Epiphany – Part II

Sterling is right. He writes in his blog post that the squat clean is poetic when it's done right. Heck, it could be a Haiku.

Steel bar

It glides above

I jump beneath its shadow

Today was all about the squat clean – starting with six reps and working down to one. Mike and I started with a light weight to better focus on form. I'm slowly getting this one and the more I do it the more I like it. However, I keep pulling it up with my arms. This works with the light weight but is impossible with a truly taxing load. I did a couple of rounds and Sterling wandered over. "Like this", he said shrugging up with elbows wide. "Up a little bit on your toes."

Picture a marionette if you will, with strings attached to the elbows. The strings are pulled and the shoulders and elbows pull up and the marionette comes up onto its toes. So that's what I had in my mind as I deadlifted the barbell and then shrugged it up with elbows wide. When the bar reached my waist and felt weightless, I quickly jumped under the bar into a squat, with elbows upward. Voila! I was easily under the bar and driving it upward as I came out of the squat. This was promising. It was so easy like this. And what a sweet feeling! I kept practicing this, doing a few reps of shrugging the bar and coming up on my toes. I didn't get it every time, but enough that I'm encouraged to say that I understand the feeling of the movement. That's been so important to my progress. Not having a mental picture, not looking in the mirror, but feeling how the movement in my body before I do it. Sounds weird I guess and it works for me.

Alternating with these squats cleans we did weighted pull-ups. Mike and I did 35lbs each, starting with one and working up to six. By rep five, I was gassed. How I got the sixth rep out I cannot tell you. Anger mode I think. Following strength training was a cycle of burpees and straight leg raises, which I did as K2E.

I felt amazingly good today. My energy is peaking and pushing it hard like this in the morning makes my day better. My day job is stressful. Negotiations, politics, delays, changes, and surly department leads. All part of the package, you see. Having a deep grounding of a successful WOD in the morning makes all that go down easy like sugar coating on bad medicine.

Workout of the Day

Squat clean
6-5-4-3-2-1   115lb, 95lb, 95lb, 95lb, 135lb, 135lb
1-2-3-4-5-6
Weighted pullups 35lbs
rest 2 min
Burpees
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
Straight leg raises (K2E)

 

Epiphany

Some days are just like the others – you lift the weight, you rack the weight. You do your best and you feel satisfied with that. I like these days because I feel I'm making progress as I lean into my comfort zone. (I just coined that) I call these 'Steady Eddy' days. I made progress and took another step along the thousand-mile journey. Then there are other types of days – difficult, tortuous growth experiences like this and this and high-flying days when a breakthrough occurs in technique or ability. Like today.

This morning we worked on strength training and our main entrée was front squats. Three rep rounds, building to three sets of single tries. I love squats. I never used to be able to say that but I can now with conviction. I fell in love with them when Mia taught me how to squat properly. Before, I was doing a bodybuilder squat – narrow stance, legs hardly bent as I descend into a half squat and then back up. A waste of time, really. Now, I have the proper stance and I go right down into the bottom position. Ass to the grass. When the muscles stretch in the bottom position, the lifter can take advantage of the bounce and EXPLODE upwards, lifting with the hips. Working at Crossfit Langley with Coach Clarke and Mia has improved my technique (and enjoyment) a thousandfold.

I had the bar loaded up with my max lift and descended into the squat. I just felt like I couldn't do it and did a half-squat, then quickly racked the bar. I felt cheated. My lifting partner Mike took me aside. "You psyched yourself out. I could see you looking in the mirror at the weights and you backed off. Don't look at your face – listen to your body."

Good advice it turns out. I got under the weight again, descended into a FULL squat, not looking in the mirror but just straight ahead and putting my mind inside my body. I listened to it and drove upwards with my hips, still not looking in the mirror. I lifted that HEAVY bar with proper form and I did it handily. A new PR for me. So what was different? The bar was no lighter and I was no stronger. Gravity still works. It was my focus. I stopped looking at my outer self, instead looking inward to my body mechanics, and trusted that I would know what to do. And it did.

