I had a client cancel last night so I jumped into a workout class five minutes into the warm-up. We did overhead squats for a while; I got up to 35 kg (not my max). Then it turned out we were going to do "Fran." My time this time: 6:18.
I'm a CrossFit fitness trainer offering personal training and classes.
My goal is to offer each client the most effective training for him or
her. I'm constantly studying respected training materials such as
Starting Strength, The Athletic Body in Balance, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance, and the CrossFit Journal. CrossFit-style
training -- ever-changing, fast circuit workouts without machines -- can
build your work capacity, stamina, muscle, and
mental toughness more than you might imagine. That's what happened for
me and lots of people I train with.
My third six-week, 12-session kettlebell fitness class has started. Kettlebell training reviews from some of my clients. If you've wanted to try working out with kettlebells, or try CrossFit-style workouts, contact me (fran@fitnotes.net) about my next class or about personal training sessions. Your first CrossFit training session at CrossFit Seattle is free. No monthly gym membership is needed.
My third six-week, 12-session kettlebell fitness class has started. Kettlebell training reviews from some of my clients. If you've wanted to try working out with kettlebells, or try CrossFit-style workouts, contact me (fran@fitnotes.net) about my next class or about personal training sessions. Your first CrossFit training session at CrossFit Seattle is free. No monthly gym membership is needed.
The gym had a barbecue last Friday night after lots and lots of people ran through Fight Gone Bad. My score was 276 278. This score was fine with me--the middle of the range I've scored in the past five or so times I've done FGB. My CrossFit workouts have been sporadic lately and mixed in with weightlifting and bike rides and a few runs. So I'm glad to see I haven't lost tons of conditioning.
Individual exercise scores in rounds 1, 2, and 3:
Wallball (12 lbs): 30, 22, 22
Sumo HP DL (24-kg kettlebell): 25, 19, 16
Box jump: 25, 17, 18
Pushpress (24-kg barbell): 20, 14, 19
Row (calories): 13, 10, 8
Individual exercise scores in rounds 1, 2, and 3:
Wallball (12 lbs): 30, 22, 22
Sumo HP DL (24-kg kettlebell): 25, 19, 16
Box jump: 25, 17, 18
Pushpress (24-kg barbell): 20, 14, 19
Row (calories): 13, 10, 8
I hadn't realized how much my elbow tendonitis was bugging me. Well, I think it's tendonitis, anyway. It was making me reluctant to work out. I was doing snatches and cleans and a CrossFit workout or two a week. On Tuesday night I went with a friend--my neighbor Beth--to work out with a running trainer at the Green Lake track, and after that (we ran four or five miles), my elbow felt almost back to normal. I suppose it had to do with getting lots of blood flow into the joint and connective tissues without using it to lift anything in the process.
On Thursday I got up in the morning and went running along the lake and up the hill from Leschi, to continue working on my elbow. I'm not really into running any distance for its own sake as I prefer weightlifting, CrossFit, and other short workouts. That night I did a CrossFit workout involving a barbell complex. I'm learning to let the weight down in a safer way that puts less strain on my elbows; either dropping the weight if it's bumper plates, or letting it crash down onto my thighs if it's an unloaded bar. I think the way I hurt my elbow was by catching the weight at the bottom, stopping it with slightly bent arms.
Next day, the elbow felt pretty good. I did a bunch of cleans and then the CrossFit workout at 5:00--the dreaded kettlebell line-up. It was like a hundred degrees out and everyone was moping. I slowly completed the final round of 24-kg clean, squat, and push-press--whew. A while later I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my ex-trainees doing really strong cleans with the 24-kilo kettlebell--yay!
Today I did some deadlifting, up to five reps at 92 kg (80 percent of my max of 115), then three singles at 100 and one at 105. That was enough. My elbow feels pretty good. Not normal but not as bad as it had been.
Yesterday I worked on presses, up to 5 sets of 3 at 35 kg. Then deadlifts up to a set of 5 at 94 kg (slightly over what my calculated 5-rep max should be based on my 1-RM of 115). In case that was not enough, I backed off the weight and did 5 reps at 85 and at 80. My back is very tired today; every time I stand up I want to sit down. I have two classes to run today and one personal training client. The energy always seems to be there when it's needed, thank goodness, even if I'm tired before I go.
I fell behind on blogging. That happens so fast.
