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Beaten with my own Kettlebells at CrossFit USA

May 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Merle must have been feeling particularly sadistic today. Or, maybe he was just trying to offset the three-day weekend with an extra hard workout. Either way, Merle was administering some beatings!

I got in and walked over to the whiteboard to read the WOD. Before I could, I heard a voice from behind me say: “You should have stayed home, Adam!” I turned around to see Scott dripping with sweat and breathing hard. I looked back at the WOD. It was a Filthy Fifty Friday WOD. Merle had about 10 exercises on there for 50 reps each!

At first I didn’t see the ubiquitous 1 mile run on the board. Then I saw it off in the corner. I was happy because I like the run, but then I realized how much work was on tap for the day…

I was about to get started when Merle told me he had “something special” for me and to forget the WOD on the board. Scott had just finished his workout and he looked up and asked Merle: “What are you having him do?” Merle just laughed and said: “Grab some popcorn and watch. This is going to be fun..” “Great.” I thought…

What followed was essentially a full-body beatdown with a rower, kettlebells and whatever else Merle could think of.

Here’s the workout:

Run 1 mile
Row 500 meters
Walking lunge with TWO 25lb kettlebells – these started overhead, but quickly moved into the rack position
Back on the rower for 500 meters
Bench Press with 165lbs to failure
Run 1/4 mile
Back on the rower for 500 meters
10 Suitcase Deadlifts with TWO 80lb kettlebells
10 pull ups
Back to the Rower for 500 meters
50 pushups
10 suitcase deadlifts
Run 1 mile

I’m still not sure if I was better off with that workout or the Filthy Fifty…

I’m finding that I’m getting more and more used to the CrossFit workouts. They’re still brutal and I STILL have a slight sense of dread when it’s time to go to CrossFit USA, but they’re getting better. It’s like I’m getting more used to pushing myself through that pain barrier.

I’m also FEELING a lot better. I’m very certainly experiencing an increase in testosterone and my mood is more positive and optimistic. AND people are noticing that I look bigger and leaner already. That’s with only about 3 weeks in hitting it hard with CrossFit!

Killer workout, Merle! Thanks!

Here are some pics:

CloseUp Kettlebell Lunge Walk

Overhead Kettlebell Lunge

Suitcase Deadlifts Bottom Position

Suitcase Deadlifts

Orginally posted [http://adamfarrah.net/crossfit-wod-kettlebells]

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Getting done by Merle and Jackie

May 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I had another outstanding workout at CrossFit USA in Berlin, CT. I can’t say too many good things about Merle McKenzie or his box (that’s CrossFit slang for a gym – get your mind out of the gutter!)

Rowing at CrossFit USA

Pull Ups at CrossFit USA

It was an absolutely beautiful day outside. I walked in and checked out the WOD.

  • Run 1 Mile
  • Bench Press 3X3

Jackie:

  • Row 1000 meters
  • 50 Thrusters with 45lbs
  • 10 Pullups

My normal run is just over a mile, so this wasn’t too bad. But I never time my runs and I don’t usually push the pace on them. Merle started the timer and I took off on the route he told me to take.

As soon as I started running I thought to myself: “how many other gyms send you OUTSIDE on a beautiful day to run at the beginning of your workout?” No others that I’ve been too…  This is part of the magic if CrossFit and the way Merle runs his gym. Just ONE of the reasons CrossFit will rule the fitness world.

The run was doubly cool because the route took me by the Powerhouse Gym down the road. I’m sure that was a complete coincidence, right Merle? ;-) As I ran by Powerhouse I was thinking how happy I was to be doing what I was doing and not pumping away in a place like that on a boring, too-long routine making no progress. But more on that later…

I did the run in about 8.5 minutes. Not too bad. Once I got back, the real work started. (BTW, my new goal for end of summer is to run that mile in under 6 minutes.)

I got my bench presses done with Merle spotting. He had me warm up with a set of 10X135. I don’t have much of a bench press at the moment, so this was heavier than I would normally go on a warm up. After that one one warm up I went right into 3 work sets of 3X165. (Yeah, I know, that’s terrible…)

I found something interesting here:

While I would insist on another couple of warm up sets next time, I was surprised to find that I did fine with just that one. The run before training probably helped here, but I was still surprised that one set of ten was enough to get ready for the low rep sets. It would be interesting to see if I was more comfortable handling more weight or reps with a better warm up or if it wouldn’t even matter. Obviously, I’ll consider all this when I plan my powerlifting workouts and be sure to keep the warm up sets down to a reasonable number.

Once I finished the bench presses it was on to Jackie. That’s Jackie the workout not Jackie my favorite That 70’s Show character.

