A new week, new PR's

Well last weeks chest workout was a wonderful success in my eyes. I got 315 for a strong 2 on my last set and it felt good. I decided the following week I would try for another PR and go for 325. Well the chest workout came and I managed to break my record. I got 325 for one but struggled on the last rep. Overall I was very happy for smashing my PR out of the park. I feel I should have went up to 320 which would still have been a PR for me and I perhaps would have made my set. No worries. Live and learn. I really feel like my strength is coming back. My squats are up to 315 and my press this week was 848 which I believe is another PR for me. With the birthday creeping up on me, I am happy to still be able to hang with the young bucks in the gym!

VOTD

Leg workouts and my disdain for doing them

Another week and another leg workout...How I have missed you so squats. I have longed for the feeling of throwing my lunch up while I do legs. Good times indeed. 

Keeping up

Well three weeks in and I feel great. Getting over that strict leg workout was a bear but feeling better every time I go to squat. My deadlifts are improving. Using the smith machine for strict form helps on off days. Keeping myself to 20 mins of cardio every 3 days is odd and I do miss the ass-kicking that is crossfit. I plan on after my fourth week to take a week off from this workout and do nothing but some gut busting WOD's for a week. I am sure Chris will love this. Last week I was away at a conference and had to make use of the resort's gym and to say it was lackluster is a gross understatement. I worked through it and made do with what I had available. This week has gone well. The soreness is not as bad and I continue to improve my weights. The 12-10-8 rep counts are proving to be taxing and I do feel my bench has lost some overall but hopefully with time this will improve. On deck, a lovely back workout this evening. Cant wait!

The diet has gone well too. I am hovering at 201lbs still. I really had hoped to gain a few pounds by now with all the protein intake but nothing. I will keep up the good fight and chug a few more shakes...

VOTD

New workout plan, new focus

Well last week I started a 6 day a week training program and along with a new diet I have hopes of conquering some new goals and personal records. This program is working on a 4 day weights and 2 days of cardio in between. I have also really revamped my diet focusing on a high protein/low carb meal plan. What carbs I am taking in, I am trying to make sure they are the whole good variety. Working with a few new supplements to further help me achieve my goals. 

The diet is pretty much straight forward with small meals on a 3-4 hr timeline. I start off the morning with a casein  shake, some egg beaters and a vitamin pack that includes fish oil and my old man vitamin-glucosamine. Mid-morning I work in either a protein bar or a shake. Lunch is usually the chicken breast and vegetable variety. Mid-afternoon another shake or bar. Pre-workout Ill have a small drink to kick juices in and then immediately a post-workout drink with a protein shake to top off.  Dinner is either a small salad with some chicken or just a shake. Before bed I finish off with another casein shake. Whew... a lot to take in.... literally.

The workouts are the same fare. Day 1 dedicated to legs, with day 2 for push exercises, day 3 I am running (2.38 miles in 20 mins btw), day 4 pull work, day 5 arms and shoulders, day 6 cardio again, and day 7 rest thankfully! I am tracking individual lifts and will begin posting here for all to see. I have hope of after this program completion to start up another crossfit regimen. With this workout and diet, I would like to put on about 10lbs reaching a goal of 215lbs body weight. We shall see. Stay tuned!!! 

Raise the bar

Took a nice long run Monday afternoon. Felt good out of the gate with some good music on the ipod and a good pace. Hit 3 miles and felt like going for my own PR. 4.5 into it, the knees started to talk to me. 6 miles into it and the feet were letting me know their dislike of day of running. 7 miles and I was done. My knee had a nice little throb to it and the feet checked out at 6.5 miles. I finished with a time 68 mins with a 9:47 pace. Tuesday I tried to get to gym but felt my body needed the rest to recover. I read the other day as we get older we have to accept we cannot be the young man again lifting running but you can be the best you can be at that given time and if 7 miles is my best then I am happy with it. I would like to push myself and get 10 miles in one day so we shall see. 

A good ladder WOD

Off to the gym yesterday with Chris for a beast of a chest workout. Tried a ladder lift for the first time and overall I really liked it. Coming up to 10 wasn't that bad and the countdown from 10 was not horrible. Could feel it at the end. 

Body weight bench press

1 rep rest 30 secs, 2 reps rest 30 secs, 3 reps rest 30 secs and so on up to to 10 full reps then count back down to 1 rep. 

Laying down flys 25-30-30lbs 10 reps per set

Sitting cable press with crossover machine 3 sets 10 reps per

Bent over cable press, 3 sets 10 reps per set

3 rounds of knees to elbows

VOTD

Holy hell, where have I been.

Ok this once a month shit is for the birds. I need to get back on point with my training and even more so my blog. I know all five of my followers would love that! Even so I need this for my records, like a mirror that never loses its reflection. I can always come back here and look upon past WOD's and PR's. a slap in the face if you will.

These past few weeks, I have been training fairly well. Mixing up some runs with some weights and a few WOD's for good measure. I have been working this WOD in at least once a week, usually at the start. 

