Monday, October 31, 2011

Week 17 Summary | Nutrition Challenge Day 20 & 21

No weekend work-out.

Results – I’ve looked at my hamstrings in the mirror & I’ve noticed they are pretty defined when I squat, but when standing, you won’t really notice. I’m still happy w/ myself. The Nutrition Challenge has forced me to try out new recipes & I actually really like cooking for myself. I do get tired of eating certain things over & over again, but I make sure I make different things every week to keep myself excited about eating better. I love experimenting w/ foods, although I haven’t quite developed a knack for being creative just yet, but I’m at least trying.

Crossfit Day 75, Nutrition Challenge Day 19

October 28, Friday
Workout
– Another AMRAP today. I was thinking I probably shouldn’t have done Monday’s WOD last night because I did box jumps as well, but that’s ok, I think my body can handle it.

WOD – 15 minute AMRAP – 9 Deadlift (155/105 85), 12 V-Ups, 15 Box Jumps (24”/20”). My Results: 7 sets + 7 deadlifts.

I was aiming to do 95lb deadlift, but then the trianer told me I should do 50% of my max (125lb), which is 62.5lb, but I thought that was too little weight, so we settled on 85lb. The deadlifts were making my left knee feel a bit funny & not in a good way, so I was really careful w/ them. The v-ups weren’t too bad when you do only 12 of them at a time, & the box jumps are still one of my strong points. I was proud to do a little over 7 sets. We finished w/ 2 minute Hollow Holds, which hurts like a mofo. I was able to do 1 minute straight & the rest in 10 seconds spurts. Oh how it makes my neck strain.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Crossfit Day 74, Nutrition Challenge Day 18

October 27, Thursday
Workout
– Since I missed Monday’s WOD, I decided I’m going to do it today. I am doing okay w/ the Nutrition Challenge. I don’t feel any differently actually. I doubt I’ve lost any weight, although I haven’t weighed myself this whole time & I refuse to until the end of the challenge. I eat tons of foods, especially meats, veggies & fruits. I haven’t cut down on my fruit intake because I like them for snacks. I know they have carbohydrates & sugars, but I still feel like I need them. I should try to limit my fruit intake though. Maybe that would make the difference, but I get so hungry throughout the day if I don’t snack constantly. I don’t eat as much nuts as some people, which is a good thing because they’re good for you, but you can pack on some major calories eating them if you have no self-control.

WOD – 20 minute AMRAP 10 Ring Rows, 10 HSPU Box Push-Ups, 10 Burpee Box Jumps (20"). My Results: 7 sets + 10 ring rows + 10 Box Push-Ups.

It was pouring rain today so there were very few people at CF. I was the only one doing a WOD, which was ok. I still tried to push myself & do the best I can. I was happy w/ my results. It was my first time doing Burpee Box Jumps, but I think they went fairly well. You start off w/ a normal burpee & when you get up, instead of doing a jump & clap, you jump onto the box. It does get tiring, but I like box jumps. I was tired after the 20 minutes, but it felt great to finish. I practiced some hand stands again, but didn’t do too well. I notice that from time to time, after I attempt a hand stand, I see tiny stars. I think it’s my body not being used to being upside down. I don’t like the stars. This was the 2nd time I’ve seen them. I wonder when I won’t struggle w/ hand stands anymore. *sigh*

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Crossfit Day 73, Nutrition Challenge Day 17

Wall Balls - must be over the 10ft line.
I made it! Yippee!
 
Workout
– Today’s WOD is for R’s dog, Jayda, that passed away over the weekend. It’s so sad. He left her in the backyard while he was running errands. She must have slipped out the door & ran into the street, where she got hit by a car. It’s such a tragedy. She was such a beautiful dog.

October 26, Wednesday

WOD – “Jayda” – 3 Rounds 300m Run, 33 Wall Balls (8), 33 Farmer’s Lunge (36), 33 Hand Release Push Ups (knees) for Time. My Results: 24:21 minutes.

I think I did fairly well in today’s WOD. The run was easy. The wall balls are always a struggle for me, but I made sure I didn’t tire myself out, so I would rest after every 4 or so reps. I used an 8lb ball because I really didn’t want to aggravate my right shoulder/arm anymore than it already is. I had to use 36lbs for the Famer’s Lunge because the 20lb dumbbells were all taken. I think I could have gone up in weight. The hand release push ups were done on my knees, again, I didn’t want to aggravate my arms too much. I finished fairly ahead of the pack. I think I finished 3rd or so in the large group tonight. But, I’m sure others were doing higher weight for wall balls & farmer’s lunges as well as doing real hand release push ups compared to myself. I know I’m doing the best I can for my ability right now. We finished w/ 2 min Hollow Hold, which gets really intense. Your abs & head gets really tired. I did 1 min straight, but the rest were done in 10-15 second intervals.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Crossfit Day 72, Nutrition Challenge Day 16

October 25, Tuesday
Workout
– I’m looking forward to tonight’s WOD because it looks like it’ll be hard & I feel like I’ve been lazy the past 3 days, so I need to push myself hard. I cooked a lot on Sunday so I’ve been pretty good w/ the Nutrition Challenge & I do not feel like I’m starving. The weekends are still the hardest part because I can’t control what others put in the foods, especially in a restaurant, but I’m trying to pick the best options for me.

