Gone to the Crossfit Games!

Here to support my trainer and box. Totally amp'd! You can watch weekend festivities here http://games2010.crossfit.com/ yep, using an app on my phone to blog... addicted!

Happy 25th Birthday

Gary is known around the box for he has been there since its early stages and is an overall cool guy.  I didn't know how young he was though.  Anyway, I'm impressed by his technical abilities and have see the transformation his body has taken from old pics.  It's inspiring. Wish I was that motivated in my early 20s.. but anyway, that's life =)

He made a workout of all his favorite moves.  I like the list and it's a tough one.  You mos def feel your core being attacked.  Introducing Gary's Birthday Workout... 5 rounds for time at RX 185#M, 135#F

• 200 meter run
• 3 muscle ups
• 5 dead lifts
• 3 power cleans
• 2 jerks

I can't power clean that much weight, so I had to do 115lbs.  I was able to complete the first 2 rounds of 3 MUs, and for the 3rd, got 2 in, and for the last 2, did one.  For each MU I could not do, I had to substitute 2 pulls and 2 ring dips.  I finished right under 17min.  If I would have skipped MUs entirely, I could have smashed my time! But I'm only hurting myself... words of advice.. we can cheat our ways out, but in the end, you won't become better.

WORD!

Team Work

Today was about team work.  We practiced the double under and worked on the Sumo Deadlift... 1-1-1-1-1 style.  Think I did 235lb.

The Partner Workout was to do 250 Kettlebell Swings (of 1 or 1.5 pood).  1 partner runs 200 meters while the other perform's Kettlebell Swings. The goal here is to work hard as a team, both of the teammates working there butts off for each other. There is a penalty for dropping the kettlebell unless while switching. The penalty will be 1 burpee for both teammates. Luckily we didn't fail and was able to finish it in 13min.  I moved to 1 pood around 150.

My Foot Was Twitching

While driving home from CF this evening, my right foot kept twitching.  It's funny because it was like a fish out of water.. just flopping around whenever I stopped accelerating.  This was due to the workout today.

We did a lot of squat work today.  You know, the stuff that built my massive sexy thighs (that don't really exist).    We worked on the Back Squat.. doing sets of 15-12-10-8.  I started off with 95lbs and then 115 for the last three sets.  It was hard for me to get out of from below the parallel.. but getting better.

The WOD was 100 Thrusters at 95lbs... which is a movement that involves the front squat and then pressing the bar up over your head (video link).  It's a cool movement, hitting the whole body, yet pretty taxing over time.  Each time you get a minute marker, you have to stop and do 2 burpees and then get back on the Thrusters.

I was able to get in 15 thrusters at the recommended weight until I felt I was really slowing down.  I threw off 20lbs and continued.   Then I got to 60 and thru off the remaining weight to leave me with just the bar (45lbs).  Took me 13 minutes total.  I looked like I had just walked out the shower, drenched in sweat (gonna have to take a pic one day).

Another cool thing about CF... GO HEAVY, but over time, you can SCALE it as you need.  The purpose is to just keep going, giving it your all.  Once the workout was over, it looked like someone had come into the room and took everyone out... people were on the ground sucking in their last breath (sorry if the visual was too.. umm, you know).  Peace!

29 Years Old

Wow, just added another year to the age count.  Seems like my 28th was just yesterday.  I think this year is really really going to suck because it's about time for that big Three Ooooo.  I'm going to wake up tomorrow reflecting on my past 30 years before I know it.  Anyway, guess that is the way of life.

I do have one good thing out of all of this... I might be in the best shape of my life.  Yeah, just took me 29 years to get there.. but that was the game plan from Day 1 =)  What better way to bring in another year but by doing what I love... Crossfit!  (don't forget this is a CF blog!)  I made up my own workout and took it outside in the beautiful 83 degree weather, sun shining, yet cool breeze.  

The warm-up was jog 800m and the workout was .... "Frank for 29".  For 29 minutes, you have to complete as many rounds possible of:

• 10- 10yd Suicides (touch line)
• 10- Squat Jumps with Overhead Claps
• 10- Push-ups
• 10- Mountain Climbers (5 each leg)
• 10- Sit-ups (hands touch toes and then ground when on back)
• 10- Ring Dips

The Goal is 7 (for July) and the ten reps represent the 10th.  Also, there is 6 different techniques for the 6 months of CF.  I was able to complete 6 rounds, with Dips and Squat Jumps being the killers.  Hopefully next year, I'll get my 7 in... within 30 min =)

Killer Workout!

