Cross Fit ~ Week 7 ~ Day 3

Today was a different workout- it was really more a full blown out warm up and then what they call an "Olympic Lifting" move. I'll break it down:

For the warm- up we did our stretching, foam rollers, shoulder discs and 400m run, then continued with 3 circuits of the following:

15 sit ups
15 push ups
15 back extensions
15 dips
3 pull ups

After we all went through the 3 circuits we then were introduced to the front squat- which is basically a squat with the barbell held in front, resting on your clavicle and finger tips. This is a very hard move on the wrists! The idea was to do 1 squat, rest, add more weight, do another and continue this process 7 times and stop adding weight when you reach your maximum. The goal of the exercise was to work on form and perfect the squat with keeping yourself upright, all the weight in the heels and avoid leaning forward. I was able to get up to 45 pounds on the squat, but had to reduce down to 35 pounds because of the stress on my wrists. They say that will get better once more flexibility is developed in my wrists, but I'm a bit skeptical about that ~ I've always had issues with my wrists.

We were not times on any of this today because it was strictly a warm up and then working on the form for the front squat. We then finished up with some ab work on the stability ball.

Cross Fit- Week 7 - Day 2

I have missed so many Cross Fit workouts since I started 7 weeks ago, that I'm not even sure which week for me this really is- I'm guessing I'm on my 4th week technically speaking--but today I was BACK!! I did have full intentions of getting back yesterday to do the "Murph" workout--but was at the Emergency Room Sunday night with my brother until 3 A.M. Fortunately, he is ok and I'm happy that I was there to help him out in his time of need. He wouldn't ask for help unless he was really in pain--so I know he needed to get to the hospital.

Today it felt so good to be up at 5am (yes I know that sounds crazy)- but I had a great sleep last night, woke up before the alarm, enjoyed a little cuddle time with the furry child and then got to Optimal Fitness on time even!

Started out with the normal stretching, using the foam roller, then 400 m run followed by sit ups, lunges, shoulder discs and some squats.

Today's WOD was similar to one we did two weeks ago, with a change up of one exercise.

3 circuits:
Rowing: 1000m/750m/500m
or Run: 1200m/800m/400m (we only have 3 row machines)

Wall Balls: 21/15/9
D-Ball Slams: 21/15/19
Kettle Ball Swings: 21/15/9

My time today on this was: 21:49...I finished 2nd in the time amongst my peers. I was fortunate to always get a row machine- so my workout was all rowing.

We finished the workout today with ab work- forget what the first thing was called- but we
hung from the pull up bar and used abs to bring your knees to elbows (ah that's what it's called "knees to elbows") - that was tough, we only did 5 of them..
Then Scissor Kicks, Flutter Kicks and Planks.

Really had a great workout!! My legs will feel it I'm sure- all of the exercises involved squats-
wall ball, you squat and as you come up throw the ball to the wall and catch it. D-Ball Slams, you have the medicine ball over head, as you come down in the squat you slam the ball down, Kettle Ball Swings- again squatting with the kettle ball in hand.

I have 2 spin classes to teach today- this should be fun!! Happy Tuesday and I hope to get to Cross Fit the rest of the week! I hear we have a birthday WOD on friday for one of the team. Rumor has it the # of reps is equal to the birthday person's age! Let's just say that most of us in the group are probably in the 30's and 40's!

Cross Fit, Week 4, Day 2

Well today was very interesting when trying to get out of bed. I was so sore from yesterdays workout, it was unbelievable. Everything hurts! But I mustered up my courage and got myself out the door to the workout today! It was a "nicer" workout vs. yesterday's "murph" ~ thank God!

So Stretch, Run 400m, then some more warm up exercises on the shoulders and then some sit ups.

The WOD today consisted of 5 circuits, 7 repetitions each
Pull Ups
Squat Thrusts (this is the squat and come up with overhead press)
Burpees (yes, they returned today...we have not had burpees since Day 1 of Week 1)

I completed this circuit in 10:05

The first set of Pull Ups were tough- mainly due to having done so many yesterday- but I managed to push through!
Burpees- well I'll always hate them, but because of everything else we've been doing, I felt stronger doing them. I'm sure I still look pretty lame...but it's progress. Rome wasn't built in a day!

We finished up the day with our ab workout- which today was a bit of everything. We worked with medicine balls and a partner. First was the medicine ball toss back and forth to each other...then we did the same thing with a much heavier medicine ball (ouch)...we then did sit ups facing each other with a medicine ball toss on the way up from the sit up...and then obliques by standing back to back and rotating our torsos to handoff the medicine balls to each other...

...a good workout today- not sure if I'll be sore from it, at this point I think I'll be sore from yesterday's workout all week long- so heck, what's a little bit more!!

