Balancing Fitness

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Just when I think I have this balance thing down something else gets added (by me of course) to the mix!  Lol!

If you follow Lexa’s Journal, you know that in May I competed in my first, and what I thought would be my “only” figure competition. “One and done,” is what I said.  Whelp!!!  Ya know, I’m already focusing on competition #2.  Ha! Ha!!  Will this be the last time I walk on stage??   Truly, only God knows! Lol!

Anyways, with this 8 month goal in mind, I must be careful about indulging in two of my favorite summer activities:

  1. CrossFit – Shape.com research estimates an average of 12.3 calories burned per minute in CF.  That’s just over 738 calories in one hour’s time.
  2. Running – According to the folks at sparkpeople.com, if I run 10 miles (which is a summer average for me), I’d burn close to 1,000 calories!!

If your goal is to burn calories and simply to lose weight, great, but…

 That is waaaay too many calories and muscle mass burned.  That’s a no-no for my fitness goals.

Does strength/weight training burn calories?  Absolutely, but it depends on the type of exercise, the weight, and the duration, but typically, you won’t burn as many calories as CF and running.

For now, balancing my fitness regimen focuses on my current goals (competition #2). Weight training four or five days a week and CrossFit one or two days and at least one rest day. Sounds like a lot?  Well…

Hard work pays off and I’m willing to put the time in. Are you?

So, I looked at the WOD for today and decided it wasn’t too bad. (I’m smiling)  I was sore from yesterday’s shoulder workout and Monday’s back, so this WOD was perfect:

SWOD:
rope climb practice

I am a work in progress when it comes to the rope climb.  Technique gets you up the rope, so I worked on my foot positioning.  I sweat like something crazy doing this, but I loved working with my favorite instructor Lisa.  She’s detailed oriented and never allow you to compromise on form.  Look for that quality in a CF instructor.  It matters. You’ll be thankful when you avoid injuries.

WOD: 20 min EMOM (every minute on the minute)
min 1 – 2 rope climbs
min 2 – 25 abmats (situps)
min 3 – 10 kbs swings + 10 kb push press 5l/5r 53/35
min 4 – 7 burpee box jumps

I did the modified rope climbs… 4 ground to standing. Everything else was cool. Sore shoulders prompted me to go lighter on the kettlebell exercises, so I used a 26lb KB.

While the workout wasn’t intense, it served as my cardio day and took one hour. Tomorrow is leg day, they’ll be ready and refreshed.

I’m going to try to get to the gym early tomorrow because we’re having a yard sale on Saturday and I have a lot of work to do.

garage

I’m all about de-cluttering and getting rid of stuff we don’t use.  I want to simplify everything in my life.  During the 10 years in our current home, we’ve accumulated too much and I just have to get rid of it.

I also need to get rid of clothes that no longer fit. About four to five months into my training, my body composition began changing.  My blouses grew tight around the back, shoulders and arms.  My pants started sagging in the rear, while others grew tight in the thighs.  My beautiful Calvin Klein winter dresses suddenly looked like they belonged to an older sister.

I no longer fit 99% of these clothes.

pants

I can put these pants on and off without unzipping or unbuttoning them. I had no idea this was going to happen!

dresses and tops

Look at this lovely pile of mostly spring and summer dresses and a few blouses!  It’s not like I lost 50 pounds or anything.. heck I didn’t really lose weight… I just developed muscle, loss fat, and sculpted a new physique.  Jeez!!  I’m still amazed.:)

CK dresses

This pile makes me want to cry!  I’m not a brand name person, but here lies beautiful designer suits and dresses.  It would cost more to pay for alterations than to buy new ones.  Sheesh!!

What doesn’t sell, I’ll give to a charity. Then come the fall, I have much shopping to do and I am going to have a blast shopping!

It’s getting late and I have a busy day.  Sweet dreams and thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Go Hard

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WEDNESDAY 7.2.14
SWOD: 10 min to work up to 90% clean and jerk
4 min amrap at 75% clean and jerk

WOD: 20 min amrap (As many reps as possible)
min 1 – calorie row
min 2 – burpees

Forget the SWOD. This WOD was the longest 20 minutes in my life!!!!

Rarely during a WOD do I look at the clock, but today I snuck a peek.

Through the sweat burning the mess out of my eyes, I could barely see the time.

I started out so strong, but by the end, I felt like a helpless and weak fish laying on a boat deck, who fought a hard battle and lost! Lol!! For real!!

When I finished, I stood hunched over in front of the huge orange floor fan, palms resting on my thighs, while laughing and reminding myself why I love the torture.

We counted burpees and rowed for calories then combined the total score.

Burpees:  109
Calories:  108

Total:  217

Don’t be deceived by the number. We worked our butts off today. I wore the right shirt.

shirt

Seriously, you either love CrossFit or you hate it.

The key to a steady fitness routine is to try different regimes (yoga, boot camp type class, spinning, CrossFit, weight training, walking, biking, or something else). Pick two or three that you enjoy and mix it up weekly. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Happy 4th of July and enjoy the weekend!

Monday’s WOD

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WOD:

12 minutes AMRAP (As many reps as possible):

10 KBS (44/20)

10 Strict Push-Up Burpees

Okay so it’s just after 11 p.m. and I’ve had a full day, which started at 4:40 this morning.  I’m beat but feel accomplished.

A phone call from my son’s school led me to pick him about 30 minutes earlier.  He threw up after lunch, but felt better when I arrived.   No, he wasn’t trying to get out of school.  He loves school and is rarely sick, so it was legit.  I think it might have been the Capri juices–  no proof just a suspicion.  Today I brought him a new 8 oz. bottle for his juices.

Not long ago, I saw some nasty images of the bottom of the juice bags on the internet and decided not to buy any more.  He has a few left in the bottom of the fridge. I’m going to cut the tops off of each one and check the bottoms.  Time will tell.

About 45 minutes before my 5:30 evening CrossFit class, I wolfed down dinner.  A meaty pork loin (just over 6 oz in size), fresh green beans, and zucchini squash.  I’m so sick of chicken now, I feel like I’m gonna start clucking any day now.

Eating before class doesn’t upset my stomach, cause me cramps or anything.  Why?  I don’t know.  Lol!  I felt energized during class.

I thought the strict push up burpees would do me in, but they did not. Heeeeey!!  I was up for the challenge today.  Hmm…. so my previous post about struggling with cardio in CF wasn’t an issue today.   Why?  Umm… Not sure.  Maybe because I ate dinner, I had a good source of fuel to energize me.  All I know is I felt great during the WOD. In the 12 minutes of the WOD,

I completed 9 1/2 rounds….  a total of 100 Kettle-bell Swings and 95 Strict Push Up Burpees!  Heck,  I’d better sit down to the dinner table before CF every class!  Lol!

My friend, a newbie to CF went today.  She did so well and I’m proud of her for staying with it.  Great job T!

You’d think I’d go home after CF.  Nope!  I attended a 7 p.m. information session on Transcendental Meditation.  Drenched in sweat, as usual, I sat in the back corner not to trouble anyone from my funky perspiration.

Halfway through the presenters relaxing presentation, my eye lids felt like lead rested on them. Out at 8 p.m. and home I went.

Real quick, this Transcendental Meditation has peaked my interest. I enjoy meditation and would like to further explore different types.  I feel calm and balanced when I meditate, so of course, I want to learn more.

I’m too exhausted to explain tonight, so below is small blurb from the official TM site. Click on the link to learn more.

The TM technique allows your mind to effortlessly transcend, to settle inward to the source of thought — a natural state of pure awareness and restful alertness. This automatic self-transcending is a unique feature of the TM technique.

I have to get some sleep.  Sweet dreams!

No Blurred Lines Here!

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Looking at a video of someone performing a wall walk might give you the impression that it’s a relatively easy move to do. Well… It’s not.  The wall walk requires core and upper body strength.

“Holy Cow!”  Was my response after trying it for the first time! Lol! I recall thinking, this is a maneuver that kids should be performing, not a grown ass woman like me.

Wall walks appear in our CrossFit WOD occasionally, but just enough for me to inch my belly button a tad bit closer to the wall each time.

Low and behold, I recently stuck my 40 somethin’ year old belly to the wall!!!!   Hey! Hey! Hey!   You know the tune from Robin Thick’s summer hit, “Blurred Lines.”  Well there ain’t no blurred lines here!!  I did it!

Last week’s WOD included a series of wall walks.  Our instructor, carefully demonstrated the correct technique.  I observed him.  He then asked for volunteers.  A female classmate volunteered.  I closely studied her. I identified with her struggle just to get about a foot from the wall.  The coach complimented her on her effort and recommended that she get as close as possible without compromising form, technique, or safety.  He told us that we’d be performing walk walls in a series of 5-3-1.

He looked at me…. “Wanna try?”  “Sure why not.”

I assume the push up position on the floor and mentally walk through his queues. I take a deep breath and walk my feet up the wall using quick large steps.

Gasping and breathing slowly, I push myself… faster! Faster!  I can hear the coach and others saying, “Keep going!”  I continue to move along and.. what do you know…

Before I know it, I am upright and my damn belly is up against the wall!

I just want to scream like I climbed to the top of a mountain or something!  Before walking down,  I savor the moment and hold the position.  It’s not a dream girl, you finally got up there.  Pinch me!  Lol!

Coming down the wall is like trying to rapidly peddle a bike down a steep hill– It takes control.  Slowly…as slow as I possibly can I walk my feet down the wall to assume the push up position flat on the floor.

I slowly rise.  The instructor says, “Good job!”

My confidence on the day’s WOD shot up 200%!

Here’s the WOD:

400M Run
21 HSPU or 5 wall walks
21 Pull ups

400M Run
15 HSPU or 3 wall walks
15 Pull ups

400 M Run
9 HSPU or 1 wall walks
9 Pull ups

Seriously, whether you workout or not. Recall the feeling of when you accomplished a daunting task that seemed impossible, even though your mission was to make this thing possible, by any means necessary. Awesome feeling right? Yeah, I know. I think I’m addicted to the feeling.

I’ve referenced Henry Ford’s quote before, but he insightful when he said, “whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”  I truly believe that all things are possible. Some dreams take longer to carry out. Other dreams require creativity and slight adjustments to come to fruition, but all are worth the painful tears and grimy sweat.