Fatbusting: Kirwan's log
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Have had a bit of a set back. I bought a skipping rope over the weekend to start working on my double unders and get the continuous reps of those going. I got the same problem as earlier in the week and got a blinding headache around 200 single unders (the warmup part!). Thought I might be tensing my neck, so relaxed that, did a few 100 reps sets, and some pushups, box jumps, burpees, etc. All completely fine.<br />
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Went back to do 200 again and pretty much collapsed with one of the worst headaches I've ever had (and I get migraines), which went away after a few minutes.<br />
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So obviously went to the doctors, and it seems like I have benign exertion headaches. Whatever that is when it's at home. It seems bizarre to me that I can do squats, rowing, running, high volume weight lifting, and all that cross fit jazz, but can't skip.<br />
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Anybody had anything similar? -
Crazy! I knew skipping was intense cardio but I would have thought your crossfit training was pretty similar... Maybe something about the vertical movement? bouncing etc? At least you've worked out a rough boundary on when it seems to occur.
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I don't think it's the cardio aspect, other than my breathing may not have been right. I wasn't out of breath or anything, and I do far more intensive cardio with no problems (the 500m row, for example and that was around the same time frame as the skipping).<br />
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At the moment I'm working on these theories that my neck was in the wrong position and it's pinching a nerve/affecting bloodflow or my breathing is not correct or, finally, that I'm dehydrated. The last one is easy enough to check, I'm just switching to measured bottles and I'll track the fluid.<br />
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The first two are a bit harder to track, but I did a workout this morning and I can feel the headaches on kettlbells and pullups now too. Just can't do those exercises long enough to get the painful version. That or I'm gunshy because of Sunday and "it's all in my head".<br />
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Took it easy today anyway; Warmup 800m run, 3 x (5 Burpees, 10 x 9kg medicine ball squat clean, 20 x 16kg Kettlebell swings). Technique work on the Power Snatch then a WOD of 21, 15, 9 of 35kg Power Snatch and Pullups. -
it's got to be the jumping (says Dr Bart). and if a nerve is pinching, pinching it 200 times in a row is going to be not too good and make you feel pretty fucked up (technical diagnoses). So if skipping screws you up, don't do it...! <br />
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That'll be $400 thanks. -
$$400!!! watch out for that Dr Bart!! <br />
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]1251[/ATTACH]<br />
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I'll sort you out for only $129.95!! You can't beat that!<br />
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Your measured approach to investigating the cause is a good idea mate, all part of learning about your body and how hard you can push it. -
I note you get migraines Kirwan. I do as well, and sometimes I can have 'migraine coming on symptoms' when doing cardio (bike/rowing machine), have a quick break, but be able to carry on and do a weights workout. I'm wondering if you're experiencing the same thing?
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may I suggest a few things that could help.<br />
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first, if you feel any strain in the neck/back, don't stretch it or try to twist it out, just leave it to recover naturally for a day or two. Stretching it will usually exacerbate it.<br />
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Also, after every workout I do 5 minutes of stretching for the back-on a pull up bar which is high enough so on my tip toes I can put my hands around the bar. keeping straight lower back and legs (like ballet posture-bumb in), and stretching neck/head up and back, then just breathing deeply for 1-2 minutes. I also do some simple ab exercises - running-on the ab bar-do one pull up and then run 30 times, down and stretch out.<br />
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Good luck. -
Thanks for the advice guys.<br />
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In the end I decided to give myself a week off, and I'm on track to return on Monday. I've ended up having a few days with flu like symptoms, and an afternoon in bed (lots of dizziness and mild headaches). So I think I just got sick or run down.<br />
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Today has been great though, finally feel back to normal. So two more rest days them I'll see how I am after next week. -
So you need to get some more food into the furnace K - you ARE training like a mad man at the moment, I think you need to start fueling that. I reckon visit a nutritionist - take in your weekly workout schedule etc, and let him / her rip. Make sure you get a good one though, as there are some nutters out there!