Jackie CrossFit Workout

Jackie is simple but brutal:

  • Row 1000 meters
  • 50 Thrusters with an empty Olympic bar
  • 10 pull ups

This was an absolutely miserable workout for me. I knew I was in trouble when I finished the rows and was struggling to walk over to the squat rack for the thrusters.  I got though the thrusters only with Merle’s incessant “encouragement.” At some point toward the middle of the set Merle swapped in some Van Halen on the sound system and cranked it up. That helped. I was barely aware of what was going on in the gym – all I really picked up on was the energy change when he did that.

Somewhere along the line Jenelle, CrossFit USA’s crack new intern, started shouting encouragement to me as well. It helped…

Exhausted at CrossFit USA

I got through Jackie and felt surprisingly good. I was wrecked, but I felt good. I was hanging out with Merle after and I could actually feel the “health” welling up inside me. I use “health” for lack of a better word. I was obviously experiencing a surge of “feel good” chemicals. One of my fascinations with CrossFit is that it produces this hormonal cascade and I’m curious to find out what the long-term effects of having a release of these hormones several times a week are. If you haven’t figured out by now, I’m becoming obsessed with the long-term health and hormonal effects of CrossFit workouts.

All in all, it was another great workout at CrossFit USA. Thanks Merle! Can’t wait to see what’s on tap for tomorrow!

ttys

Adam

Originally posted [http://adamfarrah.net/content/getting-done-merle-jackie-crossfit-usa-berlin-ct]

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CrossFit will Change EVERYTHING

May 2, 2009 by 2 Comments

I’ve been friends with Merle McKenzie from Crossfit USA in Berlin, CT since December of 2009. I have a lot of respect for Merle and the conversations we’ve had have opened my eyes about Crossfit and the limitations of other types of training. It had been on my mind to get in with Merle and do some REAL Crossfit training with his expert guidance for a while.

Yesterday I went to his box and had him put me through a workout. All I can say is: WOW! Crossfit is the real deal!

I’ve been reading a lot about Crossfit on crossfit.com and I’ve come to really understand and respect the philosophy and methods. Now that I’ve trained Crossfit with high level coach I realize a lot of what’s been missing from my own training and most training methods in general.

Crossfit is absolutely INTENSE! The fatigue and aftershock I experienced from the workout I did is like nothing I’ve EVER experienced. Nothing. Not sparring for an hour with little rest, not rolling in BJJ class, not 20 rep squats, not 20 rep deadlifts, not even my IKFF Kettlebell Cert with 10 and 20 minute timed sets (as intense as that was) was as completely debilitating as this workout.

And, on paper, the workout wasn’t even that much! Here’s what I did:

  • 500 meters on the rower
  • 40 air squats
  • 30 situps
  • 20 pushups
  • 10 pullups

When Merle told me that’s what I was going to do, I thought to myself: “Is that going to be enough?” It was enough! LOL

I did the workout itself in less than 10 minutes – and spent over 20 minutes either hovering around the bathroom or in the bathroom “hanging out” (laying on the floor). I have never, ever felt that terrible from exercise in my life! I was absolutely debilitated!

pukie after crossfit workout

So, here’s what I learned from my first “Merle Brand” CrossFit workout:

The intensity I’ve been training at hasn’t been as high as I thought – nor ANYWHERE NEAR what I’m actually capable of. I don’t intend to feel as terrible as I did yesterday after any workout on a regular basis (not even CrossFit) but I now have an understanding of what an insane level of intensity feels (and looks) like. In Super Squats, Randall Strossen talks quite a bit about the intensity necessary to trigger a massive testosterone increase and the level of effort you need to put into your 20 rep squat set. I suspect it’s something like I got yesterday with Crossfit. It also makes me think of the 30 and 40 rep squat sets that Dr. Ken Leistner has mentioned. I expect that squatting 300-400lbs for 20-40 reps without racking the bar until the end would be as debilitating. What I’m not sure of is whether or not the average person can generate the intensity I got from CrossFit doing squats. What I did learn. though, is what that intensity FEELS like. Now I know it exists and I can seek it out.

There MUST be truth to the hormonal cascade that is supposed to be produced by CrossFit (and other super high intensity training). Like I said, I was absolutely HOSED UP after that workout. The only thing I can think of that comes close to describing the feeling I had is it’s like when you’ve had WAY too much to drink and all you can do is lay on the floor wait to feel better and/or vomit. It was that bad or worse. My thinking is there is no way to can cut into your body’s homestasis THAT hard and not experience a dramatic hormonal response.

One dimensional training is not enough! I am NOT out of shape. I’d admit that I’m not in my best shape ever, but I am by no means out of shape. The point is powerlifting, kettlebells, running, sparring, jiu jitsu and teaching kettlebell classes did not prepare me for even the most tame and basic CrossFit workout. Point made, Merle. Sign me up.

So, there are some of my thoughts on CrossFit. My experience yesterday makes me happy I decided to get a CrossFit Level I Cert in August and thrilled there is a great CrossFit gym right down the road from me!

ttys

Adam

Originally posted on my site: [http://adamfarrah.net/first-crossfit-workout]

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