Spousal Abuse

Monday 090427

2009-04-27T15:05:00.001-04:00

“Helen”
3 Rounds for time:
Run 400m21 Kettlebell Swings,
1.5pood/1 Pood,
12 Pull ups

Brandon
11:46
Brutal, been working on the kip, can get 10-12 fresh, but broke down on just rep no 4. Know what I need to work on! BTW, 95 degree heat makes it that much more fun!

We Moved!

2009-04-10T06:57:00.003-04:00

We moved over to wordpress...check it out:

www.crossfitcouple.wordpress.com

Thanks!

Elisse & Brandon

Thursday 090409

2009-04-10T06:26:00.001-04:00

For time:
10-20-30 reps
Push Press, 95 lbs
Medball Cleans, 20 lbs

Elisse:
10-20-30
Time: 9:39
Rest 2 min
800m Run: 4:07
Rest 2 min
800m Run: 4:01
Total Time: 17:47

Push Press: 65# first round, then 55#
Medball Cleans: 16#

Wednesday 090408

2009-04-08T19:52:00.009-04:00

Crossfit Total
1 rep max Back Squat
1 rep max Shoulder Press
1 rep max Deadlift

Brandon's Total: 695
BS: 245
SP: 115
DL: 335

Elisse's Total: 480
BS: 190 (PR)
SP: 75 (PR)
DL: 215 (PR)

I'm happy with my results tonight - big improvements all around. Next time I need to change my warm-up strategy so I don't wear myself out. I feel confident I can do more on the Back Squat, and probably a bit more on the Dead Lift.

Tuesday 090407

2009-04-08T19:51:00.002-04:00

400m x 5 for time.
Rest one minute between each run.

Brandon: 7:23 Total

Monday 090406

2009-04-08T19:48:00.004-04:00

Pull-ups on a Ladder
1 pull-up the first minute, 2 the second minute, 3 the 3rd, and so on…See how far up the ladder you can go.

Elisse: 9 rounds + 6 pull-ups (tan band)
Brandon: 8 rounds

090327 - 090405 "Crossfit Belize"

2009-04-07T09:44:00.025-04:00

We travelled in Belize for 10 days and had a blast! Throughout our adventure we felt a little PCF withdrawal so we came up with some creative WODs on our own...

090327

We arrived in Belize City and travelled directly to San Ignacio. We were hot and tired from the 2.5 hour bus ride. Once we checked-in to the Cahal Pech Resort, we decided to hit the pool.

Team WOD: AMRAP Margaritas
Rounds: ????

090328

We got up early for our 2 hour bumpy ride to the Caracol Mayan Ruins - the largest Mayan archaeological site in Belize.

Team WOD: Climb Mayan Ruins for time

Time: 2 hours

It was a really hot day but we had a great time. All of our hard work paid off when we stopped at the Rio Frio Pools for a swim on our way back to San Ignacio.

090329

We got up early and travelled by van Belize City and then by boat to Caye Caulker. We found a nice rickety shack on the beach to stay for a few days. Once the sun went down and we cooled off we were feeling motivated...

WOD: 21-15-9 Backpack Thrusters & Pushups for time.

Brandon: 3:26

Elisse: 3:40

090330

Rest Day in Caye Caulker.

090331

We set sail on a 50 foot boat - the Ragga Queen - for a 3 day tour down to Placencia.

The coast of Belize boasts the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, next to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The weather was beautiful and the snorkeling was fantastic!

Team WOD: Snorkeling for time

Total Time: 2 hours

We spent our first night camping on cozy little Rendezvous Caye.

090401

More sun, sailing and snorkeling. We spent the night on Tobacco Caye...

WOD: AMRAP Dock Pull-ups
Brandon: 42

Elisse: 42

090402

The last day was the hottest day of the tour...filled with snorkeling, sailing, and trying to stay cool.

Team WOD: Sweating for time

Total Time: 15 hours

090403
Rest Day in Placencia

090404

Our last day in Belize and we decided to get a kayak and paddle around. Despite warnings against a husband a wife sharing the same kayak, we decided to test our teamwork skills....we were a bit off....

Team WOD: Kayaking AFFAP (As Few Fights As Possible)

Rounds: 27

090405

We returned to the USA a few shades darker and a few extra pounds. It was a great trip and we can't wait to get back to the box!

Wednesday 090325

2009-03-25T22:07:00.001-04:00

“Karen and Grace’s Playdate”
AMRAP 15 minutes:
3 Clean and Jerks, 135/95 lbs
15 Wallball, 20/16 lbs

Brandon's Results:
7 rounds + 3 clean & Jerks
as Rx'd

Elisse's Results:
8 rounds + 1 clean & Jerk
75lbs / 16 lbs

Tuesday 090324

2009-03-25T10:00:00.005-04:00

Tabata Hollow Rocks
Rest 1 min
Tabata Handstand Holds
Rest 1 min
Tabata L-sits
Rest 1 min
Tabata Squats
Rest 1 min
Tabata Medball Cleans, 20/16 lbs

Tabata = 8 rounds of 20 sec work + 10 sec rest.

Count lowest number of reps for Hollow Rocks, Squats, and Medball Cleans

Elisse's Results:
14 hollow rocks
16 squats
7 medball cleans (16 lbs)

I liked this one - it was different and focused on a lot of skills that I need to work on. Hollow rocks are really tough on the core. I had a little trouble getting myself up into the handstand on the first round, but once I got the hang of it I was able to hold it pretty well. For medball cleans, I need to remember to shrug and open up all the way.

Brandon's Results:
8 Hollow Rocks
14 Squats
6 Med Cleans (20)

Monday 090323

2009-03-23T19:24:00.002-04:00

AMRAP in 15 mins
Run 400m
40 Box Jumps

I did this at the park....no box so I subbed tuck jumps.

3 rounds + 1 lap + 5 tuck jumps.

This was after 4 days off and a bachelorette party this weekend...it was rough...

Wednesday 090318

2009-03-19T09:40:00.003-04:00

For Time:
21-15-9
Squat Cleans, 95/75 lbs
L Pull-ups

Elisse's Results:
21-15-9
Squat Cleans 75 lbs
Kipping pullups - tan band
Time: 17:34

I'm still working on pull-up strength. For squat cleans, I need to set-up better with tighter hamstrings and not try to jerk the bar with my shoulders. Also need to focus on keeping arms straight until hips are totally open, and dropping under bar faster.

Brandon's Results:
21-15-9
Squat Cleans 95 lbs
L pullups - blue band

Time: 11:40

Tuesday 090317

2009-03-18T08:24:00.002-04:00

AMRAP in 10 mins:
Kettlebell Power Snatch, 24kg/16kg

Elisse's Results:
20 lb KB, 173 reps

The 25 lb KB seemed to be too much during my warmup, but I wish I would've gone for it - 20 lbs was clearly too light for me. This was my first time doing KB snatches and I really liked them! Now that I understand the movement I can up the weight for the next time.

Brandon's Results:
50 lb DB, 123 reps

Monday 090316

2009-03-17T13:25:00.004-04:00

For Time:
50 Ring Dips
50 Double Unders
50 Push-ups
50 Double Unders
50 Handstand Push-ups
50 Double Unders

Brandon's Results: 17:04

scaling: (?)

Elisse's Results: 23:57

scaling:
feet on tall box for HSPUs
35 DUs, 35 Single Unders, 10 tuck jumps
blue band ring dips
10 DUs, 50 SUs, 25 tuck jumps
pushups on knees
50 SUs, 25 tuck jumps

Clearly, I need to work on the double unders. I am getting the hang of them in warm-up when I'm fresh, but have a really hard time in the WODs when I'm working hard and tired. This is something I need to work on often at the box, just like my pull-ups...

Saturday 090314

2009-03-16T14:12:00.003-04:00

5 Rounds:
1 minute Row (count calories)
1 minute Strict Press, 95/65 lbs (count reps)
2 minute Rest

Elisse's Results:
Total: 133
(Scaled Strict Press to 45 lbs)

Rounds:
1) 17 kcals, 16 reps
2) 16 kcals, 11 reps
3) 15 kcals, 10 reps
4) 15 kcals, 9 reps
5) 14 kcals, 10 reps

My rowing has gotten MUCH better thanks to LOTS of tips from the coaches and crossfitters at the box...thanks! 45 lbs was a good weight for me on the strict press - it was definitely a challenge and way harder than the push press!

Thursday 090312

2009-03-16T14:06:00.003-04:00

Squat Cleans in the basement
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Brandon's Results:
135-155-175

Elisse's Results:
75-80-85-90-95

I usually don't push myself as hard in the basement as I do at the box. It's a cramped little space and there are no rubber plates or rubber floor. What really gets me going is Brian's crappy choice of music, Dan's sunshiney disposition, and all the other crossfiters enduring the same pain as I am. Considering all of this was missing, 95 lbs was pretty good for me on squat cleans. I'm definitely going to shoot for 100+ lbs next time I'm at the box...

Wednesday 090311

2009-03-12T08:02:00.002-04:00

Pressed for time we couldn't make it to the box, so we took advantage of the weather and ran with the dog through Old Town.

We didn't track time or distance, but I'm getting faster. I feel like I don't run enough with the WODs so I'm going to add a 5k each week to my routine.

Plus, the dog is getting fat...

Tuesday 090310

2009-03-11T10:16:00.006-04:00

Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3

Elisse's Results:
135-145-155-165-175(PR)

Compare to 090107 - Back Squat 115-125-135

This was huge improvement over the last back squat workout. I will say that the last time I did this was when I was very new to Crossfit - focused on form, not weight. Regardless, I'm still excited that I can squat 175 pounds (Brandon's BW!!).

Diet - I'm still trying my best to stay in the Zone. I'm super stressed and swamped. I don't have time to track every peanut I eat, so I'm not going to. I'll do my best to focus on proteins and fats and avoid bad carbs and see how it goes. Someday I hope to be a little more organized and be able to track my diet...

Brandon's Results:
last set: 235

Compare to 090107 - last set 225

Monday 090309

2009-03-10T09:03:00.005-04:00

For time:
15 Burpees, 1 Box Jump
14 Burpees, 2 Box Jump
13 Burpees, 3 Box Jump…
…continue the ladder until
1 Burpee, 15 Box Jump

Brandon's Results:

Time: 18:50

Real Burpees with pushups, not the floppy burpees.

Elisse's Results:

So, I busted my shin on the 4th box jump, rendering my right leg temporary useless. So, I changed this workout to something else I need to work on - push-ups and dips (box dips)

Time: 13:50

We did this at the park with our dog....he barks for time....

Elisse's Food
I was struggling towards the end of last week and feeling really overwhelmed with work, WODs, and the Zone Diet. I realized that when life gets really hectic, something's gotta give, and that is okay once in a while. So, I let my diet go a little over the weekend, but not too bad. I am ready to get back on track this week.
I find that trying to measure, track, and update my food list is a stressor so I may not do it daily, but I will try my best to stick to Zone-approved foods and quantities the best that I can. I think (hope!) that with time, it will get easier.

Wednesday 090304

2009-03-05T08:33:00.003-05:00

AMRAP in 10 minutes of:
5 Bodyweight Dead Lifts
10 Kettlebell Swing, 1.5/1 pood

Brandon's Results:
8 rounds as Rx'd

Elisse's Results:
5 rounds
145# deadlift for round 1, then dropped to 125#
1 pood kettlebell

Still trying to figure out the Zone. I had too many carbs today. I'm not sure how to count the fat from things like eggs and meats so I need to follow-up on that.
I was really cranky today and not sure if it was from stress at work, hormones, or diet - I'm thinking it was a combination of all three.
I'm looking forward to shopping for a scale and Zone food and doing a little meal planning this weekend so I can dive into the Zone next week.

Tuesday 090303

2009-03-04T09:08:00.007-05:00

Tabata
8 rounds of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest (AMRAP)
Knees to elbows
Squats
Medball Cleans, 20/16 lbs
Burpees

Brandon's Results:
Total Reps: 244

Elisse: Rest Day

Today was much better as far as food goes. I still need to go shopping for Zone approrpiate foods, buy a scale, and start meal planning....all of which I plan to do this weekend.

Monday 090302

2009-03-02T19:23:00.004-05:00

4 Rounds for time:
20 Box Jump
20 Pushups
20 Pullups
Bear Crawl, 1 length
20 GHD Situps
Bear Crawl, 1 length

Elisse's Results:
26:40
Scaling: pushups on knees, blue band pullups, abmat situps.

I was disappointed that they changed the WOD from push jerks to this monster, but it was good to work on my pullups and pushups.

I really liked the warm-up, it was different:
2 rounds: burpee broad jumps, one legged squats w/ partner, wall ball w/ partner, and ball toss w/ partner.

I'm getting geared up to start the Zone diet. I'm going to start by tracking my meals this week and make adjustments until I'm in the Zone. Brian suggested I start at 11Protein / 6 Carb / 26 Fat.

Here is my first day of tracking - clearly, I eat too many carbs and not enough fat. Most of this is estimated so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it gives me a good idea of what I need to add and subtract from my diet. I need to get a scale and start measuring what I'm eating.

