Monday, June 29th I rolled out of bed after a relaxing day off knowing that after my 9:00 a.m. CrossFit WOD, I'd have no other pressing plans in today. There was nothing to save energy for: it was the perfect excuse to leave it all in the BOX, I'd push myself until I fainted. Excited at the prospect of nearly killing myself (call it CrossFit brainwashing), it was a buzz kill to see "Nasty Girls" as the prescribed WOD. WOD"Nasty Girls"3 rounds for time of:50 Squats7 Muscle-ups10 Hang Power Cleans (135 Rx) Sure, it was a good strength workout, but with no hand stand push ups, bear crawls, box jumps, or 400m runs, where was I going to break[...]
Sunday, June 28th Today was rest day, and I needed it. After a number of CrossFit WODs in a row, combined with training for soccer and squash, I felt a rest day was well deserved. That feeling was unprecedented. Before CrossFit, I worked out seven days a week. Not necessarily at the gym, but I always did something very physically demanding every day, whether it was a hard run, soccer game, and/or squash match combined with a quick ab circuit. Whenever I didn't, I'd get a weird anxious feeling that made me go psycho until I finally did break a sweat. I never thought I deserved a day off. Now, I think with the hard work and effort I've been[...]
Thursday, June 25 When I awoke this morning to see "The Filthy Fifty" as the WOD for Guerrilla Fitness, I felt downright giddy. Gone are the days of moaning and groaning when a potentially fatal WOD appears, I immediately felt pumped and let out a war cry. I couldn't wait for 7:00 PM when I would take on "The Filthy Fifty." Wod "The Filthy Fifty" 50 Box Jumps (24in box) 50 Jumping Pull-ups 50 Kettle Bell swings (16kg) 50 Walking Lunges 50 Knees to Elbows 50 Push Press (45lb) 50 Back Extensions 50 Wall Ball shots (20lb ball) 50 Burpees 50 Double Unders The question must be going through your minds, "why in the world was he excited[...]
Wednesday, June 24 This morning I was completely crammed with work at the office. Between this blog, a feature article, and planning for an event that I would be attending later in the day, I was ready to pull my hair out. As noon rolled around, I was ready to call CrossFit NYC: The Black Box, and tell them I wouldn't be coming to their Wednesday 12:30 WOD. However, after some inspiration from a buddy, I managed to get a good start on my article and so found the time to get out of the office to get my daily CrossFit on. I walked quickly up Park Ave towards the West 38th Street address that Google directed me to[...]
Tuesday, June 23 Despite my plan to take a day off of CrossFit (and to stay fresh for a squash match I had that night), I couldn't resist coming in when I saw that the WOD was a variation of Cindy, the WOD that calls for five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and fifteen squats and left me crying for my Mommy. Not only did I want a second crack at Cindy, but I wanted to redeem my less than satisfactory performance the day before. WOD"Jumping Cindy"AMRAP 12 mins of:5 Pull-ups10 Push-ups15 Box Jumps 20'' Cindy's evil twin, Jumping Cindy, glared at me from the white board, and I returned her gaze unblinking. As I engaged in a staring contest with the[...]
Saturday, June 20 Today was a special day worthy of a parade through the streets, raised glasses, and thanks given to God. Why? Today was my one week anniversary of defeating Mickey. However, despite the holiday I woke up completely groggy. I was exhausted from an intense soccer tryout the night before. I clumsily trudged to my computer to check the WOD. It would be the final session in Brookdale Park. WOD 2 rounds for time of: 20 Push-ups Sprint the Side line Walk the End zone 20 Burpees Sprint the Side line Walk the End zone 20 Sit-ups Sprint the Side line Walking lunge the End zone Sprint the Side line Wow. It was certainly not the ideal WOD[...]
Thursday, June 18th When I awoke this morning I immediately checked today's WOD. As Crossfit certification was still taking place at the box, I knew the WOD would be taking place at Brookdale Park again. That could only mean one thing: more bear crawls. Don't think for a second I was afraid of them. No, I wasn't going to cut my Crossfit training for the day if the WOD had bear crawls. No chance. I wanted a second crack at the (insert here)s. WOD "Don't Poke the Bear" 6 rounds for time of: Bear crawl the endzone Sprint the sideline Perfect. I anxiously awaited the 7:00 rendezvous at Brookdale park. This time I would come to prepared. Since making a weekday[...]
Wednesday, June 17th Today I am trying a slightly new technique in my blog entry. This week's entry will be more interactive with readers. To involve you all, I encourage you to insert your own words into my blog at points where I write "(insert here)." This way my pain and suffering can be adequately described while keeping the blog appropriate for readers of all ages, or not, depending on your word choice. Excited?! Throughout this week, Crossfit trainer certification training is being carried out at "the box."Note to newbies: In Crossfit, your "box," is your home Crossfit gym. Mine is Guerrilla Fitness: Crossfit Montclair. As I become increasingly Crossfit cool, I will use more and more Crossfit[...]
Monday, June 15 As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, cleans are arguably my weakest lift. Today, I arrived at Crossfit to see a white board WOD that made me want to turn tail and run."Grace Football Style"WOD15 Clean and jerks 155RX200 Meter run10 Clean and jerks 155RX200 Meter run5 Clean and jerks 155RX200 Meter run Well, that's a lot of cleaning and jerking. Luckily, my weak point at Crossfit was being combined with my strong point: running. After I glanced at the white board, I immediately made a B-line over to Gregg to get the foundation training for a clean and jerk. Since he had already taught me the hang power clean, Gregg told me it would be[...]
Saturday, June 13 I awoke this Saturday as usual, with my younger brother poking me amidst my obnoxious yet ineffectual alarm. I wandered over to my computer to give my latest blog entry a run through before posting it and then checked the WOD on the Guerrilla fitness home page. It read WOD For time: 800m run 21 sit-ups 21 wall balls 400m run 16 sit-ups 16 wall balls 200m run 9 sit-ups 9 wall balls While the typical Crossfitter might have sighed, groaned, and/or screamed at the sight of such a monster, I let loose a bellowing roar. Running over short distances and sit-ups were strengths of mine, and I can get by on wall balls just[...]
Friday, June 12, 2009 Drea is not your typical Crossfit coach. First and foremost, Drea's a woman. And like many Crossfit women, Drea has some super human qualities about her. For example: Drea is an active olympic weight lifter. She participates in (and I'm sure wins) a number of events throughout the year. I'm sure she can beat me up. Because her form on nearly every exercise is picture perfect, she runs most foundation sessions. "Dude, you've got to see her lift. It's beautiful," Gregg told me before the "workout of the day."Note to newbies: Not beautiful as in Heidi Klum's runway catwalk, but beautiful like a cheetah hunting a gazelle; every movement is meticulously precise, brutally efficient, and most[...]
Thursday, June 11, 2009 I could not lift my arms to the keyboard to write this blog. In fact, I would have made my brother lift them for me, but he wanted me to pay him to do so. Needless to say, I don't think my chest, biceps, triceps, back, and quads have been this sore simultaneously as they are now. Last workout was fantastic. If we incorporated something that worked the forearm, I probably wouldn't be able to move my fingers enough to type. Gregg, don't get any ideas. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Gregg, and the Guerrilla Fit community, extended me an invitation to their Thursday night bash. Agony isn't all you can share at Crossfit[...]
Monday, June 8, 2009 I arrived at Guerrilla Fitness right on time. 4:55 PM, ready for the 5:00 ass kicking. I thought I'd be able to shoot the breeze with Gregg and another Crossfit trainer, Bill, but I was rushed along right into the gym where an excess of 20 Crossfitters were warmed up and ready to start the WOD (Workout of the Day). I gave the white board a cursory rundown."Strength Training: Handstand Push-ups 3x MaxWOD4 Rounds of the following complex:Power-clean 135/95 lbsThrusterBack squatRack Jerk (from the shoulders, behind the neck)" After noticing a few cute girls in the Monday 5:00 crowd, I thought I'd get my station set up and act like I knew what I was doing.[...]
June 4, 2009: Crossfit Day 1 "Dude hurry up," I yelled back over my shoulder to my brother, Brian. We were late already. We continued down Elm Street, Montclair, and took a right into the back alley of Guerrilla Fitness: Crossfit Montclair. This was Day 1. In the front office, we met Gregg Arsenuk, the lead trainer, along with several other Crossfitters that we'd be working out with. The 6:00 Thursday crew seemed like an average bunch of gym faring guys until I met Mickey. Gregg introduced Mickey like she was a regular one of the dudes. A woman... was he kidding? Wasn't she just babysitting the kids while Daddy worked out? Granted, Mickey looked like she could kick[...]
What is Crossfit? The fitness phenomenon, Crossfit has been growing exponentially in popularity over the past couple of years. Its philosophy is unprecedented and entirely unique in modern fitness. Rather than specializing in specific sports, lifts, or exercises, Crossfit aspires to make you adept across all genres of physical fitness (hence the name: Crossfit).How? Well, it's easier to tell how NOT. In a Crossfit gym you will never see a nautilus machine, an elliptical or a television, much less a mirror. Dedication, focus, and effort are emphasized over other superficial exercise goals such as weight loss and muscle gain.Instead, Crossfit creates timed workouts combining aerobic and anaerobic exercises through the use of jump ropes, rowing machines, kettle bells, dumb[...]
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