Monday 06/30/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
American KB Swing
Jumping Lunge
V-Up
Double Under

WOD
1.5 mile run
Swim:
Warmup - 500 m
Skill/Technique Practice - 500 m
Workout - 5 x 50 m sprint/50 m recovery; 500 m @ 60%; 10 x 50 m sprint/50 m recovery
1.5 mile run

***
"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Sunday 06/29/2008

WOD
3-6-9-12-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
American KB Swing
Plyometric Pushup
KB Russian Swing/Catch/Goblet Squat
KB Switching Hand Pushup
KB Figure 8 Upper Cut
Double Under

WOD
Every minute on the minute, for 10 minutes:
3 Deadlifts (70 kg)
3 Dead Hang Pullups
10 Pushups

Rest 2 minutes, then:

Every minute on the minute, for 10 minutes:
2 DB Burpee/Squat Clean/Thruster Combos (35#)
6 DB Overhead Swings (45#)

***
Amen to this quote!

"Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."
- Dalai Lama

Saturday 06/28/2008

WOD
3 Rounds of:
12 KB Snatches (L)
24 Pushups
12 KB Snatches (R)
24 American KB Swings
12 KB C&J (L)
24 Situps
12 KB C&J (R)
24 KB Figure 8 Upper Cut

***
"One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you."
- Dennis A. Peer

Friday 06/27/2008

WOD
"Birthday Bonanza"
3 rounds of 22 reps each:
Burpees
Jumping Squats
V-Ups
American KB Swings
Jumping Lunges
Pushups
Flutter Kicks
Mountain Climbers
Donkey Kicks
Double Unders

WOD (sorry, Bea!)
1.5 mile run
Swim:
Warmup - 500 m
Skill/Technique Practice - 500 m
Workout - 10 x 50 m sprint/50 m recovery

***
"But He knows the way that I take;
when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
- Job 23:10 (NIV)

Thursday 06/26/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee
Russian KB Swing
Pushup
KB Double Tap Hand-to-Hand Swing

WOD
1.5 mile run
3000 m swim (freestyle)
1.5 mile run

***
"The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization."
- Sigmund Freud

First female four-star U.S. Army general nominated

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- America's first female four-star general has been nominated, the Pentagon announced Monday.

President Bush nominated Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody to serve as head of the Army's supply arm.

By law women are excluded from combat jobs, the typical path to four-star rank in the military.

"This is an historic occasion for the Department of Defense and I am proud to nominate Lt. Gen. Ann Dunwoody for a fourth star," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. "Her 33 years of service, highlighted by extraordinary leadership and devotion to duty, make her exceptionally qualified for this senior position."

The Senate must approve the nomination.

Dunwoody, a native of New York, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1975 after her graduation from the State University of New York in Cortland. She also holds graduate degrees in national resource strategy and logistics management.

She became the Army's top-ranking woman in 2005 when she received her third star and became deputy chief of staff for Army logistics.

"I am very honored but also very humbled today with this announcement," said Dunwoody. "I grew up in a family that didn't know what glass ceilings were. This nomination only reaffirms what I have known to be true about the military throughout my career ... that the doors continue to open for men and women in uniform."

The Army Materiel Command handles all material readiness for the Army. During her career, Dunwoody has been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, 10th Mountain Division and the Defense Logistics Agency. She served with the 82nd Airborne in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Master Parachutist Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

The first woman to become a general officer in the U.S. armed services was Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays, chief of the Army Nurse Corps, who achieved the rank in 1970 and retired the following year.

Elizabeth Hoisington, the director of the Women's Army Corps, was promoted to brigadier general immediately after Hays. She also retired the following year.

Maj. Gen. Jeanne M. Holm, the first director of Women in the Air Force, was the first woman to wear two stars, attaining the rank in 1973 and retiring two years later. In 1996, Marine Lt. Gen. Carol A. Mutter became the first woman to wear three stars. Mutter retired in 1999.

Currently, there are 57 active-duty women serving as generals or admirals, five of whom are lieutenant generals or vice admirals, the Navy's three-star rank, according to the Pentagon.

