Results For High Rep Workouts

I know it has been a while since my last post but I wanted to make it to the end of the 8 weeks of high reps before I posted anything.  Here are my final results from these 8 weeks:

Weight 178lbs (lost 3lbs)
Body Fat 11.8% (gained 1.8%)
Neck-14.75 (down .5)
Chest-41.25 (up .25)
Waist-33 (down .25)
Hips-36.25 (down .75)
Arm-13.875 (down .125)
Thigh-22.25 (up .5)
Calf-14 (same)

Hang Clean 190lbs (same)
Squat 300lbs (down 20lbs)
Bench Press 245lbs (same)
Pull Up Max 20 (same)
Push Ups 50bpm 30 (up 3)
Mile Time 6:48 (down 14sec)

So overall, not much of a difference in the 8 weeks unfortunately.  My strength basically went down and my endurance got alittle bit better.  I ended up losing a few pounds, but unlike my crossfit experiment it looks like I lost some muscle in the process. 

My thoughts on the high rep challenge.  I wasn't a huge fan, which is no surprise.  I don't typically like doing more endurance activities.  Even though my weights were lighter I would get pretty fatigued at the end.  Mentally it was more exhausting as well.  It was much tougher to focus on form knowing I had a lot more reps to do. 

Now I am starting the same exact workout program I did over again but with 5 sets of 6 reps to see what the difference is.  I will let you know how it goes. 

Hip Extension Vs. Back Extension

A quick update about my latest workout war.  I am in phase 2 of my high rep workouts.  They have been going well so far.  I think I may be at my lightest weight I have been in a long time.  These are definitely tougher workouts for me.  I have never really loved high rep workouts but I'm hanging in there.  I'm really looking forward to my lower rep workouts. 

I have noticed the biggest issue is that I am not getting much muscular fatigue with each exercise.  I guess that makes sense though.  It can definitely be a challenge maintaining form through each set.  I'm trying not to focus on how much weight I am lifting and more just on solid form throughout the entire workout. 

Now for a quick topic I thought was worth posting.  I was recently on vacation in Florida and made a few trips to the gym.  I know I'm crazy for working out on vacation, but that's just me.  While working out I saw someone on the roman chair exercise or back extension.  I've noticed in the past if I have ever wanted to do this exercise it was always being used at the gym.  And unfortunately being used poorly. 

Back Extension or Hip Extension?

The biggest mistake people make with this exercise is not realize what it is actually working.  Many people think of this as a backwards crunch or sit up.  They are trying to work the lower back like you work your abs in a crunching exercise.  The problem is the lower back does not work very well with flexion/extension exercises.  It is like bending a wire coat hanger back and forth.  Eventually it will snap.  This particular exercise can put around 4000N or more a force on the back.  For anyone with low back issues this is a huge mistake. 

If you have a healthier back this can be a great exercise.  But do not think of this as a back extension exercise.  It is more of a hip extension exercise.  The muscles of the back are still working but isometrically.  Their job is to hold the spine in place while you complete hip extension.  So in actuality this is more of a glute exercise.  When you lean forward think about hinging at the hip instead of rolling or rounding forward.  As you raise push your hips forward and squeeze the glutes to finish the exercise. 

By doing this you will increase glute work and decrease the load placed on the back.  The back musculature will still work to stabilize the spine, which it is much better at. 

The Next Challenge

Ok so after a few weeks off to recover from my crossfit experiment I am just getting started with my new testing.  For the next 16 weeks I am going to compare high rep workouts with low rep workouts.  It is often debated and controversial which works better.  Again I am doing this workout just to see what happens.  I am not trying to gain weight, lose weight, get stronger....I will perform the workouts and see what happens.  I will use my finishing assessment from the last challenge as my starting point since it most likely did not change much. 

For this program I created two phases.  Weeks 1-4 I will perform the workouts using 2 sets of 15 reps, alternating workouts, for 3 days a week.  Then I will progress to tougher workouts for weeks 5-8.  Then I will repeat the same exact program performing 5 sets of 6 reps.  This way I will still perform 30 reps total for each exercises.

I am a week in and I already hate the high reps.  I'm just not use to doing it and I am struggling a bit.  I'm sure it will get easier once I get going.  If you would like to follow along with me you can see the exact workouts I will be doing through the link below.  You will have to sign up for a free account on the site to get access to the pages. 

http://www.myworkoutcreator.com/premade-workouts/mikes-workout/

Let me know how it goes.

Mike

My final thoughts on crossfit

Overall I had some pretty good results with my crossfit program.  For someone who works out regularly to see a 5lb loss in fat and 1lb gain in muscle in 8 weeks, the results are not too bad.  In terms of my strength gains they were mediocre for me.  Mainly because I was just not feeling it that day.  I was pretty run down from the program, which really isn't a big surprise.  The was pedal to the metal for the last 8 weeks on this program and I am pretty excited it is over. 

