2011 TypeC Exercise Challenge & Soirée

[Mae]

Update
Thursday-30 minute cardio (walking) and 30 minute lower body strength training (squats and lunges)
Friday-30 minute cardio (walking) 30 minute core strength training (crunches and ball exercises)
Saturday-cheat day
Sunday-day of rest

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

90 minutes of Bikram Yoga. Burned approx. 890 calories

 

[Kasper]

My internet atm is at all times either broken or in the process of breaking so I haven't been able to post updates. Have no clue when this will be fixed but until then my only posts may be the weekly required ones =/

Anyhoo, got the workouts that I wanted in, but have some room to improve with food.

 

[redcheerio]

Made it to the 6 am CrossFit class again!

WOD - 5 rounds for time, each round:
10 dead lifts (105 lbs)
15 pull-ups (used the medium band)
200 m run

Completed the 5 rounds in 18:04, finished last of 3 people. Struggled with grip fatigue on the pull-ups after doing dead lifts, took a lot of breaks during the pull-ups. (I don't think I had any muscles at all in my forearms until I started doing CrossFit! )

 

[JocktheMotie]

Made it to the 6 am CrossFit class again!

WOD - 5 rounds for time, each round:
10 dead lifts (105 lbs)
15 pull-ups (used the medium band)
200 m run

Completed the 5 rounds in 18:04, finished last of 3 people. Struggled with grip fatigue on the pull-ups after doing dead lifts, took a lot of breaks during the pull-ups. (I don't think I had any muscles at all in my forearms until I started doing CrossFit! )

I tend to get grip problems too. I've found not wrapping my thumbs around the bars really helps. Forearms get extremely tight/stiff, and I even get numbness in my wrists and stuff. Not fun at all.

 

[Randomnity]

15 pull-ups (used the medium band)

You can do 15 pullups?! *very impressed*. Most females I've asked can't do any, myself included.

edit: wait, you are female right? I'm not just confused?

 

[redcheerio]

I tend to get grip problems too. I've found not wrapping my thumbs around the bars really helps. Forearms get extremely tight/stiff, and I even get numbness in my wrists and stuff. Not fun at all.

You mean not wrapping your thumbs during pull-ups, dead lifts, or both? I've never tried that. For the deadlifts, I started out in the normal position, but from the third round on, I was alternating my hands so that one wrist was facing forward and the other back, then I would switch on the next round, and that helps. For the pull-ups, I didn't change my grip, though, and maybe I should have.

At the last gym I belonged to, I think the pull-up bars were slightly larger in diameter, but I'm not sure. They also had grip treads, which I miss. At this gym, the pull-up bars are slipperier, so it is more dangerous to keep going with grip fatigue. It's especially risky when using bands, so I take breaks if my grip is tired. I also used chalk every round starting from the second or third round.

I haven't had numbness, though, that doesn't sound fun. :/ But yeah, my forearms do get really tight. It seems annoying to be limited by my grip, but I guess it's good that I'm building it up.

 

[Keps Mnemnosyne]

Sorry for the late update.

I did the three required workouts for last week. Diet so far has been successful.

This week, two workouts have been done with one more coming tomorrow.

 

[redcheerio]

You can do 15 pullups?! *very impressed*. Most females I've asked can't do any, myself included.

edit: wait, you are female right? I'm not just confused?

Yes, I'm female. No, I can't do 15 pull-ups, I can only do them with the big elastic band, which is what I meant by "medium band". And we didn't just do 15, we did 5 rounds x 15 = 75 pull-ups!!! (But I did them with the help of the elastic band!)

Oh, and we do kipping pull-ups, not strict pull-ups. They are much easier than strict pull-ups. Kipping uses momentum to help you get up. It takes practice to get the rhythm, but once your body gets it, it is much easier.

They have these big elastic bands you can use, which help a lot. You knot it to the bar, and then put one foot in the elastic band, so it helps lift your weight for you.

When I first started CrossFit, I couldn't even do them with the biggest, fattest elastic band they had available! I was doing jumping pull-ups, and not improving at all, which I found really frustrating. So I asked a trainer for advice, and she suggested lowering the rings and positioning myself at an angle so that my heels were touching the ground, but my body was as close to horizontal as possible, then lift myself so that my chest aligned with the rings, then lower myself again. Sorta like reverse pushups, pulling myself towards the rings and lowering myself again.

