1st WOD:
5 Rounds for Time:
10 Pull Ups
25 Presses @ 55lbs
Time - 14:27
First, you'll notice that there was no skill practice today. The moment I stepped into the gym I was back to work with my workouts. On my pull ups today Iwas lucky enough to get the squat rack with the added pull up bar which had a lot more space from the wall and made for good transition from each exercise. I worked on kipping and while it felt like a lot of exertion it really did help me get in some more reps. Not trying to sound overly masculine or anything, but I felt like a beast on the presses. I kept cranking them out and when I rested, I did so for a minimal amount of time and kept right on going. This workout was brutal, but awesome all the same!
2nd WOD:
AMRAP 20 Min:
Bike 1 Mile
30 Push Ups
25 Snatches @ 50lbs
Results - 2 Rounds + .27miles
This was fairly tiring. Biking was typical in time and exertion, but pushups were a little bit more difficult. Basically I was exhausted after my first workout and then my right tricep decided to spaz out and lock up, essentially yelling at me in it's own awesome Arnold Schwarzenegger voice "DAAAAAAHHHH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!" Finally snatched seemed just exhausting in general. I wasn't even able to go 25 reps straight through. But I don't quit a workout so I just plugged away.
So there you have it! 3 WEEKS IN! I I am however starting to re-think some aspects of the training as far as time and energy spent. So there's a good possibility that I might use Week 4 to experiment a little with scheduling and type of the workouts. Basically I'm going to try and see what would be most efficient for me to get more results without feeling like I'm spent after the first workout.
We'll see what it has in store!
-Pat
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Training Day 14: My First Off Day
So today was a crazy scheduled day. There was much to do and little time to do my prescribed CrossFit workouts. Don't get me wrong, I still did my Body Rock class this morning and it kicked my butt. But on days like today when I was lacking energy to begin with(post body rock class) my performance on my workouts would have been greatly affected and I'm sure I might have done more harm than good. So today was an off day, but it's the first of very few I plan on having. Besides, one off day in 3 weeks? I think that's acceptable in some standards.
Tomorrow I'm back at it!
Pat
Tomorrow I'm back at it!
Pat
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Training Day 13
Skill Practice:
Work up to max Overhead Squat
Results - 60lbs
I know, what a whopper right? Well there's a couple issues here. First, I'm having some mobility problems with my shoulders(mainly my right) so I'll have to work on that. Second is that I might just have to take time to develop general shoulder strength so I'm able to support larger loads of weight and keep my form. It's a work in progress and I'm confident by this time next year there will be a huge change.
1st WOD:
5 Rounds of:
Row 1000 Meters
5 second L-Sit
You'll notice that this wasn't for time and it was more for skill. The L-Sit is where you press yourself off two bars, or dumbbells in my case, and bring your legs up off the ground. I started with 5 seconds and it was definitely a good starting point because it took a lot to hold myself up.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min:
25 Deadlifts @ 55lbs
25 Double Unders
50 Squats
Yeah....my legs are dead. Deadlift again had much improvement. Double Unders kind of sucked today though due to the fact that the rope I had was too long; so I had to make due. Squats.....were.....brutal. After yesterday's leg workout and today's workouts, my legs are begging for mercy. Too bad I can't oblige since I teach a dance fitness class later in the evening and the next morning. Oh well, no pain no gain. Actually a lot of pain. But still some gain.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Work up to max Overhead Squat
Results - 60lbs
I know, what a whopper right? Well there's a couple issues here. First, I'm having some mobility problems with my shoulders(mainly my right) so I'll have to work on that. Second is that I might just have to take time to develop general shoulder strength so I'm able to support larger loads of weight and keep my form. It's a work in progress and I'm confident by this time next year there will be a huge change.
1st WOD:
5 Rounds of:
Row 1000 Meters
5 second L-Sit
You'll notice that this wasn't for time and it was more for skill. The L-Sit is where you press yourself off two bars, or dumbbells in my case, and bring your legs up off the ground. I started with 5 seconds and it was definitely a good starting point because it took a lot to hold myself up.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min:
25 Deadlifts @ 55lbs
25 Double Unders
50 Squats
Yeah....my legs are dead. Deadlift again had much improvement. Double Unders kind of sucked today though due to the fact that the rope I had was too long; so I had to make due. Squats.....were.....brutal. After yesterday's leg workout and today's workouts, my legs are begging for mercy. Too bad I can't oblige since I teach a dance fitness class later in the evening and the next morning. Oh well, no pain no gain. Actually a lot of pain. But still some gain.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Training Day 12
Skill Practice:
Practice 1-Legged Squats
So I finally found a good way to work my way up to a full squat with each leg. I'm now using the platforms we have for box jumps and step ups to work my way down lower and lower. Yesterday I was able to work my way down to being a foot off the ground and barely being able to push myself back up with each leg. Progress is being made!
1st WOD:
AMRAP 20 Min:
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 35lbs
Bike 1 Mile
30 Box Jumps @ 24''
Results - 3 Rounds + 7 Kettlebell Swings
Good to know that I can select the right box height this time! Progress was made on my box jumps as far as efficiency during the exercise and hammering out more reps at a time. Bike wasn't too bad, just wished it didn't take up so much time to go 1 mile. And of course progress made on kettlebell swings by adding about 10lbs of weight. This left me almost completely drenched and my legs were definitely killing going from the bike to box jumps.
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time:
30 Wall Ball
Run 400 Meters
Time - 12:50
Does anyone else see why my legs are sore today? This was taxing and mentally tough for me. First, I didn't actually have a proper medicine ball with me where I was so I substitued with a 15lb barbell and 2.5lbs plates to mimic a 20lb medicince ball. So instead of wall balls I did thrusters. The transition from thrusters to running sucked. Legs were feeling it and lungs as well. Just one step closer to my goal!
Until...well later today, because this post was late,
Pat
Practice 1-Legged Squats
So I finally found a good way to work my way up to a full squat with each leg. I'm now using the platforms we have for box jumps and step ups to work my way down lower and lower. Yesterday I was able to work my way down to being a foot off the ground and barely being able to push myself back up with each leg. Progress is being made!
