Let me just start by saying that today’s Tabatas were way more intense. At the KF school, there’s never someone egging you on personally to keep going and not take breaks. There is never anyone telling you to watch your form either… that makes a huge difference.
Today’s workout was brutal, to say the least:
Tabata (8 rounds of 20 seconds on 10 seconds off for each)
- Row (C2 rowing torture device)
- Sit ups
- Push ups
- Squats
| Row | 58 cals | |||||||
| Sit ups |
10 |
12 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
10 |
10 |
| Push ups |
20 |
12 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
| Squats |
17 |
15 |
16 |
16 |
13 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
Total of all reps: 322
When I think back on this workout, I think I could have done better when compared with the rest of the class, but then I think again and realize that those coaches pretty much got 99% of what I had out of me.
I laid on the floor for about 10 minutes after this workout unable to move and feeling like I was going to pass out. My legs felt like they were on the verge of going into spasms. I then sat in a chair for another five minutes willing myself to not throw up. Eventually I felt better and left.
I am proud because I feel like I pushed myself harder on this workout that I have in the past. It feels like I hit a new line even though my results weren’t as high as the rest of the class. I saw that line of “too far” and went right up to it.
Your air squatting is pretty much pro level, and the situps are good too. Kung-fu works a great deal on leg and core strength. The push-ups are telling; we’ve never had any stress on form or range of motion on push-ups, and it showed with me too. They are STILL a weak point for me. We don’t emphasize ROM on squats either, but the stances in katas more than make up for it.
As for the C2.. Well nothing can prepare you for that.
Bryan, you will have to show me what a Katas stance looks like next time I see you. From a CrossFit Coach’s point of view, nothing makes up for the squat. To each his own, right?
This is a great post. It really illustrates the edge of the cliff we talk about. Training in that zone, right there on the edge, is where results live.
After cutting back on my crossfitting since July, I found myself a little envious of your hitting a new line. Its a great feeling and you should do it everyday! Now excuse me while I dust off my oly shoes.
Nikki,
That’s a good point; the best way to get better at squats and to have a great squat is to… do squats! As Coach Rippetoe says (and I’m paraphrasing, AND his quote is about barbell squats), there’s not much approaching the physical and neurological stess given by a properly performed squat!
More precisely, I should have noted that, as Bryan said, the length and depth of some of the stance work in martial arts (if correctly performed) have made us not strangers to working range of motion, speed, and explosiveness with our legs. Even if domain specificity is in full effect with lower body movements, mentally the idea of ‘moving our legs’ does carry, again from my experience!
It is indeed humbling and gratifying to have one’s CF coach comment on our workout blog! I damn near swooned when one of our coaches commented that he liked what I was writing on my own blog!
Cheers,
Ryon
Bryan-Thats so awesome that even though you completed an INSANE workout giving 99% there was still something in you that made you think you could have pushed harder. that really cool to see someone reach that mark, I came in after at the 6 o’clock classing watching you guys finishing up your tabatas and to see yall all pushing was really inspiring.. i know it sound corny but its true!