Rest is necessary. Even workouts like Fran have a little bit of down time between the thrusters and the pull-ups that allow you to catch a breath or two. Every workout is tough and the only easy workouts are the shitty ones. Every WOD is going to cause multiple parts of your body to burn and push them to near failure. I’m familiar with that voice in the back of your brain telling you to rest or telling you to keep going but your body doesn’t listen. R. Kelly said it right, “My mind’s tellin’ me no, but my body…my body’s tellin’ me yeeeh-hessss”. I just don’t think that Bump n’ Grind was referring to a CrossFit WOD.
I digress (which always seems to happen when 90’s R&B is brought up). Once that clock starts, you have minimal time to rest. You want to rest. Don’t. Push through those reps until you physically can’t any more. If you can only do eight wallballs, try to do ten before you rest. Push yourself past those predefined limits you set for yourself. We all have those thoughts of delirium and mathematics that go through our heads:
“C’mon, Forrest, pick up that bar. Just four sets of five. No wait, five sets of four. Ok, here we go. Damn! Those four were hard. How about eight more sets of two?”
How about I quit being such a bitch and pick up that bar? Force yourself to not set boundaries, but push through them. Pick that bar up when you know you can take as little rest as possible. Take that extra breath in between exercises and take one less break once you pick that bar up. Be efficient.
“These pull-ups are getting hard. Maybe if I switch to the other pull-up bar that is the exact same height and diameter, then maybe it will be easier.”
It won’t be easier. In fact, I just wasted energy walking and jumping up to the other bar while also losing count to debate whether or not a different bar would be easier. Focus on the task at hand. Don’t distract yourself with unnecessary decisions.
“My chest is burning and I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. I know what will make me feel better, a little water, chalk and my sweat towel.”
I am ridiculous. Somewhere in my brain water, chalk and a towel are logical remedies for a burning chest and nausea. They ought to give me some sort of award for my breakthrough in modern medicine. This ends up wasting time, making me throw up more water in my mouth and now I have a weird chalk paste in my hands. Don’t waste time with those things unless absolutely necessary.
“Maybe I picked too much for my weight. I should have gone ten pounds lighter. Wow, ten pounds lighter would be soooo much easier. Actually one pound lighter would be easier. Actually anything would be easier than the hell on earth I am going through right now. I’ll just take some weight off. That way I can concentrate on ‘form’”
So now I use form as an excuse to drop weight. My form better be damn near perfect if I use that excuse to take weight off. Try and stick with the weight you started with even if it takes you a little longer. Your coach isn’t going to allow you to load up a weight that isn’t even close to resembling something in your wheelhouse. Yes, heavier weight is harder. It’s not rocket science.
Those thoughts still go through my head during every WOD. I ignore them as best as I can and focus on resting efficiently. Taking deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth. I try to put down the bar/kettlebell/medball as little as possible. Watch the people with the fastest times in the gym. It’s not that they are moving that much faster, it’s just that they don’t rest as often and do it more efficiently. The sooner you finish the sooner you can rest. Laying on a rubber mat in your own sweat never felt so good.
WOD 2/11/2010
A. Pendlay Row 5-5-5
B. “Kelly”
5 Rounds
400M Run
30 Box Jumps (24 inch)
30 Wallballs (20/16)
C: Optional:
Snatch Balance + 2 Overhead Squats 1-1-1-1-1
Barbell Turkish Gettup 4-4-4
Seated box jump 3×10
hell ya .. push it to the limit ! i always take a breather, and in my head i’m saying ” wow … just pick it up and get it over with .. you are not THAT tired are you ? ” keeps me motivated haha
Crazy, last night I thought to myself, “gosh it’s been a while since I’ve done box jumps, I really like those” … well here we go!
Whoop there it is! … Kelly … one of my fav’s … at least thats what i am saying BEFORE the workout…
Sean if that voice in your head didn’t say that, then I would. Good thing you beat me to it. Allyson this should give you a pretty good fix on getting your box jumps and wallballs in. Lauren, I’ll see you today at 9 or noon or 4.
Forrest not only to I appreicate the R. Kelly reference, but I am sure you think this at every WOD: “How about I (us) quit being such a bitch and pick up that bar”. Another classic one liner from Mr. Meowsworth.
Can I just say that everyone looks so bad ass in yesterday’s pics-we have a good looking group of peeps.
Such a bummer I am missing this WOD-damn, since wallballs are my absolute favorite.
Don’t worry, you’ll do them soon Nicole.. and I won’t let you drop the ball until they’re done. Be careful what you wish for.
