Sunday, November 15, 2009

NASA Colorado Powerlifting Meet

On Saturday, I competed in my 2nd N.A.S.A. ~ www.nasa-sports.com, powerlifting meet.

This would be my 2nd competitive endeavor in all my 46 years and I have to say the road to the meet was not easy. The last couple of weeks leading up to meet was mentally exhausting for me and my my coach ~ www.defylimitations.com; www.examiner.com/x-4578-Denver-Personal-Training-Examiner?showbio, who had to put up with my tears and self doubt and once again proved to me that "I'm stronger then I think I am!"

Coach and I decided beforehand that my starting weights would be as follows:

149 lbs on the back squat
94 lbs on the bench press
276 lbs on the deadlift

The morning of the meet I was actually more calm then I thought I would be...I think I had worked myself up so much the previous week that I was just ready for it to be over. I was also feeling a little more pressure because the evening before at the weigh-in, I was told that I had set a state record for my division and weight class last meet. I was amazed and shocked to say the least!

The first event was the Back Squat and they had a new squat rack that actually suspended the bar over your shoulders until you lifted and then the arms of the rack moved out of the way...it was really rather odd. When it was my turn to go, I moved into position, nodded to the judge and proceeded to shuffle my feet....WTF was I thinking.....3 automatic red lights!! My immediate first thought was "HOLY CRAP, I'm going to bomb out of the meet!" But once again, Coach calmed me down and we moved up in weight anyway to 154 lbs. Next time up, I got under the bar and this time moved back, like I'm used to doing, set my feet, nodded at the judge and squatted....SUCCESS! Whew...what a freakin' relief!! For the 3rd round we decided to go for 165 lbs...not a PR but at least I would have the 1st event under my belt and I actually got it pretty easily.

The second event was Bench Press and I started at a pretty easy 94 lbs and got it up without any problem. The 2nd time up Coach and I decided to go for 105 lbs and I got it! The 3rd time up I decided to go for a PR (personal record) and went for 116 lbs, my highest previous PR was 112 lbs. ~ I got set on the bench and I heard the announcer say "Patty is going for a State Record attempt" and my first thought was "who is she talking about?" and then "Holy Crap that's me"!! I took a deep breath, let Coach know I was ready for the bar to be handed off to me and lowered it to my chest and then pushed and then I heard the judge say "Press". NOOOOO......not again......3 red lights! But on a positive note I did get the bar up and it will be considered a PR in my gym!

The 3rd and last event was the Deadlift...now the deadlift is MY lift, the one I feel strongest and most confident in! But all of a sudden I was REALLY nervous about my opening weight of 276 lbs., if I didn't get it in 3 attempts I would bomb out and I would not get a trophy and all my state attempts would be for nothing.....I think Coach must have sensed my fear because he asked if I wanted to lower my opening weight, to which I replied "Can I...please" and he said okay he would lower it to 265 lbs but I better hit 300 in one of my attempts! So my first time up, Gary helped me with my belt, I walked up to the platform and again heard "Patty is going for a State Record Attempt" and Gary said that I looked like a deer caught in headlights....I was pretty freakin' nervous! But I pulled and got it up with no problem....Thank God! Now the rest was just extra....I could go for broke! My second attempt was at a weight of 292 lbs and again no problem! For my 3rd attempt Coach and I decided to go for a PR attempt of 309 lbs.....I walked up to the platform, set up, set up again and dipped, gripped and ripped and I actually got that sucker up!!! It's amazing what an adrenaline rush will do!!

I got first in my weight class and division and set some new state records.....all in all, a very, VERY AMAZING day, for a girl who has always said, she does not have an athletic bone in her body! Life is good!

A big THANK YOU to my Coach, Jonathan Sabar....I couldn't have done it without you!!!!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Fight Gone Bad IV


Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a bit of a cautious nature and am pretty reluctant to try new things....to say the least.

When the opportunity arose to do this workout for charity, my first response was no! Mainly because I was worried about raising the money that it would take to participate, I was more then willing to contribute, I just did not want to have to "ask" for people to donate for me. After some pushing from a friend (Ellen), I agreed to do it and was quite surprised that I actually raised over $200.00.....thank you to everyone who gave to this great cause!!

My second and equal concern to money was the actual workout, especially after I found out that the 20" box was involved! I have this love/hate relationship with the box jump and especially with the 20" box jump....I LOVE it when I can do it and HATE it when I fail!!!

The days leading up to the workout were consumed with thoughts of the dreaded box jump! Then before I knew it, I was in the gym warming up for "The Workout".....Which consisted of the following:

The Rules for Fight Gone Bad

The CrossFit workout is ‘Fight Gone Bad.’ In this workout you spend one minute at each of five stations, resulting in a a five-minute round after which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. This event calls for three rounds. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of ‘rotate,’ the athletes must move to the next station immediately. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower, where each calorie is one point. The stations are:
Wall-ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull (Reps)
Box jump (Reps)
Push-press (Reps)
Row (Calories)

Standard Women = 55lb push-press and sumo deadlift high pull, 14lb wall-ball and 20 inch box Jump

Ellen and I decided to partner up and I would go first while she counted my reps and coached me. We could go in any order we wanted, so we decided that I would go in the following order; Sumo deadlift high-pull, box jump, push-press, row and end with Wall-ball.

The Sumo deadlift high-pull was actually pretty easy with only 55 lbs and I did 28 reps the first minute. Next was the 20" Box Jump....I walked up to it, set myself up AND.....NOTHING, I could not make myself jump for anything, you heard me right....I freakin' FROZE. I could hear Ellen encouraging me...I could hear the spectators encouraging me....I even heard Joe yelling for me AS he was jumping but nothing happened! Then the minute was up and I moved on to the push-press....The next round and the next, was the same results with the box jump...I completely and totally choked but even with that failure, I still came up with some pretty decent numbers overall:

Round 1
SDHP - 28
Box Jump - 0
Push-Press - 12
Row - 6 Calories burned
Wall-Ball - 7

Round 2
SDHP - 18
Box Jump - 0
Push-Press - 13
Row - 8 CB
Wall-Ball - 8

Round 3
SDHP - 20
Box Jump - 0 (I did do 3 step-ups, hoping it would help - it didn't)
Push-Press - 8
Row - 7 CB
Wall-Ball - 7

TOTAL
SDHP =66
Box Jump = 0
Push-Press = 33
Row = 21 CB
Wall-Ball= 22

Grand Total = 142 Reps

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

"Kettlebell Hell"

Tabata Intervals (20 seconds work/10 seconds rest repeated 8 times) applied in turn to:
- Front squat
- Double clean-and-jerk
- Alternating floor press
- Bent-over rows
with a one-minute rotation break between exercises.

(24/16 kg)

Score is total number of reps in the workout


I have made a decison to really crank up my workout's and part of that entails learning how to dig deep and do more then I think can. With Coach and Ellen encouraging me.....I managed to do 21 more reps then I did last time....21!!!! What a great feeling!

~ Front Squat = 16
~ Double clean-and-jerk = 12
~ Alternating floor press = 17
~ Bent-over rows = 46

TOTAL: 91

Friday, September 4, 2009

NASA Colorado Powerlifting Meet


What in the world would possess a 46 year old woman, who has never been athletic her entire life and in addition has never participated in any kind of sport, enter a Powerlifting Meet?

It takes a couple of key ingredients:

An amazing Coach who gets the best out of regular, everyday, working people and motivates them so much they think they can do anything!

A great group of fellow students who offer nothing but encouragement!

And that is how I found myself at the NASA Colorado Powerlifting one day in August 2009. The whole day had a somewhat surreal feeling to it...from the moment I walked up to the table to actually register, the weigh-in, the pre-meet athlete meeting during which I had this distinct "How Did I Get Here" feeling...yet feeling so much pride, to be in a room with all these amazing people.

