2-26-09 Workout

I finally made myself workout today, been a bit since I got any real training in so I did the CrossFit main site WOD, and can I just say that it sucked! I did the pull-ups on a set of rings and that was a bit harder for me because I couldn't kip, so it was a little slower going in that regard. I broke the pull ups into so many different sets I don't even remember what they were.

19:06

Walking lunge 100 ft.
21 Pull-ups
21 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
18 Pull-ups
18 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
15 Pull-ups
15 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
12 Pull-ups
12 Sit-ups
Walking lunge 100 ft.
9 Pull-ups
9 Sit-ups
Walking Lunge 100 ft.
6 Pull-ups
6 Sit-ups

FRAN!!!!

So today I did Fran and I did it as Rx'd for the first time! WAHOO! I did it in 6:54. Better than both times I did it scaled!! I'm pretty psyched! I had a strategy going into this workout, I got it from watching the CF Journal Video with Speal coaching a guy getting ready to do Elizabeth. The biggest thing I gleaned from it was not to go to failure. So the plan of attack was Round 1 11 then 10 rest about 10-15s between efforts on both thrusters and pull ups, 2nd round I did 8 then 7 thrusters then pull ups and then do the last round of 9 without stopping. I succeeded in all of them except for the last round of pull ups which went 4-2-3. All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with this workout.

Workout 2-12-09

Ok, I really debated as to train or not to train today. I'm pretty sore still from Cindy and my back is very sore from DL's yesterday. So I gave it a go today with the CrossFit Mainsite WOD and I'm pretty wasted. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day!

Here's the workout:
WU: Modified Burgeners warm up - I used a small beam at my gym because I was going to be using a large beam to do the warm up, then I did some Joint Mobility from the CF KB cert.

45 Double Unders
45 Squat cleans with the end of a 6"x6"x18' training balance beam (no barbell) broken into 4x10 and 1x5
45 Bar dips with band assistance broken into 3x15
45 Double Unders

9:30

Good Stuff

Dead lifts

The CrossFit mainsite WOD was 1x1x1x1x1x1x1 Dead Lifts.  I've been having a pretty good run with the DL's until tonight.  A few weeks ago I PR'd my DL doing the CF Total.  I was psyched, I got 435#!!  Tonight I was hoping to get #455, my lifts went like this:

225

275

315

365

405

435

455-missed badly, didn't even get it off the floor.

I did a set of 5 at 315 after.

Cindy...

Just tried to get 15 rounds of Cindy by doing 1 round every 1.5 minutes, but my math is apparently a little off because it only comes out to 14, so I did 14 rounds and that absolutely smoked me, I feel like I've got a bit more strength to use but I was sucking wind wicked bad!  Next time Cindy, I'll get 15.

Improved work capacity

So this isn't a huge PR or anything like that, I just have to express that doing CrossFit now for a few months has helped in lots of areas, one that just jumped out at me was a simple thing, but noticable none the less.  On Monday's I have to roll up and put away 3 big inflatables (like the kind you rent for parties and see at county fairs), the amount of time it takes me has diminished and the amount of energy I have after has increased.  My shoulders used to get smoked by untangling and re-rolling a heavy guage fifty foot long extension cord, when I did it today my shoulders didn't get smoked even though the cord was tangled more than normal today and it took longer to get done!  I'm definitely happy about improvements!!

Thanks Sean at Pioneer Valley Crossfit

I finally got to go to a box and get a some coaching from a CF instructor.  Sean "Dammit" Manseau, owner of Pioneer Valley Crossfit in Easthampton MA. took me through an Olympic lift warm up and helped me correct a couple of errors in my O-lifts.  

Since I'd never been to a CF box specifically for a workout or coaching, just certifications, I was really excited to go to one and have some instruction.  I initally signed up for the beginner course and when I arrived I was the only one that showed up so we didn't totally go through what Sean brings his potential clients through, which is kind of why I signed up for that in the first place.  So Sean described what he does with new folks, about explaing CF its purposes, risks, movements and what he does to evaluate them.  I've read a bunch on the CF message boards and in the CF Journal about folks new to CF (first timers) but had never experienced how an instructor would start them. Needless to say I was quite happy with Sean explaining all of that to me.  

As far as my personal lifting went I came away with a couple of corrections that will help me, first is that on cleans and snatches I have to make the bar touch my thighs before I start the 2nd pull and on my set up, how I start with my feet under the bar, not putting the bar over mid foot but between the end of my foot and mid foot, that little change helped me clear my knees a bit more easily before I started the 2nd pull.

Thanks Sean.

Thursday's workout

Five rounds for time of:
2 pood Kettlebell swings, 25 reps
25 GHD Sit-ups
25 Back Extensions
25 Knees to Elbows


hahahahahahahaha not a chance I was up for all of that!!! I forgot to bring my 1.5 pood KB with me to the gym so I skipped swings and knees to elbows. I rigged a set of parallel bars with a big spotting block to be my GHD. I did 3 rounds of 25 GHD situps and back extensions and by the end of that my hamstrings were pretty well wasted!!! I only went full range on a few of the sit ups because the mat felt like it was slipping and there wasn't really anything I could do to make it more stable. Anyway, my hammies are smoked and I definitely won't have any DOMS because I skipped the delayed and went straight to onset soreness!!!

Rough one

Tuesday was back squats 5,5,5,5,5

When I did this workout I warmed up with part of the CF warm up and did a couple of lighter sets of 5 then jumped into the workout. I did 225, 245, 265, 285x2, 225. I've never failed at squats before this workout when I hit 285 I failed on my 3rd rep, didn't quite make it out of the hole. Maybe I'm being a little sissy but I hurt my back about a year and a half ago squatting 385 (was a bad technique issue), so when I think of going heavy on squats I get a bit gun shy. Since getting my level 1 cert. I've tried to be a form nazi on myself and make sure I do everything as properly as I possibly can, so I think I've been a huge squat cheater for the amount of time I've been squatting, mainly because I haven't really been getting down low enough, now I've got to really work at getting consistent with my depth and back position and get my numbers up.

Monday WOD

Today was supposed to be 30 Muscle ups for time. Since I don't have my muscle up yet I did 30 jumping muscle ups with the rings hanging just above my head, 30 pull ups, which I made the 1st 21 without stopping and 30 dips with 8 of the bungees instead of 10. I think I'm going to keep the 8 on for the next couple of dip workouts just to make sure my shoulders get back to full dip ability without re-injuring them.