Backsquat Bailout

Thursday, April 30;

Getting stronger is cyclical. Some days are good. Some are bad. It's the same with movements. Some you're good at and some you just aren't. After yesterday's killer pullup day, I was a little humbled by this morning's workout. It was the first move in a few weeks that I had to sub-out... backsquats. Ugh.

I've been doing this move for years, but it requires a shoulder rotation that I haven't quite reached yet. I was cautiously confident when I started packing on some weights to the bar. I know I am built for this move, but I just don't have the flexibility in my shoulder yet. I did a set of 3 at about 100lbs (not very much weight for a back squat). I was excruciating.

Easy to be hard, hard to be smart. I decided to call it and try my hand at deadlifts. Good thing I did. I PR'd at 190lb! Yay. This move has haunted me forever. I can never seem to get very heavy, but get me a little bit angry and a lot focused and see what I can do!

There were a few tweaks that I made to finally get this pull:

• push my knees out when I get into position to pull
• raise my butt up, until I feel the pull on my hamstrings
• deep breath, super tight core
• pull bar into shins and straight up body
• allow slight bend in back (I've been trying to keep my back in straight line, this change was key)
• get really loud!

WOD

Deadlift

125 (3), 135 (3), 145 (3), 155 (1), 165 (1), 175 (1), 185 (1), 190 (1)

Aiming High

Wednesday, April 29;

The skillful archer, who seeing that the object he would hit is distant, and knowing the range of his bow, takes aim much above the destined mark; not designing that his arrow should strike to high, but that flying high it may alight at the point intended.

- Niccolo Machiavelli

I generally wouldn't qualify Machiavelli as an inspirational philosopher. He's a realist. A believer in plotting and gaming the system, but he has some powerful advice. Set goals and do what you have to do to achieve them.

It's been quite a day. I'm just two classes away from finishing a semester that felt like it would never end. And the good old Adrienne is slowly but surely returning to the gym. Pullups have been a few months in the making. I started with jumping pullups, then moved to pullups with bands and ring rows, and finally real pullups. Last week I banged out 60 pullups in one workout, and this morning I did 77 pullups and became the proud owner of my first post surgery callous tear! Yay.

Before we started this workout, Jerry suggested that the women try to stay in double digits with our pullups. I laughed and thought, "right!" As I worked my way through the pullups and runs, I realized that I may actually be able to keep my pullups in double digits!! I got 12 in my first set. Then I maintained 10 reps for all of the following rounds, except my last full round (14 in that one). After I finished I realized that I may have sold myself short. I had a decent total, 77 pullups. Imagine how many I could have gotten if I had aimed higher. Not just double digits, but the most double digits I could have gotten. I admit, it's good to be careful, but also aim high in order to reach your goals. Sometimes you may even exceed them.

Warmup:

3 rounds

20 Double Unders (I can do them, but I can't count them..)

20 Abmat Situps

WOD:

AMRAP in 22 minutes

Max pullups (as many as you can without getting off of the bar)

400 meter run

Pullups - 12, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 14, 1 (the last pullup was at the buzzer)

(14 pullups is my post surgery PR)

Shoulder Shock

Tuesday, April 28;

Slept in a little this morning. Decided to stop in for the 6:45am class instead of missing a workout all together. Good decision.. kind of. The combination of warmup, workout and workout II killed my shoulders. Yikes. I needed ice this morning. Ice and advil.

Warmup:
3 rounds
1 rope climb
10 burpees
20 abmat situps

WOD I:
Strict press
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

35lb, 45lb, 55lb, 65lb (failed at 2 reps)

Still not very strong with this movement. It takes a lot out of my shoulders.

WOD II:
5 rounds for time
10 ring dips (2 flosses)
15 box jumps
20 KB High Pulls (45lb)

14:??

Ready to go!

President Obama Congratulates StudentCam Winner

Some of you may know that I work at C-SPAN. I've been there for about 2 years now. Each year, one of the highlights is our student video documentary competition. This year we asked middle and high school students to address the topic, "What is the most urgent issue for the President to address once he takes office?" This year's Grand Prize winner was a student named Sawyer. He did his video on Cancer research.

This morning, we aired his full video during our call in program The Washington Journal. As a special treat for Sawyer, we surprised him during his interview with a special message from President Obama. Check it out!



Also, you should take a look at Sawyer's video. It's incredibly touching.



If I haven't said it this week, I'll say it again. I love my job!

Some Crossfit Fodder for Discussion

Here's an article my old trainer sent to me from T-Nation. It looks like one of their writers went to a Crossfit certification. Take a look at what he had to say. It's a fairly long article, but it's an interesting read. I always think it's a good thing to question the things we do and why we do them.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_investigative/crossed_up_by_crossfit

I'd be especially interested to hear from you Jerry and our other trainers. What are your thoughts? Did this guy miss it? Does he have a point? Just curious.

Don't Let Your Head Defeat Your Body

Tuesday, April 21;

We haven't rendevouzed with Fight Gone Bad since our September 2008 affair. We usually burn out on the workout during the month leading up to the bigh FGB day. Then CFOT schools that workout with our well conditioned bodies.



I wish this was actually true. Is it ever really possible to school FGB. I think I'd argue with anyone who says yes. This workout is among the most brutal. It's 5 minutes of pure work and one minute rest for 3 rounds. A total of 18 minutes of pain.

This workout has led to two of my favorite Crossfit sayings:
"Pick it up and give me one."
"You can do anything for a minute."

I say these sentences to myself ALL THE TIME during workouts. It's my way of pushing through some serious pain and ignoring those thoughts in your head that tell you to slow down and to take a little break. That's what I was working through with yesterday's workout. A fun little interval version of Fight Gone Bad. Just 20 reps at each station for time. Simple, right? Not really. Ideally, each interval should be right at about 5 minutes. That would equal about the time you'd spend at each station during the actual FGB run, and clocking 20 reps at each station is usually pretty decent.

I flew through my first interval, much like I'd do through the first round of FGB. Then the second round snuck up on me. My lungs were on fire. My body was aching. I felt out of condition and off my game. I rested. A lot. My second round score suffered. I always think of this as self defeat. I let the thoughts running through my head slow me down. Instead of focusing on doing something for just a minute, or picking the weight up and banging out one rep, I stopped and took a lot of breaks. I wasn't aggressive. My mind won.

For my third round I decided that I wasn't going to let that happen again. No more negative thoughts. I was going to take steady progress. No stopping. It worked.

WOD:
"Fight Gone Bad - Interval Style"
3 Rounds - 1 minute rest in between rounds
Wallball - 20 reps
KB High Pull - 20 reps
Box Jumps - 20 reps
Push Press - 20 reps (15lb dumbbells)
Row - 20 calories

1. 4:29
2. 7:00
3. 5:40
4. 4:27 (extra round)

Why Do Good Girls Love Jerks?

Monday, April 20;

After a beautiful weekend of camping, smore eating, lounging and a Sunday night Sex in the City marathon with my roommates, there's nothing like some jerk to welcome you into the work week. We did the barbell jerk a little more than a week ago. Sets of 5 heavy reps. I was a little apprehensive with the weight and my shoulder then, but I tried again with a little more confidence this morning. Happy with the push. Getting closer to my pre-surgery PR too.

WOD
3, 3, 3, 3, 3

65lb, 75lb, 85lb, 90lb, 95lb

Shoulder felt good. Very stable. Just building up strength and confidence.

WOD II
pullup, burpee ladder
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Stopped at 7 and did not reverse. It's easy to be hard, but it's hard to be smart. Right? Didn't time.

