Get Some, Go Again!

Today I Will Make a Difference -- by Max Lucado

2009-03-11T23:13:00.002-04:00

Incredibly inspirational. What will you do today to make a difference?

***
Today I Will Make a Difference
by Max Lucado

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

Shaped by GodI will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble… . I will get up. It’s OK to fail… . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

From Shaped by God
Copyright (Tyndale House, 2002) Max Lucado

Friday 03/06/2009

2009-03-06T23:15:00.003-05:00

WOD: Combat
5 Rounds of 30 reps each:
Partner Pushups
Jab-Cross Combo (Tombstone Pad)
Partner Jumping Squats
Kicks to Groin (Tombstone Pad)
Partner Crunches

(Ceren cut the workout at 20 minutes -- we finished 3 rounds!)

WOD: NavySEALs.com CrossFit Workout
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
7 Burpees
7 Handstand Pushups
7 Ring Dips

Total: 12 Rounds

WOD: Kettlebell
AMRAP in 25 minutes:
400 m Run
Using two 30# KBs, perform 25 reps of -
Double KB Swing
Double KB Clean
Double KB Thruster

Total: 3 Rounds + 400 m Run

Wednesday 02/11/2009

2009-02-11T18:28:00.005-05:00

Thoughts lead on to purposes; purposes go forth in action; actions form habits; habits decide character; and character fixes our destiny.

- Tryon Edwards

***
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Deadlift (165#)
American KB Swing (24 kg)

Time: 11:03

WOD: Kettlebell
Tabata -- 5 Rounds of:45/:15
Complete all rounds of one exercise before moving to the next.
American KB Swing (16 kg)
KB Flip Squat (16 kg)
KB Burpee-High Pull (24 kg)
Box Jump (24")

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD
Phase I: Preparation
Muscle Up skills practice

Phase II: Hip and Shoulder Strength

"Jason" for time do:

100 Squats
5 Muscle Ups
75 Squats
10 Muscle Ups
50 Squats
15 Muscle Ups
25 Squats
20 Muscle Ups

Time: 23:09

Notes: substitution for 1 muscle up = 4 pull up and 4 dips. Thus for last round you would do 80 pull-ups and 80 dips. Ring dips are preferable if you have rings. This is a big incentive to master the muscle up!

Phase III: Core:
30-20-10 GHD sit-ups and Back Extensions

***

Tuesday 02/10/2009

2009-02-10T21:04:00.003-05:00

It ought to be "high fat" diet, but I couldn't find a card that said that. Oh well. Yay for the Anabolic Diet.

WOD
"Betty"
5 rounds
12 Push Press (65#)
20 Box Jumps

Time: 8:13

Post-WOD WOD:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Pushup
V-up

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD

Phase I: Preparation
Jump Rope 50 double unders. Warm up for Press Sequence w/ low weight, high rep press sequence until you reach failure, then rest 5 minutes

Phase II: Strength

Press 1-1-1-1-1 (65-70-75-80-85)
Push Press 3-3-3-3-3 (85-90-95-100-105)
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 (95-100-105-110-115)

This linear progression in terms of the weight I used doesn't look quite right to me. I think I stopped sometime before the point where I would have been maxed out. I need to read up more on how to perform these workouts.

Phase III: Core:
100 four-count leg-levers, 100 four-count flutter kicks

***

Monday 02/09/2009

2009-02-09T21:14:00.004-05:00

I honestly don't just do one workout a week -- I've just been too lazy to post. Note to self: Get back on it!

WOD: Charge
2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2-4-6-8-10 reps of:
Burpee Box Jump
Goblet Squat (40 kg)

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD
Phase I: Preparation
Run 1 mile. O/H Squat skill development w/ PVC pipe or light bar

Phase II: Max ROM & Stabilization

"Overhead - Down low"
5 rounds for time of:

9 one-arm dumbell snatch each arm (35lb) -- subbed 30#
15 Overhead Squat 95lb
21 Burpees

Phase III: Core:
max sit-ups 2 minutes

WOD
(at Ceren's cool garage gym)
Tabata :20/:10
Squats
Pushups
Situps
KB Swings (16 kg)

***

Monday 02/02/2009

2009-02-02T13:16:00.003-05:00

Time to start blogging again. And I think I'm hooked on Twitter (yes, I know, I'm late to the party...). Look me up @ username kidd05!

