WOD 081206

Ok so this whole unbalanced work schedule is messing with trying to get this program going. Today I decided what the hell I'll do

Snatch 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,

130#, 135#,140#, 145#, 150#(PR), 155(Fail)

I am happy about the PR but pissed about the 155 attempts. I had it in the bottom position but just couldn't hold it overhead. Maybe I was just fatigued. Then I did

50 Burpees

3:15

WOD 081201

The Big 21

Clean & Press
65#x5, 70#x5, 75#x5, 80#, 85#, 90#, 95#, 100#, 105#

Power Snatch
80#x5, 85#x5, 90#x5, 95#, 100#, 105#, 110#, 115#, 120#

Power Clean & Jerk
130#x5, 135#x5, 140#x5, 145#, 150#, 155#, 160#, 165#, 170#

Awesome stuff! I didn't think I would Power Clean & Jerk 170# so easily. Same thing next time only 5 pounds heavier. I am excited about what this program could bring in the long run, but a little scared about the soreness tomorrow, ouch!!!

WOD 081126

Snatch- 135#, 135#, 135#, 135#
Clean & Jerk-165#, 165#, 165#
Front Squat-185# x 2 x 3

WOD 081124

Snatch-105# x 2 x 3
Back Squat-215# x 3 x 5
Clean Deadlifts- 215# x 2 x 2
Push Press-125# x 3 x 5
Pull ups- 4, 4, 3

From this point I will use linear progression. I really need more strict pull ups.

WOD 081122

Since I didn't make it to the gym yesterday:

Overhead Squat - 120# x 2 x 3
Front Squat - 160# x 3 x 5
Clean Pull - 155# x 3 x 3
Shrugs - 155# x 3 x 3

This finishes the first week of exclusive Oly lift training. I think that maybe the beginner program is a bit too easy for me. Time to move to the intermediate. I WILL MAKE MY GOALS!!!

WOD 081120

Snatch 140#, 120#, 120#, 120#
Clean & Jerk 175#, 154#, 154#, 154#

That snatch at 140 felt pretty easy. I can't wait to see what I top out at by the end of the year!!

WOD 081118

Back Squat(High bar) 205# x 3 x5
Push Press 125# x 5x 3

Had to cut this one short because it was getting late. I'll be back at it on Thursday.

WOD 081117

Snatch 125#, 125#, 125#, 125#
Clean & Jerk 155#, 155#, 155#

Ok Ok so I didn't do exactly as planned, but this is a good starting point. All the reps were good, technique felt solid except for one clean was kind of sketchy. I there is one goal that I think is the least likely I'll make, it's the 100 Kilo C&J. I'm going to stick with the Olifts, I just love doing them. I need to post video of my attempts so I can critique them. Tomorrows WOD will be:

Back Squat-80% x 3 x 5
Snatch Deadlift- 115% x 2 x 2
Push Press- 75% x 5 x 5

WOD 9.30.2008

Try to Squat your 10 rep max for 20 reps!!! Then drop 5% weight and try again.

I don't really know my 10 rep max so I guessed

185#x 17 reps
175#x 14 reps

I didn't reach 20 on either set because I kept getting dizzy as hell >:(
So I tried a third set

175#x 20 reps

Breathing is what makes this one really tough. If you don't concentrate and breathe right, you get dizzy. More than anything this workout was a gut-check; a test of your mental toughness. First 2 sets I didn't have it, I'm happy I didn't quit even though I think I'll be paying dearly for it tomorrow.

WOD 9.23.2008

For time 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5 rep rounds of:
virtual shoveling [wmv] [mov]
Push-ups

With an Olympic bar holding only one plate (men use 45 pound plate, women use 25 pound plate), touch the plate on one side of the barrier then the other for one "rep." Barrier is 24."

Time: 18:32

WOD 9.22.08

"Fran"

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
95 pound Thruster
Pull-ups

Fran: 8:38 as RX

Pr by about 3 minutes

Here is a video of what this workout looks like.

WOD 9.20.08

Farmer's Walk (1.5pood/1pood KBs) - 400m
20 Ring Dips
50 Box Jumps
20 Ring Dips
Farmer's Walk - 400m

1.5 pood= 53 pounds; that is walk 400 meters with 53 pounds in each hand

Time: 24:58

That was brutal, but I know I can do much better. I need to work on those ring dips.

WOD 9.16.2008

"The Chief"

Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

My Rounds

4,3+1,3,3,3 ouch!

WOD Thursday 9/11/08

Did a Hero workout in honor of 9/11

Randy
75 Power Snatches 75#
for time

10:44

Thank you to all the heroes who have given their lives for this country. You will not be forgotten.

WOD Wednesday, 9/10/08

As many rounds as possible in 20 mins.
15 Thrusters 65#
21 Jumping Pullups

6 Rounds + 15 Thrusters+10 Jumping Pullups

Harder than I thought it'd be, or am I just that out of shape. Jumping pullups really wind me.

The Zone Part Deux

After a month of good intentions but bad diet, I have noticed a shift in the wrong direction in several categories; namely performance, mood, and body composition. I feel that I have made excuses for some of these problems but that time is over. Today I was reading some Crossfit Journal articles on nutrition and started remembering some of the peripheral effects of the zone diet. When I was on a dialed in Zone I was much more disciplined in all other aspects of life and my general mood was much better. So after deliberation I have decided to give the Zone another shot.

Looking back on my hard routine, I seem to remember feeling hungry, so I reviewed my measurements and found that I was not eating enough blocks. I reread the chapter in Mastering the Zone on protein prescription and realized that I need 18 blocks instead of 16 blocks. This means that I will have 3, 5 block meals and one 3 block snack every day. For anyone reading this that doesn't know about The Zone Diet and block charts, I recommend checking out Crossfit.com and more specifically for block charts read Crossfit Journal #21 May, 2004. Another good issue on nutrition is issue #15 November, 2003. This discusses Metabolic Derrangement, Hyperinsulinemia, and gives several good source books on nutrition.

For anyone who is a crossfitter and does not read the crossfit journal, consider yourself foolish for not taking advantage of an excellent resource. With their new online version, you have access to their entire archives for only $25 per year. Do it, DO IT NOW!

WOD's for Thursday and Saturday

On Thursday night I did "The Bear"
It requires a long description so here it goes:

The Bear:

7 sets of the sequence:

Power clean

Front squat

Pushpress

Back squat

Pushpress

5 rounds

Rest between rounds as needed

Post loads

RULES: No resting on the ground (even to re-grip), break up or combine the movements in any way so long as the following are met:

The clean starts at the ground and finishes standing at full hip extension.

The squats have to go below parallel and the presses finish locked out overhead.

Jerking is acceptable, as are squat cleans and deadlifting then hang cleaning.

The squats and pushpresses can be distinct or combined into thrusters, but you can't receive the clean in a squat and go directly into a thruster; stand first.

Here's a Video of what this workout looks like.

I did:

65#

85#

95#

105#

I stopped there because it was getting late and I had to go home.

On Saturday I did "Barbara"

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round

WOD Tuesday 9/3/08

9-15-21-15-9

Sumo Deadlift Highpull(95#)
Double Unders
Push Press (95#)

16:50

WOD Wednesday 8/27/08

AMRAP in 20 mins

Snatch
OHS
Hang Power Snatch
20 Double Unders

Used 95# barbell for snatch complex

12 rounds+ 1 Snatch complex + 17 Double unders

FUN!!

WOD Monday 8/25/08

Woke up early today and decided to go for a walk. That walk turned into a 5 K run. Didn't time it but I'm guessing between 25-27 minutes.

WOD

for reps

5 Min DB Hang Cleans
5 Min Push ups
3 Min DB Hang Clean
3 Min Push ups
1 Min DB Hang Cleans
1 Min Push ups

46 Total cleans/117 Push ups

Used 2 35# Dumbbells for cleansThis shows how much my muscle endurance has suffered while focused strength training. next time I'll do better.

WOD Tuesday 8/19/08

Muscle Snatch: 114
Tall Clean+PP+PJ: 40Kilos x2x4

3 rounds

10R/10L 1 arm kb swing 53#
20 situps
5 24" box jumps

time: 6:24

Followed by contrast shower and ZMA capsules before bed. Contrast showers means that you get in a cold shower for a few minutes then turn the water to warm for a few minutes. This is fine but I like to change it more than once. This really helps to alleviate soreness after workouts.

WOD Monday 8/18/08

Back Squat: 220#x3x5
Snatch Deadlift: 154#x3x3
Push Press: 130#x5x5
Pullups: 3x10
Wtd situps: 25#x10x3
Lateral Planks: R: 43,38,39
L: 47, 32, 38

This was really hard and took forever. Had a nice date with a contrast shower afterward :) Be back tomorrow for more.

New PR's 8/15/08

I PR'ed twice in both the snatch and clean and jerk today. The first PR in the snatch happened by accident because I miscalculated what was on the bar. What a fortuitous mistake :)

Snatch: From 55 Kilos to 62 Kilos
Clean and Jerk: From 75 Kilos to 81.5 Kilos

I'm only 8Kilos from my goal in the snatch and only 18.5 Kilos from my goal in the clean and jerk.

WOD Friday 8/15/08

Tested my 1 rep maxes today so I have something to base my percentages off of when I start the CA WOD

Snatch: 131#(59.5K)PR, 136#F,136#F, 136#F, 136#(~62K)PR
Clean & Jerk: 154#(70K), 169#(76.8K)PR, 174#(~81.5K)PR

Lifts felt great today. Had technique flaw in my failed snatch attempts, but straightened it out and made the final lift. C&J was not that difficult. I felt that I could have gotten more but I didn't want to push my luck. Besides, I am always happy with 15 pound PR's!

WOD Tuesday 8/12/08

3 Pos Snatch(Floor, Mid-hang, High-hang) 43 Kilos x3
Snatch Balances: 95#x3, 115#x2(f), 115#x3, 120#x3, 125#x2(f)
Back Squat: 185#x3, 205#x3, 215#x3, 215#x3, 220#x3

I'm pissed about failing on some of those snatch balances! Oh well, at least I know what to concentrate on next time, aggression and stable abs.

I drove all the way to Boston and all I got were these lowsy shins!

This past weekend I went up to Crossfit Boston for a 2 day Olympic lifting seminar with Greg Everett and Aimee Anaya. I just have to say that if you have any interest in learning the lifts, look no further than Greg(well maybe Coach Burgener). His learning progressions are thorough and get you pulling correctly in no time. I love these lifts and am focusing on training them more exclusively.

Up top is a picture of my shins after training with the Pendlay Elite weightlifting bar. The knurling on this bar was rougher than a cob and turned my shins into swiss cheese as you can see, other than that it was a nice bar.

On another note, the people I met at this seminar were awesome. It never ceases to amaze me how many genuinely good people there are in the Crossfit community. Thank you to Aimee and Greg, all the folks up at CF Boston, Lynne Pitts, Lisbeth Darsh, and my co-pilots on the ride home Allison and Marisela. It was truly a pleasure to meet you all.

Lifting PR's

To the best of my knowledge these are my personal best lifts:

As of 8/7/08
Squat: 265#
Deadlift: 340#
Press: 130#
Bench: 190#
Power Clean: 160#
Snatch: 55 Kilos
Clean & Jerk: 75 Kilos
Push Jerk: 165#x3

My Stats

Here are my current measurements as a reference point for progress:

8/7/08
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 186 lbs.
Waist: 35"
Hips: 34"
Chest: 44"
Thigh: 24"
Biceps: 14"
Body Fat: 16%

WOD Wed. 8/6/08

After Push up challenge workout I did a snatch assistance exercise warm up.

3 x(w/ 45# bar):
3 OHS
3 Pressing Snatch Balance
3 Heaving Snatch Balance
3 Snatch Balance

WOD
21 Push Jerks
10 Shuttle Runs
15 Push Jerks
10 Shuttle Runs
9 Push Jerks
10 Shuttle Runs

Time: 7:27
Weight for Push Jerks: 105#
Score: 105/447 secs. = .23

Day 3 of push up challenge

2 Minutes rest between rounds

Round 1: 15
Round 2: 13
Round 3: 10
Round 4: 10
Round 5(ME): 34

Total of 82 push ups.

And now for something completely different...

Ok, so I know a bunch of you guys at CFDV have this kipping pull up thing whipped. Now I issue the challenge of... The Butterfly Kip:



If you think you can do it, give it a shot. It can shave critical time off of your benchmarks that have pull ups(e.g. Fran, Helen). The first person to get this will have a video posted on the CFDV website.

WOD Monday 8/4/08

Last meal yesterday 6pm, first meal today @ 10:30am: 16.5 hour fast

I had my first workout at CFDV in over a week. It was a fun partner workout which kicked the hell out of me. I started off with some Oly practice.