1st WOD:
AMRAP 20 Min:
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 35lbs
Bike 1 Mile
30 Box Jumps @ 24''
Results - 3 Rounds + 7 Kettlebell Swings
Good to know that I can select the right box height this time! Progress was made on my box jumps as far as efficiency during the exercise and hammering out more reps at a time. Bike wasn't too bad, just wished it didn't take up so much time to go 1 mile. And of course progress made on kettlebell swings by adding about 10lbs of weight. This left me almost completely drenched and my legs were definitely killing going from the bike to box jumps.
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time:
30 Wall Ball
Run 400 Meters
Time - 12:50
Does anyone else see why my legs are sore today? This was taxing and mentally tough for me. First, I didn't actually have a proper medicine ball with me where I was so I substitued with a 15lb barbell and 2.5lbs plates to mimic a 20lb medicince ball. So instead of wall balls I did thrusters. The transition from thrusters to running sucked. Legs were feeling it and lungs as well. Just one step closer to my goal!
Until...well later today, because this post was late,
Pat
Monday, March 26, 2012
Training Day 11
Skill Practice:
100 Double Unders
There was no specific time on this, but now that I'm comfortable with the actual double unders themselves, I decided to just take my time and do 100 reps. My streak is now increased to 20 in a row!
1st WOD:
30 Back Extensions
25 Snatches @ 45lbs
Time - 17:01
Definitely exposed another weakmess on this workout. My snatches were fine at this weight, but my forearms are going to have to take some getting used to. I was able to crank out 25 reps in a row on the first set, so I can bump up the weight next time. Luckily though I was consistent with the remaining sets doing 10, 10, and 5 of my rep counts. And of course back extensions weren't anything to worry about. Only thing different is I increased my rep count by 5 since last time.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min:
25 Burpees
30 Sit Ups
25 Cleand and Press @ 55lbs
Results - 2 Rounds + 20 Clean and Press
So let's just get the obvious out of the way and move on shall we? Burpees suck. Moving on! Sit Ups weren't too bad. Got a little fatigued in the second round but managed to keep on moving. The clean and presses were the villain in this story. I've finally reached a point where 25 reps couldn't be completed continuously. So I ended up doing my typical 10, 10, 5 rep count in each one. This workout made me dog tired. But I'm glad I did it because it just keeps making me better.
Workout Note: I'm also happy about the fact I decided to put in some skill work at the beginning of my workouts each day as opposed to practicing at the end. I don't think I would have had the energy or motivation to practice double unders at the end of the day.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
100 Double Unders
There was no specific time on this, but now that I'm comfortable with the actual double unders themselves, I decided to just take my time and do 100 reps. My streak is now increased to 20 in a row!
1st WOD:
30 Back Extensions
25 Snatches @ 45lbs
Time - 17:01
Definitely exposed another weakmess on this workout. My snatches were fine at this weight, but my forearms are going to have to take some getting used to. I was able to crank out 25 reps in a row on the first set, so I can bump up the weight next time. Luckily though I was consistent with the remaining sets doing 10, 10, and 5 of my rep counts. And of course back extensions weren't anything to worry about. Only thing different is I increased my rep count by 5 since last time.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min:
25 Burpees
30 Sit Ups
25 Cleand and Press @ 55lbs
Results - 2 Rounds + 20 Clean and Press
So let's just get the obvious out of the way and move on shall we? Burpees suck. Moving on! Sit Ups weren't too bad. Got a little fatigued in the second round but managed to keep on moving. The clean and presses were the villain in this story. I've finally reached a point where 25 reps couldn't be completed continuously. So I ended up doing my typical 10, 10, 5 rep count in each one. This workout made me dog tired. But I'm glad I did it because it just keeps making me better.
Workout Note: I'm also happy about the fact I decided to put in some skill work at the beginning of my workouts each day as opposed to practicing at the end. I don't think I would have had the energy or motivation to practice double unders at the end of the day.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Nutrition Plan and Eating Habits
Hey everyone!
So I've had some requests on how I eat throughout this entire process. Here's what I've gone with that works for ME personally.
I searched around about what the diets were like for many top level CrossFit athletes and there were 2 answers that came up the most: Zone Diet and Paleo Diet. Most answers were a mixture of the 2. I decided to start out by experimenting with the Zone Diet considering there were many testimonials, lectures, and articles that stated how it aided in athletic recovery.
The diet itself consists of a few rules:
1.) Eat every 4 hours with meals that consists of 1/3 protein and 2/3 fruits or vegetables on your plate.
2.) Try taking a fish oil supplement every day to get some good fats.
3.) Either by supplement or by brightly colored fruits and vegetables, ingest polyphenols to enhance the anti-inflammatory response.
To me this diet seemed very simple to follow, and after 1 week I had no problem whatsoever. With Zone it's very easy to eyeball what you need on your plate for you. Of course it does go into further detail and list specific foods to try and stay away from such as starchy high glycemic carbs. I am following that aspect fairly well, but if I have some bread it's not going to kill me. What I also like about this diet is on their website they list restaurants and different ways you an easily have a zone meal when you go out to eat.
I've followed the Zone fairly strictly keeping my portions on my plate in check, I take a fish oil supplement in addition with a multivitamin supplement I've taken for years, and I eat when I need to. I do keep to foods that I know don't affect me and I know I can have. In the morning and immediately post workout I have a glass or small cup of chocolate milk to wake me up or help with athletic recovery. On weekends I do have cheat meals because there is no way I'm going to train for this long without getting me some ben and jerry's or movie popcorn and milkduds.
Honestly though, and this has been my philosophy for quite a while, this diet just follows the basic rules when it comes to eating. Just don't eat the junk and control your portions. There you go! How much simpler could you get?
And finally, how does it work for me? Great! My performance in my workouts are better, my recovery is better, after listening to my body I can just tell that it's right for me. But if anyone on here is going to attempt to replicate this, remember this program works for me and it could very well work for you too, but just experiment a little bit so you can find what's right for you.
Until my next training session,
Pat
So I've had some requests on how I eat throughout this entire process. Here's what I've gone with that works for ME personally.
I searched around about what the diets were like for many top level CrossFit athletes and there were 2 answers that came up the most: Zone Diet and Paleo Diet. Most answers were a mixture of the 2. I decided to start out by experimenting with the Zone Diet considering there were many testimonials, lectures, and articles that stated how it aided in athletic recovery.
The diet itself consists of a few rules:
1.) Eat every 4 hours with meals that consists of 1/3 protein and 2/3 fruits or vegetables on your plate.
2.) Try taking a fish oil supplement every day to get some good fats.
3.) Either by supplement or by brightly colored fruits and vegetables, ingest polyphenols to enhance the anti-inflammatory response.
To me this diet seemed very simple to follow, and after 1 week I had no problem whatsoever. With Zone it's very easy to eyeball what you need on your plate for you. Of course it does go into further detail and list specific foods to try and stay away from such as starchy high glycemic carbs. I am following that aspect fairly well, but if I have some bread it's not going to kill me. What I also like about this diet is on their website they list restaurants and different ways you an easily have a zone meal when you go out to eat.
I've followed the Zone fairly strictly keeping my portions on my plate in check, I take a fish oil supplement in addition with a multivitamin supplement I've taken for years, and I eat when I need to. I do keep to foods that I know don't affect me and I know I can have. In the morning and immediately post workout I have a glass or small cup of chocolate milk to wake me up or help with athletic recovery. On weekends I do have cheat meals because there is no way I'm going to train for this long without getting me some ben and jerry's or movie popcorn and milkduds.
Honestly though, and this has been my philosophy for quite a while, this diet just follows the basic rules when it comes to eating. Just don't eat the junk and control your portions. There you go! How much simpler could you get?
And finally, how does it work for me? Great! My performance in my workouts are better, my recovery is better, after listening to my body I can just tell that it's right for me. But if anyone on here is going to attempt to replicate this, remember this program works for me and it could very well work for you too, but just experiment a little bit so you can find what's right for you.
Until my next training session,
Pat
Friday, March 23, 2012
Training Day 10: Week 2 Complete
1st WOD:
Work up to Max Overhead Press
My Results - 135lbs
This I was surprised with. I never really measured my overhead press before and it was good to know I can get some 45 pounders on the bar. At the same time I'm not surpised due to the fact that it seems like every other day I'm doing some type of pressing motion in my workouts. All that pain led to a gain!
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
Row 500 Meters
3 Towel Pull Ups
My Time - 12:37
So of course the row is going to take a while( a while being 2 minutes) to go 500 meters, so yeah that took up some time. But really not that bad considering the towel pullups were short. Just to let you all know, the towel pull ups are supposed to be the best substitution for rope climbing. We do have ropes at the gym I work at, but not for climbing on the ceiling necessarily. And to be more specific, the pull ups were in a see-saw manner so as to mimic going hand over hand. I thought it would be much harder than it was so next time I'm just going to go ahead and bump the reps working up to 15 each side. Mainly because of CrossFit's 15 foot ropes. It was a great week of training and I feel great going into the weekend. Can't wait for next week where I start my 3-a-day workouts!
Tomorrow I'll post on my nutrition and recovery! Later!
Pat
Work up to Max Overhead Press
My Results - 135lbs
This I was surprised with. I never really measured my overhead press before and it was good to know I can get some 45 pounders on the bar. At the same time I'm not surpised due to the fact that it seems like every other day I'm doing some type of pressing motion in my workouts. All that pain led to a gain!
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
Row 500 Meters
3 Towel Pull Ups
My Time - 12:37
So of course the row is going to take a while( a while being 2 minutes) to go 500 meters, so yeah that took up some time. But really not that bad considering the towel pullups were short. Just to let you all know, the towel pull ups are supposed to be the best substitution for rope climbing. We do have ropes at the gym I work at, but not for climbing on the ceiling necessarily. And to be more specific, the pull ups were in a see-saw manner so as to mimic going hand over hand. I thought it would be much harder than it was so next time I'm just going to go ahead and bump the reps working up to 15 each side. Mainly because of CrossFit's 15 foot ropes. It was a great week of training and I feel great going into the weekend. Can't wait for next week where I start my 3-a-day workouts!
Tomorrow I'll post on my nutrition and recovery! Later!
Pat
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Training Day 9
1st WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
25 Deadlifts @ 50lbs
Run 300 Meters
My Time - 13:24
This felt really good. I always seem to have back problems on deadlifts, but after doing some more research I fixed my problems in my form and they were no problem at all. What's great is that I didn't rest through any exercise so I went all out until the end. The only thing that slowed me down was there was a little bit of travel distance between where I was deadlifting and the gymnasium I ran laps in. All in all though, great workout.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min of:
10 Muscle Ups
25 Cleans @ 55lbs
24 Jump and Lunges
Results - 5 Rounds + 17 cleans
So the muscle ups were definitely modified. I just started with the basic inverted row, transitioning to a low dip position, and then pressing up. It wasn't too bad so next time I'll move the rings up a little higher. The cleans were good as well. I bumped up weight from last time so I made progress there. Now the jump and lunges were a subsitution for biking since the place I was in didn't have a bike. But I still wanted that plyometric power from the legs so I adjusted accordingly. It was a great day of training and I'm ready for my final day of the week tomorrow.
Finally, some people have been asking about my full nutrition plan and I'll have that as a seperate post sometime this weekend.
Later!
Pat
5 Rounds for Time of:
25 Deadlifts @ 50lbs
Run 300 Meters
My Time - 13:24
This felt really good. I always seem to have back problems on deadlifts, but after doing some more research I fixed my problems in my form and they were no problem at all. What's great is that I didn't rest through any exercise so I went all out until the end. The only thing that slowed me down was there was a little bit of travel distance between where I was deadlifting and the gymnasium I ran laps in. All in all though, great workout.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Min of:
10 Muscle Ups
25 Cleans @ 55lbs
24 Jump and Lunges
Results - 5 Rounds + 17 cleans
So the muscle ups were definitely modified. I just started with the basic inverted row, transitioning to a low dip position, and then pressing up. It wasn't too bad so next time I'll move the rings up a little higher. The cleans were good as well. I bumped up weight from last time so I made progress there. Now the jump and lunges were a subsitution for biking since the place I was in didn't have a bike. But I still wanted that plyometric power from the legs so I adjusted accordingly. It was a great day of training and I'm ready for my final day of the week tomorrow.
