Vegas baby...Vegas

Tomorrow I head to Vegas to celebrate my...Gulp...30th Birthday on Saturday.   The fatty will return for most of the trip but I hope to visit a few crossfit boxes while I am out there.  I can't believe that I'm going on a vacation but still can't bring myself to get away from crossfit.  It is actually kind of fun to visit new boxes, and of course collect their t-shirts.   IT is like a vacation from your home box, where you get to try other equipment that may or may not be as nice as yours.  You can also get a different perspective from the coaches at that box.  I will be sure to recommend the boxes that I visit while I am out there.

I have to get up at 4 in the morning to travel and catch my flight so I'm gonna keep this short and leave you with a scene that will hopefully NOT be me this weekend.




WOD

Today was a Hero WOD

"Josh"

SSG Joshua Hager, United States Army, was killed Thursday February 22 2007 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. 

21 OH Squats (75lb)
42 Pull-Ups
15 OH Squats
30 Pull-Ups
9 OH squats
18 Pull-Ups

Time: 13:09

Followed by a 1500m row

Round 2: Did a 5000m row and a 1 mile run during the 5pm class.


Tomorrow I'm in Vegas.  Unlikely any posts will come while I'm on the trip.  Sorry loyal readers!

I should call this diet of the year.

Today was the worst diet day I've had in months.  Ready for this awesome list of food

Breakfast: Protein Shake
Snack: 2 eggs
Lunch: non existent
Snack: single twizzler, 3 swedish fish, and 4 small tootsie rolls...oh and a mint
Dinner: Can of corn and a protein shake

How's that for awesome?!?  Cavemen are turning over in their graves.  Every crossfitter in the country just collectivly gasped...or would have had they all read this at the same time.

I want to scrooge mcduck dive into this pile

Does this happen to me occasionally...yes.  Do I like it to happen...no.   What can I do about it though...I have no idea.

It's real easy to just say "I'm not gonna do that again" but in reality it might happen again.  My laziness at work will get the best of me and I'll skip lunch rather than run out and get something.   But it does lead to an interesting question for those super paleo people.

Is it better to skip a meal or to eat fast food?

I honestly have no idea what the answer is.  I hope the answer is to just suck it up and eat McDonalds.  I could really go for a 20 piece right now.   Mmmmmm...

WOD

3 squat cleans (135 lbs)
40 DU
30 KB swings (2 pood)
20 ring push-ups
2 squat cleans

40 DU
30 KB swings
20 ring push-ups
1 squat clean

40 DU
30 KB swings
20 ring push-ups

Time: 19:48

Fight Gone Bad Recap

That was the aftermath.  Complete exhaustion.  How did I get to that point?

The day started for me at 5:30am when Karen awoke so she could meet up with some of the other Crossfit610 folk at the gym.  Since I was picking up a friend of mine on the way down, I was going solo.  Stepping outside I was in for a bit of a rude awakening, it was freezing!  Thankfully I had semi-prepared for it with sweatpants and a hoodie.  After picking my friend up, I headed to the Piazza at Schmidts.  

The set up

Upon arrival, you could immediately tell it was a crossfit event.  People wearing funky socks, a few muscleheads, and some people stretching.  As I went up to register, I heard the owner of Crossfit Love asking the participants what they had gotten on the workout previously.  Since I had never done this workout I didn't know what to say, I knew that trainer Mike had me do a variant of the FGB before and I scored 200.  So that is what I went with.  This put me in the very first men's division...meaning those who are doing RX weights but who are not experienced crossfitters.  I also have to count for the very first heat of ladies.

After counting for Lisa from CrossFit Prime (who did an awesome Job BTW) it was time for me to start getting loose.  I just did some double unders to get the blood going.  Which soon after starting I realized the blood was not going enough...huge mistake on my part.  Finally it was time to go.  Unfortunately I was starting on the rower.

3...2....1...GO!

Away I went.  I was flying on the rower (at least for me).  This may also have been a  mistake as the adrenaline was getting the best of me. Most of the workout was a bit of a blur.  A lot of my thoughts were me getting pissed at myself for stopping.  Below are some pictures of the first round.

I really put too much effort into the first round and kinda blew my load.  I got 107 reps in the first round.  Then the second round came. My wife was nice enough to take a video of the entire second round...she had no idea it would be the worst of my three rounds.

Click for link to video.

