Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Jen's gym

It's really cold! Bring spring on!
WOD at Primal Fitness

Still learning how to make these vid's.

Sunday, January 28, 2007



FOCUS
I'm learning about muscle focus. It's like body awareness, but even more sensitive. Your hanging from a pullup bar, just hanging or are your lats engaged? While doing a skinned the cat on the rings, I found that it's not momentum that pulls you back through it's contracting your abs. It hit me while I was doing Deadlifts. Jesse kept saying squeeze the bar off the ground. A few times I felt it. My back, my lats my abs and my legs tight and squeezing. At that moment I felt individual muscles contract not just an area. How do we get our mind to that place on every move??? Focus...more later.
Primal Fitness

My first Vid. It took way longer than I thought it would.

Thursday, January 25, 2007


This week my workouts are a little different. My shoulder is feeling much better. I'm not able to work on my kip's yet, but close.
On Monday I did back squats
5X5 of 115#
Today was deadlifts
3x7
started at 95#
then up to 135, 155, 185
I'm able to feel when I'm losing form and that is key.
Tomorrow I hope to do front squats.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

To say that Jack Arnow is a chin-up guy is a massive understatement. He is 64 years old and has recently done one-arm chin-ups. He is currently working on doing a full "+bodyweight" chin, meaning he will add another 140 pounds to his own weight and do a two armed chin-up. On Friday January 26th at about 1:00 PM we'll be very fortunate to have Jack as a visitor to Primal Fitness. Stop by and get some tips on chinups from a true afficianado. Check out the One-Arm Chinning Guide that Jack co-authored on DragonDoor.
If your around come on in and see some Pullups!
Jen

Sunday, January 21, 2007


CROSSFIT DC

50 box jumps
50 pushups
50 push presses with 45# bar
50 burpees
50 jumping chins
50 lunges
50 Thrusters with 1/3 body weight DB's
50 KB swings
Ok, I had to do 100 Jump ropes instead of pullups and 50 jumping squats for burpees. My shoulder is still giving me pain. Also, on the thrusters I only used 12.5# DBs. Just not wanting to lose control of my left shoulder and jack it up again.

Friday, January 19, 2007


Today with the DC ladies!

We will call this workout Susan. Since after the last workout she said I could have been tougher on her. So today she wins! Here's tougher for you!

SUSAN


Warm Up
3 sets of 10 ballslams
Squats 3 sets of 20
PVC pipe shoulder shrugs
PVC OHS

15 KB swings
15 thrusters
15 Ball slams
Start with whatever one you want. Do your 15 run 400 meters. Then move to next tool repeat.

Same thing

15 Thrusters
15 KB swings
10 Burpees
Again do your 15 run 400 meters come back and use the next tool of death!
Winner gets to do 10 more burpees!
Guess appearance by Louie!

My personal workout for time!

First about 25 mins on the rollers.

50 box Jumps
50 KB swings
50 walking lunges
50 double under's or 150 jump ropes
50 wall ball shoots
50 ball slams
My time was 15 mins or so. I should tell you that I had to keep my swings at eye level and my ball slams started from eye level. This was done so that I don't mess my shoulder up.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007



My workout today was Parkour skills since my shoulder is sore from a fall the other day. Then I hit the rollers for a while to keep my legs cycling ready.
I love our dogs, this is Sophie and Louie. We just got Louie a few months ago. I feel bad for him. I think he was beaten since he can get scared and snappy when he is scared. I'm working with him as much as I can. He is so sweet but then someone that he sees just makes him get a scared look and he barks and jumps. How can people do things like that? He is a lot of work but he's my boy! He tries very hard to be good, it's just that sometimes fear overcomes him.
Ok, put some vibes out that my shoulder feels better soon.

Sunday, January 14, 2007



Crossfit DC
This workout kicked my ass. I'm not sure why, but it seemed really hard today. I've gotten in two really strong workouts with Jesse at Primal which is new. So maybe my body is getting pushed to a new place.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS....ARE YOU MOVING? If not Ya better start. The less you move the more you'll have to move!
Get Some!
Try Yoga it's fun and hard.
Has anyone noticed that when you use spell check it brings up Crossfit as crucified? Now that's cool! LOL

Things on my mind.
1. learn how to keep riding and doing Cf. It's a time issue really. I love to ride and I also want to get better at CF skills. We have a house and two dogs. I work 3 days of 12 hours. Cycling has fallen off since it's so easy to get the dogs out and workout at home. I could do a shorter ride with walking the dogs before and after. Not to mention keeping up a house and getting rested for another kick ass day. I'm sure spring will bring me more of a balance. It's funny that these are my concerns.

2.Don't push people or your partner to be as passionate as you are about fitness. Diane likes to workout in her own style. She rides a lot in spring and summer. For some reason I was very intense in letting her know that I did not think she worked out hard enough. She is very chill about her workouts and it's not at the top of her list of things to do everyday. She's happy with her body and feels that she is active and she's right. It scares me that when talking about fitness she refers to being happy with her body. Yes, that is part of it. Yet, it's not the kind of health I was thinking of. I'm thinking long haul, and the unseen. It really does not matter, since it's her call and not mine. Crossfit is like a sport to me and not everyone likes to play....so chill out Conlin!

3. Working in a hospital I see a lot of obese people. What I can't understand is how they can accept it. Do people not realize the being obese limits the time that you can care for yourself? I'm not even talking about really huge people. If a person has a big gut, do they not realize that they can't reach there "privet areas" to keep clean? Do they not realize that with huge thighs they are walking strange and using huge amounts of energy. If they realize that there weight is a limiting factor how do they ignore it? Since it seems that they must. Countless times a day I have obese people say they don't understand why there knees are shot or why there back is non-fictional. So many people can't get up off a bed because they can't lift themselves. Or the people come in with high blood pressure and Chest pain and the first thing they want to know is "when can I eat" What the fuck!
Remember I'm not even talking about the really big people.

Friday, January 12, 2007



The other day I can so close to a Muscle up is was sick.
today's workout
5 rounds for time

10 clean and jerks
10 Glute ham raise
10 handstand push ups or elevated pushups
My time was 12:44

Thursday, January 11, 2007




Ok, so yesterday it was just Susan at the morning workout. She killed it. Susan gives 100% even when she's not feeling it.
I can't remember everything we did.
Warm up J. Jacks with DB
Broad Jump doing high steps inbetween.
Tire Pull with 15# DB inside
Up downs. Which are started in pushup position then down on forearms and back up.
Russian twists
Tire pull again
Ball cleans
More Ball cleans.
Nice work!

For me I did the Crossfit WOD.
Sprint 100m
12 KB swings
10 pullups
As many rounds as you can in 20 mins. I got 10 rounds. I did the work out at Primal with Jesse and Mark. It's a lot of fun to workout with friends. It really gets you pumped.
Also, worked on my Snatch with Jesse. I think I'm getting better but when I see the video I can't believe how tight I look. I've got to get down on that and under the bar. Time will help that, and weight. Since I'm only using like 35# or something. This picture is Mark on the floor and me with my foot on his chest, it's a bit blurry I'll put a better one up later. All of us look a little scary after the workout!
Today before work I'm going to work on L-sits.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Primal Day!




The Primal Fitness Opening went well. So many Parkour Kids showed up it was crazy. As the day went on Cf'er came in as well. I was hoping for a better turn out from local people and friends but you can only share your passion from there it's out of your hands. Thanks Regi for showing your support! Tom was there with his crew of crazy boys! Anyhow, if you could not make it for whatever reason please come in anytime. If you have teenagers Parkour is like going to a skate park so bring them in for the Parkour and you can come in for a workout. I will be working on the video today.
I did so many little demos that my arms are sore! Pullups, KB swings, handstand pushups, rope climbs, wall leaps and Overhead squats. Oh and tire flips, tire pulls and some deadlifts with a rock. My idea about teaching and explaining to people always involves showing. People only hear 10% of what you say, so give them a mental picture, snap!
About 50 or so people came in. I hope we can get more of the parents to stop back and give it a look and try. A few of them showed interest but because there teenager was there they did not want to intrude on there space.
On a personal note I did about 5 or 6 OHS's with the full 45# bar and felt flexible in my lower back area. I've been working on my snatch and OHS, it seems to be working. Also, I was able to get more than 1/2 way up the ropes, two ropes same time no feet! It felt good!
Jesse and Mark worked there ass off and did a great job! We had no idea who would show up and so your really just taking it as it comes.
They have all the toys you could possible want now we need the people to keep coming. Oh, and a few cops came in which is cool. If they come in and do a workout they will be hooked. It's a hard thing to explain to people you need them to just do it. I think once that happens with the police that they will multiply. Today I'm skiping CFDC for a family day. I will miss it but need to do house stuff and hangout with Diane and the dogs.

Friday, January 05, 2007



Tomorrow is the big day for Primal Fitness. It's hard to not know who will show up. I've done all this foot work and so have Jesse and Mark but you just don't know what will happen. Why am I so into getting people in the door. Well, I believe in how Crossfit works and that people will enjoy getting more fit. Also, if Crossfit DC and Primal take off it opens doors for me. As much as I like working in the health care field there comes time when you realize that your burnt out. More on that later.

NEWS FLASH>>>>NEWS FLASH>>>>
60 mins just called mark and told them they were going to come by and do a report on the gym!
Wow!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007


The DC ladies were back at it today. I've been feeling sick for a few days and you can tell because today we should have done 600 reps to kick out 2006. In my fog I forgot to have them do squats. So next week we have to make that up!!
100 jumping jacks, when we do J. jacks we hold are bodies nice and tight. No floppy arms!
100 pushups
100 KB swings
100 ball slams
100 walking lunges

I'm still working on my new camera and video. So no new pictures yet.

It sucks to be sick! All day I think about the workout I could be doing!! AHAHAG!

Oh, and let me end on a little rant. New Year...screw year. Working out being active has to be a way of life. Not a lets try it again this year deal. You have no choice you must move your body beyond it's limits or it will limit you. Let me ask you this. Do you have to tell your self every New year to go to work, eat sleep, talk? It should be the same way with being active. So walk to the post office, save gas and pump some blood into your legs. You get my point? Even though the News tonight talked about a "super pill" to lose weight, trust me it won't work! Trust me!
Oh and one last thing. No matter how you lose the weight it wont stay off if you don't stop eating shit and doing shit. If your going to take the "super pill" plan on taking it for the rest of your life, hoping the whole time that it wont poison your body and kill you.I realize this is repetitive..I just thought you needed to hear it again!

Monday, January 01, 2007


Happy New Year!
Crossfit Dc was very hard yesterday. I'm having issues with my camera. I don't know how to use it yet, so no new pictures. I ripped this one off from Tom. Our workout was called, 666!
I myself was not on top of my game. My body chemicals were out of wack. It can be really hard being active when you feel like shit! Overall I felt weak and just not in-tune with the world.
As for the New year. I have hopes for CF to take off in this DC area. If your in this area make sure you come back to CFDC and bring a friend. Also, this is the week that Primal will have their grand opening. For a lot of folks who come to CFDC Primal will be out of the way. Come anyway! Lets make this a Crossfit DC area party. Bring your peeps and stop by so we can all meet and get to know each other. Support keeps you moving! It's a lot harder to skip workouts if you know your accountable to other CF'ers.