Saturday 03/01/2008

WOD
#1
Perform 20 reps (alternating between R/L - 10 reps each) of the KB complex:
Russian Swing
Snatch
Clean
Press
Overhead Squat

Rest 2 min

#2
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 reps of Am KB Swings (16 kg)
2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20 reps of Double Unders

Note: This is similar to the Sunday 02/17 WOD.

Rest 2 min

#3
Perform 20 reps (alternating between R/L - 10 reps each) of the KB complex:
Russian Swing
Snatch
Clean
Press
Overhead Squat

***
"Why can't they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, "Who'd you call a faggot?""
- Jon Stewart

Friday 02/29/2008

WOD
6 rounds of:
15 Burpees
15 American KB Swings
15 Double Unders
15 Handstand Pushups

***
"There is a lot more juice in grapefruit than meets the eye."
- Author Unknown

Thursday 02/28/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
KB Snatch R/L
Double Unders
KB Clean and Press R/L
Double Unders

***
"Life is a battle between faith and reason in which each feeds upon the other, drawing sustenance from it and destroying it." - Reinhold Niebuhr

Wednesday 02/27/2008

WOD
30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Burpees
Walking Lunges
Double Unders
American KB Swings

***
"Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone. But if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."
- Malcolm X

Tuesday 02/26/2008

WOD
With a 16 kg KB, perform 4 rounds of the following exercises:
10 Snatches (R)
10 American Swings
10 Double Unders
10 American Swings
10 Snatches (L)
10 American Swings
10 Double Unders
10 American Swings

Note: If you don't have a KB, substitute 1-arm DB snatches for the KB snatches and overhead DB swings for the American swings.

***
"One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness."
- Josh Billings

Monday 02/25/2008

I have a pretty different workout schedule when I'm back home, which explains why I don't necessarily do the WODs that I post on the day that I post them. I'm planning on working out in the driveway at home more, as well as the playground/fitness corner just down the street, just because it eliminates the hassle of travelling to the gym and also helps save money. That pretty much also tells you why the WODs I've done in my two days so far have consisted of bodyweight movements, jumping rope, and KB swings. But yes, I will do/have already done the workouts I've posted, and rest assured I'm getting more than my fair share of pain. Hahaha.

WOD
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
Double Unders
Pushups
Squats
KB Russian Swings

What I did for my WOD:
21-18-15-23-9-6-3 reps of:
Double Unders
KB American Swings
Handstand Pushups

***
"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."
- C.S. Lewis

Sunday 02/24/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
DB Burpee Clean Thruster
DB Overhead Swing

What I did for my WOD:
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
Double Unders
Pushups
Squats
KB Russian Swings

***
"Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love."- Charlie Brown

Saturday 02/23/2008

WOD
4 rounds of 10 reps each:
DB Cleans
DB Overhead Swings
DB Push Presses
DB Overhead Swings
DB Front Squats
DB Overhead Swings
DB Lunge Steps
DB Overhead Swings

What I did for my WOD:
Spend the better part of my day (13 + 7 hours, to be exact), on a plane ride home.

***
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

Friday 02/22/2008

WOD
10 Burpees
20 BB Overhead Walking Lunges
30 Pushups
40 BB Jumping Squats
50 BB Thrusters
40 BB Jumping Squats
30 Pushups
20 BB Overhead Walking Lunges
10 Burpees

***
"The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do." - John Holt

Thursday 02/21/2008

WOD
Escalating Density Training (EDT)
With a barbell, perform the following intervals:
1-16: Hang Power Cleans (3)
17-32: Jumping Squats (3)
33-48: Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (3)
49-64: Front Squats (3)
65-80: Thrusters (2)

Note: Rx'd weight for barbell is 65#. This one IS a doozy, as I can personally testify!

***
“We fail at the margins of our experience.” - Coach Greg Glassman, Founder of CrossFit

Wednesday 02/20/2008

WOD
With a single DB, perform 5 rounds of the following single-arm movements:
5 Snatches
5 Swings
5 Shoulder Presses
5 Overhead Squats

Perform all exercises with one arm before switching sides, to complete a round.