WOD: Charge
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Deadlift (155#)
Push Press (65#)

Time: 11:03

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD

Phase I: Preparation
For time: 20-20-10-10 Overhead Press 65lb, pull-up

Phase II: Move Heavy Load over Distance

10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1
Thruster 115lb (I subbed 95#)
Burpee pull-up

Phase III: Core:
200 sit-ups

Notes: Try to have 12 inches of vertical leap for the burpee pull-up.

Time: 18:03

Friday 01/16/2009

2009-01-17T23:56:00.002-05:00

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD
Phase I: Preparation
Run 1 mile

Phase II: Intensity
"For Time:"

15 Dead lift 225 (subbed 205#)
30 Ring Dip
12 Dead lift
24 Ring Dip
9 Dead lift
18 Ring Dip
6 Dead lift
12 Ring Dip
3 Dead lift
6 Ring Dip

Time: 16:05

Phase III: Core Development
100 situps. 100 4-count flutter kicks. 100 leg-levers

WOD: Kettlebell
With a 20 kg KB, perform :45/:15 x 8 rounds of:
KB Clean (R)
KB Clean (L)
KB Flip Squat

***

Thursday 01/15/2009

2009-01-17T23:49:00.002-05:00

Track Workout
1-mile warmup
Work Sets (LT pace): 400m - 800m - 1600m - 800m - 400m

WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
SDLHP (65#)
Thrusters (65#)
Pushups

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD
Phase I: Preparation
Dynamic stretch then 100 push-ups

Phase II: Intensity
"For Time:"

21 - 15 - 9
Squat Clean Thruster 95lb
Burpees

Time: 14:02

Phase III: Core Development
3 Rounds (untimed):
30 Weighted sit up 45lb
20 Knees to elbows

Wednesday 01/14/2009

2009-01-14T21:56:00.004-05:00

WOD
With 30# DBs, perform 20-15-10-5 reps of:
DB Full Squat Clean
DB Push Press
DB Front Squat
DB Renegade Row

Perform DB Bear Crawl (down and back) after each round.

WOD: CF Endurance
Choose ONE of the following sports
Swim, Bike, Run, C2
Goal is to use maximum effort for 2 min interval.
120:60 x 6
or 2 min on 1 minute off x 6

For this workout (Swim), I ended up doing 10 sets of 150m sprints with a minute's recovery in between.

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD
AMRAP in 30 minutes:

5 Dead Lift 135lb (subbed 105#)
5 Power Clean 135lb (subbed 105#)
5 renegade row push-ups 35lb (subbed 30#)
5 pullups
run 200 meters (subbed 250 m row)

Total No. of Rounds: 9 + 2 pullups

Notes: Scale weight if necessary. The renegade row push-up is with a 35lb dumbbell (scale if nec). Each push-up is followed by a one-arm row with the dumbbell to your shoulder, while in the lean-and-rest position. So 1 renegade push-up is "down, up, row right, down, up row left" Hope that makes sense!).

The heaviest set of dumbbells are 30#s, so no choice there. I'm quite sure I can't consistently power clean 135# for reps so I did the WOD using 105# for both DLs and PCs (since I think the weight was supposed to be the same on both).

***
Random Page of the Day:
Most folks hate weighing themselves. Myself included. You might change your mind, though, with these neat-o bathroom scales! Bathroom Confessional, anyone?

Tuesday 01/13/2009

2009-01-14T21:52:00.003-05:00

WOD
AMRAP in 20 min:
5 Shoulder Presses (65#)
10 Ring Dips
15 Pushups

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD

Phase I: Jump Rope 50 double unders or 400 singles. 3 rounds: 10 lunges (each leg), 20 squats, 20 push-ups, 20 GHD sit-ups. Then:

Phase II: 2 rounds for time:
1000m Row (sub 8-minute bike)
50 Thrusters 65lb
40 Squats
30 Box Jumps
20 Jumping Lunges
10 Burpees
Rest 3 min, then repeat. Negative split on second round - 50 burpee penalty if not negative split!

