Kick assery and all things awesomeness

So, its been a while since Ive posted.  Work business and other lame ass excuses. Rest assured Ive been training my ass off, eating right and kickin some arse along the way.
This week my topic will be Excuses or just being a general wuss about life... "Yeah you know where this is going."
Life is friggen tough, its hard, not always fair, it'll kick you in your balls, or woman parts, spit in your face and laugh as  it steals your lunch money. When this happens we can react two ways. We can walk around blaming life for being so mean, and crying and moaning about how unfair it is.. OR.. We can get pissed, get in the gym, train hard, and get ready for the next time life comes at ya, and be ready with a steel toed boot of awesomeness to kick life right back in the junk.
Obviously what Im  talking about is attitude, the ability to shrug it off and just keep going. Mental toughness is often overlooked, its sometimes easier to go in blast the guns do some shrugs and build some muscle, but its not as easy to do mental shrugs and shift yourself toward a positive focus.
Mental toughness will not only help you become a better person, but also a better athlete. Think of the last time you performed the crossfit workout Fran, or even a 5k, you have to fight a constant mental battle between you mind and body to just keep going.
Here are some of my top tips to get Mentally tough.
1. Calm down,( Stress will defeat you long before anything else will )
2. Liefs not all bad.( Take time to count your blessings and realize there life is actually pretty freaking awesome)
3. Attitude attitude attitude, if you walk around worrying guess what, its gonna be suckfest for you buddy, but if you hold yourself with confidence and positivity, well then my Friend you rock.
4.Thank the man above. I make no excuses, I believe in the Big man up stairs, and every breath I take is from him. Hallelujah
5.Train hard. Train like a winner and guess what, you will be a winner, train half ass, and you be half ass, simple as that
6. Never quit, never surrender, you fall down, you get up, keep moving forward.
7.Take some time to relax, find a  quiet spot somewhere and just unplug from the hustle and bustle
8. Be awesome,, yep, be awesome

There ya have it, Id like to hear some more ideas from you guys on what you do to beat the mental game

PALEO DIET

So as I stated before I was going to switch things up a bit, Diet and Training wise.
Diet-wise. I recently started the paleo diet, wich simplified is this.. Eat no Grains or Dairy, Eat Lean meat, nuts fruit and veggies, drink plenty of water
Training- Ive geared up for rowing so before each workout I am doing the Crossfit Endurance workout, then I do some type of either METCON or the Crossfit Maine Site WOD

2 week results thus far
Ive seen significant improvement in my Cardio, my strength has decreased a little but not too much
Ive also dropped about 10 pounds in 2 weeks

Ill continue to monitor it and see how things go. Im also interested to see what other people are trying and the results they are having.

Also posting my training goals
Feb- Crash B world indoor rowing championships..shooting for sub 7 2k row
2011 Crossfit Sectionals Top 15

Goals and stuff

 Ive been tweaking, reflecting, tinkering, having fun, and experimenting.
So my question, to myself and everyone else, Is what do we do when we want to reach a certain goal.

• First Define that goal
• then make plans to achieve said goal
• then train appropriately to crush said goal

Ok having said that and ( Way over simplifying it I know ), let me open up my brain case and look whats inside


This past year I made great strides, Went from an overweight chubba, who couldn't run 400 meters without going into cardiac and respiratory arrest, to an athlete who confidently runs 5ks and had two 3rd place finishes in some tough competitions this year.
Now all that aside, let me insert a little mental side note here ( I by no means am a braggart or am trying to use this as a look at how good Mike is puff piece. Merely to show an example of how crossfit, can and will affect you life in every aspect.)
How did I accomplish this. Hard friggen work..crossfit, zone dieting..and did I mention hard friggen work.

So how can I tweak/change my routine to increase my capacity

step one define my goals:
1st place Maine games, Compete in Sectionals, and Break top 20 at the Crash B's this year
step two plan to achieve these goals:
A little more involved but I hope you Can follow along. I tried to look at what limited me in my 3 separate competitions this year. Was it strength?.nope my strength numbers are adequate, I can improve upon both form and technique. was it nutrition? ehh maybe a little can be much stricter with zone, or maybe even try paleo. Was it my endurance? Yeah definitely, while Ive come a long way, im still being beaten because the other guys simply dont get winded as quickly as I do.
Step3 how can I make changes to crush my goals:
So Ill admit it, I like lifting heavy things, I enjoy being that guy. So how can I balance this love with an increased endurance attitude. My solution is going to be less full on strength workouts and simply more METCON ( Metabolic conditioning, type workouts ) strength I know wont depreciate as fast for me, because I know my body. Ive dropped lots of weight, and my max lifts didn't really go down at all so Im not worried about loosing strength. Any i loose, will be minute in the grand scale of things, and I can simply re tweak to add more strength when the time is right.
So what about diet? Well the tweak is simple, eat less shit. More of a mind over matter thing, I know what good food Is, I just friggen love M&M's.
So to put it in plain sight here ya go

• Increase METCON's. ( Even on days I may do heavy lifts I need to be sure i still get some type of metcon in that involves running ) . This will also include more CrossfitEndurance.com WOD's for rowing
• Diet. get strict strict strict

So I know not everyone has the same goals as me. that's cool, and really the point Im trying to make is, have fun with it, play around and get creative, your body is an amazing tool, created by God for awesome works, so test it, see what it can handle, most of all have fun, and enjoy life.
Questions, comments, etc etc, post em, id love to hear from ya and know Im not just talking to myself and the internets
:)

My Essential Crossfit List

Ok some of you have been reading my advice, and all that good stuff. Eating lots of protein and crossfiting hard. Here are a few other great sites you should be checking out on a daily basis.

1. Goes without saying-http://www.crossfit.com/ an absolute first. I check this out for the WOD ( Work out of the day ) its also great to brush up on form and to get motivated. and don't be a slacker get a subscription to the journal http://journal.crossfit.com/
2. This next site is another must. If your going to be hitting it hard, mobility and stretching are an absolute must Kelly Starrett is an awesome trainer and physical therapist http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/
3. Crossfit endurance is another great site for crossfitters who want to improve their running and endurance their WOD's are done in conjunction with the main site and supplement it quite well http://www.crossfitendurance.com/
4. If strength is your thing the next two links are for you. http://www.70sbig.com/ the guys at 70s big are focused primarly on stregth training Olympic lifting primarily with a little powerlifting but they are also funnya s hell
5. http://www.crossfitfootball.com/ Crossfit football is another great site for strength bias'd crossfitters

Enjoy have fun train hard eat protein and for God sakes don't ever let me hear you say I cant.......
Youl make me angry

Train to win

Ok sorry for the long hiatus. Ive been crazy busy. Hopefully you've been diligent and have been training hard. Eating lots of protein and having fun.
What do I mean when I say train to win.
Well!!!1
Exactly that.
We have busy lives, work, home, kids etc etc. Gym time should be the time you let it all out. Train like you mean it, that means setting goals and training for the. Push yourself, go to failure. Have fun with it. And for Gods sake release some stress.
if you just show up to the gym each day and go through the motions, guess what , that's all you will get, so so results, sure youl loose a little weight, maybe even gain a few muscles. But if you train like every day at the gym may be your last, train like your livelihood depends on it, and guess what youl start seeing some crazy results.
So go forth, train hard,.
Remember as with any of this. Eat clean and well, consume at least an ounce of protein per pound of body weight, recover, give your body some rest, try some creatine.
Anyway have fun see ya ll on the battlefields

RX OR MD...thats the question

Modification ( MD ), and Prescription ( RX ) both play vital and important roles in your training, especially Crossfit training. Learning how and when to use these tools will greatly improve your ability to both grow in strength and speed and to get in shape faster.

Who what when where why. Modification or MD, is essential to those starting out in Crossfit, or most any athletic endeavor. You do a similar variation of the exercise that is in the workout. the goal is to first, learn the technique, then build the necessary strength, and confidence to more properly perform this exercise.
An example is. The Pullup. The pullup is a deceptively difficult task at first and modification in my opinion is not only critical but necessary to mastering it.
Modifications can include
1-Jumping Pullup
2- Bands
3-Negatives
All will help you build the strength and skill required to perform the listed exercise. I will also add that MD'ing an exercise can also be an essential tool to heal from an injury, some studies have shown that light exercise to the injured area actually helps it heal faster.
Now the question comes, when do you stop MD'ing and start RX'ing. In my opinion, once you can perform an adequate number of reps for the MD'd exercise, then its time to start RXing. IE. if you can do 1-3 strict pullups at a time, well then, play around with it. As with anything its really up to you. Challenge yourself, and you will reap rewards.
Well talk about assistive exercises next time.
Id like to hear from some of you how you've MD'd or RX'd your way to greatness.
Sue, Paula, I know this is something you both have done, and conquered.

For Gods Sake Have FUN

Work outs should be work, yes, but its ok to have fun every once in a while

Recently I had hit a wall. My noontime routing had become that, a routine. Id do the same thing day in day out, mindlessly and it was boring me.
In the pursuit of fitness you will hit these walls occasionally. For some it makes them loose interest and stop altogether, and for some you loose the benefits gained because you not hitting it 100%
So how to avoid or fix this

1. Try Crossift--- yep--its constantly varied and always unique you never see the same thing back to back, its a great way to hit different types of muscles each day
2. Mix it up. For example, I was doing a strength bias workout at noon, the same thing each week, so I simply shifted gears and combined a little strength with alot of cardio, and voila it added renewed vigor to my workouts
3. Make the work unique. Recently i joined my buddy Bob who had created this crazy weird routine, it looked fun and interesting so I said what the heck, and you know what it was fun
4. Reevaluate your goals. if youve already set some, its time to take a look and see how far youve come, are you close, if not then any of the above techniques may help.
5. Take a breather. take a few days off, it wont kill you, go for a hike, go camping whatever, do something unique fun or challenging
6. Remember its your life, go have fun

I welcome your tips and techniques for having fun.

Holy Crap I have a Trophy

( No This isn't the actual trophy, but it would be cool )

Ok before you all think this is going to be some sort of Im awesome look at me Puff piece. please read the whole thing. If you know me you know above all else that Im a very humble guy, and I don't brag.

Set goals. then do anything you can to accomplish them. Whether you do or not is not the point, Its the fact that you try, thats what makes you stronger thats what truly counts.


18 months ago before I found crossfit. I was 260 pounds, my days consisted of, wake up, go to work, go home, repeat. I was ok with this. this was the norm, it was comfortable. I wasn't unhappy, I was just complacent, this was the way it was and that was ok. I exercised here and there, did some bicep curls and benched, and attempted to run, I was strong but no where near in shape. I had asthma, and was hooked to my inhaler.
Things changed for me once I found crossfit. I remember the first workout vividly. Linda, Bench, Dead, and Cleans 10-9-8 etc etc. being a strong guy I thought I would crush it, well, I got my ass handed to me, and I fell in love.
Now I know Im wired quite differently than most people. Its hard wired in my DNA, I never ever quit, or give up, Im naturally stubborn, I will keep at something till it either kills me or I conquer it, and I think that's why I fell in love with crossfit. That or my sick desire to see just how far i can push myself. I like to see just how far I can go before I break.I also love Olympic lifting, there is something empowering about being able to make gravity kneel before you, or crush you under his heel, and , its just damn fun.
I joined a local crossfit box, Crossfit Central Maine. Started training hard. Dedicated myself to becoming better. Not just physically, but spiritually and mentally. You see the confidence I gained in the gym transfers to real life. Ive become a more confident person all around, a better Husband, a better Employee, a better Christian, an all around better Man.
By The numbers. After doing crossfit for 18 months or so. I am now, 215 pounds, I dont remember when the last time I took my inhaler was, I run 5ks at least once a month, I can lift 500 pounds off the ground, and have a general lust for life, and all it has for me. Each day is its own day a day full of challenge and wonder. Each moment a Gift from God, with which I make the most of it.
In 2009 I participated in the Maine Fittest Games, I had been crossfitting for a while, and wanted the challenge, wanted to see what I could do wanted to know what it felt like. I did ok, and placed somewhere near the bottom, but at least I tried.
In 2010 I set about to work hard, damn hard, train my ass off. It wasn't about winning, it was more about WHAT AM I CAPABLE OF. How far can I go, how long can I go, how hard can I work. I put in the time and long hours, sore joints and muscles, changed my diet and attacked my weaknesses. Well In 2010 I competed again.
Prior to this I had set some goals for myself. I wanted to place in the top 5 this year.
Well I worked my ass off, and I came in third. Now I know, there are those people who think that anything other than first doesn't matter. Well, your wrong. it all matters. Ive never won a trophy or anything before, and all i can say is, yeah it mattered. Ive never been so invigorated or proud of myself, and no that's not conceited, its perfectly fine to feel good about things you accomplish, and it felt damn good.
So to wrap it all up.
Its not about being first, its not even about winning. Its about setting goals for yourself. breaking down doors that hold you back, smashing in the skulls of those who tell you you Cant or Shouldn't. Whatever it is in life, your weight, your job, stress, marriage, school. Attack it with zest, set goals, smash those goals, work at em, NEVER EVER GIVE UP. Its the pursuit that matters, as long as you try and never quit that's really all that matters. When life throws you a punch, take it, pick yourself up and keep moving, and know the hits will come again. You see that's whats its all about, and that's what Ive learned from crossfit. just keep moving, just get it done, if it doesn't kill you, well guess what your going to get stronger.
So I hope you like this, I don't know if anyone reads this, but its good just to get it all out there.
I hope Ive at least inspired, or influenced one person.

