Tag Archives: cross fit

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2017 Goals

goal-setting

First week of 2017 is done. Ate well with the exception of Friday night. No cocktailing either. Don’t worry, nobody kidnapped Rob, everything is fine.

Goals for 2017:

I set goals each year for personal, professional, physical, and financial. Below are the physical goals for 2017. I hit most of them in 2016 and plan on the same for 2017.

Lift/Movement Current Goal
Back Squat 455 500
Dead Lift 465 500
Strict Press 205 225
Push Press 235 265
Clean 210 235
Front Squat 325 350
Thruster 235 255
500 Meter Row 1:42 1:30
Pull Ups 0 10
Double Unders 0 10

So, how am I going to hit these goals? Darn good question. I’ll have to figure that one out

12-labours

  1. Following the 12 Labours Nutrition Plan courtesy of Emily and Erin. Great time logging everything in MyFitnessPal. Emily and Erin provide everything you need in terms of setting yourself up for success. It is worth the investment, so please take advantage of the service if you have not done so already.
  2. Keeping cocktailing to a minimum. Sadly and frustratingly i have tried for the past so many years to do both and I have come to the realization it just does not work. Either you want to cocktail and not do well in the gym, or you want to do well in the gym. So we will give it an honest shot.
  3. Focus on recovery. We spend a lot of time beating the hell out of ourselves and more than likely not enough time putting ourselves back together. Water, Sleep, good nutrition, supplements, deep tissues massage and yoga. I have been getting a deep tissues once a month for the past few months and the difference has been remarkable.

crossfit-moreland_3

  1. Stretching. By hitting the six am class most folks have to roll out quickly to get ready for work, kids to school, etc. I am focusing on taking five or ten minutes afterwards and rolling out and stretching to reduce soreness/stiffness etc.
  2. Rest. Getting up early means early to bed. I tend to do a lot better if I get 7 or 8 hours of sleep. Go a few days with six or few hours and see how you feel. Probably like junk. I know i do.
  3. Strength program. I finished the 12 Labours Barbell Strength Program last year and definitely noticed a difference. I added weight to squat and deadlift and wound up PR’ng CrossFit Total by about 100 pounds.

 

change

  1. Make opportunities for PR’s. Some boxes do the same WOD’s over and over again which enables members to set PR’s. Ours is a bit different where the WOD’s vary considerably. Two days a week I give myself opportunities to set PR’s. Whether it be a lift, like deadlift or squat, or a 500 meter row. Give yourself the opportunity to put a PR on the board and in Wodify!
  2. Fully warm up. I am sure if any of the coaches are reading this, the thought “he never does the warm up, like never.” is going through their mind. Sadly that is true. I do not do the warm up. In my mind, the first round is the warmup and that is not right and dangerous.
  3. More than just scheduled classes. This goes with number 7. Sticking around after class, taking advantage of open gym, and running/swimming etc. go a long way in helping accomplish your goals.
  4. Yoga. Once a week, every Sunday. Looking to get back into that cycle. Definitely noticed a difference when I was regularly attending.

Those should get me where I want to be.

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Goodbye 2016….

I find it hard to believe that 2016 is already coming to a close. However it really does not matter….because like it or not today is the last day of 2016. This year really flew by. Come February we will have lived in Annapolis for two years, which is harder to believe. Lots of quality time at 12 Labours Annapolis…and The Point.

It seems like once Thanksgiving hits, the year is over in a blink. Finish the turkey leftovers and the next thing you know….putting away the Christmas lights and decorations for another 11 months. Everyone seems to be a little nicer and have a little more patience and compassion around the Holidays. I am hopeful year after year those will carry over to the New Year. I’ll keep hoping.

2016 brought some great things like the births of three new nieces and a nephew (Some family, some close enough to be family) and some bad things like deaths of family members and friends. We celebrated a lot of birthdays as well! Got some house projects done and  had a great vacation at the beach with really great friends. That one will certainly be repeated in 2017.

I hit most of the goals I had laid out for 2016. Some personal, some professional, and of course some CrossFit goals. That’s what this blog is about, right? CrossFit…and sarcasm. I finished up last year with 13 PR’s and this year I hit 30. I hit my strength goals, with the exception of one. Missed the dead lift however I’ll get that shortly. The silly ones like double unders and pull ups will moved from 2016 to 2017.