WOD – 1200m Run, 120 Double Unders, 900m Run, 90 Air Squats, 600m Run, 60 KB Swings (35lb), 300m Run, 30 Ring Dips (blue) for Time. My Results: 29:40 minutes.

There were a bunch of guys & 4 girls doing this WOD. For the run, I was actually 2nd to last for awhile, but then I ran ahead of Danielle when she got tired & I was getting my rhythm going. I was able to do the double unders fairly quickly, which surprised me. I am definitely getting better at them. 2 of the guys were way ahead of so they started their 600m run when I was going for my 900m run. I was ahead of them & I heard them behind me, but I made sure they never passed me. I kept a really good pace & I was able to finish w/o being completely winded. The air squats were exhausting. I kept going on my toes instead of staying on my heel, but I tried to correct myself. After about 40, they got really difficult. I continued slowly & didn’t stop. Once done, I did the 600m run. My legs were feeling funny after the air squats, but I got my legs back after 100m. The kb swings are always tiring, but I got though them okay. After about 30, I started only doing sets of 3-4. Another run, then it was off to the ring dips. I still use the band to assist me, so they weren’t too bad. I don’t think I’m ready to downgrade the band just yet because the ring dips put a lot of strain on my shoulders that I don’t want. I can’t afford to injure my shoulder any more than it already is. I finished ahead of at least 2 of the guys & all of the girls, so that was pretty satisfying. We had to do 50 Toes to Bars for Time afterwards. I was able to do 10 in 3:30 minutes, which means it would have taken me over 15 min to finish. I didn’t even attempt to finish. I practiced a few kipping pull ups instead. I can still only do one & need to rest, but I’m still happy I’m able to do them.

Nutrition Challenge Day 15

October 24, Monday
Workout – My car made funny grinding sounds when I was on my way back home, so I turned around to go back to V’s house instead. I was a bit upset because I really wanted to go to CF today. I am THAT obsessed w/ CF, but it’s a good thing. It keeps me on my toes & I’m doing tons of stuff I normally wouldn’t push myself to do on my own. I like the torture they put me through.

WOD – None.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Week 16 Summary | Nutrition Challenge Day 13 & 14

No weekend work-out.

Results – It’s been 2 weeks since I started the Nutrition Challenge. I have not gotten on a scale to weight myself, but I don’t think I’ve lost any weight. Even though we won’t eliminate the dairy until this coming week, I have been ingesting minimal dairy products. I do not see any noticeable changes, but I’m definitely eating a lot more meats than I did before. I do get hungry faster so I still snack a lot. I am eating tons of vegetables & I have not cut down on my fruit intake. I feel like I still need the natural sugars from the fruits considering I do workout almost every day. I think my thigh muscles are stronger, but no one would really notice except me. I’ve been good thus far & I hope to continue to be good for the next 30 days.

Crossfit Day 71, Nutrition Challenge Day 12

October 21, Friday
Workout – I’m feeling okay w/ the foods thus far. I like it that I’m making my food & trying out new recipes. It’s actually fun & I love experimenting & finding something that actually tastes good. It’s Friday & I’m looking forward to practicing my front squats. That’s on my list of goals for the end of the year so any practice is helpful.

WOD – Tabata – Row – Ring Dip – Air Squat (20 sec reps, 10 sec rest for 4 minutes for each exercise) My Results: 7 Row + 3 Ring Dip + 14 Air Squats = 24 reps. (Only counted the lowest reps for each exercise).

