Week 6 of 26: WOD in The AM = FML

Completing the Workout of the Day, or "WOD", is a challenge in itself.  Completing the WOD at the 6, 7 or 8 AM slots is cruel and unusual punishment.  I envy those of you who can jump out of bed, and into workout gear before the sun is shining.  And I'm one of those people who doesn't sleep much to begin with.  I'm totally functional with 3-5 hours of sleep.  But swapping out the part of my morning dedicated to coffee and reading for burpees, box jumps and kettle bell swings is just not natural.

With less than five months until our little man is born, my schedule is becoming more and more demanding.  My normal 2:00 and 4:00 work out sessions have been pushed aside for extra appointments and meetings with clients.  In my head I told myself, "No problem, people workout in the morning every day."  After all, I'm up by 6:00 anyway, so an 8:00am workout should be no sweat.  Boy was I wrong.

Working out before my body (or my mind) is prepared is like water-boarding while still under the blankets.  OK, maybe that's a little extreme or dramatic.  But for those of you who have made early morning exercises a part of your daily routine, congratulations.  I'm looking more forward to pre-dawn diaper changes than I am 7am WOD's.

Aside from adding an early morning workout to my schedule, I've also already gained 4 pounds.  Some say of "mass", I'm saying of muscle....Pure. Muscle.  Four pounds in 6 weeks is better than I was expecting, but I still have 16 pounds to go, and 20 more weeks to do it in.  Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew.  Or maybe I need to just continue biting off more than I can chew.  See what I did I there?

164 lbs (+4 lbs total)


Any sage advice for Crossfitting in the AM???  

Week 4 of 26: 10 CrossFit Lessons Learned in 21 Days

Week one sucked.  Week two and three weren't a walk in the park (the park is free, and pleasant....and easy).  Week four probably won't be much easier.  And that's the idea, right??  I mean, if it's easy it's probably not worth it.  In business I was taught that any worthwhile goal comes with it's fair share of obstacles.  In my pursuit of personal records and regular Rx workouts, those obstacles are literal.

They say that things become habitual after three consistent weeks of doing them.  That goes for good habits, as well as bad habits.  So, three weeks into CrossFitting, and even as the challenge grows, so does the excitement and addiction.  It's at the point now where missing a CrossFit session would make me feel worse than the workout itself.

Here's what I've learned so far:
1 - Don't quit.  Push for YOUR best time, that's all YOU can control.

2 - It's all about form and technique.  The best work outs done incorrectly won't help....in fact, it will hurt.  Literally.

3 - Push yourself to get as close to Rx weight as possible.  It's recommended for a reason.  This step might not apply to everyone, but it's surprising how much progress you could/should be making in as little as 2-3 weeks.

4 - Warm up 15 minutes prior to the WOD.  Stretching is an absolute must.

5 - Learn the WOD BEFORE you get to the gym.  It saves a lot of time.

6 - Trust the trainer

7 - Invest in a good...no, GREAT heating pad.  Don't know about you, but I'm wearing mine out!

8 - Get familiar with the most unfamiliar exercises before class, and during open gym.

9 - Get to know other CrossFitters, there will be moments when they are your only proof that the workout can actually be completed.

10 - One bottle of water is NOT enough.....bring a back up.

164 lbs. (+4 lbs)

What lessons should I heed for the days, weeks, and months to come??  Would love to hear your feedback!  Off to spoon with the massage chair......

Week 3 of 26: Weight For Me

There's burpees, wall ball shots and kettle bell swings - of the american variety.  We'll run around the "island", down to Southern, and follow it with some rowing.  Dead lifting, thrusting and dipping with chains are of the norm.  Front squats, power cleans, pull ups and chin ups will rock your world.  Do "AMRAP" (as many rounds as possible) and you'll be left feeling like you're DOA.  Pushing myself to my "PR" (personal record) made me feel like I needed the ER.

It's just a workout, and I'm not a paid spokesman.  But you will question your manhood in this "box" (gym).  More than learning all the acronyms and abbreviations, I'm learning to push myself....sometimes to the limit, but always past my comfort level.  This theory has worked for me professionally, financially, relationally....and now, physically.

162.5 lbs (+2.5 lbs)

The scale is not broken. It's accurate. Trust me.                                                   

Making the decision is the easy part, but true success and results come from making important decisions, and then managing those decisions every single day.  What decisions have you made, for 2012, that are helping you grow, and reach your goals?

