WOD - 5.16.2011 - Having the correct attitude

First things first, I weighed 174.6 today (next weigh in will be sunday night), which is right on pace to average 1.5 to 2 lbs a week in weight loss. Most people will initially lose 5 maybe even as much as 10lbs (though thats an extreme) in the first week, but as your body adapts to less calories and better foods a general consensus among health professionals is 2 lbs a week is about what you should be hoping for. Once again, I must reiterate that weight is just a number, the real number that you (and I am currently) should be looking to improve is BMI or body mass index. Basically this is what % of your body is fat. My goal is to get that number under 10%, currently I have no idea what I am but I believe I started somewhere near 18%.

There's always a point in everyones life (probably once a week) where for some unknown reason they just don't have "it", wether it be energy or just can't perform a task up to their usual standards. Today was the first time in my short crossfit career where I knew right when I got to the gym that I didn't have "it", I just didn't feel like I had the energy, proper intensity, or the attitude necessary to do my best. This could be my body wanting more rest since I added a saturday workout, or maybe it was just one of those days. Either way it made this WOD about 100x tougher as I was not only battling a difficult workout, I was also battling my poor mindset from the start.

Warmup:

200m run

15 Air squats (sometimes I call these body squats, essentially its just a squat with no weight on your back, the key as always is to get as deep as possible)

15 pushups

15 situps

15 back extensions

Main WOD:

20 Minutes AMRAP:

5 C2B pullups (chest to bar)

10 Wall Balls

15 Kettlebell Swings (53lbs)

This was a big day for me because I mentioned in previous posts that I'm no longer using the assistance band on my pullups AND I had to go up in weight on my wall balls to a 20lb medicine ball (up from 16lb, and yes that 4lbs makes a world of difference). A wall ball exercise is performed with a giant medicine ball (slightly smaller than a beach ball), take the medicine ball in your hands, perform a squat and at the top of your squat throw (push) the ball into the air at target about 10 feet in the air (the target is marked, and I don't know the exact height).

So it's safe to say between the no-aid pullups and going up in weight on wall balls, I was exhausted by the end of round 2. On round 3, I managed to open up a few calluses on my left hand from the pullups that made it extremely painful to grip the bar. (Side note: I always wondered why people where workout gloves at the gym because movements like bench press and bicep curls won't shred your hands, well now I know and yours truly will be sporting gloves) Gripping the pullup bar was very painful, and it got to the point I could only knock out 1 and then drop (both from being tired and from rubbing my skin raw), then hop back on and knock another one out. Also Charlie was really on to me about my form on Kettlebell swings, making sure each and every rep was perfect, which is good for me but everytime he was defeating everytime he said "no rep", meaning that rep didn't count.

All in all I completed 5 rounds and 5 pullups, so 5+5. Not my best effort as I was really gassed and taking too many rest breaks to catch my breath, but I am pleased that I moved up in two different exercises. The big lesson I'm taking away from this workout (besides the fact I'll be wearing gloves like a champ) is that the correct attitude means everything, telling yourself that you're going to fight through the adversity, which in my case was pain and lack of energy. I think its important to get a good workout in, or to stay on top of your diet even when "you're not feeling it", because every little thing adds up (clearly I'm practicing my motivational writing for when I land my book deal).