Front Squat – 5-5-3-3-2-2 Start @ 80% of 1RM & attempt to increase each set. I did 43-54-64-74-84-94lb. I’m happy w/ the Front Squats. I think I am getting stronger, so I’m hoping to do about 105 next time & maybe 115 soon to meet my goal. This is so exciting! My personal best is 96, which I didn’t do this time. We started the WOD w/ one group starting w/ the Row, which I was in the 2nd group starting w/ the Ring Dips. I was doing about 10-12 at the beginning, but then my arms started to get really tired & I ended up doing 7 as my lowest rep, which was still decent. Then off to row. The highest I got was 4 calories, but I ended up w/ 3 as my lowest. Then off to do the Air Squats. My legs were tired from the Row, so my first 2 sets were really low coming in at 15 & 14. The rest of the 4 minute Tabata, I was doing 16 or more. At the 7th set, I was able to do 20 in 20 seconds. I don’t know why I torture myself because only the lowest one counted, but I still pushed myself even until the end. I was still happy w/ my performance though. We finished w/ 2 min Front Plank & 1 min Side Plank (on each side). I was able to hold each one for the full time. I actually like planks because I can do them well. If only my abdominals will show. *sigh*

Friday, October 21, 2011

Crossfit Day 70, Nutrition Challenge Day 11

October 20, Thursday
Workout
– I haven’t been going to bed as early as I would like, so I’m not really motivated to go workout. And then, there’s the Nutrition Challenge which is going ok, but I crave so many things, especially chips, noodles & cake/cookies. All the things I’m not allowed to have. I’m not starving myself, I actually feel like I eat more meat than I used to, but I don’t think the foods I’ve been eating has been fulfilling me as much as I’d like. I guess it just takes some getting used to.

WOD – None.

I didn’t do any WODs today. I just wanted to practice my double unders & kipping pull-ups. I wasn’t doing too well w/ the double unders & kept whipping my right arm & the back of my right leg pretty badly. I kept trying & I was finally able to get some consecutive double unders, but it was only 5 or 10. Then I got up to 21. And my best thus far is 31! I need 19 more to make my goal of 50 double unders. I know I’m expending too much energy doing them & I’m doing them too fast, so I’m trying to slow down a little so I don’t waste so much effort doing them. Also, I need to keep my arms closer to my body because Jim R. noticed my arms keep getting further & further in front of me, which makes it easier for me to step on the rope. There are so many things to consider, but I just need to practice more. I also attempted kipping pull-ups again. My arms are super tired from the week’s workouts, but I still managed to get 3 in, although not consecutively. I always rest on the box, & then try again.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Crossfit Day 69, Nutrition Challenge Day 10

October 19, Wednesday
Workout
– I’m getting antsy. I’ve noticed I’ve been scrounging for snacks late at night only to come up w/ a banana or some meatballs to fulfill me. I want chips, cakes & pastas, but I am trying to keep focus. It’s only the 10th day of the Nutrition Challenge & it’s not getting any easier. The day is not even over yet & I want to eat, eat & eat some more! It’s so hard looking at food blogs & just wanting to eat everything on the screen. I am dreading when the weekend comes because we’ll be going out w/ others & I might not be able to eat anything off the menu. Oh the horrors of a starving rudie2shoes. I can get quite Incredible Hunk when I am hungry. I am also dreading the WOD because when it’s a “Heroes” WOD, it usually means it’s really difficult. I think the cold weather is making me dread working out more than anything. That, & plus the fact I’ve been feeling under the weather the past few days aren’t helping the cause either.

WOD “Brenton” 5 Rounds 100ft Bear Crawl, 100ft Standing Broad Jump – Every 5 Broad Jumps you must complete 3 Burpees for Time. My Results: 14:53 minutes.

“Brenton” was majorly tiring. 100ft is 3 times back & forth inside in my gym. The bear crawl looks easier than it really is. You are using your entire body & gravity in the movement so it takes a toll on you. 3 times back & forth, then we did standing broad jumps. They require effort & you want to jump as far as you can. I fell on my ass a few times doing them because I jump really far but then lose my balance when I land. After doing 5 of them, we have to do 3 burpees. If you don’t know already, I really hate hate hate burpees! It’s a funny sight seeing everyone bear crawling on the floor. At least it’s a good total body workout. We finished w/ 3x20 GHD Hip Extensions & then, 2 minutes of Hollow Hold.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Crossfit Day 68, Nutrition Challenge Day 9

October 18, Tuesday
Workout
– Today’s WOD sounds brutal. I am so not looking forward to it. Just thinking about it is making me quite nervous. I got a lot of rest last night since I was feeling a cold coming on & had a rummy nose, but I think my body needs more rest. This cooler weather is not agreeing w/ me whatsoever & I know it’s only going to get worse.

WOD – 100m Overhead Carry (25lb), 50 Jumping Lunges, 30 Toes to Bar, 100m Overhead Carry (25lb), 35 Jumping Lunges, 20 Toes to Bar, 100m Overhead Carry (25lb), 20 Jumping Lunges, 10 Toes to Bar, 100m Overhead Carry for Time. My Results: 15:44 minutes.

