Happy Birthday CrossFit610!!!!

Although I have only been a part of the CrossFit Community for about 4 months, I want to congratulate Mike and Molly on running a successful box for a year now!   While looking at the pictures this morning at the gym I can't help but be amazed at hoe much progress has been made by everyone at the box.  Huge quantities of fat has been lost and an even larger amount of confidence has been gained by the members.  To those have been with the gym for the full year, congrats on making it that long and on all the changes you've made in your life.  I can't wait to see where I am in one year.

There is a little bit of bittersweetness to today though.  It is trainer Mike's last full day before heading off to open a new box in Long Beach New York.  It's been truly a pleasure (and pain) to train with him.  The gains I've made would have been impossible without his guidance and support through the really tough workouts.  Thank you Mike for all that you've done for me and Karen.  

With that all said, I think we (the members of CrossFit 610)  need to work even harder to show Mike that he's leaving the best bunch of muscle heads in the country...and also to show that Molly is a better trainer than him.
 :-P

In all seriousness, I know we are in great hands with Molly and Evan.  At least half of my progress can be attributed to Molly's tutorage.   I really wish Mike the best at CrossFit King of the Beach.  In fact I already know a day where I might be visiting his new box and I'm a bit excited to see what he's done there.

WOD  


Strength:  3RM Tap and Go full squat cleans
WOD:     365 Burpees. (can do with a partner)

Strength:Well, I am both super happy and super pissed at what happened with the strength today.  The bad news: I could not do 155lbs 3 times in succession because my form when going down breaks down when I use heavy weights.  I wanted to punch the wall when I failed on the third rep of 155.    The good news:  my 1rm was 145 and I was able to do 2 reps of 155lbs. (I think my one rep max might be somewhere in the 165 range now, but it wont go on my list until I actually complete 165) I was also able to go full depth on the squat portion which is a HUGE breakthrough.  It takes some stretching before hand but it can be done.  So my finale completed max weight was 135.

WOD:  are you serious Mike?   So I did 185 burpees of our groups 365 (there were 3 of us).  We completed in 19:55.


Diet


Like my strength, my diet was both good and bad yesterday.  Had eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch...then went to my sisters for her birthday where we had fondue.  The fondue dinner was fine, shrimp, scallops, steak, chicken, brocceli...all great.  Then dessert came out.  Welp..there went that good day.  Had some cookie cake, some rice krispy treat...yeah...stupid.   Gotta work hard this week.

It Doesn't Look That Tough

Never...and I mean NEVER say those words before a crossfit workout.  You will eat them...and then likely puke them back up.  There are workouts and weights that just seem so easy, but when inserted into the workout they become insanely difficult.  For example, if I told you to do 10 reps of power cleans at 135lbs and then do a 200m run, the reaction out of muscle heads is "that's easy, no big deal".  Then you realize you have to do 10 reps, run 200m, then do 9 reps and run 200m...so on to 1 rep and 200m.  Oh..and you have to do it AS FAST AS YOU CAN!  ouch!   It can be vomit inducing at times.   

So never, ever, ever, ever say "that doesn't look so bad" when you see a crossfit workout.   And if some one says "that's easy" then challenge them to come in and give it a try.  

WODs

Saturday:  Barbara 

5 rounds of:

20 pull-ups

30 push-ups

40 sit-ups

50 air squats

3 min break between rounds.  

Times  4:45, 6:30, 6:05, 6:45, 5:57  (times are approximate as they were taken by my phone constantly running)

This was a crossfit 610 field trip day to the local park.  Proves yet again that if life throws you a curve ball, you CAN still get a great workout in.   Had a great time with this group.  Acorns were going places that even the best squirrel detective could not find.  

Me crapping in the woods

Great group of people.  Missing 2 who had to jet early.

3 of the 4 motions in action.  Missing the Pull-up bar.

Marc helping the future of crossfit!

Sunday:  Rest day.  Painted a room in the house

Monday:  Strength:  70% x 3; 80% x 3; 90% x 3+ of Back Squat AND shoulder press

WOD: 100 DU, 100 Ring Rows, 100 Double Unders

Rings Rows SUCK!   As for the strength I felt like I killed it.  I was able to do 5 reps at 90% which is funny because 90% is about 190lbs which is 5 pounds HIGHER than my one rep max of about a month and a half ago.  The shoulder press I was able to do 8 reps of 90 lbs (my one rep max is 95lbs).

As for the WOD...ouch.  False grip still is a problem but I tried to do it for a lot of the ring row stuff.   Double Unders are getting better each time I do them.  I got through the first 100 in about 1:45 which means I would have killed my 2 min max of 105.     I'm moving in the right direction!

Diet

This past weekend was difficult diet wise.  I did well at times..then when I was presented with free ice cream the caveman in me just disappeared and fat Dennis made an appearance.  Ice cream is without a doubt my biggest vice and I have to do more to control it.  Did some great grocery shopping yesterday which should help make this week go really well.  

IT'S TEE-SHIRT TIME!!!!

