So I did a team workout yesterday with my husband (he promised not to push me) of 400 M run while partner goes for max reps of push-press, sumo-deadlift high pulls, and kettlebell swings 35# (total of 3 400m runs). I scaled down to 300m and did push jerks instead of PP @ 65lbs (both PJ & SDHP). My husband runs crazy fast, so I felt like I didn't get a lot of rest time during my max rep efforts. I have found that push press seems to exert a lot of pressure on my extreme lower abdomen, so I've been doing a lot more push jerks as a sub (more efficient, less core). Not sure about anymore team workouts for me....

Today I practiced banded muscle -ups for my skill, then did 10 Turkish get-ups (10# :( ), 20 hang power cleans 75#, 35 slam balls (20#), 35 step-ups, 30 toes to bar. Turkish get-ups were really difficult with a compromised core, prescribed weight was 25#, so I did 10#. I was super fatigued after banded muscle-ups so I also scaled the HPC weight from 95# down to 75#. Just felt really weak today, woke up at 0530 and was just plain tired. Hopefully I'll perk up next go round!

WARM-UPS

One of my biggest pet peeves in fitness training is seeing people not do a proper warm-up. It drives me insane to see people come in cold-cocked and start an intense workout. A 400m run does not make for a sufficient warm-up either. A proper warm-up brings your body from a rest state to one which is ready for exercise. Postural muscles are stretched, blood flow to the working muscles is enhanced, oxygen distribution begins, joints become lubricated, and body temperature & hear rate elevate. Warm-ups can prevent injury by increasing joint range of motion, aiding in connective tissue flexibility, and enhance performance of muscles. Some studies have shown that a warm-up performed at 60% of max effort can result in a 6% improvement in aerobic performance and a 7% improvement in anaerobic performance (for the Crossfitters, since most of Crossfit is anaerobic).

So what should one do for a warm-up? First off, you should spend a minimum of 5 minutes in the warm-up phase. Usually begin with some type of light, progressive activity to elevate the heart rate. I'll row 500m or run 400m. Then do some movements to prepare your nervous system for the movements you plan to do in your work-out. I mainly do the same thing every workout, but it can change depending on the specific movements. I do very light dumbell shoulder presses, but with high reps (up to 30). Then I will do some movement to engage the posterior chain muscles (hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, traps, and deltoids), like kettlebell swings at a lighter weight, but again with high reps. I'll then get into legs with air squats or lunges. When doing any deadlifts I ALWAYS prepare with either good-mornings or lighter deadlifts, just to get the lower back and glutes adequately prepared for what is usually a heavy load.

A warm-up should get you sweating lightly, never fatigue yourself during a warm-up to the point that it will take away from your performance. Also don't do the exact same movements during your warm-up that you'll be doing for the workout. Like doing a bunch of pull-ups before a heavy pull-up workout. You can certainly do a few just to prepare the neuromuscular system, especially for highly technical movements (snatches, squat snatches).