Most people think they cant. So they cant. Start thinking you can, and you will.
ME.

4 quarters of Pain

4 rounds 3 exercises each round, 1 minute at each exercise, 3 times through each exercise. 1 minute rest between each set of 3, and 2 minutes between each quarter
Confusing and painful

1st quarter ( BRUTAL Double unders took all my energy away )
Pullups
KB swing
Double unders

2nd Quarter ( this one wasnt as bad as I thought )
Pushpress 95/65
Up-Downs
Box Jumps

3rd Quarter ( Stairs and burpees= pain )
Stair Climb
Burpees
Sit-Ups

4th Quarter
Squats
Ball Slams
Push-Ups

This was a very long and grueling workout


** NOTE ** just following up on my creatine experiment
1- Ive noticed significant increase in recovery time, I recover way quicker now and can perform more WODS
2- I have noticed a slight increase in water retention 2-4 pounds, but Its to be expected as your muscles need to absorb water and creatine to recover, hey Ill take it as long as Im not sore for 3 days

Train Hard Play Hard

First off.
Congratz to members of Crossfit central maine for competing and doingan awesome job at teh Maine Fittest Games
Karen W, Sue P, Tracy A, and 1st place Jess T.
I also Came in 3rd place, meeting and exceeding my goal of making the top 5
I am so proud of all of you for how hard you worked.

So Now that its OVER I can reflect upon a few things. How to switch up my training and diet to improve performance and eeek out a few more ounces of sweat and pain

Diet:
Im going to be a bit stricter on Zone blocks, 16-18 a day. Still shooting for lower carb blocks so I can get my bodyweight down to 205 or 210. Ill stick to my Protein shakes, and fruit, and stay away from pasta.
Supplementation- Im experimenting with Creatine, to see if it A. Improves Performance. and B. Increases recovery time
Other than that ill take my usual MultiVitamin. And 6-8 grams of fishoil a day

Daily WOD routines
M,w,F 6am- Crossfit Central Maine WOD

Noon
M- Jareds Class ( A crossfit Type class, more running than normal)
OR row 2k, then crossfit Main site WOD, followed by sprints
T- Stretch 5 minutes, Row 2k ( 8 minutes pace ), Squat Practice Med Weights, Back, Front, Overhead, 3 sets of 5, Then Run 1 mile,
Wed--Stretch--Clean and jerk Practice..Every OTHER WEEK Low Impact Rest
TH--Jareds Class
Friday--Stretch 5 min--dead-lift practice -Run 2 miles..Any way you can

The goal here is to supplement strength with endurance to hopefully increase my work capacity and also my stamina.

Post Game reflection
Workout 1- Felt good, I nailed my form and I was technically sound, could have been better at the box-jumps,a nd faster, Just had no wind in the sails
Workout2- DESTROYED me, I have no idea what happened but I just had nothing, I finished with an OK time but could have been much faster
Workout 3- Went exactly like I hoped it would.

I welcome any Comments Questions Musings..ETC ETC

NO FEAR

Less than 2 weeks to go. The games are quickly approaching.

Are you nervous or afraid.

Nervous is ok. It sharpens your nerves, and makes you edgy, and hungry, helps you to train for the unknown, helps you to anticipate,and react.
Fear not so good, it makes you irrational, it makes you sloppy, it causes you to miss reps and worst of all it causes you to DOUBT yourself.
My favorite quote is this.
From the book of Matthew
"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Meaning

This is just an Event, just one day in an entire lifetime. Its not going to kill you, and trust me noone will make fun of you. embrace it fully, and don't fear it, you are attempting something grand which few people ever even try, whether you win or loose, you will grow, and you will feel stronger and gain more confidence, most of all you gain pride and respect.
So don't fear, instead, embrace it, and attack it fully. Its your life, go out and live it.

15 Driveways....OR Bills Inferno

Great job everyone, just completing this workout is an accomplishment. It was a tough tough one, especially for a monday. im proud of you all.

