Crossfit Tabata

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Coach Arik

(8AM) Elan, Rafa, Heather and me

WU

Dodge ball, if you get hit do either 15 squats (2), 10 push-ups (2), 15 sit-ups or 20 jumping lunges (2).  We did three 5 minute rounds and I had to do 6 of the penalties as indicated in parenthesis.  I finished with 5 sit-ups since I did not get to do any of those.  On the third round, I slipped and landed nearly flat.  My right arm caught a lot of the blow, but my right triceps felt strained.

Tabata:  32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are jumping lunges, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups and finally the last 8 intervals are squats.

The jumping lunges were exhausting.  Somehow I managed to get 76 in the 3:20 of work.  The push-ups were hampered by my triceps.  I still managed 27, but will be paying for those for the next few days.  The sit-ups were hampered by the hot spot on my butt from Monday.  I still got around 40 or 50.  It started to get blurry.  Finally, I finished with squats which I felt pretty good about.  I managed somewhere between 40 and 50.  The final total was 194 repetitions.  The only saving grace is that I Rx’d the workout.

Injury:  My distal triceps is definitely inflamed and moving it hurts.  I tried wrapping with an ace bandage, but that did not seem to help.  I will rest it today and inspect tomorrow on bruising and extent of injury.

Thursday, April 30th

Friday, May 1st

Fitness Challenge - Final Attempt

Final Challenge

Push-ups:  27
Wall sit:  1:49
Plank:  1:35
Pull-ups:  6
1 mile Treadmill Run:  7:46

This time I had the benefit of doing the challenge with Luke.  With somebody watching, it is much easier to squeeze out that extra effort.

I finished the day with 15 minutes of double under technique work.

Crossfit Double Unders

Monday, April 27, 2016

Coach Arik

(6AM) Whit, Ben, Marie, Laura and me

Metcon:  AMRAP 5 minutes, double unders

This sucked.  I could not string any together.  While my cohorts were getting 100+, I struggled to get 1, much less string them together.  Jumping higher and only shooting for the one helped.  I finished with 22.

WU

Shoulder Circuit, 10 Inch Worms, 10 Pass Through

Metcon:  3 Rounds for Time:  10 Hang Power Clean (135/95#), 10 Ring Dip, 30 AbMat Sit Up, 500m Row. 

A hang power clean means you start from the hang position and finish in the power positions (without doing a squat).  Sequence starts with hook grip, shrug, high elbows, then rotating elbows around.  Pulling the shoulders back a bit and popping with hips made this a lot easier.  I scaled the effort to 75#.  Instead of ring dips, I did bar dips.  The AbMat Sit Ups were the worst part and I really felt the need to break these up.  On top of that, I felt a hotspot developing on my right butt cheek which was not pleasant either.  Overall, I finished in 18:41 and I was much more pleased with this effort than the double unders.

We finished with a 5 minute easy row.

Crossfit Tire Flips

Friday, April 24, 2016

Coach Arik

(6AM) Ryan, Nick, Matt, Pedro, Lanaia, Kayla and me

WU

100m tire drag (grab straps over shoulders and hold tight to chest, smaller stride length), 25 band good mornings (step on band, hook around neck, bend forward and rise, keeping back straight), 20 band side steps (Left & Right; keep legs wide apart and when stepping do not bring feet completely together), 15 pass through, 10 kettlebell swings 35#, 100m tire drag

Metcon:  AMRAP 2 minutes, tire flip.

Stand about a foot away from the tire with feet wider than shoulder width apart, cup hands under tread of tire, get low with chest touching top of tire and drive forward as tire pivots up.  When the tire is about 45 degrees, drive with dominant knee and reposition hands to push tire over.

You will get dirty on tire flip day.

I managed 7 reps with the big tire (around 400#)

Metcon:  AMRAP 10 minutes, 5 box jumps (tire), 10 hammer strikes (10#), 100m run

Hold sledge with one hand close to head and one hand close to base, swing close to body and overhead, slide high hand towards base and engage the entire body to bring down on tire.  As it bounces catch near the head with one hand and repeat.

I managed 6 rounds plus 15 reps.  I was only 20 yards into the last run when time was called.

Arik also showed me hamstring flossing from Thursday’s workout.  With band on cage about waist high, wrap high around hamstring and do good mornings straight with hip out and with hip in.  10 repetitions in each position with each leg.

Fitness Challenge - 2nd Attempt

I repeated the challenge:

Push-ups:  23
Wall sit:  1:30
Plank:  1:10
Pull-ups:  6
1 mile Treadmill Run:  7:57

I lapsed on the first 3 categories, but improved my pull-up count by 1 and dropped 25 seconds on the mile run.  I was a little worried as my groin and left calf felt tight afterwards.

The final test is next week.

Crossfit Overhead Squats

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Coach Arik

(6AM) Ben, Erik, Pedro, Laura, Kayla, Nick and me

WU

200m Sand Bag Run (40#), 10 Pass through, 10 Overhead Squat (PVC), 10 Strict Pull-up, 10 Snatch Grip Push Press (Bar), 10 Overhead Squat (Bar), 10 Chest to Bar Pull Ups.  The overhead squats were kind of tricky.  I did OK with the PVC, but the 45# bar was heavy so I switched to the 35# bar.  It is important to keep the elbows locked and pointed down and avoid rolling the shoulders back.  I managed 5 pull-ups, but needed a spot for the second 5.  I could not do chest to bar pull-ups and scaled those to jumping chest to bars.

