10 Dec
Turn and face the strain.
As you can see, I have a brand new layout for the blog. The old one was too cluttered and “personal” looking. I like this one because it’s bright, clean, and professional. Who knows, I might even start blogging again. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!
Now to find a suitable logo. Not that this theme isn’t “Bueno” or anything…
30 Jul
A pure strength day. I need these the most, especially for my upper body. I am satisfied with almost all my lower-body movements except my squat. It’s time to meet some goals here!
This was good for me. For some reason my shoulder is feeling awfully good lately, so I decided to cautiously step on the accelerator today. My reward was a 20lb PRs in the shoulder press!I am sure that the other two movements would have resulted in PRs as well, but I don’t think I have ever done them as part of a weight tracking workout. I’d have to say that I’ve probably never push-jerked more than 135, so I’ll consider that one a hefty PR as well!
This workout again revealed a weakness of mine. At this point I would like to have at least a 145 shoulder press and 155 push jerk. At least now I know where I stand in relation to those goals, and at least I’m getting stronger.
I thought I was safe, since my birthday had actually been on Tuesday, not a workout day for me. However, JDP let my birthday workout age like fine wine, albeit only for one day. I was actually looking forward to the day’s workout (a beastly combo of pull-ups and C2 Rowing), but instead to celebrate my birthday we did the ‘30 Candles’ workout. For Time:
I finished in 18:27. This was a brutal fucking workout, since two of those three lifts (deadlifts are my bread and butter) are two of my worst movements. The front squat puts the bar square on the acrimons that I separated (shoulder is doing better every week!), and the push-jerks were the heaviest I’ve done in a sustained matter (and exposed my upper body weakness yet again). I will go ahead and call the 135lb front squat a personal best, even though I’m pretty sure I’ve done heavier, and could do heavier. This is just my ‘official’ Personal Record.
All in all I pushed myself very hard on this workout, maybe because it was custom made for me. However, I have noticed that I am able to more comfortably push myself to my limits on a daily/weekly basis. That’s what tracking workouts has done for me. Every workout I get a sense of satisfaction from increasing what I do a little bit more, and also a sense of having been able to do more. It presses me onwards.
A workout that seemed to hone in on several of my weaknesses. For Time:
My time was 16:24 as RX. The best time in my class (and I believe almost the best of the day) was of a very well-balanced athlete who got 13:00 straight.
As I’ve said other places, I consider my overall upper body strength to not match that of my lower body. It makes sense; 20 years of martial arts has trained my flexibility, static strength, and dynamic strength (if not absolute strength) of my legs through katas, stances, kicks, movement, etc, while doing not-too-much for the strength of my upper body. Of course since starting Crossfit, I’m far, far stronger in every way, but my upper body is still lagging behind somewhat.
The squat cleans were not very hard at all (I still give up too easily though!), but I found myself doing the pull-ups in 2 rep sets, and even had a few incomplete reps. Seeing as I can do 26+ kipping pull-ups in a row, it is easy to see that it’s the lower body movement and impetus that’s propelling the success of that endeavor! The secret then: do more strict pull-ups!
To add to the thoughts of a previous post: That’s another reason that timing one’s workouts is useful. It lets you know (with coarse granularity) what you need work at, and that really is the interesting thing about all these workouts. Depending on the skills and movements involved, one person can get the best time on one day, and fall far behind the pack on the next.
No class on Friday; I am attending a good friend’s wedding!
16 Jun
An important week for me! Saturday is the Spartan 300 Challenge finale. I’ve made some huge leaps and hit many of the goals for which I was aiming. The 400lb deadlift felt really good to hit. Not only was it a 30lb PR, but it was a specific goal of mine for the 6-week period! I also wanted 30 consecutive pullups, and I did get 20 last week, so I do believe that with a concerted effort, I could get 30! We’ll see if I reached my <8% body fat goal (which isn’t incredibly important to me, just a “let’s see if I can do it” sort of thing) during the weigh ins and measurements.