I did Shoulder Press – 5-5-3-3-2-2 & I was able to do 33-39-45-49-54-54lb. This is my new best for shoulder presses. They’re hard because you can’t do a dip w/ your knees to help push it up. I tried to do 59lb, but it was just too much for me, but I’m still happy w/ 54lb. It was another brutal WOD. I was happy the Overhead carry walk was only for 100m. I tried not to take any breaks & I was doing great until the last one, which I took a small break & continued along. The jumping lunges gets long & tiresome & then I had little to no strength for the toes to bar. I barely was able to get my toes to the bar on 95% of them. We finished w/ 3x20 GHD Sit-Ups.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Crossfit Day 67, Nutrition Challenge Day 8

October 17, Monday
Workout
– I’m happy I was able to cook foods yesterday so I’m not starving today & I won’t be wasting a lot of time during the week to cook & end up eating dinner extremely late. I’m feeling okay today w/ the Nutrition Challenge. It’s Monday so I usually have tons of food, but come Friday, the stash usually dwindles & I end up not having enough food to last me the day. I will try to ration the best I can but those sweet potato fries, although not baked to the way I would like, are still mighty yummy.

WOD – 30 Wall Balls (8lb), 30 Box Jumps (20”), 30 KB Swings (35lb), 30 Burpees, 30 Pull-Ups (red) – Part 1 – 3 minute AMRAP, 1 min rest, Part 2 – 5 minute AMRAP, 1 min rest, Part 3 – A for Time. My Results: Part 1 – 40 reps, Part 2 – 75 reps, Part 3 – 15:19 minutes.

The air is crisp & cool now, which means it’s downright COLD for me! I hate this weather. The gym was freezing to me & I wasn’t really warmed up before we started the WOD because it was just so cold in there. We did the 3 min AMRAP & the wall balls were killing me. I just couldn’t get it over the line & had to re-do them. It was so frustrating. I was the last one out of 6 people to finish them to get to the box jumps. When the 3 mins were up, my throat was burning from the cold air. I needed water to help me breathe properly. Then it was onto the 5 min AMRAP. The wall balls were brutal again, but I whizzed through the box jumps faster than everyone else. It’s one of my few strong exercises. I was happy I got to the kb swings. I was happier this time w/ my performance, but my throat was still burning from the cold air. More swigs of water for me, which I almost never do during a WOD. Then it was onto doing the entire WOD for Time. I was able to control my wall balls & get it over the line & hit the wall each & every time, so I didn’t struggle at all this time. I had brief rests in between to ensure I didn’t get air balls. I actually finished it 2nd this time! Whoo hoo. I was tired for the box jumps, but I did my thing steadily & finished it before anyone else. Off to do the kb swings & I was getting even more tired so I rested every few reps, but I finished that before anyone else & then got to the darn burpees. Gosh I really do hate them. I was nearly crawling on the floor, but still finished & was the first up for the pull-ups. I am still using the red band because I don’t think my shoulder can handle it. I got through about 10 before anyone else was on the bars. Then I had to rest after every one pull-up because my arms were failing me. K, the only guy there finished before me, but I wasn’t too far behind. Afterwards, I just couldn’t feel my upper arms anymore. It was pretty brutal. I did 3x20 GHD Hip Extensions afterwards to stretch myself out a little bit.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Week 15 Summary | Nutrition Challenge Day 6 & 7

No weekend work-out.

Results – The Nutrition Challenge has been pretty difficult & it is only the 1st week. I was doing okay for the first few days, but then I was getting the munchies often towards the end of the week. I was able to continue without cheating, but it was hard. Then the weekend came & it is even harder now. V’s family seems to use soy in everything (tofu, soy sauce, shrimp paste has soybeans in it, etc) along w/ corn startch & other ingredients that are not allowed in this Whole30 diet. *sigh* And then going out to eat w/ my family posed a horrible dilemma because everything is carbs – noodles, dumplings, rice cakes, etc. as well as it being stir fried in soy sauce. I was sitting there watching everyone else eat, while I only ate the filling of the dumplings & left the skin for V. My stomach was grumbling the entire time. I brough a Larabar w/ me but it wasn’t enough. Thank goodness V brought me to Five Guys to buy myself a burger w/o a bun, & added the mushrooms, onions & peppers otherwise I would have starved to death. We attended my Crossfit 2 year anniversary party this past weekend & thank goodness the CFers understand a lot of people are doing the Nutrition Challenge or are eating Paleo, so I was able to gorge on most of the foods. I made Lavender French Macarons w/ Honey Vanilla Mascapone, which few like hotcakes. I was ecstatic that they tasted good (well, that’s what everyone told me, I didn’t actually eat any). I decided to go grocery shopping Sunday & do most of my cooking for the week then, so I won’t have to waste my time cooking during the week. I made a bunch of foods: tomato & red bell pepper soup, beef/pork meatballs, roasted red pepper & walnut dip, baked sweet potato chips & fries, Larabars (pineapple, apple pie, fig & banana), & I’ll be making Lemon Pepper salmon this week. I’m excited about trying new recipes that are good for me. At least something good is coming out of this. We’ll see how week 2 of the Nutrition Challenge goes for me. We are now eliminating added sugars of any kind. It’s only Day 8 of this 44 day challenge. Time is going by so slowly…