Which brings me to my epiphany. It's simple – stop looking in the mirror. I read that in Starting Strength but it didn't sink in until Mike pointed it out. My best lifts are outside or at the rack not pointed at the mirror. Noting form while practicing is fine, but under weight, the focus should be on lifting, not watching myself.

The second part of my epiphany is that it doesn't matter how much weight is on the bar. The value of knowing what you've loaded is to measure your performance, during the WOD and over time. It's just a tool used to affect your body and produce the reaction you want, in my case it's power. So, my 166lb personal best today might be less or more than your personal best. Irrelevant if we've both had a great workout. And when I started thinking about that it became clear what my goals should be. I can hold out an icon in front of me of the body that I want or the strength I wish to have and that is my vision that keeps pulling me forward. But my real goal, the one that I can work towards every single WOD, is to lean into my comfort zone and push just a little more weight, do one more pull-up, run a bit further and faster. The next step is always just slightly out of reach and achievable in the short-term. Next week, it will be just slightly out of reach and I take another step along the journey.

Workout of the Day

Front Squat
3-3-2-2-1-1-1 (135lb, 135 lb, 146lb, 146 lb, 166lb, 166lb, 166lb*) The * was my full squat repeat.

As many rounds in 10 minutes: (4 rounds)
12 push ups
10 kipping pull-ups (round 1-3, round 4 was jumping)
8-weighted sit-ups feet anchored #30db behind the head (30lb, 30lb, 25lb, 15lb)
4-sandbag to shoulder power cleans 77lbs

A Beat Down

About ten minutes before the Saturday class is about to start, it's obvious that today is going to be special. People keep coming in, ten at first, then twelve, eighteen and finally twenty. It's a huge class and all the regulars are here. The word must be getting out that Saturday is THE day to see what you are made of. I know it is because for the last three weekends I've had my ass handed to me on a platter, Coach Clarke style. Today was no exception, but it was kicked up a notch. Hell, it was kicked up to the top of the notch pole.

Today is a partner workout and I LOVE these. My buddy Jeff is here and we're partners for this 20 rounder. Oh, did I mention that? Yes, it's 20 rounds of clean & jerks with 95lbs. That means we can expect to move well past the comfort zone. The idea is to lift as many reps as possible in 1 minute and then rest while your partner pumps out as many reps as he can. Back and forth until you have completed 20 rounds as a team. Because this will result in a tremendous amount of reps, form is VERY important with this one. Sterling and Coach Clarke have been helping me with my form and it's been paying off.

So we get down to it. I elect to go first and clean and jerk 10 solid reps during my minute, with Jeff cheering me on. I drop the weight to the matt and then Jeff begins his round while I get some water and mark my score. The minute is enough to let me catch my breath and mentally refocus. When it comes my turn again, I exceed my last round and push out 11. I'm happy with that and Jeff is on to his set. He's doing great and lifting smooth and strong. Both of us are starting to suck wind a little and the sweat is breaking out. A couple more rounds crawl by and the minute doesn't seem so long anymore. The clock keeps accurate time, chiming every minute to change partners, as we chug on and on. I both love and hate the sound of the clock. Love it when I end my round and hate it when I have to get back out there and go another. Conversation is impossible at this point and I can barely drink water I'm breathing so hard. I fucking hate the barbell right now. I'm angry at it. It defies me to keep lifting it over my head, but I keep on doing it – grunts and then a shout escapes my lips. An elderly woman walks by and stares at Jeff and I. She looks shocked and a little bit afraid. I don't blame her. We look like animals.

We're getting closer and closer to the magic 20 round mark and my form is starting to break down. A few of my jerks are with bent arms and not fully extended. I notice this and clean it up but now and then, you just don't have it in you. The 'wall' is right in front of me now and I have tunnel vision. Jeff voice seems very far away as he tells me the time as the clock counts down. My world has shrunk to a microcosm now – the sunshine, the barbell, and me. And the pain of course. Blisters are rising on my hands and my throat is so dry it aches. Almost done now. Jeff is giving it everything he has, pounding out his reps, pausing to gulp air, pushing two more, then dropping the weight and walking away without looking back. Yeah, I feel that.

