A Little Love Pt. 1: CrossFit Munich

Remember a few weeks ago… when I was all,

Oops, I’m in Europe #Again

Well, now that I’ve been home long enough to recover from this thing called Family Vacay, it’s more than time to show a little love to the two boxes I had the privilege to train at while I was in Europe.

Alas: A Little Love Pt. 1: CrossFit Munich

So imagine this:

I have an address for the CrossFit gym in Munich, Germany and I’m wandering with my folks.  I wanted to find the gym on Friday, so I could complete Open Workout 15.4 on Saturday morning.

Google Maps leads us to what looks like a deserted fairgrounds housing an empty factory complex that had been forgotten about- except for the artists. I imagine that in the summer, when it isn’t 45 degrees and drizzling rain, the space is used as a complex of clubs to host festivals.

However- it isn’t summer…

it’s starting to get dark out and our map leads us farther into this complex of buildings.

Those artists I mentioned?

They definitely hadn’t forgotten about this place and on any and all free wall space there was dark (I mean, if we’re being honest, they were creepy) cartoons in graffiti.

But then, behind all of these weird paintings and buidlings there was CrossFit Munich. 

I hadn’t trained in four days and needless to say it was probably the hardest thing ever to walk into this huge space where wall balls were waiting to be slammed and walk out without even breaking a sweat or hook-gripping a barbell. Mission find CrossFit Munich: accomplished. 

The next morning, my parents huffed it with me across Munich again from our hotel to the box. After all, most people bring their own judge and photographer when they do their open workouts, right? #Queen 😉

So….

Mimi takes a CrossFit Class in Germany…

Here I am holding in giggles the whole time I warmed up because the German language was extra funny to me on Saturday morning… let’s say it had something to do with nerves? Uhh.. obvi.

The one thing I learned from taking a CrossFit class in Germany is that hand stand push up still means hand stand push up and power clean still means power clean.

After I finished 15.4, I was disappointed because I didn’t hit the reps that I wanted to and my competitiveness got the best of me.

Fifteen point four taught me to look forward to getting stronger and that sometimes, actually, most always, it’s more about the experience you have and less about the score (completely making peace with the fact that my score was less than impressive AND I forgot to submit it: DOUBLE WAMMY: seriously.. whatdya gonna do moment.)

 A little love for CrossFit Munich is obviously in order, so thanks, CrossFit Munich.

Thank you for the high fives, the PICK UP THAT BAR, GIRL, for the where are you froms, those ‘hell yeah, it’s over’ fist bumps, and even that accidental ass grab.  (Made me feel like I was back at CFW 😉 )

Reppin CFW Swag in Munich, duh 🙂

I can’t wait to rock CFM’s sweet tank that says…

just by the way, “Hard. Fast. No Cuddling After.”  I mean really, when I get tired of snatches I just jerk it.

And off you go, to make this day great, with a few dirty CrossFit jokes that I hope made those pretty lips into a beautiful and goofy smile.

xo-

mimi

Open Fitness Journal: January 8

Ha Ha Ha…. so….

this is what all of us Vermonters woke up to this morning….

I told myself, get out of bed, go get sweaty, and make yourself smile, realizing that it isn’t very often I get to experience below zero temperatures.

What’s the point of complaining about them and why are they such a bad thing?

They’re actually kind of fun because every time I go outside I get to dress like this…

“I can’t put my arms down!!!!!”

Isn’t this fun?  I mean, no other time in the course of the year do I get to wear a bazillion layers and be a walking monster of coziness.

The best way to counteract the cold is to sweat like crazy, don’t you think? GET UP AND GET MOVING and before you know it, Friday will be smacking on that cute butt.

Warm Up

1 mile Airdyne

Dynamic Stretch

3 x 1 minute hand stand hold

2 minute squat hold

Back Squat

15 minutes building to max reps at 150#

Front Squat

5 x 85#

5 x 95#

5 x 105#

5 x 2 @ 85% of 1RM

Clean Pulls from Blocks (above the knee)

Sets of three building to 115% of 1 RM squat clean

Skill Work

Pull Up Technique (Butterfly & Chest to Bar)

Hand Stand Walks

WOD

AMRAP 6

1 squat snatch (70#)

1 Rope Climb

10 Thrusters (70#)

10 DU

Rounds: 3

Open Fitness Journal: January 6

I’m obviously doing quite well with the weather if you can’t tell….

