02.22.11 - CINDY

Find Max Height Box Jump

"CINDY"
AMRAP in 20 Minutes:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats

Box Jump: 27.5"
Rounds: 11
Comments: My max on the jump is 29". I HATE doing it, so 27.5 is just fine for me today. Used the grey band on the pull-ups, knees on push-ups, and still kinda was dying. My max for this is 13-14 rounds. I was hoping for 10. Even with the grey band, which kind of sky-rocketed me on the first 1-3, by the 5th pull-up after about round 3 I was struggling. Push-ups by round 10 I was failing. The one redeeming quality of the air squat? You're moving enough to sort of cool off your sweating, hot face. I'm still red and warm to the touch an hour later.

Shout Out #1: Wendt crushed this WOD. 34" box jump and 19+ rounds on the AMRAP. She practically doubled me and I swear sped up the second half rather than slowing down! Rockstar! (Literally... she's going to see Ke$ha tomorrow night... for reals!)

Shout Out #2: Waller did an amazing THIRTY TWO rounds (and it wasn't even a PR)!

02.07.11 - Kettle Bell 15's

3-3-3-1-1 Press
3-3-3-1-1 Back Squat

15 Burpees
15 Kettle Bell Clean (full squat)* each arm
15 KB Power Snatch
15 KB Single-Arm Swings
15 KB Press
15 KB Stationary Lunges
15 Burpees

25/35# KBs
Each exercise is done with one KB, alternating sides. 15 on EACH side, in any rep combination.

Press 1RM: 82#
Back Squat 1RM: 85#
Time: 11:17

Comments: My legs are toast. Just doing air squats kills. Used a 15# KB for the WOD, thank god. That last set of 15 burpees was really brutal. So, I'm basically sore all over, which will make feeling sore from the car crash I got in on the way home hard to distinguish from the rest of it. Ugh. Totally hit two cars, pulled over from a previous accident, after spinning down the ramp toward them in circles. Worst.

01.31.11 - Millet Bowl

3-3-3-3-3 Back Squat

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Dumbbell "Curtis P's"*
Burpee Planks

Back Squat: 75#
Time: 15:22

Comments: My legs! My legs! Ow. This was kind of brutal for first time back in almost 2 months. I'm going to pay for it, but really, I'd be paying no matter what the workout was. Oh and I'm pretty sure I miss-counted. Finished way too close to Jenny so I think I might have skipped a round somewhere near the 6 rep mark? I always do stink at counting – especially when I'm under such distress. Used 10# DBs on the first set of 10, then went down to 5. This felt really whimpy, but it had to be done. My legs were killing me before I even started the WOD from the warm up! Burpee planks are way more fun than regular burpees.

So, I've been reading recipes from this 28-day detox thing I found. I'd like to really focus this month on what I'm eating. I'll be interested to see if/how it helps me recover more quickly? So tonight it's the millet bowl. I also started taking this "green" mix with almond milk during the day? Supposed to help all sorts of things. I don't know. The 28-day plan it turns out is really poorly organized. Like I bought week 1 groceries, but half the recipes call for things not on the list? Annoying. Trying to cut coffee at work and drink tons of water. We shall see!

All in all it did feel good to be back. Time to eat my millet bowl, take a hot shower, and go to bed!

*Clean, right lunge, left lunge, push press.

UPDATE: The millet bowl was good and gross at the same time. Started out ok, but there was no way I could finish the portion. I don't know if I've ever had millet before. It was really mushy.

11.02.10 - Holiday Meltdown

Dumbbell Split Jerks
4 x 6 each arm, increasing weight each set

Max Dead Hang Pull-ups
in between DB sets

MetCon:

500m Row
10 Handstand Push-ups
50 Double Unders (x4 singles)
400m Row
8 Handstand Push-ups
40 Double Unders
300m Row
6 Handstand Push-ups
30 Double Unders
200m Row
4 Handstand Push-ups
20 Double Unders
100m Row
2 Handstand Push-ups
10 Double Unders

Dumbbells: 15/20/25# last two sets.
Max Pull-ups: 4 (green band)
Time: 20:18
Comments: Definitely the slowest in the class. Vance was nice enough to cheer me on at the end. Singles on the jump rope made for a lot of jumping. Did box assisted (very weak) HSPUs. Should have worked harder on the pull-up part but I was glad I used a green band. Probably could have done 30# dumbbells, but I was bruising my shoulders. This is not a good week for CFit for me. Lots of schedule conflicts. Boo. Will try to get a swimming workout in Thursday night to make up for all the missed WODs.