This week I really have to keep the diet under control and get adequate sleep and rest/recovery. I am signed up for the Level 1 challenge on Saturday (10:30, if anyone wants to watch…). I did sub-15 minutes on the level 2 during the beginning of the challenge, so I just don’t have too much more to prove there. I am going to enter the level 1 challenge with a little trepidation. I feel that it’s MUCH more difficult than the level 2, and I am going to take JDP’s advice and pretend like I already have it. I can’t afford to second-guess myself!
Crossfit workout. Brutality defined and refined. Three rounds for time:
I finished in 13:45 I believe, maybe a minute quicker. Better to assume slower than faster, and try harder next time! This was a brutal workout. Kettlebell swings leech the life and vitality from you like nothing else.
Spartan 300 Challenge Workout:
More difficult than it looks but also quick. I finished in 6:35, with all pull-ups on rings. My time was too slow for my liking but I have an unfortunate penchant for not pushing myself as hard when I’m solo. I must overcome this. I wanted 5 minutes on this workout. I saw several areas for improvement. Over the 6 weeks after this challenge, I will be going through all the workouts again, to try and get more out of them than I did this time around. This was my first Crossfit challenge, so I’ll do better on my next one. Fight Gone Bad IV, anyone???
“Heavy, Running Grace”. This was a beastly workout. It was a “Heavy” (20lb extra on the bar) “Running” (phases punctuated by a 400m run) “Grace” (30 Squat Clean and Jerk) for time. This challenged both my metabolism and strength to the extreme. On a side note, we had the priviledge of having Crossfit Central Affiliate Team member Kris Kepler work out with us. It’s humbling seeing a master at work. He finished the workout 4.5 minutes faster and 40lbs heavier than I did. Pretty amazing stuff. Three Rounds for Time:
I finished in 15:43, completely exhausted.
There was an interesting question posed to the class over whether it is better to do a workout lighter and with perfect form, or heavier with compromised form. I responded on Central’s blog entry like this:
It seems to me that the optimal weight is just enough to finish the workout in time.
I think there was an article about scaling in Crossfit Journal a week or so ago. As it turns out, if you go with a lighter weight and complete the workout faster, your energy expenditure is actually more than if you had done full or RX weight and taken a longer time to finish the workout.
In terms of form vs. Weight, I consider proper form to be very important. If you constantly increase your weight without considering your form and technique, you are not only reinforcing bad habits, but as above, you might not even be getting as good a workout.
I think the correct answer is to increase weight just until the point your form begins to break down, then remove a little. At some point it becomes impossible to increase weight without compromising form and correctness. I don’t think that is a bad thing, but it should be an informed decision: “You have to know the rules well enough to break them”.
To elaborate on my thoughts there, I believe there is a point where adding more weight is a long-term detrement in exchange for short-term gains. as we see in this Crossfit Journal article, it is often a faustian bargain to always go RX weight, as this can compromise both the safety and efficacy of a workout. There is no question that for those capable of getting the most out of an RX workout, those persons should do an RX workout, but for many, including myself, the greater gains are made from scaling down the weight and concentrating on form and maximal energy output per unit of time.
I believe that since my shoulder injury, I have been just a touch too conservative with the weight, but I am still new at this, and exploring my boundaries.
I will let this workout speak for itself:
Gross! This workout was a nightmare. I have been working on my pullups, but chest-to-bar is a whole other ballgame. I stalled out rather early, dissappointingly enough (much to my chagrin, I was the last off of the pull-up bar), but I made up a lot of time on the burpees, finishing a close second or third with 10:10 RX. For a comparison, this was a workout at the “Hell’s Half Acre” qualifiers, and I believe that the best time was a stunning 3.5 or so minutes. Amazing.
This workout examplified some of the great things about CrossFit for me, it scales to fit all fitness levels, and there’s always room for improvement. In my case, 7 minutes worth, and that’s just for this workout.