Round 1: 12:09
Round 2: 11:53

Notes: High intensity MetCon. Coming out of the gate with rowing and thrusters will make this a challenging but fun workout. Burpee penalty is to keep you motivated second round.

***

Monday 01/12/2009

2009-01-14T21:48:00.001-05:00

WOD: Charge
With 30# DBs, perform 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
DB Snatch (R)
DB Snatch (L)
DB Row
DB Push Press
Rocking Chair (20#)

WOD: CF Endurance
Swim: 10 x 50m/y with 5 times the recovery (if it takes you 30 seconds to swim 50m/y then you rest 2:30).

C2: 10 x 250m with 5 times the recovery (if it takes 45 seconds to row 250m then you recover 3:45)

***

Sunday 01/11/2009

2009-01-11T22:14:00.004-05:00

WOD: Revolution
25-minute spin, followed by:
10-20-30-20-10 reps of:
American KB Swing (16 kg)
KB Flip Squat
KB Figure 8 Upper Cut

Time: 14:42

***
Article of the Day:
My mom knows I'm enamored with all things CrossFitty, and she called my attention to an article in Saturday's Straits Times (the leading Singapore daily) about boot-camp style workouts being the new fitness craze in Singapore. Interesting.

Jan 10, 2009
FITNESS

Army craze: More ways to get fit in the new year as military-style workouts top the list

By Jeanette Wang

IF GETTING fit is on your resolution list for this new year, boot camp-style workouts may just be the kick in the butt that you need.
The military-inspired classes are set to remain the top fitness trend in 2009, according to results of an annual survey of fitness professionals worldwide done by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

ACE is one of the world's largest fitness certification, education and training organisations.

Dance-based classes, budget-friendly workouts and kettlebells (weights that resemble cannonballs) also featured among this year's top 10 fitness trends that ACE announced last month.

'The over-arching theme for fitness in 2009 is getting more bang for the buck,' says ACE's chief science officer Cedric X. Bryant. 'Consumers will engage in workouts that provide multiple benefits due to time and economic limitations.'

No wonder boot camp-style workouts, the top fitness trend last year, will continue to be wildly popular in 2009.

Classes are typically held outdoor and involve simple total-body conditioning exercises inspired by those used to whip army recruits into shape - like push-ups, squats, kicks, punches and sprints.

Compared to personal training, these hour-long or longer boot camps are usually more affordable and motivational, as participants exercise together.

According to an ACE study, a typical boot camp workout burns an average of 600 calories per hour, with participants working at an average 77 per cent of their maximum heart rate, which encourages weight loss and enhances cardio-respiratory endurance.

'Boot camp is very exciting and interesting because there is variation in the exercises,' said Hisham Musa, 32, master trainer of fitnessbootcamp.sg.

He also includes aerobics, kickboxing and pilates in his sessions.

'Participants work as a team, and motivate and push each other to do the exercises,' he says.

Some 20 to 30 people attend each of Hisham's four classes weekly. They are held at East Coast Park, Bishan, Woodlands and Tampines. Each session costs $50, relatively cheaper than the $80 or more personal trainers command.

One of his clients, a 42-year-old woman, went from 110kg to 70kg in five months by doing boot camps and cardio (both in a class and on her own) five times a week.

Real Fitness boot camps, led by fitness trainer and top Singapore marathoner Anne Date, costs as little as $500 for eight weeks of thrice weekly classes. The fee works out to less than $21 per session.

'The people who come regularly really change,' said Date, 28, who conducts her classes at Kent Ridge Park. 'They look and feel different. They tell me they sleep better, run better and feel lighter.'

If boot camps are not your thing, there are other trends this year that could also stretch your fitness and dollar.

Try functional training with Bosu balls, working on your core strength and stability with kettlebells or simply head out for a game of basketball or a jog (see box for more ideas).

This Ox year certainly looks set to be a bullish one for fitness.

