Tire Flippin'!

So I was never formally coached on how to tire flip, so I just did it by instinct.  Namely, I tire flipped using only my leg, back, and arm strength and it worked well enough but I could tell that it put a lot of strain on the lower back when I bent over to flip it.

This video shows that you can dramatically reduce that strain by transferring the load to your powerful legs.  I never knew about the stutter step and the kick with the knee of the dominant leg!  That's brilliant!

Orlando also shares the secret that if the tire is exceedingly heavy, then you can just incrementally ratchet it up while resting the tire at an angle from your hip crease, stomach, chest, etc. until you can tip it over completely.

He also makes a good point in the beginning that this is NOT a deadlift maneuver where you go straight up.  Rather, you are moving at a 45 degree angle, not up and not forward but diagonally.  Also, that your head isn't going back when you are coming up but forward to maintain that forward drive and momentum.

This free video is only a tidbit but I think it's sufficient and I learned ample technique from it, more than any I've picked up from an actual box, I must say.  I love Crossfit HQ videos.  A wealth of knowledge.

GOMAD [Day 3]; Murph Hero WOD; Raw Milk Supply

It's not even 1 PM and a lot has already happened. I decided to wake up early and go to the crossfit box this morning. I was sore and drowsy but I'm glad I went. Somehow I made it on the white board at .380! Only the best times at the box make it up there, so I'm honored and surprised. Especially since I wasn't expecting to do well as it was my first time doing "Murph!"

Proof!

Murph:
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats
1 mile run

(Murph is a 'Hero WOD' dedicated to fallen Naval lieutenant, Michael Murphy; read more about him here.)

I broke up the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as such, 10 rounds of:  10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, and 30 air squats.

 I marked each round with chalk on the ground to keep track. I went through these fairly quickly as I did butterfly pull-ups. However, when it came to running the mile, I got lazy as hell. My only competition at 10 AM was the ginger, Jonathan. Even though he's huge, he's a fast mofo! So he was nowhere in sight and nobody was close on my heels so I got f'n lazy and started to shuffle at first and finally I was like "fuck it!" and ended up walking a bit. When I made it around the bend, the owner was looking at his watch and said you know your first lap took you 2:30?! I was like awwww shiieet! So then I finally started to legitimately jog/run. I finally finished with 36:35, which was one of the best times though not nearly as good as I should have gotten. The 100 butterfly pull-ups left some torn skin on my left palm and I'm walking weird because my calves are sore as hell from running in my fuckin' Vibrams Five Fingers as well as those brutal OH lunges from last night.
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 So I found out that the local dairy farmer finally had some raw milk in stock again. I decided to splurge and buy two gallons of it at the steep price of $8 a gallon. I know it's hella expensive but it taste so rich and creamy. It's not even white like pasteurized milk, it has so much cream in it that it has a pale yellow tint to it and it pours out thick like half and half. This stuff makes whole, pasteurized milk from the grocery store taste like 2%! Thank you, Lavon Farms!

The warning label makes it seem like some dangerous, illegal contraband but it's perfectly safe haha.

OH Squats

The overhead squats is one of my FAVORITE lifts and since we did a variation of them today in the WOD—OH lunges, which I find to be more difficult than just OH squats since you have to walk forward with the weight held overhead and you are balancing precariously on just one leg at a time—I thought it was apt to post this video today.

The video also introduces a very interesting stretch using a standard PVC pipe.  I've also done the stretch starting from the front but like he says, starting from the back is more challenging.  It looks wild!  I'm going to have to try that stretch out!

(I also like the song playing in this video, does anyone know the artist and song name?)

GOMAD [Day 2] Update & Rope Climbing Technique Video

UPDATE 8:30 PM:

I just finished my crossfit wod and I have to say day 2 of the GOMAD experiment is going sooo much better than day 1!

No more loose stools driving me mad and I'm chugging this milk down a lot more easily!  I've learned to space out the milk sessions better, with most of my consumption during lunch and post-workout.  I drink about 3 pints each time.  If I manage to wake up earlier I'm hoping I can space out the milk chugging even more and reduce digestive discomfort.  I can definitely keep this up though.  Day 1 just had my scurrred a bit.

