OrangeTheory Class Review

Summary:  This was one awesome workout!

For the complete story of my experience, check out the full post on Fitness HQ!

1.11.2014 Workouts

I just realized I’ve been still dating stuff 2013 haven’t I?  Man, need to get with it.

Proud of myself for clawing my way out of bed on Saturday and going to the class.  I usually avoid Saturday’s like the plague because sometimes they’re some sort of crazy hard partner workout and public puking isn’t really my thing, but in an effort to keep with my motivation for the week, I went.

I’m glad I did.

Warm Up:  Usual stuff.  This is a huge class so it’s always fun to see people I haven’t seen in forever.

WOD:  20 minute row

4000m in 21 minutes

The goal for today was just to go slow and steady and break up the lactic acid from the workout on Friday.  I was grateful for it.  The class actually did a 2.5 mile run, but since I’m not running at the moment, I just pulled the rower outside and did a nice steady state row.

This was probably the easiest pace I could manage without falling asleep.  I could have done this all day.

Good stuff.

 

10.29.2013

When my alarm went off this morning hubs was literally draped around me like wrapping paper.  It took some serious panache to untangle myself and not wake him up.  Not to mention determination.  My bed was warm and comfy and the WOD looked like the suck.

But I did it.  because I am awesome.  *insert standing ovation here*

Warm Up:  Usual stuff.  Shoulders are so so tiered and cranky and sore today.  Not only did we have a shoulder heavy WOD yesterday, I got back in the pool for the first time in ages.  Fun stuff having new and different muscles sore.

SWOD:  Superset of
Pendlay Rows 4×6
1×6@53
1×6 @ 73 (too heavy)
2×6@ 63

Single Leg Deadlifts 4×8
4×8@20

Nothing really remarkable to say about either of these.  My shoulders were cooked so I didn’t have much weight on the rows with good form.

The deadlifts I likely could have gone heavier, but I had a really hard time keeping my balance, especially on my right foot, so I keep it light and worked to do them correctly.

WOD: (as written on the white board, I should have taken a pic)
4 RFT
300m row
10 no push up burpee box jumps
10 no orgasm toes to bar
30 DU’s

Time: 18:49 with 60 SU and step ups

This was tons of fun, though took longer than I expected.  That was for two reasons.  One, because I had it in my head that it was a 3 RFT workout (I think it was the 300 and 30 that got me).  During the second round, when I thought I only had one to go, Coach yelled out something about it only being 4 rounds and I was a little disappointed.  The suck of those burpee box jumps was going to have to be repeated twice more.  Not awesome.

But it was.

I did my knees to wherever I could get them (without incident I might add) in sets of 5 and modified to step ups for the box jumps.

The rowing was (obviously) my favorite part.  I comfortably held a 2:09-2:10 pace every round and just sort of used that time to catch my breath.

10.21.2013

6 a.m. class to start my birthday off right!  I had sent coach a text on Friday requesting either burpees or Cindy.  He told me I was crazy and there was no effing way we were doing Cindy, but YAY I got my burpees!

Warm Up:  Usual stuff.  There was some talk of me doing birthday burpees while everyone counted for me, but that wasn’t going to fly.  I’m a team effort or none at all kinda girl thank-you-very-much.

SWOD:  Press 5×5
1×10@ 33 warm up
1×5@ 53
3×5@ 63
1×5 @68 PR

YAY!  I have been stuck at 63 lbs forever on my strict press, but no more.  I admit, the last 2 of the last set were hideous, but I’m really happy that I’m building more strength over head.

It’s also amazing how just 5 lbs over head feels like half an elephant when there’s no push in the mix.

WOD:
4 RFT
3:00 to run 400m (row 500)
then
Max burpees with remaining time

Score: 20

This WOD made me SO happy.   I wish I could have done the run, but since we all know I love rowing I wasn’t even cranky about my cranky foot.  I kept around a 2:15-2:15 pace for each of the 500s, and kept my burpees each round pretty steady as well.

I really REALLY wanted to do 30, as it’s my 30^th birthday today, and might still do 10 when I get home from work tonight just to say I did it.

Here’s to my 30^th year of health and happiness.

10.7.2013

Dear 5:30 a.m.,

Why do you feel so much earlier on Monday than you do on Friday?