Workout
3 rounds for time
10 Pullups then Driveway run..300m
20 pushups then Driveway run..300m
30 situps then Driveway run..300m
30 squats then Driveway run..300m
30 up downs then Driveway run..300m

6am class
Jess- 33:17--ur a monster..LOL
Bill- 33:21--skinny bastard...great job
Tracy-34:57---beat me by 2 seconds..!!!!! dammm
Mike- 34:59
Lynn- 37:10 MD
Karen-44:25---Holy Moly awesome Job
Lori- 42:17
Martha-40:33--Martha's got some wheels
Sadie-45:20
Selena-51:14
Barb- 44:44
Rae- 44:49
Paula-43:22
Sue- 43:01-- Your gonna do great at the games this year, keep up the intensity
Jeff- 47:52

Maine Fittest Games

http://www.mainefittestgames.com/
Ok three weeks till the big competition.
I know some of you may still be on the fence about competing and some may be worried or nervous about it.
First off, If your on the fence. Heres a short list of why you need to be there.
-Its Fun, yes if youve been doing crossfit for any amount of time youve come to love that feeling of total exhaustion and the rush of adrenaline
-Prove something to yourself. Life is way to short so LIVE it
-After doing an event like this everything else will seem like a cake walk
-you never know about yourself, until you try

If your competing, but worried or nervous
-Its just your mind trying to talk you out of it, ignore it and focus on your training at this point
-Nerves are good, let them fuel you, use them to your advantage
-Your talking an important step toward a personal growth moment, embrace it and become a better you
-so few times in our lives we truly step outside our comfort zone, this experience will only make you stronger
-think of the look on your spouse, or child's face as you cross the finish line, now that's something to be proud of

I could go on and on but you get the point. This is a unique opportunity to do something few people can do, you've worked hard put in the hours at the gym. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses, put all the clutter and noise out of your head and focus on each day, and each task at a time. The games will be here soon, and then its go time.



-

Pick Your Poison

HELEN--Three rounds for time Run 400m, 21 KB swings, 12 pullups
or FRAN--21,15,9...Barbell Thrusters 95/65 and Pullups

CFCM
6am class in full swing I love that we have a lot of people now, lots of energy

FRAN
Mike- 4:58
Tracy- 10:01----PR by 8 minutes
Sarah- 5:12 MD

HELEN
Sue- 11:29
Jeff- 12:42--:) great Job Jeff your Flufenator was in full swing
Martha- 10:22 MD
Sheila- 11:19 doing a FRELLEN sort of fran sort of helen
Paula- 12:57
Karen- 13:44
Meg- 11:10 MD
Rae- 13:52
Barb- 11:52
Lynn- 10:42

Great job everyone

Motivation

Ok First off heres a re-post of the Kyle Maynard Video




Mondays CFCM WOD
4- 4 minute rounds ( AMRAP for each round )
rd1- 7 burpees, 14 scissor jumps, 21 mt climbers
rd2- 7 pullups, 14 pushups, 21 updowns
rd3- 15 supercrunch, 15 KB squats 45/25, 15 KB swings 45/25
rd4- 10 Box Jumps, 10 Pushpress 35/25, 3 stairclimbs

Jess- 2.1-2.2-3.1-4
Mike- 2.2-2.2-3-3.2
Paula-1.2-2.2-3-2.1
Sheila-2-3-3-3.2
Bill- 2.2-2.2-2.1-2.2
Lynn- 1-1.2-2-1.2
Jeff- 1.2-1.1-2-2
Sue- 2-1.2-2.1-2.1
Karen-2.1-3-3.1-2.2
Martha-1.1-2.2-2.2-3

Great job everyone
Special Welcome Back For Sheila yayyyyyyyyyyyy

Deadliftin and Stuff

Double POST
Monday and Wednesdays WODS
" Note I still need a volunteer from 9am and 5pm to record and email me some times"

Monday
Deadlift 5 rounds of 5 reps
Mike-275,335,405,425,450
Bill-275,315,315,335,345
Karen-225,245,255,265,275
Jess-165,185,205,225,245
Tracy-135,145,165,185,200
sue-125,135,145,155,165
Barb-95,105,115,125,135
Rae-95,85,80,80,85
Paula-125,135,145,155,165

Wednesday
AMRAP
Rounds of 1 through 6 minutes
with 1 min rest between each round
5 thrusters 95/65
10 situps
5 " Slurpees" burpee with sideways jump

Name-1min-2min-3min-4min-5min-6min
Jess-1,2,3,4,3.2,4.2
Tracy-1,2,2.2,3,3,3
Mike-1,2,3,4,4,4.1
Paula-60lb-0.2,1,2,2.2,2.2,3
sue-55#-0.2,1.1,2,2.2,3,3.1
jeff-65#-0.2,1.1,1.2,2,2,2.18
Karen-1,1.2,2.2,3.1,3.2,4.1
Bill-1,2,2.2,3.1,3.2,4.1
lynn-.2,1,1.2,1.2,1.2,2


Great Work this morning people, this was a lung burner for sure during the 5 minute and 6 minute rounds I was completely done

Deck of Awesomeness

Today everyone's favorite ..Deck of Cards chipper workout

First off Welcome to the newcomer Vicki

hearts- Push-ups, then switch to Squats after 10 minutes
diamonds- Box-jumps
clubs- Kettle-bell or dumbbell crushers 25/15 lb ( Go to a push-up position on the dumbbell or kettle-bell then stand and do a push-press )
spades- up downs
Joker- 1st- 1 driveway run.....2nd- two driveway runs

6am

sue-rx-45:28 ( Way to tough it out and stick to solid form on the pushups and crushers)
tracy- rx- 32:17 so close tracy sooo close..LOL
Martha- 8lb-41:39 ( Way to keep moving )
mike- rx- 32:09
Jess-rx- 31:19 ( Way to go Triple Flipper :))
Vickie- MD-8lb- 34:40( Way to stick it out for this very tough first crossfit workout)
lynn- MD-8lb- 30:43 ( Great job )
Sarah-rx- 32:50 ( Welcome Back )
Paula- 12lb- 35:30 ( Way to kick its butt paula )

great job everyone

5x3 Random Stuff

5 three minute rounds

3- Powercleans 135/75
3- Box Jumps
3- Burpees
100 Yard sprint
then for the remaining time
Max reps clean and jerk 135/75

6am
Mike- Modified Due to Pulled Muscle in Forearm 23 Pushpress/25Burpees/37Ballslams/18tireflips/39wallball

Sue- 55# -10/10/10/11/10

paula-50#- 10/10/11/11/11

Karen- 75#- 17/16/16/15/14

Lynn- Modified- 7/7/7/3/ 35..Squats

Lori- 21/25/27/26/27 Modified

10 Rounds Of Awesome

Complete in random order the following 3 minute rounds with a one minute rest between rounds. Rest for 2 minutes after the 5th round. Complete as many rounds of the sequence as possible in each 3 minute round.

