First, I looked into at home pull-up bars. Luckily, while we were in Pennsylvania a few weeks ago, Tommy found his old over the door pull-up bar that he bought in college, so I was able to save myself my money there. Next I needed to find something that would help me actually do a pull-up. I saw that Corrie Anne bought the Rage Pull-up Assist Bands, and they were the closest thing to the bands we use at Crossfit, and weren’t ridiculously expensive. The bands give me 90 pounds of resistance and so far I need to use all of them, but I can get about 10 pull-ups out at a time.

I set up my little station in my basement and I’ve been practicing my pull-ups on the days that I don’t go to Crossfit. I’ve also taken the pull-up assistance bands to the park where there are pull-up and dip bars, and they work great! Overall I feel myself getting stronger and my pull-ups getting easier. My Crossfit coach always told me that the only way to get better at pull-ups is to practice them and he was so right. It is really amazing how quickly out bodies adapt and how much easier a move gets when you do it on a regular basis.

My goal is to be able to do an unassisted pull-up by the end of the year and I’ve got a bit less than 5 months to accomplish it. I think I’ve got this!

What’s your “weakness” in the gym? Can you do pull-ups?

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Moving on, Spring has finally arrived in New York and we have been soaking it up. On Monday morning, I got an e-mail from my professor saying that class was canceled. It was like a first day of Spring miracle (even though it wasn’t actually the first day of Spring)! I texted Tommy and we made plans for a picnic and baseball at the piers. We grabbed takeout from our fav place, San Loco, and headed down to the piers. I got my usual Guaco Taco, a hard shell taco wrapped in a soft shell with guac in between. So good, if you’re a guac addict like myself.

The boys quickly ate and headed off to play ball. It is so fun to watch Munchkin and Tommy play together, and I think I can’t say he’s a baby anymore.

He looked like such a boy running around in the grass, catching and throwing the ball. I’m not sure when this happened. I’m pretty sure he just learned to walk, like five minutes ago. Since I still had my second class on Monday, we had to cut our game a bit short, but it was an amazing way to spend the afternoon.

On Tuesday, I got to spend the day outdoors, once again. I headed to Crossfit, while my guys headed to the park down the block from the box. Since we all have been having cabin fever cooped up in the box, we spent basically our whole WOD outdoors. We started out with tire flips and Continental bar deadlifts and finished off with burpees, kettlebell swings and sprints.

I’m still getting over a pretty yucky cold, so the WOD was extra challenging, but it felt so good to run around outside in the sun.

It also helped that I had my guys there cheering me on at the end – so motivating!

The temps are supposed to be dropping again today after last night’s thunderstorms, but it was great to get a little taste of summer. Then again, at this point, anything is better than snow!

How’s the weather in your area? Have you gotten a taste of summer yet?

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Speaking of training, I wanted to share the WODs that I have done so far. I think this will serve as a good way for me to look back and see how far I’ve come.

The Friday before last, I got to the box for 7pm class to find that there were only 3 of us there for the WOD. After our 1 mile run warmup, we practiced our snatches before taking on Isabel. I finished in 4:42, but I did the WOD with only the bar. It had been months since I last did snatches and I really want to focus on form before loading on the weight.

Last Tuesday, it was squat day. We started out with a warmup of 25 burpees and 50 situps before working on out 1 rep max of front squats. I only got up to 50 pounds because my form was a bit shaky and my wrists were killing me! I think I need to look into getting some wrist wraps, or maybe my wrists need to get used to the movement. The WOD was 5 rounds of 9 squat cleans and 6 hand stand push ups. I once again only used the bar and did the HSPU modified, as well. Even with the modifications, it still kicked my butt, and that is why I love Crossfit. No matter your fitness level, you will get a workout that works towards being able to do the RX WOD.

I almost didn’t make it to the box on Friday between complications with the seminar I was supposed to be attending at school and the 8PM WOD, I had planned on attending, being full. Luckily, Tommy, amazing as always, made it work and I was shocked to see 13.1 on the whiteboard when I arrived. As much as I wanted to sign up for the open, I knew I just wasn’t ready for it this year. I got through 142 rounds with just using the bar for the snatches. It was also an awesome experience to see the real competitors kill the WOD! So very humbling too.

I am falling into a routine with my Tuesday and Friday WODs and I look forward to them all week long. Right now, two times a week is the perfect schedule for me, between work, school and my two men, who have “guys’ nights” every time I go. Munchkin has even told me to go to the gym so he can have “guys’ night” with Tommy. Hearing those words come out of the little man’s mouth reassure me that I am doing the right thing for myself and for him!

What was your favorite workout of the past week?

The post A Week in WODs appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I was super nervous getting back to Crossfit, but I was also incredibly nervous. I hadn’t been in three months, would anyone remember me, would the coaches remember me, would I be the new girl again, would I totally suck at everything?  There are all things that swirled around in my head as I drove over to the box after leaving Tommy and Munchkin to have their boy’s night.

