Dave O.’s hand after 30 chest-to-bar pull-ups; a cautionary tale. Visit our post from last November here and reinvigorate your efforts toward proper, consistent hand care.
as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
10x pull-up
10x ring dip
10x sit-up
10x squat
Why CrossFit?
I used to think that if you had to ask this question, you would never really understand the answer. Now I find myself asking this question more and more.
This brief rant is inspired by a dear friend who posted something on Fbook about having their worst day on record at the box. I feel their pain.
Ever since the discs in my neck went south, I’ve been having the worst MONTHS on record. It’s in times like these (and wods like yesterday’s) that I doubt myself, doubt my ability to rebound to my previous fitness levels (never mind exceed them). I am disappointed with (ashamed of, even) my performance despite eating like a champ, wish for the days when I could deadlift 405, wonder if those days will ever return, and think, “To hell with this CrossFit thing. It is too hard on my body, my mind, my ego and my heart- there must be an easier way”.
But when was something easy ever worth doing?
I know deep down inside that I MUST stick with it. I have to look this doubt in the eye and tell it to go fuck itself. I have to know that when the body (or the heart, for that matter) heals, it is stronger than it was before it got hurt.
It’s times like these that toughen us the most, and when we physically, mentally, and emotionally wrestle our way through them we come out on the other side better (read: tougher) people. Thanks for reading and keep squattin’.
Steve D
Steve,
First, great post. By that I mean you have touched on a topic that we all struggle with. More on that in a bit.
Second, you know this, but it bears repeating. In the end, what we have at MPH isn’t (or at least it shouldn’t be) about how much we lift, how fast we run, our “girl” numbers, etc. It is supposed to be about our individual (and community) effort to be fitter, to be healthier, to be better. That demands that we leave our egos at the door. (And please don’t take this as me saying you don’t. This is more a placeholder for me – see below.) All of us have lives outside of the Box, and there are some incredibly successful folks among us, but in the Box we are all just athletes with varying degrees of strength, fitness, capacity, etc. What matters – what should matter – is not that we have a number of athletes (men and women) who can pull 300+ off the ground (which, by the way, is way fucking cool), but that we have a Box full of people who understand and appreciate that pulling a lot of weight off the ground (however you define a lot) is a fucking liberating and energizing feeling.
Several months ago you posted something along the lines of “I am much more impressed with someone who works and works and chips away at, say Fran, and lowers their time by 5 minutes, than someone who cranks out a 4:30 Fran the first time they try her.” And I think that most of us feel the same way. We are good about sharing the love at MPH when athletes do special things, but never more so than when someone masters a core skill, like getting their first pull-up.
[One of these paragraphs is probably supposed to be a Third or Fourth, but it is late and I can’t think clearly enough to figure it out.]
The past 9 months or so have been frustrating and challenging for me fitness wise, due to various factors – injury, surgery, lack of commitment to my fitness, too much travel, etc. – and in some ways I don’t fee like I have progressed much over those 9 months. Back when we were at the Globo, the very first time we did single rep. max deadlift, I worked my way up to 350 at the end of my set – this after only a few months working with John and Mel after, no bullshitting, essentially 20 years of not working out. Until today, I hadn’t even sniffed 300 on the deadlift, mostly because my technique was so shitty that John and Mel, would shut me down or keep me at a more appropriate weight so I wouldn’t injure myself.
My point is that, for a long time, I was pissed – pissed that I couldn’t lift more, pissed that I wasn’t allowed to lift more, pissed that I was still feeling the effects of my surgery in February. And then a couple weeks ago I came to the realization that its ok if I don’t ever deadlift 350 again – well maybe not ok, but something that I can accept, as long as the reason is not that I am not working at it, or because my technique is bad, or something else within my control. My goal has always been to deadlift 2x my bodyweight. With today as a building block, I believe that it is possible, the same way that I know that I have a sub 10 Fran in me (now that StuLu is gone I guess I have to take up that cause again – after all, my original log-in was sub10fran). If I reach those goals, then great, but if I don’t, but I do everything in my power to try and get there, then that is what this should be about. Overly idealistic? Probably. A little disingenuous? Probably – despite my spewing above, I tend to focus more on the result than the journey, but I shouldn’t.