1-10 pushups, 5 box jumps, 1 stair climb
2 - 10 KB Swing, 10 Jumping Jacks, 10 dot drill
3 - 10 Updowns, 10 Jumping Jacks, 10 KB Swing
4 - 1 Stair Climb, 10 Mtn Climber, 10 Updowns
5 - 10 Situps, 5 Pushups, 10 Squat
6 - 10 Plate Squats (10/5), 10 Jumping Jacks, 5 Slurpees
7 - 5 Pushups, 10 SuperCrunch, 5 Slurpee
8 - 5 Burpees, 10 Box Jumps, 15 Squats
9 - 10 UpDowns, 10 Squats, 10 Box Jumps
10 - 10 Squats, 10 SDLHP, 10 Mtn Climbers

here are the times

6am

Mike- 3.2/4/3/2.2/3.1/3/3/3.2/3/4 total 33.1

Tracy- 4/4/3/2.2/3.1/4/3/3.2/4/3.2 total 35.1

Karen- 3.1/3.2/2.2/2.2/2.2/3.2/2.1/3.2/3.2/3.1 total 32.1

Martha- 3/3/3.2/3/2.2/3/2.1/2.2/3/3.2 total 30

Jeff- 2.1/2.1/1.2/1.2/1.2/1.2----

Paula- 3/3.2/2.2/2.1/2.2/3.1/2.2/3/3.2/3.2 total 30.2

Lynn- 2.1/1/1/1/1/2.2/2.2/1.2/1.1/2.2/3 total 20.1

Bill- 4/3.1/3.2/2.2/3.1/3.2/3/3.1/3.1/4 total 34.1

Great job everyone, this was a very tough workout, it was about mental toughness as much as just keeping air in your lungs and keeping your body moving.
UPDOWNS SUCK
Im glad to see the 6a class so big its nice to have such a big group in the morning

Again If any of you 9amers or 5 pmers want to email me the times i will post them, also if you can tell more people about the site and give me the FB name I will add them, thanks all.

Run and Jump and Stuff

With proper motivation, anything is possible....

CFCM WOD Friday 6-11-10

1/4 Mile Run
50 Supercrunch
50 KettleBell Swing
50 Pushups

1/4 Mile Run
50 updowns
50 squats
50 boxjumps

1/4 mile run


6am Group

Jess- 20:18
Mike- 18:00
Bill- 18:52
Jeff- 22:58 MD
Paula- 21:31
Karen--?? I didnt get your time K
Lynn- 33:04 MD

Great job everyone, Bill has been sticking the run in wherever he can, I wonder if this is a precursor to the Maine Fitness Games

Run Run as fast as You Can

CFCM wednesday WOD

4 x 1/2 miles runs rest as needed between each run

6am group
Paula- 5:05/ 5:08/ 5:06/ 4:59 way to pick it up at the end
Karen- 5:47/ 6:02/ 6:03/ 5:47 AWESOME job karen
Martha- 4:30/ 4:31/ 4:33/ 4:30 Great Consistency
Lori- 5:05/ 5:14/ 5:10/ 5:07 Way to go
Mike- 3:44/ 3:37/ 3:59/ 3:51
Sue- 4:03/ 4:19/ 4:18/ 4:10 nice steady pace

Great work by everyone It was an extremely tough workout

Monday CFCM WOD

21-15-9

1- Wall Balls 16#/20#
2-Bench Press
3- Box Jump
4- Up Downs
5- Pushups
6- Burpees
7- 250 M Driveway Run ( Only 1 at the end of each round )

Times 6AM ( Note I need volunteers to get me times for 9 and 530 )

Mike- 19:19
Tracy- 19:30
Paula- 21:54
Karen- 22:40
Jeff- Toughed it Out

Lynn was also there doing her modified workout

This workout was very tough the updown pushup burpee back to back took away all air in your lungs and made it very hard on the run.

Excuses Excuses

I WANT YOU ALL TO FIRST WATCH THIS VIDEO.. Then Read the rest of this post



Why do you need to compete?
If any of you even have a shadow of doubt as to why, let me expand.
You work out hard every morning, you get stronger you get faster, you improve your technique, you learn new lifts, run faster, jump higher, loose some pounds..And for what? Just so you can go home sit on the couch and watch the biggest loser, or American Idol.
We should all take a sobering lesson from Kyle Maynard, here is a man whom for all reasons, would have plenty of excuses not to want to compete, but he does it anyway. Now we all have those nagging reasons that I hear over and over
- Im really not competitive
- Im not good enough
- I cant do all the exercises
- I don't think Im ready ( This one Ive used myself---This years sectionals Just so you all know Im not exempt from this post)
- Im afraid Ill get hurt
- Im too busy
BLAH BLAH BLAH

And many many many more. The point Im attempting to make is this. Challenge yourself, challenge your whole way of life, challenge your soul, challenge your comfortable life. test yourself. Its not about winning,---- again say it with me, ITS NOT ABOUT WINNING. Its about how far can you go, how much can you push yourself, what are you capable of, can I do it. Its about stepping out of our comfortable 9-5 worlds, getting off the couch and expanding our horizons. Test yourself to become someone who doesn't fear challenges, but instead embraces them. Trust me once you do this your life will never be the same, you will have more confidence, and a greater satisfaction in life.
Crossfit is unique in its practice, in that their are no real specialists, there are so many different movements, and exercises one cannot master them all. Also the Crossfit community as a whole treats competition much differently than many other sports, you will often find competitors cheering each other on, so don't be afraid of not being able to do some of the exercises, instead embrace it, go with it, most of all have fun, say it with me FUN. Life is meant to be lived, so go out and live it. If you live your life making excuse after excuse then you will never ever truly be able to live.
Have I convinced you yet? If not search inside and find that small voice of doubt, that little voice that tells you you cant or shouldn't do it, that little voice that tells you you aren't good enough, and take him out back and shoot him. You've put in the time, you've put in the work now go out and do something wonderful.
So whether its the Maine Fittest Games, or the Fight gone Bad competition or the sectionals, or hiking Mt Katahdin, or running a 5k, do it, get off that couch, smash the remote and challenge yourself...
Dont make me sic Chuck Norris on you

...... Nuff Said...

