Sensory Deprivation experience

I tried sensory deprivation this weekend.
I was talking with a trusted friend, who does it regularly. He eliminated every excuse I fed him, about why I haven't tried it, and why I wasn't anxious to do it.
In truth, I am and was afraid to let go. Not only in this setting, but most of the time... I am afraid to let go physically, and mentally.
I drone on about how if I let go (relax) then I could lose my perceived edge, but I also think that's bs.
I was worried that while floating in the sound-proof, light-less, salt-water filled tank, things that I have suppressed in my mind, would come flooding back in, and overwhelm me - also bs.
I was worried that I wouldn't do it right, or that nothing would come of this experience.

What this experience ended up being, was a nice way to do some deeper thinking, or thorough thinking, completely uninterrupted from anything external.
I was able to (mostly) remain in control of the thoughts in my mind, and how long I spent on each topic. There was no way to actually tell if I spent one minute or 30 minutes on any topic, and topics flashed into my mind, but like meditation, I was able to refocus on my breathing and clear those pesky thoughts.

There were times when it felt like I was dreaming, but I never fell asleep. There were times, most of it, when I felt like I was floating in space, or what I'd imagine that to be like.

What I took from this, was that it allowed me to think all the way through some things. It allowed me to look at some stuff in my head from different angles, and get to a point where I could put those things to rest. I didn't really unpack anything heavy, or deep, but I could in the future. Now, I can move forward, with less distracting thoughts/ideas in my mind, allowing me to be slightly more present, and slightly less bogged down. I tend to ruminate, or decide impulsively.
I hope this experience, and doing it again, will allow me to move forward in a way that is less manic.

Do not fear the Reverse Hyper

I want to introduce the Reverse Hyper, and explain why I love it. The people I know that use it love it. I'm not telling you to start using it, and sure as hell am not telling you that you're ready to use it just from reading this article.

WHAT IT DOES -

1) Provides a range of motion (ROM) that is difficult to replicate; decompressing the lower back. When you decompress, you increase blood-flow to the area, promoting relief and healing. You may have seen decompression before when people hang upside-down by their ankles, or using an inversion table. If you're in a medical field, you may have seen traction applied.

2) Builds strength through the hips, hamstrings, glutes and lower back.

My lower back can get funky sometimes if I'm not careful. I can't remember exactly when (close to two years ago), I bent over to move a plastic bag and WHAM: before I could even stand up, a tweak in my lower back. Since then, I have been apprehensive to get under moderate or heavy weights, as I used to. I'm much more alert and actively guarded about my lower back. I stopped dead lifting, stayed lighter on squats and eased back into working out, modifying nearly everything.

I wanted my back to get better and I wanted to lift again, so I started familiarizing myself with the reverse hyper at Conviction Training Facility. All I knew was that it helped Louie Simmons recover from serious back injuries more than once. Using this has allowed me to get back under some weight, and feel good. Better than that, it's helping me strengthen my lower back so that this doesn't happen again in the future. Perhaps introducing yourself to the reverse hyper somewhere along your journey could be beneficial as well. I'm not saying to go jump on this piece of equipment today. I'm not saying that everyone should use this. I'm not saying it will help everyone, or anyone. I'm not selling these, and I do not care how many people use it. I'm only saying there is nothing to fear about the reverse hyper. There's information online if you're interested, or you can ask me about my experience with it.

I started using this without any weight. I used it without any weight until I became comfortable with the movement (a simple and often overlooked idea).

thanks

Yesterday was the 239th Marine Corps birthday, I met a Marine who fought in WWII, and Korea. He was from Pittsburgh, lives in South Carolina now. He had some great stories, that he fondly told, some which evoked deep emotions. Earlier in the day, I got to visit my friend, who was a soldier in Vietnam, who also talked with me about memories from the past. I then hung out with a veteran of Afghanistan and we shared some stories of the middle east, some humorous similarities.
Most veterans that I know do not freely speak about where they've been or what they've seen. That, as well as the protective mind-frame they carry can sometimes give an aura of disinterest. This isn't always the case. After this weekend, and spending time with those guys who have lived several lifetimes beyond their service, I've realized that I am just grateful to still be alive. The daily tasks and stressors can become too much sometimes, but they're really nothing insurmountable. They're objectives, which are can be overcome, much like everything else already in our wake.