The first event was Back Squat and I was scheduled to go on FIRST!! I walked to the front of the room, chalked up, walked to bar and followed Coach's direction and started to squat...."down, down, down, down...good" and then I came back up.... the first lift was done in all of 30 seconds.

And that is how it went throughout the day....I missed only one lift on Bench, other then that everything was successful! I even got my first trophy (well plate) for being first in my weight class in the novice division.

What's next? Another meet in November and this time I hope to go heavier and be a little more daring in my lifts!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Bench Press/SDHP & Ring Dips

Coach let me do two workouts today....one strength training and one metcon and I LOVED it....it was REALLY hard but oh so satisfying!!!

Workout Number 1

"Gettin' Stronger" WOD: Bench presses

The object of today's bench presses was to go down, pause for one second and then explode back up....8 reps.

I did 55/65/75/85x7/95x4

Workout Number 2

CrossFit WOD:
7 rounds for time of:
- 65 lb Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDLHP), 10 reps
- Ring Dips, 10 reps

I did the ring dips on the rings with the green bands for assistance.....by the last 3 rounds my right arm was not wanting to go extend at all and I did try with all my might...it wasn't pretty but I did finish.

I did the SDLHP as prescribed.

Considering I was seeing spots by the end of the workout I feel pretty good about my time.

Time: 12:53

I then did two laps around the building (at a VERY slow jog) with Tricia, GariAnn and El.

What a satisfying night!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Chief - July 10

Workout:
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles. Your score is max rounds completed for each of the 5 cycles.

Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, "The Chiefs" have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities.

My PR is 9

I love this workout!

I did it as prescribed using 95 lbs for my cleans...it wasn't pretty but there is no place to go but up...I did end up writing it in blue because of my lrom on the pushups.

Sent from my iPhone


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Tuesday 6/9/09 ~ Functional Focus

- Slosh pipes
- Tire flippin'
- Rope climbin'

Fun stuff!





What a fun workout….I have to say that Tire flippin’ is pretty darn awesome….I was absolutely amazed when I flipped the tire all by myself!!

Slosh pipes were pretty cool as well but not as much fun as the tire flippin’

Rope climbin’…..well….everything can’t be fun. At least not yet!

Monday 6/8/09 ~ "The Chief"

The Chief
"Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
- 3 Power cleans (135/95#)
- 6 Push-ups
- 9 Squats

Rest 1 minute and pick up where you left off. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles for total rounds.

The Chief is a workout that I have been requesting since January and when it finally came up I was super nervous that everyone was going to be pissed at me for picking it. I was thrilled when that did not happen and even MORE thrilled when I did the Cleans as prescribed….it wasn’t easy by ANY means which makes it even more thrilling! Thanks for the push Ellen.

Here is the low down...

95 lb Power cleans
Limited Range of Motion Push-ups
Low Squats

8 Rounds + Power Cleans and Push-ups.

No place to go but up….ya gotta love that!!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

WOD

7 rounds for time of:
- 65 lb Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDLHP), 10 reps
- Ring Dips, 10 reps


I felt pretty good about the workout this morning...I felt strong and pretty fast.

My modifications were as follows:
bar dips with the box assist

Time: 11:42

Friday, June 5, 2009

Back Squats

5-5-5-5-5


I was pretty nervous going into the workout tonight...I had made up my mind that I was not going to try to go to heavy but Coach had other things in mind. Which is one of the many reasons why I have so much respect for him...he helps me find my strength! As a result I actually hit a PR for 5's!!

Round 1 ~ 115 lbs ~ I decided to start light because...well because I was not going to go to heavy.

Round 2 ~ 125 lbs ~ Still on my low plan, then Coach looked at the board to see how much I did last time...he told to add 20 pounds for the next round. Eeesh....

Round 3 ~ 145 lbs ~ HEAVY but I did it.....Coach said to add 5 to each side.

Round 4 ~ 155 lbs ~ I got underneath the bar and felt that horrible panicky feeling...I stepped away from the bar and told Coach that I didn't want to do it. My friend Tricia started to take off the extra 5 lbs from each side but Coach stopped her and asked me to at least try it....which I did AND success.....a new PR for 5's !!!!

Round 5 ~ 145 lbs ~ Sweet relief!

AND I did not even cry!!

Monday, June 1, 2009

"Cindy"

Complete AMRAP* in 20 minutes of:
- 5 pullups
- 10 pushups
- 15 squats

*AMRAP: As Many Rounds As Possible


Cindy was a butt kicker tonight...I got very few rounds in BUT I worked incredibly hard to get what I got!!

Let's talk about the modifications:

I used the Blue Bands from a Dead Hang on the High Bar

My Pushups were negatives...meaning I started from the up position and fought my way all the way down to my chest and hips and then swooped back up and did it all over again. Very, very challenging...at least for me.

My squats were down as low as I could go, pushing from my heels not my toes with my knees tracing my toes. I actually liked it....how weird is that?!

That being said...I got in 5 Rounds plus pullups + pushups + 7 Squats.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Filthy Fifty

- 50 box jumps (24"/20")
- 50 jumping pullups
- 50 kettlebell swings (16 kg/12 kg)
- 50 walking lunges
- 50 knees-to-elbows
- 50 push press (45#/35#)
- 50 back extensions
- 50 wallballs (20#/16#)
- 50 burpees
- 50 double-unders

for time

I have to say when I saw this workout come up, I was not looking forward to it at all! It had already been an especially hard week and the thought of this doing this metcon workout was daunting. I did give it my all because that is the CrossFit way!

I decided to start with Walking Lunges and with Coach's "encouragement" touched my knees to the floor more times then not.

I then moved on to Knees to Elbows, which is a lot harder then it sounds....I had to chaulk up my hands a few times as they kept on feeling like they were slipping on the rings.

I then did Back Extensions.

Next was Kettlebell Swings....no problem, I got all 50 out without stopping.

Then it was on to the Push Presh, which for some reason I thought was a Shoulder Press until 15 into when Coach corrected me.

Next was jumping pullups...it took me a little while because by this time my legs were starting to shake and I was already feeling like I was CTD (Circling the Drain).

I then moved on to Double-Unders which was a HUGE struggle for me.

Next was the dreaded box jump...I opted to do the 16" because I was so darn tired and quite frankly a little scared. It took me forever but I did get through it (with only a few tears).

Then time was up....I finished in something like 47 minutes.

I never did get to burpees or wallball.....

Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Kettlebell Hell"

Tabata Intervals (20 seconds work/10 seconds rest repeated 8 times) applied in turn to:
- Front squat
- Double clean-and-jerk
- Alternating floor press
- Alternating rows

with a one-minute rotation break between exercises.
(24/16 kg)

Score is total number of reps in the workout

I am very pleased to say that I did this workout "as prescribed" in the black baby!!! I'm also pleased to say that there is no place to go but up.....I don't think my numbers could be any lower then were today.

~Front Squat ~ I managed to eek out 16 reps
~Double Clean and Jerk ~ I got 8, one every 20 seconds
~Alternating Floor Press ~ 38
~Alternating Rows ~ 8 and that was with Coach assisting me in getting the darn kettlebells off the floor and overhead

16/8/38/8 = 70

Overall it was a pretty painful workout....which showed by a bit bitchiness that occurred after the workout...I try not to get that way because then there are no amends that need to be made after the fact. I failed at that tonight but hopefully it is out of my system for a long time to come.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

SP/PP/PJ

Shoulder press 1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5 reps

Tonight I struggled, there is no other way to put it....I was excited and ready but it just wasn't happening....