Mobility:  1st rib, attach band low on cage and hook over shoulder close to neck, raise arm overhead and stand up (3 minutes each side).

Metcon:

For time, 15-12-9 rep sets of Overhead Squat (165#), Chest to Bar Pull-ups

Based on the warm-up, I stuck with 35# and jumping chest to bar and finished in 5:21.

Since I had some extra time at the end, I did a couple of sets of snatch grip presses with the 45# bar and tried a few full snatches.  I also practiced some chest to bars, but could not get my chest to touch.  One suggestion was to pop with the hips when nearing the top of the kipping motion.  One tip I got for double unders was to slow down my single under speed.

Crossfit Back Squats

Monday, April 20, 2015

Coach Zach

(6AM) Mike, Ben, Whit, Karly, Kayla, T$$$, and me

WU

Single under jump rope 50 with both feet, 50 on right foot, 50 on left foot, 50 alternating.  10 Samsons, 15 squats, 20 jumping lunges.  I struggled quite a bit with the 1 foot jump ropes and especially the left leg and alternating.  It is probably a combination of strength and coordination.

Mobility:  Couch Stretch, 2 minutes each leg

WOD:

15 minute AMRAP of:  Buy in – 1 mile run, body weight back squat for reps.

Before starting we worked up the weight, starting with a clean from the floor, push press to pop the weight onto our back and then a full squat.  during the squat, feet should be wide apart, knees pushing out, ass low.

I started with the bar and then worked up to 75#, 95# and finally 115# (70# short of body weight).

The mile run felt pretty good as it was around 40 degrees this morning.  I finished in 8:08 and now had 6:52 to complete as many reps as possible.  I started off with 8, rested and did another 5 before dropping the bar.  That took all of a minute.  The next round, I did another 9 reps, taking brakes half way.  The next two rounds were fewer reps still and I was shooting for around 30 seconds rest before starting again.  After 33, I felt the left hammy starting to tighten so I stretched it out and gave myself 20 seconds for the last effort which ended up being 3 more reps, before letting the bar drop behind me.

Crossfit Push-Ups

Friday, April 17, 2015

Coach Jared

(6AM) Nick, Whit, Esther, Mike and me

WU

3 minutes double under (I still can’t string any together), bear crawl, crab walk, the “Spiderman” (stay low, elbow and same side knee come together to open up hips), duck walk (get in a squat position and move forward), inch worm, 8 cartwheels (4/4; I used a 24 inch box for these).  The warm-up was pretty tough and I was looking forward to mobility just to catch my breath.

Mobility:

Couch Stretch

Metcon:

AMRAP – Reps.  6 rounds for reps:  2 minutes of 250m row and maximum effort push-ups.  Rest for 2 minutes between rounds.  This is one of the first Metcons that I did as prescribed (Rx).  I completed 90 push-ups (20, 17, 14, 13, 13, 13).

This was my first time meeting Jared.  He is a nice guy and works to build an energy level.  I think I did not get as much feedback as usual as I am finally starting to understand some of the moves like rowing and push-ups which we have done several times over the past few weeks.

Garage Gym

I went to look at a bar and bumper plate set being offered by a guy on Craigslist.  Now I truly know what it means to have a garage gym.  This guy had converted his two car garage into a very functional and well equipped home gym.  He had two racks including a traditional cage and an open cage.  He had a several bars for different purposes, a bench, and at least 1000 pounds of weight.  He also had a host of accessories including about a dozen kettlebells, plyo box, 2 sets of battle ropes, 2 medicine balls, and a few dumbbells.  He even had a couple of glute ham developers (GHD), an old school one and a newer one.  Attached to the ceiling, he had a pull-up bar, gymnastics rings, and a set of hanging climbers holds.  He had also done the flooring with a dozen 4 x 6 horse stall mats.

Needless to say I was very impressed.  This guy set up everything he needs/wants and must have some solid reason why a home gym is essential (versus a commercial gym).  I am certainly not in a position to tell my wife we need to park outside so that I can spend $2,000 for equipment I can access for anywhere from $10/month (at a Globo gym) to $160/month (at a Crossfit box).   He also appeared to use all of the equipment on a regular basis.

He was only parting with some excess stuff as he did not do any Olympic lifting and the bumper plates were extra.  The bar was a similar scenario where he picked up the bar thinking it was a 28mm bar when in reality it was a 31mm bar that as a result was rarely used.  We could not make a deal on the bumper plates, but I was happy to bring home the Rogue Beater Bar.  It appears to be in reasonable shape and will certainly meet my needs as a technique bar for quite some time.

Based on our discussions he piecemealed everything together from garage sales, friends getting rid of stuff, Craigslist and used equipment distributors.  He fashioned quite a bit by himself and was very helpful in suggestions for creating my own home gym.  Going so far as to explain how he set up the ceiling joist, decided on flooring and how to inspect bumper plates if I continue to seek out used equipment (check the ring in the center and make sure it is secure to the plate without any cracks).

Crossfit Power Snatch

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Coach Arik

(6AM) just me

WU

200m run, 10 kb swing (25#), 10 wall ball (14#), 10 box jump (20”), 10 Power Snatch (skipped this), 10 burpees.