Perform 10 double unders between rounds.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 4
39/1 x 4
41/1 x 2
35/1 x 2

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
35/1+1 x 3
40/1+1 x 4
45/1+1 x 4
50/1+1 x 7
45/1+1 x 1

3. Back Squat
60/2 x 2
65/2 x 2
70/2 x 2
75/2 x 2
81/1 x 1

***
"When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car."

Tuesday 02/19/2008

WOD
With a pair of DBs, perform 10 rounds of 5 reps each:
Squat Cleans
Push Presses
Front Squats
Thrusters

In between each round, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of double unders. That is to say, you would do 10 double unders after completing the first round, 9 after the second, and so on.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 7
37/1 x 5
39/1 x 3
40/1 x 3
41/1 x 3
42/1 x 4

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
35/1+1 x 3
41/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 5

3. Front Squat
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
65/2 x 2
70/1 x 2

***
Confucius say, Man who drop watch in toilet have shitty time. (Sorry, I couldn't help it - in the midst of studying for my midterm on Chinese history!)

Monday 02/18/2008

WOD
5 rounds of 20 reps each:
Double Unders
Pushups
Situps
Jumping Squats
Back Extensions

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 3
39/1 x 3
41/1 x 5
42/1 x 1
43/1 x 1
35/1 x 10

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
35/1+1 x 3
40/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3

3. Front Squat
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
65/2 x 2
70/2 x 2
75/1 x 1
76/1 x 1
77/1 x 1

***
"Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess." - Oscar Wilde

Sunday 02/17/2008

WOD
2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20 reps of Am KB Swings (16 kg)
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 reps of Double Unders

Note: Perform 2 KB swings, followed by 20 double unders, then 4 swings, 18 double unders, and continue along the ladder till you reach 20 swings and 2 double unders.

***
"Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success."- Dale Carnegie

Saturday 02/16/2008

WOD
5 rounds of 20 reps each:
Double Unders
DB Overhead Swings
Pushups

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 3
38/1 x 4
39/1 x 2
41/1 x 6

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
35/1+1 x 3
40/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 2
50/1+1 x 3
52/1+1 x 4
35/1+1 x 2

3. Front Squat
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
65/2 x 2
70/2 x 2
75/1 x 2
77/1 x 1

Friday 02/15/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Burpees
Hang Power Clean
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Front Squat

Note: Use a 95#/65# barbell for the weighted modalities.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 3
38/1 x 3
39/1 x 3
40/1 x 3
41/1 x 2

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
40/1+1 x 3
46/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 3
52/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3

3. Front Squat
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
65/2 x 2
70/2 x 2
74/1 x 2
75/1 x 2

Thursday 02/14/2008

WOD
40-30-20-10 reps of:
BB Jumping Squat
BB Thruster
BB Overhead Walking Lunge

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 3
38/1 x 2
39/1 x 1
40/1 x 1
41/1 x 1
42/1 x 1
35/1 x 3

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
40/1+1 x 3
46/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 3
52/1+1 x 1
53/1+1 x 1
54/1+1 x 1
55/1+1 x 1
56/1+1 x 1

3. Front Squat
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
65/1 x 2
70/1 x 2
72/1 x 2

Wednesday 02/13/2008

WOD
Try this full-body exercise guaranteed to give you a kick in the seat of the pants...
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

Once you're done laughing, here's the real WOD:
21-15-9 reps of:
BB Overhead Squats (65#)
Pushups
Record your time when finished

Rest 3 minutes

15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
BB Overhead Squats (65#)
Pushups
Record your time when finished

Note: Try to beat your time on the second round. I'm proud to announce that we all did just that this morning!

