
L-sit pull ups
KTE / Ball Up
Muscle up
Back Levers
Front Lever
Rings
Safety
Support - Spot
Inversion
Ring position / strap position / arms close to the body
False grip
Muscle Up progression – training the muscle memory
Muscle Up
Iron Cross variations/progressions
***
All photos courtesy of Keith Wittenstein (thanks, Keith!) from CrossFit Virtuosity.
Friday 10/24/2008
WOD
6 Rounds of:
5 KB Goblet Squats
4 KB Walking Lunges
5 KB Goblet Squats
4 KB Walking Lunges
10 Knees to Elbows
WOD
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Pullups
10 KB Weighted Situps
10 Pushups
Total No. of Rounds: 14
***
"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do."
- Baltasar Gracian
6 Rounds of:
5 KB Goblet Squats
4 KB Walking Lunges
5 KB Goblet Squats
4 KB Walking Lunges
10 Knees to Elbows
WOD
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
10 Pullups
10 KB Weighted Situps
10 Pushups
Total No. of Rounds: 14
***
"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do."
- Baltasar Gracian
Thursday 10/23/2008
WOD
"Filthy Fifty"
50 Box jumps
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Pushups
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots
50 Burpees (with clap overhead)
50 Double unders
Time: 25:55
WOD
15 rounds of 7 reps each:
Med Ball Cleans (14#)
Pushups
Time: 9:32
WOD
"The Fluffy Cloud Dance" (a.k.a. "The Super Renegade Pistol Party")
As Many Rounds as You Can in 20 minutes of:
Squat
Pistol Right Leg
Squat
Pistol Left Leg
Pushup
Renegade Row Right Arm
Pushup
Renegade Row Left Arm
7 Superman Back Extensions
The pushups and renegade rows are done with the hands on kettlebells. Men should use 24kg and women 16kg. Smaller KBs are less stable, so if you can't row 16kg, then do the pushups with hands on the floor and pick up the KB each time you row. Squats and pistols can be done with or without holding one of the kettlebells. The supermans are done with the belly on the floor and the arms reaching forward alongside the ears and the legs and feet are squeezed together and do not come apart. Lift the entire chest and the legs off the floor.
Total Rounds Completed: 43
***
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
- Albert Einstein
"Filthy Fifty"
50 Box jumps
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Pushups
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots
50 Burpees (with clap overhead)
50 Double unders
Time: 25:55
WOD
15 rounds of 7 reps each:
Med Ball Cleans (14#)
Pushups
Time: 9:32
WOD
"The Fluffy Cloud Dance" (a.k.a. "The Super Renegade Pistol Party")
As Many Rounds as You Can in 20 minutes of:
Squat
Pistol Right Leg
Squat
Pistol Left Leg
Pushup
Renegade Row Right Arm
Pushup
Renegade Row Left Arm
7 Superman Back Extensions
The pushups and renegade rows are done with the hands on kettlebells. Men should use 24kg and women 16kg. Smaller KBs are less stable, so if you can't row 16kg, then do the pushups with hands on the floor and pick up the KB each time you row. Squats and pistols can be done with or without holding one of the kettlebells. The supermans are done with the belly on the floor and the arms reaching forward alongside the ears and the legs and feet are squeezed together and do not come apart. Lift the entire chest and the legs off the floor.
Total Rounds Completed: 43
***
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
- Albert Einstein
Wednesday 10/22/2008
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
DB Overhead Swings (45#)
Elevated Pushups
Double Unders
Back Extensions
WOD
4 rounds for time:
Row 250 m
10 Deadlifts (135#)
15 American KB Swings (16 kg)
5 Ring Dips
Time: 9:42
WOD
10 rounds of 12 reps each:
Burpees
Pullups
Time: 18:30
(Bought into the 100-day Pullup Challenge with this workout!)
***
"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity."
- Germaine Greer
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
DB Overhead Swings (45#)
Elevated Pushups
Double Unders
Back Extensions
WOD
4 rounds for time:
Row 250 m
10 Deadlifts (135#)
15 American KB Swings (16 kg)
5 Ring Dips
Time: 9:42
WOD
10 rounds of 12 reps each:
Burpees
Pullups
Time: 18:30
(Bought into the 100-day Pullup Challenge with this workout!)
***
"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity."
- Germaine Greer
Tuesday 10/25/2008
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Ring Rows (with feet elevated on box)
Lateral Hurdle Jumps
Plyo Pushups
Wall Ball Shots
Swim Workout:
W/U: 1000 m
Workout: 10 x 100 m/50 m easy
C/D: 500 m drills
WOD
8 rounds of 8 reps each:
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
Ring Pushup
Barbell Shoulder Press
KB Weighted Situp
***
"The waste of money cures itself, for soon there is no more to waste."
- M.W. Harrison
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Ring Rows (with feet elevated on box)
Lateral Hurdle Jumps
Plyo Pushups
Wall Ball Shots
Swim Workout:
W/U: 1000 m
Workout: 10 x 100 m/50 m easy
C/D: 500 m drills
WOD
8 rounds of 8 reps each:
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
Ring Pushup
Barbell Shoulder Press
KB Weighted Situp
***
"The waste of money cures itself, for soon there is no more to waste."
- M.W. Harrison
Monday 10/20/2008
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead DB Swing (R)
Overhead DB Swing (L)
DB Push Press (R)
DB Push Press (L)
DB Renegade Row
WOD: Charge
5 Rounds of:
400 m Run
30 Dynamax Ball Situps (20#)
15 Deadlifts (135#)
WOD: Revolution
21-15-9 reps of:
Wall Ball
Russian KB Swing
***
"The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk."
- Jacqueline Schiff
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead DB Swing (R)
Overhead DB Swing (L)
DB Push Press (R)
DB Push Press (L)
DB Renegade Row
WOD: Charge
5 Rounds of:
400 m Run
30 Dynamax Ball Situps (20#)
15 Deadlifts (135#)
WOD: Revolution
21-15-9 reps of:
Wall Ball
Russian KB Swing
***
"The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk."
- Jacqueline Schiff
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sunday 10/19/2008
Detroit Free Press Half-Marathon!
Time: 1:49:50
***
"Poverty sits by the cradle of all our great men and rocks all of them to manhood."
- Heinrich Heine
Time: 1:49:50
***
"Poverty sits by the cradle of all our great men and rocks all of them to manhood."
- Heinrich Heine
Saturday 10/18/2008
WOD
"Chelsea"
Every minute on the minute for 30 minutes, perform:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
***
"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally."
- David Frost
"Chelsea"
Every minute on the minute for 30 minutes, perform:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
***
"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally."
- David Frost
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Thursday 10/16/2008
WOD
4 rounds of 10 reps each:
Thruster (65#)
Decline Situp (25#)
Pushup
Back Extension (25#)
WOD: Revolution
15-12-9 reps of:
DB Manmakers
Box Jumps
I discovered a movement worthy of incorporation into workouts after scaling the dividing wall at Joust separating the main gym from the yoga/cycling room on a whim (goes towards practice for the military's Standard Obstacle Course) -- 6-foot wall climbs for time!
***
"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
- Kenji Miyazawa
4 rounds of 10 reps each:
Thruster (65#)
Decline Situp (25#)
Pushup
Back Extension (25#)
WOD: Revolution
15-12-9 reps of:
DB Manmakers
Box Jumps
I discovered a movement worthy of incorporation into workouts after scaling the dividing wall at Joust separating the main gym from the yoga/cycling room on a whim (goes towards practice for the military's Standard Obstacle Course) -- 6-foot wall climbs for time!
