Baseball
4 x 12 Slow cage
4 x 12 Medium cage
4 x 12 Fast cage
2 x 12 bunting

Throwing for 20 minutes (3 arm slots, sinker grip)

Slacking... badly

I started a new contract gig yesterday and I can't believe what a difference it makes in energy lost by physically going into an office, versus working from home. Perhaps co-workers and colleagues suck the life force out of me. By 5 pm I'm dragging serious ass.

In any case, I haven't done anything in a couple days. My shoulder hurts, my body feels gummed up, and I'm tired. Gotta get moving again.

Guilt drives me to do a quick GTG: 100 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Baseball
12 x 12 fast cage (144 balls)
Toss 15 minutes

1.5 hrs Climbing
(all top rope)
5.8, 5.8, 5.9, 5.11-, 5.9

WOD
(total rounds in 6 min)
5 pull-ups (40)
5 dips (40)
Score: 8

GTG: 150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

REST, beautiful rest!
Another good week of training in CrossFit. My climbing has suffered a bit, probably because of muscle fatigue, but it's been good to keep moving.

Baseball practices have been going steady. No real pain in my shoulder, but I'll have to keep up with rotator cuff exercises and ice.

Total Body Weight Movements: 2186
Last week: 2505

I have set a lofty, but attainable, goal of 100,000 body weight movements in one year.

* Push-ups: 700
* Pull-ups: 73
* Chin-ups: 45
* Squats: 600
* Sit-ups: 600
* Dips: 150
* Handstand Push-ups: 12
* Climbs < 5.9: 6

Plain Old Rest:
I couldn't get motivated to do Mary yesterday so I made up a different workout. It took me two hours to do, but I was able to stay focused to complete it.

GTG:
150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups
I totally didn't do these.

GTG:
150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

2.5 Hrs Climbing
5.8, lead, warm-up
5.6/7, lead, warm-up
5.9, lead, Ophelia (3, 2 hangs)

WOD: Alternative to Mary
Pull-up Ladder (5,6,3,4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,1) - 73
Dip Ladder (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1) - 100
Swinging Shoulder Flies 5 x 10 (10#,10,20,20,10)
Dumbbell Decline Bench 5 x 10 (20#)
Good Mornings 4 x 10 (10#,15,15,15)
Leg raise (crunch) 3 x 10
Leg raise (L up) 3 x 10

GTG
150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Baseball
3 x 12 slow cage
1 x 12 medium cage
1 x 12 fast case
1 x 20 live pitching
Toss for 20 minutes
20 Pitches off the mound

GTG:
150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups (6 x 25)
12 Handstand Push-ups

2 Hrs Climbing
5.9, TR, warm-up
5.9, TR, 1 hang
5.9, lead, Kiseido, 7 hangs
5.9, lead, Ophelia, 4 hangs

WOD: Fran
(21, 15, 9)
Dumbbell Thrusters
Chin-ups*
Time: 7:30 new PR
Time to beat: 13:25
*Rotating in exercise

Optional
4 x 20 Reverse wrist curls (8#)
4 x 10 Seated rows (90#, 110, 110, 110)
50 Dips (5 x 5, 10, 10, 5)
100 Push-ups for time: (4:30)

Caveat-Free Training Philosophy

It seems that when I search for material on certain fitness subjects--especially those related to CrossFit--time and time again, the same people are publishing articles. And one of those is Jonathan Gilson of Again Faster. He thinks about fitness--a lot. He offers these five truths about training without caveats.

Active Rest:
150 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

I'm very sluggish today and it may be that I'm over-training--for my fitness level, anyway. I did not do Cindy yesterday as I was supposed to. The soreness I feel is not as severe as after a hard workout. It's deeper and more subtle; like I'm tired in my bones. I wonder if I should ease off or Superman through. My workouts don't seem very hard in comparison to other CF regimens out there.

Baseball Practice
10 rounds in the auto pitch cages (120 balls)
3 rounds in the manual cage (50 balls)
(curve balls: 12-6, outside corner curve, inside corner curve)
10 minutes of catch
20 pitches of the mound

1.5 Hrs Climbing
5.6/5.9, lead warm-ups
5.9, lead, 1 hang (The Brain)
5.8, lead, 1 hang (2 the Floor)

WOD
10 handstand holds

Weekly Totals:
* Push-ups: 1000
* Pull-ups: 105
* Chin-ups: 0
* Squats: 700
* Sit-ups: 700
* Dips: 0
* Climbs over 5.9: 10.5

Total Body Weight Movements: 2515.5

1 Year Anniversary from Smoking Cessation

Today marks the one year milestone from when I gave up cigarettes. Last January 20, my wife and I went to the famous Mad Russian* in Brookline, MA. Twenty anxious smokers sat in a room facing each other while Yefim Shubentsov talked about how "serious" he was: "I don't joke about life," he said in a thick Russian accent. After about two hours of anecdotes and explanations about bio-energy manipulation, he took us individually, waved his hand over us while making a short buzzing sound, then said, "that's it, my friend." I walked through the door skeptically towards the cashier. Bam! 65 clams a person, like an assembly line.