Bills Circus

Bills Circus
AMRAP ( as many rounds as possible ) in 32 minutes of

2- Hand stand Push ups or holds

4- " Evil" turkish gettups

6- Kettle Bell Squat

8- Kettle Bell swing

10- Box Jump or step ups

6am class was in full swing with lots of people in attendance

Jeff- ( Joining us early good to see you )- 5.1 rounds with 20#kb
Martha- 8.1 rounds with 15#kb
Sue- 9.2 rounds with 15#kb
Paula- 9 rounds 15#kb
Lynn- 5.2 rounds
Mike- 9.1 rounds 53#kb
Lori- 11.1 25#kb

Tough tough tough workout Turkish gettups slow you down and kick your ass, a sweat drenching pain inducing circus of fun..

MURPH

Memorial Day " MURPH "
Michael Murphy was killed while serving his country, this workout is in his honor, and all who sacrifice for our great country.

1 mile run
100 pullups
200 pushups
300 air squats
1 mile run

Had a great attendance for this tough workout. We all had a great time sweating and working through this test of strength.
Bill, Mike, Sue, Jeff, Karen, Lynn, Rae, John, and Jess at 9am

Never forget that our freedom comes at a price. " All gave some, Some gave ALL"

God Bless

JUMBLE

Friday CFCM WOD

Random jumble

We got to work outside nice and sunny, and plenty of wildlife, stray dogs and random turkeys Gobbling

4 stations- 5 minute rounds each station- teams

1st station- 10 pushups while partner does 4 deadlifts then switch 225/135
2nd station- 20 yard sprints tag your it
3rd station- Sled Drag about 40 yards while partner does 10 airsquats then switch
4th station- 10 updowns while partner does 4 tireflips then switch

Big 6am group
2 new people Megan and Martha
Lynn was there
and so was Lori, Paula, Mike, and Tracy..and SUE :)

CUSTER

CFCM WOD

"CUSTER"

NOTE: I need times from other classes, Jess or Karen can you please take a minute to record these so i can post em or you can post them in a comment, also try to let others know that this site exists thanks.

CUSTER
AMRAP in 5 minutes for three rounds
of
9 burpees
6 boxjumps
3 deadlifts 150% bodyweight

6am times
Bill-4.03, 4, 3.22 RX
Mike-4, 3.21, 4.01 RX
Paula 125#- 3.10, 3.13, 3.14
Lori 135#- 4.04, 4.03, 4.1
Sue 130#- 3.1, 3.02, 3.02

This one was deceptively tough, I was gassed after the boxjumps and had to dig deep for air and energy for the dead lifts

HELEN

Sunny and Beautiful outside Monday Morning CFCM WOD

HELEN
1/4 mile run
21 KB Swings 53/35
12 Pullups
for 3 rounds

Bill-10:51
Mike-11:33
Paula-12:27 MD

Power Clean practice
Max Effort
Paula- 85 PR
Bill-180 PR
Mike- 255 PR

Are you faster than a 3rd grader

Warmup
Jumping jacks and updowns- WAR

Then
Are you faster than a 3rd grader
Doing the same WOD as a group of 3rd graders puts some serious pressure on you to perform

Sprint 10 meters do 1 burpee the first minute
Each minute add 10 meters and 1 burpee
We got to 8 minutes

CFCM WOD

3 rounds for time
10 boxjumps
10 Pullups
10 pushups
approx 20 meter lunge walk, then driveway run
( Times are for each round )
Mike- 2:45, 3:12, 3:15--Total-9:12
Tracy-3:32, 3:42, 3:44--Total-10:58
Lori- 3:24, 3:29, 3:25--Total-10:28 MD
Paula-3:42, 3:56, 3:32--Total 11:10

Lynn-- Doing her modified workout was also in attendance..

Great job everyone..My legs feel like Jello

Chuck Noriss says do Pushups

CFCM WOD
Nikkis revenge

(3 rounds) , 7minutes, 8 minutes, 9 minutes
of AMRAP
5---7 point Body builders
10--Box jumps
10--Plate Squats 25 lb and 15 lb
2- Deadlift 275, and 185


6am class
Mike-5,5.1,5.1
Lori-4.1,4.1,5
paula-3.1,4,5
Sue- 4,4.1,5

Lynn- Pr'd on her modified workout

Front Squats HECK YEAH

CFCM WOD
After a good warmup of
pullups, HSPU, Dips, Bench-press, and the Ladder

Do 5 sets of 3 heavy front squats

Mike- 225, 250, 275, 295 PR, 305 Fail
Bill-225, 250, 265 PR, 250
Paula-95, 100, 105, 105, 105 PR
Tracy-95, 105, 115, 125 , 125 tied PR

Lynn was there as well doing her modified workout and toughing it out

8 stations

8 stations 1 minute each station..3 rounds..AMRAP for each round

1-Burpees..always fun
2-Kettel bell crushers..painfull and slowww
3-Good ol Mr Sloshie
4-Stairs--evil as always
5-Heavy bag to overhead
6-Rope thingy
7-TireFlip
8-Backsquat 65/95

6am class
Bill-74,75,72
Mike-86,78,85
Tracy-70,65,75
Lori-72,89,84-MD
Paula-69,47*didnt do squats,65

This was a tough one on the shoulders and legs, all about strategy

Dumbbell FUN and Madness

CFCM WOD
DUMBBELL WORK
5 rounds
5 DB Deadlift
5 DB Squat Cleans
5 DB Push Press
5 DB Squat
Rest between rounds as needed