Source: CNN

Wednesday 06/25/2008

WOD
Tabata this: (00:20 on, 00:10 off)
American KB Swing
Burpee
V-Up
KB Figure 8 Upper Cut
Jump Rope

WOD
4 Rounds of:
5 DB Man Makers (2 x 12.5 kg)
10 Dead Hang Pullups (Reverse Grip)
15 Pushups
20 DB Overhead Swings (17.5 kg)
25 GHD Back Extensions

Another super busy day ahead. Nothing beats a 5:00 am workout, excepting a 4:30 am workout (which I admit is not the most enjoyable of experiences). I need to be in camp by 7:00 am for Commanders' Parade, and will later have to travel to the extreme west of Singapore sometime this evening (my camp is somewhere in the eastern part of SG) for an evening dialogue session. Blah.

***
"Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration."
- Niccolo Machiavelli

Tuesday 06/24/2008

WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
American KB Swing
Pushup
Double Under

Light workout this morning, as I will be taking my IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test), the annual fitness test for military personnel later this evening. Talk about being prepared for whatever life throws at you -- I was supposed to take my IPPT some time these two weeks, according to what I heard yesterday, and the super-efficient fitness and conditioning center immediately scheduled me for a slot today. I also did two bouts of military PT yesterday (one self-inflicted and CrossFit-esque, the other a 4 km orientation run with static PT thrown in at the end for kicks, with the company I'm shadowing). Planning on greasing the groove with pullups today (and the rest of the time I'm on unit attachment). Will update more later -- long and busy (albeit fulfilling) days ahead!

***
""There are no atheists in foxholes" isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes."
- James Morrow (is this the James Morrow I think it is?)

Monday 06/23/2008

WOD
40-30-20-10 reps of:
American KB Swing
V-Ups
Overhead KB Walking Lunge (R/L)
Double Unders
L-Sit Hold (in seconds)

***
"Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves."
- Henri Frédéric Amiel

Sunday 06/22/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
Handstand Pushup
KB C&J (R)
KB C&J (L)
Double Under

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Barbell Hang Power Clean (35 kg)
Normal Pushup
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Diamond Pushup
Push Press
Spider Pushup

***
"Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion."
- The Talmud

Saturday 06/21/2008

WOD
Perform 4 rounds of:
3 Wall Walks
6R/6L Dead Stop KB Snatches
9 Switching Hand KB Pushups
12 KB Figure 8 Uppercuts
15 American KB Swings

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (80 kg, approx. 176#)
DB Squat Clean into Thruster (30#)
Pushup

***
"About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you're fighting temptation."
- Tom Wilson

One of my all-time favorite quotes...

... which is also why it's the header for my other blog.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.

So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

Friday 06/20/2008

WOD
Every minute on the minute for 25 minutes, perform:
4 Burpees
8 Decline Pushups
12 Double Unders

Our course organized a social night last evening which involved an awesomely fun and crazily intense game of 7-a-side water polo (accompanied by plenty of splashing, laughing, and perhaps some underwater misdemeanors), copious quantities of ice-cold Tiger Beer, and plates of deep-fried finger food. I managed to stay clear of the latter two without much difficulty, thankfully.

***
"The goodness of the true pun is in the direct ratio of its intolerability."
- Edgar Allan Poe

Thursday 06/19/2008

WOD
20-15-10-5 reps of:
Burpees
Jumping Lunges
American KB Swings
Pushups
Russian KB Swings
Double Unders
V-Ups

***
"Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity, that nothing is."
- Thomas Szasz

back to the grind

CrossFit workouts at 5:00 am in the morning are the best way to get your days started! There's nothing quite like tumbling out of bed at 4:55 am and knowing that you've got an hour to get your CrossFit workout in before it's time for military PT (or 5BX, aka. 5 Basic Exercises, as it's commonly termed here). That's also probably the reason why I'm always nodding off during the talks/discussions, especially the afternoon ones. I don't suppose it does any good for my ROA (route of advancement) or CEP (current estimated potential) to be caught napping in front of a lieutenant-colonel. Staying seated for long periods of time always makes me sleepy. I'd much rather be on my feet doing something. Strangely enough, when the discussions or presentations are over and it's time for sports and games I'm always fully re-energized and raring to go.

After classes yesterday, I managed to check out the refurbished gym at SAFTI Military Institute (the venue for my week-long residential pre-vacation attachment course). It's been considerably prettified since my cadet days -- it used to look a whole lot worse, with the plastic peeling off the seat covers on the weight machines, and rusty weight benches. The old machines have since been replaced with a plethora of spanking new ones, for every isolation movement fathomable. As duly expected, I stayed clear of the machines and made a beeline for the dumbbell rack. I hammered out a brutal
manmaker/snatch/swing workout in about thirty-five minutes and was pretty whooped after that. Thankfully it was time for dinner by then, and as you know, food never did fail to make anyone feel better. Even if it was army cookhouse food, which is frequently, if not always, of a somewhat dubious nature....