3 sets w/ 45# bar
-3 Overhead Squats
-3 Pressing Snatch Balances
-3 Heaving Snatch Balances
-3 Snatch Balances

WOD

5 rounds

20 Deadlifts(225#)
40 Box Jumps(20" box)

Reps were split evenly b/w me and Dan D.

Time: 13:56

I needed a good kick in the pants like that. Those snatch assistance exercises were a great warm up too.

Day 2 of pushup challenge

Round 1: 12
R-90sec.
Round 2: 12
R-90sec.
Round 3: 10
R-90sec.
Round 4: 10
R-90sec.
Round 5: 28

100 Pushups

Today I'm starting the one hundred pushup challenge(one of many things I'm working on). This is a 6 week program which claims to get you to 100 consecutive push ups. I'll post my results and we'll see if this thing is worthwhile.

Initial test: 37 consecutive pushups

Day 1:
Round 1: 10
rest 60 sec
Round 2: 10
rest 60 sec
Round 3: 8
rest 60 sec
Round 4: 6
rest 60 sec
Round 5(max effort): 27

Next day is Monday.

Observations on the last month

This past month was educational. After a month trying to stay on a strict zone I realized why I always stopped doing it in the first place, because it drives me batshit!! It definitely works. The weeks that I was on I was losing weight like it was nothing, but the constant weighing and making sure you had enough of this or that is just nerve wracking. I was taking the 5 days on 2 days off approach. I found that this was not very effective. I would lose a lot of weight during the week, only to gain a bit of it over the weekend; one step forward two steps back. If you decide to follow the Zone prescription, do it right! Don't make compromises and eat crap on weekends or have a cheat day. Throwing in an occasional cheat meal is ok, but don't make a whole day(or two) out of it.

Today I weighed in at 186, down 6 pounds from the start of the month. I feel like my weight fluctuates so much that it is a bad measurement. I need to get accurate body fat% measurements to track real progress. I am anxious to see how the other people did on their hard routine. Maybe the problem with mine is it wasn't hard enough; or not followed enough...

This diet is a good one if you are a structured, disciplined person. I don't fall into that category. From now on I will stick to what I was doing before, Intermittent fasting on the low carb end of the spectrum. I will do mostly 15-18 hour daily fasts with an occasional 24 hour fast thrown in there. My calories will be mostly made up of protein and fat, with as little carbohydrates as possible. I like this approach as it is more natural than weighing(aaaargh) all your food out, it is easier to implement, and I feel good while I'm doing it.

EATS 7/28/08

Meals

1st:
3 Eggs (3bp)
1 banana(3bc)
8oz. Milk(1bpc)
12 almonds(4bf)

2nd:
3 oz. chicken(3bp)
8 oz. Milk(1bpc)
Mixed nuts(9bf) makes up for no carbs
12 almonds(4bf)

3rd:
Smoothie

4th:
4 oz. pork chop(4bp)
Mixed nuts( 16bf)

The extra fat blocks thing is something I picked up from Robb Wolf in the Performance Menu. He says you can sub 3 fat blocks for every carb block taken out. Helpful when not a lot of carbs on hand.

WOD Mon. July 28, 2008

I want to focus on my Oly lifting a little bit for the 2 weeks up against this seminar on 8/9-8/10. Today I worked some technique drills and complexes with some other fun stuff!

3 Position Snatch(Hang, Below Knee, Mid-shin) 65#x3
Snatch 109#(Easy)
Clean complex(PC+FS+HC+C&J)109#x3
Front Squat 109#x8x3
Overhead Carry 109#~30 Yards

I used light weight so as to focus more on the technique. I really worked on some of the things Everett talks about in his book, e.g. keeping elbows rotated out, a more vertical back in the pulling position, and placing the bar more over the ball of my foot as opposed to the mid-foot a-la Rippetoe. I can't wait for Boston. I really want to learn these lifts so I can compete at a lifting meet.

Notation for the complex(PC=Power Clean, FS=Front Squat, HC=Hang Clean, C&J=Clean & Jerk).

Tire Flippin' Fun

Today's workout was a partner workout, but none of the other people were strong enough to work with me so I had to cut the reps in half and do 10's instead of 20's

WOD

5 Rounds
10 Push Jerks 115#
10 Tire Flips
10 Burpees

Time: 21:06

That was a tough one for sure. The tire was the easiest part, but it still was no picnic. The sun didn't help either.