Below is the list of PR’s:

Performance Result Date Component Name Result Rep Scheme Performance Result Comment Class Name Personal Record Text
12/28/16 Power Clean + Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat 1 x 1 @ 195 lbs E2M for 20 Minutes failed on 205 four times 6:00 AM PR by 20 lbs vs. 175 on 09/29/2014
12/12/16 Back Squat 1 x 1 @ 455 lbs E2M – Double Unders + 1 back squat little high….just a little 6:00 AM PR by 20 lbs vs. 435 on 11/08/2016
12/5/16 Front Squat 1 x 1 @ 325 lbs Every 2 Minutes – Double Unders + Front Squat felt good. sleeves and reebok lifters 6:00 AM PR by 10 lbs vs. 315 on 08/01/2016
12/3/16 Back Squat 1 x 3 @ 385 lbs PR by 10 lbs vs. 375 on 11/14/2016
11/24/16 Front Squat 1 x 3 @ 285 lbs sets of 3 Felt pretty good. PR by 5 lbs vs. 280 on 07/11/2016
11/16/16 Squat Clean 1 x 3 @ 185 lbs E2M for 20: 3 Squat Cleans felt good… 6:00 AM PR by 50 lbs vs. 135 on 07/18/2013
11/14/16 Back Squat 1 x 3 @ 375 lbs 8 Sets Every 2 Minutes – 3 Reps Back Squat 6:00 AM PR by 10 lbs vs. 365 on 07/18/2016
11/8/16 Back Squat 1 x 1 @ 435 lbs 1 PR by 0 lbs vs. 435 on 11/08/2016
11/8/16 Deadlift 1 x 1 @ 465 lbs 1 PR by 0 lbs vs. 465 on 11/08/2016
11/8/16 The CrossFit Total 1095 Total lbs 1095 PR by 155 lbs vs. 940 on 08/23/2013
11/8/16 The CrossFit Total 1 x 1 @ 465 lbs 485 is close
10/31/16 Deadlift 1 x 5 @ 420 lbs Heavy 5 6:00 AM
10/12/16 Thruster 1 x 1 @ 235 lbs Heavy 1 rep yahtzee!!!!! 6:00 AM PR by 40 lbs vs. 195 on 09/11/2015
8/8/16 Back Squat 1 x 1 @ 407.5 lbs E2M – Building each set 6:00 AM PR by 2.5 lbs vs. 405 on 04/09/2015
8/1/16 Front Squat 1 x 1 @ 315 lbs E2M – working to max 6:00 AM PR by 10 lbs vs. 305 on 02/08/2016
7/11/16 Front Squat 1 x 3 @ 280 lbs 3-3-3-3 felt great. went to 310 to beat 1 rep and failed. 6:00 AM PR by 5 lbs vs. 275 on 01/04/2016
6/28/16 Back Squat 1 x 5 @ 350 lbs 5-5-5-5 didn’t feel good. Had higher goals this morning 6:00 AM PR by 5 lbs vs. 345 on 06/13/2016
6/17/16 Clean 1 x 1 @ 210 lbs PR by 5 lbs vs. 205 on 02/12/2016
6/13/16 Back Squat 1 x 5 @ 345 lbs 5-5-5 6:00 AM PR by 30 lbs vs. 315 on 06/20/2014
4/19/16 Back Squat 1 x 10 @ 325 lbs 10-10-10 6:00 AM
4/18/16 Front Squat 1 x 8 @ 265 lbs It was an attempt for ten, and i got eight. So this is my PR for 8 reps. PR by 60 lbs vs. 205 on 05/05/2015
4/4/16 Back Squat 1 x 10 @ 315 lbs 10-10-10 6:00 AM
3/17/16 Push Press 1 x 1 @ 235 lbs PR by 5 lbs vs. 230 on 03/11/2016
3/11/16 Push Press 1 x 1 @ 230 lbs 1 Hit 230 and it felt light. stopped there. save another PR for anothe day PR by 5 lbs vs. 225 on 10/15/2013
2/15/16 500m Row 1:42 broke the first rower…..boom 6:00 AM PR by 0:07 vs. 1:49 on 08/24/2015
2/12/16 Clean 1 x 1 @ 205 lbs PR by 5 lbs vs. 200 on 08/21/2015
2/12/16 Power Clean 1 x 1 @ 205 lbs PR by 30 lbs vs. 175 on 03/14/2013
2/8/16 Front Squat 1 x 1 @ 305 lbs 1RM 6:00 AM PR by 5 lbs vs. 300 on 12/19/2014
1/27/16 Lactic Acid Threshold Test 85 Total Calories 6:00 AM PR by 2 calories vs. 83 on 12/19/2014
1/4/16 Front Squat 1 x 3 @ 275 lbs 3-3-3-3 6:00 AM PR by 10 lbs vs. 265 on 02/09/2015