From Fight Gone Bad 6

Ouch.  I was feeling like death after that second round.  on top of that death feeling was a feeling that I was putting up a horrible number.  I needed to push myself in the third, and final, round.  After a minute "rest", and quite possibly the fastest minute of my life, it was time to go again.  Away I went.  I pushed myself as much as I could, and I had a great group cheering me on.  I did better in the third round than I did in the second.  But still not even close to the first round.  You can see on the picture below where I blew it out.

Final count...263 reps for the 3 rounds.  I had almost 30 more reps in the first round than the second so I need to either pace myself or get in better shape to carry over 100+ reps for each round.  I can sincerely say that I put it all into the workout, but I can also say that there is a lot of room for improvement.

As for the fundraising...THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR DONATIONS!  I was able to raise $457 for an amazing cause. I'm sorry I couldn't get a rep for every dollar, but I gave it all I could.  

There are more pictures here:  https://picasaweb.google.com/dennis.ODonnell.jr/FightGoneBad6?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMr7iabsorTbLw&feat=directlink

Warm up!

I completed the Fight Gone Bad workout yesterday and learned something very quickly...YOU HAVE TO WARM UP WHEN IT'S COLD OUT!   I should note here that common sense is not so common to me.  I will write a longer summary of FGB once I have the pictures but to say I was huffing and puffing after the first row is an understatement 

It's funny though, cause this is not the first time this has happened to me.  While competeing in my first 2 triathlons, I would always bust it to the first buoy in the swim portion and then be just cooked for the rest.  Then in my most recent triathlon, I biked the run course as a warm up about an hour before the start of the race.  Then during the swim, I never hit that wall that I had in the previous tri's.  

So my advice is the following:

• About an hour before the event, work up a sweat.  Get your heart going by going for a light jog, rowing, biking...something.  
• Don't make it too intense, something light is more than enough.  Just get your heart rate up.
• STRETCH.  Before you warm up and then after.  Loose muscles are less likely to get injured.  
• Make sure you are hydrated for the event.  

I assure you that before my next "competition" I'll be ready for whatever comes first!

WOD

09/17

"Fight Gone Bad"

3 rounds  - 1 minute break between rounds

1 minute - AMRAP of:

20# Wall Balls

Rowing for Calories

Sumo Dead Lift (75#)

Push Press (75#)

20" box jump

My Score: 263 Reps

09/18

Partner WOD

111 Wall Ball Sit-ups

222 HRPU

333 Double Unders

3000m row

While one partner is doing the movement, the other is running 200m.  

Time: 37:48

Fight Gone Bad?

Why is it named fight gone bad?   What does that even mean?  Below is a video where the crossfit guru himself , Greg Glassman, explains where the WOD originated.



Obviously, fight gone bad has its roots in MMA with the 3 rounds of 5 minutes and a 1 minute break between rounds.  In the video he mentions working with BJ Penn to get ready for one of his first fights and wanting to come up with "a quantifiable metabolic match to the demands of the fight" .  But why not just do one workout for all 5 minutes, well that is because Glassman "did not want stamina to be a factor" .  What this means is that the workout was designed to have NO REST.  Using some scientific mumbo-jumbo that is described better in the video, he comes on that 1 minute per movement is ideal.  If you did one movement for the 5 minutes you would get tired fast and have to rest.  So breaking up the movements and muscle groups and keeping the weight manageable you are able to keep moving.  If you rest in MMA then you get knocked out, so constantly moving is really important in training for that sport.


 He is fun to listen to it so for a true understanding of everything be sure to watch the video.

I am about 10 hours from doing my first FGB and have decided to do the weight prescribed.  I want to have something to compare to in the future.  I set a goal for myself of getting over 200 reps.  I have no idea if this is too high or too low, I guess we'll see tomorrow.


WOD

Strength: 12 minutes to find 1rm front squat
WOD:
"Jackie"
1000m Row
50 45lb thruster
30 pull-ups


Strength: NEW PR!  200lbs
WOD: 9:38

DIET

Breakfast: Eggs, protein shake, apple
Snack:  Special K bar (it was delicious...but not even close to paleo)
Lunch:  Cashews, Snickers, Cookies.   really effed this up.  Work was busy.
Dinner: Wife Surprised me with a Birthday Dinner with my family.  Sushi as an appetizer, chicken and shrimp as the dinner.

What Does It Mean to be a Fatty?

As you may or may not have noticed, I changed the URL of the site to http://blog.reformedfatty.com.  You can thank my lovely wife for the name, she called me a reformed fatty one day and I just thought that was a cool website/blog name so that led me here.  I also think I can turn this more into a website rather than just a blog so expect minor changes here and there as time goes on and my schedule allows.

What is a fatty?

Most of you are reading this and going, "oh ok he hates large people" and that is simply not the case.  I am defining a fatty as anyone who is lazy, who eats horribly, who doesn't try their best, or most simply...a fatty is anyone who does not want to better themselves.  You can be 5'4" 125lbs and still be a fatty.  The purpose of this blog/site will be to help people reform themselves into something they can be proud of.

Will my topics change?

No.  Not even a little bit.  It is merely a name change.  I will still post my WOD's when I do them and the site will always be CrossFit-centric.  I have some ideas for guest posts by people who choose workouts that are better for them but I haven't decided how to include that yet.  So, again..no changes.

Am I qualified for any of this?

As you should have read in my "about me" page..NO!  Anything I'm typing is strictly from one man's view point.  95% of what I include here is read through other sources and simply regurgitated by me.  Some of the other stuff is just that I find works for me.  Do your own research to find what works best for you.

So all in all..nothing is changing but the name.  Hope you all still enjoy reading, or at least find it interesting from time to time.  I will try to add a bit more humor going forward.

Also, since I'm artistically fat, I'm thinking of running a contest for creating the best "reformed fatty" banner.  Thinking some Crossfit gear as a prize?  So get doodling!

I'm also on twitter @reformedfatty  Follow me!

WOD

09/14/2011 - Rest Day

09/15/2011-

Dynamic Stretching
5 rounds
10 - 185 lb dead lifts
200m run

Time: 7:24

Hope to get to the gym at 7pm for round 2 of either a quick strength session or some long rowing to loosen up the muscles.

DIET

Breakfast: 2 protein bars, plum
Snack:  Apple, Grapes, Peanuts
Lunch:  18 wings (yeah this was bad, but so delicious)
Dinner:  TBD
Snack:  TBD

Big Week For CrossFit!

If you were wondering what the best of the best in CrossFit look like, well you're in luck.  The 2011 CrossFit games will be shown on ESPN2 starting this Wednesday at 8 ET.  I watched some of it when it was broadcast live and you will be in for a treat.  While watching I ask that you remember 2 things...

1.  The athletes had NO IDEA what workout they would be doing.  They could not train specifically for each event.  I asume in the first episode you'll see the first even which included an ocean swim...yeah they had no idea there would be swimming involved.  Goes back to the point of CrossFit...be ready for anything.

2.  What they do will look easy.  Really it will.  I assure you it is not.  The speed and power that these guys and girls are competing at will not be shown well through TV.  Go to your local box and try to do one of the workouts at their weight...you wont stand a chance.





Another big deal comes at the end of the week when the annual "Fight Gone Bad" fundraiser takes place.  I will be participating in the workout in Philadelphia at the Piazza at Schmidts on Saturday morning.  The fight gone bad is the following

3 rounds for total reps with 1 minute break between rounds (NO REST BETWEEN EXERCISES)
1 min: wall balls
1 min: sumo dead lift
1 min: Box jumps
1 min: push press
1 min: row for calories

I have raised almost $300 for some great charities.  If you'd like to help me out you can donate here:  https://fgb6.rapidgiving.com/frp/fundraise.aspx?pk=33E48YY

Any help would be greatly appreciated!   I'm hoping to absolutely murder this workout, or at the least I'm going to give it every ounce of energy I have.  It will be the first CrossFit workout I've done in a "competitive" atmosphere.

WOD

Strength: 7 x 2 80% 1rm squat cleans 

WOD:  3 rounds

12 tire flips

12 hang squat cleans

12 HRPU

Strength: 130lbs.  Gotta work on my foot position

WOD:  8:22 at 105 lbs for the hang squat.

DIET

Getting better!

Breakfast: eggs, protein shake, grapes

Snack:  Grapes, plum

Lunch: home made beef and broccoli, apple

Snack : none

Dinner Beef and broccoli (i know I know, but it's so delicious)

Its conquest deserves the best...

A facebook friend of mine wrote that this was the anniversary of the below speech.  If you don't get goosebumps listening to it, I'm not sure you have a heart.