Trying new stuff... I'll never hear the end of this one

Feeling drained when I got off work today, which basically meant I couldn't stand one more second in a car, I worked out at home again. I thought I'd try some stuff from Dan John's book, "From the Ground Up." I did a modified version of a day from his Transformation program. I couldn't do overhead squats because of the low ceiling in my basement.

Power Clean & Front Squat 115#x8x3
Power Curl(don't laugh) 95#x8x3
Plank holds front and both sides: 45 secs. each

Kb swings: 35#x15x3

I know I'm gonna catch flack from any crossfitters who happen to read this for the power curls. It was the only exercise I could do in that damned basement! I know it's not very functional, but it's in the program. I trust in Dan John's wisdom. Besides, I could use a little work for the pipecleaners I call my arms. Or maybe I just need more pullups...

Oh well, you have my permission to boo next time you see me.

Food 7/24/08

Meals:
1st:
1 TJ's sausage & 1 egg(4bp)
2 slice toast w/ peanut butter(4bc&f)

2nd:
2oz. turkey(2BP)
2oz. swiss cheese(2BP)
2 apples(4BC)
12 almonds(4BF)

3rd:
4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th:
5oz. steak(5bp)
1 banana(3bc)
8oz. beer(1bc)
12 almonds(4bf)

The bigger steak for dinner was just because I didn't want to cut off 1 oz. of it b/c when am I gonna use that? Besides, that's one more ounce of goodness for me! I need to make sure I get more sleep tonight. Felt drained and unmotivated when I got home from work today :(

Just me and 12 Kilos of Kettlebell

Today I felt guilty because I didn't make it up to CFDV. It was around 10 of 10pm and I still hadn't worked out. I saw my 12 Kilo KB sitting in my room next to my bed and thought no time like the present.

WOD

5 Rounds

10 Goblet Squats
10 Russian Swings
10 Right hand Clean & Press
10 Left hand Clean & Press

immediately followed by:
10 R/10 L KB deadlift high pulls
5 R/5 L Turkish getups
10 R/10 L KB deadlift high pulls
50 American swings

I didn't bother timing this workout, but I finished probably under 10 mins.(the clock said 10:01pm when I looked afterwards). I made this up as I went along and it turned out to be a pretty good little workout. It just goes to show you that if you get a little creative with whatever equipment is there, you can get a great workout even if it's only 26 pounds! Now I'm gonna do some plank holds and call it a night.

Today's Eats 7/23/08

Meals:
1st:
1 TJ's sausage & 1 egg(4bp)
2 slice toast w/ peanut butter(4bc&f)

2nd:
Chicken salad sandwich
4oz. chicken(4bp)
2 slice bread(4bc)
4tsp mayo(4bf)

3rd:
4oz. skirt steak(4bp)
3/4 bag tj's broccoli (2bc)
12 cashews( 4bf)

All I gotta say is wow, skirt is the best cut of steak hands down!

The Dark Knight

I just have to say... this movie was incredible!! There was not one aspect of this film that I would have changed. The performance of every actor was great, but greatest of all was Heath Ledger as the Joker. As a Batman fan this is how I always pictured the Joker, maniacal and frightening. Despite the fact that this is a superhero film, Ledger's performance is absolutely Oscar worthy. I also found Maggie Gyllenhaal to be a much better Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes. Holmes I think has very little substance as an actress, but Gyllenhaal has it by a mile. This film was a superhero masterpiece and will be hard to top by anyone. The shame of it is that we will never get to see Heath Ledger's Joker in another movie. They left the possibilty open for a Joker return, but who will dare to try and top that. Time will tell and I can't wait for the next installment, that is if it is done by the same directing and acting ensemble. If you haven't seen it yet what are you waiting for?? GO, NOW!!!