Saturday 01/10/2009

2009-01-10T19:21:00.005-05:00

WOD: Charge
Patty's 50 Sucks!
50 Burpees
50 Arm Haulers
50 DB Thrusters (30#)
50 Tricep Pushups
50 DB Weighted Lunge Steps
50 Sit ups
50 DB Renegade Rows (25R/25L)
50 Shoulder Presses (20#) -- shoulders were shot by this point
50 KB Swings (24 kg)

Time: 21:42

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD

5 Rounds for time:
50 Squats
40 Hollow Rocks (these are challenging!)
30 KB Swings (24 kg)
20 Pushups
10 Handstand pushups

Time: 24:48

***
Recipe of the Day:
Check out this simply scrumptious-looking Slow-Cooked Salmon by Steamy Kitchen that threatens to fall apart at the very mention of a fork! It's breathtakingly simple and extremely versatile, since you can pretty much add whatever herbs/seasonings you desire, and leave it to cook away in the oven.

darren hayes -- darkness

2009-01-10T00:13:00.010-05:00

from the tension and the spark

***
been spending so much time underground
i guess my eyes adjusted
to the lack of light
i got covered in darkness
covered in darkness

i have been waiting
always waiting for something new
happiness has always ended
in the blink of an eye
there was no one attending
no one attending

it doesn't really matter where it all began
all i know
i got covered in darkness
covered in darkness
ever wonder why i never really truly connect
although my eyes are open
i can hold your gaze
but i am never connected
never connected

i am famous for my generosity
they say i am the kindest
but it is easier to
give than receive love
give than receive love

it doesn't really matter where it all began
all i know
i was covered in darkness
covered in darkness

turning pages over
run away to nowhere
and it's hard to take control
when your enemy's old and afraid of you
you'll discover that the monster you were running from
is the monster in you

better to hold on to love
better to hold on to love
change will come

it doesn't really matter where it all began
all i know
i was covered in darkness
covered in darkness

it doesn't really matter where it all began
'cause all i know
i was lost
i was lost
no, no

it doesn't really matter where it all began, no no
all i know
i was lost
i feel lost
lost
no...

***
one year on...

Friday 01/09/2009

2009-01-09T20:37:00.007-05:00

WOD
I can't post this workout because it's Jenn's Secret (and diabolical) Surprise for next Saturday's Charge workout! Jenn, MG, Sandy and I tested it out today. All I can say is that it contained an exercise that I loathe greatly. But I actually surprised myself by knocking them out at a relatively consistent pace. Oh, and that my ass will be sore tomorrow.

Time: 32:13

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD

"Run with Josh"

800m Run
21 Overhead Squats (95#)
42 Pull ups
400m Run
15 Overhead Squats
30 Pull ups
400m Run
9 Overhead Squats
18 Pull ups
800m Run

We subbed 4-minute biking for the 800 m run and 2 minutes for the 400 m run. It was snowing heavily while we were doing this workout, which made it impractical to run. Can't wait till the ergs get in!

Time: 24:30

***
A little snippet from an article on T-Nation that I found quite interesting:

Tricks of the Trade: Get Strong Fast!
Tactic #4: Small Loading

The idea of small loading was brought to my attention by Dr. Mel Siff, and it's another fine psychological mind game. It consists of loading the bar with small plates, and the more confusing the loading is the better.

Normally, if you wanted to load the bar to 225 pounds, most people would put two 45-pounders on each side. With this method, you might put two 25-pound plates, two 10-pound plates, and three 5-pound plates per side, and not necessarily in that order (or even in the same order on both sides).

And it works even better if you have a training partner loading the bar for you since it's harder to mentally calculate the weight.

This method removes the psychological intimidation factor that some people have. With "wheel increments," there's a psychological block that comes from the multiple 45's per side. For some reason, loading the bar with smaller plates is less intimidating and will put you in a more confident mindset.

Do you think this method might work for you? I've seen it work for others (for instance when Sharon F. deadlifted what she thought was 170#, until it turned out to be 185# -- somehow or other there was 5 pounds more on one side too, but that's another story). I've also knowingly loaded more weight on bars sometime for others to lift (without their knowledge, of course), and consequently witnessed them succeeding at weights they hadn't previously thought they could handle. Personally, when I'm working towards one-rep maxes, I also prefer not knowing exactly what's loaded on the bar, and just stepping up and attempting to lift it. That way I don't psych myself out with thoughts of the weight before even performing the lift!

