My Steep CrossFit Learning Curve

Milk

After a 6 year break (<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/24304-the-90-day-challenge-milk-log/'>http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/24304-the-90-day-challenge-milk-log/</a>) and an extra 10kgs, It's time to get back on the horse.
 
In July last year I got married and moved to the States and have embraced the lifestyle a little too much. Desperate times call for desperate measures: CrossFit.
 
I did 'onramp' and a few classes back in June but we moved cities so am only just started back up. I have decided to go full paleo for September as a way to try and drop some weight, see how I feel, then decide how I want to proceed.
 
I have no background in Olympic lifting, and have a lot of work to do in technique and even more in terms of flexibility. I am not particularly athletic.
 
After a week my weights have been very low as I try and get the technique right, but I'm absolutely shattered after each class. They are relentless and there is no where to hide. It's what I need though.
 
So, here goes!
 
Starting weight as of last Monday: 86.4kgs
I'm only 5'10" so would like to be closer to 80kgs.

Milk

WOD â€“ Monday 9/9
 
Warmup 
With PVCâ€¦ 
:15 horizontal jump overs 
:15 lateral jump overs 
:15 burpee jump overs
Junkyard dog 
Burgener warmup
 
Strength 
Review the snatch
8 EMOM â€“ Snatch complex 
full power snatch from the ground 
OH squat 
hang squat snatch 
Start with 50% of your 1 RM and work your way up
 
 :sorry: weight... 65pounds. Wasn't hard, but my technique didn't feel even close.
 
WOD 
â€œFruity Cocktailsâ€ 
10 AMRAP 
8 pull-ups 
16 wall balls 
32 sit-ups
 
Achieved 4 rounds doing jumping pull-ups, 14pound wall ball. Those situps seriously eat into the time
 
Challenge 
Mobility â€“ lat smash with PVC or lax ball

JK

Good onya mate. Good to see you here and taking action!

Paekakboyz

Yeah bro, welcome aboard! 
 
Looking forward to hear about your training - Kirwan has made huge progress since starting Xfit. Will be interesting to see how your gym approaches things compared to his.

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Paekakboyz" data-cid="389652" data-time="1378762615">
<div>
Yeah bro, welcome aboard! 
 
Looking forward to hear about your training - Kirwan has made huge progress since starting Xfit. Will be interesting to see how your gym approaches things compared to his.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Thanks.
 
This is the third gym of this type that I've been to. It's been around since 2009 and I think that shows in it feeling the most professional. This is both good and bad. They seem to take themselves the most seriously and the members are more established, have a better knowledge base and are in better shape. The vibe isn't quite as friendly as I'm used to. Maybe they want you to prove yourself first.
Also, the classes are relentless. Even the warmups are kind of serious, as you can see from the WOD I posted.

Paekakboyz

I'm sure they have a lot of tire kickers and see plenty of people come and go. I checked out a local (wellington) Xfit gym and they had limited spaces in the classes and for introduction sessions. Seems you get more 1-1 or small group coaching which explains the higher fees.
 
Not surprised about the intensity - if there is one thing Xfit delivers 110% it is gnarly workouts and warm-ups!

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Paekakboyz" data-cid="389675" data-time="1378772994">
<div>
I'm sure they have a lot of tire kickers and see plenty of people come and go. I checked out a local (wellington) Xfit gym and they had limited spaces in the classes and for introduction sessions. Seems you get more 1-1 or small group coaching which explains the higher fees.
 
Not surprised about the intensity - if there is one thing Xfit delivers 110% it is gnarly workouts and warm-ups!
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Yeah, that's my view on it too. You get a lot of one-on-one attention, but also the energy of a class. I'm more likely to show up for it and put everything into it, so it works for me. I wish I was motivated enough to be able to do it myself - Planet Fitness here costs $10 a month, but I'm not.

Milk

WOD â€“ Tuesday 9/10 
Warmup 
Dynamic Warmup 
Mobility 
Joint mobility with an emphasis on hip mobility. 
Spend some time in the spiderman and pigeon stretches. 
Strength 
Back Squat â€“ warm up and then 1Ã—6 @70%, 1Ã—6 @80%, 1Ã—3 @90%, 1Ã—2 @95%
 
65 pounds up to 95 pounds

WOD 
â€œPirate Flagâ€ 
Ascending Ladder 
1-10 
Cleans (155/115#) 
2-20 
Pushups 
Up by 2 every round
 
13:08 using 65 pounds.
Those push ups got tough. By the end of it I was doing them from my knees... embarrassing!