Run on the Mall

Thursday, April 16;




The 5am wakeup call came too early this morning, so did the 6am ringer. I pulled myself out of bed around 6:30. Too late for a morning workout. I decided to take a run down the mall during work. There's nothing better than a day time run in beautiful weather. Tourists weren't too bad, but the sun was just perfect. Didn't time the run although I tried to push pretty hard to workup my heartbeat. If it's going to be a short workout, it's gotta be intense!

Some pushups and situps thrown in for good measure as well.

Tomorrow is CFOT at 6am, PT at 8am, Chinese Visa office, Hep A & B shots, Thyphoid shot, then CAMPING!! Campfire.. smores.. a beer or two... smores..!!

What a DAD!!!

Have you guys seen this? I love it!

Revisiting the Front Squat

Tuesday, April 14;

We were back at the Front squat again today. It makes me really realize the magic of CFOT.. (funny.. I just called it the blue room, but had to erase that). Last week when I was attempting the 5 rep front squat, 115lbs felt so heavy. It was such dead weight. Unmoveable. This morning the weight felt so light. It's like the energy at CFOT makes lifting heavy things seem so much more fun! It's the energy and also the crazy athletes we have in our midst. Watching Danny pack 4 45lb plates on the bar and front squat that is INCREDIBLE. If I'm correct that's 225lbs.. to make that even more impressive Danny weighs around 140lbs. Unreal. Another effort worth mentioning is another mini-power package. (Danny, I'm not really calling you mini.) Grace owed the bar today. She probably weighs between 110 and 115lbs. She front squatted a solid 150lbs. My jaw was on the floor.

There are few others I should mention from the 6am class. Very impressive form from Steckbeck. I've never seen such an upright squat. He was totally in the box! Mike H, Russ, Shawn, & Craig all impressive shows.. Everyone honestly.

I do want to give a final special shot out to one of the newer CFOT members. Emily, joined about two months back. I'll never forget a moment during one of our workouts. I was pushing hard through a deadlift/run workout, and Emily was not far behind. We passed one another during the run and she said in a friendly manner, "I'm going to get you." I responded jokingly, "Not at that pace." In all honesty I was thinking, "Crap! This woman is going to get me."

Well, today, she got me! There was no running this time. It was through pure strength and solid form. She squatted 3 reps of 130lbs. She looked solid. I was very impressed! Kudos, for surpassing me with some serious flare.

WOD:
Heavy front squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3
35lb, 85lb, 95lb, 105lb, 115lb, 120lb x1 (failed twice on second rep)

I should be happy with my PR's (115lb is PR 3 rep & 120lb is PR 1 rep), but I wish I was going a little heavier. Like Danya says, "you have to start from some where."

Obstacle Course of Fun:
2 rounds
1 round around box jumps and tires
1 rope climb
10 pushups from feet (no more girl pushups!)
20 abmat situps

Getting my Pullup on!

Monday, April 13;

Felt really good this morning after a 5 mile run yesterday. I didn't have any shoulder pain, and I've noticed that it's not the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. This may sound like a small thing, but it's been more than a year since I could say this. It makes me kind of tear up.. kind of.

Since I was feeling so good, I decided I'd test my strength on the pullup bar. Today marked the first time I incorporated pullups in my workout since surgery. I'm pretty happy with how well it went. There is a definite limit to my ability. My shoulder got really tired for my final round. I had to break them up into just one pullup at a time. It was a good time to stop. I can't wait to get stronger!

WOD:
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
10 strict presses (15lb) - I can't believe how light I had to go with this!
8 KB Swings (45lb)
6 ring dips (double floss)
3 pullups

6 rounds
(that means I did 18 pullups.. doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm thrilled!)

Also got my double unders on as well. I was finally about to piece 8 or 10 together at a time. Thank goodness. I just wish they were more consistant.

Getting Home to Go Overhead

Friday, April 10;

I literally got back to work last night after sitting in hours of traffic from New Jersey and went straight to CFOT. Made it just in time to hit the Friday WOD. Jerks. I have been trying to avoid doing work overhead, but I just couldn't pass this one up. It felt so good to be home and I wanted to play. I teamed up with Lannette who put up some freaking smoking scores. She's incredible!

