Crossfit Ranch: Day 2

Boooooy! Was today another eye opener!

Tonight our warmup included the usual pvc pipe arm shoulder stretches, and some type of hip/leg stretch called the Perfect Stretch.  That one felt GOOD.  Hip flexor and hamstring is what I think is what I heard it stretches.

Perfect Stretch
You drop a knee and put one foot as far forward as you can. Make that shin perpendicular to the floor.  Then drop your elbow until you can touch your ankle and hold it a minute. Switch legs. This Youtube link actually has what I think is a better example of stretch. I think he calls it the Worlds Greatest Stretch.

The next thing we did was begin learning how to do a Kipping Pullup.  That was pretty fun at first, until you realize the bar will develop pretty big calluses on your hands eventually.

Kipping Pullup
Hang on the bar and begin swinging your hips back and forth. You want to gain enough momentum to begin actually clearing your hands from the bar at the top of the swing.  When it comes time to actually COMPLETE a kip, you'll be pushing away from the bar at the bottom and pulling yourself over the bar at the top.  I don't know if this makes any sense with words, follow the link to Youtube.

Next was making sure we had learned how to squat-clean. I had trouble with this one at first, it's not really a complicated maneuver but I haven't done any weight lifting since high school dammit!  But it's weird how the body remembers how to do something even after SO LONG (20 years for me).

Now for the workover of the day! AAAAARRRRRRGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I NEVER thought I would make that sound when working out.  At least at my age.  Now I understand why you kinda have to scrunt (scream/grunt).  It does sound dirty when I say it out loud.

Anyway, the workover:
Every minute on the minute
  3 squat cleans
  Countdown to 50 burpees

Here's what it involved for me.  I made the mistake of pausing and dropping the bar after every squat clean.
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!
At the start of EVERY minute we were supposed to complete 3 squat cleans before starting our burpees. Once the squat cleans were done, do as many burpees AND KEEP COUNT OF YOUR FUKEN BURPEES!!!!!!!  I wish I could emphasize how important that last part was, because trust me when I say the coaches are sadist mofo's!
There's a reason why they tell you to grab a piece of chalk before doing something like this.

YOU.
WILL.
FORGET.

I forgot. The coaches took advantage of that.  At one point, I actually rested a full minute because I couldn't push any more.  Then I got back on that damn bar and did the squat cleans and did a bunch of burpees.  They let me do that for 12 minutes.  I was in blackout zone by that point.  I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on, but last person had finished 4 minutes before I did.  One of the coaches was going around asking for times from everyone. When he finally got to me, the other coaches joined him and asked for my time.  I was still doing squat cleans and was just about to start my burpees. I told him I didn't know. They acted all astonished and told me I had been done for a while now . . . all while they were all smirking at me.

While I was still trying to catch my breath and not pass out, one of the coaches came up to me and told me that was a bit of punishment for not keeping track of my progress.  I couldn't help laughing at that. I actually appreciated them doing that.  I don't know why. Weird.

I'm grabbing chalk every TIME I walk into that gym from now on.

GD

p.s.
really fricking wrecked to check grammar. run smiley :)

p.p.s
i'll be heading out to the beach tomorrow.  my bud'll be surfing, i'll be running.