I've Been Hit by a Train!

Today, as I walked into the gym, I realized that the WOD that was on the board was going to suck.  My legs still hurt from Tuesday's squats, and today called for medicine ball cleans, a lot of them.  First though, there was a skill/strength WOD.  It was snatch balance for 3-3-3-3-3, working your way to a 3 rep max.  The snatch balance is something I have never done, so it should be interesting.  For those that don't know what a snatch balance is, it is when you take the bar in a snatch width grip from off of your back.  As you press it up over your head and lock out your arms, you drop into a full snatch catch, going below parallel.  Then you stand up in an overhead squat with your arms still locked out.  That's 1 rep.  I was very pleased, because I got my last set of 3 with 135 lbs.  My pr in OHS (overhead squat) was 95 for 1, so today was starting off great.  A huge PR!

Now, onto the WOD, where I got run over by a train.  It was a couplet, meaning 2 exercises paired together, of 30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of medicine ball cleans (20 lb ball) and push ups.  While you may think that a 20 lb med ball isn't that bad for the cleans, let me reassure you that it is.  I made it through the workout rx'd in 20 ish or 22 ish minutes, I can't remember.  It was the first time in a while that when I finished the workout and was lying on the ground that I felt like I was run over by a train.  I was on the floor in a puddle of sweat, gasping for air to catch my breath.  Some may think, "Holy crap, you shouldn't put yourself through that kind of torture.  Don't go as hard and you won't feel like that."  It is the opposite though.  That is a great feeling for me, because I know that I am pushing myself to be better and pushing myself to be in better shape.  So, getting hit by a train is not necessarily a bad thing.  Choo Choo!

Ain't so Bad.

When you think that about a work out, it usually means the opposite.  Today was a perfect example.  First part of today's workout was Hanging Power Cleans, 3-3-3-3-3 reps, working up to your 3 rep max.  Previously, I had only done 200 lbs. for 1 rep.  I started with 135 and ended my last set with 210 lbs.  That is a huge PR for me.  I was happy with that.

Now it was time to move on to the WOD.  On the white board it didn't look so bad, 21-15-9 reps of Bodyweight back squat and KB swings.  I modified the squats to 205 lbs. and the swings were rx'd at 55 lbs.  I got about 10 reps into the workout and realized that 205 was a bad idea.  It felt fairly heavy.  But here's the deal, you pick the weight, you are married to it.  I would do my workout with what I had chosen, no matter how long it took me.  There is no dropping the weight half way through because it is too hard.  I made it through, and my time was around 12min, 12 sec.  Then I collapsed in a puddle of sweat and tried to catch my breath.  Lesson learned, it is always bad, even if it appears to be not so bad.

There May be Something to This Diet

The holidays have come and gone, so now it is time to get back on track.  Like everyone else, January is t time for me to get myself back in the swing of things of eating well and working out.  It has been a week since I went back to a paleo/healthy eating style.  I have worked out once this week, and will be working out another 3 days.  With that being said, diet plays a crucial role in losing weight.  I got up this afternoon (which is my morning because I work nights) and stepped on the scale a little nervous.  I have been feeling a ton better lately because of the changed eating.  So, after a week of eating healthy, I have lost 9 lbs.  I know that majority of it is water, but hey, 9 lbs. is 9 lbs. and I'll take it.  It is the encouragement I needed to keep me moving towards my long term goal.  Do I expect to lose this much every week?  Of course not.  But hey, it's a good start.

I Have a Complex

Thanks to Coca Crossfit today, I have a complex.  Some of you may wonder what I am talking about.  A complex is a group of exercises, where you use 1 bar and 1 weight for all of the movements.  Since the holidays are over, it was time for me to get my butt back to the gym.  What better way then with a snatch complex.  Today's workout was a 12 min AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) of 6 snatch deadlifts, 4 hanging power snatches and 2 overhead squats.

I hear 3,2,1,go...and I'm off like a bat out of hell.  I had 2 rounds done in under a minute.  If I was able to keep that pace up I was looking at 24 rounds.  That was a short lived fantasy.  Then my lack of crossfitting lately caught up with me.  I compare myself right now to a gator.  I'm fast out of the gate, but I only have so much before I'm gassed.  I hit the wall about round 5 and my cardio started catching up.  I ended up with 11 rds. plus 2 deadlifts.  I didn't use a ton of weight today, but it was enough to where my form didn't suffer and I was smoked.  It was a good feeling to be back in the gym, now I just have to make sure I keep it up.

Time for a New Year, but Why Wait?

So, as 2010 ends, it is time to start thinking about 2011 and what I want to do.  I have been disappointed with my weight loss this year and only have myself to blame.  With that being said, why wait until Jan. to begin changing my ways.  It starts with a day, and today was that day.  Not in 2 weeks.  There is no reason to procrastinate just so that I can overindulge for the holidays.  To make a life style change you need to be able to be comfortable in any situation, including the holidays.  So, I am not waiting 2 weeks.  I have begun trying to better myself in all aspects of my life as of right now.  Because if I put it off, it makes it that much easier to keep putting off.

A big goal of mine besides the weight loss, is to learn the POSE method of running.  I attended a 3 hour clinic this past Sat.  One thing that I learned is that I suck at running, but with a few tweaks and some practice, I can become efficient at it.  It is going to take some practice, but not an overwhelming amount.  I figure after these next 6 weeks, which would be around Feb. 1, I should have a grasp of it and be on my way to more efficient running.  While I have several things that I plan on working on in this upcoming year, these are my 2 biggest.  Once I am lighter, a lot of the other exercises and everyday tasks will just be easier.  So I ask you, why wait until next year when you can start right now?

The Inevitable Tear

Pretty much every crossfitter knows that some time or another you are going to rip the skin open on your hand or hands.  There are ways to try and combat that, either chalk, hand wraps, gloves, etc.  Yesterday's workout had 100 pull ups in it, so I was afraid of the dreaded tear.  The worst part about tearing your hand isn't the pain, but depending on the severity, the amount of time it takes to heal.  And since I took a month off, of course I tore my hand mid workout.

The workout was 10 rds of 10 pull ups/10 ring dips or 20 min., whichever comes first.  I had to use a band for assistance with the ring dips, but did the pull ups without a band.  A band for assistance is a giant rubberband that you stand in or for dips, string it between the rings and put a knee on it for assistance.  About round 5 is when I looked at my left hand and saw the dreaded tear, and it was a big rip.  I tried to continue with regular pull ups, but it kept ripping.  So, I changed for the next rounds to do jumping pull ups.  For me, pull ups with a band are a pain, so I decided to do jumping pull ups.  That's where I jump from the ground to over the bar while doing a pull up.  After 20 min, I got 7 full rounds and 10 pull ups.  I was a little disappointed that I didn't get all 10 rounds in, but I know next time I will.  I just need to let my hand heal up a bit before doing that many pull ups again.

No Shoes, No Problem

Today's workout consisted of squats and lunges.  First was strength work, 5 sets of front squats, 3 reps.  I got 215 lbs for my last set.  I'll take that since the last time I did it in Oct, I got to 185 lbs.  Then it was on to the actual workout, which today, was squats and lunges.  1000 m row, 100 m walking lunges, and 100 air squats.  Not too bad on paper, but sucked.  About 40 reps into my squats, I got a pain in my arch of my left foot.  So should I quit, nope, just take my shoes off.  I kicked my shoes off and finished the squats.  19 min 44 sec, done.

Now, in a globo gym, taking your shoes off mid workout would get you some strange looks.  People don't even look twice if you do that during a wod.  Whatever it takes to finish.  So no shoes, no problem, just as long as you finish the workout however you need to.