Metcon:

Metcon (AMRAP – Reps) 6 minute AMRAP ladder up by 3:  3 KB swing (53#), 3 wall ball (20#), 6/6, 9/9, 12/12, etc.  2 minutes rest.  5 minute AMRAP ladder up by 5, 5 strict presses (65#), 5 box jump overs (24”), 10/10, 15/15, etc.  2 minutes rest.  4 minutes to establish 2RM Power Snatch.  2 minutes rest.  2 minute AMRAP of burpees.  “Don’t I get to pick a WOD for my birthday coming up?  Lol” – Matt Tuggle WOD.

As it was just me, we spent a lot of time on the power snatch.  This was a great primer on the move.   We followed the following progression:

1. Start with feet shoulder width apart
2. Holding PVC at hip crease, extend arms out to comfortably wide grip, use a tuck grip
3. Pop the weight straight up, then pop and shrug shoulders
4. Raise elbows
5. Raise elbows and pop bar straight above head, elbows pointing down
6. Pop from feet shoulder width apart to squat stance
7. Start with bar above knees and have it bounce between pubis and belly button, with chest high and continue motion
8. Start with weight on the ground, chest high, weight back against knees as if it wants to swing forward
9. Rise up slowly, pivoting knees back, once above knees, start explosive movement to overhead

Arik was really patient and with a combination of visual instruction, verbal description, and form adjustments, I feel like a got an incredible introduction.  We started with PVC pipe, moved to 15# training bar and then added 10# bumpers.

For the Metcon, I did 2 minute rounds.  2 minutes of KB swing (35#) and wall ball (14#) for 40 repetitions (3/3, 6/6, 9/9 + 4).  2 minutes rest.  2 minutes of strict press (35#) and box jump over (20”) for 33 repetitions (5/5, 10/10 + 3).  2 minutes rest.  2 minutes of Power Snatch to establish 35# 2 repetition maximum.  2 minutes rest.  2 minutes of burpees for 22 repetitions.  Total of 95 repetitions, recorded as 40 reps for the first sequence.

I was truly trashed after this workout and could not imagine 6 minute, 5 minute and 4 minute rounds.  The burpees at the end added insult to injury and the only benefit if any is the mental confidence that I could bang out 20 burpees after a tough workout.

Paralette Shoot Through

Monday, April 13, 2015

Coach Arik

(6AM) Nick, Theresa, Erik, Mike, Kate and me

WU

400m run then two rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats.  On the first round I did 3 strict pull-ups and 2 jumping pull-ups.  On the second round, Kate assisted me at the ankles for 5 pull-ups.

Metcon:

400m run with paralette, 15 kb (55#) swing, 15 box jumps (24”), 400 m run with paralette, 20 kb swing, 20 box jumps, 200m run, 15 paralette shoot throughs, 200m run with both paralettes.

This was one of those goofy workouts that gave me a negative view of crossfit before I started.  In essence you are running with bulky objects.  This is great for developing general physical preparedness, but doesn’t directly translate other sports sports.

The paralette shoot through was new.  Start in a plank with hands on the center of the paralettes, do a push up, pop the feet below your body and land in a reverse plank with hips high, then dip and rise and pop the feet back below your body.  Both feet should come up together and engaging your abs is required for the motion.  Back to the original plank is 1 repetition.

I scaled the workout to use 35# kb and a 20” box.  It was still pretty exhausting and my form was abhorrent on the shoot through.  The forward was OK, but the reverse was ugly.  I finished in 15:17 and felt pretty good about the effort.

We got done 20 minutes early and finished with shoulder stretches.  I spent some time on the rings and pull-up bar.  Nick recommended that once I had 5 strict pull-ups, I would have the shoulder strength for kipping pull-ups.

Crossfit Rope Climb

Friday, April 10, 2015

Coach Arik

(6AM) Nick, Theresa, Pedro, Esther, Ben and me

WU

200m run, 10 Samson stretch, 10 passthrough, 10 strict pull-ups (I did 2 + 8 jumping pull-ups), 7 KB swings (35#), 7 KB swings HEAVY (55#), 10 dips, Push-up pyramid (start with legs wide, bend down stretch hamstrings, walk hands forward do 5 push-ups, walk hands back; repeat with 4-3-2-1 push-ups), hamstring stretch with toes pointed out, straight and toes pointed in.

Mobility

Banded Shoulder Stretch:  (1) With band on pull-up bar, grab band high, lower into lunge with arm straight up, (2) hook band under elbow, lean forward, keep elbow close to ear, (3) grab end of band, extend arm forward push chest down.  2 minutes each position, each arm

Metcon

AMRAP 10 minutes of 1 legless rope climb, 2 deadlift (315#/185#), 3 muscle ups, 4 hand stand push-ups. 

For the legless rope climb the technique is to drive the same knee and arm at the same time.  Scaled effort includes 2 rope climbs with legs in which you bring your leg inside the rope and wrap it around and then hold it with your opposite foot against the first foot, then raise your arms up and repeat.  It is important to wear a long sock on your wrap leg for this effort.  A second scaled effort is to stand on the floor and pivot yourself to the ground (only shoulder blades should touch) and then hand over hand pull yourself back up (3 scaled = 1 Rx).  

Deadlifts:  Start with feet under shoulders, chest high, grab bar slightly wider than shoulder width, wrap thumb but do not tuck, knees back so you engage your hamstrings, raise and lower.

Muscle-ups:  Jump to grab rings, swing, and then get into ring dip position and push up.  Scaled effort was to start on the ground and grab rings at chest height, with draped hand position, lower with knees forward and chest back (now your palms are facing away from each other), raise up and get into dip position and do a ring dip.  6 scaled = 3 Rx.

