BodyFit-PullUps

Mastering the pull up is still something I am doing even after 3 years of CrossFit. There are so many variations, such as, strict, kipping, butterfly, supinated, pronated, etc. This week in my BodyFit class we are going over the Pull Up and all the different variations, plus what to work on if you don’t have your first pull up quiet yet.

I have explained to the people who have came to my mini-clinic that these variations aren’t necessarily easier or harder, they are just different things to practice to build up their strength or if a workout calls for pull ups, these are alternates that you can use during.

These variations are not the only things out there I would try, but this is what I recommend in order to get your first pull up:

• Jumping Pull ups: Get a box so that your arms are bent at about a 90 degree angle while holding on to the pull up bar. Jump to get your chin above the bar a few times, rest and repeat.
• Jump & Hold: When you feel comfortable enough getting your chin above the bar, grab the pull up bar, jump up and hold yourself as long as possible with your chin above the bar. You will start to shake and this is okay. Then slowly decent and repeat.
• Bands: I would recommend using 1-2 bands, but never more. Most coaches would prefer that if you are using a band to have them be strict pull ups. I think this will obviously build the strength you need to get a pull up, but if kipping is something you also want to practice, I would not discourage you from using a band. Just don’t let the band whip you in the face. I personally have been using a band to help me with my kipping bar muscle up, and in my mind- if this is helping, a band to help you with a kipping pull up is fine by me. If you have to use three bands, I would recommend building your strength up first so that you only need <2 bands.
• Pronated: This is simply when your hands are wrapped around the bar, palms facing out, away from your body. This is the most popular type of pull up. While on this subject, I would recommend wrapping your thumb around the bar during your pull ups to prevent slipping off the bar. Just think about hook grip in a snatch or clean, if it gets heavy, you should hook grip. With a pull up, you’re lifting 100+ lbs of body weight into the air… wrap your thumbs.
• Supinated: Or as some people call it, a chin-up. This is the opposite of pronated, when your hands are facing in, towards your body. This is more bicep intensive.
• Kipping: If you have been doing CrossFit for awhile, you have seen what a kipping pull up looks like and it seems easy and fast… right? Well- yes and no. Hands down it is faster, but a kipping pull up is complex and unless you get the movement down of what your legs need to do I would recommend building your strength working on strict pull ups before attempting a kipping pull up. To break down the kipping pull up, watch this video: Gymnastics WOD (I love Carl Paoli who is the face of Gymnastics WOD and his instructional videos are awesome, so check him out to get more in-depth info about all sorts of things).
• Strict: This is when you pull your body weight up, get the chin above the bar and then lower down using all upper-body strength with no kipping (or pumping) of the legs.
• Butterfly: This is what games athletes are doing. Very fast, very efficient, very complex. There are two videos I want you to check out for more info:
  • Invictus
  • CrossFit HQ

 

Are you lost yet. Do you feel discouraged? Don’t be. Practice, practice, practice. You’ve got this and to help you practice here is a small warm up and workout for you to try on your own:

 

Warm Up

3 rounds

100m jog

10 PVC pass through

5 burpees

10 ab-mat sit ups

5 jumping pull ups

******

Workout

12 minute AMRAP

5 Jumping Pull Ups

4 Iron Mikes

3 Push Ups

2 SlamBalls (20lb)

1 Pull Up*

100m jog

*choose any variation of a pull up you want and it is good to switch it up every round

 

 

 

 

 

RopeClimbs

Oh hi Rope Climbs. Nice to meet you.

Sure- I have climbed a rope before in CrossFit, but this came from a lot of practice and a lot of confidence. As a kid, I could never climb the rope in gym class unless it had knots in it; I was always too scared to try the un-knotted rope, and thought I would fall off at the top. One day, maybe a year or so ago, I had Dan teach me how to climb a rope after watching some girls fail on them at a competition. I didn’t want to fail at them when I had to do them. I am sure I looked like a crazy person using most of my upper body to get up the rope and from then on, I knew I needed to get more proficient at rope climbs- using my legs, not just my arms.