To all veterans of America, those who deployed and not. Thank you for your service. I will live this entire lifetime thankful for my experiences while serving. More so for the guys that I met and spent time with and genuinely for still being alive.

returning

August 5th 2014,

I was able to make it back into the gym again today. I had roughly 20 minutes to workout this morning. My idea going into it was that I was going to focus on the little things; core stability, hamstrings/glutes, shoulder stability, and whenever I can I use the reverse-hyper for my back.
I started with two sets of 12 reverse hypers, one with 2x35# and one with 2x45#. Then I moved to four rounds of:
-10 reverse hypers with 2x 45#
-10 back squats with the 45# bar
-8 shoulder press with 2x 18# kettlebells
-8 kettlebell swings 53#

I did not do this for time. I did this because time was short and I needed to get some movement in for the day. Murph was having an anxious day, he waited while I worked out though. The last two sets of my reverse-hypers were done correctly, the first 3 were not. I rushed them, and lost focus. Today felt great!I am anxious to get back to the gym several times each week.

one day

Some days are tough. Some days just feel good, they're hopeful. The feeling is hard to express, it can be overwhelmingly positive and impacting. Today was one of the better ones, and the soundtrack inside was this song. A close friend introduced me to this song/combo only a week ago and it fits today. (Thankful for all of the positive influences I have around me right now).

Matisyahu - One Day and No Woman No Cry

The choices we face (and why they matter)

"Everything we do in here, is to make everything we do out there better." - Coach Craig Hysell

If you've ever been to a CFHH event, or you've visited for a week perhaps, and certainly if you're a member, then you've heard that quote from Coach Craig. The quote itself is great; it's simple, more importantly it's honest, you can hear that in his voice when he says it. If you've heard it before, it makes you think for a moment about what it means, and hopefully motivates you. I suppose that depending upon your individual vantage point, the weight of it can vary. Below is my interpretation. After hearing an athlete talk about a workout they just completed and it being much tougher to finish than they anticipated (a regular happenstance with Coach Craig at the helm), it all tied together, in my mind.

Life is a series of events, some events take us to the heights of happiness and joy. Those moments are defining, they are the bullet points that we carry with us and reflect back to when life becomes challenging. Some events are tough and they can wedge doubt into our minds. The tough moments test us, they see how far we can flex before we break. These moments can be equally or even more defining. These moments check your integrity, your will, your desire, your drive, and your capacity. These moments will check you so brutally hard that they can shake you to your core. This is life. Life is not always rainbows, sunny days, cold drinks, and family. Although sometimes, we can link together a few of life's best moments, ultimately and without relenting, life will test you over and over in an attempt to break you.

"What we do in here, is to make everything we do out there better." - Coach Craig

Craig takes us to our limits, if we allow it. Both physically and mentally. We see something on paper (a workout) and we feel that it will be easy or at least doable. We get six rounds into a ten round workout and we get to the point where doubt starts taking over. "This was the wrong weight", "there's no way I can do four more rounds", "my lungs are on fire", "I just want to set the weight down", "take a break", "I'm not going to complete this in time", "take another break". On and on, the thoughts run through our minds, and we are faced with a choice, in that moment, to either ignore them while we push forward, or to succomb to them. This is life. In this workout, like life, you are on a one lane road. You choose to continue forward in the direction you chose initially, or you make a u-turn and you head back in the other direction.
In each workout, there's a chance to test your integrity, your will, your desire, your drive, and your capacity. There is a chance to define yourself. This is life; now the choice is yours.

A lifetime

Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.- Pat Riley  

In every situation, therein lies a decision; a decision to say yes or to say no, the choice between what is expected and what is unexpected, the opportunity to move forward or to dwell. In any discipline there are broad strokes that must be covered to get a better understanding, and then there are the details which can take a lifetime to learn, even longer to master. This comes with time, exposure, toil, failure, reflection, humility, time, learning, sharpening and more labor.

Most people come into the strength and conditioning world and begin to absorb everything they can. This is an overwhelming task for most without any prior experience. It’s relatable and honorable; however, most seem to think that after the broad strokes are covered, they’re good to go. WRONG! You’re fucking wrong! You've never been more wrong. You have no idea what you’re doing, which is a fact. You are in the first week of college, and no further. You don’t know what the juniors know, much less the seniors, and you certainly can’t even begin to comprehend what knowledge the honor students have acquired.

A CrossFit Hilton Head athlete once said “pump your brakes”, and today it holds value on a larger scale. You need to pump your brakes, take a look at what your goals are, break them down for both short term and long term, and write them down. Do you want to get better at CrossFit, better at the Olympic lifts, get better for your sport or simply improve your fitness? Evaluate, visualize, and record it.

After you visualize and acknowledge your goals, you need to write them down and start taking small steps towards them. This is where interaction with a coach comes into play. You need to surrender to the fact that you are only beginning to learn. Humbling? Maybe, but honestly you have to start somewhere, which is where you’re currently at, your first step towards the next level. 
You’re not owed anything. You actually owe this world some effort and this is a great way to begin paying that debt. You need to be ready to “clock in” when it’s time to train. You need to be alright hearing a coach telling you that you're fucking up. You need to be ready to be called out on your form, as well as your work ethic. You need to take this feedback and quickly adapt. If you cannot accept this feedback or you cannot adapt, this is NOT FOR YOU! I’m not saying this to be an asshole, but at this point if you’re not ready to hear feedback, then you are not committed.  I’m positive that the coach is not there simply to fuck with you and misguide you, but instead to usher you towards your personal goals. 

This article is a compilation of several thoughts I've had recently:

One – 80% of CrossFitters have shit form and they are alright with that.

Two – It takes a lifetime to pursue (but not necessarily obtain) perfect form (in any discipline).

Three – In any pursuit, you should insatiably be pursuing the safe and knowledgeable way to the next level, then practicing to hone that knowledge into skill.

Four – In any situation, you should be looking for ways to improve yourself as well as the situation. Then (which the majority of people will never do) you need to execute that task, you need to act on that thought.

Five – Nobody wants to fuck with the mundane. Bunch of pussies! How do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Murphy, Donnie Shankle, Rich Froning, Jon North, Matt Chan, Greg Everett, Julie Foucher, Louie Simmons, Shane Metcalf, Michael Jordan, etc got to where they are? Surprise: they DID NOT wake up as champions. They fuckin’ earned it while nobody was watching them, day in, day out. Either one set at a time, or one rep at a time, one workout at a time, one day at a time, or just choosing to live this way, the way of the sword. In order to be great (not good), you need to practice greatness and you need to replicate that over and over. In other words, practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

Six – CrossFitters pick weight up like shit. When a clock is involved, form disappears. Picking a weight up is the hidden chance to work on technique. You need to again “Pump your brakes” and focus on technique. Technique is holding you back, and it will continue to do so, until you acknowledge this and change this. It does not happen right away, it does not happen easily. It happens by continually meeting adversity and overcoming it through determination and adaptation. ADAPTATION! Be willing to change, or you will continue to fail!

Seven - Let's polarize this. In everything you do; there is an opportunity to get better or to get worse. That decision lies within. Every step of the way, you make the decision, then you live with it. Because of this, there should be no additional room for regret. There is only opportunity at each crossroads. You make a decision, and over time you become a byproduct of those decisions. This allows others to see what kind of person you are.

 Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

Mario Andretti 

---

Here is an article you must read about Kung Fu and it’s mastery:
http://www.mainewingchunkungfu.com/article6.htm

And perfect timing from CT Fletcher about committing to “the iron”:
http://youtu.be/Qc6EePCSuSk

Mediocre men work at their best; men seeking excellence strive to do better.
Edwin Louis Cole 

What I learned

There are two things that I learned in basic training; personal accountability and attention to detail. Those were repeatedly drilled into my head as I progressed through my time in the Army. It came to a point in my service, where if you lacked personal accountability, and if you decided to forego details, then there was a very real chance that you would not live long past those poor decisions.
This has carried beyond my service and applies to everyday life. Some of this may sound ridiculous but:
I don't skip a belt loop when I put a belt on.
If I see a piece of trash while walking, I pick it up and throw it away.
I admit when I am wrong (that was a tough thing to learn then apply, even tougher is to not hide in that).
I think about how my decisions will directly affect those around me (over think more often than not).
I clean up after myself.
I wash my whole body when I shower, I brush all my teeth when I brush em.
I clip all my toe nails when I clip them, see where I'm going with this?

Those last couple were fuckin ridiculous, right? I'm trying to make a point. If you wash all of your body, why wouldn't you pick up a piece of trash that you're walking over? If you clip all of your nails, instead of 8 out of 10, why wouldn't you fucking hold a door for someone right behind you?