Initially I was really digging the workouts and thought I was going to miss it once it was over.  I think I really just enjoyed having someone else write a workout for me so I didn't have to think about it.  The workouts just beat me down and eventually it just wasn't fun anymore. 

Some of my complaints about crossfit are still the same as when I started the program.  It is just too random and not enough balance to the program.  I remember one week I think I did some version of a squat press exercise just about every workout.  I just had no time to recover from it.  Whether it was a push press, thruster, wall ball, or some other variation it was just too much of the same movements with high intensity. 

I can't remember doing one horizontal pulling exercise through the whole program.  Pretty much the only pulling exercise is pull ups or high pulls.  And all movements were in the saggital plane.  I like the simplicity of the program that it is made up of just a few exercises, but it would have been nice to repeat workouts more often so I could see more improvement.  It was really just all over the place. 

My recommendation for this program would mainly just be in the programming.  It would be nice to see some model of periodization attached to it.  It just isn't a good idea to train all out intensity all the time.  I think in the future I would like to do more crossfit programs but only for a portion of my own program mixed in.  I just don't want to hurt myself trying to keep up with some of these workouts. 

One great thing about the program though is that it exposed my weaknesses.  I have a long way to go improving my mobility.  I saw some great progress over 8 weeks but need much more work.  I wish I took a video of my first workout with an overhead squat vs my last one.  It was night and day.  I definitely learned what I need to work on.  I am just a terrible squatter and need to keep working on it. 

The best and the worse:

My top two favorite workouts were:

3 rounds for time:
400m run
21 KB Swings
12 Pull Ups

This was probably the only workout I made it through unbroken.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Deadlift 1.5xbodyweight
Bench Press bodyweight
Cleans .75xbodyweight

This workout killed me but actually really liked it.  So sore afterwords. 

My least favorite workouts:

100 Thrusters with 95lbs

Really!?  I was just mad when I saw this workout.  So ridiculous

30 Snatches 135lbs for time

I hated it while doing it but I impressed myself I could even get through it.  I haven't snatched this heavy in a long time. 

Well those are my final thoughts.  I don't mean to be bashing crossfit if I sounded like that.  I loved the tough challenges and how they considered different energy systems with heavy lifting and endurance training.  It is not for the average person but it a fun way to challenge yourself.  I would only recommend it to someone with great mobility and strength going in.  I'm sure every crossfit gym is different and you will get completely different experiences from it. 

Please feel free to comment with your own experiences. 

Mike.

The Results Are In

Ok so I have been just terrible posting all my workouts, but I did complete my 8 weeks of crossfit training.  I have recording all of my after measurements and assessments and ready to report them.  This post will just have the numbers.  My next post will focus more on my final thoughts.

Before:
Weight-185lbs
Body Fat- 12.7%
Neck-15.5
Chest- 41.75
Waist- 34.5
Hips- 37
Bicep- 14
Thigh- 22.25
Calf- 14.25

1RM:
Hang Clean- 185lbs
Bench Press- 245lbs
Squat- 315lbs

Pull up Max- 16 reps
Push up test (set a metronome to 50bpm, down on first beep, up on second beep, and kept pace as long as I could)- 27 reps

Mile Run on Treadmill- 7:04

After
Weight-181lbs
Body Fat- 10%
Neck-15.25
Chest- 41
Waist- 33.25
Hips- 37
Bicep- 14
Thigh- 21.75
Calf- 14

1RM:
Hang Clean- 190lbs
Bench Press- 245lbs
Squat- 320lbs

Pull up Max- 20 reps
Push up test (set a metronome to 50bpm, down on first beep, up on second beep, and kept pace as long as I could)- 27 reps

Mile Run on Treadmill- 6:47

So decent numbers.  In terms of body comp I lost 5.4lbs of fat and gained 1.6lbs of muscle.  I definitely felt more lean.  Felt a little smaller than I like to but not too bad.  I was a little disappointed with some  of the strength and endurance measurements.  I just felt run down during the testing.  Normally I get really pumped to do 1RM testing.  This day I just wanted it to be over.  I think I was borderline overtraining with how hard I had been going with this program.  It was pretty much never a down time. 

I am currently taking 2 weeks to recover and work on mobility.  I will be posting some of those routines as well.  I was originally going to do P90X next but I honestly just don't think it is a good program and can't motivate myself to do it.  Instead I think I might put one of the biggest fitness myths to the test.  I will do basically the same program twice.  Once with lighter loads and higher reps and the other higher loads and less reps.  It should be fun to see what happens.

A New PR

I finally hit a new PR for power cleans.  This is one exercise that I have not been able to progress very well.  I had a huge mental block.  I remember in college when we would test our 1RM for the power clean.  I would always feel great until I hit 90kg.  For some reason I just could never get it.  The WOD was power cleans 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.  I did 155-165-175-185-195-200-205.  I finally broke through.  I think I could have gotten 210 if I had rubber weights and didn't feel bad if I dropped it.  

The next workout was the Tully.  Four rounds of 200m swim and Squat Cleans with 40lb DB for 23 reps.  This was a tricky one logistically speaking.  I did this workout at the gym and couldn't bring DB's into the pool area.  So I figured I would just do the squat cleans first then the swim.  The gym was closing down so I knew I wouldn't be able to finish this.  So I did 69 reps of the Squat Clean as fast as I could then changed and went to the pool and just swam as far as I could until the pool closed.  I got through 300m only.  I'm still just a terrible swimmer. 

The next WOD was 30 rounds of 30 second rowing with 30 seconds rest.  I did this at the studio and didn't have a rower so I just did KB swings.  I made it through 15 rounds before my client came in.  This wasn't that bad and I could have definitely finished if I had more time. 

And finally todays WOD was 10-8-6-4-2 Muscle Ups and Box Jumps on a 40" box.  My son is sick so I had to do this one at home.  I can't do muscle ups since my rings aren't high enough.  Instead I did Pull Ups, Ring Dips, and Hurdle Jumps since I don't have a box.  The hurdle was about 35".  This workout took me 9mins.  Mainly because everything was spread out and I had to walk from one station to the next.  Otherwise wasn't too difficult. 

I'm still kicking...

So I have been swamped lately and haven't been able to put up a post in a while but I have been keeping up with the workouts.  Here is a quick update of what I have been up to. 

After the Jared WOD I did

Overhead squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Front squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Back squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps

I didn't write down the weights for the workout but it was nothing impressive.  I'm still working on the overhead squat.  Feel like I'm improving but still have some work to do.  By the time I got to the back squat I'm was pretty tired and couldn't lift anything near my normal 1 RM.

Next was:

10 rounds with a 2 minute rest in between, of any (or any combination) of:
Swim 100 meters
OR
Run 400 meters
OR
Row 500 meters
OR
Bike 1000 meters

I started with 4 rounds of the 500m row, then 3 rounds of 1000m Bike, and finished with 3 rounds of the 100m swim.   Really wasn't a bad workout at all.  I'm a terrible swimmer so those intervals were by far the toughest. 

The next workout was more cardio intervals:

Three rounds for time of:
Row 500 meters
Run 400 meters

This really wasn't bad at all.  I had to do this at the gym so it was kind of annoying running upstairs to get on the treadmill to run the 400m intervals then back down to the rowing machine.  I've been bad about writing down my times for these workouts but I'm pretty sure it took me 11 minutes.

I enjoyed the break with the cardio workouts but then it was back to hitting it hard again:

50-35-20 reps of:
Wall balls
Pull-ups
Double-unders

This was a pretty tough one.  I'm getting better at kipping pull ups but it was still brutal to do that many.  The double unders aren't bad at all.

I had to head to LA during the next workout which was suppose to be:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes of:
10 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
10 Box jumps, 24 inch box
10 Ring dips

At the hotel I just did DB Swings with a 50lb DB, Box Jumps, and MB Push Ups instead of ring dips.  No clue how many rounds I made it through.  I was just trying to get the workout in between meetings.  Luckily it was only 15 minutes.

The next WOD was Snatch balance 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.  I had never actually done this exercise before so I wasn't concerned with the weight I was doing.  Just wanted to get a feel for the technique.  I ended up doing 45-65-75-85-95-100-105-110.  I'm getting better at the OH Squat position but it still just squares me to go heavy.

Five rounds for time of:
135 pound barbell Overhead walking lunges, 25 feet
15 Knees to elbows

This was the next WOD for me.  I did this at the gym so I couldn't do walking lunges.  I figured out it would take me 8 steps to lunge this far so I just did 8 OH lunges.  Didn't feel like I could do 135lbs so I did 95lbs.  This was a nice and quick one but felt great.  This took me about 10 minutes to finish.  My abs were pretty sore the next day too.

Next WOD:

Five rounds for time of:
275 pound Deadlift, 5 reps
10 Burpees

I knew I would keep for with 275lbs so I did 225lbs.  This took 8:21.  Tough but not too bad.  Just had to be really careful when going back to deadlifts after burpees.  I could see this workout destroying someone if they weren't careful.

Then finally yesterday I did:

For time:
135 pound Thruster, 15 reps
Run 200 meters
95 pound Thruster, 20 reps
Run 400 meters
65 pound Thruster, 30 reps
Run 800 meters

Did all the weights as written.  It took 19:18 to finish.  Again annoying to have to run upstairs to get to the treadmill and to change weight each round.  It would have been time to have preset bars, but oh well.

Things are going pretty well so far.  I jumped on the scale yesterday and saw I was 5lbs down from when I started.  Not really a surprise even though I'm not trying to lose weight at all.  I have been feeling good after the workouts, but definitely run down.  I don't know how people keep up this intensity all the time.  Just a few more weeks left in the experiment so we will see how the final results measure up.

Power Cleans today.  Hopefully I don't kill myself.  

Drenched in Sweat

I had to put a quick post up on my latest workout.  I did one of the newest hero workouts Jared.  This was pretty brutal.  Plus I did it outside in the middle of August in San Marcos, CA around noon.  It didn't take much to start sweating, but I probably would have been drenched if I did this workout in December.  This workout consisted of 4 rounds of time of:

Run 800m
40 Pull Ups
70 Push Ups

You can do the math, but that is a lot of pull ups and push ups.  I'm still working on my kipping pull ups.  I did this at home and my pull up bar is not very hard.  It is pretty tough doing a kip when your knees just about touch the ground during your hang. 

My total time was 51:11.  I was really trying to break 50 minutes but just couldn't do it.  The first 800m I did while pushing my son Davis.  It wasn't too bad but the beginning of the run is a pretty steep hill that would wear me out for the rest of the run.  I have to admit there were a few times I wanted to give up and just do 3 rounds.  I could easily think of an excuse why I should stop.  Thankfully I made it all the way through.  Good thing I did this on a Sunday and could relax for the rest of the day. 

When I'm at home doing my workouts I add a few extra movements in there to help me get better.  At home I do a few sets of KB Windmills and Hanstand Push Ups.  I'm not great at either so I know I can use the extra work.  Plus by the time I get through them I feel ready to go for the WOD. 

Its good...But not perfect

I haven't posted an update in a while but I have been keeping up with the workouts.  Before I post what I have been doing I just wanted to share one of my first few critiques of the Crossfit program.  After the first few weeks I am starting to realize that it is not a great balanced program. 

I really have enjoyed all of the exercise selections so far.  They are basic, compound movements that most people should learn how to do.  One thing I realized is there has been no horizontal pulling exercises.  I guess you could argue that a kipping pulling can be a horizontal pull, but not really. 

Most people in general need a ton of this motion in there exercise program to help with their poor posture, but this hasn't involved any.  It is not ok just to do vertical pulling like pull ups.  When we look at what most people do in the gym, we see mainly horizontal pushing (bench press), vertical pushing (shoulder press), and vertical pulling (pull up).  This puts tremendous strain on the shoulder joint and the rotator cuff muscles.  It is crucial that we pick exercises that strengthen the external rotators, mid/lower traps, and rhomboids.

To add more balance to my program I have included some form of horizontal row to the beginning of my workouts like inverted rows or bent over rows. 

Another complaint had to do with the exercise selection again.  I made it through the Filthy Fifty Workout recently.  I actually really liked this workout, but one complaint was the fact that we did 50 Push Press and then 50 Wall Ball.  I know they are not the same exercise but pretty similar movements.  And I actually remembered the workout wrong and did Thrusters instead of push press which was my mistake.  Then the next workout called for more Thrusters.  It just seemed like a lot of the same stuff over and over. 

For the Filthy Fifty I made it in around 30 minutes.  I forgot to write down my exact time.  The next workout which was:

75lb Thruster 30 reps
3 rope climbs
75lb Thruster 20 reps
2 rope climbers
75lb Thruster 10 reps
1 rope climb

I had to modify with DB Thrusters and towel slides but made it through this workout in 10 minutes (again do not remember the exact time). 

Then the next workout was:

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps 115,125,135,145,145
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps 135,140,145,150,155
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps 115,120,125,130,135

Again after the Filthy Fifty, The Thruster workout, and then list, it was a tremendous amount of vertical pushing. 

My next workout was pretty rough.  Tabata Something Else.  I have done a few tabata workouts before but not this many exercises and with no rest between exercise.  He we did 8 intervals of 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest of 4 exercises back to back.  The nice thing is each exercise takes 4 minutes so the whole workout is only 16 minutes.  The exercises were Pull Ups (had to do modified pull ups), Push Ups, Sit Ups, and Squats.  The pull ups and push ups were rough but the sit ups and squats really weren't bad. 

And finally my last workout was 15 rounds of power snatch followed by 5 overhead squats.  I have to admit I was straight up scared of this workout.  I just thought I was going to hurt myself, since I am just such a poor overhead squatter.  I've been getting better, but still have a long way to go.  I ended up only making it 10 rounds.  I was running short on time but really I couldn't increase the weight any more.  I had a few close calls with falling or dropping the weight and when you are not using bumper weights that is an issue.  My last set was 100lbs.  I know that is not very impressive but as I get better at the overhead squat this number will shoot up. 

MURPH!