Yesterday, after doing CrossFit for 20 months I did my first WOD with rope climbs. They have been programmed in the past, but I couldn’t get over my fear of coming down the rope when there is a “rounds for time” workout. I always thought I would freak out, trying to get the best time, and not know what to do when it came time to climb, or worse- fall from however many feet high. This fear is real guys. I am not making this up.

Anyways, back to yesterday. The workout was 10 rounds: 1 rope climb, 2 deadlifts at 205#, and a 100m run with a 20 minute time cap. I thought this was a generous cap. I was seeing times of 14 minutes, all the way up to 18 minutes. So in my head I thought I had this in the bag to finish before the time cap. Well, I was wrong. Yes.. I have practiced rope climbs one at a time on days that I am fresh. I have never felt or realized how hard it is to climb a rope when your grip is shot, you’re all sweaty, and after about 3 climbs, your inner thighs hurt like hell, but you know you still have a few more to go. I got through 8 rounds plus one rope climb and one dead lift (so nine rope climbs total in 20 minutes). For me, I did not like my final score, but still wrote it up on the white board, sat there for a minute and then smiled- because I pushed through a fear I have had my whole life. This is the part where I really just had to leave my ego at the door and realize that damn… I just did that workout Rx, it kicked my ass, but I was proud of myself for trying something new, and pushing through a fear.

I still need work on my descent. I still need work on using my legs, and which clamping style works best. I know that there will always be things to work on. But today- I feel like just getting up and down a rope nine times is an accomplishment and I will take that as a mental PR for sure.

14.5Recap

Oh Thrusters… you have probably heard me call them very bad names and have never associated them with anything good or happy. Well 14.5 was announced on Thursday March 27 and for the first time in CrossFit Games Open history- this workout was ‘for time’ meaning that everyone would complete the entire workout and the time you finish would be how you were ranked. The workout consisted of: 84 Thrusters and 84 Burpees in a format of:

21 Thrusters – 21 Burpees

18 Thrusters – 18 Burpees

15 Thrusters – 15 Burpees

12 Thrusters – 12 Burpees

9 Thrusters – 9 Burpees

6 Thrusters – 6 Burpees

3 Thrusters – 3 Burpees

Top athletes finished this workout under 10 minutes. My goal was 20 minutes. I finished in 19:29 with no more gas in the tank. When I finished my last burpee I rolled over onto my back, closed my eyes for a really long time, kicked off my shoes, and just laid there for a few minutes. Catching my breath, gathering my thoughts, and realizing that was the last workout of the 2014 CrossFit Games Open, when I got up,  I walked over to Dan and hugged him – and this is when the emotions started to roll down my cheeks. I compare this workout to my last final exam in college. I worked really hard to get to where I am today and after putting in all of this hard work and dedication, it paid off. I may not be going Regionals, but I did the best I could and I improved from last year.

 

2013 CrossFit Games Open:

Southwest Region Placed: 1722/1989 (top 86%)

World-Wide Placed: 23235/27819 (top 83%)

 

2014 CrossFit Games Open:

SW Region Placed: 1134/3301 (top 34%)

World-Wide Placed: 15357/52543 (top 29%)

 

There are a few people I want to thank and mention, so here it goes:

 

