Tag Archives: CrossFit WOD

CrossFit Day 58 & 59

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Good week at CrossFit.  It’s one of those activities which can seem SO HARD one day, then not so bad the next.  It’s all about the movements in the WOD and whether it hits your list of strengths verses weaknesses.  This is the reason as to why it’s so important to KEEP GOING, even when you are feeling bad or as if you aren’t making any progress.  The very next workout may be the one that YOU knock out of the park. 

Day 58 – Push Press 5×3 – 73#

Tabatas for Total Reps – Keep track of your reps throughout each of the 8 sets of a movement. 

  • Kettlebell Swings – 35#s – Dang that KB is soooo heavy.  As indicated by my crazy face below.

Kettlebell Swings

  • Ball Slams – 20# – Another super heavy item! 
  • Hand Release Push-Ups – Not a good move for my spaghetti arms.
  • Rowing for Calories (something to count for the total reps)

Day 59 – Back Squats – 5×3 – 83#s – Moved up in weight!!

5 Rounds

  • 15 Front Squats with a 35# KettleBell – Yep, still heavy.
  • 10 Sit-ups
  • 5 Burpees – Dare I say these are almost manageable in increments of 5? 

Then we stretched, rolled & worked on our Double-Unders!  Good week!

** Keep Pushing, Even When Progress is Indiscernible ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

CrossFit Day 41, 42 & 43

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Tripling up on the CrossFit workout report since last week was a short week and I’m so slammed between work and life.

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving we had a fabulous workout.  Apparently “someone” thought we should hit it hard “in case” we overindulged during the holiday. 

Day 41 – Strict Press 7×3 (10 #s on each side w/ a 33# bar = 53# press)

Simple move, press from shoulders straight up in the air til arms are extended.  Might be tough if you have weak spaghetti arms like me cuz there is  no “hop” or leg help.  Yikes, this is all arms, baby.  All arms.  Cool diagram below from sliveryearsfitness.com.

strict press_silveryearsfitness

Step down:  10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

  • Wall Balls – 10#
  • Hand Release Push-ups
  • Ab Baskets – 10# ball
  • 110 single jump ropes

Not sure on the official name of this workout but I call it step downs for lack of a better word.  First round, do 10 reps of each and end with 110 single jump ropes.  Second round, do 9 reps of everything and then end with 110 single jump ropes.  And so on, and so forth ….  FUN but I was dying on the last couple rounds with the 110 single jump ropes!

Day 42  – Tuesday – Karen WOD – OMGosh “Karen” you are a real bitch tough chick.  150 Wall Balls for time.  10# ball for me.  We did increments of 15 so that helped but by round 3, I was wondering if I would survive.  I did survive.  I mean, HELL YEAH, of course I survived and I loved it!!  It took me 8 minutes and 18 seconds though and then I proceeded to go lay on the floor and cry.  Here is my girl, Michelle CRUSHING her workout!!

image

We got to follow that up with 7×5 Front Squats (10#s on each side & a 33# bar) just to make sure our quads and hammies were totally trashed when we left.  Mine were for sure.

Day 43 – Today – Still sore from WOD Karen.  25 Pull-ups – 2 bands assisted me and it was still hard today.  Stupid spaghetti arms.

Tabatas – 8 consecutive rounds at each rotation before moving onto the next.  20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest.  Repeat x8.

  • Rowing
  • Hand Release Push-ups
  • Kettlebell Swings – 26# – Wow, that kettlebell was HEAVY today!
  • Sit-ups
  • Rope Slams – SO.MUCH.FUN.  We did single rope slams, see first photo from phillymag.com, but the more recognizable version is the double rope slam as pictured by muscleropes.com. 

ropeslams_phillmag  ropeslams_muscleropes

Great group of workouts!  Thanks, CrossFit New Lenox for continuing to push me!

** Stronger Me = Faster Me ** Amanda – TooTallFritz.com **

CrossFit Day 29 & 30

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Another chill week at CrossFit since most of us at the 5am class are recovering from the Chicago Marathon.  I personally had a very chill week too.  I ate for recovery and fun.  Then I ate some more.  Then did a billion loads of laundry.  Then I probably ate some more.  It takes a bit for my the body to bounce back after using that many calories in one stint, so I just try to go with it until I feel somewhat “normal”. 

I did CrossFit on TUE/THUR, rode my bike on the trainer for 11 miles last night, then ran 6 miles this morning.  So I’m getting back into the swing of things but I’m certainly not in a rush.  Next week, I’ll start some faster speed work though to shock the body prepare for a few local 5Ks where I’d like to show up and actually run fast.  It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to run fast, like 5K fast, and I’m both terrified and excited.