Today was a killer workout.  Since I'm pressed for time, here's a quick dump of info.

Technique: Muscle Up
I'm good at these now, and can even do several dips once in the air.  Rarely do this one these days so just doing the general CF stuff is keeping me strong enough to do it... also it helps to be light for I find myself throwing my body way up in the air.

WOD: Complete 4 rounds for time of

• Run 800 meters
• 25 Hip Extensions 
• 10 Burpees
•  5  Deadlift's @ 225#'s (I did 185)

When I started the second round, my legs felt funnnnnnnnnnknee :)  Finished 3rd in the class (out of 5, cough cough) for 23 min.  Heard the record for the day was 19 something.

Aight, Deuces!

Richards Brothers are in the headlines!

Well, not that serious, but good, funny way of ending the day.  Thursdays suck!  The 2010 Crossfit Games will be there, Carson, CA at the Home Depot Center, middle of July.   This is gonna be REAL!

See my brother and I at this link here

First Day of Class

Tonight was the first day of the Olympic Lifting Class offered at the box.  It was very informative and one of the best ways to understand technique and the importance of it.  I took a lot from the class so I need to record it to come back and reference it get better over time.

Skill: Snatch Balance
While standing with bar along your back, drop down into a squat under the bar while extending your arms. Then stand up, out of the squat with weight high above you.
Goals to focus on 1.) do not throw the weight up to get under... just kind of 'unload it / pop it' to get under 2.) Your squat should end at the same time you fully extend your arms and shoulders locked up/out 3.) Sit in heals with back straight and head facing forward and BALANCE/CONTROL!!!!

Experience:
Do 7 sets of 3 reps each.  I found myself starting at 45lbs and getting to 70lbs.  The first of each 3 reps was always the hardest, trying to keep my balance in the squat and driving up.  I found myself doing well when I focused on 'getting rough' with the bar and pop under quickly yet in control.

Birthday Workouts

Jason allows us to create our own birthday workout for people to do on their special day.  Today, we did one of our other trainer's Bday workout, Karo.  Bet you have no idea how old he is turning =)  It's a cool workout, focusing on the Crossfit fundamentals.  It's most definitely a challenging one.

"The basic 25"... perform 25 reps of each exercise..

• Back squat 
• Front Squat
• Overhead Squat
• Shoulder Press
• Push Press 
• Push Jerk 
• Dead lift 
• Full Squat Clean 
• Snatch

Took me 27 minutes to completely, mostly using 75lbs and using the bar for OHS.  The workout calls for 95lbs.  I will be sore in the morning!

Time to start planning my birthday workout....  (lol at this... umm.. very colorful assortment of cupcakes)

Brother Vs Brother (VIDEO)

2000 Miles Apart... the distance that separates two brothers... so far away from each other, yet so close due to Crossfit.  We threw down in SoCal to battle it out... the pic says it all, and the video is proof.. NEXT!

But yes, this is my blog and I am bias, lol.  My brother did get me on other things, like shoulder pressing and push pressing more weight, more quickly then me... 1:30 to 1:51... this video evidence was conveniently not available =)

We spent the day hanging out in the park, doing random CF techniques with 20lb sticks and 45-60lb logs.  People looked at us crazy, but we were just having fun, sharing what each has learned over the past 6 months.  I'm so thankful that we are able to connect on something like this, bettering our lives, and even our families.. well, his, since he has kids, lol.

I'll bring back to the bay this log.. so if you happen to see a random piece of wood in my apt, this is the story behind it.

Day of Olympic Lifting

Today, we did a lot of Olympic Lifting type workouts.  Pretty hardcore.

I found my 1 Rep Max Clean (full clean), which was 135.  I get light headed after doing it, so it's a bit scary.

The WOD was perform as many rounds possible in 3 minutes of:

5 deadlifts @ 95#'s
4 Hang Power clean @ 95#'s
3 Push Press @ 95#'s
Rest 1 minute and repeat for a total of 4 rounds.

Goal is to never put the weight down. I got 3, 3, 2.5, and 2.5.  I could only get my first complete rounds of each set without putting the weight down.  4 or 5 rounds in one round is considered good, so got a way to go.