***

Thursday 01/08/2009

2009-01-09T13:35:00.003-05:00

Track Workout
W/U: 1 mile easy
Work Sets: 3 x 1,000 m @ LT pace (2:00/400 m)
Times: 4:53/4:56/4:54

Swim Workout
W/U: 500 m easy; 150 m @ 70%
Work Sets: 3 x 300 m
C/D: 500 m (alternating between 100 m with pull buoy/100 m stroke)

WOD
NavySEALs.com CF WOD:

5 Rounds for Time:
30 Box Jumps (24")
20 Thrusters (65#)
10 Deadlifts (185#)

Time: 27:23

***
Need to pop a quick protein snack on the go? Don't reach for protein bars -- while they may be decent on the protein front, they're frequently loaded with sugar and chemicals you can't pronounce. Try jerky instead. Mark's Daily Apple has a nifty recipe for making your own jerky! It'll definitely take a little more time, but you can make a big batch and freeze that. And you'll save some money too!

Wednesday 01/07/2009

2009-01-07T22:08:00.005-05:00

WOD: Charge
10-9-8...3-2-1-1-2-3...8-9-10
KB Swings (24 kg)
Situps
Air Squats
Ring Rows

WOD: Kettlebell
8 x 8:
KB 3-Level Swing
KB Burpee (tricep pushup + high pull)
KB Goblet Squat
KB Chest Press

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD
"Rord" on a running clock, do:

100 Bodyweight Back Squats (I used 135#)

Every minute do:

5 Pull ups
10 Push ups

Note: Set countdown timer or use timing partner. Start the clock and start cranking out your back squats. At the minute set the bar down, and get on the pull-up bar then push-ups. As soon as you are done with the push-ups, get back to the squats. Do not re-set the clock, just get as many back squats in as you can in the remaining minute. This workout gets old very fast...that minute seems like 20 seconds. Scale weight if necessary. You can thank Rob for this one - his version had 10 pull-ups, so modify if you want.

Total minutes needed: 17

***
A CrossFit vacation? Who would've thought? And no, I'm not talking about my roadtripping endeavors where I hit up affiliate after affiliate...

If you're really into CrossFit and would love nothing better than to spend a week in the company of Robb Wolf, Mark Rippetoe, and Jeff Tucker, check out this dream vacation.

While I suppose it's a reasonable and perhaps ingenious proposition, the announcement of this certification vacation, coming in the wake of the recent increase in affiliation fees (USD 2k/year, up from USD 1k and previously USD 500), and the already costly price of certifications, seems to point towards an increased interest in profit and money-making on the part of CrossFit. What do you think?

Tuesday 01/06/2009

2009-01-07T22:01:00.004-05:00

WOD
25 Wall Balls (14#)
25 Situps
10 Ring Dips (assisted with red band)
20 Knees to Elbows
30 Box Jumps
40 KB Swings (16 kg)
50 Wall Ball Situps (14#)
40 KB Swings
30 Box Jumps
20 Knees to Elbows
10 Ring Dips
25 Situps
25 Wall Balls

WOD: NavySEALs.com CF WOD
“Linda”

For time:
10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1
Deadlift 1.5x bodyweight -- used 135#
Bench 1x bodyweight -- subbed Push Press (105#)
Clean .75x bodyweight -- used 105#

Note: The clean is from the floor each time. In case there is any confusion, you must complete 10 deadlifts, 10 bench press, 10 cleans then move on to 9,9,9, and down the ladder.

Time: 25:28

***
Random Fact of the Day:
Over the course of American history, more of the consumed saturated fat has been from peanuts than any other source.