***
"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
- Kenji Miyazawa
Wednesday 10/15/2008
WOD
5-10-15-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Overhead Squat (45#)
V-Up
Shoulder Press (45#)
Decline Situp (25#)
Swim Workout
W/U: 500 m
Drill Work: 500 m
Workout: 100/200/300/400/500/400/300/200/100 free
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Dead Hang Pullups
2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots
***
"If it's very painful for you to criticize your friends - you're safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue."
- Alice Duer Miller
5-10-15-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Overhead Squat (45#)
V-Up
Shoulder Press (45#)
Decline Situp (25#)
Swim Workout
W/U: 500 m
Drill Work: 500 m
Workout: 100/200/300/400/500/400/300/200/100 free
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Dead Hang Pullups
2-for-1 Wall Ball Shots
***
"If it's very painful for you to criticize your friends - you're safe in doing it. But if you take the slightest pleasure in it, that's the time to hold your tongue."
- Alice Duer Miller
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday 10/14/2008
WOD
3 rounds of 21 reps:
1-Arm DB Hang Power Snatch (R)
Pushup
1-Arm DB Hang Power Snatch (L)
Pushup
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead Squat (65#)
Tricep Pushup
WOD
With a barbell, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Muscle Snatch
Overhead Squat
Sostz Press
(This workout sucks big time, largely due to the Sostz presses)
***
"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."
- Tim Cahill
3 rounds of 21 reps:
1-Arm DB Hang Power Snatch (R)
Pushup
1-Arm DB Hang Power Snatch (L)
Pushup
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Overhead Squat (65#)
Tricep Pushup
WOD
With a barbell, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Muscle Snatch
Overhead Squat
Sostz Press
(This workout sucks big time, largely due to the Sostz presses)
***
"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."
- Tim Cahill
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday 10/13/2008
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
With a 30# DB, perform 21-15-9 reps of:
1-Arm DB Overhead Swing (R, then L)
1-Arm DB Push Press
1-Arm DB Overhead Squat
Time: 10:00 (and three-hundredths of a second -- yes, Patty's that precise)
WOD
"Helen"
3 Rounds of:
400 m Run
21 American KB Swings (1 pood)
12 Pullups
Time: 9:51
***
"A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."
- Aesop
25-minute Spin, followed by -
With a 30# DB, perform 21-15-9 reps of:
1-Arm DB Overhead Swing (R, then L)
1-Arm DB Push Press
1-Arm DB Overhead Squat
Time: 10:00 (and three-hundredths of a second -- yes, Patty's that precise)
WOD
"Helen"
3 Rounds of:
400 m Run
21 American KB Swings (1 pood)
12 Pullups
Time: 9:51
***
"A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."
- Aesop
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Phoenix Theory
The Psychology of Physical Rebirth
Some time ago, I posted in relation to another piece written by Chris Shugart over at T-Nation (read it here). Look past the blatant product advertising and the pictures of scantily-clad (and HOT) women on the website and T-Nation actually has quite a wealth of useful information about training and motivation -- not necessarily in congruence with what I believe or practice, but good to know and think about, in any case. I particularly enjoy Shugart's articles -- he's a FFB (Former Fat Boy)-turned-fit-guy and he has this uncanny ability of being able to place his finger on the frustrations that plague people who're seeking to transform their own lives.
Briefly, the Phoenix Theory of body transformation involves four key stages:
1) A traumatic event leading to a sudden realization and awakening
2) Anger and a firm decision to change
3) The physical transformation itself
4) Continued progress fueled by fear of regression
If the article and the decidedly unflattering picture of the "front-butted fuck" (as Shugart puts it) riding an electric scooter around a grocery store doesn't motivate you to achieve your own goals, I'm not sure what else will. This article definitely got me thinking about my own goals and what I ought to do to achieve them. Interestingly enough, the phoenix has always been a creature that has held particular symbolism for me (you see, the first character of my Chinese name, "feng", means "phoenix"), and it also proves to be an excellent analogy in this context.
I hope this helps you in pursuing your own goals and seeking your own personal transformation!
Sunday 10/12/2008
WOD: Revolutio€
With a pair of DBs (25#), perform 75-50-25 reps of:
Weighted Walking Lunges
Push Presses
WOD
100 Walking Lunges
50 Pushups
75 Walking Lunges
50 Ring Rows
50 Walking Lunges
50 Russian KB Swings
25 Walking Lunges
50 Squats
***
"Sometimes I think and other times I am."
- Paul Valéry
With a pair of DBs (25#), perform 75-50-25 reps of:
Weighted Walking Lunges
Push Presses
WOD
100 Walking Lunges
50 Pushups
75 Walking Lunges
50 Ring Rows
50 Walking Lunges
50 Russian KB Swings
25 Walking Lunges
50 Squats
***
"Sometimes I think and other times I am."
- Paul Valéry
Saturday 10/11/2008
WOD: Charge
1-2-3-4...18-19-20 reps of:
Medicine Ball Thrusters (20#)
Russian KB Swings
Ring Dips
Only managed to get up to round 18 when time was called. This workout is a lot longer than it seems (thanks primarily to the ring dips).
WOD
Deck of Cards - pull out a card one at a time and do the assigned exercise until the whole deck is gone. The number of the card is the number of reps. For example, a 6 of hearts would be 6 burpees. A Queen of diamonds would be 12 KB swings.
Diamonds = KB Swings
Hearts = Burpees
Clubs = V-Ups
Spades = One-Arm Ring Rows
Jokers = Run 400 m/ Row 500 m
***
"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."
- Edmund Burke
1-2-3-4...18-19-20 reps of:
Medicine Ball Thrusters (20#)
Russian KB Swings
Ring Dips
Only managed to get up to round 18 when time was called. This workout is a lot longer than it seems (thanks primarily to the ring dips).
WOD
Deck of Cards - pull out a card one at a time and do the assigned exercise until the whole deck is gone. The number of the card is the number of reps. For example, a 6 of hearts would be 6 burpees. A Queen of diamonds would be 12 KB swings.
Diamonds = KB Swings
Hearts = Burpees
Clubs = V-Ups
Spades = One-Arm Ring Rows
Jokers = Run 400 m/ Row 500 m
***
"Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting."
- Edmund Burke
Friday 10/10/2008
WOD
6 rounds of:
24 Box Jumps
18 Decline Pushups
12 Bench Dips (with feet elevated)
6 Burpee Box Jumps
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Hang Squat Cleans (65#)
Barbell Rollouts
***
"When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
- Leo Burnett
6 rounds of:
24 Box Jumps
18 Decline Pushups
12 Bench Dips (with feet elevated)
6 Burpee Box Jumps
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Hang Squat Cleans (65#)
Barbell Rollouts
***
"When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."
- Leo Burnett
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday 10/09/2008
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Burpees
Overhead Squat (65#)
Donkey Kicks
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
DB Burpee
DB Thruster
DB Row
DB Weighted Stepup (20")
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (165#)
Pullup
***
"A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works."
- Bill Vaughan
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Burpees
Overhead Squat (65#)
Donkey Kicks
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
DB Burpee
DB Thruster
DB Row
DB Weighted Stepup (20")
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (165#)
Pullup
***
"A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works."
