FitNotes

"Fran"

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:27:27 -0800

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.

Fight Gone Crazy

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:23:21 -0800

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

Got a little carried away this week

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:02:12 -0800

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.

Press and deadlift

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:13:50 -0800

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.

Two strength workouts

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:03:50 -0800

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.

Kettlebell class

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:55:14 -0800

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

CrossFit Seattle in the local news

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:54:38 -0800

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.

4 PM CrossFit class: a grip killer

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:27:02 -0800

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

A reporter blogging CF workouts

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:23:11 -0800

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.

4 PM CrossFit class: 4 drills for one minute

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:31:35 -0800

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!

Kettlebell class

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:48:23 -0800

Tonight was the second night of the new session. We did an extensive weightlifting style warm-up using PVC: shoulder pass-throughs (shrug and pull the bar ends apart the whole time); the Burgener warm-up several times through; more pass-throughs; additional overhead squats; and several run-throughs of the press, pushpress, jerk progression. This was before we picked up the kettlebells. Everyone was sore so the more lightweight warm-up, the better.

We reviewed last week's exercises, the deadlift, two-hand swing, and goblet squat. We learned the one-hand swing, press, and push-press. The workout:

1-hand swing, 10 per side
Push-press, 6 per side
15 air squats, touch the medicine ball (as a depth gauge)
5 rounds or 15 minutes whichever comes first.

People pushed themselves but stayed safe. I was watching back position, hip extension, and shoulder stability in the push-press. Afterward we played around with pull-ups, using ring-rows, rubberbands, jumping, and kipping.

Kettlebell multi-five-minutes

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:44:22 -0800

Scott ran this one tonight and I worked out with his 5:00 group.

5 minutes 1-kettlebell snatch; how many reps can you do?
No restriction on resting or switching hands.
I did 95 reps with 16 kg.

Run 400m

5 minutes 1-kettlebell clean and jerk; how many reps?
I did 40 with 18 kg.

Run 400m

5 minutes 1-kettlebell 1-hand swing; how many reps?
I did 107 with 18 kg. I was tired and happy.

4 PM CrossFit class: press, push-press, jerk, pull!

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:39:36 -0800

As many rounds as possible in 15 minutes with a barbell at about 50 percent of your 1RM press:

Press X 2
Push-press X 2
Push jerk (non-split) X 2
10 jumping pull-ups

I had one trainee in class today and he did 13 rounds.

4 PM CrossFit class: cleans and running

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:02:19 -0800

The workout today for my 4 PM CrossFit class:

21 barbell cleans, medium heavy

Run 400m

18 cleans

Run 400m

15 cleans

Run 400m

9 cleans

Run 400m

For time.

I had two people in class. One substituted rowing for running because of a knee problem. This may not have been the best sub, in hindsight, because rowing uses practically the same moves as the clean--explosiveness from the legs and hips, and a sharp pull. Both people finished in well under 15 minutes.

New CrossFit class started this week

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:52:47 -0800

Yesterday (Tuesday) was the day of my first 4 PM CrossFit class. I'm doing this every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. (On Mondays and Fridays at 4:00 I have a regular client.) I had two trainees in class yesterday, not bad for a first day at an off-prime-time hour. The workout:

Crazy Eights -- with one kettlebell:

8 snatches right

8 snatches left

8 front squats

8 pushups

8-second push-up plank hold

8 rounds for time.

The other time I ran this particular workout was back in maybe February with a coworker at his martial arts school.

If you'd like to come to my CrossFit class (or any other class on the gym schedule), get in touch. The gym requires four personal training sessions to learn the movements; the first CrossFit training session is free.