Week 2 of 26: Same Weight, Different Day

Five CrossFit sessions in six days.  Not bad, right?  I feel great, and am feeling better after each class.  To my surprise I had begun to transform into some sort of human walrus, and developed a layer of blubber to help keep my core temperature up during the winter months, from lack of cardio.  I'm happy to say that I was able to shed my coat of fat in just a few, albeit intense and painful, workouts.

I've heard several people compare CrossFit to drug usage.  Now understand I might be the worst person to compare anything to drugs or hallucinogens. The only high I've ever experienced has been a food high after a Victoria & Alberts meal.  But, courtesy of CrossFit iQ, in less than a week I have seen stars, felt winded beyond belief, on the verge of light-headedness, and thought I was dying.  Again, not speaking from experience, I can now understand why CrossFit is sometimes compared to paranoid pill poppers.

In a great way, of course.  I've never felt better about working out, and where I'm heading.  Something amazing happens when you see the clock hit 3 - 2 - 1, and the trainer say "GO!" My body flips a switch.  A switch that triggers adrenaline, excitement, determination,  and I begin to anticipate the pleasure that comes from the pain.  With nothing to compare it to, this is the best kind of drug I've taken.

Now, with that being said, you also should expect to feel a type of hangover way more painful than any you've experienced after a weekend bender you went on in college.  It hurts, and it hurts so good.  It's like a regular reminder every time you stand up that whatever the hell a "Sumo Dead-Lift High Pull" is, works!  You want to rest, but your body is already hooked.  As if that's not scary enough, you're surrounded by the worst kind of enablers imaginable.  The kind that actually WANT you to do more, feel more, hurt more, and take you to your limit.

160 lbs.

My philosophy is, one day at a time, one workout at a time, one pound at a time.  Regardless of how much weight I gain over the course of 26 weeks, there's no question that my body will see the side effects of regular 30-45 minute binge exercises from CrossFit iQ.  If you're not excited about getting your fix from your neighborhood gym routine - come find us in the back alley, we'll be the ones that the out-of-shapers cross the street to avoid, shake their heads at, don't quite understand, yet secretly envy.

How is YOUR CrossFit experience going??

What advice do you have for a new gym rat??

What are you eating/drinking in addition to your workouts??

Week 1 of 26: Fit To The Death

Is it possible to die from trying to live a healthy lifestyle?  Granted, working out hadn't even entered my mind over the past 10 days of vacation.  And yes, it's true, I did eat my way across nearly every city in between Los Angeles and San Francisco while away.  Still, I walked into my first CrossFit iQ session confident - maybe even slightly arrogant.  "I work out 3-4 days per week, how hard can this be? I can do this!" , I announced to myself.

And within 5 minutes I was gasping harder than a fish not just left out of water, but dropped in the Sahara.  Pushed to my sooner than expected limit, I just start sucking in whatever oxygen my lungs will allow.  The trainer asks, "How's it going Jack??"  I force a pained smile, trying to mask the fact that my respiratory system is acting like it's not yet ready for the New Year and decided to take another week off. I manage to give him a "thumbs up".  In my head I'm saying, "Screw you trainer guy!!  I hope you drop this kettle bell  on your toe, which probably also has muscles."  My pained poker face fools no one, especially him.  He's seen this look a million times before, I'm sure.  I'm grateful that the music is blasting, because my wheezing sounds like the opener to the Andy Griffith Show.

Listen, there are a lot of horrible things that a human body can go through, and I'm convinced that Burpies are near the top of that list.  I keep thinking that my second wind is surely right around the corner...wait for it.....wait for it......nothing.  Still struggling, still (somehow) managing to get another rep in. Until, what seemed like 3 hours, the hardest 30 minute workout of my life is over.  That's right, 30 minutes.  Seems like nothing now that I think about it, but don't make the same wrong assumptions I did.  It's no joke.  It's not easy, and I'm convinced that CrossFit will totally humble anyone not in tip-top shape.

My mission (or challenge from my unsympathetic, cruel yet sweet significant other) - gain 20 healthy pounds of muscle by June 15th.  Each week I'll take a picture of the weight that registers on the scale, and we'll see how it goes. No cheating, no excuses, just hard work.  Most people are trying to lose weight as a New Years resolution - and I'm trying to gain weight.  In truth, continue to do what I can to be as healthy as possible.  If you're resolving to do the same in 2012, check out CrossFit iQ in West Palm Beach.

For anyone wondering, yes, it IS possible for your ears, chest, arms, lips, legs, and feet to all be sore simultaneously.  Next class is on Thursday - and like Bart Scott, "Can't Wait!".