- Bill Vaughan
Wednesday 10/08/2008
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Shoulder Press (65#)
Spider Pushup
Push Press (65#)
Regular Pushup
Push Jerk (65#)
Diamond Pushup
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk (65#)
Weighted Walking Lunge (65#)
WOD:
Every minute on the minute, for 30 minutes, perform:
(1)
3 Ring Dips
6 Box Jumps (24")
9 Elevated Pushups (20")
(2)
2 Power Cleans (95#)
4 Power Wheel Rollouts
6 D-Ball Slams (20#)
Alternate between (1) and (2) each minute.
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee Box Jumps
Elevated Pushups (20")
***
"Little things console us because little things afflict us."
- Blaise Pascal
21-15-9 reps of:
Shoulder Press (65#)
Spider Pushup
Push Press (65#)
Regular Pushup
Push Jerk (65#)
Diamond Pushup
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk (65#)
Weighted Walking Lunge (65#)
WOD:
Every minute on the minute, for 30 minutes, perform:
(1)
3 Ring Dips
6 Box Jumps (24")
9 Elevated Pushups (20")
(2)
2 Power Cleans (95#)
4 Power Wheel Rollouts
6 D-Ball Slams (20#)
Alternate between (1) and (2) each minute.
WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee Box Jumps
Elevated Pushups (20")
***
"Little things console us because little things afflict us."
- Blaise Pascal
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Tuesday 10/07/2008
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Box Jumps (25")
Pushups
Jumping Squats
Dips
Walking Lunge Steps
Hold Side Plank for 5 sec between rounds.
WOD
"O, How the Bells Toll"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
1-Arm KB Complex (Swing/Snatch/Clean & Press/OHS) -- alt. R/L
KB Figure 8 Upper Cut
KB Burpee
KB H2H Double Tap Swing
***
"Hire character. Train skill."
- Peter Schutz
21-15-9 reps of:
Box Jumps (25")
Pushups
Jumping Squats
Dips
Walking Lunge Steps
Hold Side Plank for 5 sec between rounds.
WOD
"O, How the Bells Toll"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
1-Arm KB Complex (Swing/Snatch/Clean & Press/OHS) -- alt. R/L
KB Figure 8 Upper Cut
KB Burpee
KB H2H Double Tap Swing
***
"Hire character. Train skill."
- Peter Schutz
Monday, October 6, 2008
Monday 10/06/2008
WOD: Charge
100 Wall Balls
100 Russian KB Swings
100 Push Presses (65#)
100 Box Jumps (20")
WOD: Revolution
21-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-5-3-1 reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (65#)
Pullup
WOD
1-Arm DB Hang Squat Snatch - R (30#)
Plyo Pushup
1-Arm DB Hang Squat Snatch - L
Medicine Ball Thruster
***
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it."
- David Star Jordan
100 Wall Balls
100 Russian KB Swings
100 Push Presses (65#)
100 Box Jumps (20")
WOD: Revolution
21-19-17-15-13-11-9-7-5-3-1 reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (65#)
Pullup
WOD
1-Arm DB Hang Squat Snatch - R (30#)
Plyo Pushup
1-Arm DB Hang Squat Snatch - L
Medicine Ball Thruster
***
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it."
- David Star Jordan
Sunday 10/05/2008
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Jumping Squat
Elevated Pushup
V-Up
Didn't manage to make it to CrossFit Boston due to time issues. So I was definitely glad I managed to get in a hotel workout earlier in the morning! Boston was awesome -- it's been almost 11 years since I first visited. My friend and I rubbed John Harvard's shoe during our walk around Harvard University (I did do that way back in 1997, but I've convinced myself that the reason I didn't end up there for undergraduate studies was because I didn't even bother applying in the first place, ha ha), in the hope that doing so would get us into Harvard for our PhDs. Well, we'll see if that works. Did loads of walking throughout the day, though -- from our hotel in Cambridge to Boston's South End, up to Chinatown, back to the South End, and back to the hotel again, about six miles or so. Saturday's Singapore Seminar was good as well -- met up with scholars from all around the U.S. and had a generally edifying time. I think I ate far too much as well. Baked stuffed lobster, New England Clam Bake, clam chowder, the works. Yum! I was upgraded to First Class on my way back from Boston as well, which is one of the perks of being a Gold Elite member with NWA (there's always a pretty good chance that I get upgraded on any flight). All in all, a fun trip.
***
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
- Steven Wright
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Jumping Squat
Elevated Pushup
V-Up
Didn't manage to make it to CrossFit Boston due to time issues. So I was definitely glad I managed to get in a hotel workout earlier in the morning! Boston was awesome -- it's been almost 11 years since I first visited. My friend and I rubbed John Harvard's shoe during our walk around Harvard University (I did do that way back in 1997, but I've convinced myself that the reason I didn't end up there for undergraduate studies was because I didn't even bother applying in the first place, ha ha), in the hope that doing so would get us into Harvard for our PhDs. Well, we'll see if that works. Did loads of walking throughout the day, though -- from our hotel in Cambridge to Boston's South End, up to Chinatown, back to the South End, and back to the hotel again, about six miles or so. Saturday's Singapore Seminar was good as well -- met up with scholars from all around the U.S. and had a generally edifying time. I think I ate far too much as well. Baked stuffed lobster, New England Clam Bake, clam chowder, the works. Yum! I was upgraded to First Class on my way back from Boston as well, which is one of the perks of being a Gold Elite member with NWA (there's always a pretty good chance that I get upgraded on any flight). All in all, a fun trip.
***
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
- Steven Wright
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday 10/05/2008
WOD
2.5 mile run, followed by:
40-30-20-10 reps of:
Burpees
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
Going to CrossFit Boston tomorrow!
***
"We are all primary numbers divisible only by ourselves."
- Jean Guitton
2.5 mile run, followed by:
40-30-20-10 reps of:
Burpees
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
Going to CrossFit Boston tomorrow!
***
"We are all primary numbers divisible only by ourselves."
- Jean Guitton
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday 10/03/2008
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Overhead Squat (75#)
Pullup
With two 45# plates, perform a 100 m Farmer's Walk after each round.
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Power Clean (95#)
Box Jump (24")
Ring Dip
***
"Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else."
- Ivern Ball
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Overhead Squat (75#)
Pullup
With two 45# plates, perform a 100 m Farmer's Walk after each round.
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Power Clean (95#)
Box Jump (24")
Ring Dip
***
"Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else."
- Ivern Ball
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thursday 10/02/2008
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (65#)
Pushup
Power Clean (65#)
Flag (also known as Rotational or T-) Pushup
WOD: Charge
"Cindy"
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
Score: 26 Rounds + 7 Squats (PR!!!)
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Barbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Russian Swing (45#)
Jumping Squat
Time: 4:22
***
"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."
- Edwin Hubbel Chapin
21-15-9 reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (65#)
Pushup
Power Clean (65#)
Flag (also known as Rotational or T-) Pushup
WOD: Charge
"Cindy"
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
Score: 26 Rounds + 7 Squats (PR!!!)
WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Barbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Russian Swing (45#)
Jumping Squat
Time: 4:22
***
"Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."
