CrossFit - 31Jan09

"Nicole"

Max Rounds in 20 minutes:
- Run 400 meters
- Max Pull-ups

Total Rounds: 6 + 400 meters (Tie PR)
Pull-ups: 31, 23, 22, 22, 20, 21 = 139 (PR!)

CrossFit - 30Jan09

"Elizabeth"

For Time:
21 - 15 - 9
- Squat Cleans, 135-lbs
- Ring Dips

Time: 12:55 (3 min PR)

Although this was a PR, I'm really not satisfied with it. My times on high-rep clean workouts have never really matched up with the rest of my CrossFit performances, so it's something I need to get dialed in before the May qualifiers.

ME Upper - 29Jan09

Max Effort Upper Body

Bench - 175 + Green Band
Dumbell Shoulder Press - 35 x 10 x 2; 40 x 10
Ring Dips - 25, 12

Bahrain Trade Center

CrossFit - 27Jan09

Split Jerk (Behind the Neck) - 265 lbs (10 lbs PR!)


WOD:
Five rounds for time of:
- 30 Glute-ham sit-ups
- 25 Back extensions

Time: 12:03...gonna feel this one in the morning!

CrossFit - 26Jan09

"Barbara"

5 Rounds for Time:

- 20 Pullups
- 30 Pushups
- 40 Situps
- 50 Squats

Round 1: 3:29
Round 2: 3:49
Round 3: 4:38
Round 4: 4:26
Round 5: 4:27
5 Round Total: 20:49

Total Time: 32:52

My abs are still pretty beat up from the GH situps the other day, so the situps were what really slowed me down today. All the pullups were straight through.

ME Lower - 25Jan09

Max Effort Lower Body

Good Mornings - 225 x 3 (20 lbs PR)
Glute-Ham Raises (Blue Band + 35 lbs) - 10, 10, 8
Pull-Throughs - 3 x 10 (Blue Band)

Lower back and hamstrings are still pretty fried from "Mr. Joshua."

CrossFit - 23Jan09

For Time:

- 15 Handstand Pushups
- 1 L-Pullup
- 13 Handstand Pushups
- 3 L-Pullups
- 11 Handstand Pushups
- 5 L-Pullups
- 9 Handstand Pushups
- 7 L-Pullups
- 7 Handstand Pushups
- 9 L-Pullups
- 5 Handstand Pushups
- 11 L-Pullups
- 3 Handstand Pushups
- 13 L-Pullups
- 1 Handstand Pushup
- 15 L-Pullups

Time: 18:56 (3+ minute PR!)

CrossFit - 22Jan09

After the DL Competition it was time to hit up today's WOD.

"Mr. Joshua"


SO1 Joshua Thomas Harris, 36, drowned during combat operations on August 30th 2008 in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents Dr. Sam and Evelyn Harris, his brother Ranchor, and twin sister Kiki.

"Mr. Joshua"

5 Rounds for time:
- Run 400 meters
- 30 GHD Situps
- 15 Deadlifts, 250-lbs

Time: 37:36

The gym was pretty packed today so Brian and I had to share a bar. He is still scaling, so he used 155-lbs. Swapping out the weights and waiting for the bar added some time. Regardless, the DLs were ROUGH!

Deadlift Competition - 22Jan09

Things didn't go as well as I'd hoped. At the last minute, I decided to enter the DL competition on base, thinking that I should be able to set a new PR. My first pull was an easy 370. On my second pull, I wanted to do 405 (a new PR), but the collars added an extra 5-lbs, for a total of 410...I easily could have asked them to change it but I thought, "What difference will 5 pounds make?" Big mistake. I pulled the weight to my knees, but couldn't drive the hips through to lock out the weight. I'm confident that 405 would've gone up though. Chalk one up to inexperience. Moving on....

DE Upper - 21Jan09

Snatch - 135, 155, 175(Fail), 185 (Tie PR!)

Felt pretty good, the miss at 175 was just a mental error. I just upped the weight, refocused and moved on. I probably should've gone for 190, but was really happy with the 185 and wanted to end on a good note.

Dynamic Effort Bench - 9 x 3 x 135 + Blue Band (Regular, close, wide grips)
Dumbell Incline Press, 60-lbs - 10, 10, 9 (Time to pick a new accessory exercise)
Weighted Ring Dips, 35-lbs - 9, 5, 3

Running - 19Jan09

Run 10K

Time: 56:04

90% was on firm sand. Moderate headwind on the return route.

CrossFit - 18Jan09

"Jackie"

For Time:
- Row 1000 meters
- 50 Thrusters, 45-lbs
- 30 Pull-ups

Time: 8:25

Legs are shot after yesterday's workout.

DE Lower - 17Jan09

Dynamic Effort Squats

Box Squats - 8 x 2 x 275 [145-lbs + Blue & Purple Bands (130-lbs)]
Deadlifts - 6 x 1 x 295 (Good bar speed)
Glute-Ham Raises - 3 x 10 x 30-lbs
Pull Throughs - 3 x 10 w/ Blue Band
Knees to Elbows - 3 x 15

CrossFit - 15Jan09

4 Rounds for Time:
- Run 400 meters
- 15 Handstand Pushups
- 2 Rope Climbs, 15' (Subbed 15 Towel Pullups)

Time: 21:55

The HSPUs were killer, as always, and took the most time. On a positive note, the running is starting to feel like normal again.

CrossFit - 14Jan09

For time:
- 15 Reps, 155-lbs Power clean
- 30 Ring dips
- 12 Reps, 155-lbs Power clean
- 24 Ring dips
- 9 Reps, 155-lbs Power clean
- 18 Ring dips
- 6 Reps, 155-lbs Power clean
- 12 Ring dips
- 3 Reps, 155-lbs Power clean
- 6 Ring dips

Time: 16:20

ME Upper - 13Jan09

Max Effort Upper Body

Shoulder Press - Purple Bands + 130, 135, & 140 / Fail: 145
Incline Dumbell Press - 3 x 10 x 55-lbs
Ring Pushups - 23, 17, 11
Side Bends - 3 x 10 x 80-lbs

Watching The World Pass By

Running - 11Jan09

I felt like going for a run this evening after work. I can REALLY feel the effects of just doing heavy lifting for 4 months whenever I run. Definitely need to get back into it!

Distance - 1.5 miles
Time - 11:10

CrossFit - 11Jan09

Overhead Squat (190-lbs) - 6 reps **Goal before The Games is 15**

"Baseline"

For Time:
- Row 500 meters
- 40 Squats
- 30 Situps
- 20 Pushups
- 10 Pullups

Time: 4:05

I had to do the pullups on a portable dip/pullup station that would nearly tip over when I tried to kip. If I'd been on a real pullup bar, I would've been under 4 minutes...next time I guess...

Frightening Fish

CrossFit - 10Jan09

Death by C&J

With a continuously running clock do one 135 pound Clean and Jerk the first minute, two 135 pound Clean and Jerks the second minute, three 135 pound Clean and Jerks the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Total: 7 Rounds + 5 = 33 Reps

ME Lower - 9Jan09

Back from travel...back to work.

Max Effort Lower Body

Low Box Squats (~14") - 255 + Green Bands = ~ 405-lbs at the top
GH Raises - 3 x 10 x (25-lbs + Blue Band)
Pull Throughs - 3 x 10
Hanging Leg Raises - 3 x 10

ME Upper - 4Jan08

Ended up spending some time out of the country, but was lucky enough to get in my workout.

Max Effort Upper Body

Shoulder Press (Lightened Method) - 155, 165, 170 Hanging from Blue Bands
Bench w/ KBs hanging off bar - 3 x 10 (2 x 36-lbs KBs)
Ring Dips (Kipping) 25, 17, 11

Dizzy

Taken at the boardwalk in Manama. I really want to thank the guy that stood still (without being asked)...it really made the picture exactly how I'd envisioned it.

NAS Oceana Bans CrossFit?!

This picture was taken at the gym on Naval Air Station Oceana. This sign represents everything that we military CrossFitters have come to fear ever since the BS Makimba Mimms lawsuit. Yes, safe training is critical! But if the Powers-That-Be would go to the Branch Medical Clinic on base and ask for the mishap reports, they would see that the greatest number of injuries - by far - come from football and soccer. What's next? A sign on the football field that says, "This installation is not a sports complex, therefore any unsafe (as defined by whom, I'm not sure) sports, such as football or soccer, are not to be played. If you have any questions, try to find someone to complain to, but our minds are made up, so don't really bother wasting your time."

CrossFit is our sport. When properly implemented, it is far safer than many other activities that the military routinely has it's members do. We can go one step further and use the age old Operational Risk Management (ORM) - in other words, is the juice worth the squeeze? In this case, it most certainly is! The level of physical readiness that one gains from a properly implemented CrossFit program is unparalleled by any other option currently available to the military. But don't take my word for it. How about the word of Ensign David Castro - formerly SO1 Castro and Phase 2 BUD/S instructor. ENS Castro, now a Training Officer for one of the West Coast teams, has done EXTENSIVE research since CrossFit was unofficially implemented and has shown not only a significant decrease in Medical drops, but also a significant increase in performance during events such as the Obstacle Course. Contacting him for the data is easy, if anyone would like any assistance, I would be happy to provide his email address via other channels. There are many other examples of CrossFit use within Military and Law Enforcement units which prove, without a shadow of doubt, its superiority to other methods: Marine Sniper School is another program that immediately comes to mind.

The moral of the story is that Navy officials shouldn't fear CrossFit, but instead consider embracing it. They should contact people like Colonel Dan Wilson - a former Batallion Commander onboard Camp Pendleton(<---Link!). They should ask him what CrossFit did - and continues to do - for the Marines that have bought into the program with their blood, sweat, and tears. Instead of banning it from the base gym - the only viable option for many of the Sailors stationed at NAS Oceana - why not consider sending some of their "highly trained" Towel Folders, or even *GASP* some of the military members currently regularly doing CrossFit to a Level 1 certification? Because of the cost? How much did their brand new cable-crossover machine cost? What about the idiot's squat rack (aka the Smith Machine)? It's time for Navy officials to do their OWN research for a change. There are so many avenues for information regarding CrossFit: from people that do it daily and have previously done it, that it's silly for them to count on the opinion of "experts" that have never even visited the CrossFit website or contacted the founder, Greg Glassman. Would you ask a physicist who has never driven a car if driving is safe? Seems silly to me...

I would like to close with a favorite quote of mine that I feel is at the heart of this issue:

"The more one bleeds in training, the less he will bleed in battle."
- Anonymous

CrossFit - 2Jan09

"Murph"

- Run 1 mile
- 100 Pullups
- 200 Pushups
- 300 Squats
- Run 1 mile

Time: 40:03

The runs were done on a treadmill and the bodyweight exercises were partitioned into sets of 5/10/15 and 10/20/30.

Manama Sunset

Compositionally, this isn't a correct photograph, since the horizon cuts the frame in half (instead of being in the top or bottom third). But I wanted to add the outcropping of rocks in the bottom right of the frame.

CrossFit - 1Jan09

First WOD of the New Year!

"Fight Gone Bad!"

Three rounds of:
- Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
- Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (Reps)
- Box Jump, 20" box (Reps)
- Push-press, 75 pounds (Reps)
- Row (Calories)

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of "rotate", the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

Wall Ball: 30, 24, 21 = 75
SDLHP: 20, 17, 15 = 52
Box Jump: 21, 20, 16 = 57
PP: 23, 22, 20 = 65
Row: 20, 22, 23 = 65

Total: 315

1 point shy of a PR. Pretty happy with that!