Tabata Something Else

Last night I was originally planning to go WOD at MICF, but then Jared asked if I would mind spending the evening with him instead, since we've got a pretty busy week coming up.

How could I refuse a date night with my best buddy?!

I decided to sneak in my own WOD before he picked me up at work - I'm lucky since my office actually has a tiny gym in the basement with some equipment.  Extra lucky was the fact that I could steal Monday's programming for myself!

Great post-WOD shake:
Tropical Vanilla Progenex with milk!

I started with a 5 minute warmup that included pass-throughs, walking lunges, and some light strength work with weights.

I couldn't do push press for the skill/strength portion since the gym at the office doesn't really have much in the way of barbells and weight plates.  I decided instead to spend 10 minutes working on my handstand pushups.  (Got less than 1 month to nail me some goals!)

I did 10 full range of motion "box" handstand pushups (I used a bench and figure it counts).  And burst a bunch of little blood vessels in my face - today I look kinda like I have red freckles.  I next grabbed a big dumbbell (30 pounds) and did 8 reps from handstand to the big part of the dumbbell.  It was roughly the equivalent of doing the pushups to a roller.  Next I grabbed a 10 pound dumbbell (about half the height of the #30) and managed 3 reps.  I tried one to a single plate and made it down, but not back up.  I decided not to worry and just felt good about putting in the time on these.  Eventually I'll get my full range of motion handstand pushup!

Next I was onto the WOD!  I had done this back in July and was stoked to crush my previous score.  I love using WODHub to track my workouts because I can see my progress and know what goals are reasonable when I repeat workouts!

WOD

“Tabata Something Else”

20 seconds on 10 seconds off for 4 minutes at each station (8 rounds) then move to the next movement

Pullups
Pushups
Situps
Squats

The only equipment I needed was a mat for situps and a bar for pullups.  Technically there is no pullup bar in the peewee gym.  But there is a very stable weight machine with a bar-like thing at the top.  Unfortunately it is huge - at least 4 inches in diameter, which as you will see impacted my score.  I have tiny hands and couldn't get my thumbs around at all so I was gripping with only fingers.

This time the scoring was supposed to be "lowest amount of reps completed in 4 mins" but last time we used our second-lowest score, so for consistency I kept with the July scoring. 

In July I got 31 total reps:
Pullups - 2
Pushups - 6
Situps - 9
Squats - 14

I was hoping to beat each my score by at least 1 rep, except for pullups, which I hope to tie.  In July I had used a red band and then switched up to an even bigger band for the workout.  If I could get only 2 reps but with no band, it would be a huge improvement!

The pullups were tough - it was hard to kip without thumbs to grip!  I got 2 pullups each round for several rounds, but then was down to 1 and even had a few rounds where I couldn't get my chin over the bar and so had a score of 0. My overall score (second worst round) was 1, though, and I still felt like it was a huge improvement from using bands in July!

I was really strong on the pushups and got a score of 8 - two better than previously! 

Situps were good since I've really been working on them lately to improve my Annie time.  I pulled through with a score of 12.

Finally I was on the squats.  I felt pretty good going into them and decided to really go all out.  I tried to keep my heels on the ground after watching a video that mentioned the phsysics of CrossFit and how more surface = more force or something like that (I never took physics).  Basically in dummy terms, more of your foot on the ground makes it easier for you to press up out of a squat quickly.  Total score?  16!

My new total was 5 points higher than my score in July, plus this time I RX'ed! 

 

Sometimes I do really well when I get to WOD all alone.  Not sure why...introvert power maybe?

And today I was planning to hit the box after work...but I am so sore I can barely walk.  So I'm gonna take a rest day and work on my mobility!


You tell me: Do you prefer to work out alone or with a group?  How do you squeeze in a workout on an altered schedule?

Advent Mobility: Day 5/What I Ate Wednesday

Hello hello!

I'll get on to Advent Mobility in a minute, but first, here's my nod to "What I Ate Wednesday." I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon for this one, since I've got a current favorite "second breakfast" I wanted to share.
 

