CrossFit Workout

Last night we worked out in partners, doing 3 rounds of: 15 deadlifts, 15 bent-over rows, and wheelbarrow walk from one end of the gym to the other and back. The pattern was for each partner to do all three drills once, then the other partner, until we had each done all three rounds. My partner and I lifted 104 pounds (64 pounds on a 40-pound bar) (I think) for the deadlift and 60 pounds for the bent-over rows. The wheelbarrow walk is when somebody holds your ankles up and you walk forward on your hands. As soon as I lowered myself for my first deadlift, I felt a pain in my right kneecap. I went up and down without the weight a couple of times to try to limber it up. (We’d already warmed up with some medicine-ball throws and sit-ups, but I don’t think that had warmed up my knees.) I didn’t say anything but went on to do the lifts, and my knee felt better. Today, though, when I squat down and rise up I feel the same kneecap pain. It’s not really bad, but I don’t think it’s a good sign. I had a feeling, with the heavy deadlifts I did last Friday, that I might have been pushing harder with my right leg than my left. I bet that was the case and so I put some wear and tear on the right knee. I have to really concentrate on using both legs equally from now on. The wheelbarrow walks after the weightlifting were really hard. I could make it to one end of the gym without feeling too weak, but coming back, my upper legs were shaking from trying to help hold my body in the hollow position. We were told to use the hollow position and not to let ourselves sag. I was glad when all three rounds were over. Then we went on to practice gymnastics drills, as Wednesday is the regular night for that. As usual we all spotted each other for handstands several times. Then we practiced cartwheels, a little handstand walking, and the pommel-horse drills that we tried last time. On the pommel horse, I tried to focus on shifting my weight from arm to arm on the straddle-swings, and then picking up one hand for an instant, as a way of building up to swinging one leg over between my hands. I made a little progress but I’m looking forward to getting a lot better at that weight-shift. Next we practiced the kip (definition and slide show). One person who was there is a competitive high-school gymnast, and it was really helpful to watch her kip. You could see how her initial jump at the bar gave her the momentum to whip out, fully extend in front of the bar, snap back, and rise up above the bar. I tried to imitate her jump and it helped me a lot with momentum, but I think it’s going to be a long time before I “get my kip.” The gymnast said it took her about four years of on-and-off gymnastics practice to get the kip, and our usual gymnastics coach has said it took him 1,000 tries. It’s fun to practice it and to appreciate the strength and precision of gymnasts. Another person working out last night is a guy who seems pretty experienced with the general workouts but less so with gymnastics, like the rest of us. He seemed as hesitant as we all were on both the pommel horse and the kip bar, but his determination was amazing. After several tries on the pommel horse, he succeeded in hoisting himself up high enough, straight-legged, to put his feet on the horse between his hands. My impression was that it was new to him. Similarly on the kip bar, when we were pretty much finished and putting our shoes back on, he was still practicing. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see him whip out perfectly and snap back, almost getting a kip. It was stunning to see how his determination and focus allowed him to progress so fast. He may have more experience with gymnastics than I realize, but I think he is just an especially inspiring beginner who’s in really good shape to start.