Hump Day Two a Day. For real this time :)

Hey everyone! So as promised I did last nights workout this morning. As a reminder this is what it was:

10 kipping pull ups
10 65 lb hang power cleans
10 Triceps push ups
20 Sasha Swings
20 Ab Rollers
x 5 rounds

It was every bit the miserable physical and mental olympics I thought it would be (so much so, I have decided to use it as a barometer of my improving fitness moving forward - a benchmark workout in CrossFit parlance). In the middle of my second round of the hang power cleans my elbows were too slow so the bar awkwardly slammed me in the ribs. It felt amazing, by the way. So I took about a minute and a half break in the middle to get some water and mentally get back in the game. From then on I was much more mentally engaged in my technique remembering the two things I normally forget about: aggressive elbows and hip explosion. I have the drop down, but it's pretty worthless without upward momentum generated in the hips and core. The cleans were easily the most challenging part for me.

My hands are also totally annihilated - by the end of the second round of Sasha Swings all of my callouses were weaping. Guess I'm gonna have to go get HIV and Hep C tested if anyone wants to come over and use my weights. There are a variety of reasons I don't use weightlifting gloves - all are immaterial here - point is that I don't. That meant my hands were watery and I was doing pull ups and cleans and Sasha Swings - all three of which were made more difficult since the tackiness of my skin was non existent. It was all grip muscle. Brutal.

Anyway, I finished the workout which was huge because during my almost-a-disaster induced break I was legitimately wondering if completing this was even a good idea. Then I switched my mental head space to taking it all one rep at a time. Rather than racing through it, focusing on keeping an even tempo, not stopping, and completing all the reps. Even still I was sweating like a pigpig, in RIDICULOUS amounts of muscular and cardiovascular fatigue, and generally physically wiped by the end of the 3rd round. But I made myself keep going, and I conquered it.

I feel AMAZING. I'm so proud that not only was I able to push through the physical pain, but I was able to conquer the voice in my head which doubted I could. Last night I thought 40 minutes would be a good goal time for completing this workout.

My time: 39:49.

YES! FUCK YES!

Workout 2: Tik Tok Exercise Challenge

Will keep you all posted on my scores when I complete it later this evening! For now, I have to go pick up my dress pants from the tailor, and get mentally prepped for my Biochemistry II exam later this afternoon.

ROCK!

*******UPDATE*******

My tailor is closing at the end of the month. Turns out rent in Buckhead is too spendy. B-b-but I just spent $70.00 on three pairs of pants (although to replace the pants would've been $300.00 . . . so it's still a relative bargain). Just when I find a tailor to satisfactorily rebuild the clothes I have shrunk out of entirely, she closes. DAMN IT!

Anyway, here are my scores for Workout 2: Tik Tok Exercise Challenge
Round 1 Time: 3:16
20 sec high knee intervals: 60,61,62,61,57,61,62,61
Round 2 Time: 2:48
20 sec high knee intervals: 70,61,63,61,62,62,59,62
Round 3 Time: 2:37
Total High Knees: 985.

Then I collapsed.

My time challenge scores got progressively faster, which was interesting since I was going at my max the whole time. Odd. Anyway, in the event you're thinking "how do you do more than 2 high knees per second?" the answer is "POUR IT ON!" I was shocked at how many I could do, but judging by the fact my shirt** was soaked all the way through after the fourth 20 second interval in the first set, maybe it shouldn't have been such a surprise hah.

**I highly highly recommend Under Armour HeatGear Compression Shirts. The stuff is amazing - it's super lightweight and is very tight so it does a fabulous job of keeping everything where it's supposed to be. When I jump around doing high knees or whatever, I don't feel like my stomach and guts and boobs are all over the place. If your concern is the way it looks on you, put one up for "perk of working out at home". Function over form, friends. I have UA HG t-shirts, long sleevers, sleeveless, and one with a built in bra, which is totally unnecessary since I have the chest of a 12 year old boy and they're all fabulous. Word of caution though - they don't hold up well against the rough grip of the barbell or Sasha - so I use them for workouts which don't involve the bar or Sasha. Which makes at least once a day :).