Attempting CrossFit

If you are not familiar with or haven't heard about CrossFit yet, let me tell you a little bit about what I know. It may lot be a lot right now, considering Saturday was my first CrossFit workout at Guerilla CrossFit, but I will share what I have figured out thus far.

CrossFit is described as a strength conditioning program that is constantly varied, functional movement, at high intensity. I believe that most workouts are 20 minutes in length that repeat a series of workouts to complete a round - generally called Workout of the Day (WODs). You will do as many rounds as you can in the time allowed to complete your WOD. At the end you say how many rounds you completed. This number is shared among the group but is good for motivation and/or competition if you are driven that way. It is also good to keep track of your growth. Oh - and I should tell you, before moving on, that most of the WODs are named after women or fallen heroes.

Warm Up

We started with a 400 meter jog that was followed by a 7 minute warm up. It was 15 seconds of each set for 4 rounds of:

• plank
• super man
• right side plank
• left side plank
• mountain climbers
• jumping jacks
• jump squats

WOD - Cindy

Cindy was set at 20 minutes and looked like this:

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

The good thing about CrossFit is that most of it can be modified so that you can grow. I will be the first to tell you that I have very little upper body strength and, on top of that, I believe I have carpel tunnel in my right wrist. So you can see the problem I face when it comes to the pull ups and push ups. Thankfully, I was able to modify both so that I could complete them and work up to doing them the correct way. 

I used rings instead of doing actual pull ups. The rings are like the ones that male gymnasts would use. This rings were strapped to the bar, feet placed the ground and out to the front. I laid back and extended my arms straight out from chest and then pulled the rings toward my body, elevating my back further from the ground.

When it comes to push ups, I can't even do one "lady" style because my wrist will immediately shoot pain up my arm. The pain is so bad that people can't even give me a solid high-five. So to modify, I used a weighted bar that was set on a rack. Because my grip to the bar will keep my wrist in a straight position, it doesn't cause any pain and I was able to do the push-ups. 

When it came to squats, there is no modification. I just needed to work on my form. 

Scoring

As I stated above, you count the number of rounds completed. If you aren't able to complete a full round but was in the middle of a round when the time was up, you just count the number of movements completed in that last round. For example, when the 20 minute WOD was done, I had a score of 7.8 which breaks down to: 7 full rounds with 5 pull-ups and 3 push-ups completed.

I really enjoyed the workout and am considering joining so I can add some weight training to my workouts as, at this time, I mainly do cardio (Zumba and spin).

Have you tried CrossFit before? Did you like it or hate it? Tell me about your experience below in the comment section. :)

12 x 12

Here are the 12 9 books I read in 2012. My goal was to make it to 12; however, this is the one place that procrastination has not played off for me. Although I had made it through nine books in 7 months and had completed 5 of them in December, I just wasn't able to make enough time to squeeze in the last three. I probably could have if I didn't work, want to have a life, or, lets be honest, if I hadn't procrastinated so much.

The title links will direct you to Goodreads for a far better description than you will get from me and I have provided links for the authors websites. You can follow me on Goodreads by clicking here.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

I picked this book up in the Denver Airport while on a layover. Once I opened the cover, I was hooked. It was almost impossible to put the book down because I was dying to know what would happen next.

"Told with Jennifer Weiner's trademark and with sharp observations, Then Came You is a hilarious, tender, and timely tale that explores themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and charity, the rights of a parent and the measure of a mother."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book was purchased at the local Half Price Book Store and was collecting dust on my book shelf for months. So I dusted it off and started reading it on a Saturday afternoon and found my self not wanting to stop. I carried the book with me to work, read on my lunches and breaks, and often found myself trying to hold my eyes open late at night so I could just read a little more. I read this in about 3-4 days. After I had finished I watch the movie. On a weeknight. Now that's some crazy talk. If this is on your list to read, get to it!

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

The book started out slow for me, so slow that I had originally started to try and read it in August of 2011; however, I believe that was because I had watched the movie first and was waiting for it to align. Which it never did. Surprise. But once I stopped trying to compare the book to the movie, I found myself wrapped up in it. The book, as always, is better. Thinking I might need to read the next book in the series.... wondering what becomes of Rebecca Bloomwood.

The Violet of March by Sarah Jio

I absolutely loved this book. Although the book is relatively small and quick to read, Sarah Jio shows her skills in writing by capturing a story of self-discovery, love, and friendships that is entangled with mystery when she discovers a journal from 1943. I found myself reading the book with a piece of paper trying to figure out the mystery of the journal; to see if I would be right in the end. I loved this book so much, I purchased her next book Blackberry Winter.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

This was off to a slow start and was a bit of a challenge to read between things (like answering the phone at work) due to the time traveling; I had to keep flipping back to see where we were in time because it changed so much. And sometimes the changes and perspective seemed off. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

"An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come."

True Love (and Other Lies) by Whitney Gaskell

This book tells a story of a regular woman learning to take down her wall and let people in. Also one about friendships and making hard choices when you're faced with them. But this couldn't be complete with out the hint of a love story. Ok, so it's more of a hint -- after all, the book is titled "True Love and Other Lies." I completed this charm in four days. And I want a sequel. I just need to know where it all ends! 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

I first fell in love with Mindy on hit TV show The Office. She has since left the office to start her own show (which she writes, produces, and stars) The Mindy Project.

Anyway, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with this book but I thought if it was anything like what she does on TV, it would be hilarious. Problem is, my expectations were a little high. While I enjoyed the book and found parts to that reminded me of my life and were down right hilarious; there were also parts that I was confused with. Maybe that was her plan -- to leave some sort of question lingering so when she writes her next book, you nab it up to see if your questions are answered. If that is the case, then she is brilliant. 

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I watched this movie a long time ago and didn't know that it was based on a book. When I found out there was a book, I had to run out and get it. It was an easy read and hilarious. I couldn't get enough of it. I watched the movie (again) the day that I finished reading the book. In this case -- there were details changed and left out -- but I found the book to be just as entertaining as the book. Granted, the details that were changed would have made it better, but I wasn't as disappointed with this one as some of the other "based on book" movies. I was going to purchase Two for the Dough, the second book in the series, but my local Half Price Book Store didn't have a copy on hand. I decided that I would have to wait and that I had plenty of books on my bookshelf that needed to be read before I purchased anymore.

How to Love an American Man: A True Story by Kristine Gasbarre

I really liked this book. I think every female should read it. It is a story based around a woman who is trying to discover who she is and, really, learning how to accept who she is. Her grandmother has the best advice ever. And if I had a choice, I would want a grandmother like her. Don't get me wrong, I love the grandmothers I was blessed with; however, it makes me wonder if my life choices would be any different if I would have received some of the advice she gives to her granddaughter in this book.


My 2013 goal is to read 24 books. I am currently at a whopping two. I really need to get a move on it. (You
would think I would have learned from last year..) Don't forget to follow me on Goodreads to stay updated on my progress and to check out my bookshelves. You can find me here. :)