I agree about yesterday’s pictures. Even the new On-Rampers were looking pretty hard core. Nicole i knew you would appreciate Mr. Meowsworth’s mastery of 90′s pop music. If today is anyone’s rest day make sure you come and do yoga tonight at 6PM with Calysta. There are about five spots left.
I miss crossfit and you guys!
Girl Ryan better be taking care of you and that shoulder, Big Ryan. Be careful not to be playing too much Tiger Woods and Call of Duty while you are off. Best thing you could do is to try and stretch your legs out about 15 minutes a day. After my surgery I just sat on my ass for a week and became so incredibly tight and sore that I could barely touch my toes.
“Laying on a rubber mat in your own sweat never felt so good.” It’s like you’re in our heads Forrest!
I like my own sweat baths. They are fantastic!
This is the banter I miss!! Dammit I should have never opened my mouth, Slaughter I know you are going to hold me to that. Ryan you are very much missed and we are hoping for a healthy/fast recovery-listen to the king of 90′s pop.
So I have to share this with you all-I just came back from the doctor’s-YES I finally got over my stubbornness and got things check out. See below conversation:
Doctor: How much weight do you lift?
Nic: Well I can lift about 100 lbs over head and squat 150 (slight lie I can do more)
Doctor: You know that someone your size is not made to be doing that?
Nic: Yes, but its my competitive nature to over-achieve.
Doctor: You need to back off and rest
Nic: OK will do (yet I am thinking that will never happen)
Doctor: Seriously you really should not be doing these kind of workouts (The look on his face was priceless)
Oh to CrossFit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You need to find a Dr. that’s an athlete who will give you more constructive advice. I don’t have any good recommendations however, my old one is in Pasadena and I need to find a closer one. If your insurance covers it, get a PT referral or talk to a chiropractor.
I was just looking through my log book and thought that we ought to come up with an easier way to say and write our standard warm-up “fifteen push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats”…
PUPUSQSU written or said “poo-poo-skwah-soo”
ROFL REMY OMG. i said that out loud before I knew what i was saying.
Nicole – Theres a doc right off PCH- Dr. Silva who is an athlete, and he’s actually in really good shape I went to, and while the 5-6 times I went didn’t yield drastic results I’d still recommend him because he seems to actually know his shit. My doctor also told me lifting heavy weights is bad because it raises blood pressure during exercise. i told him to fuck off. and i hope the blog doesn’t star out the word fuck.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Silva.Sports.Rehabilitation.Center.310-372-8551
Thanks Remy and Slaughter-I said fuck off in my head too. He actually is a good doctor, didn’t give me the mumbo jumbo rundown of pain killers and all that bullshit.
You and Mariessa think alike, she told me to visit the same guy-if my insurance covers, I will indeed.
Remy that was hysterical!
Remy, Freaking AMAZING— Laughed out loud while my students were testing… oops. So much for their quiet testing environment.
“Ms. Steiner, why you laughin’?”
To log my warm up, I usually put it in as “CF WU”- (Crossfit Warm Up) standard acronym… I might switch over to Remy’s for the pure hilarity of it all.
Nicole, I actually saw that dr. Silva guy for my neck. Good guy seemed to know his stuff well and understands where crossfitters are coming from when it comes to their workouts and the idea of “resting”. Not sure what injury you might have but slaughter is right, he’s not a miracle worker but he does have a good grasp for athletic injuries and will help speed up the process however he can. They have some stem and ultrasound machines in their office which are nice to use also.
Also I think it’s safe to say I’m good on box jumps for a few solid months after today’s workout. Thanks for the motivation today slaughter. Def was strugglin!! Maybe I should heed the advice in the booze blog by remy a little more
I am thinking that DK is Dane? I might be way off… Someone help me with that:)
Thanks so much for the helpful information-I have a bad lower bad issue that keeps getting irritated. I feel like it will develop into a bad injury if I don’t get it checked out.
THANKS for everyones help and concern in regards to my injury, makes me feel stoked to have people like you in my life to help make me a better person all around-I know, tear drop!
Is it bad that when I think of PUPUSQSU I picture a t-shirt of an indian taking a shit then doing some crossfit? Maybe it’s just me.
Great job everyone today! Welcome back Regan. I hope we didn’t scare you off. Lauren, you gotta rock the shorts and high socks more often. I also loved seeing all the new CFSB shirts in the gym today.
PS. the shorts are SOOOOO back in style… the weather is going to warm up… i feel it. AND like always… my soccer socks love to be worn!
WOAH!
PS. i loved wearing my new CF southbay shirt, props to dan… love them !
ps. the time on this comment … blog … is an hour fast… only i would notice something like that…