Hand Stand Push-ups would be against the wall.  In the scaled effort, start with hands and feet on the ground and place toes on a 24” box.  Lower your head so that your hands and head make a triangle, press and pivot up so that your head pushes through your arms.  8 scaled = 4 Rx.

I started with leg rope climbs and actually made it to the top twice (PR! Ding! Ding!), I did deadlifts  at 135#, muscle-up progression and scaled hand stand push-ups.  On the second round, I started to go up the rope, but chickened out and did the 3 raise and lowers.  I did this on the third round as well, but only made it through the muscle-up progressions.

This was my first workout with the Reebok Nano 4.0’s.  I liked the shoes, but don’t notice a significant advantage over running shoes.  I am also happy with the 9.5 size.  I considered sizing down to a 9 for a more snug fit, but like having room for my toes.  I also made a point of leaving my rings at home.

Crossfit Tabata

Wednesday April 8, 2015

Coach Arik

(8AM) Laura, Marie, Heather, Raf, TJ and me

WU

-3 Times- 8 jumping pull-ups, 8 box jumps (20”), 8 push-ups, 8 air squats

Tabata:  8 rounds of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for each of the 4 exercises:  strict pull-ups (scaled to jumping), 24” box jumps (scaled to 20”), push-ups and air squats.  I managed to get 232 repetitions.  I maintained a pretty steady pace.  My first round was a little over 30 reps for the 4 exercises and dropped steadily to the last round.

Cool down with a 100 yard run around the building, shoulder stretches with bands and then worked on kipping pull-ups form.  Hang, rock torso and head forward and release, swinging back.  When transitioning behind the bar, imagine coiling yourself up like a bow as your arms get closer to horizontal and your feet naturally move forward.  Don’t swing your legs.  Heather warned me that it may not be a good idea to wear rings on my fingers while doing some crossfit movements.

I also broke down and got a zip up sweat-shirt.  They are as comfortable as described, but pricey at $50.

Fitness Challenge

This month the corporate fitness challenge is pull-ups, push-ups, wall sit, plank and 1 mile treadmill run. I did the challenge today and we chose to do it in the following order:

Push-ups: 26
Wall sit: 1:58
Pull-ups: 4
Plank: 1:26
1 Mile Treadmill Run: 8:22

I felt pretty good about the effort and will certainly take the time to retest at the end of the month. I think I could have pushed harder in a group setting.

I finished my workout with 10 minutes of double under practice and 3x10 scaled knees to bar.

I liked this workout better than the challenge in November which included pull-ups, 1x1 bench press, 1x1 squat, 1 mile run and crunches. That time I scored 7, 205#, 205#, 7:35 and 53 respectively. In that challenge you could make attempts at any time during the month and repeat as often as you cared to.

Clean/Push Press

April 6, 2015

Coach Zach

(8AM) Laura, Matt, Rafa and me

WU

400m run, 8 Samson stretch, 10 box jumps (20”), 10 wall balls (14#, keep elbows in, lower into a full squat), 10 kb swing (35# kb)

Mobility exercise was couch stretch.  Get on the floor close the wall, have rear shin against wall with toes pointed up, bring front leg forward in a lunge position.  This really stretched my quads out.

Metcon:  7 rounds for time of 10 Power Clean (95/65#), 10 Push Presses (95/65#), Buy In – 800m run, Cash Out – 800m run.  We had done push presses during fundamentals, but power cleans were new.

Grip is called hook grip.  Have the web of your thumb on the bar and fold the thumb under the first two fingers.  This ensures a more solid grip.  Zach walked me through a progression, starting with a dip at the knees, arms straight, driving bar straight up to about chest level.  Then we added moving the elbows in an arc to the rack position.  Then we started with the bar above the knees lifting with shins at 90 degrees, butt back and core straight.  The bar will rub your thighs.  Finally we started at the floor.  Wrists will be rotated forward to start, arms are straight, butt back and core stable.  Lift slowly to above knees and then accelerate to finish the motion.  The bar will brush your thighs if done correctly.  The emphasis was on butt back and straight torso driving the bar up and then racking it.  

Instead of Rx, I did 5 rounds of 10 Power Cleans (55#), 10 Push Presses (55#), Buy In and Cash Out were the same.  My time was 17:28.

Finished with 10 push-ups and a tester pull-up.  Still felt pretty tight, but on my way to recovery.

Suspected Triceps Brachii tear

Day 0:  Last Sunday while goofing around at Urban Acrobatics, I tried to copy my daughters cathang.  We were dropping into these from a ledge.  At the time I heard a distinct pop in both my shoulders and quickly got out of the position.  About an hour later, I tried to do a pull-up and it was really painful.  In fact it was painful to even hold my arms overhead.

Day 1:  Monday the pain was apparent, but only with certain movements.  I did some split jerks and did not feel horrible.

Day 2:  Tuesday I went swimming and that proximal triceps tendon was really painful.  I decided to skip sprints that day in the pool.

Day 3:  Wednesday felt much better and I did not notice any ill effects from doing push presses.  However, I tested by hanging from a pull-up bar and that felt OK, but actually doing a pull-up still felt painful.

Day 4:  Thursday I noticed bruising at the proximal triceps insertion and decided to start digging around on line.  I noticed an article referencing Frederic Delavier’s Strength Training Anatomy book that sounded exactly with what I have.  I will follow the suggestion to continue to take it easy and will probably test it a little more today.

