Workout of the day (for time):
20 Walking lunge steps
15 Pull-ups
35 Box jumps, 20 inch box
15 Double-unders
20 Ring dips
15 Knees to elbows
20 Kettlebell swings, 1.5 pood
20 Sit-ups
15 Hang squat cleans, 25 pound dumbells
20 Back extensions
20 Wall ball shots, 14-20 pound ball
1 Rope climb ascents

My workout w/modifications (completion time- 17min, 35 sec) :
20 Walking lunge steps
15 Pull-ups (assisted w/bar in squat rack)
35 Box jumps, 20 inch box
15 Vertical Jumps
20 Dips (10 normal, 10 bench, 5 normal after short rest)
15 Knees to elbows (first time doing these- didn’t do so well and ended up just tucking my knees to my chest as best I could. It was still REALLY hard)
20 Kettlebell swings (first time to do these- I used a 25# DB)
20 Sit-ups
15 Hang squat cleans, 25 pound dumbells
20 Back extensions (no back ext. setup, so I did good mornings w/a 20kg bar)
20 Thrusters (20# DB)
I have no rope, so I used the triceps ext rope tied to the chinup bar and did as many jumping pullups on it as I could stand

As usual, I was wiped out afterwards, but I keep getting the feeling that I’m getting faster on my bike because of improved lactic acid tolerance. I also feel like the full-body nature of a lot of these exercises has improved my riding. I’m also starting to look like I could kick your butt, too…

Yesterday, I scaled back the Crossfit posted workout of the day to this:

3 Rounds, 10 reps each of:
Deadlifts (70kg)
Dips
Pullups
Thrusters (20# DB)

I was cursing by the end of the workout as usual, but I like them in a masochistic sort of way :) The only issue I foresee as causing a problem with these workouts is my low blood pressure. Normally, resistance training will cause an acute spike in BP (totally normal during a set). It’s also normal to go a little below your typical BP immediately following a spike. That’s where I get in trouble- my normal is already pretty low, so those drops result in dizziness, lightheadedness, blackouts in my field of vision, and nausea. I am going to stick with the workouts & see if my body adapts, but it may be something that keeps me from busting ass in good time on a lot of the workouts.

It’s ok- I think they’re starting to help with my lactic acid tolerance on the bike, and that’s the important part :)

Though January came with some crappy weather, I still managed about 40 hours on the bike and 540 miles of travel. It’s a little lower than the last few months, but between my ankle injury and the weather, I’m pleased with the volume. Hopefully with longer days ahead and slightly better weather, I can be well over 600 miles for February. I’m feeling good about the upcoming season…

Yesterday’s workout:
30 Clean & Jerks with 135# for time

I did it with 40kg(88#) in just under 20 minutes.
It was hard! I have to wear longer shorts or pants to cover the part of my tattoo that gets bar-rub every time I do a clean.

 Crossfit is a method of resistance training/conditioning that will make even the most fit person whine and beg for mercy. It’s a training philosophy that’s growing in popularity- I can’t really describe it, so I’ll just give you a link to the crossfit website so you can read all about it: Crossfit

You’ll notice that the workouts look short and usually don’t include anything but bodyweight (with the exception of the heavy, singe rep days as well as the Olympic-style lifts). Yes, they are short, but don’t let this fool you into thinking they’re easy. Most of them have women’s names. Once you’re 4-5 minutes into your first workout, you’ll know exactly why…

Today I did my 3rd Crossfit workout:
“Mary”
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 One legged squats, alternating
15 Pull-ups

Ok, I’ll admit, I used a bar in the squat rack as assistance for the hand stand push-ups as well as the pull-ups, and I used the squat rack itself for balance on the 1-leg squats, but seeing that I just started this stuff, I don’t mind too much. I quit at 18 minutes and 7 rounds, because I was getting the “burps” (precursor to the “pukes”).

My first workout was one that I made up myself (hence the name):
“Andrea”
20-15-10-5 reps
Thrusters
Vertical jumps
Pull Ups
Walking lunges (that’s reps per leg)

I urge my faithful (and unfaithful) readers to check out the Crossfit website- it’s got video of all of the exercises as well as a workout of the day every day, and a link to a forum where someone is nice enough to put “scaled” versions of the WOD up for beginners and/or those who DON’T like the feeling of being run over by a truck after their workouts. Also, check out Memphis’ only Crossfit gym, which was started by one of my former U of M students: Crossfit Memphis