Happy happy happy Tuesday my loves!

I hope you are taking this week by storm already and being the awesome human that I know you are.

The temperatures are arctic and that means all you should be doing is sweating to counter act the cold (at least, that’s how I looked at today.)

All I can say is that I am so looking forward to resting my body tomorrow (even though it will be a work filled day) there will be no working out.  Thus… rest on Wednesday, stronger on Thursday.

With the first week of the New Year under our belts I can say that I feel very accomplished and stronger than I did a week ago– what about you?  Instagram me your gnarly post-WOD selifies and Tweet me all about your awesome PR’s and how, one week into the new year you have yet to skip dinner.

Just in case you forgot… you’re absolutely amaze-balls.  SO KEEP IT UP.

xo-

mimi

Warm Up

1/2 mile Airdyne, 250 m row

Dynamic Stretch

EMOM 15: 15 weighted abmat sit ups (30#)

Push Press Cycle

Sets of 5 building to max reps at 90#

Skill Work

10 minutes hand stand work

7 x 5 bar dips (working from a barbell set low on a rig, muscle up stuff 😉 )

5 x 5 35# dumbbell rows (alternating arms, 5 sets each side)

Temp Back Squat 

32×1

5 x 3 building to 115#

WOD

3 Rounds For Reps

1:00 KBS (44#)

1:00 box jumps (20 in.)

1:00 power snatch (65#)

1:00 row for calories

1:00 rest

Reps: 159

Open Fitness Journal: January 5

All this new year stuff is just extra motivating don’t you think?

Which, can you believe that we’re already almost an entire week into it already?

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN 😉

(but no jokes here, because if you’re not having fun then you’re not doing it right.)

It’s Monday again loves!  AND it’s the first Monday of the new year, so if you’re not already sweating, I suggest you hop on up right where you are and bang out some air squats?  hehe NO but really, do something awesome today.  Fill yourself with gratitude and self worth, get stronger, and smile..

be true, be you, be strong.

Warm Up

500 m row

Dynamic Stretch

5 x :30 sec hand stand hold

Snatch Complex

Squat Snatch, OHS, Power Snatch, Hang Snatch , OHS

Every 90 seconds (2 x 55#…… building to 85# singles)

Front Squat

10 minutes building to 5 x 2 @ 85%

Back Squat

15 minutes building to max reps at 145#

WOD

EMOM 16

Even: 12 cal row

Odd: 12 burpees over rower

#ouchmyeverything

On New Years Resolutions

As you all know, my favorite day is Monday… because, well, how couldn’t it be?

But then, I realized that the New Year is basically an EPIC MONDAY.  It’s the beginning of a new week… EXCEPT THE BEGINNING OF A WHOLE NEW YEAR.  How cool is that??

pretty much how I’m feeling about 2015 already….

New Year, New Me. STFU. OK?

New year, you’re still you and you’re still awesome.

It’s that time again beauties, where one year comes to an end and another begins.  It’s incredible really that when December ends we all of a sudden have a clean slate to try new things and continue kicking ass.  

I appreciate the idea of a New Years Resolution but in my opinion goal setting is way cooler and applicable to life.

Because…

SURPRISE… you’re probably already setting goals and crushing them.

And if you’re not… maybe check out my #WeLoveGoals post from a few months ago, set some damn goals and get back to me in a few weeks with how great it feels to throw down on a goal just as hard as you do the barbell after a jerk PR.

CAN YOU TELL I’M EXCITED!?

Instead of writing resolutions in my journal that I know I won’t look at until next year when I do the same thing, I took the morning of the 31st to sit down and really think about the progress that I want to make this year.  Rainbow sticky notes attached to note cards worked absolutely perfect for my sharpie and I to set some goals!

As usual the goals that I set fell into three categories, personal, fitness, and nutrition.

Most of them were strength based goals, PR’s that I want to hit each month and big numbers that I am chasing.  However, there were also many ‘form’ based goals, technique tweaks that I need to focus on in order to support the weights I am lifting.

One of my favorite reminders is that goals are simply dreams with due dates.  

You can dream, and you can wish, and you say I want this, I wish I could do this all day long, heck, all YEAR long… But what good is that doing you if you never meet them?

Dreaming is for the night-time.  Give yourself a date by which you want to not be dreaming anymore, instead you’ll be doing and see how many PR’s you nail in the next month alone.

  Now, remember way back when, when we talked about accountability?  Example A of why I am sharing with you the goals that I set for myself this year.  I know that in sharing my expectations set for myself that I am even more supported in meeting them with all of you rooting for me too.

Remember that saying…. be true, be you, be strong?

I’m here to remind you that that doesn’t just apply to our fitness levels or time spent in the gym (however much I throw it in your face) there is still another part of us that needs to be healthy, too.  Our minds.

Health in our minds is the reason why personal goals, not based around fitness are important too.

Maybe it’s as simple as,

“I’m going to eat breakfast every morning because it is good for my metabolism.”

or

“In 2015 I am not going to skip dinner because I am enough.”  (you are enough.)

or

“If I happen to binge eat I will be more kind to myself because I deserve kindness,”

A few of mine…

REMINDER: Goals don’t have to be life changing proclamations because when you add them all together, little by little they will change your life.  

So how can you do that too?

1. WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS!  Be specific and passionate but not unrealistic.  You are strong, you are going to get stronger. See what you want to happen in the next month, two months, six months… year…. and GET AFTER IT!

2. Share them with someone… your workout babes, your boyfriend, your mom, whoever. (ME!!!!!!!!!!!! Twitter & Instagram!)  Anyone who isn’t yourself that can remind you why you started.  Accountability is an incredibly motivating thing.  Plus, I know that you’re not a quitter.  Be STRONG.

3. Make them happen.  Like I said earlier, new year, new me.  NO. That’s not real.  You are you and you are wonderful.  You are working on your health and becoming the best possible human being you can be.  Not to mention a complete badass.  So go out and play.  Play, be a badass, and keep playing.

Open Fitness Journal: January 2

Guys… guys…. GUYS GUESS WHAT!!??

It’s my BIRTHDAY! It’s not even noon and I’ve already PR’d my squat clean by 5#’s and I have all the plans in the world to PR it by 6#’s more today.  Body weight clean & jerk I’m coming for ya…

but anyways, it’s friday!

Happy Friday!

Let’s get down to business 🙂

Warm Up

2 rounds
10 lateral goblet squats
10 push-ups
250m row
_
Mobility (Pec mash)

15 minutes building to 1 RM Squat Clean

“Elizabeth”

21-15-9
Sqt Cleans (70#)
Ring dips (red band)

Time: 9:17

Open Fitness Journal: January 3

Brutal…

Holy freakin’ day after birthday…

Today was absolutely brutal.

BUT the best part was my mom started her first On-Ramp class today….

so just in case you were feeling unmotivated today, there’s that.  GO GET SWEATY. 

Saturdays are the best because of the fantastic partner WOD’s they bring me.  Even though today was so hard, I my partner and I finished and kept on pushing.

Warm Up

Dynamic Stretch

3 rounds
10 squats
5 push ups
10 DB push press

With a partner:
EMOM 10
5 Deadlift @ 70% *each partner completes on the :30 (155#)

rest 5 minutes

Complete 5000m row *alternating every 250m

While one partner rows, the other completes:

Max rep wall ball (20/14)
Max rep burpees

(508 reps)

Rest Day: December 21/Mindful Monday

This Sunday was the winter solstice for all of you beauties that didn’t know. It’s the shortest day of the year and on the bright side (pun intended) the light will start returning to our days little by little until the middle of June.

On this wonderful day of celebration I took the day for my body to rest and attended a two hour candlelit yoga class at IndyYoga (for those of you in the area check out her site and like her on Facebook!)

The class payed reverence to the past year through twelve sun salutations facing the back wall of the yoga studio after which we were lead in a guided mediation through which each of us had the opportunity to reflect upon what we had learned in the past year.  I carefully went through each month of 2014 and chose two moments that I had learned from, one that I could classify as good and one that I could classify as bad (simply based on how they made me feel.)  Upon appreciating both I was reminded by Walt Whitman that Every moment of light and dark is a miracle. I no longer saw these moments as good and bad but simply as moments in time.  I thanked each of them for the guidance they had brought me and for the place that I am in now stepping into this new year of light.