Workout:
Heavy Push Jerks
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

33lb, 53lb, 63lb, 73lb, 83lb (4.5)

I failed at 83 pounds. I did the first four clean, then adjusted for the final push, and I let myself get in my head. I started overthinking and defeated myself. Especially for a move like a jerk, there's no room for thought or self-doubt. You are using a fast, explosive movement to push some heavy weight overhead. There has to be a decent amount of trust in your strength and shoulder stability to know that you can push that weight up and stick your landing.

As soon as I started doubting that, it was too late. Here's to a solid attempt and getting stronger overhead (slowly).

Workout II:
3 rounds for time:
15 jumping slamballs (15lb)
20 jumping lunges
300 meter row
400 meter run

Total: 16:49

All legs all the time. Ouch!

Traveling Crossfitter

Wednesday, March 8;

One of my favorite things to do is drop in to CF affiliates while I'm on the road. I'm always encouraged, because across the country I find the same thing. A very welcoming environment with unbelievably friendly people and some serious athletes. Just like CFOT the athletes are at different skill levels, but the workouts are always adjustable to fit everyone's limitations or abilities.

I stopped in at Crossfit Lehigh Valley. Like always the affiliate is tucked away in some random industrial area near a railroad track. I'm always in a hurry and running late. A few very cool people were there ready to get their butt kicked. I had a nice little warm up then the WOD.. like usual.

Warmup:
500 meter row
2:05 (I think this may be a PR.. my form practice may be paying off)

WOD
4 rounds
800 meter run
15 burpees
15 abmat situps
15 box jumpes

Time: 30:34

It was a nice workout. My heart was going and I got a sweet bruise/lump on my shin. Finally! I've been waiting for this to happen since we got our own box jumps at the new box. Unfortunately, I had to do it in a box on the road. Yikes! Check out the picture. The swelling went down pretty quickly, but the cuts will be around for a bit.

my calf looks like a huge hunk of meat

I got some helpful feedback from the coach at LeHigh. He suggested getting a more explosive box jump, so I'd land with my hips closer to full extension instead of landing in a deep squat. The extra explosion will prevent me from having to get up from that squat and maybe improve my rate. Something new to work on.

Some good news.. the burpees felt great. I did all 60 burpees from my feet and not on my knees. That means girl pushups may once again be a thing of the past.

Many thanks to those at Crossfit LeHigh for being so welcoming!

Workouts on the Road

Monday, March 6;
5K
Time: 25:24 & a lot of sweat. I do not like running indoors.

Tuesday, March 7;

This may have been the most stupid workout idea ever. I saw yesterday's workout posted up on CFOT, so I thought I'd try it at the nearby Golds Gym. Ignoring the fact that I got a lot of strange stares, I loaded up my bar and hit a max 5 rep front squat.

My weights looked like this:
5,5,5,5,5
45lb, 65lb, 85lb, 95lb, 105lb, 115lbx3 (failed)

I am not used to lifting heavy in a big box gym. There are no bumper plates only metal plates, and there are lots of big guys that think little girls shouldn't be in their space. There I am attempting my 5 rep set at 115lb. I failed once at the bottom or rep 2. I just bailed the weight out front. Despite the loud noise nothing was hurt, so I picked the bar up, gave myself a rest, and attempted again. As I did my first squat, I realized there was a big old gym rat who was trying to spot me. I was fighting through the first rep and he lifted the bar a little. I of course told him that if he helps move the bar then it messes up my attempts. The second rep went smoothly, then I struggled through the 3rd rep and bailed. I said, "I'm bailing." But muscle guy decided to grab the bar, which meant about 115lb of metal slammed right into my knee. Awesome. I'm cool with big bruises, but not when they're not my fault. I knocked the weight down to 95lb and did a clean set of 5.