I sat out this conditioning class workout, since I wanted a rest day before the Spartan 300 Challenge workout on Saturday. I’m pretty proud of this workout, and I think it’s very representative of what kung-fu conditioning workouts should be. It’s very metabolic but has a good strength component, and was easily scaled for different skill/conditioning levels. The after workout was one of my favorite stand-bys. The strategy was to exhaust the core during the main workout, and then finish the job after a little rest.
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
I gave the option of stationary or walking lunges. I was pleased to note everyone mixed it up, and received the feedback that the walking ones were easier on peoples’ knees. Interesting.
After workout. Three Rounds:
This is an instant classic. I will have to tell my Crossfit coach about it 
. It does take more time than we usually have for Crossfit after workouts, but might be idea for a shorter WOD day.
2 Jun
I fell off the blogging wagon again. I never really have had a lot of confidence in my ability to think up interesting things to write about, so instead, here’s some workouts and quick thoughts to fill up the space. Oh yeah, I guess I should get back on that food log too.
I’ve decided to cut some time wasters out of my life – Facebook, Twitter, IM – at least temporarily. It’s worked well for me when I’ve done it in the past. I accomplish more, and bad things that seem so immediate when I have information at my fingertips drastically reduce in importance. It’s almost magical. I can concentrate on myself and improving at things that I love and need, instead of frittering away time, reading things that concern me or that I obsess over, but are of no value to my life.
I saw the movie Up this weekend. It is a beautiful, multi-layered masterpiece. At it’s heart, I believe it is about letting go of things that weigh our lives down, that are no longer relevant to us. There is a scene in the movie where the main character jettisons from his house various flotsam and jetsam he has accumulated over his life, so that he can once again take to the skies.
I think all of our lives are a lot like that. We misplace our concerns and put so much value on things that are well past their sell-by date. I couldn’t help but feel very strongly connected in that way to Carl (the movie’s character). I become very strongly attached to people, friendships, relationships, and things that are no longer beneficial to me, merely because of how much prior emotional investment I’ve had in them. They are a comfort to me at the same time they are a consternation. Well, as we know, it’s easy to throw good money after bad in that way, and look up and years have passed.
There was a quote I read a while back. Now that I do a web search, I realize it’s apparently from a graphic designer named Milton Glaser:
…And the important thing that I can tell you is that there is a test to determine whether someone is toxic or nourishing in your relationship with them. Here is the test: You have spent some time with this person, either you have a drink or go for dinner or you go to a ball game. It doesn’t matter very much but at the end of that time you observe whether you are more energized or less energized. Whether you are tired or whether you are exhilarated. If you are more tired then you have been poisoned. If you have more energy you have been nourished. The test is almost infallible and I suggest that you use it for the rest of your life.
I decided to take that advice to heart, and really think about what energizes me and what drains me, and I’ve spent the last few days pondering this very subject, and agonizing over this thought and that. The sad fact of the matter is that there are quite a few draining influences in my life, and they’re mostly people.
I think that for me, the toxic people who Glaser refers to are energy vampires, the ones who greet my enthusiasm with a tempered scorn, or deflect what positive energy I can muster up with a frown, or some strategically placed skepticism. They would rather be “right” than happy, and revel in their misery, as though it makes them more virtuous. To try and share in their happiness is impossible, for they have little of their own. To try and help them find the happiness they deserve is impossible, it is like filling a sieve. It stays empty and exhausts the person who pours out their positive energy.
Due to some events in my life and childhood, I’ve always had a difficult time being positive. For the first time in my life (due to a combination of factors), I feel like those dark clouds are being blown away from my life by some fairly strong winds of change. It is by the sun shining – at last- through these clouds that I’ve come to see some of the people in my life under the light of the day. Their hard edges are accentuated by the light, not softened by shadows, and worse, they seem to squint and despise the same light that is finally washing over my life. These days, my friendliness is met with nods and head shakes, as if my words and concern merit not even words in return. My positive feelings and loving concern met with indifference, scorn, and a disrespectful brush-off. Apparently I don’t merit an explanation. Your contempt for me is manifest. Did you think I would put up with it? I’m sick of your shit, at long last.
