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My first CrossFit Open Games 2017 Experience

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Last Saturday I unleashed my inner beast mode and did my very first CrossFit Open Games even though I have not registered for it. It was crazy brutal – I have been doing CrossFit for almost 8 months, yet this was the first time I was unable to finish a WOD (Work out of the Day). I knew this was something I had to do every week. So without much hesitation, I immediately signed up, paid the US$10 fees, and uploaded my score to https://games.crossfit.com.

What is CrossFit Open Games?

A typical CrossFit class will consist of 3 components: Warm Up, Strength/Technique, and Workout of the Day or WOD (this is the highlight of every class). Usually, it is up to the coach to determine what WOD will it be. But for CrossFit games, a WOD will be announced via the CrossFit Games website. The WOD announced must be completed within Friday until Monday, 5pm Pacific Time. Then, participants will upload their scores on the website and their coaches will verify as judges. The best part is anyone can participate! If they could not do the Rx (more advanced techniques and heavier weights), then they can do the Scaled version, which was what I did. Everyone is encouraged to do to the best of their abilities.

I can't do a pull up. I can't do double unders...and the list goes on. But I registered anyways.

I can’t do a pull up. I can’t do double unders…and the list goes on. But I registered anyways. *all photo credits in this post goes to Fuelprime Crossfit

Why did I do it?
1. I have always been curious about how do I fare against other athletes. Based on the scores that I have to submit weekly, I know where I stand.
2. Running all the time can be boring and mundane. Yet, I needed an outlet to feel competitive, so I turned to CrossFit Games.
3. Peer pressure – Thanks to my CrossFit gym buddies, I wanted to be a part of the hype too!

What was the WOD that I had to complete?

WOD 17.1

WOD 17.1

This WOD is capped at 20 minutes. For female (scaled), I used a 10kg dumbbell, 20-inch box and I could step up on the box instead of jumping.

How did I fare in the end?

My score. I could not complete the last 15 step up over box burpees.

My score. I could not complete the last 15 step up over box burpees.

My ranking on the Leaderboard

My ranking on the Leaderboard

I rank 27 out of 50 for Female Malaysian athletes in the scaled category as of 8.44pm, Malaysian time. I am sure more scores are being uploaded and verified as we are speaking.
Conclusion: I love how this CrossFit Open Games is inclusive, regardless of their level of experience. Everyone is encouraged to try and submit their scores. I’ve seen videos of 85 year old grandmothers doing dumbbell snatches and a one-legged amputee doing box jumps. So no more excuses! I am nervous yet excited for next week’s WOD!

These crazy people made me do it!

These crazy people made me do it!

CrossFit at a new Fuel Athletics gym!

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A few weeks ago, I had a great experience at the weight lifting introduction class in Fuel Athletics. Recently, they opened their doors to a new outlet in Shah Alam and invited me plus a few friends to try CrossFit after iftar (breaking our fast). I immediately said yes because I was drawn to CrossFit’s high intensity; I can get maximum amount of work done and calories burnt in a short period of time.

CrossFit can be roughly defined as varied high intensity functional movements, while combining certain aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more. (source: https://www.crossfit.com/what-is-crossfit). Based on this definition, CrossFit is not new to me. I had similar experiences before at Revelation Republic and a few LesMills GRIT classes, under various names such as Body Conditioning or GRIT Strength. To me, the principles and movements are pretty similar so experienced athletes (or in my case, athlete-wannabes) will have no problem transitioning.

However, what makes Fuel Athletics different is its location and spacious design. Currently, Fuel Athletics is the first CrossFit certified gym in Shah Alam, attracting crowds from as far as Sungai Buloh and Puncak Alam. The location at Menara Naza TTDI is strategic, with a nice mix of working adults and student crowd. The gym has 2 floors, an outdoor space, and a pool with changing room and surau.

IMG_4607CrossFit space and equipment on the lower floor

IMG_4620Spacious upper floor, with future plans for yoga classes

IMG_4621Plus point: This gym even has an outdoor pool too!