Thursday 090226

2009-02-27T08:11:00.002-05:00

“Randy”
For Time:
75 Power Snatches, 75/55 lbs

Elisse's Results:
11:36
45 lbs

This was a great opportunity for me to work on my snatch form. Overall I think I'm doing pretty well. I need to remember to keep the bar close. When I get tired, I have to remember to set-up at the bar properly with a good lumbar curve - I think I was rounding out my back a little bit toward the end. The 45 lbs was appropriate for me - 55# would have been too much.

Brandon's Results:
9-ish
75 lbs

Wednesday 090225

2009-02-25T21:03:00.004-05:00

“Filthy Fifty”
For Time:
50 Box Jumps (24"/20")
50 Jumping Pull Ups
50 Kettlebell Swings (1 pood/25 lbs)
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to Elbows
50 Push Press 45 lbs/35 lbs
50 Hip Extensions
50 Wall Ball shots 20 lbs/12 lbs
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders

Elisse's Results:
36:07

The Knees to Chest slowed me down the most (working on getting them all the way up to my elbows!). My grip strength is weak. Wall ball was also tough for me. I only did half of the double-unders and subbed tuck jumps for the other half. This was an ass-kicker - I needed it today!

Brandon's Results:
36:10

I subbed tuck jumps for double-unders, some knees to chest instead of elbows.

tuck jumps instead of double-unders.

Tuesday 090224

2009-02-25T21:00:00.001-05:00

4 rounds for time:
Run 400m
10 Thrusters 45/35 lbs.
5 Hand Stand Push Ups
Post time to comments.

Brandon's Results:
45# Thrusters
HSPU with 1-2 abmats

Time: 13ish

Nice to see running in the WOD.

Monday 090223

2009-02-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

For Time:
21-15-9
Back Squat 185/125 lbs
Ring Dips

Elisse's Results:
9:21
Back Squat as Rx'd
Blue band ring dips

This was fun and a great challenge. I was skiing the last 2 days so my legs were totally fried at the end.

I love squats!

Thursday 090219

2009-02-20T09:16:00.004-05:00

Weighted Pull Ups 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Rest
Row 1000m for time.

Brandon's Results:

45-50-50-45-45-45(F)
Was able to get well above bar with alternating grip, had trouble with both over.

1000m Row 3:43
Achieved a little efficiency by letting my arms out faster, still think the solution is to be taller.

Elisse's Results:

I did some of the pull-ups with the tan band and decided to work on my kip the rest of the time. Aaron was giving me some great kipping tips and I'm starting to get the hang of the kipping movement.

I still have yet to do a pull-up. I need to build strength to get over the bar. This is something I'm going to work on every time I'm at the box. My goal is to be able to do 5 unassisted pull-ups by August 1st. If I stick with it I know I can achieve that goal...maybe even sooner...

1000m Row 4:31

I'm pretty sure that rowing barefoot makes you go faster (or, I just forgot my shoes...)

This is an improvement for me. Dan gave me some great feedback during the WOD and I figured out how to push harder through my heels and get longer.

Wednesday 090218

2009-02-19T09:20:00.006-05:00

“Elizabeth”
For Time: 21-15-9
Squat Clean, 135/95 lbs.
Ring Dips

Post Time.

Elisse's Results:
time: 12:21 minutes
squat cleans: 75 lbs
ring dips: blue band

I love squat cleans. I really think my form is coming along. 75 lbs was a good weight for me on this WOD. It was a good challenge for me. I think I'll try the tan band for ring dips next time. The blue band took away from the challenge.

Brandon's Results:
time: 14:40 minutes
squat cleans: 115 lbs
ring dips: some as rx'd, most with blue/tan band

Tuesday 090217

2009-02-19T09:14:00.004-05:00

3 Rounds:
1 minute Ball Slams, 20 lbs
1 minute Sit Ups
1 minute Medicine Ball Cleans, 20 lbs
1 minute Box Jumps

Brandon's Results:
Total reps: 281

Monday 090216

2009-02-18T09:08:00.003-05:00

My Lame Date with "Cindy"

Max rounds in 20 minutes of:
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats

Elisse's Results:
11 Rounds +
5 pullups and 10 pushups

Tan/Blue band for pullups
pushups on knees

I'm not going to lie, I felt terrible going into, during, and following this WOD. Not sure if it was diet, stress, or whatever. Last time I did this was only a 1/2 "Cindy" for 10 minutes and I was able to do 7+ rounds with the blue band. This was lame.

Friday 090213

2009-02-15T20:17:00.005-05:00

Dead lift

6-4-3-1-1-1

Elisse:

6 x 115
4 x 125
3 x 145
175
185
205 (personal record)

This was a huge confidence booster for me. With a long history of back issues, I never thought I would be able to do anything like Crossfit or Olympic lifts. Now, I'm able to dead lift over 200 pounds! I'm very very happy about this.