CrossFit – Day 29 – How to baby the marathoners and get them to show up for a CF workout 2 days post race.  Arms ONLY WOD!!!

  • 10 Wall Climbs
  • 10 Reverse Rope Climbs
  • Death by Pushups

That’s all folks.  I only made 12 rounds of Death by Pushups.  I wanted to get to 15 but only made 10 into the 13th set.  Seems pathetic but I tried, so it is what it is, right?   As a refresher, death by anything uses the clock, in one minute intervals.   One minute per round, go as many rounds as possible.  First round started with 1 push-up.  Do the 1, then rest til the minute ends.  Then 2 push-ups in the next minute.  Then 3, etc. until you can’t go any longer.   In all, I did 88 pushups. 

CrossFit – Day 30 – Trying to get the marathoners back on the CF wagon!

  • Front Squats – 7×3 – We did more than 7 rounds of 3.  We started with the bar only.  I think we probably were using the 31# bar instead of the 45# one but I really have no idea.  I just lift what I’m told.  After a few rounds which focused on loosening up our tight runner hamstrings form, we started adding weights, 10#s at a time (5# to each side).  I think we made it up to 20#s on each side, squatting that 3x before it was time to move on. 
  • 5 minute ladder – Wall Balls & Step Ups.  A ladder starts at 1 and then each round 1 rep is added.  First round, 1 wall ball, 1 step up on the 18” box.   Second round, 2 wall balls, 2 step ups.  I made it thru 10 full rounds and was working on my 11th with the wall balls when the 5 minutes was up.  Hard.   Continuous movement.  Fun.
  • 100 abmat sit-ups.  OUCH.

Source

Previous post on Marathon Recovery HERE.

** Still Recovering ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

CrossFit Day 19 ….

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I’m a bit tardy on this post but wanted to record it before hitting class tomorrow.   Day #19 was last Thursday, I’ve just been busy! 

We are still working on form for proper lifting, getting used to “real” weights verses the machine variety that most runners use when they hit the gym.  So we spent a bit of time on front squats, technique – bar only, then 7 x 3 of bar + two 10# plates = 65 #s.

Front Squats – 7 “rounds” of 3 – Demo from CrossFit the Rack.  No way that I got as low as the chick in the photo but I gave it my best effort.  Kinda fun.  Different.  I’m still not all up on “weight lifting” but do see the benefits and don’t mind it in short burst like this. 

Front Squat

WOD

  • 20 T2B (Toes to Bar)
  • 20 Squats
  • 20 Sit-Ups
  • 15 T2B (Toes to Bar)
  • 15 Squats
  • 15 Sit-Ups
  • 10 T2B (Toes to Bar)
  • 10 Squats
  • 10 Sit-Ups
  • 5 T2B (Toes to Bar)
  • 5 Squats
  • 5 Sit-Ups

Another simple workout.  If you’re tired of used to focusing on workouts with times/paces, then this is a welcome and refreshing change.  The most difficult move, by far, for this WOD was the “toes to the bar”.  Of course, I couldn’t do it and we had to modify it to “toes to chest”, which was still a big “not happening” so for my own purposes, I’ll call it “knees to chest” but that too would be generous. 

Here is a perfect demo from Folsom City CrossFit:

toestobar

Knees to chest  example (source unknown b/c someone pinned the photo):

knees to chest

It was amazing to me, how much wear/tear this put on my hands.  This is a very hard move when you are a large frame person with wimpy muscles!!!  I know, I’m working on that but it was very difficult to even keep hold of the bar, let alone crunch my knees to my chest.  Super tough.

More CrossFit tomorrow!!

Amanda – TooTallFritz

CrossFit ….. Day 8

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Thursday brought my 8th day at CrossFit.  Did you think I’d last this long?  I certainly didn’t know when I went to that first class but I am LOVING it.  I am loving it so much that I should have technically stayed home and rested for Ironman 70.3 Racine but I went to CrossFit anyhow.  Yep, I love it.  I love that it’s something different.  I love that I never know what to expect.  I love that it’s fun.  I love that it’s challenging.  I love that my friends get up before the sun to go with me at 5am.  I love that it kick starts my day and gives me loads of energy!

I may or may not have emailed the instructor whining concerned about Thursday’s unknown WOD and fearing that it might be too much for me since I’m so close to the Racine race.  He may or may not have taken that into account when he planned the WOD for our 5am class.  We’ll never know but I was happy to see the looks of it on the board and the fact that it looked manageable. 

