Weekend WODing at Home

Bonus Workout

25 Walking lunges, weighted (carry your dog, kid, groceries, books, frozen turkey you didn't defrost)
25 Squats
1:00 Wall Sit
1:00 Jump Rope
1:00 Plank
1:00 Handstand Hold
1:00 Deadbug Hold

Scaling Options-Accumulate the 1:00 hold or go for it and do it continuous. Want more? Do it over!

Friday WODing at Home

Workout 3

Partner WOD
6 Rounds
Partner 1- 10 Burpees
Partner 2- Hold a Plank of any variety
Then switch

Scaling options Do more rounds! Burpee, complete drop to the floor and pop up, step feet back and back up, drop to a high plank and pop up. Plank, low or high, alternate, side plank on elbow or hand, reach through, or star.

Burpee Options

Plank Options

Turkey Day WODing at Home

Workout 2
Warm-up
Google Flower by Moby and get the family moving. When they say "down" squat. When they say "up" stand. Modify by sitting down in a chair and standing up.

WOD
Deck O' Cards
Can be done many ways. Decide to pull cards for 10-20 minutes. Complete half the deck, or go for it and do the whole deck.
Clubs-Mountain climbers (Left+Right=1)
Hearts-Lunge (Left+Right=1)
Spades-Chair dip
Diamonds-V-ups
You complete as many reps as the card is worth. Jack, Queen, King 12 reps. Joker come up with something-run around the house, walk on your hands, hold the splits, somersaults, try to do a back bend...

Scaling Options-Dips the further your feet are away from your butt the more challenging it is. You can also add a weight to your lap (a pan, book, kid, frozen turkey you forgot to defrost). V-ups if you cannot touch your toes aim for your knees.

Wednesday WODing at home

I'll be posting four workouts. These can be done in any order and require no special equipment. These are family friendly. I'll make suggestions to scale up or down if you need it.

Workout 1

Warm-up

30 Superman pulses

30 Glute marches on the floor or feet elevated

Video example 

WOD

Complete as many rounds as possible in 11 minutes

40 Single jumps, or pretend if no jump rope is available

30 Sit-ups

20 Squats

10 Burpees

Scale up options-double unders, lateral jump after each burpee (jump over something if you're feeling fiesty).

Your gym is closing, now what?

CrossFit is more then a workout routine. Part of it's appeal is you become part of a community of link-minded people. I've even heard jokes about new instant friends the day you walk in the door. Overtime you do develop relationships with the members and coaches. There are connections made and deep relationships built over shared hardships and glorious triumphs.

So what do you do when your gym closes? You remember what the ultimate goal of CrossFit or any functional fitness routine is: to prepare you for life, and it's unpredictability. If you were brave enough to tackle a max height box jump, you are brave enough to try out a new gym. If you had the patience to figure out how to snatch a barbell over your head, you will not make a snap judgment about the new place that simply won't feel like home the first couple of visits. If you trusted a coach once to guide you to the top of a rope, you will do it again and maybe even go higher.

What you won't do is sit at home. You can't. You know how amazing it is to feel strong and accomplish things you never even dreamed of. And besides you have a closet full of neon and loads of gear you can't let go to waste.

First days of summer

What constitutes a vacation? Does it mean months of planning and saving? Pouring over websites and tour books. Joining forums and travel sites trying to find the best deal and the hotel with the perfect location.

Or is it simply a break from the norm? Sleeping in, coffee on the back deck, putting your phone on silent, pajamas till noon.

Are family and friends along too? Or is vacation time spent alone?

One of my favorite childhood memories is the summer we traveled all over the coast of Michigan. No reservations, no navigation system, no cell phone to check the reviews. Dad driving, mom beside him, Scott and I in the back equal parts fighting, ignoring and playing with each other. We crossed the Mackinaw Bridge, spent the day at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, had the luck of a rainy day to find Petoski stones, and spent one night searching for a hotel finally finding one that mom was not happy with. I remember the room being blue, she found a cockroach in the bathtub and insisted we keep our socks on at all times.

Making memories with my own family now. K is an easy and enthusiastic travel companion. I have dreams of sharing Paris and Italy with her. Of showing her how big and amazing the world is.

No. 3

More and more seems to be added to my plate. The thing about military life is you need to expect to have all plans dashed. Yesterday we discussed driving to Ohio for Labor Day, today I'm told to call a Realtor because we will be moving in September/October. I called, knowing the plans could change next week or next month. I spent the day looking around the house trying to figure out what we would keep and what would go if we needed to downsize to an apartment. Then I poured some wine and watched Frozen with K. How do you balance going with the flow with needing to be ready for anything?

No. 2

I apologize to anyone who came into contact with my daughter this morning. She is napping now and promises to make a fresh start to the day this afternoon.

As a result of a comment I made on a high school's classmates FB post, J and I are planning a trip home for Labor Day weekend. I am most excited about eating watermelon and cantaloupe flavored ice cream at the melon festival, and embarrassing the crap out of my husband by participating in alumni marching band.

Go read this, it's amazing and sums up all that I love about coaching and competing and CrossFit.

No. 1

At two times in my life I have had a moment where I realized just how alone I was. That no matter what plans or arrangements I made, no matter what I'd hoped to accomplish that day, that I am a mother and that ultimately it comes down to me sacrificing everything for my girl. I am an Army wife, hundreds of miles away from family, friends come and go, my husband comes and goes. In the end it is just me.

I was 6 weeks postpartum. A day I had looked forward to since we'd gotten home from the hospital. I could return to the gym. Return to the place where I felt strong and in control. My husband left for work that morning promising to be home in time for me to go to my favorite class. He didn't make it. I sat there in my workout clothes on the front porch like a jilted bride. I bawled my eyes out while my daughter slept. Realizing all at once that when I became a mother I'd given up my freedom. Given up control over my life. That ultimately I could only rely on myself.

And then to tonight. I'd decided that since my husband was gone I would take the opportunity of not worrying about having dinner on the table and Katelyn happy for him to come home to every night to work on becoming a better coach. I'd reached out to friends for the name of a new babysitter and was all setup to head into Savannah for the evening. J has been gone for two weeks, won't be home for three more. I was looking forward to an evening spent talking about biomechanics, squatting, butt-winking and other nerdy CrossFit coach stuff. The babysitter didn't show up. K sat at the counter, excited beyond belief to meet this new sitter that shared her name. I tried to hide my tears of disappointment and of frustration from her as I started her mac-n-cheese. There is no one who can come help me. It's just me and my girl and a rather useless but pretty dog.

It should be fun.

Often I read someone's blog and think yes! that's exactly how I feel. This morning it was this short article by Alli Moyer on Breaking Muscle. She was mulling over the question did her training bring her joy.

“Does it bring you joy?” (He was referencing my newfound love of Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit)

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, does it make you happy? Do you like to do it?” he replied.

I spent Saturday morning working on my lifting technique. The weekends ahead are full of Crossfit competitons, and then the Open begins. My goal is to qualify for Regionals.

All of this brings on stress, and once in awhile I ask myself is it worth it? When my hands and knuckles ache from spending hours gripping onto barbells and doing countless pull-ups. When I can't count all the bruises, and the foam roller has me grimacing in pain. When I pull on layers of clothing to stand in a cold warehouse all morning, you find yourself scratching your head thinking why do I do this to myself?

I think Alli has it right.

"Our lives are filled to the brim with shit we don’t want to do - work, appointments, and errands. Training is free time. It should elevate, stimulate, inspire, and speak to your soul. It should energize you, not drain you. It should be fun. It should not be on the list of things you have to do, but on the list of things you want to do."

I want Crossfit and coaching and competing in my life. Some days are frustrating, and the bruises hurt. Nothing can beat the feeling of snatching your body weight over your head, watching a client move their body in a way they never thought possible, or a friend reaching a goal.

“If it makes your heart happy, then it’s making you better, and if it makes you better, then it’s worth the time spent.”



Yep they're ugly, but I love these shoes-Topo RX review

Yes they look like your feet have a perpetual camel toe. I promise you get over it fast.

I've had my Topo RX's since early August 2013. I think that makes me an early adopter or something like that. Wore them around the house for a day deciding if I was ok with wearing them in public. Then I realized I was a big girl and I took the plunge and wore them to coach and train.

I love these shoes. I love these shoes more than any Merrel or Innov8 I've owned.



I have worn these shoes to run 5Ks and obstacle course races.

I have worn my Topo's for Olympic lifts and long metcons. I've worn them in Crossfit competitions when having one pair of shoes that can do anything is hugely important.

I wear them when I am going to stand on concrete to coach for 3+ hours.



The strap across the top provides added support and the wide toe box gives you the ability to grip and feel the ground when lifting.

There is one caveat. You can't climb a rope in them. I tried it once. Went up a few feet, fast roped down and it tore up the soft sole. Rope climbing isn't a routine part of my workout so when I know I'm doing it I pull out my Innov8 Bare 210s. They seem to be impervious to rope climbing destruction but in my opinion useless for much else.

I've seen and tried on the newest version of their running shoes, the Run ST. They kept the wide toe box and comfortable sole and got rid of the separated big toe. Not sure if they will be making the same updates to the RX model. I'd suggest it. Just don't get rid of the velcro strap.

To Open or not to Open

Crossfit announced the dates of this year's Open competition and social media is buzzing with the news. I think it's important for some to hear this.  Just because you Crossfit does not mean you have to do the Open.

People follow a functional fitness program for a variety of reasons. They want to lose body fat, they want to keep up with their kids, they enjoy the atmosphere of the gym, they like pushing themselves to do new things, and some to take their skills outside of their own gym and compete against others.

You are not weak, selling yourself short or some kind of Crossfit-fake if you don't do the Open. It is a stressful, multi-week competition designed to crown the fittest on Earth. The idea of training for something that you have no intention of winning is a tough pill for some to swallow.

All that aside, the Open can push you to try movements and weights you never thought possible. My fondest memories of the 2013 Open are the elation of watching a friend get a weight over her head she had never done before. She had won her Open.

It's cliché. Each day you walk into the gym your biggest competition is yourself. Approach the Open the same way.