The Badass Trio got its you know what kicked inside a 100-degree warehouse on Thursday, and our shoulders and quads are still feelin' the pain. The culprit: CrossFit BlackBox, one of the fitness challenges on the Badass Trio Bucket List.
The best way to avoid plateaus on the road to a leaner Badass is with a regular dose of shock and awe. Instead of doing the same old routine over and over, shock the muscles and heart with something new and challenging. CrossFit, much like P90X, is built on the principle of varied circuit-style exercises that emphasize agility, plyometrics, flexibility, and using one's own body weight to build strength.
There is no cheating or slacking in CrossFit. It's all you, all speed and strength, and all determination. The Badass Trio loved every muscle-pushing minute, no matter how much our shoulders ached the next day.
We knew we were in for a Badass Butt-Kickin' when we drove up to CrossFit Blackbox here in Tallahassee and saw the "facility:" an unairconditioned warehouse bay located in an industrial area filled with auto body and car detailing shops. If the exercises didn't wipe us out, the heat would. Game on.
Inside was more of the bare-bones same: No fancy machines, no towel service, no locker rooms with cherry-wood lockers. Just mats, bars and plates, weighted balls, wooden boxes of varying heights, jump ropes, and a station for pullups and Olympic ring triceps dips.
If Rocky Balboa lived in Tallahassee, this is where he'd get ready for his next match against the Russian heavyweight. Fitting, then, that Kickass Kirsten blared "Eye of the Tiger" during the drive from her office to CrossFit Blackbox. Eminem's "Till I Collapse" would have worked, too!
Here's a breakdown of our hourlong session, which you can easily do on your own - be it at your gym or at home with the right equipment. Or check out CrossFit Blackbox here in Tallahassee, or look for a similar CrossFit facility near you. The Trio is headed back to the hot box BlackBox next week! Bring the pain.
Warmup:
- 400 m jog/run
- 1 minute of jumping rope
- 15 reps of Olympic ring tricep dips
- 15 reps of full stretching crunches
- 15 reps of shoulder presses with a light weighted bar
8-minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) Drill:
(**For eight minutes, with 45-pound bars, we did as many of these as we could bust out. I managed 20, and Kirsten and Jenn lost count but did between 16 and 18. Hoo-ah!!! They're listed as three separate moves, but combine them for a single movement once you get the hang of each)
- 1 Clean and Press
- 2 Deep squats
- One deep squat with overhead shoulder press
Circuit Drill - 5 sets of the following, circuit style, for time (i.e. as fast as you can)
- 9 Wall Balls: With a soft weighted ball or medicine ball, squat deep and as you come up, throw the ball up high against the wall. Squat as you catch it when it comes down. That's one rep.
- 7 Burpees: Better known as Barfees, because if you do them correctly, you'll want to after several reps. Begin in a standing position. Drop into a squat position with your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back, while lowering yourself into a pushup. Quickly return your feet to the squat position, while pushing up with your arms. Leap up as high as possible from the squat position with your arms overhead. That's one.
- 5 box jumps (20 inches high): Just like it sounds. Jump up onto a box, or bench. Land softly, with most of the weight in your heels not your toes.
- 200 m run
The Trio finished this in an hour and change, and we felt it for a few days afterward. My muscles felt alive, reawakened. We loved the grittiness of the facility, and the cost of roughly $8 per hour for three times a week is a great deal. Who needs warm towels and cherry wood lockers to really work our Badasses?
CrossFit Blackbox is, a REAL workout worth every penny and every minute. Do your Badass a favor and give it a try!
Coming Wednesday: Badass Foodie with a Hump Day Treat!
