From my other blog Quarter Acre Block

I still have the scars from my first trip to Disneyland. Only those that have been there, seen it first hand, experienced it in the flesh can understand the trauma. These are not physical scars, but the pain can still be seen on my face. Its the anguish caused buy having the song its a 'Its a small world after all' on a continuous loop in my head wich has unfortunately caused irreversible damage. People still today question why i bombard my ears to Swedish deathmetal. It is the only thing I have found that can sooth the pain.

Music, the Internet and disease. There is nothing else that proves conclusively that it is a small world after all. The current out break of swine flu is only the latest example of how all corners of the world are connected.

Playingforchange.com with the use of music and the Internet (and hopefully with out disease) have proven how small the world can be. Following is one of those touching videos that dont come along often enough.

Just finished our third 4 day week in one month. This sounds good, and it is good, but knocks around training in the gym with workout parters irregular.

Sunday Strenght.

Just not feeling well took it easy.

Squat: Finished on one set of 135kg. Now to make me feel even worse I do a search and this comes up




Press: Here was so bad but still not good 3x5 at 70kg

Deadlifts: Skipped out on this, thought I was going to bring up breakfast when i bent over.

Tuesday Workout

Jackie
1000m Row
50 Thrusters @ 20kg
30 Chins w Green Band

This mornings 6am session i was out numbered by the enemy, and to make it worse, they kicked my but. We had four girls in the gym to day, apparently the guys just cant handle training in a shed at 7c. Good to get my arse handed to me time to time by some of the fairer sex. But this is getting silly. Final time 8:24. Quite a significant difference from last time but still not happy with my performance.

In tonights strength session I focused on Olympic lifts. I managed add 5kg to my PB to 95kg CJ. I need to work on catching the bar. I have enough strength to get the bar up just need the speed. It is amazing how just a few lifts gets the old hart pumping and sweats going.

I have had some difference of opinion with someone i have to do business with. The last correspondence from this person was a lengthy email full of allegations. Being the big cuddly teddy bear that I am, when I was first read the email I found it quite upsetting.

How did i approach this.

First of all I took some advice that my father always gave me. Write a letter that you never send. I did this and I am currently drafting a new one to send.

Now this person is a lot more articulate and better at getting the upper hand in arguments. So what do i do?

The second person I am going to turn to is Tom Hagen from the Godfather and try not to personalise it, think of it strictly as business.


Tom Hagen: "Sonny. This is business not personal."

And next I will use advice from Cousin Vinny. Prove that the argument appears sound but after you analyse each allegation the argument has no substance.



Vinny Gambini: Let me show you something.
[he holds up a playing card, with the face toward Billy]
Vinny Gambini: He's going to show you the bricks. He'll show you they got straight sides. He'll show you how they got the right shape. He'll show them to you in a very special way, so that they appear to have everything a brick should have. But there's one thing he's not gonna show you.
[turns the card, so that its edge is toward Billy]
Vinny Gambini: When you look at the bricks from the right angle, they're as thin as this playing card. His whole case is an illusion, a magic trick. It has to be an illusion,

Now this looks like a fun work out, I might have to start on less then 90kg though

.

On Friday I was given a challenge. Doug wanted to go toe to toe on grace. Grace has to be one of the most enjoyable workouts that I have encounted since beginning Crossfit. The workout went.

This time I actually thought about my approach to the work out.

First, I was going to focus on racking the bar well on my shoulders to take some pressure off my arms and utilises more leg in the push.

Second, was to pace the work out. 30 reps, one every 6 seconds would equal 3minutes. 10 a minute.

Three, Dont expend to much energy trying to control the decent.

I managed to keep the above pace for both the first minute and the last 10 was done in 45 seconds. It was the middle ten reps that let me down. For the first 10 I talked out aloud to keep me focused. The second ten was when the breathing became a little harder and I was un able to track my progress mentally. The last 10 I just went hell for leather.

Overall it was a hard work out but I believe that I had more in the tank as I finished the last 5 reps almost continues.

