Frustration...
October 18, 2011
I am going to take a page out of my "new" book and talk about the positives before the negatives. This mornings skill/strength was front squats. We havent done many actual front squats, in fact I looked in the book and saw the last time we did it it was 8/31/11 and my max weight was 125lbs. That was one of the first weeks. However, we have been doing lots of thrusters, wall balls, cleans and snatches... all are compound moves that involve the front squat. I usually get pretty pumped when we do strength and this morning was no different despite the fact that I barely slept a wink last night.
After the warmup (which I successfully linked my double unders again just not all 25 today) I got the bar ready to do my warmup front squats. I started with a set of 5 with just the bar, than did a second set of warmups at 95lbs. I was feeling good, so after talking with K, we decided I should start at 115lbs. The next set I decided to go up to 125lbs, which was my max that first day... however it was also for 5 reps. I did pretty well and really thought about my core and pushing out my knees, with a few reminders from K. I worked up to a set of 140lbs, for 5 reps. I felt good, had good form and was overall pretty happy with my performance!
Now, the WOD... a totally different story. Of all the exercises in the world I have two that are my least favorite (and also my least successful) exercises...The first would be the pushup, which I have been working on and have certainly improved on since August, there is no question about that. The second, the pullup, which I still struggle with despite the fact that I have progressed to the large green band. I knew today was going to be a tough one. But again, I was not going to give up. I was going to give it my all and finish it.
K set up the pushups in the style that they use at the Garage Games. Today I was graced by the presence of T and KP and since we are all competing this weekend together (and Hubs too) we really needed this one. The pushups are on plates, a 45lb plate at your feet and one on each hand and there is an abmat on the floor that you have to hit with your chest on each rep. I took this pic of K when she and M competed at Garage Games during the WOD with the pushups I described above.
I am going to take a page out of my "new" book and talk about the positives before the negatives. This mornings skill/strength was front squats. We havent done many actual front squats, in fact I looked in the book and saw the last time we did it it was 8/31/11 and my max weight was 125lbs. That was one of the first weeks. However, we have been doing lots of thrusters, wall balls, cleans and snatches... all are compound moves that involve the front squat. I usually get pretty pumped when we do strength and this morning was no different despite the fact that I barely slept a wink last night.
After the warmup (which I successfully linked my double unders again just not all 25 today) I got the bar ready to do my warmup front squats. I started with a set of 5 with just the bar, than did a second set of warmups at 95lbs. I was feeling good, so after talking with K, we decided I should start at 115lbs. The next set I decided to go up to 125lbs, which was my max that first day... however it was also for 5 reps. I did pretty well and really thought about my core and pushing out my knees, with a few reminders from K. I worked up to a set of 140lbs, for 5 reps. I felt good, had good form and was overall pretty happy with my performance!
Now, the WOD... a totally different story. Of all the exercises in the world I have two that are my least favorite (and also my least successful) exercises...The first would be the pushup, which I have been working on and have certainly improved on since August, there is no question about that. The second, the pullup, which I still struggle with despite the fact that I have progressed to the large green band. I knew today was going to be a tough one. But again, I was not going to give up. I was going to give it my all and finish it.
K set up the pushups in the style that they use at the Garage Games. Today I was graced by the presence of T and KP and since we are all competing this weekend together (and Hubs too) we really needed this one. The pushups are on plates, a 45lb plate at your feet and one on each hand and there is an abmat on the floor that you have to hit with your chest on each rep. I took this pic of K when she and M competed at Garage Games during the WOD with the pushups I described above.
See the girl in the back... yeah, thats what I looked like today during the WOD. Holy moses... those are hard. I was all "I am getting better at pushups" at the beginning of this week. Clearly I still have a ton of work to do on them. The WOD was three rounds and each round included 15 of these. I was successful at making contact with the plate probably 10 times the ENTIRE workout. There was a point where I was getting down to the mat than trying with all my might to push myself back up and I was just going nowhere... totally empty. It was the most frustrating feeling in the world.
The second exercise of the WOD was the chest to bar pullup... again pretty common in competition. This is what they look like if you are Amanda Allen and Samantha Briggs at the crossfit games... drool...
I however had to go back to the black band so I could at least attempt to get my chest to the bar. I did better with those than I did with the push ups, but it was still a lot harder than I expected it to be.
By the end of the WOD I was totally cooked (and frustrated with myself). I had to revert to pushing off the ground to get my chest to the bar... and I couldnt even get down to the abmat for pushups so I was just going down as far as I could to get something out of it. I was very disappointed.
I have had time to think about it now, and I talked to K about my performance after the WOD. I expressed to her my frustration and she had a lot of really great words of wisdom and encouragement for me. We agreed that I feel like its so frustrating because my leg strength has come leaps and bounds and my arms seem to be "lacking..." but she assured me and reminded me that I have come a long way in a short time with my arm strength and it IS in fact improving. She recalled my first set of pullups and pushups and made me think about that... and she is right, I have been doing much more than ever before and never once have I said "I cant do that" without trying. Thats why K is an awesome coach, thats why I get out of bed every day at 4:45am, thats why crossfit is awesome.
I will conquer pushups and pullups, you wait... I cant wait to link to this post when that day comes.
WARMUP:
25 Double Unders
3 Rounds
- 10 Inchworms
- 10 Air Squats
- 10 Abmat Situps
- 10 Scorpions
25 Double Unders
Hip Mobility on Box
WOD:
"Pumpkin Smash"
3 Rounds for Time
- 10 Chest to Bar
- 15 Pushups (with 45lb plates and abmat)
assed pushups)
SKILL/STRENGTH:
Front Squat 5-5-5-5
115, 125, 135, 140
FOOD:
6:30am: Post Workout Shake
8:00am: Cranberry Tea
10:00am: Egg Muffins
1:00pm: Crock Pot Beef with Mushrooms Onions and Red Wine Sauce, and Cauliflower Rice
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