Why is CrossFit so effective?

(That’s me! Back in June)

There are several factors making CrossFit effective. You may notice that in most CrossFit gyms there aren’t any mirrors. CrossFit believes on feeling the proper form and movements in your body rather than seeing them.

But before I get into it, you get what you put into CrossFit. To make your body and mind respond, you need to put in hard work. With CrossFit you don’t hit plateaus because the workouts are consistently changing and confusing your body. You never have to endure on an ab day or arms day at the regular gym again. Those can be dreadful. CrossFit is a consistent mixture of it all.

Just because someone is buff looking (think Arnold Schwarchnegger back in the 80’s) doesn’t mean they’re powerful. CrossFit makes you strong all over.

Compete with yourself. Log your workouts so the next time an exercise comes up that you did previously you can look back on what you did that time, and beat it! It’s simple, and it works.

A typical session at CrossFit may include a variety of gymnastics, sprinting, and power lifting. These exercises are done with the weight of your own body, kettlebells and free weights. They’re done hard, fast and with little to no rest in between ‘sets’. The reason behind this is that you challenge your muscles more when you do short bursts. It stimulates them making them more effective than low intensity workouts. CrossFit is the whole package of speed, balance, and strength.

When doing gymnastics moves at CrossFit your whole body has to work in sequence and you build up to certain moves. You don’t just walk in there and do a handstand your first day. You also won’t see us doing bicep curls, or leg extensions as they take away from the “chain” that puts these movements together at CrossFit. The compound movements that you do in other workouts will build up your strength so your body is well balanced and prepared for your next handstand.

Don’t forget that resting will help recover your muscles. Don’t take that for granted, even if the workout was only a half hour. Crossfit will never get easy. You can always go faster, or add more weight to your workout. That being said, you won’t get bored as you’re constantly being challenged.

However, you won’t find me installing any undermount kitchen sinks anytime soon. I may be strong from CrossFit, but I ain’t no plummah! :)

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My CrossFit Journal (week 48)

After weeks of skipping out of CrossFit throughout my Christmas holidays and then just being lazy coming back into it going just once a week. I’m back at it! Here we go with the recap of week 48. Actually, I thought I’d go on Saturday but I most definitely slept in, which was much needed.

I’ve decided to post my CrossFit weekly re-caps on Monday instead of Saturday and just take a break from blogging on the weekends. Plus, I think blogs gets more exposure on week days than on the weekends anyway. Though I do post the weekly CrossFit journal for my own benefit to look back on and when a WOD comes up that I haven’t seen in a while I can always look back and see how much I lifted, or what my max was, and see if I can beat it. So here we go, onto the weekly workout.

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Week 48 Day 1.

Snatch Push-Press.
3-3-3-3-3-3

My limit is apparently 65lbs. I tried to go up to 70lbs and dropped the weight when I tried to do just one. I tried twice and just gave in to my limit at 65lbs. A snatch push press is basically a push press but you start with the weight on the back of your shoulders and push up from there. The pushing up is the ‘easiest’ part. Coming down is the roughest on all parts of your shoulders and upper arms. You need to baby it coming down on your traps otherwise your neck is going to get the brunt of the weight, which isn’t fun.

Here’s a little video of what it consists of.

The “cool down” which wasn’t on the website at all had a 12 minute time limit:
200 skips

50 kettle bell swings (I used 12kg)
40 box jumps (16″)
30 squats
20 pushups
10 pullups (I did kips instead)

Completed in 9:29! Nice little finisher to get that heart rate going.

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Week 48 Day 2.

The McGhee WOD

AMRAP 30
5 Dead Lift (275/225) I used 105lbs
13 Push Ups
9 Box Jumps (24/20) I used at 20″ box

I think I did 10 rounds in total. The reason why I felt I didn’t do more was that we were supposed to do the pushups inwards, where your elbows are tucked into the body instead of out in the photo shown above. I even had to do them off my knees. By the end of it I was only getting one out at a time and was getting so unbelievably frustrated lol.

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What did everyone do this weekend? I gutted our entire apartment. First it was the bathroom, then my computer desk and a dropping grounds for all of the Boyfriends paperwork, which was his work bench. Tons of stuff went to recycling and some even went into a trash pump. I’ll post photos soon of my computer desks before/after.

[older crossfit journal entries]

 

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My CrossFit Journal (week 43)

 

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Week 43 Day 1.

AMRAP 15
5 HSPU (handstand pushups — we did dive bombers instead)
4 Clean & Squat (135/95)
3 Split Jerks (135/95)

I felt like I cheated since I only used the 35lb bar and no weights added to it. It was my first day back after almost a three-week break. Way too long! I completed seven rounds in 15 minutes.

Dive Bombers

Clean and squat

Split Jerk

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Week 43 Day 2.

3 Rounds for time:

21 pullups (I did kips with a 5lb assisted band)
21 ring dips
21 Thruster; 95/65lbs (I used 40lbs)

I did not even finish my workout this day. We had a full 25 minutes and I was on my third round of ring dips, finishing up at 15 or so, super close to the end but so far away. My arms were dead but I was desperate to finish! I suggest never taking a three-week break from CrossFit ever again, self!

I’m happy I made it to two classes this week. I’m starting to get back in it. I took a break to climb more, but now I want to balance it all and climb/crossfit all in the same week continuously. Being psychical is important to me. 

 

[older crossfit journal entries]

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