I feel like I have been falling behind a bit so I am trying to catch up.  I had to travel this weekend so I could not get a workout in on Friday.  I used the hotel gym on Saturday for my WOD.  I knew I couldn't do the posted one since the hotel didn't have most of the equipment I needed so for some reason I did one of the hardest Crossfit workouts I could remember.  I did the Murph.  This consists of running a mile then 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, and then running another mile. 

I have done this workout a few times before.  I knew it was tough but I thought the last time I did it I finished in around 30 minutes which would be perfect for how much time I had.  Well I don't know what happened this time but it took me 38 minutes to finish and I was exhausted.  Maybe I miscounted but I just could barely get through this workout.  At least I made it through and still got a workout in while traveling.

I ended up not working out on Sunday do to lack of time on my trip.  I made up for it on Sunday though with the filthy 50:

50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

On paper I didn't think this looked that bad.  None of the exercises are crazy and all the weights are light.  But 50 reps is pretty rough.  When I got to the Knees to Elbows my grip was done.  I just couldn't hold on anymore.  I said a few workouts ago that I really didn't mind Burpees.  I may be changing my mind.  This workout took me 37:20.  I was pretty surprised how long it took especially after seeing some times posted online.  Oh well.  I can only get better.

The Love Hate Relationship

So I have to say I thought I was off to a great start and not too sore from the workouts, but now I feel pretty much constantly sore.  The Tuesday workout was pretty ridiculous.  When I saw it posted I started getting sore.  The WOD was:

3 Pull Ups w/45lbs
5 Strict Pull Ups
7 Kipping Pull Ups

Basically it is 15 pull ups.  You start with 3 reps holding a weight between your feet, then drop the weight and do 5 pull ups, and then finish with 7 kipping pull ups.  Oh and I forgot to mention it was 10 rounds.  I made it through 2 rounds using this format.  Then each round was less reps with the weight until I just couldn't do any with the weight.  I finished by trying to get 4 pull ups and 6 kipping.  This was a timed workout but I forgot to write it down. 

Then I saw the next workout posted and got excited.  It was actually a workout that I knew I could do completely with no modifications.  Thought I could do it pretty quickly too.  Thought I could at least.  The WOD was:

3 rounds for time
15 Hang Cleans 135lbs
15 Burpees

I could not believe how winded I was with this workout.  I actually don't mind burpees too much but after the hang cleans they were rough.  Even though it took me 10:20 to finish I was drenched in sweat.  It did feel good though and I know I can definitely improve this one. 

I'm traveling to Houston this weekend so I'm not sure how the workouts will go.  I'm a little behind and need to catch up.  I know I won't have access to barbells or KB's so I might have to pick other WOD's that I can do at the hotel.  

The Soreness Begins

Just wanted to get a quick post up on my last few workouts.  Friday I did the Back Squats and Decline Sit Ups. 

Shout out for the Encinitas Fire Dept.

Back Squats 225lbs 21-15-9
Decline Sit Ups 42-30-18

To this point I honestly haven't been that sore.  I would feel the workouts the next day a little bit, but nothing ridiculous.  This workout was different.  I was incredibly sore and still am as I right this two days later.  Back Squats with 225 isn't anything I haven't done before but this number of reps was pretty brutal.  And the sit ups didn't help.  I can't remember the last time I did that many sit ups so I am feeling both pretty back.  I did my overhead squats and turkish get ups again to get going before the WOD.  I timed the workout but forgot to stop my timer at the end so I'm not really sure how long this took.

I took Saturday off luckily to help recover from the previous workout but then the workout on Sunday was another killer.  It consisted of

30 Jumps reaching for an object 12" above my reach
20 Deadlifts with 185lbs
10 Handstand Push Ups

This was a timed workout for 4 rounds.  Seemed doable on paper, but I have to admit I was scared of the HSPU.  I have never actually done them before so it was going to be interesting to see how 4 rounds of 10 would be.  I almost chickened out and did feet elevated push ups but I sucked it up and went for it.  They actually were not as bad as I thought.  I couldn't hit 10 straight without resting but I could do it in 2 sets.  Probably could have gotten a tad lower, but I was pretty impressed with what I did. 

Unfortunately I was short on time and was only able to finish 3 rounds of this.  I know I could have gotten through the forth though if I had more time.  We will see how the soreness is doing tomorrow.  My legs are still pretty brutal. 

I took a sneak peak at tomorrow's WOD and all I can say is Damn......

Improving the Overhead Squat

So I have decided that I will be adding a few things to my crossfit workouts.  Since the WOD are so short it isn't going to hurt me to add a few things to improve my mobility and strength.  I started adding two exercise before each workout and 2 after.  Before the workout I am doing a few sets of the Turkish Get Ups and the Overhead Squat.

The Turkish Get Up is just a great exercise to prepare the entire body for the workout and help improve my hip mobility and shoulder stability, as well as get the core working.  The Overhead Squat like I said in previous posts is my Kryponite.  I am determined to master it so I am performing a few light sets every workout to improve at it.