I walked in and saw some familiar faces and immediately started chatting with the other people waiting for the 7pm WOD. The coaches remembered me too, and said they were happy to see me back. It felt good just to be back in the box.

We started with double unders as the warmup and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I still had it..well, kind of. The last time I practiced I was able to string together a double under, single, double under, single, and I was still able to do it. Our strength was a one rep max for strict press and I was able to get up to 50lbs! Not too shabby.

The WOD was a killer. Helen herself is a killer, but this was Helen on Crack and it kicked my butt. We had a 25 minute cap, and I wasn’t able to finish all five rounds. I got through four minus a few pull-ups, and the pull-ups where what killed me. I just couldn’t finish them, even with a green and red band.

Even though I didn’t finish, I still felt great that I got back there and pushed myself. I’m going back Friday morning and I can’t wait!

What’s the last great workout you had?

The post Back to Crossfit appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

UP: We took a spontaneous strip to Butter Lane Cupcakes on Saturday night. I love that Tommy is spontaneous and we do fun things just out of the blue. The coffee cupcake was to-die-for and the shop was so adorable! I also had a bite of Munchkin’s vanilla on vanilla and it was the best vanilla frosting I’ve ever tried. They are famous for their cookie dough cupcake, but they were out by the time we got there, so we will definitely be back for more!

DOWN: Munchkin woke up with a high fever (102.9) in the middle of the night from Saturday to Sunday. He wasn’t himself all of Sunday and got sick in my bed, while I was trying to put him down for a nap. I hate seeing the little man unhappy. Luckily he was all better Monday, but we still aren’t sure what was wrong with him. I’m thinking some kind of 24 hour bug.

UP: Tommy surprised me with a three month membership to Crossfit! I had been debating on going back, but was having a hard time justifying the cost, even though I loved getting my butt kicked there. On Saturday, Tommy highjacked my iPad so that he could get into my account to surprise me. I checked my email to find that I had a three month membership all paid for! So excited to get back there tonight! I am also thinking that I might want to follow a Crossfit Endurance training program for my half this fall, but I’ll see how everything goes at Crossfit before making a decision.

DOWN: We planned on going to Trader Joe’s on Sunday, but since the little man was sick we stayed home and I’m left with not much to work with for meals this week. Wish me luck!

UP: My mom made ribs for dinner on Sunday. Her ribs are one of my favorite things that she makes, and I didn’t even think twice about not eating them at dinner. This no meat thing is going better than I had expected. I even resisted bacon last weekend! I am thinking of sticking with it for longer than just Lent, but we will see how the rest of March plays out.

Share an UP and DOWN from your weekend.

The post Ups and Downs appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Last night I went to my basement to work out. I used Fitness Buddy to put together an upper body workout using my cable machine. I got through my workout and I didn’t really feel like I got a good workout. I didn’t feel completely drained, yet totally energized like I used to feel after Crossfit. So what’s a girl to do… I looked up an at home WOD on the spot. Since the basement has a low ceiling and the Nor’easter was keeping me inside, I had to do something that I could do in the basement with no real equipment.

I even wrote it down on my whiteboard like in Crossfit. Yes I am a total dork.

As simple as this mini-WOD seemed, it kicked my butt and I finished in 11:37. It forced me to go back to the Crossfit mindset, where you want to finish as quick as possible, but still do the moves the proper way. As much as I missed the coaches and other Crossfitters cheering me on, I felt great afterwards. I was tired, sweaty, but smiling. The way you should be after a good workout.

As much as I miss Crossfit and hope to return one day, these at home WODs will have to do for now. If you have any websites that have at home or travel WODs send em my way, por favor!

What’s your favorite at home workout?

The post I Miss Crossfit appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Before we got to the WOD, we practiced deadlifts. I had only done deadlifts in WODs so far, and I tend to err on the side of safety and go pretty light with my weights until I get comfortable with the weight I’m putting on, but I am so proud to say that I got up to 175 lbs. We were going for one rep max, but I do not feel like the weight I got to was my one rep max. I knew I could have gone on, but we ran out of weight plates, so I decided to take a back seat and watch some of the others lifting some incredible weight. Our 8pm WOD had a record of over 360lbs. Its amazing to see what seemingly “normal” people can achieve.  I am also over the moon because one of the coaches kept telling me that I have an amazing deadlift. I was probably beaming every time he looked over at me, because when I started my foundations, I could barely do a proper air squat, let alone dead lift. P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S!

After deadlifts, we got to the WOD. At first look, I thought to myself, that doesn’t sound too bad. When our coaches were telling us to break it down into sets of 15s or 10s to make it easier, I though I have this. I came out strong for about the first 5 rounds. I busted them out and then the pain set it. Each set of 10 made it feel like my legs were on fire, but I got through it in 13:39. If it had not been for my coaches and other CrossFitters, I would have given up. I was ready to lay, face-down in my signature I’m dying pose, but Ashley stuck with me, she counted off each wall ball and cheered for me when I got through another set of 10.