I hate to admit this, but MTV's "The Jersey Shore" is recorded on my Tivo.  I am not ashamed to admit that it's there because my wife loves to watch the train wreck that is their lives.  But I have to say, I do enjoy watching it when it is on because I find Pauly to be freaking hilarious and the endless fights between Ronnie and Sammy can make anyone feel better about their relationship.  What does all this have to do with fitness?  Well, I am going to use the guys to go through what my goals are and are not...all that GTL (gym, tan, laundry) time has paid off for a few of them.

Ronnie

Ronnie is as strong as an ox (and seemingly as dumb as one too).  The guy looks like he could lift a house and move it out of hte way of a nor'easter hitting the shore.  I will not debate his strength but his physique is not quite what I'm hoping to gain with all my working out.  My step-brother is always talking about "getting huge" and although I can understand that goal..it's just not what I want...at all.

Vinnie

Vinnie..yeah he's pretty funny.  And according to Snooki..he's huge in a completely different way than Ronnie.   wink wink nudge nudge.  Vinnie is the least cut guy in the house but let's assume he is very strong..his diet is just not right.  He has a layer of pudge before getting to his muscles.  Again, this is just not what I am looking for myself.

Mike "The Situation" 

Mike is known for his abs (which I find repulsive because they just don't look natural).  He is a pretty cut dude but when I look at him I just don't think athletic.  he spends a lot of time at the gym but I don't know if he's any good at anything but lifting some weight and getting cut.  He almost looks fake strong.  He's definetly weaker than Ronnie (proven when Ronnie knocks his ass out in Italy).  So although the situation is closer to what I hope to mold my body into..it's not quite there.

Pauly D

I feel like Pauly is the best person out of the guys (with Vinnie a close second).  He is funny, never really takes anything overly serious and seems like a nice guy.  Other than his billion tattoos, I think if I could choose any body to have out of the guys..it would be his.  He seems strong..has an athletic look to him and is not too big. He is cut but not overly so that I'd feel like I'm in a Mr. universe competition.

So there you have it..I think I would choose Pauly D's body.

I can't begin to tell you how fruity I felt googling "jersey shore guys shirtless" to get the pictures above.


WOD

Strength:  65% x 5; 75% x 5; 85% x 5+ shoulder press
WOD:  15 minute AMRAP   25 box jumps, 20 KB swings, 15 T2B, 10 burpee

Strength:  I did 8 of 85lbs on the shoulder press.  My 1rm is 95lbs so I think I'll be able to beat that..at least I hope so!

WOD  used RX on all but the KB swing.  I wanted to work on my form there.  i did 2 + 61 (9 burpees short of 3 rounds)




CAB'S HERE!!!!

It Just keeps falling off!

Today marks the end of the 8 week "Best Shape of Your Life" Challenge and I have some exciting results...

I lost 9 pounds.  My total 16 week weight loss is 25 lbs.  I started at 187 pounds and am now at 163.


I list between 2 and 2.5 inches on every measurement
My chest was 39...it's now 36.5 (I think)
My stomach was at 36.5...it's now 34.5
My waist was at 36...it's now at 33.5

and I feel great. (I'll get the official measurements for you later)

I think the most important thing I've learned over the past 16 weeks is that it's not that hard to find time to workout and that eating well is just as important, if not more so, than working out.  Just because the contest is over does not mean I'm going to start eating like shit again...I will continue to follow the principles I learned during the process to try and continue seeing results.  I'd like to be a solid 155 lbs.  I have a LOT more work before achieving that goal.

WOD

Strength:  65% x 5; 75% x 5; 85% x 5+ on back squat then 

92% x 2 x 1; 94% x 2 x 1; and 98% x 2 x 1 on full squat clean

WOD: 10-R-9- R-8-R-7-R-6R-5-R-4-R-3-R-2-R-1-R

Where R=200m run and the reps are for a full squat clean

Strength I felt good doing the squats.  I need to warm up a bit more cause the first set it took me a lil while to find my depth. I was able to do 7 of the 85% weight.  For the squat cleans..I felt a lot more comfortable doing them.  Although my form isn't perfect, it has come a long way over the past few weeks.  Because 98% was hard to figure out, I just did my max and was fairly easily able to d the 2 reps.

WOD:  it took me 27 minutes and some change today to do the workout.  I used 120lbs on the squat cleans and it felt REALLY heavy once I got down to the 1 rep. 

   

oh..on saturday I was able to get in my 2000m row and got it done in 7:48 which is really good for me.  When I started crossfit, I was doing a 2:10-2:20 500m row..now I'm averaging under 2 min on longer rows.  makes me pretty happy.  

Took the Plunge!

What did I get myself into?  I just signed up for my first CrossFIt competition!  I will be competing in the “Festivus 2” competition at CrossFit Relentless in Hartford Ct.  You might be asking yourself why I am traveling so far to do it, and the answer is it is because it is a competition for Novice and Intermediate crossfitters only.  I’m going to again take a look in your mind and hear you say “oh great, so even if you do well it is against the JV team”.  And while this may be true, you don’t see people who just started boxing book their first fight against Manny Pacquiao, or you don’t see Little Leaguers go up against Roy Halladay.  I have to start somewhere so I decided to start where I belong. 