Today's WOD was the Push Press 2-2-2-2-2-2-2.  I did 135-145-155-165-175-180-185.  Felt pretty good but tough by the end.

After the WOD I did 2 sets of standing cable chops and lifts just to work the core a bit extra in PNF patterns.  k

"Ship" Wrecked

So I am starting to realize that I'm just not a stud.  I was hoping I could get through most of these workouts with little to no modifications but I'm just not that cool.  My last two workouts I realized that if I try to always do the recommended weights I am just going to hurt myself.  It's a shot to the ego but I will have to drop down in some of the weights.

Monday I did the 2012 Reebok Crossfit Games Chipper.  It consisted of for time:
155lb Overhead Squat, 10 reps
10 Box Jump Overs, 24" Box
135lb Thruster, 10 reps
205lb Power Clean, 10 reps
10 Toes To Bar
10 Burpee Muscle Ups
10 Toes To Bar
205lb Power Clean, 10 reps
135lb Thruster, 10 reps
10 Box Jump Overs, 24" Box
155lb Overhead Squat, 10 reps

I had to modify just about all the weight.  I did 55lbs for the overhead squat.  I'm still just terrible at them but getting better I think.  I made it through the thrusters the first time through but on the way back had to drop down to 115lbs.  Power Cleans I did 155lbs but think I could have done alittle more with this one.  And finally I couldn't do the burpee muscles ups so I just did burpee pull ups and did 10 of them.

Overall a pretty brutal workout.  I finished in 18:18.

Tuesday I was suppose to have a rest day but I decided to do the next workout and take Wednesday off since it worked better for my schedule.  This was the Ship workout.  Pretty brutal.  It was 9 rounds for time of 185lb Squat Cleans, 7 reps and 8 burpee box jumps on a 36" box.  I dropped down to 115lbs on the squat clean.  I usually do power cleans so I wanted to work on my form with this one.  115lbs was plenty though.  I unfortunately only made it through 7 rounds in 20 minutes.  I had my 5 month old son with me who I was hoping would nap while I worked out but it didn't happen.  He started to getting fussy so that pretty much ended my workout.  Still felt wrecked after 7 rounds though.  

Workout Updates

Just a quick weekend update.  Spent most of the weekend hanging out with the family but was able to squeeze in two workouts.  Love the short workouts still.  So on Saturday I did the WOD that consisted of 30 GHD sit-ups (didn't have a GHD so just did them on a decline bench), 30 reps of 225lb deadlifts, 30 double unders, 30 reps of 95lb Overhead Squat (just did 45lbs), and 30 pull ups. 

Those bastards.

I knew going in to this that my worst exercise, by far is the overhead squat.  My shoulder mobility has never really been that good and I pretty much avoid OH Squats like the plague.  It pissing me off watching the crossfit games and seeing how easy these guys make this exercise look.   I am actually hoping by the end of this program I can do them decently.  I've been practicing them just about everyday to improve.  So I didn't even attempt 95lbs.  This was my first modification I had to do so I was a little bummed but I didn't want to mess with it.  I also couldn't get a very deep squat even with 45lbs, but I did the best I could.  Did everything else no problem.  I'm trying to incorporate more kipping pull ups, but this can be hard to do where I'm performing these workouts. 

Sunday I did the WOD of Fronts Squats 2-2-2-2-2-2.  I haven't gone heavy with front squats in a long time so I really wasn't sure what I could do.  I start at a weight I knew I could get and then just when up from there.  Saw some conflicting things online with how long to rest.  I saw one person post 2:17.  Seemed like such a weird number so I just went with that.  I did it with 155lbs-175lbs-195lbs-205lbs-215lbs-225lbs.  I was actually pretty impressed with myself.  I don't think I have ever done that much with front squats.  It is pretty nice when that is all you have to do for the workout.  You can just throw it all out there. 

I have been sticking only with the WOD until today.  I have started swimming a few months ago.  Swimming is another thing I use to avoid at all costs.  I started getting into it and don't want to stop, so I just swing once a week after my crossfit workout.  I don't think it will influence my results too much. 

Mike

Feeling Alittle Sore

So after 3 days of my crossfit experiment I am definitely feeling it.  It is hard to think such short workouts can cause so much pain.  It is all good pain though.  Today I made it through the Fran workout, which consists up three rounds of 95lb Thrusters and Pull Ups for 21-15-9 reps.  Finished in 8:54.  Could not do kipping pull ups where I was so I had to do it with normal push ups.  I'm sure I could have shaved a few minutes off with kips. 

Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow then hitting it hard again this weekend. 

I'm Impressed Already

Just a quick update today.  So I made it through my second crossfit workout.  Again loved the quick intense workouts.  This was the Isabel- 30 Snatches with 135lbs for time.  I have to say I really impressed myself.  It has been awhile since I've done Barbell Snatches.  Especially since I don't have the rubber olympic weights so I can't just slam them down. 