Love, Me

Made it to class this morning, and finally started waking up about half way through strength.  In the end I am SO happy I went, but getting out of bed was a cranky experience for sure.

Warm Up:  The usual (row 400, leg swings, 10 air squats, 5 side lunges each leg, 5 inch worms, 5 chair sits each leg, 10 toy soldiers, 10 t swings, 10 scorpions)

Mobility:  T spine with double LX balls and broom stick.  My left side is sticking and has been for a few weeks now.  I have a nasty knot back there.  Might be time for a massage.

SWOD:  Tall snatch 5×3
5×3@33lbs

These suck.  Ok, so that’s an exaggeration.  It’s probably much more fair to say, this is a drill I need to continue to practice.

I know I lean forward and come up on my toes when I snatch, and this drill makes it so SO obvious.  As long as I keep the weight super light I can usually correct when I’m in my squat and not fall forward, but not always.

So today I really tried to focus on NOT coming forward so that the correction wasn’t needed.  Coach was really helpful with that too, even though part of his “help” included him standing 6 inches in front of me and telling me not to hit him with the bar on the way down.

Thank god I didn’t, but I kept having visions of losing my balance and falling forward and face planting in his crotch.  Talk about embarrassing.

WOD:

5 RFT
5 DB snatch R
10m farmers carry R
10 DB snatch L
10m farmers carry L

Time: 5:15 @25 lbs for 2 rounds and 30 lbs for last 3 rounds

When we warmed up the snatches I had initially grabbed a 20 lbs db and realized right away it was too light.  Coach made all of us grab a heavier one, so I went with 25.

3-2-1 and go and I flew through the first round of the workout.  I actually think I was on my way down for the first farmers carry of the second round when people were still coming back.  I had a brief thought that my weight might still be too light before then, but when I saw that I realized I had went WAY too light.

Luckily, coach realized it too and had a 30 lbs db waiting for me on my way back.

*whispers* I should have done 35.

In my defense, I SWEAR I wasn’t sandbagging this.  The last time we did this movement I used a 20 lbs dumbbell and while I think the sets were a little longer, the weight was HEAVY and I was the last to finish that workout.  Granted that workout also contained wall balls which continue to be my nemesis… but I digress.

That said, I’m SUPER excited because this tells me a few things.  One, I’m getting stronger.  Two, my form on my snatches is likely getting better (these felt smoother than they ever have before), so I’m able to do more weight more efficiently.  And finally, three, I continue to underestimate myself.

Filing this info away for next time we do DB snatches.

Cool Down: 1000m row ~ 5 minutes

10.5.2013

My body was completely pooped out on Friday both physically and emotionally, so I gave myself the day off of Crossfit.  In order to hit my 5x per week goal for October, I got out of bed to go Saturday and get some work done.  Usually I avoid the Saturday classes because they terrify me.  Coach programs long chippers that typically involve partner work, and I always have this sense of dread that I’m holding back or letting down my partner.

So clearly, I have some issues to get over.

I show up on Saturday to hear that we will be doing “Sally” as our WOD.   YAY!  I have been wanting to try it with a little bit of weight, and when suffering with a group I always do better than I would on my own.

But first…

Warm up:  The usual stuff.

Skill:  Running!  Captain America did a mini running clinic with the group.  As I’m not able to run, I joined a few of my fellow pregnant classmates, and we did a little bike interval workout on the airdyne.

Airdyne:

5 minute warm up
then
30 seconds “on”, 30 seconds rest for 5 rounds

Coach told us to push hard, but not so hard that we felt any lactic acid.  I averaged 19 mph during the intervals and was probably working at 75-80% of my capacity.  Since I ride pretty regularly, I knew how hard I could push here without burning out.  That said, I think the mph is TOTALLY off on those bikes.  Just sayin’.

WOD:  “Sally”
Set to the Moby song “Flowers,” the lyrics of this song are essentially “Bring Sally up, bring Sally down” blah blah blah blah singing singing singing “bring Sally up, bring Sally down…”  so the workout is pretty simple.  Up is up and down is down.  We did it with squats, and having done this on my own with just air squats a few weeks back I had a feeling all that time at the bottom of a squat under tension AND weight would really stink.

I stuck with the bar for the workout, so 33 lbs.

