LRB's Getting Back to _______ challenge

[LRB]

So . . . I've been gone for a while, doing the lone wolf thing.  But I heard a rumor that a new six-week challenge started yesterday, and I figured I could use a little companionship and help and support.  So here I am.

 

Current status

• 151.5 lbs on the scale this morning.  I've been hovering around 149-151, so let's call it 150 lbs for the start of the challenge.  A year ago, I was at 140.  I don't want or need to go back there (I felt like I could blow away at any moment), but I would like to be a bit less than I am now.
• 25.9% body fat according to my electrical impedance body-fat monitor device.  But I have a hunch that it measures high; though I am not sure.  A year ago, I was at 20%.  I don't want or need to go back there, but I would like to be a bit less than I am now -- maybe around 22 or 23 or so.

 

Goals & Methods:

 

(1)  Get back to 145 lbs.  The less weight I have to move, the easier goals 2 & 3 will be as long as I stay strong.

(a)  Track my eating and drinking

--this will also help with some stomach issues I've been having lately (CT and endoscopy are both clean and clear, so the pain/nausea remains a mystery.  maybe it's a reaction to a particular food).

(b )  Emphasize clean foods, lots of protein.

--cook lunches to bring to work; eat out less often

(c )  Alcohol allowed one evening per week -- no more "glass (or more) of wine a night"

(d)  Work out at least 4x/week

 

(2)  Get back to pull-ups

(a)  Two dead-hang, ten kipping

--Practice, practice, practice.  With a band, without a band, increase quantities, work on negatives, and so on.

--Strength work as programmed (presses, deadlifts, snatches, squats, cleans, etc).

 

​(3)  Get back to 20" box jumps

(a)  Practice, practice, practice.

(b )  Strength work as programmed (presses, deadlifts, snatches, squats, cleans, etc).

 

(4)  Get accurate information (okay, it's not a "get back to" but whatever)

(a)  Schedule, go for, and report results of Bod Pod testing.

 

 

Current Perspective

 

I'm down in the doldrums these days.  I feel like I'm putting on weight, but not putting weight on the bar.  I'm eating to fuel workouts (complete with counting carbs, protein and fat, and timing my intake of each), and they're not really getting much/any better.  I recently moved up to the competitor's group at my crossfit gym, and although I have no shame about scaling every workout (I compete at the "scaled" level, after all), it's demoralizing to realize how little progress I've made on the things I've worked on, and how much I still have to go.  

 

I've been having stomach/intestine/who-knows-what issues for a few months now, but never in any predictable way.  I thought I had identified the culprit, but then had the reaction without having had any of what I thought caused it.  So maybe there are two causes?  Or maybe I was totally wrong?  Or maybe this is just random and inexplicable and I'll have to live with random, unpredictable, debilitating pain forever?

 

I'd like to say I don't care how much I weigh -- but that lack of concern really requires that my performance be good enough to make me happy.  I don't want to be heavy AND weak, you know?

 

And it seems like I'm rushed whenever I go into the gym -- I don't have time for a full warm-up, and I don't have time to make it through the day's programming.  So here's my new plan -- START WITH A FULL WARM-UP AND GO UNTIL TIME RUNS OUT.  If I don't finish the workout, I don't finish the workout.  So be it.

 

With all of this, my biggest hope for this challenge is to regain some optimism and ability to look on the bright side.

 

[editing to add -- once upon a time, I had points earned over a bunch of different challenges; I think the migration to the new forums got rid of those.  I'm not planning to go back and find them, or to start over.  I am where I am, wherever that may be]

[AvatarAbe]

Welcome aboard! I've been doing the "lone wolf" thing too since doing a challenge back in October. Totally with you on the issue of support and community being helpful. I'm sure you'll do great! 