- Edwin Hubbel Chapin
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday 10/01/2008
WOD
100 Squats
75 Decline Situps (25#)
50 Pushups
25 Burpees
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
30-20-10 reps of:
Medicine Ball Clean to Wall Ball (aka. the Ball-Sucker)
Medicine Ball Situp
WOD
Jenn and I each picked 5 exercises at random separately, and then engaged in a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to determine the 5 exercises that would feature in our workout. So here were the initial matchups:
Feng -- Jenn:
#1: Plyo Pushups -- Overhead Squats
#2: DB Manmakers -- Ring Pushups
#3: Ring Dips -- KB Snatches
#4: Turkish Getups -- Shoulder Presses
#5: Burpee Box Jumps -- Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
I won all but #3 (Yeah! I am the reigning champion in Rock, Paper, Scissors, which I grew up calling Scissors, Paper, Stone in Singapore -- that's your interesting but admittedly quite useless piece of trivia for the day), which resulted in the following workout -
5 Rounds of:
3 DB Manmakers
6R/6L Turkish Getups
9R/9L KB Snatches
12 Burpee Box Jumps
15 Plyo Pushups
As usual, it was my good fortune to win all the rounds that featured exercises with compound movements. I do like to make life difficult for myself, don't I?
This workout took us over forty minutes to complete, thanks to Jenn who decided that 5 rounds would be a good idea. In any case, it was an excellent and nicely random workout.
WOD
"The Plate of Fate"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Standing Barbell Russian Twist (with 25# plate loaded)
Barbell Side-to-Side Pushup*
1-Arm Barbell Bent-over Row** (R, then L)
* See #11 on this site - push up, and then power yourself over the barbell, and land with the opposite hand on the end.
** See #3.
***
"Injustice is relatively easy to bear; it is justice that hurts."
- H.L. Mencken
100 Squats
75 Decline Situps (25#)
50 Pushups
25 Burpees
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
30-20-10 reps of:
Medicine Ball Clean to Wall Ball (aka. the Ball-Sucker)
Medicine Ball Situp
WOD
Jenn and I each picked 5 exercises at random separately, and then engaged in a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to determine the 5 exercises that would feature in our workout. So here were the initial matchups:
Feng -- Jenn:
#1: Plyo Pushups -- Overhead Squats
#2: DB Manmakers -- Ring Pushups
#3: Ring Dips -- KB Snatches
#4: Turkish Getups -- Shoulder Presses
#5: Burpee Box Jumps -- Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
I won all but #3 (Yeah! I am the reigning champion in Rock, Paper, Scissors, which I grew up calling Scissors, Paper, Stone in Singapore -- that's your interesting but admittedly quite useless piece of trivia for the day), which resulted in the following workout -
5 Rounds of:
3 DB Manmakers
6R/6L Turkish Getups
9R/9L KB Snatches
12 Burpee Box Jumps
15 Plyo Pushups
As usual, it was my good fortune to win all the rounds that featured exercises with compound movements. I do like to make life difficult for myself, don't I?
This workout took us over forty minutes to complete, thanks to Jenn who decided that 5 rounds would be a good idea. In any case, it was an excellent and nicely random workout.
WOD
"The Plate of Fate"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Standing Barbell Russian Twist (with 25# plate loaded)
Barbell Side-to-Side Pushup*
1-Arm Barbell Bent-over Row** (R, then L)
* See #11 on this site - push up, and then power yourself over the barbell, and land with the opposite hand on the end.
** See #3.
***
"Injustice is relatively easy to bear; it is justice that hurts."
- H.L. Mencken
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday 09/30/2008
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Pushup
Shoulder Press (65#)
Handstand Pushup
Bench Dip
WOD
3-6-9-12-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Overhead Squat (65#)
Pullup
Burpee Box Jump
***
Lymph, v.: to walk with a lisp.
- From a Washington Post reader submission word contest
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Pushup
Shoulder Press (65#)
Handstand Pushup
Bench Dip
WOD
3-6-9-12-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Overhead Squat (65#)
Pullup
Burpee Box Jump
***
Lymph, v.: to walk with a lisp.
- From a Washington Post reader submission word contest
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday 09/29/2008
WOD
With a 65# barbell, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Front Squat
Push Press
Thruster
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
8 rounds of 8 reps each:
Box Jumps (24")
Elevated Pushups
American KB Swings
KB Goblet Squats
KB Crunches
WOD
This workout should be executed in the following fashion; start with one skin-the-cat, then do one skin-the-cat and two windshield wipers, then one skin-the-cat, two windshield wipers and three pistols on each leg; and so on.
1 Skin-the-Cat
2 Windshield Wipers (back and forth = 1 rep)
3 Pistols (R, then L)
4 Medicine Ball Cleans to Thrusters
5 Ring Dips
6 American KB Swings
7 1-Arm Body Rows (R, then L)
8 Burpee Box Jumps
9 Hindu Pushups
10 Pullups
***
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
- Herman Melville
With a 65# barbell, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Front Squat
Push Press
Thruster
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
8 rounds of 8 reps each:
Box Jumps (24")
Elevated Pushups
American KB Swings
KB Goblet Squats
KB Crunches
WOD
This workout should be executed in the following fashion; start with one skin-the-cat, then do one skin-the-cat and two windshield wipers, then one skin-the-cat, two windshield wipers and three pistols on each leg; and so on.
1 Skin-the-Cat
2 Windshield Wipers (back and forth = 1 rep)
3 Pistols (R, then L)
4 Medicine Ball Cleans to Thrusters
5 Ring Dips
6 American KB Swings
7 1-Arm Body Rows (R, then L)
8 Burpee Box Jumps
9 Hindu Pushups
10 Pullups
***
"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."
- Herman Melville
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday 09/28/2008
WOD: Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of 20 reps each:
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (65#)
Russian KB Swings
WOD
5 Rounds of:
50 Squats
40 V-Ups
30 Russian KB Swings
20 Pushups
10 Pullups
Time: 22:09
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Dead Hang Pullups
Ring Dips
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
1-Arm Body Row (R, then L)
***
"Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep."
- Catherine O'Hara
25-minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of 20 reps each:
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (65#)
Russian KB Swings
WOD
5 Rounds of:
50 Squats
40 V-Ups
30 Russian KB Swings
20 Pushups
10 Pullups
Time: 22:09
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Dead Hang Pullups
Ring Dips
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
1-Arm Body Row (R, then L)
***
"Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep."
- Catherine O'Hara
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday 09/27/2008
WOD: Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
DB Row
Russian KB Swing
DB Lunging Thruster (oh, how these suck)
WOD
10 Dead Hang Pullups
20 Ring Pushups (feet elevated)
30 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
40 GHD Situps
50 Double Unders
40 GHD Back Extensions
30 D-Ball Slams (20#)
20 Ring Dips
10 Straight Leg Lifts
Attempt at Bulgarian Ring Dips! (sorry I can't figure out how to edit videos yet, and yes I know, Jay Chou's "An1 Jing4" isn't exactly workout music)
These dips are different from what most people know as the standard ring dips, in the sense that the ring straps should not come into contact with the upper arms (i.e. don't stabilize yourself by using the ring straps as support).
From GymnasticBodies.com:
To perform a Bulgarian dip, begin by assuming a standard support position on the rings. As a reminder, a correct support position will have the chest elevated, the back flat (no hunching!), the elbows locked and the rings turned outward slightly. From this position, start the descent by allowing the rings to begin turning inward to a parallel position while simultaneously pressing the rings outward. Continue the descent until a pair of 90 degree angles have been achieved; a 90 degree bend in the elbows and a 90 degree angle between the upper arms and the torso. When you have reached the correct depth of descent; in addition to the pair of 90 degree angles hopefully attained, the upper arms will also be parallel with the floor.
***
"Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
- Samuel Beckett
30-20-10 reps of:
DB Row
Russian KB Swing
DB Lunging Thruster (oh, how these suck)
WOD
10 Dead Hang Pullups
20 Ring Pushups (feet elevated)
30 Wall Ball Shots (14#)
40 GHD Situps
50 Double Unders
40 GHD Back Extensions
30 D-Ball Slams (20#)
20 Ring Dips
10 Straight Leg Lifts
Attempt at Bulgarian Ring Dips! (sorry I can't figure out how to edit videos yet, and yes I know, Jay Chou's "An1 Jing4" isn't exactly workout music)
These dips are different from what most people know as the standard ring dips, in the sense that the ring straps should not come into contact with the upper arms (i.e. don't stabilize yourself by using the ring straps as support).
From GymnasticBodies.com:
To perform a Bulgarian dip, begin by assuming a standard support position on the rings. As a reminder, a correct support position will have the chest elevated, the back flat (no hunching!), the elbows locked and the rings turned outward slightly. From this position, start the descent by allowing the rings to begin turning inward to a parallel position while simultaneously pressing the rings outward. Continue the descent until a pair of 90 degree angles have been achieved; a 90 degree bend in the elbows and a 90 degree angle between the upper arms and the torso. When you have reached the correct depth of descent; in addition to the pair of 90 degree angles hopefully attained, the upper arms will also be parallel with the floor.
***
"Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
- Samuel Beckett
Friday 09/26/2008
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee Box Jumps
Pistol* (R)
Pistol (L)
*Pistol: A one-legged ATG squat. Modify as necessary with a box to decrease range of motion or use a pillar/stretch band for support.
I did a 5-mile trail run with Patty at Pinckney Rec Area, near the Silver Lake campground. I appreciate running on trails -- the unpredictability of the terrain makes for an excellent workout and helps to boost kinesthetic awareness. Not to mention that it's a nice change from road running and you get to spend some time in communion with nature as well. It was a lovely morning to be out on the trails yesterday.
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Pushups (feet elevated on 20" box)
KB Clean and Press (R)
KB Clean and Press (L)
Rest 5 minutes, then -
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Dips
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
I managed to get in a spot of ring work as well. My goal is to commit to building ring strength on a regular basis (say, on Mon Wed Fri, but knowing myself it'll probably be something like Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, sigh...), by performing ring-based exercises and gymnastic progressions, in order to eventually accomplish some of the more technically-challenging ring movements. I'm quite a noob when it comes to rings but, hey, I guess everyone has to start somewhere. These workouts are more focused on building strength rather than metabolic conditioning and so I don't skimp on the rest periods between sets. Neither are the workouts long. I'll talk about rings and their related exercises in a subsequent post, but here's what I did yesterday:
5 x 5 Ring Dips
5 x 5 Inverted Pullups
5 x 5 Dead Hang Pullups
5 x 3 Skin-the-Cats (reaching a full dislocate at the bottom of the movement)
5 x 20 second static hold in support position (rings turned outwards such that insides of elbows are facing outwards and arms are not braced against straps)
***
"Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles."
- Walter Cronkite
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee Box Jumps
Pistol* (R)
Pistol (L)
*Pistol: A one-legged ATG squat. Modify as necessary with a box to decrease range of motion or use a pillar/stretch band for support.
I did a 5-mile trail run with Patty at Pinckney Rec Area, near the Silver Lake campground. I appreciate running on trails -- the unpredictability of the terrain makes for an excellent workout and helps to boost kinesthetic awareness. Not to mention that it's a nice change from road running and you get to spend some time in communion with nature as well. It was a lovely morning to be out on the trails yesterday.
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Pushups (feet elevated on 20" box)
KB Clean and Press (R)
KB Clean and Press (L)
Rest 5 minutes, then -
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Dips
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
I managed to get in a spot of ring work as well. My goal is to commit to building ring strength on a regular basis (say, on Mon Wed Fri, but knowing myself it'll probably be something like Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, sigh...), by performing ring-based exercises and gymnastic progressions, in order to eventually accomplish some of the more technically-challenging ring movements. I'm quite a noob when it comes to rings but, hey, I guess everyone has to start somewhere. These workouts are more focused on building strength rather than metabolic conditioning and so I don't skimp on the rest periods between sets. Neither are the workouts long. I'll talk about rings and their related exercises in a subsequent post, but here's what I did yesterday:
5 x 5 Ring Dips
5 x 5 Inverted Pullups
5 x 5 Dead Hang Pullups
5 x 3 Skin-the-Cats (reaching a full dislocate at the bottom of the movement)
5 x 20 second static hold in support position (rings turned outwards such that insides of elbows are facing outwards and arms are not braced against straps)
***
"Success is more permanent when you achieve it without destroying your principles."
- Walter Cronkite
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday 09/25/2008
WOD
10 Rounds of:
10 Box Jumps
10 Elevated Pushups
10 V-ups
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Box Jumps
Ring Dips
Ring Pushups
WOD: Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Double KB Squat
American KB Swing
Box Jumps
Elevated Pushups
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of 20 reps each:
Front Squat
Push Jerk
***
"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbor's."
- Richard Whately
10 Rounds of:
10 Box Jumps
10 Elevated Pushups
10 V-ups
WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Box Jumps
Ring Dips
Ring Pushups
WOD: Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Double KB Squat
American KB Swing
Box Jumps
Elevated Pushups
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of 20 reps each:
Front Squat
Push Jerk
***
"A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good, but for neglecting his neighbor's."
- Richard Whately
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday 09/24/2008
Man! Five workouts in a day! (Indoor cycling rounded up the day).
WOD
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Taken from CrossFit.com:
Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, "The Chiefs" have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities. As the induction process for newly selected Chief Petty Officers is now underway throughout the US Navy, we thought it appropriate to inaugurate "The Chief" in honor and recognition of all past and present CPOs. Thanks to them and their families for their self-sacrifice, ability to adapt, tireless dedication to mission and devotion to country.
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 sets of 20 reps each:
Burpees
Arm Haulers
Mountain Climbers
Butterfly Situps
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Overhead Squats (65#)
Barbell Rollouts*
Ring Dips
*Barbell rollouts are similar to an ab wheel/power wheel rollout. The barbell should be elevated slightly off the ground (for our purposes we made use of the loaded 65# barbell that had rubber-coated iron plates). Bumper plates lighter than 25# may be too flimsy to be used in this movement. Kneeling in front of the barbell and using a shoulder-width grip, roll the barbell away from your body, keeping your arms fully extended, until your body is parallel to the ground (you'll know it when you start choking on all the chalk dust you've inhaled when your nose touches the ground). Return to the start position by performing the movement in reverse.
WOD: Charge
5 sets of 20 reps each:
Pushups
DB Thrusters
Pullups
Russian KB Swings
***
"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."
- Wayne Dyer
WOD
"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.
Taken from CrossFit.com:
Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, "The Chiefs" have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities. As the induction process for newly selected Chief Petty Officers is now underway throughout the US Navy, we thought it appropriate to inaugurate "The Chief" in honor and recognition of all past and present CPOs. Thanks to them and their families for their self-sacrifice, ability to adapt, tireless dedication to mission and devotion to country.
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 sets of 20 reps each:
Burpees
Arm Haulers
Mountain Climbers
Butterfly Situps
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Overhead Squats (65#)
Barbell Rollouts*
Ring Dips
*Barbell rollouts are similar to an ab wheel/power wheel rollout. The barbell should be elevated slightly off the ground (for our purposes we made use of the loaded 65# barbell that had rubber-coated iron plates). Bumper plates lighter than 25# may be too flimsy to be used in this movement. Kneeling in front of the barbell and using a shoulder-width grip, roll the barbell away from your body, keeping your arms fully extended, until your body is parallel to the ground (you'll know it when you start choking on all the chalk dust you've inhaled when your nose touches the ground). Return to the start position by performing the movement in reverse.
WOD: Charge
5 sets of 20 reps each:
Pushups
DB Thrusters
Pullups
Russian KB Swings
***
"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."
- Wayne Dyer
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday 09/24/2008
WOD
30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Barbell Wide Rotation (25#)
Pushups/Decline Situps (alternating sets)
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Front Squats (65#)
Building Run between sets
100 American KB Swings
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Virtual Shoveling with Barbell (25#)
Ring Dips
Ring Rows
***
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
- Abraham Lincoln
30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Barbell Wide Rotation (25#)
Pushups/Decline Situps (alternating sets)
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Front Squats (65#)
Building Run between sets
100 American KB Swings
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Virtual Shoveling with Barbell (25#)
Ring Dips
Ring Rows
***
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
- Abraham Lincoln
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday 09/22/2008
WOD
With a pair of DBs (30#), perform the following:
10 DB Renegade Rows - 1 DB Push Press
9 DB Renegade Rows - 2 DB Push Presses
8 DB Renegade Rows - 3 DB Push Presses
.
.
.
2 DB Renegade Rows - 9 DB Push Presses
1 DB Renegade Row - 10 DB Push Presses
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
50 Air Squats
20 Pullups
20 Pushups
20 Butterfly Situps
WOD
"Filthy Fifty (the Day after a Shitty Seventy)"
Perform 50 reps of the following exercises. All reps of an exercise must be completed before moving to the next.
Box Jumps
Jumping Pullups
KB Swings
Walking Lunge Steps
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (45#)
GHD Back Extensions
Wall Ball Shots
Burpees
Double Unders
Time: 22:35
***
"A woman is as young as her knees."
- Mary Quant
With a pair of DBs (30#), perform the following:
10 DB Renegade Rows - 1 DB Push Press
9 DB Renegade Rows - 2 DB Push Presses
8 DB Renegade Rows - 3 DB Push Presses
.
.
.
2 DB Renegade Rows - 9 DB Push Presses
1 DB Renegade Row - 10 DB Push Presses
WOD: Revolution
25 minute Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
50 Air Squats
20 Pullups
20 Pushups
20 Butterfly Situps
WOD
"Filthy Fifty (the Day after a Shitty Seventy)"
Perform 50 reps of the following exercises. All reps of an exercise must be completed before moving to the next.
Box Jumps
Jumping Pullups
KB Swings
Walking Lunge Steps
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (45#)
GHD Back Extensions
Wall Ball Shots
Burpees
Double Unders
Time: 22:35
***
"A woman is as young as her knees."
- Mary Quant
Sunday, September 21, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHARON "BIG GUNS" L.!
You never cease to amaze me with your indomitable spirit and strength, both mental and physical. Keep pushing the limits and breaking new ground as you enter into a new year of life! Thank you for being my hardcore workout buddy, and more than anything else, a dear friend.
***
It was only fitting that we perform a "Filthy Fifty" today to commemorate this wonderful lady's 50th birthday. People scaled as necessary, and so we saw a whole spectrum of variations, ranging from "Totally Thirty-Five" to "Shitty Seventy" (yes, yours truly can testify as to the appropriateness of the latter title).
WOD
"Filthy Fifty"
Perform 50 reps of the following exercises. All reps of an exercise must be completed before moving to the next.
Box Jumps
Jumping Pullups
KB Swings
Walking Lunge Steps
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (45#)
Back Extensions (we subbed arm haulers)
Wall Ball Shots
Burpees
Double Unders/ 3x Single Rope Turns
WOD:Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by:
1 Back Squat - 10 Russian KB Swings
2 Back Squats - 9 Russian KB Swings
3 Back Squats - 8 Russian KB Swings
.
.
.
9 Back Squats - 2 Russian KB Swings
10 Back Squats - 1 Russian KB Swing
***
"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend."
- Plautus
***
It was only fitting that we perform a "Filthy Fifty" today to commemorate this wonderful lady's 50th birthday. People scaled as necessary, and so we saw a whole spectrum of variations, ranging from "Totally Thirty-Five" to "Shitty Seventy" (yes, yours truly can testify as to the appropriateness of the latter title).
WOD
"Filthy Fifty"
Perform 50 reps of the following exercises. All reps of an exercise must be completed before moving to the next.
Box Jumps
Jumping Pullups
KB Swings
Walking Lunge Steps
Knees to Elbows
Push Presses (45#)
Back Extensions (we subbed arm haulers)
Wall Ball Shots
Burpees
Double Unders/ 3x Single Rope Turns
WOD:Revolution
25-minute Spin, followed by:
1 Back Squat - 10 Russian KB Swings
2 Back Squats - 9 Russian KB Swings
3 Back Squats - 8 Russian KB Swings
.
.
.
9 Back Squats - 2 Russian KB Swings
10 Back Squats - 1 Russian KB Swing
***
"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend."
- Plautus
Saturday 09/20/2008
WOD
Petranek Fitness Baseline Workout
400 m Run (or 500 m Row)
40 Squats
30 Situps
20 Pushups
10 Pullups
For Time
Time: 3:45
Shoulder Press Build
Deadlift Build
WOD: Charge
3 Rounds of:
Perform walking lunges to 3744 (approx. 140 m)
Sprint back
25 Box Jumps (24")
25 Decline Pushups
WOD
5 Rounds of:
20 American KB Swings (16 kg)
15 Box Jumps (20")
10 KB Hand Switching Pushups
5R/5L KB Snatches
***
"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness."
- Leo Tolstoy
Petranek Fitness Baseline Workout
400 m Run (or 500 m Row)
40 Squats
30 Situps
20 Pushups
10 Pullups
For Time
Time: 3:45
Shoulder Press Build
Deadlift Build
WOD: Charge
3 Rounds of:
Perform walking lunges to 3744 (approx. 140 m)
Sprint back
25 Box Jumps (24")
25 Decline Pushups
WOD
5 Rounds of:
20 American KB Swings (16 kg)
15 Box Jumps (20")
10 KB Hand Switching Pushups
5R/5L KB Snatches
***
"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness."
- Leo Tolstoy
Friday 09/19/2008
WOD
30-20-10 reps of:
Jumping Lunges
Decline Pushups
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Dips
Overhead Walking Lunges (45#)
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
***
"In the face of such overwhelming statistical possibilities, hypochondria has always seemed to me to be the only rational position to take on life."
- John Diamond
30-20-10 reps of:
Jumping Lunges
Decline Pushups
Flutter Kicks (4-Count)
WOD: Charge
21-15-9 reps of:
Ring Dips
Overhead Walking Lunges (45#)
Wall Ball Shots (14#)
***
"In the face of such overwhelming statistical possibilities, hypochondria has always seemed to me to be the only rational position to take on life."
- John Diamond
Thursday 09/18/2008
WOD
30-20-10 reps of:
Box Jumps
Overhead Walking Lunges (45#)
Pushups
Front Squats (45#)
Shoulder Presses (45#)
V-ups
***
"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
- Doug Larson
30-20-10 reps of:
Box Jumps
Overhead Walking Lunges (45#)
Pushups
Front Squats (45#)
Shoulder Presses (45#)
V-ups
***
"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."