I'd tell you it was all bullshit, but I can't. I don't know how, but it worked. Though he didn't name-drop during the session, you can find copied articles in the lobby from prominent magazines about celebrities who have flown in to see him. There have been like 12 bazillion people who have come through those doors.

There is a guarantee of sorts as well. He allows you to come back as many times as you need without paying anything additional.

I still think about smoking -- and it hits me at weird inopportune times -- but it's definitely manageable. And I certainly have no regrets. When you get a nic-fit, the Mad Russian instructs us to repeat the words "I am smoking." After having done this countless times, I realized that this serves two purposes. One addresses the nic-fit causing us to be mindful that its happening and to monitor our behavior accordingly. The next is to be compassionate towards our cravings, giving it a chance to pass. It always does.

My next date milestone is fifteen months -- the longest I've been off cigarettes since I was eighteen. There's a risk I could go back to smoking at anytime, but the longer I stay off the butts, the less likely I'd go back to them. By the way, "I am smoking, I am smoking, I am smoking..."

* Though he is most famous for working with smokers, he offers his services for any sort of addictions, cravings, and phobias from nail biting, sex, drugs, alcohol, and food to name a few.

Active Rest: GTG
120 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

I'm going to make Fridays Make Up Day in which I do the remaining exercises needed to get to the next 100 mark.

90 Push-ups (6 x 15) - 1000 for the week
10 Squats - 700
90 Sit-ups - 700

Increase Your Crossfit Impulse

Jonathan Gilson writes an insightful article about impulse generation. In essence, impulse equals force applied multiplied by the duration of the force applied. An imbalance of either results in inefficient, or worse, ineffective impulse generation.

I constantly observe Crossfit athletes trying to [go] too fast. They attempt to speed up their sprinting by increasing stride frequency, speed up their rowing by increasing stroke rate, and clean more weight by pulling on the bar “faster”.

It doesn’t work.

>> more

In my own training, I try to keep the best form possible because it goes through the full range of intended motion and re-enforces Gilson's Sir Isaac Newton's concept of maximum duration of force applied. One should not chase personal record numbers at the expense of quality workouts. Crossfit's goal is to train athletes to become stronger and more fit in their respective sports. The scores serve as an arbitrary measure of progress. However, real progress is measured in drives into the end zone, or climbing projects red pointed, or distance of the javelin thrown, or length of dead body trail in a ninja fight.

Ice Climbing at Cathedral Ledge, NH

I guess there is ice in New England this year. After a short (and late) season start last year, many were hopeful for a better winter. Sports like ice climbing and skiing make the winter more bearable in the Northeast. But if you're addicted to winter sports, and the weather is unseasonably mild, winters are a total drag.

2.5 hrs Climbing
5.6, lead, warm-up
5.9, lead, Kiseido (3 hang)
5.9+, lead, Ophelia (3 bolt, bail)
5.9, lead, 24 Returns (1 hang)

Tired today and not properly warmed up. Time to rest some.

WOD: Mary
(most sets in 20 minutes)
5 Dumbbell Thrusters
5 Pistols (each leg, assisted)
15 Pull-ups
Score: 6 + 1 (PR)
Previous Score: 4 + 15

GTG:
130 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups

Weight: 171
I'll refrain from jubilant celebration for a couple weeks. Remember--171 is a return to pre-holiday weight. When I hit 165, I am become death. At 155, a destroyer of worlds.

... What?

WOD
Baseball at Strike Zone tonight. There was noticeable improvement on endurance. I was able to apply explosive power to the bat for longer stretches and felt only normal stiffness or soreness afterwards. In the past, I felt a numbness around my tailbone that would run down my hamstring. It felt like something related to sciatica.

Baseball
Threw 50 fastballs at 25'
180 balls in the slow cage

GTG
120 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups (6 x 20)
180 Push-ups (18 x 10)

Crossfit Works, Yo!

