Thursday 4/9/2020

Tomorrow’s Schedule

ROMWOD 8:00am Click Here to Join the Class

CrossFit 9am Click Here to Join the Class

CrossFit Kids 3pm Click Here to Join the Class

So…how’s everybody doing? Lighter traffic, possibly less emails? Unless you work in the medical field or in an essential retail field and your life is both scary and busy.

Is it stressful? Damn right it is. How are you rolling with possibly less of a routine? At the very least, we all have the fact that we can’t go to the gym in common.

I have been a meditation guy for 5 years now. I started about 5 years ago on Denny’s recommendation and I haven’t missed a day since day one. I use the Headspace app and spend 20 minutes or so every day counting my breaths, watching my thoughts come and go. The thoughts never stop, you just get better at seeing them for what they are – your mind doing what it does. My only job is to grab the rope my mind is laying down – or not. The thoughts never stop, but the practice never stops. Every opportunity is a chance to be mindful, to sink into the present moment and truly enjoy the life you are living.

I’ve continued my meditation and mindfulness practice through a global pandemic (duh), but with the extra time, I’ve started Wim Hof breathing exercises. Wim Hof is basically 30 deep breaths, blow out and hold. Then breathe in and hold for 10-15 seconds. Then blow out and hold. Then repeated the whole thing 2 more times. Basically 3 sets of 30 breathes.

What I have experienced is profound. During the first set, the breathes usually cause me to get light headed, and tingly and a little uneasy. This unease may cause you to stop, but through hundreds of hours of meditation and awareness, I know this will pass. By the time of the first hold, I’ve experienced moments of peace and relaxation that are practically ineffable.

Each set the period hold period gets better and deeper. For me, the whole process takes about 20 minutes. I have taken this time directly into my meditation, other times I have not. Because I’ve been working from hoe, I’ve had the opportunity to start the practice and be flexible.

A couple tips. Try it on an empty stomach. You will be belly breathing, so you want as much space to fill your belly with oxygen. So I do the exercises and eat breakfast.

Definitely try it laying down. You will get dizzy and tingly – this is oxygen and blood flowing to your extremities. I think – I really don’t know. But it feels great. If you do pass out, you’ll start breathing and come back. If you feel wobbly, keep laying down. It will pass.

A big takeaway – when you feel the tingly feeling coming, see it. How does it make you feel? Nervous? Anxious? How does this feel? Where? Doe shot feel cold? Warm? In your stomach? Behind your eyes?

Workout of the Day

“Fully Loaded / Half Cocked”

Every 30 seconds for 20 minutes
Clean and Jerk
Take 10-15 minutes to build to heavy-ish weight. And do it 40 times.
If you don’t have a barbell, but hand DB, or KB, use those. If you don’t have 2, please use a KB and a DB. If they are different weights, that’s ok. In fact, take a picture

“Empty Chamber”
Every seconds for 20 minutes
Perform 3-5 burpees

Post total # of burpees