Crossfit Day 66, Nutrition Challenge Day 5

October 14, Friday
Workout – I’m feeling tired today. I get the munchies more often now that I am restricting my diet. There’s so much foods out there that has soy products in it. Chocolate bars has soy lechitin for goodness sakes. Why would a chocolate bar have soy in it?!? Grrrrr. Not that I crave chocolate much but I wanted the boost of energy from a chocolate bar. We’re not allowed soy so that is out of the question. Lucky I brought my remaining soup to work because that really helped stave off my hunger pangs.

WOD – 10-20-30 Goblet Reverse Lunge (2-for-1) 35lb, Pull-Ups (red) for Time. My Results: 17:15 minutes.

We started w/ 5-10-15 Deadlifts. We start with a heavy set of 5, then drop ~10% off the bar & do 10. Then drop another 10% off & do 15. Sets should be touch & go, no releasing of the hands. I was able to do 115-95-75lb for the deadlifts. They got really tough when we added more repetitions to the lower weight. I need to keep working on my deadlifts. We started the WOD. The 2-for-1 Goblet Reverse Lunges (holding the kettlebell on your check & up to your chin) were really difficult. I felt like my arm muscles were going to pop out of my arms. Then we had to do pull-ups afterwards. My arms were exhausted. The bad part of this WOD is that the numbers goes UP instead of down, so we have more reps to do as we progress. My arms were failing for the remaining pull-ups so I had to rest after each one. I don’t know how others do it unassisted. I went down to the red band now but it’s still very difficult for me.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Crossfit Day 65, Nutrition Challenge Day 4

October 13, Thursday
Workout
– The back of my right shoulder is really sore & the muscle is completely knotted. I think it’s from all the Olympic lifting we’ve been doing. I’ve been trying to massage it on the corner of my cabinet any chance I can get to try to unknot it. Oh I need a massage badly. I’m feeling a bit hungry today but I think it might stem from being bored or when I procrastinate w/ work. I tend to want to eat during those times. I’m trying to refrain from eating during those times, but it’s hard. At least I’m reaching for foods that are good for me instead of unhealthy chips or candies.

WOD –21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Calorie Row, Wall Ball (8lb) for Time. My Results: 18:24 minutes.

T made up the WOD for us, so I did it even though I hate rowing & wall balls. I dread wall balls. I still need to improve on my rowing form. Gawd, it’s so hard for me. I don’t know why!?! Afterwards, we were shown how to do Wall Climbs. You basically lay in front of the wall, push up onto your arms, then start walking backwards up the wall & walk your arms in until your chest touches the wall. It’s a good exercise & it wasn’t too difficult. I practiced more hand stands & I was able to get one really good one. Then, I finally practiced kipping pull-ups w/o a band. I haven’t had a chance to practice in a long time. I tried it & I was able to force myself up!!!! I was able to do it & D was there to see it!!! I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe it myself. It was so unexpected, but I actually did an unassisted kipping pull-up for the very first time. Ahhh. I thought it was a fluke so I tried again & I got up again! T & others in the gym saw me do it too. It was such a great feeling because I’ve struggled w/ it for 3 months & I’m finally able to do one. Granted I can’t do it continuously. I tried & I was able to do 2 max. I’m not sure if I can do it during a WOD, but I think I’ll eventually try. I left CF feeling absolutely elated!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Crossfit Day 64, Nutrition Challenge Day 3

October 12, Wednesday
Workout – Day 3 of the Nutrition Challenge. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t feel hungry because I’m still eating snacks to get me through the day. My thighs are sore from the squats we did on Monday. I’m hoping I can continue to eat right for another 6.5 weeks! It’s going to be a long challenge. I think it’ll be the hardest on weekends & when I go out to eat, but we’ll see when we cross that road.

WOD – 100 Cleans & Jerks (42lb) w/ a partner. 1st person will do C&J, 2nd person will run 300m for Time. My Results: 19:25 minutes.

I did the WOD w/ Mich today. It was slightly drizzling outside & very dark, so I used my headlamp (put it around my waist) & did my runs w/ it. It’s SOOO useful! I’m glad D helped me buy it. I made sure my form to do the Cleans were good, so that I can do the Jerks properly. I varied them between the Push Jerk & the Split Jerk (when I got tired). I was able to do between 8-10 each time when Mich was running. I think I ran a total of 5 times which is slightly less than 1 mile. It felt good to finish.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Crossfit Day 63, Nutrition Challenge Day 2

Workout – I was able to make some food for the week last night, so I don’t need to survive on just salad. I made pork chops w/ apples, pomelo balasamic dressing & pomelo salad. I feel much more satisfied now w/ my lunch & I don’t feel overly hungry like I did yesterday. I hope I can continue this for the next 43 days!