Shoulder Press: 75/85/85
Push Press: 85x2/75/80
Push Jerk: 75/80/75

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Monday 5/18/09 ~ "Heavy Fran"

15-, 12-, and 9-rep rounds of:
- thrusters (135#/95#)
- 40 lb weighted pullups for time

I did not do this workout as prescribed because....well because I cannot do 95 lbs....it's as simple as that. But I did do more than I ever have on the Thrusters....75 lbs to be exact! It wasn't pretty...not in any way, shape or form but I did it!

Thrusters ~ 75 lbs....limited range of motion (LRM)
Pullups ~ Big Blues, Dead Hang

Time: 17:25

Saturday 5/16/09 ~ Annie

50-40-30-20- and 10-rep rounds of:
- Double-unders
- Situps
for time

Acceptable subs for double-unders are:
- Tuck jumps
- Burpees (1:2 ratio)
- Squat thrusts
- Mountain climbers
- Up-downs

Annie, Annie, Annie.......what more can I say?!

One day I will be able to do a double-under and when I do....there will be a MAJOR celebration! In the meantime I have to settle for Tuck jumps.....

I don't know why but I just wasn't feeling Annie love doing this workout.....I was actually slower then my last time....hmmm....

Last time we did this workout I finished in 13:27

This time I finished in 14:40.

Friday 5/15/09 ~ Single-arm KB Clean-and-jerks

Max reps in 10 minutes
Men - 28 KG;
Women - 20 KG

I could not do this workout as prescribed....while I could clean the 20 KG kettlebell (albeit slowly) there was no way I was getting that sucker over my head. So I settled for the 16 KG Kettlebell.

I ended up doing 55 reps.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Wednesday 5/13/09 ~ Running and more Running

200 meter run x 8 rounds
2 minutes rest between rounds

I know I am the odd person out on my opinion of this workout but I find something very cathartic about running...I am by no means the fastest nor the prettiest runner but I like it none the less.

As I said, I am not fast...my times for the 8 rounds are as follows:

58/55/57/58/58/58/58/57

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Saturday 5/9/09 ~ Movement-timed Stations #2

3 rounds; stations are timed from the "distance" movement
Don't worry - it'll make more sense when you see it.

- Plate pushes (45/35#) - distance movement: 40 meters
- Supermans
- Kettlebell swings (16/12 kg)
- Wallball (16/12 lb)
- Ring rows
- Pop presses (45/35#)

The best way to describe this workout is tortuous or perhaps agonizing....no, no, no the best way to describe it is excruciatingly painful!!

First off, I could not get the darn plate to move forward, Coach said it was because I was pushing down and not forward....whatever the reason it was completely frustrating!! I hope I have a completely different result next time.

Here is the break down of my rather poor performance.....it is in order of Plate pushes, supermans, wallball, kettlebell swings, Pop presses and Ring rows.

Round 1 ~ 5/2/6/30/13/11 = 67
Round 2 ~ 5/9/8/25/20/10 = 77
Round 3 ~ 5/10/8/10/15/8 = 56

Total: 200

Thursday 5/7/09 ~ Back Squats

Back Squats 5-5-5-5-5

I was a little apprehensive about this workout as I tend to cry when I push myself hard on squat workouts, especially when going low...very low....low, low, low....so, I was VERY pleased when that did not happen...WOO HOO!!

Results:

125/130/135/145/150

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

WOD

3 rounds for time of:
- 20 meters Beck's Burpees
- 180 meter run
- 20 SDLHP (75/55#)
- 20 situps

Another new CTD workout.....Holy Crap! I was SO relieved when Coach changed it from 5 Rounds to 3, I thought it might be kinda fun. Maybe it will be fun the next time we do it BUT tonight it was just exhausting!!! The good news is, I did do it as prescribed....WOO HOO!!

Time: 19:50

Monday 5/4/09 ~ Overhead lunges

100 Overhead lunges
for time (50/side)
135#/95#

This was a new workout, an extremely, extremely, hard workout....oh my goodness! I have a hard time with lunges and since I struggle to get my knees to touch the ground, Coach only had me do 25 lbs....I cannot imagine doing 60 lbs like Ellen did....OMG!!!

Time: 14:38

Saturday 5/2/09 ~ "Helen"

- 400 meter run
- 21 Kettlebell swings (24 kg)
- 12 pullups
3 rounds for time

Helen has always been one of my most favorite workouts BUT not so much this day. I just was not feeling the run nor the pullups. Next time is bound to be better!

Time: 16:16

Friday, May 1, 2009

"Push/Pull"

After a thorough warmup of progressively increasing weights, perform three rounds of:
- 12 bench press
- 12 deadlifts for weight.
There is no time component to this workout. Recommended rest time between sets is 3-5 minutes.

Excellent workout.....twelve is a LOT of flippin' reps!! I am very pleased with my performance and am so glad that Coach encouraged me to go higher than I would have on my own.

Bench press: 65/75/75....I would have liked to go higher but my form was lacking tonight.
Deadlift: 165/175/185.....Let me stress again....12 reps is a freakin' LOT!!!!!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Wallball/slamball

4 rounds x 25 reps each for time and weight

WOW....tough but good workout!! It has been awhile since we have done this workout and being that I struggle with Wallball, I was pretty pleased with my time.

I used a 14# Wallball and a 16# Slamball

Time: 13:16

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Press/Front squat

3 rounds for max weight of:
- 3 strict presses
- 3 front squats


This was a very tough workout for me...coming into the gym tonight, I was not feeling it...I had to wear my glasses because I broke a blood vessel in one eye and it was really red and sore. I hate wearing my glasses to workout....Yuck! Plus Front Squats are something I really struggle with....

Round 1:
We started with the Strict Presses and I started at 65 lbs which felt pretty good.
I also decided to go with 65 lbs on the Front Squat and it also felt amazingly good.

Round 2:
Press:
I moved upt to 75 lbs...it was a bit of a struggle but I did it.
FS: Since the 65 lbs felt so good, I decided to go for 90 lbs and it felt really good as well.

Round 3:
Press: I knew I was not supposed to go to failure but had decided to go with 80 lbs and managed to get 1 rep in and stopped because I was pretty sure I was not going to be able to get the other two reps in.
FS: Since I was feeling in the groove and my previous PR was 125 lbs...I decided to go for a new PR of 130 lbs. On my first attempt I did not squat all the way down, so Coach would not count it. On the second attempt the bar felt SO flippin' heavy that I immediately got in my own head but managed to get down and up. On the third attempt I was on my way down and did not think I could get back up, so I dumped the bar which hit a plate and bounced back and hit me in the shin (I have a really pretty bruise there already). That was it, the tears started and I did not think I would be able to finish...I wasn't crying because I was hurt but because I was frustrated and freaked out and just could not imagine doing anymore reps. But Coach had me settle down and I did manage to get in 3 that counted....Whew...what a night!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Power cleans

5-5-5-5-5

I LOVE Power Cleans.....I can hardly wait for the day that Coach tells me I have the form down!! I feel like I am getting close but NOT close enough.....ARGH!!

50/60/70/75/75

I can hardly wait for next time!!!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Stations Workout

3 rounds x 1 minute stations;
1 minute rest between stations:

- Kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
- Burpees
- DB goblet squats (40/25 lbs)
- Pullups
- Split Jumps
- Sandbag cleans (75/50 lbs)

Another new workout, I liked it but I really need to strive to do better next time......

Round 1 ~ 60
Round 2 ~ 72
Round 3 ~ 60

Total: 192

Thursday, April 23, 2009

5000/3000 lbs overhead for time

Using any lift and weight, or combination of lifts and weights, move a total of 5000 lbs (men) or 3000 lbs (women) from the floor to locked out overhead in the shortest time possible.