Monday 01/05/2009

2009-01-07T21:52:00.005-05:00

WOD: Charge
30-20-15-9-5
Back Squats (115#)
Pullups (10 per round)
DB Push Press (30#)
Weighted Stepups (20-inch box/20# DBs)

And then did another variant of the above workout later on in the day:

WOD
30-20-15-9-5
Front Squats (115#)
Pullups (10 per round)
DB Push Press (30#)
Weighted Stepups (10-inch box/30# DBs)

***
Random Read of the Day:
Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen

Sunday 01/04/2009

2009-01-04T22:43:00.004-05:00

WOD
3 Rounds of:
21 Back Squats (135#)
21 Box Jumps (24")
21 DB Hang Power Snatches- R (30#)
21 DB Hang Power Snatches- L (30#)

Time: 20:55

WOD: Revolution
Spin 20 minutes, followed by -
21-15-9 reps of:
SDLHP (65#)
American KB Swings (20 kg)
KB Goblet Squats (20 kg)

***
Random Fact of the Day:
More than 90% of plane crashes have survivors.

Saturday 01/03/2009

2009-01-03T22:52:00.003-05:00

WOD: Charge
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
Burpee Box Jump (20")
Push Jerk (95#)
Wall Ball Situp (14#)

Time: 15:55

WOD: Navy SEALs CF WOD

With a 95# bar, perform as many rounds as possible in 20 min of:
5 Thrusters
7 Hang Power Cleans
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls

Total No. of Rounds: 6

***
Random Fact of the Day:
The average person spends about 2 years on the phone in a lifetime.

Friday 01/02/2009

2009-01-02T21:56:00.004-05:00

WOD: Navy SEALs CF WOD
"Badger"

50 Back Squat (body weight)
2x sandbag carry up and down 3 flights of stairs and 100m walk
40 Dead lift (body weight)
2x rope climb "hands only"
30 Bench press (body weight)
2x 400m sprint
20 Cleans from the floor (body weight)
1x 3 min wall sit
10 Push Jerk (body weight)

Notes: This workout is Alex's New Years Day workout at USCrossFit. He credits the workout to Marcus " Badger" Dedina of CrossFit Oahu who made him do it on his last day at CFO before joining USCrossFit as head coach. Scale weight and modify as necessary if equipment limited. If no sand-bag or stairs, you can hold two 30 pound dumbbells at chest height and step up onto a 10" object 40x and walk 40 paces. This will equal 1x. If you don't have a rope to climb then do 20 dead hang pull ups.

Weight used: 115# for all exercises; 65# for shoulder press (sub for bench press, since we don't yet have benches).

Time: 37:09

WOD
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean and Jerk (95#)
Barbell Rollout
Pullup

***
Random Fact of the Day:
According to suicide statistics, Monday is the favored day for self-destruction.

Thursday 01/01/2009

2009-01-01T22:26:00.002-05:00

WOD:"Death by Thruster"
Inspired by CrossFit's "Death by Pullups"
With a continuously running clock do one thruster the first minute, two thrusters the second minute, three thrusters the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.
Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Total rounds completed: 16

I took 1 min's rest after completing 16 thrusters in the 16th minute, and then went back down the ladder, every minute on the minute.

WOD: "CrossFit Baseball"
Inspired by CrossFit Firebase's Christmas Eve Workout
How many runs can you get in 20 minutes?

1st Base: 10 Jumping Squats

2nd Base: 10 Push Ups

3rd Base: 10 V-Ups

Home Plate: Pick a mystery exercise from the Hopper, and perform 10 reps of that exercise!

Mystery Exercises: DB Hang Squat Clean/ DB Thruster/ DB Push Press/ DB 1-Arm Hang Squat Snatch/ DB 1-Arm Overhead Walking Lunge/ DB Renegade Row + Pushup/ Medicine Ball Clean/ Wall Ball Situp/ American KB Swing/ Pullup/ K2E/ 4-Count Mountain Climbers

***
Random Thing I Did Today:
Watch 5 Back-to-Back Episodes of "Iron Chef America". Allez Cuisine!

So, it's 2009...

2009-01-01T00:14:00.006-05:00

... and my theme song for the year is "Make it Mine" by Jason Mraz.

2008 was way more shitty than I'd have liked it to be. I lost faith in a lot of people and things. That being said, I've also discovered who my true friends are, and I'm very grateful for them. I'm glad to leave all the fucked-up messes behind. It's time to claim 2009 as my own, and make it all I want it to be.