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
35/1 x 5
37/1 x 2
38/1 x 2
39/1 x 3
40/1 x 3

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
45/1+1 x 5
48/1+1 x 4
50/1+1 x 6

3. Front Squat
50/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
64/2 x 2
68/1 x 2
72.5/1 x 1

Tuesday 02/12/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
BW Back Squat
Double Unders
KB American Swing

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 3
33/1 x 2
30/1 x 3
33/1 x 1
34/1 x 1
35/1 x 1
36/1 x 1
38/1 x 1

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
40/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3
48/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 5
53/1+1 x 2

3. Front Squat
50/2 x 2
58/2 x 3
60/2 x 2
68/1 x 2
72.5/1 x 2
75.5/1 x 2

Monday 02/11/2008

WOD
5 Rounds of 5 Reps each:
Snatch-Grip Deadlift
DB Thruster
Conventional Deadlift
DB Thruster
Sumo-Style Deadlift
DB Thruster

Note: Go heavy on the thrusters! Use the snatch-grip deadlift to gauge what you should use for all the deadlifts (form, rather than weight, is paramount here). I used 35# for the thrusters and 135# for the deadlifts.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 3
33/1 x 3
35/1 x 1
39/1 x 5

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
39/1+1 x 3
45/1+1 x 3
48/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 3
53/1+1 x 3
50/1+1 x 2

3. Front Squat
50/2 x 2
55/2 x 3
62.5/2 x 2
68/1 x 2
70.5/1 x 3

Sunday 02/10/2008

WOD
Escalating Density Training (EDT)
With a pair of DBs, perform the following intervals:
1-16: 1-Arm Overhead Swings (alternate R/L) (3)
17-32: Cleans (2)
33-48: Renegade Rows (2)
49-64: Push Jerks (3)
65-80: Thrusters (2)

Note: This is a 20-minute WOD. 4 minutes are devoted to each of the 5 exercises. These 4-minute intervals are further divided into 16 15-second intervals, in which you perform the stipulated number of reps of each exercise (as displayed in the brackets above). Once you have completed the reps for each interval, wait for the remainder of the 15 seconds to elapse before beginning on the next set. When you complete 16 intervals of an exercise, move on to the next exercise once the next round begins.

Rx'd weight: 30#

Saturday 02/09/2008

WOD
30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Burpees
DB Russian Swing (35#)
Jumping Lunges

Note: Jumping lunges are performed as follows -
Start in the lunge position – one foot forward and one foot back. Bend your knees, such that your trailing knee touches the ground, and then jump up high and switch leg positions. Use explosive, but controlled movements.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 3
32/1 x 3
35/1 x 1
39/1 x 1
40/1 x 1
41/1 x 1

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
40/1+1 x 3
44/1+1 x 2
48/1+1 x 4
50/1+1 x 2
53/1+1 x 1

3. Front Squat
50/2 x 2
55/2 x 3
60/2 x 2
66/1 x 2
68/1 x 1

My Really Cool Homemade Parallettes

My new training tool!

I've never really thought of myself as handy when it comes to repairing or making things, but these parallettes are just about the easiest (and one of the most useful) pieces of equipment that anyone could put together. I've been toying with the idea of making my own parallettes for quite a while now, but the thought of having to spend the time chipping away at PVC pipe with a $5 handsaw was rather off-putting. But I really needed to work on my L-sits and experiment with the ton of cool gymnastic exercises that could be done with parallettes, so I finally got around to writing down a list of the materials I needed to get to make my own.

Well, I finally made a stop at the ACE Hardware Store down on Washtenaw yesterday on my way back from Oly lifting training and picked up 1 1/2 diameter PVC pipe and assorted pipe fittings (elbows, t-joints, caps - see the link I posted above for the full specs and layout), together with PVC cement and some sandpaper. The total cost of the equipment I bought was only about twenty dollars. Armed with my purchases, I made my way home and began my novice attempt at building homemade gym equipment. As expected, it took me a while to coax the cheap, generic handsaw into working properly and taking less than ten minutes to cut through a section of pipe. The sawing produced a myriad of fine PVC shavings which just about floated everywhere, almost made me wheeze, before being subsumed into the carpet flooring of my apartment. Oh well. After about an hour of sawing, sweating, and sneezing, I finally had fourteen neat sections of pipe of varying lengths (2 24", 4 8", 8 5"). I then connected the pipes to the fittings, by using the PVC primer and the cement, taking care to ensure that everything was properly aligned. Not too much to complain about this bit, except for the overpowering fumes of the PVC cement. Voila! Parallettes! Finally, I had a pair of parallettes to show for all my effort. I tried them out by doing a couple L-sits and holds and was very pleased with their stability.