Day 5:  Friday bruising seems stable and there were no signs of aggravation from lat pull downs and 1 pull up performed on Thursday

From Delavier's Strength Training Anatomy

Heavy training of the back and injury to the long head of the ticeps brachii

Although it is not the most-used muscle when working the back, the long head of the triceps brachii is the most frequently injured muscle during back lat pull-downs with heavy weights or during chin-ups with added weight.
The latissimus dorsi is a powerful, fan-shaped muscle that attaches the arm to the rib cage, and whose distal tendon is strongly attached to the humerus. This is the main climbing muscle. The long head of the triceps brachii, on the other hand, is a similar muscle whose main function is to extend the forearm and secondarily to bring the arm toward the ribcage. In this way it complements the action of the latissimus dorsi. 

Tearing of the long head of the triceps occurs when the muscle is fatigued, most frequently after an improper warm-up. It only takes a sudden relaxation of the latissimus dorsi during chin-ups with added weight to immediately shift the tension to the long head of the triceps.

This tendon my partially tear, most often close to its insertion on the scapula. (fortunately complete tears are infrequent)

Unlike incapacitating shoulder injuries, which may completely halt upper-body training, a tear in the long head of the biceps is less devastating. You can still perform back exercises such as seated rows or T-bar rows and movements for the triceps such as forearm extensions at a high pulley with the elbows next to the body despite the injury as long as you begin with lighter weights.

However, a brief rest period is recommended before beginning upper-body training.

Rowing

April 3, 2015

Coach Zach

T Money, Lisa, Nick, Whit, Dalton and me

It finally happened that I showed up late (2 minutes).  I missed the 400m run and started the pass throughs while everybody else was working on Samson complexes.

WU

10 Pass throughs

8 Samson complex - Start with hands interlocked palms facing out, lunge with right knee, lower right elbow to the top of the right foot, extend the right arm up, make sure left leg is extended; this is one repetition, repeat with the opposite knee forward

5000m Row for Time - Set up foot pads so toes could curl over pad.  Pivot straight torso between 1:00 and 11:00 on a clock during row.  You should still follow the legs, arms, arms, legs sequence, but pivoting the torso engages the glutes and hamstrings.  The chain should be kept steady as a swinging chain leads to inefficiencies.  Finally for a long row the cadence should be between 28-30 strokes/minute.  I was corrected a couple of times for bringing the seat too far forward and for pulling with my arms too soon.  My time was 24:15.7

Front Squat

April 1, 2015

Coach Arik

Lisa, Pedro, Eric, Whit, and me

My shoulders still don’t feel right from Sunday/Monday, but they were much better than yesterday so I felt comfortable starting the workout.

WU

-3X-

250m row

5 goblet squats (16kg, 3 sec hold in bottom)

5 front squats (45#)

5 thrusters (45#) – Front Squat with push press to lock out arms bringing head forward

Mobility – Band pulling on arm, PVC pass through and pull against arm

Front Squat – Hang fingers against bar, lower down with back straight, feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, lift up.  Remember to start with elbows up and keep them pointing forward through the lift.  I started with 45#, 65#, 75#, 95#, 115# and finally did 135#.

5 min AMRAP of 3 Deadlift (275/165#), 7 Push Press (115, 75#).  Deadlift – start with feet about shoulder width apart, top of shoe laces under the bar, with a stable core and shins vertical, bring the bar up and move hips to bar.  Push Press – bend at knees, accelerate up and lock out arms bringing head forward.  I used 115# for the deadlifts and 65# for the Push Presses and was able to do 6 rounds.

Split Jerk

March 30, 2015

Coach Arik

T-money, Nick, Dalton, Whit and me

WU

250 row EZ

250 row sprint

6X Sampson Stretch

8X Goblet Squat (25#)

8X Front Squat (45#)

8X Press (45#)

8X Push Press (45#)

8X Box Jumps (24”)

1^st rib stretch with band (medium band, 2 minutes each shoulder)

Split Jerk – Start with legs below your shoulders, dip down, explode up, catching bar overhead with arms extended.  Feet should land wider (approximately squat width), in an expanded lunge, with toes pointing in.

While I worked with 45# bar, my cohorts 1 rep max was between 120# and 227#

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 12

Ben, Kate and I were led by Coach Arik for the last workout of Fundamentals.  My abs were a little sore and I had a bit of a left knee thing from a run the previous night, but was otherwise in good shape.  We warmed up with a 500m row, shoulder sequence, walking lunges with twist towards forward foot and high skips.  Coach Arik was kind enough to quickly review the moves that I missed from Sessions 9 and 10 which were Turkish get-ups and squat presses.

Squat presses start with the PVC pipe overhead and the elbows pointed towards the floor in a wide grip.  Descend into the squat position and lower the bar behind you, keeping the elbows pointed down.  This is part of a progression to get to cleans, etc.

Turkish get-ups are very meticulous.  Start laying on your back, roll to the side and grab the kettle bell with both hands.  Extend the kettle bell with 1 hand and keep an eye on it the whole time.  Extend the opposite hand and then raise the adjacent knee at a right angle.  Sweep the opposite leg through the “plank” and get into a lunge position.  From here, complete the lunge with the kettle bell and reverse the motion to the floor for 1 repetition.

