rx'drobot

Don't linger in bad jobs, relationships, or other situations. Get off your butt and work out, you won't only look better... you'll feel better too.

As someone who is very all or nothing with most things in life, this is refreshing to hear.

Recently, deadlifts and backquats top my list

I grew up in CT up by Bradley Airport but now I work down in North Haven. I drive around the state regularly and wouldn't mind meeting up.

Mechanical design engineer here, currently working on aerospace components but I have a strong background in automation and robotics development. I find CrossFit and healthy eating to be the right balance to my day job (desk job).

12/8/12 - Christmas Throwdown Results WOD 1 - 10 Min AMRAP - 12 KB Swings (1) - 50 Single Unders - 12 Jumping Pullups Reps 348 WOD 2 - Clean Ladder Starting at 95# Max Weight 175# WOD 3 - 8 Min AMRAP - 5 Thruster [75#] - 10 Box Jumps [20"] - 15 Hand Release Pushups (Knees) Reps 153 Put me in 16/18 of those who showed up for the men's scaled division. After ~15 weeks of training after not working out for six years at all I should be happy with the results, however I find that it just motivates me to continue to work hard. The competitiveness in me won't let me settle for this.

Like anything in life I believe it only requires two basic things: Inspiration and Determination, everything else is a factor of these two.

12/5/12 - Taking it Easy this week, Competition Saturday Skill BackSquat – 1×20 [135#] no rest WOD - 20 Minutes OTMEM First 10 Minutes Even Minutes - 15 Air Sqauts Odd Minutes – 10 Pushups Second 10 Even Minutes – 10 Abmat Situps Odd Minutes - 10 Pullups My new recipe for the week was pulled buffalo chicken. 3 Chicken brests, half an onion diced, 90% of a bottle of buffalo wing sauce and a crock pot for the day while I was at work. It came out awesome and made enough for a bunch of meals, I guess I should try pulled pork next.

Crispy is its left alone, a little chewy if its wrapped around another food item (chicken, dates, pork chops, etc.)

12/3/12 - Running out of Time Well I'm back after a long weekend volunteering as a Judge for a robotics competition, it was great to see a bunch of my fellow college alumni, but now its back to the grind for a week. This Saturday is the Christmas Throwdown at my box, I am competing, I just hope I'm in good enough shape to not come in last place in the scaled division. Skill - 5x5 Clean and Jerks 95#, 105#, 115#, 125#, 125# WOD - 10 Min AMRAP - 3 shoulder to overhead [105#] - 6 squat cleans [105#] - 12 hand-release push-ups Completed 3(3,3,0)

How are you all doing? After a long weekend volunteering and hanging out with my fellow college alumni, I broke my eating habits more than I want to admit. Now I only have a few days to clean things up and get ready for the Christmas Throwdown CrossFit competition that I am going to on Saturday.

11/28/12 - Lift more, Jump More Skill - 5x5 Deadlifts 15 @ 175# 5 @ 195# 5 @ 215# WOD - "Annie Get your Gun" 50-40-30-20-10 Double Unders (x3 Single Unders) Sit-ups *10 Pistols in between rounds I had to do single unders for this one, I get mix in a double under but I have not been able to string them together more then two yet. Keep pushing. Finished in 11:20

Keep up the good work, increasing stamina isn't as easy as I thought when I first started working out again. Lots of running, and CrossFit type workouts with a fast pace (box jumps, kettlebells, burpees, rowing, 400m runs) really helped alot.

11/27/12 - When does this get Easier? Never. Thats the way it should be. Another intense workout, they must be trying to program Thanksgiving out of us, I am okay with it. Skill/Strength - 40 Strict Pull ups Stated without band, then used a green band to finish, sets of 2 at a time. Warm Up 3 200m row 3 Planks WOD -250m Row (Completed 750m) -25 Wall Balls (Completed 65 @ 16#) -25 Power Cleans (Completed 75 @ 95#) Spent a good amount of time practicing D.U.s during the warmup, practice, practice, practice.

11/26/12 - Back to the Grind, and Happy to Be 5 Sets for Time - 10 situps - 5 pushups - 10 air squats Time to Complete: 3:35 Then we did CrossFit Total Backsquat 225# Strictpress 85# Deadlift 275# Total 585# Then 4 Min AMRAP KB swings 35# 108 reps completed Apparently this was the welcome back from vacation workout.

