This will be my second Weekly Workouts post! People seemed to like the first one, hooray! This week wasn’t full of many workouts. I was traveling for part of the week and it took me a little to get back into the swing of things. But something I love about traveling is that it’s taught me to take more rest days. When I started writing The Paleo Kitchen last year, I was forced to take rest days, some times up to 5 days in a row, and my body absolutely loved it. Not only did I feel amazing when I got back in the gym, but I actually began to lose some weight and feel more comfortable in my skin. Of course some of that weight was muscle and I lost a lot of strength, but I was finally happier in my skin.
I think when you love being in the gym or you have certain goals in mind whether that is weight loss or a competition or a race, you put yourself in the gym constantly. Be sure to give yourself adequate rest. Not only does your body need rest days to rebuild, but your mind needs adequate rest to help visualize your goals for the next day. That’s a little deep, but I mean it. If I would have known earlier that rest days would have made me feel so much better physically and mentally, I would have done it way earlier.
Speaking of rest days, let’s look at all of them I took this week.
Sunday – Traveling day to Dallas which meant brunch and coffee with friends, mimosas, and an actually positive experience with flying Southwest.
Monday – I got early that morning to make the drive in to Austin and get a workout in at CrossFit Central. Since they don’t have a normal class at that time, I worked out in the advanced class. Meaning, I worked out harder than I do at home.
We first alternated between squats and ring dips:
5 x 5 Back Squat with a 3 second decent @ 70% of 1rm (I did 130#)
5 x 5 Ring dips with a 3 second pause in the bottom of the dip
The the workout was ‘Diane’:
21-15-9
Deadlift (225/155) – I did as prescribed which I haven’t done since 2012 at the Southwest Regional
Handstand push ups (to the floor with kipping)
I finished in 6:03 which is my now new personal best since I will never hit my PR of 3:40 in 2012. Whenever I do something now that I’m proud of, I call it a new life PR, so I can still set goals now that I’m not competing.
Tuesday – Another travel day from Austin to Houston, no workout this day.
Wednesday – Last travel day, this time back home. I planned to get a workout in, but I napped instead. Then ate gluten free pizza while watching the new season of Ray Donavon.
Thursday – I felt AWFUL this day. Not sure if it was from traveling or what, but I felt stupid slow and my joint ached everywhere. Great workout to come home to at CrossFit Broadway.
5 Rounds For Time Of:
300m Run
18 hand release push ups
15 Deadlift (255/175) – I used 145 pounds
6/4 Muscle Ups or 12 C2B Pull Ups – I did 3 muscle ups per round
2 min rest between rounds
I finished the workout in 32:47.
Friday – Feeling a little bit more back to normal. Another class workout at CrossFit Broadway.
Every minute on the minute alternating For 16 mins (8 sets of each movement):
5 x Back Squats, All sets @ 75% – I used 125#, not 70% for me but no way was I doing 8 sets at 75%, no way
12 KB Snatch (70/55). 6 each arm – I used 45#
6 min AMRAP Of:
30 Double Unders
9 Hand stand push ups (kipping from the floor)
I got 7 rounds + 16 double unders as Rx
Saturday – I HATE working out in the morning, but Saturday morning workouts means you work out in the morning. Weird how that works. This workout was KIND OF fun because the class made it up together. Well, 3 people picked 3 movements and we went with it. This is what it looked like:
22 minute AMRAP:
400m Run
12 power cleans (155,105) – I used 85 pounds
18 overhead plate lunges (35,25) – I used 25 pounds
I got 5 rounds exactly with 5 seconds to spare.
What’s your favorite time of day to workout?
I like working out right in the morning when I wake up because I’m not awake enough yet to think about & make excuses to not do what I’m doing before I’m doing it! And also because it gives me more energy the rest of the day and I’m in a better mood 🙂
Aloha from Afghanistan!!! 🙂
Thanks for posting your bomb diggity WODs-I may be stealing a few for the folks over here in the ‘stan, especially the EMOM 16min back squat/KB snatch WOD…..
I’m def drooling over your food posts from the great ‘country’ of Texas (corny); I soooo miss cooking/attempting to recreate your paleo recipes from the comfort of my kitchen. Maybe I could somehow bribe the cooks at the defac into letting me whip up some paleo deliciousness….probably a No-Go.
BTW-0415 is generally my, “Arnold”(haha) lifiting sessions (not crazy crowded with everyone on base and their brother), and 1800 is usually ideal WOD time, but then again this is just the schedule for while in the sandbox. I never can get up that early while in states; too much fun going on (aka food/some booze/ and FREEDOM to go where ever!).
They tell me I just missed you at Picnik in Austin. I traveled from Massachusetts to get your recommended Mocha Chocolatte. It was everything you promised! Thanks for your fantastic suggestions, insight, recipes, and humor!
I am LOVING your WOD posts. I go to a cross fit style gym. (not affiliated with cross fit, and a little less intense but similar workouts!)
Anyway do you think you could do a post all about tips for beginners or just anyone in general? I think that would be so great. Maybe just plug them into your weekly WOD posts? Just a thought!
i’ll try to post something in the future! what exactly related to beginners would you like me to talk about?
Juli, thank you so much for adding the workout and the fashion, I love it all keep them coming! This post really inspired me to take more rest days. When I first started crossfit, I would take maybe one day off a week. Im hurt right now ( and the heavy load was probably why! ) but when I go back Ill take at least two days off a week. In your experience *when competing and now), how many days of rest do you feel the best with?
i like 2 days per week, i feel the best that way. so sometimes i workout 3 days on 1 day off, 2 days on 1 day off. or i’ll just take 2 days off in a row. i just do what my body feels. i really like to workout, so if my body is saying don’t workout, i usually listen to it
Your CrossFit transformation from badass athlete to badass daily grinder has helped me mentally with this sport SO much. I have learned to be good with both resting and lowering weights when I need to. This has helped my mental game SO much! Thank you for being so honest.
Love these posts. Ever feel the pressure to always do Rx because you can?
Juli you are a great role model for a healthy lifestyle full of exercise and good food!
Lovin the weekly workouts! Keep em coming 😀
When you were new to Crossfit what did you start out squatting? How long did it take you to really start putting up more weight?
i honestly started with the 45# bar and worked my up by adding 5# on each side, then the next time 10#. the only problem was i started on my own in a rec center, so i didn’t have a coach at the time to help me with my form. so even though i was constantly able to put on more weight, i wasn’t doing the movements perfectly, so once I found a coach, i had to cut back weight and work my way back up to get to heavy weights again since i had to teach the muscles that hadn’t been working before