So life at the gym continues after returning from regionals. My first training cycle is awesome!!! I just get to CrossFit, just do the WODs as Rx'd. No Russian powerlifting cycles. No two-a-days. No THREE-a-days. No handstand pushups. No muscle ups. No going balls-to-the-wall all the time. I just get to CrossFit. Ahhhhhh . . . To some this alone sounds like hell. To me it is like a fresh breeze on a hot summer day. I'm not saying it is easy in the gym, but it is a nice change of pace from the six months leading up to regionals. It's a nice break for my body both mentally and physically.
Though I don't feel like I have to go all out, balls to the wall on the workouts I feel I am still working very hard and seeing some times on my MetCons that I am happy with. I am still working on decreasing my rest time and continually remember two things I have been told regarding rest in a WOD.
- "Rest when you are done!" ~ Coach Buf
- "I know you can't breathe, but nobody else can either!" Judge at regionals
Point taken. Oxygen is overrated and I can catch up on my oxygen debt at a later time.
My favorite part of being at the gym is working on my strength. Though I'm not concentrating on gaining strength right now I am pushing myself. I have missed our last two CrossFit totals so I really don't know what my 1RMs are. On the books I know they are lower than what I can actually do so I'm pushing myself. When calculating weights for various lifting days I pick a weight that I anticipate I can do in a 1RM or where I WANT TO BE. It has been working well and I've been so excited to see my numbers. A few weeks ago in a 5x5 front squat I did a sixth set and did 135 because 125 moved easily. Last week 5x5 back squats, my last set was 185, 10# lighter than the last time I actually did a back squat for a PR. This week. Ahhh, this week. This week was 5x5 deadlift. My deadlift has been stuck at 225# for nearly 6 months and, honestly, it was downright pissing me off. I pulled it five times in a 5x5, but have not been able to get even a 5# PR in any other workout. So Tuesday we get a little treat of a 5x5. I told Coach B that I WAS going to PR today so he let me do the lift a little bit differently than the rest of the class. I started at one weight and added 10# for each set, ending with where I wanted to PR, 235#. Well, I started pulling at 195 and low and behold I worked my way up to a 10# PR and pulled it 5 times!!!!! It's about damn time!!! So while I was so, so excited that I finally got a PR there is a downside to my story. I tore up my back. :( I strained my back muscles big time. So, after a couple days rest, a couple trips to the chiropractor, some deep tissue massage, a tape job, a nice layer of BioFreeze and plenty of icing I'm on the mend. I was able to do a very light workout today that still taxed my body a bit, but at the same time it loosened my muscles and helped me feel a bit normal. The work felt good. So after a nice three day weekend and some walking around with the fam I think I will be feeling pretty good by Tuesday and hopefully it will be fun and games as usual. Well, except for deadlifts. I think I will give deadlifts a break for a couple weeks. Oh, and I think I will throw a massage in for good measure. Okay, maybe that is just because I want one, but it will be good for my back, too!
Gaining strength is one of the best thing we, the female population, can do for ourselves. It builds lean muscles & dense bones, it gives us heightened self-confidence, a sense of achievement when we meet our goals, and the list goes on and on! So go forth ladies, fuel your bodies well, work hard, drink lots of water and
LIFT LIKE A GIRL!
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