Crossfit revisited

So lately my workout regimin has been really dynamic - as in, I've been doing a whole mash of different things every day. I've really liked cross-training as it has kept my body guessing. I've also been using it as an opportunity to learn new exercises to add to my program designing for clients. Definitely a win-win situation.

A few days ago I decided I was gonna bear down and really get my pull-ups into gear. I do jumping pull-ups because normal ones are just so freakin' hard...unfortunately most women aren't gifted with a lot of natural upper body strength so pull-ups don't come easy. But as I've been on a bender of challenging myself in different ways, I decided pull-ups would be my next big project. First, I have to train my back and bis to get used to the motion of the pull-up.

The workout I decided to use to jump into them is Crossfit.

Crossfit is an incredibly challenging, high intensity workout program used in many military units, police academies, athletics, etc....but can be scaled down for anyone. One of the main challenges is time: doing a X number of sets or reps in an X amount of time. Or simply doing one set of one to several exercises for a ridiculously high number of reps. Ex: 100 burpees. Every day, the website posts a new WOD (workout of the day). If you're not up to some of the crazy workouts they plan, You can view past WODs and decide which ones you can handle or scale down.

Yesterday I did:
10 squats
10 pull-ups
10 pushups

for as many rounds as I can in 20 minutes. Turns out I actually made a mistake and it was supposed to be 5 pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats but I think what I did was just as challenging.
It was the first time I have done Crossfit in over a year, and I recall my last number workout to end up in 16 rounds. I was curious to see how I fared to the last time I did it, considering my huge improvement in strength and fitness.

I did jumping pull-ups which are still challenging to me. The workout was nothing short of insane, and even though I had my timer on, I was glancing at my watch to see when I was finished the torchure. Your heart rate raises FAST and after about 6 minutes I felt spent. But I pushed through...

I ended up doing 18 rounds. I had cramps. my chest was screaming, and my body was very warm. But the adrendaline rush is incredible. You hate your life while you're doing it, but you feel like a beast afterward. A weak beast, but I use that as motivation to get better.
Today my shoulders and back are tender so I think that's a good thing. I just gotta keep practising so that I can look as badass as those Crossfit girls!