Coach Crystal called our class to circle up and we started with a warm up of the usual:
3 rounds of running in place with high knees then to fast feet then to jumping jacks
3 rounds of 10 air squats (hips deeper than the knees), 10 push ups (the last 10 were Spiderman push ups which involves alternating bending the knees to touch your shoulder as you lower down), and 10 rotations at the waist.
Running drills of high knees, butt kicks, punter kicks
Side lunges and lunges with twists
800 meter run for time (5:32 - 2nd to finish)
WOD:
15 kettle bell sumo dead lift high pull (Elite Weight 16kg)
15 dumb bell shoulder press (Elite Weight 30 lbs EACH hand)
13 kb sumo dead lift high pull
13 db shoulder press
11, 9 , 7, 5, 3, 1
10 minute time limit
Again, I underestimated my ability and went light at 14 kg on the kettle bell, I would've so had 16 with no problem! I guessed correctly on the the dumb bells going for the 15 lber's. I was the first to finish the WOD in 7:16. Let me be honest and say that the top 3 6:45 superstars were not in class so I would have been 4th or 5th had they been present.
Coach Crystal had us circle up again and explained that we were going to do a little extra work. She had us partner up and explained that we would do 3 rounds of tire flipping from point A to B and back, 25 air squats and 50 mountain climbers. There were only 2 tires so we would go 2 teams at a time. My partner Kirsten and I stepped up to the tire to go first with no hesitation! I had no idea what to expect since I had never flipped a tire in my life but when Coach Crystal said "GO!" Kirsten and I flipped that tire with ease. Moving in perfect sychronicity we beat the other team! It was one of the most empowering things I have ever done in my life and I can't wait to do it again! My arms and hands were covered in black dust and I loved that feeling of having worked so hard and actually gotten dirty!
I am so enthusiatic about CF that I share it to the point of being obnoxious at times, ask my family, friends and co-workers that aren't CFer's. People always ask me what exactly is CF and I explain it's constantly varied, functional movements done at high intensity and is scalable to any fitness level. The next questions is usually to describe a workout. Recently while sharing with a co-worker that we had practiced holding handstand for 30 seconds over a couple of rounds during a WOD another co-worker overheard and asked what the point of doing a handstand was in a workout. He went on to joke, "do you think someone is going to mug you, hold a gun to your head and threaten to shoot you if you can't hold a handstand for 30 seconds?". So in response to this wise guy or to any of you non-CFer's out there reading this questioning the necessity of my new tire flipping skill, the reason would be best summed up in the words of Ms. Monique Ames of Crossfit Evolution's Paleo Chix blog post "Functional Fitness AKA Crossfit":
It’s not isometric gym machines, step classes, or Bosu ball training.
By definition, Crossfit is “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement.” At CrossFit Evolution, we know that constantly varied means that we change the warm-up, the skills to be practiced, and the workout, every single day. Of course, we also change the exercises, the reps, the sets, the load, anything we can think of. High-intensity is just your absolute best effort at that particular time. But what is functional movement exactly?
Functional means useful, useful to you and your body. For example, the lateral raise machine at your local “no fitness” gym. You sit in it and raise both arms simultaneously 90 degrees from your sides to shoulder height. WHEN are you EVER going to need to do that in the real world? We don’t fly by flapping our arms so how useful is that movement?
NONE. Yeah, I know “they” say that it develops the medial deltoid, but so does the snatch. In case you don’t believe me, HERE is a cool little demo of me snatching and then clean & jerking. Tell me that it’s not functional and using almost every muscle in my body! Not only does the snatch develop ALL the major muscle groups in your body, but it does it safely (at loads applicable to your training)… can’t say that about the lateral raise machine. This brings us to the next point.
Functional means using universal motor recruitment patterns that are multi-joint and trigger a wave of muscular contraction from core (trunk) to extremity (arms and legs), to move the body or external object efficiently. Since these motor recruitment patterns are universal (your body was designed to do them), they are safe. Of course, don’t read that and think that you can suddenly back squat 200-300 lbs just because you’re a “big guy” or you “used to lift it back in the day”. Everything takes practice, training (not the same as practice), and the ramping up of added weight.
Functional also means essential, essential for maintaining your ability to move freely. If you want your kids to excel at sports… they need functional training on top of their sport specific training at school. Chances are, their baseball coach is teaching them all they need to know about playing baseball and teaching them specific skills. But what about making them stronger, faster, more powerful as it relates to basic physical fitness?
If you want to keep your parents out of the nursing home and living independent of you… they need functional training to keep them strong enough to be able to walk, to sit and get up, to pick up things, to just be able to do things for themselves.
If you want to be able to have the energy and ability to play with your kids and do “fun, adventurous” outings with them… you need functional training to build the strength in your knees, back, and shoulders (the most common aches & pains of adults aged 30-50). It can be done. Don’t shortchange yourself. Enjoy life the way it was meant to be… full of energy and hope, excitement, and ability.
Benefits of Functional Exercise
1. Superior cardio respiratory adaptation: it’s better that doing mind-numbing time on the treadmill, elliptical, stairs, or bike. Also better (and faster) than any conventional endurance training. Note: in my opinion, the ONLY good use for conventional endurance training (not to be confused with participating in an endurance event) is that you are punishing yourself and want to break your body down by forcing massive miles (and wear ‘n tear) on it and would like to look much older than you are. Don’t believe me? Google it. Pictures speak a thousand words (sprinters vs endurance).
NOW: for any competitive endurance athletes that I just offended, there’s a better way to train for your event without putting in all the hours and miles on a daily basis. Of course, it’s wise to log in some specific endurance training, but it’s not as much as you think, not even close. Do your body a favor and check out Crossfit Endurance for more specific info. Try it for 1-2 months and you’ll see and feel the difference in the way you feel and the way you perform.
2. Essential to fitness and health: the ability to move freely, through the full range of motion, without pain will add life to your years and years to your life. Start practicing correctly: the basic squat, deadlift, and press, using a stick. Anyone can do that. The stronger you are or get, the more weight on the bar. Simple.
3. Effective rehabilitation from injury: a rehab therapist is going to work on core (trunk) movements that are functional (natural) in order to fix you. There is no weight or light weight involved. The scalability of the crossfit program is what uniquely qualifies it for rehab therapy. You’ll learn movements that will strengthen the injured area but also it’s surrounding joints and musculature, so that it’s chance of re-occurrence will lessen.
4. Truly safe protocols: these are the movements your body was designed to perform and needs to perform for continued independence.
Squat = sitting, getting up, and going to the bathroom
Deadlift = picking up anything off the floor, like or toys
Press = putting something overhead, like a stack of dishes
Clean = picking up something heavy and carrying it, like your child
Push-up = picking self up after a fall
Pull-up = pull a loved one to you or climb a fence
The list goes on and on…
5. Powerful neuroendocrine response: this results in an increase of free circulating hGH, an insulin like growth factor, and testosterone (GUYS…are you paying attention? Ladies… you don’t have much testosterone in your bodies to be released so don’t worry). Remember, muscle growth is good for everyone. Metabolically, this will cause your body to burn more calories (fat), enhance tissue repair, and improve nitrogen retention. Neurologically, your brain learns to work and fire more efficiently.
6. Develops core (trunk) strength: again, this is not Bosu ball stuff. Real core strength entails the ability of the trunk (your mid/lower back and abdominal muscles) to protect your spine, also called midline stability, during the course of weight and power transfer through the trunk. Why is this important? Anytime you need to punch, throw, kick, jump, lift something extremely heavy, or anytime you need power… you’ll need midline stability… you’ll need a truly strong core.
7. Unparalleled general physical fitness: no other so-called general fitness program will develop what crossfit can develop and certainly NOT to everyone. The members of our gym come in all sizes and shapes. They are fit or unfit (but give them a month). They are not injured or injured all over. They are healthy or not-healthy, taking various medications (but give them a couple months). They are too thin or too heavy. They are strong or not strong. They used to be active or they never have been. They are young or old. No matter what the circumstance or who, they have ALL become better, healthier, & stronger because of crossfit training.
'nuff said!
Fuel Log for 4/21/2010:
B'fast 8:00 a.m.:
3 egg whites
1/2 c chopped green peppers and onion
1/4 c chopped baby bellas
1 tsp coconut oil
1 cup of Yogi Tea Rejuvenation Green Tea w/1tsp agave nectar
1 small mandarine orange
Snack 10:30 a.m.:
1/2 Cashew Cookie Larabar
Lunch 12:00 p.m.
2 c spaghetti squash
1 c spaghetti sauce with meat sauce
Snack 3:30 p.m.
1/2 c diced canteloupe
1 oz prosciutto
Snack 6:00 p.m.
1/2 Cashew Cookie Larabar
Dinner 8:15 p.m.:
squid salad with sea vegetables
salmon sashimi
Snack 9:45 p.m.
1 small mandarine orange
11 oz coconut water
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