Happy Monday! Are you as tired as I am? My morning CrossFit classes were small, which usually means people had a full weekend. Mine was great: dinner and drinks with friends (and scallops—I love scallops), a cozy Deadpool movie night, and a full day at the lake on Sunday improving my surfing. We finished with Mexican food, which made the weekend pretty much perfect: lots of eating, working out, and relaxing—the ideal weekend.
This weekend I finally tried a barre class for the first time at Barre Forte LoHi and loved it. Barre is humbling. After seven years of CrossFit I feel fit—comfortable with short runs, lifting, and having a solid engine—but barre targets the small stabilizer muscles I rarely work. Holding a squat and staying on my toes for minutes at a time was brutal. The class was full of regulars who held long squats with ease while I had to come up dozens of times. It reminded me there’s always room to improve.
I’ve decided to add regular Barre Forte LoHi classes to my routine to complement CrossFit and strengthen and lengthen those small muscles. I expect it will be tough and that I’ll be the one taking breaks, but each awkward, challenging class will help me improve.
I mention this because many people avoid trying fitness classes for fear of looking foolish or not being fit enough. But learning anything new means starting out awkward—walking, talking, reading, or parenting all began with practice. Fitness is the same: the more you try, the more comfortable and confident you become. There’s always room for improvement, and sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and walk through the door for an hour of honest effort. Try something new—you might love it.
Now, here are my workouts from last week.
Sunday – Rest day (Vegas day)
Monday – I felt rough after flying back from Vegas and heading straight to the gym, but sometimes you just need to move even if it isn’t your best day.
Deadlifts: 3 x 10 at 74% (12 mins) – I used 155#
EMOM x 6 (Quality; choose between):
- 3–6 Muscle Ups / Bar Muscle Ups
- 6–8 Chest-to-Bar Pull Ups
- 7–10 Kipping Pull Ups — I did 10 kipping pull ups every round
Then 8 min AMRAP Ladder (3-6-9-12-15…): Hang Power Cleans (135/95) and HRPU — I managed 18+ reps but was too tired to remember exactly.
Tuesday – Feeling more like myself after Vegas. The wall ball sets were brutal but satisfying—aim to do them unbroken if you can.
OH Squat: 5 x 1 with 10 sec pause in bottom; aim for 10# more than last time (12 mins) — I hit 115#
8 mins to find a heavy hang snatch — I reached 115#
9 min AMRAP:
- 50 Double Unders
- 25 Wall Balls
I finished 5 rounds + 64 reps using a 14# ball.
Wednesday – The second portion of this workout has a tight time cap and is brutal—go hard and don’t stop.
12 min AMRAP:
- 7 Deficit Strict HSPU (with 45/25# plates)
- 7 Strict C2B Pull Ups
- 7 + 7 Step Ups with 2 x 55/35# KBs (24/20″ box)
I completed 2 rounds + 14 reps using strict HSPUs to the floor, strict C2Bs, and 2 x 35# kettlebells.
Then 4 rounds for time (15 min cap):
- 10 Front Squats (185/125)
- 14 Bar-Facing Burpees
- 18 Cal Row
I finished in 12:57 using 85#.
Thursday – Rest day
Friday –
Back Squats: 4 x 7 at 78% (15 mins) — I used 140#
9 min AMRAP:
- 9 C2B Pull Ups
- 12 Push Jerks (135/95)
- 36 Double Unders
I got 4 rounds + 16, doing kipping pull ups and 85# push jerks.
2 min rest, then a 400m sprint for time — I finished in 1:27.
Saturday –
For time:
- 1 mile run
- 30 Power Snatches (135/95)
- 30 Burpees
- 2k Row
I finished in 22:31 using 75#.
Later I took a barre class at Barre Forte LoHi.
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At-Home / Travel Workout
6 rounds for time:
- 20 Tuck Jumps
- 20 V-Ups
- 20 Jumping Lunges
- 20 Lying Leg Lifts
New Workout Music
I Got U — Duke Dumont
Get Low — Dillon Francis
So Much Love — Muzzaik
On Sale: Fitness Apparel
(Hover over the photo to shop the item)