Happy New Year, everyone!

***
Wake up, everyone
How can you sleep at a time like this
Unless the dreamer is the real you
Listen to your voice
The one that tells you to taste past the tip of your tongue
Leap and the net will appear

I don't wanna wake before
The dream is over
I'm gonna make it mine
Yes, I... I know it
I'm gonna make it mine
Yes, I'll make it all mine

I keep my life on a heavy rotation
Requesting that it's lifting you up
Up up and away
And over to a table at the Gratitude Cafe

And I am finally there
And all the angels they'll be singing
Ah la la la ah la la ah la la la la la love this

Well, I don't wanna break before
The tour is over
I'm gonna make it mine
That's right, I... I will own it
I'm gonna make it mine
Yes I'll make it all mine

Yes, I will make it all mine
And timing's everything
And this time there's plenty
I am balancing
Careful and steady
And reveling in energy that everyone's emitting

Well, I don't wanna wait no more
No, I wanna celebrate the whole world
I'm gonna make it mine
Because I'm following your joy
I'm gonna make it mine
Because I... I am open
I'm gonna make it mine
That's why... I wanna show it
I'm gonna make it, it mine
Gotta make gotta make gotta make gotta make it make it mine
Oh mine
Yes, I will make it all mine
***

Monday 12/22/2008

2008-12-22T21:09:00.004-05:00

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

In the Sunshine State

2008-12-20T22:31:00.002-05:00

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 12/05/2008

2008-12-05T10:34:00.014-05:00

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

Thursday 12/04/2008

2008-12-04T18:59:00.003-05:00

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

Wednesday 12/03/2008

2008-12-03T11:54:00.004-05:00

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

Tuesday 12/02/2008

2008-12-03T07:57:00.004-05:00

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

Monday 12/01/2008

2008-12-02T00:19:00.003-05:00

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

Sunday 11/30/2008

2008-12-02T00:16:00.002-05:00

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

Saturday 11/29/2008

2008-11-29T20:23:00.001-05:00

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

Black Friday 11/28/2008

2008-11-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

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

Turkey Day 11/27/2008

2008-11-29T20:12:00.003-05:00

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

Wednesday 11/26/2008

2008-11-26T23:44:00.004-05:00

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

Tuesday 11/25/2008

2008-11-26T22:13:00.002-05:00

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

Monday 11/24/2008

2008-11-26T21:55:00.002-05:00

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

Sunday 11/23/2008

2008-11-23T22:11:00.004-05:00

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

Saturday 11/22/2008

2008-11-22T15:05:00.004-05:00

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

Friday 11/21/2008

2008-11-21T23:27:00.002-05:00

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

Thursday 11/20/2008

2008-11-20T22:04:00.003-05:00

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

Wednesday 11/19/2008

2008-11-19T22:47:00.007-05:00

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

Tuesday 11/18/2008

2008-11-18T22:42:00.003-05:00

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

Monday 11/17/2008

2008-11-17T21:44:00.003-05:00

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

Monday 11/10/2008

2008-11-10T22:16:00.003-05:00

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

Pastry Politics?

2008-11-07T21:50:00.005-05:00

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.

Busy!

2008-11-06T21:54:00.004-05:00

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.

Food as Fuel

2008-11-03T21:09:00.003-05:00

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.

Monday 11/03/2008

2008-11-03T21:01:00.002-05:00

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

Sunday 11/02/2008

2008-11-02T22:09:00.003-05:00

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

Saturday 11/01/2008

2008-11-01T19:44:00.007-04:00

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

Friday 10/31/2008

2008-11-01T19:26:00.003-04:00

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

Waitin' and Workin' -- for what yer be Wantin'

2008-10-31T21:51:00.010-04:00

We've wanted it NOW for as long as we can remember, haven't we?
A little anecdote I pulled off Lyle McDonald's blog:

***
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?”
***
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.

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 10/30/2008

2008-10-30T21:09:00.002-04:00

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

Wednesday 10/29/2008

2008-10-30T21:03:00.002-04:00

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

Tuesday 10/28/2008

2008-10-30T21:02:00.003-04:00

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

Monday 10/27/2008

2008-10-30T20:56:00.002-04:00

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

Sunday 10/26/2008

2008-10-30T20:55:00.003-04:00

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

Review: CrossFit Gymnastics Certification (Day 2)

2008-10-28T21:27:00.026-04:00

The crowd, captivated by Tucker. ;)
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.

