Giving Back

Workout of the Day

21-15-12-9-6-3-6-9-12-15-21
B sqaut 95/65lbs
Pullups
Push press 95/65lbs
weighted situps 25/20lb
With a partner complete the above work only 1 person working @ a time. Finish the one movement before you move to the next.

I like ladders. I think it's mentally refreshing to break the work up in a fun game like this. We partnered up for this blaster and Bryan was looking like he needed someone to work with so I walked over and introduced myself. It turns out that he has been coming to Crossfit for a couple of months in one of the other classes during the day. Judging from his expression, I guessed that he could use a little moral support today for this daunting ladder.

We divided the work evenly, with me taking the extra reps for the ladder down and he taking them for the ladder up. We tested the weights at first and he opted to use the bar with training plates to allow him to finish all 60 reps and I went for Rx. And so it began.

For me, this was an easy morning, gliding through the squats, presses and pullups. I've crossed the abyss and I have built a core of stamina and strength that I know will carry me through tough WODs. But Bryan hasn't done that yet and he was fighting with every ounce of his will, and then some to get through this. How I recognized the look on his face and the laboured breathing from my own first few months. I kept supporting him, encouraging his efforts and helping him through it. At the same time, I pushed him as hard as he could go - probably harder than he thought he could. But that was the favour that people in the gym did for me when I started and it helped me tremendously. And he didn't back down an inch.

We worked through it, together, every last round and every last rep - each one quality and deserved. And in the end, during the last set of situps, I told him "It's the last set - savour it Bryan!" and he laughed hard as we finished. It was an hour well spent.