6am Pounds each round (DL) means just for deadlift

Paula--AKA Power Paula--20, 25, 35DL 30, 40DL 30,
Mike--50, 55, 60, 65, 70
Bill--50, 55, 60, 60, 65 failed 5th squatclean then switched to 60 for the rest
Lori--20,25,30,35DL 30, 40dl 30
Sue--25,30, 35DL 30, 40DL 30, 45DL 30

This was a tough workout the Squat Cleans were crazy tough

Welcome Back Paula

CFCM WOD

AMRAP ( As many rounds as possible ) in 15 minutes
10 Bodyweight deadlifts
4 Turkish gettups 45/25
10 box jumps
10 kettlebell swings 45/25

6am
Mike- 5.2 225lb
Paula-3.1 ( Im not telling ) :)


This one was a lot tougher than it looks, the Turkish getups Kicked my ass

Bills Insanity

CFCM workout of the Day
BILL's Insane

--do each exercise for 1 minute with 2 minutes rest at the end of each round keep a continuous count for the full round, dont count jumping jacks or bridge, if you have to stop on those you loose 25 points----
Rd1-Situps, Suat, pushups, thrusters 95/65
Rd2-Up Down, Mt Climber, Jump Jaks, Thrusters 95/65
Rd3-Burpees, Super Crunch, Bridge, Thrusters 95/65
Rd4-Squat Cleans for the full 4 minutes 95/65


6am
Mike- 127, 75, 55, 35, total---292-RX
Trcy- 97 , 91, 47, 22, total---257-RX..way to stick with the pushups
Lori- 101, 84, 48, 44, total---279-MD
Bill- 108, 92, 51, 30, total---281-RX

CHIEF

First. Zone update, doing well, only minor " Cheats here and there but nothing above 2 carb blocks at a time " added a greek yogurt for desert to curve hunger. It helps me to not be starving when I wake up.
As far as performance too early to tell.

CFCM WOD---CHIEF

3 power cleans, 6 push-ups, 9 air squats....3minutes as many rounds as poss ( AMRAP ) 5 rounds

Mike-135lb-5.1, 5.1, 5, 5, 5.2--total 26.1
Sheila-90lb-3.2, 3.1, 3.1, 3.1, 3--total 16.2
Sue-65lb-3.2, 3.2, 3.1, 3.1, 3.2--total 17.2
Lori-65lb-3.27,4, 3.27, 3.27, 3.2--total 18.2

Lynn also joined us doing a modified workout. great to see you again, keep up the good work

Mondays CFCM WOD

First thing first.
This is the start of my three week super clean Zone. no Cheat days. Start Weight 225
doing 19-20 blocks little less carbs and little more protein. Ill post daily updates here to see how nutrition affects work capacity. Stay Tuned.


CFCM Monday morning WOD
AS Many Rounds As Possible in however many minutes.
AMRAP
6minutes----Driveway run ( Each lap is 10 points )
1min rest
5minutes----Squat and box jump
1minrest----
4minutes---- one arm DB snatch 40/25
1min rest
3minutes----Pushups
1minute rest
2minutes----supercrunch
1minute rest
1minute-----Burpee

SUPER TOUGH

6am
Sheila-40,52,56,49,81,14 ( 292 total)
Mike-40,81,90,85,57,20 (373 total )
Bill-40,68,75,41,70,19 ( 314 total )

Why I Crossfit

So i can punch a shark right in the face


Friday CFCM workout
four rounds: Med ball cleans, Hang Clean 95/65, SitUp Spider PushUps,
Rd1 21, 10, 3: Rd2 15, 10, 9: Rd3 9, 10, 15: Rd4 3, 10, 21

BRUTAL shark punching power builder

6am
Mike- 8:34 rx
Tracy-9:59 Rx
Sue-13:23 rx
Lori-9:52 md
Lynn- Joining the 6am class for the first time, powered through a modified workout, that looked hellish, involving stair climbs and dumbbell presses, but Lynn a Retired Marine stuck with it, way to go..kick ass, I mean PUNCH A SHARK..

:)

Lift, Run, Eat, Crossfit, Get Strong

DONT be like this guy


WED Morning CFCM class
Mickeys Evil Deck of Cards
Burpees, Pushups, SuperCrunch, KettleBell squat. Jokers were 8 stairclimbs

Times 6am
Mike-25:20 rx
Shiela-25:52 rx
Paula-27:37
Lori-25:36
sue-27:35 rx?
Karen-29:44 Mens RX

So remember get stronger and faster,because when the zombies come you need to outrun them, or be strong enough to fight....

Get your Liftin On

This morning workout CFCM
5sets of 5 rep Back-squat. Work your way up to your max for 5 reps

6AM class ( Early morning Tough CHICKS class..and Mike and Rob) :)

Sue-Getting out of Bed early, Max-145
Tracy- Max-135, failed at 145
Paula-aka Paula powerhouse--Max 125, failed at 135
Sheila- Max 160, failed at 165
Karen--Lifting with the boys, Max 225, failed at 235
Rob--The squatting animal, Max 385, made it look too easy
Mike--Max 315, failed at 335

Tough workout, legs and back are aching. Its a good one to start the week off with

Then for Fun we had the BURPEE CHALLENGE
30 burpees for time, and epic battle of endurance and will

1st heat
Paula-1:58
Sheila-1:30 after an awkward fall..LOL
Sue-2:07
Karen-1:43 way to go

2nd heat, reining 1st and second place holders Tracy and Mike, and challenger Rob

Mike-1:00
Tracy-1:04
Rob-1:35

Great fun, love the competition and energy this morning, it was a very fun class.