Our WOD would be a repeat of session 1.  This consisted of a 12 minute AMRAP of 100m row, 8 goblet squats (25# kb), 8 ring rows and 8 push-ups.  Last time I did 4 + 17.  This time in 12 minutes, I was able to get 6 + 12.  I was really proud of the progress I made over the past 4 weeks and look forward to starting a membership to attend 3X/week.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 11

I missed sessions 9 & 10 as I was traveling, but Anne, Lindsey and I got together with Coach Zach for Session 11.  For a warm-up, we did a 400m run, shoulder sequence, and this sequence where we bend down to touch our toes, walk our hands out, do a push-up and then walk our feet forward.  The workout today was a “choose your own adventure” and we talked about the components of a workout.  Rather than total effort, we opted for an AMRAP and settled on 11 minutes.  We decided to do box jumps (7), knees-to-elbows (7), bear crawls (20 yards), and kettle bell swings (7).

I used a 20 inch ply-box.  For knees-to-elbows, I did the first round as prescribed, but switched to 14 of the scaled version for subsequent rounds.  We did the bear crawls weighted, which was quite the effort.  I used 25 lb dumbbells and walked them down, turned around and walked them back in a bear crawl.  I used a 35 lb kettle bell for swings.

I managed 4 + 17 for the workout.  This was on par with Anne, but a full round behind Lindsey.  I paced myself well, but the effort was getting to me.  I left pretty good sweat angels on the floor.

Our nutrition talk was on post workout shakes and drinks.  We had a chance to try FitAid recovery drink and SFH Protein powder.  Both were light and reasonably palatable.  The FitAid reminded me of FRS recovery.

I also need to make a decision on whether or not to continue Crossfit.  If I do, I will stick with Crossfit Undeniable for now.  The only other convenient option is MBS Crossfit near my office.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 8

Coach Arik led the workout this morning.  It was just me and Ben as Kate was out of town.  My shoulders were pretty tight, but my hamstrings seemed to relax a little bit.  This time we warmed up with 3 minutes of working on double-unders.  Pointers including looking a little further out rather than at the floor in front of me and slowing down the speed on single-unders prior to a double-under attempt.  I strung 3 together, but more often it was just accomplishing a single.    This was followed by 25 yards walking calf stretches, hops, place kickers and broad jumps.  Finally we did 20 pass throughs.

The workout exercises today would include knees-to-elbows and box jumps.  We have done knees-to-elbows before, but the box jumps were new.  Start with feet about shoulder length apart, jump with both feet onto box (get the entire foot on the box), stand straight up, step or hop down.  Getting an arm swing is fine.  It is important not to point the knees in when landing and better to point them out slightly.  I managed to land the 12”, 16”, 20” and 24” box, but chickened out on the 30” box.

The workout would be 5 rounds for time of 10 knees-to-elbows and 15 box jumps.  I did the first round with 5 knees-to-elbows and 5 scaled version.  The rest were all scaled.  I used a 16 inch box for the first 3 rounds and a 12 inch box for the last 2 rounds.  My time was 7:13, which was slower than Ben, but I felt really good about the effort.

Our nutrition talk was bulk cooking and stressed that cutting up meat and vegetables when you get home from the grocery store is a huge time saver to eat healthier.  In addition to Paleo Nick were also introduced to Nom Nom Paleo and a few others.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 7

Coach Zach led the workout today.  I could not attend in the morning and instead got the opportunity to train with Haley, Anne and Lindsey at 7:00 PM.  I did not have any lingering soreness and was excited about another session.  This time we warmed up with a 400m run, Sampson stretches, bear crawl, crab walk, high knees and butt kicks.  Finally we tacked on 5:4:3:2:1 push-ups with feet wide apart.

The workout exercises today would include ring dips and kettle bell swings.

Ring dips are a fundamental movement that is required for more advanced movements like muscle ups.  We just tried to get steady on the rings during the session.  It is easier if you press your hands against the outside of your thighs.  Even a slight dip had me shaking quite a bit.  Modifications included fixed dips and dips using Parallettes.  Feet in is easier than feet out.

Kettle bell swings are a very fundamental kettle bell move that I am not sure I was ever doing correctly.  Feet should width or a little wider apart, back straight, left kettle bell with both hands and swing outward with hips.  It should come up to about eye level and then let it back down.  It should not be swung down low, but just back between the thighs and then time the next cycle.

The workout would be a partner workout.  One person would be working and the other resting as we did 3 rotations of 10 dips and 15 kettle bell swings.  I did the first round of dips fixed and the second two rounds half fixed and half on the parallettes with feet extended.  I used a 35 lb kettle bell for the swings.  We got off to a good start and finished in 5:46.

Our nutrition talk today was on grains and why they should not be part of an athlete’s diet.  Despite hearing the talk, I still had a donut this morning.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 6

Coach Arik was in charge of the workout again today.  I had some lingering ab and lat soreness, but kind of expected it after Wednesday’s workout.  I got there a little early and saw the 6:00 AM group working on muscle ups and it was very inspiring.  We warmed up with laps around the box (100 yards jog, 50 yards left shuffle, 50 yards jog, 50 yards right shuffle, 50 yards jog, 50 yards skipping with high knees, and finally another 100 yards jogging).  Then we did 15 air squats (arms overhead), 10 push-ups, 10 sit ups with an abmat, and finally 20 shoulder pass throughs.

The workout exercises today would include Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDHP) and jumping pull-ups.

