Shannon: The Atlanta streets sounds absolutely horrible. So dangerous!

The Christmas lights! Thanks so much for thinking of that and me! : (So much for the clear mind meditation during your practice. ) I am using my dinning room for my home practice in the new place. It's a great excuse for not purchasing a dining table that would never be used anyway. Oh and do be careful running out there in the ice. Yikes.

Rhonda: I LOVE IT! Congratulations on your developing strength! I'm so glad you are having a great experience with your trainer. Are you finding that your new strengths have carried over into your everyday movements as well?

Kim: I agree with Shannon. Get as much Vit D as you can and don't consider your efforts based in vanity. You are treating yourself with love and respect as you lift and make the lifestyle choices necessary to look this way each day. Or...as my crazy negative side would mutter..."If I have to eat clean 90% of the time and I feel too much guilt to buy a package of brownies for my kids as an afterschool treat...40 something or not...I'm wearing the freakin' bikini!

Legs feeling better today. Upper body today. Saved horizontal pullups/pushups till the end...mistake. Big fail...Not a big deal. I began the workout with three sets of pullups/push presses and a lot of rowing movements in the middle. It's a long road ahead...

I agree about the bikini also! A little vanity is NOT a bad thing either, not after all of the work that has been done. Let your little light shine!

Yes, Lydia, I can tell a difference. My balance has been improving; I feel more coordinated; I can move more quickly; I can get down and up from the floor almost like a kid can, etc. I've also mentioned to you all that I tap dance. I've joined a performance group and I now tap dance about 5 hours a week, spread out over 3 days. I can definitely tell that the training is helping my agility and being lighter on my feet.

I still have some little resistance to going to the gym. When I'm there, I love it. I don't know what that reluctance is about, but at least I know that it is worth overcoming it, and I do.

I think the most painful thing in the world is taking a break from Crossfit. A whole bunch of us were in pain this week. One guy I only saw once. I went 4 times this week and thought about going today but I was so sore I couldn't sleep. I actually got up, did yoga, felt better and went back to sleep. I'm not quite as sore anymore.

Hi everyone!

I'm taking a break from cross-fit, too. I didn't find that trying to train for strength, explosiveness, and endurance simultaneously was moving me toward any of those things. So, I'm going to concentrate on losing fat (and minimizing muscle losses) for the next 4 weeks, then probably shift back to a focus on strength/mass gains after my vacation. Good old fashioned bulking and cutting cycles, really, although I guess women aren't supposed to bulk.

Frankly, my fairly lengthy experiment with cross-fit left me with the niggling feeling that I was setting myself up for injury. I'm sure with good coaching, the risks could be minimized, although overuse is overuse (and the sheer number of pullups and dips in a cycle of WODs, even scaled down, is just ridiculous). But, I'm skeptical that a coach who took a weekend-long certification course with 25-50 other people can magically teach proper form on Oly lifts. I'm sure there are good coaches out there, but not necessarily in this little burg.

I also have to admit that x-fit is becoming too faddish for my cantankerous soul. Case in point: it was just featured in the Wall Street Journal's "weekend" section. The article featured a go-getter who transitioned from Zumba and yoga (gee, no fads there) to cross-fit. Judging from the accompanying photo, she forgot to learn how to back squat before she started adding weight.

This is nothing against cross-fit, or cross-fitters. If it works for you and you enjoy it, great. I'll be cheering you -- and your goats -- along the whole way!

//b. strong,
Kim

Well my break wasn't intentional I think you gotta do what is best for you. I also find that quality of CF gyms varies. I love mine and people are generally very knowledgeable. Our head trainer also has a BS in exercise science or something, has many years of personal training experience and is a level 2 CF trainer. It does amaze me how many people think 'oh I can just go get a level 1 CF certificate and open up a gym!'.

I've now done my DB circuit workout twice, and both times I have been seriously sore afterward... I'm trying to decide if I'm going to stick with the circuits or go back to my FB or split set. Hm.

Kim - I saw the same thing happening with my CF-esque workouts, that is why I stopped. I was afraid I was going to hurt myself doing them in my garage. I'm doing some watered down circuits now instead.

Nelie - Your gym does sound better than the one down here.

