Brick house!

Want to push yourself? Get faster, stronger, both? Try a brick workout – that mixes short distance (200 run, 1,000 bike or 50 meter swim) in chunks of 5. Repeat 4-5 times, keep your recovery short and watch your swim/bike/run/row raced sore.

Here’s an example from tonight with some cool friends (see pic below). This one mixed some strength too (kettle bell).

Kept clock rolling. 1/3 mile warm up w/ Heidi/ 1/4 w/ Freaky Fast gang Sherri PJ, Lissa and Tim. 4 bricks of 5- 200’s with rest = time for 200 x 1.2 to 1.5 (so a short rest). 25 kettle bell swings and squats to warm up (25# kb). Brick 1: 39, 42, 43, 45, 42. 15 kb swings. 3 minutes rest. Brick 2: 39. 42, 43 44, 42. 15 squats, Brick 3: 38, 41,39, 42, 39 4 min rest; Brick 4: 38, 40, 41, 41, 39. Brick 3 and 4 were fastest. 4k (2.48 m) – in 14minutes 6 seconds (5:41 mile pace). Jogged/walked 2 lap recovery. Last lap included KB – 10 curls (l/r), 10 side bends, 10 tri ext, 25 figure 8’s. (145 tot strength).

Slate Magazine’s on a roll – P90x and CrossFit contrast

 

CrossFit Logo Baby!

Slate Magazine is on a roll.  After digging deep into the beginning of the 20th century, Annie Lowery jumps into 2011 with a quick, somewhat superficial review in her January 20th “Work Out So Hard You Vomit, The rise of P90X, CrossFit, and the “extreme” exercise routine.”

 

The article focused more on the business models of Beachbody (parent company of many professionally produced exercise video series such as P90x, Insanity, etc) and CrossFit (the open source, “bootcamp” oriented fitness movement).  There was a brief review of each program (P90x and CrossFit) and then a contrast between the two.

I pipped in a little bit in terms of my direct observation over the last year.  CrossFit’s founder, Greg Glassman, tends to evoke an either powerful positive or negative response in terms of style and CrossFit affiliates are painted in an extreme light.  P90x was cast in a generally more favorable light but with a “campy” label and focus on Beachbody’s ever-expanding revenue motivation.

Here’s my quick thought – either program is a powerful introduction for someone leading a sedentary lifestyle or a training boon for someone (like myself) who had been out-of-balance in terms of aerobic only exercise.   Those two along with the emerging “bootcamp” approach to training and maintain High Intensity Interval Training/ Circuit Training, Pilates, etc., are far better than the alternative – nothing, sitting, eroding health.

And as I shared in my comment to Lowery’s article, I have not been pushed to beyond what my capacity or into “pukey” land by any of the seven CrossFit trainers I’ve learned from.  Each one has stressed form over load (weight).

So go out and workout hard!  You’ll have fun.  Even if you’re 45 years old or older/younger!