 

And wow, competition level in CrossFit? I just started a couple of weeks ago, so just surviving is an accomplishment for me

[LRB]

@AvatarAbe -- no worries, surviving is my goal for every competition.  I usually come in toward the very, very bottom of the pack in the scaled division.  (59 out of 61 in my first competition, 25th out of 30 in my second, and this weekend will be my third if you don't count the Open, which I don't).  But I have a lot of fun doing it.

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

[LRB]

Well, after being down in the dark doldrums from Monday's workout, I went into the gym yesterday (Tuesday) and completely killed it.  Hit a PR on:  my clean (105#), my strict press (72#), and my front squat (125# or 130#, I don't remember but I have it written down in my training log).

 

Just goes to show:  the darkest hour is just before dawn.  The only problem is, when you're in it, the darkest hour feels like it comes right before darker hours.  It isn't until it's over that you know THAT was the darkest hour.

 

I had planned, yesterday, to ignore the lifting programmed for the day and instead just work on preparing for the competition this weekend.  The problem with that, though, was that the only shoes I had in my gym bag were my lifting shoes.  So I wound up doing the lifting, and then went back later to work on handstand pushups and strict pull ups.  I got up to 6 HSPU to two ab mats, so I'm pretty happy about that (a year ago, I couldn't even kick up onto the wall), and . . . well, let's just say it's a good thing I'm working on my pull ups again.

 

I learned, though, that my lifting shoes make for easier HSPU than my rubber-soled shoes, because they slide more easily against the wall.  I wonder if I could just do them in socks?

 

So today will be all about getting ready for competition this weekend.  There are four workouts on Saturday, and I plan to do them all today, just so I have a baseline of expectations.  And I'll do them in order:

 

(1)  establish a 1RM thruster (there's three minutes to do it, but I'll take longer today because I really have no idea even what my ballpark is on this); rest :30; then a 1 min AMRAP of pushups (on my toes).

 

(2)  3 RFT:  200m run, 5 power cleans at 65#, 10 alternating goblet lunges (35#)

 

(3)  Chipper:  50 situps, 40 Kettlebell swings (35#), 30 box jumps (20"), 20 burpees, 100 single unders

 

(a)  Floater (hence no number - it can go wherever):  20m prowler push (45# plates on each side), 20m run back

 

I'll update once I know how it went.  See y'all later!

[LRB]

Midday today -

 

1RM thruster 95#

3RFT workout 6:45

Floater -- didn't time it, but it went pretty well, I think

 

This afternoon:  the chipper again (10 minute time cap; last time, I ended with 16 single unders still to do); the thruster-pushup workout now that I have a ballpark for my thruster weight.

[Crooked]

Hi! I am at work but I'm tagging your thread so I can read on the train home.

[Morrigainz]

Dang. So glad you are back! We been missin' us some LRB around here.

 

 

Glad to see you killing it at the gym! I totally know what you mean about the doldrums, darkest hour, etc.

 

If you're still having performance issues, I have about a bajillion theories on that. Ha.

[bigm141414]

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! Welcome back. Sorry to hear you've been down lately and I hope this challenge brings you some focus to get outta the funk. 

[ChromeBubble]

You don't know me, but I'm sending you good vibes. Stay strong!

[cline]

Wow!!! Welcome back! !!

[LRB]

It's good to be back.  Hi ChromeBubble!  And a big SMOOCH to the rest of you -- it's great to "see" you.

 

Update on yesterday's second trip to the gym:  I opted not to do the thruster/pushup workout (I'll do it today) because my legs and arms were flat-out tired.  But I did do the chipper again, and instead of reaching the ten-minute cap and still having 16 single unders to do, I finished at 9:04, so that's a huge improvement -- I took about a minute (~10%) off my time, maybe more.

 

I also went this morning and had a BodPod measurement done.  My scale at home has me around 149-151 lbs, and the hand-held electrical impedance monitor thing I've been using has me around 25-26.5 percent bodyfat, depending on the day.  BodPod this morning?  147.5 lbs, 22.1% body fat.  