- Doug Larson
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wednesday 09/17/2008
WOD
150 Burpees
For Time
Time: 10:38
WOD
Revolution
25-min Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
10 Pullups
20 Russian KB Swings
30 Pushups
WOD
Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Hang Power Clean (65#)
Ring Pushup
Perform a Building Run between rounds.
***
"All bicycles weigh fifty pounds. A thirty-pound bicycle needs a twenty-pound lock. A forty-pound bicycle needs a ten-pound lock. A fifty-pound bicycle doesn't need a lock."
- Author Unknown
150 Burpees
For Time
Time: 10:38
WOD
Revolution
25-min Spin, followed by -
3 Rounds of:
10 Pullups
20 Russian KB Swings
30 Pushups
WOD
Charge
30-20-10 reps of:
Hang Power Clean (65#)
Ring Pushup
Perform a Building Run between rounds.
***
"All bicycles weigh fifty pounds. A thirty-pound bicycle needs a twenty-pound lock. A forty-pound bicycle needs a ten-pound lock. A fifty-pound bicycle doesn't need a lock."
- Author Unknown
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Tuesday 09/16/2008
WOD
"Lite" Linda
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
BB Deadlift (135#)
DB Bench Press (2 35# DBs)
DB Clean (2 30# DBs)
We had originally wanted to do "Linda" as Rx'd but there weren't enough bars to go around (the perennial problem with this workout, according to most people). So we did a light version of "Linda" instead, subbing DBs for BBs and adjusting the weight as necessary (something tells me that the suck factor of doing cleans with 2 40# DBs is a lot higher than doing cleans with a 80#). It's always hit-or-miss with the IMSB in the mornings, though -- it hasn't seemed like there have been a lot of people working out at 6:00 am lately, but today the whole men's lacrosse team (doing a badly mangled version of the "Filthy Fifty", no less), and a smattering of other early risers meant that we wouldn't be able to monopolize the Olympic bars as per our original intentions. Oh well. I'm betting that the best time to do "Linda" will be during the study period prior to exams, when students pull all-nighters fueled by pizza and beer, and pretty much toss all healthy intentions out of the window. And at 6:00 am? Pshaw, there'll be no one at the gym then.
***
"Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."
- Satchel Paige
"Lite" Linda
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
BB Deadlift (135#)
DB Bench Press (2 35# DBs)
DB Clean (2 30# DBs)
We had originally wanted to do "Linda" as Rx'd but there weren't enough bars to go around (the perennial problem with this workout, according to most people). So we did a light version of "Linda" instead, subbing DBs for BBs and adjusting the weight as necessary (something tells me that the suck factor of doing cleans with 2 40# DBs is a lot higher than doing cleans with a 80#). It's always hit-or-miss with the IMSB in the mornings, though -- it hasn't seemed like there have been a lot of people working out at 6:00 am lately, but today the whole men's lacrosse team (doing a badly mangled version of the "Filthy Fifty", no less), and a smattering of other early risers meant that we wouldn't be able to monopolize the Olympic bars as per our original intentions. Oh well. I'm betting that the best time to do "Linda" will be during the study period prior to exams, when students pull all-nighters fueled by pizza and beer, and pretty much toss all healthy intentions out of the window. And at 6:00 am? Pshaw, there'll be no one at the gym then.
***
"Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."
- Satchel Paige
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday 09/15/2008
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Handstand Pushup
Weighted Decline Situp (25#)
Double Under
Flutter Kick (4-Count)
Pushup
V-Up
WOD
10 Push Presses (65#) - 1 Burpee
9 Push Presses - 2 Burpees
8 Push Presses - 3 Burpees
.
.
.
2 Push Presses - 9 Burpees
1 Push Press - 10 Burpees
W/D:
Deadlift Build
***
"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought."
- Henri Louis Bergson
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Handstand Pushup
Weighted Decline Situp (25#)
Double Under
Flutter Kick (4-Count)
Pushup
V-Up
WOD
10 Push Presses (65#) - 1 Burpee
9 Push Presses - 2 Burpees
8 Push Presses - 3 Burpees
.
.
.
2 Push Presses - 9 Burpees
1 Push Press - 10 Burpees
W/D:
Deadlift Build
***
"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought."
- Henri Louis Bergson
CrossFit Benchmark Workouts
I thought I'd copy this from the CrossFit website for purposes of reference. I've done some (Grace, Linda, Jackie, Mary...), and a couple more than once (Angie, Annie, Murph, Fran (bless her heart)...), but there's still quite a few I haven't gotten around to yet. Some I will hate with an eternal loathing, no matter how many times I do them (specifically, Karen). But I have no doubt that all of them are excellent workouts in their own right. Maybe I should make it a goal to do them all by the end of this year. Any takers (c'mon Sharon L., I know you're dying to...)?
The Girls
Angie
* 100 Pull-ups
* 100 Push-ups
* 100 Sit-ups
* 100 Squats
For Time
Complete all reps of each exercise before moving to the next.
Barbara
* 20 Pull-ups
* 30 Push-ups
* 40 Sit-ups
* 50 Squats
5 rounds for time
Chelsea
* 5 Pull-ups
* 10 Push-ups
* 15 Squats
Each min on the min for 30 min
Cindy
* 5 Pull-ups
* 10 Push-ups
* 15 Squats
As many rounds as possible in 20 min
Diane
* Deadlift 225 lbs
* Handstand push-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Elizabeth
* Clean 135 lbs
* Ring Dips
21-15-9 reps, for time
Fran
* Thruster 95 lbs
* Pull-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Grace
* Clean and Jerk 135 lbs
30 reps for time
Helen
* 400 meter run
* 1.5 pood Kettlebell swing x 21
* Pull-ups 12 reps
3 rounds for time
Isabel
* Snatch 135 pounds
30 reps for time
Jackie
* 1000 meter row
* Thruster 45 lbs (50 reps)
* Pull-ups (30 reps)
For time
Karen
* Wall-ball 150 shots
For time
Linda
(aka “3 bars of death”)
* Deadlift 1 1/2 BW
* Bench BW
* Clean 3/4 BW
10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 rep rounds for time
Mary
* 5 Handstand push-ups
* 10 1-legged squats
* 15 Pull-ups
As many rounds as possible in 20 min
Nancy
* 400 meter run
* Overhead squat 95 lbs x 15
5 rounds for time
The New Girls
Annie
* Double-unders
* Sit-ups
50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds; for time
Eva
* Run 800 meters
* 2 pood KB swing, 30 reps
* 30 pullups
5 rounds for time.
Kelly
* Run 400 meters
* 30 box jump, 24 inch box
* 30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
Five rounds for time
Lynne
* Bodyweight bench press (e.g., same amount on bar as you weigh)
* pullups
5 rounds for max reps. There is NO time component to this WOD.
Nicole
* Run 400 meters
* Max rep Pull-ups
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.
Note number of pull-ups completed for each round.
The Heroes Workouts
JT
Jeff Taylor
In honor of Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan June 2005
First posted 6 July 2005
* Handstand push-ups
* Ring dips
* Push-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Michael
Michael McGreevey
In honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28 2005.
First posted 15 July 2005
* Run 800 meters
* 50 Back Extensions
* 50 Sit-ups
3 rounds for time
Murph
Michael Murphy
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it ‘Body Armor.’ From here on it will be referred to as ‘Murph’ in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
First posted 18 August 2005
* 1 mile Run
* 100 Pull-ups
* 200 Push-ups
* 300 Squats
* 1 mile Run
For time.