This was a new workout....I liked it but my time was not great...I don't know how others were getting it done in 6 minutes and under....I will have to try harder next time!

I used a 60 lb barbell doing the clean and push press ~ 50 reps.

Time: 10:07

Wednesday 4/22/09 ~ Back Squats

Back squats
3-3-3-3-3

Ahh.....Back Squats one of the many few lifts that I struggle with....but I continue to move forward and take on more weight, which is an accomplishment all in itself!

Last night I started with 125 lbs and did it relatively easy

2nd set was 135 lbs....heavy but not bad

3rd set I jumped to 155 lbs....still pretty pleased with my performance so I decided to go for a PR

4th set I jumped to 175 lbs to beat my last PR of 165 AND........I failed....DRAT!!!

5th set ~ I was still wanting a PR so I went down to 170 lbs and got one rep in...a new PR!!!

All in all, not a bad night....

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Friday 4/10/09 ~ "Filthy Stations" - two rounds

Variation on the "Filthy Fifty": 1 minute stations; no rest between stations; 2 minutes rest between rounds.

- box jumps (24"/20")
- jumping pullups
- kettlebell swings (16 kg/12 kg)
- walking lunges - knees-to-elbows
- push press (45#/35#)
- back extensions
- wallballs (20#/16#)
- burpees
- double-unders
for total reps

I was SO pleased to have done this workout as prescribed! This is a really tough workout but it was made especially tough because there was only Ellen and I there and two Coach's ~ Jonathan and Rich! My numbers were not great but considering how much attention was paid to form..I don't feel too bad about itBold.

Total Reps: 215

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tuesday 4/7/09 ~ WOD

3 rounds for time of:
- 7 Deadlifts (135/95#)
- 7 Squat cleans (135/95#)
- 7 Push presses (135/95#)
400 meter run

This is a pretty cool workout...I did have to modify because of my wrist and quite honestly, I'm not sure that I could have done the 95# Squat Clean and Push Press...we will see next time this workout comes around.

Modifications:

65 lb Zucher Squats....wow these are tough little boogers....
65 lb push press....the first round it bothered my wrist a little bit but the second and third round were better.

Because I was going so low on the above...I tried to redeem myself a tad by doing 135 lbs on the deadlift. They felt pretty darn good.

Time: 15:04

Monday, April 6, 2009

WOD

30, 20, and 10-rep rounds of:
- KB swings (24/16 kg)
- KB Floor press (24/16 kg)
- KB Goblet squats (24/16 kg)
- Feet-to-sky
for time

Fun workout....I had to modify the Floor Press because of my wrist...I did 15 lbs dumbbells instead of 16 kg kettlebells.

Time: 14:27

Ellen still managed to beat me and that was doing the workout as prescribed....The girl is amazing!!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

deadlifts!

3-3-3-3-3

I seemed to have hit a surge of improvement on deadlifts and I am beyond thrilled!

I am very pleased with my performance yesterday.....

I started at a weight higher then I have ever started before.....235 lbs for 3

I then moved up to 245 lbs for 3

Then onto 255 lbs for 3

I started to get nervous at 265 lbs and only got 2 in

I then asked Coach if I could go for a 1 Max PR and he agreed.......I was stoked when I got it!!! 1 rep at 275 lbs!!!! YES!!!





Thursday, April 2, 2009

WOD

5 minutes turkish getups for reps (24/16 kg)
- rest 2 minutes
- 5 minutes cleans for reps (135/95#)
- rest 2 minutes
- 5 minutes Handstand pushups for reps
Score is total number of combined reps for the workout

I can see how this would be a really fun workout....I would have loved to have done it as close to presribed as possible! But, since I went to the doctor today and she said that my wrist is sprained, I am trying to take it easy. So I did the following modifications of the workout:

Turkish Getups (I tried the 16 kg and it wasn't happening) 12 lbs ~ 8 Total Reps
Instead of Cleans I did 2-handed Kettlebell Swings; 16 kg ~ 80 Reps
Instead of Handstand pushups I did Shoulder Press; 65 lbs ~ 19 Reps

Overall not too bad BUT I SO wanted to do cleans....I even tried one, turned out not to be a good idea but I just had to try!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Jumpin' Helen

"Helen":
- 400 meter run
- 21 Kettlebell swings (24 kg)
- 12 pullups
3 rounds for time

If weather does not permit running safely, we will substitute jumping rope (100 jumps for each 200m lap).

We did substitute jumping for running because of snow.....it was actually quite fun, I am getting pretty good with the jumprope (if I do say so myself)!

I finished in a time of 13:30

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Hack Squats

5-5-5-5-5

I LOVE doing Hack Squats.....I am pretty good at them and that makes me VERY happy. I actually hit a PR on them last night!! And, if I am completely honest, I also like them so much because it is the ONLY thing where I can actually do more weight then Ellen and Cheri....at least at this point in time.

145-155-165-185-210 ~ PR

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

"DEFYght Gone Bad" - 3 rounds

With a continuously running clock, perform maximum reps in 60 seconds at each of 5 stations:
- Wallball (20 lbs/16 lbs)
- Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (75 lbs/55 lbs)
- Box jumps (20")- Push press (75 lbs/55 lbs)
- Double-unders (replaces the rowing in the original FGB)

No rest between stations; 60 seconds rest between rounds.

Each repetition completed with full range-of-motion counts as a point.
Complete three rounds for total points



I did this workout as prescribed....In the Black Baby!!!

Okay, my points were pretty low BUT it was still in the black and the BEST thing about the workout besides being in the black......

I also got my first EVER...yes EVER....Double-Under!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!! I was SO shocked...I didn't even know I got it until Coach said something. It was really pretty funny!

Score: 106

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"Annie"

50-40-30-20- and 10-rep rounds of:
- Double-unders
- Situps
for time

Acceptable subs for double-unders are:
- Tuck jumps
- Burpees (1:2 ratio)
- Squat thrusts
- Mountain climbers
- Up-downs

Instead of doing double-unders (because I still cannot do them...grrrrr) I substituted with Tuck Jumps.

I actually knocked 5 minutes off of my last time....WOO HOO!!!!

Time: 13:27

Monday 3/16/09 ~ "Fran"

21-, 15-, and 9 reps each of:
- thrusters (95#/65#)
- pullups for time

For the first time I actually did the Thrusters as prescribed ~ 65# and instead of using mini bands, I opted with jumping pullups....

My time was not great but this is as close to prescribed that I have ever gotten!!

Time: 14:07

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Saturday 3/14/09 ~ Breathing Squats

5 sets x 20 reps

This is a rest-pause technique in which the lifter does a rep, takes a breath, and repeats 19 times. If you haven't done this before, start with a weight that seems too easy and build from there.

This is definitely NOT one of my favorite workouts but I will say that I gave it my all....

1st Set ~ 80 lbs ~ This is the weight I started at last time and it felt pretty good.

2nd Set ~ 85 lbs ~ Feeling heavy but I got through it.

3rd Set ~ 90 lbs ~ Okay....very heavy and I was SO wishing it was the 5th set already.

4th Set ~ 100 lbs! ~ I would have settled for 95...oh heck, who am I kidding...I would have been fine with 90 lbs again but Coach encouraged me to try 100 and go for the PR, so I did. The first 10 actually did not feel too bad....but the next 15....OMG!!! Right around the 15th rep, I started to panic and hyper-ventilate a bit, then I could feel the tears getting ready to start and then sure enough, tear time BUT I did finish the set (with a lot of encouragement....I love Defy!) and Coach said that it was very jocky cry and I believe him!! LOL!