3 rounds for time of the following

20 knees to elbows

50 push ups

50 squats

run 800 meters

In this Florida heat this WOD will put it on you. Hydration is the key because you will sweat like there is no tomorrow. 

Last week, my friend Chris and I tried this WOD. To say it sucked is a serious understatement. I was still hurting a few days after. Of course the 3.5 mile run the day before could have been a factor in the destruction of my legs for a few days. 

4 rounds for time

15 deadlifts (185lbs)

15 decline pushups

15 pull ups

15 thrusters (95lbs)

I managed to get 3 rounds with 5 thrusters done before I called it. Just brutal but I plan on attacking this again in the future with high hopes of finishing the complete WOD.

Yesterday I took in a 5k run with the half way point, completing 3 rnds of knees to elbows, then back on the run. Once again the Florida sun is an unforgiving bitch but still a good sweat. 

 Tonight I plan on a strong chest workout. Will try to put something together crossfit style!

Back in the saddle again

Well its been a minute since yours truly felt well enough for a Crossfit WOD. As we grow older injuries that take so much longer to heal also tend to linger and never let you truly forget that they will ever leave! Well Chris and I took to the local Anytime Fitness for a upper body WOD. It felt really good to sweat like that again in the gym. The past few weeks have been sort of lackluster as far as my overall performance. I have hopes of continuing the trip to a full recovery and jumping feet first back into the pool of Crossfit. 

The WOD:

21-15-9 reps of the following for time

95lb hang and cleans
95lbs push press

body weight dips

Run 1/4 mile between rounds

Time:16m28s

Its been a couple weeks...

Forgive me but these past couple weeks have been brutal. A cold bug has landed on me twice now and attempted to make me want to buy stock in NyQuil cold medicine. Taking a week or two off may do my body some good. I am going to join another gym and start a new program with my friend Chris but I do not plan on giving up on the CrossFit workouts. I have hopes for my friend Dan to heal up and his return to the gym. See you all in a few days.

A day at Ultimate Fitness

Started my workout week on Sunday and went for a 3 mile run in Winter Haven. My pace felt good at first and I managed to tally a 2.5 mile run before I began to feel the lingering effects of this cold bug going around. That evening I completed the P90X chest and back workout and used the bands for all pull-up exercises to take the pressure off the arm. I forgot how much I enjoyed P90X for exactly what its for. Shocking your system by muscle confusion. 

Monday I met Dan and we hit the trail for a 3 mile run but I was feeling the run from Sunday and my time reflected it. I believe Dan was losing his mind for the slow pace I kept us at! By the end of the run I knew Tuesday would be a "no-run day" for yours truly.

Off to the gym for shoulder and arm workout on Tuesday. Decided to try to incorporate some P90X training into my lift today and I felt pretty good with the overall workout. Came out with a great pump and a feeling of accomplishment. The arm is still giving me trouble, so I am having to take a course to help in the healing process. I cannot lift like I want to and pull-ups are out of the question. Getting old sucks!

On the heal.

Still working on letting this arm heal up. I am just sticking to some light lifting and some runs in between for good measure. I also have jumped back on the heavy bag working my kicks and some light bag work for striking. Feels good to get back into that. I have missed it. Its funny how you dont forget how to do something like this. After a few rounds of warming up, I could feel the motions all coming back and with each kick a growing confidence and the ability to deliver more power each strike. Good times indeed!

Hitting the gym

Ive taken a few days off from the Crossfit regimen to try and let this arm heal up and for a change of pace. Hit the gym Tuesday for a good chest and tricep workout. I felt my bench would be lacking as I have not got under a bar in some time. I managed a 5/5 set/rep and finished with a 265lb for my last set. I felt I could have gone up but there was no one for spot and didn't feel like having the bar pinch my head off. Finished with the usuals; incline press db, seated bench, weighted dips, behind the head press, and pull downs. I completed the workout with a 16m39s 2 mile run. Wednesday I went for some back and biceps and had a pretty good workout but the arm is still giving me some trouble and I am feeling it this morning. I have assigned myself to try and complete a 20 min 5k and I am going to use my nike+ training band as a guide. I have a 3 mile run tonight as well as a 4 mile on Sunday morning. Sounds FUN!

A week to recover

After last week, I felt my body really beginning to talk to me, as in sit down old man and take a breather. I am not in my 20's anymore and as I see 40 coming around the bend in a couple of years, it may do me some justice to listen to my aches and pains every once in awhile. So I decided last week to take it easy and just get a couple runs in and a session or two of yoga. Ran a 5k for a PR of 25m5s last week as well as my PR for furthest run on Sunday of 5 miles with a time of 43m43s. I felt good the whole run but towards the end my knees were talking to me. I am going to really start to try to focus on some good runs, at least 3 per week and work on bringing my PR's down.

A sunny day calls for a run at the park

Dan and myself took the weather in stride and headed to the park for a WOD. On paper this seemed easy enough but now thinking about it don't they all? The WOD called for three rounds of five different exercises at different stations with runs to each station. We went from pullups to dips, to jump box squats, to reverse pulls, and finally to pushups. I believe my body has hit a wall of sorts and I may need to take a few good days off. This thing was brutal and I just was gassed by then end of it. I ended up walking portions of the final round but I still finished it, demoralized and all. 

3 rounds for time
25 pullups 

run to dip bar
25 dips
run to box station
25 box jumps
run to  dip bar
25 reverse pullups
run to chinup bar
25 pushups
sub 30m time for myself with a total of about 2 miles ran

A few days to recover

Well this WOD has gone down as one of the hardest I have done and for the life of me I do not know why. Thrusters...check, pullups...check, body wrecked for 3 days after this particular WOD...damn skippy. I went and met my friend Chris and a buddy of his at Anytime Fitness in Auburndale. This was his friends first foray into the CrossFit world. He took it on the chin and did rather well although Chris spoke with him a couple days after and he complained of his body being a little sore and by a little sore I mean a loss of bodily functions like walking. I too felt this WOD for a few days after. Just beat me up. Perhaps it was the heavy emphasis on legs with the deadlift extravaganza Dan and myself had earlier in the week and then walking into this WOD with the innocence of a small child only to have it thoroughly kick my ass. I am glad I finished it but to say there wasn't times that I sincerely considered another hobby like say needlepoint, is a gross understatement.

For time:
135 pound Thruster, 15 reps
Pull-up, 15 reps
95 pound Thruster, 21 reps
Pull-up, 21 reps
65 pound Thruster, 36 reps
36 Pull-ups
27m19s

Ahhhh dead-lifts are a friend of mine.

Well after my recovery from the weekend dash, I decided to start my workout week off with a bang and by bang I mean my lower back hating me. The WOD called for a series of dead-lifts followed by a 1/4 mile run between sets. The times posted on the main site seemed incredible and after completing the WOD, I just cant see how some of the times are achieved. (mental note: must work harder...) I finished the WOD and of course today I feel like I wrestled a bear. Dan wasn't feeling the gym at all and you could see it in his face but he was there and went at it like a trooper. Well the dead-lifts had other ideas and decided to smack Dan around a bit. He pulled his back early into the WOD and decided it was best to take it easy after that. Sometimes you tear the gym up and sometimes it tears you. Getting your mind right is the base for a good session in the gym.

For time:
225 pound Deadlift, 21 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 18 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
400 meter Run
225 pound Deadlift, 12 reps
400 meter Run

My time 19m40s

Warriors Dash

First let me say this was a learning experience. I have never competed in any sort of timed run before this and to say I did not prepare well is a gross understatement. I took it easy a couple days leading up to the race and got a good nights sleep. The morning of the race I decided to eat like a fat boy on a diet who hasn't had cake in a very long time. IHOP was destroyed and my stomach later on was almost put down for lack of functioning. Wow. Lesson LEARNED. Anyway, on to the festivities. The race was a hoot. I dont think but maybe 1% of the entries actually took it seriously. There were costumes everywhere. Dan even showed up all Braveheart on me. He looked the part. Warrior was in the house! The race went well for the most part until IHOP decided it would like to come outside and see what all the fuss was about. I managed to NOT visit Mr. Pukey but my time and run went downhill after that. I managed a 34m and change time while Dan beasted it at 29 and change. I had a great time, managed to get a nice sunburn on my melon and I look forward to it again next year!

Workout with Chris

My friend Chirs has expressed his desire to build up his cardio and wanted to try some interval training on the treadmill. I met up with him at his gym with Pie along to join in the festivities. He got in a mile run/walk and I pushed for a 2 mile fast run, my last run before the dash this weekend. I managed a 2.16m in 19m15s. Not horrible. I also wanter to try out some calf compression sleeves. Of course Pie and Chris both said I looked like a fool but oh well. My initial impression is that the are well worth the money. My lower legs never felt tired and I actually felt good after my run and WOD. I may look into some compression shorts later on after I continue to give these sleeves a few more weeks. After the run I wanted to ease Chris into a fairly easy WOD so we went with the following:

3 rounds
12 deadlifts 95lbs

9 clean and jerks 95lbs

6 push press 95lbs
I felt good throughout the workout but noticed the WOD from the the day before, Angie, had taken its toll on my forearm strength. My forearms were on fire. Finished the WOD with a helluva good sweat and I think Chris once again hates CrossFit.

P90X and Angie

Tuesday:

Took an easy day as the run from Monday still lingered in the legs. Phailin and I decided to do the P90X Cardio X workout in the house as the weather was turning bad quickly. I have to give to Tony, even though he gets annoying really quick, guy is a beast in the workouts. I was proud of Pie as this was her first workout in little while and she kept with it and completed the full program.

Wednesday:

Dan and myself decided to take on Angie from Crossfit. She is a mean bitch but Dan and I put her in her place. I felt good with my time and of course Dan had to kill my time by a good minute. I need to look into that...mess with his watch or something! 