 

I feel like I just lost four pounds of fat, and gained two of muscle (or other lean body mass).  Of course, no such thing happened -- my body was the same at the facility as it was at home; I just need not to put too much stock in the raw numbers of my home equipment.  It'll be useful for trends, but not for absolutes.

 

So now I'm off to find some old friends (I mean young friends, but friends I've had a while) here on the forums, say a quick 'hello,' and then get back to work.  Today is actually a pretty busy day for me.

[Morrigainz]

I also went this morning and had a BodPod measurement done.  My scale at home has me around 149-151 lbs, and the hand-held electrical impedance monitor thing I've been using has me around 25-26.5 percent bodyfat, depending on the day.  BodPod this morning?  147.5 lbs, 22.1% body fat.  

 

I feel like I just lost four pounds of fat, and gained two of muscle (or other lean body mass).  Of course, no such thing happened -- my body was the same at the facility as it was at home; I just need not to put too much stock in the raw numbers of my home equipment.  It'll be useful for trends, but not for absolutes.

I pretty much have no faith in any bf% measuring tool anymore. Last challenge, Catspaw had a DEXA scan and it put her at 30-something %! You should check out her thread bc she had pics and stuff too. *shrug* So I agree with the trends not absolutes angle.

 

I have also heard though, that bod pod = most accurate? So I dunno.

[LRB]

So I've had this sort of existential question in my head all day -- how do they KNOW which is most accurate?  Do they measure cadavers, and then slice them apart and weigh them separately?  Or do they put in known quantities of stuff and see how close the machine comes to figuring it out?  If they put in known quantities, how do they account for the fact that actual live human beings aren't built the same way?

 

What I've read is that the BodPod comes closest of any method to matching water displacement methods, and that water displacement was considered the previous gold standard. 

 

But how?  Was it consistent?  Or was it accurate?  And how did they know it was accurate?

 

The mind boggles . . .

 

In other news, it's supposed to rain a bit on Saturday during the competition, so two of the workouts (one outdoors, one with an outdoor component) may be changing.  I guess this is the "general physical preparedness" part of it all, eh?

[wildross]

Glad to see you back

sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1

[LRB]

Hey Wildross!  It's good to be back.  Thanks for the welcome.  

[Crooked]

So I've had this sort of existential question in my head all day -- how do they KNOW which is most accurate? Do they measure cadavers, and then slice them apart and weigh them separately? Or do they put in known quantities of stuff and see how close the machine comes to figuring it out? If they put in known quantities, how do they account for the fact that actual live human beings aren't built the same way?

What I've read is that the BodPod comes closest of any method to matching water displacement methods, and that water displacement was considered the previous gold standard.

But how? Was it consistent? Or was it accurate? And how did they know it was accurate?

The mind boggles . . .

In other news, it's supposed to rain a bit on Saturday during the competition, so two of the workouts (one outdoors, one with an outdoor component) may be changing. I guess this is the "general physical preparedness" part of it all, eh?

Eh. I would think you'd drive yourself crazy trying to answer those questions and it's not really worth the concern. It's good to have a sense of what they say, and if you go back for repeated measurements you'll have a benchmark against which to measure yourself - but your at-home tools can do the same as long as you use them the same way every time.

[LRB]

Eh. I would think you'd drive yourself crazy trying to answer those questions and it's not really worth the concern. It's good to have a sense of what they say, and if you go back for repeated measurements you'll have a benchmark against which to measure yourself - but your at-home tools can do the same as long as you use them the same way every time.

Oh I know . . . but the nerd in me wants to know how they verify claims of accuracy.  And how do "they" (whoever the hell they may be) compare one method against another?

[Morrigainz]

Eh. I would think you'd drive yourself crazy trying to answer those questions and it's not really worth the concern. It's good to have a sense of what they say, and if you go back for repeated measurements you'll have a benchmark against which to measure yourself - but your at-home tools can do the same as long as you use them the same way every time.

 

This.

Oh I know . . . but the nerd in me wants to know how they verify claims of accuracy.  And how do "they" (whoever the hell they may be) compare one method against another?