3 Rounds – 1 minute per station – No rest, just rotate to the next station.

Kettlebell deadlifts, Push-ups, Ring Rows (I’m really liking these, is that sick?), Box Jumps & Sit-ups with knees out.  Rest. 

100 meter sprints (x5)

I did much better on the kettlebell deadlifts this go around.  I stayed focused on staring straight ahead and not looking down at the kettlebell.  My form was better.  I felt better.  Am I getting stronger?   Who knows but I’m going to say yes because that’s what I want to believe!

kettlebell deadlift

The push-ups, ring rows, box jumps were all standard.  I did wuss out use the small box for the box jumps so as to not tax myself too badly before the race.  I also have jacked up hamstrings so no need to irritate them more than necessary.  The sit-ups had an added twist this time, not to make them harder just different.  We sat on the floor in butterfly position, then did our sit-up with open legs and came up and touched our feet each time. Not difficult, just different.  And we always use the abmat so that really saves my back. 

situps_knees out   abmat

After three rounds of those 5 stations, we then took a brief rest and went out to the parking lot to do 100 meter sprints (x5).  The first one was rough, as usual, but then my hamstrings loosened up and the last 4 were fun!  Sprinting is way better than marathoning!!!  What have I been thinking??   Photo source:  CrossFit West out of Santa Cruz.

100 m sprints

Loved this workout.  Loved ending with the sprints.  Smile

** Getting Stronger ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

CrossFit ….. Day 5

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I know that many of you are interested in CrossFit but are scared to try it because there are so many photos floating around of super strong people doing really crazy things.  It’s intimidating.  I know because I too was intimidated. So I’ll keep posting on it cuz trust me, if I can do it, anyone can.  I’m weak.  I have a bad back.  I have multiple muscle imbalances causing little “aches & pains”.  I have zero core strength.  However, these are the very reasons why I keep going back.  I want to get strong.  No, I NEED to get strong to support my body better and possibly carry any fallen comrades during the Dopey Challenge at WDW Marathon Weekend.

Day #5 at CrossFit brought us the Deadlift.  Say what?  It’s the long bar with weights on the end that we would NEVER touch in a million years.  Yep, it’s apparently time to build some muscles skills.  There was a bit of instruction involved.   Then practicing with the empty bar which was heavy all by it’s lonesome.   Then the addition of tiny weights which were still heavy.  Sequenced Photo Source:  CrossFit Centurion

deadlift_demo

weight bar   10 lb plates  

Look, I can do it!!!!

DeadLift_me_7-9-13

I did it.  Not well but I did it.  Once we went thru the instruction/trial period we probably did 4 sets of 10 with a 10# plate on each end. 

Since the deadlifts took some instruction, we were split into two groups.  The non-deadlift group did AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) in 19 minutes of the following sweatfest.

  1. 10 Step Ups onto an 18” Box – Body weight only
  2. 5 Burpees.  These were almost impossible the other day and totally impossible today.  I must have tweaked something in my flabby abs cuz each time I went down for the burpee, I just ended up laying on the floor.  Zero power. Zero pop.  Nothing.  I could just feel that pull in my abs.  LOL!  Yep, I NEED to get stronger!!!
  3. 10 Ball Slams – 10# ball.  These are one of the easier moves for me.  So I tried to make up lost time after the “burpees”.
  4. 5 Ab Baskets – New move for us!  And I can’t find a pic of it.  Sad smile  It was  a sit-up with the 10# ball.  Initially lay down with knees up, arms out over your head holding the medicine ball (while it rests on the floor), then sit-up and put your 10# ball on your extended legs (like a basket).  Your legs are up like they would be in a crunch position but instead of crossed, they straight and together in order to hold the ball.  Leave ball on the extended legs until you sit-up again, then take it back.  So half the sit-up is with the ball, half without.  When you aren’t holding it, your legs serve as a “basket” to hold/rest the ball.  Clear as mud, right? 
  5. 100 meter run with 10# plate.  Easy, just pick up the 10# plate and run the 100 meters.  Easiest part of this set for me! 

This was a killer workout, add in the heat/humidity and the fact that the facility was SO FLIPPIN’ HOT and it was kinda funny.  I was dirty and gross.  I had sweat dripping from places that I didn’t know could sweat.  Like from the end of my nose.  Wow.  Sweat dropping constantly from the end of my nose.  Now that’s disgusting fun.  #GettingStronger

Getting Stronger

** Getting Stronger Thru CrossFit cuz that’s the only thing open at 5am **  TooTallFritz  **