Festivus..the competition for the restofus

The competition is still 3 months away so I have plenty of time to keep working.  My main goal will be to not embarrass my box, or myself.  I want to go up there and do well enough that people go, “wow, they train him well down there in Allentown”.  We’ll see how everything goes, but I’m not going to change anything in my training except to keep trying to do two a days when possible (usually mon and thurs).

WOD

Strength: 5 5 5 5 5 front squat going up in weight each time

I started at 145lbs and was fine through my first 3 sets (145, 155, 165) but was only able to get 3 reps in at 175 so I dropped back down to 165 for the final 5.  I can feel myself being able to do more and I think my form is not horrible.  It’s amazing how concentrating on pushing up your elbows can help get you through the final few reps.

WOD:   21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Pull-ups then HSPU

Let start this with…I sucked.  My grip just would not cooperate (stupid sweat).  But let’s go to the positive...I am getting better at the HSPU kips.  It is something that I am going to keep working on as I’ve seen some big gains in my ability with it recently.  I did this in 27:10 (ew).

You Don't Have to Worry About Drinking the Kool-Aid

One of the aspects ot Crossfit that I enjoy the most is the sense of community.  It goes well beyond those who are members of your box.  There are several events during the year which stress fundraising and awareness for very noble causes, a prime example is the 9/11 Throwdown (see the link in the upper right of the page or link http://dennis-crossfit.blogspot.com/p/9-11-throwdown.html) .  

Don't have to worry about the Kool-Aid cause you're not allowed to drink it!

I have always been opposed to anything that had a "cult" like feel to it.  Friends tried to get me to hash which I think is more of a cult than anything.  They go into making funny names and make you embaress yourself by dancing in a circle or some non-sense like that (note: I have no idea what they do but I know it has to do with popping cherries).  I have never been a churchgoer as I'm not very religious and I hate how many (note how I said many and not all) religions endorse judging of others, which is something I can not stand.  But crossfit kind of just snuck up on me.  I know I can go to the gym and be surrounded by people who want to help me achieve my goals, even if it is just by yelling "come on!".

Some examples of the community are someone being genuinely happy for me after I could do a few kipping pull ups   Another girl yelling "PUSH!" as I was trying to do one of my first true ring dips.  I don't now these people well but that support was great.  It even goes to helping make sure proper form is being applied during lifts.  I was doing some push presses with a member the other week and he really helped me work on keeping my back straight to avoid injury.  And finally, we all know I am fairly weak right now compared to other guys but I have never heard a complaint for having to share a bar with me and take off and put back on weights...it has actually be quite the opposite as these guys always help me out and try to push me to new levels.

It is just another reason that I love going to the gym..


WOD

Strength: 40% x 5; 50% x 5; 60% x 5 Shoulder press
WOD   :  15 min amrap  5 thrusters, 8 pistols, 200m run

Strength:   This was a bit too easy for me.  I think I need to reset my 1 rm shoulder press.  I flew through these weights.

WOD:  I got 7 +13.  used 115 on my thrusters which I think was a good weight..could prolly go to 120 or 125 if I were to do it again just to push myself a bit more.   I started really slow but hit my stride in in the middle rounds.  I found that I am getting better at my resting time, but I need to push myself a bit more when going from something rigorous to a lift.  Control my breathing!

It makes me want to punt a kitten

You all remember jump roping right?  Frolicking on the playground during recess, not a care in the world.  Maybe you sang songs and did double dutch....  awww memories.  

Well double unders are the complete opposite of that sweet memory.  Yes, it is still just jump roping but it is letting the rope pass twice under your feet.  Simple in concept, difficult in execution...at least when trying to do as many as you can in a specific amount of time.  It's all good once you get in a groove, but the second you mess up.  No big deal you tell yourself,  then you start going and boom you mess up after 2 more.  Ok, the blood pressure is a lil higher.  You try to get going again and boom, it gets caught in your shoe laces.  At that point I feel like kicking a kitten, or puppy, or anything that is in your path.  God help any cute furry little animal that comes near me.  It is THAT frustrating!

WOD

Strength:  40% x 5; 50% x 5; 60% x 5 back squat then full squat cleans 92% x 3 95% x 4
WOD  2 min on 2 min off double unders for 3 rounds.  Difference between the max and min you have to do burpee to box jumps.

Strength: I have to thank trainer Mike for taking the time to help me with my form on the full squat cleans.  I am going to keep working on my form, gotta get my back in check before going to the big weights!

WOD:  I did 267 double unders (89 each round). I likely could have gone to 100 in the second and third round but I knew the rules already.  I think that makes me a type 2 crossfitter...crap.

I Love to Look at Myself....

No, not in the mirror, that is scary (really how do you all stand looking at me?).  I love video taping myself when I'm trying to make changes in something technical.  When I was on the golf team in high school we used to video tape our swing to  pick up on little glitches and I started thinking to myself the other day...why can't I do the same thing with crossfit?  

There is so much technical skill in many of the lifts that I figure it can't hurt to look at my own form to critique myself.  It is one thing to hear your coach tell you what you're doing wrong but it can really reinforce what they're saying if you can see for yourself.  With that in mind, I had Karen record me doing a clean and I am amazed at how much I am doing wrong...and equally how well I think I'm doing.  I should note here that I am not certified to know what exactly is right and wrong, so I go by the obvious stuff.  Below is my power clean video (ignore the little weight 95lbs, it is about the motion, not the weight)

Critique

1.  I am rounding my back ever so slightly when I'm starting.  I need to get more on my heels and stop rounding my back at all

2.  I am sllllloowwwww with getting my elbows out in front of the bar

3.  in the second rep, my feet go out to the sides which really messes up my balance.  You notice I almost fall.

4.  What the hell am I looking at?  I need to look more towards the ground to get my spine in proper alignment.

Now I looked at this video immediately after I did these 2 reps and I worked on my back and I felt like I was in better position.  It wasn't until tonight that I really saw the smaller stuff.  I will work on my elbow speed and my foot position.  

Any trainers out there have some tips?   

WOD

21 TURKISH GETUPS (RIGHT ARM)

50 KB SWINGS

21 OHS ( LEFT ARM)

50 KB SWINGS

21 OHS (RIGHT ARM)

50 KB SWINGS

21 TURKISH GETUPS (LEFT ARM)

I should have gotten a picture of my sweat puddle when I got up

Time: 23:58

Not a great time..at all.  I noticed during my KB swings that my forearms get very tired very fast.  Someday you'll see some positivity out of me.  I'm really not this negative a person, I'm really happy with the progress I've made, but I am impatient and until I am at the rx weight, I just don't know if I'll be proud of myself.  

After the workout I did some reps on the power clean which is where the video is from. 

Cholesterol.....CONTROLLED

Cholesterol is a bit of a 4 letter word in my family.  Just about every male on both sides of my family have had heart problems (at least to my knowledge).  My grandfather had a heart attack in his late 40's I believe! (I should note here that every male but one hevily smoked/s) A few years ago I got a blood test and the doctor recommended that I start taking fish oil to try and control it (if I remember correctly it was in the 190's).  Of course I bought fish oil..but never took it.  Even though I did not take the fish oil, the thought of me having a bad heart at a young age terrified me.  Am I going to live to see 70?  60?  50?  AHHH!

Fast forward to present day.  I got a blood test yesterday and to my surprise and delight, I am now in the 130's! I will get all the numbers in the mail shortly but to hear that made me very excited.  It was surprising because I have been eating eggs like it's my job in the past few months as well as some other potential higher cholesterol foods such as meats.  Although they are fairly high, I have also been eating a lot of cholesterol reducing foods such as nuts and fish.

I should also note here that my blood pressure is 120 over 80.

As a scientist I LOVE seeing objective numbers and this one just really excited me and enforced the idea of a healthy lifestyle.

Obviously life is about more than having good stats, there is a lot of luck involved, so lets keep my fingers crossed that I don't just drop dead tomorrow.

WOD

I missed the WOD this morning so I will do it at home tonight.

1600 meter run
25 Hand release push ups
1200 meter run
50 hand release push ups
800 meter run
75 hand release push ups

1600 Meters

1200 Meters

800 Meters

Not Quite an All Star So I Bought the One Star

Shoe fetishes are something normally left to the ladies but recently I am finding that I have more shoes than Karen.  The only difference is that most of my shoes are not worn on a regular basis.  They are activity specific. Below is a list of the shoes that I own.

• Running Shoes
• Yard work shoes
• Golf shoes
• Bike shoes
• Metal baseball cleats
• Rubber baseball cleats
• brown dress shoes
• flat black dress shoes
• Glossy black Dress Shoes
•  Jeans Sneakers
• Shower flip flops
• Brown leather flip flops
• and finally the newest addition..lifting shoes (converse one star)

Only one star....not an all star

Previously I had mentioned that I was doing much of my strength exercise barefooted because I felt it was easier to stay on my heel, well that has changed now.  Walking through Target the other day I had noticed some shoes that looked similar to the classic converse all stars, but since they were target they were called converse one stars.  One stars is the perfect name for me, I'm not qualified to be an "all-star" yet.  Regardless of name, they have definitely helped in my lifting (mostly cause it is saving me some socks).  But during the workout yesterday I tried wearing them during a run and I can not believe that basketball players once wore these things.  It felt like I was running with weights on my feet and there was zero support!  So now I know not to wear them during anything that involves a run.

WOD

Wed WOD:  15 min AMRAP OHS and run 200 m every time you drop it

I got 80 reps in at 75 pounds.  I need to work on my OHS, my wrists kill while doing it.

Thurs: WOD  3-3-3-3-3 weighted Pull ups.  then 2 min box jumps

I completed the Pull-ups at 5-15-20-25-30 lbs and did 46-24" box jumps in 2 min

Wed marked 100 days since I began CrossFit and I am totally psyched with the results I have seen.  I have a crap ton more work to do, but progress is always being made.  I have to remember that I went from 0 weight training to some fairly vigorous weight training and can't expect to lift a car in a week.  It's only been 3 months!  Let's hope I can keep it going for  the next 12 and see some real improvement!  

Which Phillie Would be The Best at CrossFit?

This is a question that popped in my head while I was watching Doc own the Padres on Sunday.  Of course all the Phillies players, Iron Pigs, Thrashers, Phillies Dominican league players...they would all beat the crap out of me at just about any CrossFit workout but I am trying to Narrow it down here!

First, the honorable mention players.

Roy Halladay: This guy has legs like tree trunks and a work ethic that rivals anyone (or so I'm told by reporters).  He never quits and tries to go the distance during every start.  He would have been in the top 3 had he not had that lil heat problem in Chicago.

Choooooooooch:  Even though he's the man..and the most hilarious post game interview in the history of earth, he just is not in my top 3 potential crossfitters.

Ryan Howard:  yeah he's a tank.  yeah he's diesel.  But he's alos a big teddy bear, yeah I said it.  His smile just makes me think he's too nice to really kill the workouts.  If he had some more outbursts like he did on that asshat ump last year that tossed him I would put him in the top 3, maybe even number 1!

You don't piss off the big piece 

My top 3

3.  Jimmy Rollins:  He's the man to beat.  He's fast, super strong, and has a heart of a champion.  I think he can do anything fast.  He is losing some points for thinking he can do anything.  Come on Red Bull...you chose Jimmy Rollins to try and break the batted ball record?  Red Bull would have to give Jimmy more than wings, that ball needed a rocket attached to it to have any chance at all.

2.  Chase Utley:  If you know me, you'd be shocked that I have him at number 2 but I just can't look past that knee.  I do think he would do every single workout unbroken.  Why?  Cause chase Utley does not quit, that's why.  Harry Kalas called him the man which is more than enough to put him ahead of the rest of the Phils.

1.  Shane Victorino:   Just let his A.D.D. kick in and this guy will fly.  He's strong, cut, FAST, and has heart.  I know he hates to lose so he would not quit.  Have I mentioned how fast he is?  The crossfit workouts tie in well with his attention deficit disorder, by the time he  loses interest in one workout it will be time to move on to the next movement.  It's ideal for him!

They guy is CRAZY!

I'll put my trainer on the line here (he won't mind...I hope, and it's not like any Phillie would ever read this)  but if any of these Phillies can beat him in Fran I'll donate 250 Bucks to their charity. (Limit 1 Phillie and only if Mike accepts)


WOD

Strength: 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+ of Shoulder Press
WOD:  5 Rounds of 5 dead lifts then 10 burpees
then 2 minute AMRAP of a goat

Strength: Did 5 reps of the 95% weight!
WOD   : 5:28 at 195 lbs ( I wanted to do rx, but I would have hurt my back...bad.  Glad Mike downgraded me.

Diet

I know I've been bad at reporting my diets.  I'll get back to this soon.  It hasn't changed much, lots of eggs and salad.

My Eyes are Bigger than My Muscles

Like most guys I am always trying to convince myself that my “muscles” are bigger than they  really are. ;-)   I did so well at pacing myself up until about a week ago, I tried to ignore the prescribed weight and stick to what I could do.  Of course I would push my own personal limits but I didn’t do something that did not allow me to do the workout.   Then the last 2 weeks happened, I got a little ahead of myself and I’m seeing the negative results because of it.  My number of reps is decreasing and I think my cardio is as well because I'm not constantly moving.  

 Recently I am catching myself trying to do RX’d workouts when I have no reason to do so.  I can do a 2 pood kettle bell…but not for 20 reps.  I can back squat 135 lbs…but not for 100 reps.  I have to stop trying to do prescribed and keep gradually working my way to it.   Sigh.  (I’m starting to get really frustrated with myself, I have to find a way to keep patient) 

WOD

Strength: 75% x 5, 85% x 3, 95% x 1+ Back squat then 92% squat cleans

WOD: 400m 45lb sled pull then with remaining time amrap 10 KB swings, 5 HSPU

Strength: Was able to do 3 of my 95% weight.  I’ll kill my max next time we do it. 

WOD  I sucked.  1 +5  I could not do the HSPU so that 1 is questionable.  I need to stick with 1.5 pood for a lil while.  

I'm a sissy

One of my many, many goals in crossfit is to go to be able to compete in a competition and do relatively well, meaning that I do all workouts prescribed and I do them to the best of my ability.  So this past Saturday Karen, Dave, and myself decided to head to West Chester for the Lockdown competition.  4 guys and a girl from CrossFit 610 were competing and I wanted to show my support while also judging how far I need to go to be able to do well in a competition.  Here is what I learned.  I am a weak lil sissy and  I have VERY VERY VERY far to go before I’m anywhere near the level some of these gyus are on.  Even the “weakest” competitor would destroy me in every single workout (except for the final WOD, which I think I could do well with, but prolly not after 11 other WODS). 

Dennis is on the leftand all the competitors are on the right.

It was very awesome to watch though, I wish I could have stayed longer but the group with me wanted to leave (and good thing cause I passed out on the way home).  In the end trainer Mike took away First place!  His wife Molly took second in the women’s competition which is awesome!  The other members of CrossFit 610 also did amazing. 

What do I have to do to get to the competition level?  Well, one of 2 things.  Either be patient and try to get in one next summer when I have reached all my fitness goals or contact Mark McGuire and have him recommend me a doctor so I can be there in like October.  Considering that I like the size of my balls and I don’t feel like buying a bunch of new hats, I think I’ll go the natural route.  

What I am going to do though is more than just the one WOD a day.  I need to work harder and do a hell of a lot more than I am so I can get my cardio and strength up to par.  Two a days have to start happening and I also have to start getting on the rower after each and every workout.   I am starting to want more than just to be fit, I want to be a competitor.  

Only 2 weeks left of the best fit of your life Challenge!

Friday WOD:  3 rounds of 50 double unders, 20 KB swings

I tried to do 2 pood but it was just too much.  My grip is nowhere near where it needs to be.  I also really need to continue practicing my double unders.  Completed in 14:10 which is just pitiful.  

Saturday WOD:  7 muscle ups (7 ring dips, 7 ring rows), 21 SDLHP (Sumo Dead Lift High Pull)  14:49  

I felt great during this workout and really busted my ass to finish before 15 min.  I did a purple band for the ring dips which I'm a little embarrassed about since I think I can do them without it.  

A Note from Dennis Past

Finally I have a few minutes to get out and say something.  Do you know what this loser Dennis has been doing?  He has been neglecting his god given right to eat delicious fast food while watching every Phillies game.  He had every reason to use John Kruk’s physique as a goal.

This is where Dennis was Headed.

 

Then he started this whole crossfit nonsense.  Do you know what he did yesterday?  Let me tell you.  He did not pack a lunch so he had to run out for something or starve.  I thought for sure I was finally going to taste some delicious Wendy’s, and it was hot out so I thought there would even be a frosty!  We pulled into the shopping complex with the Wendy’s, parked and then went into a grocery store! Who does that?  It is so convenient to just go right through that drive through and this jerk walks into a grocery store where he has to make his own salad and choose his own fruit. 

THEN! When he got home he got into bed and again I thought I was going to get that sweet radiation from the boob tube.  Did I?  NO!  He did some cleaning, took care of a wound from dodgeball and THEN went to a WOD.  Who is this guy?  What happened to us?  We used to be so close. 

I feel like I am days away from hearing the “it’s not you, it’s me” speech from you. 


Ok sorry about that little tid bit from my former self; below is the WOD


WOD


Strength: Shoulder press 70% x 3; 80% x 3; 90% x 3+
WOD:  800 m run THEN 3 rounds of 30 Back Squats then 30 Abmat Sit ups


Strength:  Because I did not feel like doing math I just assumed my max was 100 instead of 95 which it actually is BUT it worked out well!  I did 4 of 90 lbs which I think is great!


WOD:  I started at the prescribed weight (135) but could only do 10 before taking 20 lbs off of it.  So I continued at 115lbs throughout.  I finished with a time of 22:35.  I am a little disappointed in myself for not being able to do prescribed.


Diet


I ate well today after a few days of not being so great.  I got 12 points today which includes the points for water, 5 meals, and fewer than 5 hours between meals.  

Censored Title

I have been placed on the asshole list.  Yes, I know, it surprised me too.   Who would have thought someone who remembers everything, and ALWAYS cleans up after himself would end up the first one on the asshole list (at the new location).  Karen was definitely the most shocked.

At least there was someone else there with me.

Okay,  I hope you picked up on that sarcasm cause I was laying it on pretty thick.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the workout, or in talking to people at the gym that I will forget to do something.  I also just plain forget some stuff at the gym.  I have forgot my phone twice, my water bottle a few dozen times, and finally on Friday I forgot my shoes.  How does one forget their shoes?  Well, I don’t have a good answer to that, but I do know that I showed up on Saturday to stretch and my name was #1 on the asshole list.  I had a penalty of 10 burpees, which are not fun.  I added them to the end of my workout today.  

WOD

Strength: 70% x 3; 80% x 3; 90% x 3+ Back Squat then 7 x 1 Squat Cleans at 89% of 1 rep max

WOD:  3 MINUTES ON 30 SEC OFF OF

ROW FOR CALS
HAND RELEASE PUSH-UPS
DEAD LIFT 
10M SHUTTLE RUN
- SCORE = TOTAL REPS COMPLETED


Strength: Got 5 of the 90% weight and did well on the Squat Cleans.

WOD:  196 total reps.  DL weight was 185lbs (I may have put too much on this)

Diet:

 6 points on the day.  I did not have 2 meals so no bonus points for me, but I continue drinking more than enough water.

This is a long one

That’s what she said.

