I'm a bad mufucka' cuz the good die young

Well I hope I'm not offending anyone here... :p I do believe I said I would be completely "me" in this blog. My reader's will delve deep within my head and get to know the real me. I mean it when I say that I literally have nothing to hide. I'm completely content being me, and if you don't like that, meh, oh well:) I would like you all to take from this a better understanding of the individual that I am. I hope to stray far from the"norms" of society and just be the best John I can be:) So help a brother out ! :p

Worked on some Snatch Balances and OH Squats as a warmup today; that shit was ROUGH for some reason. Body just felt worn down a bit moreso than usual. Finished up with a triplet, burpees tagged on each end. Feel free to check my youtube channel for the video. It did not go too well today all in all, but nonetheless I got it done and over with. Happy with my snatch progress I must say. So chalk that up for a W :)

What a crummy day outside today too! What the F man?! Yesterday was beautiful, now it's pouring down rain...No wonder I'm constantly feeling under the weather. Is it just me or are the temp/seasonal changes messing with you guys too? Eh, planning to rest heavily tonight after work; got a pretty decent one planned for tomorrow that I'm looking forward too.

As always, thank you for taking the time to hear me bitch :p

-John

You hate the fact that you bought the dream when they sold you one...

Before getting down to business, few things I would like to address. First of all, I hope we all had a safe and happy holiday. Many of us are thankful for various things; what is it that you were thankful for this time around? I'm thankful for the fact that I march to the beat of my own drum. So many people on this earth simply go with the flow. They refuse to change and do their own thing for fear of what others may think of them or the repercussions of their actions. Do whatever it is that makes YOU happy. Regardless of what others think. Love the life you're living. If you're not happy, step back and ask yourself what it is that could make you happy. Take steps towards bettering yourself. Investing in one's self is among the greatest of things you can do. Be it self enrichment courses, taking time out of your day to shut out the world and relax, etc. Do it! You belong to noone. Be your own boss for once. Who cares what everyone else thinks?

I'm also thankful for the people closest to me, the select few know who they are. You've put up with all of my bullshit over the years. My back and forth ideas on what I plan to do with my life, my personal battles, etc. I wouldn't know what to do without you ladies and gents. I truly care for a very select few, but you all comprise that list:)

I'm VERY thankful to have spent my holiday with my family and a select few others as well. Over the years I have lost family members, friends, even acquaintances; they will never get that time back. They will never again come together at the family gathering and share these memories. My heart goes out to everyone of you and your families. BIG shout to the troops that are fighting for our freedom so that we can live peacefully, away from the constant battles over yonder. Thank you KLE, mom, so much. I'm so proud of you for your sacrifices for this wonderful country. Even though you suffer now, and we suffer seeing you like this, I know you would want it no other way. Words can't begin to describe the love and respect I have for you. YOU are such a strong woman, and even though you probably will never read this, know that.

So it has been quite some time since I last updated on my training staus and what not :p And I appologize to the few that even take the time to read this thing! LOL First of all, I set up a youtube channel to track my WODs:http://www.youtube.com/user/jeworldgym?feature=mhee. Feel free to check it out, talk shit,critique, etc. I love feedback, regardless:) So...as of October 30, 2011...Crossfit Certified Level One! Greatest thing I have ever done solely for ME. This was a selfish purchase. However, I would like to take some time to work on "me." Work on bettering myself, not overthinking shit, letting the little things bother me. We all have our flaws, but should we let them define us? What defines us anyways? I fear few things, but among those few things, I fear myself. The self imposed limitations I have dealt with. No longer will you hear me say, "Oh, I'm not good at that." It's true, I may not be good at that, but fuck it I will get better at it. Promise:) And I prefer to be a man of my word, makes shit go much smoother. Went into my Crossfit cert and 2 week or so prior I had hit my first kipping muscleup. Walked out two days later and almost strung together 4 deadhang muscleups. The coaching I received there was spot on. I thank each and everyone one of you! Chuck, Maggie, Nicole, Mike, Andrea, Chriss, and you're gonna kill me, but I forgot the last coaches name... :/ You guys/gals rocked.