Last round feels like a victory lap. I imagine a checkered flag waving in the breeze, as my last jerk is overhead. (With locked out arms) At last I am done. It feels like an endless journey has ended. Whoops of happiness erupt in the gym and we finish together as a team. The feeling is indescribable.

However, it's not over yet. With a partner, we must complete 100 burpees and 800 single skips. There are no skip ropes left, so we start our burpees. I go first having lost the rock-paper-scissors contest. I'm sad.

Sets of ten each, leading to 100. We do great until the end. It gets ugly. Then 800 single-skips. Yep, 800. However, it was surprisingly easy and I really need the practice if I want to switch to double-unders. The skipping almost feels like a pleasant vacation after what happened before and in a short amount of time, we're done!

The energy today was phenomenal. The De Boers had returned from California and brought fantastic energy with them and today was one for the record books. I wonder how other people started their day this morning. A cup of coffee, maybe a McMuffin with some hash browns. Us? We conquered the world. Wish you were here.

20 Rounds of clean & jerk 95/65lb
you go as many reps in 1 minute and then you rest 1 min while your partner pumps out as many reps as possible.

Then pump out 100 burpees, chest must hit the deck and you must clap your hands over your head. Each partner does 50 reps as fast as possible.

Following, 800 single skips. Each partner does 400 skips.

Clean & Jerked this!

95lb X 10, 11, 10, 10, 9, 9, 9, 8, 8, 9 = 93 reps of 95lb. 8835 lbs!

Dear Love Handles,

Why are you still hanging around? The party has been over for a while, the lights are on, my Elton John records safely back in their sleeves, and here you still are – sprawled on my couch like a greasy houseguest who doesn't know when to leave. The chips are gone, okay? There are NO chips in the house. And please stop following me around. I can tell you're there, my jiggly friend, clinging to my waist. What's up with that? It's just you and me and frankly, I think we have grown too close. Moreover, to be honest, I don't like you much anymore. So, please sit down and listen.

We've had some good times, haven't we? I remember the pizzas we used to eat and the dipping sauce for the crusts. Can you say cal-o-ries? Yes, some pretty good times at the old feed trough. But those days are long gone, happy trails, and you need to hear something. (Here we go) I've found new friends to hang out with who are way cooler and fitter than you are and I'm moving on. (That wasn't so bad) It isn't you. Well, actually it is. My life, and pants, just doesn't have room for you anymore. I would like to shake hands, part as friends, and not call each other.

I know you don't mean any harm, and you seem like nice love handles, but please stop following me.

You're creeping me out.

Sincerely,

Brandt

Why I Love Olympic Lifting (And You Should Too)

Power Snatch. Power Clean. Clean & Jerk. Strange sounding names if you haven't heard of them before. These are powerlifting style. I have never seen anyone perform these in the Globo gyms. Survivor Bootcamp had pink rubber bands. You can relate to my joy when I went to Crossfit this morning to meet my friends Jeff, Sterling and Mike for a Powerlifting WOD. I've been dying to get into practice for these lifts. I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm inspired by these. I've been reading about squats and cleans this week and hoping they would show up soon as a WOD.

Practicing these lift is fun, if not a little difficult getting used to the movement. The big difference is that these are explosive. When the bar is traveling up close to the body, jump UNDER it. Huh, I ask? Jumping under a moving weight is a new idea for me. I practice a few with light weight to get the feel of it. It's actually easier with a weight heavy enough to be a slight challenge. Too light and I just can't feel it properly.

My mantra: Deadlift the bar, SHRUG it up and JUMP under it, arms locked out and shoulders active.

The shrug is the movement that I need to keep working on. It happens so fast that I find I'm using my arms a lot. I can tell because my inner elbows hurt after doing this. That tells me that my big fat brain has decided that the arms always lift the weights. We'll have to have a little chat, he and I.