08.10.10 - Heavy Overhead

3-3-3-1-1-1 Overhead Squat

6 Rounds for Time:
105/85/65# Shoulder to overhead any way*
200m Row

Max OHS: 75#*
MetCon: 10:37 @ 55#

Comments: First day back in about 6-7 weeks! Legs were loose and wobbly after the lunges in warm-up. Uh-oh. Decided early on today that I wasn't going to knock myself out but rather ease back in. It wasn't that bad! I know I totally wimped out on the WOD weight, but I feel like as long as I'm there, and trying, it's way better than what I have been doing lately (nothing!). I'm really happy I went and feel ready to rededicate myself to 2-3 days a week up until my trip at the end of September. Also have liked the look of the CrossFit Endurance WODs that happen on Thursdays. I'd like to do T/W/Th this week. We'll see.

*Current PR. No way! I thought it was 90 - kinda shocked!
**Just going to list the girls Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced weights from now on.

06.15.10 - Penalties

Deadlift
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

For time:

Advanced: 95#/65#
Intermediate: 75#/45#
Beginner: 65#/35#

250m Row
20 Thrusters
250m Row
20 SDLHP
250m Row
20 OH Squats
250m Row
20 Push Jerks
250m Row
20 Power Cleans
250m Row
20 Front Squats

** Each time you set the bar down in the middle of an exercise, your penatly is 4 burpees to be done immediately before picking up the bar again.

Deadlift: 215 (PR! By 30#s!)
Time: 18:32 (No burpees!)
Comments: I can't believe the deadlift. I remember one of my first days at ACF learning how to do it and lifting 105#, which at the time was hard. Did the intermediate 45# and maybe feel like I should have pushed it to 55#. It was SO HOT and HUMID down there I was forming drip puddles on my row. I loved this work out, and knew I would when I saw it this morning. Felt pretty good overall but a little scared for how I'll feel when I wake up tomorrow.

06.09.10 - Partner It Up

5-5-3-3-1-1-1 Press for Max

Partner AMRAP (As many reps as possible)
(55/35#)

3 Cycles Each of:

Kettlebell burpee
KB Sumo Dead Lift High Pull (SDHP)
KB Swing

5 Air Squats while "resting" as partner takes a turn.

Press Max: 85# (PR!)
AMRAP: 38
Comments: Personal Record on the Press! By 10#! Sweet. I had 90# in my head, but that was my (old) Push Press (now 95). One of my favorite things about CrossFit is the ability to see your improvement along the way, and today was a nice surprise with that press.

On to the AMRAP – Holy Hell. That KB burpee sucked! I could not do it right or well and maybe had two total that were even "countable", but who's counting. Lots of fresh bruises on the knees as I attempted to scale the push-up. Found out the A/C is out at the gym, which is a relief because I have been a sweaty disgusting mess the past couple weeks in there. Katy and I partnered up and I did only 30# on the KB. I tried some 35# swings and it was a struggle to raise that thing to full extension so scaled it down.

Oh, and don't tell anyone but I didn't do ALL the air squats. I'm a slacker but sometimes breathing wins.

05.25.10 - T-shirt Winner!

1-1-1-1-1 Snatch for Max

Run 200m
20 Kettlebell Swings (55/35#)

4x on a 3:30 Interval

Snatch Max: 80#
Comments: I would have bet money I'd done a Snatch for Max at this point, but was surprised to see I didn't have one recorded. So 80? That's 25# over a weight I used in a WOD a couple weeks ago, and now I have a baseline. Had about 2 min rest between intervals and used 25# KB. Sprinting the run hurt my left thigh and my calves also hurt after, so did some stretching before we left. Katy suggested maybe we're too "old" to really sprint a run. I gave her the hairy eyeball (our birthdays are both within a week) but I also think she might be right!

In other news: I "won" the t-shirt competition, but question whether I really "competed" with anyone!

05.24.10 - AMRAP

3-3-3-3-3 Push Press

AMRAP
As many reps as possible in 12 minutes.

10 Squat Cleans
20 Sit-ups

3RM: 95#
Reps: 4.75
Comments: I tortured myself with too much "fun" this weekend and payed for it today. Sweating my ass off felt kinda good, actually. And for some reason I was able to match my 1RM on the push press, which tells me I need to try for a new PR. Dang it was hot down there! The gym was crowded today – lots of new faces.

05.18.10 - Bear Complex

5 Sets of 7 Rounds

Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press

Increase sets to Max. No dropping the bar during rounds. Rest between rounds as needed.

