Time And Again

After a long trip to the East Coast (in which I ate too much and slept too little), it was time I got back to the gym. I got up early (4 a.m.), pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts, warmed up with a nice, long row on the erg in my garage, and drove though the silent streets to CrossFit Palo Alto.

For the past week and a half, I'd done next to no exercise, other than schlepping the kids and assorted pieces of luggage from place to place. I knew I was rusty, but I figured I could go easy on myself today and ease back into my routine at the gym.

Wrong.

We were scheduled for time trials. It's been nine months since I was last put through the paces of this workout, in which we go all-out in each of six different exercises -- with a few minutes of rest in-between -- in order to establish benchmark times.

On the menu:

• 50 pull-ups
• 50 push-ups
• 50 Abmat sit-ups
• 50 air squats
• 400 meter run
• 500 meter row

Here's how I did today, compared against my results in November of 2010 and November of 2011:

So let's review: 

Suckier at sit-ups. Better on pull-ups. About the same on everything else, but I managed to shave 13.5 seconds off the whole shebang from the last go-round. Yes, I was fresh and (somewhat) rested from vacation, but I'll take it.

Be Right Back

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. In fact, I'm in New York City -- the very center of the universe (at least according to a number of New Yorkers I know). 

We're spending a few days here on vacation before heading up to Boston for the 2012 Ancestral Health Symposium, which explains why I've gone radio silent for the past few days.

I'll be back to blogging soon, but in the meantime, you can check out Michelle's daily posts over at Nom Nom Paleo.

And yes, we're still on track for our 100-push-up challenge. (It's Day 47. Have you done your 47 push-ups today?)

Friday's Workout

For time, three rounds of "Barbara":

• 20 Pull-ups
• 30 Push-ups
• 40 Abmat Sit-ups
• 50 Squats

Between each round, rest precisely three minutes.

That doesn't sound too bad, right? After all, it's only three rounds -- not the full five. Plus, it's all bodyweight stuff -- my favorite.

I got off to a quick start, finishing all the movements unbroken in the first round. At the 3:15 mark, I paused to take my first three-minute break.

Weirdly enough, three minutes of rest felt like an eternity. Part of me wanted to just jump right back onto the pull-up bar and keep cranking, but instead, I paced around, feeling my energy sap away as the seconds ticked by.

By the time I started the second round, my momentum was slowing. Although I did my pull-ups, sit-ups and squats without stopping, my push-ups were...problematic. (In other words: SLOOOOOW.)

In the third round, after another three-minute pause between rounds, I was even more beat. Mentally, it was tough to get back to the pull-up bar and will myself to complete the third and final round. I did it, but once again, the push-ups were slow going. Although I was in the lead for most of the workout, the Terminator edged past me as I repeatedly paused for air during the last set of push-ups. I raced through the sit-ups and squats as speedily as possible, but the cyborg beat me by a few seconds. Argh.

Result: 19:13 as RXed (including 6 minutes of rest time).

Hoo, boy. I'm going to feel this tomorrow.

Friday's Workout

With Tim on vacation, Trish led us through the workout yesterday. Afterwards, she remarked that the 5 a.m. class was extremely "coachable" -- i.e., we follow instructions well.

"It's 'cause we're not awake enough to fight back," I told her.

Strength Skill:

• Strict Presses (3-3-1-1-1)

Despite a couple of attempts at setting a new PR, I failed. It appears my max is holding firm at 120 pounds for a little while longer.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 15 minutes:

• 9 deadlifts (155lbs / 100lbs)
• 12 Games push-ups
• 15 box jumps (24" / 20")

This was a reprise of the second workout of last year's CrossFit Games Open, and I did nowhere near as well as some of the firebreathers who tackled 11.2. The deadlifts were fine -- I made sure to tap 'n go to keep momentum on my side. The box jumps weren't too bad, either. But the push-ups? Not so much.  I cruised through the first few rounds, but early in the fifth round, I suddenly hit a wall and couldn't muster more than two or three push-ups at a time.

At coffee after class with Trish and XFitMama, I griped about my strict presses and push-ups. "Do a 100 push-up challenge," Trish suggested. It was a great idea, and we all signed on. The rules are simple: Do one push-up on Day One, two push-ups on Day Two, three on Day Three, and so on. One more wrinkle: I'm going to try to do 'em all at once rather than spacing out the push-ups throughout the day. This shouldn't get hard until Day 50 or so, but I'm fine with starting at 1 for now. I need a few weeks to get my stress levels down anyway.