5th Set ~ 80 lbs ~ Exhausting!!

I love it when I get a PR...even if I have to cry to get it!!

Thursday 3/12/09 ~ "Barbell Hell"

Tabata intervals applied in turn to:
- Push jerks
- Cleans
- SDLHP
- Floor presses
- Deadlifts
With one minute rest between exercises.

Exercises can be performed in any order desired. Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Workout is done for total reps and weight for each exercise




Since I messed up my numbers last time...I decided to do the same weight as last time, so I have baseline numbers for future workouts. I have to say that I'm glad that I did because 65 lbs was flippin' hard!!

-Floor Press ~ 41
-Deadlift ~ Used 135 lbs ~ 35
-Cleans ~ 21
-Push jerks ~ 28
-SDLHP (sumo deadlift high pull) ~ 40

Next time I will move up to 70 lbs....OY!

Monday, March 9, 2009

"The Bear" Hybrid complex

5 rounds of 7 "reps" of the sequence:
- Power clean
- Front squat
- Push press
- Back squat
- Push Press

Each "rep" is one time through the entire sequence; each "round" consists of 7 reps.

There is no time component to this workout; rest as long as needed between rounds, BUT there is no stopping the weight on the floor within a round even to regrip!
DEFY! will be doing this WOD for TOTAL weight; e.g. rounds of 35/45/55/65/75 lbs give a total of 275 lbs

The Bear is one of those workouts that when you see it come into rotation...you whisper "oh no, it's.....The Bear"

It is one tough, tough, workout but very satisfying when you are done....I did the following:

45/55/55/55/55

For a Total of.....265

Saturday 3/7/09 ~ "Helen"

- 400 meter run
- 21 Kettlebell swings (24 kg)
- 12 pullups
3 rounds for time

One of my favorite workouts....though I was slower this time then ever before....most likely because I had to pull much, much harder on my pullups!

Time: 16:24

After the workout Ellen and I went to watch Coach and Rich compete in a Powerlifting Meet....they both did AWESOME!

I SO want to compete in one now!!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

"Filthy Stations" - two rounds

Variation on the "Filthy Fifty": 1 minute stations; no rest between stations; 2 minutes rest between rounds.

- box jumps (24"/20")
- jumping pullups
- kettlebell swings (16 kg/12 kg)
- walking lunges
- knees-to-elbows
- push press (45#/35#)
- back extensions
- wallballs (20#/16#)
- burpees
- double-unders
for total reps



I am SO freakin excited...I actually did this workout in the black!!! I wasn't planning on it but Z and Papa Joe talked me into it and I'm so glad they did!

I started with Box Jumps ~ 20" ~ my big nemesis...I did not do very many but I actually did it!!
I then moved on to Jumping Pullups, which were a relief after the box jumps.
Kettlebell Swings ~ I accidently did the higher weight (16 kg) the first round....lol.
Walking Lunges
Knees-To-Elbows ~ used the rings and they felt pretty darn good.
Push Press ~ Felt really good
Back Extensions
Wallballs ~ 16#....OY!
Burpees
Double-unders - I got 0 both rounds but I gave it my best effort!

Total Reps: 241

I LOVE....let me repeat LOVE this workout....maybe even more then *gasp* Helen...yes it's true....

Tuesday 3/3/09 ~ Bench Press

5-5-5-5-5

I feel like my bench press is really improving...my form is not so quirky anymore.

Round 1 ~ 85 lbs - Felt really good
Round 2 ~ 95 lbs - Still felt pretty darn good
Round 3 ~ 105 lbs - I could only get 1 rep in....
Round 4 ~ 105 lbs - I thought I would try it one more time but alas again I could only get 1 rep in....
Round 5 ~ 95 lbs ~ Whew...I really had to struggle to get that 5th rep up but I did it.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Functional Focus Day

- Monkeybar swings
- Pullup/chinup variations
- Handstands/handstand pushups


This was terrifyingly (is that a word) fun workout for me!

First Ellen showed me the most awesome way to do the Monkey Bars...she balanced me on her back and I went right across....okay, there was some squeeking and hyper-ventilating but boy was it fun!! Who knew?

The second time across was with Coach just holding my feet and I DID IT!!! Okay, there was some more squeeking and hyper-venitlating BUT I still did it!!!

Handstands ~ OMG....I was terrified...I'm talking legs and hands shaking terrified but again I DID IT!!! Okay, there was alot of coaxing involved and it wasn't pretty AT ALL but I did it!!! Yea!!!

Pullup/chinup variation ~ This was really cool, you started doing a pullup overhand, then you move across the monkey bar to neutral then again to underhand....with Coach holding my feet for support...I actually liked this one ALOT!!!

Interesting observation....some people enjoy extreme sports for the rush they get...I get the same rush just from hanging from a monkey bar or attempting a handstand...I think it is all about the fear.....lol.


Quote of the day:
You must do the things you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Saturday 2/28/09 ~ 1-hand kettlebell swings

1-hand kettlebell swings:
10-ladder (up and down) for time and weight.

This ladder is performed as follows:- 1 rep with each hand
- 2 reps with each hand
- 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 with each hand, then back down: 9, 8, 7, etc.
the "10" set is only performed once with each hand, at the "top" of the ladder.


I used a 16kg kettlebell and finished a bit slower then last time and boy was I was sore for the next two days....upper back, shoulders and hips.....whew!

Time: 10:26

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Front squats

3-3-3-3-3

I have never been a big fan of the Front Squat....last time we did 5's and I got the following:

75/80/85/90/95

This time it was 3's and with Cheri's encouragement (Thank you Cheri) I decided to hit it a little harder.

1st round ~ 85....it felt pretty good
2nd round ~ 95....it still felt pretty good...from this point on I was going into PR territory!
3rd round ~ 105....it was starting to feel pretty heavy but I was still managing to squat all the way down to the box.
4th round ~ 115.....whew, but I did it!
5th round ~ 125.....I was feeling a little panicky, the sucker was HEAVY and I was not getting down all the way to the box but I was so afraid that once I got down there I would not be able to get back up....next time I will be more prepared for that heavy of a weight.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Wednesday 2/25/09

200 meter run x 8 rounds
2 minutes rest between rounds


I thought I did pretty well considering I run like my feet are stuck in cement.....

Round 1 ~ 58 seconds
Round 2 ~ 1:02
Round 3 ~ 58 seconds
Round 4 ~ 1:02
Round 5 ~ 1:00
Round 6 ~ 1:03
Round 7 ~ 1:02
Round 8 ~ 1:04

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

CrossFit Stations #2 - three rounds

With a continuously running clock, spend one minute at each station. Workout is for three rounds with one minute rest between rounds.

The clock does not stop or reset between stations. On call of "rotate", each person moves immediately to the next station in the sequence.

- Wallball (men: 20 lbs/women: 16 lbs)
- Pullups
- Slamball (20 lbs/16 lbs)
- Situps
- Box jumps (20"/16")

One point is given for each repetion, with continuous counting through the entire round. Score is the total number of points through the entire workout.

Great metcon workout! I actually did better then I ever have and with less modifications....my only modification was jumping pullups (no bands) on the low bar.

Round 1 ~ I got in 75 reps
Round 2 ~ I got in 71 reps
Round 3 ~ I got in 72 reps

For a TOTAL of 218

Monday, February 23, 2009

"CrossFit Total"

Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

Each person will have two attempts for a max at each lift, rather than three. Make sure you get a good warmup!


This is truly one of my favorite workouts!!

Tonight I managed to hit 2 PR's and after my poor showing on Saturday...it was SUCH a relief.

Back Squat ~ 165 lbs ~ PR
My previous PR was 155 lbs

Shoulder Press ~ 80 lbs
5 lbs short of my last PR

Deadlift ~ 270 lbs
My previous PR was 255 lbs

In all honesty my Deadlift was NOT pretty at all...there was some hitching involved but I still got it up and I am SO freakin happy about that!!!


Thought for the day....
You must do the things you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Turkish Getup Hell.....

30-rep Turkish Getups x 3 sets for weight
15 per side; you may not put the weight down until all repetitions are finished

OH....MY.....GOD.....I was stuck in TGU hell this morning. I am truly trying to bond with Turkish Getups but 3 sets of 30....OH NO!!!

It was really kind of sad because I was only using 10 lbs.

1st Set ~ I decided to do all 15 on each side at once....it was okay with my right arm but by the time I was done with 15 on my left, my shoulder was numb.

2nd Set ~ I decided to break them up into sets of 5 but I was so frustrated by the end that tears were beginning to flow. I'm not sure why I was frustrated, maybe because I was going so slow or my form wasn't just right...who knows but I was totally over it and I still had one more Set to go....which only made my need to cry worse.

3rd Set ~ On Cheri's advise (thanks Cheri) I started with my left arm first (my weak arm) so that I could finish up on the right. It actually helped alot and even though my eyes watered (okay I was crying) throughout the last set...I did finish.

I hope we don't have to do this workout again for a long time!

Friday 2/20/09 ~ "Tabata Something Else"

Tabata intervals applied in turn to:
- Pullups
- Pushups
- Situps
- SquatsFor total repetitions.
Complete all rounds of one exercise before moving to the next; No rest between rounds or exercises.


I actually like this workout, it is tough but fun.....I did not do too badly.

Situps ~ 75
Squats ~ 53
Pullups ~ 49
Pushups ~ 45

Total: 222

Modifications: Mini-bands and incline pushups

Coach informed Ellen and me that he would no longer be allowing partial range of motions in our workouts ie. Pullups....so if he did not see chin over the bar he would not count it....looks like my nickname will be one, as in I will never get past one pullup...I can hear Coach now....one, one, one, one.....OY!!

In reality, I know it will just make me stronger so bring it on....LOL!

Wednesday 2/18/09 ~ Power cleans

1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I love Power cleans....that does not mean I can do them correctly but I REALLY want to!!

That being said I did 1's for 3 reps....

60/70/80

and then worked on form by doing 3's the rest of the workout....

60/60/70/70

I would have liked to continue going but time would not allow it.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Death by Pullup

With a continuously running clock, perform one pullup the first minute, two the second, three the third, and so on until you cannot complete the prescribed number. Breaks between pullups are permitted, as long as the required number is completed within the minute.

After the "last man standing" fails, there will be a 2 minute rest, followed by a second round. The score is the total number of completed pullups in the workout.

Scale the workout down by using enough assistance to allow approximately 8-12 pullups in a row while fresh. Scale the workout up by adding enough additional weight to limit continuous pullups to 8-12 repetitions while fresh.

I have always like this workout...I did not do as many as I did last time but I think I was pulling a lot harder this time.

Round 1 ~ 14+13 = 118
Round 2 ~ 10 + 9 = 64

Total ~ 182

Modifications: Minis, Low Bar, Jumping

Monday 2/16/09 ~ "Kelly"

Five rounds for time of
- 400 meter run
- 30 box jumps (20/16")
- 30 wallball shots (20/16#)

Oh My Goodness....this was a tough one but I still liked it!

It has the 3 things that I am slowest at....box jumps because of this darn mental block; running, I run like my feet are stuck in cement and wallball shots, although I feel I am getting better at these.

I only finished 3 rounds because of the 30 minute cut off but I am looking forward to doing this one again!

Time: 34:06

Saturday, February 14, 2009

"Randy"

75 power snatches (75#/55#)
For time

As excited as I was about Bench Press...I was just as worried about doing Randy!!

The last time we did this workout...it took me 14:03 to finish and I was only using 45 lbs. It was just so flippin tiring!

This time not only did I use a higher weight but it did not feel half bad (until the end) and I finished in a much faster time!! Woo Hoo!!!

50 lbs

Time: 10:29

Friday 2/13/09 ~ Bench Press

5-4-3-2-1


I was pretty excited about doing Bench Press tonight as I finally feel my form is improving....

5 ~ I started at 75 lbs and it felt really good actually...Coach said the form on my first two was really good, then it kind of deteriorated from there.

4 ~ 85 lbs....again the first two were my best but it still felt good overall.

3 ~ 95 lbs.....it was starting to get heavy and I was starting to think (probably too much) about my next two lifts.

2 ~ 105 lbs x 1.....I only got it up once but it was a PR!!

1 ~ 110 lbs....No Go....I could not even get it off my chest!

Wednesday 2/11/09 ~ "Diane"

21-, 15-, and 9 reps of:
- Deadlifts (225/155)
- Handstand pushups
for time


I really like this workout and I feel really good about my time...

I only used one modification ~ Pike pushups on floor.

Time: 8:26

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Back squats

5-4-3-2-1

I had a pretty good workout tonight, it's a good workout anytime you hit a PR!

I started with 5 at 115

I then moved up to 125 for 4...it was starting to feel heavy.

I then moved up to 145 for 3....it felt really heavy and I got a cramp in my shoulder....the craziest thing.

Then it was on to 155 for 2.....not very pretty but I did it.....

Last rep....I went for a PR of 160 lbs and got it!! I do have to note that my form was not good...not good at all BUT a PR none the less!! ;-)

Monday, February 9, 2009

"DEFYght Gone Bad" - 3 rounds

at each of 5 stations:
- Wallball (20 lbs/16 lbs)
- Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (75 lbs/55 lbs)
- Box jumps (20")
- Push press (75 lbs/55 lbs)
- Double-unders (replaces the rowing in the original FGB)

No rest between stations; 60 seconds rest between rounds.

Each repetition completed with full range-of-motion counts as a point. Complete three rounds for total points

The only modification I had was tuck jumps in place of double unders (I still cannot do those darn things)

The first round I actually ended up doing 75 lbs for the push press and SDLHP...it was a complete mistake but I only did 5 reps less then on the next two rounds...I guess I am getting stronger....wow!

I finished with 175 total points

"Fran"

21-, 15-, and 9 reps each of:
- thrusters (95#/65#)
- pullups for time
Modifications: 55# and mini bands on the low bar

I continue to struggle with those darn thrusters...I believe my form is getting better but I'm just not very fast.

Time: 11:15

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Semi-Murph, or "Smurph", and will be written up in blue, of course

- 1/2 mile run
- 50 pullups
- 100 pushups
- 150 squats
- 1/2 mile run

I really liked this workout with the exception of the squats....I just really struggle with them for some reason....

Modifications:
Mini Bands and Incline pushups

Time: 33:25

I am actually looking forward to doing this workout again....

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

"Barbell Hell"

Tabata intervals applied in turn to:
- Push jerks
- Cleans
- SDLHP
- Floor presses
- Deadlifts

With one minute rest between exercises.

Exercises can be performed in any order desired. Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Workout is done for total reps and weight for each exercise

This is one of those workouts that you end up liking because you are so sure you are going to die at some point during the workout that when you don't and actually live through the whole thing, you have this great sense of accomplishment! Okay, I may be exaggerating just a bit but you get the picture....

Anyhow this is how it went for me....

Push Jerk ~ 32
Cleans ~ 24
SDLHP ~ 32
Floor Press ~ 32
All of the above were done with 65 lbs
Deadlift ~ 24 with 135 lbs

Next time will be better...I'm just sure of it!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Kettlebell Renegade Rows (3-count)

10 reps x 7 sets for weight

There is no time component to this workout, and weight may be changed between sets.


Wow....tough workout for me!!

I started with 12 lbs for the 1st Round

I continued with 12 lbs for Round 2 but had to break it up because I was feeling a "tweak" in my back...7+3

Round 3...I moved up to 20 lbs but still had to break it up...5+3+2

Round 4....20 lbs broken up...4+4+2 ~ Coach asked why I was having to breakup the rounds and I explained that my upper back (between the shoulder blades) was hurting.

Round 5....20 lbs broken up....4+3+3 ~ Coach said that I was letting my butt sink during my pushups and that is what was probably affecting my back...so he had me switch to knee pushups.

Round 6....20 lbs...knee pushups

Round 7.....20 lbs...knee pushups....my back felt fine during the last two sets.

The good news is there is no place to go but up!!!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Dip, Grip and Rip!!

Deadlifts
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I have always liked doing deadlifts but I have to say, now that I'm starting to go a little heavier the thought of hurting my back is always in the back of my mind. I really need to get over that because as long as I use good form I am in no danger of that happening.

Today I was really hoping for a PR but unfortunately that did not happen BUT I will say that 255 has never felt so good!

Here's how it went....

235
245
255 ~ my previous PR
265 ~ Failed
265 ~ Failed...I decided at this point to go down 5 which would still be a PR
260 ~ Failed....DRAT!! I decided to go down even more to end on a good note....
245 ~ Failed....Whatcha gonna do?

I will get it next time for sure!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Filthy Fifty

- 50 box jumps (24"/20")
- 50 jumping pullups
- 50 kettlebell swings (16 kg/12 kg)
- 50 walking lunges
- 50 knees-to-elbows
- 50 push press (45#/35#)
- 50 back extensions
- 50 wallballs (20#/16#)
- 50 burpees
- 50 double-unders
for time

I did not finish the workout tonight and as disappointing as that is, I guess it will teach to improve on my time! Next time, I will be ready!!

~I started with burpees since that is one of the two things I struggle with most.....
~Next I moved on to the box jump...I opted for the 16" as the 20" still really scares me
~Then I moved on to kettlebell swings, last time I did the 50 without stopping, this time I had to take a break
~I then moved on to wallball...last time I used the 8#, this time I used the 12#
~Then on to back extensions
~Next was push press...I felt SO proud when coach said that this was the best they have ever looked. :-) :-)
~I then moved on to walking lunges....Coach gave the 5 minute warning and I still had 3 stations to go...it wasn't looking good.
~Next and last was jumping pullups using the mini bands....I finished this round and then time was up.....

Time: 41:11

I did not complete double-unders, which for me would have been tuck jumps and Knees to Elbows, which would have been situps....Next time for sure!!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Front squats

5-5-5-5-5

Front Squats have never been my favorite workout but I think I did okay....I still need a lot of work but I'm sure it will come....eventually.

75/80/85/90/95

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

"Fightin' Helen"

3 rounds for time of:
- 200 heavy bag punches (your choice of hit)
- 21 kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
- 12 pullups

I was SO excited for this workout for one reason and one reason only....it was going to give me a chance to wear my hot pink handwraps! I felt good all wrapped up and was totally ready to hit the bag....it turns out my technique was not so great and I took skin off of several top knuckles and you know what?? That freakin hurts!! But I handled it like a true jock and did not whine or complain AT ALL!!!
.
.
.
.
Okay, that is not true I really handled it badly but I DID NOT cry and that is the truth! Next time I will handle it better...

I did have one modification and that was jumping pullups....

Time: 10:28

Monday, January 26, 2009

SDLHP and RD

7 rounds for time of:
- 95 lb/65 lb Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (SDLHP), 10 reps
- Ring Dips, 10 reps

I have always liked Sumo Deadlift High Pulls or maybe I just have always liked saying it....hmmm.....regardless, I took almost 2 minutes off my last time, the big difference is I modified the workout by doing foot assisted on the bar instead of the rings.

Time: 11:04

We then practiced wacky wall walkers....I'm pretty sure everyone encourages me to try these new things just so they can see me hyper-ventilate! Okay, maybe that is not true but it happens none the less....

Saturday, January 24, 2009

30, 20, 10

30, 20, and 10-rep rounds of:
- KB swings
- Bench press
- Goblet squats
- Feet-to-sky
for time

This was a first for this particular workout and I found it quite excellent....my only regret was modifying the bench press to 65 lbs....I would still have to modify but I should have done it at 75 lbs.

Time: 14:37



After the workout several of us went to an Olympic Training Meet at MBS CrossFit...it was incredibly interesting and much more laid back then the last meet we all attended. I did have an "How Did I Get Here" moment while watching the meet, as little as a year ago, I would have NEVER seen myself in room full of jocks pushing incredible amounts of weight, much less being totally into it AND thinking about doing it myself!! It just goes to show, you just never know what kind of turn life will take.

SP, PP, PJ

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps


This particular on this particular evening gave me a serious case of Terets! I really, really need to start watching my mouth.....Holy Smokes!

Results:

Shoulder Press: 75/80/85/85/85 ~ at least I failed at a higher number this time
Push Press: 85/90x2/90/95x1/95x1
Push Jerk: 85/90x1 ~ we had to cut it short because of time constraints

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Nicole

- Run 400 m
- Max rep pullups

AMRAP in 20 minutes; Note number of pullups each round

Great, great workout....I'm not quite sure why I like running workouts so much because I am definitely not a fast runner....they just appeal to me, I guess it is just one of those mysteries of life.

I ended up doing 6 Rounds + 200 meters and 34 jumping pullups


"It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop." ~ Confucious

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Barbell hack squats

5-5-5-5-5

Ellen was right, this particular movement was made for chicken legs like mine!

I'm pretty pleased with my performance for the first time out......

115/135/145/165/185

Next time I'm going to shoot for 200!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Daniel

- 50 Pull-ups
- 400 meter run
- 21 thrusters (95/65 lbs)
- 800 meter run
- 21 thrusters (95/65 lbs)
- 400 meter run
- 50 Pull-ups For time

Okay....so I was feeling a bit of trepidation about this workout which for me always spells trouble, it wasn't the run that had me uptight but rather the thrusters. I have been trying so very hard to jock it up a notch but tonight I became the old whiner girl.....the more frustrated I became the worse it got.....GAH!!!

Well....I just need to jump back on the jock bandwagon and recommit to the program!

Modifications:

55 lb Thrusters and minis on the low bar....

Time: 26:38

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Cindy

Complete AMRAP* in 20 minutes of:
- 5 pullups
- 10 pushups
- 15 squats

*AMRAP: As Many Rounds As Possible

Cindy is a great old standard for me...it was actually one of my first CrossFit Workouts. Although she doesn't hold a candle to Helen, it is still rather fun to do.....

Today I did 9 Rounds plus Pullups and Pushups...

Modifications: Minis on the Low Bar

This afternoon we went to Cheri's housewarming....I really love how the DEFY! group always shows up to support each other!! Cheri if you happen to read this, your home is beautiful and the food OMG wonderful!!! Thank you for having us!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Snatches

3-3-3-3-3

Okay, because I have this need to be honest....I kinda of backslid in my attempt to always maintain a positive attitude. I was talking with my friend Lisa on the phone and mentioned in casual conversation that I thought Snatches sucked....well, she mentioned it to Coach during her workout and he called me on it.....as well he should....one should always have someone in their life who calls them on their crap.

Here is the funny thing, even though I mentioned that to her in casual conversation, on the way to the workout instead of doing my usual "this is going to be terrible" ; "I'm going to be worst one"; "what if I drop the bar on head"; etc. thinking....I was actually doing the opposite , "you can do this"; "no problem"; "it's in the bag" and it actually worked!!