Finally, some people have been asking about my full nutrition plan and I'll have that as a seperate post sometime this weekend.
Later!
Pat
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Training Day 8
1st WOD:
AMRAP 20 Min:
25 Burpees
25 Dips
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 25lbs
Results - 2 Rounds + 10 Swings
So yeah....this workout sucked. From previous posts you all know I don't like burpees. But I was able to go all the way to 25 each round without resting this time. So that's progress right? Dips - SUCKED. If I had been fresh and just did dips by themselves, I'm sure I would have been able to crank out 10-15 reps easy. Nope, not with this workout. I ended up doing 2 at a time and resting for a 4-count all the way to rep 25. I did find out some new information on the kettlebell swings. Turns out CrossFit doesn't do the standard Russian swing where the kettlebell doesn't come higher than chest level. They do a high swing(not sure if it has a proper name(I'm sure it does)) where the kettlebell comes all the way up over the head. So I gladly dropped the weight from my last kettlebell workout from 50-something lbs to 25lbs so I can work my way up.
2nd WOD: AKA My Wake Up Call to Re-Think My Programming.
Practice Handstand Push Ups for 20 Min
Sounds simple enough right? Just practice a skill for 20 minutes. Now I've done these before and I can do HSPU(Hanstand Push Ups) in short pulses but never all the way down to the ground. So today I decided to give it a try and immediately my body and I were having a conversation:
Me: Okay arms, push me up
Arms: No, we're alright.
Me: But these are handstand pushups, I need you to "push" me "up"
Arms: Do you realize how much of a jerk you sound like right now?
Me: No, please explain.
Arms: You just put us through a workout earlier today that not only had us supporting you through burpees, but dips and kettlebell swings as well. You even said yourself they sucked. So why on God's green earth would we have energy to push you up?
Me: Point taken, we'll call it a day.
So 5 minutes in I decided to call it quits. I know in any CrossFit workout that we should be prepared for anything, but if I'm going to improve upon my skills I need to practice when I'm fresh. So starting next week I'll change my programming up to where I'm practicing a skill in the morning, then doing my "Rounds for time" workout, then finish up with my "AMRAP" workouts.
There you go! Another day of discovery and another day of hard training.
Until Tomorrow,
Pat
AMRAP 20 Min:
25 Burpees
25 Dips
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 25lbs
Results - 2 Rounds + 10 Swings
So yeah....this workout sucked. From previous posts you all know I don't like burpees. But I was able to go all the way to 25 each round without resting this time. So that's progress right? Dips - SUCKED. If I had been fresh and just did dips by themselves, I'm sure I would have been able to crank out 10-15 reps easy. Nope, not with this workout. I ended up doing 2 at a time and resting for a 4-count all the way to rep 25. I did find out some new information on the kettlebell swings. Turns out CrossFit doesn't do the standard Russian swing where the kettlebell doesn't come higher than chest level. They do a high swing(not sure if it has a proper name(I'm sure it does)) where the kettlebell comes all the way up over the head. So I gladly dropped the weight from my last kettlebell workout from 50-something lbs to 25lbs so I can work my way up.
2nd WOD: AKA My Wake Up Call to Re-Think My Programming.
Practice Handstand Push Ups for 20 Min
Sounds simple enough right? Just practice a skill for 20 minutes. Now I've done these before and I can do HSPU(Hanstand Push Ups) in short pulses but never all the way down to the ground. So today I decided to give it a try and immediately my body and I were having a conversation:
Me: Okay arms, push me up
Arms: No, we're alright.
Me: But these are handstand pushups, I need you to "push" me "up"
Arms: Do you realize how much of a jerk you sound like right now?
Me: No, please explain.
Arms: You just put us through a workout earlier today that not only had us supporting you through burpees, but dips and kettlebell swings as well. You even said yourself they sucked. So why on God's green earth would we have energy to push you up?
Me: Point taken, we'll call it a day.
So 5 minutes in I decided to call it quits. I know in any CrossFit workout that we should be prepared for anything, but if I'm going to improve upon my skills I need to practice when I'm fresh. So starting next week I'll change my programming up to where I'm practicing a skill in the morning, then doing my "Rounds for time" workout, then finish up with my "AMRAP" workouts.
There you go! Another day of discovery and another day of hard training.
Until Tomorrow,
Pat
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Training Day 7
1st WOD:
Practice Double Unders for 20 min.
If you have not yet heard of a double under, it is where you jump rope and have the rope pass under you twice before landing again. This is something I've never attempted before and it took a while to get in the right rhythm of jumping and increasing the speed of the rope at the same time. After a while I finally got the hang of it, but of course only in short bursts. I was able to get 14 in a row at one point, but man was it tiring. What made it even more of an effort was that I don't have access(yet) to the Buddy Lee jump rope as the CrossFit athletes do. It's a different kind of jump rope that is supposed to make it easier to turn the rope. I had a lot of fun with it though and it was a great skill experience.
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
5 Pull Ups
25 Wall Balls
My Time - 7:42
This one I really pushed myself on. I was proud of myself actually. I stopped only once in the middle of an exercise to rest, and the remainder of the time I only stopped either when my grip loosened or the the ball dropped from my hands and I allowed it to be at rest. I never was great with pull ups to begin with but I started out with doing 5 in a row and that seemed to be sufficient for the workout. Although I do have to mention that we don't have a pullup bar where you can kip, so if I ever find myself on a playground sometime I'll be sure to practice that skill. Wall balls weren't too bad, just slow to complete but I think that's typical in any workout that includes this exercise.
Nutrition note: The chocolate milk I bought for myself this week was Hy-Vee's 1% and you need to experience the deliciousness of it post-workout. Tastes exactly like a melted chocolate shake.