So, yes, Steve, you must stick with it. The reward of what we do isn’t, and shouldn’t be, how we do when we are on the top of our game, but what we do, and how we do it, when we are at not at the top of our game.
Keep squattin’
John
In case anyone missed the scores, last evening MPH saw a little friendly competition to re-set the men’s deadlift record, previously at 435-lbs.
In the 5p, Josh O. easily lifted 440-lbs., with Sean M. offering encouragement.
Then, in the 6p, Sean M. stood up with 450-lbs., as Josh looked on.
Who knows what would have happened if they both had lifted in the same class—until next time…
Melody
–Scores–
Kris C.: 4 rounds (sub: 1/2x pull-up, static dip)
Rob K.: 10 rounds
Tamra F.: 3 rounds +… 1x static dip (sub: static dip)
Erin K.: 4 rounds +… 2x ring dip
Katie M.: 4 rounds +… 4x static dip (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, static dip)
Bill M.: 6 rounds +… 10x squat (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, static dip)
Ryan B.: 6 rounds +… 5x sit-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, green, pushup)
Erez Y.: 7 rounds + 1x pull-up
Derek B.: 4 rounds + 3x jump-stretch pull-up, red (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, static dip)
Teal B.: 5 rounds +… 10x sit-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, green, pushup)
Keena S.: 8 rounds (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
Borja G.: 6 rounds (sub: static dip)
Jessy C.: 5 rounds +… 3x pushup (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
Ted K.: 5 rounds +… 8x ring dip
Robbie S.: 5 rounds + 9x pull-up (sub: static dip)
Amy D.: 4 rounds + 5x pull-up (sub: 1/2x jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
Sidra C.: 4 rounds + 4x pull-up (sub: static dip)
Bill G.: 8 rounds + 5x pull-up (sub: static dip)
Josh O.: 5 rounds +… 7x squat (sub: static dip)
Jeremy N.: 5 rounds +… 3x ring dip
Guy F.: 5 rounds +… 2x squat (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, static dip)
David O.: 7 rounds + 1x pull-up (sub: 1/2x strict pull-up)
Luke D.: 7 rounds +… 6x static dip (sub: static dip)
Kevin C.: 4 rounds +… 4x sit-up (sub: static dip)
Roselena R.: 6 rounds + 5x single-arm snatch (35-lbs.; sub: single-arm snatch, static dip)
John S.: 4 rounds +… 5x sit-up
Johnny A.: 6 rounds +… 3x squat (sub: static dip)
Bill S.: 7 rounds + 10x pull-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, blue, pushup)
David S.: 6 rounds + 5x pull-up (sub: static dip)
Drew P.: 5 rounds +… 7x sit-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, blue, pushup)
Ralph B.: 5 rounds +… 10x sit-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, blue, pushup)
Jim M.: 4 rounds + 5x pull-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
Jessica H.: 7 rounds +… 1x squat
Joe P.: 4 rounds +… 8x sit-up
Joe F.: 9 rounds + 5x pull-up
Dave R.: 11 rounds +… 4x ring dip
Mark C.: 5 rounds (sub: 1x bodyrow, incline pushup)
Marco M.: 6 rounds +… 4x sit-up
Christy P.: 8 rounds +… 5x squat
Tod C.: 6 rounds + 8x pull-up (sub: static dip)
Neil A.: 7 rounds + 4x sit-up
Casey M.: 8 rounds +… 2x sit-up
Josh M.: 8 rounds + 9x pull-up
Koji H.: 6 rounds +… 2x sit-up (35-lbs.; sub: single-arm power clean)
Sean F.: 6 rounds + 5x pull-up
David C.: 4 rounds + 3x pull-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, green, pushup)
Jenn J.: 5 rounds + 3x jump-stretch pull-up, blue (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, blue, pushup)
Tyler P.: 7 rounds +… 8x squat (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, blue; no pushup)
Shana S.: 5 rounds + 4x pull-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
April H.: 6 rounds +… 8x sit-up (sub: 1x bodyrow, pushup)
Wayne C.: 5 rounds +… 2x static dip (sub: static dip)
Jerry C.: 6 rounds + 10x pull-up (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, green, pushup)
Jen O.: 6 rounds + 4x bodyrow (sub: 1x bodyrow, pushup)
Adam F.: 5 rounds +… 2x pushup (sub: 1x bodyrow, pushup)
John B.: 7 rounds (sub: static dip)
Antonio G.: 7 rounds +… 6x ring dip (sub: static dip)
Leota B.: 7 rounds (sub: jump-stretch pull-up, red, pushup)
Recognizing I’m the worst counter this side of Neil, I’m now thinking I did 9. Sorry for the confusion.
From the beach – 16 family members in one house…this has been the only sane hour of my day.; i might have to go twice tommorrow :). Cheers!
Monday: 31:30 min
1 mile run
5 rounds of:
20 pushups
20 leg blasters
1 mile run
Tuesday: 3 rounds, plus 6 deadlifts
7 min ARM
7 deadlifts – 155
14 pistols
21 double unders
Wednesday: 11:43
7 rounds
4 Clean – 105
3 Hand stand push-ups (used two 45lb plates)
Thursday:
Tabata
8 rounds each
Push-ups: 66
Pull-ups: 48
Sit-ups: 62
Squats: 83
Team,
We’re serious about your hand care, so we just ordered two, 50-yard rolls of 40-grit aluminum oxide sandpaper. When it gets here, get some—please. Just cut what you need, soak your hands in warm water (or shower) for about 15 minutes, and have at it.
Just like tape, we’ll keep a running supply of this stuff for whenever you need it.
John
I find this tool really helpful for my hand callouses – it’s a Tweezerman “Soft Grip Foot File” – it’s got two different surfaces, coarse (for John’s “grated parmesan cheese look”) and fine (to get your skin back to normal). It’s big, its durable, it lives in my shower. I got it at CVS for $12 (CVS seems to have a couple of different foot care sections – one in beauty, one in first aid), this link is to the product on Target’s website:
http://www.target.com/Tweezerman-Soft-Grip-Foot-File/dp/B003O5NGJK
I don’t mean to ignore the “why crossfit” thread – very provocative.
Steve,
Thanks for sharing your post. I haven’t been through a major physical injury but I have had a couple major, sucky, life-changing things occur to me personally over the last few years and I agree that not only that you will get through it and survive, but also that life will be different, better, than it was before, even if it never goes back to the way it was. And it’s only through those very challenging experiences that will we have real, deep personal growth. Though we would have never wished that negative experience to happen to us – we can appreciate its positive, life-altering affects after the fact. Life may never be the same, but it usually tastes sweeter.
Plus, having an amazing group of friends to get you through it never hurts. Outside of the fantastic coaching, it is my fellow athletes that pull me back in and make me get through the WODs, especially on days that I want to do anything but.
Shana
“Why CrossFit?
I used to think that if you had to ask this question, you would never really understand the answer. Now I find myself asking this question more and more…To hell with this CrossFit thing. It is too hard on my body, my mind, my ego and my heart- there must be an easier way…But when was something easy ever worth doing?”
“It is supposed to be about our individual (and community) effort to be fitter, to be healthier, to be better. That demands that we leave our egos at the door.”
Steve, John (Droz),
Your comments couldn’t have come at a better time for me. For some, the appropriate time might be New Year’s Eve, or the first Fall day back to school, but for me, the end of the “games season” has become a time to reflect on the past, look to the future, reprioritize and set goals and resolutions. And it’s when the question WHY CROSSFIT?? comes up the most. The closer it gets to competition, the more the only answer to that question is: TO WIN, TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST. So when that weekend is over, I’m left wondering again, WHY CROSSFIT? It comes back to remembering why I started this in the first place- because I love how it feels to move my body in the ways it was meant to, I love getting better at those movements and tracking those changes in measurable ways and I don’t just love, I NEED to share that feeling with others. Sweat with others, work HARD with others, share in the pain, the defeat, the triumph and the total and complete AWE that we inspire in ourselves at the things we can do and that we feel from seeing others do the things that they do.
I really need to process, write and share with all of you about the games experience this year and I will soon, just wanted to comment today because I’m so grateful to have this crossfit community as a whole and be accepted by you guys, in particular.
Thanks,
Christy
thanks for the heartfelt replies to my post, guys. i love you all.
7 rnds +4 chins.
hands got absolutely cooked on a hot junglegym somewhere in vienna, va.
SD