11/21/12 - Better Late then Never? I been away from technology from the holidays so I am updating my thread a little late. I'm not terribly happy with myself as I haven't exercised since Wednesday of last week, but I am looking forward to hitting it hard starting again tomorrow after work. Here's the info from my last workout. WOD - Night N Day - 9min AMRAP - 3 Jumping Pullups - 3 Ring Dips - 6 KB Swings - 60 Single Unders Completed 5 sets and some change. Then practiced double unders before heading home.

11/20/12 - Another Day, Another Squat Skill 4x10 Back Squats WOD – HATE EIGHT - 8 Min AMRAP - 8 Snatches [65#] - 8 OHS [65#] - 8 Abmat Situps Completed: 4(8,2,0) On tonight menu, new recipe for the week: - Apple stuffed, bacon wrapped chicken breast - Pan cooked squash/zuchinni discs - Sweet potato chunks - Dark Chocolate covered strawberries

11/19/12 - Don't Stop Now With the Lurong Challenge over, it's up to the habits I have formed and my self control to stay on track. I've decided that 90% Paleo at a minimum is acceptable, and I will continue my 3-4 a week WODs at the gym. WOD “FILTHY 50″ 50 Box jump [20"] 50 Jumping pull-ups 50 Kettlebell swings [35#] 50 Walking Lunges 50 K2Es 50 Push Press [45#] 50 GHD Back Ext 50 Wall ball [16#] 50 Burpees 50 Double unders (100 Single Unders) Finished in 30:35, it's clear the trainers programmed a hard week because of the holiday. Let's see what tonight brings.

Checking back in after a weekend away from the gym. I don't know about you, but after a couple days away I feel really guilty. Also, with the paleo challenge over, here are my results: Description: Before/After Weight: 184/172 Waist: 34/31.5 Hips: 40.5/35.5 Chest: 37.5/36.25 Top of Arm: 12/11.5 Thigh: 23.5/23.5 Workouts: Benchmark/New Randy: 6:40/4:50 Christine: 15:18/11:35 Lurong Original: 13:50/11:47 Total: 35:48/28:12 How'd it all work out for you? I plan to be at least 90% Paleo from now on.

Results from the Lurong Challenge: Description: Before/After Weight: 184/172 Waist: 34/31.5 Hips: 40.5/35.5 Chest: 37.5/36.25 Top of Arm: 12/11.5 Thigh: 23.5/23.5 Workouts: Benchmark/New Randy: 6:40/4:50 Christine: 15:18/11:35 Lurong Original: 13:50/11:47 Total: 35:48/28:12 Needless to say I am impressed, once I get the photos from the gym, I may post them up.

11/16/12 - Finally Friday So I took yesterday off from the gym for an appointment to get my kidneys checked out again (found out I had stones back in March), as it turns out, the whole Paleo diet and exercise thing seems to have done good things for my kidneys. I still have stones, they are just small enough that I will pass them with little if any pain at all. Needless to say, another positive to the changes I have made in my life since 8/27. Today's Workout: Skill: Work on Mobility WOD - LURONG LIVING ORIGINAL (3) - 5 Rounds for Time - 20 Burpees - 20 KB Swings [35#] Benchmark Time: 13:50 New Time: 11:47 After the WOD I will also be measured in and have pictures taken to show my progress over the last 9 weeks of the challenge.

So what you are really saying is: try Zumba, meet women.

After I got home from the gym, showered and cooked up a stir fry, I sat down and completed a post to my blog. There is more that I want to write but it's a good step forward for the first week of the challenge.

11/14/12 - Again, Faster Skill: Med Ball Cleans WOD - Paleo Challenge WOD 2 - "Christine" 3 Rounds for Time - 500 meter Row - 12 Deadlifts at 1/2 body weight [85#] - 21 Box Jumps at 16” Benchmark Time: 15:18 New Time: 11:35

You should see some impressive results with the dietary change from fast/processed to Paleo. Stay strict, but watch your fruit intake as you are trying to loose weight. Good luck.