I did a Paleo Challenge back in August.  Although I decided not to go full Paleo when the challenge was over, I have since cut a lot of sweets, grains, and dairy from my diet.  However, I am back to eating Greek yogurt every day and love it for the healthy fat, calcium, and protein.
Right now, I mix half a cup of canned unsweetened pumpkin with a cup of Fage 2% Plain Greek yogurt and add in freshly cut fruit, like a pear or an apple. Usually at work this is it, plain and simple (so easy to pack) but I was home sick on Friday and so I added a little cinnamon and cloves!

 

Technically you could sweeten this with a bit of maple syrup (or agave or honey), but I really try not to "waste" my extra sugars.  (Save 'em for the weekend and just eat a doughnut!)  I feel like the fruit in this adds enough sweetness without drowning the pumpkin flavor or tartness of the yogurt. This is really satisfying and tons of fun to eat! Pair it with Trader Joe's Cinnamon Tempest tea for a total treat.


Alright, let's get down to Day 5 of the #AdventMobility challenge. Today we'll be hitting back and lats.
My lats are ALWAYS really tight from pullups and my back is often tight from deadlifts and squats. Loosening up these muscles and connective tissues is going to help us prevent injury and improve our form and thus our strength!

Check out Mobility WOD for some ideas for working out your lats and your lower back!
Earn those points by posting your score (what you did and for how many minutes) in the comments below. 

Extra points if you post on TheMeghaMix's Facebook page, or tweet about the challenge with the hashtag #AdventMobility.

Hope you haven't forgotten about this week's extra credit: massage! Mine is scheduled for tomorrow morning and I absolutely cannot wait. I want to melt just thinking about it!

Advent Mobility: Day 4

Well, we're only a few days into the Advent Mobility challenge, but I hope you're already starting to feel a little less tight and seeing some improved range of motion!

I rolled out my calves so much on Saturday that they were sore the next day.  I'm so thankful for all of you that have jumped on board with this - it's way more motivating for me knowing you guys are doing mobility, too!

Let's get down to today's focus: glutes and hip flexors. 

How are you liking Mobility WOD?  Jared found out about K-Starr a good while back, but I've only jumped in to really using the Mobility WOD resources recently. 

If you're not sure when you can squeeze in mobility time, try showing up to your box a few minutes early and/or staying a few minutes late. You can also cap off your day with a few minutes of mobility work right before bed. I've found this really relaxes me and calms me down from the holiday stress.
And now the fun part (cause who doesn't like competition?) - tell me your score for today by posting in the comments below! Extra points if you post on TheMeghaMix's Facebook page, or tweet about the challenge with the hashtag #AdventMobility. 

Winner of this month's challenge gets a copy of K-Starr's Supple Leopard!

Don't forget you can earn 10 extra credit points this week by scheduling a massage for yourself. If money's tight, ask your spouse to give you one, or have a few tiny kids walk all over your back (just remind them not to jump).

Lazy Weekend

I took sick on Thursday and after a long day of work was ready to cuddle up with Jared and relax (Paleo fanatics, be warned):

 

 

We only got partway through the movie and went to bed by 7:30.  We were toast!

I took a sick day from work the next day and slept in a little.  I woke up to find Jared had left me a killer kale smoothie.  What a sweetheart!  I didn't even have to make myself breakfast - I just got to chill and read.  Oh, and take a ton of vitamins.

The day went on with more reading and tea and water and sitting on the couch. 

I made myself sweet potato fries for lunch and decided to do the asparagus for dinner while I was at it.

 

 

 

 

I got super ambitious and decided to start Tina's 24 Days of Togetherness project while watching the HSM canon for my musical theatre revue class.

I'd never seen HSM before (I was too cool for that when it was popular) and I thought it was absolutely adorable!

Saturday morning we slept in - we've both been under the weather this week and I think we really needed extra sleep.  Breakfast was kinda quick since I had to get to the grocery store before Jared had to leave for work, but while he was gone, I made cranberry pancakes for lunch!