Angie

Complete the following for time

100 pullups

100 pushups

100 situps

100 squats

Donny 20m19s

Dan 19m15s

Taking it easy

Wanted to run somewhere different today so Charly, Dan, and yours truly decided to run from my office to the high school and around the track and back to the office. We decided to take an easy pace and not push ourselves crazy as we are anticipating our Warriors Dash on Sunday. The pace felt good. I got a good sweat and was never really tired but I did feel the shins near the end of the run. I decided to call it close to the end and ended up with 3.70 miles for 32m37s. I need to invest in some compression sleeves for my legs. Ordered a pair last night and will give them a test run here in the next few days.

VOTD

People ask what crossfit is...what its all about. This video explains it pretty well. Turn the sound up and enjoy.

Sunday morning run with Dan & Scott

Well a week out from the Warriors Dash and to say I am a bit nervous of how this weather is going to effect me is a gross understatement. Let me be frank, I hate being cold and wet and seeing as how several of the obstacles in the Dash include these very things, I am not looking forward to it. Yesterday was a bit brisk with temps hovering in the low 40's by the time I stepped out of the truck for the run. After some stretching we started and in hindsight I believe a 800 meter jog would have been a big help here as the trails just opened up and were unforgiving to cold morning legs. Just seemed like I couldnt get a good pace and would have to stop for breaks every few minutes. As this and with everything else, I understand it is a learning process. I have learned from this experience.

Upper body WOD

Well yesterdays WOD may have not been the best idea with Cindy still lingering around reminding me how much I hate her. Off to the gym we went for chest and triceps blow-out. I had hoped to raise my push press weight up by 20lbs but that may have been a bit too much. After a warm-up and a couple presses with the 155lbs, I decided to bring the weight down to a more manageable 135lbs. Feeling a little discouraged by this I set off into the WOD. The first round I felt strong and thought I was going to power through all 5 rounds with that initial pace but then the dips...wow that first set felt good but when I hit number 15 my arms decided to remind me that Cindy just left town a couple days ago and the party she had with my body came at a cost. Needless to say I finished with a overall time of 14m24s. The dips just killed me. I was having to break the sets up into 3-4-5 reps at a time to get through it. After the WOD I felt as if my arms were going to pop. Both Dan and Charly attacked the WOD with some strong intensity. Dan is no longer speaking to me this AM because of it!!!

5 rounds for time

5 135lb push press

10 pushups

20 dips

We love Cindy!

Ahhh Cindy my long lost friend,how we have missed you so. Where has the time gone? You know Ive heard rumors of how much fun you are and I had to find out for myself. Well now that we have come to know each other I would appreciate it if you stay away for a long time. Dont get me wrong, I enjoyed the short time you were here but like a bad night of college drinking the after effects lingered. Why do I feel like I have become one with a high speed moving truck? Do tell me why my legs fell like two wet noodles fresh from the pot. Ahhh Cindy...you vixen you...you promise a good time yet leave me feeling like I have been used and without so much as even a kiss on the cheek.
The WOD
1 mile run buy-in
AMRAP in 20 mins complete the following
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats
This was a beast for some reason, I really felt like I was going to beast this one but near the end there, my body just had other ideas, namely stopping and going to lay down by a tree for about an hour or so. I managed 14 rounds with Dan smashing my score with 16. Congrats on Charly and James for coming out and joining in the festivities.

All over body massage

I wish....
This one was rough. the rx called for a weight I was not 100% comfortable with so I scaled it down by 20lbs. After the WOD was over I think I cold have done the prescribed weight. I really need to look into getting a better pair of workout gloves as the bar we are using in the gym feels slick ALL the time. I do not think the gym manager would smile upon a chalk bag. Dan felt good through it but realizes he needs to work on his deadlift form. I believe we will have a day dedicated just to form. Little to no weight with high reps and nice slow controlled motions. Here is the WOD:
12 deadlifts 135lbs
9 hang power cleans 135lbs
6 push jerks 135lbs
5 rounds for time
My time
Rd.1 2:05, Rd.2 5:54, Rd.3 10:02, Rd.4 15:26, Rd.5 19:27
Dan's time with 95lbs
Rd.1 1:23, Rd.2 4:04, Rd.3 6:35, Rd.4 9:20, Rd.5 12:05

A nice long run...

We took it to the trail outside of Bartow for a run trying to get ready for the Warriors Dash coming at the end of this month. I felt GREAT for this run for some reason. I could have pressed for my PR but ended up with 4.57 miles in 39m28s. I did feel the soreness work its way in later at dinner but that is to be expected.

A late 2010 WOD

I seen this WOD towards the end of the year on an affiliate site and really wanted to to try to knock it out. Well with the holidays and we never got around to it. It was an upper body festival of fun. After this WOD I really felt like punching a baby seal in the face, if I could have lifted my arms to do it.
With a partner and only one person working at a time complete the following:
3 rounds for time
Lift 2010 pounds from ground to overhead
20 Chest-to-bar pullups
11 burpees

Dan and I finished with a time of 25m15s. Not too bad. I was really feeling the pullups right out of the gate for some reason and had to resort to kipping to complete each round. Not bad but a beast of a workout no doubt.

A good read...

