The sweet joy of kipping! This is the Again Faster Pullup Bar. Everyone should have one!

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Personal morning workout
At the tennis courts with the dogs.
Broad jumps full court
walking lunges 1/2 court
10 burpees
power skip full court
Backward walking lunges full court
Side steping squat. Squat and step to the side as you come up. Full court
This took all of ten mins. I'm going to try for the two-a-day. This was short and sweet but it's a wind taker.
The dogs got outside and I got to move and sweat. Now that is how you work it in! I'm not sure but I have read that if you break up your workouts you get just as much out of them. It can't hurt to use your time like that so give it a go and let me know.

This is the group of us at the Cert this weekend. It was awesome! My head is full of information. As for my shoulder I made out well. I was able to do all the group skills. The only things I was held back on were the groups workouts. Which are more to show what ya got. I've got a lot to show but this was not the time for that. The first workout I was able to do.
50 push press with the 45# bar
50 squats with the med ball
50 sumo dead lift high pulls with a 30# KB(I did mine with one hand)
400 or so meter run.

Things to work on
cleans
overhead squats
push jerk
air squats...lower and less lean forward

So anyway now I'm a level 1 Crossfit trainer! Level two I hope comes sooner than later!

Proud to be Irish! So get your drink on and sing along!

My shoulder is slowly improving. Over the last few days I've been doing more with it. This whole deal with my shoulder is more than my rotator cuff. It's also the tendinitis in the triceps and biceps. When I do pushups or pullups this is what becomes more aggravated than the Rotaor cuff. I have a huge size and strength difference between my L and R. Which has always been the case. I thought that once I started to do my body weight exercises this would change. It did not. So now with this injury I'm taking a new approach. In an attempt to try to build muscle on my left arm and shoulder I've been doing bicep curls, hammer curls and the like. Only doing them on the left side and right now with low weight. Yes, your right it's not really functional strength. I need to build some mass on that arm as a protective measurement. I'm also doing a lot of arm bars and TGU's, windmill and walking lunges with a DB overhead.

Lots of new links up today. Make sure you check them out. Punch Gym has a great video News letter that's free. It's awesome stuff. His news letter is the only one I ever open since I know it's going to be a video. If you go to the web site you can watch the past and new videos. Check it out!">

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The Open house went really well yesterday. We had a great turn out and a great team working the event. I hope we see some more of that in the DC area really soon. At the Open house we had Crossfit DC, Crossfit old Town, Primal Fitness, and Crossfit Fairfax! Whew! Watch out metro area!

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Yesterdays workout
Warm up Jump Rope
Tabata squats 4 sets of 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest (hit a new number of 21!)

Back squats
9 with 45# bar
10 with 64#
5 sets or 5 with 115#

It felt good!

Yesterday was my injection day. It was also the most pain free day I've had in a while. So my body is healing on it's own as well. It's just a very slow going deal. The injection went well. Doctor Yadao is Conservative in the amount she uses. She uses about 3cc's most use 10cc. I'm glad she's Conservative. It felt very strange. Like a water balloon in my shoulder. Today it feels kinda the same. After sleep my shoulder feels the worst. I forget what I've said in past post about what muscles where involved. Its my supraspinatous. From the MRI they cant tell if it's a little torn or Tendonitis. Anyhow I'm coming back. So watch out!!! My workouts have been alot of jump rope and squats. Then rotator cuff stuff with a pink dumbbell!!

What: Old Town Alexandria’s First Elite Fitness Program; CrossFit Challenge

When : 6 and 7 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Starts February 26th, 2007

Where:
CrossFit Class is Held At
The Capital Jiu-Jitsu Academy
On the Second Floor of Jungle's Gym
305 Hooff's Run Drive
Alexandria, VA 22314

Instructor: Jerry Hill

Cost: Monthly Membership: $137-$197 One week trial: $7
Military/First Responder inquire about our special discount

To register: http://www2.blogger.com/ or by calling 267- 250-0835

WOD with one arm

Warm up

Jump rope on and off for 5 Min's

5 skin the cats on the rings. This does not bother my arm. I know it's strange. My issue is more in my bicep

Tabat squats 20 seconds work 10 seconds rest 8 sets. Your score is the lowest number in any one set.

My Score today was 18

With 40# weight vest

Tire pull to one end of the gym 10 KB swings with right arm only

Tire pull back push press with KB right arm only

4 rounds.


It was short and sweet. Just what I needed today.
The above picture is a CF'ers dream land. Remember to recycle use our trash to make cool stuff for working out!

Injury

Can be depressing, challenging and a time for growth. Let me just tell you that the deal with my shoulder is very challenging to me. I'm sick of talking about it I'm sick of dealing with it. Every morning I wake up and it's still there. For some reason this injury has pushed my limits. Most likely because I'm going to a cert in a month and in the last 3 weeks I've not seem a lot of improvement. It's a waiting game. I'm doing what I should be doing. Ice gentle stretching, rest...but it still hurts like hell. My bicep is tight and my triceps is tight. I have pain on and off all day. It makes you tired to have pain. The questions..will it ever get back to normal? Will I be able to do pull ups again? Rope climb? Ring work? Thrusters? Snatches? All my favorites.

I'm declaring right now...Yes. yes. yes!!! In time for the cert? I don't know. Now that drives me nuts.

I can workout with a weight vest on. I can do right arm snatches and Kb swings. I can pull tires and do L sits( I have no pain with these humm?) Back squats..yes. Pistols..yes. Air squats..yes. Jump rope..yes...ride my bike..yes. OHS, they give me a little pain so no right now but as long as it's not dynamic I think in time I will get back to them.

Saw the oh so insightful ortho today....he said yeah that hurts like hell. Your looking at six weeks or more. He said he had acute tendinitis and small tears. When he did it he just had to stop working out all together. Nope..can't do. I will be good but I have to move.

As you all know I do crossfit. As of about 3 weeks ago my body started to tell me it was taking to much of a beating. I did not listen....whats new?Anyhow. I've been doing the ice on ice on deal. Today I was like " come on Jen you're a crossfiter....ice like a CF'er!" So I went into the back yard and busted up some snow and ice. Put it in a bucket and filled the bathtub with cold water. Take a deep breath! In I go! I was yelling so loud the dogs ran off to hide! Four full body dips at about 15 seconds each. Then I would hang my whole arm in for as long as I could. Taking turns between arms and then legs. Can I do it again tomorrow? We will see. It was hella cold! Why buy ice when I have a whole back yard full of it. I can take the leaves and grass out of the tub when it's empty!!LOLOL!

Still nursing the shoulder. Ice and ice. For the next few days I'm trying the do as Little as possible with that arm. My knees feel good. So that's an up swing! When I get to work today it will be tabata knee to chins and tabata v ups. This will keep me moving give my knees more rest and off the arm. Maybe I'll even try some hollow rocks! OK, my ice is on and I'm out the door!

On my next day off it will be a roller day with the bike. How I miss riding right now. Spring will bring a new challenge of balance between riding and workingout. I do love the bike and the freedom I feel on it. AAAAH! The picture below is one of the best sprinters ever Mario Cipollini. Sprinting is a battle, elbows and heads smashing together while riding at 40 MPH or more. Now that sounds like fun to me! Mario never tested positive for drugs. This man has enough testosterone in his own chemistry! Not to mention every women that has ever met him wants him....yup me too! I miss Mario! The tour will never be the same!

WOD for me has been Ice and more Ice. Seems I have some patella tendentious in my knees and my shoulder is still painful. So I'm on the foam roller and doing yoga...my own kinda of yoga. I don't have pain in my shoulder while doing dead hang pull ups so I did do GTG yesterday. Also, I've been working on the windshield wiper. My shoulder hurts while doing any swinging so no jumping pull ups or snatches.
Today is a workday. I will do some foam
roller, stretch and work core stuff. Like l-sit and knee to chins to warm up. Then ice.

ICE, ICE baby!

Have you every believe something so strongly that you would bet your life on it? What I mean is, that your conviction ran so deeply that you would chance being "cast out" by friends and family?At one point in my life I did. In my teens I became a Born again Christian. My life at the time was not so hot at home, lets leave it at that. Two local families took me under their wings. Somehow I ended up going to church with them. The short of a very long story is that I became a die hard believer. You don't know me too well, so let me tell you this. If I set my mind on something I take it on. Whole hearted and devoted. As I've gotten older I've found more of a balance with this part of me. But anyway.... So yes I was a Jesus loving crazy on fire Christian. Not only did I study the bible I taught old testament. Then I became a missionary and went to Africa. After that I moved to Miami and taught more old testament. While I was there I preached in a very Evangelical way.Then life started to flow together in my mind. I began to look at all the different people around me. My friends in Africa, who were Muslims or just tribe people. In Miami I became friends with people of all different ways of life.My mind started to change. It was hard at first because that meant I had to be OK with being wrong. Making a change after stating so proudly and strong that this was the right and only way.At this I was again cast out by all the people I loved as family. Yet I could not go on one more second saying that I believed when I found I was unable to believe in a God that discriminated. My point in telling you this is not about religion or faith. This was a time where I was not concerned with the reaction I would get. It just had to be done. I made a loud statement in what I believed and now I had to stand up and say...ya know what....I might be wrong. Whew! It was a humble time for me. The reaction was crazy to say the lest. At the time I was a youth group leader and a missionary at my church. They took this as a sign of weakness. Of loss of faith and of sin. One of my most dear friends told me that I would be going to hell for being gay and for denouncing Christ. The point? I hope I would be that brave again to say that I'm wrong to be open to new thinking and new ways. That as I age and get more set in my ways I find it within to be flexible with my convictions, not weak just flexible.

I'm sick of the cold weather!

Today's WOD
Row 6k for time
My time was 29 min's. It was hard! Emmie and I did the row together, it makes a huge difference to workout with others! I don't row enough! What a way to come out of a 4 day rest period! Today I got a Massage in hopes that it will help my shoulder. Which is still giving me issues. As of today it still hurts to do jumping pullups. It does feel better after the massage. I wish I could afford to get another one in a few days since I do thing it speeds healing.
Oh well.
Oh yeah...I"M GOING TO THE CROSSFIT CERT!!!!!! It will be in NC on March 17th and 18th! I can't wait!

Crossfits "Fran" was today's WOD for me.

21-15-9
Of Thrusters with 45# bar
Pullups which had to be Deadhang do to my shoulder. Other assistance was a band on my right foot. It was still Hella hard!
8 mins and 36 seconds.

Overall right now I'm feeling kinda sore and tired. My pushups are sucking because my arms are beat and my legs are still recovering from Sunday and Tuesday. My recovery is much slower in the winter, not sure why but it is.

Jen's gym

It's really cold! Bring spring on!

WOD at Primal Fitness

Still learning how to make these vid's.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.