WOD – 5 Rounds 15 V-ups, 10 Burpees for Time. My Results: 7:29 minutes.

We started w/ Back Squats 5-4-3-2-1 (aim for 1RM). I did them w/ DD & H. I ended up w/ 95-105-115-125-135lb. That’s my personal best thus far! I tried 145 w/ T spotting me, but my legs wouldn’t get up from the squat. Haha I’m still happy w/ the results. The WOD went ok. The V-ups going really difficult after awhile & the burpees plain stinks, but I got through it. I did 3x20 Reverse Hypers afterwards, along w/ 40 GHD Sit-ups for fun.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Crossfit Day 62, Nutrition Challenge Day 1

October 10, Monday
Workout
– Today is Day 1 of the Nutrition Challenge. We are not to eat any grains, rice, pasta, quinoa, oats, peanuts, corn, wheat & the like. I’m feeling a big of a headache right now. I’ve eaten no meat today. I’ve only eaten veggies, fruits & nuts. I feel full but I think that’s because of that time of the month, which keeps me from not realizing when I’m hungry. I think the headache is a good indicator that I might still be hungry. I feel tired too so it might be due to my period along w/ being hungry. I won’t be able to tell for at least another 2 days because of my period. Oh this stinks.

WOD – Rich’s BDay WOD – Complete the following 20 intervals of 46 seconds of work followed by 14 seconds of rest -

Air Squats
Hand Stand Push Box Push Ups
Air Squats
Pull Ups (red/purple)
Air Squats
Hand Release Push ups
Air Squats
Abmat Sit Ups
Air Squats
Box Jumps (20")
Double Unders
Hand Stand Push Ups Box Push Ups
Double Unders
Pull Ups (red/purple)
Double Unders
Hand Release Push ups
Double Unders
Abmat Sit Ups
Double Unders
Box Jumps (20")

My Results: 460 Repetitions.

Oh what a WOD it was today. I didn’t think it would be too bad, but boy was I wrong. The air squats went pretty well. I did at least 30+ every time. When I finally got to the box jumps, I let out a grunt & Ron (the trainer) laughed because after doing over 150 Air Squats, I had found my legs my legs didn’t want to cooperate on the box jumps! Then it was onto the Double unders. I only did 10 reps for the first set because I had my sneakers on. Once I took them off, I was able to get at ~30 reps. And I’m much better at it now. I think I was able to do 20 consecutively, although it does tire me out. The 2nd half was definitely more difficult & I was getting really tired. By the time I was done, I just crumbled to the floor & laid there to catch my breath.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Crossfit Week 14 Summary

No weekend work-outs.

Results – I weighed in at CF on Friday at 116.6 lbs. I think my weight is slightly higher than normal because I weighed myself at the end of the day, but that’s okay. I’m sure I’ll be weighing in at nighttime on the last day as well. I feel like I’ve gained a pound or 2 in the past 2 weeks, which doesn’t make me happy, but it could all be in my head. I haven’t noticed any changes in my body this week. I will be starting the Nutrition Challenge on Monday. My CF modified the Whole30 nutrition challenge slightly, so we have different rules. We will start by getting rid of all grains & legumes (rice, pasta, beans, peanuts, corn, white potatoes, cereal, bread, quinoa & oats. This will probably be the most difficult part. I went grocery shopping to get all fresh veggies & fruits. At least they didn’t limit our intake of fruits, but I know they have a high content of sugars that we shouldn’t have too much of, so I will try to eat less fruits & more veggies. I will mark my progress as we go ahead. Wish me luck!

Crossfit Day 61

October 7, Friday
Workout
– I didn’t really think I got too much of a workout yesterday since I was only practicing rope climbs & hand stands, but I really feel soreness on my back of my shoulders. I guess that’s from the rope climbs. My right shin is bruised up from the rope climbs too. After 2 climbs, I realized too late that my socks didn’t protect me enough from the burning of the rope, so it’s already bruised up. But I smartened up after & put on one of my knee pads to protect my shin from further bruising. I’ll have to remember that from now on. This week hasn’t been as bad as the previous 2 weeks, but I still feel pretty good about CF. I do get my low energy days but once I’m in there, I get really into it & come out feeling awesome. I have to remember to weigh in today because I’m going to attempt to follow the Nutrition Challenge that is starting on Monday. It’s going to be tough, but I hope I get through the next 7 weeks & see some awesome results. Wish me luck!