Memorial Day Murph

Along with scores of CrossFitters everywhere, the crew at CrossFit Palo Alto did Murph today.

For time:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 squats
• 1 mile run

The workout must start and end with a one-mile run, but the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats can be broken up and done in whichever order you choose.

The usual strategy is to do 20 rounds of Cindy -- 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats -- but I decided to take another approach today. I inserted some squats between the pull-ups and push-ups to give my arms a breather, and also told myself I'd pop up and do more squats once my push-ups began to fail (rather than waste time struggling to eke out singles).

Did it work? Sort of. It felt good to keep moving, and it helped stave off the frustration that comes with trying (and failing) to string together a few push-ups. On the other hand, all the transitions between movements were a huge time-suck.

Result: 41:20 as RXed. Or was it 42:10? Either way, my time was several minutes slower than my last go at Memorial Day Murph, which is disappointing.

Still, this workout is one of my all-time favorites -- especially given that it's one that everyone at the gym can experience together.

(Note: I may be singing an entirely different tune when I wake up tomorrow and find myself unable to move.)

Wednesday's Workout

A fantastic one today.

Strength Skill:

• Deadlifts (5-5-3-3-3)

I wrote about the history of the "Health Lift" yesterday, and lo and behold, deadlifts were on today's menu. I must be psychic.

Although I still harbor a bit of skittishness stemming from my back issues, I really enjoy deadlifts. I love the straightforwardness of the movement: Load your hammies, tighten your midsection, grab a heavy barbell, and stand up with it.

After a couple of sets, I took of my shoes and did the rest barefoot. I find that as I add more weight to my lifts, my knees tend to cave inward instead of bracing outward, and going shoeless helped remind me to push off my heels and avoid shifting my weight towards my instep. It worked, and I managed to keep my knees from buckling in.

It's weird to reflect on how much joy I derive from little things like that.

Metcon:

• 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 10 Games-standard push-ups
• 9 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 9 Games-standard push-ups
• 8 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 8 Games-standard push-ups
• 7 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 7 Games-standard push-ups
• 6 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 6 Games-standard push-ups
• 5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 5 Games-standard push-ups
• 4 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 4 Games-standard push-ups
• 3 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 3 Games-standard push-ups
• 2 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 2 Games-standard push-ups
• 1 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 1 Games-standard push-ups

Stupidly, at the beginning, I thought this workout was going to be too easy. After all, I love fast bodyweight workouts. I ended up cranking through the first two rounds of chest-to-bar pull-ups uninterrupted, and gutting out all the push-ups without taking any mid-set breaks.

Still, there's a world of difference between pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups, and between push-ups and Games-standard push-ups. The delta may be a matter of just a few inches, but those few inches are murder. Sweet, sweet murder.

Result: 5:51 as RXed.

Friday's Workout

A lot can happen in two days.

Between Wednesday's workout and today's:

• We finished the Nom Nom Paleo iPad app after months of intensive work, and submitted it to Apple for review;
• I sat in a plane on the tarmac for an hour and a terminal for two hours before being told that my flight to Southern California (for work) was grounded.
• I was booked on another flight, only to be told at midnight that it, too, was canceled.
• I drove home and collapsed -- only to be jolted awake a few hours later by my wife, who had awakened to a the sounds of water gushing out from below our kitchen sink. Three-quarters of our house was covered by a half-inch of water.
• We bailed water like crazy.
• An emergency crew came over and started tearing out our hardwood floors and baseboards.
• We packed up our stuff and moved into a hotel. The insurance company has us booked here for a month.
• Oh, and Big-O had a Little League game.

I'm a little tired.

But I was looking forward to getting back in the gym so I could work off some of the stress I'd accumulated.

Strength Skill:

• Turkish Get-Ups (1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3)

This morning, I didn't feel super-stable in my shoulders, and found my arm wobbling a bit. Perhaps my shoulders are still fried from Monday's and Wednesday's workouts, but then again, maybe I just need to get stronger.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 8 minutes:

• 21 chest-high kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 15 push-ups
• 9 toes-to-bar

The swings and push-ups weren't too awful, but my toes-to-bar were slow as mud. I need to figure out a better way to generate momentum at the finish of each rep; right now, I end up in a dead hang position, which forces me to initiate a big wind-up before continuing onto the next rep.

Result: 5 rounds + 1 rep as RXed.

I tried but ultimately failed to catch the Terminator, who ended up with 8 more reps than me. Such is the way of things, I guess. It's a comforting reminder that even when life throws you for a loop, some things never change.

On tap for tomorrow: The Whole9 Foundations of Nutrition Seminar at CrossFit Palo Alto! And another Little League game.

Wednesday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Weighted Pull-ups (5-3-3-1-1, with 10 push-ups between sets)

I think I've pinpointed the reason why a dull ache still plagues my upper arms. It ain't 'cause of the gazillion push-presses from last week. It's from those damned diamond push-ups I did in-between sets of pull-ups last Wednesday.

This morning, my bad case of DOMS was finally subsiding, so despite my chronic lack of sleep, I happily drove to the gym for our morning beatdown. I enjoy doing weighted pull-ups, and was looking forward to doing more.

But just like last week, we did 10 push-ups between each set of pull-ups. Tim allowed us to pick the types of pull-up variations we wanted to do, so I did some decline push-ups, some medicine ball push-ups, some spiderman push-ups, some parallette push-ups, and some more of those nasty diamond push-ups. They didn't feel bad in the moment -- but a few hours later, I could feel the creeping ache in my triceps. And reaching way, waaaay back in the recesses of my brain, I pulled out a vague memory of how I used to do diamond push-ups as part of my P90X regimen, and how my arms always felt wrecked afterwards.

I've come full circle.

Metcon:

• 21 box jumps (24")
• 21 kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls (32kg / 24kg)
• 21 kettlebell swing - catch - squats (32kg / 24kg)
• 15 box jumps (24")
• 15 kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls (32kg / 24kg)
• 15 kettlebell swing - catch - squats (32kg / 24kg)
• 9 box jumps (24")
• 9 kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls (32kg / 24kg)
• 9 kettlebell swing - catch - squats (32kg / 24kg)

What's a swing-catch-squat, you ask? Good question. It involves swinging a kettlebell up, releasing the handle and catching the kettlebell upside-down, performing a goblet squat, and then pushing the iron ball away from you and catching it by the handle to start another swing. It's both easier and harder than it looks.

On the one hand, this movement isn't altogether unfamiliar. It feels a bit like a barbell clean.

On the other hand: Holy crap. I'm not very physically coordinated to begin with, but ask me to perform anything technically demanding at 5 a.m. and you're in for some entertainment.

For today's workout, I used a 24-inch box for my jumps, but I scaled down the kettlebell weights. I used a 24kg KB for the sumo deadlift high pulls, and a 20kg KB for the swing-catch-squats. (You know who else used a 20kg kettlebell? XFitMama. She's a beast.)

It wasn't exactly a cakewalk -- I had a helluva time trying to catch the damned kettlebell -- but I got through the workout okay. Frankly, I'm just happy I didn't cave in my face with a big-ass metal ball.

Result: 8:34 as RXed.

Wednesday's Workout

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. this morning, and couldn't get back to sleep. After another half-hour of tossing and turning, I got up, made myself some coffee, turned on the laptop, and started emailing our app development team in Bangalore. And in just a few minutes, I was hopped up on caffeine. By the time I got to CrossFit Palo Alto, I was wide awake.

Strength Skill:

• Weighted Strict Pull-Ups (5-5-3-3-3, with 10 pushups after each set)

Even with just a 20 pound dumbbell jammed into my crotch, I struggled to get my chin over the bar this morning -- kind of pathetic given that my PR is almost three times that weight. I'm going to blame it on the lack of sleep, but the real culprit is my lack of practice. I used to do pull-ups whenever I walked into our garage, but I haven't even glanced at the pull-up bar lately.

I need more hours in the day.

Metcon:

J.Ho: This picture's for you.

AMRAP in 6 minutes of:

• 16 medicine ball snatches (20# / 14#)
• 16 medicine ball V-ups

Rest 1 minute, then:

AMRAP in 6 minutes of:

• 16 wall balls
• 16 medicine ball twists

It didn't look so bad on the whiteboard. I'd never done med ball snatches before, but they looked doable. So did the twists -- despite the fact that they reminded me of this unholy business:

The first 6-minute AMRAP was tiring, but I felt good. The V-ups slowed me down, but I quickly got the hang of the snatches.

The second 6-minute AMRAP? Horrible -- mostly because wall balls continue to magically suck the energy out of my body. Still, I was able to make up some time on the twists, which came fast and smooth (for the most part).

Result: 7 rounds plus 17 reps as RXed.

Wow. I just spent 30 minutes writing this post. My brain is shutting down. Time to sleep!

Monday's Workout

It was freezing cold this morning, but I got warm fast.

Strength Skill:

• Thrusters (5-5-3-3-1)

I paired up with Jay today, and managed to work my way up to 135 pounds (my bodyweight). Still, I didn't match my previous PR -- and I think I had a bit left in the tank. I guess we'll see how much I can put up next week. Jay's looking strong, too -- it was his first day back in a while, but he got a lot of weight overhead.

Metcon:

4 rounds for time:

• 250-meter row
• 10 Games-standard push-ups
• 10 box jumps (20")
• 10 deadlifts (225lbs / 155lbs)

A few months ago, I decided to stop pushing myself to go RXed on heavy, high-rep deadlift WODs. Back in August, I cranked out close to 50 deadlifts at 245 pounds during a metcon, and literally saw stars. I wrote that I was "damned proud" of finishing the workout in under 25 minutes -- but that was before my back seized up. And then in October, after chasing a deadlift PR, I tore a muscle in my lower back. I love deadlifts, and I want to work at getting at them, but right now, I need to be smart about this. I can still challenge myself with a gut-puncher of a workout without going RXed and possibly putting myself out of commission -- right?

Well...I can't say I wasn't tempted to put 225 pounds on the barbell today. I think there's something wrong with me.

Thankfully, I snapped out of it. I put on 165 instead, figuring that the rowing would be bad enough.

And it was.

On the plus side, I got through everything unbroken. On the minus side, I still felt like I'd been hit by a truck afterwards.

Result: 9:54.

New Year's Murph

For weeks, I'd been looking forward to revisiting Murph, the CrossFit "Hero" WOD named for a Navy lieutenant killed in Afghanistan. I've done Murph twice before -- on New Year's Day and Memorial Day this year -- and developed a special love for this grinder of a WOD:

For time:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 squats
• 1 mile run

The one-mile runs must bookend the workout, but the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats can be broken up in whatever manner you choose. I've typically done 20 rounds of Cindy -- 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats -- and intended to do the same today.

CrossFit Palo Alto was packed this morning for New Year's Murph -- so much so that the 9 a.m. session had to be split into two heats so that there'd be enough pull-up bar space for everyone. I was in the second heat, and paced impatiently while the first wave took off running.

When I finally got going, I took off on a dead sprint. The first mile felt great; I hadn't exercised in a few days, and I enjoyed stretching my legs. Likewise, my six or seven rounds of Cindy flew by without any problems. My pull-ups and push-ups were fast and fluid, and I was cranking out air squats as fast as I could.

My pull-ups and squats remained strong throughout the workout, but my push-ups broke down sooner than expected. I'm used to being able to get through a good 10 to 12 rounds of Cindy before my arms turn to jelly, but before I was halfway through the WOD, I hit a wall. Suddenly, I couldn't perform more than a handful of push-ups at a time, so I ended up changing my approach. Instead of doing 10 consecutive push-ups in Cindy-like fashion, I started breaking them up: 5 push-ups, then 15 air squats, then back on the ground to finish the push-ups.

I need to be more like this little guy:



When I got back on my feet to complete my final one-mile run, my dead arms dangled loosely at my sides. The last half-mile was painful -- I had a side stitch (which I never, ever get), and stopped to double over a few times. Ugh.

Result: 41:30 as RXed -- three minutes slower than my previous effort. I still love Murph for its bodyweight-focused movements, and I had a fantastic time working out with some of my favorite people at CrossFit Palo Alto -- but I'm a bit disappointed in my time.

Thankfully, there's always next year. And next year starts tomorrow.

Monday's Workout

I'm a little exhausted. Work has been crazy, and the holidays (and multiple birthdays in our family) have ratcheted up my stress levels. Vacation's still a week away, and my to-do list is as long as my arm. To top it off, M and I have been insanely busy cooking up some Nom Nom Paleo-related stuff. But I'm keeping my priorities straight: Come Monday morning, I'm at CrossFit Palo Alto.

