We've had several strength lifting workouts come off the main crossfit.com website this week, and doing one yesterday reminded me how much I enjoy them... and need them.I've posted several photos in this entry of some of the 26.2 CrossFit members in notable displays of strength.
At right is Grant doing weighted ring dips. He got up to 110 pounds in the workout of 3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1.
I was at first not looking forward to this one, thinking about how it's just been in the past few months that I've gotten to a point where I can do multiple body weight ring dips. But I was pleasantly surprised to get up to 32.5 pounds, going body weightx3, 5x2, 10x2, 12x2, 20x1, 25x1, 30x1, 32.5x1, fail at 35.
It feels GREAT to be strong, and the psychological boost from achieving a new PR is magical.At left is Alex, who deadlifted a PR and joined the 400 club.
Alex's thoughts on the milestone:
"I've never really considered myself a strong person. My love of fitness came from my father, and I enjoy pushing myself and finding my limits, mentally and physically. A month and a half ago when I joined 26.2 Crossfit I had never deadlifted over 225 Lbs, and I set a goal to have a 400# deadlift by August.
"After a lot of one-on-one training and coaching, I worked on technique and found myself stronger and more able. Meeting that goal definitely surprised me, and made me rethink what was capable out of my own body and mind. All of the thanks goes to my trainers, Allie, Billy, Dan, Travis and of course you Lee. Thanks!"
We trainers get such satisfaction seeing our athletes achieve a moment like this. Congratulations, Alex!
Another unique lift this week was weighted push-ups. At right is Evan, pushing up 160.
Different people excel at different workouts. Some are stronger pushing or pulling weights. Some perform best when they have to move their own body weight-- their strength-to-weight ratio being right on. Some excel at endurance.
Some seem to excel at everything, and the rest of us are supposed to focus on our "goat," as 26.2 owner Allie calls our weakest movement or exercise.
After more than three years of trying, I was finally able to do double unders in the last two weeks. I have practiced them almost every day I've been at the gym since, trying to ensure I don't lose it and permanently etch that skill into my brain fibers.
We do a lot of met-con (cardio) workouts, but the strength ones are important in the quest to achieve elite all-around fitness... and they are important markers of our progress.
As Alex said, form plays a large role in how much weight we can move around. Without proper technique, things can go badly.
But as my father swim coach has always said, "There's no substitute for strength."
"I've never really considered myself a strong person. My love of fitness came from my father, and I enjoy pushing myself and finding my limits, mentally and physically. A month and a half ago when I joined 26.2 Crossfit I had never deadlifted over 225 Lbs, and I set a goal to have a 400# deadlift by August.
"After a lot of one-on-one training and coaching, I worked on technique and found myself stronger and more able. Meeting that goal definitely surprised me, and made me rethink what was capable out of my own body and mind. All of the thanks goes to my trainers, Allie, Billy, Dan, Travis and of course you Lee. Thanks!"
We trainers get such satisfaction seeing our athletes achieve a moment like this. Congratulations, Alex!
Another unique lift this week was weighted push-ups. At right is Evan, pushing up 160.Different people excel at different workouts. Some are stronger pushing or pulling weights. Some perform best when they have to move their own body weight-- their strength-to-weight ratio being right on. Some excel at endurance.
Some seem to excel at everything, and the rest of us are supposed to focus on our "goat," as 26.2 owner Allie calls our weakest movement or exercise.
After more than three years of trying, I was finally able to do double unders in the last two weeks. I have practiced them almost every day I've been at the gym since, trying to ensure I don't lose it and permanently etch that skill into my brain fibers.
We do a lot of met-con (cardio) workouts, but the strength ones are important in the quest to achieve elite all-around fitness... and they are important markers of our progress.
As Alex said, form plays a large role in how much weight we can move around. Without proper technique, things can go badly.
But as my father swim coach has always said, "There's no substitute for strength."
This is indeed a showcase of not only strength but ferocity as well. These men have built up core muscles to endure such heavy strength training.
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