2017 is the year for pull ups, double unders, and toes to bar. I would also like to get back into competing. How quickly 2016 passed us by is proof of there being no time like the present to do the things we want to do.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year’s Eve and has an incredible 2017.

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Getting Ready for the Open!!! Stupid Cardio…..

One of the great things about 12 Labours is the planning that goes into the programming. It is split up quarterly and unfortunately we are now coming into the quarter where we get ready for the Open. Not my favorite quarter.

Monday——

“Open is 90 Days Away”

20 Minute AMRAP

15 Toes to Bar f(20 abmat situps)

Double Unders s(50) f(25)

10 Squat Cleans s(135/95) f(95/65)

***add weight every round***

***score is weight***

I mixed in hanging knee raises and abmat situps. Squat cleans were all legit, which is a big jump for me as they used to be reverse curls, followed by a front squat. Weight scheme was 95#, 115#, 135#, and 155#. I finished four full rounds, for a total weight of 5,050#.

Tuesday was five three minute AMRAPS. I opted instead for the following:

WOD 1 Movement Weight (Pounds) Distance Reps Rounds Total Reps
Row 250 Meters 1 6 6
Shrug Bar Deadlift 225 5 6 30
Wall balls 30 7 6 42
Ab Mat Sit Ups 10 6 60
Strict Push Ups 5 6 30
Total 168
Time 18:36

I did this one last week as well. I completed six rounds in 18:36, which is a 1:20 improvement over last week, or a little over 6% improvement. I’ll take it!

Wednesday was another WOD that just did not work for me. 30 Minute Partner AMRAP with one doing 6 TGU’s, and the other maxing out cals on the Assault Bike. I opted for trying to PR my clean. I have been tapped out at 210 for quite some time and it is quite frustrating. It is time to invest in a few one on one sessions for Olympic lifting. There is something small that I am not doing, I just do not know what it is!

Thursday was a rest day. ROMWOD, extra water, less carbs, more stretching….fun right? Almost went for a run….almost. Decided instead to get another hour of sleep, which was needed. Several long days strung together for work and a bit stressful, so why not catch up on some sleep.

Friday:

“12 Labours Test #4”

For Time:

Row 2000m

100 Wall Balls s(30/20) f(20/14)

50 G2OH s(95/65) f(75/55)

***30 min cap***

This was challenging. The rowers were all taken so I opted for the Ski Erg. Great way to get ready for wall balls, right? Shoulders, triceps were smoked from the rower, and the legs were not much better. I did the 20lb. wall ball and 95lbs. for G2OH. 27:20. A few cocktails were imbibed Thursday evening and it was not the best night’s sleep. It is safe to say those impacted by performance. I will put this one back up in two weeks.

Saturday was a partner WOD which included burpees and running……so I took advantage of open gym and PR’d with 3 reps at 385 for back squat. Felt much better Saturday morning. Ten hours of sleep will do that.

Off to fire up the chainsaw and cut some wood and then split. Installed a new fire pit yesterday…

 

 

 

 

 

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Week Ending 11.19.16—-First Good Clean Week in a Looooong Time

 

It has been quite a while since I posted an entry, a little over a year actually. It was a good week. Ate clean, no cocktails. Set a PR. Good times all around.

Monday:

Part 1 ———— 8 Sets Every 2 Minutes – 3 Reps Back Squat

***add weight every set***

My best lift for 3 was 365. I felt pretty good this morning, due to a lazy Sunday and nine hours of solid sleep. Truthfully, i could have continued sleeping without much trouble. I think I will be in bed early tonight as well. Things lined up pretty well and the warm-up sets went smoothly, so 375 became the target number.

185, 225, 275, 295, 315, 335,3 55, 375

I could have gone heavier. 395 or 405 will be the goal if this one comes around again.

Part 2 ————— “Baseline x 2”

2 Rounds for time:

Row 500m

40 Air Squats

30 Abmat Situps

20 Pushups

10 Pullups—-Ring Rows

I did 13:10, first round was 6:10, which was 15 seconds or so longer than my best score. I was pretty smoked after the first round. Rowing was lengthy on the second round. All in all a good day.

Tuesday:

“The Roaring Twenties”

20 Minute AMRAP

20/15 Cals AB

20 Shoulder to OH s(115/75) f(75/55)

20 Toes to Bar f(abmat situp)

I opted for “SPITNESS”, a combination of Sport and Fitness. I chose the 115lb weight and ab mat situps. I am built to be on the ground. I don’t do T2B, pull ups, etc.,…yet.

Score was four rounds and 8 calories. I was smoked afterwards.

Wednesday:

Every 2 Minutes for 20 Minutes:

Double Unders s(30) f(15)

3 Squat Cleans s(155/105) f(115/75)

***add weight each set***

****score is highest weight of completed triple for squat clean***

I did 30 singles at the beginning of each set and decided to add weight every other set. My goal was to focus on the actual form of the lift. Catching the bar low, hitting full depth, knees out, and elbows up. My PR for clean is either 205 or 210…not sure.

I did 95, 115, 135, 155, and 185. The 185 was challenging. They were not touch and go. All in all the form felt good and the coach watched several times and said it was good, nothing more to really offer. I’ll take that as a major win as I am the king of reverse curling and calling it a clean.

Three days in with clean eating and no cocktailing.

Thursday:

Rest Day. ROMWOD and lots of water. Also slept for 9.5 hours. That felt damn good. I didn’t stick with the 12 Labours eating plan today. Thanksgiving dinner at work, so stuffing and sweet potatoes with brown sugar. Also, wifey wanted Italian for dinner so it was penne pasta with in house made crumbled sausage and roasted tomatoes. Needless to say, I was slightly over on carbs. 🙂 No cocktails.

Friday:

Friday’s WOD was “Kelly”, which for those of you who do not know the hell that Kelly is….5 rounds, 400 meter run, 30 box jumps, 30 walls balls. Hell to the No,…squared. It would take me 45 minutes to finish that thing and I would feel like absolute crap for at least two days. Instead I went with one of my own:

WOD 1 Movement Weight (Pounds) Distance Reps Rounds Total Reps
Row 250 Meters 1 6 6
Shrug Bar Deadlift 225 5 6 30
Wall balls 30 7 6 42
Ab Mat Sit Ups 10 6 60
Strict Push Ups 5 6 30
Total 168

I like AMRAP’S with shorter “series” of reps. I think these enable the athlete to focus on the form of each movement and rep and not instead focus on how many reps are left and just getting through it. This may not look like much, however it was harder than I anticipated and I was washed out afterwards. Took about a minute afterwards to get right.

This is very scalable, either be increasing distance, weight, or reps. My plan is to increase the reps of the movements and then compare the total number of reps over time, while keeping weights the same.

I have an appointment in the pain cave today. Definitely need one as things are not feeling as good as they should. That means therapeutic/deep tissue massage. I usually come close to throwing up and or crying. I go with an empty stomach…

Saturday:

Had a late night call last night so sleep was interrupted, however no big deal. Susan broke me yesterday. Have not looked yet, however there should be lots of bruising.

“Pinky and The Brain”

20 Minute Partner AMRAP
10 Deadlifts s(275/185) f(185/125)
20 C2B Pullups s(10 Muscle Ups)
30/20 Cal AB
***split it up however you want***

Saturday has become the day of partner WOD’s. This one does not look at that bad. Basically split everything in half. 5 reps on deadlifts, 5 ring rows, and then 15 calories…and repeat. Right? Can’t be that bad. We shall see. I am usually wrong with these things.

As it turns out, I was not that wrong. It was challenging, however quite doable. I ran an 800 as my own warm up and that helped workout the kinks.

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It’s Open Season….2015

Here we go Again!

Here we go Again!

It is that time of year again. $20.00 and a quick registration provides the opportunity to compete against 200,000 of your nearest and dearest friends. Each year, thousands of hopefuls sign up in order to prove their standing in the world wide cult!