That's it for today,
Pat
Practice Double Unders for 20 min.
If you have not yet heard of a double under, it is where you jump rope and have the rope pass under you twice before landing again. This is something I've never attempted before and it took a while to get in the right rhythm of jumping and increasing the speed of the rope at the same time. After a while I finally got the hang of it, but of course only in short bursts. I was able to get 14 in a row at one point, but man was it tiring. What made it even more of an effort was that I don't have access(yet) to the Buddy Lee jump rope as the CrossFit athletes do. It's a different kind of jump rope that is supposed to make it easier to turn the rope. I had a lot of fun with it though and it was a great skill experience.
2nd WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
5 Pull Ups
25 Wall Balls
My Time - 7:42
This one I really pushed myself on. I was proud of myself actually. I stopped only once in the middle of an exercise to rest, and the remainder of the time I only stopped either when my grip loosened or the the ball dropped from my hands and I allowed it to be at rest. I never was great with pull ups to begin with but I started out with doing 5 in a row and that seemed to be sufficient for the workout. Although I do have to mention that we don't have a pullup bar where you can kip, so if I ever find myself on a playground sometime I'll be sure to practice that skill. Wall balls weren't too bad, just slow to complete but I think that's typical in any workout that includes this exercise.
Nutrition note: The chocolate milk I bought for myself this week was Hy-Vee's 1% and you need to experience the deliciousness of it post-workout. Tastes exactly like a melted chocolate shake.
That's it for today,
Pat
Monday, March 19, 2012
Training Day 6
1st WOD:
5 Rounds for Time of:
Bike 1 Mile
25 Push Ups
My Time - 23:58
So like last time, the bike really took some time to go that 1 mile. I bumped it up to level 12 this time to further my distance with each pedal but it still took a few minutes. My legs were also pretty fatigued after a few rounds. I found out very quickly with this workout and my previous workout with burpees that my chest presses fatigue very quickly. First round was fine but the remaining rounds really were tiring with push ups. I described it with one of my coworkers and we both agreed that pushups never get easier, you're able to do more but they suck just as much.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Minutes of:
25 Clean and Presses @ 50lbs
50 Squats
Row 500 Meters
My Results - 3 Rounds + 2 Clean and Presses
I think each of these exercises took a little while for me to complete. For the clean and presses I took it all the way down past my knee as CrossFitters do. The squats were easy but it was hard for me to speed up my pace, and rowing 500 meters took some energy out of me and it's an awful feeling waiting for that computer to register and catch up to how far you've rowed.
I felt like I could have went a little bit harder today though in the 2nd WOD. I felt like I could have pushed through exercises and rested after instead of during. A goal for next time I suppose. However as far as recovery between workouts went today - PHENOMENAL! Chocolate milk really helped today immediately after both workouts.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
5 Rounds for Time of:
Bike 1 Mile
25 Push Ups
My Time - 23:58
So like last time, the bike really took some time to go that 1 mile. I bumped it up to level 12 this time to further my distance with each pedal but it still took a few minutes. My legs were also pretty fatigued after a few rounds. I found out very quickly with this workout and my previous workout with burpees that my chest presses fatigue very quickly. First round was fine but the remaining rounds really were tiring with push ups. I described it with one of my coworkers and we both agreed that pushups never get easier, you're able to do more but they suck just as much.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 Minutes of:
25 Clean and Presses @ 50lbs
50 Squats
Row 500 Meters
My Results - 3 Rounds + 2 Clean and Presses
I think each of these exercises took a little while for me to complete. For the clean and presses I took it all the way down past my knee as CrossFitters do. The squats were easy but it was hard for me to speed up my pace, and rowing 500 meters took some energy out of me and it's an awful feeling waiting for that computer to register and catch up to how far you've rowed.
I felt like I could have went a little bit harder today though in the 2nd WOD. I felt like I could have pushed through exercises and rested after instead of during. A goal for next time I suppose. However as far as recovery between workouts went today - PHENOMENAL! Chocolate milk really helped today immediately after both workouts.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Training Day 5: Week 1 Complete
1st WOD:
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
25 Knees to Elbows
Run 200 Meters
25 Presses @ 45lbs
Results - 3 Rounds + 16 Knees to Elbows
During this workout I could definitely feel the fatigue from this past week, so I didn't go as hard or fast as I usually might. If you haven't heard of knees to elbows it's where you hang from a pull up bar and do as the exercises states; bring your knees to your elbows. Simple enough except my back had experienced some DOMS(delayed onset muscle soreness) so it was hard to curl my body all the way up. Also our bar is nice and smooth so my grip was lacking on a few sets. To summarize - first exercise was difficult and slow to complete. The other 2 weren't bad at all. The only downfall of this workout was I had to go back and forth between where the track and pull up bar was and where the barbells were. So I'm gonna go ahead and make a lame excuse and say I could have completed one more round if the equipment had been closer together haha.
2nd WOD:
Work Up to Max Snatch
Results: 95lbs
So a snatch is an olympic lift where you basically bring the barbell up and over your head in one quick motion. My shoulders were still a little sore from previous workouts so I might have been able to go heavier on another given day, but I'm happy with my results. To be honest I thought it was going to be less than 95lbs since I had never really practiced it before. But of course more weight will be added as time goes on.
I can't believe I've survived my first week! I'm telling you all now I've never worked this hard in my life when working out. Most people who start CrossFit workouts find that just one workout a day is sufficient enough to be sore and tired. I would agree with them, but if I'm gonna make up some ground to compete next year, then 2-a-days are going to have to become the norm. I'm defnitely listening to my body and making sure that I'm not doing anything that's going to wear it down. I'm taking it nice and easy on the weekends with stretching and mobility exercises to help me recover, and also getting plenty of food in me to fuel up and repair my muscles. I just might post some cool stuff I find over the weekend, but if I find myself relaxing I won't be going out of my way haha. Catch you all later.
