Pushup form...hows yours?


Bring out the DB's or KB's and get that depth going with the elbows high.


Pictures taken from Crossfit Challenge in Old Town, VA

Make sure you keep checking back for some guest bloggers. Since I'm making a recovery which is slow but steady. I though it might be more interesting for you to hear what some other fitness people are doing.

For me I'm still working on my ROM in PT. I'm very tight, and I'm a bit worn out from being in a sling and being uncomfortable. I'm still making a daily effort to walk and do some leg strengthening. Like walking lunges, step ups at the park. Then back home to do some one armed TGU's. Also, I'm spending time working on my squats, both the oly squat and the air squat. which in my case means to get more flexible in my hips and fight the forward lean. It's important to not lose sight of the need for flexibility. Oh, and my ankle flexibility.

Oh, how I miss summer and being able to do handstands!

Thought of the day...week...year!

Technique, Form and Flexibility should be on the top of the list of goals for all Crossfitters.

I would rather see people in our classes drop the weight for any given workout until they get more of a mastery of the technique and form.

I've witnessed some good ass kicking with ugly form...it's not worth it. It also does not prove much if your get your "Fran" done in sub 6 mins if your thrusters are more of a forward slid then a squat thrust. So drop the LBS off the bar and let your Fran go to 8 or heaven forbid 10mins and get it done right with nice full depth squats too thrust.

Do you get my point?

Coach Glassmen is a big pusher of form and technique, so non of the blame goes on him. I think in the excitement of competition the main goal gets lost. With so many affiliates coming on board so fast there is a lost of quality control.

Too all the Crossfit Affiliates out there or CF coaches who push form....thank you.
If your a back yard CF'er like myself make sure your work form before Pride.

If your coaching CF tell your people in class to stop and drop the LBS if there form is for shit. In the long run it's worth it. I understand that people want to get there asses kicked and that you can't make them listen to you. I've seen and experienced that.

My experience with more guys then girls(it does happen with women....me included) is that they can baulk at you when you tell them you would rather them do there pushups from there knees because they are only dipping their head down and just not getting that full range of motion. Or that they should use a lighter bar because there push press just fell apart on the second round of whatever.

Really in the long run it's worth the little lost of pride.

Elements Class at Crossfit DC
Over the last few months I've been running an Elements class at 9am on Sundays. It's been going well. I have a few newbies who come and one long time CF'er who comes with his wife who has just started.
I'm at a lost for how to express the need to work on the basics to some of our long time CF'ers. I don't expect them to to come for six weeks or even 4 weeks. Maybe 2 or 3 classes.
In this class that Tom has been so supportive of. We always work on the air squat it's one of the most foundational movements of Crossfit. For me I always have to work on my forward lean and my butt wink.
We at Crossfit use the squat in our thrusters, wall ball, sumo-deadlift high pull and goblet squats, slamnball...I'm sure I've forgotten a few.

If I work the air squat it starts the movements of most of the above.
Then we work the basics of the Deadlift and Push press and other of the bigger lifts. The main focus it to get people familiar with our basic movements. This way when they jump into the 10am class they know what a box jump is and don't need it explained to them at that time. In the Elements class we do a circuit like mini Cindy or a scaled Fran. If some one is advanced in the weight they can move I'll add the Lbs on to make things more of a challenge for them.

As Tom always says...Everone needs to work on the basics. I agree we all do!

First I worked my dog out. Then I just had to do some GS stuff.
10 One arm deadlifts
Walk to other end of the yard with KB overhead or in clean rack.
10 one armed sumo deadlifts with 20k KB
Lunge with KB overhead to other end of yard.
10 hang cleans with Right arm
Framers walk the yard.
Repeated 5 times...or so.



Yes I'm being safe. Moving slow and careful.
It felt good to work and be winded.
Yes I'm being safe. Moving slow and careful.
It felt good to work and be winded. I've not be released to run or move fast yet. That might be a few more weeks down the road. I see my doctor again in Dec. My shoulder is healing but it's still pretty sore at times. I have no external rotation and have been told to not even try since it will put to much pressure on my labrum. In the meantime I have to do a little something for the rest of my body.


Outside working on my positive attitude.

What is my Dream??
Well that's simple...I would love to coach Crossfit full time. To change peoples life's with fitness. To make it creative, hard and fun for them.


How am I right now???....struggling. It will be two weeks since I had the scope of my shoulder. Today I walked two miles with my dog and partner. I hope to do some weights over the next two days with my right arm. I can't bonce around yet, when I do I have pain.
PT is going well. It's still pretty boring just passive range of motion per my doctors orders.
It's cold outside and that with being unable to do much makes me feel like crap!

As for the coaching, I'm not sure how to make more happen with that. Right now if I do anything it has to be making me money. So doing free stuff for people is out of the question. I feel bad about that, because I want to show people what I can do and most people don't want to pay for your coaching until they see what you can do.

I should never go to the store while on Pain meds! This is what I came home with.