Been working in some new programming lately. Self designed for once LOL I'm going to try my hand at it, I can be quite creative. And I refuse to shy away from the tough stuff lol The 100 DB hang squat clean thrusters for time the other day(35 lb. DBs) were a bitch to say the least, weren't they JK? :) Not to mention the fact that we had to bust out 5 burpees on the top of each minute. What a mental grind, and on Thanksgiving day nonetheless LOL I don't know how you're holiday went, but I ate quite a bit. Quite, being an understatement. I love eating. Almost as much as the gym, almost. :)

Aside from switching up the programming, it's time to make some life changes. Time to break the chains that bind and do my own thing. I don't regret any decisions I've made thus far in life, but it's time to put forth more of an effort to make a name for myself. To better and improve upon the foundations with which I've built. I have found my calling, after many failed attempts. Now, how shall I get there?

-John

Games

Wow. So I woke up this morning from a pretty interesting dream. It was the culmination of all the work I've been putting in over these past few years of my life. Powerlifting, crossfitting, bodybuilding. not one training regime is going to make you totally perfect. Just be ready for anything and everything. I'm always up for something new. But anyways, I was actually there;at the Crossfit games, in the finals. During the last event I lost by a mere few seconds. It is that last breath, those few seconds, where you either win or lose. And I lost. If that doesn't light a fire under your ass, I don't know what does!

Got into the gym feeling great today, came in with a purpose, as always. But this time it was something different driving me; it was a been there done that kinda thing. I was there to make my dream come true. Managed a 240 rack jerk today before being scolded for making too much noise... Gotta follow the rules I suppose. Just makes it clearer to me. Break the chains that bind you. If someone/something is holding you back, who cares. We are only failing ourselves by listening to the naysayers and following suit of what is considered "normal". I say do what makes you happy; in the end, your supporters will e there for you. It is tough to find someone that will put up with all your shit and stick by your side. Friend or foe, keep em close. Push to improve and live every moment as it is your last breath, those last few seconds WILL make or break you.

-John

Wrecked

What a damn rough couple of days! Got into the gym late Wednesday evening with a fire under my ass. Felt great. Blew through 15 rounds of 1 squat at 250, 1 bench at 225, 1 power clean at 225 AFAP. That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, came to an even 10, 500 lbs total. Used weights I knew wouldn't slow me down and keep my heart rate up to get a bit of a metcon out of it. In warm-up for it I went for broke on cleans and as you can see, I failed on the 275! Slowly but surely, it will come:) Losing weight, while at the same time increasing my strength. It is indeed possible folks. Hardwork and dedication produce results, not some magic pill or needle. I couldn't bring myself to do the shit, but honestly, if you do it, good on ya. Doesn't change you in my opinion, just makes me have to work harder to keep up;) I'm no stranger to hard work though. I grew up the fat kid, the target of grade school jokes. So I know what it's like to be the underdog :p Nothing worth having ever came easy.

Did a 10-1 of Dips and 2 POOD KB swings today, each round being preceeded with a 20 yd Farmer's Carry with 2  150 lb DB's. At 185, that was 80%BW in each hand, that shit was a killer after the work that's been done this week. Oh well, anything under 150 and I can look at that as "easy" :) Thought about using the hex bar, but I figure the grip strength required to keep the DB's in line was worth it for today.  Would love a rest day tomorrow; but we'll see how that goes. Time to grub. Peace!

-John

M.I.A.

