Tuesday Tough 9.18.12

This week saw the return of the poor man's Pommel Horse, a favorite of both Kirk and myself. We were rewarded with a few new exercises suggested and demonstrated by Laura and Tyler Steele. One was a thruster-type move performed on your hands and feet from a push-up type position. We re-named it the "Monkey F***er" because it looks strange. The other was a plank with a twist, alternating lowering your hips to the side. Ouch. And, Kirk had us doing Burpee pullups and arm rotations with weights.

We started with the standard 1 minute circuit, then 45 minute and finally a 30 second no rest lightning round.

Burpee Pull-up
Walking lunges
Jump rope
Battling Ropes
Hops
Pommel Horse
Rope climb
Monkey F***ers
Arm rotations with weights
Twisted Plank
Box jumps
Medicine Ball throws

Tuesday Tough 9.11.12

Our second week back was better, at least for me it was. I already felt stronger and able to do more. But, as the workout progressed, the energy level fell. Thank goodness for the "Lightning Round." And, it wasn't nearly as hot as the week before.

Those in attendance were Kirk, mark, Adam, Dan T. Alex, Kyle, Kurt. Adam and I rode there on our bikes, so were were plenty warmed up.

I wanted to work on shoulders and core last night. As I said above, Adam and I rode there, and we were going to ride back afterwards. We had also already done a 6 mile trail run in the morning, so a very leg intensive workout wasn't going to be a good idea.

So, our workout consisted of:
Wall Sits
Mason Twist (with weight)
Water Jug Carry
Air Squat with Kettle Bell lift
Feet to Bar
Rope Climb
Burpee
Triceps Extension
Scissor Kicks
1-Leg Squat
Knee Ups (on peg board)

We did the standard 1-minute with 30 seconds between stations. Rest. We then did 45 seconds with 20 seconds between stations. Rest. Then the "Lightning Round" 30 seconds with no rest between stations. Then super fast cleanup.

Tuesday Tough 9.4.12

We started up again, only on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays for the time being. We played with a few different name options, but Tuesday Tough kind of stuck with me. Thanks Tyler.

For our first time back at the "Shop", we kept it kind of easy. We added a new apparatus over the summer - the Battling Rope. We had a nice little group; Kirk, Mark, Tyler, Adam, Dan T. Kyle, and we had 12 stations:
Walking Lunges
Battling Rope
Running backwards
MTN Skiers
Pull-ups
Climbing Rope
Superman roll-over
Prison Squat
Burpee
Chicken pickers
Box Jumps
Pegboard

We started out by doing the standard 1 minute per station. Then we did 30 seconds with no rest between stations.

Wipeout 3.28.12 Fitness Test Re-Cap

It's a wrap. We knocked out the last Wednesday Workout for the season with a Fitness Test. The attendance number were a little light, but with people out sick, and the beautiful weather it was kind of to be expected. Either way, the last 3 months have proven to be beneficial for everyone because the Fitness tests show it.

Here are last nights results:

Kirk is dealing with a strained wrist from hefting heavy concrete board during a construction project, and I'm still nursing a bad Achilles/heel, so we didn't do every exercise.

Please remember that we will not be at the regular location next Wednesday night. Wednesdays are over. Look for information on the new Monday Night time and location, and maybe even M-W-F early morning workout opportunities. It's possible, depending on turn-out, that we may just go with morning workouts through the summer.

Keep working on your own, using the tools we have given you. There is no reason why you cannot do this same stuff on your own 3 days a week or more.

Wednesday Wipeout 3.28.12 - Fitness Test

This Wednesday will be the last scheduled Wednesday Wipeout for the summer. Starting April 2nd, we will be meeting on Monday's. Same time, same place, unless otherwise notified. Kirk and I are hoping to be able to meet more than once a week, and at various locations, utilizing outdoor facilities if and when the weather cooperates.

So, to close out the Winter training session, we will conduct another Fitness Test, in order to gauge our progression. Please come on Wednesday, put forth a strong effort, and finish the Wednesday Wipeout with big numbers on the test.

Look forward to seeing you on Wednesday.

Wednesday Wipeout 3.21.12

I know that the question has been in all of you minds, and you have been getting a little nervous, not seeing a post from me. But fear not. I am back, and we are meeting tonight for our usual Wednesday Wipeout. I'm not sure what we will be doing, but what does it matter. Whatever it is, it will be good, and it will probably hurt.

Hope to see you tonight.

Mark

Wednesday Wipeout - NEW DAY

To be completely honest, I want to move the Wipeout for my own selfish reasons. I really want to be able to attend the Wednesday Night Hill Ride out of Bates City BBQ on Wednesday nights throughout the summer. And in order to facilitate that, I need to move the Wipeout to another night of the week. Kirk and I talked about it, and he has agreed to move the workout to Monday nights.
So, starting April 2, the Wipout will be on Monday nights. We will continue at the current location until the weather is nice enough, and it is light enough to try them outside. That will be discussed and communicated at a later date. Just be aware that Wednesday night will be discontinued for the foreseeable future.

Thank you for your understanding.

Wednesday Wipeout 3.14.12

I will be out of town next Wednesday, so I am posting this a little early.

It is imperative to let Kirk know that you are coming to the workout. I believe that Tyler and Laura are OUT, favoring the Wednesday Hill Ride instead.
So, Kirk will need to hear from:
Teri
Kyle
Dan S.
David M.
Kurt
Chris

Wipeout 3.7.12 Re-Cap

Keeping in Fresh. We're always playing with the format in order to keep it fresh.
Last night we did a classic circuit of 12 stations:
Wall Sit
Burpee
Walking Lunges w/ ball
Thrusters w/ bar
Pull-ups
Box Shuffle
Rope climb
Forward Reach w/ ball
Arm climb
Ring Dips
V-Ups w/ ball
Ball Throw

After the classic 1-minute circuit, we did a series of 5 Tabata workouts, using the same circuit stations, and their original order. Everyone drew a number out of a hat, and that determined their starting station.

I liked it, and I hope everyone else did too.

Wednesday Wipeout 3.7.12

Wipeout is on for tonight. I would like to go retro tonight, and do a good old fashion circuit of 1 minute stations. Nothing crazy. So, let us know if you are coming so we can plan our stations.

Wednesday Wipeout 2.29.12

This post will be short but sweet, and soon to be sweat.

Today is Leap Day. We would be remiss if we didn't incorporate some sort of tribute to the day. I don't know what that could be, but Kirk and I will ponder it for the rest of the day.

I do know that we will be introducing at least one new exercise into the mix tonight. It may be a little awkward, but I want to give it a try and see what it's like.

Please post your intentions to attend. See you tonight at 7:30.

FRAN 2.27.12

Kirk invited me to do a workout at the shop this afternoon. He's been wanting to try the Fran workout for a while.

The Fran consists of:
(for time)
21 thrusters
21 pull-ups
15 thrusters
15 pull-ups
9 thrusters
9 pull-ups
The thrusters are to be performed with 95 lbs.

Kirk and I didn't think we were ready to attempt the Fran with the full 95 pounds on the bar, so we went with only 65 pounds. It was hard, but we did it.

Our times were:
Kirk - 10:45
Mark - 12:45

 I had no idea what to expect out of this workout. I figured that Kirk would be able to finish it, but I wasn't sure I would be able to complete all of the pull-ups. I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Rest assured, we will tackle this workout again.

Wipeout 2.22.12 Re-Cap (Test Results)

The turnout was light, but the test results were great! Everyone showed a marked improvement, either in the number of reps done, or the increase in difficulty of a certain exercise. While I was expecting to see an improvement, I was still impressed with the results. Nice job everyone. This proves that we are all getting stronger. The Wipeout is working. Keep it up.

We added a new member last night, Kyle Guinn, and introduced him to our workout on a perfect night. Kyle is a member of the KCBC Racing team, and rides with myself, Tyler, Laura, Adam, Dan S., and David. He is a very strong cyclist, and will become even stronger with this additional training. He came in cold, did the test, and set himself a baseline to work from. Welcome Kyle.

Here are the new Test Results:

After the Fitness Test, we opened the floor to requests, and let it become very informal.

I demonstrated a few new exercises using fitness balls. Kirk and Dan T. demonstrated a fitness ball/kettlebell workout. Jennifer showed us one of her favorites on the fitness ball, and Alex through out yet another killer ab exercise on the ball. It seems like everyone loves the ball. I think we should use it a bit more often.

Kirk brought the weights and bar down from his office, and the guys were drawn to it like moths to a light. We all tried to do thrusters, cleans, straight arm overhead squats. We wanted to see what it would be like to do the "Fran" workout. Holy Moly! We're not there yet, but give it time.

We did a few rope climbs, messed around on the pegboard, Kirk did a muscle-up, etc. It was kind of nice to just play with a few things after putting out a good hard effort in the Fitness Test. But don't get used to it. Next week, it's back to usual.

Wednesday Wipeout 2.22.12

Tomorrow night is the Fitness Test, part deux. Are you coming? Please let us know via the blog.

Sadly, Adam will not be actively participating in the Wipeout for the next 8+ weeks. He suffered a Ruptured Achilles on Monday night playing volleyball. Please keep him in your thoughts, and let's all make sure that we do some stretching before starting our sessions.

David is not planning on being at the Wipeout tomorrow either. He is competing in the Birkiebiner in Wisconsin this weekend. It's a 40k Cross Country Ski race. It's been tough to train for that this year, what with the lack of snow we've had. Good luck to you David. Make sure you get your wax setup right.

That's all I've got for today. I look forward to your responses, and I'll see you tomorrow night. Eat your Wheaties!

Mark

Wipeout 2.15 Re-Cap

Last night's workout was interesting and different, but fun. I liked it very much. The "Adam" workout pretty much trashed my legs in just over 4 minutes. On paper, that workout doesn't sound so difficult, but in practice, it's HARD! I guess if I were to have a workout named after me, I'd want it to be an ass-kicker like that. Congratulations Adam.
The "Adam" workout consists of:
** For Time **
24 Air Squats
24 Lunges (each leg)
24 Jumping Lunges (each leg)
24 Jumping Squats

I can only speak to my own experience, but the "Adam" workout creeps up on you. The Air Squats and Lunges aren't that difficult, so you get lulled into a sense that this will be a breeze. Then the Jumping Lunges start, and Holy Crap! Those are hard. And they fry your legs, fast. But hold on, you still have to do the Jumping Squats. Ugh!

Well, we did it, and we recorded our times. Here they are:
Kirk - 3:45
Adam - 3:46
Dan S - 3:57
Tyler - 4:00
Laura - 4:06
Mark - 4:12
Teri - 4:19
David - 4:36
Jennifer - 4:53
Dan T - 5:52
Alex - 4:00*
*(Due to ACL injury, Alex did 9 Jumping Lunges and 12 Jumping Squats)
Nice job Alex, for knowing your limits. These workouts are to build strength, not cause injuries. Do what you can do, and we'll measure based on that.

After the "Adam", we finished up with our usual Circuit type workout, but with a twist. Kirk had mentioned trying a Tabata workout, so we did a Modified Tabata Circuit. There were 11 stations, and we were at each station for a total of 2 minutes: (20 sec On, 10 sec Rest) X 4. The 4th Rep in each Set got difficult! WOW!
I really like this structure. Much like the Lightning Round, you seem to push harder with a shorter interval. The Circuit Stations were as follows:
Arm Rotations (side)
Mountain Climbers
Water Jug Carry
Pull-ups
Jumping Jacks
Arm Rotations (overhead)
Mason Twist
Ring Pushups
Plank
Dips
Knee-Ups (pegboard)


Nice work everyone. Thanks for helping pick everything up so fast.
Remember, next week is the Fitness Test. I'm excited to see the results. I'm hoping for some gains from everyone. This is working, and the Fitness Test will show it. Have a great weekend. Try to get in your own workout.

Wednesday Wipeout 2.15.12

I understand that attendance last week was a little light, and Kirk mixed it up a bit by doing a full session of "The Lightning Round". I'm sorry I missed it. I did my own little body-weight workout in Breckenridge, huffing and puffing do to the lack of oxygen.

This will be the last regular workout before the monthly Fitness Test. That's right. Next week we will start off with a repeat of the Fitness Test to see how far you have come in a month.

I've had some requests to do some more "CrossFit" specific workouts. Kirk has been referring to them on occasion (they're named after women), and Adam was introduced to the "Leg Matrix" while on vacation last week. He says we need to step it up because that sh!t is HARD. So, look for a real ass kicker of a workout to pop up in the next few weeks.

See you on Wednesday.

Around the Horn - Pegboard WOW!

Kirk has done it! I know he has had his eye on this accomplishment for a while, and here is documented proof that he is a Bad Ass. Way to go! That is awesome!

Wednesday Wipeout 2.8.12

If you are planning on attending the Wednesday Wipeout on 2/8/12, please be sure to post your intentions on this blog, even if you have told me personally. I will not be there Wednesday, so Kirk will need to check the blog to be able to get a headcount in order to lay out the circuit.

I'm sad to have to miss this week. I will make sure to find some time on my own. With the next Fitness Test coming down the pike, I want to make sure I continue to build. I got in a good workout on Friday and again today. Everyone should be able to set aside 30 minutes at home to do the simple exercises like push-ups, burpees, sit-ups, wall sits, squats, lunges, etc. Find a place to work on your pull-ups and feet-to-bar. You'll be glad you did.

See you next week.

Wipeout 2.1.12 Re-cap

I hope everyone had a good workout last night. I'm sorry I couldn't get there on time, and I hope that I didn't cause the session to be delayed too much.

Welcome to our newest member, Alex. Thanks for being the timer.

Here is a list of what we did:

Wall Sits

Walking Lunges

Sprints

Pull-ups / Feet to Bar

Box Jumps

Rope Climb

Mason Twist (P90X)

Jump Rope

Turkish Getup

Ring Push-ups

Flutter Kicks

Dips                              (on big box)

Peg Board

Ball Throw

I saw an interesting article on yahoo this morning. I talks about the top 3 exercises with which to judge your fitness.