A group of people who I once felt (ah, alright, still feel) close to have taken it upon themselves to start a pity-party circle jerk about me. Whispering about my dedication and my loyalty, but too cowardly to say it to my face. Are these the same people around whom I once felt invigorated? Now merely thinking about the bile coming out of their mouths just drains me. One good measure of a person is how resilient they are when faced with adversity and changing circumstances. I can recall a time when even one of those things would have crushed me and occupied my waking thoughts for days. Now I just feel sorry for them. I know that I deserve better, and I know that I am doing better right now. Maybe that’s why they’re angry. Perhaps they should get angry at themselves instead.
I have a lot to offer as a friend and a resource. I devote so much energy to finding out new and creative ways to do what I do more skillfully and efficiently. I love nothing more than to teach others and toss ideas back and forth. Unfortunately, some people have made it clear they want nothing to do with who I am becoming. Apparently they’d rather talk in high flying theoreticals about skill and practice and the way that things should be, instead of actually doing anything. Well. I’m sick of your shit.
But I can’t worry about what other people do and what other people say about me. I firmly believe that I deserve better, and I’m getting better. So why keep intimacy with those who poison me?
Now, on to the work outs!
A good one! 21-15-9 Reps:
No, not 21-15-9 reps of Row 500m! It was four 500m rows: one to start, one between each HSPU round, and one to finish. I did well on this one, I think. 10:51 or so. I had my feet up on a squat rack for support, as my HSPU skills have declined since my shoulder injury. This was a great workout that was right up my alley!
Crossfit Spartan 300 Workout. Done with my pal Elliot at my kung-fu school. This was a brutal workout that would make a great WOD anytime. Five Rounds for Time:
This was a beast. I’m a pro at double-unders, but this combination of movements makes everything hurt. I managed 9:47 or so with 30lb dumbbells.
Pure agony. Four rounds:
Running is my mortal foe so far, although my times are improving. The ring dips I did with a dark blue band because of my shoulder, although just like the power clean workout, I tried to do them straight through with intensity (I did drop off once or twice!) Burpees, well those are burpees. I finished at about 23 minutes and some change, which impressed me. The runs are just brutal, especially under the hot May sun.
A GREAT workout! I really dug this one to the max, as after so many running WODs, this one offered a brief respite. Although my power cleans aren’t great, I actually really like doing the movement. It’s almost like an ie chin ching for me, and it’s very technically challenging as well. My deadlifts remain my best and favorite lift. My pullups have been improving steadily over the last month as well.
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
I managed six rounds and two of the pullups on the seventh. This was a tough workout that was again, right up my alley. I had 85lb on the bar (up 10lb from my previous power clean best). The deadlifts were clean and smooth as I could do it, as I take pride in them (I can’t wait to blow away my previous best (370)). Pullups remain not my strong suit, but I’m sure working on them. I felt great after this workout!
Friday class time! I had a bright idea: Let’s do “Barbara”! Five Rounds for Time:
Horrible. I gave it a 30 minute cut off and still didn’t finish (I was on the last set of squats). I tried to do mostly pull-ups on the rings, but devolved to jumping pull-ups and ring rows more than a few times! Kudos to the finishers, You guys are warriors.
A new month, a new benchmark. This month it’s Crossfit Total! The last time Total came around, it was just when I had hurt my shoulders, so I didn’t get to register a back squat, only a deadlift (370). My shoulder press was an experimental attempt at 95, so that was my official score. Well, this time I wanted to blow that out of the water. One Rep Max:
My five rep max on the Back Squat is 255 (I expect that to also go up), so I knew that my ORM would be significantly higher. I nailed attempts at 255, 275, and 285, and ended up at 295. Wow not bad!! I failed on a 305 attempt that I will most definitely conquer next time. I’m more than satisfied with my performance!
The shoulder press is another matter entirely. I’m not sure how this exercise can be so difficult, as conceptually, it’s not so bad! Just lift the weight over your head. Easy! Well, with locked knees and no inertia generation, no it ain’t so easy! I nailed attempts at 65 and 85, and BARELY got 95 over my head. The last attempt I nailed was a 115, and then failed on 125. Yikes. Still though, besting my previous injured best by 20lbs results in a thumbs up! Come on shouders, I’m pullin’ for you!