Last week Scott had us do some weighted pull-ups, and I did one for the first time with a 16-kg kettlebell attached to me. I went in the next day by myself and worked up to this again, and did six singles at that weight, resting 45 to 60 seconds in between.
Yesterday I worked on barbell pressing and squats. On the presses, I got up to not as heavy as I hoped. I worked up to two singles at 40 kg and then did several sets to failure at 37 kg: 3 reps, 2, 1, 1, 1.
On the squat, I worked up to a new max of 102 kg. I had ridden my bike to the gym, so by the time I got home (after that workout plus running a couple of training sessions) I was extra tired. I like that.
Last week Scott had us do some weighted pull-ups, and I did one for the first time with a 16-kg kettlebell attached to me. I went in the next day by myself and worked up to this again, and did six singles at that weight, resting 45 to 60 seconds in between.
Yesterday I worked on barbell pressing and squats. On the presses, I got up to not as heavy as I hoped. I worked up to two singles at 40 kg and then did several sets to failure at 37 kg: 3 reps, 2, 1, 1, 1.
On the squat, I worked up to a new max of 102 kg. I had ridden my bike to the gym, so by the time I got home (after that workout plus running a couple of training sessions) I was extra tired. I like that.
The kettlebell class just had their 9th class and they're working so hard. A lot of people in the class know each other, so maybe they're a little bit competitive, or who knows what the explanation is, but no matter what I throw at them they seem to get it immediately and to attack a workout like a pack of wolves. It makes me tired just watching them!
In the past few sessions I've used some workouts involving the basic, "staple" kettlebell exercises that are used often in CrossFit workouts: the deadlift, swing, one-hand swing, clean, highpull, and snatch, plus push-ups and sit-ups. Trainees who had never seen a kettlebell before a month ago have learned these so well that I wish I had them on video as an example of what beginners can be capable of.
Two recent workouts:
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
5 1-hand swings per side
5 cleans with 2 KBs
5 snatches per side
and last night's:
12 KB deadlift (2 KBs or 1 heavy one; challenge yourself)
12 Push-ups
12 Sit-ups
5 rounds
In the past few sessions I've used some workouts involving the basic, "staple" kettlebell exercises that are used often in CrossFit workouts: the deadlift, swing, one-hand swing, clean, highpull, and snatch, plus push-ups and sit-ups. Trainees who had never seen a kettlebell before a month ago have learned these so well that I wish I had them on video as an example of what beginners can be capable of.
Two recent workouts:
As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
5 1-hand swings per side
5 cleans with 2 KBs
5 snatches per side
and last night's:
12 KB deadlift (2 KBs or 1 heavy one; challenge yourself)
12 Push-ups
12 Sit-ups
5 rounds
A reporter from KIRO radio came and interviewed Dave Werner, the owner of the gym (and my boss). Oddly enough for a radio story, it is online (linked behind Dave's name above). Take a look at the ten photos along with it. They're quite representative of what we do although pictures can never capture the three-ring circus atmosphere.
I didn't realize what a grip killer this was going to be. I wanted people to do weighted walking lunges (I almost typed 'lunches') and then thought it would be good to use the same dumbbells for something else, so I added the clean and push-press, then thought pull-ups would round it out well. So they did this:
2-dumbbell weighted walking lunge, one length of the gym
20 clean and push-press
15 pull-ups
Four rounds
2-dumbbell weighted walking lunge, one length of the gym
20 clean and push-press
15 pull-ups
Four rounds
Reporter Vaughn Hagerty is working out (as a beginner) at CrossFit Coastal in North Carolina and blogging his workouts. It's always fun to see people's take on CrossFit when they start out.
Dips
2-KB front squats
V-ups
Wallball
Do each for 1 minute. Break only to call out score and move to next station. There were only two trainees or I would have done it in partners like Fight Gone Bad.
Three rounds.
One minute break in between rounds.
I found that when I come to the gym and do a really hard workout, I don't question it and just do the best I can; but when I'm the one who made up the workout and am running it, watching the trainees do it, I feel bad for making them do something hard. I ought to get over that!
2-KB front squats
V-ups
Wallball
Do each for 1 minute. Break only to call out score and move to next station. There were only two trainees or I would have done it in partners like Fight Gone Bad.
Three rounds.
One minute break in between rounds.
I found that when I come to the gym and do a really hard workout, I don't question it and just do the best I can; but when I'm the one who made up the workout and am running it, watching the trainees do it, I feel bad for making them do something hard. I ought to get over that!
