Well all none of my readers may have noticed that I have started putting up workouts that I have been performing. I have tried using things such as fitday and even just e-mailing. While maintaining a written record is always useful, I wanted something I could search through etc. which explains my posting here. There are some of those who I have spoken with that were curious to know what kinds of workouts I have been doing. Here they are.

I have back filled the ones I have done in 2008. The background for this is that I have not been training anything beyond pullups since December of 2007. I have done Crossfit workouts off and on and have done other workouts with the same degree of inconsistency.

Let me get a few things straight:

I am by no means in good shape. I am an average dude doing workouts with performances that many people EASILY blow away. Reference my slow Helen time vs. this humbling performance. I definitely will be going to Crossfit Calgary for workout ideas. I do hope that through chronicling my workouts I can document some sort of improvement in my times, capacity, and performances.

I do recognize the benefits of Crossfit and theory therein, but there are different things about the culture that I voluntarily abstain from.

I do like the workouts that Ross Enamait provides and will most likely be buying his book Infinite Intensity some day in the future.

If you’ve noticed I’ve been composing my own workouts and will probably continue down that path while still mixing in several benchmark workouts from Crossfit and Ross. Remember, I know my times are NOT good and aren’t under and false ideas that they are some elite athlete times.

More specific items:

My primary focus is pullups. Pullups are my favourite exercise and I will try to always incorporate pullups to some degree in my workouts. Next is my desire to shore up my weaknesses (as I perceive them) such as burpees. You will notice in workouts such as “Specificity City” that I placed a focus on those two things. My burpees (along with everything else) are sorely lacking and I need to drill them so I look forward to them as much as I do pullups.

None of my pullups are done kipping. I can kip and I have read the documentation in numerous places about the benefits of kipping pullups with relation to maximum power output, coordination and metabolic conditioning (the list of benefits could go on as documented in endless message board threads). I consciously do not choose to perform kipping pullups, not because I believe they are inferior or useless, but it is a preference such as liking one flavour of ice cream over another. This will explain a lot of my slower workout times (in addition to my lack of fitness).

As each subsequent workout gets posted I hope to post with things like inspirational quotes, videos, etc. as well as clever names for workouts as well as a brief commentary etc. Feel free to do the workouts and post in the comments things like your times and thoughts.

I hope also to contribute in the way of short stories and additional crud.

–tptales