Max: 70#
Comments: 35/45/55/65/70. Previous weight max was 55, back in January (first workout after Basic Training). I really love this one and I was actually... genuinely excited when I saw it posted.

05.17.10 - Tabata with a Twist

Overhead Squat for Max
5-5-3-3-1-1-1

Tabata Style
(8 sets of each exercise, 20 sec active/10 sec rest, for 16 total minutes)

Jumping Pull-ups
Supermans
Dumbell Push Press
Jumping Split Lunges

OHS: 75# (PR!)
Tabata: 8/8/5/8
Comments: Tabata is deceptively challenging. 20 seconds is a LONG TIME, while 10 seconds is VERY SHORT. Used 20# dumbells. Last time we did Tabata we recorded our LOWEST number of reps, which is what I've done here. However, 8's were pretty consistent for each exercise throughout all 8 sets. Tried hard to maintain a rhythm. I did hit some 10s & 11s, but not on the push press. That was just awful.

PR on the OHS by 5#!

Added a 5th Goal: Bench Press 135# (45#bar and 2 45# plates - Thanks Tone!)

05.12.10 - No Name MetCon

5-5-5-3-3-1-1 Bench Press for Max

4 Rounds of:

24 Air Squats
21 Sit-ups
18 Box Jumps
15 Push-ups
12 Body Rows
9 Ring Dips

Bench: 100# (PR!)
Time: 21:05

Comments: This one reminded me of when I started at Atlas. All the things we sort of learned first maybe. I knew it was going to be long and hard. It was.

04.30.10 - Press and Dip

3-3-1-1-1 Front Squat

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (95/65#)
Push Press
Ring Dips

Front Squat 1 Rep Max: 110# (PR!)
Time: 13:14

Comments: Personal record on the front squat. Did the prescribed weight on the push press! Ohmyshoulders. Used a green band on the dips. I might even go to blue on these next time. Green almost felt too easy? (I got a solid green band this time, not like the one I used for those silly pull-ups earlier this week). I'm friggin' beat actually. I could barely push myself off the floor when I was done stretching after, my arms were so spent. Payback I guess from Wednesday and I may or may have not been a little hungover from last night. But I thought this workout was pretty solid and I quite liked it. Tim was watching my lifts and he didn't tell me I was doing anything wrong so I thought that was good.

Oh yeah, and did 4 days this week again. Niiice.

04.12.10 - Do you Crossfit?

5 Rounds for Time:

500m Row
400m Run
Rest 90 Seconds

Checkout: 100 Wall Balls (20/14#)

Time: 30:44 (4:50/6:25/6:25/6:20/6:24)
Comments: Back at the box after a 12-day hiatus. No bueno. This actually was a pretty good one to go back with. Running/Rowing. Don't tell anyone, but we ditched out on the checkout...

What kept sticking in my head was the message that accompanied the workout on the website this morning. Things like "Step out of your comfort zone" and "push yourself to 110%". I really tried to go as fast as I could, but that wasn't very fast I'm afraid. I tried to keep my rows under 2:00 average, not going over 2:10. The running killed me, especially hearing Katy's footsteps getting closer and closer and catching me each round.

There was also a quote from the (I think) inventor of Crossfit, Coach Glassman:

"Performance is directly correlated with intensity. Intensity is directly correlated with discomfort."

I was definitely 100% uncomfortable, so I must have been doing something right. Solid, 30-min. workout. Nice to be working with Tim again. Held some decent 10-sec+ headstands in Warm-up #2.

03.31.10 - Farewell

Press 1-1-1
Push Press 3-3-3
Push Jerk 5-5-5

9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Knees to Elbows

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9
Man Makers (25/15#)

Alternate 9/1, 8/2, etc.

Max: 70#/95# (PR!)/70# (?)
Time: 16:21
Comments: We kinda went about the lifting a little wrong, and I never figured out my Push Jerk. I did a few of them with the 70# but I did not feel right about the movement for some reason and then we ran out of time. Definitely maxed out on the press, even though 75# is my true max. Push press could have maybe gone a little bit higher? But just realized 95# is a Personal Record. Used 10# dumbbells on the man makers. Maybe should have done the 15#, but I was pretty exhausted at the end. Felt good overall despite $5 Tuesday night wines!