Spartan 300 Challenge Workout! I have a number of options, and I choose the one with double-unders! For Time:
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
I did this one in about 6:43 or so. I did this on my back porch and jumped in my pool immediately afterwards. By all indications of my health and happiness, this is how humans should live their lives! I didn’t feel incredibly exhausted afterwards. I think I left my abmat at my kung-fu school, so the sit-ups weren’t nearly as challenging as they usually are. So, I decided to do another workout. For Time:
50-40-30-20-10 reps of:
This gassed me utterly. I’m not sure if it was the push presses on Monday, but my arms had nothing in them. This workout took me about 16 minutes to complete. Although I feel could have done it much faster, the negative thoughts I outlined above kept intruding into my head and paralyzing me. I eventually shook it off and knocked off the workout, taking a nice refreshing cold shower afterward 300 Double-Unders, 150 Sit-Ups, 150 Push-Ups, in the bag!.
A great day. We finished up total today and had a little fun afterwards. One Rep Max:
I made numerous attempts: 135, 225, 315 for a warm up, then hit the attempts in earnest. My previous best was 370, so I made my first attempt at that, and hit it fairly easily. My second attempt, 385 sent my previous PR out the window as well. Unfortunately, I dropped the bar instead of controlling it on the way down, voiding the attempt. I had one more. Mike A, My parter, and I stuck 395 on the bar, prompting a little good natured ridiculing from my coach. I sheepishly stuck a 2.5lb on each side to make it an even 400. My legs were shaking, but I made it all the way up and controlled it on the way down for a major PR! That brings my Total to 810. Not bad, and I will eventually join the milennium club…
We had a fun little work out afterward in the little remaining time. Taking 70% of our press PR (I put this at 70lb for myself, due to my shoulder), do 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 reps of:
I finished this in 1:15. Not too shabby, and I lost count at one point so I think I repeated one of the sets. Overall a great day.
A smoker! It took me 16:06 to finish seven rounds of:
Despite the running (hehe) I really loved this workout. It seemed to tax all my body’s systems and modalities and all the muscle groups. Weights, pulling, pushing, metcon, check, check, check and check! Now to just start upping the weight. My shoulder is telling me to do that gradually though.
Ah I forgot to mention: I got my first “real” muscle-up today! Truly a week of shattering barriers.
20 May
A few notes:
Crossfit Workout. It was like visiting an old friend! This was my very first Crossfit workout ever, as chronicled here. I noticed that I did not log my initial time in that post, but I happen to remember it: 18:40 or so. It was seared into my brain because of the panic of never having worked out so hard in my life! Things have changed since then:
The workout. Four Rounds For Time:
My time: 14:57. As I noted above, this cuts my time by 20% compared to my first attempt. Now that’s progress. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE:
I completed 25, but I was as strict as I could be given my legs were jelly (I tried to maintain straight legs throughout, etc). The time limit was 5 minutes.
A great workout day!
This is the one of the days when I perform the Spartan 300 Challenge workouts. Never one to suffer alone, I do these at my Kung-Fu school and rope my fellow black belts Elliot and Tommy into doing them with me. I’m sill not sure how many of them to do a week, but I’m currently doing two of the four, with plans to move to three (shoulder allowing).
The workout. Five Rounds For Time:
I made some modifications to the workout:
Hopefully the increased difficulty of the rings and ab-mat made up for watering down the lunges somewhat. I did manage two of the five sets with no jumping pull-ups, and then did as many as I could without resorting to jumping. I did well, but as I noted, my shoulder is feeling it. My time was 9:51. Elliot beat me with a gutsy performace on the rings with a time of 9:23. He DOES weigh 50lb lighter than I do!