1. The Plank
2. Push-ups
3. Pull-ups

If you'd like to read the article and see where you would fall in the fitness test according to Men's Health, here is the link.
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/how-fit-are-you-draft

This article also talks about 7 exercises to test your total fitness. If you're interested in reading that, let me know and I will email you the pdf.

Find some time in the next week to do some of these exercises on your own. We'll be doing another Test in a couple weeks.

I will not be at the Wipeout next week. Jackson and I are going skiing, and we leave Wednesday morning. I know that Adam will be gone too, also skiing, but at a different location.

Have a good week.

Wednesday Wipeout 2.1.12

Are you planning on joining us for the Wipeout tomorrow night? I'm excited to see what Kirk has in store for us.

So far, here is who I know is planning on being there:
Kirk
Mark
David M
Tyler
Laura

Please post a comment with your intentions.

mark

Wipeout 1.25.12 Re-Cap & Dan T. Fitness Test Results

Before we started our main workout last night, Dan T. did his 7 station Fitness Test to establish his baseline.

Kirk continues to surprise us with new additions to the workout. I really enjoyed the "Pommel Horse" apparatus that he discovered. With a few tweaks, that could become a fan favorite. The advanced "Burpee" into a pull-up was definitely interesting. And, the "Kettle Bell Swing" has left a resonance in my legs. Wow!

As always, it was a great workout, even if I didn't have the gas or motivation to push myself to the limit. I'm proud of everyone for trying these new and difficult exercises. It's the randomness of the Circuit that will keep it interesting and continue to increase total body strength. Keep it up. Welcome to our newest attendee, Beth. Thanks to Morgan for operating the timer.

Here is the list of exercises we did:
Air Squats
Kettle Bell Throw
Jump Rope / Pommel Horse
Ring Dips
Superman
Box Jumps
Ball Throw
Calf Raises / Wall Sits
Burpee to Pull-up
Walking Lunges
Bear Crawl - Crab Crawl
Rope Climb

Have a great weekend. We'll see you all next Wednesday.

Pre-Wipeout Ring workout & Circuit setup

Kirk has told me that he will be down at the Shop early tonight to do a separate Ring Workout. He wants to try out some techniques he's been studying in order to perform some of the advanced skills on the rings. If anyone is available or interested in trying them out, I believe that he will be down there a little after 6pm tonight.

Also, If anyone gets there a little early and wants to help setup, Kirk should be there. Just pound on the door.

See you tonight.

Wipeout 1.25.12

Yes, there will be a Wipeout workout tonight.
Yes, it will be at 7:30 at the usual facility.
Yes, I am late in broadcasting the information.

I've spent the last couple of days back down in Pittsburg. My Dad turned 72 yesterday, and I wanted to spend some time with him. He seems to be doing fine, but it's got to get lonely. I can tell that he really enjoys the company. He needs a dog. Thanks to Sheri for giving me the time off from work to do this.

Kirk has suggested that everyone bring a pair of work gloves. There will be some exercises that will not be done on mats, or on any apparatus. Your hands will be on the floor in many places, so bring something to minimize the dirt accumulation on your hands. I'll try to bring some in various sizes in case someone forgets.

Wipeout 1.18.12 Re-Cap (Test Results)

We had our first fitness test last night, and 12 of us established our baseline for 7 standard exercises:
Push-up
Reach-up
Air Squat
Pull-up
Box Jump
Feet to Bar
Burpee

Here are the results of the Fitness Test:

The Blue shaded boxes denote your starting exercise.

After the Fitness Test, we went into our regular Circuit , consisting of 11 exercise stations and 1 rest station. Our stations were as follows:
Feet to Bar
Burpee
Mason Twist (P90X Ab Ripper)
Squat Press with Bar
Turkish Get-up
Reverse Push-up on Rings
V-up
Box Jump
Ball Throw
Wall Sit
Sprint
Rest

A big thanks, as always, to Kirk for putting this all together. The new pull-up bar is awesome. The new weights and kettlebells will add a new dynamic to the workouts. Thanks to everyone that helped clean-up afterwards.

Look for a post about next weeks workout in a couple of days.

Wednesday 1/18

The Wednesday Night Wipeout will continue this Wednesday, January 18 at the usual place at 7:30.

Because this is an open blog for anyone to see, I'm not going to publish the location or address, to prevent from having 100 random strangers show up at Kirks doorstep on Wednesday Night. Don't laugh, it could happen.

So, let's use this blog as a way to post your intentions to attend, or not. This way everyone can see who is coming.

Thanks