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The wife liked that suggestion, and she agrees with you so that's on the cards.<br />
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Good workout today, with no major side effects. Needed a wee lay down when i got home, but not for headache and illness reasons. I was fucked.<br />
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Warmup was back to stretches (by my request, I need them) and 800m run. Still gets a sweat up, 6, 7 different dynamic stretches finished with 10 Burpees.<br />
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Strength was 3 x Squat Clean, added 10kg to my PB up to 70kg.<br />
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WOD was interesting, three exercises; Pullups, Pressups and Kettlebells down in a sequence of increasing reps. So Pullups when 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 etc Pressups 2,4,6,8,10,12, etc and KBs, 3,6,9,12,15,18,21 (I think I screwed that up actually, I just did what he barked out). Had 12 minutes to get as far as you could, I finished three pullups into round 8.<br />
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The KBs absolutely root you for everything else, and it just creeps up on you until you are struggling for everything. Great fun. -
A bit of fun today, we got to set our xFit totals. They are calculated by your max rep of Back Squat, Press (strict no legs), and Deadlift, then you add them together for a total. You get three trys at each exercise and can only go up.<br />
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I got PBs in all three, 110kg backsquat, 60kg Press (failed twice at 65kg, would have got 62.5kg if I wasn't so greedy) and 140kg Deadlift. Total = 310. I have some room in the deadlift so went for 150kg, but that didn't work out. I think I could get 142-145 up though.<br />
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That took a while to get through, so we only had 5mins left at the end of the hour so he did 6kg wallballs for 5mins. Got up to 83, and my legs were unhappy. -
[quote name='JK']You are doing really well Kirwan. Some great gains over the past few months.<br />
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How are the hands holding up on those deadlifts? My hands dont seem to like it at all once I'm above 130kg[/QUOTE]<br />
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I was more worried my head was going to explode <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> Felt a good rush to the head....<br />
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Hands have been OK, I'm guessing lots of the things I've been doing work on grip strength like the pullups and kettlebells? I'm not sure though. -
hmmm maybe your hands are tougher than my poxy accountants hand. Too much paper work, not enough manual labour!<br />
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Pullups seem no prob for me but hands always feel and look a mess after a deadlift session where I will do up to lifts at 100kg plus. -
[quote name='JK']hmmm maybe your hands are tougher than my poxy accountants hand. Too much paper work, not enough manual labour!<br />
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Pullups seem no prob for me but hands always feel and look a mess after a deadlift session where I will do up to lifts at 100kg plus.[/QUOTE]<br />
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Sorry, I misread that. I thought you were talking about grip strength. I've got some pretty good calluses going on, and yes deadlifts contribute to that. Two things have been helping, the first being all the kipping pullups which just murder my hands with all the friction, so have been getting tougher from that. And the second was the advice to keep your hands soft and use pumice to keep the calluses down. So they are smooth, but toughened up.<br />
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And trust me, IT geek hands are only a small step away from lady hands <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> -
Good day today. Strength/Skills work on a Split Jerk, nothing heavy though.<br />
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WOD was 3RFT of 15 Power Snatch (30kg), 15 Pushups, 15 Boxjumps, 15 Lunges with a 15kg weight held above your head. Completed that in 11.27min.<br />
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The Snatch was too light, I should have done 35kg, and I lapped the other two. -
Just another sign of how far you've progressed! would be funny to match your current self with day 1 rookie Kirwan, you'd deal to yourself lol.<br />
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Is it tricky picking weight for the WOD's? I've seen a few posts when you've said you could have gone a bit heavier... I guess it is a tough thing to judge. That extra 5kg can certainly have a big impact when you are doing heaps of reps or lifting right at your limit. -
Yeah, I need to get more involved in that side. The instructor picks it at the moment, and he set the same for a few of us. I'm going to start tracking the weights for the different exercises at home so I know what I can do.<br />
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Pre-xFit Kirwan would still be doing the boxjumps now. -
Tough, tough day at the office today.<br />
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Strength word as hang power snatch, and some overhead squat work. Was just a warmup to the monstrous WOD;<br />
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20mins cutoff; AMRAP of 3 pullups, 5 at 30kg Squat Snatch, 7 x 6kg Wall balls to the 10ft target, 200m run, rinse and repeat. I just finished my seventh round before the cutoff. I was leading at around 14mins, then the run started to get harder and harder (and my ankle started flaring up....). Only finished a little behind the other two though, so kept at it.<br />
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Completely exhausted at the end of that.