What is your goat?

A GOAT is not a typo for a goal, it's a crossfit term for something you're bad at or you want to improve.

After many sessions at the gym and conversations on what exactly a goat is I found an article on CrossFit Toronto that has inspired this post.

Let's have a look at the definition of goat (according to free dictionary)

a) an animal

b) a bad or inferior member of a group (separate the sheep from the goats)

c) short for scapegoat - a person that is punished for the errors of others

d) to be annoying (play someone's goat)

Ah yes it's starting to make sense now so if we sort of combine them - a goat is a thing (a movement) that we are inferior at, especially compared to other things (movements) and it's really annoying and therefore we get angry at others because we aren't good at this (movement).

Lol it's a bit of a stretch but I hope you see where I'm going.

(not a goat: but this is my training partner to help me work on my running/endurance)

My goats which really are my goals to complete for this year include -

Doing very good RXD (toes/mens) pushups - done!

Deadlift 80kg well - I'm on 75kg at the moment but it ain't pretty, mind you though, I haven't done a deadlift in quite some time

Strict pullups - I can do plenty of kipping pullups but ask for a strict one and that's my goat!

To work on these I have now started

- pullups --> kipping Mondays ----> very assisted and semi assisted (green or purple bands) on Wednesday and Fridays depending on what the programed WOD (workout of the day) is.

- deadlifts - I'm working on my abdominal strength for these ones because I feel that's what is failing me when I lift, my legs feel great, grip fine but i just can't straighten up.

Since the Crossfit Games 2012 finished I've been having a pretty light week diet and goat wise. I'll start to ease my way back into proper training. However with simply consistency over the past year I've made massive improvements.

In fact last week I completed my first 'Fran' RXD - 21-15-9 reps of 30kg thrusters and pullups. I did it in 9.26minutes and I'm stoked. Last time I completed it as a partner WOD with one of my trainers Grace (who has a beautiful little baby now), although we did 'Narf' 9-15-21 it was so hard and it wasn't pretty. lol. I was on green or purple bands and I was doing the thrusters one at a time.

Check in soon to see how I've been progressing and have a look at another CrossFit topic.

P.S. I'm still unsure who exactly coined the term 'goat' anyone know?

The open games are over - the verdict

IT has been a crazy five weeks competing in my first ever Crossfit Games. Thanks so much for following my journey.

Here we're going to look back at what happened, I'll tell you what my most and least favourite WODs were and my plans now with training and this blog.

The 2012 Crossfit Games brought us burpees, snatches, the mix (toes to bar, box jumps, press), karen 2.0 (wall balls plus) and finally an all out chest to bar killer. It was an interesting mix and overall suited to people right up there with their endurance skills with a fair amount of weight.

My most favourite WOD would have to be karen 2.0 mostly because it was the one I did the best in but it also it was tough and there was quite a bit of technique. The mix WOD was also the most typical for crossfit so I guess that would be my second favourite.

Least favourite would have to be burpees. Enough said...

My results and positions so I can look back next year...

Overall I came 718 in Australia (out of 961 that entered all their scores) and 10,672 in the world (out of 12,965)

1 - A: 1,122 W: 15,925

2 - A: 616 W: 10,704

3 - A: 857 W: 13,540

4 - A: 527 W: 7,040

And because I haven't told you yet the chest to bar pullups got the best of me. My fifth WOD wasn't great but I gave it my all. The first three thrusters were pretty easy and I was so so so close to the bar on a couple of my attempts. Isn't it all ways the way orange band is too easy no band is just about impossible.

5 - A: 770 W: 10,826

Now it's over! I've had a couple of days off although I'm still a little sore from Saturday.

It was such an amazing experience and when I compare what I have achieved this year compared to what I could do last year it's really quite inspiring. I couldn't do kipping pullups, nor consecutive double unders and I would have struggled getting 30kg overhead. Where will another year in the box get me?

My plans are to keep going to crossfit northside about five times per week while still keeping up with my netball twice a week.

I'm going to work on my endurance a little more and my goat for this year is to do a strict pullup and deadlift 80kg very well.