 

 

 

I'm happy to say they turned out really well!  I'm not usually the baker at our place so it was really nice to have a culinary success!  Jared made a lemon syrup to go with them.  Yum.

Sunday we celebrated our 2nd day of Togetherness (Saturday was light a peppermint candle, snuggle, and read) with holiday drinks at Starbucks.

Later that evening, we had date night at home with sausage, quinoa, and roasted veggies.  Oh, and Jared muddled the leftover cranberries with some goodness for more special holiday drinks!

 

I'd like to point out that I have not been to the gym since Wednesday.  A year ago I was working out 12 hours a week and would have been freaking out about 4 days off in a row.  Now, thanks to Jesus, I am continually growing and squashing my fitness idols and felt great taking time to rest this weekend.

You tell me: Is it easy or hard for you to take days off?  Do you make good pancakes?  Read any good mysteries lately?  ("Have His Carcase" is incredible.)

Advent Mobility: Day 3

Good morning and happy Monday!

If you are just joining us, Saturday kicked off the Advent Mobility challenge! CrossFit athletes at our box (including me) are always saying how they need to spend more time on mobility...and then put it off till next week.

I know the holidays get busy with parties and travel, but mobility is something you can do to improve your performance even on days when you can't make it to the box. All you need to do is commit to at least five minutes of mobility every day through Christmas Eve.

Ready for today's challenge? Me, too!

Yesterday we hit our hamstrings and IT bands...so today we'll come around and get our quads and inner thighs.

Here's a great exercise for quad mobility (runners, this is great for you, too)!

 

And here's a good one for those inner thighs.

You earn points by posting your score (what you did and for how many minutes) in the comments below. Extra points if you post on TheMeghaMix's Facebook page, or tweet about the challenge with the hashtag #AdventMobility. 

I'm also offering "extra credit" each week, and this week it rocks:  schedule a massage for yourself - you've totally earned it!

Advent Mobility: Day 2

Here we are on the second day of the #AdventMobility challenge!

Please note that you don't have to CrossFit in order to take the challenge. All athletes can benefit from being more limber!

Today we'll be "moving up" from yesterday and hitting our hamstrings and IT band. If you work a desk job like I do, these areas can get notoriously tight and put a lot of strain on your knees. Increasing your mobility here will be helpful on your squats and deadlifts.

What I like to do is spend a couple minutes rolling out my IT band, then roll over and hit my hamstring on the same leg before switching sides.

(Once again, if you don't have a foam roller, well, you probably should buy one, but your box or gym should have one on hand.)

I can honestly spend a good 15 minutes going over these areas because I'm so tight, especially if I do it while watching a TV show or something. 

If you want some extra ideas, check out Mobility WOD - Kelly Starrett always has great ideas.

Got your extra credit massage scheduled yet? Mine is on Thursday morning and boy am I looking forward to it! Don't forget to leave your score in the comments below - I need some accountability and I bet you do as well.

　

Advent Mobility: Day 1

Hello and thanks for joining me on this mobility challenge! Today we'll be starting out with our feet and calves. I've been runnning more than usual lately and also working hard on improving my double-unders, so my calves are really tight.

Check out this video for an idea on mobility for your feet.

Here's a list of posts on calf mobility:

My suggestions?

Newbies: Focus your five minutes on calf mobility.

Regulars: Spend five minutes on your feet and five on your calves.

Freaks: Ditto the Regulars, then go over everything again for another minute or two and finish with some stretching.
Also, if you're worried about squeezing this in (or don't have the equipment), milk your box. If you're already paying for a membership, now's the time to make the most of it. Any good box should have items like foam rollers available. If your box doesn't have lacrosse balls, you can buy them for a few bucks at a sports supply store. 

Show up five minutes early for class - you can do mobility while talking to people pre-workout. You can stay five minutes after for a little more work, and/or do another five minutes right before bed (really relaxing and helps me wind down). Or if you're lucky, your coach has programmed in mobility into the day's class.

Remember, any time you spend counts - it doesn't have to be on feet and calves today. Whatever you need to focus on...do it!

Leave your score in the comments below. Don't forget to schedule that massage!