Thursday

For strength training we alternated push presses (bar from shoulder to overhead) and deficit pushups (hands on weights so you stretch more to get your chest to the ground).  I did 80 lbs on the push press.  I really wanted to do 5 lbs more to get a new personal best but it wasn’t happening that day.

The workout was as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:

  • 10 Box Jumps
  • 20 Kettle Bell Swings with a 35# kettle bell

I did 4 full rounds and 2 extra box jumps.  I just was not moving well this day.

That night the husband took me to his gym to sign up to use the pool.  It is a fancy gym.  It is quite a culture shock from a CrossFit box.  It has air conditioning.  There are machines.  I watched people drinking soda from a fast food cup while on the treadmill.  There is also a sauna and a steam room.  I like that.  Even when it is super hot I like the sauna.

The husband said that on the one really hot day they had iced towels for people to use after they came off the treadmills in the air conditioned gym.  On that day at my gym we got to run outside but we did get to do our cool down stretches under the ceiling fan.

Friday

I went swimming after work.  I don’t know how to breathe properly when swimming laps.  I looked online and found some exercises to try.  I used a kickboard and just practiced breathing.  I feel like I inhaled half the pool.

Sunday

Went to the fancy gym and worked on my deadlift.  I wanted to see what my one rep max would be.  I managed to get up to 205 lbs.  Then I went swimming.  I only did 10 lengths alternating my crappy crawl and backstroke.  I can breathe right for a few strokes and then I start inhaling water.  Oh well, it is getting better I guess.

Monday

It is a special week at the gym.  It is the CrossFit games.  My trainer is out there with the woman from here that is competing.  Instead of regular classes we are having skill practices.  Today was kipping.  I need help with that so I went in.  (When the husband saw me getting ready he was confused.  I said I was going to a special class.  He asked if I had been bad. Nope, I’m just remedial.)

Kipping is when you use your body to get momentum to make pull ups or toes to bar moves easier.  The class did help me a lot.  He went back to step one and talked us through it.  When you do the kip your legs and abs drive your body most of the way up to the bar.  I got about halfway up which is more than I’ve ever done before.  My hands hurt though from all the pull up work.

We did a workout of 21 reps then 15 reps then 9 reps of:

  • Deadlifts – I did 105#.
  • Burpees

I did it in 6:44.  The deadlifts made my hands cry after the pull ups.

Tuesday

I skipped my class this morning.  I feel like such a rebel!  I have a long busy day planned.  It is my first day “off” in a while and I have to go do a Quilts of Valor guild talk tonight.  I wanted to have an easy lazy morning.

The CrossFit Games Masters Division starts today and goes through Thursday.  You can watch at games.crossfit.com.  I’ll be glued to the Ladies 60+ division.  If you think that can’t be all that impressive just go take a look.  One of the competitors routinely laps me on runs and lifts more weight than I can even consider.  She’s even been known to pick up bars for me when I drop them and can’t lift them back to the rack.  Today starts with 5 rounds of a 400 m run and 15 overhead squats.