Rhonda - I have a little resistance to going out in my garage and exercising every single time.

Lydia - I never have a clear mind during yoga, I find that I wander off into various topics a lot.

Good day everyone!

Today was good, we did a wacky workout. it looked scary on paper but wasn't too bad. It was an off balance workout, doing various exercises with uneven sides, hard to explain but things like pushups with one hand on the floor, one on a 45 lb plate.

Lydia !! You should look at Groupon today if you can. The crossfit in Vienna is offering 8 classes for $49!! Our Crossfit did a similar deal not too long ago. Basically they did a Crossfit-lite type class without barbells (yeah I know thats the fun part). But it gives you exposure to the gym and atmosphere.

Hey Nelie! Thanks for the tip. I'll look into it.

Shannon and Lydia: having a clear mind is a serious challenge for me too. I think I get closer to that while focusing totally on an exercise. I almost manage to be completely in that moment.

Lydia, I looked at that athLean site, and found it really informative. I wonder if I ever, ever will be able to do that complete roll-up from being prone to standing up straight. Nope, no way!

So, everyone, I would like to know what, if anything, you take for pain? I have been trying not to take anything but at times ibuprofen (sp?) works. But, there is a lot of information out there though about some untoward effects on the liver. So, I've wondered if it isn't better to use aspirin which is a really old drug that it is a great anti-inflammatory (and doesn't bother my stomach).

Also, do you take glucosamine, etc?

Rhonda - I take glucosamine, have been for a while. After a few weeks on it I definitely felt 'looser', if that is even a word. I was taking the triple strength vitamin world version that has I think 1500 mg of glucosamine? Dropped down to 750 for about six weeks when I bought a different brand, and whether real or imagined I felt a difference. I've been back up to the 1500mg for about two weeks now and am feeling better. Does it help? Who knows. Maybe it is in my head? I do feel more stiff when I'm not taking it. On the pain killers, I try to avoid them when possible. When I do I will take an Alleve, sometimes tylenol. I also like aspirin, but don't have any right now.

I think I can feel every muscle in my body.

Yesterday, we did backsquats and my depth has improved so much, I had up to 133 lbs but I couldn't get low enough with that weight, I had a good depth with 123 lbs though.

After the backsquats, we then did
5 rounds of
5 snatch grip deadlifts
7 hang power snatch
9 overhead squats

My shoulder has been iffy so I went with 53 lbs and I'm glad I did. That workout on paper actually doesn't seem too hard but wow it was difficult. I'm guessing the backsquats had tired me out. It took me 18 minutes to finish.


Today, I 'rest'. Not sure what that means but may do some kettlebells or yoga or both.

Shannon,
I just peeked in and saw your post about glucosamine. Why did you decide to start taking it? Why I ask - I started to feel a bit of pain on my left knee when I go up or down the stairs and yesterday, after some squats, it was really hurting. My dogs are getting gluco mixed with chondroitin, maybe I should steal soome of theirs?? Maybe not - I think theirs has expired a while ago but I have been thinking I should start taking it.

Oh I take gluco and totally recommend it. Chrondrotin does nothing as far as I've heard, glucosamine is the important one. I am doing better now that I don't take it every day but at one point, I'd have pain in my knee if I didn't.

Another vote for Glucosamine. Actually, mine is a combination of glucosamine and chrondrotin in the same capsule. I began taking it after my menisci surgery. The surgeon had noted there was some "significant" osteoarthritis under both knees and strongly suggested that I add it to my supplement "snack" each day.

I can notice a difference. But equally important has been learning how to move into lunges and squats correctly as well keeping the quads and hamstrings strong. I also have learned to stop or change my programming as soon as there is any inflammation.

Now for pain...I usually just take whatever is in the house. (Not real scientific I know..)

Anyone doing fish oil or flax seed oil? I"m beginning to add this as well. I'm a little wigged out by the amount of fat in these. I know they are EFA's but you have to understand....I seriously avoid using any oil in my diet at all. Cooking oil, olive oil, butter..nothin'. Nuts are about as fatty as I get over here. Just trying to get my head around it. Hope my shorts still fit this summer after adding it all winter.