Going into the workout I kept telling myself I would just pick a lighter weight.  I tried a few reps at 95lb to see how it was, then 115lbs.  Then I just said screw it, let's see what happens.  Made it through the whole thing with 135lbs.  Took me 10:20.  Could probably improve quickly on that but it took a few reps to really get my technique back. 

As far as the diet goes...I am not doing a strict Paleo, but I am getting pretty close.  Have to say I am pretty hungry most of the day.  Hopefully this doesn't last long. 

Mike

Converting To Crossfit After 1 Workout?

So, this was day one of my crossfit phase.  I have to admit I loved it.  The WOD was the Elizabeth workout.  One thing I have always loved about these workouts is I am usually in and out.  I have been nervous to drop my son off at daycare since the last few times I was there he got kicked out for screaming too much.  I think he loved this workout as well.  I was in and out less than 30 minutes.  That included my warm up and cool down. 

The Elizabeth is two exercises, Cleans (135lbs) and Ring Dips, for rounds of 21, 15, 9.  I didn't have rings so I did parallel bar dips and doubled the reps.  I know you are suppose to triple the reps for the conversion but since it was my first workout I wanted to see how it went.  I probably could have tripled it, so I know for next time.  The entire workout too me 9:48.  I found conflicting info on the type of cleans.  I think for crossfit you just have to go from floor to shoulders by any means.  Some places said to perform a squat clean and others said power clean.  Since I am most comfortable with the power clean I did them. 

So far off to a great start.  I am a big fan of any workout that get me fatigued and in and out of the gym in a hurry.  Hopefully this keeps up. 

Mike

The Stats

Ok.  So here are the initial measurements and assessments I did before I will start each program.  I think I have it pretty well covered.  I measurement body comp, weight, circumference, power, lower/upper strength, and endurance.  Here are my tests and the results:

Weight- 185lbs
Body Fat (three site)- 12.7%
Blood Pressure- 138/81
RHR- 57bpm
Circumferences Neck- 14.5 Chest- 41.75 Waist- 34.5 Hip- 37 Upper Arm- 14 Thigh- 22.25 Calf- 14.25
Hang Cleans- 185lbs
Bench Press- 245lbs
Back Squat to parallel- 315lbs
Pull Up Max (each rep to deadhang)- 16 reps
Push Up Test (as many reps as I could keep pace with a metronome set at 50bpm.  One beep down second beep up...)- 27 reps
1 Mile Run (had to do on a treadmill unfortunately)- 7:04

I think this will pretty much cover everything.  I will test again at the end of 8 weeks and see how my crossfit challenge measures up.  One note, I did not use a spot for any of the lifts so I will do that again at the finish. 

The Crossfit Challenge

Ok.  So I have decided in honor of the Crossfit Games finishing up I have decided to start my Workout War with Crossfit.  So for the next 8 weeks I am going to be a crossfitter.  I will do my best to stick to this program.  My two biggest concerns for this challenge are the diet and the stay injury free.  I have never followed a Paleo diet before and honest would never want to.  I will stick to one a close as I can but know it is going to be a huge challenge for me. 

Crossfit has just exploded in recent years.  I think most people are familiar with it but if not you can head over to their website www.crossfit.com and learn more about it.  It is a very controversial training strategy and you will see arguments for and against it all over the internet.  I personal have good and bad thoughts about crossfit so I just wanted to share some of them here.

First the pros.  I think crossfit has done some really great things for the fitness industry.  In no particular order here are some that come to mind.  They have turned fitness into a game or sport.  Most people quit working out because they are bored or view it as work.  Then you think of exercise as practice for a sport it gets much more motivating.  The Crossfit Games can now even bee watched on ESPN and sell out every year, showing how popular it is getting. 

They keep it relatively simple.  They stick to fundamental movements and exercises for the most part.  While it is nice to through it a lot of variety and new equipment in your workout, much of it is unnecessary.  Be perfect and the basics and you will see amazing results.  

There workouts focus on different physiological response of exercise and intensity.  Most people focus on one style of training for far too long.  How long have you been training at the same rep range.  You typically see those who are trying to lose weight only perform high reps and those through to get stronger only train at lower reps.  You are completely missing out on different muscle fiber types and physiology responses to exercise if you always train the same intensities.  It is so important regardless of your goals to mix it up to receive the full benefit of exercise.  Hit heavy weights for low reps, high reps for endurance, and everything in between. 

These workouts are designed so you are constantly trying to improve.  This relates to the first point of making fitness a game.  You perform a workout once and you know your starting point.  When you perform it again you know what mark you are trying to beat, making it a great motivator.  This really helps push the intensity of the workout and constant improving.  Most people have trouble with this.  For whatever reason they do not want to push themselves to improve, but if you aren't improving you will not see the results you are hoping for. 

