Todays workout at my crossfit gym.
4 Rounds of:
10 hanging squat cleans (95 lbs/65 lbs)
30 sit-ups
15 kettle-bell swings (35 lbs/53 lbs)
The warm-up for this workout was two rounds of some box jumps, 5 muscles ups, glut-hams and back extensions, some light kettle bells swings (35#) and some practice hang squat cleans with just the 45# bar, no weights on it. Feeling a bit playful, I tried jumping forwards onto the box and then off the other side and then a backwards box jump. At backwards box jump number two I missed, and nearly crashed onto nearby equipment… backwards box jumps – bad idea. I got both of my rounds of 5 muscle ups continuously without dropping off! Hooray! That’s one of my mini-goals. (What is a muscle-up? Video from crossfit.com) Then right at the end of the warm-up on the final practice hang squat cleans, I accidentally pulled the bar way too close while my hips were pushed a bit forward and pinned and squashed my unmentionables with a not so manly yelp that turned heads. “Did you just hit yourself in the nuts?” My red-faced silence confirms.
Starting the workout a little nasea and a healthy fear of squat cleans…
Mark: 11:35. I feel good about it. I stayed mentally strong and kept a nice steady pace (although a bit slow)
Most of the best times were right around 10:00 with the exception of Tess at 8:44. She is a machine.
On the final set of kettle bell swings, my grip strength was waining but I was determined to hold onto that chunk o’ metal and finish all 15 reps without setting it down. The internal dialog went just like this:
(rep 5) “With a good hip-pop, you don’t even need arm strength, you just have to hold on”
(rep 6) “Yeah! good pop. I barely even had to lift it. 10 more of those please.”
(rep 10) “Ooo, my forearms are burning, getting tough to hold on. Only five more.”
(rep 12) “Dammit, I’m a rock climber, if there is one thing I got, its strong grip”
(rep 11) “Hey, I can relax my grip a little at the top”
(rep 12) “Whoa! Not too much relaxing up there. Might drop it on my head”
(rep 13) “I… am… climber. Will not LET GO”
(rep 14) “Must… hold… on…. Is there anything breakable in front of me? No… good.”
(rep 15) “Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Don’t let go. Please don’t let go.”
(lowering/dropping the weight away from the toes) “Whew, that was a close one”