So I've been MIA for a while. Rest assured I've been putting in my work. Overcoming life's obstacles and taking time for myself. Time to reflect on where I am, and where I've been. How did I get here? It wasn't easy, and everyday is a struggle. Dragging myself out of bed somedays after the rough work of the night before. Overcome. You're capable of anything you put your mind to. I turned 22 yesterday and before my work even started, I was given my birthday gift from the gym. Squat @ BW for 50 straight reps. No half reps. ATG. I'm befuddled at those that half ass it on squats. Unless you have a serious injury, lighten the weight and drop into the hole. It's much more impressive to bottom out on 225 than to "hip-dip" with 405. You all know who you are. If you are one of those, no harm no foul. Clean it up and move on. I completed my 50, one after the next. Coming out of surgery end of July, and 2.5 years after a  blown lumbar, I'm very proud of how far I've come thus far. Much room to grow still. Finally got muscle-ups down today. Refinement work approaching in the coming months. I'm ahead of schedule for where I would like to be; not to get ahead of oneself however. Pulled 650x3 from the knee today, ripped half of my ring finger skin off in the process. Coming to grips witht the fact that I walk around bruised and battered on a daily basis is tough to swallow for most. But you'll never make anything doing it half-cocked. You really want it, you go all in. Overcome.



-John

You Have Been the One for Me

What a GREAT day:) Started out early morning with a 10 min max distance handstand walk; ended up making it 100 yards. First time walking, I was pretty stoked with that; no matter how it compares to the rest of the world lol It's a victory for me. Closed out the morning session with some double under work; but that didn't go so well. Ended up landing on the cable and breaking one of the nuts that holds the handle on at the end. But after fixing it up,  I was good to go:)



Rested up and enjoyed the day off before making it back to the gym for numero Dos. Warmed up with more handstand walks and I seem to be getting much more comfortable with them. Worked deadlift and pulled a triple at 330. Feels good to be getting some strength back after the injury 2.5 years ago. Nowhere near my PR of 455x3, but one step closer than yesterday:) Also pulled a triple at 150 on Strict Shoulder Press, always loved that excercise:)


Did another "on the minute" today.


On the min for 10 min of: Row 110m.


First set I dicked up a bit and came in at :26, but my range went from :21 to :26, with the majority of my sets coming in at :22 or :23. Rowing kills me, but I'm getting better. Any guys out there with a remedy for NOT crushing your package? HAHA Not saying I'm packing a damn anaconda or anything but damn. I can't get a good rhythm going without endangering myself:0 LOL


Great day all in all; looking forward to a great night's sleep and a day of rest tomorrow:) Phew.



-John

Got somethin that you need to know; be the the realest shit I never wrote...

Hell of a day today. Shit lol We are faced with many decisions in life; some easy, some harder to swallow. Never be afraid to choose; because no matter what, you're getting to where you're supposed to be regardless of what happens between points A and B. You see many people who let these day to day strifes run their lives, and then you see those who walk fearlessly through the unknown. But do not get ahead of yourself; for those so called "fearless" still bleed, they still cry, they still eat, sleep, breathe, just like everyone else. Noone is impervious to making "bad" decisions, but it is how you handle the aftermath that defines you. If you choose to follow this blog, then you're gonna get to know me pretty intimately probably. So leave now if you want. I have no problem opening up to strangers, or delving deeper than most of my friends know me. I'm an open book, literally ask me and I will tell. I Love my life and all those in it, both friend and foe. I'm thankful for the hand I was dealt, and I will proudly admit that I have crossed many wrong paths throughout my journey. But it has made me who I am today. You may think you know me, but trust me, you probably don't.




So on to the training portion of the day LOL


Did a 15 Minute on the Minute for Bench Press today.


215x2 On the minute for 15 min. Never really a strong excercise for me; but as posted, I'm taking these next few months to really work on my weaknesses. I would rather be a well rounded person than extremely awesome at one solitary thing :)



Then comes the Work Capacity which quite surprisingly left me gassed lol It's only as hard as you make it though;)


6 Rounds for Time: 12 Walking Lunges(115), 25 yd Sprint, 12 Dips

Finished in 11:28, all reps unbroken. The lunges got tough towards the end as my glutes were tightening up BIG time haha I'm working on the stretching aspect of my training as well as the physical aspect. One day I'll be able to drop into the split on command....YA OK.



