Lynne came by for a visit

Today's WOD was Lynne. Many of the WODs are named after female crossfitters or Heroes (individuals who have lost their life serving you and I, like soldiers, police officers, and firefighters). To see a listing, click here then scroll down to #4.

As Rx, Lynne consists of 5 rounds of max number of reps of bodyweight bench press then max number of reps of pullups. This workout is the only WOD I've done so far that reminds me at all of how I used to work out...trying to pump up my arms and chest.

I weigh 158# and since I don't have a bench press, I use my bowflex and set the weight at 180#. Here's how I compared today to last time (in parenthesis) I did Lynne (3/8/08) on each set. Bench Press / Pullups:

1. 33(22) / 31(19)
2. 20(11) / 20(8)
3. 17(6) / 18(9)
4. 14(6) / 15(5)
5. 12(4) / 14(4)

I'm seeing progress in muscular endurance...last set I did 12 bench press vs. 4 in March and 14 pullups vs. 4 in March.

Summerfest 2008

• Elephant ears $5
• Funnel cakes $ 5
• All you can ride bracelets $36
• Being a kid again - priceless!

How I scale

Today's WOD as RX is:

45 double unders (jump rope...for each jump the rope goes under twice)
45 135# squat cleans
45 ring dips
45 double unders

I scale as follows:

tuck jumps (both feet flat on the ground, jump high into the air and tuck your knees into your chest)
45 115# cleans (I can't get into the deep squat position and can't get 135#)
45 dips each of the following equals one dip (1 ring dip, 2 bar dips, 3 bench dips)
45 tuck jumps

When I did dips, I did as many ring dips as I could, then moved immediatley to bar dips requiring 2 bar dips to equal one ring dip, then moved to bench dips requiring 3 to equal one ring dip.

Did as scaled in about 20 minutes (actual time was 21:22 but I stopped for a minute or so to take care of Isabelle prior to final tuck jumps. Triceps are feeling the dips!

Is it rest day yet?

Another one bites the dust...

Today's WOD 32:42...legs are toast!

3 rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
21 reps 35# dumbbell swing
21 reps 95 pound Thruster
21 Pull-ups

I subbed 35lb plates for the kettlebell, otherwise as Rx. It was a tough one. I decided to use 95lbs for the thrusters, regardless of how long it took. I'm glad I did, but I did have to break up the sets (11,6,4; 6,5,4,3,3; 8,5,4,4). Next time, though, I may scale back to 75lbs and go for a better time.

Plans for lunch...

Today's workout, it's gonna be a rough one! Did I mention don't like thrusters?

3 rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
21 reps 25# dumbbell swing
21 reps 95 pound Thruster
21 Pull-ups

In the Zone?

Here's my lunch today, a typical 4 block meal. It includes:

• a turkey sandwich - 2 oz turkey (2 Protein), .5 oz. colby jack cheese (.5 P), one slice whole wheat bread (2 Carbs)
• 1/2 cantaloupe (1 Carb)
• 1/2 C grapes (1 Carb)
• 3/8 C cottage cheese (1.5 Protein)
• 12 almonds (4 Fat)

I weighed and measured this meal get a proper 4-block meal for the photo. I've got a pretty good idea of how much of what makes a block, but still refer to my chart quite a bit when eating at home. Most of the time, I'll ballpark quantities. When I do measure and weigh, I get some funny glances from my wife! ;)

When I eat out, I try to avoid processed carbs or foods with a high glycemic index (pasta, bread, fries, chips, noodles). I ususally look for something green (salad, asparagus, spinach, etc) and try to build my meal from there. Eating pizza can be interesting since the toppings can blocked , but to stay close to form, I generally avoid the crust.

Sometimes it seems like a lot of work, but I feel great and for the most part don't miss what I'm not eating.

Fight Gone Bad!

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. There are three five-minute rounds with a one-minute break allowed before repeating. One point is given for each rep. The stations are:

25# dumbbell thrusters
75# sumo deadlift high-pulls
box jumps (approximately 18")
75# push press
Burpees

Seventeen minutes of sheer joy!

Began with Crossfit warmup (x2)
Round 1 = 106
Round 2 = 87
Round 3 = 86
Total = 273 new personal record!!