Hard Routine up until now

This post is the entire months nutrition up until today:

7/7/2008
9AM: Got 8 hours sleep
Weight: 192
I'll eat my first meal at 4 PM today. I figure I'll start off this whole thing with a 20 hour fast.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 07, 2008 at 09:05 AM

Broke the fast at 18 hours.
1st meal: 4oz turkey breast(4BP)
12oz baby carrots(that's a lot of carrots) (4BC)
12 almonds(4BF)

2nd meal: Smoothie
Protein powder, banana, peanut butter(4tsp),8oz milk
4 blocks of P, C, F

3rd meal: 4oz steak(4BP)
1 can lentil soup(3BC)
1/2 apple(1BC)
12 cashews(4BF)

4th meal: Smoothie(same as earlier)

WOD
Cindy: 11 rounds:(
This was very very disappointing!!! I guess a month of starting strength and no metcon is no good for a crossfitter. My previous PR is 16 rounds+5 pullups+7 pushups. I guess it didn't help that I was fighting bronchitis 2 weeks ago and this past weekend happened to be 4th of July. ENOUGH EXCUSES! In two weeks when I do this again I am shooting for 17 rounds. I will do it.

Going to sleep at 11PM.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 07, 2008 at 10:38 PM

7/8/08

Got about 9 hours sleep. Feel like I want some more...

Posted by:George Heckert | July 08, 2008 at 08:30 AM

7/8/08
1st meal: 1 sausage(3BP)
1 egg(1BP)
2 slice toast(4BC)
1 1/3 tsp butter(4BF)

2nd meal: 2oz. turkey(2BP)
2oz. swiss cheese(2BP)
2 apples(4BC)
12 cashews(4BF)

3rd meal: 4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th meal: 4oz. steak(4BP)
1/2 bag broccoli(?BC)i hope that's enough b/c it's a lot
12 cashews(4BF)

Took 2 fish oil caps w/ every meal. I felt a lot better today. My WOD(see Springfield WOD) took a little long but it was a very heavy push press. Also, my 3 sets of power cleans @ 140# felt pretty light so that's a good thing. My metcon will come back soon I hope. The block chart says 2 cups of broccoli is 1 block of carbs. I doubt if I ate 8 cups, but it sure feels like I did:) 10:30pm, time to take my ZMA and turn in for the night.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 08, 2008 at 10:31 PM

9 hours sleep. I feel good. I'm surprised my shoulders aren't more sore right now but the day just started.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 09, 2008 at 08:58 AM

9/9/08

1st: 1 sausage(3BP)
1 egg(1bp)
1 1/3 tsp olive oil(4bf)
2 apples(4bc)

2nd: 2oz. turkey(2bp)
2oz. cheese(2bp)
4tsp light mayo(4bf)
2 slice bread(4bc)

3rd: 4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th: 4 oz. steak(4bp)
1/2 bag broccoli(?bc)need to figure this one out
6/6 cashews/almonds(4bf)

About noon my shoulders and quads started getting really sore. I decided to take a rest day. Went to bed at 12pm.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 10, 2008 at 10:04 AM

9/10/08

work up at 8:45am. I feel great! Gonna hit it really hard today. I know it'll be something crazy cuz it's Zachs day.

1st: omelet(2 eggs(2),1 oz. steak(1), 1oz. cheese(1))(4bp)
2Tbs catsup(1bc)
1 banana(3bc)
1 1/3 tsp olive oil(4bf)

Posted by:George Heckert | July 10, 2008 at 10:08 AM

2nd meal: 2oz. turkey(2BP)
2oz. swiss cheese(2BP)
2 apples(4BC)
12 cashews(4BF)

3rd: 4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th: 4 oz. steak(4bp)
1/2 bag broccoli(2bc)
1 apple(2bc)
6/6 cashews/almonds(4bf)

The omelet I had for breakfast was awesome! This zone thing isn't all that hard after all. I pr' d in the overhead squat with 3 reps @140#. I wonder what my 1 rep max is? I gotta say that I feel great having this dialed in zone. It is definitely something I will try to keep to for as long as possible. Of course it is only the 4th day. We'll see how I feel about it in a couple of weeks. I'm confident though that it will be positive. Bed time is 11pm.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 10, 2008 at 09:04 PM

As a side note, I just realized that the past 2 days have been labeled as month 9(as in September). If you are reading this blog, please disregard that and know I meant 7(as in July).

Posted by:George Heckert | July 10, 2008 at 09:08 PM

1st: 2 quesadillas(2 corn tortillas(3bc), 1oz cheese(1bp))
1 sausage(3bp)
1/2 apple(1bc)
12 cashews(4bf)

2nd: 2oz. turkey(2bp)
2oz. cheese(2bp)
4tsp light mayo(4bf)
2 slice bread(4bc)

3rd: 4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th: 4oz. steak(4bp)
2 apples(4bc)
6/6 cashews/almonds(4bf)

Did Fran today as prescribed for the first time. I got 11:02, just 21 seconds off of my PR, but that was at 75#. Pleased with that and I know that when I do this a month from now I will improve. I will weigh in on Monday, but I was curious today and checked my weight; it was 187#. That is 5 pounds less than Monday. Wonder what the scale will say then....