If you extrapolate this ideology to a discipline that you enjoy, say weightlifting, you will (at least mentally) be much better equipped for the road ahead. You will take the details of the lifts, and you will value them. You will welcome research, and homework. You will value the details, because each is something which can be fine tuned. You will accept punishment in the form of training. Not going through the motions, but training to improve at this discipline. You will continue to clock in, accept the beatings, then clock out. You will value the small, finite improvements when they happen. (All the while, knowing that this wasn't as easy as you thought or had hoped, and you still are hungry for more.) You will accept these circumstances each time you clock in/ lace up/ go to work. Not everyday will make sense, not everyday shows hope, that's right. You are not owed a single ounce of hope, you have to earn it with the constant (perhaps lifelong) attention to detail and personal accountability.

Are you fucking with me?

The title of the post speaks for the tone here, because I'm at a point of confusion. There are very basic, and quick things that everyone can/should do when they're anywhere in public to clean up after themselves and as courtesy to those around them. There are also things that people can/should do to preserve the activities they enjoy doing, if they want to perpetuate the ability to continue doing those things, if not even for others but for themselves at a minimum. As humans, we should possess a sense of pride in who we are; how we look, how we speak, and how we act. Since pride is an internal emotion, we should then carry this sense of pride with us from place to place, continually letting our actions speak for the pride we hold in ourselves. It's like my first sergeant said every time we moved from place to place, "always try to leave a place better than it was when you got there". Simply stated, if you come to a place, you should at a minimum, clean up after yourself, maintain the place, and do whatever you can to improve the location for those who are to follow. It makes sense, because it's simple. You shouldn't walk around life being an ignorant jackass, you shouldn't go somewhere and ignore the house rules, you shouldn't leave a wake of destruction sans accountability. When you leave a place, you leave a legacy. Your legacy should speak to your level of integrity, responsibility and pride.
In this case, the specific instances that I'm alluding to are relating to the gym, CFHH. There are some things that I've noticed more and more lately that I really shouldn't be seeing. We are a community. We are a community of primarily adults who should be accountable for themselves, and courteous to those around them. Have some pride in yourself, and the legacy you leave. Lately the gym has been getting beat up more often and with seemingly less care. Lately more equipment is left out, left uncleaned, and if its "put away", it's in the wrong spot altogether. Lately there are water bottles/ cups/ shirts/ notebooks and other personal belongings being left behind for someone else to take care of. Lately there is less care given for the equipment; medballs ripped, barbells thrown and broken, kettlebells dropped from overhead, weighted barbells being dropped onto racks, barbells being unloaded unsafely, barbell clips being destroyed, knotting the hell out of the jump ropes then leaving them knotted, leaving chalk outside, etc.

In case you're a visual learner, here are some examples of what I saw in just a couple days, these are all taken near or at the end of the day:

(chalk left outside, and smashed) 

 (boxes "put away" in no organized manner whatsoever)

(although the cubbies are being filled with stuff left behind,

now the empty ones are being used for overnight cup storage) 

(so is the counter?) 

(not sure why i included this, it was clearly a photo from that

workout when we just threw kettlebells at the walls) 

 (oh cool, jump ropes, let me take a closer look

to find one for the workout)

( fuck!

I don't think there's a serviceable jump rope in that photo,

much less anything functional)

Although CrossFit gyms are known to be spartan-like and are referred to as "boxes" but that doesn't mean it's less valuable or that we should take less care of it. Our sense of pride should dictate that we act with our legacy in mind. We are mindful to clean up and to put away our toys, we are mindful to unfuck the jump rope we just used before hanging it back up, we are mindful to throw away our cups/water bottles, we are mindful that the chalk belongs in a bucket/on hands/or on a bar and not all over the gym, we are mindful that if we don't do those small things, then someone else will have to. When you have a growing community, like ours, and tasks like these aren't done, we carve out an area for resentment to grow. We create a system that cannot sustain itself, and it's all avoidable. Let's take a minute at the end of our workouts, before we get into our cars, to clean our equipment and our area. Let's preserve the things that we like doing, and the places we do them at. Let's be responsible, let's be proud, and let's leave a good legacy.

definition of pride, found here - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pride

T-E-C-H-N-I-Q-U-E. Break down movements to understand them better.

(Disclaimer: This is a "if the shoe fits, wear it" kind of article. If you are reading and you know that these words do not apply to you, then great, water off a ducks back. However, if you're reading and something jumps out, or makes you think, even better, because I speak from [limited] experience, and I have learned some things the hard way. Quit ignoring issues, identify them, eliminate them and continue to evolve.)

Two classic CrossFit sayings, two of my favorites. 1) Leave your egos at the door and 2) If your fucked up, unfuck yourself and get better.
This is a multi-part series about bringing fundamentals and mobility together to force ourselves to take a step back  in order to take a step forward. Even the top level race cars have to make pit stops in order to continue the race. And you're certainly not a top level race car.


The Snatch-
Here is a recent video of Chad Vaughn performing a Snatch (@ 77kg bdy wgt)

Watch the video. Now watch it again, and again, looking specifically at the FULL hip extension at around :34 or :35 and the very first time his elbows bend around :36, but even closer to :37 as he's pulling UNDER the weight!!! (Ever hear that before????) Watch it again, watch where he catches the weight at :45, the very low, very bottom of the OHS. Solid, strong, and upright torso, supporting all kinds of weight over head, not leaning forward, not a weak midline, and he's still holding his breath! What can we pull from that 45 seconds of video? All kinds of shit to consider;
1) setup for the lift (getting tight before lifting and STAYING TIGHT throughout the lift, not a portion of it)
2) pulling back as the weight moves up
3) the technique
4) the mobility to stick that landing and support weight
5) and finally staying tight while you stand up the weight.
Where do we begin with just those few things? Here are some references that I've used for myself and for some athletes in classes. Again, identify what's fucked up for you specifically and eliminate it - even if it takes time and effort. Come to the gym early if you need to, stay after, do this shit on your own if you're taking it serious. You can even schedule a personal training session with a knowledgeable coach, or take a weightlifting clinic.
 If you only want to be comfortable all the time, then stay in bed, this isn't for you.

1. Getting tight- http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/04/valsalva-maneuver.html
2. Back is up!- http://donnyshankle.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-weightlifting-personal-view_13.html
2a. Mobility to keep it close- http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/02/episode-183-half-way-and-internal.html
2b. http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/09/episode-315-great-new-shoulder-fix-internal-rotation-tack-and-stretch.html
3. Full extension- http://youtu.be/5lFEpP89xQ4
4. Mobility to support weight overhead- http://www.mobilitywod.com/2011/10/episode-336-improving-the-bottom-position-of-the-squatcleansnatch.html
-Mobility to keep it close and support the weight overhead - http://www.mobilitywod.com/2010/10/episode-71-overhead-squatsnatch-prep.html


You can't make people smarter. You can expose them to information, but your responsibility stops there. - Mark Rippetoe
Sources -
Chad Vaughn - http://www.crossfitcentex.com/about/chad-vaughn/

Coming back!

Alright it's been a while, but I'm coming back.
I will be updating this over the next couple weeks, so that means I'll be tweaking the layouts and designs, adding posts, etc...
I wanted to start this off with my new shoes, which I received in an unmarked (light weight) box today.

Those are the new(ish) Reebok CrossFit shoes. I was going to pick up a new pair of Inov-8s since I loved my old ones so much and beat the shit out of them on the regular for the last 11 months. When I started shopping around online, I came across these shoes, and the timing happened to work - so I grabbed a pair. I've been wearing them for an hour now and I love how they fit. More to come on those.

Finals

I haven't forgotten about this place. I'm midway thru finals for the semester. After this week, I'll continue the regular updates. Big summer ahead!

Check this video out, it's relate-able.

Muscle Ups are a bitch

On my first attempt at Open WOD 11.4, I got 90 reps. I was able to complete all the bar-facing burpees, and all the overhead squats. I had about a minute and a half left to chip away at the muscle ups... the only problem; I had yet to get my first muscle up ever. As I said, I finished with a score of 90 and wasn't able to get my first muscle up during that workout.
With the blatant inability to complete this movement, even once, I had a deep burning to get my first muscle up as soon as possible. This WOD is going to be in my face for the next few days, and of course I'm going to see muscle ups again in the future.
I conferred with my trainer, who told me to get down to the box, just to work on muscle ups. So I headed over, walked in and when I saw Dave, he stated, "you're getting your first muscle up today" and that's all he said as I began messing around with my false-grip.

regular grip (on left) / false grip (on right)

(pictures taken from BeastSkills.com)

I messed around with my grip, and some progressions for about 20 minutes. Here's the outcome:

Now, with this accomplishment I will redo the Open WOD 11.4 before I head to Columbus this weekend for my Level One Cert. I'll follow up after this weekend.

The Nation's Capital

Alright, last weekend I headed down to Washington D.C. for a couple days of CrossFit and sight-seeing. Started off the weekend, on Saturday morning with the Open WOD 11.3 at Capital CrossFit. The trainers there were good guys, and they were very encouraging during the wod, which pushed me to a better score than my first attempt. Spent the rest of Saturday seeing part of downtown D.C. and eating as much as possible. The food there is awesome.
Sunday, got up and hit another wod in the hotel parking lot. Me and my trainer Dave did 5 rnds for time: 500m run, 30 double unders, 25 hand release pushups. This took me a long time to complete, because of the double unders. I finished right around 26 minutes. It was a great way to get things going on Sunday morning. We had come down to D.C. with two other friends from our affiliate who were at their level one cert all weekend. Had a great time at Capital, eating all the food we could and doing some wods also.

(this is the WWII Memorial and it's amazing)

(this is The Vietnam War Memorial)

Vacation Recap and what's been learned

Let me first say that my visit to Rogue Columbus was a great one. I went down for an evening wod on my way to South Carolina for the week. I met the trainer Brandon who was informative and effective with the large group we had. 

(picture is @ Rogue Columbus, I'm in the back of the class in the middle of the two rows)

Continuing south the next morning, I got down to beautiful South Carolina with a full week ahead to CrossFit and relax. Plenty of both would happen. While I was down there, enjoying incredible weather all week long and even better food (mostly Paleo) we managed to CrossFit six of the seven days I was there.
My brother is a trainer down at CFHH, when he's not coaching and he's participating in the WOD, we are pretty competitive. Needless to say, we went back and forth during the week with winning over each other. The first open WOD came out while I was there, and of course - the exercises are two goats of mine. Double unders and snatches.... I am registered for the open, but currently not ranked amongst the top. Oh, I set two PRs while at CFHH last week - my behind the neck jerk: 205lbs, and my power clean: also 205lbs.
Also while down there, I did some college visiting. I'm going to look into the real possibility of moving down to SC for three reasons; to spend time with my brother and his family, to entrench myself with some extraordinary trainers, and to finish my degree in a much more comfortable climate than Ohio's. (more to follow as details arise)
While in SC, I had the good fortune of meeting up with a great friend of mine from active duty. His name is Jonny Five Aces, and he's the man who introduced me to CrossFit while we were serving together in Iraq in 2007.  (Me and Jon from left to right)

This man is a stud... he ran just over two miles from where he was staying to the CFHH box to do a WOD with my brother and me. Once the workout ended, he hit the pavement again, back to where he was staying to rejoin his family on their vacation... Stud. (David, Me, Jon from left to right)

Once I came back to CLE, I still had momentum from my CFHH experience, so I worked on my back squat form with two trainers this past weekend. Their cues and input helped me to PR my back squat at: 305lbs. I am very happy with all my PRs, as everyone should be. However, like any true CrossFiter - I already have a new goal in my mind and I'm committed to working towards it.
In the immediate future, there's a road trip and a definite Level One Cert on my calendar. I am reading the Level One packet feverishly, because I want to succeed. The possibility of failure has limited me in past (and still does), so merely attending this Cert is part therapeutic for me.

WODs, Certs, Goats... oh my!

So March has begun, and with an atypical start. I had the same realization last week, that I did last summer - my Olympic lifting form is atrocious. Specifically my snatch. Going into olympic lifts (and many CrossFit movements) I'm aware that I don't exploit my hips enough to properly or efficiently complete the movements. I use some strength, where I shouldn't and I lack technique where its needed. With that awareness, I need to allocate more time to improving. I have them all on my list of "Goats". Here's the definition for Goats:

'The "Goat" concept (introduced to me by San Francisco CrossFit) is simple. A "Goat" is an exercise or movement you suck at, hate, or both. This can include anything from running, thrusters, handstands, or stretching your hamstrings. This point is, we should work harder at the things we suck at instead of always trying to improve what we're already good at. Spending some time during your warm-up or cool-down to improve some of your "goats" will make a HUGE difference in how fast you progress!'

So my list of Goats is extensive, as I feel it should be; there's always something to improve. Since I need to better my form, and that will be a long journey for me, I decided to enlist the aid of a pair of weightlifting shoes. After a moderate amount of time researching what was out, and the varying attributes for each pair, I ended up spending a lot of money on a pair of Nike Romaleos which are going to help me with the most important part of any olympic lift, the footing. I got those in the mail last night, so I will use them for the first time today. (I ordered from Rogue Fitness which is a Columbus, Ohio based company and I can't say enough great things about them) I don't like Rogue because of their overwhelming presence within the community, I like them for selfish reasons. I've ordered from them before and will always order from them in the future. They are professional, profficient, extensive, knowledgeable, caring, successful, pro-America, community supportive. I appreciate their values, and integrity.