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Daniel
Daniel Crabtree
Dedicated to Army Sgt 1st Class Daniel Crabtree who was killed in Al Kut, Iraq on Thursday June 8th 2006.
First Posted 6 June 2005
* 50 Pull-ups
* 400 meter run
* 95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
* 800 meter run
* 95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
* 400 meter run
* 50 Pull-ups
For time.
Josh
Joshua Hager
SSG Joshua Hager, United States Army, was killed Thursday February 22 2007 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
First posted 26 February 2007
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 21 reps
* 42 Pull-ups
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
* 30 Pull-ups
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 9 reps
* 18 Pull-ups
For time.
Jason
Jason Lewis
S01 (SEAL) Jason Dale Lewis was killed by an IED while conducting combat operations in Southern Baghdad July 6, 2007. We name this workout “Jason” in honor of his life, family, and courage.
First posted 2 August 2007
* 100 Squats
* 5 Muscle-ups
* 75 Squats
* 10 Muscle-ups
* 50 Squats
* 15 Muscle-ups
* 25 Squats
* 20 Muscle-ups
For time.
Badger
Mark Carter
In honor of Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark Carter, 27, of Virginia Beach, VA who was killed in Iraq 11 December 2007.
First posted 19 December 2007
* 95 pound Squat clean, 30 reps
* 30 Pull-ups
* Run 800 meters
3 rounds for time.
Joshie
Joshua Whitaker
In honor of Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Whitaker, 23, of Long Beach, CA who was killed in Afghanistan May 15th, 2007.
First posted 22 December 2007
* 40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
* 21 L Pull-ups
* 40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
* 21 L Pull-ups
The snatches are full squat snatches. 3 rounds for time.
Nate
Nathan Hardy
In honor of Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy, who was killed Sunday February 4th during combat operations in Iraq. Nate is survived by his wife, Mindi, and his infant son Parker.
First posted 12 February 2008
* 2 Muscle-ups
* 4 Handstand Push-ups
* 8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
Randy
Randy Simmons
In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed February 6 in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Simmons’ wife and two children.
First posted 13 February 2008
* 75# power snatch, 75 reps
For time
Tommy V
Tommy Valentine
In honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, Minnesota, died in an training accident in Arizona, on Feb. 13 2008.
First posted 12 March 2008
* 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
For time
The Girls
Angie
* 100 Pull-ups
* 100 Push-ups
* 100 Sit-ups
* 100 Squats
For Time
Complete all reps of each exercise before moving to the next.
Barbara
* 20 Pull-ups
* 30 Push-ups
* 40 Sit-ups
* 50 Squats
5 rounds for time
Chelsea
* 5 Pull-ups
* 10 Push-ups
* 15 Squats
Each min on the min for 30 min
Cindy
* 5 Pull-ups
* 10 Push-ups
* 15 Squats
As many rounds as possible in 20 min
Diane
* Deadlift 225 lbs
* Handstand push-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Elizabeth
* Clean 135 lbs
* Ring Dips
21-15-9 reps, for time
Fran
* Thruster 95 lbs
* Pull-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Grace
* Clean and Jerk 135 lbs
30 reps for time
Helen
* 400 meter run
* 1.5 pood Kettlebell swing x 21
* Pull-ups 12 reps
3 rounds for time
Isabel
* Snatch 135 pounds
30 reps for time
Jackie
* 1000 meter row
* Thruster 45 lbs (50 reps)
* Pull-ups (30 reps)
For time
Karen
* Wall-ball 150 shots
For time
Linda
(aka “3 bars of death”)
* Deadlift 1 1/2 BW
* Bench BW
* Clean 3/4 BW
10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 rep rounds for time
Mary
* 5 Handstand push-ups
* 10 1-legged squats
* 15 Pull-ups
As many rounds as possible in 20 min
Nancy
* 400 meter run
* Overhead squat 95 lbs x 15
5 rounds for time
The New Girls
Annie
* Double-unders
* Sit-ups
50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds; for time
Eva
* Run 800 meters
* 2 pood KB swing, 30 reps
* 30 pullups
5 rounds for time.
Kelly
* Run 400 meters
* 30 box jump, 24 inch box
* 30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
Five rounds for time
Lynne
* Bodyweight bench press (e.g., same amount on bar as you weigh)
* pullups
5 rounds for max reps. There is NO time component to this WOD.
Nicole
* Run 400 meters
* Max rep Pull-ups
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.
Note number of pull-ups completed for each round.
The Heroes Workouts
JT
Jeff Taylor
In honor of Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan June 2005
First posted 6 July 2005
* Handstand push-ups
* Ring dips
* Push-ups
21-15-9 reps, for time
Michael
Michael McGreevey
In honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28 2005.
First posted 15 July 2005
* Run 800 meters
* 50 Back Extensions
* 50 Sit-ups
3 rounds for time
Murph
Michael Murphy
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it ‘Body Armor.’ From here on it will be referred to as ‘Murph’ in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.
First posted 18 August 2005
* 1 mile Run
* 100 Pull-ups
* 200 Push-ups
* 300 Squats
* 1 mile Run
For time.
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.
Daniel
Daniel Crabtree
Dedicated to Army Sgt 1st Class Daniel Crabtree who was killed in Al Kut, Iraq on Thursday June 8th 2006.
First Posted 6 June 2005
* 50 Pull-ups
* 400 meter run
* 95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
* 800 meter run
* 95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
* 400 meter run
* 50 Pull-ups
For time.
Josh
Joshua Hager
SSG Joshua Hager, United States Army, was killed Thursday February 22 2007 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
First posted 26 February 2007
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 21 reps
* 42 Pull-ups
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
* 30 Pull-ups
* 95 pound Overhead squat, 9 reps
* 18 Pull-ups
For time.
Jason
Jason Lewis
S01 (SEAL) Jason Dale Lewis was killed by an IED while conducting combat operations in Southern Baghdad July 6, 2007. We name this workout “Jason” in honor of his life, family, and courage.
First posted 2 August 2007
* 100 Squats
* 5 Muscle-ups
* 75 Squats
* 10 Muscle-ups
* 50 Squats
* 15 Muscle-ups
* 25 Squats
* 20 Muscle-ups
For time.
Badger
Mark Carter
In honor of Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark Carter, 27, of Virginia Beach, VA who was killed in Iraq 11 December 2007.
First posted 19 December 2007
* 95 pound Squat clean, 30 reps
* 30 Pull-ups
* Run 800 meters
3 rounds for time.
Joshie
Joshua Whitaker
In honor of Army Staff Sergeant Joshua Whitaker, 23, of Long Beach, CA who was killed in Afghanistan May 15th, 2007.
First posted 22 December 2007
* 40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
* 21 L Pull-ups
* 40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
* 21 L Pull-ups
The snatches are full squat snatches. 3 rounds for time.
Nate
Nathan Hardy
In honor of Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy, who was killed Sunday February 4th during combat operations in Iraq. Nate is survived by his wife, Mindi, and his infant son Parker.
First posted 12 February 2008
* 2 Muscle-ups
* 4 Handstand Push-ups
* 8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
Randy
Randy Simmons
In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed February 6 in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Simmons’ wife and two children.
First posted 13 February 2008
* 75# power snatch, 75 reps
For time
Tommy V
Tommy Valentine
In honor of Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, of Ham Lake, Minnesota, died in an training accident in Arizona, on Feb. 13 2008.
First posted 12 March 2008
* 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
For time
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