Strength Skill:

• Deadlifts (5-5-5-3-3)

My back's feeling fine, but given how I felt just a few weeks ago, I was much more tentative than usual. Rather than shooting aggressively for a new PR, I started light and stayed light, lifting just a fraction of my personal best. I'll eventually work my way back up, but for now, I'm going to play it safe, and settle for watching my classmates set new benchmarks. (Jake's new deadlift PR: 405 pounds!)

Metcon:

• Row 500 meters
• 50 air squats
• 40 Games standard push-ups
• 30 overhead kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 20 pull-ups
• 10 toes-to-bar

Despite my antipathy for the erg, the 500-meter row wasn't too bad. I quickly settled into a steady rhythm, and finished with enough pep in my step to get through the air squats unbroken. (High five!) The push-ups proved to be a bigger challenge; try as I might, I couldn't string together all 40 in a row. I had to break the last 15 or so into mini-sets of a few at a time.

The kettlebell swings weren't any easier, but I was determined to blaze through 'em. After 20 or so, I desperately wanted to drop the kettlebell, but didn't. I hit my goal of 30 swings in a row -- but as I grabbed the pull-up bar, fully intending to crank out the last two exercises, I realized that MY GRIP STRENGTH WAS GONE.

As a result, the pull-ups took a bit longer than usual, and so did the toes-to-bar. My forearms were on fire by the end of the WOD.

Result: 9:07 as RXed.

Later in the day, I popped into a local health center for a much-needed massage. My masseuse spent a good chunk of time on my forearms, kneading them with her (insanely strong) hands and knuckles.

"Your hands and wrists and forearms are all knotted up," she said. "You're spending too much time at the computer. Try doing some exercise -- it might help."

Haw, haw.

One More Time

I woke up less sore than I thought I'd be, so I headed back to Lahaina CrossFit to squeeze in one last workout before leaving the island.

Warm-Up:

• Row 500 meters
• 20 kettlebell swings
• 20 air squats
• 20 push-ups
• 20 push-presses
• 20 wall balls
• 20 pull-ups
• 20 lunges

We had fifteen minutes to complete the warm-up, which was plenty of time to finish all eight of the warm-up exercises. I was pretty sweaty by the end, though. And while I've never been a huge fan of the "Your Workout Is My Warm-Up" line, it felt apropos this morning.

Strength Skill:

• Push Jerks (5-5-3-3-1-1)

"We're not aiming for a one-rep-max today," Anthony said at the start of the workout. "We're just working on technique."

Nice. My form is rusty, and I couldn't remember my PR anyway. Once I got close to jerking my bodyweight, I called it a day.

Metcon:

"Baker's Dozen" - AMRAP in 13 minutes of:

• 13 kettlebell swings (53lbs / 35lbs)
• 13 kettlebell sumo deadlift high pulls (53lbs / 35lbs)
• 13 toes-to-bar
• 13 burpees

Lucky thirteen. This was a doozy; after ripping through the kettlebell swings and SDHPs, trying to hang on for the toes-to-bar was a special kind of hell. It was enough to make me almost -- almost -- look forward to the burpees.

Result: 4 rounds + 40 reps as RXed.

After class, I lingered to chat with S and K, a super-fit couple in the 8 a.m. class at Lahaina CrossFit. We ran into them last night at the Old Lahaina Luau, where they work. Our family was wowed by S's beautiful hula dancing, and bowled over by K's gregarious charm. (Photos from our luau experience are on M's blog.) They're also two of the most friendly and inviting folks we've met on an island full of generous, warm people, and it was great getting to know them better.



You wouldn't ever know it from looking at him, but K told me that not too long ago, he was over 40 pounds heavier. Then, he and S started doing P90X (8 rounds!) and Insanity, and then moved onto CrossFit. Now, they're looking into Paleo. Sound familiar? I wish I could say that I'm just like S and K, but that would be wishful thinking; I could only hope to be as fit and strong (and nice!) as these two.

Maybe it's something in the water here. Or maybe I should move here to Maui and see if some of the mojo rubs off on me.

Visiting Lahaina CrossFit

After three days of lazily snorkeling, sitting by the pool, and stuffing my face, I was glad to get back into a CrossFit gym.