After just a few weeks of Crossfitting, there has been noticeable improvements in my general fitness. Last week I did my first stab at Fran scoring 23:45. I improved my score to 13:25 last night. Form and endurance have been the keys to effective workouts. When I hit 11:30, I plan to add 10 lbs to each dumbbell until I reach 90 lbs. After that, the goal will be sub-10 minute Frans.

Crossfit definitely translates directly to improved climbing. After hovering around the 5.9-5.10 lead area, I feel like I'm finally going to break through. Granted, my limits are due in some part to my psychological state, but Crossfit has given my the extra power to confidently do the exposed moves which eluded me in the past.

Last night I did a six-hang overhanging climb. Now that may seem like I suffered terribly through it, but I'm very pleased that I had the endurance to finish, and the sack to check my fear at the door. I think that the key has been core muscle stabilization which helps me to stay rigid yet relaxed on those scary, upside down clips, or when my feet cut. I have the strength to get back on.

(Pictured above: opening moves to Obi Wan Ryobi (5.9), Lower Darth Vader Cliff, Rumney, NH. This New England classic opens in a pumpy cave. Power out of the roof crux to a heroic slab finish.)

2.5 Hrs Climbing
5.6/5.9, lead, warm-ups
5.9, lead, RP (The Brain)
5.9+, lead, hang-dog (6, Ophelia), finished
5.9, lead, hang-dog (4, Kiseido), finished

WOD: Fran
(21, 15, 9)
Dumbbell thrusters (25#)
Pull-ups
Time: 13:25
Personal record, beating my previous record by 10-15 minutes

4 x 20 Reverse wrist curls
7 x 5 Back extensions
3 x 10 Sitting rows (90#, 130, 130)

GTG:
120 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups (6 x 20)

Frankenstein is In?

Hoping against hope, Matt and Dennis drove up to Frankenstein Cliff see if any ice was in. Though the ice wasn't quit fat, they were rewarded for their faith and for their effort.

Ice climbing has supplanted rock climbing as my favorite sport. It killed me last winter knowing that it would be my one and only ice season. Though I'm encouraged by all the "ice talk" at my local Maryland gym, there's no substitute for climbing with your friends--for whom you enjoy as company and trust implicitly with your life.

Active Rest:
120 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups (increased reps by 2)
100 Sit-ups

I Googled "love handle exercises" and what I gleaned from the results was either 80's-style calisthenics or what essentially amounted to "shut-up and train harder." Fair enough.

My favorite piece of advice is to work on increasing the size of your upper body. I laughed out loud at first, but it made sense. Lean muscle mass and body fat are inversely related.

3 hrs Climbing
5.6, lead, warm-up
5.9, lead, warm-up (Global Warming)
5.9, lead, 3 hangs (The Brain)
5.9, lead, 2 hangs
5.9, lead, 1 hang

The last three were all the same climb that I attempted three times. It's an overhanging but exposed jug haul that I've been using as a confidence builder. If it were a bit more sustained, it would mirror Masterpiece (5.10a, Bonsai, Rumney, NH) quite nicely. That climb has been my nemesis since I took a 20 foot spinning whipper from it three years ago. I've only recently gotten my lead head back. I plan to destroy Masterpiece this year. It's a climb well within my ability, but has alluded me for some time.

WOD: Cindy
(as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes)

5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats
Score: 12

I did an extra set after time for good measure. Surprisingly, it was the squats that killed me and not the pull-ups. My legs are still killing me from last week's workouts.

Active Rest

50 Knuckleballs (30') - Concentrating on knuckle effect over velocity

Active Rest

Daily:
100 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups (GTG)
1.5 Mile walk from Georgetown to Chinatown.

Burly Russians
A man named Vasiliy from Crossfit Atlanta demonstrates a pommel horse exercise on the parallettes. In the 80's and 90's, "burly Russian pommel horesman" was an exceedingly redundant phrase. Just ask anyone who worshipped Dmitry Bilozerchev or Valeri Liukin growing up.

Crossfit Gear Wishlist

Medicine Ball (12#)
Wall Ball (20#)
Kettlebell (1 pood)
Parallettes
Rings & Webbing

2.5 Hrs Climbing
2 x 5.6, warm-up lead
5.9, lead, flash
5.9, lead, 3rd bolt (bailed)
5.11, TR, 2 hangs (smoked the chimney moves though)
5.8, lead, RP
5.8, TR, cool down

WOD: Mary (modified)
(20 min time limit)
5 Dumbbell thrusters (40#, 25 after that)
5 Pistols (each leg)
15 Pull-ups
Score: 4 + 15
Finished last 15 pull-ups after time called. I'll wait to do handstand push-ups until after I've made parallettes.

Daily:
100 Push-ups, Squats, Sit-ups
100 Push-ups, (30, 20, 20, 20, 10)

After only 3 days of doing this, it already feels routine. It could be that I'm really motivated, or that my form is getting better, or that it's actually fun to work out. Amazing. The Grease the Groove method is a non-strenuous way to get more work in without getting crushed.

Daily:
100 Push-ups, Sit-ups, Squats
2 x 5 pistols, assisted

2.5 hrs Climbing

2 x 5.6, lead warm-up
5.9, lead,1 hang
5.8, lead, RP
5.11, TR, 2 hangs
5.10a, TR, 2 hangs at the top


WOD: Fran
(21, 15, 9)
Dumbbell Thrusters (25#)
Pull-ups
Time: 23:45

3 x 20 reverse wrist curls
3 x 10, 5, 5 tricep pull-downs (70#, 100, 100)

Daily:
100 each: Push-ups, sit-ups, squats

Applying the Grease the Groove Method

WOD
10 x 10 Push-ups

Specificity + Frequent Practice = Success
Pavel Tsatsouline's Grease the Groove article outlines something that's so simple you'll kick yourself. When a user asked how he could increase his max number of chin-ups, other forum users piped in by suggesting a variety of exercises. Pavel thought: why not just to more chin-ups?

Loosely defined, Grease the Groove means to do as much as you can while staying as fresh as you can. Above, I decided to start with a modest but steady base of 100 push-ups daily. I'll steadily move that number up, in both reps and total number, over the coming weeks until I reach a number that becomes time prohibitive.

I had success with this method many years ago in junior high school, though at the time, I had no idea I was following this method. Every day before gym class I would do sets of ten pull-ups, not to exhaustion, but until it was time to start class. Typically I did between five and seven sets. After months of doing this, I did twenty-four pull up during the pull-ups test, surprising me, and coming 4 short of the school record.

Active Rest

Two mile walk through Central Park and up the Museum Mile.

2 hrs Top Rope Laps
5.6 (up, down, up)
5.6 (up, down)
5.8 (up, down)
5.6/7 (up, down)

WOD
5 Chin-ups
20 Air Squats
5 sets

Hollow Rock (30 sec, 15, 10, 15, 15, 30) - pathetic!

25 minutes on the stationary bike (4 miles, 250 calories)

8 x 10 push-ups (feeling guilty for weak workout)

Giving the Zone Diet a Try

I am not a dieter. The closest thing I've tried so far was to limit my caloric intake to approximately 2100 per day, but that was more an exercise in moderation and self-control--something I have always lacked. I made nothing more than a general effort to "eat better." That includes an increase in fruits and vegetables consumption, more frequent meals in reasonable portions, and moderation when it comes to my nemesis, desserts. All this was achieved with varying degrees of success. Whatever, I'm on to the next phase.

I'm going to give the Zone Diet an honest effort. The basic premise prescribed by Crossfit requires a three-pronged approach:

1. Proper proportions of the three macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat)
2. Proper meal times (frequent meals, meal time spacing)
3. Portion control (hand to eye method or plate method)

I'm also going to pick up a copy of the Crossfit endorsed Mastering the Zone for short money at Amazon. Take a look in the used section.

Other Resources:
http://www.zonebasics.com/gettingstarted_1.htm
http://www.zonedietinformation.com/

Calories: 2041
Weight: 177 (WTF? Is the scale wrong, or am I getting fatter?)

1.5 hrs Top Roping
5.7 warm-up
5.9 O Jogo Bonito
5.7 Trouble
5.11 (2 hangs)

WOD
4 Reps of the following:

200M Walk
200M Jog
Rows (50 lbs, 50, 70, 80)
Push-ups (15 reps, 15, 15, 20)
Sit-ups (10 reps, 10, 20, 30)

4 x 20 Reverse Wrist Curls (8 lbs)

Starbucks Transitioning Away from Trans Fats

NPR reports that Starbucks is following the trend to remove trans fats from its bakery line.

I didn't realize that Crisco is essentially trans fatty acids in brick form. That explains why homemade cookies taste so good. Also, Starbucks cookies are just about the best tasting cookies available. There's no better pick-me-up than a coffee paired with one of these "single serving" cookies.

Calories: 2140

WOD

1.5 hrs bouldering (V0-V3)

5 x (200M walk, 200M jog)
5 x 25# dumb bell thrusters
~30 min.

10 x 25, 45 wood chop
12 x 45 wood chop
3 x 8 V-ups (8# med ball)
4 x 8 back extensions
10 x 25, 35, 45 side raises
10 x leg circles (2 in, 1 out)
20 min stretch