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.