Warm up: didn’t right it in, but nothing out of the ordinary.
WOD
21 dead lift 185lbs.
21 burpees
15 dead lift 185lbs.
15 burpees
9 dead lift 185lbs.
9 burpees
Time: 8:47 and I used prescribed weight with the dead lifts!
Warm Up
800m run
2 rounds:
10 arm circles
10 PVC pass throughs
10 sit ups
10 squat (no weight)
10 push ups
15 burpees
WOD
1500m row
4 rounds:
7 sumo deadlift high pulls 115lbs.
15 push ups
7 front squats 115lbs.
Time: I didn’t finish. Super frustrating. I got half way through my first round and realized I was feeling really light headed and then while finishing up my squats realized I had only had a banana and a some nuts all day. I figured it was better to stop then to get injured by pushing through and fainting or something. Moral of the story is to properly fuel my body when putting high expectations of performance on it with these work outs.
I left pretty bummed. : /
Warm up
WOD
4 rounds timed:
12 muscle ups
25 v-ups
But because most people cannot do muscle ups the equivalent is 15 ring dips and 15 pull ups = 12 MU
Time: 10:59
This one burned me as usual. And that was even with using a rubber band to assist me on the ring dips. Ring dips by themselves are killer.
For the next few posts I am just going to post the WOD’s for these days and then pick up with a full post of what’s new and how I am feeling on 02.16.2010. This is probably better for those of you who agonize over my incompetency of writing posts that are precise and understandable.
Warm up:
15 burpees
2 rounds
10 walking lunges
10 push ups
10 pull ups
10 good mornings
Finish with…
40 double unders
Stretch: hamstrings, quad, groin calves and shoulders
WOD
200m run
30 mountain climbers
30 lawn mowers
400m run
20 mtn climbers
20 lawn movers
600m run
20 mtn climbers
20 lawn mowers
800m run
5 mtn climbers
5 lawn mowers
My time: 20:45
Keeping in mind that the scale is going to read a little lighter in the morning than the evening…as of this morning I have lost between 16 and 18lbs. And something a little more noticeable is the 2 notches I have lost on my belt as well. And the third result is straight out is muscle development. Something that really helped was sitting down with Loren to talk about nutrition, particularity Paleo Diet.
At this point I am eating around 80% Paleo food, and that is for sure a boost in dropping weight faster. I would like to tighten that up to 90% consistently. We shall see how long term plays out to see how steady my improvement will be. Everyone talks about plateaus in the exercise/ diet endeavor. From talking to some people that have been at CrossFit for a while, this structure of exercise and diet promotes more consistent results over time with minimal plateaus. Encouraging! It would be awesome to stay consistent with 10-15lbs. a month and noticeable physical capability, especially pull ups.
I am seeing a trend in my language… Consistency is key.
Warm Up
400m Run
3 rounds…
10 PVC Pass Throughs
10 Over Head Squat
20 Step Ups
10 Arm Circles
10 Push Ups
10 Strict Pull Ups (no lower body movement)
WOD
3 exercises: Squats, Pull Ups and Push Ups
Essentially AMRAP without a time limit.
As many squats as possible (just body weight) in 1 minute, after a minute subtract how many squats completed from 60 and do that many pull ups within the next minute. Then the same process with squats and push ups. Squats-Pull Ups-Squats-Push Ups in 4 minutes = 1 cycle. Once you reach a point where you can’t complete the remaining pull up or push up reps is the last minute recorded. But then continuing to do AMRAP through 12 minutes.
Time: I completed 3 minutes. 35 squats, 25 jumping pull ups 25 squats and then did not complete 35 push ups within the minute. I did not expect to burn out so quickly, until 1 minute seemed to blow by so quickly.
Then for 8 more minutes I completed AMRAP switching between squats, pull ups, squats and push ups. Core, arms and legs all received a good lick through this one.
It was good to encourage and be encouraged in the gym again today. It goes a long way, and in past WOD’s it might have made as much as 10 seconds faster times to hit a wall and to just hear “keep going, you got more in you” is all it takes to give a little more. Loren posted recently, “I think I run faster when someone is watching” So true, and that is really the kind of support that brings discipline to those that attend CrossFit. Words are so influential.