So time 3:45. 33 seconds off my last grace and more importantly I kicked Doug's arse.

Next time I am going to attempt to average one every 5 seconds. I might also have them in groups of three to save time resetting the bar.

I squatted 160kg last night, this is a guy snatching 180kg video

The powers that be at crossfit HQ have flashed up CFT twice since the last time we did it in the shed. This Sunday we are going to give it ago again, now I am still struggling with inconsistent training but what do we have to loose.

My attack this time will be focus more on the press and deadlift starting the squat at 170kg and work up, this in 10kg less than last time. But last time I hurt my self in the squat and could not complete the other lifts to my potential.

Last night strength sessions was to help prepare me for the weekend.

Squat: did 5x70,5x80,5,100,3x120,3x130,3x140,1x150,1x160,1x165F

Powerclean with push press 5x70,5x75,5x80,90 Failed on the PC

There was a change in our regular schedule due to the Easter.

Good Friday
We had a group work out from the navyseals.com website. I quite like the workouts when we work with a partner. When one partner was running the other partner did the second exercise as follows.

Run 400 meters/Max Box jump 24"
Run 400 meters/Max KB swing 50lb
Run 400 meters/Max Burpees
Run 400 meters/Max Thrusters 65lb
Run 400 meters/Max Jumping pull-ups

I was fortunate to partner up with my girlfriend. Due to her resting an old injury we sub rowing for the run. This was more of an endurance work out and would be a great work our for new members or for large groups

Easter Monday
I picked this one from crossfitfootball.com and it was a beauty. Ex NFL player and Crossfit coach John Welbourn has started a program for American football players. His goal for the work outs are to build strong and fast athletes. Hopefully in the future more of our workouts will be coming from this affiliate.

The work out was Heavy Grace plus sprints. It was a the good kind of brutal.



15 Clean & Jerks 70KG
Run 200m
10 Clean & Jerks 70KG
Run100m
5 Clean & Jerks 70KG
Run 50m

When I originally put the work out forward to the other members their was some pressure to change all the runs to 200m but ended up going with the original workout. Thank God for that as that last 50m was one of the hardest runs I have ever done.

My time was 11:40. I really paced my self to much with the first set of 15 C&J.

On Tuesday we did the row and push press workout, got the time of 16:50. I was quite happy with but didn't beet Doug. Maybe next time.

Last night was the strength session. We started with Squats but subbed in the HQ WOD for the day wich was Press, Push Press followed by push Jerk. We were ment to follow with Deadlifts but i was spent.

Squat: 132.5kg, only went up a small amount due to once again irregular training. unfortunately I will miss Sundays session due to easter.

Press: 50,60,70,75,80 Feeling quite strong with these. Should have gone heavier with the last lift but I played it safe.

Push Press: 60,65,70,80,90. Again felt strong here, the sets of three were quite demanding

Push Jerk: 60,70,80,90. Each set for 5 reps. This really got the old heart pumping. I stopped after the forth set due to the pressure on my wrists. These two workouts a day apart were brutal.

Here is my new program

2x WOD
2x Strength
1x Olympic Lifting.
2 Rest Days

Monday Rest Day
Tuesday 6am WOD
Wednesday 7pm Strength 3x5
Thursday Rest Day
Friday 6am WOD
Saturday Oly Lifting
Sunday 10am Strength 3x5

Everything else stays the same

I read a book over the weekend, i know, its hard to believe.

I posted an article on the book on my other blog Quarter Acre Block

Last night was my first session back. It felt great. Had quite a problem with energy level but this maybe due to the fact I am really restricting what goes in the gob at the moment. Today i have a good done feeling in the gluts and hamstrings.

Squat: Last night I went back down to 130kg and I have to say that that the last set was really bloody hard. When lifting my right knee felt really week. I will keep an eye on it.

Press: target Weight was 70kg but it was just to much for me. My work set toped out at 60kg,

Deadlift: Took it easy hear, 110kg. Man, some of the new guys are lifting more that this.

I think this guy needs to look at retiring