This is a repost from Blair. A must read for anyone thinking about giving up on the New Years resolutions already!

Fitness is Optional.

No rules or mandates, only choices.

It’s 6:00 am. You’re tired, cranky, and your eyes are crowded with sleep. You’re groping aimlessly around the kitchen for the pot of liquid adrenaline that you need to rouse yourself. “No such thing as a morning person,” you mutter while sipping it down gratefully. You shuffle towards your closet and let your gaze pass over the stacks of t-shirts, shorts, compression tights, and hoodies that’ve come to represent your workout gear over the years. You have to admit that they’ve been getting less and less “work” of late. Sip. Sigh. Last night while setting the alarm you swore today would be different, but the inevitable hesitation of the early morning anchors your feet to the carpet and your lips to the coffee mug. The only place you truly want to be is back in your bed, tucked happily away beneath your quilted comforter.

Interrupting your trance is your own reflection, shot back at you by the full-length mirror separating the his & her sides of the wardrobe. As usual, this intrusion is unwanted. The figure before you is slouching and hunched, has been prematurely aged and weighted by years of neglect and obsolescence, and, sadly, appears resigned to this state of being. You’re neither upset nor surprised at this sight, but a frown creeps across your face in spite of itself. That’s not the way you’re supposed to look. That’s not the “you” you wanted to be. You should look younger, stronger, and more vital. A sudden rush of energy rises and falls in your chest as you consider the possibility of remaking yourself in that image, like a match trying to catch in the breeze. But the warm aroma under your nose snuffs it out, reminding you there are routines to keep and habits to uphold this morning, just like every other morning. You console yourself—this is no time for unattainable goals or egotistical pipe dreams. The ideal you is too far off anyway—it’d take years to fit that form. So you turn around and head back towards the kitchen to top off your cup and peruse the sports page. Just another day in the life. Sip. Sigh.

Moments like this come and go a hundred times a day—moments where fitness is a choice to be made or ignored. Moments that may seem insignificant in isolation, but multiply them over the course of a week, a year, or a lifetime and they plot a course between extraordinary and extremely average. Looking at it en masse, the dangers subsumed in such moments are obvious. But in that instant we are blind, our sight limited by ignorance, habit, and frustration.

A couple reasons why this might be the case…

First, most people don’t know how hard it is to be truly committed. They talk a big game come swimsuit season because getting a six pack is supposed to be as easy as working out 1 hour a day, 3 days a week, and choosing whole wheat bread for their sandwiches. They’re not ready to learn that daily commitment and diligence, many times in the face of hot coffee and a warm blanket, are pre-requisites in this pursuit. That section of every training manual and every diet book gets lost in translation. So here it is again, in plain English: The one meal you cheat, the one WOD you tank, the one foam roll you bypass: it all counts. It’s what’s meant by the theory of accumulation—there’s no such thing as an insignificant choice.

Second, bad choices have a tendency to become habitual and, when confronted with 50/50 situations, we like to guide ourselves based on past decisions. Because of this, that workout you shirked last week makes the one tomorrow easier to blow off. Yesterday’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich eases the guilt of today’s chicken parmesan. Every one of our choices has a certain amount of inertia that makes bad ones easier and easier to rationalize the more frequently they are made.

Finally, we too often allow that which is outside our control to influence that which is within it. Imagine the woman driving home from work with her gym clothes in the back seat and the fullest intention of working out. She hits rush hour traffic a little earlier than expected and suddenly finds herself growing irritable and agitated. She realizes how exhausted she is from the long day’s work and remembers her kids are hosting a coloring party after dinner. Groaning in frustration, she decides her energy levels are too low for exercise today and heads home for some downtime. What’s the point, right? She probably wouldn’t get anything out of it anyways. Fitness will have to start Monday, when she’s fresh and ready.

This is crap. If you ever find yourself skipping scheduled training for anything less than an injury, illness, or a family emergency, take a minute, step into someone’s office, and head butt a coffee table. You are pathetic. No amount of frustration will change traffic patterns. No amount of self-sacrifice will better prepare you for a coloring party. And no amount of “downtime” will help recoup lost energy levels. It’s simple: Either stop allowing external forces to influence your decisions, or stop wasting your money on training. Pretending like you take your health seriously will only impress other pretenders. It will not fool age, injury, or gravity… this I promise you.

Remember this: Fitness doesn’t start Monday. Or any other day for that matter. It started the day you were born and will continue until the day you die. It’s an accumulation of moments and choices that require your constant vigilance and attention. Whether you live a life wrought with disease, discomfort, and immobility or one full of opportunity, strength, and vitality are direct products of these moments and choices. Don’t believe me? Keep eating sandwiches on wheat and hitting the snooze the next thirty years and tell me how you feel. Maybe you’ll re-consider your options and knock the dust off that stack of hoodies.

Or maybe you won't. Either way, I don't have time to waste... Only so many moments left, and 6 am comes early.