What does this have to do with crossfit?  Well, listen to how he sets his goal...and the determination and leadership in his voice.   You have to remember that we were losing the space race when this speech was given, it is a pivotal speech in American history.

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win,"

Take away "go to the moon" and put your own goal in there.   I can say without question that I have yet to run across a CrossFit workout that was easy.  I want to better myself..it's not easy...it is hard.  It was HARD to get my degree in meteorology, it is HARD to keep a successful career, and it is HARD to achieve my CrossFit goals.  But regardless of how hard they are, I've never quit.  I've had to be talked out of quitting (which is what a good support system is for) but never actually went through with it.

So make this speech to your own body, challenge yourself and whatever you do..DO NOT QUIT.  I don't care if it takes you 4 hours to complete a WOD..FINISH IT!

WOD

Strength: 65% x 5; 75% x 5; 85% x 5+.  Back squat and shoulder press

5 min AMRAP 10 - 20lb wall balls, 2 wall climbs
4 min Tabata - Hallow Rock
3 min - AMRAP 24" burpee to box jump
2 min - AMRAP  double unders
1 min - Squat depth hold

Strength: did 6 of the back squats and 9 of the shoulder press

WOD:   4+2; 11; 31; 100; success

DIET:

I did exactly what I said in the previous post.

A CrossFit Method of Rememberence

CrossFit is not only used as a method of training for sports, it is also used by military, police, and firefighters as a method for being ready for anything. 10 years ago, "anything" took on a new meaning.   CrossFit uses it's own methods for remembering those who protect us each day.  It is not just in raising money, it is in doing something that brings us all together.  Yesterday we did the 9/11 throwdown and I can honestly say it was one of the tougher workouts we have done.  I had a friend who is also a firefighter come up to take part in the event.  For his first ever crossfit workout, he did great.  The important thing is that he finished.  I'm going to leave this post short and just say that I remember that day like it was yesterday and can't believe it was 10 years ago.

WOD

WOD(09/10)

"Buddy Bar" (this was horrible)
3 rounds
20 Front squat
20 Hanging Cleans
20 Push Jerks
200 Single Unders
(Bar can not touch the ground, hand bar off after each set)
 Weight  95lbs  Time: 42:38

WOD (09/11)

"9/11 Throwdown"

2001m row
11 - 36" box Jumps
11 - 115 lb thrusters
11 - Burpee Chest to Bar
11 - 125 lb Power Cleans
11 - HSPU
11 - 2pood KB swings
11 - Toes to Bar
11 - 175lb dead lift
11 - 110 lb push jerk
2001m row

Time: 36:10

Notes on this WOD:  I only did a few of these prescribed.  The row at the end killed me, my forarms felt like they were gonna explode.  The start row I may have gone a lil hard on, 7:42 to start.


DIET

Monday 9/12

Breakfast: protein, apple, 3 eggs
Lunch  : Chicken, apple
Snack:  Peanuts (I know it's not great)
Dinner: tbd (think it will be home made beef and broccali)

Row, Row, Row, your...uh Rower?

With the amount of rain we got here in PA over the past month or so, you'd think we could do more of our rowing in a real boat.  That was not the case at CF610 last night where part of the WOD was to complete a 2000m row.  Now, I am not a bad rower but I don't think I'm good either.  My goal was to get under my PR time of 7:48.  After the first 1k, I felt great and was well under my goal time, in fact if I was able to keep the same pace I would have been close to 7:15.   When I was done, I came in at 7:30.9.  A WHOLE 18 SECONDS BELOW MY PREVIOUS PR!    I was pretty psyched.

I've spent a lot of time on this torture contraption

I think I'm pretty good at it because of how much time Mike had me on the thing during the biggest loser competition.  I was doing 1-5k a day during that period.  Looks like it has paid off a bit.

I now have yet another goal.  I think I need to make a page that lists my goals and the progress toward those goals. Until that is made, here is me using theory in practice.  I am going to SMART this goal.

Specific
I am going to row 2k meters in under 7 minutes

Measurable
Ummm..its a time..that is pretty measurable

Attainable
I think this is attainable.  The best time at the gym was 7:16 and I need to shave 30 seconds off my time to accomplish it.  It will not be easy at all.  But it is doable with devotion.

Relevant
Yes, it is relevant to my overall fitness goals.  It is not just some random idea.