I am scared- tomorrow's workout is a 5K run....I have not ran 3 miles consecutively since I did my sprint triathlons 6 years ago...yes I did run 2 miles yesterday- 1 at a time....but I'll do my best, come what may!

Cross Fit- Week 4
(but for me really week 3 due to my cold and crazy schedule that followed)

Well, hello Monday, hello 5am alarm clock - was tempted to not get up and continue to cuddle with the kitty. But I got up, and made it to Optimal Fitness for the WOD. (Workout of the day)

Robert was there, but no Jeff today (he's off in Tel Aviv for a week)- so we had Ben taking his place and just as the workouts change daily- when you have a new leader....that changes things up a bit also.

Warm Up was a little different- we did our stretching and then 50 jumping jacks, but he challenged us to engage our brains while doing jacks. Criss-Cross the feet each time, change how your hands meet above your head (fists, thumbs, open hands, back hands, etc.)- of course the only problem with that is nobody was counting!

Then we did little jumps with feet together, from there a "cross-country" type motion and then adding a torso twist to the movement.

After that, we started the WOD. Ben explained that June is "Murph" month. He told us why:

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

THE WOD IS THE FOLLOWING:

1 mile run

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 squats

1 mile run

So after the warm up- off we go for the run, into two groups - those who think they can run a 1 mile and those who think 1/2 a mile is all they can manage. I told Ben, I'll give the mile a shot- but don't worry if I drop off. I ran my mile...then we returned inside to tackle the rest. We paired up and could manage the tasks anyway we saw fit to do. Brien and I were teamed up and we decided to do 10 sets of 10 pull-ups, push-ups and squats. Well we failed to read completely and thought we were supposed to do 100 of each task- but anyway- we figured no problem once we did the 100 of each, then we'd finish up the push ups and squats. Well, we ran out of time. We got through 9 sets of 10, then off for the final mile run. I thought I was going to DIE!! We were back at 630am after the run, and did some ab work: planks, flutter kicks, scissor kicks and then we were done.

The idea behind this workout though is time based and ideally I think you'd want to do the entire workout and see how long it takes you. I've read on the Cross Fit website discussion board some people doing the entire workout in 17 minutes. Well, I'll be a long way from that kind of time...hell I run about a 12 minute mile. I did have quite a few problems with the pull-ups. I was not using the assist machine that I'm used to- but instead using a bar with the elastic suspension- well it would take me a flippin' minute just to get in the elastic - oh and getting out of the elastic was not a pretty site. Once I went onto the pull-up assist machine I felt more productive on that task.

I would say that overall- Brien and I completed 9 sets of 10 ..so we did 90 pull up, 90 push ups, 90 squats and ran 2 miles- in what I would think was about 40 minutes. (***ok, update ad of 6/2/09...I just found out today that because we were teamed up, we were supposed to "share" the workout: i.e. 50 pulls up each, 100 push ups each and 150 squats each....I think we would have completed it all and would have been much easier without as many pull ups- that was bringing me down!!)

So, how do I feel? Ha, ha, ha...well I am sorry that I didn't get in there last week, because after being away from Cross Fit for 7 days- (3 days from week 2 and then 4 days from week 3)...I'm hurtin' for certain! I'll be lucky if I can get up the stairs tonight after an evening on the couch! LOL Add to all of this a sunburn from yesterday- I'm a mess! But "I will survive"...I always do, it's in my nature!

I will say though 1/2 the battle is really the mental game. Having the ability to put mind over matter and push yourself. I was a wimp- when we went for that first mile run and I gave my "disclaimer" about maybe dropping off- wimpy wimpy wimpy!! When we went out for the last mile run, I didn't say it, but I thought it to myself "well if I only do 2 laps that'll be ok". But after I did the 2 laps, I did the 3rd and really thought ok, "I'm done"- but then the mental game comes in and I'm thinking, "only one more lap- you can do this, take your time and just do it". I remembered back 6 years ago when I did my two sprint triathlons and ran 3 miles- which is really not a BIG deal at all...but when I was doing that race and on my way back (it was a loop course), I so wanted to give up and then there were kids on the course, running towards me (starting their run portion of the race) and yelling, "you can do it, keep up the good work, you're almost there". It's amazing what words of encouragement can do for you.

On the last lap today, Ben paced with me. The thought of "nobody runs alone" and "we run at the slowest runners pace" and then when we saw the finish, he pushed me to give a little more, to push a little harder....and that brought me back to 6 years ago when I saw that finish line and how I couldn't wait to get there.

If I understand correctly, this will be the Monday workout for the month of June because Ben was commenting about how lucky we are to have 5 mondays in June! We get to honor Navy Lt. Michael Murphy with his favorite workout 5 times this month! HA!!!

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 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!