Today's WOD was brutal though.  Check out my horrible results here.
I met the owner of .380 today, Dave Masi.  He was totally riding my ass.  Everytime I dropped the barbell he would be right next to me shouting for me to stop resting.  He even said, "5 second rest and then go!" He proceeded to start COUNTING aloud, he was like 5 deep breaths:  "One! Two!..."  Yeah fuckin' hell.

By round 2, my wrists were hurting so much from the OH lunges the most and also partly from the handstand walking.  We did this on uneven bumpy ground so it was difficult to maneuver.  The 70 lb KB high pull and steps were also wreckin' havoc on my lower back.

Afterwards I worked on my handstand pushups/walking and rope climbs.  Speaking of, I'm going to go watch a rope climbing technique video now since, I'm not good at coming down the rope, just going up.

This video is presents 2 very simple, effective techniques.  I've only tried the leg wrap but I'm going to try the fast technique tomorrow when I head to the box.  I also need to try out how he came down.

(Tip:  Drag the cursor to 1:30 to skip all the useless jabber in the beginning.)

GOMAD Experiment [Day 2]

I would never have imagined that my body could produce that much GAS.  Justin calls them "milk farts."  I had no idea what he was talking about....until last night.

Well, this experiment certainly has a steep learning curve and I think I've learned my first lesson.  Whenever I drink at least 2 pints of milk, I will also take a lactase enzyme pill (generic Safeway brand from Tom Thumb, cheapest one I could find)!  I was trying to conserve them but I don't think it's worth the digestive discomfort.

So I forgot to do some measurements yesterday.

Shoulder span:  18 in
Neck:  15 in (around the adam's apple)
Arms:  14.5 in (flexed, day 1's measurement of 13" was not flexed)
Penis:  J/k!


"Self-improvement is masturbation"
-Chuck Palahniuk

GOMAD Experiment [Day 1]

I've drunk half a gallon of conventional, pasteurized (but non-homogenized and no rBST added) whole milk @ $3.69 a pop already! I'm off to a good start. I'm also starting up Crossfit again, after a 2-3 month hiatus, at a new box in McKinney called Crossfit .380 (I don't know what that dot means, so don't ask me).

My friend told me to document this and since I'm not an exhibitionist, I'm going to do that here on this blog that virtually nobody reads instead of Facebook, which is everyone's whore.

I was too embarrassed to ask someone to take a candid photo of me shirtless, so I went to the guest bedroom, where there's a large mirror. The lighting is horrible and I couldn't use flash because of the glare from the mirror, so this is the image that will have to do for now. I'll probably post an update with a photo every 5 days or every week, since daily would probably be pointless. Nobody's body grows that quickly. Hopefully GOMAD doesn't just result in me becoming an amorphous blubbery blob with diabetes mellitus.

1/2/2012, 4:30 PM:

Measurements:
167 lbs
Waist: 32 in/82 cm
Chest: 39 in/99 cm
Bicep: 13 in/32 cm
Thigh: 22.5 in/56.5 cm

Around 10% body fat

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UPDATE 9 PM:  I just got home from my workout and I feel great. I had plenty of energy after the WOD, so I ended up dicking around on the rings—doing muscle-ups and trying to do the 'iron cross' but failing miserably. Chris and I also did a bunch of toes-to-bars and butterfly pull-ups.

So far so good, I was worried at first because my anus wasn't feeling fantastic from chugging all that milk all of a sudden, TMI? I'm sure my body will adapt soon enough, I hope. I just had to vacate my bowels before the WOD and right after...ugh. I'm sticking this through though.

Chris is doing his weight gainer thing with no adverse effects so far and I'm still doing my ridiculous GOMAD experiment and hoping my body will start to pump out more lactase enzyme!

Oh and Chris let me try on his 30 lb weight vest...that's how much I intend to put on in muscle mass over the span of a month! I have to admit 30 lbs feels a LOT heavier than I'd previously imagined...

Ben & Owen Franks

Part II: