It's been a while since I last posted. Sorry. I have been traveling the last few days. The family christmas present was an all expenses paid trip to the Gator Bowl to cheer on WVU. My girlfriend and I arrived on Tuesday and have been traveling ever since. We have managed to keep up our workouts pretty well. Today is a rest day as we have been on for five days. We found a hotel with free weights and treadmills close enough to do neutral grip, tuck pullups, holding on the safety handles. We did Joshie yesterday. I finished in 21 something.

Cheer on WVU tomorrow, have a great New Years, and I will write again soon.

Various Front Squats

This was the last WOD before a two day holiday break. I was five days on, so two days off is much needed. The Workout:

Front Squat 1-10-1-20-1-30 reps

Weight and Total: 210, 155, 210, 95, 210, 65 (lbs) = 945

I was pretty happy with this. I feel like I could do more weight on my singles, even though that was a PR weight. I am not sure how I felt with the 20 and 30 rep weight. I struggled to get through them, but probably could have squeezed out 10 more lbs.

Daniel

The Mainsite called for a rest day, so I picked Daniel for today. The Workout:

"Daniel"

50 Pull-ups
400m Run
21 Thrusters (95 lbs)
800m Run
21 Thrusters (95 lbs)
400m Run
50 Pull-ups

Time: 18:13 as Rx'ed

That is around 2:08 faster than back in September. I am wrecked, but I love PR'ing.

Oh, side note, I got a raise and more hours today. Hell yeah!!!

Diane

I took on Diane yesterday. I checked the scaling from Brand X, then screwed it up. However, I think my screw up actually worked out better in the end. The Workout:

"Diane"

21-15-9 reps of: (I did 15, 9, 6)
225 pound Deadlift
Handstand push-ups (Barrier)

Time: 5:24

The scaling I wanted to do was 15, 12, 9. I am not sure why I messed this up, but it did not occur to me until I was in the middle of my HSPU's during the last round. Oh well, my Deadlifts were almost unbroken, and I only had to rest two or three times during the HSPU's. I really need to working on those. My form is good, but my strength sucks.

Rope Climb, Ring Dips, Squats

This was today's WOD from the mainsite. I do not have a 15 foot Rope, or Rings, so I had to modify a little. The Workout:

Three rounds for time of: Porch Scaling
3 Ascents of a 15' rope (subbed 5 to 1 neutral grip pullups)
15 Ring dips (Subbed 3 to 1 parallette dips)
35 Squats

Time: 9:40

Just wish I had the right equipments for this one. I need to make some rings.

4719(2)

This was a WOD created by Crossfit Pittsburgh last Spring after three officers were killed in the line of duty while forcing their way into a house where a young man was threatening his mother. I don't remember which of the officers were a member at Crossfit Pittsburgh, but his fiance is a Crossfitter in Philadelphia, and she got together with the owners of Xfit Pitts and created two workouts based on the officer's badge number. I did this yesterday. The Workout:

4179 (2)
9 Rounds for Time

4 Pull-ups
1 Deadlift (275 lbs)
7 Push-ups
9 Double Unders
Sprint 100m

Time: 14: something

Again, I do not have my log book in front of me. I preformed this WOD for the first time last Spring, and finished in 19 something. So, I will take the 5 min difference.

Single Squat Cleans

I have been really behind in my blogging recently. I will blame in on life, but really, I think I just forgot. This was Friday's WOD. The Workout:

Single Squat Cleans
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Weight: 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215 lbs. (PR)

I felt good at this weight. I may have been able to push 220, but I felt pretty drained and my forearms were really tired for some reason.

5x3 Back Squats

Not much to say about this one. The Workout:

Back Squat

3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Weight: 230, 235, 240, 245, 250 (PR)

I lost my focus on my last rep of my last round and my form broke down a little. But, I will accept the weight as a PR.

Wall Balls, Pull-ups, Push-ups

I missed yesterday's mainsite WOD as I was resting. However, having never done a Turkish get-up before, I thought it best to practice them during a skills period and pick a different WOD to do today. I searched around and found this WOD of Crossfit WV. The Workout:

21-15-9

Wall Balls (I sub'ed Thrusters)
Pull-ups
Push-ups

Time: 4:34

I thought about just doing Fran, but I wanted to work on my Thruster form at high speeds and wanted to do some push-ups. It was actually a pretty tough WOD.

Xfit Games Chipper

Finished the week with a tough one yesterday. The Workout:

For time:
15 155lb Barbell Cleans
30 Toes to Bar
30 Box Jumps
15 Muscle Ups
30 45 lb. Pushpress
30 Pull-ups
15 135 lb Thrusters
30 Double Unders
30 Burpees
15 Walking Lunges (45 lbs.)

Time: 20:44

This was like 2:12 faster than when I attempted it at the end of the summer while they were performing this WOD at the games. The only thing I screwed up was the Push Press. It occurred to be after that it was supposed to be 45 lb dumbbells, no just the 45 lb bar. I am sure that and the new found ability to do Muscle Ups accounted for the lower time.

Rest day today and tomorrow. Enjoy the weekend.

Single Split Jerks

Single Split Jerks tonight. The Workout:

Single Split Jerks:
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Weight: 185, 190, 195, 200, 205, 210, 215 lbs (PR)

I attempted this WOD in my toe shoes. I think it limited me a little because it hurt my feet when I drove them down as I jerked the weight overhead. Still I will take 215.

Elizabeth

Decided to do Elizabeth yesterday. A favorite of mine. The Workout:

Elizabeth
For Time:
21, 15, 9

135 lbs. Cleans (115 lbs)
Ring Dips (2x Parallete dips)

Time: 8:41

I was not too happy with this time as it was about a minute slower than last time. I guess it was because I started with full squat cleans which burned out my quads pretty quickly.

Back and abs Variations

Hey, I am actually finding the time to post on the day I performed the WOD. The Workout:

For time:
Run 800 meters
30 Hip/Back Extensions
30 GHD Sit-ups (only went to parallel)
30 Hip Extensions
30 Knees to Elbows
30 Back Extensions
30 AbMat Sit-ups

Time: 10:46

I felt really good today after the Lumberjack workout last night. I guess there is something to be said for working out so hard your body becomes inhabitable to foreign viruses. That is may theory anyway. And clean eating. A recipe for health.

Pa DUI Law

I followed my boss to court this morning to observe a Non-jury trial for which I drafted a motion challenging the constitutionality of 75 Pa.C.S. 3802(d)(2). Basically, 3802(d)(2) says that it is unlawful for someone to drive who is under the influence of a drug or a combination of drugs to the point of unsafe impairment. On its face, this statute appears to be a good law. It will keep drug users who are high off any narcotic off the roads. However, as applied it presents a real problem.

Take for example our client (some facts are changed for obvious reasons). Single mother who suffers from a mental illness. Her doctor prescribes her medications that she takes on a daily basis. For three days, her medications have stopped working and she is suffering from an episode caused by her mental illness (call it a depressive episode, manic episode, whatever). However, her children, who play little league baseball, have a tournament on day three. Unable to get a hold of her doctor, the woman decides to take her children to their baseball game b/c she is feeling better and took her medications that morning. While driving, she is pulled over and charged under 3802(d)(2). She legally took her medically prescribed medication, she drove with a legal license, yet she is being charged as a criminal.

Anyone else see a problem with this? Post your thoughts to comments.

Lumberjack 20

After a nice weekend of rest, I hit it hard last night. I missed this WOD on Saturday and wanted to give it a shot in honor of the fallen. The Workout:

Lumberjack 20 (Porch Scaling, so 15 reps of each)
20 Deadlifts (275lbs)
Run 400m
20 KB swings (2pood)
Run 400m
20 Overhead Squats (115lbs) (had to drop the weight to 95 lbs)
Run 400m
20 Burpees
Run 400m
20 Pullups (Chest to Bar)
Run 400m
20 Box jumps (24")
Run 400m
20 DB Squat Cleans (45lbs each)
Run 400m

Time: 24:14 (or somewhere close to that, don't have my book at work)

Felt good doing this wod. It was the first metcon I attempted in my Fivefinger shoes and loved it. The running will take a little getting used to. While warming up, the 115 ohs felt really unstable, so I dropped to 95. When I performed the lift while in the wod, I felt really strong at 95, so I probably should have done 115. Oh well. I am also fighting a cold, so nothing but clean eating, exercise, and rest for me for the next few days.

Row,GHD,Back Extensions

I was relieved to see this WOD after a tough week on the old hands. The Workout:

Row 1000 meters
Then three rounds, 21, 15, and 9 reps of: (I did Pack Scaling at 15,12,9)
GHD Situps
Back Extensions

Time: 7:14

I was aiming around 7 or 8, so I am happy with this time. I had to run about 75m from the row machine to the exercise ball and squat rack I was using for the GHD's and Back extensions. I am unable to do full GHD's and on developer because my body is not used to them. However, my body is able to handle the extension I get from a ball.

15, 12, 9 one-arm thrusters/one-arm Pull-ups

When I saw this WOD, I had no idea what to think. The thrusters did not bother me, but I had no idea what to think of the pull-ups. Then when I saw that HG amended the WOD to include 60 lbs being used for the pull-ups, and I started to get scared. The Workout:

Using a single 60lb dumbbell for both thrusters and pull-ups, 3 rounds, 15-12-9 reps of:
Thrusters right arm
Thrusters left arm
"One-hand" pull-up right arm (left hand grabs the right wrist)
"One-hand" pull-up left arm (right hand grabs the left wrist)

Time: 11:20

I scaled the weight to 45 lbs as I would scale regular Fran to 65 lbs. I did body weight pull-ups. When I started the pull-ups, I was not getting a full ROM, but once I became comfortable holding my wrists and got into a rhythm, that ROM came a little easier.

5x3 Front Squat

I know this is a day late, but I got home late last night and was really busy today attempting to draft a motion challenging the constitutionality of a Pennsylvania law. The Workout:

Front Squat

3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Weight: 175, 185, 185, 195, 205

This was not a PR exactly, but I moved my hands from a limiting "underhand cross" type grip, to a more functional high rack with my elbows parallel to the floor. I felt a little unstable because my shoulders were getting tired and I wanted to make sure I kept my back upright. I will move up to a new PR next time.

Joshie

Um, Wow, that is about all I can say about this WOD. I wrote it down correctly, then got to my globo, and thought I must have been mistaken. I modified to WOD to what I thought, and I was wrong. The Workout:

"Joshie"

Complete three rounds for time of:
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, right arm
21 L Pull-ups (I did 12 tuck)
40 pound Dumbbell snatch, 21 reps, left arm
21 L Pull-ups (I did 12 tuck)

Time: 27:17

I know, this is an awful time. My pull-ups sucked, my squat form sucked. I even thought I would be ok because I was scaling to the Pack workout. Wow, was I wrong. I hope I never see this WOD again.

Linda

I was still riding the high of the WVU win over Pitt this morning when I headed to the Globo. Last time I did Linda, I attempted it RX'ed and really sucked. It took me over 30 min. to complete. This also happened to be the first time my gf approached me about my ego and how it was affecting smart workout decisions. Since then, I have become a huge advocate of scaling, and today showed its benefit. The Workout:

"Linda"

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight (Body weight)
Bench press: body weight (3/4 body weight)
Clean: 3/4 body weight (.5 + body weight)

Set up three bars and storm through for time.

Time: 12:44

I worked with 175 lbs, 135 lbs, and 95 lbs, respectively. It felt really good to work so hard and have a great time difference. I know that I was bound to get a lower time after lowering my weight so much, but now I have a baseline "good" time to set as a goal next time when I increase my weight a little.

Also, here is a great blog I follow with some really great videos recently posted. You should head over there and check them out.

Double Unders/GHD/Back Extensions

Drug my ass to the gym this morning with the most sore legs I have had in a long long time. Damn 400m walking lunges. The Workout:

As Many Rounds In 20 Minutes:
15 Double Unders
15 GHD (sit-up, Pack scaling)
15 back extensions

Rounds: 10 + DUs and sit-ups

My lower back was really hating me from about round 7 to the end. My legs feel no better.

Off to WVU for the Backyard Brawl against Pitt. Let's kick some Pitt ass.

400m Walking Lunges

My legs were pretty sore from squats on Monday. But, knowing I was taking tomorrow off for the holiday, I decided to suck it up and go for RX'ed. The Workout:

400 meter Walking lunge

Post time and number of steps to comments.

Time: 10:34

Steps: 385

I was really happy with these numbers. My legs are ready to fall off and I feel like I sat on horseback all day long, but, I pushed through and finished strong.

Have a good Turkey day tomorrow. For those who follow Paleo, go wild on the turkey.

Shoulder Progression

I was so happy to see this WOD yesterday after the burpees/squats. The Workout:

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps

PR's: Shoulder Press: 150, Push Press: 180, Push Jerk: 165 (I think)

I don't have my log book right in front of me, but I am pretty sure these are the numbers. I will double check later. My shoulders have always been particularly weak and I think these numbers should be higher. I plan to work on my shoulder strength during skills days in the near future.

Burpees/Squats

After a day off, my gf and I took on this WOD. She made indian for dinner and was not feeling up to Burpees (understandable), so she took on another WOD. However, even with the pending visit from Pukey, I took the challenge. The Workout:

Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes of:
25 Burpees
Body weight back squat, 15 reps

Rounds: 4 rnds + 20 burpees

In hindsight, I should have scaled this to 15 minutes with 3/4 body weight squats. I did "well" on the burpees, but had to break up the squats into sets of 5 each round. I have a feeling I would have completed about the same number of rounds if I had scaled.

HSPU, Run, Pull-up

Now that my gf is in town for the holiday, we have scheduled our workouts for the next week to maximize work and rest with the busy week coming. We headed down to the globo this morning. The Workout:

For time:
21 Handstand push-ups
400 meter Run
21 Weighted pull-ups
15 Handstand push-ups
400 meter Run
15 Weighted Pull-ups
9 Handstand Push-ups
400 meter Run
9 Weighted Pull-ups

Time: 12:13 Weight: 35lbs.

Considering I max around 90+ for single pull-ups, I thought 35 would be pretty easy. However, it was harder than I thought. I felt good on my runs. After the WOD, we worked on snatch and clean form. I noticed that I was pulling prematurely before reaching full extensions from my hip drive. I feel better about it now.

Angie

After continuing to ice my hands, I managed to get them feeling up to Angie last night. I hopped on the bar, did as many butterfly kips as I could, mixed with standard kips, pushing my way through everything else, and did well. The Workout:

"Angie"

For time:
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

time: 16:57

This was 10 seconds faster than my old time. hell yeah!!!

Today is a rest day because my gf is coming up for thanksgiving and we are going to work on a 3x1 split over the next few days. Kind of.

Push Jerk/L sit Pull-ups

I was feeling pretty good today and iced the hands last night and this morning. The Workout:

Pack Scaling
3 rounds for time of:
95 pound Push-jerk, 15 reps
15 Tuck pull-ups

Time: 5:54

Comparing this time to others from the Brand X forum, thius was really fast. Like twice as fast as other "big dawgs." My only thought is that I was incorrect push-jerks. In hindsight, I was doing more of an extra explosive push press than a proper push-jerk. I assume this is what gave me extra speed and such a great time. I will have to keep this in mind next time I attempt this WOD.

Off to ice the hands again.

Eva

Last night, I was a little nervous about doing this WOD because I was concerned that I would overtrain again. After last week, I am watching it a little closely this week. Anyway, the Workout:

Eva (Porch)
Five rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
2 pood Kettlebell swing, 20 reps
30 Pull-ups

Time: 33:31

I only did four rounds because I was burning out hard and the globo was really hot. During the fourth run, I started cramping a lot and was concerned that I would have a visit from either Pukey the Clown or Crappy the Clown (if you get my drift). I hope to work up to five rounds at this time next time it comes up.

Single Cleans and Jerk

First time back after a short break last night. Felt good. The Workout:

Clean and Jerk
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

weight: 185, 190, 195, 195, 200, 205, 185(f)

I matched my PR from last time, but I still count this as a PR because my form was a lot better. It took me back when I dropped the weight to 185 after PR'ing and failed. Actually, I failed twice. It was like my shoulder were so tired from 205 that I could not get myself under the bar during my front squat. I will have to keep an eye on that.

Time off

Took a few days off after what seemed to be severe over training last week. Looking back, my wods were nothing I hadn't done before or something similar, so I am not really sure why they hit me so hard. Three day break, and I am back at it tonight with single Clean and Jerks. Can't wait.

For now, I am sitting in Bankruptcy court waiting to question some sleezebag who owes me clients lots of money. I am bored with this.

Quick question, not to be rude, why don't you see adults with severe autism? Just wondering.

Running

I was still wrecked yesterday from Tuesday's double and the filthy 50 on Wednesday, so I decided to just run last night. I was up to the 5K on the mainsite, but did not feel like going to my globo. I ran around my neighborhood in what I call the intermediate/advanced course of the four I have. I was actually feeling pretty strong until I hit the hill that marks the halfway mark. Then, I think the cold, fatigue, and full stomach from dinner caught up to me. I pushed hard to get the rest of the run in. Ouch. No idea what my time was or how long I want. It was meant as a casual run.

I am off to court today. YAY!!! My boss has jury selection for a personal injury case, and I have to cover two minor hearings for him. Let's kick some ASS!!!!!!

Funny misspellings

I never intend to make this blog a political avenue, however, I can't pass up a chance to make fun of conservatives. When I was in law school, I had a good friend who was a stark conservative and always told me that uneducated people are liberals and once educated, they realize that conservatism is the right path. However, check out this link. I have not read all of the misspellings, but the ones I did see were all from conservative people. Ha, Dumbasses.

Filthy 50

After the grueling double WOD yesterday, I picked myself up this morning and attempted the Filthy 50. It sucked all the way around and I about died from exhaustion. If there was ever a time when I was going to get Rhabdo, this would have been it. I felt like my body was going to shut down during the burpees. Why the hell did the designer of this WOD put them at the end??? Anyway, the Workout:

For time:
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

Time: 23:24 RX'ed

I looked at my last time doing this WOD back in July. I finished in like 25:30 RX'ed. Despite my exhaustion, I wanted to give it a shot and I PR'ed. My goal for this WOD is 20 min, we will see if I can progress enough before it comes up again.

Death By Pull-ups and AMRAP 20 min of Snatch and Pushups.

Let me start off by saying I did not workout yesterday because I received a migraine about 4:00 in the afternoon. So, I attempted 2 WOD's tonight, bad idea. The nice thing was that the globo worker I got to help me actually seemed to be intrigued with my kipping pullups. The Workouts:

"Death by Pull-ups"

With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Minutes: 16. New PR, up from 14 in early August.

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of: (Porch Scaling)
55 pound Power snatch, 12 reps
10 Push-ups

Rounds: 11

I have not idea if 11 rounds is good. But, after Death by Pull-ups and a tear forming about round 9, I will take it. Now I need to get to bed and let my body recover before the "Filthy Fifty" tomorrow.

Snatch, Overhead Squat, 400m Run

It is official, if I show up at the gym, I am going to give it my all regardless of how tired I am feeling. After last nights running, I was again feeling exhausted and thought I would just do today's WOD taking my time and concentrating on my form. I have been working on my snatch form during skills practices, and as I turned out, I was ready to go full force. The Workout: Porch Scaling

Five rounds for time of:
75 pound Snatch, 3 reps
75 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
Run 400 meters

Time: 15:03

Considering my constant feeling of exhaustion, I think that is a pretty good time. I felt like my snatch form and ohs form was solid, and I am happy with my results.

Funny Sh*t

If you missed "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" last night, check out this video. It is hilarious.

4 rounds of 800m Run

The WOD's this week have taken a toll of me for some reason, apart from the fact that I am fighting off the beginnings of a cold, so I made a conscious decision today that I would take it easy tonight and treat this WOD as an active rest day. I would run a fair pace with no worries about my times. I ran on a treadmill at my globo because the indoor track is too small to get in any rhythm, and I am best at keeping a constant pace on a treadmill where I can set it and just go. However, once I started my first round, this became anything but a rest day. The Workout:

Four rounds, each for time of:

800 meter run

Rest as needed between efforts.

Times: around 3:13 for each round.

I put the treadmill on 10.0, then walk/ran as it sped up. 10.0 was the highest speed. I could have done faster on my first round, maybe my second. However, by the third and fourth, I was huffing it.

Let's hope this did not kill my chances of snatches, ohs, and running tomorrow morning. Night.

Squat, Push-up, Pull-up, Sit-up Progression

Because I have to be at work this afternoon, I got up early and hit the gym hoping my abs were not suffering too much from Annie last night. They were a little fatigued, but so is the rest of my body as it fights off the head cold my gf got over the weekend. I am determined not to get sick, but the runny nose and drainage are setting in.

Anyway, I did the progression WOD from 10/31. I scaled to the "Pack" from Brand X, one because I am feeling particularly fatigued this week, and two because I am making a conscious effort to scale WOD's for a while because I don't think I am a Big Dawg for some WOD's. The Workout:

Pack:
For time:
15 Squats
15 Push-ups
15 Pull-ups
15 Sit-ups
35 Squats
35 Push-ups
35 Pull-ups
35 Sit-ups
50 Squats
50 Push-ups
50 Pull-ups
50 Sit-ups

Time: 14:42

I started off strong with the round of 15, but started to fatigue hardcore during the round of 35. I also attempted to throw in some butterfly kips (I have been working on them after WOD's for skills sets), but I just can't seem to get the rhythm down. Hmm.

Note: I had an apology session with the aerobics instructor this morning. I apologized for my "disruption," and she apologized for making me leave because she knows I "have strict workouts I do." I guess that is partially accurate. During the conversation I found out that she also does not like it when I am doing burpees during her classes and the running in and out of the gym to run on the track. At least she knows what a burpee is.

Annie

I took on Annie tonight after dinner. Working out right after a meal is never a really good idea. My abs cramped on me about halfway through, but I was more concerned with keeping the salmon in my stomach. The Workout:

"Annie"

50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:
Double-unders
Sit-ups

Time: 9:30 ish

That is a PR from last time I did this WOD. The last time, I clocked in at 10:06. I will take almost :36 seconds off. I say "-ish" because I started the WOD in the gymnasium where an aerobics/zumba shit was going on. I prefer the gym because I have room to swing the rope for DU's. However, half way through my second round, the instructor told me that she had I problem with my jumping rope because it threw off the rhythm of her music. WHAT THE F?????? So, I did the 40 sit-ups, grabbed my gear, and ran to the corner of the running track to finish. I am estimating that it took me about 5 seconds to do that.

I hate my Globo.

Truth about Ghosts update

Here we are at the beginning of November. I spent the entire month of October watching everything Ghost show on TV I could catch trying to figure out whether the paranormal is real or not. 31 days later, and I can say, I still have no idea. For the most part, everything had an alternative explanation, but there were a couple of things I just have to leave open as unknown.

1. A shadow caught on video that walked behind a refrigerator and across a storage room.
2. Various EVP's that were clear and obvious what was being said (most were unclear)
3. A cord wrapped around an alarm bell on a wall, raised off the bell with no one around.
4. A door closing slowly, opening slowly, and closing again. Then, when replaced by the hosts of the show and asked to do it again, the door shut once more.

As scared as I would be to come face-to-face with a real ghost, maybe that is what I need to finally convince me that the paranormal actually exists. If I do run into a ghost, I would prefer it come when the lights are on, and in the form of a shutting door. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and see a figure in my bedroom mirror, or hovering across the room. F'ing creeping.

Meeting the Parents

Well, during my two rest days, I traveled to Southern West Virginia to meet my girlfriend's parents. We have been dating about 6 months. She has lived with my family for a summer while I was studying for the bar, and she was working; however, this was the first time we headed south to visit her family. It was a good weekend overall. Her 2 year old (I think) niece is scared of me. I took the poor little girl all day to warm up to me, but I finally won her over by juggling and then giving her one of the balls. She knows my name, but something tells me that the next time I see her, she will be afraid of me once again.

We also headed to church yesterday with her family. I am not a church goer, and I have to say that "childrens chat" reminds me of Nazi Youth. Is that weird?

5x5 Back Squats

After two days off, I started the week with some heavy Back Squats. Unfortunately, I was unable to lift as much weight as I thought. The last time I did this WOD was last May and I PR'ed at like 245 lbs. Since then and now, I have spend a lot of time correctly my form, and that seemed to kill my ability to lift that much weight today. The workout:

Back Squat
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Weight: 210, 210, 215, 215, 220

I lift with a high bar squat. I assume that proper form will lower my weight temporarily, but only time will tell.

Hilarious Facts from Crossfit People

If you want want a good laugh, check this out. Post your favorite to comments.

Nate

Even though I was exhausted today, I still attempted Nate. My goal was to get 12 rounds RX'ed. If I got more than that, after the hard week I have had with WOD's and life, I was going to be really pleased. The Workout:

"Nate"

Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:
2 Muscle-ups
4 Handstand Push-ups
8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings

Rounds: 14 + 1 MU

For now, that is my PR (even though this is the first time I recorded this WOD).

Post office Paranoia

I went to the post office yesterday to mail my application in to the Allegheny County DA's office, and the clerk asked me how fast I wanted it to get there. Knowing it was not time sensitive, I said, as cheaply as possible. She responded by asking if I wanted to guarantee it. I said, no. She said, kind of snobbishly, "well, then we can't guarantee it will get there." What The F is That All About???? I am mailing it in the same county. Since when do I have to pay to guarantee that my mail is delivered? What happens if I pay for the guarantee? Do they give it to a special mail carrier that never takes his eyes off of it? I bet not. Or, does it mean I get my money back if they lose it, so, in essence, they will try harder not to lose it? If that is the case, who gives a shit, I still have to remail it they lose it. What the hell is up with, "well, then we can't guarantee it will get there." Bull shit, I brought it there, all you have to do is run it 30 minutes into downtown. GET IT THERE!!!!!

Michael

Michael is a surprising tough WOD. I am always surprised how much back extensions mixed with running really wrecks me. Also, there is nothing worse than the pain from a working lower back. Ouch. And it lingers. My abs get sore, my legs get sore, my lats get sore, and after my workout, the pain tends to go away. Not my lower back. And after doing single deadlifts yesterday, I think it was a little fatigued (not that I am pulling with my low back during deadlifts). The Workout:

Michael (Pack Scaling)
Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
35 Back Extensions
35 Sit-ups

Time: 18:46

I debated doing this one as RX'ed, but I am glad I did not. It would have taken me quite a bit longer. I made it through my back ext. and sit-ups with little rest. But, sit-ups just take me forever. I think it is the move. I just can't move it any faster. I try to pull extra hard with my abs, engage the arm swing, and it is still slow. Maybe I need to try a leg anchor.

Anyway, topping off the week with Nate tomorrow morning. I am excited for the MU. Hopefully, my hands stop hurting from Tommy V.

Single Deadlifts

It was another day of single deadlifts today. This is one WOD that I always use to evaluate my progress with Crossfit. Before coming to the light, I struggled to deadlift 185lbs. ten time. However, a year later, my weight has skyrocketed in my opinion. I need to concentrate on pulling more with my hams and not at all with my back, but as my weight increases, I become more confident in my form. My last PR, in September, was 335. The Workout:

Deadlift:
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

weight: 305, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340 (PR)

I struggled with 330 and 335, and felt my form starting to suffer. I chalked it up to Tommy V yesterday and the lunges on Monday. However, I stepped up to the bar at 340, took a deep breath, and pulled with everything. Feels good to PR.

Tommy V

I was actually a little afraid of this WOD the first time I saw it. I immediately thought, "the sub for rope climb is 15 towel pullups. If the WOD starts with 12 ascents, that is a hell of a lot of towel pullups. However, thanks to the brand x forum, it looks like a sufficient sub was 5 towel pull ups with 5 knee to elbows (if you would use your legs during the rope climbs). I obviously do not have a rope at my globo, and I have only ascended a rope once with no legs. Banking on those two factors, I decided the 5 and 5 would be a good sub. However, I did not take a towel to the gym, so I decided that neutral grip pull ups with a neutral grip lat pull down triangle draped over the pull up bar would be sufficient. So, the Workout:

Tommy V: Porch Scaling
For time:
115 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 9 ascents (or 5 neutral grip pullups/5 kte's)
115 pound Thruster, 12 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 6 ascents
115 pound Thruster, 9 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 3 ascents

Time: 17:15

The time felt really slow. The pull ups took me forever as I kept dropping from the neutral grip to reposition to do the kte's. But, that time does not seem to far off, so I will take it. Nothing like over coming a fear.

Haunted House

So, I went to the Scarehouse here in Pittsburgh last Friday. I was a little nervous as we drove to it because I am a little scared of the unknown (which translates to dark places) and the haunted house is supposedly ranked by the Travel Channel as the third best in the US. However, it was quite a let down. It appeared to take place in one giant room and they divided it up with all these turns and bends. It lasted about 20 minutes, and after about the third person "popping" out of no where, it was pretty predictable.

I guess it is back to watching those Ghost Hunter shows to get my adrenaline up a little before walking around my dark house and scaring myself. What a waste of money.

Walking Lunges/Sit-ups

After the weekend off, I got back to the WOD's today. I woke up this morning feeling a little sluggish after a rough night's sleep, but I got going and made the most of the workout this afternoon. I was not super excited about the lunges/sit-ups. After a weekend of rest, I prefer a high cardio metcon. But, that should come tomorrow with Tyler. The Workout:

Four rounds for time of:
Walking lunge 50 meters
Sit-ups, 50 reps

Time: 11:06

Looking at the Brand X anything sub 12 min is a good time, so I am feeling pretty good about it. I need to work on my sit-ups. While my feet were free, I used some serious arm swinging as I got higher in the reps. I need to build up my core strength so I can keep my hands at my sides, and I need to work at my stamina so I can squeeze out 50 + without too much rest.

Tabata Something Else

I really do not like this WOD. Something about the constant exhaustion, mixed with what seems to be a never ending stopwatch, makes this one painful. I had a worker at my Globo time me during my pull-ups. About halfway through my reps started to drop off and he said, "that looks like it is getting hard." No Shit!!! The Workout:

"Tabata Something Else"

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.

Rep Score: 8, 10, 10, 15 (respectively)

It was not my best showing, but I was exhausted this morning, so I will take it.

Heading off to the Scarehouse tonight here in Pittsburgh. It is rated in the top three in the US. Should be interesting. Bring on the adrenaline.

Single Pull-ups

I was excited to do single pull-ups last night. The last time I did this WOD was the first time, and it took me forever to find my single PR weight. I finally found it at 90 lbs while weighing 171 lbs. So, I was excited last night to see how much I had progressed in the month in a half. The Workout:

Weighted pull-ups 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Weight: 75, 85, 90, 90, 92.5, 95, 95, 97.5 (maybe)

I went ahead and attempted 97.5 just to get to failure. My chin got really close to getting above the bar, but I don't know if it got over or not.

Just another reason to Crossfit

If you have not seen this movie, I recommend it highly.

Tyler

When I saw this WOD, I got all excited because I love doing Muscle Ups, even if they are on a bar instead of rings. Partly because I told myself I would scale every work for this month to see what happens, and partly because I thought I would never get through Tyler as RX'ed, I scaled to the second of three suggested Porch scaling. The workout:

Tyler:
Five rounds for time of:
4 Muscle-ups
65 pound Sumo-deadlift high-pull, 21 reps

Time: 7:57

Looking at my time, I think I could have done 95 lb SDHP or 7 MU. Comparing to others on the Brand X forum, that looks like a really fast time. I will be sure to do it as RX'ed next time.

Still watching Ghost shows, and still have yet to see any solid evidence of paranormal activity. They are at an Irish Castle right now. Surely there would be some activity here if it existed.

Hip-back Extension/Run

Was not quite sure what to do with this WOD. I thought I was pretty strong with my back extensions, saw a video for hip-back extensions, and went for it RX'ed. It started off pretty well, but my back started to get weak really quickly, and I really felt it during my runs. The weird part of the WOD was where I was feeling the fatigue in my legs while running. My legs were getting odd crampy feelings in my quads and around my IT bands. Not what I expected. Anyway, the workout:

For time:
21 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
18 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
15 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
12 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
9 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
6 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters
3 Hip-Back Extensions
Run 400 meters

Time: 17:51

I hope my back does not feel like one giant tight knot tomorrow. I have to go to court with my boss all day with the hope of learning the ropes a little.

Ghosts

I have developed this odd attraction to horror movies and ghost shows this Halloween season. I don't know if I am gaining a new interest in my life, or if I have developed an adrenaline addiction thanks to Crossfitting. Along with this new attraction comes watching hours of those Ghost shows when I have time to watch TV at night and on the weekends. You know the ones I am talking about, Paranormal State, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventure, etc. However, I am not convinced at the existence of the paranormal. The most the tv shows offer are quick videos of supposed shadows, sounds that sound like wind, or their personal experiences. All of this is debunked by the psychological theory of Confirmation Bias. So, I have developed two questions.

1. If the different places are so haunted, and people experience the haunting all the time, why don't those people carry video recorders with them to get solid evidence?

2. If ghosts are real, and they are haunting shit, why do they hide? If I were a ghost, and someone was trying to provoke me, I would do everything I could to scare the piss out of them. Why would I hide in the shadows and bore myself by closing doors or rocking a chair?

The problem is, all "evidence" comes from someone's perceptions and no one can verify that kind of evidence. That shit would never hold up in a courtroom. Well, actually, some dumbass judge would allow it. For now, I continue my belief that ghosts are not real. Go ahead, prove me wrong.

Hang Squat Clean, Push-ups

Something did not seem right today during my WOD. I don't know if it was because of my bad diet over the weekend, still recovering from wrecking my legs last week, the difficulty of hang squat cleans, or a combination of all three, but I felt sluggish. I headed to the gym with the intent of doing a Porch scaling of 115lb x 15 reps per round, but when I got there, I had to modify. The Workout:

Five rounds for time of:
115 pound Hang squat clean, 10 reps
30 Push-ups

time: 13:32

Comparing this time to the Brand X forum, it looks like I chose a good modified scale. All I can say is that this one sucked.

Keep your fingers crossed that my boss offers me a full time job this week. Now that I am licensed, I am feeling the pressure for a full time job more than ever.

Esq

After my WOD on Friday, I headed downtown to file my official application to be admitted to the PA bar with the Supreme Court Office of the Prothonotary. I thought it would take a few weeks for them to send me my official license, but, sure enough, the lady at the desk handed me a piece of paper with my PA Bar #. So, this is it, after 4 years of undergrad, 3 years of law school, a summer of studying my ass off, and a shit ton of money, i am an Esquire.

Elizabeth

Friday was Elizabeth day. I was afraid that my time would suck because my legs were ready to fall off after Fran the day before. I was not too concerned about my forearms, even though I had a hard time making a fist right after Fran. My last time on Elizabeth was 8:38. The workout:

Elizabeth -
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean 135 pounds
Ring dips (I did 2x paralette (sp?) because i don't have rings)

Time: 7:19 as RX'ed

I am not sure what my goal time should be for this WOD, but I will take ~1:20 faster.

Fran

Once again, I am slacking on my posts. I am going to go back to Thursday, Oct. 15 to post my time for Fran.

The workout:

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups

Time: ~6:30 as RX'ed

I don't remember my exact time, and I do not have my log book in front of me as I am out of town for the weekend. My goal is based on GD's time suggestions posted on the Brand X forum of 5:00 or faster. I made sure I stayed true to form while doing my thrusters. I hate thrusters.

5K

As for today, I ran the 5K. Usually I use the 5K WODs as active rest days because I really dislike running long distances. Something about a continued state of exhaustion from running just makes the time spent running miserable. It was freezing outside when I got up, so I headed back to the globo gym to run on the treadmill. I know, it is not the same as running on pavement . . .

5K:

Time: 21:43

That is a pretty good time for me. I have ran 5K's faster in actual races, but can never quite replicate that time on a treadmill. I started at a 7.5 speed, then 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, and 10.0.

My GF was approached for the first time at her college gym today by a guy asking her if she is the girl who does Crossfit. Such a proud moment.

Row, SDHP, Pull-ups

I apologize for being a day late with this WOD post, but yesterday was super busy. I did not make it to the Globo Gym until 730 last night and was there until 830. By the time I ran some errands and got home for a shower and snack, it was almost 10.

Anyway, my WOD from yesterday:

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Row 250 meters
Sumo deadlift highpull 95 pounds, 21 reps (scaled to 65 pounds)
Pull-ups 15 reps

Rounds: 4 rnds + SDHP + 2 pull-ups

I had to improvise a little on the rowing because my gym's rower is on the opposite side of the running track from the weight room. So, I ran to the rower, rowed 175 m, then ran back to the weight room. I assume it was about 250m in total. The Wod was pretty brutal and I was worn out by the time I lied down for sleep.

On the flip side, my knees felt great today. The hurt a little after Monday's Thrusters because I had to run to the gym in the cold and run home in the cold. They felt ok yesterday, but this morning, they were back to normal.

Thrusters

Well, back for another week at my Globo Gym. I had a fantastic weekend with my gf, but we had to spend it at a wedding. We left on Friday to see some different places in VA, then headed down to the wedding spot on Saturday afternoon. I managed to piss off my friends because my gf and I needed to rest after a hard week of wods and know that drinking is not really Zone Approved. I took a lot of crap for not staying out and "partying." I also realized that my gf and I are the most unromantic people we know. We hate weddings and decided the only benefits were the food and dancing. All-in-all, I will be sure to spend over $250 doing something we want to do next time.

On to the Wod. I did:

Thrusters:
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Weight: 180, 180, 185, 185, 190, 190(f), 195(f), 190(f)

I PR'ed last time at 190lbs, so I wanted to try 195 even though I failed at 190. Imagine that, I failed again. It is the first time I failed at progress when repeating a wod. I am chalking it up to my hatred for thrusters and my recent dedication to making sure I am keeping true to form.

Off to work tomorrow, wish me luck that something interesting happens. Did I mention that I passed that bar???? Hell yeah!!!!

Power Clean, Sit-ups, Back Extensions

After my excitement over the bar exam, and finishing my day at work, I headed off to the gym for my daily WOD. I decided to do the Pack scaling because I am a little sore from the cluster f of lifts yesterday, and I wanted to save some energy for my first 30 muscle up WOD tomorrow morning. Anyway:

18-15-12-9-6 and 3 rep rounds of:
Power clean 95 pounds
Sit-ups
Back extensions

Time: 10:26

Until tomorrow, I have done pull-ups and dips every 30 MU WOD day. I discovered that I could do MU's about a month ago, and I have been waiting for this WOD to come up again. Wish me luck, we will see if I can make it through all of them.

After that, I am off to VA for the weekend for a wedding. I hate weddings, should be interesting. At least I have the glory of passing the bar to carry me through.

PA Bar Exam

While I do not yet have a WOD post for the day, I am happy to report that I passed the PA bar exam. Hell yeah!!! I was getting a little nervous there for a while, but I kept a positive, confident outlook, and it all paid off. Now, if only I can find a job in criminal law that I like.

What Xfit lift or move do you hate the most?

I wanted to start his poll to see what I get back. What do you absolutely hate to see come up in a WOD? For me, it was thrusters, but now . . . snatches. Post to comments.

Awful Chipper WOD

Today was the "lots of stuff" WOD posted last week. I had to sub 3 x parallel dips, Thrusters, and did 45 pullups for three rope climbs. I attempted to take a towel to do towel pull ups, but when I practiced them, I slid right off of the towel. Last time I visited an affiliate, I did a rope climb after the WOD and had no trouble getting up with no legs. Anyway:

For time:
25 Walking lunge steps
20 Pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 20 inch box
20 Double-unders
25 Ring dips
20 Knees to elbows
30 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
30 Sit-ups
20 Hang squat cleans, 35 pound dumbells
25 Back extensions
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
3 Rope climb ascents

Time: 19:25.

I also bought some adidas sambas today to try. I read at the brand x forum last night that flat shoes with little cushy support is better for oly lifts. I never realized my running shoes were so awful for xfitting. They worked well today.

I also had a good zone meal tonight, except for the papaya, which is a disfavored carb. Oh well, still better than what most Americans had for dinner tonight.

The Ultimate Fighter is on at 10 p.m. Let's see if Kimbo comes back. I hope he does, I hate Big Country, and I probably would have killed myself if I lost to him. Fat Ass!!!

another hilarious pic

Not that I am trying to ride the humor of Shotty's blog, but here is another hilarious pic that I wanted to share.

Single Snatches

After work tonight, I did not the Seven Single Snatch Wod. I hate snatches. The first time I did this Wod back in the spring, I did horribly because I did not know anything about proper form. Tonight, I PR'ed at 145 lbs. That is, I worked my way up to 145 lbs and then stayed there because I was not doing a full squat and not locking out at the right time. I even had to drop down to 135 during my last rep just to make sure my form was a little better. Oh well, I have something to work on during skill days after I get down my muscle ups and butterfly kips.

I sat around at work today and typed a brief for an appeal to an Administrative Law Judge. The client was a nurse caught stealing drugs from the Hospital's Pharmacy. The federal government has excluded her from working anywhere that accepts federal, state, or local government funding. So, she can work no where and we are stuck attempting to convince some ALJ that does not give a shit that this poor, now clean, mother of an autistic child needs to work. Sure, she should not have been taking drugs from the start, but too late now. Anyone got any ideas?

So, what is your least favorite crossfit technique? Mine was thrusters, I think it moved to snatches. I officially hate them.

FYI, don't eat a prickly pear unless you know what you are getting into. Taste fruit, but the seeds are hard and make it tough to eat.

Awesome Pic

Found this on Shotty's xfit blog and wanted to share it.

Helen and Michael Moore

OK, so the parts to the title of this blog have nothing to do with each other. I did Helen this morning. When I started to warm up this morning, I realized I did not write down the reps of KB swings for each round. So, I asked a director at my globo gym to use her internet. She had not idea what crossfit is. I was not surprised, but a little insulted when she told me that I should join their computer fitness program because then I could sign in and do the daily workout they suggest. I can only imagine what that would involve, especially because most people I know who use that program use machines. Machines are the enemy!!!

Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups

Time: 10:09 as RX'ed

For anyone who reads the Brand X Forum, that is only 9 seconds above GuardDawg's suggested time for that WOD.

This afternoon I saw Capitalism, A Love Story. It was my first Michael Moore movie, and I must say that I rather enjoyed it. If anyone has done a fact check on it, let me know. I have been following the economic crisis on and off for the last two years, but I had not idea how corrupt the Government's role is in the matter. Paulson should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and sent to a federal "fuck me in the ass" prison. Except, once he had the bank regulations thrown out the window during the Bush Administration, I guess what he did was technically not illegal. I am sure some smart prosecutor could find something illegal he did. Maybe mail fraud. Bottom line, Obama better not allow the big companies to influence his presidency. Otherwise, he is nothing more than an f'ing idiot and I hope he gets impeached.

Scrubs is on. Hell yeah. Although I do not like this episode because Karla is obsessed with being a mother and is letting her marriage fall. Just another reason to never have one.

Later!!!

Rest Day

Took another rest day today. It was much needed after a tough week and the WOD from yesterday. I am pretty sore from pistols. I officially hate them.

I was 1/2 active today, if you can say that. I went over to the barn this morning to hang out with the local hunter pace. I had a little port, a cookie, and shot the bull with some local yuppies. I still don't understand the concept of the Hunt. I can see the sport of riding horses with hounds looking for actual foxes. However, with the no kill hunts, someone sets the catch, and people just get all dressed up to ride around for hours looking for a preset ending. Kind of takes the mystery out of it. Also, members pay like $2000 a year just to ride around like this. I can go out on a horse and ride around all day for free. Maybe I don't love horses enough, who knows.

Then I watched Rugby on Spike. Wow, do I love Rugby. I fell in love with the sport when I was in London a few years ago. I hate the sports stations in this country for not showing rugby. Maybe some day. For now, I am stuck watching boring American Football just waiting for the day when Rugby makes it debut and Americans learn when real sports are.

Other than that, I watched bad horror movies on Syfy this afternoon, did some things around the house, and made dinner. Now, it's steeler time . . . if only it were rugby time again. Oh well, dumb country.

Run/Pistols/Situps

I decided to do the posted WOD for today even though I am usually a few days behind because my GF was in for the weekend and we could do it here at the house.

Pack Run, Pistols, and Sit-ups. I did as many free standing pistols as I could before using a pole to help myself out of the bottom of the squat.
Run 800m
15 left then right-leg - 8 free standing/ 7 assisted
25 sit-ups
12 left then right-leg - 5 free standing/7 assisted
25 sit-ups
9 left then right-leg - 3 free standing/6 assisted
Run 800m

Time: 16:27

I hate pistols because they make my knees feel funny. I would love to see someone do this WOD rx'ed. those would be some strong ass quads.

Nice day here in Pittsburgh for the first time in a week. I think I will go horseback riding this afternoon.

Rest Day . . . check out this video.

I found this on the Mainsite. Anyone who reads the daily articles or watches all of the video previews has seen this before, but I wanted to post it anyway. It explains a hypothesis that the war in the Middle East is not a war against a particular religion, but one against tribalism. Check it out: Watch video

I took a rest day today. I was supposed to finish the week with single snatches. However, after the late football game last night, I decided to skip the snatches, take a rest day, run a 5K tomorrow, and rest again until Monday. The more the day goes on, the more thankful I am that I took the day off, I feel exhausted.

My Zoning went to shit last night. Too much beer, tailgating, and stadium food. The more I zone, the more I think I am becoming a hermit. It is a scary word outside these walls when it comes to food. Oh well, give it a day or two, and my hormones will be back in order.

One last note, I can't figure out how to add my favorite links to the side of my blog page. Anyone help? (Edit: Never mind, as you will see, I figured it out)

Oh, the Globo Gym. This morning there were house wives warming up for aerobics by doing exercise ball crunches in one corner, an older lady with the exercise ball between her legs working her lower abs in the other corner while talking on her cell phone, and the aerobics instructor was running on the treadmill while holding on to the front and extending too far with her forward foot. Sometimes I just don't know whether to correct them or just walk by smiling.

Anyway, I was pretty strong this morning considering it had only been 12 hours since I did Angie. WOD for today:

Complete as many rounds as possible 20 minutes of:
95 pound Thruster, 5 reps
95 pound Hang Powercleans, 7 reps
95 pound Sumo Deadlift High-pull, 10 reps

I did 8 rounds back in August. Today, rx'ed, I did 9 rounds, thrusters and Hang Power Cleans. Not as much improvement as my Angie time, but I will take it.

Well, I am off to WVU today for the game tonight. Going to throw my Zoning out the window for the night and tailgate with a few beers. Should be a good game, watch it on ESPN 2.

I looked at my log for the last time I did this WOD to judge whether to attempt it as rx'ed or not. Last time, back in April, I did Angie rx'ed at 21:59. According to the Brandx forum, I should be able to come in under 18 min, so that was the goal. Tonight's WOD:

"Angie"

For time:
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

Time: 17:07

Hell yeah. That is almost 5 min better than last time. I did standard Kips (chin over the bar) and used an arm swing for my sit-ups. This was the technique I used last time with those two moves, so I stayed true. Felt good.

Oh, I apologize for the picture post in my last post. It is just awful.

My mother of all people sent me this image last night as part of a halloween prank chain mail. I thought I would share it with everyone. Personally, I find it rather disturbing.

For my WOD tonight I did a mixed scale of the Squat Clean/GHD wod. The weight was the Porch scaling while the situps were from the Puppy scaling. I attempted to do the GHD's, however, after the GHD/Back Extension wod from last week, I could STILL feel some soreness and tightness. I really think GHD's screw me up. Other than that I felt strong tonight and I think my time is good.

For time:
115 lb Squat clean, 10 reps
50 Sit-ups
115 lb Squat clean, 8 reps
40 Sit-ups
115 lb Squat clean, 6 reps
30 Sit-ups
115 lb Squat clean, 4 reps
20 Sit-ups
115 lb Squat clean, 2 reps
10 Sit-ups

Time: 9:27

After the wod, I worked on some bar muscle ups. I am attempting to get my numbers up so I can do well during the next 30 MU wod. I did my first MU about three weeks ago, so they are progressing slowly. I have noticed recently that the core plays a big roll in getting up and over that bar. I did a set of 5, then a 1.5 min rest, then a set of 4, 1.5 min rest, and so on down to 1 MU.

Nothing exciting happened at the YMCA tonight. The morning people are more interesting. Damn old vultures waiting to nab the next closest parking spot.

Out for the night. Enjoy.

Try not to get injured.

Work was a little boring today. The morning went by quickly as I had a lot of different things to do. However, my boss went to court again and left me behind. How naive of my to think that when I interviewed for the position and he agreed not to stick me in an office all day everyday that he would actually invite me along to get exposure. Oh well.

One thing I did today was to go through a Worker's Comp case to see what medical bills were still outstanding. I did not take the time to review the facts of the case because I really don't care, but from what I gathered, the client worked at an autobody shop, suffered some kind of injury, and is not wanting Workers Comp (no doubt so he does not have to work ever again). Anyway, he has accumulated an ass load of medical bills. I am talking a 2.5 inch folder full of bills. One doctor charged him $80,000.00 for some neurological exam. What the F costs $80,000? No wonder Workers Comp does not want to pay. The moral of this story, as if it is not obvious, don't get injured. It costs way too much to get medical attention these days, the insurance you purchased never wants to pay, Workers Comp (designed to help those injured at work) won't pay, and you get stuck with so much debt that no human can possibly pay it while you are still injured and unable to make a living to pay for the bills.

I am leaving now to drive home. It's off to the gym later. I will post more if anything interesting happens.

WOD for Sept. 28

I had a tough WOD today. I am behind of the main site posts because I moved from a 3x1 split to a 5x1 split and I wanted to make sure I did not run into any rest days. Also, I am out of order because I had to modify the order last week to accommodate working out with my gf.

Anyway, I did the shoulder progression today and here are some of my numbers.

Shoulder Press 5x1 - Pr'ed at 145 lbs.
Push Press 5x3 - same PR as last time at 170 lbs.
Push Jerk 5x5 - I actually came in 5 lbs. less than last time I did this wod at 160 lbs.

I am not sure why my shoulders burned out in the end. I think it was because I did a lot of bench presses on Saturday and I am still recovering. Oh well, back to the gym tomorrow night after some work.

My First Blog

Well, here I am, my first blog. I know it is rather cliche to write the "my first blog" post, but it is more a test of features for me than an introduction to the world. I promise to write more interesting things later, but for now, I am just trying out the features.