I’ve been switching up my fitness, so I thought I’d pop in on Sundays and share what my workouts have looked like each week. I’m on a mission to find a balance of things I love, that make me healthier, and that overall just feel right.
Here’s what happened last week:
Sunday
I did my first Bikram Yoga class in years and what an experience. About a decade ago it was my main form of exercise, but after doing it for years I got a little bored (I think that’s what happens when you do the same 26 poses over and over.) I wasn’t sure if I’d like it/hate it, or if the heat would kill me, but it ended up being like a nice visit from an old friend. In some ways, it was so much easier than I remembered (all those summer CrossFit workouts have prepared me for a 100+ degree room. NBD.) but in other ways I felt like I had some work to do. I left the class feeling great and also challenged, and determined to try something else new this week.
Monday
Rough day back at work after 4 days off and I didn’t have the energy to go to CrossFit so I hit up a Bikram Power Hour class. It was 60 minutes instead of the traditional 90 minutes and I remember thinking to myself at the end of class “If I give myself 1 day a week to sit in a hot room and be present and breathe — even if I suck at everything else — that will be a gift.”
And it was.
Tuesday
By today I was jonesing for CrossFit and the skill was practicing Handstand Pushups for 10 minutes. I’m in a weird place with handstand pushups because I’m just fine with holding a handstand (I can go about 3 minutes on the wall or about 15 seconds with no wall) but doing pushups with the bands elude me these days. A year ago I was doing that progression. A year ago I had shoulders I was proud of. These days, weeeeeeeeell, I’m a little softer. The goal is to get back there. It’ll happen.
The metcon was medium length (about 18 minutes)
5 rounds for time:
20 Back squats (95lbs – no rack)
10 HSPU (I scaled with my knees on a box)
5 KB swings (53lbs)
Generally I find 53 lbs a fairly heavy KB weight to swing, but today that was definitely the “recovery” portion of the workout. It felt light and easy, so that just goes to show how hard the rest of it felt! 100 squats! WHEW!
Wednesday
Back to CrossFit for sure, since the lift was finding your 1 Rep Max on Deadlifts and I LOVE deadlifts. Also, the metcon was very short! I was happy to PR at 285lbs, but I will tell you what — 300lbs, YOU ARE IN MY SIGHTS, DAMNIT!
The metcon was “Gwen” which is 21-15-9 Clean and Jerks, but you must do them at a weight where you can get through the sets without breaking them up (or else you have to start over.) WOMP WOMP. Because all reps just touch and go, you have to be smart about it. I was worried about grip strength after deadlifts (my grip strength is awful) so at first I was going to try my hand at 75lbs, but I ended up just playing it safe with 65lbs. I finished in 3:51. Short. Sweet. Intense. Rich Froning gave me a thumbs up at the end. He was proud, obviously. 🙂
Thursday
Thursday was a MAJOR day at work, and I gladly took a rest day. My workout was made up of Sitting in a Lounge Chair for time. 🙂
It was a nice day to do so.
Friday
Friday was a wild card. I wasn’t sure if I was going to hit up a yoga class, drop in at the spin studio by my house or go to CrossFit, but the wod didn’t look too bad (famous last words) so I couldn’t resist.
The lift was one of my favorites – Every Minute on the Minute for 12 minutes:
2 Power Snatch + 1 Overhead Squat — increasing weight every 4 minutes (I started at 65lbs, 75lbs, then 85 lbs)
The metcon was some more leg work (because clearly we hadn’t had enough yet this week, ha!) Three rounds for time:
20 walking lunges w/ 25 lb bumper plate overhead
200m run carrying the 25lb bumper plate
15 Goblet squats with plate
10 “See-the-Light” situps with plate
I run like a sloth holding on to a 25lb bumper plate. 🙂 This workout took me about 14 minutes and it was rough. But I enjoyed it. It was a nice way to start off a Friday night.
Saturday
I had intended to hit up yoga or stop by the barbell class at the gym and work on my clean and jerks, but I actually slept like the dead on Friday night (Long LONG week at work, let me tell you) and so I didn’t wake up in time. Embarrassing but true! So instead I ran a ton of errands and then took Buster for a walk as it cooled down Saturday night. We had a late dinner on Saturday night and we ate out on the patio, as usual for the weekend, but this weekend was a little different because our neighbors were getting married so our meal had a side of DJ and dancing. It was the most fun! all in all I’d say this was a rest day. And a good one at that!
*The chicken we ate was a riff on this recipe. YUM!
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I’ve got some Sunday yoga in store, but I’ll tell you about that next week! Any good workouts for you this week? Set any PRs? Try anything new? Do tell….
I love that you mix-up your workouts! I have fallen into a bit of a rut and am thinking of joining Crossfit but am vverrryyy scared! What would be your advice for newbies?
As for a PR, nothing that would win me a gold medal but I have been doing a lot of physio recently for my knees which has involved stretching. I have tried really hard to get this into my workouts and now I am like an inch from touching my toes with straight legs! Seriously, a month ago, my hands would barely touch my knees…I love when you can see progress, no matter how small!
Funny you should ask, I’m posting about it tomorrow! 🙂
Ok, so firstly I’m impressed and envious of your workout variety, but secondly: Damn! A 95 lb squat and a 285 deadlift is impressive! I hope I work up to being that strong (currently 95 is pretty much where I top out for reps). Major kudos.
Hey thanks, Arien!
Um, I’m sort of a Twitter and blog stalker of yours. I think I have commented maybe twice before, but have been reading you for a few years. Anyway. I am disappointed that your pic of your shoulders was private! I wanted to admire the hell out of them.
For the record, I have gone through a similar journey as you, but I was helped along mine with weight loss surgery that I sometimes regret. I did it before I discovered primal/paleo eating and lifting heavy shit. Nonetheless, I identify a lot with you and what you go through and I am so glad I found your place on the intarwebz.
HA! Abby, you are the sweetest. Thanks for the info on the pic, it was marked private. #bloggerfail But now I keep looking at it and thinking “Aw crap my shoulders didn’t look that great” but I was proud of them at the time, and now I *wish* they looked like that. Thanks for the kind words and good luck with your journey. I don’t know if you ever listen to the Balanced Bites podcast but they did one about finding Paleo after weight loss surgery (I can’t remember the episode) but you might enjoy it. 🙂
Yay! You un-privated the pic! (what? It’s a word.) I think your shoulders look pretty freaking amazing, woman, but I totally know how you feel. I have lost over 100 lbs, and I am loving the kinds of clothes I can fit into. I recently did some engagement-style photos with my husband since I was too embarrassed when we were engaged to take them then. We got them back yesterday, and horrified was an adjective you could use to describe my reaction. 🙁 I totally have days where I look at myself and think I’m gross still, but I know, I KNOW, I look way more awesome now than before I got fat. I can back squat 125 lbs. I can deadlift 160. I can swing the beast at my husband’s kettlebell class. The weight loss/gain/loss mindfuck is terrible.
Thanks for the heads up on the Balanced Bites podcast! I tend not to do those just because I am a doctoral student in my last year, writing my dissertation, and trying to balance academic career crap (job documents, publishing, teaching, GAH!!!!) with my me-time: working out, enjoying my husband and friends’ company, my dogs, etc. It’s hard to squeeze in everything. I know you get that from reading your posts. 🙂 I’ll look for it, though. The “nice” thing about WLS is that, with the kind I had, my stomach is way smaller now, so I have to be really mindful about what I put in it so that I can keep my muscle gains and make progression as well as keep my nutrient intake appropriate. Not much room for other things, and too much sugar now makes me REALLY sick. Plus, I am gluten intolerant. So, there you go. 🙂
Sorry, that was a book. I’ll go away now! 🙂
Sitting in a Lounge Chair for time ties with Sitting on the Porch Swing With a Good Book for time as my favorite WOD. Just sayin’. 😉
xoxo, B