Timing
This is the tough part.  I need to choose a time frame that make the goal attainable.   I want to say the end of the year, but that means taking off 10 seconds a month so I am going to say by the end of February 2012.


Now for the questions part.

How?
I will try to row a 1k every day at the gym.  That means 4 minutes on the rower a day.  Which is nothing time wise.

Who will help?
That is what CrossFit is all about, I will have help from my wife, my trainers, and the rest of the box.

What is needed?
Just the rower and some devotion.

When?
Every time I'm at the gym.  And I will try to do a 2k row every 3 weeks to gauge my progress.

Why?
Cause it will make me pretty effing awesome on the rower.  I believe it will put me #1 on the box list as well.


Let's hope I can get this going!


WOD

2k row
100 ring dips counting the number of sets and number of time.

2k Row:  7:30.9  PR!
100 ring dips:  about 10 with no scaling, 90 with the red band.  12 sets in 12:25

DIET

So far today:

Breakfast:  Protein Shake, 3 eggs, Apple
Lunch: deli meat, strawberries, Peanuts

Stupid Labeling

In the past few weeks my company launched an internal website and to commemorate that launch they gave out little bottles of Powerade.  I'm not the biggest fan of the stuff but I was thirsty so I drank it, then I felt bad so I looked at the label to see what kind of damage I did.  And this is what I see...

Energy?

They call calories "Energy".  Now I'm not here to argue how true this statement is but come on.  The clear intent of this is to use the nutrition label as a means of marketing.  Does that mean that Dunkin Donuts is better for you while in the middle of a game of basketball than water since water has no calories?   People are generally ignorant to much of everything so this should be illegal.  It's like if a cigarette company put tar as an ingredient and then put in parentheses "Life" cause we all are carbon based life forms.

It is absolute crap.  I'm not one who writes to companies but I may be forced into writing coke to tell them how  ridiculous it is that they are using the nutrition label as a marketing ploy.

WOD (09/07)

Strength:  work our way up to 95% of squat snatch 1rm in 12 minutes.
WOD   : 12 minute amrap of 7 185lb DL, 14 pistols, 21 DU, 100m run

6 rounds completed.


DIET

I have to adjust this and start being accountable for my diet choices.  Starting Tomorrow I am going ot write everything I have to eat here.  Then you can yell at me when I suck.

Fantasy Draft and Bachelor Parties...

..do not make for a good crossfitter.  In fact, long weekends and holidays don't either.  This past weekend was kinda crazy and I can honestly say that I did just about everything wrong...in a crossfit sense.  Here is a bulleted list of what went down.

Fantasy draft at hooters...of course I had the wings..and a lot of beer
Went out for a few drink after it..got to bed at like 3
Woke up at 6 to go to the US Open
Got home at 1130
Woke up at 6am again and went golfing
Had drinks and some crappy food while golfing
Went out for bachelor party and had more drinks
Got home at 4am

So let me summarize with..drank a bunch, ate crappy, slept little

What can you do when this happens?  Just go back at it when you can.  And that is what I did today.

WOD

Stength:  12 minutes to find 7rm full squat cleanl must complete the 7 reps in 45 seconds
WOD:    5 rounds of 3 135 lb power cleans then 20 burpees

Stength: got 130 lbs
WOD:  10:56

Sorry for the weak post.  Have a lot going on with work so finding time to update this has been a struggle.

Grin and BEAR It

When you think of bears you think of Yogi, Smokey, or even Ditka.  Well not anymore.  Now I think of bear complexes.  These little gems seem easy.  You see them in a workout and you say "only 5 reps...115 lbs...this is gonna be easy"  then you start the workout and you begin the battle.

That is kinda how the workout was today.  It kicked my ass for a while.  Then finally I won out.  My time was not great..but I did it prescribed.

What is a bear complex you ask?

Power clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press
all in succession without putting the bar down.

That is 1.


So anyways.  I will likely be MIA this labor day weekend.  I have a lot going on and I'm starting it with a visit to crossfit KOP because that is where I'll be this weekend.   I will likely only get one workout in but that is ok.  It's a holiday right?

WOD

"split ear" (molly showing her mountain girl roots)
5-4-3-2-1 Bear Complex 115 lbs
30 double unders between rounds
if you drop the bar there is a 30 du penalty

I finished in 13:49 I think.   I had to do 2 rounds of penalties.  Once because it slipped the other cause I was tired.  I did kill the double unders though.