I did the finisher.. but this was the most idiotic idea I've had. Ever. I did a ladder that looks like this:
Squats: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80
Burpees: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

I have NEVER wished for more burpees in my entire life, but at 70 squats I was begging for more of those suckers.. more stares, some frowns and 360 squats later I was SMOKED.

The initial workout was meant to go up to 100 squats and 10 burpess, but there's a point where the intensity is impossible to maintain. The workout just became a little silly.

Ahhh, workouts on the road are fascinating.

Hitting the Road

I'm out this week with the Civics Bus. I'll be hitting up some small cities in the northeast.. York, PA, Harrisburg, Allentown and Trenton, New Jersey. I'm hoping to find at least one box on the road. There may be an opportunity Tuesday and Wednesday depending on travel times.

I'll keep you posted. Until next week.. get stronger!

Another Go at a Hero Workout

Friday, April 3

It's the first Friday of the month. That means a benchmark workout. I am still not really allowed to pick up weight or do pullups with my shoulder. Michael was an easy go-to workout that I've done only once before at another CF box. We don't have GHE machines, so I just took two big tires and tucked my feet into one of them and made it work.

In honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28 2005.

Doing hero workouts really help me put my own life into perspective. I keep each hero in my mind when I'm fighting through the workouts. I may be suffering a little bit, but it's nothing compared to their sacrifice and the suffering their family and friends went through. I am happy that we have the opportunity to honor some of America's true heros.

WOD"Michael"

3 Rounds for Time

800 meter run

50 Abmat Situps

50 Back Extensions

Time: 25:50

The last time I did this workout I finished in 22 minutes flat. That means I added on nearly 4 minutes. I was busting a--. There are a few things that I think may account for the added time.

• I wonder if our 800 meters is different from the other locations' 800 meters.
• Last time I was doing the workout with a bunch of people. I wonder if the "mob mentality" has a positive impact on your workout. You know. Sometimes you push yourself because you see someone else going hard and you think, "If they can do it, I can do it."
• I am still not nearly in the shape I was pre-surgery. I'm carrying a few more pounds than I was the last time I did Michael.

Pullup PR

I forgot to say..

I did three real pullups in a row yesterday.

Could have done some more. Post surgery PR!

Pandora's Box

Wednesday, April 1

I've really conflicted about what today's blog should be about. It's been a touch and go week with my shoulder.. should I write about that? It's April fool's day.. should I pull some mean prank.. setting PR's.. working on technique and form? I haven't been able to decide. I was having a conversation with my best friend earlier this evening and it reminded me of this story. We always joke that I have this limitless fountain of hope. I credit it to my 7th grade Latin class.

Here goes.. Back in 7th grade I was a trouble maker (imagine that). I was always going against the grain, but I did smart people things like take Latin. Early on in the year we were told that we had to pick our Latin names. Everyone diligently went through their Greek and Roman mythology books (they were all over achievers, so diligent is a perfect word). One by one they picked the obvious ones.. Zeus, Hera, Helen, Apollo.. yada yada.

There I was annoyed that they had taken the easy route and determined to find a mythological creature who would properly represent me (my 7th grade self at least). Finally, I find her. Pandora.

The story of Pandora goes something like this.. Pandora is the first woman without parents, meaning she was created by the Gods and put on the Earth as a punshiment for mankind. She was given a chest and told never to open it. Of course she opens the chest and releases all the evils of man.. greed, lust, anger, hate.. the only thing that was left inside of her chest was hope.

I liked the story, so I went over to my Latin teacher and asked two very important question, "Mrs. Senechal, can I be Pandora?" Yes, she replied. Then I asked the follow up, "Was she hot?"

Yes, she repeated. Sweet! A good story and she's hot. What else could a middle schooler want. For the next 2 years I was Pandora. I guess for the rest of my life I'll carry around that hope.

WOD:

Hang Power Squat Cleans

1,1,1,1,1,1,1

35lb, 65lb, 75lb, 85lb, failed at 95lb

(my pre-op PR is 120lb).. I'll get there again some day.