Down for the count for the last few days with a nasty cold. Make sure you wash your hands after reading this note!

Funny, I'm always raring to get back to the gym routines, though I'd just as soon sleep through my short morning cardio

Kim- My new approach to cardio and Xfit is to keep the extra cardio SHORT. 20 minutes on the elliptical 4 days/week in the morning (very, very early morning!) keeps my cardio fitness and weight pretty much where I want it, in addition to the cardio rovided by the craziness of Crossfit workouts. Can't hel much on the elbows. Mine were in horrible shape when I was doing a lot of heavy bench pressing (it's all YOU dude!), but I've stopped that. the pull ups nad push ups don't bother me- at least not my elbows!

The light box seems to improve life. What would really improve it is to stop this hour and a quarter commute!

Mel

Hi all,
Sort of new here (I hung out in LWL, among others, back around 2004 - I remember Mel and WaterRat from back then), and after a 4-year hiatus, I'm finally getting back to exercising regularly. My sport of choice is weightlifting, so I'll probably be reading this section quite a bit - but it looks like I need to look up some acronyms before I'll understand all that's being said.
I'm impressed by all the cardio you guys do - I know it's something I need, but I've always had a tough time getting into it. Anyway, I love reading the workouts - gives me new ideas, which will hopefully keep me from getting bored.

Welcome JCG! Cardio is in my book an evil necessity. I try to do mostly HIIT to it over with. I don't mind some classes, and I enjoy swimming, but the latter doesn't get my heartrate up enough right now (I'm very slow).

Mel - I hear you. I drove ~100 miles round trip for work for 20+ years. It certainly eats up your free time....

Swam for 45 minutes today, at least I feel like I worked my muscles some. Everthing - i.e. gym and pool - is closed tomorrow, so I'll try to do something at home.

Thanks, all, for the responses to my question about x-fit & overuse. I think Cheryl's right: the "official" warmup is too much. For the non-x-fitters, it's roughly 10 each of pullups, back extensions, dips, situps [I usually do hanging leg raises or roman chair situps], air squats, pushups, and a lungie-like stretch, times 3 rounds.

The other answer, although y'all were too polite to say it, is "suck it up and do HIIT." You're right, you're right, I know you're right ...

No school for The Boy today --it is November, after all, and they couldn't possibly have a 5-day week. The weather is supposed to be fantabulous, so I hope to be able to sneak out of the office for a bit to finish up some of the garden winterizing. My local government is now charging ridiculously high fees to *drop off* yard waste, so we invested in a little electric chipper/shredder to deal with the stuff that won't compost well if it's whole (shrub trimmings, etc). Running the shredder is actually kind of fun, in a build-a-sand-castle-and-step-on-it kind of way.

b. strong,
Kim

Hi JCG!

Kaw - I thought our warmup was extensive, it is 10 each of squats, pigs on ice skates (walking while squatting), pushups, pullups, box jumps, box dips, ghd situps (i skip), ghd back extensions, burpees and a couple other things.

We did 'JT' on Tuesday which consisted of 21-15-9 of handstand pushups (I did shoulder presses with 43 lbs), ring dips (I used a band) and pushups. My time was 21 minutes. I was actually feeling pretty down on myself about doing 'only' 43 lbs with the shoulder presses. **** that isn't too bad considering that is a little more than doing shoulder presses with 20 lb dumbbells.

Last night, I wasn't planning to go but we did back squats and I love back squats, so I went. It was as many back squats in 3 minutes. I did 83 lbs and 42 back squats in 3 minutes. Then we did 500m row and 44 double unders (I did 132 singles) for time and it took me just under 5 minutes. And then we did max reps of pullups, 3 times. I used my bands but I noticed I'm getting a lot better in a very short period of time.

Anyway, I feel nice and sore today, slightly and plan to go again tonight.

Just don't go "Fargo" on us!!!!

Your warm ups are tougher than ours.

Neli, I did JT last week. It's a tough one.

Tonight we did a met con (metabolic conditioning) with a LOT of running. It's cold here now. And dark. I am getting faster, tho. I did one clinic on Pose running and it has REALLY helped, especially on those sloggy uphills. I don't slog anymore

Did my lower body workout today that was meant for yesterday:
- squats: 3x5, 125lbs
- SLDL: 3x5, 70lbs
- 1-leg calf raises: 3x5, 25lb DB
- DL (just for fun): 5 with 60lb DBs, 1 with 75lb DBs (I could easily deadlift more if I could only hold more)

Not a lot, but I have limited time and before November, I hadn't lifted weights in several years.

JCG, welcome back!

Rhonda, hope you are feeling better today.

Mel, funny about the Fargo comment. I was thinking the same thing. Love that movie!

Everybody else,

Gym cleaning was yesterday. Had to wipe down and dust just about every inch of the place, since last week's strongman contest had left chalk dust everywhere. It took some time, but the place is rescued.

My trainer let me borrow a pair of 10# plates and a KB to use, since I'm stuck working out at home for a while. Since I don't currently own any plates smaller than 25#, or have DBs at home, this will give me a few more options for wods (wod= workout of the day).

Did my upper body workout today:
-bench press: 3x5, 95lbs
-skullcrushers: 3x5, bar
-one-arm back rows: 3x5, 30lbs
-BB curl: 3x5, 40lbs [did one set reverse grip]
Followed that with 100 jumpropes (something I haven't done for years) for a Challenge.

Mel, what is "Pose running"?

After 3 weeks away from the gym (election work, followed by bad cold), I went back today. My former trainer is now back at school full time and I started with a new one today. My former trainer was a 22 year old lifter, this one is a 68 year old cross- fit type. So, I'm switching around, and will do the lifting mostly on my own, but we'll do a bit of everything I'm sure.

Today he just tested me, expressing admiration of my strength, but still wearing me out in 40 minutes! The one that really got me was 30 mountain climbers using those slide things under my feet on the gym floor carpet. I stood up and almost fell over. My legs were like jello. My balance on lunges is awful, so there's a lot to do there.

I'm going back for more tomorrow, if I can move! And, it was really good to be back and working.

Totally different kind of fitness, Rhonda! Good for you

I took two minutes off my benchmark workout from a month ago...but when I did it the first time it was my first day back in the gym after vacation. Not sure it's an accurate measure of anything

everyone

Winter is here!

My car is in the shop today, so I'm doing an abbreviated lifting program at home and going swimming (with DH) later. I want to snorkel while we're in Hawaii in Jan, so I bought a mask/tube thing (snorkel gear!). The last time I did this was in Hawaii more than 10 years ago, and I remember several periods of panic as I tried to remember how to breathe with the thing. THis time I'm practicing in the pool so I don't end up sucking down salt water!

Mel, I hear you. Today was my first day back at the gym, after a couple weeks of sporadic home workouts and way too much of nuthin'. I felt slow, and couldn't even match my previous 1RM on the lift we were doing, so I lost a little. Still, a 2 minute PR is very impressive!

I was sluggish yesterday due to lack of sleep the night before. It was a heavy lift day and I couldn't NOT go, so I went.

We did 5-5-5-5-5 of Back Squats, Shoulder presses and Deadlifts. Now my shoulder has been bothering me so I wasn't sure about shoulder presses.

I did up to 133 lbs with Back Squat, 58 lbs with Shoulder press and 203 lbs with deadlift. My max deadlift was 213 which I definitely couldn't have done yesterday but was surprised I could get 5 203s. I actually failed my first 203, the trainer then yelled at me to push my heels and lift the bar and continued to yell at me through the 5 deadlifts. (Of course it isn't really yelling, I like to say it is yelling)