Respect the Orginals

Over the weekend, health a handful of the older members of Team CFO (myself included) took on the Masters qualifier WOD for the Proanox “Diamond of the Tough.”  It was a 2 parter, the first part being a 3RM Back Squat.  Part 2 was the classic triplet of “Cindy.”
 
I haven’t done “Cindy” (AMRAP 20: 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats) in 4 years.  Like I said before, I used to do it once a month, and I felt like I “moved on.”  I was wrong, I haven’t moved on.  The workout was challenging, fun, and left a mark.  The beauty is, in CrossFit, you never really move on.  If you keep getting better, you can do more work, and it just gets harder.
 
Before Regionals, another competitive CrossFitter referred to the original named WODs as the “easy” workouts.  I looked at him like he was crazy.  Fran still makes me puke, Grace makes me feel like I was sucking on a tailpipe and Helen gives me Popeye arms for 2 hours.  As CrossFit events grow, the WODs have become…more.  More weight, more reps, longer, more complicated.  Whatever.
 
You have to respect (and have a little bit of fear) for the original CrossFit benchmark WODs.  They are simple.  I would describe them as elegant.  The times and reps are perfect.  In almost all the original WODs, the weights and reps are set so you can continue to move, and never really have to stop.  Intensity is through the roof.  Any deficiency in your fitness will be attacked ruthlessly.  It will show in your times and scores.
 
If you are ever looking for a physical challenge, look at the CrossFit.com archives from 2004-6.  Pick a month and follow it, as prescribed, for a month.  I dare you.  Like 30 muscle ups for time.  Can’t do it?  Fine, do 120 pullups, 120 dips.  What was your time?  Can you use your arms for 5 days?  Back then, Greg Glassman was the only guy doing this stuff, and he was building and perfecting his program.
 
Today, many of the coaches in the CrossFit community create WODs to test different things, to build different skills and more.  Greg’s WODs seem to test everything, all the time.  Affilates didn’t start really creating their own full programs until, at the earliest, 2008.  Now, we are all playing with the program Greg created.  The CrossFit Games displays some eye popping challenges, but I’m not sure anyone will ever top the simple elegance of the challenges Greg created.
 
Respect.

 Mike and Justin during the impromptu partner WOD on Thursday…They were READY FOR ANYTHING!

Workout of the Day
 
Max Effort Monday
Olympic Total
In 20 minutes, build to a Max load of
Snatch
In 20 minutes, build to a Max load of
Clean and Jerk
Score the WOD as best Snatch, best Clean and Jerk and add the 2 together.  Like this: 200/275/475.
 
Core work
3×25 abmat situps