After some dynamic stretcing and warming up indoors and outdoors, we proceeded to the highlight of the night – the WOD (Work Out of the Day). For tonight’s session, the WOD was simple, yet effective: partner up, and one person does burpees while the partner holds weight plates above his/her head. Then switch roles after the partner completes a few burpees. Do this as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes. Do not underestimate the lack of fancy equipments or movements, because burpees are advanced enough to be considered as a full body work out. So after a few rounds of burpees and holding up the weight plates above my head, my arms were already shakey. I even hesitated if I should decrease my weights from 10kg to 5kg so I can ‘survive’ all 10 minutes of the WOD!

IMG_4596Warming up outdoors with some sprints

Processed with VSCO with a6 presetThe WOD got me like… (in a good way of course)

I can see that these series of WOD will definitely complement my marathon training programme. It will build up my legs muscle strength so I can run longer, faster, and less prone to injury. As for my upper body which has been neglected for some time, needs a lot of work as it has gotten flabby and weak. Perfection is still a long road ahead, so for the mean time, I just need to strike a balance between strength work outs and clocking in enough mileage.

For more info and registration: http://www.fuelprimecrossfit.com/

For more reviews on other types of cross-training and gyms:

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

 

Introduction to lifting techniques at Fuel Athletics

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I have always felt that weight-lifting is still a male dominated sports. Just look around you at the gym; somehow women will gravitate towards the cardio equipment and machines, while male will congregate at the free weights section. Maybe because women are scared that they are not strong enough to lift, or they fear that they might bulk up and lose their curves, or they just simply do not know how to use weights. Weight lifting should know no gender boundaries. God has created men and women to look different for a reason, and women will never lose their curves no matter how heavy they lift or how much protein they take. In fact, lifting weights will give women a leaner, healthier looking body as it reduces body fat and increases muscles, so your clothes will fit better without the flabbiness. Oh, and having flatter abs is always a plus point too!

 

At 8am last Saturday, I was thrilled to see many strong ladies (and gentlemen) from my running group who were eager to learn more about some basic lifting techniques at Fuel Athletics. We started off with some basic warming up, like squats, jumping jacks, burpees, and mountain climbers.

  DSCF7854We love the open-air vibe of this gym, a refreshing taste from the normal concrete walls. The glass walls give a very spacious illusion to the space, and blends in with the greenery outside (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

DSCF7813Warming up outside the gym (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

After warming up, we started with deadlifting. Deadlifting was a basic method of carrying the bar from the ground. As easy as it sounds, it was not that simple. The coach ensured that everyone had the right posture, such as activating your hamstrings and keeping your chest up and straight. I also noticed that this should also be the correct way of carrying heavy things instead of bending down to prevent back ache.

 

DSCF7873“So, does anybody know how to deadlift?” *crick crick crick* (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

DSCF7946  There is absolutely no point of trying to keep a straight face while lifting (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

Then, we proceeded to power clean. This movement was more complex than deadlifting, as it involves some explosive movement of catching the bar and simultaneously going into a squat position. Most of us have never even heard of this technique, but after a few round of practices, we managed to get a hold of it.

 

DSCF7963The assisting instructor showing us how it’s done (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

After learning the basics, we did a mini-Crossfit training with 40 reps of deadlifting, 500m of sprints, and 10 reps of power clean with our partner. All of these must be done in 4 sets. By the end of the 4th set, all of our arms and feet have definitely turned into jelly!

 

DSCF7975WOD (Work out of the Day) as prescribed by the coach (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

DSCF7928DSCF8018 We look forward to working out in their new outlet in Shah Alam after Ramadhan is over! (Photo credit: Kyserun Krew)

According to the coach, ideally women should deadlift about 80kg, so we still have a long way to go from today’s 30kg of lifting. Clearly, we have serious work to do here. So, ladies (and gentlemen), lets incorporate the weights for a stronger, leaner, and healthier body!

For more info, head to http://fuelathletics.com.my/ or http://www.fuelprimecrossfit.com/

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner