WOD 080831

Today I did yesterday's CF WOD. Yesterday I ended up doing about six hours of yard work so I didn't have time to fit it in. Today's WOD involved weighted pull ups, which I did twice last week, so yesterday's WOD seemed like a better fit.

CF WOD 080830:

Four rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• Rest 2 minutes

I didn't have a stop watch so I subbed walk 200m for rest 2 minutes. I think the whole workout took me about 25 minutes including my warm up. I did the linear speed progression warm up from Functional Training for Sports by Mike Boyle.

On that note, the Human Kinetics series is without a doubt the best line of fitness books I have come across. Every one of them is written by experts and has very high production quality. The wrestling and rugby series are excellent and the strength training series includes authors by luminaries such as Tudor Bompa. But I have to say Mike Boyle's book is my favorite. "Functional Training For Sports" is as ground breaking as Crossfit. Boyle's system emphasizes body weight exercises and isolation movements intended to enhance sports performance and prevent injury. Whereas Crossfit generalizes to all physical activities, FTFS is very specifically geared toward enhancing sports performance through exercises that emulate sports specific movement.

WOD 080829

I'm getting a little tired with the high rep, high intensity, metabolic conditioning workouts. As a little experiment, I decided to spend a few weeks going with heavier weights at lower intensities. I think mixing some periodization into the system could pay big dividends by retaining the exercise variation and emphasis on functional movements.

Todays work out -- "heavy-ish fran.

• 21-15-9 reps of:
• barbell thrusters (135 lbs)
• weighted kipping pull ups (15 lbs)

I did not keep time. Instead I went to failure on each "set." This workout followed my typical warmup of jumping rope, arm circles, push ups, squats, Sampson stretch, quarter squat rotations, inch worm, 35 lbs kettle bell swings, and running 400m.

Over the last few months i've noticed crossfit WODs follow a fairly predictable sequence. Throw in the 3 on 1 off schedule and you've established a fairly adaptable schedule. It would be interesting to chart the CF.com WOD variation over some time sample to see what kind of sequences emerge. So another approach I'm mulling over (beyond semi-periodization phases) is totally random crossfit. You put all workouts in a hopper and it spits out a daily workout with a 25% chance of a rest day.

The talkers

During my workout some guy came over and asked if he could work in with me on the pull up bar. I was doing weighted chin ups with a 25 lbs plate suspended from a chain and caribeener. [?] He took the chain and attached it to a weightlifting belt and did a few pull ups. When he gave it back to me he said I should use a belt because "it works better" than putting the chain around my waist.

I did a quick superset of weighter chins and dips then gave him back the chain. he attached it to his belt then wandered off into the gym to talk to someone. 3-4 minutes later he came back and said "Sorry about that. I needed to catch her before she left for the day." I said no worries. he followed up with "Besides you don't wait long enough between your sets anyway."

After his next set of pull ups he handed me back the chain and said "You should do pull ups instead of chin ups. Chin ups are too easy."

What compels people to give advice to complete strangers in the gym? And how come these guys always wear tank tops tucked into bike shorts? Maybe the same guy has been following me around from gym to gym over the past 20 years I've been lifting weights.

Primal Fitness WOD 080827

Crossfit.com featured an affiliate in Washington, D.C. called "Primal Fitness." PF offers Parkhour, Crossfit, yoga, and judo. The run their affiliate out what looks like an old firehouse. Pretty neat if you ask me!

I browsed around PF for awhile and found their WOD:

• Weighted ring/bar Dips-5-5-5-5-5
• Weighted Pull-Ups-5-5-5-5-5

This is supposed to be a muscle up progression. I was also inspired by my friend Adrian's back injury from too much squatting.

Anyway, my workout:

• Typical warm up (jump rope, push ups, squats, stretching, etc.)
  
• Weighted chin ups -- 5 x 10 lbs/5 x 25 lbs /5 x 25 lbs / 5 x 25 lbs / 5 x 25 lbs
• Weighted bar dips -- 5 x 10 lbs/5 x 25 lbs /5 x 25 lbs / 5 x 25 lbs / 8 x 25 lbs
• Pull ups -- 5 / 5
• Dips -- 12 / 10
• 1 mile run (9:24)
  

This was a nice strength focused workout. I'd like to do more of these and a little less volume, especially on pull ups, because I think there will be greater benefit in terms of strength and less wear and tear.

CF WOD 080826

As posted:

• Front Squat 10-10-10-10-10 reps

My results:

• Front squat 10 x 135/135/155/155/135

I went light and really concentrated on form. Last time I went heavy on front squats I may have ruptured a disk.

Just an FYI, here's my typical warm up. It takes me about 10-15 minutes.

• 3 sets of:
• 10 forward arm circles
• 10 backward arm circles
• 10 forward shoulder circles
• 10 backward shoulder circles
• 10 quarter squat rotations
• 1 minute jump rope (on running days)
• 10 push ups
• down dog stretch / inch worm
• 30 second Sampson stretch each side
• 10 35 lbs kettle bell swings
• 10 body weight squats
• 5-10 pull ups
• Run 400/800/1 mile (on non running days)
  

CF WOD 080825

CF WOD 080825

This workout is brutal. Physically and mentally demanding with massive volume. This is one of those smash-you-in-the-face workouts that gets lots of stares in big box gyms. This workout is named after a US patriot killed in Afghanistan. Read the comments in the link below before you do Murph. If that doesn't get you fired up nothing will.

"Murph"

For time:

• 1 mile Run
• 100 Pull-ups
• 200 Push-ups
• 300 Squats
• 1 mile Run

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

My time: 71 minutes. I did not wear body armor, I did not record a fast time, but I did complete Murph.

CF WOD 080820

"Helen"
Three rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• 1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
• 12 Pull-ups

18:30 as posted.

CF WOD 080819

CF WOD as posted:

• Dead lift 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

My results:

• Dead lift:
• 10 x 135
• 5 x 225
  
• 1 x 275
• 1x 285
• 1 x 295
• 1 x 295
• 1 x 305
• 1 x 305
• 1 x 305

Some nice heavy lifting. I also mixed in about 30 pull ups, push ups, and squats during the workout to keep me loose.

CF WOD 080818

"Tabata Something Else"

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.

My results:

• Pull ups -- 54 (10/9/7/7/5/5/6/5)
  
• Push ups -- 73 (20/14/9/7/6/5/6/6)
  
• Sit ups -- 47 (7/7/6/6/5/4/5/5)
  
• Squats -- 137 (30/16/18/15/14/15/15/14)

Total: 311 reps in 16 minutes

CF WOD 080817

Three rounds for time:

• 135 pound Thruster (21/15/9)
  
• Muscle-ups (21/15/9)

43 minutes (scaled):

• 135 pound Thruster (21/15/9)
  
• Inverted row (21/15/9)

The Crossfit sub for 1 muscle up is 3 dips and 3 pull ups. I'm still VERY sore from Friday, so I scaled back to inverted row. I also took long breaks between thruster sets, going 7/7/7, 5/5/5, 3/3/3. I hadn't done 135 before. This workout felt great.

CF WOD 080815

Posted CF WOD:

For time:

• 50 Pull-ups
• 50 Ring Dips
• 40 Pull-ups
• 40 Ring Dips
• 30 Pull-ups
• 30 Ring Dips
• 20 Pull-ups
• 20 Ring Dips
• 10 Pull-ups
• 10 Ring Dips

My scaled workout:

• 25 pull ups
• 25 dips
• 20 pull ups
• 20 dips
• 15 pull ups
• 15 dips
• 10 pull ups
• 10 dips
• 5 pull ups
• 5 dips

27 minutes. My kipping pull ups are improving, more efficient, and bar dips are MUCH easier than ring dips.

CF WOD 080814

Todays CF WOD is a perfect follow up to yesterday's total.

3 rounds for time of:

• 50 double unders
• 50 back extensions
• 50 sit ups

My time as prescribed: 33 minutes

Man I'm sore from yesterday's total, but it will hurt even more tomorrow!

CF WOD 080813

Crossfit Total:

• Back squat (1)
• Shoulder press (1)
• Dead lift (1)

My Total: 315 + 175 + 335 = 825 -- Personal Record!

• Bs (135 x 10, 185 x 10, 225 x 5, 275, 315, missed on 335)
  
• Sp (135 x 5, 155, 165, 175, missed on 185) -- PR
  
• Dl (225 x 5, 245, 275, 295, 315, 335) -- PR
  

My last total (June 24 2008) was 745:

• Bs 325
• Sp 145
• Dl 275

11% improvement in 7 weeks. Not too shabby!

My DL improved by 60 lbs and my SP improved by 40. We hammered those lifts in CC class. Back squat suffered a10 lbs set back but this time I used a med ball to mark all the way down.

The 335 Dl felt easy. I think I'll continue to improve there!

CF 080810

Oops! I forgot to post yesterdays workout.

CF WOD: Run 5k for time.

My time: 28 minutes.

This is the first time I've completed a 5K outdoors. I ran at 2:30PM and it was brutally hot. The temperature was 102 degrees, but on the track with no shade it must have been higher.

