My experiences in Crossfit

Colm_OReilly

Hey guys,

I've decided to give Crossfit a whirl, I'm blogging about it here for anyone who's interested!

Colm
-Sore

spiral

Colm I feel your Pain .
I tried to do Angie a couple of weeks ago 100 Pull ups , pushups , situps squats.
I can do a max of 7 full range of motion pullups but I soon that I was down to 3 at a time and struggling on the third. Pullups are a bastard . I got as far as 45 eventually did the rest assisited and jumpup. The pushups squats and situps were bliss in comparison.
I hurt my knee a couple of weeks ago so I will be working on my pullups pushups and Handstand pushups (Max 1) for the next while.

Good luck with your Crossfit.

Colm_OReilly

Turns out today is a rest day!

I'm thinking I should do Sunday's instead considering I'll be travelling from Thursday through to Sunday.

Dragan

Colm, i suggest you go back through the last week or so and find a workout that makes you think "Man, that looks hard" and do that one.

Also, learn to kip!!! I'm working on my kipping now and i have to say that i can see why they are all about kipping in Crossfit....it seems to be lending itself to bringing up my Oly based lifts.

Khannie

Dragan wrote:

Also, learn to kip!!!

I'm great at this.

HammerHeadGym

Good Luck Colm. Stick with it. ANd learn to kip.

ColinJennings

i've decided to join you Colm. I did yesterday's workout of the day today and I'm shattered. I was gioing grand will rep 3, then the pull-ups started really struggling. I fought through and it kept getting worse and worse. On about rep 6 my push ups collapsed completely on push up 8. After that things got worse as my shoulders were aching. My pull ups became less and less like a pull up and more like a short sharp shrug that just lifted me enough to get my chin on the bar. Many more collapsed arms later and I was one pull up into rep 11 and my stop watch beeped.

The strange thing for me was that it was my right arm - which is my stronger arm - that collapsed and that the harder the push ups became the more I put into the pull ups. I can't explain it, but itwas weird. Also the squats started off fast, but as the exercise progressed I was purpously doing them slower so I could get more of a rest. Bring on tomorrow!

Dragan

So Colm,

how goes the struggle?

Colm_OReilly

Yesterday scared me a little weight wise. I did it okay though, but my neck has lost mobility because my shoulders are all tense.

Only broke 2 mins on the 500m rows, which isn't anything to write home about, and I suspect the bar was shy of 20Kg so I don't think I was lifting the prescribed weight.

Today seems doable, so it's really all about getting a decent time I suppose. I'm away in Limerick tho so I've to see if they'll let me use the gym/changing facilities in UL this evening.

Really enjoying it so far, spent the train journey down reading a thread on kipping and the CFJ. I can see why The Shane was so eager about sharing his experiences.

Aru!

David Jones

Did Cindy again yesterday with a mate. Added in two giant truck tyre flips each round plus a hop in hop out of tyre. we managed 14 rounds before collapsing in a heap. Sunshine made it all the more intense. Half way through he asked why were we punnishing ourselves?

Earlier in the week I had tried it with an 18lb weight vest and managed 10 rounds just as the bell went.Not a fan of the kipping I have to admit. Dead hang and controlled is yer only man and far more beneficial especially when it comes to doing the dreaded muscle up.

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

Colm_OReilly

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

F*CK YEAH!

ColinJennings

I tried today's workout and my back decided to retire on the 3rd run. It was a little scary to have your back twinge when you are only 23 and according to most very fit. I was doing quite well which made it worse. I really pushed myself and was in my 11th minute when I had to stop.

My back extentions were terrible, but then again I did decide to try do them 90degrees, rather than the 45degrees I'm used to and also do the glue-ham sit-ups that cross fit recommend. I think the extra stress put on my back added to the fact that I was pushing myself through it was a bit too much for my 2nd day.

David Jones wrote:

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

I'd be up for that too, but my jitz experience is very limited (3 hours limited), but I'm willing to try and I did do judo as a kid.

spiral

David Jones wrote:

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

Would be interested in this as well David.

Mark Hamill

David Jones wrote:

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

Me too! (as soon as i'm healthy again)

soretoe

me too.....sounds deadly

Colm_OReilly

For time:
50 Wall-ball shots
50 Pull-ups
35 Wall-ball shots
35 Pull-ups
20 Wall-ball shots
20 Pull-ups

How am I meant to do this? :eek:

spiral

Scale the workout or do as many full pullups as you can then move onto assisted then if you have to just do jump ups.

I bought Iron Woody Resistance Bands Assisted Pullup package.

http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fitness-bands.php

I found the small band more than enough to help me on pullups and have used the larger one to add resistance to body weight squats etc

Some good ideas on using them here
http://www.jumpstart-yourself.com/

goo

David Jones wrote:

I will be running some classes in St Andrews over the summer, we have a full free weight room and big sports hall with ropes and rings etc so if anyone is interested in some crazy jiu jitsu / fight class / crossfit bastard hybrid workouts I will post details closer to the end of term(thats May)

That sounds amazing.

Colm_OReilly

This week has proven to be a LOT tougher than last week(hell, they gave me Linda yesterday :eek: - 22 minutes, DL 50Kg, BP 50Kg, Clean 40Kg), but I'm really enjoying the challenge. That, coupled with an improved diet (read: back to Paleo) means I'm recovering faster and looking forward to the next training session.

Plus, when I'm home in the evenings, I've more energy than just sitting around watching youtube so that's an added bonus.

So why aren't more people on this style of training? I wrote about it here. Basically I think to non crossfitters it has the same concept as unattainability as MMA does to outsiders.

Comments welcome

Colm
-Feeling stronger by the day

columok

Good article Riley. I think two major stumblers for many people entering crossfit training is 1) equipment and 2) basic techniques.

Most people don't know oly lifting techniques and are afraid of trying weight lifting without knowing. When my final run up is finished and I'm working 37.5 this summer I gonna do crossfit (though with a greater emphasis on sprint work) as I'm planning on heading back to rugby in september.

Dragan

Crossfit is by and large designed to take you out of your comfort zone, and force you to work on all those things that will help you, but you ignore because your no good at them. As a program it asks a lot, but it gives back more if you are willing to put the work in.

On my worst days I have only ever felt bad after a Crossfit style workout for about 10 or 15 mins, and then that weak feeling and the nausea goes away and I feel freaking awesome.

On my best days I have done the WOD as posted on Crossfit website and then done my own workout afterwards. The first time I did Fran it took me 18 mins. The second time it took me 11, the third time I got down to 7 and a half and the last time I tried it I clocked just over 5.

THAT’S the joy of Crossfit, a clear and obvious plan and a clear and obvious way to measure improvement.

The actual Crossfit method itself is nothing new. It's circuit training. It's been around since guys in ancient Greece figured that if your gonna be wrestling for a full days tournament you really need to have swift recovery. It's amazing what the Greeks gave us. Ever heard of Milo? If not, then look it up, it's the fundamental basis for all weights training.

Now then, what is so great about Crossfit? The package, the way it's presented, the way it makes you feel like part of a community. "Forging elite Fitness" sounds intimidating, but when you actually start doing it, when you see those improvements coming…..that when you realise that elite fitness can be yours.

Am I elite right now? Hell no. But I ****ing will be.