SDHP start with feet in a wide stance, squat down pushing knees out and keeping back straight.  Bring the 35# kettlebell straight up and engage the hips to give it some momentum.  Then use your arms to guide it up to your chin with high elbows.  The sequence of legs-arms-arms-legs ensures that you are not muscling it up with your arms.

We had done jumping pull-ups before, but today we worked on strict form with a spotter.  The box is moving away from bands and instead moving towards spotting below the shoulder blades or at the feet.  We partnered up for this exercise.

The workout was a timed sequence of 15:12:9 of SDHP and jumping pull-ups.  This was all about speed and the expectation was around 2 minutes.  I finished in 2:39 and caught myself sucking air on the second round of pull-ups.  My SDHP form was completely trashed on the last round.

We again finished with nutrition.  This time we got a sales pitch for LocavoreDelivery which distributes locally sourced meats from Colorado ranchers.  Prices start at $49/month for regular delivery.  The only things I found interesting were the salmon and the pork.  I am not much of a red meat eater.  The website has pretty reasonable prices and free delivery with a $65 purchase.  CrossFit Undeniable has a freezer at the box to receive grouped shipments.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 5

Coach Arik was back to get us through on ramp session 5.  There was no lingering soreness to start this session and I was pretty pleased with that.  We warmed up with 500m row, 25 yards pulling knees to chest, 25 yards lunge stretch, 20 shoulder stretches with PVC, 20 open curls on the small of the back and 20 Superman curls in the prone position.  Then we did 15 air squats (keep arms over head, chest up, go low) and 5 push-ups.

The workout exercises today would include wall balls, knees to elbows and push-ups.

Wall balls would be kind of fun if they weren’t so physically and mentally draining.  Pick up and rack a medicine ball (men usually use 20 pounds, I used 14 pounds today).  Your hands should be under the ball and to the sides so your thumbs are pointing towards you.  Don’t try to squeeze the ball, it should be supported.  Squat down (hips below knees) and rise up launching the ball to a spot 10 feet in the air (9 feet for women).  The ball should come back to you and you should lower with it to the squat position.

Knees to elbows starts on the pull up bar and consists of bringing the knees up and engaging the shoulders to have the knees touch your elbows, then lower.  As a modification we were allowed to lie on the floor on our back and grab the vertical support of the squat rack.  From there, straight legs would be brought up to touch the vertical support (the hips should raise above the ground).  We were also introduced to kipping and the controlled rhythm of rocking the shoulders forward and then back.  It is important to stay in control and not swing with your feet.

Finally push-ups were reviewed focusing on chest touching the ground and elbows in.

The workout was 10 minutes AMRAP of 10 wall balls, 5 knees to elbows (scaled), 10 push-ups.  I finished with 4+10.  I was surprised at how difficult the wall balls were.  Most of mine were making 9 feet, if counting strict reps, I probably only managed 20%.  The knees to elbows thing was the only chance to rest.  I thought I was good at push-ups but after 2 rounds, things got ugly.  I started splitting them into 5-3-2.  I finished the first 2 rounds in about 2:30, then the next round took nearly 3 minutes, then 3:30 and the final minute it was all I could do to get the 10 wall balls.  I was amazed that my cohorts got 5+ and 7+ rounds today.

As usual we finished with nutrition and talked about Crockpot chili recipes.  Paleo Nick was recommended as an excellent source for nutritionally sound recipes.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 4

The usual suspects were again led by head coach, Zach, for another round of Crossfit®.  My abs finally started feeling better on Saturday.  The only lingering soreness I had was in my lats.  This morning we warmed up with a 400 meter run followed by shoulder warm up (forward circles, backwards circles, crossing chest palms up, crossing chest palms down and then back pats).

Then we were introduced to the exercises for the workout which consisted of walking lunges, push press and double-unders.

Walking lunges were started feet shoulder width apart, step forward keeping 90 degrees on lower limbs.  We added 15 pound plates and the emphasis was on keeping the arms locked and back straight.

Push presses built on the standard press from Session 2.  Feet narrower than shoulder width, heels, butt, back of shoulders in a plane.  Dip down a few inches jump and thrust the bar over your head.  Emphasis on not bringing knees in, weight should be just in front of your heels, imagine grabbing sand with your toes.  We started with a 35 pound bar and moved to a 45 pound bar for the workout.

Double-unders were done with a speed rope.  With quick wrists and good rhythm, slow your regular jump rope cadence and pass the rope twice under your feet.  When discussing the exercise, I could manage some, during the workout, I managed maybe 10%, fortunately we were counting attempts not successes.  The rule of thumb is 1 double under = 2 attempts = 3 skips.

I managed 6:49 for the 3x10 (again last place) and felt really good about the effort.  I was getting wonky on the lunges and could not have maintained form any faster. 

Our nutrition challenge was a healthy breakfast (eggs and bacon or a smoothie).  I skipped the oatmeal today and had a Denver omelet.  Unfortunately, I supplemented the omelet with a biscotti not 30 minutes later.