Lahaina CrossFit sits on a hill just east of the little shopping area around the Cannery Mall on Honoapiilani Highway. It's smack-dab in the middle of a number of spots that we regularly hit when we visit Maui: Star Noodle, Mala Ocean Tavern, Aloha Mixed Plate, the big grocery store that used to be called Lahaina Farms -- West Maui's version of Whole Foods -- but was later sold and is now just a gussied-up Foodland. Hence, getting to the box from our place in Ka'anapali is no sweat.

Anthony Bianucci founded Lahaina CrossFit about a year-and-a-half-ago, and for me, the timing couldn't have been better. I had started doing CrossFit at roughly the same time, so when we made our annual trip to Maui, I was on the hunt for the closest affiliate. I found Anthony's place -- at the time, the box was so brand-spankin' new that it didn't even have bars and bumper plates yet -- and threw myself into a number of WODs during my vacation:

• Monday: Power cleans, floor presses, kettlebell swings and running.
• Tuesday: Pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, squats.
• Wednesday: Double-unders, pull-ups, dumbbell snatches, kettlebell swings, box jumps, push-presses.
• Friday: Overhead squats, clean & jerks, box jumps. (This workout still stands as my fastest-ever metcon, with a time of two-and-a-half minutes.)

In four workouts, we got the kitchen sink. It was fun and challenging, and Anthony's positive energy helped get me through the humid weather and ass-kicking WODs. When I finished my final workout at Lahaina CrossFit last November, I knew I'd be coming back.

More after the jump...

Friday's Workout: Time After Time

Last November, the morning after returning from our annual sojourn to Maui, we were treated to time trials at CrossFit Palo Alto.

This November, we're revisiting time trials right before my vacation. I think I prefer it this way; instead of ending a nice, relaxing beach holiday with a butt-kicker of a workout, I'm starting it with one.

With time trials, the name of the game is to go all-out in each of six different exercises -- with a few minutes of rest in-between -- in order to establish benchmark times. On the menu:

• 400 meter run
• 500 meter row
• 50 pull-ups
• 50 push-ups
• 50 Abmat sit-ups
• 50 air squats

Last time, I did 'em in order, which meant I was so gassed from the running and rowing that I could barely muster the energy to do the rest of the bodyweight movements. Today, I decided to tackle the squats, pull-ups and push-ups first. Given that I'm not yet 100 percent, I certainly didn't want to start with a heart-pounding sprint and row, only to struggle through my beloved bodyweight exercises.

My strategy worked -- sort of. Relative to a year ago, I did better on my squats, pull-ups, and Abmat sit-ups, and my overall time improved. I was happiest about shaving my pull-up time in half. (It obviously helped that I didn't try to do 'em right after rowing.)

On the flip side, my running was a lot slower this time around, which wasn't a total surprise. To begin with, I'm kind of a terrible runner. But I also made a conscious decision to hold back juuuuust in case a sprint might exacerbate my back and/or ankle issues. I lost 13 seconds.

Next time, I'm going to do the run before the push-ups; that way, my arms'll have more time to recover from the pull-ups, and I might have more pep to my step during my 400-meter dash. (That's what M did today. Smart girl.)

Results:

• 50 air squats: 0:46 (versus 0:52 in November of 2010)
• 50 pull-ups: 1:43 (versus 3:25)
• 50 push-ups: 1:08 (versus 1:02)
• 400 meter run: 1:38 (versus 1:25)
• 50 Abmat sit-ups: 1:05 (versus 1:16)
• 500 meter row: 1:49.5 (versus 1:47.2)

Total: 8:09.5 as RXed (versus 9:47.2 as RXed last November).

I improved by a minute-and-a-half overall, but the best measure of progress? I felt fine afterwards.

Doin' Pushups

Just remember: This is not a fitness video. It's just a guy who likes doing push-ups.

For reeeeeal!™

Wednesday's Workout: 50% Off

Believe it or not, I managed to rein in my appetite this morning. It was a "50% off" kind of day.

My back felt okay as I stepped into the gym at 5 a.m., but I reminded myself to fight the usual urge to push myself. My goal over the course of the next month is simple: To recover. I'm going to focus on mobility, and resist the temptation to go heavy on strength work and metcons. Think I can do it?

Strength Skill:

• Deadlifts (5-3-3-1-1)

Instead of loading up the barbell, I cut my normal weight in half and did bodyweight deadlifts. And instead of five sets, I just did three sets of three. In other words: Super-light, super-short. It was just enough to get me moving a little bit, but not nearly enough to strain anything.

Metcon:

"Half-Cindy" -- in 10 minutes, as many rounds as possible of:

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

I'm a huge fan of bodyweight workouts, and Cindy's the queen of 'em all. We've done a number of different variations on Cindy -- including Murph -- and I've loved all of them. And today, with doctor's orders not to go heavy, a short 10-minute bodyweight metcon couldn't have been more perfect. Before the clock started, I gingerly tested out each of the movements. None of them bothered me in the slightest, so I happily joined the rest of the class.

The workout was fun -- my pull-ups were strong and smooth, and the push-ups felt good and fast, too -- at least for the first five rounds or so. Towards the end, I had to take brief pauses after every 4 or 5 push-ups and squats, but my pull-ups never slowed.

And best of all, my back felt looser afterwards than it has in days.

Result: 11 rounds + 16 reps as RXed.

Friday's Workout

Let them eat cake frittata.

As a birthday gift to myself, I was going to treat myself to a blogcation tonight, but my obsessive-compulsive side won't let me take a break from posting this morning's workout. As a compromise, I've promised myself that I'll keep this post super-short.

Strength Skill:

• Strict Weighted Pull-Ups (3-3-1-1-1)

Felt fine at 45 pounds + bodyweight. Need to go heavier next time.

Metcon:

AMRAP: 4 rounds of 3 minutes (with 1 minute break in-between rounds):

• 3 power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 6 push-ups
• 9 squats

When we last did this workout (over a year ago!), I was just a few weeks into CrossFit, and power cleaned with a light weight. Today, I went RXed just to see if I could do a bunch of cleans with a barbell loaded with the equivalent of my bodyweight. It was a struggle (especially doing 'em immediately after finishing a set of squats), but I pulled it off.

Next: I want to see if I can establish a higher 1 rep max.

Result: 13 rounds + 10 reps as RXed.

One last thing: At the end of the WOD, a police office showed up in response to a noise complaint by a neighbor. Fitting, I guess. Every birthday should include a cop telling you to keep it down.

Your Grandfather Was Tougher Than You

Earlier this month, the Art of Manliness published an article about the Army Ground Forces Test -- the formal fitness test used by the U.S. Army during World War II. To whip soldiers into shape for combat, the Army had incorporated a physical development program into its basic training course, and beginning in 1942, participants were tested to determine the program's effectiveness.

The test included squat jumps, sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and a 300 yard run. The emphasis was on functional fitness and giving American GI’s the strength, mobility, and endurance they would need to tackle real tasks on the battlefield.

In 1946, a Physical Training School was created at Fort Bragg with the mission of exploring how to take the goal of functional fitness farther. The training program developed at the school and the fitness test were codified in the 1946 edition of FM 21-20, the Army’s physical training manual.

Basically, Grandpa was doing CrossFit before it was cool.

Visit the Art of Manliness for details about the test's standards and scoring, and see how you match up. But one thing's for sure: The Army's current physical fitness standards aren't what they used to be.

[Previously: Too Fat For Fighting?]

Friday's Workout

"Don't worry if your legs are sore from Wednesday," Tim announced this morning during our warmups. "You won't be using 'em to lift today." I heard a couple of people sigh with relief, but I already knew what he had in store for us:

For time:

• Run 400 meters
• 21-15-9:
  
  • Handstand push-ups
  • Ring dips
  • Push-ups
• Row 500 meters

This looked virtually identical to the "JT Sandwich" WOD we did a few months back. In March, it had taken me over 22 minutes to complete this workout.

"I can do better'n that," I muttered under my breath. But I'm not sure I believed it.

In the end, I certainly didn't break any land speed records today, and my arms are now just as wrecked as my legs, but I shaved more than two minutes off my previous time. The difference? I FINALLY STARTED KIPPING THE HANDSTAND PUSH-UPS.



Until today, I'd insisted on doing strict HSPUs, but after watching the Terminator rock 'em out with explosive kips, I knew I had to give 'em a shot if I were to have any shot at beating him. I didn't, of course -- he beat me by over two and a half minutes! -- but I was happy to finish in under 20 minutes nonetheless.

Result: 19:52 as RXed.