I'm going to aim to get back on blogger once a week and update you all on what's been going on.

Best of luck with your training I can't wait till next year.

(picture: getting in a quick snap after my WOD while others prepare to start 12.5)

12.5 at last - current results, breakdown, strategies as a first timer

MY gut instinct was right, the last workout from 2011 is perfect as the last workout this year. So, that's exactly what we got (I shouldn't have changed my prediction at the last second, I would have been right otherwise).

Today we'll go through the Crossfit Games 2012 12.5 break down, have a look a at current results, my strategies and goals.

The 12.5 WOD is....

A 7 minute AMRAP

3-6-9-12-15-18-21....

Thrusters (Men: 100lbs/45kg Women: 65lbs/30kg)

Chest to bar Pullups

So each round you do 3 of each movement, then 6, then 9 and so on until the 7 minutes is up.

Thrusters - it starts with the weight on the ground and you clean it up to your shoulders, or get it there any way you can. With the bar on your shoulders squat down until your hip crease is below your knees. Then drive up and push the bar overhead until your legs, hips and arms are all locked out. Then it's just a matter of doing it again until you've finished the round. You can do a squat clean into a thruster for the first one and it'll get counted.

For me here's the tricky bit

Chest to bar pullup - this one can be done strict, butterfly or kipping as long as your chest hits the bar and your arms are extended at the bottom.

Every rep is counted for this one and currently the top scores are:

Australia
Men 136 -18 rounds + 10 thrusters
Women 105 - 15 rounds + 15 thrusters

Worldwide
Men 159 - 18 completed + 21 thrusters +12 pullups
Women 137 - 18 completed + 11 thrusters

So looking at this if I were confident with the movements I'd aim to finish round 9 or 12. However, I have never done a chest to bar pullup in my life.

Here's my plan
Thrusters should be fine as long as I go low enough because I'm doing a low number of reps I'll just take it easy here. If this weren't the case I'd squat clean it up straight into a thruster. If you're having problems with your depth get in early before the workout and stretch.

I can do kipping pullups, the most I've ever done is 50 in one WOD (in sets of 1-6) so in theory I should be able to get onto the bar. My hands are not ripped at the moment just a slight blister on the thumb so I wont go to crazy with strapping. I'll just aim to hold onto the bar nice and tight.

Before the WOD begins I'm going to go back to basics with C2B on the bands working my way from green to orange then I'll do a few without any, I hope. I may strap for this just to keep my hands protected so they're good for the actuall WOD.

I hope to get the start of the 9 thrusters round but all honesty I'd be happy to get up to the 6 round.

Check back soon to find out how I went and my final blog for the 2012 crossfit games (as I'm quite certain I wont make the cut for regionals... This year round anyway)

(Video - The official 12.5 crossfit games 2012 break down)

Below is last years break down... It's not as fast paced and exciting but it is extensive and really goes into depth about how to rep and no rep.

12.4 the next prediction - what's missing

SOMETHING is missing from the 2012 Crossfit Games Open WODS and that's exactly what my guess is for workout four.

Here we're going to look at what movements we haven't done yet, what WOD 4 was last year and my prediction for this year...

So far we have had burpees, snatches, box jumps, toes to bar and push presses (which were essentially chest to overheads).

Keeping in mind we didn't do any kettle bell swings last year and no movements this year were new we're left with....

Double unders, pullups (chest to bar), cleans, wall balls, thrusters, push ups, dead lifts, squat clean, overhead squats, muscle ups.

This time last year we had...

10 min AMRAP

60 bar facing burpees

30 overhead squats

10 muscle ups

My prediction for the 2012 crossfit games open WOD 4 is

10 min AMRAP (haven't had one yet)

weights - lbs M: 135 W: 75 kgs M:60 W:35

30 double unders

15 deadlifts

10 cleans

5 overhead squats

That's my gut feeling... Especially after the hand carnage from toes to bar last week I think they'll save the chest to bars for the final week.

(picture hmmm the tea leaves seem to say kettle bells but I don't agree)

Come back to find out what the WOD is, my strategies and results and the final open games prediction next week :D