I did those ring-pulls after every workout for a couple of weeks, and was finally able to do pull-ups with the fat band, yay! The first time I did pull-ups with the band, the muscles at the bottom of my shoulders were super sore, so I guess that was what was limiting me, and what the rings helped me build. I used the fat band for a few weeks, then a slightly less fat band for a few weeks, and then the medium band.

I'm still at the medium band and will be for awhile, because the next band down from it is way thinner. My old gym had a lot more variety in band sizes than this one does. For some reason, the owner of this gym thinks jumping pull-ups are better, but I sure as hell get a lot more out of band pull-ups than I do out of jumping pull-ups. (I find band pull-ups much more difficult, so I get a better workout from them and imagine I'm building more strength that way.)

 

[Randomnity]

Yes, I'm female. No, I can't do 15 pull-ups, I can only do them with the big elastic band, which is what I meant by "medium band". And we didn't just do 15, we did 5 rounds x 15 = 75 pull-ups!!! (But I did them with the help of the elastic band!)

Oh, and we do kipping pull-ups, not strict pull-ups. They are much easier than strict pull-ups. Kipping uses momentum to help you get up. It takes practice to get the rhythm, but once your body gets it, it is much easier.

They have these big elastic bands you can use, which help a lot. You knot it to the bar, and then put one foot in the elastic band, so it helps lift your weight for you.

When I first started CrossFit, I couldn't even do them with the biggest, fattest elastic band they had available! I was doing jumping pull-ups, and not improving at all, which I found really frustrating. So I asked a trainer for advice, and she suggested lowering the rings and positioning myself at an angle so that my heels were touching the ground, but my body was as close to horizontal as possible, then lift myself so that my chest aligned with the rings, then lower myself again. Sorta like reverse pushups, pulling myself towards the rings and lowering myself again.

I did those ring-pulls after every workout for a couple of weeks, and was finally able to do pull-ups with the fat band, yay! The first time I did pull-ups with the band, the muscles at the bottom of my shoulders were super sore, so I guess that was what was limiting me, and what the rings helped me build. I used the fat band for a few weeks, then a slightly less fat band for a few weeks, and then the medium band.

I'm still at the medium band and will be for awhile, because the next band down from it is way thinner. My old gym had a lot more variety in band sizes than this one does. For some reason, the owner of this gym thinks jumping pull-ups are better, but I sure as hell get a lot more out of band pull-ups than I do out of jumping pull-ups. (I find band pull-ups much more difficult, so I get a better workout from them and imagine I'm building more strength that way.)

Interesting....I have a (not very high up) pullup bar and I've been trying them with toes touching the floor at an angle (so like a portion of body weight) but I find that frustrating/useless because you can't really keep the amount of weight constant so it ends up being either way too hard or way too easy. I think I will have to investigate this rubber band thing, seems like a useful idea.

I've also never heard of this jumping pullup thing so I'll have to look more into that, too. Thanks for the info!

 

[redcheerio]

Interesting....I have a (not very high up) pullup bar and I've been trying them with toes touching the floor at an angle (so like a portion of body weight) but I find that frustrating/useless because you can't really keep the amount of weight constant so it ends up being either way too hard or way too easy. I think I will have to investigate this rubber band thing, seems like a useful idea.

I've also never heard of this jumping pullup thing so I'll have to look more into that, too. Thanks for the info!

You're welcome!

Hopefully you can find some big rubber bands, cuz I find them more useful than jumping pull-ups. I had the same problem of way too hard vs way too easy. The part where you jump is way too easy, and the part where you lift beyond the jump is way too hard. Maybe try Googling them? You could also try finding your nearest CrossFit gym and asking them for advice? Good luck!

Which reminds me, I think I forgot to respond to [MENTION=7197]Antimony[/MENTION] a couple of weeks ago about where to buy "boxes" for box jumping? I'm not sure, but I would advise the same thing: Google first, and if that doesn't work, then try asking your local CrossFit gym where to get them.

 

[JocktheMotie]

Interesting....I have a (not very high up) pullup bar and I've been trying them with toes touching the floor at an angle (so like a portion of body weight) but I find that frustrating/useless because you can't really keep the amount of weight constant so it ends up being either way too hard or way too easy. I think I will have to investigate this rubber band thing, seems like a useful idea.