Wrapping up last week

Finished the week off with a strong back and bicep workout on Wednesday. Felt good through the whole workout. As much as I like the daily WOD's, I have to admit just pulling some iron around the gym is good also. I took Thursday off and Friday I needed to get a quick WOD in so I went to the gym and completed this:

4 rounds for time

95lb push press x 25 reps

Run 1/4 mile

Finished with a time of 15m34s, taking nearly 2 mins off my previous record!

Sunday funday was a trail run at Carter Rd in South Lakeland. Breaking in a new pair of trail shoes the hard way, I completed a 4.72 mile run in an hour. Those trails are a beast but it was great to get out there in the cold morning air and work up a good sweat.

VOTD

Warrior Dash !!!!

Ugggh... somone pull me out of this slump!

Ok so coming out of the holidays with full intentions of getting my Ahhh-Nold on is hitting some speed bumps. Dan and I went to the gym for a chest and tricep workout and instead of taking it easy I decided to try to kill it. Flat bench felt good with a final set of 265lbs for 6 reps. From there we moved to incline dumbells and I felt strong at 80lbs so I decided to jump to 90lbs and pretty much blew it on that. Noted to self...progressive increase is a must. We then went to flat bench wide chest and these felt great with a good range of motion through out the exercise. Chest done, onto triceps. Feeling strong I proceeded to blow my arms out by strapping to 45lbs to my waist and jumped on the dip machine. Man when triceps go they really go...The final couple exercises were good control with slow movements.

Tuesday, Dan decided we needed to run for the day as we preparing for our Warrior Dash coming up at the end of this month. Well off to the trail we go and good Lord this age thing sucks because my body enjoyed the hell out of that run and by enjoy I mean fingernails down a chalk board kind of joy! I was good until the turn around and I began to cramp up. This slowed me to a walk for a few minutes but I still finished with a time of 28m9secs for 3.16 miles. Dan killed it as he usually does when it comes to runs. Looking forward to the Warriors Dash and if any of you are local or if the race is coming to you, I encourage you to try it. Do something different right out of the gate the year!

Happy New Year

Well as the New Year comes to us all, we all must make the necessary resolutions that we somehow all forget by March. I hope that I can maintain my goals and see positive gains. The last week basically sucked for trying to do any type of workouts. I managed to get a few runs in but with the rush of the holidays even that was hard to do. 

First run was an interval
1 mile rest 3 mins, 3/4 mile rest 2 mins, 1/2 mile rest 1 min, 1/4 mile for time.

Second run was 3.5 miles for 32m29secs

Third run was 2.5 miles for 21m40secs

Its been a slow week...

With the holidays approaching faster than I had planned, it seems my workouts will have to take a backseat to the season of festivities. I managed to catch a nice little cold over the weekend which set me back a couple days. I plan on running every other day during this week to keep pace with Danny boy! I got a 2.5 mile run in yesterday in 21m26s. Not horrible but I was trying for at least 3.5 miles but the legs had other ideas and by ideas I mean ummm no. Oh well, I am going to enjoy these next few days, eat lots of bad food and get to know my friend Sam Adams quite well this Christmas. I hope anyone who reads this has a wonderful holiday and you all get to spend it with friends and family.

Last day in the globo gym...

I finally took the plunge and canceled my membership to the gym here in town I have had for close to 15 years. I have to say I was a little saddened by this. This gym has been a mainstay in my lifestyle for so long, I feel as I am losing a relative or a close friend and I guess in the end, that is exactly it. A part of my life I am letting go to pursue a different avenue in hopes of obtaining and passing new goals in the fitness aspect of my life. I enjoy CrossFit enough to let go of the ways I have hammered into my head. I think this is a good step for me. It will help me to expand my views on fitness and hopefully open other opportunities to train in different means. My last workout in the gym was going to be a run/row/run but true to form the gym's one rowing machine was tied up by a snow bird pulling about 10 reps per minute. Uggg, fitting huh? Well I decided to hit some interval training with a 1 mile run, rest 3 mins, 3/4 mile run, rest 2 mins, 1/2 mile run, rest 1 min, and finish with a 1/4 mile run for time.

My times were 9m22s 1 mile, 8m34s 3/4 mile, 4m 0s 1/2 mile, 1m45s 1/4 mile for an overall time of 23m41s. 

How to be sore in the morning...

Step one start a CrossFit workout program. 

Step two complete the following WOD:

95lb x 25 SDHP

Run 1/4 mile

95lb x 25 push press

Run 1/4 mile

25 pullups

Run 1/4 mile

95lb x 25 front squats

Run 1/4 mile

95lb x 25 clean & jerk

Run 1/4 mile

I enjoyed this one but felt a little weak sauce coming on during the front squats. This morning I feel it all over. Finished with a time of 23m 55secs. Dan got 22m and some change. 

Something quick

Hit the gym for a quick WOD because Jack Frost has lost his damn mind out here! We shall call this up and down!

For time complete:

40 squats

400 meter run

20 x 75lb push press

10 burpees

800 meter run

10 burpees

20 x 75lb push press

400 meter run

40 squats

I finished with a time of 11m 55secs and Dan hit 12m 12secs.