03.17.10 - Excellence

3-3-3-3-3 Press for 3-Rep Max

5 Rounds for Time:

20 Kettlebell Swings (45/35#)
15 Burpees
10 Ring Dips
5 Handstand Push-ups

3-Rep Max: 70#
Time: 25:52
Comments: 25# Kettlebell, green band on ring dips, and the box-scale-for-push-ups mess. In the final round of burpees, I broke my back. Something crimped between my shoulder blades dead center. I think tomorrow morning is going to be ugly. I don't know what to blame it on! Press? Burpees? HSPUs? Never did a flat "press" before. I did do two at 75#, so I got a "Max". I would be hard "pressed" to beat that on 1-rep. Also at 75, it's the most burpees I have ever done in a WOD. Burpees suck, yes, but I really do believe that doing the new "standard" on these in fact DOES make them easier. Or at least more fluid?

3.10.10 - Hump Day

Max Box Jump – then:

5 Rounds for time:

7 Burpee Box Jumps
9 DB Push Press (35/25#)
11 Jumping Air Squats
13 Push-ups
15 Sit-ups

Max: 27
Time: 19:43
Comments: I didn't have this max in me today, I knew it going in – 29 is my max. Definitely liked how before we went up an inch at a time. The larger increases in height moving up was intimidating. Katy however increased by 2 inches to 37!!! Nice PR for her today! Definitely had another round to go when everyone was done... and a cheering crew as I finished. Thanks to the rest of my class today for that. I was glad to land under 20 minutes. Used 20# dumbbells, thank god. I tried the 25# before we got started and luckily had the sense to scale it down. Bruises on my shoulders tomorrow for sure. Box jump mystery solved. I've not been using 16 or 20, but 18" for the last several WODs. Did a couple green band pull-ups between the TWO warm-ups. That ladder mess was back. This time followed by Allison who also has clearly done this type of thing before – she was fast (and kicked ass on the box jumps too)!

03.09.10 - Pick it up

3-3-3-3-1-1-1
Deadlift for Max

MetCon
3 Rounds of:

10 Deadlifts
15 Hang Power Clean
20 KTEs
25 Double Unders (100 Singles)
30 Box Jump Leaps (per leg, 24/20")

Deadlift Max: 185#
Time: 25:13
Comments: Used 65#, singles and, well, I can't tell a 16 from a 20" box unless they are right next to each other apparently, so I don't know what I used. It felt tall. We did a new warm up and it really highlighted my horrible coordination. Running patterns on a ladder made of plastic on the ground. If you're new to this, slow on the uptake of such things, and Kevin W. is in your class, make sure he's not behind you. I think he's done this before... It felt great to be back in the box after practically two weeks off. Pretty sure that deadlift was a PR.

03.02.10 - Fight Gone Bad, Part II

3 Rounds of 5 stations:

Wall Ball (14#)
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (55#)
Box Jump (16")
Push Press (55#)
Row (for calories burned)

1 minute per exercise, and 1 minute in between rounds for a total of 17 minutes.

Reps: 180
Comments: This is funny – I actually entertained pipe dreams that I'd break 200 all day (last time I did 171). Didn't hit that by a long shot, but THANK GOD I at least improved! The threat of not doing so had my heart pounding before we began. One thing was different - wall balls. We had to get the ball up 10' and now there's a line so you can't "guess" it's about there. No way I was anywhere near that last time.

I did a better job on each of them except the wall ball (obviously) and the row (when I "strategically" decided to "rest"). Here's a comparison of today's to 8 weeks ago using my max numbers. Push Press (22/17), Sumo (15/10), Row (9/12), Wall Ball (12/19) Box Jump (13/10).

This goes without saying: FGB is probably even harder after a 4-day weekend eating and drinking at a cabin in the mountains with a bunch of old friends from college. Ouch.

02.10.10 - Max Out

Box Jump - As tall as possible
Turkish Get-ups - As heavy as possible

MetCon - As many reps as possible, 10 minutes

10 Knees to Elbows
10 Push-ups
20 Double Unders

Box: 29"
Turkish: 25#
Reps: 3

Comments: It took me a while, but I did 60 double unders! None in a row, always with a hop in between, but 60! Ok and the box? I never did more than 16" before I don't think? 20" at the most. A couple guys got up to 52" and man was it fun to watch them! I mean, the "box" (a little table kind of thing with weight plates stacked on top to reach the 52" mark) was higher than their waist! These were tall dudes! Never did a Turkish before, so learning it was awkward. That weight was heavy. I would like to practice this – I know I can do better next time they come around. Fun Max. Lots of group cheering, encouraging and clapping, with an audience on the upper deck even. Two new callouses on my hand from the KTEs.