Thursday 090212

2009-02-13T09:17:00.007-05:00

30 seconds Handstand Pushups/30 seconds rest, 5 Rounds
3 minutes rest
30 seconds ring dips/30 seconds rest, 5 Rounds
3 minutes rest
30 seconds push ups/30 seconds rest, 5 Rounds
3 minutes rest

Row as far as possible for meters in 2 minutes.
Post reps/meters.

Elisse's Results:

HSPU: 13-12-11-11-10 = 57
feet/knees on box

Ring Dips: 5-8-5-8-5 = 31
blue band/feet on floor

Pushups: 11-7-11-10-10 = 49
knees on floor/box

Total: 137

Row: 426m

This was tough and totally maxed out my shoulders, even with all of my sally-scaling. It was good to work on the push-ups since they are one of my biggest weaknesses. I finally learned how to do a handstand against the wall without falling on my face! However, I'm not quite ready for handstand pushups yet. Clearly, I need more rowing practice.

Brandon's Results:

Did something like
26
24
64
440m

At the time the workout seemed much heavier than I anticipated and thus was such a wind sucker. I can not tell you how much I ache right now. Kind of like someone brought back medieval torture with a vengefully rusty dull spoon. Hopefully the free WOD will work out some of the soreness.

Monday 090209

2009-02-09T19:07:00.008-05:00

I LOVE BURPEES!

Today's WOD: 150 Burpees for time.

Elisse: 15:33 minutes
Brandon: Rest Day

They are not fun and they are not easy. There is no secret way of doing them really fast with minimal work. When done in high volume, Burpees are hard. They suck. They hurt.

For those of you who don't know what a Burpee is...
Drop into a squat, kick your feet out into a push-up position, chest and knees hit the floor. Bring your knees back into the squat position and jump up as high as you can. Repeat as fast as possible.

I'm not kidding when I say I love Burpees. They are a great exercise for skiers and you know I love anything that has to do with legs and explosion.

On a side note, I think I'm finally sort-of getting the hang of the kipping pull-up. I was able to do 5 in a row with the Tan band today - a big improvement from the green band less than 2 months ago. I'm getting closer to my goal: 5 unassisted pull-ups by August. What the hell, let's make it 10.

Saturday 090207

2009-02-09T08:04:00.009-05:00

Cleaning up the Squat Clean

In lieu of the WOD, we decided to work out with the Capital Barbell Club at PCF. The CBC is a group that trains together for competitive Olympic weightlifting. The coaches are certified by USA Weightlifting and have a lot of knowledge to share. I didn't really know what to expect but I was sure I could learn something new.

Fred (CBC coach) greeted us upon arrival and offered a lot of great instruction on the Squat Clean. Mike (another CBC coach) also gave me a lot of detailed tips to help improve my squat clean. Mike had me work on each section of the movement separately before putting all together, sort of like this video.

The Set-up:

Feet are hip-width, toes slightly pointed out
Grab bar with hands shoulder-width apart
Look straight ahead with an open chest, shoulders back
Knees and shoulders should be forward of the bar, bar touching shins
Squat down so hips are near knee level
Maintain the lumbar curve by keeping a tight back throughout movement

The Lift & Shrug:

Bar stays as close to the body as possible
Lift bar straight up and slightly towards the body
As hips open, knees should remain bent and move forward beneath the bar
Explode through the heels
Shrug the bar straight up, shoulders moving UP (not back)

The Clean:

As the top of the shrug, arms should be in the "scarecrow" position
When the bar is at the top of the upward movement, drop your body below the bar into squat position
Drive elbows high to keep weight close to the body

The Front Squat:

Breath in as you are moving downward into the squat
Keep your back tight with a good lumbar curve
Squat down so hips are below knees
Extend up through the heels to standing position

There is a lot to remember, so breakding it down and practicing each segment was really helpful, and also a great workout. It's hard to say exactly how many squat cleans I did because I broke it down so many times, but it was something like this (Elisse's workout):

3 x 55#
3 x 65#
3 x 75#
3 x 65#
3 x 85#

Fred also expressed the importance of working on the Abs after each workout:

10 GHD sit-ups
20 Sit-ups
20 Barbell Ab-roll

This was definitely an educational and exhausting day!

