Crossfit Barbara

Just a quick update that I did crossfit barbara again –

20 pull ups

30 press ups

40 sit ups

50 squats

3min break between rounds x 5 rounds

I finished it in 28.46mins this is a 2.14min improvement on my last attempt on Feb 25th this year. https://thetransformationcatalyst.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/saying-hello-to-barbara/

I felt better going into this one as I had not done a ton of pressing the day before and as anyone knows that has done this workout, it’s the press ups that slows most people down. Every time I took a break I counted to 3 and went straight back into it. I again got all the pull ups on all sets for 20reps without coming off the bar (come on guys if you can’t get up to even 15reps of pull ups yet you need to start asking questions!).

I also felt stronger on the sit ups and I think the ab wheel rollouts and hanging leg raises I have been doing have helped with that.

Nose to flooor and straight back!

I have had quite a few clients do this workout in the last while and Elaine still has the best time of 29.22mins doing inverted rows, press ups on the knees and the other two as listed. Oh and she has three kids also! I must say it’s the ladys I train that regualrly post better times than the guys on many workouts. I still think many people just want to go to gyms or fitness classes and be able to say they have worked out rather than truly putting in the hard work.

I really think this is such a great benchmark workout to retest on.  The clients I have tested on this one that perform well are the ones with a good base strength, good fitness (they recover fast) and excellent mental strength. Almost all of them also train no more than about 30-40mins 4-5 days per week.

If you read this pleeeeeeeease do this workout asap and post time to comments as it would be great for others to see. It is vital that you use a full range of motion in all exercises as otherwise the times are not comparable. I know many will not as they want to keep doing the same workout they have been doing for ages and then asking why they are not getting any better results.

Everyone wants to look amazing and feel great but not many want to work hard and push for progress. The great put in the work while the many keep asking questions.

“Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming”. John Wooden American Great Basketball coach

Saying hello to Barbara

Yesterday I visited the great guys in www.crossfit.ie for a workout and instead of doing their workout of the day (WOD) I was allowed to pick the session.

I went with crossfit barbara as its been a few months since doing it and wanted to make sure my form was up to the crossfit standards. It goes as follows –

20 pull ups (inverted rows if you need to scale)

30 press ups (chest touches floor)

40 sit ups (shoulders to touch knees if possible)

50 squats

all done for 5 rounds with a strict 3mins break between rounds. The first time I did this I went straight through the 5 rounds with no break – dying the next day!!

I plugged in the tunes, ramped it up to 11 and I must say who couldnt push hard when this killer tune is playing –

Myself, colm and tom blasted through the first round (got the first one in bang on 3mins) but every round there after was getting slower with the press ups taking for—-ever! Possibly due to all that benching the previous day and Colm noted that I am dropping my hips too much on my press ups – just me getting lazy as its been pointed out by my good friend Marco also.

I ended up doing a 32.01min time including all breaks. I have done it under 30mins before but I must say the chest to knees on the sit ups really slowed me down as I would normally not have come that high. On a plus note I got all the pull ups in every round as 20reps unbroken i.e. I did not have to come off the bar. Hands are a bit rough from that today though. I did not take any video but here is the guys at crossfit kalmar doing it well –

Certainly feeling it today and please remember if you want to give this a shot then aim for 3 rounds and keep a good range of motion on all exercises. Oh and I hope the guys at crossfit liked the flapjacks as they are my bribe to get to train with them in their great facility. Looking forward to the next time.

Oh 2 more vids of the world class Pat Barber doing the same workout in a crossfit gym in New Zealand and in a smoking time of 26.50mins – stunning!

And one by Bionic (possibly one of my fav crossfit competitors as his numbers are stunning!). Here he does the exact same workout in 30.05mins but doing chest to bar on the pull ups – totally hard core.

On a small point, they both hook their feet under a pair of dumbbells which might help me next time with speed as we did our unhooked and without the use of an ab mat.

Ok honest last one. I saw this video and would like to comment. Just watch the press ups and please note that he never once touches the floor with his chest (pause it any time to see as its miles from the floor).

 Head dropping too much and like for me hips dropping too much (BUT I made sure I touched chest off floor on ever rep). Obviously I think this is wrong and watch bionic and pat do the press ups – chest on floor or it does not count.

Secondly, on his sit ups he is using his hands to pull at his legs to get up on almost all reps – fail!! Not allowed. Squats are spot on though.

i suppose what I am saying is standardize the movements. I have first hand experience with this in crossfit competitions as you get away with nothing and since that I have become massively aware of making sure I use full range on all exercises so when I post a time or workout it has been done correctly.

Hope this helps and I am going back to eating right now – one of those days where I just can’t eat enough!