I've also never heard of this jumping pullup thing so I'll have to look more into that, too. Thanks for the info!

Jumping is a great way to build up; you just give yourself a little boost and it helps tremendously. Also, consider trying negative pullups: jump up there and slooowwwwwly lower yourself down. 50 of those and you'll be sore for a week.

 

[redcheerio]

Jumping is a great way to build up; you just give yourself a little boost and it helps tremendously. Also, consider trying negative pullups: jump up there and slooowwwwwly lower yourself down. 50 of those and you'll be sore for a week.

That's what the trainers recommended to me, too. However, at my level of fitness, I don't find that helpful because I'm not strong enough to lower myself slowly (without a band). I dunno, maybe I do it wrong.

 

[wolfy]

90 minutes of Bikram Yoga. Burned approx. 890 calories

I looked it up and watched a few videos. Played around with a few stretches as a cooldown in my class today. I'm interested in learning more now. Cheers.

My internet atm is at all times either broken or in the process of breaking so I haven't been able to post updates. Have no clue when this will be fixed but until then my only posts may be the weekly required ones =/

Anyhoo, got the workouts that I wanted in, but have some room to improve with food.

Yeah, yeah, likely story. What is next? The dog ate my modem?

 

[MacGuffin]

Interesting....I have a (not very high up) pullup bar and I've been trying them with toes touching the floor at an angle (so like a portion of body weight) but I find that frustrating/useless because you can't really keep the amount of weight constant so it ends up being either way too hard or way too easy.

You could try a chair. Easier to keep the force constant. Just put a foot on it to help out.

 

[wolfy]

Interesting....I have a (not very high up) pullup bar and I've been trying them with toes touching the floor at an angle (so like a portion of body weight) but I find that frustrating/useless because you can't really keep the amount of weight constant so it ends up being either way too hard or way too easy. I think I will have to investigate this rubber band thing, seems like a useful idea.

I've also never heard of this jumping pullup thing so I'll have to look more into that, too. Thanks for the info!

You could try bands. Here are the best ones. 9 bucks for one. A mini band would be enough, mimics the movement so it is better than feet on the floor.

 

[Randomnity]

You could try a chair. Easier to keep the force constant. Just put a foot on it to help out.

The bar is low enough (it hangs from a doorway) that I don't think that would work logistically (unless maybe if I kneel or something....would have to look at the height again at home). I've been trying to mimic the chair thing they show in p90x with the floor, which seems to be approximately the same height difference as their very high bars with the chair. It just doesn't work very well for me, though. My bar is at roughly head-level for me when I stand on the floor. Maybe a bit higher.

You could try bands. Here are the best ones. 9 bucks for one. A mini band would be enough, mimics the movement so it is better than feet on the floor.

Cool, thanks for the brand rec. I tried a cheap band "pullup" thing before where you hang it over a door and pull towards your chest, but it was both a) ridiculously easy and b) I was terrified it would snap off the door and smack me hard in the face. So I returned it.

edit: I'm guessing I'd want something like this, which says it's for pullups: http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=138&pid=248

or maybe even the "strong" one.

 

[MacGuffin]

The bar is low enough (it hangs from a doorway) that I don't think that would work logistically (unless maybe if I kneel or something....would have to look at the height again at home). I've been trying to mimic the chair thing they show in p90x with the floor, which seems to be approximately the same height difference as their very high bars with the chair. It just doesn't work very well for me, though. My bar is at roughly head-level for me when I stand on the floor. Maybe a bit higher.

That's kind of what I have (sucks!), I had to move the chair further away. Need a heavy chair too to keep it from sliding as you are pushing more out than down.

 

[INTJMom]

Congrats to everyone who is staying on track!

 

[Antimony]

[MENTION=13844]redcheerio[/MENTION]: thanks for telling me I had forgotten

Oh, and I did sit ups today. 30, of course.

Today: walked several hours
Sit ups

Yoga

I'll probably be practicing dance soon. Organizing my room though, shredding papers so I am not tempted to go back to them.

And irritatingly, I feel like I look like I am gaining weight, despite exercising/eating right.