CF 080811

Todays CF WOD:

For time:

• 10 GHD Sit-ups
• 10 Hip & Back Extensions
• 95 pound Thrusters, 30 reps
• 50 Pull-ups
• 30 GHD Sit-ups
• 30 Hip & Back Extensions
• 95 pound Thrusters, 20 reps
• 35 Pull-ups
• 50 GHD Sit-ups
• 50 Hip & Back Extensions
• 95 pound Thrusters, 10 reps
• 20 Pull-ups

My workout:

• Back extensions (9)
  
• Sit ups (9)
  
• 95 lbs thrusters (21)
• pull ups (21)
• Back extensions (15)
  
• Sit ups (15)
  
• 95 lbs thrusters (15)
• pull ups (15)
• Back extensions (21)
  
• Sit ups (21)
  
• 95 lbs thrusters (9)
• pull ups (9)

23 minutes.

CF WOD 080809

Todays CF WOD:

Five rounds for time of:

• 155 pound Hang squat clean, 9 reps
• 15 ft Rope climb, legless, 3 ascents

My workout:

• 95 lbs hang squat clean (9/9/7/5/5)
• 15 ft rope climb (3/3/2/1/1)

I didn't keep time. My back has been bothering me so I didn't push the weight or reps. This was a great workout. My forearms and hands really feel it. Next I rope climb I have to remember to wear longer socks.

GBJJ 080807

Jiu jitsu fitness is totally different than Crossfit fitness. Good thing I don't have either or I might feel bad about lacking the other!

Today I trained for about 1.45 hours. After a nice warm up we covered back mount submissions. Fretson choke, rear collar choke (I forgot the japanese name), and rear choke with knee in back. My face and neck are pretty ripped up from this one. Gi chokes are painful! I have to remember to forget my jacket next time.

We finished with about an hour of rolling. I sparred two white belts that I handled pretty easily (thank goodness) and then rolled with a brown and a blue. I thought I did well against the brown, but then I hit the wall and basically acted like a rag doll for the last 10 minutes.

No CF for me today. I am feeling the pain.

CF WOD 080806

I debated for long time whether to do todays WOD or yesterdays. I decided to go with today's so I would be on schedule. If I don't like tomorrow's workout, especially after jiu jitsu, I'll do yesterday's tomorrow. (5 x 5 back squats.)

As prescribed:

• 21 DB snatch right arm (45 lbs)
• 21 DB snatch left arm (45 lbs)
• 42 pull ups
• 15 DB snatch right arm (45 lbs)
• 15 DB snatch left arm (45 lbs)
• 30 pull ups
• 9 DB snatch right arm (45 lbs)
• 9 DB snatch left arm (45 lbs)
• 18 pull ups

My scaled version:

• 21 DB snatch right arm (25 lbs)
• 21 DB snatch left arm (25 lbs)
• 21 pull ups
• 15 DB snatch right arm (30 lbs)
• 15 DB snatch left arm (30 lbs)
• 15 pull ups
• 9 DB snatch right arm (35 lbs)
• 9 DB snatch left arm (35 lbs)
• 9 pull ups

For the first time kipping pull ups felt easier than regular pull ups or chin ups.

back in the saddle

Today I returned to Relson Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Austin. I trained under Phil Cardella at this school for about 2.5 years and earned a blue belt before stopping when we had our first child. Now, 4 fours and 2 children later, I'm ready to make a comeback.

This morning I attended the AM class. Some observations:

• The attendees seem more experienced and athletic than they did 5-6 years ago. Jiu jitsu is more mainstream and the bar has definitely been raised.
• Everyone was very humble, outgoing, and respectful.
  
• The school is no frills, with mismatched mats, weights, etc. I like it a lot.

One of the reasons I enjoyed high school athletics was that each sport had its season. I think I'm going to take the same approach. 3 months of jiu jitsu, 3 months of boxing, 3 months of rugby 7s, maybe 3 months of crossfit classes or a new sport. And I intend to supplement all of this with crossfitting on my off days.

CC WOD 080801

Last workout at Crossfit Central for the forseeable future. It was a good one.

• For time:
• run 400 m
• 1-2-3-4-5-6 reps of:
• ring dips
• overhead squat (95 lbs)
• kettle bell clean and press (35 lbs)
• run 400m
• 6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
• ring dips
• overhead squat (95 lbs)
• kettle bell clean and press (35 lbs)
• run 400m

I finished in 24:13, second to last in the class. My buddy terry was ahead of me on the last 400m run but he stopped to throw up.

I'll write a summary of my experience at CC and my plans going forward in a few days. All and all I really enjoyed my time at CC and learned a lot.