Brob's #44

I will keep this post short and sweet. Why, you may ask? Well, if you read Rob's previous post, then you'll understand. Not only did it make me laugh multiple times, but it also hit home for me as well. I am very thankful to have such a great friend that has faithfully maintained the integrity of this challenge--thanks Rob! On to the workout...

Let me tell you one thing: over-eating, booze, and excessive sugar intake will not set you up for a very successful WOD. With that in mind, let me show you the results:

8-min AMRAP:
Row 100m
225lb deadlift, 7 reps
20lb wall-ball shots, 14 reps

Rest 5 mins, then:

6-min time limit to find 1RM squat snatch

Rounds: 5 even
Squat snatch: 185lbs

Not terribly disappointed; however, if I would have felt 100%, I truly believe that I could have (finally) put up a 200lb snatch. Soon though...very soon.

Happy New Year everyone! Let's set some PRs...in AND out of the box!

Brob's 44

This week's Challenge is short, sweet and intensive. Constantly varied!!! I Love this sh!t. I really wouldn't train ANY other way. Being that the WOD was shorter, I thought this week I'd put a little more effort into the Blog. Talk about this, talk about that. It's the end of the year and I still have to get my wife's Christmas presents packed and wrapped.

So here we go. I am 46 years of age and at times I do look it. But I am faster, stronger, more agile, have more coordination, have a shit load of endurance. What else? Hmmmm? More mobility and flexibility then at any other time in my life. At times I love correcting or messing with people while doing a WOD. Try and catch up!

Sometimes I talk a lot of nonsense. But it's just me. Sometimes I love to joke around and ****off. But that's just me. Sometimes I am serious and get pissy. But that's just me. I like to mix it up. But I do love to lift heavy shit sometimes far and a lot of times fast. I love to push myself to the limits.

There are a lot of shitty ways to train out there. I know, I spent 20-30 years trying it all. My wife and I know tons of people out there that quit lifting, quit doing this and quit doing that. (By the way, can somebody tell me if anyone really believes Zumba will get you fit?) I can and will tell you why. Either they hurt themselves because of shitty training with machines or stupid ways of doing exercises. Or they just didn't see any fuc*ing results fast enough. We were led to believe you have to look fit to be fit. So people acted like mice on a treadmill chasing a dream in a magazine. People were led to believe it's easy getting a certain figure. People do not have time and they get bored fast. We payed to much attention to what was going on outside. For example how we look or how we appear to others figurewise. The health industry knows this and doesn't want everyone reaching their goals. They'd be broke.

The truth is, at all most all fitness clubs I have been to in the states or europe, be it big name clubs or small fitness clubs. The trainers sucked. Most people didn't have any guidance. If they did it's B.S. standard crap that was written in the mags. Any idiot can show you how to use a machine. People were led to believe they need this supplement or another one to get results. All BS.

CrossFit put the concept out there as open source and said; "Hey do this and prove us wrong". (My way of interpreting it.) This is the real deal. They tell you to look for trainers that are interested in you and who really do give shit. Not just about the money. CrossFit teaches us how to get to the results we need fast and safe if we pay attention to detail. Hence the tip: "Leave your EGO at the door."

So what's my point?

Today's Work:

8min Amrap of:

100m row
7 x deadlifts with 100kg (easy shit)
14 x wallball shots with 10kg ball

5min rest
then fib:
Max weight for 1 rep Snatch (we did the squat snatch)
6min time limit.

Results:
Bou. 5 rounds + 30m/ 85kg snatch
rob. 5 rounds /70kg snatch

We have no injuries, no stiff joints and none what so ever health problems! That is the point!

Merry Christmas!

43rd Brob's Challenge and We Ain't Stoppin'!

Another week has gone by and another Challenge has come and gone! But it's ALL good!
Brian came up again with a good idea. This one was From CrossFit L.A. (See Brian's post below)I'll be quite honest it was time to test the power output to see what's going on. I got an immediate reply and will be adjusting the weekly training accordingly.

The weather wasn't on our side yesterday. Icy streets and sidewalks covered with some snow wasn't makling the runs easy. Yet, I didn't want to modify the wod. You just have to suck it up and play the cards dealt to you!

Things aren't always like being on a Merry-Go-Round.
My score for this Challenge was 47 reps.

Here is a link to check out if you feel like you are going to be doing Fran or Thrusters any time soon!

Brob's #43

Not my shirt, but it sums up how I feel about thrusters
(image from www.zazzle.com/FenrirUA)

Lately, I've been getting back to listening to CrossFit Radio. The episodes are always entertaining and informative--I really wish that I hadn't stopped listening to them awhile ago. I'm not sure when they started adding the Workout of the Week (WOW), but I've enjoyed listening to what other affiliates are putting out there. One of these WOWs intrigued me so much, that I thought it would make a great Brob's Challenge.

CrossFit L.A. programmed the following workout:

In 3 minutes, complete the following:
Run 200 meters
135lb thrusters, max reps
Rest 2 minutes
In 6 minutes, complete the following:
Run 400 meters
135lb thrusters, max reps
Rest 2 minutes
In 9 minutes, complete the following:
Run 800 meters
135lb thrusters, max reps

The score for this workout is the total number of thrusters in each round.

My total score: 66 reps

I'll keep my description of how I felt short: anytime that you combine running (heart rate jacked!) and heavy thrusters, you know you're in for some discomfort (i.e., pain)!

Brob's 42 The LTD1

(Bou)Stefan's comment:
They picked a nice weight for the bar. It was good for getting some reps thrown in. But after that, the over the bar burpees really had it in them. They seemed like they were draining the strength out of him. Then at last the pull ups, there he could catch a rest while using the butterfly method. (Rest?) Then he was ready for the Thrusters again.
Bou's time: 11:45

My experience. After doing sumo squats on Monday, (I am always squatting before a challenge.)Therefore I wasn't really excited about it. After reading Brian's thoughts, I decided to keep the rep scheme low. 7 reps each exercise up until the last round. I wish I would have taken the higher rep scheme. There was just too much back and forth. The thrusters were light enough. The OB-Burpees had it in them though. It took me almost 35 pull ups before my arms and shoulders were actually ready to use the butterfly kip. The pull ups were not a rest period for me till the 6th round. Then it was like magic. Nice and easy butterfly kip. Yet the workout proved to be tough!
My time: 19:07 I think it wasn't too bad considering Monday's training and it has been a while since I have done any crossfit workouts

Kiwi took part as well. He has been really busy lately. So his training is about 2 times a week only. But he comes in time after time and gives it his all!
His time: 22:03.

Brob's #42

This week's challenge was recommended by our good friend and long-time CrossFitter, Jay. It was the first workout of the London Throwdown online qualifiers. I had a theory about this workout before I did it: it looked nasty on paper, so chances are, it was going to be ten times worse when I actually did it. Needless to say, my theory was proven.

The weight was light, but the combination of the exercises and repetitions caused me to move a lot slower than I had intended. Sandwiching the bar hop-over burpees in between thrusters an pull-ups kept the heart rate high, but the motivation to go faster low. Great workout for a Brob's Challenge--thanks Jay! Check out the condensed video clip...my time: 14:40 as Rx'd:

Brob's 41# or my failed attempt.

Dec's Painstorm:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
of
1.5 x bw dl
1.25 x bw back squat
.75 x bw shoulder press.

Nice and cruel!

Thanks to my son Julian for getting this posted for me! (it's great having someone who understands my thought process!) At the same time,I am getting over the flu or whatever it is. Sitting at the computer or doing anything this week just isn't in the bag.

Our Challenge this past weekend "December's Painstorm" didn't cut me any slack at all. Unfortunately I had to quit at the end of the 19th rep of the squats. (2nd round) due to a muscle strain. I thought I could modify the wod and do just deadlifts and presses. However, just setting up for the deadlift caused pain. It's really sad because I generally like these types of workouts. The "slow lifts" usually are not some of my weaknesses.

The weights I had to use were not heavy considering that 135kg is an easy weight for me to deadlift multiple times. 112kg are easy to squat normally. I did notice that I was having problems with the press @ 67.5kg. That would have been difficult to finish fast. So even though I didn't finish I learned something valuable.

Lately, I have been doing 3 days a week program which gives me enough time to recuperate. But on those work days which are long, we really pushing hard! REST DAYS are there to Rest. I will probably being doing the challenge on Sunday's to keep the rest periods in check. On one of the off days I will go run, row, rope jumping or combine those. Nothing major, just enough to experience something different. Having the Open coming earlier this year does not make it easier for me to quit like that.

Fortunately, Bou (Stefan D.) was there doing the wod with me. Seeing him push hard was nice. Especially because he and Brian have a lot of the same strengths. So I can kind of set my pace towards him. He's like a duracell battery. Just keeps going...

Bou's time 27:27

We have a little time till Febuary 22nd. Let's see what happens....

Brob's #41

The monthly Painstorm is named appropriately. Simply put, it is a storm of pain--and this month's workout was no different. Anytime that there are three barbells involved, each loaded with moderate weight, and a rep scheme that was designed to test strength endurance, well, you've got something quite nasty on your hands.

I've really been trying to focus on getting a good warm-up in before I hit the WOD. I force myself to get a good 5-minute, general warm-up in (rowing, jogging, jumping rope, etc). After my core temperature is up, I proceed into about a 10-15 minute dynamic/WOD specific warm-up. Then, and only then, am I ready to hit the stop watch and GO!

The deadlifts (for once) felt decent. I had to break them up in the middle rounds, but I felt okay. I did not break parallel on some of my back squats, which was very disappointing! And the presses...no sweat! Overall, I feel that I had a satisfactory performance. I really wanted to increase the pace of my sets/reps; however, I did not want to sacrifice technique for time. Granted, I got "out of position" on some of the reps, but that is bound to happen when you are pushing yourself hard! My time (at 170lbs bw): 23:17.

Brob's #40

As Brian already put it, the slumber phase is over with. I want to do my part to make sure we stay in touch. Friendship is important in life. (period)

I hate doing hero wods. No if's, and's or butt's. There is just isn't a way to feel good about doing them. Regardless of what one believes, these individuals made a sacrifice. Some people don't even know what it means to make a sacrifice. They are too busy with their own wants and needs. Like blundering ghosts in the dark.

Thank You Santora.

Friday's training really beat me down. So I did the best I could to give everything I had left.

You will notice the horrible jerks.....

Tell me what you see. comments appreciated.