(I did give that initial pair of parallettes away to my friend, but I made another set today for myself. For my own set, I sanded the parallel bars to give them a better grip. They'll hold chalk better that way as well. In addition, I didn't glue the perpendicular supports to the parallel bars at the 90-degree elbows, but I did glue everything else together. Not gluing the supports to the bars makes it possible for me to dismantle the parallettes for ease of packing if I were to bring them along on my travels, for instance. This makes them essentially the same as these American Gymnast Travelettes, except that those cost like a good thirty bucks more. Well, I suppose you don't have to suffer through PVC dust shavings-induced sneezing fits or risk getting high on the fumes from the PVC cement, though.)

I'd strongly urge everyone to make or procure a pair of parallettes. They're easily constructed - as a hardware noob like me can testify - and pretty foolproof to make (although you might like to invest in a better handsaw or a pipe-cutter). Also, there's no end to the gymnastic progressions that you can practice. L-sits, straddle holds, planches, handstands - the possibilities are limitless. These gymnastic movements are also some of the hardest to master and require continuous practice and many static holds. Parallettes are definitely something you want to add to your arsenal of home gym equipment!

Friday 02/08/2008

WOD
3 Rounds of:
10 Pushups (Regular)
10 Power Cleans (75#)
10 Pushups (Wide)
10 SDLHP (75#)
10 Pushups (Narrow)
10 Front Squats (75#)
1 Farmer's Walk with two 45# plates around the gym

Note: The prescribed weight for the barbell modalities is 65#.

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 3
32/1 x 3
34/1 x 3
36/1 x 3
37/1 x 2

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
37/1+1 x 4
46/1+1 x 4
48/1+1 x 4
50/1+1 x 3
40/1+1 x 5

3. Front Squat
50/2 x 2
55/2 x 2
60/2 x 2
66/1 x 2
68/1 x 2
70/1 x 2

Thursday 02/07/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Deadlift (155#)
DB Overhead Swing (40#)
Plyo Pushup

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 6
32/1 x 3
34/1 x 3

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
34/1+1 x 5
40/1+1 x 5
46/1+1 x 5
48/1+1 x 5

3. Front Squat
40/2 x 2
50/2 x 2
58/2 x 2
65/1 x 5

Wednesday 02/06/2008

WOD
40-30-20-10 reps of:
Double Unders
BB Thrusters (45#)
DB Russian Swings (40#)
Back Extensions

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
30/1 x 12

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
30/1+1 x 4
40/1+1 x 5
46/1+1 x 5
48/1+1 x 5

3. Front Squat
40/2 x 2
50/2 x 2
57/2 x 2
65/1 x 5

Tabata Timer - A Godsend?

People on the CrossFit online community have been raving about this new program created by Hans-Christian Sperker - which provides us hardcore workout junkies with one more tool to add to our workout arsenal. Sperker created a nifty Tabata Timer application with a user-friendly, foolproof interface, which could be downloaded to just about any computer (both PCs and Macs) with Java 6. Work/rest intervals can be altered as desired, the timer emits a ringing shriek that's guaranteed to wake the dead when it's time to haul ass, and it even keeps track of the rounds you've done. There's even a version on Sperker's site that can be downloaded to PDAs/mobile devices, just so you won't be able to use the excuse that you don't want to/can't lug your computer around when you go for a workout.

A little more information on the Tabata training methodology for the uninitiated:

***
The Tabata workout is a high-intensity training regimen that produces remarkable results. A Tabata workout is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated without pause 8 times for a total of four minutes.

Credit for this simple but powerful training method belongs to its namesake, Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. Their groundbreaking 1996 study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, provided documented evidence concerning the dramatic physiological benefits of high-intensity intermittent training. After just 6 weeks of testing, Dr. Tabata noted a 28% increase in anaerobic capacity in his subjects, along with a 14% increase in V02Max. (Maximum oxygen consumption). These results were witnessed in already physically fit athletes. The conclusion was that just four minutes of Tabata interval training could do more to boost aerobic and anaerobic capacity than an hour of endurance exercise.

