Stylin'Mommies

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Check it out HERE!

Keep Calm

Stress is apart of life. There are things you can do to reduce that stress. For me, I CrossFit. 

Body Transformation!

CrossFit.com posted this story some time last week... (my motivation)

 FIRST OFF! WAY TO GO CRYSTAL!!! and thank you for sharing! Sometimes it's not so easy to do something as simple as SHARE. But sharing can be inspiring, and motivating! That's what Crystal did for me, and what I hope to do for you!

Now it's my turn. I've been doing Crossfit for awhile now, but like Crystal I easily fall under "average".

"Moral of the story... if you're feeling like you're in the "average" category or just in a rut... test yourself."-Crystal

Challenge accepted!

There is MUCH room for improvement in my eating. That is going to be the biggest part of this challenge for me. Going for mainly Paleo foods.

I went to CrossFit this morning: (goal: crossfit 5xweek)

WOD #1

Strength

Back Squat – 2 x 10 @ 40-50% to warm-up, 1 x 8 @ 70%, 1 x 5 @ 80% then rest 2:00 minutes and

1 x 20 @ 60% for time

(WOD #1- 60lb 4:06)

WOD #2

AMRAP 20:00

Run 100 yds

15 KBS – 70/55 - 55/35 – 35/20

60 yds of lunges

(WOD #2- 35lb 6 full rounds completed)

I even took a "BEFORE" picture this morning... (still deciding if you get to see it at the end)

I too want to change the way I look at food, and understand what it means to 'eat to live, not live to eat'.

UPDATE ON PULLED MUSCLE: It's healing. Sore, and tight, but getting better everyday. 

WOD june 25

18 min AMRAP

15 Box Jump 

12 Push Press

9 Toes to Bar

Due to my pulled muscle modified wod:

15 Step-ups 16in

12 Push Press 45lb

9 Knees to Elbows

(8rounds +27 reps)

(i had to be very carful with lifting the barbell when starting the push press) 

On the up side, my muscle is getting better! I stretch it gently before and after workouts, and am paying extra attention to my movements. 

Upside of getting hurt is a HEIGHTENED SENSE OF BODY AWARENESS! 

WOD june 24 (pulled muscle)

Update:

On Friday I pulled the above highlighted muscle... Wow, I must of been doing something crazy to pull that, right?! No, I was actually "stretching". Ya. Irritating. How did this happen? The workout was a long one, and I was a little nervous (as I often am) for the workout. So my mind was on the workout, and not on what I was doing. I did a stretch: standing on left leg, touching ground in front of me, with right leg extending in air. First off, my leg should have never been locked out. Second, I was trying to hurry! NEVER HURRY A STRETCH! ....and....POP GOES MY MUSCLE. 

HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE A PULLED MUSCLE:

1. Recognize whether the pain you are experiencing is an ache or a severe tightness that restricts movement. The swelling and muscle constriction in a pulled muscle is more intense than that of a muscle ache. Occasionally it will feel like the muscle is spasming when it is used.

2. Feel the muscle and check for swelling. A pulled muscle will have a buildup of fluids inside the muscle tears. The swelling may appear subtle at first, and appear stronger after a few hours.

3. Check the feeling in the muscle after two to three days. A pulled muscle lasts for two to three weeks when cared for properly. A muscle ache will generally only last for approximately two days.

4. Check for bruising. Pulled muscles can sometimes appear bruised or discolored as well as swollen. A dent may also appear over the area.

5. Be aware of the point the muscle actually began to hurt. A pulled muscle will often "pop" at the point of injury. An immediate decrease in muscle strength often follows, along with intense pain.