I think Elisse's instructions are spot on. I think that the O lifts are probably as much a skill as a strength exercise. I went to 155 for 3, was coached that I fully extended my legs before starting my upper body, pretty much matching my mental image of having no upper body strength in the lift. For someone unfamiliar with the clean your hips/knees have to expand at the same rate as your shoulders/ back, otherwise you do like me and get nothing from your upper body and have to 'dive' to the bottom to catch the bar. I will be working on my clean technique, as I believe I have my snatch much more under control.

Thursday 090205

2009-02-05T15:40:00.005-05:00

5 Rounds of:
1 minute row
1 minute Double-Unders (or tuck jumps)
2 minutes rest

Post calories and reps.

Brandon's Results
41+43+42+39+44 = 209

subbed tuck-jumps instead of double-unders.

Elisse's Results
35+40+46+49+44 = 214

I tend to prefer the WODs with Olympic lifts, but this one was fun. More things to improve upon...

My max calories per minute was only 12 and I feel like I should be higher than that. My short legs might affect the rowing, but my legs are very strong and should be able to work more efficiently as I row. I need a rowing lesson.

As far as double-unders go, I can only do about 4 in a row. I attempted them during round 1 and was having so much trouble so I switched to tuck jumps. Even though tuck jumps are more "work", I prefer them because I feel that I'm getting a better leg workout. 20 years of skiing has provided me with great strength and explosion in my legs, so I do love the tuck jumps.

Regardless, I still need major work on my double-under skills so I can be like this guy some day:

The Pie Goes For Max Consecutive Double Unders from Chris Harrison on Vimeo.

Wednesday 090204

2009-02-05T11:49:00.003-05:00

“Fran on a Ladder”
With a running clock complete each round until you cannot complete the required work within that minute:
Minute 1: 1 Pull-up
Minute 2: 2 Thrusters, 95/65 lbs
Minute 3: 3 Pull-ups
Minute 4: 4 Thrusters
Minute 5: 5 Pull-ups
Minute 6: 6 Thrusters
Etc…I
If you complete the work before the end of that minute you must wait until the next minute begins before starting the next round.Post rounds to comments.

Elisse's Scaling & Results:
65# Thrusters
Tan Band for first 5 rounds, then Blue Band

11 rounds + 2 Thrusters.

I felt weak today, especially on Thrusters. I think it may be diet related. I'm looking forward to starting the Zone in March when the skiing chaos ends.

Thursday 090129

2009-02-05T11:45:00.002-05:00

“Heavy Fran”
For Time:
15-12-9
Thrusters, 135/95 lbs
Weighted Pull-ups, 45lbs/25lbs

Elisse's Scaling & Results:
15-12-9
Thrusters, 65#
Pull-ups, Tan Band

Time: 13:57

Not feeling 100% after being sick and not eating for 2 days. I think I could've done more on Thrusters. First day with Tan band and was doing 1 pull-up at a time by the end.

Monday 090126

2009-02-05T11:33:00.008-05:00

Max Rounds in 20 min:
10 Sumo Deadlift Highpull, 95/75 lbs
15 Knees to Elbows
20 Double Unders

Elisse's Scaling & Results:
10 Sumo Deadlift Highpull, 65#
15 Knees to Chest
20 Single-Unders + 10 Tuck Jumps.

6 rounds + 10 SDHP + 7 Knees/Chest

65# was appropriate for SDHP. Knees/Chest was very tough. I think I need to swing more and do them faster next time. I also need to work on double-unders because the scaled option seems like a lot more work.

Friday 090123

2009-01-26T09:53:00.002-05:00

Friday 090123 - PCF

Front Squats 10-10-10
Rest

3 rounds of AMRAP:
1 minute Ball Slams
1 minute sit-ups
1 minute Rest

Post weight & total reps.

I'm back! After 2 days of coaching a ski race in -16 degree weather, and another 2 days of waiting in lines and cheering for Obama in our Nation's Capital, I suffered from exhaustion and a pulled trapezius. I took some time off last week to rest and recover. Even though I was still a little tired, I made myself go to the WOD on Friday and I'm so glad that I did!

Front Squats are just like regular squats except the bar in in front of you, resting on the front of your shoulders instead of the back. The challenge is to prevent the weight from pulling you forward so you really have to drive up from the squat through your heels, leading with your elbows. The higher you get your elbows, the better chance you have of avoiding a face-plant. The guy in this video has great front squat form.

I started low at 55# because I'm still not sure where I am strength-wise. That was far too easy so I added 20# each set. By the third set I was tired, but still felt that I could handle more weight. Next time I'll start at 95# and increase to failure.