Did some handstand work after in the evening. Spent maybe one minute total upside down. Stood without help for about 4 seconds one time..it seems a LOT longer when you're on your hands!

meals & workout

No more posting meals...kind of a pain in the butt to remember and I probably won't pay much attention to them anyway. Today I did pretty well, eating lots of greens (salad, spinach, and asparagus).

I did 2 rounds of Crossfit Warmup (see margin). Since I have no flexibility in my ankles or shoulders, I wasn't able to do the WOD, which is the snatch. I did a few reps with PVC pipe and did reps with 45, 65, and 85lbs but began lose form so I stopped.

I subbed with some handstands. Total time upside down was two minutes.

Did I mention tomorrow's WOD is Fight Gone Bad? Check it out!

addition to the family

My nephew, Dylan Michael Sutfin, was born Monday, June 16. Isn't he a cutie!

meals & workout

breakfast
2 whole eggs fried in olive oil
1 oz colby jack cheese
1/2 c black beans
1/2 slice whole wheat toast with 1/2 tsp peanut butter
1 c skim milk
coffee (not ready to try to eliminate yet!)

lunch
3oz chicken breast, 1 oz cheese, 1 c green beans, 1/2 c cottage cheese, 12 almonds

snack
1/2 c grapes, 1 oz cheese, 3 almonds

supper
Monical's... Family Pleaser (most of the salad, 1/2 large delight pizza (toppings only))

workout: 5k run - 25:00...4:02 faster than last time I ran. I haven't run farther than one mile any any workout since then.

meals & workout

breakfast - blueberry ricotta oatmeal
lunch - grilled chicken, green peppers, & mushrooms; black beans
snack - peanut butter sandwich (one slice of bread)
supper - turkey & cheese sandwich (one slice of bread) with mayo; 12 almonds; milk
snack - peanut butter & plain yogurt

hunger scale: 5 (1= not hungry, 10 = very hungry)

workout - rest day

getting started

I stumbled upon Crossfit in sometime in 2007. I bookmarked the website when I came across it while surfing one night. On Saturday, January 5, 2008 as part of a New Year's resolution (I really don't make resolutions), I decided to give it a try. The workout (Tabata This) put a hurt on me, but I was hooked.

I've followed, scaling when necessary, the WODs (Workout of the Day) from CFHQ (Crossfit Headquarters) and "Zoned" my diet. I'm not 100% in the zone. I measure and weigh most proteins and fats and have virtually elminated processed carbs and sugars. I've built a garage gym in my basement (is that possible?) with enough inexpensive equipment to do almost everything required for the WODs. More on that on a different post.

I originally started Crossfit out of vanity...I wanted bigger muscles...I wanted a physique like some of the guys from the videos on the Crossfit site. Since I started doing this, I've had quite a few of the "A-ha!" moments. Now, I still want bigger muscles, but there's more to it. So why am I doing this?

I want to be able to throw my daughters really high in the swimming pool.

I want to be able to carry them up to bed without sucking wind by the time I get to their bedroom.

I want to be physically fit. The crossfit explanation of fitness is outstanding.

I want to get better...at Crossfitting. I want to lift more, do more reps faster, beat my times, etc. The WODs are extremely mentally and physically demanding. I know I can do them, I just have to believe and keep believing I can get through them. Check out Fight Gone Bad. This is one of my favorite workouts. Next time I do it, I want more reps than I did last time. I don't care how many YOU can do...I'm challenging myself.

I love the variety. I don't know if I'll be running, jumping, doing sit-ups, pull-ups, or all of the above for tomorrow's workout.

I feel lighter, quicker, stonger than I used to be.

Much of the Crossfit methodology is a 180 from what I have learned, read, and been told by muscleheads and PE teachers. What were you taught about breathing when you lift? Check this out and think about what Rip says. Makes sense, doesn't it? I haven't done a bicep curl or leg extension since I started crossfitting. I don't have a clue, and don't care, how much I can benchpress. Most of my workouts take about 30 minutes (including warm-up) and I'm done...after most workouts, stick a fork in me, I'M DONE!

So where do I go from here? For the next 30 days, I'm going to Zone and do the WOD as Rx (allowing for subs due to lack of equipment). I'm interested to see if I follow it strictly, how I feel after 30 days.

3..2..1..G0!