Cross Fit- Week 3

Well here it is Wednesday of week 3 for Cross Fit and I have not been there this week. Between the monday holiday and two days where I just couldn't get up at 5am. I'm assuming it's my body talking to me saying that I need to rest more to get the last of this cough out of me. I have been going to bed early like a good girl.

However, I did weigh myself on Tuesday and I'm down another pound- could be part of the cold with lack of eating- but we did have a big birthday weekend with my mom's 80th, and lots of cake. See if there is birthday cake in the house, I will have it for breakfast, lunch or whatever! :) Only birthday cake though- yes I'm a strange one.

I have not been totally inactive- since being sick last week, I did teach my spin class on Friday and we went out dancing Friday night (but not as full force as normal), I took Zumba saturday morning before all the birthday celebrations and then taught line dancing on Monday (holiday), taught spin yesterday...so I am still getting some activity--but I MISS the Cross Fit "kick my butt" workout to start off my day. I MISS being productive and getting so much done before 10am!

Tomorrow! I will be there tomorrow if it kills me!

Being Sick Sux!

Well my wonderful progress is a bit detoured this week! I thought I had been battling allergies and my body aches I had attributed to monday and tuesday's cross fit workouts (after a full day of Zumba on Sunday)...well yesterday afternoon I hit a wall and crashed. Chills after a hot shower, wanting to do nothing but sleep. I layed down at 4pm, work up at 630pm and found I had a temperature of 101.1.

Well, this meant no dinner with my Mercy GF's in SF that night...it also meant that I would miss Wednesday's Cross Fit workout and right now, I know I'm missing tomorrow's Cross Fit workout ~ one I was really looking forward to as it is including swim time. There will be others with swimming, but since my temperature was up and down all day, I know it's not smart for me to be in a pool outside at 6am right now.

Just hate the 2 steps forward, 1 step back type of thing! We'll see how I feel come friday and if I end up rising early for Cross Fit then.

Another Day = Another Cross Fit Workout!
Week 2, day 2

Today's workout started the same with the warmup, stretch, run, lunges, squats, sit ups, back extensions, push ups and then into the CORE of the workout.

Jeff and Brian gave us a choice of two different workouts....the first one, don't know all the details- I just heard the work "Burpees" and said- "I'll take plan B please". Well we did end up with the second option, and this one has a name the "Cindy workout"- not sure why it was named this, probably the person who thought of it.

Anyway, this was not a "how fast can you get it done" workout, this was a "how much can you do in 20 minutes" workout. So we all worked out for 20 minutes and kept going through the following circuit:

1) 5 Pull ups
2) 10 Push ups
3) 15 Squats

Forgot to start counting when we began--but I think I did something between 13-15 circuits. It was actually very challenging, but I can feel that I'm getting stronger! My allergies were kicking my butt this morning and actually I didn't sleep well last night, tossed and turned all night long because of the allergies....but the workout also seemed to help clear up my chest a bit too!

Have a great day everyone!

Cross Fit - Week Two!

Getting out of bed today was a bit of a challenge after yesterday's Zumba workshop- burned almost 3800 calories yesterday! Woo hoo! Got on the scale this morning and was just shy of down 2 pounds: 1.8 for last week. So off I go to Optimal Fitness Lifestyles Center for week two of "please kick my butt" workouts!

Not feeling creative- so not going to make up a name! My only disappointment with this program still remains that each workout doesn't have a specific name! LOL ;)

Anyway, typical stretch to start things off and then that awakening 400m run around the parking lot a little more warming up with squats, lunges, abs, back extensions (all about 10 of each) Blood flowing and time to start the circuits:

We had 3 circuits:

Tricep Dips
Push Ups
Medicine Ball Slams
Wall Ball (medicine ball in hand- deep squat, come up and toss ball to wall/catch and squat again)
400m run

(yes with 3 circuits- I ran 1 mile today- 400m x 4, once in the warm up and three times in the circuit)

Our repetitions decreased each time and they were weird numbers: I think it was 29 the first set, 15 the second and 9 on the last. I'm sure about the 15 and 9...but think the 29 could have been 28.