Get Immediate Relief

1. 1
   Rest the muscle. When you strain a muscle, stop doing the activity that caused it to be strained. Pulled muscles are actually rips in muscle fibers, and further exertion could cause the tear to grow larger and lead to a serious injury.^[1]
   • Let the amount of pain you feel be your guide. If a pulled muscle occurs while you're running or playing a sport, and you have to stop and catch your breath due to the severe pain, the best thing to do is sit the rest of the game out.
   • Take a few days to recover from the pulled muscle before resuming the activity that caused it.
2. 2
   Ice the muscle. Icing the area reduces swelling and helps ease the pain. Fill a large food storage bag with ice cubes. Wrap it in a thin towel, to protect your skin from getting damaged by direct ice. Hold the ice pack to your sore area for 20 minutes at a time several times a day until the swelling has gone down.^[2]
   • A bag of frozen peas or another vegetable also works well as an ice pack.
   • Avoid using heat, which won't reduce inflammation caused by a pulled muscle.
3. 3
   Compress the area. Wrapping the site of the pulled muscle can reduce inflammation and provide support to prevent further injury. Use an ace bandage to loosely wrap your arm or leg.
   • Don't wrap the area too tightly, or you might inhibit circulation.^[3]
   • If you don't have an ace bandage, cut an old pillowcase into one long strip and use it to compress the area.
4. 4
   Elevate the muscle. Raising the inflamed area can help the swelling go down and provide it with the proper rest it needs to heal.
   • If you pulled a muscle in your leg, rest it on an ottoman or chair while you're sitting.
   • If you pulled a muscle in your arm, you can elevate it using a sling.
5. 5
   Take a pain killer. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin or ibuprofen reduce pain and help you move around more easily with a pulled muscle. Be sure to take no more than the recommended dosage, and never give aspirin to children.

Prevent Pulled Muscles from Occurring

1. 1
   Warm up. Pulled muscles happen when your muscles get overstrained, which can often occur as a result of exerting yourself before you've properly warmed up. Take the time to stretch and get your muscles warmed up before you participate in a physical activity.
   • If you enjoy running, take a light jog before doing sprints or faster running.
   • If you play a team sport, jog, play catch, or do light calisthenics before diving into the game.
2. 2
   Do strength training. Incorporating weight lifting and other strength training into your exercise routine can help prevent the chance that you'll pull a muscle during an activity. Use free weights at home or work out in the weight room at the gym to build a solid, strong core and keep your muscles limber.
3. 3
   Know when to stop. It's easy to get caught up in the moment when you're doing a physical activity and force yourself to keep going even when the pain in your leg or arm indicates you should stop. Remember that putting more strain on a pulled muscle will only make things worse. If you cause a deeper tear, you may have to sit out for an entire season instead of just one game.

Lastly. 

TODAYS WOD

WOD #1

2min ON/1min OFF

K2E

ROW (for met)

Strickt Pull-ups

(35, 507, 15w/red band)

WOD #2

3 rounds

30 Squats

30 Med-ball Sit-ups 10lb

Time: 9:01

My Coach, as most good Coaches would, modified my workout due to my pulled muscle... 

-I took it nice and easy, yet still getting a good workout in. CrossFit is not about showboating. It's about efficiency. Do YOUR best, not someone else's. It's okay to slow down to prevent injury. Be in the moment, not nervous for the next.

WOD june 21

In honor of the longest day of the year... a really long WOD.

For time complete the following: 

Run 800m 

Run 400m backwards 

10 Pull-ups 

20 Burpees 

30 T2B 

40 WallBalls 20/14# and 10ft/9ft 

50 Double-unders or 200 singles 

Plank position 1:00 

Plank position 1:00

50 Double-unders or 200 singles 

40 WallBalls 20/14# and 10ft/9ft 

30 T2B

 20 Burpees 

10 Pull-ups 

Run 400m backwards 

Run 800m

(subbed T2B>Leg Lifts, Singles)

My Time: 41:55

Unfortunately I pulled a muscle... Taking two days to analyze... I will keep you posted. 

NOT A HAPPY GIRL!