I just got an email this morning that the two lead trainers at CrossFit CLE, where I workout, have resigned and are moving on to a different place. This is an unexpected turn of events for me. I didn't work closely with them or daily like many members of our box, but they were a main reason I joined this affiliate over others. (There are other affiliates located closer to my home, but the trainers at CLE heavily influenced my decision since they'd be helping me with my terrible form)
So goodbye to them, they'll be missed.

And to end on a silver lining; I'm going on a vacation this weekend. I'm going down to Columbus, Ohio to possibly meet up with some influental individuals within the CrossFit community, and to get a WOD in. Then I'm going to continue on south into South Carolina where I'll be visiting family and training with three of the best trainers I've had the privledge to train with.
(Still considering the Level One cert in April - alright, truth be told, I signed up - Im nervous about passing the test)

Hope

Over the last week, a lot has happened for me, relating to CrossFit.
I went to my first CrossFit competition, at HyperFit USA. One of the trainers from CrossFit CLE competed and took 9th overall. It was a different side of CrossFit that I hadn't seen before, the structured competition and the multiple WODs in a short time span. There's a lot of strategy that goes into this as you can imagine. What and when to eat, stretching, resting, when to go balls out, when to hold back slightly during a wod to then capitalize in another wod....

Hyperfit has a fine facility, it's huge and well organized.


I have done several benchmark WODs within the last week, those have all been learning experiences.
Some side thoughts: I'm looking at getting some Olympic Lifting shoes, also thinking about going to a Level One Cert here in Ohio this year... more on that later.

I have started eating more fruits, more vegtables, less sodium, less processed foods, less foods with ingredients that I cannot pronounce. I'm keeping my coffee and my occasional junk foods but I already notice that I feel better. I also began stretching every morning, which may be contributing to my overall well being, could be the food, could be the combination of them both.
Here's a picture I took at school the other day, it felt hopeful. The sun was out and the weather was spring-like for that fleeting day. (Today's weather is 29`F, wind is 35mph, theres a winter storm warning, we have a couple inches of accumulation already) I hope the gym is open and accessible for the noon WOD today.

Fran....ugh

So I completed Fran yesterday (16 Feb). Let me start by saying the last time I had posted, was indeed flawed. My time for yesterday's attempt was 5:35 and that stands as my PR. I blew my load on the first set of thrusters by completeing them unbroken. I am able to butterfly kip which definetly helped with my overall efficiency. My goal now is to get a sub-five minute Fran time. It was brutal. I sat in the corner of the gym within arms reach of the garbage can for roughly 20 minutes afterwards.

Of course, with this workout and the pain-storm that came with it - I am again looking into changing my diet for the better. I'm looking into Paleo.

New ideas

Alright, so this blog has begun to deviate from what I originally had planned. I have begun to only put up my WODs and the outcome. I intended for this to be more about my thoughts and experiences through the CrossFit community and my personal growth. So I am going to begin doing that. More thoughts, and less of just WODs being posted. More to come...

WODs for the last 9 days

Jan 13th -

WOD

AMRAP in 12 min:

10 toes-to-bar

15 box jumps (24/18)

20 double-unders

STRENGTH
Overhead squat 1-1-1-1-1

I finished the AMRAP with 5 full rounds + 10 TTB +15 box jumps +28 regular jump ropes. (Still don't have double unders down, but working on them. I just bought an Again Faster - Ultra Speed Cable Ropes for practicing). I also PRed on the OHS, I got 185lbs then failed on 205, and 200.

 

Jan 15th -

Skill - 10 min: pistols

WOD

20 hang squat snatch (75/45)

30 pistols

40 C2B pull-ups

30 pistols

20 hang squat snatch (75/45)

I finished in 15:26. The C2B pull-ups really held me up. This made me realize that I need to continue working on my kip.

 

Jan 17th -

WOD

101 push press for time (95/56)

3 burpee penalty every time the bar touches the ground

My time was 9:20. I set the bar down six times, so ended up having to do 18 penalty burpees.