Finally, I decided to invest in some PVC pipe for shoulder stretches.  I bought a 10 foot length from Home Depot and cut it in half.  I went with the three quarter inch, but in retrospect, I should have gone with the half inch.  It was only $3.50, so I am not worried.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 3

Ben, Kate and I all made it back for another round of Crossfit®.  My abdominal muscles were killing me and it still hurts to sneeze or do anything that puts pressure on them.  Zach, the head coach, was leading our efforts today and instead of taking down the rowers we did roughly 100 yards of jogging, 100 yards of skipping, 50 yards of high knees, 50 yards of butt kicks and 50 yards of shuffling.  Remember to stay low during shuffling.  This was followed by some hamstring stretches (toes straight, heels touching, toes touching) where we bent our knees grabbed the toe and tried to extend and then relax.  Before and after, I gained easily 3 inches towards touching my toes.  Then we did the shoulder stretch with the PVC pipe.

Our Workout of the Day (WOD) exercises would be front squats, jumping pull ups and burpees.

Front squats were done with a 35 lb barbell.  Feet wider apart, toes point out, barbell resting on front of shoulders positioned with a couple of fingers.  Keep the elbows high and lead with the elbows when rising.  Flare knees out during squat.  Take a deep breath, hold during motion and exhale to maintain a stable core and consistently aligned back.

Jumping pull ups were done on a bar/platform with the bar at about the center of the forearm.  Start with the knees bent, jump up, bring the chin over the bar and come straight down.  We didn’t hold up there.  For a tougher effort, bring the chest to the bar.  I rolled my ankle a bit coming down off the bar once during the second set.  I was on a 12” platform and a 45# plate to get the right height to the bar.  I will definitely strive not to use a plate next time.  I am maintaining fluids and took a prophylactic Advil to ward off a gout flare up.  I will probably take another at lunch.

Burpees were starting in a standing position, drop down to the floor, step or pop up, and then jump and clap your hands over your head.

This routine was done 3x10 with a 1:1 work to rest interval.  While Ben and Kate were doing squats, I rested, when I was doing squats, they rested and then we went on to the next exercise.  The pace was excruciating and we got through in 8:22.

We finished with a discussion of healthy and unhealthy carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  Veggies are better than bread, nuts are better than oils, chicken is better than beans.  I am struggling with the diet aspect of Crossfit®, but definitely see the benefits of having a better strength to body weight ratio.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 2

The usual suspects showed up for another round of Crossfit®.  My shoulders were a little sore, but there were no other ill effects from session 1.  We were reminded about nutrition and then started warming up with 500m on the rowing machine (about 2.5 minutes), lunge type stretches and walking punt kicks.  We stretched out our shoulders with a length of PVC pipe and then started discussing the Workout of the Day (WOD) exercises which would be deadlifts, presses and sit-ups.

Deadlifts were done with a 55lb kettlebell (other weights were available).  Feet shoulder width apart, shins at 90 degrees, butt back, then grab the weight and stand up keeping the shins at around 90 degrees.

Presses were done with a 35lb barbell (45lb and 15lb were also available).  Feet slightly wider apart, tight quads, tight butt, tight abs, start with barbell under chin, elbows forward, push up until arms are locked and push head through (forward)

Sit-ups were done with a with an ab mat by Rogue Fitness.  Start with feet touching in a butterfly stretch position, go back touch the floor near your head with your hands, go forward touch the floor near your feet.

This routine was repeated 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time.  I managed 10:42, while my cohorts were about 3 minutes faster.  Again, I felt pretty good about my effort.

We finished with a cooking lesson on healthy chicken tacos and a sales pitch.  Signing up in the first week gets you a t-shirt and sports drink free.  Both of my cohorts had already purchased packages.  For a 3 month package it is $200/month.  6 months is $170/month.  12 months is $160/month.  Finally 18 months is $150/month.  These prices may seem steep, but you are getting well organized coached workouts.  Classes are typically capped at 10 or 15 individuals.  Private coaching would be considerably more expensive.

Crossfit Undeniable On Ramp Session 1

The first rule of crossfit, it you have to talk about crossfit.  I finally got around to starting my on ramp program that I purchased via Groupon last fall.  Eric led Kate, Ben and I through our introductory session.  The on ramp at Crossfit Undeniable is a month of Monday, Wednesday and Friday sessions to introduce new members to crossfit exercises before being thrown to the wolves.  We started with an introductory video and then started warming up.  Arm warm ups included 10 forward circles, backwards circles, crossing chest palms up, crossing chest palms down and then back pats.  We continued with lunge type stretches and a bear crawl.  We were also on the rowing machines (legs-arms-arms-legs).

Then we were introduced to the exercises for the workout which consisted of As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) of 100m row, 8 goblet squats, 8 ring rows, and 8 push-ups in 12 minutes.  I managed 4 rounds + 22 for my first outing and I was quite pleased with myself, despite my cohorts getting 6+ rounds. 

Eric did a great job keeping an eye on form.  I felt like I was challenged very safely and look forward to the next session.  I am intending to give this an honest shot and want to phase in dynamic and other unfamiliar movements.  I have heard too many stories of people pushing too far outside their comfort zones too quickly.

Finally we talked about nutrition and Eric stressed whole foods including vegetables, meats, fruits and healthy fats.  As a result, I passed on my usual bagel and got oatmeal from the cafeteria.  Even doctored with brown sugar, honey, and granola, oat meal is pretty bland.

Goblet squats – With light kettlebell, hold by yokes, sit back and hold kettlebell up so that you can see through the handle.

Ring rows – feet under the rings, lay back pull forward, keeping shoulders back

Push-ups – hands close to chest all the way down, chest touching floor, then back up

Rowing – legs-arms-arms-legs, shoulder blades back, lean slightly forward at waist going forward and slightly back at waist going backwards.