Milk

WOD â€“ Wednesday 9/11 
Warmup 
400m run 
2 rounds 
10 KBS 
10 slam balls 
10 split squats 
10 OH squats w/PVC 
Mobility 
10 dislocates 
10 good mornings 
Skill 
The bar muscle up. 
WOD 
â€œBar Therapyâ€ 
9 AMRAP 
4 bar muscle ups (8 C2B/ 16 pullups) 
8 T2B 
16 OH lunges w/ BB (65/45#) Three rounds + 4 pull ups. Drastic scale downs - band pull ups, knees to chest and could only do right leg OH lunge because I'm favouring my left thigh. 10* right with 45 pound bar. 
Challenge 
Double Under Challange â€“ How many D.U.â€™s can you get in 2:00?
 
70
 
Hands are tore up like a mofo after those bar exercises. Will probably take a day off tomorrow.

Kirwan

Never be afraid to scale, the point is to maintain the intensity of the workout. So if that means banded pullups, then so be it.
 
Good work on the DUs, they took me ages to get right.

Milk

Thanks. Afterwards I was told I'm not supposed to be bringing my feet forward and up like I do. Might be hard to break habit of a lifetime though.

Kirwan

Here's a good video on them, listening to Spealler sorted mine out;
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

'>

</a>
 
My mental trigger was to jump a bit higher, once I got that I stopped lifting my legs and they got much, much easier.

MN5

Ah yes the double under......got good at those.....then haven't done em for ages. Will pop out in the garden tonight and see if the old magic is still there !

Kirwan

the "gold standard" for DUs in xFit two minutes, so there's a target. That should get you around 180-200ish.

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="390165" data-time="1378943752">
<div>
Here's a good video on them, listening to Spealler sorted mine out;
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

'>

</a>
 
My mental trigger was to jump a bit higher, once I got that I stopped lifting my legs and they got much, much easier.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Thanks. That was helpful. So apparently what I do is called 'piking'. Hopefully the fact that I've already made the mental adjustment to be able to flick the wrist twice, but jump once, that will give me a good base to start re-learning the rest of it. Fingers crossed. 180 - 200 seems unfathomable.

Milk

I took yesterday off after three days on. Just found out I am helping my sister in law move tomorrow, so have taken today off the gym too. 
Hopefully it gives my quads sometime to recover. The split squats and weighted lunges we've done over the last week or two have targeted them like never before, and they are not coping well. It feels like they are right on the edge of being just simple muscle adjustment/recovery, but on the verge of being something more sinister if I push them any more. Also, my hands are a mess after doing all those pull ups in 37 degree heat. Pulls ups and bar exercises are hard on your hands anyway, but I guess the combination of tender hands, sweat and weight ended up me ripping off a square cm piece of skin off each hand. 
That said, disappointed not to be going today. It looked like a fun workout - something called 'Spartan Maker'.

NTA

If you're wrecking your palms, and its a small bar, rotate your wrists around so you're hanging more on your fingers. Though you might not have a choice by the sounds of it Will help your grip strength too.

Milk

Yeah, I think I'll have to. Might take a little getting used to.

Milk

Apparently this week is something called a 'deload week'.
 
Anyway, after 4 days off I'm feeling good and ready to get back into it.
 
Warmup 
2 rounds 
400m run 
10 burpees 
5 dead hang pullups Mobility 
Pigeon stretch 
10 good mornings w/PVC 
2 rounds of duck walks down the gym, lunge back Strength 
Front Squat â€“ warm up and then complete 1Ã—5 @50%, 1Ã—5 @55%, 1Ã—3 @65%, 1Ã—3 @70%, 1Ã—3 @75%
 
65 to 95 pounds WOD 
â€œDianeâ€™s Crewâ€ 
21-15-9 
Deads (no more then 55% 1 RM) 
Box jumps (24/20â€³) 
250m row
 
8:53, 85 pounds, 20"

JK

Good stuff mate. You got in to this all guns blazing. Keep it up!

The Silver Fern

My Steep CrossFit Learning Curve