Everyone at the mercy of Gillian, during the warmup.
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.

Gillian demonstrating a handstand into a forward roll.
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.

Look at the awesome EROM on those HSPUs!
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!

Jeff Martone in a V-sit. He isn't just good at KBs, but at gymnastics too (despite being affectionately termed a "large chunk of meat" by Tucker)!
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!

The Gun Show: from left, Tucker, Kelly Moore, Gillian, and E.C. (y'know... I want guns like these!)
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.

CrossFit Rocks my Socks

2008-10-27T22:27:00.003-04:00

CrossFit Gymnastics Certification Seminar, CrossFit Boston, Oct 25-26
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 10/25/2008

2008-10-25T19:51:00.006-04:00

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.

Friday 10/24/2008

2008-10-25T19:38:00.002-04:00

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

Thursday 10/23/2008

2008-10-25T19:32:00.005-04:00

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

Wednesday 10/22/2008

2008-10-25T19:25:00.002-04:00

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

Tuesday 10/25/2008

2008-10-25T19:21:00.003-04:00

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

Monday 10/20/2008

2008-10-25T19:17:00.003-04:00

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

Sunday 10/19/2008

2008-10-23T21:52:00.002-04:00

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

Saturday 10/18/2008

2008-10-23T21:50:00.001-04:00

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

Thursday 10/16/2008

2008-10-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

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

Wednesday 10/15/2008

2008-10-16T22:00:00.003-04:00

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

Tuesday 10/14/2008

2008-10-15T07:32:00.003-04:00

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

Monday 10/13/2008

2008-10-13T17:56:00.003-04:00

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

The Phoenix Theory

2008-10-12T17:01:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-12T16:55:00.002-04:00

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

Saturday 10/11/2008

2008-10-12T16:50:00.002-04:00

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

Friday 10/10/2008

2008-10-12T16:48:00.001-04:00

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

Thursday 10/09/2008

2008-10-10T08:27:00.003-04:00

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

Wednesday 10/08/2008

2008-10-10T07:47:00.003-04:00

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

Tuesday 10/07/2008

2008-10-07T20:51:00.001-04:00

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

Monday 10/06/2008

2008-10-06T23:31:00.002-04:00

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

Sunday 10/05/2008

2008-10-06T23:17:00.003-04:00

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

Saturday 10/05/2008

2008-10-05T00:15:00.001-04:00

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

Friday 10/03/2008

2008-10-03T22:36:00.002-04:00

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

Thursday 10/02/2008

2008-10-02T22:46:00.004-04:00

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

Wednesday 10/01/2008

2008-10-01T17:32:00.011-04:00

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

Tuesday 09/30/2008

2008-09-30T16:36:00.001-04:00

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

Monday 09/29/2008

2008-09-29T10:01:00.005-04:00

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

Sunday 09/28/2008

2008-09-28T20:44:00.002-04:00

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

Saturday 09/27/2008

2008-09-27T21:00:00.004-04:00

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

Friday 09/26/2008

2008-09-27T13:55:00.005-04:00

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

Thursday 09/25/2008

2008-09-26T07:16:00.002-04:00

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

Wednesday 09/24/2008

2008-09-25T09:49:00.005-04:00

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

Tuesday 09/24/2008

2008-09-24T12:34:00.002-04:00

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

Monday 09/22/2008

2008-09-22T20:34:00.003-04:00

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHARON "BIG GUNS" L.!

2008-09-21T15:53:00.004-04:00

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

Saturday 09/20/2008

2008-09-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

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

Friday 09/19/2008

2008-09-21T15:41:00.003-04:00

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

Thursday 09/18/2008

2008-09-21T15:36:00.003-04:00

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

Wednesday 09/17/2008

2008-09-17T22:44:00.005-04:00

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