Crossfit Workout. I really loved this workout. I think Push-jerks are quickly becoming my favorite lift right behind deadlifts! Five Rounds For Time:
This was a really great workout. As my shoulder is only on it’s road to recovery and not already there (as I have to keep constantly reminding myself), I lowered the weight significantly. I decided to make hay out of this situation by resolving to do each rep with perfect form, high intensity, and without dropping the bar. I accomplished this goal.
I will continue to go up in weight very gradually; I see no reason to be in a rush at all. I want to eventually coach this stuff, and to do that, I have to be healthy, and I have to have the ability to do everything well.
My time was 15:16.
Crossfit Workout. This one actually looked fairly simple on paper, but it was far harder than Wednesday’s WOD, in my opinion. Ten Rounds For Time:
This was a beyotch, for sure. I rattled off 3-4 rounds fairly easily, and was a round and a half ahead of the rest of the field. I quickly gassed after that, but managed to pull through before the cut-off with a time of 19:13. I feel I could have done this more quickly.
Crossfit Spartan 300 Challenge Workout. Three rounds for time:
A bitch. I did one set with 45lbs and then lowered it to 40lb apiece. Thank god for adjustable dumbbells! In retrospect, I probably could have finished it out with 45. My time was 7:39 but that includes 2-3 seconds to grab the weights after I hit start on the stopwatch, as well as the time it took to lower the weights to 40lb. I will follow JDPs advice and commit to a weight next time.
Kung-Fu Conditioning. We further explore the possibilities of the rings. AMRAP 20 Minutes:
I did a few rounds but did not keep track. I am having too much fun motivating my students and correcting their form! We also did a short bag workout, and finished with ie-chin-ching #13. Yum!
11 May
I will be changing my food log format to be weekly. Less post spam.
Breakfast:
Lunch/Snack:
Dinner:
Breakfast:
Lunch (2:30PM):
Dinner (9:00pm):
Breakfast (10:30am):
Post-Crossfit Snack (6:00pm):
Dinner (7:30):
Intermittent fast day until 9:00pm.
Dinner! (9:30pm):
Breakfast:
Lunch/Snack:
Dinner:
One interesting thing I learned this week is that I no longer consider rich restaurant food all that pleasurable, and the after effects are decidedly not pleasurable at all! I have a visceral, probably deeply embedded desire to eat good looking, rich food, so I immediately begin chowing down. About 10 minutes later I really start regretting it. I feel tired, slothful, unenergetic and slow. Despite that, I have trouble getting to sleep.
And despite all of that, I still like eating it, albeit only occasionally!
3 Mar
I’ve taken to updating my Facebook status with the meals that I eat, and received a reply from a friend (hello Sasha:) who was eating “granola and almond milk” at a local vegetarian restaurant called (somewhat perversely) “Mister Natural” (Vegetarians seem to believe (and rather smugly) that they have a monopoly on the term “natural”). Wow, with a name like that, they must serve up food straight from the bosom of Mother Earth.
A peek at their menu reveals the typical list of heavily processed, manufactured fare that comprises the typical vegetarian diet: Tofu (heavily processed soybeans, which are otherwise inedible), seitan (heavily processed wheat gluten), various forms of molded carbohydrate (tortillas, waffles, chips), various “milks” (nutritionally-devoid concoctions made of heavily-processed plants), and the stereotypical granola (heavily processed plant matter with a shitload of sugar to make it palatable). To be fair, they offer the occasional actual food item (salads).
Now, let’s compare that to my breakfast today:
While I’m the first to admit that the feedlot system of raising cattle is one of the most disgusting practices our society has implemented, both morally and nutritionally, it doesn’t HAVE to be that way, for cattle or for chickens. Nor does the process of utilizing our fellow animals have to be as disgusting or immoral as is commonly imagined.
In other words, with respect to “natural”, as one would imagine the word means, the Paleo diet rabbit hole goes down as far as you want it to. Vegetarianism? Veganism? They are self-admitted artificial constructs built on a foundation of that which they eschew in the first place. As my pal and fellow blogger Richard Nikoley says: Shit. Don’t. Eat. It.
Paleolithic: The real “natural” diet.
© 2012 World O’ Hurt. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Wordpress. Designed by 