VOTD

I have yet to put a MJ video on here...let me just say that this man is the GOAT and this has to be one of the best commercials he ever did. As I get older, I realize there will always be someone faster, stronger, more athletic. There will always be someone telling me I am too old and that I need to slow down...keep telling me that-PLEASE.....

Warcraft is my enemy....

A little game called Warcraft has taken over my every waking minute for the past couple days so to say my workouts have been less than stellar is a gross understatement. Dan also had the day off for his birthday. Happy B-day man! Well we decided to hit the gym as Florida has been blessed with a lovely cold front which makes doing anything outdoors a PITA. The WOD was pretty easy or so we thought...

For time complete 3 rounds

Run 400 meters

15 pullups

50 squats

15 pullups

The pullups were rough going. I felt good through the first 2 rounds. The 3rd round saw me grabbing some knees after a few pullups. I stroked the final run at a speed of 9.5 to try to keep my times low. This in turn hurt me a bit on the following pulls and squats. I finished with an overall time of 15m 25secs and Dan hit a 15m 42secs. Dan also noted we could take about a minute and a half off out times as it took 30 secs or so to fire up the treadmill for each round. 

Been a few days...but back in the saddle.

I have neglected the site for a few days, with the Christmas rush coming on the release of a little game here in the next day or so that will consume my every waking hour, it will be hard to keep my nose to the wheel but I will do my best!! Dan and I completed two WOD's in the later part of the week. The first one was a tabata workout. 

8 rounds for time with lowest score from each exercise taken for total score. My score in (   )

Weighted pullups 30lbs (2)

Weighted squats 45lbs (10)

Weighted dips 30lbs (4)

Deadlift 165lbs (0)    Total 16

Ugggh I still have not found the secret to these tabata workouts. I start strong and just completely lose it at the end. Now 2 days before this WOD, I did do a little workout at the gym and this may have affected my score but sweet mother mary the deadlifts were just brutal. The last few rounds, I just couldn't even grab the bar. Just a big table of suck all around. 

The next WOD was 10 rounds of good times.

Complete 10 rounds of the following for time:

1 clean and jerk 175lbs

5 pullups

10 pushups

15 squats

(After 2 rounds of the 175lbs clean and jerks I had to go down to 155lbs as I just didn't feel comfortable in the gym with no chalk or good wrap)

Finished with 10m14sec time. Dan crushed it with a 9m56sec time. 

Post Turkey Day

Well I took my traveling band show to the gym for a light back and bicep workout but got sidetracked a bit discussing the whole CrossFit thing to my friend Josh who runs the gym. He was apprehensive at first but after completing a couple WOD's he really likes the feel of the workouts. He really enjoys the idea of taking the road less traveled. He is going to tackle the "Fran" this weekend and I will have to check in on him and his progress. For yesterdays WOD, Dan and I took to the park for a run interval training. Felt pretty good and smashed my PR of one mile run with a time of 8m05sec. 

The WOD

Run 1600 meters

Rest 3 minutes

Run 1200 meters

Rest 2 minutes

Run 800 meters

Rest 1 minute

Run 400 meters

1600 meters 8m06sec

1200 meters 6m20sec

800 meters 4m20sec

400 meters 2m06sec

Total 20m52secs

Ahhh the holidays...

Well I would like to tell you all I was strong and was able to resist the calling of the pies and deserts...sadly I was not. Good food, good friends, good times. I managed to get in a WOD on Friday and my FIRST 5K run on Saturday morning!

Fridays WOD

Run 400 meters

21 clean and jerks 95lbs

21 pullups

15 clean and jerks

15 pullups

9 clean and jerks

9 pullups

Run 400 meters

Time: 15m 10secs

Saturdays WOD

I went to the local park with intentions to just run a nice little 2 mile run but as I got into the run I just kept going. I felt strong throughout and it felt good to finally get a 5k under my belt! Finished with a sub 34m time.

The park at 7 in the morning...

Felt like a gym day...

Headed to Lifestyles for a light lifting workout. Combined some chest, tris, and light shoulders into a nice pump. I then hit the treadmill for a 9m 15sec mile and the rowing machine for a 2000 meter row for 8m 45sec time. As the turkey dinner looms in my future, I pray I can remain vigilant in my quest to avoid the pies and deserts and stuffings and did I mention pies and deserts?

A quickie...

Took to the park with James and Dan to knock out a quick WOD. I have to say with the holidays fast approaching its going to get hard to stay on point with diet and working out. I hope to keep both on track but I feel the pull of the good eating coming up!

3 rounds for time
Run 400 meters
15 pullups
20 pushups
25 situps
30 squats

I finished with a time of 15m 45secs. Not too bad but really need to learn the pacing and how to finish strong. 

The day after...

Well after the pecan pie WOD, I decided to run. I went down to the local park down from my house and got a 2 mile run in. Time was good at 21m 8secs for 2.16miles. Thursday Dan and I took on the WOD from the main site. A pretty straight forward WOD as it was a basic lift maneuver. It was Dans first time but he knocked it out. We finished the WOD with another 2 mile run. My time for that 19m 19secs. 