They say that “behind every great man is a great woman” but there are way more great women in the world than great men.  This leaves some of us “average Joe’s” with great women (woo hoo!).  I am one of these average Joe’s who has been blessed with an incredibly supportive woman.  The importance of having a loved one around cannot be understated; most people just cannot do a rigorous workout program without the support of those closest to them.  In my case, this happens to be my wife who wakes up at 5am on Sunday mornings to come cheer me on.  Waking up that early on a weekend was certainly not in our vows but she does it anyway.  I cannot thank her enough for doing it, I always get a boost in the transition area hearing her yelling for me. You can see her blog here 

Weekend WOD's

This past weekend I was supposed to do a triathlon…but the bike portion of the race got cancelled because the race organizer (Piranha Sports) FAILED to do their due diligence and make sure there was no construction planned for the weekend of the race. (Side Note: I will never do a Piranha sports event again unless I am compensated for this travesty of a race, I encourage you to do the same) I was none too pleased, but decided to do the aquathon or whatever BS word they used to make us feel better.  After delivering a long profanity laced rant to whoever would listen I warmed up for the 650 meter swim and 3 mile run. 

Artist rendition of me on Sunday Morning

The swim went well, I bettered my pace from the Philly tri and was out of the water in 15 minutes and some change.  I actually felt like I was getting stronger as the swim went on and really hit my stride in the last 100 meters or so.  I sprinted to the transition area to throw on my running shoes and head onto the run course.  I felt amazing going into the run; I was breathing well and keeping a steady stride.  Of course some competitors started passing me which was expected due to the run being my worst event, but I was holding my own.  I finished the 5k course in 23:48 seconds which bettered my PR by about 4 minutes!  To my surprise I held a pace of about 7 minutes 45 seconds per mile!  This is by far the best pace I’ve ever kept. 

By place, I came in 40^th out of 76 competitors…not so horrible.  But in my age group I again came in last (4^th)...by 7 seconds…beat by a friend of mine….who passed me with about 300 yards to go.  My kick just could not keep up with his (damn these stubby legs!).  The USAT age rules killed me as I am 29 years old right now, but because my birthday has yet to happen this year I am put in the 30-34 group.  I would have won the 25-29 year old group who only had 3 people in it (I would have been the 4^th)!  Oh well, in such a small field there is really not too much bragging room in winning.  In my mind, I far exceeded one my running goal (to get under a 9 minute mile pace) and just barely exceeded my swim goal of finishing in less than 16 minutes.  Win for me…but still lots of improvement to be made…time to raise my goals to the next level!

Diet

Eating this weekend was a fail, but I would not put it in the epic category.  I ate good food for the most part, but I ate a LOT of good food.  Saturday I had a 20 ounce NY strip steak at home and Sunday a friend had a gift card to Shula’s so I had a 24 oz porterhouse.  These portions were WAY too big.  Sure they were paleo, but a caveman would survive for 5 days on just those 2 steaks.  The good news was that they were delicious!  I still have to update my points and you’ll see them below. 

Sat: 8 points

Sun: -1 points

I got 3 workouts in this week for 0 points bonus.  

There is No Rest For the Wicked

Yesterday, as expected, was an off day.  I wanted to go swimming but did not get home until past 8pm and decided that I was going to just make it a rest day. 

It was the right choice.

Are rest days meant to be lazy?

This is close to how I felt yesterday.

No, typically they are not, although sometimes you might NEED one.  I talked to Trainer Evan about this the other day cause I was curious if he ever took a “rest day”.  He mentioned that he and Mike typically take active rest days.  If that sounds oxymoronish well…it is.  

What he meant by that is that he will not do a WOD or any strength exercises but he will spend the day doing a row, a run, or spend some time stretching. 

This should make sense; a healthy body was not meant to loaf around.  A part of every day should be spent doing some sort of physical activity, but it does not need to be intense.  I like to spend my “rest” days doing something fun like golfing of playing softball.  Trainer Mike goes on a long walk with his companion (Striker…not Molly). 

So take the time to “rest” but remember rest does not have to mean loaf….although sometimes loafing is the most amazing thing you can do.

WOD

Today I honestly felt strong for the first time (obviously that is not me above).  I did not do prescribed but I know I could have (I needed to get the form of this lift down before doing that weight).  There are days where I am the weakest person at the gym…today I knew was not one of them.

Strength: 5 x 5 From Squats

WOD: Grace - 30 Clean and Jerks for time (135/95)

Strength:  Started at 95 and made it all the way to 165 (ok I might be the weakest one on this lift)

Grace:  5:23 at 115 lbs

Diet

Yesterday I got 10 points;  Today I am on track for 11.

Snack(2): Plum, Protein

Breakfast (-2): Berries

Snack(2): Grapes, Cashews

Lunch (3): Chicken, mixed vegetables

Dinner (3): Grilled Chicken, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Grilled Squash in Olive Oil

Run Dennis...Runnnnnn

I'm way too tired to write a long post about one thing or the other, so I'll just go into my workout.

WOD

Strength 7 x 1 86% of 1RM full Snatch

WOD  Run 1 mile for time then rest 3 minutes before doing a 4 minute AMRAP of one of your goats

Strength:  I think I am slowly starting to get used to doing this motion.  I felt a TON better than I did when I first did it last week.  I felt like my max was a little low, but more practice is needed to get this technical motion down.  