Although Dr. Tabata used a mechanically braked cycle ergometer, you can apply this protocol to almost any exercise. For example, a basic Tabata workout can be performed with sit-ups. The more muscles used the better, so use full knees-bent sit-ups. Sit-up non-stop for 20-second intervals, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for a total of 8 cycles.

You might ask, "How effective can just 4 minutes of exercise be?" The answer is… extremely effective! You will be amazed at how intense the four minutes of exercise will feel. The intervals tax both your aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. To be clear, this isn't "eight sets of eight," although the goal of doing eight reps in each of the 20-second clusters is about right. Instead it's "as many reps as I can get in" during the twenty seconds, followed by ten seconds rest.

Courtesy of: Tabata Anything - Four Minutes of Pain to Gain
***

Typically, the Tabata workouts in CrossFit are 20-24 minutes long. (Then again, there's nothing typical about CrossFit - I wouldn't be surprised if a 60-minute Tabata workout appeared as a Painstorm in the future...) So that means 5-6 exercises with 4 minutes of work each. The possibilities for exercises in Tabata workouts are limitless - you could do just about anything. Relatively milder options include situps, KB swings - while those who are up for a challenge (or like to gleefully revel in the misery of others) could incorporate burpees, weighted thrusters, weighted jumping squats, or any other total-body movement with a high suck factor, particularly when performed in large amounts with insignificant rest periods. I suggest incorporating Tabata workouts into your training schedule to inject even more variation into your workouts. The Tabata methodology can be used to great benefit in athletic conditioning for just about any sport - for instance, Matt Fitzgerald talked about how triathletes could reap the benefits of short, intense training sessions, by using the Tabata method. Read his article here: Go for Broke with Tabata Intervals.

Tuesday 02/05/2008

WOD
20-15-10-5-10-15-20 reps of:
Double Unders
BB Overhead Squats (65#)
Pushups

Monday 02/04/2008

WOD
8 rounds of:
5 Bench Press (3/4 BW)
5 Bar Dips

Olympic Weightlifting
WOD
1. Snatch
25/1 x 12

2. Clean and Jerk (C&J)
25/1+1 x 5
34/1+1 x 3
40/1+1 x 1
46/1+1 x 4
48/1+1 x 2
40/1+1 x 2

3. Front Squat
40/2 x 2
50/1 x 2
57/1 x 2
65/1 x 4

Sunday 03/02/2008

Track Workout at EMU's Bowen Fieldhouse
W/U:
Run 2 miles easy
Striders 8 x
WOD
Run 300 m, recovery jog/walk 100 m
Repeat 3 x, then rest for 3 min
Repeat for a total of 4 sets
W/D:
Run 1 mile easy
Stretch

WOD
4 Rounds of:
150 Jump Ropes
10 DB Snatches (5R/5L)
10 DB Cleans
10 DB Thrusters
10 DB Romanian Deadlifts
10 DB Renegade Rows

Note: For the DB modalities, use a pair of 30# DBs.

Saturday 02/02/2008

WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Double Unders
Push Presses
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
Front Squats
Back Extensions

Note: Use a 95#/65# barbell for the weighted movements.

Video of WOD at CrossFit Encinitas (01/18/2008)

Oh, look! Finally, a video of me CrossFitting! This was filmed by Tim Wheeler, owner of CrossFit Encinitas in California exactly two weeks ago, when I dropped by to train at his place the day before the Camp Pendleton CrossFit Level 1 Cert. I had a fantastic time at his gym. Thank you so much, Tim!



WOD
3 Rounds of:
15 Box Jumps (24")
15 KB Russian Swings (24 kg)
15 D-Ball Slams (20#)

I never realized how tall a 24" box looks next to me (or should I say, how short I look next to a 24" box). Ha!

Friday 02/01/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Snatch-grip Deadlift (135#)
DB Overhead Swing (40#)
Plyometric Pushup

Note: A plyometric pushup is performed as follows -
It is similar to the standard military pushup, except that you explosively propel your upper body upwards as you push off the floor, such that your hands leave the ground.
Clap your hands together as you reach the highest point, and then return your hands to the pushup position.
It is very important to keep your body straight throughout this exercise.

WOD
30-20-10 reps of:
Double Unders
KB American Swing (16 kg)
Box Jump (20")
Pushup