GRAB LIFE

Sorry I haven't had a post in a while

GRAB LIFE. Get up off the couch turn off the tv, put down the bag of Doritos, and go out and grab life by the horns. Do something; anything. Do not settle for mundane or ordinary, step out of your comfort zone and do something.
That is why I love crossfit, and why i think it works as well as it does. Whether your a 45 year old mother of two or an 30 year old ex couch potato. Crossfit forces you to go outside your comfort level , forces you to try new things, lift heavy object and run fast. It makes your body pour sweat and your heart pound. Ultimately it makes you feel alive, its the sweat, the pain and the thrill of it all that lets you know your alive.
I have seen so many people transform themselves into confident, and vibrant people. To see a woman get all jacked up over lifting 280 pounds, or watching someone gettheir first pullup or muscleup, is pure awesome. Its that feeling of doing something exceptional, that feeling of getting and gaining strength and endurance is truly remarkable.
Do Not Let Fear keep you back.
Dont worry about what everyone else is doing, dont worry what you look like all sweaty and out of breath, don't worry about people looking at you. Transform yourself into a more confident, more capable and more energetic person. Dont be like everyone else, dont be lazy, and don't be normal. Just go and do. Step out and grab life by the horns and you will never be the same.

TABATA= PAIN

30 Burpees for time..yes thats right MORE burpees
Mike-1:09
Shiela-1:21
Paula-1:55
Lori-2:03

TABATA workout
20sec on 10 sec off for 8 rounds
4 exercises, Pushups, Pullups, Squat, Butterfly Situp

Tabata is all about Strategy and timing, you want high, consistent reps without totally trashing every ounce of juice you have on the first round, find a nice consistent pace and try to stick it out for 8 rounds Good Luck.

6AM class, Pullups, Pushups, Squat, Situps
Mike-5,12,10,13
Shiela-2,7,13,19*(Holy Crap..:))*
Paula-8,9,11,15
Lori-5,5,9,13

Great work early birds..we rock

Burpees and More Burpees

Burpee Demo:


CFCM-( Crossfit Central Maine Daily WOD )

row 500 meter
then 3 rounds of
50 mountain climbers
10 Box jump
10 air squat

Then finish with
TADA----50 burpees

This was a lot tougher than it looked My legs were burning by the end of teh first round and once I hit the burpees forget it I had no gas left in the tank.
Great job sheila..1 second..pure awesomeness

6 AM Times

Paula--500m ( 2:20.8 )....15:29 overall RX
Lori---500m (2:05.2 ).....14:56 overall RX
Sheila-500m (2:04.7 ).....13:54 overall RX
Mike---500m (1:37.0 ).....13:53 overall RX

Remember to post your comments anything really, lets try to get the other classes to view and post here as well so we can keep in touch with one another have a good one guys and gals.

The Power To Keep Going

In war, as in love, we must come into contact before we can triumph.

-Napoleon I

Today was a great workout at CFCM, we did Tiger a great lifting workout, my shoulders forearms and wrists are tired, but its a good tired, a feeling of accomplishment and triumph.
I wanted to push my self today and it worked. round 4 I did 135 and struggled hard fought through it. Round 5 I stepped it up to 145, heres the interesting thing, physically, 145 didn't feel any different, mentally though somehow I had already lost. I was "prepared to not finish the set" inside my head I had already quit. Maybe it was exhaustion or maybe it was pain, but either way before I started the first clean it was over.

But its a great lesson, mental focus is such a hugely important matter when it comes to any crossfit program, any power-lifting program, or life in general. You must prepare yourself mentally for the challenge at hand. And never ever think about failure, failure will happen, whether we focus on it or not, so why bother even worrying about it.
Here are some tips
1- Focus on your breathing, and keep calm
2-Focus on your form, don't let it break down as you tire
3- Visualize each portion of your lift before it happens, see each movement before you perform it, the link between visual stimuli and your muscle reaction is well documented
4-Think of the Victory, think of how good it will feel to accomplish this task and focus on that
5-Dont get mad if you fail, like life, you will fail, but it will only make you stronger

And lastly train what u suck at, if a certain lift is keeping you back, train it, start light and work form till you get it down then increase the weight. Next time you will not fail.
Good Luck

Why do we fall, sir? So that we might learn to pick ourselves up.

DEALERS CHOICE

Flip the cards..Whats your fortune

This one had a twist. you had to do the exercises in order so the sequence was the same the number was different.
The sequence was
1-UP-DOWNS
2-BOX JUMPS
3-BURPEES
4-PLATE HOLD, SQUAT
Jokers---50 pushups

example--first card 5 of hearts, do 5 updowns, second card 10 of clubs do 10 boxjumps, etc etc

Tough physically, tough mentally, sweat inducing, heart pounding, fear at the turn of every card.
Dear God why so many burpees..:)

6am class
Mike: 33:55
Sheila: 33:48
Paula 34:34
Rob: 34:24
Lori: 33:02 ( Awesome Job )

9am
Sue: 36:28

21-15-9

REPS
21-15-9

THRUSTERS
HANG CLEANS
SQUATCLEAN
BOXJUMP

Weight 95 men/65 women

6am class
Mike-15:15 RX
Lori-18:58 55 LB
Paula-19:41 50lb
Sheila-20:43 RX

This was a tough workout, as much about strategy as it is about strength.
9am and 5pm classes please post your times. Thanks to Sue and Karen for helping with this :)

Also if you guys have any suggestion for the site let me know.

Accomplishments

Ok this will be a tough one for some, but its time to take a glance backward and put it in perspective. Whether you've been doing crossfit for a year or two or even for three months you will see the changes. You will have months where you make constant gains and then months where you see little to no change. I think if we look back and actually view how far we have come it puts it into perspective. I challenge you here to do two things.
Write a small post listing how far you've come since you started crossfit. I think the results will amaze you when you start to put it down. Second, set a goal, it doesn't have to be huge, just something to work on for the next 3-6 months or a year. Ive seen amazing changes in attitudes, in appearance and in confidence among my small group and know you all have as well. This isn't for bragging, its just so that you can see the difference it makes to others and so you yourself can see the benefits of all the increased exercise and pain at 6am.
Its all worth it.

So here goes.
Quite simply.
Mike- A year ago, body weight 256, current body weight 220, pullups 1, current pullups 21, couldn't run a mile if a lion was chasing me, now I can run a 5k straight,
Goal- run a 5k race, and 50 double unders

Post your accomplishments.