My time on this workout today was: 16:47
I felt like I was getting stronger on the run, which was good!

The wall ball was probably the most difficult. The Medicine Ball Slams are really tough if you have a ball with no bounce...I'm always liked tricep dips and don't really mind pushups- I just hate them when I'm out of shape and have to do them...but now we've been doing them for almost every workout as either part of the warm up or part of the circuit- so it's getting better!

We finished with ab work:
Leg Flutters
Scissor Legs
Plank
Oblique leg extensions

Stretch and we were done under the hour!
My philosphy on this CrossFit is that "It's a good day if we don't have burpees!!"

Thanks to Susan for helping me "keep the pace" on the run; she makes it look so easy and then she confesses that she was dying- so at least we "die" at the same pace!

Cross Fit- Day 5

Well, again a short post. When I started this program, I did qualify that I may not always make it on Fridays. Depending on how crazy the week had been with other activities, there was no way I was going to get up at 5am on a Friday otherwise I'd be trashed for Friday Night Dancing ~ which is a huge part of my marriage.

So I have no idea what today's workout entailed, no point in finding out because I won't be doing it today. I have my 915am spin to teach and will get in a good 4 hours of country-western dancing tonight!

This program is designed as a 5 days a week program, with the weekends "off". I'll be taking the line dancing class at Gold's tomorrow and I'm in an all day Zumba certification class on Sunday ~ so I'm not "off" this weekend....I needed to get a little extra rest today and I will be sleeping in tomorrow to give my body the recovery!

Next week should be different- not as many meetings in the evening and since we'll have my mom with us next weekend for her 80th birthday, we will be dancing friday night...but not as long or late...so getting up early next Friday won't be as terrible!

Cross Fit- Day 4

Going to keep this post short. I did not attend this morning because I was asked to sub a 6am spin class at the last minute. But I did email the trainers to get the workout, so I could do it on my own at the gym where I was going to be teaching spin.

Because I was just getting off a spin bike- I didn't really need to do a warm- up, so I went right into the workout of the day- which to my surprise was just one task, doing 7 sets of 5 reps- The Back Squat. This is basically placing weight (in this case light weight) on the meaty part of your back and then taking it into a squat. I did not time myself on this - had forgotten to do that when I began. So I can't really say much about today's workout except for the following:

It's a lot more fun doing it with a group of people!! The time goes fast and you don't get bored. Add to that, you have the expertise of the trainers there helping and cheering you on!

Cross Fit Journey - Day 3

First, I will start off by saying that what you do the night before most certainly has an impact on how the workout feels and how you feel. I didn't go to bed until 11:15pm last night (had to see the Biggest Loser finale)- so I did not have the amount of sleep my body requires for recovery after these workouts. Live and learn and it really was no surprise. The kitty really tried to meow me out of going this morning as he curled up on my pillow at 445am! He was cozy, I actually felt him jump when the alarm went off- it startled him.

Anyway, onto the workout - the good news today is that we were only doing everything ONCE!
I'm going to try to be creative for a name on this one, but being tired- I'm not sure- "Just Once" workout.

Of course we started with the pre-workout stretch and then the warm up with that 400m run, then walking lunges, 10 overhead, 10 shoulder dis, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups and 10 back extensions.

Now onto the workout:
We did each thing "just once" as the name implies:

50 squats
20 medicine ball slams (called dumbbell slams- but we used medicine balls)- this is where you squat and slam the ball on the floor and catch it really quick while keep your torso upright.
25 sit ups
400m run (again!)
30 Dumbbell overhead presses
50 rotations of jump rope
30 Dead Lift
500m Row

My time on this workout today: 12:44

Then we finished off with doing ab/core work and stretch.