So happy we are not kicking off this year with seven minutes of puketastic burpees. Instead it is:

CrossFit Games Open 15.1 (AMRAP – Rounds and Reps)
9-Minute AMRAP of:
15 Toes To Bar
10 Dead lifts, 115#  / 75#
5 Snatches, 115# / 75#
CrossFit Games Open 15.1 Scaled (AMRAP – Rounds and Reps)
9-Minute AMRAP of:
15 Hanging Knee Raises
10 Dead lifts, 85# / 55#
5 Ground to Overhead, 85# / 55#
CrossFit Games Open 15.1A (Weight)
6-Minutes to Establish:
1-RM Clean and Jerk
The addition of the scaled class is a welcome change. Beats having to enter a zero! I can do toes to bar all day, as long as it’s a barbell and it’s on the floor.
This will be an exciting one and can already envision my forearms getting fried. Lots of forearm and lacrosse ball action prior. Also, lot’s of hamstring work.  Definitely looking forward to catching the 12Labours crowd getting together at 10:00am in Annapolis District.
12Labours
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Eat to Perform

 

ETP Image 2

So i am trying Eat to Perform; http://www.eattoperform.com/ All I can say so far is that I can’t eat enough. It’s a ton of food. Also, three rest days a week. And rest means rest. Not my usual active rest bs, you know, where I don’t rest, just do other stuff. Mobility and Yoga is encouraged on rest days, however nothing strenuous. I am about two weeks in. No noticeable results at this point, however they do caution that it takes time and you have to commit to a full 90 days.

 


Advertised:

It focuses on Total Daily Energy Expenditures, or TDEE, gaining muscle size and strength, and eating strategically to provide fuel for workouts. Not centralized to CrossFit in any manner. Also stresses whole foods and carbs are a good thing, like rice and potatoes. I hope Paleo didn’t hear that…good God. Sustainable and flexible eatings plans, not short term dieting.

Lfits

Start the Process: http://www.eattoperform.com/start-here/

Weigh yourself. Have a glass of wine or a beer. It’s ok. Get a body fat assessment done. Have a bottle of wine or a six pack and finish it off with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Enter your information here: http://www.eattoperform.com/eat-to-perform-calculator/ Be sure to watch the video first. Enter the information again because you probably can’t believe you read the results right and obviously you entered something incorrectly. Nope, they are right.

ETP FUn

Purchase the E-Books and the Forum Membership?

A resounding YES. It’s $80.00 for a year. Not much money at all for having answers at your fingertips. Come on. We are CrossFitters. Usually higher than average disposable income and we are used to spending money for this stuff! A little caution however to do it only if you are really going to stick with it for three months. Just a thought.

Now What?

Head to the forum and enter your information. Explain you are a first timer and that you want some help understanding the TDEE calculations. A moderator, or which there are several, will review your numbers, answer questions, give you some pointers,etc. I have found they answer quickly and there are also people who aren’t moderators however they spend time on the boards and will offer advice.

ETP Image

 

MyFitnessPal:http: //www.myfitnesspal.com/

Definitely recommend a public profile on this page. It’s a pretty big database and will allow you to track your food intake. Make your profile public. That way the moderators from ETP can review your profile and make suggestions. 

It’s a bit early yet for me to give any real review of whether or not it works. I’ll give it another two and a half months and see where things land.

 

Eat-to-Perform-640x959

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Being Humbled….

Kicked

 Two items: Steelers got humbled last night in a big way. So much for that streak and for the season. I thought 8-8 would be a pipe dream however they turned it around and won the division. At least we have that….Let’s Go New England. I hope Tom Brady has a career game. Take a picture. Probably the last time you’ll read that on this blog.

 

Second item. I got my tail handed to me yesterday.  WOD was as follows:

SPORT

In Teams of 2 with a Running Clock:

  • 30 – 20 – 10
  • AB for Cals (Assault Bike)
  • Pushups s(ring) f(regular)
  • 30 – 20 – 10
  • Power Snatch (115/75)
  • Toes to Bar
  • 30 – 20 – 10
  • Thrusters (115/75)
  • 200m Run (both partners run the 200m)

Our time was 33:33. Quite possibly one of the most challenging WOD’s I have completed. It didn’t seem bad on the board, however that was a huge mistake.

20130922-160419.jpg

 

We got through the cals on the AB and push-ups pretty quickly. Things turned to molasses when we hit the snatches and T2B. Those two movements together are crushers. Then it was game on with the Thrusters which also were challenging. Snatches and Thrusters we grouped in sets of 3-5. That was the most handleable way to get through the reps.

Then of course the next best thing to do was another WOD. We had an open house and we had two friends come in so it was game on again. A couple of 5 minute AMRPAP’s with push ups, KB swings, more assault bikes, rowing,…and of course burpees. Buck Furpees.

 

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Just finished breakfast and I have two crockpots going for foods this week. Heading out to yoga so I can get fixed. Pretty nice little Sunday. Maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond if we have time. Certainly won’t be watching football.

 

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The Day Before KALSU….

Two things stood in my way of attending Midnight Filthy Fifty. Sleep and a few Ketel One martinis. Heard there was an excellent turnout and we may make it next year. No CrossFit today, the only WOD will be eating. It’s an AMFAP. As many forkfuls as possible.

 

Happiness....

 

Friday is KALSU and today is dedicated to carb-loading. I have never attempted KALSU before however I hear it is quite rewarding. EMOM Burpees and Thrusters. How bad can it be? Probably this bad…..Looking forward to it. I am sure it will be spectacular.

Bodies Hit the Floor

 

What is KALSU you may ask? It incorporates two of the most notoriously puke-tastic CrossFit movements. Burpees and Thrusters. Still want to know more? EMOM, every minute on the minute, five burpees followed by as many thrusters as you can in the remaining minute. The goal? Besides not puking, passing out, pissing yourself…etc. Hit 100 thrusters. 95# for the dudes, 65# for the ladies, and the bar for those who are new to thrusters.

Who is KALSU? A true American badass, that’s who. Story: http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/09/04/name-wall-si-60-william-nack-bob-kalsu

KALSU

 

Plan of Attack:

Any thoughts about beating this WOD make about as much sense as the following image. Lace up, chalk up, man up and embrace the suck.

At Dawn...we ATTACK!

 

Five burpees followed by five thrusters is where I will start. That seems like a logical plan. Every three to five minutes do the five burpees and rest the remaining time. Also thinking about how to complete the burpee. The Taylor flop or stepping back one foot at a time. Whichever method that will conserve energy is preferred. Lots and lots of hamstring stretches. Tight hammys and burpees don’t go together. Shoulders and forearms will get smoked. It is what it is. Just. Keep. Moving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Want to Get Better and Have More Fun?

cropped-crossfit-gear.jpg

Below are fifty rules/guidelines/recommendations I have collected during the past three years as a CrossFit addict. Trust me, it doesn’t mean I do all of them. Do as I say, not as I do. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to work?

 

  1. Make Under Armour a liar every WOD. Shirt can’t wic away awesome! It means you should give every WOD your all and leave nothing in the tank.
  2. Finish the round. Doesn’t matter what the clock says. It matters that you finish.
  3. Failing on a rep is good. If you aren’t failing, you aren’t pushing.
  4. Squat, Dead lift, Press, Bench, and sadly running too, should be done every week.
  5. Keep your gym bag stocked and in your car.
  6. PVC Pipe, lacrosse ball, field hockey ball, giant bands, should be in your living room for all to see.
  7. Mobility is a WOD, one you can do seven days a week
  8. Coffee, unsalted butter and coconut oil = breakfast
  9. Tequila, a juiced lime, and a salted rim = happy hour!
  10. Don’t take it too seriously…see rule above
  11. Food doesn’t have ingredients listed on a label
  12. Join a farm Co-op. Best vegetables you will get, hands down.
  13. Buy a cow, then eat the cow
  14. Visit other boxes often
  15. Do the whole warm up like it’s your favorite WOD.
  16. Show up ten minutes earlier than you normally would
  17. Stay fifteen minutes later than you normally would
  18. Athletic tape, wrist wraps, knee sleeves, oly shoes, jump rope, nanos/innov8’s. Buy the toys because they are the tools of the trade.
  19. Don’t be the no rep person….
  20. Introduce yourself to all drop ins and newbies. You were one too
  21. Chalk makes you stronger
  22. Once in a while, forget what you know, and do it EXACTLY like the coach tells you
  23. Kill Cliff, Progenex, coconut water, whole food, whatever your post WOD plan is, just make sure you have one. Need to rehydrate and feed the machine
  24. Your Box has a sticker, I am sure,…put one on your car and help advertise
  25. Sweat angels are beautiful
  26. Coming close to throwing up is ok
  27. Double unders suck. Get over it. Practice them
  28. There are no quick fixes
  29. Supplements do not replace real food
  30. Clean up your stuff. Bars go on a rack. Clips go in a bucket. Plates either go on a tree or on a stack. KB’s and DB’s have a shelf.
  31. Always smile, even when the coach puts up 800m Med Ball Indian run for the warm up. Coaches are people too….they make mistakes.
  32. The coach doesn’t want to hear you bitch.
  33. It’s Saturday at 800am, a few people are hungover. Don’t call them out. It’s not cool. They know they drank last night…..and so does everyone else.
  34. A “nice job” or a high five go a very long way with new members and drop ins
  35. F&*K cliques. The Box is a team. Support everyone.
  36. Take different classes so you get different coaches
  37. WOD/running/swimming early in the morning ensures a good night’s sleep
  38. Be truthful with scores, don’t cheat yourself
  39. Pick a goal every month and then work on it every time you are in the box. Even when you are beat and want to go home.
  40. Coffee is the lifeblood that drives success!!!!
  41. Tequila seems to always take things up a notch…..
  42. Bacon makes everything better….just try not to eat it at every meal
  43. Progenex, aka, awesome-sauce is the best tasting protein ever. It’s also expensive, however it’s worth it if it helps you recover faster
  44. Fish oil fixes just about everything. Creaky joints, good for the heart, etc. Take lots of it. You’ll know when you have had too much.
  45. Don’t let the muscle between you ears be the strongest one. It’s the only part of you that knows how much the bar/kb/db weighs.
  46. Listen to the coach when they tell you it’s too much weight. Putting yourself in danger to do it Rx is silly.
  47. Leave the music alone. Owner and coaches get to change it. Nobody else.
  48. Take three to five minutes to get your head right before you get out of the car. Work stays in the car. Life stays in the car. This is all about you.
  49. Don’t worry about 100% pale…do what works for you. Your are the expert on how you feel.
  50. Sign up for local competitions. Good way to meet people and you will do way more when you are in front of a crowd than when you are doing a regular WOD. Waaaaaaaayyy more.

Who has some more recommendations?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Whole Life Challenge, Let the Fun Begin!

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We decided to sign up for WLC again. It is eight weeks of clean living which is pretty easy for people who normally practice clean living. We are not those people. We enjoy the weekend night life and are close personal friends with Ben and Jerry. We have done it twice before and have liked the results. The first week is just about over already. Time flies when you are having fun.

Purge:

If it is not WLC compliant, it gets tossed. Sugar, ice cream, pretty much anything processed. You know, stuff that tastes good! Considering we are 80% Paleo 100% of the time we didn’t have much to get rid of. Just ice cream and beer. Well, maybe we’ll keep the beer. Its not like it goes bad and it’s only eight weeks.

Meal Planning:

It is pretty simple. If you do not plan your meals you will fail miserably at WLC. Clean healthy food is not convenient. Plan your meals ahead of time. Take lunch to work. Have pre-made breakfast food ready to go so you can grab it and warm it up in the morning. A quick Google search will provide hundreds of recipes. Get on it. Sunday is now for cooking. Face it, you aren’t going to be partying on Saturday nights, so you’ll have plenty of time to kill on Sundays.

Snacks:

I noticed I get hungry earlier in the day. Eating lunch at 10:30am makes for a long day! Pack snacks. Nuts, fruit, smaller portions of lunch and dinner. Whatever it takes. Be sure to plan ahead. The vending machine at work doesn’t carry anything WLC friendly. Trust me.

Exercise and Mobility:

It’s all about doing some of each every day. A quick run, swim, burpees, quality time with the roller or lax ball. Every day. Pick a time during the day and do it every day so it becomes a habit. This is a great habit to carry through when WLC is over.

Just Say No:

It’s only eight weeks but don’t think about it that way. Think about it in smaller increments, one day at at a time or one week at a time. After the first few days you will feel better. More energy, sleeping better which all equal better performance. It still sucks to bail on happy hour Friday after work or turn down cupcakes or donuts however it is worth it.

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Be Prepared:

I am not sure why people think vegetarian is the only way to clean up your diet. Explaining WLC will get you some weird looks however it is your choice, be proud of it! It is a challenge and by being prepared and having the right attitude you will succeed.

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