The 2nd part of the WOD was great for a Friday - Ball Slams really help you work out a week of stress! You start with the ball overhead, slam it down to the ground as you drop into a squat, catch it after the 1st bounce, and explode up to go again. Because the ball is weighted, it doesn't bounce very high so you have drop into a squat really fast and then explode through the heels back to the starting position. During the entire movement, you want to keep the ball as close to your body as possible. The further the ball is from your body, the more work you have to do. In this video, you'll see Jen (one of my trainers) demonstrating the jumping slam ball. We did this WOD without the jumping, but you get the idea.

The sit-ups are pretty self explanatory. We use an Abmat to support the lower back and help work the entire abdominal region during sit-ups. You will never see crunches in a WOD. They don't work the entire abdomen, and they don't strengthen the hip flexors the same way that sit-ups do.

Here are my results from this WOD:

Front Squats 10-10-10
55-75-95

3 rounds of AMRAP:
1 minute Ball Slams
1 minute sit-ups
1 minute Rest

Total reps: 174

Are we catching on yet?
~Elisse

Thursday 090115

2009-01-16T07:59:00.001-05:00

Thursday 090115 - PCF

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
Half "Cindy": 10 minutes AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 air squats

Here is what I achieved in this WOD:
Snatch: 35-35-55-65-65-70-75.
1/2 Cindy: 7 rounds + 5 pull-ups
(Pull-ups: Blue Band, Push-ups: scaled to knees after 1st round.)

The Snatch is hard. Not really "heavy" hard, but just a difficult move. You are basically trying to get weight off the floor and above your head efficiently and quickly as possible. Throwing weight above your head is not natural. Humans have a strong aversion to this type of movement so learning the move goes against our innate desire for self preservation and is therefore very difficult to master.

With the help of the Burgener Warm-up, I think I'm starting to get the hang of the snatch, however, I need to get more comfortable with my form before I start working on my max. I attempted an 80# snatch and failed - the form is tough and it really rocks your back out. If you aren't explosive, you fail. I might have benefited more from staying at 65# or 70# and focusing on form. I'll have to remember this for the next Snatch workout.

I liked the 1/2 Cindy more than I thought I would. I'm starting to get the hang of the kipping pull-up and should be ready to move from the blue band to the tan band in a few more weeks. Push-ups are still hard for me so I just need to keep working at them. I did the first round regular, and then scaled to my knees for the next 6 rounds - I was failing push-ups by the end of the workout.

Fortunately, air squats are never really a problem for me, thanks to all those years of ski racing. "I got 99 problems and my squat ain't one..."

Tuesday 090113

2009-01-13T21:38:00.001-05:00

Tuesday 090113 - Basement
Deadlift 3-3-3
Bench Press 5-5-5

DL: 115-125-135
BP: 65-85-85

2nd set BP: 5th rep was assisted
3rd set BP: 2-1-2

I couldn’t make it to the box tonight so I did this in the basement. I think I could’ve done better at the box. I definitely was maxed out on the Bench Press, but think I can do more weight with the Deadlift. I get nervous about my lower back, but in my mind I know I can do more. I just need to push my comfort level.

Monday 090112

2009-01-13T09:36:00.002-05:00

Tthere are 80 year olds doing CrossFit, so I'm pretty sure you can give it a try too...

Monday 090112 - PCF

“Real Endurance”
50 Kettlebell Swings 25 lbs
50 sit-ups
8 laps DB farmers walk 20/25 lbs (uneven weights)
50 Ball Slams 15 lbs
50 Thrusters 35 lbs
Row 1500m

Time: 25:51

This was one of the hardest WOD's I've done so far at the gym. I'm excited because it was the first WOD I've done as Rx'd! It was really rough, but a great workout.
We were allowed to complete this in any order and for some reason I thought rowing last would be a good idea - I was wrong. I'm not a very good rower so I need to work on that. I think it blew my time.
Thrusters were by far the hardest part for me. I had to do them in sets of 10 at first, then sets of 7. The farmer's walk was pretty tough too - very taxing on the grip strength. I think I'll try kettlebells instead of dumbells nexttime.
The Ball Slams were new to me, but weren't too bad.

Now that I'm getting into the swing of things with the WODs, I'm thinking of taking it to the next level and starting the Zone Diet.
CrossFit's best performers are Zone eaters. It looks like a pain in the ass to get started (weighing all of your food, etc.), but I think it will be worthwhile once I get the hang of it. It's definitely going to be hard since I'm traveling every weekend, but I'm going to give it a shot starting next week and see what happens...

Is love supposed to feel this way?

2009-01-08T13:41:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm going to say this quickly and get it over with...

igotsofuckingfatovertheholidays! ilooklikeafreakingcow! allthatdamnsouthernfoodwentstraighttomyfatfuckingass!

Ahh, I feel much better now that I got that off my chest.

So, now I'm back to salads and CrossFit so I can attempt to lose the 5 flabby pounds that I gained.

This was from a workout at "the box" (our pet name for the CrossFit gym). This is a kettlebell swing. (Note the muffin top. Gross.)
And here is the Hubby doing Muscle-ups on the rings...

These were from a Hero workout called "Nate". (Hero workouts are named after fallen soldiers or firefighters or cops...and they are always really rough.)

“Nate”
Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:
2 Muscle-ups (sub 6 Pullups, 6 Dips)
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 1.5 Pood Kettlebell swings

The best thing about CrossFit is that it is infinitely scalable. That means that you can do the workout no matter how strong you are.
I had to sub 3 pull-ups and 3 dips for each muscle-up and instead of handstand push-ups I did push-ups with my feet on a box.
A Pood is a Russian measurement equal to 36.11 pounds. I used a 35lb kettlebell for this workout.
In 20 minutes I was able to do 10 2/3 rounds. (Nate kicked my ass.)

You all know that I love CrossFit, but I don't just kind of love it, I LOVE love it. All Brandon and I talk about is CrossFit. Our daily routine revolves around getting to the WOD on time. I wear my new CrossFit t-shirt to sleep at night ("I got 99 problems and my Squat ain't one"). It's like a cult, but a really good cult that helps you get fit and strong. When I grow up, I want to be a CrossFit trainer and open my own CrossFit gym, and include WODs for pregnant women and children old old people and dogs....*Sigh*

I hope that at some point in your life you will all experience a love as intense as my love for CrossFit.

WODs = WOW!

2008-12-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

I completed my first 2 crossfit foundations classes last week which means I was "allowed" to attend their regular WODs (Workout Of the Day) over the weekend. I realized that this crossfit thing is definitely a love/hate twisted obsession and sick addiction. Basically, the WODs kicked my ass so hard....and I loved it.

Saturday's WOD:

Overhead Squats 2-2-2 (2 reps x 3 sets)

3 rounds for time:
21 kettlebell swings
21 box jumps
250m run

For my overhead squats I only did about 65lbs. I'll be able to increase my weight much more once I am more confident with my form. My time for the rest of the WOD was 11:26 mins.

Sunday's WOD:

10 rounds for time:
12 pull-ups
12 burpees

This was 25:41 mins of pure hell.

I'm Jazzed about Crossfit!

2008-12-04T14:31:00.001-05:00

The workouts range from 10-30 minutes of intense activity ranging from body weight exercises to Olympic lifts. They trainers are really good at explaining how to do everything the right way. I was never a very confident weight lifter, but I am starting to be...

Monday night was the first class so it was a lot of discussion, learning the crossfit principles and the proper technique for body weight exercises. We also learned the warm up (Samson stretch, 10 air squats, 10 sit ups, 10 pull-ups, and 10 ring dips.)

Our workout was to do as many rounds of the following in 10 minutes: (I did 8 2/3 rounds)
5 push ups
10 sit ups
15 air squats

Wednesday night we did the same warm-up and then focused on learning the front squat and push press.

Our workout was to do the following for time: (My time was 4:08 mins)
21 front squats, 21 push press
15 front squats, 15 push press
9 front squats, 9 push press

Varied. Intense. Infinitely Scalable.

The workouts are focused on metabolic conditioning and strength movements found in nature. It is supposed to help you with your chosen sport so I'll be excited to see if there are results on the mountain this season....I start coaching in a week!

This is freakin' awesome - I love it!

Crossfit begins...sort of...

2008-11-18T08:25:00.002-05:00

Hey Hags,

So I've started the crossfit "workout of the day" (WOD) a few days a week and it's pretty intense. They only last 15-30 minutes on average so it's over quick which is great. I'm used to running distance which takes anywhere from 40-80 minutes depending on the distance so I'm enjoying the extra time int the evenings when I can cook and hang out with Brandon. He's doing crossfit too and "coaching" me which is fun and terrible at the same time....we'll see if that lasts.

I'm starting off easy to make sure my back can handle all the new exercises. Eventually I'll get to 3 days workout/1 day rest. On Saturday, Brandon and I are going to a free WOD intro class at the local crossfit gym. I'm excited to work with a real crossfit coach that will kick my ass into gear. If we like it then we'll sign up for their foundations class that teaches you all of the basics over 4 weeks. Once we master the basics, I hope to be able to do most of the WODs in our basement gym.