Let me see if I can run it, run it... I believe I can run it, run it!

What? You don't like Chris Brown? Ah come on... he only has that one character flaw... :P

4 rft
400 m run
50 air squats

Time: 16:08

For a really bad runner with even worse sore legs from deads and thrusters, I'll take this one. Not a bad time. Book it son! :)

Starting weight: 166.0

Breakfast:
2 blocks protein from eggs
1 block protein from bacon
2 blocks from potatoes
2 blocks from toast
3 blocks fat from butter, bacon, and cooking oils

Lunch:

KSB Pig Salad

4 blocks protein from chicken
1 block carbs from lettuce and veggies
3 blocks carbs from cornbread
3 blocks fat from salad dressing

Note: After thinking, this truly isn't a good choice. While yes it's all the basics, the chicken has BBQ sauch on it. I forget to factor that in. I also had soda today... wah wah wah... :(

Dinner:

Bowl KSB Chicken Vegetable soup

3 blocks protein from chicken
2/3 blocks carbs from veggies in soup, side cooked veggies
1/2 blocks carbs from cornbread

DAMNIT! I love cornbread... :(

Throw some stinking weight on the bar! Or heavy deadlifts...

I had this whole blog written and ready to post about the deadlifts, and wouldn't you know it, Internet Explorer stopped working and had to close.... my isn't technology GREAT! Freakin' computer!

Anyway, thanks to Sean and Christine, I knew on Monday night that deads were coming up today. It wasn't really TERRIBLY big secret as Jerry had told us last week that deads were coming up this week, he just hadn't told us EXACTLY when. So, when they came up today, I was sort of nervous. Jerry had sort of thrown me a gauntlet last week when he told me he thought I should hit at least 225.

I won't lie folks, I am a deadlift wuss. I'm a lot of things. Overly chipper, somewhat hyperactive, a sufferer of verbal diarhea, a wineocerous, disgustlingly forgiving, kind hearted with lots of good intentions that somehow manage to go badly awry, but on top of all that, I am a deadlift wuss. When it comes to heavy deads, I get uber sorts of nervous. As a deadlifter, I tend to round my back which is a common form fault. If you ask Jerry he can tell you that my deadlifts have come a long way. They still need work, but are far better than they used to be. But here's the thing. Deadlifts are a scary mother because you can really f' yourself up with a bad deadlift. No joke. I really don't want to go to the hospital with a slipped disc or pulled back because I was too stubborn to know when to quit and pulled a dead off the floor with a rounded back. No sir.

So, I tend to back off perhaps sooner than I should. At 215 and 225 there was a minor round. Not something that caused a red flag and Jerry giving me the axe, which he has done before. But enough to make him say if you're going to go heavier you need to tighten up your core even more. Well, to be honest, 225 was already a 15 lb pr and I was feeling pretty good about it, so I took a cue from Maverick and called the ball. I really feel my true max is closer to 240/250 but I need some more work on my set up before I get there. So, 225 it is. Book it son.

Breakamafast

Grande Vanilla Latte

*** I know I know I know... shouldn't skip meals, but I was having such a fun time at CFOT working on MU's that I got home late.

Lunch

3 blocks protein from 3 oz chicken
2 blocks carbs from 1/2 baked potato
1 block carbs from 1/3 c. steamed peas
3 blocks fat from butter sub on peas/potato

Dinner

4 blocks protein from chicken breast with approx. 1/2 oz cheddar cheese
2 blocks carb from 1/2 sandwich bun
1/2 block carbs from small side salad
1 block carbs from cooked carrots and broccoli
2 blocks carbs from cornbread
4 blocks fat from salad dressing and 50/50 butter on veggies

*** This would have been much better had I not eaten the bread.

*** Side note- This starts week 3 of healthier (but not perfect) eating for me. As you can see from my posts, gone are much of the sugars and sweets that I was chowing down on repeatedly during my last month+ of school. My eating could still use some tweaking, I'm thinking I may now be 4 blocks and not 3, but we'll continue and see how things progress.

Rome was not built in a day, and I cannot retrain my brain in just a few short days. For those of you are are ranting about my coffee intake, consider this for a minute. A white chocolate mocha which I was downing a venti of every morning before school has 580 calories with 190 coming from fat. 22 grams of fat with 15 of them being saturated. While yes, there are 19 grams of protein in the drink, there are 79, no I didn't stutter, 79 grams of carbs, 75 of them SUGAR! So compare that to my new grande vanilla latte. Boasting 250 calories with only 60 from fat. There are only 6 grams of fat with 4 saturated versus that 22/15 ratio from before, and the sugar content, while still not good is significantly less at 34. So, you see, it's still not ideal in the sugar world, but it's much better.

I give myself points for much better! It's the small victories that will eventually lead to the largest victory of all. My ideal weight, and me being much healthier.

What the FRAN?!

Jerry seems to be stuck on Fran lately. This is 3 Mondays in a row where something very Franesque how come up. First it was Fran, then it was interval Fran, and then it was thrusters and MU's, but since I can't do MU's, guess what the sub was... uh huh... pull-ups, well, and ring dips. :P

The WOD was
For time
15,12,9
Thrusters
MU's
Men 115
Women 78

Now, I'm not sure how Jerry came up with those numbers but whatevs. I did the thrusters with 78. But I did them on the alternate WOD.

The Alternate looked like this
15,12,9
Thrusters
Pull-ups
Ring dips

Time:11:32

I felt pretty speedy but had to use the floss for the dips and even with the floss my arms were hittin' fatigue pretty fast. I'm sure there were a few in there that maybe I shouldn't have counted just because I'm not sure I locked them out 100%. I really wish I didn't have to use a band for dips, but that's something to work on over the summer, just like I did last summer. I got dips by the end of the summer, but lost them during the school year because I stopped hanging out and playing around for all that extra time.

I'm working on the MU's now too after a little poking and prodding from Jerry yesterday. It's funny. A lot of people post an MU as one of their big goals. For me it just never came up. I'm not great with bodyweight movements and so I was sort of content just to lift and hold heavy things. I don't think an MU is COMPLETELY out of the question, but I think it's going to take me a good while. Probably 3-4 months of transition and kip work. I can do a jumping MU. I don't actually have a problem with the transition and locking out, but it's the getting TO the transition where I have a problem. I cannot kip with the false grip in. So, we'll see what happens.... hopefully a muscle up... and at this rate with all the Fran stuff, hopefully a sub 5:30 Fran too! EEsh!

Katie on the 4th: What does July 4th mean to you?

Every year at about this time life grinds to a hault for many of us as we stop to celebrate the birth of our country. Businesses close down, beach trips are made, BBQ's are lit, adult beverages are enjoyed, and we take a moment to thank our armed servicemen and women. Without the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women, life in this country just wouldn't be the same, let alone even be possible. If the minutemen had never fired over 200 years ago, the lives of the people in this country would most certainly not have been the same. Had the United States not struck back after the devastating bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, who knows how different our lives would have been. And had brave men and women not gone to the Middle East after the destruction of the twin towers, who knows how many more of our citizens, and even citizens of other countries, would have been killed had they not had the courage to step to the plate and take out some of the world's most fearsome terrorist leaders.

This is most certainly a time to stop and honor these men and women and think about how lucky we all are to live where we do. For some, they are thankful for material possessions and the wealth they're able to accumulate from the thriving economy we have. While still in a downturn, our economy is still far and above that of several other countries. For others, they are happy for the freedoms that they are granted through their constitution. The freedom to attend a church or a mosque if they so choose. The freedom to print an article arguing against the government without fear of imprisonment. The freedom to exist in a country without absolute rule. For me though, it's quite different, and actually it's quite simple. I'm happy to have the freedom to CrossFit, and therefore maintain my health. I'm sure to many, that seems unusual, something silly to be thankful for, but it goes so much further than what meets the eye as a rather simple statement.

Consider this for a moment. A friend who is a member of the FBI recently returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that in our country she is an armed and very respected federal agent, she was required to be accompanied by men, she had to be very cautious of her interactions with the men, and of all things, she was not to work out. In their country, a woman working out was frowned upon because she would have had to share the gym with men, which was frowned upon. As a guest of the country she of course had to abide by their rules, but can you imagine something as ordinary and everyday like working out being forbidden? What would you do if you couldn't CrossFit? What would you do if suddenly part of your daily routine was taken away and deemed forbidden? You may do what she did and do push-ups, air squats, and sit-ups in your room, but really. How would you deal?

Saudi Arabia is not alone in it's treatment of women. Countries like Afghanistan require women to leave their homes with a man, and require them to wear a burka to cover their faces. Could you even begin to imagine doing pull-ups or burpees or ANYTHING while your face is covered? In a country where punishments are dolled out for the smallest offenses, could you imagine the punishment for a woman who wanted to be fit and take care of her body? In a country where women's education has been surpressed for many years, can you imagine the reaction a woman would receive when she wants to workout and begin to show her STRENGTH? Although Afghanistan is changing, I have a very difficult time imagining that that would be received well.

There are so many things that we do on a daily basis that we take for granted. In many ways as a society we are very lucky. Our military protects us and ensures us all the opportunity to persue life, liberty, and happiness, but the Constitution never really explicitly says what happiness is because it's different for every person. For some, it's freedom of speech, others freedom from religious persecution, and for others the freedom to work and thrive in a free economy. However, to some of us, it's even much more simple. We are happy to have the opportunity to lift some heavy weights and get strong. We are happy to be able to push ourselves and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I'm not sure if everyone has picked up on the fact that I am a woman. I know it's hard to remember that sometimes when I talk about using men's weights and blah blah blah, but I am. Were I not living in the United States, there is a chance that I may not be the same person I am now because I wouldn't be able to do something as simple as CrossFit. Now, I don't mean CrossFit is simple, it kicks my butt everyday, but I just mean the idea, the concept of working out, of being physically fit. Women exhibiting strength and women being strong and beautiful is not something that is universally accepted. Some countries prefer to have women who are uneducated and meek, unable to "cause problems" or fight back against the rules against them.

At a time like this, I am appreciative of all of the larger freedoms that are granted to me by our country's constitution and are preserved by the members of our armed forces. But I am even more thankful of the smaller freedoms that we take for granted everyday. I'm proud to be a strong woman, and I'm extremely thankful that my armed servicemen and women stand between me and the people of this world who would quickly change that. So this fourth of July I say, let freedom, and CrossFit, ring.

First Friday

Randy with men's rx'd

Randy
For time
75 power snatches
75 lbs for men
55 lbs for ladies

Time: 11:55

Book it

What is the front squat 3-3-3-3-3?

I've noticed recently that everytime a front squat WOD comes up on the main site, I get all sorts of hits for people looking for info on front squats. I'm not sure if they are unfamiliar with the movement, looking to find what the 3-3-3-3-3 is, or if they're just looking for weights to shoot for. So, I thought that since I am off from school, and I have the time until I have to work, that I would run through a quick little bit about front squats so that way next time people come looking for it, they'll find better info then the post that they've been taken too.

So, I'll break it down a little bit as best I can without a barbell or a white board. One quick note though. Before working on the front squats, be sure to loosen up your wrists well. The rack puts a lot of stress on your wrist flexibility, so don't skimp on this. For those of you with wrist flexibility issues (guys I'm looking at a lot of you), this may be something you're going to have to work on. Try putting palms on floor and then turning 180 degrees so your wrist is away from you. Then apply pressure. Also try putting the top of your hands flat on the floor and putting pressure down. Wrist circles never hurt either.

Form:

The front squat is a version of the squat. Prophetic I know, but hang with me here. The bar is held in the rack position on your shoulders NOT your chest. See the above picture for a decent example. Note that the bar is in my throat and note my elbow position. My elbows are up and my hands are open (not in a death grip on the bar), thus allowing me to keep the bar back in the rack.

A poor rack position (elbows towards the floor and not out) can cause you to tip forward and drop the weight, and you certainly don't want to do that on a max lift day. So really think about almost choking yourself out with the bar. (No really, not kidding on this one.) The better the rack, the better the front squat (IMHO), so get that puppy up and in there without actually cutting off your air supply. Again, see above photo for a decent example.

If you are not used to doing front squats and are having trouble understanding the rack position, try this drill. Take your regular squat stance, and then take your arms and hold them out straight in front of you. Now, without dropping your arms, touch your hands to your shoulders. THAT is how your elbows should be when you front squat. If you have wrist flexibility issues, actually touching your fingers to your shoulders could be hard, but I think you get the idea. The main idea is elbows up, and opening those hands so you can get that bar back on your shoulders and not on your chest.

Try a few air squats trying to keep that rack position, thinking about keeping your elbows up. Then, if available, throw in a PVC to try to get the feel for keeping a bar in the rack. After a few more, then try just the bar and see how things feel. Remember, now that you've got the rack, the rest is just an air squat. Get your butt back and bow those knees out. But remember, it is also designed to be a heavy lift as well. You need to make sure to get tension in your abs to help stabilize you during your heavy lifts. Practice in your warm-up/practice sets what you want to do in your big lifts. Automaticity is what you're aiming for. Before each rep, practice taking in a big breath and holding it to stabilize your core. Voila! We have front squat.

The 3-3-3-3-3:

The 3-3-3-3-3 is simply another way of lifting heavy. Most of us are familiar with one rep maxes. You work up to your highest weight for one rep. 3-3-3-3-3 is the same except with three reps. You are working up to your highest weight that you can do for three reps consecutively. This would mean no putting the bar down. The bar must stay in the rack position for you to count your three rep max.

Front squat weights:

Just like anything else we CFers do with a barbell, your weight on a front squat will depend on a few things. Your comfort level with the movement, your leg strength because, well this is after all a leg exercise, your core strength because well, the core must also be engaged, your rack position, and your ramp ups. Warm up smart but don't burn out. Remember, this is a three rep max, not a one rep. Don't expect that you will post the same amount of weight as with your one rep. It's a great goal to shoot for, but usually not the case. I like to do a few sets of low weights, make one relatively big jump to a weight I know I can handle, and then make smaller jumps (5-10lbs) after that.

I hope that this information is helpful to those who have been searching. Below are a few Youtubes I've pulled in, so hopefully these help too. You'll hear the cue to drive with the elbows a lot. That is the key to getting you out of the hole on a deep squat. Once that weight gets heavy, it's imperitive to use speed and your elbows to drive out of that bottom squat position.

Gonna make you sweat...

Ok so in looking for the actual music video to this song, I found this, which actually just made me laugh even more.

So today's wod on the white board was a couplet. But unfortunately since I can't do double unders (something about lack of coordination or something... :P) I had to do the alternate. Crap.

The couplet looked like this:
50-40-30-20-10
Double unders
Push-ups

The alternate looked like this:
40-30-20-10
Box jumps
KB swings
Push-ups

Time: 21:41

I actually felt really good on the box jumps today and the kb swings and took minimal rest on those two, and I really thought even for me I was moving pretty steadily through the push-ups. I thought this was a pretty good time until I saw the classes after me demolish it. :( No bueno...

This wod made me good and sweaty though. There was a pile under my nose when all was said and done. Afterwards I went out for a 1 mile run but had a really hard time. My calves kept cramping. More potasium?

Starting weight today: 167.0

Yesterday's lunch:

4 blocks protein from leftover chicken
2 blocks carbs from 1/2 baked potato
2 blocks carbs from steamed veggies
4 blocks fat from marinade on chicken and butter on veggies/potato

** This was a larger than normal meal for me, but for some reason, I was starving.

Yesterday's dinner:

KSB voodo salad
3 blocks protein grilled chicken
1 block carbs from veggie mixtures (carrots, corn, green peppers, cucumber, red onion)
1/2 block carbs from Romaine lettuce
2 blocks carbs from cornbread
3 blocks fat from salad dressing

Today's breakamafast

Coffee (only drank half again... I think my taste really is going)
3 blocks carbs from Muesli (yogurt, rolled oats, oranges, pears, apples, strawberries et al.)
2 blocks protein from 2 eggs
1 block protein from bacon
1 block carbs from piece of bread
3 blocks fat from bacon and oils used in cooking

Again, I was starving today. Hence the bread. I really need to remember snacks. I keep forgetting!