The WOD

Clean and jerk 3-3-3-3-3-3-3

I started with 115lbs and finished with 175lbs. It felt good. I may have been able to squeeze 180-185 out of it. Ill shoot for that next round. 

Ok so pecan pie is my enemy...

So after the employee Thanksgiving lunch I knew I had to work some of that gut bomb off. Good Lord I ate some food. What the hell was I thinking? Diet?! What diet? I got you diet right here and by right here I mean eating like a fat-boy on a diet. Uggg and then the pecan pie...my arch nemesis. Ohh I will best you, my evil friend. I shall have my revenge...

Well Dan has this wonderful WOD for the day lined up and it went like this:

5 rounds for time

10 burpees

20 box jumps

30 pushups

40 squats

50 lunges

This.
WOD.
Sucked.
I mean after the first 2 rounds the pecan pie was coming back and introducing itself all over again. Good times for all. Next time I plan on inviting some friends over and making it a full on party! I could only get 4 rounds in at a time 34m 45secs.

VOTD

Missed a few days...but back in the saddle.

Took the weekend off but had a nice WOD Friday with James and Dan from work. Breaking James in the right way and by right way I mean making sure he has trouble sitting on the toilet the next day!

For time:

10 rounds of

10 pullups, 20 pushups, 30 squats

This WOD was a beast near the last couple rounds and having Dan "cheer" us on was all the help in the world! I finished with a 25m 45sec time. Great way to end the week and kick off the weekend. I enjoyed the time off this weekend and look forward to some tough WODS this week. 

To the park...tally ho!

Well after our warm reception at Ultimate Gym, and by warm I mean - and I quote - "This isnt a Crossfit gym..." , Dan and I decided to take our traveling road show to the park. Dan came up with todays little gem.

For time 5 rounds

20 dips

20 reverse pulls

20 crunches

Run 1 mile

I finished with a 12m 45sec mark on the 5 rounds and a sub 10 min mile. Trying to get my Nike + band dialed in so times are a bit off on the runs. 

Mr Pukey...your table

I really felt this one. I started off strong but by the second round I was beat. The kettlebell swings were brutal especially having to follow those with thrusters. Uggh, this has to be 2nd hardest WOD for some reason. Dan was of course a beast and we had a friend, James, from work join us and he powered through what he could do. I think he now sees how crazy this whole crossfit thing is.. and I think he likes it! HA!!!

The WOD

Three rounds for time of:

30 Kettlebell swings, 1.5 pood (sub'd 50lb dumbbell)

25 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball (sub'd 45lb thrusters)

20 Pull-ups
My time was 23m 20secs

VOTD

Cardio Sunday!

It was a rest day on the boards but decided a little cardio never hurt anyone so off to the gym I go. I decided to try a WOD I have done earlier as it was fairly quick and would give me a good sweat.

 

For time

Run 1 mile

Row 2000 meters

Run 1 mile

My time:

9m 10secs

8m 50secs

9m 5 secs

Total 27m 5secs

Lumberjack....ugggh

Any workout that is called "Lumberjack" you know will not be pretty. It was rough, even in a scaled down form it was bad. Dan did great on it. I had a problem with the overhead squats as my form is horrible and the shoulders do not have that full range of motion as of yet. I will keep working on it.

The WOD

15 Deadlifts (275lbs) scaled to 225lbs

Run 400m

15 KB swings (2pood) scaled to 50lbs

Run 400m

15 Overhead Squats (115lbs) sub'd squats on the smith machine

Run 400m

15 Burpees

Run 400m

15 Pullups (Chest to Bar)

Run 400m

15 Box jumps (24”) sub'd knee tuck jumps

Run 400m

15 DB Squat Cleans (45lbs each)

Run 400m

VOTD

Todays WOD at Ultimate

Took Dan and introduced him to some push presses. Yeah...good times indeed.

The WOD goes like this

4 rounds for time of:

25 reps of 95lb push press

Run 1/4 mile

Felt good through the workout until that last run and my shoulders decided they did not like me or my antics in the gym anymore. Finished with a time of 17mins 23secs. Dan pushed it and said it must have been delayed reaction because after the workout he said his shoulders were on fire!

Barbara...how I love you!

Well the rain caused Dan and I to take the WOD indoors today. Went to check out Ultimate Fitness in Bartow. Nice gym and the owner Greg was really interested in the whole idea of Crossfit. He asked us if we were doing a P90X routine or something and I had to explain the WOD to him. Several other members of the gym also asked us what kind of workout we were doing. It goes to show you that even gym rats are all ready for something new. By the time we had finished the WOD, we had about 6 members and the owner watching. This one was brutal. I had a strong time up to the 4th round and then I hit the wall. It was hard to look at the big number and keep pushing so the last couple rounds, the sets were splits of 10's and 15's, whatever it took for me to get it done.

“Barbara”

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round.

My times:

Rd 1) 3m 23secs  Rd 2) 3m 33secs  Rd 3) 4m 53secs  Rd 4) 5m 44secs  Rd 5) 6m 40secs

Total 24m 34secs