The second half of the class brought us through 12 more sun salutations-this time facing forward to welcome the coming year with an open heart.  In our final guided meditation we were asked…

How do you want to be perceived in this world?

I focused, beauty in strength.

How do you want to be perceived in this world?

I focused, be kind to all things.  (Including myself.)

Upon finishing class I was moved by the silence that followed the final bow and namaste.  There was a kindness about the room and each of us was full.

Not that there is anything wrong with gift giving during the holidays and truly, it is nice, but the gift of this energy was much more important to me than that new pair of Lulu’s on my christmas list.  Remember to nourish your body and mind on rest days, they are just as important as the hard days.

Find your light,

be the light.

be true, be you, be strong.

xo-

mimi

.

Recipe: Lettuce Wrap Fish Tacos

As if tacos weren’t already great enough…

and as if fish tacos weren’t always a FABULOUS idea…

this nummie recipe for a rainbow dinner is also grain, dairy, and refined sugar free.

So…. yeah… these are basically super tacos and if you want your day to get even better than I know it already is, definitely try making these for dinner.

Lettuce Wrap Fish Tacos

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

½ pound white fish (tilapia, cod, etc.)

4 large washed lettuce leaves

3/4 cup diced tomatoes

1 onion- sliced

Coconut oil

Salsa

Chipotle hot sauce

Seasoned salt (to taste)

Cilantro

Diced green onions (to taste)

How To:

Preheat a cast iron pan on high heat for a minute and a half, adding in 1 tsp. of coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Lay the fish filet face down on a plate and sprinkle seasoned salt over the top, flip over and do the same with the other side.

Once the fish is seasoned and the coconut oil in the pan is glassy from heat, place the fish into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side. Flip the fish over in the pan and cook on the next side for just under a minute, remove from the pan using a spatula and let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile…

Heat a separate cast iron pan on high heat for a minute and add ½ tsp. of coconut oil to cover the entire pan. Reduce heat on the pan to medium and add the sliced onions. Using a spatula caramalize the onions for about five minutes or until they are floppy and slightly browned. (Doesn’t that sound gross?  Good thing they’re fantastic 😉 )

Lay out two lettuce leaves on your plate, scoop side up so that they look like taco shells.

Place ¼ of the cooked fish into the leaf first, top with carmalized onions, tomatoes, green onions, salsa, cilantro, hot sauce and fresh squeezed lime juice. (In any order at all because it’s all going to one place. How lucky are your tastebuds?)

Fill each lettuce leaf wrap in the same way and gobble this deliciousness up!

nom nom nom nom nom nom forever

Open Fitness Journal: December 4

I know, I know..

I’m just a leeeeetle bit late on sharing this programming with you beauties from the past few days.

Luckily, there have been some really fun WOD’s and a few PR’s that I can’t wait to share with you 🙂

On Thursday I had to remind myself that when nothing goes right, go lift… you know?  Maybe you had one of those days too… things happen sometimes that are out of our control and in these times I find that it is best to look within myself and ask, ‘what can I do to make my situation better?’

Remind yourself that you can’t fix everything but you can work hard and make things better.  Focus on being healthy and in return I think that you will find some real happiness.  If anything, sweating will make you smile and smiling alone can make you feel better!

**This WOD was programmed by me and I have to say… it was really fun 😉  Unbiased opinion obviously….

Warm Up

500 m row

dynamic stretch

5 x :45 sec handstand hold

WOD

AMRAP 5

2 rope climbs

12 wall balls (14#)

Rest 1 minute

4 minute FLR (FLR stands for front leaning rest… or in easier terms it is the same as a straight arm plank hold)

Rest 1 minute

AMRAP 3

5 thrusters (70#)

10 burpees to six inch target

Rest 1 minute

200 DU (I know.. I know.. okay.. just do it.)

Rest 1 minute

AMRAP 1

Weighted AbMat sit ups (14#)

Strength

20 Minutes to establish 1RM Dead Lift

235# (!!!!)

Almost a fifteen pound PR but I couldn’t send my hips through on the 240# barbell… good thing there is always new weeks to start and new PR’s to hit 🙂