 

Jan 19th -

WOD

For time:

50 dead lift (225/155)

40 laterall burpees

30 toes to bar

20 HSPU

10 squat snatch (135/95)

I scaled the dead lift weight to 185lbs, I used a band for assistance on the HSPU and I scaled the squat snatch to 95lbs. My shoulder was sore from the Monday WOD, it made the HSPU difficult and the squat snatch close to impossible for me. I had to do one at a time and it was a fight for form.

 

Side note: I have been using Chuck Taylors for my WOD shoes, this past week I was able to buy some Inov-8 running shoes, which are widely used by CrossFit'rs. From what I gather, the shoes are hard to come by because they're made for trail running but have become popular with CrossFit now. I was only able to find my size in the color green. I had to scour several sites and local stores to find my size at all. I ended up going through Running Warehouse. Take a look -

 

 

Coffee, clementines and "california road trip"

Not a bad way to start the day... I've been communicating with my brother a lot lately, he told me about the "California Road Trip" series in the CrossFit Journal, so I've been laughing at those over the last couple days.
About two weeks ago, my brother started talking about eating Clementine Oranges. When he was telling some of us about how good they were, he was enjoying his fourth of that day. The Clementine conversations persisted for days. I found myself seeking them out at the store this week, because they were still on my mind from the previous weeks conversations. Thanks DC, I can't eat just one at a time. They're great for breakfast, a snack, and for post-wod to get something to eat right away.


The workouts that I've done over the last week are listed below.
Jan 7th - I was all amped up to do "Murph" here at home. Its not a WOD that requires a ton of equipment, so I was going to do it at home. I got ready, headed outside and realized that it was 18` F, and we had accumulated a couple inches of snowfall overnight. I have to do the pullups on a swingset in the back yard, find a place to do the pushups and air squats and then run the miles out on the street.

The conditions weren't ideal so I called an audible:
WOD-
7 rnds of:
7 air squats
7 burpees
Time of 4:05


Jan 10th -  My XO (executive officer) from when I was active duty, was a guy nicknamed Jonny 5 Aces. We're both from Ohio, me from Cleveland, he's from Canton. We became friends right away when we met and we are still good friends today. He introduced me to CrossFit in.... early 2007 I'd say. He was in Ohio this week visting family, and he met me downtown on Monday for a proper WOD at CrossFit CLE and then some grub afterwards. We ate at Mallorca downtown and the food could not have been any better. The workout was:
WOD-
For time:
40 wall balls (20LB)
20 kettlebell push press (55/35)
40 double-unders (kept missing, ended up doing 80 regulars)
20 deadlifts (225/185)
40 walking lunge steps
20 GHD sit-ups
40 box jumps (24/18)
20 wall climbs (on a box)
Time of 22:15
I wasn't really happy with my time for this. The deadlift should have been easier than it was. I struggled with the kettlebell push press, that was a lot of weight and the wall climbs at the end of the workout (for me) were not doable. My shoulders were smoked. So after one wall climb, and two failed attempts at a second wall climb, I did 20 reps with my feet on a box and walked my hands in towards the box (as I walked my hands in, my ass went up towards the sky). I'm describing it because I can't find any video examples of it. Overall, this WOD should have been easier for me, the weights exhausted me right away and the cardio made me suck wind the entire workout so it was difficult to move from exercise to exercise. I also messed around with the rings a little bit today for the first time after the WOD.


Jan 11th -  Really excited about this workout. I was able to make time to get downtown and finally attend an evening WOD, which I hadn't done before. I was driving downtown during rush hour, and in what some were calling a "snow storm". Its about 33 miles and 45 minutes drive for me to get to the box. Well with the weather and traffic, it took an hour and ten minutes to get down there. I was getting concerned texts saying maybe I could just workout tomorrow, and that I shouldn't be out in this weather. I had a blast with this workout. Don't get me wrong, it got shitty and a lot quicker than I thought it would.
WOD -
4 rounds for time of:

4 squat clean thruster (135lb)

8 burpees

12 pull-ups

My time was 9:50. I was content with this time, sub-ten. I was more happy that I was able to do the 16 reps of 135lb squat clean thrusters. On the second round I thought to myself, "135, what the fuck was I thinking?" That weight was heavy. I could have done better on my time by not getting sips of water through the workout or spitting into the garbage, but for me for right now, it's what I have to do to get through the WODs. One of the trainers did the same weight as me and we started the WOD at the same time... he was done in 5:09.


After the WOD, I worked on double unders, I did 3 rounds of 5 dips (focusing on Range Of Motion), I rolled my spine on a pair of taped together lacrosse balls, and I worked on opening my shoulders.