Wednesday 06/18/2008

WOD
7 rounds of 7 reps each:
Burpees
Dead Hang Pullups
Plyometric Pushups
Donkey Kicks
Knees to Elbows
Double Unders
V-Ups

Military PT
1 mile cadence run
3 sets of:
15 pushups (Set 1: Normal/Set 2: Spider/Set 3: Diamond)
20 crunches
4 sets of 8 dead hang pullups
1 mile cadence run

***
"One man with courage makes a majority."
- Andrew Jackson

Tuesday 06/17/2008

WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Burpees
Dead Hang Pullups
Pushups
Knees to Elbows
Double Unders

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Man Makers (Burpee/Renegade Row/Squat Clean/Thruster)
DB Hang Power Snatch (R)
DB Swing
DB Hang Power Snatch (L)

***
"How many things are there which I do not want."
- Socrates

Monday 06/16/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
KB 1-Arm Complex (Swing/Snatch/Clean & Jerk/Overhead Squat) - alternating R/L
American KB Swing
Pushup
KB H2H Swing
Double Under

WOD
20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of Pushups
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20 reps of Double Unders

***
"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sunday 06/15/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
KB Snatch (R)
Pushup
KB Snatch (L)
Squat Jump
KB Overhead Walking Lunge (R)
Pushup
KB Overhead Walking Lunge (L)
Double Under

I was contemplating the possibility of bringing my kettlebell into camp tomorrow, but decided against it since it's (just a tad) too hefty. If I remember correctly, there's a pullup bar right outside the living quarters, though...

***
"Man is an intelligence in servitude to his organs."
- Aldous Huxley

Saturday 06/14/2008

My self-declared workout space in the driveway at home. Notice the Post-It notes on the white shelving on the right of the picture? Those are all workouts from when I was back in March -- my mom kindly left them there, thinking they'd come in handy for future workout planning!

WOD
Run 4 miles easy

WOD
5-10-15-20-15-10-5 reps of:
KB American Swing
Plyometric Pushup
KB Goblet Squat
Burpee
KB H2H (Hand-to-Hand) Swing
Double Under

***
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

SAF suspends physical training for three days

June 13, 2008

Review of procedures to be conducted after a second death in two days

By Teh Joo Lin & Jermyn Chow

THE Singapore Armed Forces yesterday called an unprecedented three-day halt to all physical and endurance training within the military, following the death of a serviceman in Brunei, the second training fatality in two days.

Until Saturday, the entire force of 300,000 active personnel and national servicemen will not be on obstacle courses, route marches or doing any fitness tests. Physically demanding field training is also out.

The 'time-out' will allow the SAF to ensure that proper procedures are in place and being followed, said Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean, who yesterday extended his deep condolences to the families of the two 20- year-old servicemen who died this week.

The latest fatality took place on Wednesday evening. A pilot trainee, Officer Cadet Clifton Lam Jia Hao, collapsed while undergoing jungle training in Brunei.

In the earlier incident on Tuesday morning, Recruit Andrew Cheah Wei Siong fainted during a 2km walk in Pulau Tekong.

Both servicemen received immediate medical attention and were evacuated by helicopter to hospital, where they later died.

The Defence Ministry said that investigations are under way. Initial findings indicate that all safety procedures had been followed in both instances.

Both men, recent polytechnic graduates, had cleared medical checks and were deemed fit for the respective training they were undergoing.

Of the two, OCT Lam was fitter and had to meet more stringent health and fitness standards to qualify for pilot training.

However, given the hot, humid conditions in the Brunei jungles, it is possible OCT Lam could have suffered heat stroke.

Recruit Cheah, who enlisted last Thursday, was undergoing an enhanced 15-week basic military training programme meant for mildly obese recruits.

The fatalities will again put the spotlight on sudden deaths of otherwise healthy young men. The issue was raised in Parliament three years ago, also after two servicemen died in quick succession.

At the time, Mr Teo said that 19 SAF personnel had died of sudden heart attacks in the preceding nine years, including five who collapsed during training.

Despite thorough health screening, safety measures and medical support in training, such deaths 'cannot be completely prevented', he said then.

On the decision to suspend training, Dr Bernard Loo, a specialist in defence studies at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, said that it would 'soothe public concerns over the safety of trainees'.

He added that safety regulations here were already among the most stringent in the world and comparable to those of the military in the United States and Britain.

MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and deputy chairman of the GPC for Defence and Foreign Affairs Michael Palmer said the three-day time-out will allow the SAF to take stock, as medical conditions can be missed at medical check-ups and troops can be tired and make mistakes.

He added that it would be good to make public the findings of the three-day review to help assure parents whose sons are serving National Service.

Source: The Straits Times Online

Friday 06/13/2008

WOD
See Friday 03/07/2008
As many reps as possible in 7 hours and 10 minutes.

***
"In the space age, man will be able to go around the world in two hours - one hour for flying and one hour to get to the airport."
- Neil McElroy

Thursday 06/12/2008

WOD
20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Push Press (45#)
Barbell Squat Jump

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
KB Snatch (R)
KB Snatch (L)
Rafter Pullup
Power Wheel Pike-Up/Push-up

A thought just crossed my mind as I was packing to leave Ann Arbor and go home for the summer -- the next time I do so, it'll be for good.

***
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
- Carol Sobieski

Wednesday 06/11/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Burpee Box Jump
KB American Swing
Weighted Situp (25#)
Double Under/High Knees (2x)

WOD
10-20-30-20-10 reps of:
Push Press (45#)
Russian KB Swing
Box Jump

I've just received notice that I've been slated to attend the Jungle Confidence Course (JCC), a twenty-day military training course in the wilderness of Brunei Darussalam, in late July/early August.

It culminates in a nine-day period where I'll basically be thrown into the woods with a day and a half's worth of food, forty pounds of gear and a rifle, and left to perform military tasks, find my way back out with the help of a trusty compass and pace-clicking thingamajig, all the while trying my best to avoid the snakes, and other less-than-friendly creatures (e.g. ghosts) that call the jungle their home. Good times! I'm really pumped.

It will be a challenge but I definitely hope I'll be able to earn the JCC badge. In fact, I'm quite surprised that I've been given the opportunity to go for JCC, since I was sent for the Basic Airborne Course two years back during my first vacation attachment, and the bulk of officers usually only get the chance to go for one confidence course in their whole career. So I count myself very privileged to have such opportunities.

I daresay the next phase of my training will be geared increasingly towards endurance (I'm planning to throw in more running and swimming into the mix, and I'm probably going to begin doing the CrossFit Endurance WODs on top of my usual WOD. I'm going to focus more on bodyweight exercises and kettlebell movements, given that my training schedule will be somewhat limited by my military commitments in the next two months. It's probably also a good idea to focus more on these things, to develop the combat fitness which I will need for JCC.

Believe it or not, the gym in the army camp I've been posted to doesn't have Olympic barbells or a squat rack. There's a Smith machine, but we all know that Smith machines are pretty much only good for two things - burpee pull-ups (if the bar can be set high enough), and inverted rows. So it'll be back to basics for me, with dumbbells, kettlebells, plenty of pull-ups (it's the army after all), running in fatigues, and all things fun.

***
"Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear."
- William E. Gladstone

Tuesday 06/10/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Deadlift (185#)
Handstand Pushup
Box Jump

Time: 14:17

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
KB Snatch (R)
Ring Dip
KB Snatch (L)
Power Wheel Pike-Up/Pushup
KB American Swing
Double Under

***
"“What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?”

“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best...”
- and then he had to stop and think.

Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called."
- A.A. Milne

Monday 06/09/2008

WOD
100 Push Presses (45#)
20 Box Jumps
75 Push Presses
20 Box Jumps
50 Push Presses
20 Box Jumps
25 Push Presses
20 Box Jumps

Time: 12:37

Worked on some snatch-grip deadlifts later on in the day. 5 sets of 5 at 145#, 155#, 165#, 175#, and 185#. I alternated the DLs with weighted pullups for kicks -- nothing exhausting, just 5 sets of 5 with a ten-pound plate. After that, I did 8 rounds of 8 reps each of bench press (95#), stiff-legged DLs (145#), and kipping pullups. Fun.

***
"A harmless hilarity and a buoyant cheerfulness are not infrequent concomitants of genius; and we are never more deceived than when we mistake gravity for greatness, solemnity for science, and pomposity for erudition."
- Charles Caleb Colton

Sunday 06/08/2008

WOD
"Penance in the Park"
40-30-20-10 reps of:
Bear Crawl*
Pushups
Broad Jumps*
Mountain Climbers
Traveling Burpees*
Hurdle Jumps
Walking Lunges*
Double Unders/ Jump Rope (3x)

Note: The asterisked exercises are traveling movements - and so, instead of following the rep protocol, perform the exercises once up and down the width of a basketball court.