I did the 1 mile run in 8:06 and then did 56 ring dips (with the purple band)

The ring dips are a big goat for me because I would like to be able to do a muscle up in the relatively near future (next 3 months).  My triceps were burning afterward!  It was a good burn though.

I'm last on the list..almost missed class!

Diet

Breakfast (3): 3 HB Eggs, grapes, strawberries, nuts

Lunch (3)     :  chicken garden salad with balsamic dressing, carrots, blueberries

Snack (2)    : Plum, nuts

Snack(2)     : Protein

Dinner(2)    : Mixed veggies, taco turkey meat (no taco shells)

Total: 14 points on the day (there were 2 of the "bonus" points)

Gotta take tomorrow off because of a big meeting at work that requires me to get in a little early and to stay a little late.  No big deal, I already have 2 wod's and 2 good bike rides in so my body can use the day to repair itself.  

The Wetter the Better

From childhood we all know that we're made mostly of water.  According to the mayo clinic, we are made up of approximately 60% water!  That is almost 2/3 of our body weight made of water.  Our cells need it to be healthy, our brain needs it to work properly, our skin needs it to not crack, and for our workouts our muscles need it to stay cool.  Below are some important functions of water in the body.

• Regulates our body temperature
• Carries vital nutrients (and lots of protein) to the muscles that need it
• Helps keep us regular (I can vouch for this)
• Helps our kidney's and liver function more effectively by aiding in flushing contaminants out.

How much water should you drink?

This question is kind of tough to answer.  Some baseline estimates for a person who is not working out too hard is 8, 8oz glasses of water a day but some recommend more.  Males typically need more at about 13 cups a day while females are at around 9.  Much more if you workout heavily and sweat a lot.  You have to also remember that you also get some water from the food you eat, the more fruits and veggies the more water you will get from your food.  A good gauge to make sure your hydrated is to look at your urine, if it has a light yellow or clear color to it, then you're fine....but if it is dark yellow or orange and has a strong smell then you are likely underhydrating and not allowing the body to work most effectively.

Tips for drinking water

Carry a naglene bottle full of water with you, they are lightweight and carry 32 ounces of water in them.  My wife is a recovering nalgene addict but swears by how easy they make drinking water.  In fact, she weighs herself every morning and makes sure to drink at least half her weight in ounces each day, much of it out of a nalgene bottle.  I have since adopted the same policy, partly because of her but partly because of the fitness challenge.  It might also help to add some fruit slices to your water, I love a few strawberry slices in mine to give it a little flavor.  What kind of tips do you have?

WOD

That Bitch Angie.  I've decided that I will never name a child Angie cause every time I hear her name I will want to scream.  But I have improved my time by 3+ minutes annnnnd bested my most pull-ups in a row mark with 20!! (seen Below)

Strength:  Shoulder Press 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5

WOD:  Angie (100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats)

Strength I felt good and completed the sets.

WOD: 26:39

I think I love this picture and I don't know why.

Diet

Breakfast (3): HB egg, strawberries, blueberries, nuts

Lunch (3)    : chicken garden salad, carrots

Snack(3)    : nuts, plum, egg

Snack(2)   : grapes, protein

Dinner (3)  : chicken, cauliflower, broccoli

17 points on the day!

Those Boys from Across the Pond Got a lot Right.

When you choose what workout you do there are two things to remember.  All you need is love (for the workout) and with a little help from your friends you can achieve your goals.  I know many people who do workouts that are not crossfit who acheive their goals and they always have those two things going for them.

First of all, you have to enjoy what you're doing.  How many people can do an activity every day and hate doing it?  Sure they can keep up the act for a week, or maybe even a few weeks if they are stubborn.  Whether it is P90X, Yoga, Running, Swimming or just jumping up and down in place  if you enjoy doing it then you're more likely to do it every day.  If you hate everything athletic then well maybe you need to change your attitude!

Do what makes you happy

Another tip to keep working out is to surround yourself with people who are also very active.  I'm not trying to tell you to cut your lazy friends loose, but maybe  make some active friends to supplement your lazy friends.  I am very fortunate to have a wife who is very dedicated to being healthy, and along with her support I also have a group of friends who can not sit still and have to constantly do something.  I've hiked, fribee'd, starting biking, running a bit, traveling...and a number of other activities that I can not think of right now due only because of my friends.  So since many read this, THANK YOU!

WOD


I took my third day in a row off of Crossfit...eeek.  but I had a good reason today, I did a 20 mile bike ride after work..and it was a hilly ride!  I have a triathlon this Sunday so there will be some runs.swims.bike rides to loosen me up this week.

Where I was

Diet

Ate well today!
Breakfast: HB Eggs, blueberries, nuts, grapes
Lunch: Salad, protein shake, salad dressing
Snack: Egg, Plum, Nuts
Dinner: Chicken, Strawberries, Broccoli
Snack: Protein, blueberries

15 points today.  Sleep has not happened well for me recently!  oh no!