But also this.

Nerds for the win!

[cline]

Oh I know . . . but the nerd in me wants to know how they verify claims of accuracy.  And how do "they" (whoever the hell they may be) compare one method against another?

 

 

This.

But also this.

Nerds for the win!

 

I think you want data... in tables and charts!  *swoon*

[LRB]

Yep, I want data -- but I don't suppose any will be forthcoming anytime soon.

 

Sorry I didn't update yesterday; going to bed by 9 really takes time away from my life!  But I went to bed early because I had to get up early today (Saturday) for a competition.

 

The good news is that I met or exceeded every goal I set for myself.  The bad news is that I finished 26th out of 30 in the women's scaled division.  The last time this same gym hosted a competition, I finished 25th out of 30.  But so be it.  This one had a lot of running in one of the WODs (a goat of mine), and 20" box jumps (a HUGE fear of mine -- to the extent that I've just flat-out not done them until a week ago when I found out I'd have to).

 

My biggest accomplishment, though, was getting 31 hand-release on-my-toes pushups in a minute.  When I read the workout, I figured I'd get 10-15, and then in practicing it, I was glad to break 20.  But getting 31 of 'em put me in tenth place (out of 30) for that workout.  

 

I just need to focus on what I did well, and keep working.  The competitions are fun, and the standards seem to be getting harder (I've never had to do 20" box jumps before, and the KBSs were at 35# here, whereas the last competition I did with 'em, they were 25#), so I've gotta keep up if I want to keep having the fun.

 

Thanks for 'listening' -- my family has no interest in this stuff.

[weirdquark]

I think the only method which is actually accurate is post-autopsy measurements which makes it not practical for the living.

 

I take lots of different measurements, compare them, look at pictures of people who have had other measurements done and compare my pictures to them, see how I think my measurements compare, take averages, and then make stuff up.

 

Looking at pictures of other people and comparing them to me I conclude that my BF% is somewhere between 18-40%. Yay!

 

Measuring the weight on the bar is easier though I have measured my bar at different weights from measuring it different times while I hold it and then subtract my own weight. What up, bathroom scale?

[Morrigainz]

Wow! Forget your place - you met all your goals! I'm especially impressed with box jumps. i hate plyo.

[LRB]

Well, I dropped off the face of the earth again.  I'm finding it's one thing to SAY I'm back, it's quite another actually to BE back.  Life is busy, work is busy, and getting here is less of a priority.  But it's good for me, and helps me to stay on the straight & narrow (or whatever), so I should do it.

 

I don't have much to say -- Saturday's competition was fun; Sunday was a random-eating day.  Yesterday, I got to the end of the day and felt like I had eaten poorly all day.  But, funny thing, my idea of 'poorly' is now things like a protein shake with orange juice (high sugar), and peanut-butter-filled pretzels (refined grains).  I guess that's an improvement over something like a milkshake and reese's peanut butter cups (not that I totally avoid those, but they're a lot less common than the orange juice and pb pretzels).

 

Maybe it's time to check in on the goals I set for this challenge -- getting back to_____________.  

 

Getting back to 20" box jumps -- I honestly think the competition took care of that.  I fell and scraped myself, but NOWHERE near so badly as I did when I fell last year.  Lesson learned:  it is possible to fall and not to die.  Result:  no longer so terrified of falling.  

 

Getting back to 145 lbs.  Making NO progress on this one.  Time to double-down.

 

Getting back to dead-hang pull ups:  not yet there; still working on it (kinda -- I'm glad I looked back at my list, or I might have forgotten)

 

Getting good information:  done.

 

Improving attitude:  working on it.

 

Bottom line?  I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

[Crooked]

Awesome idea to check in with the goals - I think it's a great reminder!

[LRB]

 

Looking at pictures of other people and comparing them to me I conclude that my BF% is somewhere between 18-40%. Yay!

 

 

Hey!  Me too!  As my twelve-year-old would say:  TWinning!