Then the next big decision was which glass to use(I'm a geek...I collect beer glasses)


I had my first real PT session today. It was humbling! I came home and just had to do some sort of workout.
10 TGU sit ups. Which is with the KB just in my right hand overhead with the ab-mat under my back up to sit and back down.
10 squats
5 rounds
Then 10 TGU's with 15lbs in Right hand only.
It felt good to move a little!

Sunday I coached Crossfit DC. We had a blast! Today I start my job at the bike shop to make some extra cash. It's amazing to me that I'm a fully insured health care worker who is having issues paying all the bills from my much needed surgery.

First day post op. lots of pain with any moving. I will get more details after my appointment in the morning. Doctor said he did more than he first planned.

I do crossfit so that I can be a functionally strong women, not sex appeal. As I get older I want to be able to carry my own bags and not carry extra LBS on my body.



Fitness and Functionality are my goals.

I've always been active and enjoyed sport. Crossfit gives me both of those. I've not always been happy with my body but still pretty secure with it.
It's an added plus to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. It makes me happier still to be able to properly squat and transfer a patient two times my body weight into their wheel chair. Or carry 60 bags of mulch into my back yard every spring and not be sore for the rest of the week.
I listen to some of my friends talk about how they can't do this or that because of bad knees or bad backs. With fitness you can work around injury. I have a messed up shoulder and have continued to find new ways to stay in shape.

I do Crossfit to be Stronger more flexible keep my agility. In hopes that as life goes on it will give me one more day, minuet or hour of Independence.

Hey Blog peeps. Here are two new Links for you of people I follow via there blogs. Two Women who are strong and fit, Ya gotta love that!

A Philosophy of Strength and Health:
This blog is devoted to physical health and performance for everyone. My primary interest is in athletic development, particularly the appropriate application of resistance training, weight training and weightlifting movements in young athletes.

Pamela MacElree:
Keeping up with the conditioning without losing the strength. Inspiring training for women

You'll find the links on the Right side of this page.

Play this so you can listen as you read. It captures my mood.



"SAD CINDY"
10 mins's
5 jumping Pullups
10 push-ups
15 squats
How many rounds? I'm sad to say that my numbers were 8! It was the pushups that killed me. I've not done pushups for months since they bother my shoulder. Today I figured, " well I'm getting my shoulder fixed so just go for it!"
I hit utter failure with them, as in I fell on my face! Yikes!
Today I have been off from work taking it easy and feeling sorta unmotivated. Then I got so mad about my health insurance or should I say American health insurance companies that I just had to work it out of me...Thus "Sad Cindy"

AM before work workout.

Warm up: wall squats

5 minuets of Squats
Focuse on form.
Don't go any lower then were my Butt wink starts. My hamstrings are so tight which has increased my butt wink.
My total number was 120

5 min's Sots Presses
100 was the number with this. I had two 10# Db's (that's the biggest we have at work.)

Have you heard of Catalyst athletics? If not you should take a look at there site. They have great information on Oly lifting. I highly recommend there journal. It's worth the money for sure, You get one free issues to check out. That's a must do! If you have questions about Oly lifting or Crossfit the Performance form is very helpful. The guy who runs the site Greg Everett is really cool, he just taught the Oly seminar that I went to a last weekend.
"The Olympic lifts and their derivatives are the most effective training tools known for improving hip and leg power, arguably the most important athletic characteristic in nearly all ground-based sports. Unfortunately, while the need for the lifts’ incorporation into athletic training is great, qualified instruction is extremely limited."

They also offer....
"We offer hourly training consultation and ongoing remote training through email, phone and video for Olympic weightlifting, strength & conditioning, and CrossFit training."


Even though I workout for the most part in my backyard or at parks I've found it priceless to have a stronger knowledge of the Olympic lifts. Don't think I'm going all fancy on you here. The Oly lifts are so dynamic and technical that some solid information and coaching are really useful. Even with my rusty old Oly bar and two 15# plates I've needed technical help.

MY WOD (workout of the day)
Run 400 meters: 1:54
rest two minuets
Run 400 meters 1:56
Rest two minuets
Run 400 meters 1:54
Rest two Minuets
Run 400 meters 1:53


Walking lunges with 45# BB with Bar on shoulders 10 steps out
Walking Lunges with 45# BB in OHS position 10 steps back
Four rounds.

I hate Running!

WOD:
10 hang cleans with 75lb BB
5 swings right with 16k KB
5 swings left with 16k KB
Run 400 meters
Five Rounds for time.
18:34
Whew...That was gross!



The Crow, I loved this Movie. Brandon was so cool in this flick. He died during the filming of the movie oh strange is that.

On another note. My surgery is on NOV 13 for my shoulder. At this point I just want to get it done and start the Rehab.

If you've never had Kostritzer beer your missing out! It has a very deep mahogany hue. Bready and lightly smoky aromas follow through on a medium-bodied palate with chewy malt character and a surprisingly clean finish where light hop bitters and smoky notes linger. YUUUMMMM! Because it's really not like other beers Germans say that Köstritzer is the "Black Beer with the Blond Soul"!