WOD – 7 Rounds 10 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (52), 10 Ring Dips (blue) For Time. My Results: 10:40 minutes.

We started w/ Push Press – 3-3-3-3-3 (Same weight across sets) – 42lb. My right shoulder is still the weak link, but at least I didn’t hit the bar against my lip again like last time. :-P The WOD went pretty good. I didn’t have issues w/ the Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, but I did scrap my knee up when I was setting the bar down to the ground twice. So there’s a slight bruise around the scrap now. We finished w/ a 300m Overhead Carry – (25). Boy do I hate them. My arms get so tired from walking w/ that weight overhead & I take many rests in between, but I still try my hardest to finish. It’s always satisfying when I finish.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Crossfit Day 60

October 6, Thursday
Workout
– My shoulder has been bothering me a bit lately. I’m trying to train myself to use it less. I even switched my mouse so I can use my left hand. It’s a little bit of an adjustment & I’m slower w/ the left hand, but it hasn’t been too bad. I’ve been consciously adjusting the position of my shoulder to its “proper” position instead of jutting forward, but it’s hard to keep it there since it wants to go back to what it’s been used to. This is so annoying. Luckily, most of the CF moves don’t both my shoulders; although I do have a big knotted muscle by the scapula from CF. I just want my shoulder to get better!!! *sigh*

WOD – None.
I decided not to do any WOD today & opted to practice rope climb & hand stands. I climbed up the rope halfway & practice getting down. I think that’s the hardest part for me, coming down! I climbed the rope at least 10+ times, but only doing halfway because I was scared to come down all the way from the top. I’ll get the hang of coming down first before attempting all the way. I also practiced getting up to a hand stand on my own. So many ppl were watching (T, R, L, JR, JE, E, Mo…) that it was getting nerve-wracking, but I continued to keep trying. My shoulder seems to buckle when I’m at top, so I must remember to keep my body strong & straight. I was getting the hang out getting into position, but I could hardly stay up in the hand stand for more than 1 second! Towards the end, I was getting sloppy, so I decided to leave after being at CF for nearly 2 hours. Now that’s dedication!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Crossfit Day 59

October 5, Wednesday
Workout
– I’m looking forward to tonight’s WOD since it’s a lot of running. I feel like I can run longer & faster than I’ve done before, so we’ll see how it turns out.

WOD – "Abbate" 1 mile run (9:33min), 21 Cleans & Jerks (155/115 33), 800m run, 21 Cleans & Jerks, 1 mile run (9:40min) for Time. My Results: 31:43 minutes.

Since it’s fall, by the time we start the WOD (a little after 6:45pm), it’s completely dark outside already. I was afraid I’d walk into a small pothole or step on large rocks in the parking lot of CF, so I was a little more careful when I was running. D bought a headlamp to use outside but she didn’t end up using it, but it’s highly useful. I actually bought it off of her & she’ll pick up another one. I can wrap it around my waist instead of my forehead, although I did put it on my forehead just for kicks. I felt like a Minion from the cartoon movie “Despicable Me.” Haha I was behind the 3 guys & D at the start of the WOD, which was fine w/ me. I wanted to pace myself w/ my run. Mich & L were behind me. I did my fastest mile that I know of coming in at 9:33 minutes! I was pretty stoked about it since our mile at CF is slightly more than a regular mile & part of it is uphill. I want to see if I can do an 8 or 9 minute mile in the future. I went w/ a lower weight for the cleans & jerks because when we were practicing, the 43lb was too heavy for me. I am ok w/ a lower weight because I want to keep practice proper form & really getting the bar overhead when I do the push jerks. By the time I was on my last mile, I was actually not ahead of one of the guys & I stayed ahead. I was behind Mich but I passed by her. So I finished 3rd next to the 2 guys. Not too bad. L was struggling w/ the running so she was still outside when everyone was finished, so D & I went out to look for her & to encourage her. D ended up running an extra ½ mile while I ran an extra ¼ mile. We were trying to motivate L since she is pretty new to our CF & we didn’t want to leave her outside in the dark by herself. I practiced some Reverse Hypers afterwards w/ the guidance of A the trainer so I now know how far my legs should go. It’s a pretty good machine but I can imagine it getting tough when you actually add weight to it.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Crossfit Day 58

October 4, Tuesday
Workout – Yesterday was my CF’s 2 year anniversary. As of next Tuesday, I would have been here for exactly 3 months & it’s been a great 3 months.

WOD – At the top of every minute for 10 minute complete the following – 3 Snatch (Squat if you can – 135/95 22), 5 Burpees. My Results: 22lb for Snatch.