There were just a few people remaining after I finished, but we all cheered each other on and everyone finished. It felt just as great to give support than to get it. After we all finished the WOD, our coaches told us we were awesome and we all shared our times.

That being said, I’m currently toying with the idea of giving up CrossFit for a few weeks to properly train for my 10k in October, but the more I think about it the less I want to do it. My Groupon membership ends on Sunday, so I’m hoping to get in a WOD or two before this break. Decisions, decisions!

What’s the last workout that left you hurtin’?

The post Karen appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

 I’m sure you noticed Sylvia talking a lot about CrossFit recently (I love how she described it as a playground for adults!) I have been doing CrossFit for 3 months now and have seen some major changes in myself in just a short period of time. Physically, I have changed drastically thanks to starting CrossFit.

These pictures are exactly 60 days apart. While the physical changes are awesome, CrossFit has changed more than just my physical appearance… it has revolutionized my thinking.

Going into a CrossFit gym (or “box” as most CrossFitters call it) can be intimidating! I was so nervous before my first CrossFit experience. The warm up looked intimidating. After going through some coaching we did our first WOD, or Workout of the Day. It was hard, but I finished and when I did I felt strong. I accomplished something my mind tried to tell me I couldn’t do.

For the first few weeks it was tough to break through that inferiority complex I had in my mind. I thought that I wasn’t __________ enough… (Strong, Fast, Good, etc). When that timer counts down 3,2,1, GO! It’s like I turn into a different person. Pushing myself physically and mentally at CrossFit has built up my confidence and taught me that it is possible to take a weakness and turn it into strength. When I finish a workout I didn’t think I could do, it makes me wonder what else in life I can conquer if I stop doubting myself.

So, whether it is CrossFit, Running, Biking, Zumba or any kind of activitity don’t let the mental aspect stop you from giving it all you’ve got. Don’t tell yourself you can’t. You might surprise yourself and find you are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

What is something you’ve wanted to try but haven’t?

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I am kind of convinced that Crossfit is just a big playground for adults. Case in point: Wall Climbs. When I read that I was like what they heck could that be, but it’s just what it sounds like. You back into the wall and climb up. So much fun, even when I fell on my face.

The next morning I walk into the box and take a look at the whiteboard. The WOD sounds intense, but what the heck is HS Walking. I scan through a list of things that HS could stand for, but never does handstand enter into my mind. I didn’t actually get to handstand walk, but I did get a lot of practice of kicking up into handstand pose. This was SO.MUCH.FUN! And then Cindy kicked my butt. Actually, she handed it to me in a sweaty mess of a bag. When I laid down after I finished with just a few minutes on the clock, I left a huge sweat imprint of my body. I now regret that I didn’t photograph it for posterity. Next time!

Yesterday I surprised myself with double unders. I was able to go single, double, single, double for a whole bunch of times in a row. I lost count because I was so exciting to be doing it and I felt awesome when one of the guys told me that he’s been practicing double unders for a year and can’t do what I did. Major ego boost! I also learned that when they say you’re going to play a game in Crossfit, it’s not going to be too fun. We did 10 minutes of pull ups, with one pull up on the first minute, two on the second, three on the third, etc. I lasted until 8 min and did a total of 36 pullups, which blew my previous record of zero out of the water!

It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been a blast and a kick-ass workout. I am super excited to see what else Crossfit will bring and I cannot wait!

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For months, I have been pestering anyone who will listen about how much I want to do tire flips in Crossfit. It almost seemed like fate that my first WOD had tire flips as a warmup!

We ran 400m and then did a team tire flip where everyone flipped the tire three times. There are two tires and I’m hoping to work my way up to the heavier one.

After warming up, we split into two groups. The more advanced Crossfiters did EMOTM 3 dead lifts at 70% of your one rep max weight

for 10 minutes, while the rest of the group practiced power cleans.

It was finally time for the WOD and even though it seemed intimidating when I first saw it, I powered through it and felt amazing and STRONG! I did 5 rounds in 10:32 and I didn’t even come in last place! Woohoo!

The WOD called for 3 muscle ups, which is pulling yourself up on rings Olympic style, but was scaled down to 9 ring dips or 9 pushups with release. I opted for the pushups because my upper body strength still stinks. It was pretty amazing to see some of the guys pull themselves up basically to the ceiling and do the muscle ups. After that was 6 power cleans and 24 airs quats. Although the squats may have been the easiest thing in the WOD, you really start to feel em after a few rounds.

The best part about Crossfit, other than the amazing, kick butt workout, is the support from other people. By the time we got around to the WOD, there were already people standing around waiting for the 7PM WOD, and they cheered us on, helped us with our form and just made the whole experience a lot better. Definitely not something you would experience at a globogym!

I left sweaty, sore and smiling – best feeling ever! Today is time for WOD #2, and even though I’m still a bit sore, I cannot wait!

What’s the last feel-good workout you had?

The post My First WOD appeared first on Frolic Through Life.