Tag: wod

Round 4 Day 19 – WOD Fran (again!?)

So my last attempt at Fran was a bit of a failure. So much so that I didn’t even want to call it what it was supposed to be. According to the Crossfit site, Fran is as follows:

21 Thrusters 95lbs
21 Pull Ups
15 Thrusters 95lbs
15 Pull Ups
9 Thrusters 95lbs
9 Pull Ups

and the times that people proudly post for the workout are sub 4 minutes. I think that the last time I did this I was somewhere just over 10 minutes. Given that I didn’t rush through and was at the gym, I don’t think that really counts. This time however I just went through it without trying to hurt myself because I was using 35lb dumbbells instead of a barbell. That is mostly due to the fact that in my basement the ceiling isn’t quite high enough to lift the bar with the 45’s on it, or even I think the 25’s. Since I only have 35’s I was starting out with a 70lb weight. I shouldn’t have been worried however since after about 14 of the 21 Thrusters I had to change the weight for 25’s. It was mostly my balance that was the issue, not the strength. That made the whole thing a lot easier. Even so, I only managed an 8:35 for the whole thing which is a bit disappointing. I was hurting afterwards, so much so in fact that later during the evening I was still coughing up weird phlegmmy acid stuff that tasted like (I assume) battery acid. I almost drowned in my La-z-boy which led me to thinking that maybe I had done a little too much. My personal WOD then looked like this:

MetCon
Supposed to be row 2000m but since I don’t have a rowing machine I ran 1600m instead (1 mile)

WOD

21 Thrusters 70lbs (actually about 14 with 70 and 7 with 50)
21 Pull Ups
15 Thrusters 50lbs
15 Pull Ups
9 Thrusters 50lbs
9 Pull Ups

The whole workout including a short warmup took about 28.5 mins but I think it was the run that really did me in not Fran. For some reason, running messes up my breathing the first few times I do it. If I haven’t run in a while I get really bad indigestion (which I am a victim of anyway) and cough up the grossest stuff you have ever seen. After a few times it goes away, it’s all a bit of a mystery really.

Fran. I can see why people love it.

Round 4 Day 12 – I Hate Cindy (and a throwback to day 4)

So Day 9 was as promised, a version of Cindy however I only managed 15 minutes not the full 20. After 1 round I felt like I was going to die. I managed 13 rounds in the 15 minutes. It was odd though, I thought my chest would explode after 2 rounds but then I think my brain shut off to protect me from myself and suddenly there was 2 minutes to go. My heart rate hasn’t been that high in a VERY long time. I think I was over 160bpm for almost the whole thing!

I found a piece of paper this morning with my workout from Day 4 and realized that I had inadvertently done what I had interpreted as Fran. I was disappointed since this week I had it in my head that I was over Cindy and moving to Fran but now I have to find another partner.

FWIW these are the “real” versions of Cindy and Fran:

Cindy

AMRAP 20 minutes

5 pull-ups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats (Air Squats)

Fran

For time (I am not sure how they measure the required weights however)

21 thrusters
21 pull-ups
15 thrusters
15 pull-ups
9 thrusters
9 pull-ups

As I stated at the top, Cindy almost crushed me but surprised me at how high I could get my HR to go and also surprised me at how proud I was of myself even though I had only managed 15 minutes not the full 20.

I can tell, I am going to be inventing my own versions, naming them after people I detest and touting them as the “I once had and injury so I can’t do burpees” versions for the still tentative crowd.

Round 4 Day 9 – The Stuttering Start (And Paleo Saves My Life)

October 8 2010

While I should have taken 9 days to get to day 9 in fact I have already taken 12 days. This is partly due to the fact my parents are in from out of the country and that we were away last weekend. That being said, I could have put up better numbers. I am averaging 2 days on one off which at the current intensity isn’t going to cut it. This is the sad attempt so far:

P90X Chest & Back, Ab Ripper
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
OFF
P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
WOD with Pullups
OFF
OFF
GYM Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
Cardio Power and Resistance
OFF
GYM Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
WOD with Pullups

P90X Chest & Back, Ab Ripper
Plyometric Cardio Circuit
OFF
P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
WOD with Pullups
OFF
OFF
GYM Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X
Cardio Power and Resistance
OFF
GYM Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X
WOD with Pullups

I also am getting the feeling that I am doing too little insanity however I guess that as long as I include the MetCon part of the WOD I will be fine with the cardio workout. Also, if I can keep up walking in the morning 3 days a week it should be enough.

I am also going to start making a concerted effort to jump on the Paleo bandwagon. Now, lots has been said about Paleo and the caveman diet but without sounding like a jerk I was into this when I was in high school. I remember one summer I followed the meat and fruit/veg diet and got pretty amazing results. However I was subject to much ridicule in my house and from my coworkers due to the fact that I was a “weightlifter” but wouldn’t touch pasta or bread, something that back in the late 80’s made you seem like a complete idiot.

After reviewing FitBomb’s entry about his reasons for going Paleo I find that the same reasoning resonates with me now just as it did back then. So for the forseeable future ( now that the weekend carrot cake has finally been finished) I will do the Paleo dance and attempt to reign in my weight before Christmas. I should be hanging around the 220 mark, something that is barely on the horizon from where I stand at this point. Sure I am fit and strong but I also feel like I am a heart attack on legs due to my weight. Given my advanced age (40+) and my family history of heart problems it’s probably time I took steps to stay out of the pine overcoat as long as possible and exercise alone isn’t going to cut it. Not that my diet is usually filled with fast food and donuts but making the switch to Paleo and getting away from the refined sugar and flour is something I think is really going to make a difference.

It’s my WOD day today and rather than sticking with my pullups/jumpups/squats I am going to try a real MetCon and try to see how I do. My choice is Cindy as follows:

As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes:

5 pullups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats (Air Squats)

This is supposed to be mixed with an indeterminate amount of Turkish Get-ups, something that  I will have to try before I commit. I think weightless Turkish Get-ups may be all I can manage for now.