Twice this week we have been treated to powerlifting moves. I guess that is the reward for getting your caboose out of bed early and getting to the gym. That's what is totally cool and different from big box gyms. It feels like we're all there together. You make friends and you encourage each other. How great is that? This morning, I succeeded at a pull-up using a 45lb plate. That's a milestone achievement for me. People in the gym cheered. I gotta tell you, I lived on that the whole day. When I first started, I could not do ONE pull-up of bodyweight. Seriously. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that actually. And like many things in life, it's what you do next that matters most. I got to work. I challenged myself to lift well and be honest with my rounds. There have been times when I could not go on, literally. When I can't run anymore, I jog. When I can't job anymore, I walk. So far, I can walk it off and then start running again. I haven't puked in the bushes yet, but I HAVE picked out my spot in the event that I need to. Then I'll take a deep breath and start running again.

The race isn't always to the swift, but it sure belongs to the ones who just won't quit.

Work out of the Day for Tuesday Morning

Power snatch
1-1-1-1 (light weights)
Power Clean
1-1-1-1 (light weights)
Clean & Jerk
1-1-1-1 (light weights)
3 sets of ab mat sit-ups 2x25lbs
10 reps

Work out of the Day for Thursday Morning

Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5 (95, 135, 165, 185, 205)
3 sets of weighted pullups 45/25lbs (3, 2, 2)
3 sets of weighted dips (no weight – 8, 5, 4)

 

A Fine Saturday Morning

A little strength training this time - a welcome break from Metcon. I also got the chance to practice the squat clean which is an exercise I haven't done before. In fact, there are lots of these exercises I haven't done. Rather than give in to my ego, I strip most of the plates off and try to get the feel of the movement. I'm kinesthetic and I know where my body is most of the time, but I struggled with the timing of the squat clean. I was pulling the bar too high, nearly to my collar bone and then getting under it. I could feel the stress in my arms which manifested as a 'headache' in my inner elbows. Coach worked with me a bit on the right moves and I was able to improve somewhat. Later, Sterling emailed me some good advice about feeling like I'm pulling myself under the bar when it's traveling up and I'll try to visualize that next time. I have a copy of Starting Strength and I plan on practicing the power lifts. I enjoy these and the more I try the more enthused I feel about it.

Work out of the Day
5 Rounds
5- squat cleans 95lb
Bench press 135lb as many times as you can rest 2 min and repeat
13, 10, 9, 7, 7
Finish with 3 sets of 15 straight leg raises, make sure your feet touch the bar

Teamwork

We all know that place in the WOD where you've lifted your guts out and your tank is nearly empty. Still three rounds to go. Ah yes, a very special place in my heart. I was there during the last session. A seven-rounder of hanging DB power cleans, L-pullups, rows and sandbag getups. Let me tell you something; if your house is being flooded and you call me to help you build a retaining wall, I'm going to turn you down friend. It's the sandbags, you see. I have never, and I mean NEVER, been unable to get up off my back until I tried the sandbag getup with 75lb. Halfway through the rounds, I could no longer roll to my knee with the sandbag on my shoulder. I rocked. I rolled. I twisted. I turned. Each time, I fell flat on my ass. I was a turtle on my back. Somehow, after an almost comical effort, I was able to eke out a getup to my feet, and then slowly lower onto one knee to the lying position. Five on each side, for seven rounds. That's seventy for those of you counting. I looked at the ceiling lights a lot, summoning a hysterical burst of energy to try again. It got harder and harder as I went along. The sand shifts in the bag and that only adds to the diabolical nature of it. I actually thought it was going to be easy and fun. That happy thought became a distant memory.

In that massive effort laid a core of resolve to keep fighting onward. It's amazing what Crossfit enables you to do with your mind. My body was begging me to quit. It was offering me bribes. Take it easy, it would say. You've earned a little slack, it would say. My god, you don't want to have a heart attack, do you? I knew it was getting desperate if it resorted to the old heart attack threat. And I'll be honest with you. I was listening. I wanted to quit. The thing that kept me going, struggling to my feet each time, was the support I felt from my fellow Crossfitters. We were all in pain, bulldozing ahead, and encouraging each other. "Keep going!" "Just a few more!" Sometimes it was just a nod of appreciation and other times it was Coach telling me "That was a great clean! Way to go Brandt." When the shit hits the fan, those words are meaningful. Those words are pearls.

In the end, I think it was that which made me give it 100%. It's would be easy to wimp out on an exercise. You're accountable to only yourself and it's a choice each time to go for it or to hold back. The drive to make it worthwhile comes from the experience of sharing the pain with others. You feel that high after the WOD. That same experience makes you feel like you missed out when you skip a WOD and you hear later that it was a real GRINDER, a GASSER, and a SHITSTORM. The joy comes from being part of that with your friends.

Work out of the Day

5 Rounds
7 - L pullups (20 box jump pullups)
7 - Hanging DB power cleans 45x2db
125m row
10 - Sandbag getups 75lbs, 45lbs for the last round

It’s Funny

How quickly we adjust to new realities. What at first seems like an impossible climb becomes a reachable goal when you consider it from a different perspective. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? At first, you fumble your way through it, hitting the wrong notes and then finish with a crash landing. Eventually with practice, it starts to sound better and your skill improves to the point where the dog doesn't howl anymore. He still hides under the deck, though. Doing rounds in a WOD feels a lot like that. Today I walked in to the box feeling a little weak in the knees with dread, after Saturday's 20 round epic battle. I heaved a bit of a sigh of relief when I saw it was only 7 rounds. That's rather interesting isn't it? 7 rounds is certainly nothing to take lightly. (Oh, I just got that) The story goes like this: 12 back squats, 12 ring dips (or equivalent), and 1 rope climb.

What I said before about different perspectives was really hitting home for me tonight. Weeks ago, the idea of 7 rounds would seem like a wide, fast moving river that I had to cross. Rough, dangerous, and no guarantee of making it to the other side. Mexican fugitives taking pot shots at me for their amusement. "Swim you fat hombre!" But after doing 150 squats, 200 jumping pullups, 20 FRIGGIN ROUNDS OF MADNESS and other crazy shit, a 7 rounder seems almost pedestrian. But you know better, don't you? 7 rounds is not trivial. Let's break it down and see what really happened.

12 back squats for 7 rounds. I lifted 135lb for 3 rounds, then switched to 115lb for the remaining 4. Total: 10,380lb

84 bench dips (84 ring dips was not going to happen)

7 rope climbs (7 more than I could do the first time I tried it)

That's a tremendous amount of effort. I mean really, who lifts 10,000 pounds? You and me, my friend, you and me.

Rx

Rx'd; as Rx'd: As prescribed; as written. WOD done without any adjustments.

Sometimes Rx'ing the WOD happens with tremendous effort and other times it only comes with herculean perseverance. Or damn near not at all. Case in point. Picture a man walking up to the loaded barbell and eyeing it up for the rounds ahead. Noting the weight, he looks at the WOD penned on the whiteboard. 100 shoulder presses with 95lb. Every time the weight hits the floor, run 200 metres. Holy. Cow.

I must break in at this point and say that Mia did warn me. Smiling like a Cheshire cat, she said, "Lift that and see if you think you'll be able to do one hundred of those". I did. It was heavy, but I was feeling confident and I was able to press it smoothly. "It will be difficult at about fifty, but I can finish". I had resolved that when I start with a weight, I finish with it – no matter how ugly it gets. I was about to test that resolve.

My plan was to break it up into sets – 20 presses at first, dropping to 15 and then to 10 when things got tough. 10 rounds in total, I reckoned. That would also add up to a nice 2 kilometre run. I began with 20 shoulder presses and I barely squeaked them out before dropping the weight and heading into my first 200-metre run. That was a little rough, I thought, but the first round usually is. When I returned from the run and continued the presses, I was dismayed to find that I could only muster 15 this time. Then, a second 200-metre run. Another lift of just 10 reps. There was trouble afoot. I revised my plan to press 10 for the remainder of the 100. What followed was a breathless, puke-inducing teeter-totter of 5 presses of maximum effort and a sloppy 200-metre death march. The weight was too heavy. If it wasn't obvious by now, the bar reminded me with its cold smugness every time I heaved it to my shoulders. Unforgiving bastard. What kept me going forward were Leanna and Mia giving me encouragement when I was able to make a good strong press. I felt like if I got sloppy, I would be letting them down. They had already done this WOD earlier and I figured that if they could do it, I could do it. Afterwards, I could go home, curl up in a ball and rock back and forth, moaning.

But wheezing and creaking to the finish line, I did press 100 times and I did run 200-metres each time I set the weight down – with a bonus run after my last press because I was too twitterpated to realize that I'd finished. Rx? Yes. Not exactly a clean fight, but I didn't give up.

The following Saturday, I was back at it again. This time the mission was to partner up for a 20-round extravaganza. 5 power-cleans, 7 burpees, and a 200-metre run, each partner alternating an exercise. So by the end each person will have done 50 power cleans, 70 Burpees and run 2km. I had Leanna as my partner and that was good fortune. Both of us were fired up to "do this thing" and have an awesome morning. I started first with 135lb cleans then high-fived Leanna to start the burpees. When she knocked them off, she high-fived me and off I went for the run. When I ran back to the box, I marked off one of our checkmarks and high-fived Leanna. She then cleaned 95lb like a champ. This girl can lift the iron! Another high five and I'm doing burpees while she rests. Then it's her turn to run and when she returned it's another check marked off on our round list. This went on and on. Rinse and repeat. At the 10 round mark, we were both pretty pooched and it was daunting to think that we had just reached halfway. With sluggish limbs and dogged determination, we kept on going, round after round, horrible burpee after horrible burpee until that final glorious round when we reached the magic number 20. I still feel good when I think about that last round. I bet Leanna does too. Partner rounds are fantastic. They pull the very best out of you because now you have someone to be personally accountable too. That person is sweating their heart out right next to you and when it's your turn, you give it your all.

So, I Rx'ed both of these WODs. I consider the first one a deposit into the bank of stubborn determination because that was the only thing that got me through. No first prize at the county fair for that performance. The second one I was high on a burn of zone-fuelled energy and a good night's sleep. I also tested the weight first and made sure (this time) that I could go the distance. I'm getting better at this and I know my limits, having discovered them frequently.

Work out of the Day

100 - Shoulder presses 95lb
Every time you put down the weight run 200m.

Partner Work out of the Day

20 Rounds
5 -Power cleans 135lb
7 - Burpees
200m run

Ten Things You Should Know About Crossfit

Over the last two months, I have learned some things about Crossfit. I offer a list of ten things that every beginning Crossfitter should know.

1 - This ain’t your average workout
Nuh uh. Ask yourself this question: When was the last time you bench-pressed a pile of books to the top shelf? Crossfit movements are diverse and they condition your body for the demands you will experience in the real world. Expect to be doing things like power cleaning, snatching and working with medicine balls and kettle bells. Expect to be surprised.

2 - There are no pretty faces during a WOD
Gut-busting, heart-pounding, honest hard work produces an expression that you won’t find at the juice bar of a beautiful spa. It’s more like what you’ll see on the field of sports. Like these.

3 - Your momma works out here and she can lift more than you can
Think Crossfit is just for sports and not suitable for the soccer mom? Think again. Crossfit attracts people from all walks of life, and all ages. From young and old, we sweat and toil equally under the weight of the iron and our own bodies. However, Crossfit isn't for everyone. You have to want it badly to keep coming back and pushing yourself further than you have ever done before. Believe me that involves facing many of your fears.

4 - Use chalk, it helps
And lifting belts. Use the tools of power lifting and you will find yourself more confident and more in control of your body and the barbell.

5 - During the last rounds, it’s better if you are feeling pissed off
Coach finishes his last round of cleans and lets the barbell drop to the floor. "Muthafucker!" he shouts. If you want to finish strong, you need to find the determination and defiance that makes you grab that sucka and hoist it up NO MATTER WHAT. You can do it. You just think you can't.

6 - Suck it up, buttercup
People in Crossfit are friendly. I joined the foundation bootcamp and I was made to feel welcome and coached through the challenging workout with understanding of where I was at with my fitness level. (Ground zero) After I got a bit better, the hand holding stopped.
Don't whine, put down the designer water, and come over here and lift!