In the end, there isn’t really a score for this workout, but I was happy with how I did.  I missed 4 reps where I had to shake out my legs, but none of them were the reps with the long holds at the bottom.  In hindsight, I could and should have used more weight.

The best part was that the coaches did this workout with us, and watching them do it Rx and just slaughter it was pretty sweet.  Especially their reaction after the last rep.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Coach waddle around quite like that before.

Epic stuff.

Cool down:  1200m row to just get the blood flowing again.  Around 6 minutes.

10.3.2013

The problem with attending Crossfit during my lunch break is that I don’t stop sweating for probably an hour after I’m done with class.  Since I only get a finite amount of time for lunch, I don’t really have the option of laying naked on the locker room floor until I cool off before changing and going back to work.

Not to mention, who would want to lay naked in a public locker room anyway?  Ewie.

But regardless, the only way to fit in my workout today was to go during lunch, so I made it work.  Even if I am stinky and offensive to my co-workers.

Warm Up: The usual stuff.  Practiced a few toes to bar before class.  If I do a kind of double kipping swing I can get my toes to maybe a foot away.  It sounds pathetic, but I’m not even joking it is SO much closer than I’ve ever been before.

SWOD:  Deadlift 4×3
1×10 RDL @33 warm up
1×3@83
1×3@133
1×3@143
1×3@153 PR

I am starting to appreciate the art that is the deadlift.  This was traditionally my least favorite lift ever, but once I figured out what the coaches actually mean when they say “knees out” and what muscles they want activated, it changed this lift for me.  Now, rather than feeling it in my back I feel it in my glutes where I’m supposed to.

This was an exciting PR.  We pulled for 1 RM right before we moved into the new box back in July and it was every ounce of everything I had to get 143 off the ground.  So a 10 lbs PR for 3 reps makes me very happy.

WOD:

1 mile run (or 1600m row)
then
Isabel (30 snatches for time)

Score: 8:43 with row and 43 lbs

Ok call me sadistic, but this was FUN!  Part of me really wishes I could have run, as I’m sick of my foot hurting, but in truth the workout would have taken me at least twice as long.

Snatching after rowing a mile was unpleasant, which made me glad I kept the weight a bit lighter.  That said, the most I’ve ever snatched is 53 lbs, so as I decided on my weight it seemed like a very silly choice to try to snatch my PR 30 times.

By the time the workout was over though, I really think I could have.  Not having to do a full squat snatch makes me less anxious about the movement.   Obviously, I shouldn’t be able to power snatch more than I can squat snatch, but at the moment I guess I can.  It’s clearly not about strength, it’s about confidence.

Another area for improvement.

10.2.2013

October Crossfit day 2 on the books with the 6 a.m. class.  To my credit I was totally comatose this morning when my alarm went off but still managed to pull mysef out of bed and get to the box.  I’m glad I did, it was a short but great workout that started the day right!

Warm Up: The usual.  I’m surprisingly not really sore at all today, which is unusual by a Wednesday for me.

Mobility:  We made sweet sweet love to the LX ball this morning again.  Rolled our glutes (well hello butt knots, who knew those were there?), our pecs, our calves and our shoulders.  My calves literally almost made me cry.  The faces and noises were priceless.

WOD:  12 minute AMRAP
20 DU’s
15 KB swings
15 sit ups
15 cal row

Score: 3+3… I think.  That, or it was 4+3.  I didn’t keep track on a white board and was half asleep.  With 25 lbs KB and soft step ups instead of DU’s.

I wish my foot felt better.  I want to jump the rope.  But I did the spongey runny up up down and then step nicely on sore foot down maneuver.  It was effective.  I want panting in no time.

KB swings still suck.  Coach had us watch a video of the right and wrong ways to do it and then practice snapping our hips and stopping at full extension, not going past vertical into some sort of back bendy maneuver.  Truthfully, I don’t know if I do this or not.  I paid a lot of attention to myself today, and I think I do a pretty good job of stopping when I’m fully extended.  I tend to sort of hop every time I swing up (which is probably a total waste of energy, but it’s just what my body does when I try to snap my hips).  I think I need to ask coach to just watch me do these once and make sure I’m not an offender of the hyperextending.

Sit ups are my jam.  And rowing still rocks my casbah.  I was getting about 1 calorie per pull today on the row which was some sweet action.