QOD: an exhortation to use our words wisely, to defuse slander and to speak truth.
Ephesians 4:29-32
Today was a Harpa WOD. What does that mean? Harpa is one of the trainers at the gym and I find that WOD’s on the days she coaches are always a little different flavor. Not bad, just different. But I did like the steady ox feel to this WOD.
Warm Up
400m Run
2 rounds…
15 tire jumps
5 ring dips
10 jumping lunges
10 pull ups
10 toes to bar (hanging from a pull up bar)
5 head stand pikes (super complicated to explain…basically ab workout combined with hand stand, I found this to be more of a balance coordination thing and I almost injured myself in the process)
10PVC Pass Throughs
stretching
WOD
Thrusters: 5.5.5.5.5
5 rounds not timed. The idea is to do 5 reps. each round with an amount of weight that is heavy enough that by the fifth round is not possible to complete every rep.
145lbs. through the 4th round and one rep of 165lbs. in the 5th round. I tried for a second rep. but could not get back up when I went down for the squat so I had to drop the weight. The guy I was paired up with suggested that I go deep enough in the squat for good technique, but that I was almost going too deep to be able to get back up. I suppose that is better than not working out full range of motion. Oh well. 26 reps total.
Then we followed the trusters up with a quick timed WOD.
3 rounds…
10 sandbag half moons 50lbs.
10 V-Ups
Time: 1:50
I was really excited about how quickly I finished, but it was not a long WOD and didn’t require any stamina. A half moon is lifting a 50lb sandbag over head from one side to the other.
By the way, a thruster is a front squat (with the bar resting across collar bone and hands) and then coming out of the swat extending weight over head and locking out arms and legs. Good stuff.
I really appreciate how much of the WOD’s have so much variety and often use multiple muscle groups.
QOD
“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.
Try to be better than yourself.”
–William Faulkner
A healthy reminder that improvement is not doing better someone else in the gym, but continuing to improve upon my personal best… unless it’s doing better than Loren. One of these days… or years. : ]
Well it looks like I will only get 4 WOD’s in this week. One more than last week, and one less than next week.
Warm Up
2 rounds…
10 PVC Pass Throughs
10 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
10 DB Thrusters 25lbs each
Focus/ review: Abs
15 Knee to elbow (hanging from a bar and bringing knees to elbows, can’t quite do this one properly yet)
25 V Ups
53 Regular Sit Ups
WOD
400m Run
50 Wall Balls
40 Push Ups
30 Gold Diggers
20 Ring Dips
10 Burpess
400m Run
Time: 15:57
Despite me still needing the assistance a heavy duty rubber band to complete the ring dips, I am super happy with my performance today. I have been gaining a better understanding of what I am capable of when my brain says I should stop but can still push harder. The tricky balance of knowing when to stop and when to push harder. But I am finding that I can force my self through pain and sucking air with shorter breaks and still survive the WOD.
So I was really happy how I pushed through the wall balls, burpees and runs for a faster time. The sense of accomplishment post WOD is that much greater! I was also pleasantly surprised with the increase of endurance in my running. I owe this to the 400m runs in the WOD a few days ago. It is also really encouraging to hear genuine excitement from Mike, one of the owners, when he sees my improvement. That feels good, and that kind of encouragement adds to the environment that I know I would not have doing these workouts on my own. Huge plus.
QOD:
“A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.”
-Steve Prefontaine
I did not go in for a workout yesterday. I was really in a funk from processing my neighbor dying on tuesday. Thursday usually is fun because after my WOD I go home to get ready for small group with the guys and then get to go share all the fun I had in my WOD. I still like talking about CrossFit as most of you know.
Warm Up
200 Single Unders (Jump Rope)
2 rounds…
10 PVC Pass Throughs
10 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
10 Good Mornings 35lbs
10 Hang Squat Clean (Technique review)
WOD: 2 exercises
Clean and Jerk: Rx weight 135lbs
Burpee Pull Up
10 rounds: first round 10 reps each. 2nd round 9 reps each exercise, 3rd round 8 reps. each, etc all the way down to 1 rep each.
Time: 22:18
This workout killed for two reasons. First I decided to try the prescribed weight which was hard in itself. But this combined with burpee pull ups was super draining. A burpee pull up is a a burpee combined with a pull up instead of just a jump and clap a the end. Furthermore the first rounds were the hardest, which I suppose is better than the other way around, but really killed my endurance for the rest of the WOD. One thing I considered after I finished was how hard it is to count from 1-10 when I am breathing hard and trying to shove 135lbs over my head multiple times. I am pretty sure I did 9 reps of clean and jerk 2 times and then missed a rep further on in the WOD. Oops.
One of the owners joked on the website about how there is a hidden camera somewhere in the gym so they can go back and check that everyone is getting their reps in. I gave a nervous chuckle after I read that. I never want to be that guy that finishes and realizes he missed a round or something like that.
QOD
“I would prefer to fail with honor than to win by cheating.”
-Sophocles
This week I would like to get in at 5 workouts. They started a new 4pm WOD time as of Feb. 1st which is perfect for me whether I work that night or not.
Today was unlike any other day. When I pulled out of my driveway to head out to CrossFit I saw 3 police cars, an aid car and a fire truck in front of my next door neighbor’s house. Obviously something was wrong. I called my Mom and asked her to go see what was going on. I made the drive over to CrossFit and as I pulled in my Mom called and said, “It’s not good news……….Bob’s gone. My neighbor died on February 2, 2010 and we didn’t even know why. We found out later that he had family history of heart problems. When they examined his body they found 90% blockage in his heart.
Today’s workout was sobering. I went through the exercise distracted and certainly shocked and especially because I am fairly sure he was not a Christian. I WOD was hard physically, but there was extra emotional weight today. I have never had someone this close pass away and not be a follower of Jesus. It hit hard and it’s been a hard time of processing. His death was certainly unexpected. He was 51 years old and seemingly healthy. A conclusion I have reached is how will this change what I do now. My Mom said something interesting that night, “It’s so hard………..I feel like we failed him.” Despite everything being final, it’s done, no going back, it is hard to not feel guilty. And of course the “what if’s” cross my mind. But I think it is a healthy response as opposed to not caring and thinking “that’s just the way it goes. Everyone dies.”
To all reading this, please consider your purpose. What is the reason of your life? Where do you find your hope? And how does that influence how I live my life today?
Warm Up
100 singles (jump rope)
2 rounds…
10 PVC pass throughs
10 Push Ups
10 Sit Ups
10 Over Head Squats
10 Snatch Balance (practicing the snatch technique)
WOD
400m Run
15 Power snatch
400m
12 Pwr Snatch
400m
9 Pwr Snatch
400m
6 Pwr Snatch
400m
3 Pwr Snatch
Time: 21:34
I am not sure what to think about the times that I am finishing with these WOD’s because I don’t have anything to compare to. But I kind of look to see how other people rank in times and I tend to be on the high end of the slower third of people that come in. If that makes sense. Which at this point I am happy with and it really depends on the WOD. Some days seem lame others seem really good. But always room for improvement.
QOD
“The Dash”
If you notice the date this is posted and for the next 6 as well, I am a little behind in the posting. But here we go.
Warm Up
400m Run
3 rounds of…
10 PVC pass throughs
10 push ups
10 high knees
10 arm circles
10 butt kickers
5 long jumps
WOD: AMRAP 20 min.
5 pull ups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats
I achieved 11 rounds in the 20 minutes…plus 1 pull up. :]
So far I don’t like the AMRAP workouts as much as straight up timed. I think it is a mental thing. If I know I have to last 20 minutes then I guess I try to pace myself so that I can finish. I think this is at the cost of a more intense work out, but more of an improvement in stamina. If I know the exercises I ned to finish to be done than it’s just a matter of “the faster and harder I push now the sooner I will be done.
Honestly I enjoy most workouts, actually the feeling after the workout, no matter what they are. I am enjoying the results as well. Especially at this point is a surprising jump in muscle growth. Coooooooool.
A reminder, the kirkland crossfit website posts each WOD on the website if you want to check out a couple pictures or read their comments for that day.
QOD: ““24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25 The very first bit there came to mind when I tripped over myself on my 400m run.
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