1. Dan: You are an amazing athlete and I love you so much. Every workout you did, you amazed me and so many other people at the gym. Thank you for judging me on most of the workouts, keeping me calm and getting me through them. My most memorable moment of you judging me was during the 14.4 ladder, where during the Cleans you said, “Do you want to be a top girl athlete? Prove it.” This made me push harder and pick up that bar 16 times before the clock expired. Thanks for always pushing me and being such a motivator. I think your two top sayings to me are, “Mental Toughness” and “Don’t Stop.” I am not ready to stop and this year and am working on that mental toughness all because of you. You are 2015 Regionals bound. xxoo
2. Kelli: This was our second Open together and the first year- you had to talk me into it and this year I couldn’t wait to sign up. You have been a great partner to workout with and right before 14.5 started, when you came over and gave me a hug it was the first smile I had on my face all day. I was so nervous for it to start, but I was so happy to be doing it side-by-side with you. You kept me going and make every workout we do together fun.
3. Jim: Thank you for judging me on 14.1.1. I put a .1 after this because it was my first attempt at 14.1 and as Dan Bailey would say, “This workout was my jam.” I was excited to have you judge me, and you really kept me calm and pushed me.
4. Hallie: 14.1.2.3. I do this, because I knew in my head that I could do 14.1 with unbroken double unders, and when the clock went 3.2.1 I got 6 double unders, fucked up, got 10 more, messed up and looked at you and said we are redoing this. 14.1.3 started, and how about that- unbroken double unders and a better score. Yes!!! I also want to thank you for sponsoring me for 14.4 and doing my hair. I love the cut and your new salon (Starling Salon). You do amazing work!  One more thing- you are my idol at the gym. I look up to you and everything you do to prepare for the Open. Hopefully next year I can be at the top with you in at least one of the workouts. Training starts now. Like Dan… you are 2015 Regionals bound, and I want to help you get there.
5. Emily: Holy shit. I knew you were a great athlete, but you really stood out to me this Open. As Katie would say- you have a motor and your lungs are amazing. Yes you are strong- but for the Open, you need lung support and need to be able to turn the brain off – both of which you are great at doing. Good job and congrats on being in the top three at the gym for four of the workouts.
6. Veronica. Veronica. Veronica. Even with slamming your finger in the car door you still managed to get the best time on 14.5 on the women’s side. Holy crap woman. I know I pushed you to do the Open this year and I am about 100% sure you are not going to do it next year, but you should really be happy with yourself. You are an amazing athlete and a true inspiration.
7. Shelby: I judged you on 14.2 – chest to bar pull ups and overhead squats and although at the 3 minute mark you didn’t move on, you pushed yourself for that entire time. 3 minutes feels like an eternity when you are trying to just get one rep. On 14.5 you surprised the heck out of me because I know that 65lb Thrusters are heavy for you. Finishing in just over 20 minutes was amazing to judge. You are on your way to do great things in the following year. And you can cross off your goal of ‘competing’ on the Goals white board. Because you are definitely a competitor now.

 

I am sure there are many more people I could give shout outs too, but I want you all do know that I am very proud of the people who stuck to it and completed all five workouts during this year’s Open. It is over and we all got better. Let’s prepare for 2015!!

WinterWODFest

Quick back story: a woman at our gym registered, but could not participate in the Winter WOD Fest that CrossFit Eminence puts on – and wasn’t able to get a refund, so 16 hours before the competition I took her spot. Winter WOD Fest is a two-day competition that involves three workouts on Saturday and two on Sunday and what I come to the realization of is that it is no joke, and it is a competition you don’t just do on a whim. A few words to describe my first day in the competition are: 1. Overwhelming 2. Humbling 3. Eye-Opening.

1. Overwhelming

These girls are the bees-knees and because I am such a competitive person I get the jitters, can’t eat, and just want to impress people… And today- I didn’t even really impress myself, but that is just because I did not perform as well as I wanted to. It is an overwhelming feeling to feel unimpressed with yourself. I know what I am capable of, but my Mind,-yes I am referring to my mind as a person- really took over today and was a big, nasty, bitch. The mind can be a real downer sometimes, and now after today, on top of my long list of things I need to work on at the gym, Getting Mentally Strong is now on top.

2. Humbling

Some days I walk into the gym, crush the WOD, post my results and feel on top of the world. Today- everyone there was most likely one of the top girls at their gym in something, and everyone brought their A-game. It is a humbling experience to workout with some of the best CrossFit Athletes in Colorado and I look at the women with amazement and determination to one day, be like them. one day….

3. Eye-Opening

“Oh, these WODs are tailored for me.” Wrong. Every WOD killed me today. One of them even made me throw up for the first time ever. Does this mean I need to push myself harder in every day WODs. Yes. Does this mean I was naive. Yes. Are these bad things? No. Every competition I have done so far has been eye opening and this is a good thing. I’ll even say it is a great thing. I see what others do to prepare, I notice what others do to be better, and I can only take notes.

CrossFit has really changed my life and doing these competitions will only make me stronger – mentally and physically. I realize this post may seem like a pitty party, but for me, writing about my experiences help. And I hope this helps someone else who may have had a bad workout, came in dead last in a competition, or is struggling. We all have those days and we all just need to keep our heads high, breathe, and know that we are strong and as corny as it may sound- whatever doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.