W/U:
Tabata - 00:20 on, 00:10 off, switching stations each time the timer beeps.
3 Rounds of -
Jump Rope
KB Goblet Squat
Power Wheel Rollout
Prisoner Jump Squat
V-Up
Hurdle Jump

***
"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."
- Thomas J. Watson

Saturday 06/07/2008

WOD
3 rounds of 22 reps each (because I will be turning 22 later this month):
Ring Rows
Barbell Thrusters (55#)
Pushups
KB Goblet Squats
KB American Swings
Double Unders

WOD
5R/5L KB Snatch (16 kg)
5 Rafter Pullups
5 Power Wheel Rollouts
5 Ring Dips
5 Skin-the-Cats

***
"Generally the theories we believe we call facts, and the facts we disbelieve we call theories."
- Felix Cohen

Friday 06/06/2008

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Burpee Box Jump
Overhead DB Swing (40#)
Double Under
Weighted Decline Situp (25#)

Did a Bikram Yoga class at noon. It wasn't as warm today in the studio, which was nice given the sweltering heat outside as well as compared to Wednesday's class. I actually am beginning to enjoy Bikram Yoga - in all honesty, it's probably good that I do it since I'd otherwise be quite disinclined to stretch or engage in recovery techniques on my own. It was an energizing class and I managed to work through the tightness in my knee (which I'll talk about more below).

Also did a 5 x 5 deadlift workout in the afternoon with Mika. Nothing too heavy, around 60-80% of a max effort DL. I started at 145# and ended at 185#, going up by ten-pound increments each time, using the double overhand grip. The deadlift's my favorite out of all the strength lifts. Form is paramount - it's easy to see how someone might blow out their back if they were sloppy in the setup. I know that when I get to loads approaching my one-rep max, I sometimes rely too much on my back to pull up the weight, which causes rounding and less-than-ideal form. I'm trying to make sure I set up right each time and approach each lift in exactly the same way, regardless of the load.

I've also been doing more deadlift work of late because my right knee has been bothering me, and squats and running are quite literally a pain. There's an odd tightness in my knee cap whenever I perform an ATG squat, and every time my right foot strikes the ground during a run it sends a sharp pain up my knee. Locking out my right knee is also fairly painful (e.g. if I perform a pushup or a renegade row, which requires my legs to be locked and straight for stability). Thankfully, jumping doesn't hurt, and it doesn't flare up while walking either. I don't know if it's the IT band, patellar tendinitis, or runner's knee. Whatever it is, it's quite a bummer. I've been laying off the squats and running in hope that it'll recover. I think it might have something to do with my running form (I'm a notorious heel-striker), and my knee aches have predated my experiences with CrossFit. They were particularly nasty when I was predominantly involved with running, about two years ago.

Anyway, this is what Coach Rippetoe says in "Starting Strength", the bible of barbell movements:

"... (the deadlift) can be used as a leg exercise if injury prevents squatting. It is not nearly as effective as the squat for this purpose, due to the lack of hip depth used in the starting position. But this is the very reason it can be used if a knee or hip injury makes squats too difficult or painful, and at least some leg work can be done while healing takes place. A high rep deadlift workout can provide enough work to maintain some leg conditioning..."

I can't sit still to save my life so hopefully my knee heals up by itself in good time. I'm hoping the Bikram Yoga will help. My knee has definitely improved since a couple days ago, so maybe it's been of some benefit. I'm aching to run again. Thank goodness for the Concept 2 ergometer, though - it's an excellent substitute for running!

***
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
- Robert Heinlein

A little something for my wheels...

Time to retire this:


(If you've always wondered about the meaning behind "Raffles", Wikipedia is your friend here and here. And here's another article to give RJC the props it fully deserves).

... in favor of this, to mark my final year in Ann Arbor!


(Also see the April 9, 2008 post on this CrossFit affiliate archived site).

Vanity plates are as yet unavailable in Singapore, so I'm capitalizing on my opportunities now!

Thursday 06/05/2008

WOD
20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Box Jumps (20")
Pushups

***
"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose."
- Sun Tzu

Wednesday 06/04/2008

WOD
Everyone starts at a station of their choice.
Spend 7:00 at each station performing as many rounds of the exercises as possible, with 1:00 rest to move between stations.