Coach has been telling me forever (well at least since we have been working together) that "if you think you are going to fail then you already have" (I might not have the quote exactly right but you get the jist) and you know what he is right!! Really right!!

I actually think I like Snatches.....there I said it!! I'm thrilled!!

My weight was not that heavy but they felt pretty darn good!!

35/45/50/50/50

Now, I guess I should put a call into Lisa and tell her I was wrong......

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Death by Pullup

With a continuously running clock, perform one pullup the first minute, two the second, three the third, and so on until you cannot complete the prescribed number. Breaks between pullups are permitted, as long as the required number is completed within the minute.

After the "last man standing" fails, there will be a 2 minute rest, followed by a second round. The score is the total number of completed pullups in the workout.

Scale the workout down by using enough assistance to allow approximately 8-12 pullups in a row while fresh. Scale the workout up by adding enough additional weight to limit continuous pullups to 8-12 repetitions while fresh.




Let's first talk about my modifications....I used mini bands on the low bar, jumping.

That being said...I still feel pretty good about how I did.....

First Round: 13 + 12 = 103
Second Round: 12 + 9 = 87
Total: 190

Tomorrow is a snatch night.....I wish it was cleans but we can't always get everything we want. I'm sure it will be good for me.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

WOD

21-, 15-, and 9-rep rounds of:
- Renegade Rows (35/25#)
- KB Swings (32/24 kg)for time

I bought this wonderful little spiral notebook today with the idea that I could easily carry it in my bag and be able to jot down my workouts and then transfer them over to my blog and big notebook. But it kinda defeats the purpose if you leave your little notebook at the gym....ARGH!

Lets see, I did use one modification...I used a 20# dumbbell instead of the 25

I finished in 13:38....I believe that is right.

The workout was tough....like dripping sweat from your forehead onto the floor tough, that being said....I still kinda liked it. I think I have lost my mind....

Monday, January 12, 2009

Breathing Squats

5 sets x 20 reps

This is a rest-pause technique in which the lifter does a rep, takes a breath, and repeats 19 times.

If you haven't done this before, start with a weight that seems too easy and build from there.



I have to say that I am VERY proud of my performance tonight...that is HUGE statement coming from me.... self-deprecation is more my style but I'm attempting to give it up this year.

The last time I did this workout was on December 17th and I did not think I did too badly by doing 75/75/75/80

Tonight I went higher then I thought possible.....80/80/85/90/95!! YES!!!

I am excited to see what tomorrow night will bring!




Sunday, January 11, 2009

CrossFit Goals

Yesterday after a morning of embracing TGU's....Coach, Rich, Ellen and I went to lunch. During that time the topic turned toward our goals for this next year. I am not normally a big resolution person but I can understand the validity of goal setting. My main fear is one of failure.....what if I don't achieve my goals?? Which in itself is negative thinking, are you starting to see the tangled web of my mind....so in an attempt to show my new positive side, I am writing down a few reachable goals for this year!

Double-umders - I am going to strive to get those elusive suckers under my belt.

Pullups - I would like to be out of bands within the next six months.

Deadlifts - I would like to be able to hit 320 lbs. My current PR is 255, so I do believe this doable.

Oly Lifts - I would really like to get my technique down!

Helen - I would like to get it done in 11 minutes or less....I am currently at a little over 14 minutes.

Okay, that is the short list....I think I will print this up and put it on my refrigerator and check each item off as the goal is achieved! How's that for positive thinking!!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Turkish Getups

1-1-1-1-1 (1 per side per round)

I am truly trying to embrace TGU's this year...I actually got a PR today! It's still not alot of weight but a PR none the less!

18-20-26-30-32 PR

I am still doing them with kettlebells or dumbbells...maybe next time I will actually try a barbell...we shall see.







Friday, January 9, 2009

Helen

- 400 meter run
- 21 Kettlebell swings (24 kg)
- 12 pullups 3 rounds for time

I missed doing "DEFYght Gone Bad" last night because I was sick...I felt like I had been run over by train or perhaps pummeled by the school bully...suffice it to say, I was achy all over.

It may have been a good idea to miss tonight as well, except for the fact that Helen is my all time favorite workout and there was no way I was going to miss it! So I put on my Jock hat, sucked it up and went.....I don't think I did too badly, I actually improved my time a bit....

Time: 14:11 using mini bands on the medium bar.

Tomorrow Turkish Getups....I go from my favorite to my least favorite. But I am sucking it up and embracing the TGU's!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Power Cleans from the Hang

3-3-3-3-3


I want to get this SO badly I can taste it!!! I think I am going to start working on it as part of my warmup.....

I did okay....
65 ~ 70 ~ 75 ~ 75 ~ 65

It was so nice to have Octavia, Ali and Doug back in the fold!!

Tomorrow....."DEFYght Gone Bad" !

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

"Lynne"

As prescribed:
5 rounds for max reps of:
- Bodyweight bench press
- Pullups

Scaled down:
Scale one exercise to bring the reps equivalent to the other, or scale both so to allow 10-12 repetitions in the first round.

There is no time component to this workout. Recommended rest time is 1-3 minutes between sets.

Good workout tonight...Rich shared some bench press tips that helped A LOT!!!

I decided to go with 85 lbs and ended up doing the following:
8-10-9-7-6 ~ my lowest round of 6 was actually the highest number that I got last time....I am very pleased with that improvement.

On pullups I used minis on the medium bar (it is no longer low) with a jump:
10-10-7-6-7

Monday, January 5, 2009

Jump!

50-, 40-, 30-, 20-, and 10-rep rounds of:
- Jump squats (45/35)
- Push presses (45/35)for time

I seriously considered not going to workout tonight because I was feeling quite nauseated but in the end, decided to suck it up and go. I figured I could leave early if worse came to worse and besides I knew that Cheri had some Tums available on the shelf...so I took 2, dug deep (like Coach is teaching me how to) and did the workout.

Considering how I was feeling I did not do too badly....I finished in 23:58

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Angie

- 100 pullups
- 100 pushups
- 100 situps
- 100 squats for time

Complete all reps of each exercise before moving on to the next.


This was the first time doing this workout and I liked it alot actually. I did better than I thought I would...I did use the following modifications:

Red Bands and Incline Pushups

I finished in 26:15


We then had an Olympic Weightlifting Clinic....very, very interesting! I am finding the whole Olympic and Powerlifting "thing" very intriguing and challenging. I very much prefer cleans to snatches...anything overhead is pretty difficult for me...at this point in time anyway.

Friday, January 2, 2009

2 Mile Run

4 rounds, each for time, of 800 meter runs


Today was one of those workouts that is really painful while doing it but feels so good afterwards!

It helped that Coach ran with me to keep my pace somewhat consistent! He is teaching me to dig deep and for that I am very grateful.

Round 1: I felt pretty good and finished in 5:17
Round 2: I was starting to feel it and Coach's pacing helped a lot....I finished in 5:14
Round 3: Coach pushed me to go faster and dig deep, I give it my best, breathless effort and finished in 5:01
Round 4: Holy Crap I was tired and out of breath but with Coach's prompting I still finished in 5:17

I am very hopeful that this will help increase my time the next time I do Helen!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

CrossFit Total

Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep


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CrossFit Total is one of my favorite workouts but I do tend to take it a little to seriously. I think I may actually do better if I relaxed a little....that being said, I am still pleased with my results today.

Last time we did CrossFit Total....I did the following:

Back Squat: 145
Shoulder Press: 85
Deadlift: 230

For a Total of 460

Today....

Back Squat: 155 (PR)
Shoulder Press: 85
Deadlift: 255

For a Total of 495...a pretty good way to start the New Year!!