I will say that the workouts seem to go very quickly and the trainers (Jeff and Robert) really keep you focused, watch that you're doing everything correctly and offer support while you're doing everything.

3 days in and I am loving it! Now to get my day going- I have a little relaxation coming with my manicure and pedicure at 10am! And as much as I'm sore, I am going to get my butt to Zumba at 430pm! I need to break in my new shoes before my certification class this Sunday!

Cross Fit Journey "Day 2"

So sad to report, but not all workouts have a "cool" name like yesterday's "Hanson workout"- so guess I'm going to have to be inventive - let's call this one "PushNPull" (you'll see why).

Today was my first weigh-in and body fat testing along with pictures to document this experience-sad to say that as "in shape" that I am for keeping active, I register at 41% body fat! (welcome to the norm for American population) My goal (still) is to lose about 30 pounds and I'll get there, when I get there- but this year!!

So onto the workout:

Stretching upon arrival, then that lovely 400m run - which was much easier today, getting a longer night rest definitely helped with that.
We went over what the circuit was going to involve for today:

3 circuits with varying reps - decreasing each time. Decreasing reps is a GOOD thing!

1. Rowing machine: 20 calories, 15 calories, 10 calories (for those that don't know Rowing machines register your workout by a variety of ways, but since we are timed on our workout, we are given a goal in this case of calories burned)

2. Squat thrust/presses: Dumbbells in hand resting just above your shoulders- squat and then on the way up trust/press the dumbbells into an overhead press. 15 reps/10reps/5 reps

3. Pushups: no-brainer here. 20 reps/15 reps/10 reps

4. Pullups: again- no brainer. 15 reps/ 10 reps/ 5 reps

My time on this circuit workout: 13:50

Then we finished off with ab work: scissor kicks, another kicking exercise (can't remember the name of it- but basically kicking straight legged up and down with abs right) and then kettle ball situps. We did 10 reps of each of these.

Final stretch and DONE!

So far so good, I felt much better today- it was a tough workout, but I didn't feel as lame as I did yesterday with those damn burpees! Funny side note: last night my husband said "so what are burpees anyway- you gotta show me" So I said, "ok, I'll show you and I'm only showing you one time, so pay attention"- then after I showed him, I said "now give me 10" and he did 5 and said "ok, point taken, that's enough" - LOL I told him, "I DID 50 OF THESE TODAY"- so as sucky as I might have been on burpees, hubby would have probably sucked more! :) But I still love him to death!

Cross Fit Journey

So today I started my first "Cross Fit" training and I can see that this is going to be an awesome program! Each day the workout is different and you don't know what to expect. You are also timed on the circuit, so that you can see how much better you do the next time around.

Today's workout was called "The Hanson" (I think)...
anyway- we started with some stretching, then a 400m run/jog outside (ok I'm in serious trouble for the Nike 1/2 marathon in October ~ what was I thinking?)
After that warm-up, we then started the circuit:

5 rounds, 10 reps of the following:


1. Kettle Ball Swings
2. Burpees (OK- i HATE Burpees...I don't care what anyone says, they are not good for me and I really, really HATE them)
3. Ab Machine/Crunches

My time today for the 5 circuits: 15:00
I would have done so much better had it not been for burpees!

Afterwards, we did some stretching and then bridges off of stability balls, balancing one leg at a time, and then ended with a few planks.

I am SORE ~ and it's only been 4 hours!
I am SORE ~ and I am a fitness instructor! In shape, but not in this shape!! This is the type of training that police officers and firefighters go through!!
I am SORE ~ but it will get better!!

The philosophy behind the Cross Fit program is that every workout is different, you never know what you'll get from one day to the next. I have heard that there will be a few times when we meet at a nearby swimming pool and one of the "circuits" will be to swim a lap!

Really going to give this my best shot and see how it goes- I need someone to kick my ass into gear and make me accountable. It's also nice being somewhat "done" with my workout at 630am!