Finished up with some Double Under work to wrap it up for the day. Off to work, gotta make a livin right?


-John

...I am lost, I am vain; I will never be the same, without you...

Quick one today. Been starting and finishing each workout with 3x Max Double Unders; needless to say the numbers drop quite a bit from start to finish, but I'm putting up 20+ pretty easy at the beginning. Not bad for me, considering I have been off DU's for months now lol Just one more thing I need to work on :p Fucked around on the paralettes today doing handstands and what not. But on to the actual work.


Warmed up Back Squats thoroughly before doing 2 sets of 20 with 175, making sure to keep full ROM. These felt pretty good, legs are starting to come back more and more each day; but still a struggle physically :p lol I'm there mentally.


Moved on to a 15 Min AMRAP of 5 Ground to Overhead (185), 10 Pullups, 15 Pushups.


After working up to the 185, began the work load only to find out after 2 sets that the timer never went off. So my time may have been plus or minus a few seconds, started at 1324, ended at 1339. Only managed to pull off 3 full rounds and 1 extra Ground to Overhead. I knew the 185 was going to be a bitch for me, clean-wise, but I felt that I kept better form than normal all throughout the AMRAP. That was a victory to me. Getting 185 from shoulder to OH was no problem thankfully.


Finding out your weaknesses is always crucial in one's quest for self-improvement. Taking from today's workout, I realize that my main problem with the clean portion of the lift is getting my body to transistion fluidly throughout the entire range of motion. I compartmentalize the lift in an improper manner, but I can recognize that and now move forward. Soon as I get my Level One cert, I'm looking into an Oly Lifting cert; who's with me? :)


-John

I can't win, I can't reign; I will never win this game, without you...

What a week! Haven't even had time to log in here once. All has been well, few things have changed. Signed up for my Crossfit level One certification the weekend of October 29-30; early Bday present to myself. Still getting over the 1000 dollar price tag; but knowledge is power right? :) My days filled with training and nights filled with work and studying, what a glamorous lifestyle. Looking back on where I was 3 years ago, just settling into my first year of college and going out all the time, not really giving two shits about the future, I'd say a few things have changed. Nonetheless, I'm still me. I dropped school this past spring and some may say that was stupid or whatever but you know what? It was MY decision. The first of many decisions I've made in my adult life. I went to school not because I wanted to, but because it was seen as the social norm. My advice to everyone is to do what makes YOU happy. Life's pieces will soon fall together; take each day in stride and roll with the punches. It's those punches that define you; knocked down? Get the fuck up and stop feeling sorry for yourself. I'm happy with my decisions, both good and bad, that I've made throughout my lifetime. And I'm sure someone feels the same, if not oh well:) I do aim to please; but you have to please yourself in order to please others. I'm faced with many more "big boy decisions" in the months to come, but I look forward to them. We shall see where this path leads. Just know that when the going gets tough, it could ALWAYS be tougher. Your struggles may be rather meager compared to those scattered throughout the world. Life is short, make each day great in one way shape or form. I like to smile at everyone, or my famous wink ;) that I throw at everyone; don't get the wrong idea :) lol You never know what that personmay or may not be going through and that smile may mean night and day for some.



Enough rambling:) Great week of training. Started out strong with my 106 burpees on Monday afternoon. Went straight through and actually hit 107 in a row in 8:29. Time is whatever, someone will always be faster, somewhere. Unless I'm going heads up with someone I work my own mental goals. You may have a faster Fran, but I guarantee you my mental connection is that of yoursx10 and that, to me, is  personal victory:) Worked on a few key weaknesses over the past few days with double unders and handstand pushups. My rope finally came in from Rogue and let me tell you:it is a cadillac. Doubles have NEVER been this easy. I'm coming off one from Again Faster, and I loved that rope until it got tweaked and the cable bent. This cable is much smoother and broken in. Worked quite a few handstand options this week as well between HSPU's and static holds in the Up position. Even walked out a bit in freestand. Really getting proficient transistioning from L-sit to handstand on the paralettes. I WISH I TOOK GYMNASTICS GROWING UP fml :)



I shall be on here more often this week, promise:) To those of you following this or even taking the time to check in, THANK YOU:)  Any questions or comments feel free to ask; I'm an open book.


And Dr.Fat Cat, that P90sex shit better whip you into shape. I expect you to be hanging with me when you return from Dread school; whenever that may be. Miss you man!

Cuz the Spotlight Aint Nothin Without Ya...

Damn that alarm clock hit me like a brick this morning. Shitty night of tossing and turning; only to be hit with the wonderful phone ring tones they have set for alarms. Really? Who makes these things? FML Oh well! Hit a quick shake and a banana before crawling back in bed for an extra hour. I caved... :( LOL I wish I could tell you that extra hour got me right, but I can't lie to you. Hell why would I lie to people I don't even know? Got to the gym and started warming up with some back squats...legs are shot after these past few days. Can't wait to get them back to where they were pre-surgery.

After warming up...

For time:
30 Back Squats @ BW(190 for now)
30 KB Swings @ 2 POOD

8:29-Squats were a real blower here. After almost 2 months off from legs that weight was more of a 10 rep; 30 straight was a far cry HAHA Soon enough. Getting much more proficient with the 2 POOD though, very happy with that. That 1.5 will feel like nothing when I switch up come Jan...

10 Min rest

Tabata Row-894 Meters

Shot for 1K; short by 106...self imposed 1 burpee per 1m shy of 1K. Great for monday seeing as I actually do love burpees. But timing it will make hell.

Glad to have pushed through this one. Could not get going the entire time, but just one of those times you remember that if you're not doing it, someone else will. Don't get me wrong, I'm more competitive with myself than anyone else. There will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be a superlative in everything in life and guess what? It aint you. And if it ever becomes you, work on beating yourself. Never give up and never give in. You are your biggest enemy, best training partner, best friend. Tap into your inner self and you will be a much better being. Work in the am before the sun rises, blow me :p Chat soon my friends.


-John

Power(ful)Less

What a day. Schedule was quite a bit out of whack today; but nonetheless you have to adapt and keep truckin on. Slept in a bit later than normal and getting to bed a bit earlier, needless to say missed a meal because of time constraints. I'll make up for it, and get on :) Worked out with my buddy at a friend's garage box. Pretty neat little set up ya got there bro; I'll definitely be back from time to time.


Power Clean 3RM

My technicque on this movement is just garbage; I have no problem admitting that. I've always said I'm my toughest critic, and I feel you have to be brutally honest with yourself to better yourself. It takes thick skin to make it in today's world, get over it:)

65-10
75-8
95-6
115-4
135-3
165-2
185-1
205-3

Tried for 215, but that was a no go. Oh well, never satisfied. But this leaves room for improvement and leaves me hungry for next time. Not too good with power cleans as I've been sticking mainly with squat cleans for the past year; catching it so high up is a blower seeing as my squat portion was never an issue. After watching vids of myself I think I have a good idea of where I'm messing up. I'm not keeping my body upright enough on the pull, so I'll modify for next time.

9 Rounds for time:
5 DB Thrusters(2x50)
5 Strict Chin Ups
5 Burpees

13:49

Thrusters can blow me. I was just starting to get more proficient at the barbell version; enter the dumbbells. Aside from the unilateral movement, it was extremely hard to set-up any type of make shift rack position with the dumbbells. Additionally, having stuck to strictly pullups for the better portion of a year now, chin ups just did not feel too  natural at the start. Made some slight changes with wrapping my thumb over the bar and that helped a bit. I've always loved burpees:) Good lung burn today.

Finished with a mile run at a recovery pace. Gotta love all the folks burning trees and brush in their backyards. Thanks Irene. LOL



That's it for tonight; early morning workout and work tomorrow. And so goes my weekend. Enjoy the airshow for those that are going!

-John

Thursday September 1st, 2011

Pretty good WOD today. Just some background; had surgery on my tailbone July 18th, 2011 and this will be only the second time hitting any type of lower body since then.


Been following the crossfitfootball main page for about 2 weeks or so now; really focusing on strength and raw power in the next few months. I feel this website mixes it up pretty well for my level of experience and prior powerlifting background.

Backsquats
45(lbs)-15 ; 95-10 ; 145-5 ; 195 12x2 45 second rest interval
Pretty happy with this, considering legs haven't been dusted off but twice in the past month and a half. HA I'm one of those sick bastards that actually love legs. While most people are satisfied with their leg presses and hamstring curls, I'm not satisfied until my ass is down in the hole with the bar crushing down on my traps. NO PUSS PAD! Please and thank you :)

Bench Press
65-10 ; 85-8 ; 105-6  ; 125-4 ; 145-3 ; 165-2 ; 185-1 ; 205-5 ; 195-5 ; 185-5
I have a different approach on warming up than most with my presses; or any of my lifts for that matter. I've found that working up from such a light weight and focusing on the contractions really helps to grease the groove. Remembering back to March 4, 2009 when I blew my back warming up for heavier deadlifts, I wish I had known what I know now about my body. But such is life and it has brought me to where I am now. Bench has always been my WORST, and I mean worst, excercise. Never really gave it the time of day, however. So, howmuchyabench? 250 fuck off :) I'm working on it. Bench to me is from a full lock-out, down to touch the chest, explode off. No half reps, and no dropping the weights and bouncing it off the birdchest that you've built over the years of benching with horrible form.

DB One-Arm Row
3xMax reps @50% BW
13, 10, 12 with 95 lbs
I work my DB rows very slow and controlled. Although I am just training for power right now, I still make sure to keep a conscious effort on both the concentric and eccentric portions of the lift, with a pause and squeeze at the top, and a full stretch at the bottom. What are we really accomplishing by half-assedly yanking the weights up and down??

6 Rounds for Max Reps
Plyo Push-Ups
20 Yd Shuttle Run
90s Rest

1-16 Plyos
2-13 Plyos
3-14 Plyos
4-12 Plyos
5-13 Plyos
6-12 Plyos

Plyo Push-Up being constituted as "Perform a plyo push up by placing one hand on a 45 lbs plate and the other on the floor, perform an explosive push up that allows you to transition the hand on the floor to hand on the plate."

That's enough for today :) Drove home and fixed up a pretty sweet post-workout meal of boiled potatoes, chicken, and green beans. Hate vegetables, but I can do green beans lol Washed that down with some good ol' milk and, thanks to my wonderful co-worker Snead, a bite sized Snickers Peanut Butter along with the good ol' Pak. Puttin in a full shift tonight at work and callin it a day. We shall see what tomorrow will bring me; nonetheless, never ready, always willing.

-John

Intro

For those that know me, you know how dedicated I am with my training. You also know that I am sure of very few things in life ASIDE from the gym lol My plans change day to day;but I'm pretty sure that's just part of growing up :) So after my years of training and eating like a machine, I've decided to put it all together and work towards competing in the Crossfit Games for 2012. Win or lose, I love this stuff. It pretty much defines who I am. If one day I could make a living off of bettering people's lives the way it has bettered mine, I would be both successful AND happy lol I have a few goals for myself that I want to achieve come years' end and I will get into those at a later point. For now, feel free to speak your mind to me. I welcome any and all thoughts, ideas, criticisms, etc. Hope you enjoy :)