Ok, so now for the areas I feel need improvements.  First a quick point in terms of business sense.  There are currently 6 crossfit gyms within probably a 10-15 mile radius of my studio.  They may be trying to take over the world, but the might put themselves out of business.  It surprising they do not have limitations where they can open new facilities.  

In terms of a workout though I think many people should take precaution.  I mentioned that I really love how they push the intensity, but this may not be the best fit for MOST people.  Crossfit workouts are very intense and may go overboard sometimes.  I like that they train for power, strength, and endurance, but certain exercises are ideal for each category.  For example, olympic lifting such as heavy cleans are designed more for power not endurance.  Trying to heavy clean for high repetition is just asking for an injury.  As you fatigue you will lose more and more form and it is inevitable to see some kind of injury.

I have many friends, colleagues, and forming teammates that have really gotten into crossfit workouts.   Many because they were athletes all their lives and now found a way to stay in great shape and be competitive.  That being said I also know many of them who have repeated surgeries due to serious injuries from their workouts.  The amazing thing is they keep going back for more.  This leads to another issue.  These gyms seem to get almost cult like, where everything is sucks if it is not crossfit.  It is this mentality ( and I know not everyone in crossfit is like this) that leads to problems.  I have heard crossfit trainers talk during my conferences I run with Exercise Etc and can't believe what I am hearing.  Basically that it is clients fault if they get doing their workouts.  They are not in good enough shape for it.  Meanwhile I thought it was the trainers job to get them in shape and keep them healthy. 

Now this may be an extreme, but I have seen this mentality a few times.  I have also seen some great teaching and teamwork at crossfit and with their trainers so before you yell at me I know not all gym work this way.   I think it is just important to remember that there is no one perfect program.  There is room in this world for all types of gyms and workout styles. 

And finally, the Workout of the Day or WOD, seem alittle random.  This is probably crossfit's biggest criticism.  It is more of s series of tough workouts stringed together and not a preplanned periodization type program.  It would be nice to have peaks and valleys in the program instead of constants pedal to the floor training.  Think of how professional athletes train.  These are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world.  They workout very hard but you don't see them training full intensity all the time.  They have planned off seasons to allow for recovery. 

Now I would love to hear your input on the topic.  I tried to stay as neutral as I could stating both sides of the argument.  But I know there are those out there that know much more about crossfit so would love your opinions.  And really that is one of the reasons I am doing this.  You need to experience things for yourself before you really can evaluate the program.  I will post my experience with it and things may change as I go.  One thing is for sure though is that Crossfit is a force in the fitness industry.  If people aren't criticizing you then no one knows about you. 

I am going through my initial evaluation today that I will test in 8 weeks to see how the program worked.  I will post them shortly. 

Thanks,

Mike

Let the Battle Begin

First off, thank you for checking out my blog.  I hope you continue to come back and check on some of my updates.  This first post is just to give you a little background with what I will be doing over the next several months. 

Well I have been in the fitness industry from about a decade.  I have a BS in Kinesiology from the University of Connecticut and a MS in Exercise Science from the University of Florida.  Since then I have worked as a personal trainer in a number of different settings.  Currently I own a private personal training studio in Carlsbad, CA, I am a fitness educator with Exercise Etc, and I am a consultant for a few different online fitness sites like fitorbit.com and runkeeper.com. 

Being a fitness professional, it can be frustrating and overwhelming with all the get ripped quick schemes and other weight loss programs.  One thing I have learned working in this industry is that I do not know everything.  And anyone that claims they do is full of it.  Things are always changing a new research is coming out all the time.  That being said I would like to know as much as possible so I can provide the best service for my clients.  With that I thought it necessary that I put myself through a little experiment.  I am always asked about the latest fitness fad or new products and supplements coming out.  I can give my opinion for many of these using some of my own experience and using research studies.  But for me to really give my honest opinion it is best that I participate in these programs to test them myself and report my progress. 

So I decided I am going to put myself through some of the most popular fitness programs out there. I will stick with everything as best I can for 2 months.  During that time I will post my workouts, my diet, and my overall experience with the program.  It is my hope that by doing this, I can first hand see what programs are full of %#?! and what programs can back up their claims.  If at any point you read my posts and decide you would like to join me, please just contact me and we will get you on one of the programs. 

I am going to be 100% honest with my posting on how I feel the programs are working.  I will not accept any money to promote certain programs.  I will just pick the ones I feel most people have questions about.  A few I am thinking about starting with include P90X, Crossfit, and Insanity.  Like I said, I will spend two months doing whatever the program requires and see how it measures up.  I'm actually really excited to do this.  I know how good some of these companies are at marketing, but let's see how good they are at the actual program. 

Please feel free to comment and let me know if you think there are any popular programs out there that I should consider. 

Thanks,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator