Every so often, I get it in my head that I’m going to try some new experiment with my body or my mindset or whatever to improve my life exponentially and achieve some sort of ridiculous and lofty ambition. This is one of those times.
Now, usually these peter out in about a week and a half but, every so often, one happens to succeed and I do something rather stupid and run a marathon or something (2001). This time around, I’ve somehow agreed to compete in the 2009 CrossFit Games Qualifiers in Calgary. Yep. I am about to get my ass handed to me in spectacular fashion. Of course, the fine folks organizing the thing are being super awesome about it and have noted that they allow for modification and the qualifiers are open to any and all people, regardless of ability to do a handstand push up (yes, someone thought it was a good idea to combine those two exercises together). Um, I am NOT one of those people.
To get myself ready for this latest challenge, I’m going to see exactly what happens when a 34 year old reformed smoker and excouch potato follows the “CrossFit in 100 Words or Less” prescription. Just how quickly can I progress? Here it goes:
"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports."
I’m also going to be proper and stick to the three on, one off schedule that I don’t usually follow (I usually string six or seven days in a row on followed by a couple off to heal up whatever body part is nearing horrific injury). Aaron and Robin have put together a pretty cool program for us to follow that includes one strength day, one sprint day and one heavy metabolic conditioning day followed by a day of rest.
So, yeah, because nothing really happens unless you post it on the internets, I’m going to blog this little experiment to see how I do with my workouts and if following the core basics of the program really improves my fitness levels quickly.
Today’s my first strength day and we’re doing the back squat, deadlift and shoulderpress followed by a short met con.
Ps. I want some fucking sugar. Arg! Sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar!
P.p.s. I'm super excited for my first actual workout in Lucy, the new gym. Yay!
P.p.p.s. SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Update! My lifts were as follows:
Back squat:
45lbs x 5 x 2
95lbs x 5
115lbs x 5
135lbs x 5 x 3
Shoulder Press
45lbs x 5 x 2
55lbs x 5 x 3
Dead Lift
95lbs x 5
135 x 5
160lbs x 5 x 3
The mini workout after was 4 rounds of 10 45lb bell swings and 5 20" box jumps. Kelly and I finished together at 3:07, with Chrystal and Robin finishing just ahead of us.
My nutrition was also spot on today. I've let way too many treats sneak in lately and, wow, I had some fun with sugar withdrawl. I was CRAVING. Oh well. It only lasts a couple of days and then it goes away and I was already rewarded. I gotta say, the better your nutrition, the more awesome your workout.
Anyhoodle, I have assloads of workouts over the past few weeks to put in here...
09-02-17
2km row
2 minute rest
3 rounds of:
30 sit ups
30 35lb good mornings
I opted to uber rx this one and used 45lbs on the good mornings and then I finished with another 2km row. My times were as follows:
8:24 (row 1)
7:45 (sit ups and good mornings)
8:52 (row 2)
09-02-18
Push Press
3-3-3-3-3
65lbs. 75lbs, 85lbs, 95lbs, 105 x 1, 100lbs
I also practiced my L-sit (crazy core exercise) as well as double unders (skipping).
09-02-19
10 rounds of:
10 135lb deadlifts
10 Knees to Elbows (okay I am linking to these because they're crazy)
But wait! After the 100 deadlifts and 100 knees to elbows, there's more!
Rest 2 minutes then 2km row.
My times were 28:52 and 9:01 on the row. I am not good at knees to elbows and need to work on them. This is one of those workouts that made me love CrossFit even more. Completely evil workout and I was trashed after but, wow, it sure makes you feel like a rock star!
09-02-20
Cindy on Steroids
I LOVE the workout Cindy. This had a few more reps!
As many rounds as possible of:
15 pull ups
30 push ups
45 squats
I managed 3 rounds + 15+14. I had to switch to the 50lb resistance band half way on the pull ups since I'm switching my grip from an incorrect full-palm grip on the bar to the proper finger grip and I was losing a lot of skin on my fingers as I don't have a good callous built up on them yet. A bit less of a load helped my get through it. I'm happy to report that I'm off the band again and back doing proper pull ups. It just took a couple of weeks to get the grip issues resolved to some degree. Its still something I need to focus on, though.
09-02-22
Jeff's Modified Jim Jones Unworthy Workout
Jim Jone's trained the guys from the movie 300. If you are unfamiliar with his work, may I present to you King Leonitus of Sparta. Feel free to drool a bit on your keyboard:
Here is a mash up of two different workouts that they did to look like that in the movie. I'm linking to these, too. Manmakers are KRAZEE. Go do some!
Squats 80-40-20-40-80
35lb Kettlebell Swings 40-20-10-20-40
2 x 15lb Renegade Man-Makers 20-10-5-10-20
You do it as a circuit so 80 squats, 40 kbell swings, 20 manmakers, 40 squats, 20 bell swings, 10 manmakers, 20 squats.... etc until you're done.
My time was 41 minutes and change. I didn't write it down (boo!) but I was faster than Shannon but slower than Brad and both of them handily (unlike me) posted their results on the message board.
09-02-24
Christine - another benchmark workout (they're named after girls). Christine is a great workout that really tries your lower body strength and endurance by just shredding you up. She's one of my faves! The last time I did Christine was on December 26th and I got 17:02. This time, the goal was to break 15mintes and I did with a time of 14:45. Woo hoo!
The workout is as follows:
3 rounds of:
500 meter row
12 body weight deadlifts (145lbs for me)
21 20" box jumps
I was especially happy with my time as I also managed to fall off of the box into our trainer, Chris, and the GHD machine. Gouged my leg up but kept on going.
09-02-25
Burpees on the minute and practice with power cleans and shoulder presses!
On the minute workouts go as follows, minute one, one burpee, minute two, two burpees, minute three, three burpees... continue until you can't do the required number of burpees in the minute alloted. I managed 11 minutes plus 10 (so close!). I then practiced my power cleans and shoulder press and learned some great techniques from Robin, the gym owner, who'd just got back from a training course with Mark Rippetoe.
09-02-26
As many rounds as possible of:
10 pull ups
15 burpees
20 15lbx2 dumbbell push press
I managed 4 rounds + 10+11. I stayed off the band the entire time for the pull ups and stuck exclusively with the finger grip but, wow, I managed to mangle my poor fingers. Blister city! Good workout, though!
09-02-28
Last workout at our old CrossFit Regina facility that was lovingly referred to as Betty. I met up with a couple of the trainers who're also going to qualifiers for some strength work. I tackled 3 x 5 back squats and picked up a few great pointers from both Ang and Robin. It was great. Then came the workout. For time, as a team, carry all of the gym equipment from Betty to Lucy, the new gym a block away.
Here are some highlights!
It was fun! We got everything moved over in under an hour! Also, can I just say this is one of the things I love about CrossFit - the community aspect. Seriously, how much fun is it that we physically moved the gym together as a big team.
09-03-01
Outdoor Carry, Run and Press
Um, you know how I said I am refusing to run outside until it warms up? Yeah, well, scratch that because Lucy has no plumbing so they ran the workout outside.
It goes as follows: With a -30C windchill:
3 rounds for time:
400 m run with 45lb salt bag or 20lb medicine ball
400 m run without bag or ball
10 Clean & Press with bag or ball
I started with the bag but it broke open half way through so I had to switch to the ball. I preferred the bag, honestly, as it was a bit easier to run with. I didn't have my book with me so I didn't write down my time but it was 21:something, if I remember correctly.
And, I already noted today's workout! I guess I'm done and all caught up.
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