All in all a fun WOD.

I think we’re probably unofficially (or likely officially though not saying it out loud) in a “step back” week at the moment.  The programming has seemed generally easier than what we would usually do, especially today.  The past three weeks of WOD’s have been pretty brutal, and with almost 1/3 of our box competing on Saturday, I think the programming is structured to keep us all active, but not sore.

Makes sense.  But, of course, I want pain.  Otherwise, I have nothing to whine (or wine) about.

9.26.2013

Another p.m. class for me.  The sun finally came out today after three days of non stop rain, so it’s bright and sunny and feels like a steam room.  Gotta love Florida.

Before Class:  5 wall walks, working every time to get my hands one step closer than before.  The 5^th one was ugly, but otherwise I made a little progress.

Warm Up:  The usual with coach Shifu.  Seems like we’re all a little sore today.  As a side note, I don’t know how or why, but walking lunges TOTALLY just clicked for me today.  I didn’t fall over once, my back knee lightly tapped the ground, my knees stayed out… is it possible that I just woke up and figured out how to do these?

Mobility:  Triceps mashing.  OUCH.  I’ve never done that before.  I think I’m going to have to do it every day because it hurts so good.

SWOD: Front Squats 5×5
1×10 @ 33
1×5 @ 53
1×5@63
1×4@ 73- failed last rep
2×5@ 63

So I did “Sally” during my lunch break, and my quads were very aware of it.  As a result, I kept feeling like I was getting stuck in the hole on my squats.  I should have had 73, and probably even 83 for a set of 5 no problem, but I just didn’t today.

Which is ok.  Not every day is a PR.  But the girl I was partnered with is one of the newer graduates and she was AWESOME!  She got to 103 and I’m not sure she even realized how much she was lifting until I told her.  It’s always great to see the look on someone’s face when they realize how much they just squatted.  Fun times.

WOD:
1 shuttle run (row for 5 cals)
5 slam balls
2 shuttle run (row for 10 cals)
10 slam balls
3 shuttle run (row for 15 cals)
15 slam balls
4 shuttle run (row for 20 cals)
20 slam balls

Time: 8:something? w/20 lbs ball

This was so. Much. Fun.  The only thing that kinda sucked was that everyone was shuttle running outside and I was rowing by myself inside, which meant I was on my own for motivation with this workout.

I love rowing (minus the NASTY blister I have on my hand right now from it), and I actually really like slam balls too.

By the end of this workout my quads were SCREAMING and I was pretty much completely gassed.  Luckily, that was right as everyone was finishing up and coming back inside.  I got a little cheering crew for my last 5 reps, and I needed it by that point.

Fun fun WOD.  I honestly wasn’t even *that* upset that I couldn’t run.

9.25.2013

Hit the 5:30 p.m. class.  Yay for going after work and not just skipping all together!  It’s possible that Coach calling us out on facebook again today hit home for me and was what solidified my coming in.

Warm Up:  The usual.  Coach Shifu was leading the class today, which always results in some great conversation and commentary.  He recently went skydiving and the beard (seriously kids, JUST like Shifu’s) made for an interesting video.

Mobility:  Foam rolling, T spine with LX ball, hip mobility with green band.

The hip stuff was… er… hilarious.  I mean, it was a good stretch and I got the point, but it’s always interesting to rub your lady bits all up on a band, and then “switch” with someone who does the same.

Man I hope they soak those things in sanitizer at least once a week.

WOD:
3 RFT
400m run (or 500m row)
21 KB swings
12 ring dips

Time: 14:45 with row, 25 lb bell and green band on dip station

I can officially say, I like WOD’s with rowing.  As painful at my foot injury is, its nice that my alternate activity is something that I enjoy and don’t completely suck at.  I’m actually positive that I row 500m faster than I would run 400.

This was a challenge, and I was last to finish in the class, but it all felt great.  My form stayed good throughout (I tend to get a little sloppy with my swings when I get tiered), so I was happy with that.

The only note to myself- I need the green band if I use the rings, but if I use a dip station I can definitely use a blue one instead.  The dips were almost too easy until the last rep or two of every set.

I left last night without remembering my goals that I set up earlier this week, so I didn’t work on either skill.  Doh!  I will not make that mistake again, I won’t achieve them if I don’t work on them!