Daily Workout 2/28/10

Do you see them?  Those two eyes?  They just blankly stare at me, as if not even acknowledge that I’m a threat.  ”Muscle-up?  Don’t bother.  You’ll just fail.”  Not anymore.  I will not let you defeat me.  I will defeat you!  I will not let you conquer me!  I will conquer you!

Workout of the Day
MUSCLE-UP WORK!

Then,

“Fat Grace”
For time:
Clean and Jerk  185#
30 reps

Time – 5:35

Then,

For time:
30 jumping muscle-ups

Time – 3:59

Notes: BREAKTHROUGH DAY TODAY!  Not gonna lie, today was a good day.  Intense.  It may have been small potatoes to big time CF firebreathers, but it was good day for me.

Here’s the deal.  Douglas MacArthur Chapman owns Hyperfit USA, a CrossFit gym in Ann Arbor, MI.  He’s also one of the main coordinators for the Central East Sectional.  Every now and then I’ll check out the Hyperfit USA page just to see what’s going on over there.  Recently, I came across a video of some of their monsters knocking out consecutive muscle-ups, which is cool.  But the title was “Sectional Tune-Up”, and it got me thinking, “there’s a very good chance that muscle-ups are going to be an exercise at the sectional”.  Now, the WODs have not been announced yet, they will at 5:00 on Wednesday, but I’m thinking there’s no more time to dance around this.  I’ve got to make sure I can do these before the big day hits.

Anyway, after watching plenty of video to get as many visual cues of what I need to do to refine my movements, I packed my stuff into the trunk of my car and headed to the faithful elementary school playground.  I set up the rings, warmed up, and forced myself, FORCED MYSELF, let me repeat again, FORCED MYSELF, to muscle-up.  I should have prefaced this by saying, I haven’t gotten a single muscle-up since I injured my back (on an unrelated incident, of course) in AUGUST!

When I first started, I must have missed 20-25 times in a row.  With each miss, my frustration would grow even greater.  But so would my determination.  After what seemed like a zillion attempts, some screaming at the top of my lungs, and some technique adjustments, …then some more screaming, IT HAPPENED.  Total, I was able to knock out about 14 or 15 today.  Like I said, small potatoes to big time CF firebreathers, but I’m back at it!

After that, I hadn’t really planned on what the WOD was going to be, but since I lugged my bar, two 45′s, and two 25′s all the way to the playground, I figured I’d better use it.  ”Grace” is prescribed as clean and jerk 135# 30 reps for time.  ”Heavy Grace” is considered using 155#.  I figured 185# would denote “Fat Grace”.  To be honest, I’m pretty happy with 30 C&J reps of 185# in 5:35.

Sectionals are only 7 days away!  Nervous, anxious, and excited.