Pat
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
25 Knees to Elbows
Run 200 Meters
25 Presses @ 45lbs
Results - 3 Rounds + 16 Knees to Elbows
During this workout I could definitely feel the fatigue from this past week, so I didn't go as hard or fast as I usually might. If you haven't heard of knees to elbows it's where you hang from a pull up bar and do as the exercises states; bring your knees to your elbows. Simple enough except my back had experienced some DOMS(delayed onset muscle soreness) so it was hard to curl my body all the way up. Also our bar is nice and smooth so my grip was lacking on a few sets. To summarize - first exercise was difficult and slow to complete. The other 2 weren't bad at all. The only downfall of this workout was I had to go back and forth between where the track and pull up bar was and where the barbells were. So I'm gonna go ahead and make a lame excuse and say I could have completed one more round if the equipment had been closer together haha.
2nd WOD:
Work Up to Max Snatch
Results: 95lbs
So a snatch is an olympic lift where you basically bring the barbell up and over your head in one quick motion. My shoulders were still a little sore from previous workouts so I might have been able to go heavier on another given day, but I'm happy with my results. To be honest I thought it was going to be less than 95lbs since I had never really practiced it before. But of course more weight will be added as time goes on.
I can't believe I've survived my first week! I'm telling you all now I've never worked this hard in my life when working out. Most people who start CrossFit workouts find that just one workout a day is sufficient enough to be sore and tired. I would agree with them, but if I'm gonna make up some ground to compete next year, then 2-a-days are going to have to become the norm. I'm defnitely listening to my body and making sure that I'm not doing anything that's going to wear it down. I'm taking it nice and easy on the weekends with stretching and mobility exercises to help me recover, and also getting plenty of food in me to fuel up and repair my muscles. I just might post some cool stuff I find over the weekend, but if I find myself relaxing I won't be going out of my way haha. Catch you all later.
Pat
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Training Day 4
1st WOD:
Practice 1-Legged Squats for 20 min
These I have tried practicing before. I've had a bar in front of me and I would use it to assist me up and down. But my form was lacking so I decided to not use the bar this time and focus on strictly balance and how low I could go. I ended up doing sets of 10(5 each leg) with about a 30 second rest in between. I am now able to completely go all the way down to the ground on both legs before falling back. Oh yeah....I practiced with a cushioned mat behind me. I did noticed that I was able to hold the squat longer on my left than my right. In any case, it was a day to practice and I'm sure they'll develop with time.
2nd WOD: AKA PURE TORTURE
5 Rounds for Time of:
25 Cleans @ 50lbs
25 Burpees
Time - 25:24
So I'll begin by saying, I. Hate. Burpees. They take a great amount of energy and they were just not fun whatsoever. The cleans were fine. The first round I did both exercises all the way through rep 25. Second round I began doing both exercises by doing 10 reps, resting 10 seconds, another 10, then the final 5. Third round was pure hell. The cleans stayed in the same format as I chipped away at that, but the burpees slowed to 5 sets of 5 with a 10 second rest in between. I wanted so badly to sit down on a nearby bench, or just even stay down on the floor as I lowered down for burpees. At this point it wasn't a matter of getting a good time anymore, the goal was simple: FINISH THE F___ING WORKOUT! I kept at it and kept doing reps when I could. Luckily no one was around so my loud grunts weren't frightening to any small children that could have been nearby. As I finished that last hellish burpee I went to a stack of mats nearby and just collapsed in relief. I was absolutely drenched head-to-toe in sweat, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief that I actually finished. This workout was physically demanding in every way, but perhaps more importantly a great mental workout. These workouts will get tougher and when I try to qualify for the games workouts will suck and I will have to do them. So I'm going to go relax, fuel up, and prepare for tomorrow where I'll do my final training session of the week.
Nutrition Note: I've done some research on what keeps CrossFit athletes going and fueled throughout their day and their workouts. The top 2 answers were the Paleo Diet, and the most recomended Zone Diet. I'll do some more research on both and see what they bring.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Practice 1-Legged Squats for 20 min
These I have tried practicing before. I've had a bar in front of me and I would use it to assist me up and down. But my form was lacking so I decided to not use the bar this time and focus on strictly balance and how low I could go. I ended up doing sets of 10(5 each leg) with about a 30 second rest in between. I am now able to completely go all the way down to the ground on both legs before falling back. Oh yeah....I practiced with a cushioned mat behind me. I did noticed that I was able to hold the squat longer on my left than my right. In any case, it was a day to practice and I'm sure they'll develop with time.
2nd WOD: AKA PURE TORTURE
5 Rounds for Time of:
25 Cleans @ 50lbs
25 Burpees
Time - 25:24
So I'll begin by saying, I. Hate. Burpees. They take a great amount of energy and they were just not fun whatsoever. The cleans were fine. The first round I did both exercises all the way through rep 25. Second round I began doing both exercises by doing 10 reps, resting 10 seconds, another 10, then the final 5. Third round was pure hell. The cleans stayed in the same format as I chipped away at that, but the burpees slowed to 5 sets of 5 with a 10 second rest in between. I wanted so badly to sit down on a nearby bench, or just even stay down on the floor as I lowered down for burpees. At this point it wasn't a matter of getting a good time anymore, the goal was simple: FINISH THE F___ING WORKOUT! I kept at it and kept doing reps when I could. Luckily no one was around so my loud grunts weren't frightening to any small children that could have been nearby. As I finished that last hellish burpee I went to a stack of mats nearby and just collapsed in relief. I was absolutely drenched head-to-toe in sweat, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief that I actually finished. This workout was physically demanding in every way, but perhaps more importantly a great mental workout. These workouts will get tougher and when I try to qualify for the games workouts will suck and I will have to do them. So I'm going to go relax, fuel up, and prepare for tomorrow where I'll do my final training session of the week.
Nutrition Note: I've done some research on what keeps CrossFit athletes going and fueled throughout their day and their workouts. The top 2 answers were the Paleo Diet, and the most recomended Zone Diet. I'll do some more research on both and see what they bring.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Training Day 3
1st WOD:
5 Rounds for Time:
25 Sit Ups
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 1.5 pood
Time - 8:14
I'm figuring out real quick that these "rounds for time" workouts are going to be the most grueling, but the most beneficial workouts I participate in. They leave me lying on the floor gasping for air every single time. I heard this in another CrossFit video, that the beginning rounds aren't that bad because you are fresh and ready to go, the last 2 rounds are tiring but at least you see a light at the end of the tunnel and you push through. It's that middle round that's a killer and you just feel like crap. That's exactly what happened. The first 2 rounds were pretty good, but then I slowed down on both sit ups and KB swings. Then the last 2 rounds I just pushed through with everything I had. Not sure if I'll bump up the weight on the KB swings just yet, it felt fairly heavy and the last round I had to pause and chip away at it in increments. We'll see how it goes next time.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
25 Box Jump on 12" box
100 Jump Rope
25 Deadlifts @ 45lbs
Results - 5 Rounds + 10 Box Jumps
So funny story to begin here, I had initially prescribed myself a 24'' box, but that didn't work out so well. I hadn't jumped a 24'' box since high school, I was a little nervous, and my energy levels weren't exactly on par when starting. So the first initial jump ended in a failure and my shin has a nice tread mark to remember the experience by. So I swallowed my pride and went to the 12'' box, no big deal. I'll work my way back to the 24''. Going along with the same theme as my previous posts, I'm still just getting my body used to these movements so I started with 45lbs for deadlifts. As far as the experience goes, it was definitely a lot of work for my calves. On the box jumps I tried to get in a rhythm of jumping off the box, hopping to the ground and popping right back up on to the box. I also made sure my hips were at full extension at the top of the jump. Jump Ropes killed my calves even more. And the deadlifts just made me feel the full effect of gravity. This was a tough workout day all around.
UPDATE ON 2ND WOD:
Turns out in my fatigued state, I suck at eyeballing the heights of the box platforms we have. What was I thought was the 24'' box turned out to be the 30'' box. And what I thought was the 12'' box happened to be the actual 24'' box. So no wonder I feel like an idiot and have this bruise on my leg.
I do get a bonus workout with me teaching my Body Rock class( a hip hop dance fitness class) for about an hour. Extra cardio? Why not?
Nutrition Note: I'm investing in more chocolate milk for recovery, and making sure I get plenty to eat at the right times of day. This is an experimental stage to make sure my body doesn't give out during the day and I get plenty of energy through my workouts. Also I drank a gratuitous amount of water today.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
5 Rounds for Time:
25 Sit Ups
25 Kettlebell Swings @ 1.5 pood
Time - 8:14
I'm figuring out real quick that these "rounds for time" workouts are going to be the most grueling, but the most beneficial workouts I participate in. They leave me lying on the floor gasping for air every single time. I heard this in another CrossFit video, that the beginning rounds aren't that bad because you are fresh and ready to go, the last 2 rounds are tiring but at least you see a light at the end of the tunnel and you push through. It's that middle round that's a killer and you just feel like crap. That's exactly what happened. The first 2 rounds were pretty good, but then I slowed down on both sit ups and KB swings. Then the last 2 rounds I just pushed through with everything I had. Not sure if I'll bump up the weight on the KB swings just yet, it felt fairly heavy and the last round I had to pause and chip away at it in increments. We'll see how it goes next time.
2nd WOD:
AMRAP in 20 minutes of:
25 Box Jump on 12" box
100 Jump Rope
25 Deadlifts @ 45lbs
Results - 5 Rounds + 10 Box Jumps
So funny story to begin here, I had initially prescribed myself a 24'' box, but that didn't work out so well. I hadn't jumped a 24'' box since high school, I was a little nervous, and my energy levels weren't exactly on par when starting. So the first initial jump ended in a failure and my shin has a nice tread mark to remember the experience by. So I swallowed my pride and went to the 12'' box, no big deal. I'll work my way back to the 24''. Going along with the same theme as my previous posts, I'm still just getting my body used to these movements so I started with 45lbs for deadlifts. As far as the experience goes, it was definitely a lot of work for my calves. On the box jumps I tried to get in a rhythm of jumping off the box, hopping to the ground and popping right back up on to the box. I also made sure my hips were at full extension at the top of the jump. Jump Ropes killed my calves even more. And the deadlifts just made me feel the full effect of gravity. This was a tough workout day all around.
UPDATE ON 2ND WOD:
Turns out in my fatigued state, I suck at eyeballing the heights of the box platforms we have. What was I thought was the 24'' box turned out to be the 30'' box. And what I thought was the 12'' box happened to be the actual 24'' box. So no wonder I feel like an idiot and have this bruise on my leg.
I do get a bonus workout with me teaching my Body Rock class( a hip hop dance fitness class) for about an hour. Extra cardio? Why not?
Nutrition Note: I'm investing in more chocolate milk for recovery, and making sure I get plenty to eat at the right times of day. This is an experimental stage to make sure my body doesn't give out during the day and I get plenty of energy through my workouts. Also I drank a gratuitous amount of water today.
Until tomorrow,
Pat
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Training Day 2
1st WOD:
AMRAP(as many rounds as possible) in 20 min:
50 Medicine Ball Slams @ 12lbs
Bike 1 mile
25 Back Extensions
Results - 3 rounds + 50 Med Ball Slams & .65 miles on the bike
I know I can handle heavier med ball slams, but like I said yesterday I didn't know what weight would allow me to complete 50 reps. So now that I know I can handle 12lbs, the weight can start going up. The bike is what really slowed me down. I just used a basic stationary bike, set it at level 10, and pedaled as fast as I could. But a mile is still a mile and it used up a couple of minutes to finish the distance. Since our back extension apparatus isn't close by in the gym and there's a possiblity of people using it when I need it, I decided to go a different route. I grabbed a stability ball and a couple of 55lb dumbbells to hold my feet as I braced against the wall and used the stability ball for my extensions. It made for kind of a sloppy transition, but I decided it's better to keep moving the entire 20 minutes rather than stop my watch and wait for a machine.
2nd WOD:
Row 4000 Meters
I'll be honest. I really didn't know what my plan of attack was on this. My workout template I have set up had me do cardio at a long slow distance and today it was rowing. I initially intended to go for 1000 meters, but my pace was 2:30/500 meters, so I was going to cover that fairly quick. So then I decided to just try another 20 minute workout to even out my first one of the day and see how far I would get. Well by the time 20 minutes was coming up it seemed like I would reach 4000 meters so I decided to just go for it anyway. It ended up being just over 20 minutes to complete. If I had to equate this to anything, it'd be like a nice and easy 5k run. So not too bad of a day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Nutrition note: I really don't use supplements that often, but since it's proven to help aid in athletic recovery I incorporated whey protein back into my diet. I had a scoop mixed with 8oz of water immediately after each workout. As much as I appreciate the boost in recovery, it's still an acquired taste for me.
AMRAP(as many rounds as possible) in 20 min:
50 Medicine Ball Slams @ 12lbs
Bike 1 mile
25 Back Extensions
Results - 3 rounds + 50 Med Ball Slams & .65 miles on the bike
I know I can handle heavier med ball slams, but like I said yesterday I didn't know what weight would allow me to complete 50 reps. So now that I know I can handle 12lbs, the weight can start going up. The bike is what really slowed me down. I just used a basic stationary bike, set it at level 10, and pedaled as fast as I could. But a mile is still a mile and it used up a couple of minutes to finish the distance. Since our back extension apparatus isn't close by in the gym and there's a possiblity of people using it when I need it, I decided to go a different route. I grabbed a stability ball and a couple of 55lb dumbbells to hold my feet as I braced against the wall and used the stability ball for my extensions. It made for kind of a sloppy transition, but I decided it's better to keep moving the entire 20 minutes rather than stop my watch and wait for a machine.
2nd WOD:
Row 4000 Meters
I'll be honest. I really didn't know what my plan of attack was on this. My workout template I have set up had me do cardio at a long slow distance and today it was rowing. I initially intended to go for 1000 meters, but my pace was 2:30/500 meters, so I was going to cover that fairly quick. So then I decided to just try another 20 minute workout to even out my first one of the day and see how far I would get. Well by the time 20 minutes was coming up it seemed like I would reach 4000 meters so I decided to just go for it anyway. It ended up being just over 20 minutes to complete. If I had to equate this to anything, it'd be like a nice and easy 5k run. So not too bad of a day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Nutrition note: I really don't use supplements that often, but since it's proven to help aid in athletic recovery I incorporated whey protein back into my diet. I had a scoop mixed with 8oz of water immediately after each workout. As much as I appreciate the boost in recovery, it's still an acquired taste for me.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Training Day 1
1st WOD(workout of the day):
3 rounds of :
5 rope pulls
5 rope planks
This wasn't for time, more for skill base than anything. There really isn't a place around here to do actual rope climbs but I'd figure I'll settle for the next best thing. I started lying flat on my back, pulled myself up a rope attatched to a pull-up bar, and lowered myself back down with control for the rope pulls. The rope planks consisted of starting standing up facing away from the wall and lowering myself down with arms in front of me. This was a little more taxing but I did what I could.
2nd WOD:
5 rounds for time of :
Run 100 meters
25 reps of Clean and Press @ 45lbs.
My time - 13:33
Now I know what you're thinking; 45lbs isn't a lot but if my body doesn't slowly get used to these movements and combinations then I'll burn out real quick, or worse - injure myself. So the next time I clean and press in a "rounds for time" format, the weight will be bumped up by 5 pounds knowing I can handle 25 reps of 45lbs already.
Day 1 is complete and can't wait for tomorrow. Later!
3 rounds of :
5 rope pulls
5 rope planks
This wasn't for time, more for skill base than anything. There really isn't a place around here to do actual rope climbs but I'd figure I'll settle for the next best thing. I started lying flat on my back, pulled myself up a rope attatched to a pull-up bar, and lowered myself back down with control for the rope pulls. The rope planks consisted of starting standing up facing away from the wall and lowering myself down with arms in front of me. This was a little more taxing but I did what I could.
2nd WOD:
5 rounds for time of :
Run 100 meters
25 reps of Clean and Press @ 45lbs.
My time - 13:33
Now I know what you're thinking; 45lbs isn't a lot but if my body doesn't slowly get used to these movements and combinations then I'll burn out real quick, or worse - injure myself. So the next time I clean and press in a "rounds for time" format, the weight will be bumped up by 5 pounds knowing I can handle 25 reps of 45lbs already.
Day 1 is complete and can't wait for tomorrow. Later!
A Long Shot Goal
Hey everyone!
So a brief introduction is in order. My name is Pat Smith. I'm from Des Moines, IA, live with my awesome fiancé in Ankeny, IA, and personal train with some pretty cool people in Altoona, IA. The reason for the blog is as a fitness enthusiast, I've always just worked out out of habit and never really trained for anything major to test myself. Well I figured if I'm going to go all out with pushing myself, why not go for the ultimate goal? THE FITTEST ON EARTH! If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the 2013 CrossFit Games. Here's a brief video summary :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLtTNQtZfDw
Anyway, it's a big goal. But big goals produce big results. I'll be posting my workouts and maybe a little bit of what I eat throughout the entire process. Whether you're a friend or family supporting me, or you're just a curious web browser looking for a good read(maybe), I'll be here to give you the full scoop on my ultimate goal.
Until next time,
Pat
So a brief introduction is in order. My name is Pat Smith. I'm from Des Moines, IA, live with my awesome fiancé in Ankeny, IA, and personal train with some pretty cool people in Altoona, IA. The reason for the blog is as a fitness enthusiast, I've always just worked out out of habit and never really trained for anything major to test myself. Well I figured if I'm going to go all out with pushing myself, why not go for the ultimate goal? THE FITTEST ON EARTH! If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the 2013 CrossFit Games. Here's a brief video summary :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLtTNQtZfDw
Anyway, it's a big goal. But big goals produce big results. I'll be posting my workouts and maybe a little bit of what I eat throughout the entire process. Whether you're a friend or family supporting me, or you're just a curious web browser looking for a good read(maybe), I'll be here to give you the full scoop on my ultimate goal.
Until next time,
Pat
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