WOD june 20

WOD #1

Hang-squat clean

3-3-3-3-3

Difficulty: 25-50% of BW, 51-100% of BW, 101-150% of BW, 151%+ of BW 

Do a light enough weight so that you can actually catch the weight in the rack position at the bottom of the squat. The priority is proper mechanics versus going heavy. Understand what it really means to catch the weight in the rack position. In the rack position, the weight is resting on the shoulders and only balanced by the hands.

(I worked up to 60lbs, with perfect form)

WOD #2

For time complete 5 rounds of:

400m Run 

Do one of the following after each 400m run. Do each one once.

Body Hurdles

15′ Rope Climb

Weaver

Monkey Bars

12′ Wall Climb (Up and over)

20 KBS 55#/35# 35#/20#

20 Box Jumps 24″/20″

Time cap of 20 minutes.

(I completed 3rounds + 400m run + 3bars short of monkey bars)

1st obstacle- body hurdles

2nd obstacle- rope climb

3rd obstacle- wall climb (up & touch)

4th obstacle monkey bars

Realized, i'm actually pretty good at rope climb... :)

WOD june 19

For those of you who don't know (all of you)... I have a messed up lower back. I often wake up in tears due to the pain it causes me. My lowest vertebra is fused forward, and my hips are somewhat folding into each other. Ya, it's painful. Due to my misalignment I have chosen (with persuasion) not to dead lift. I got to the box today and the WOD was the CROSSFIT TOTAL. Yes, I have done it before, and yes, I suffered for it after. 

In 99.9% cases your coach will help you either modify or sub any movement you need, for one reason or another. But with the WOD being CROSSFIT TOTAL, modifying or subbing a movement defeats the purpose.

NO EXCUSES. 

It has been a painful realization, mainly to my pride, that I needed to tell my coaches about my back. I've been taught it is better to heal, then to do further damage. If you know you are hurt, you shouldn't chance hurting yourself further... You are only putting yourself back. A new line I just heard that fits this is: "sharpen the saw",meaning- if you are trying to cut down a tree with a dull saw (sure you can do it) but it will be grueling. If you take time to "sharpen the saw" aka: HEAL, you will progress much faster, and find joy and satisfaction in your work.

My coach gave me a different workout. :)

4rds for time:

100 singles

15 squats

10 push-ups

10 lunges

Time: 7:24 (short and sweet)

I then did 50 sit-ups, and stretched my back out on the GHD. Stretching back out (back extensions & hip extensions) = HEAVEN! 

WOD june 15

WOD #1

Regional Event #7

Four rounds for time of:

15 foot Rope climb, 2 ascents (Ground to Standing x 6)

100 foot Sprint (4 x 25′ Shuttle run if storming outside)

4 Squat cleans (225/135#, 165/105#, 115/75#, 65#/35#)

100 foot Sprint  (4 x 25′ Shuttle run if storming outside)

Time cap: 10 minutes

Scoring The athlete’s score is his or her total time for completing the workout. If they do not finish the entire workout within the 10-minute time cap, the score is 10:00, plus a one-second penalty for each rep not completed (every 100-foot sprint constitutes one repetition).

Rest 10 minutes

MYTIME: 9:15- 65lb

WOD #2

21-15 and 9 rep rounds of:

Left-arm Kettlebell snatch, 55/35#, 35#/20#

Right-arm Kettlebell snatch, 55/35#, 35#/20#

Pull-ups

MY TIME: 12:38- 20lb

(NOTE TO SELF: BUY SOCKS FOR ROPE CLIMB!!! BURNED LEGS DON'T FEEL SO GOOD!) 

WOD june 14

WOD 

2013 Regional Event #6 

For time: 

100 Double-unders 

50 Handstand push-ups 

40 Toes-to-bar 

30 Shoulder to overhead (160/100 lbs) 

90 foot Walking lunge with bar in front rack (160/100 lbs)

I did a modified version:

500 Singles
50 Push-ups
40 Leg-lifts
30 Shoulder to overhead (65lbs)
90 foot Walking lunge with bar in front rack (45lbs)
(If you get done quickly, then practice double-unders)

I broke this workout up into five rounds:

My Time: 18:47

Then worked on Double Unders! PRed with doing two double unders in a row! I can do a double under: jump, jump, jump, double under, jump, jump, jump, double under.... But today, i did two in a row! :) 

WOD june 12

WOD

2013 Regional Event #4
For Time:
100 Wall Balls (20/14lb>10'/9' target)
100 Pull-ups
100 Air Squats
100 One Arm Dumbbell Snatches, alternating (45/30lb)

I broke this workout up into 10x10:
10 rounds of:

10 wall-balls
10 pull-ups
10 air squats
10 one arm snatches

My time: 46:37
(ya, it was hard, and i tore my hand on the last five pull ups, but i did it)

WOD june 11

WOD #1

2013 Regional Event #2

Overhead squat complex

7 Minute ladder of:

3 Overhead squats

For this event, the athlete will have 7 minutes to perform 3 overhead squats at increasing weights to the highest weight possible. Each athlete will begin with a barbell loaded to one of four starting weights of their choice (see below) and a stack of plates. It will be the athlete’s responsibility to load the bar to the correct weight each lift. Once the event begins, the barbell may not get lighter throughout the 7 minutes. The men must make increases in 10-pound increments, while the women must make increases in 5-pound increments.

Athletes will not have a rack, but may get the barbell into the overhead position using any technique they choose. If the athlete uses a full squat snatch to get the weight overhead that will count as the first repetition, as long as all the overhead squat requirements are met.  After a squat snatch, the athlete must perform two additional overhead squats to complete the set.

I used the Snatch to get the weight overhead, focusing on good form.

Starting weight: 45 Ending weight: 60 

Ya, it seems light, but it was where i needed to be.

WOD #2 2013

Regional Event #3

For time: (Time cap of 10 minutes)

30 Burpee muscle-ups 

(after 7, jump up and do a pull-up)

Given I am unable to do a muscle-up, I subbed in a pull-up.

My time was 5:35

WOD june 5

I was actually EXCITED about today's WOD! Cardio! Not that i love, even like, cardio... BUT I NEED IT! :)

WOD #1

5 Rounds

1min ON / 1min OFF

(complete as many reps as you can in one min, then rest one min)

10 Box Jumps (20in)

10 Burpees

10 Indian Sit-ups

(Couldn't find a pic of full movement. Sit on the floor with your legs butterfly style. The flat of your feet touching each other. Lay back, as if to to a sit up, and use that momentum to stand up. 1.)

10 KBS (35lb)

Rounds/Reps

1/19

2/19

3/20

4/21

5/22

A WOD like this is to help you understand you pace. The goal is to go hard, and be consistent. Your score would be the lowest number of reps completed. Mine being 19. It's not really normal to go up in reps as you go alone. Usually the tendency, and what you want to avoid, is to go down in reps. But i felt good about my pace. Maybe next time i can make it to the KBS!

WOD #2

25 min. AMRAP

(as many rounds as possible)

200m Run

15 Sit-ups

200m Run

15 Ring Rows

100 Single Jumps

15 Squats

200m Row

(Completed: 3rds + 7 ring rows)

FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BLOG, OR OTHER TIPS FOR ME! THANKS, AND...

WOD june 4

Back by popular demand: MY WORKOUTS! or WODS!

Todays WOD (workout of the day) is called a 'Chipper'... Why, because it's grooling. You "chip" away at it until it's gone, done.

30 Hang Cleans

500m Row

20 Clean & Jerks

800m Run

10 Snatchs

My Time: 13:41, #45
Notes: I could have gone heavier, but due to an alinement issue in my lower back... doctors orders: keep any type of dead-lift light (or not at all). Given there is no way i'm not going to do CrossFit, i choose to go light, until my back is healed anyways. :) NO EXCUSES! Given i went light, i still gave it my all. As i do in every WOD.

Thoughts: Rowing is more complicated then it looks... I realized to get the most out of my pull i need to treat it as a lift: keeping my head neutral, not letting my butt stick out, straight back, power in the legs... the major difference is at the return, coming up on your toes while keeping form.