Station #1
5R/5L DB Hang Power Snatches
10R/10L DB Overhead Swings
15 Pushups

Station #2
5 Burpees
10 V-Ups
15 Double Unders

Station #3
5 Straight Leg Lifts on Decline Bench
10 Box Jumps
15 Weighted Situps (25#)

WOD
Perform 12 rounds of:
4R/4L KB Snatches from a dead stop (16 kg)
4 Ring Dips
2 Skin-the-Cats

Also tried my first Bikram Yoga (aka. Hot Yoga, because it's performed in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and approximately 40 per cent humidity) class. It was quite an experience and I'm proud that I didn't keel over or wilt due to the punishing temperatures. It's my first experience with yoga ever and interestingly enough I felt rejuvenated walking out of the studio. I think I'll go back!

***
"Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true."
- Polish Proverb

Tuesday 06/03/2008

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Deadlift (155#)
Decline Pushup
Bench Jump
V-Up

WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Ring Dips
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Decline Pushups
5-4-3-2-1-5-4-3-2-1 reps of: Skin the Cats

So you'd perform 10 ring dips, 10 decline pushups, 5 skin the cats, and so on.

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Barbell Thruster (45#)
Pushup
Squat Jump

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"So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world."
- Immanuel Kant

If you only remember ten things...

The following list was created by by Scott Kustes over at Modern Forager and posted on January 1, 2008, to serve as a reminder to all about the importance of healthy eating and adopting a balanced lifestyle.

Though we're already halfway through the year, it's never too late to take these pointers to heart and incorporate them into everyday life. There's no better time than the present!

On tonight's healthy menu: Stuffed Peppers

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Ten Things to Remember In The New Year

1. Junk food doesn’t exist; there is junk and there is food.
2. Similarly, real food has no nutrition label. Food products have nutrition labels.
3. If a label tells you how healthful the product inside is, it’s probably not. Don’t be deceived by marketing.
4. Sugar is detrimental to your body in more ways than you can count.
5. Organic/natural junk is still junk. Thirty grams of sugar from honey is not more healthful than 30g of sugar from other sources.
6. If you are wondering if you should eat more vegetables, the answer is yes. I don’t care how many you eat, you should probably eat more.
7. Similarly, you should probably sleep more. Turn off the TV and go to bed. Given the quality of most TV programming, you aren’t going to miss anything of importance.
8. Don’t let “I can’t afford organic” keep you from eating enough produce. Organic vegetables are best. However, eating conventional is better than not eating produce at all.
9. You’re human and you will eat something too sugary and too carby. Don’t stress; just get back on the wagon.
10. And finally: health is a lifelong journey, not a quick-fix. Find something you can stick with.
***

I particularly like #9. All too often we adopt an all-or-nothing stance when it comes to healthy eating, which makes it easy to fall off the wagon entirely, and completely blow our carefully-plotted nutrition plans in a single moment of folly. Relax, we're only human, and mistakes happen.

I guess the important thing is not to be suckered into thinking that one cupcake proves entirely damning to your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. Cripes, you've already eaten it - moping isn't going to magically dissipate the calories, and further binging doesn't help matters any - you might as well polish off the crumbs, lick your lips, and get right back on track!

Image courtesy of AllRecipes.Com.

Monday 06/02/2008

WOD
21-15-9-15-21 reps of:
Pushups
Barbell Walking Lunge Steps
Weighted Situps (25#)
Squat Jumps
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
Donkey Kicks

WOD
Deadlift (all done with double overhand grip):
10 x 135#
9 x 145#
8 x 155#
7 x 165#
6 x 175#
5 x 185#
4 x 195#
3 x 205#
2 x 215#
1 x 225#

5 deadhang pullups between rounds.

***
"Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise. For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health... And it is necessary, as it appears, to discern the power of various exercises, both natural exercises and artificial, to know which of them tends to increase flesh and which to lessen it; and not only this, but also to proportion exercise to bulk food, to the constitution of the patient, to the age of the individual..."
- Hippocrates, Regimen

Sunday 06/01/2008

WOD
7 sets of 7 reps each:
Thruster (65#)
Power Wheel Rollout
KB American Swing
Ring Dip
KB Snatch (7R/7L)
Divebomber Pushup
Double Under

***
"Finland has produced so many brilliant distance runners because back home it costs $2.50 a gallon for gas."
- Esa Tikkannen, 1979