Elizabeth

Last week I wrote about setting goals, and was very excited about new personal records (PRs) I had set for myself, but last night I had the complete opposite feeling. I realize that with CrossFit you really do need to leave your ego at the door and that you are there to better yourself, but last night my attitude got the best of me, and my performance lacked. Everyone has their ‘off’ days. Everyone has experienced a bad workout. Yesterday was mine.

We started the night out with snatch-grip deadlifts which is a normal deadlift, but with a wider grip on the bar. I was doing okay with this strength portion of the workout, and felt a good burn when the seven rounds of two reps was completed. But then that all changed for our cardio portion which was “Power Elizabeth” which is:

 

21-15-9 Reps (For Time)

Power Clean 135lbs(men)/95lbs(women)

Ring Dips

 

Doesn’t seem too difficult right?! Well… Wrong. Elizabeth is a bitch, who put me in my place last night. This Elizabeth chick is on my list, and now I know what I need to work on (among many other things).  I had to scale the workout down so that I could actually complete it and so my WOD looked like this:

21-15-9 (For Time)

Power Clean at 85lbs

Ring Dips with a 20” box to rest my toes on for scaling

 

And even after scaling- I was the last person to finish the WOD out of the class of 18 people. Normally it doesn’t bother me if I am the last one to finish, but something was off last night and although I came to the realization that I need to seriously work on ring dips and my cleans, I also need to remember to breathe, not to let the clock get the best of me, and to remember that I have only been doing this crazy sport of CrossFit for 7 months and that I should be proud of myself. I have tendency to end my blog posts with a few words of encouragement and today is no different. If you have a bad workout, don’t let it affect you for too long. Move on. Life it too short to sweat (pun intended) the small stuff.

PullUp

From the day I started doing crossfit on Saturdays for free at Crossfit Denver, my boyfriend, Dan kept asking me what my goal was. I had no idea what sort of goal to set, or what I wanted to accomplish, other than getting in great shape. But in crossfit, goals are a little bit different. If you eat right and do the work outs of the day (WOD), well then, duh- you will get in shape. Dan told me to dig deeper. So at the new year, I said that I wanted to perform an unassisted pull up. The goal is to do three in a row without dropping, and I am on my way!

I started crossfit using three bands (they look like large rubber bands) to help me with an assisted pull up to get through the WODs. Slowly, but surly, today I did my first WOD without ANY bands, and although I had to break at almost every single one, and I only got two in a row I could not believe it. I was the last one to finish the WOD in a little over 16 minutes, but I did 45 pull ups with no bands. 45! I am still in shock.

Coming from a girl who has never been able to use the monkey bars at recess in elementary school, or even last year for that matter, I want to tell all of you, that if you work at something, you can achieve it, and the minute you do, you will not be able to stop gloating… And you have the right to dwell on one’s own success. You deserve it.

ItIsOn

For the past three days I have come to the conclusion that I am going to be one of “those” people who set a fitness-type new year’s resolution. I have set resolutions in the past, and have done my best to accomplish them, but this year’s resolution is different. I want to better myself, mentally & physically.

This resolution may seem very open ended, and that is what I like about it. In the past, I have set very goal driven resolutions like my 2012 resolution was that I wanted to run in my first half marathon. In January of 2011 I set a resolution to run a race with my boyfriend, and even the year before that in 2010 I decided I would participate in my first sprint/mini triathlon. This year’s resolution or….. goal, as I would prefer to call it, has pretty much already began. Tomorrow I am signing up for my first months of Cross Fit. I have had the opportunity to work out for free at Cross fit Denver a handful of times, but starting tomorrow- it is on.

I am excited to start working out at the same gym that Dan works out at, and to become stronger not only physically, but mentally as well. I believe that Cross Fit will be perfect for me because I am always competing with myself, and always striving for more. I hope to write more about my Cross Fit experiences and sorry if my blog gets a little bogged down with WODS, pictures of my worn out hands, or me complaining about how sore I am. I cannot wait to start this journey and tell you all about it!

 

 

 

Julie Foucher’s Video says it all – Check it out.