No More Excuses

Have you ever missed a week of CrossFit? What effect did it have on you? What was the reason? Was is worth it? Could you've been doing CrossFit? Should you've been?

Well, let me tell you friends. I just missed a week of CrossFit. As far as i felt, i might have well started at square one. Ya, that's how crapy i felt. I tried to justify it: I was doing some stability work, and some sit-ups. Like i said, i tried. But there is nothing to justify not doing CrossFit. There are NO excuses. And there are so many body weight WODs you can do simply in a hotel if needed.

Happy to say i'm back on the wagon, the CrossFit wagon that is. And if feels good! :)

Gayle

My crossfit journey started a year ago when I was searching for something that could... 

Satisfy my need for competition. 

I was a division 1 collegiate pole vaulter and played for a California club soccer team in Europe after my NCAA eligibility ended. After I graduated I continued to workout at the gym and began running half marathons, but nothing compared to the daily competitiveness I received while being a college athlete. I discovered crossfit and... 

I immediately found what I had been searching for. 

Everyday I compete in crossfit and I've never been happier with my training. I'm also in the best shape of my life, which would make anyone feel amazing! After a year of crossfit, I have PR'd consistently and most recently I cut my "Filthy Fifty" time in half from a year ago! I couldn't imagine my life without crossfit and the community that comes along with it.

GAYLE'S FIRST MUSCLE UP!
Dec 21, 2012

Terry

I started Crossfit in the Summer of 2011, I guess i could say that...

"the rest is history"

as i pretty much instantly fell in love with this sport. There is a lot more to the story and I will try to keep it short.

I have been an active person all of my life, football, wrestling, martial arts, hiking, backpacking, hunting, SCUBA Diving, mountain biking and a plethora of other activities. I have been doing many of these activities since before the age of ten, so being active in my life has never been an issue. Then i joined the US Navy in 1996.

Joining the Navy was great, it showed me the reasons that you can't really list for being physically fit, being in an area of "Conflict" made fitness extremely important, i worked out...A LOT, then I busted up my ankle pretty bad (bad enough, I almost required a below the knee amputation). With the reduced mobility due to being in a cast up to my hip, and the appetite of an "athlete"....let's just say that is a horrible combination, i think my belt is still a bit pissed at me for that one.

That broken ankle was the start of a mostly sedentary life style, i got out of the Navy in 2006 and into a desk job, it was nice...then in 2009 I tried to get into a pair of jeans that i hadn't worn in some time and that was like a big smack in the face. ouch! I could NOT even get them passed mid thigh, i was pretty devastated, that really hurt. I started running again, with the encouragment from a friend i signed up for a 3.1 mile race called a Mud Run, that was SO MUCH FUN.

My very first mud run took me about 40 minutes to complete, to put it into perspective, the course was on a Horse track, at sea level...i was OUT OF SHAPE!!! but the best part was that the little fire inside that made me want to be better, life's little pilot light, was lit again! Almost immediately, i went and purchased a new pair of running shoes and started running, it was nice...it was slow, but i was doing it, almost every day. Then i got bored, running, really? yeah, that was boring. so i started to mix it up.

I had heard about this "CrossFit thing" on the internet and such, so i looked into it, it looked cool! so i started doing "crossfit" on my own (haha...or at least what i thought it was), i added pushups and squats to my running, yeah, i would sprint up the hill, do 10 pushups, 10 squats, 10 situps and then go back to the bottom of the hill and do it all over. about the time i got bored with that, i walked into a real crossfit box. The owner, Rick, had let me try out a workout...you know...just to see if i liked it. what can i say, i was HOOKED. My first workout was on "Tabata Friday", wall walks, passthroughs, knees to elbows just to name a few, i pushed it so hard (i thought) and for the next couple of days i couldn't even pull my own pants up (this is funny if you think about using the restroom at work....). I decided right then, that...

i NEEDED to be a part of the CrossFit 

community...

and signed up at that gym and started to look into getting my CrossFit coaching certificate, what better way to learn that just get immersed, right?