We started off w/ Front Squats – 2-2-2-2-2 (Go Heavy). The last time I did them, I was able to do 83lb. I ended up doing: 65-76-86-86-96lb today. This is my personal best thus far! We practice snatches & I tried 33lb but it was too much for me since we have to basically bring the bar overhead. My right shoulder still cannot handle it, so I went down to 22lb. The WOD wasn’t too bad. I think I was getting slightly faster towards the last couple of minutes. We finished w/ 3x20 GHD Hip Extensions.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Crossfit Day 57

October 3, Monday
Workout
– The WODs have been getting progressively more difficult & challenging, which is a good thing, but I’ve been getting super nervous about them at the same time. I hate being nervous but I don’t think it will go away anytime soon.

WOD – “Ant’s Bday WOD” 27 Double Unders, 27 Dumbbell Squat Clean & Thruster (45/25 20), 27 Double Unders, 27 HandStand Push Ups (box push up), 27 Double Unders, 27 Kettlebell Swings (70/53 44), 27 Double Unders, 27 High Box Jumps (30″/24″), 27 Double Unders, 27 Calorie Row, 27 Double Unders for Time. My Results: 24:02 minutes.

Oh this was a horrible horrible WOD. At the 1st set of DUs, I was the absolute last person to finish them out of ~12 ppl! I was horrified because I was doing them in the corner by the white board so I saw everyone else finish & start the next exercise. I struggled w/ the DUs for a bit, & then towards the end, I was able to do at least 10 in a row w/o an extra jump in between. I was quite proud of myself because I was never able to do that before. I’m definitely getting better at them. The db squat cleans & thrusters were killers because you have to squat down, touch your db to the ground, come into a clean, & then squat down again to go into the thruster. Those really burned. The box push ups were ok, though tiring. The KB swings were difficult. My 1st time using 44lb & it was HEAVY! I was resting after doing 3 reps because I got so winded from them. I am good w/ the high box jumps so I had no issues w/ those. I was surprised I wasn’t the last one to do the row. I was slow but I finished them because a few others. And the last DUs, I was going through them a lot faster than I’ve ever done them. I’m excited about them. I want to practice more so I can do more reps & get even better. When I finished, I just dropped to the ground to catch my breath. It was a tough WOD. I told Ant why he couldn’t have turned 15 instead of 27 years old!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Crossfit Week 13 Summary

No weekend work-out.

Results – I feel like the layer of fat over my abs is getting bulgy. Either it’s because my abs are getting stronger & the muscle is getting larger, or I’ve been eating too much bad crap, causing my stomach to get bigger. This is not making me happy. I really need to change my diet but the weekends & going out are really ruining it. Otherwise, no other changes.

Crossfit Day 56

September 29, Thursday
Workout – D had been texting the whole morning on what we should do today. We wanted to do a run outside but then it started pouring outside, so our plans were thwarted. We asked the trainer to create a WOD for us.

WOD – 1000m Row, 80 Box Jumps (20”), 60 V-ups, 40 Jumping Lunges (2 for 1), 20 HSPU Box Push-Ups for Time. My Results: 20:02 minutes.

I did the WOD w/ D & Mo. I hate rowing, but I still did them. 1000m took me 5:06 minutes. I was still the last to finish, of course. But, I was the 1st to finish the box jumps. Tiring as they are, I can do them pretty well. The v-ups were horrendous, but it’s a great ab workout. The jumping lunges were a total killer to my already sore thighs/quadriceps. 2 for 1 means we had to do a total of 80. Oh they felt like they took forever. And I had to modify the Hand Stand Push Ups yet again. Afterwards, I tried to practice double unders. I was actually about to do 3 in a row w/o an extra jump in between each one. It was hard but I can do it. I definitely want to practice more.

Crossfit Day 55

September 28, Wednesday
Workout
– Again, butterflies in my stomach just thinking about today’s WOD. I’m wondering if all this nervous energy is good for my system. I can’t imagine it is beneficial to my body.

WOD – "Angie" 100 pull-ups (red/purple), 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 air squats for Time. Results: 32:30 minutes.

Oh my goodness, the 100 pull-ups were a killer. It took me over 16 minutes to finish them. After the 1st 47, I had to rest after every 1 pull-up. It was so difficult & I had to use bands. D, Mich & Mo did unassisted ones. Mich modified the WOD so she did 4 rounds of 25 though. Mo tore her skin on her hands after 50 pull-ups, so she did 2 rounds of 50. D did them straight, so that’s mad diesel. I tried real push ups, but my arms were shaking a lot after 8, so I switched to knee push ups. The sit ups were probably the easiest for me although it still took awhile to do 100. I was able to do 40 air squats w/o resting, & the next 60 were slower, but I did them in a decent speed. I couldn’t feel my upper body after the WOD. The joys of CF!