#BEATBOB

In a little less than one week the first workout of the 2012 Crossfit Games Open will be released.  I have no illusions of grandeur. I'm not making it to the regionals, but I do need a goal.  After thinking about it, and doing a little research into his current abilities, I think my goal will be to be Bob Harper of the Biggest Loser.

Abs are for show.  Put them away.

Why choose Bob?  Well, although he's in incredible shape and is a world renowned trainer he is also fairly new to crossfit.  He states constantly that he loves crossfit and that he is going to compete in the opens so his scores will be public. Another big reason is cause he is better than me at Fran, but only by about 30 seconds and some of his lifts are on the same level as me.  I think if I really push myself I can compete with and possibly even beat Bob!

Another reason is so I can tell family members who don't understand crossfit or what I get out of it, that I have beaten the celebrity Bob Harper.  I might even garner a little bit of respect from them rather than a cynical look.

So Bob...whether you know it or not...I'm gunning for you.  I WILL push myself each week to beat you.  A reformed fatter WILL beat the master trainer.  For every other beginning crossfitter I encourage you to gun for Bob.  If you're in use the #BEATBOB hashtag!  

Yeah, that is the look you'll have when I beat you.

Are you game?


WOD's

Monday

5 rounds w 20 min time cap
20 - 95lb push press
20 - 25lb half moons
20 - burpees

4+28 (just missed finishing)


Tuesday

"baby king kong"
1 - 300lb DL
2 - Musleups (or 4 get out of pools)  * I DID 1 MUSCLE UP in the WOD*
3 - 125lb squat cleans
4 -. HSPU 1 abmat

Cash-out: 500m row for time  1:35.7 *NEW PR*

Wednesday

7 rounds
7 2 pd KB swings
7 air squats
7 T2B

8:26

Cheat!

Eating is not a marriage.  You have to cheat sometimes.  It's natural and it will keep you sane.  The key is to control the cheats. Below are some Do's and Don'ts

DO Reward yourself with a cheat
DON'T cheat if you have no earned it

Like training a dog you should reward yourself for doing well.  But do not give yourself a treat if you bite hte mailman.

 Left:  Good.  Right:  Too much.

DO get a snickers bar
DON'T get a king size snickers bar

You are cheating for the taste, not to fill yourself up.  Give yourself a regular sized piece of candy, or a 2 scoop sundae.  You don't need the 5 scoop mega sundae or the entire box of swedish fish (I've done it).  get that sweet taste and cherish it.

DO enjoy the treat
DON'T think you have to go extra hard at the gym to work that cheat off

It will come off normally during your workouts.  No need to go extra hard if you cheat once a week.


All in all, just be cognizant of what you are doing.  You'll start to enjoy that candy more rather than just swallowing it.  In the end, you'll enjoy life more.

WOD

500m row
150 DU's
50 Burpees

Time: 7:50

Then did 106 DU's in a row (video below)
then did 6 T2B in a row which is a huggge accomplishment for me.  Thanks Brad!

Crossfit Problems

I see a lot of press about the harmful effects of crossfit.  I don't like it.  I feel like it comes from those who do not think too much, or who are too stubborn to get out of their own comfort zone.  I want to try and let people know the results I have seen, and what my take on their comments are.  So over the next week or so, I'm going to go into some of the common criticisms of the CrossFit program and give my take on the criticism and where I think it may have originated.

So here is one I hear from people who are into the traditional go to the gym and do 10 reps of like 5 different exercises.

"Doing high reps at such heavy weight is really bad for you"

Yes...Yes, you are right, doing extremely high reps of a heavy weight CAN be bad for you.  But let's clarify 2 things real fast.

1.  Not every workout is high reps and high weights.  In fact, if you have a trainer who knows what they're doing, then they will carefully look at the number of reps before choosing the prescribed weight.  Here are 2 examples of that.  First is a dead lift example.  In a workout with 15 reps in a row for 5 rounds, my trainer at the time (Mike) had a prescribed weight of 225lbs.  BUT he MADE each person do 5 reps of whatever weight they chose to make sure they kept their form..if he thought you could not keep your form through the workout  he MADE you take weight off.  He was very careful not to hurt you and hurt your form.  It kicked me down to 185 lbs, which as I'm sure you know is not an extreme DL weight.  The second example is a recent workout.  Molly created a workout where there were a large number of snatches.  The prescribed weight...75 lbs for males.  Surely it could be made heavier, but again, there was a large number of reps done so to be safe it was kept moderate to light.  And during that workout, the presiding trainer (Evan) was all over me to make sure my form was solid.  And that is a good thing.

2. When there are heavy weights involved, they are usually done separate from the WOD.  We start most workouts with a strength session in which we practice our movements.  Sometimes we do weights that are close to out 1 rep max, but the number of reps is low (usually 3).  So we practice our form at low weights and higher reps.

Now, I should have prefaced this with "If you have a good trainer" then this should be the case.  Crossfit is not just about lifting heavy weights as fast as you can.  It's about becoming fit.

There is one exception to this.  The pro's.  The guys you see on ESPN.  They are at a whole different level than those of us that are simply trying to become as fit as we possibly can.

So please, no more about how crossfitters are doing things all wrong.  Because I can walk into any gym across the country and show you 10 "normal" weight lifters who do way more wrong than we ever have.


WOD

Strength: 5x65%; 5 x 75%; 5+ x 85% Back squat.  Then 3 x 70%; 3 X 80%; 3+ x 90% push press
WOD

500 m row then 2 rounds of:
35 DU's
30 Jumping Lunges
25 DU's
20 KB Snatches
15 DU's
10 Turkish Get-ups

Time: 18:57  (I think I did too light a KB)

cash out: 500m Row  Time: 1:42.9 (PR by 0.1 seconds)