So, there i was, a "regular" at the box with either the 5:15 or 6am CrossFit family, 3-5 days EVERY week, and a year later i wasn't bored, there is something cool to this Crossfit thing, Yeah, i signed up to become a CrossFit coach, then immediately earned my USAW Olympic lifting certification. Since that time i tossed around the idea of opening my own box and ended up opening an Equipment supply company instead, 

BUFF 

(Boise Ultimate Fitness Factory) 

www.boiseultimatefitnessfactory.com

was born, more out of need than desire..you see, there really isn't any kind of CrossFit equipment company this side of the Mississippi, and if i was gonna own a gym, i might as well supply it with my own gear. I most likely won't be opening a Gym anytime soon, but i LOVE interacting with all of the various local gyms and helping to make sure that they have the equipment that they need to help make more people fall in love with this sport.

Currently, i am a CrossFit coach at Expedition Crossfit, and 

i LOVE teaching people and pushing 

people past their own self imposed limits.

I absolutely LOVE to see people light up when they hit a new PR. Most of all, i love the community that i am a part of, the environment is awesome, the people are great, it's always positive. Crossfit seems to have put itself on the same playing field with my kids, i really can't imagine life without them...so, it goes back to the summer of 2011 when i started CrossFit, it's been an exciting journey so far and... 

i can't wait to see where it takes me.

John

John Hassell

I found a love for athletics and fitness at an early age. I started Karate when I was 5. Then it was football, powerlifting, and track all through high school. Next was off to the Marine Corps where the background of lifting and track really started to pay off. Life at Parris Island is much easier when you are already in good shape. Then in 2009 I was ...

introduced to CrossFit by a friend 

while in Afghanistan. After returning home I sought out a CrossFit Box. After a quick Internet search I was off and running. 

After being greeted by the Box's owner and everyone else in the gym we got started . I don't remember exactly what the workout was but it completely wiped me out. 

From that point on I was hooked . 

I was there everyday and the Coach would have to make me take days off. After trying to get to a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer seminar for well over a year I was finally able to get to one in February 2012. 

I had an absolute blast...

and learned a lot. In June of the same year I was able to attend a CrossFit Kids Instructors Course. I had just as much fun there.

Since January of 2012 I have been a coach at CrossFit Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan. While here I have had the pleasure to coach numerous Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines. Not to mention several Canadian, French, Bulgarian, and Australian soldiers and members of various U.S. government agencies. 

This has been a great experience for me as a CrossFit coach. It has allowed me to develop my own...

unique coaching style...

and learn how to improvise when some of the people I'm working with don't speak a word of English. 

I have been back home in Boise for a little over two months now and have been able to open a 2nd location Expedition CrossFit BFE. I work 7 days a week usually 12 or more hours a day and couldn't be happier! I have the Best clients and staff anyone could ever ask for and absolutely LOVE my job.

www.expeditioncrossfit.com

WOD feb 2

Skill/ Strength

Wall walks

(without the travel, chest to the wall and down)

WOD

Row 250m

15 Wall Walks

Run 1200m

Rest 2 Min

Row 500

10 Wall Walks

Run 800m

Rest 2 Min

Row 1K

5 Wall Walks

Run 400m

(my time: 27:21 sub wall walks for hspu)

WOD mar 1

Strength or Skill:

20 BS (back squat) Unbroken, 65% 1RM (rep max)

My 1RM is 135

65% of that is 87.75

I lifted 83lb 

----------------------------------------------------

WOD:

7 Min AMRAP 

(as many rounds as possible)

7 DL 

(dead lifts)

7 HSPU 

(hand stand push ups)

(i completed 7 rounds w/88lb DL)

REST.

Sometimes it's harder then it seems... 

Just remember to continue eating healthy, and drinking LOTS of water!