Good thing that I did all that extra cardio....

last night. Today I sucked. Should have taken the rest day. Overhead squats always suck. When I was competing in OLing, I just did not do them. I could always snatch or power snatch more than I could rack, step out and squat overhead- kills my shoulders and feels totally wrong to do. But screw it- I am trying to get better at them, so I will suck it up and push through. Helen time tonight was a PR by a 18 seconds- big deal, I thought I would have crushed my old time but honestly I wanted to tap out after the first round.....I was dying. I slowed down the treadmill and kept on going. Isn't that what it's about? Who would have known or cared if I would have bailed out early and just posted whatever time I wanted? Tempting- but not something I have ever done, Why would I? Remember who you do this for- you, you and no one else. I wonder if the pressure to post times online (crossfit.com) may lead some to inflate (or deflate) their numbers somewhat. I could give a sh*t about what someone thinks about my numbers and you should feel the same way. I have nothing to prove and neither do you. Train hard, train smart, and always give it your best- everything else will sort itself out. OK, rant overwith.

Cardio Crazee

What do you do when you are waiting for your daughter to finish volleyball practice, and you are not training the team tonight? Play with the cardio equipment at the rec-center.

Row 1000 meters 4:00

Run 20 minutes on track

Row 1000 meters 4:00

Ride 20 minutes on Airdyne

Train Like A Champion

Is the name of a dvd set (2 disk) documenting the training of Strongman Phil Pfister by Nick Osborne in his pursuit, an eventually winning the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest. If you enjoy functional training programs- you will really like what Nick has Phil doing. Nick employs MB's, SB's, and bands in his training programs and has Phil working outside the box to achieve a really well rounded athletic model. There are some exercises that I would either throw out or change the actual equipment set-up, but again- keep what is useful and discard what is not (and this is purely subjective) but keep an open mind.

Ba-Ba-Ba

Ba-Barbara-ann! Did the WOD from Crossfit, "Barbara" consisting of 20 pullups, 30 pushups, 40 situps, and 50 squats. Each round done for time, resting 3 minutes in between each round, completing 5 total rounds. This is will fill your body with lactic acid!! By the fourth round during the situps...I was near meeting Uncle Pukie, held dinner down, but I was not the same for the rest of the night. Used an abmat and dynamax ball for the situps and squat respectively.

Round 1- 4:28:94
Round 2- 4:00:63
Round 3- 3:50:03
Round 4- 3:45:87
Round 5- 3:48:50

Dips n' Chins

Today's WOD from the Crossfit mainsite was 30 muscle ups for time. Now, I had been doing these with rings attached to the top of a power rack and using a jumpstretch band to give me some bounce out of the bottom. I thought I was doing pretty good and that I could easily manage one MU on my own on a set of high rings. At the GSX cert, when it was my time to step up and try a muscle up, I failed miserably. I flailed and jerked around but could not get even close to a MU. My grip was slipping, and I am use to using chalk (Nicole volunteered that I looked like I could use some chalk...) but this is only an excuse. I felt extremely weak in the initial pull to get myself high enough to get into the transition phase (pull to dip)- it is or was that simple. I have come home with a goal of getting multiple MU's before the summer is up and first I need to shore up my weak chin-up strength. Instead of scaling MU's with jumpstretch bands and jumping etc... I decided to use a conjugate template somewhat. I will break the movement down into a technique phase or speed phase, using a functional trainer, or rings lowered to midway to ground- moving into some strength work on chins/dips, then finishing with the WOD of high reps chins and dips as a sub for the MU's. Worked pretty well today- arms and shoulders feel fairly smoked but time will tell if this play works, I need to get an unassisted MU!

Warm-ups
Airdyne for 1minute/calories x 24,22,24,28,28
Followed with 1 minute plank or bridge x 5

Technique work/speed work
Using a Functional trainer- performed a pulldown with the double handles and transitioned into a dip
70/6 x 3 90/5 x 3 *need to get the right percentages down here...just guessing, will use 60% bodyweight next time.

Strength Work
Chins 30/3 40/3 50/3 60/3 70/2
Dips 35/3 45/3 55/3 65/3 75/3

WOD 30 MU's for time....subbed 120 chins and 120 dips for time
16:28

Happy Easter

Hope you have had or are having a great day. Do not eat to many Peeps!! Pray for the safety of the men and women who are away from their homes this Easter protecting this country and our very lives. Did the Crossfit WOD, which consisted of 7 sets of singles on the Clean and Jerk.

65/5
95/3
135/2
155/1
185/1
195/1
205/1
210/1
215/1
220/1
225/1
230/1

Stopped here...no pr, but solid jerks for a change, no pressing out. How much left in the tank? Maybe 5-10lbs, but I always like to end on a positive note. Happy Easter!

March Madness!

What a great time of the year if you are a BBall fan. As I type this K State is going at it with Wisconson down in Omaha. Outstanding. Duke just got knocked off by West Virginia. I do not care what team you are rooting for you have to give it to these young men....they leave it all on the floor. Teams can be down or up by 20 and they WILL not be counted out until the last buzzer sounds. Pure drama on the hardwood.

As the tournament goes on, I am in the basement-

GHR KB press (OK, get into a horizontal extension position on your GHR...like the end position of most GHR situps, hold a KB in the floor press position and press for the prescribed amount of reps...sit up and exchange kb to opposite side and press again)
12kg KB for 5+5, 7+7, 9+9, 11+11, 13+13
Follow with 1 minute on the airdyne for max calories
24,24,22,24,27

Power Cleans from the floor
95/5 135/5 185/3 205/3x3

Fridays WOD from Crossfit Mainsite- For Time
HSPU- 15-13-11-9-7-5-3-1
L-sit pull ups-1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15

Time- 14:07
Lost it in the end on the pullups....HSPU's actually getting easier- wider hand position and further away from wall! Made a huge difference.