Posted by:George Heckert | July 11, 2008 at 11:36 PM

Forgot to mention I got 8.5 hours sleep last night.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 11, 2008 at 11:38 PM

After a weekend of some good, some not so good meals, I begin my second week of the hard routine. 3 out of the 6 meals this weekend followed the zone. I got about 8 hours sleep Fri, Sat, Sun nights. Here's what I had today...

7/14/08

1st: Omelet(2 eggs, 1oz. steak. 1oz. cheese,4tsp olive oil; 4bp/f)
2tbs catsup(1bc)

2nd: turkey sandwich
2oz. turkey(2bp)
2oz. cheese(2bp)
4tsp light mayo(4bf)
2 slice bread(4bc)

3rd: 4 blocks of everything smoothie

4th: 6oz. Salmon(4bp)Damn good!
spinach(1bc)
tj's black bean soup(3bc)
12 cashews(4bf)

Breakfast was light on carbs. Everything else was legit. Angry I didn't get to workout today. I have to put the work in tomorrow!!

Posted by:George Heckert | July 14, 2008 at 10:59 PM

I haven't posted in two days and couldn't remember exactly every meal I had. I do know that they were all weighed and measured, and that I have had 16 blocks for both days. Around 8 hours sleep each day too.

7/17/08

1st: 1 tj's sausage(2bp)
3 cheese quesadillas(4bc,1bp)
1 egg(1bp)
4 macadamia nuts(4bf)

Posted by:George Heckert | July 17, 2008 at 07:47 AM

I have been derelict in my posting duties as of late due to time(or lack there of). I can't remember my other 3 meals from last friday, but I know they were measured. I need to tighten this thing up!

7/22/08
1st: tj sausaage & 2 eggs(4bp)
12 Macadamia nuts(12 bf)
12 cashews(4bf)

I read a performance menu article which says if you don't have carbs you can substitute 3 fat blocks for every carb block.

2nd: 4 oz. chicken(4bp)
12 Macadamia nuts(12 bf)
12 cashews(4bf)

Failed on the third meal by getting nuggets from chick-fil-a. Oh well at least it's protein. This 5 day on zone approach is pretty good. I haven't had time to get to the grocery store though which is making it really tough to stay on task. First thing in the morning, it's straight to Trader Joe's for me! Also thought I'd note that on weekends, although I am liberal with my food choices I follow an Intermittent fasting approach. I generally don't eat until after noon and the fasts last between 15-18 hours.

Posted by:George Heckert | July 22, 2008 at 12:21 AM

At the end of the month I will write up my observations on The Zone diet.

2 more weeks

I have been doing this "hard routine" with my affiliate, which is a month of sticking to a strict zone diet and documenting it on the website. I have been following a 5 day on, 2 day off approach; that is, I have been eating strict zone Mon-Fri and then eating whatever on weekends. From here on out I will be linking to this blog for my posts.

Meals
1st:
1 Trader Joe's sausage, 1 egg(4bp)
2 pieces of toast(4bc)
4 tsp peanut butter(4bf)

2nd:
2 slice ham, 2 slice swiss(4bp)
2 apples(4bc)
12 almonds(4bf)

3rd:
Smoothie
1 banana(3bc)
1 scoop protein powder(4bp)
12 cashews(4bf)
ice and water

4th:
4oz. steak(4bp)
1 can lentil soup(2bc)
1 slice bread(2bc)
4tsp peanut butter(4bf)

Day 1: 7/22/08

Ok, first post! I guess I'll start with yesterday...

Squat: 205#x5, 215#x5, 220#x5
Press: 105#x5, 115#x5, 120#x4(F on 5)
Deadlift: 225#x5, 265#x5, 285#x5

Everything went well, except for the failed rep on the last set of the Press. I love doing strength work, the only problem is that too much really slows my metabolic conditioning(cardio if you will). I plan on mixing in olympic lifts with my crossfit workouts up until Aug. 8, when I go to the O lifting seminar in Boston. After that, I will be following the Catalyst Athletics WOD.