Crossfit workouts times TWO. I did not know it was possible for my upper body and core to hurt so much - workout #2 was 5 kipping pull-ups, 10 (tricep!!) pushups, and 15 'proper' squats, repeat until 15 minutes have passed (or you have died). I could not, for the life of me, do the freaking tricep pushups properly on my feet and ended up having to do back to knees.
but I still did 8 repeats, even though I had to use a purple band for the pull-ups, and no torn calluses!
Uh, well, I'm finding it both awfully, terribly intimidating and really, really awesome. There's all sorts of people at the gym and it's not filled with super-cut, fitness-model types, but everyone's crazy STRONG. It's AWESOME - and yet it's kind of like, 'hoshit these people could crush my skull if they wanted to' sort of thing. It's like... these are the sort of people I would want to be around in the zombie apocalypse, because they can run, jump, swing, pull and smash things like nobody's business.
I like that it's the sort of fitness that works in progression - my class is mostly hyper-strong boxers, but we've got a fifty y/o mother of two and with adjustments, she does the exact same workout the rest of us do, and it's fantastic. I like that the trainers focus heavily on form, and if something's getting too heavy or you can't do a particular exercise, they switch you to an easier progression (ex. going to knee pushups b/c of weak triceps) instead of having you continue on with bad form - but this might be a quirk of these particular trainers and not from Crossfit in general, I don't know. I like that the workouts are different every time, so that you're not focusing on the same muscle groups over and over again.
It's hard, though - including warm-up, technique and the actual 'workout', it's two hours every session and everything is done for time, so not only do your muscles want to die, you wheeze like a leaky pump (though that may just be me).
It's fun, though, and I'm definitely getting stronger, when I'm not crumpled on the floor weeping from DOMS.
It's like... these are the sort of people I would want to be around in the zombie apocalypse
*g* Have I mentioned the Bodytribe gym people (who sort of hang out with Crossfit people) and their marvellous DVD Strength Rituals? I mention this now because at one point the commentary rambles off into a deadpan little speech about preparing for the zombie apocalypse. So you know they've got their priorities right.
Ten sessions running us through all the moves first so we don't kill ourselves/break something, with modified workouts, and then we 'graduate' and go ahead and do the WODs (at weights appropriate for each of us). A lot of it is proper feet placement, strengthening the smaller muscles (ex. I have very weak lower core muscles, so I'm working on that) before going for the big guns, so to speak.
Yeah, I'm thinking it's specific to these trainers/this gym as well... from a casual browsing of Crossfit forums online, it doesn't look like restraint is something most Crossfit gyms advocate. Not to knock that or anything, but as someone who's managed to injure herself sodding repeatedly over the years - there's pushing yourself and there's foolish idiocy, yanno?
Yeah, I'm thinking it's specific to these trainers/this gym as well... from a casual browsing of Crossfit forums online, it doesn't look like restraint is something most Crossfit gyms advocate.
I didn't mean to imply that these trainers were necessarily atypical, just that they sounded good.
But yeah, my impression is that some Crossfitters do approach it in a very macho, push-yourself-until-you-vomit way, and unless you've got trainers who can rein that in, it's a set-up for injury.
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lifting_heavy_things2010-07-16 10:55 am
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but I still did 8 repeats, even though I had to use a purple band for the pull-ups, and no torn calluses!
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How are you finding the Crossfit stuff, btw? If you ever felt like writing a post about that, I'd be fascinated.
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I like that it's the sort of fitness that works in progression - my class is mostly hyper-strong boxers, but we've got a fifty y/o mother of two and with adjustments, she does the exact same workout the rest of us do, and it's fantastic. I like that the trainers focus heavily on form, and if something's getting too heavy or you can't do a particular exercise, they switch you to an easier progression (ex. going to knee pushups b/c of weak triceps) instead of having you continue on with bad form - but this might be a quirk of these particular trainers and not from Crossfit in general, I don't know. I like that the workouts are different every time, so that you're not focusing on the same muscle groups over and over again.
It's hard, though - including warm-up, technique and the actual 'workout', it's two hours every session and everything is done for time, so not only do your muscles want to die, you wheeze like a leaky pump (though that may just be me).
It's fun, though, and I'm definitely getting stronger, when I'm not crumpled on the floor weeping from DOMS.
Tangent; proper reply to follow
*g* Have I mentioned the Bodytribe gym people (who sort of hang out with Crossfit people) and their marvellous DVD Strength Rituals? I mention this now because at one point the commentary rambles off into a deadpan little speech about preparing for the zombie apocalypse. So you know they've got their priorities right.
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they switch you to an easier progression (ex. going to knee pushups b/c of weak triceps) instead of having you continue on with bad form
Definitely a sign of good trainers.
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Yeah, I'm thinking it's specific to these trainers/this gym as well... from a casual browsing of Crossfit forums online, it doesn't look like restraint is something most Crossfit gyms advocate. Not to knock that or anything, but as someone who's managed to injure herself sodding repeatedly over the years - there's pushing yourself and there's foolish idiocy, yanno?
no subject
I didn't mean to imply that these trainers were necessarily atypical, just that they sounded good.
But yeah, my impression is that some Crossfitters do approach it in a very macho, push-yourself-until-you-vomit way, and unless you've got trainers who can rein that in, it's a set-up for injury.