7 - Make friends with people who Crossfit. You can talk about it and they won’t think you’re weird
I've heard Crossfitters described as intense. We talk about Crossfit, the Zone, and this lifestyle a lot. I spend my weekends practicing with a skip rope so I can do double-unders next time it's on the WOD. Yah, really. Many of the people I work with have equipment and nicely set up Crossfit gyms at home. The passion for this is much deeper than an exercise program that you have made a half heartedly commitment.

8 - Eat well. Find a sensible eating lifestyle that works with Crossfit and do it. It’s fundamental to getting the most out of this
After two months of Crossfit, I was feeling some dramatic changes in my strength, energy levels and overall feeling of well-being. However, I wasn't seeing a lot of changes in my body. Within three weeks of trying the zone diet, I lost six pounds of fat weight. For real. The foundation of excellent health is eating properly and exercising. They need each other.

9 - Don’t take yourself too seriously
Don't get pissed off when you can't Rx a WOD. When the weight truly is too heavy, put forth your best effort and feel good about that. Being anal about making progress at every workout is only going to make you feel frustrated. And don't weigh yourself every day, like a girl. Eat a hot dog now and then. Remember that life is fun.

10 - Know why you are doing this
You will not be able to blast through the wall of discomfort, fatigue and overwhelming desire to stop if you don't know why you are this. You have to be very clear about your reasons and you should have a laundry list of all the things you will gain from Crossfit and all the things you'll lose if you don't Crossfit.

---

Workout of the Day

7 Rounds

• 5 Hanging power cleans 115 lb
  
• 5 L pullups(chest must hit the bar) Started with these, and finished, but with bad form. Tired of doing jumping pullups
  
• 12 Single DB push press @ 40 lb(6 per side)
• 10 Ab wheels

The Good, the Bad, and the Not So Ugly

I hoist the weight up into a power snatch, go down for an overhead squat, then down again for a back squat, bring it up and over into a good morning, and finally push press the bar up over my head then set the weight down for a second. Do it again. Quickly.

Huff. Huff. Huff.

I like the feel of the bar in my hands. My grip strength has improved considerably since I started Crossfit. At first, my grip was awkward, like if you shake hands with someone and it goes bad. You go for the shake but you only get their fingers and you both stand there shaking each other’s fingers. It would be weird to break it off early, so you just keep going with the awkward finger shake. But now I have a confident handshake with the bar. I use chalk because it helps and I feel I can somehow lift more weight.

Hoist. Down. Up. Down. Up. Morning. Push. Down. Again. Quickly.

Huff. Huff. Huff.

I’m feeling strong tonight and while that’s great, it’s not what is amazing. What is amazing is that even though I am breathing hard, I’m staying on the right side of the oxygen deprivation line. When I usually stop and put down the weight or pause between knees-to-elbows, it is because I can’t breathe. I am winded easily. Running is brutal. It feels like no matter how deeply and quickly I breathe, it’s not going to be enough. Have you ever had a dream that you were so thirsty and you drank as much as you could but you were still incredibly thirsty? I hate that dream. That’s what it feels like to be breathless. No matter how much you breathe, you still crave oxygen – great, deep whooping breaths of it. One of my huge goals for Crossfit is to increase my lung capacity. The maximum amount of air moved in and out of the lungs is called the VITAL CAPACITY and it can be measured. I think my vital capacity is improving. I’m going to track that over the next sixty days, taking a baseline this weekend and then again every thirty days. You can do this yourself using the water displacement method.

Hoist. Down. Up. Down. Up. Morning. Push. Down. Again. Faster, if you can manage it.

Huff.

I’m done. Sweaty and exhilarated from both the WOD and the fact that I’m doing well. I grab my water and have a drink. I look back at the bar.

I could go heavier.


Work out of the Day
500m row
50-box step ups
500m row
25-wall ball
500m row
25-k2e
3 Rounds
6-Power snatch-OHS-B.squat-good morning-push press
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