“Barbara”

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Allison Bojarski

Tuesday 080325
“Barbara”
Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest precisely three minutes between each round.
Post time for each of five rounds to comments.
Compare to 071227.
Energy drinks rot your teeth
Cows grazing in the rumpus room
To the cheese course, prepare to add camel
USDA says more tainted beef likely
The L Word
CF Watertown responds to Heffernan’s NYT piece on CrossFit
CIMG5241

  • http://www.crossfitnyc.com Tyler Durden

    Oh the carnage that is Barbara!

  • Justin

    You mean to tell me that something with sugar and carbonation rots your teeth??? Its a good thing science is on top of these things because I never would have known. I mean its not like my Grandma used to tell me this same exact stuff 25 years ago.

  • AllisonNYC

    I did the Muscle ups yesterday..
    It only took me 50:30
    See ya’ll at 12:30

  • Kurt

    I read the Watertown response to Heffernan’s NY Times piece and it took a much more antagonistic and critical bend than I anticipated. So, I re-read the Heffernan article and I don’t see why they are so disturbed by what she said. Sure there is a good shot of hyperbole in the article and a continuing religious comparison, but it wasn’t an attack piece.
    I really like crossfit, but some of the stuff we do is for an imagined, potential future task that we may never be faced with. In normal life, I will porbably never need to do most of the movements we regularly perform, just like I won’t have to climb sheets of ice, jump out of airplanes or fire a weapon, but that doesn’t mean that these things aren’t fun and have beneficial side effects.
    Oh, and comparing a personal trainer who helps a fallen patient to the floor to a SEAL climbing a mountain in Afganistan in terms of heroism seems kind of off balance.

  • Jack Bauer

    I agree Kurt. I didn’t think Heffernan’s article warranted such an acerbic response. If anything she was giving us props. I do see where CF Watertown was coming from but that stance was a bit hostile.

  • Moon

    Justin – The point of this study is that it is the acidity and buffering capacity of the drink that causes damage. Not the sugar or carbonation. So even reduced or sugar-free, non-carbonated sports drinks can damage teeth.
    I <3 science. :)

  • chad

    Pre-breakfast Barbara sure does turn the stomach.
    I got bored with both the Heffernan article and the CF Watertown rebuttal before I finished either of them. CF doesn’t make sense unless you do it, and there’s obviously as much or as little cultness to take part in as one might like..
    All I’m saying is, we better get a bigger gym before the masses descend. Thank god we don’t have showers or I presume we’d already be inundated…

  • Kurt

    Would it be possible to come to the box late on Wednesday for a quick workout (probably around 8pm)?
    I can’t make it earlier, but would like to at least get a 15 minute warmup and ~20 min workout or skills practice in.

  • Moon

    And since we’re chiming in, Watertown seems to have missed what was an overall positive piece in order to try to “justify” the intensity. That does not need justification in the form of burning airplanes (holy improbability, Batman!) – intensity and compound movements are what we (not in the military or law enforcement) need to do in order to get better at CrossFit and become more capable and well-rounded athletes in our respective sports.
    CrossFit training does not automatically mean one will be the person pulling people out of burning airplanes. That is determined by ones reaction to crisis and stress. Strong, confident people have frozen-up under fire throughout history while “weaker” individuals rose to the situation. A good reminder of that for me has been that shooting range scene in “Glory”.

  • sam

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7307298.stm
    Interesting article on the use of fish oils instead of nsaid’s like Ibuprofen.

  • http://www.crossfitnyc.com marisela

    totally DNF today.
    i just didn’t have it in me.
    3 rds completed, in 42 min. that’s more than enough for someone who has been getting fat for time the past two weeks.
    i’m hungry now

  • Hari

    My problem with the NY Times has nothing to do with the claim that what we do has a low probability of being directly used in real life (that is true of most of college, but does not diminish the value of a college education).
    My problem is with likening CrossFit to a religion, and Coach to a minister. In my opinion, the NY Times holds religion (with the possible exception of Islam) in contempt, and considers the religious to be less than intelligent.
    The picture that accompanies the article, rosary beads with a stopwatch is less subtle. Even a casual scan of the main site would not lead a reasonable person to believe that CrossFitters perceive themselves as doing “God’s Workout.”

  • Ewen

    Hari,
    I’m not sure why you insist on taking that picture or the title of the article literally. It’s not CrossFit’s status as an actual religion or cult that is being implied here, but the appearance of cultish and holier-than-thou behavior on the part of its members. And despite all the claims of “evidence-based fitness”, many Crossfitters do take things on faith and lash out when any aspect of CrossFit is criticized. The many references to “drinking the Kool-Aid” one can find in the CF community are in fact a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment of this fact.
    I found CF Watertown’s reply ridiculous because it matches exactly Heffernan’s description of Crossfitters as self-important “heroes” in their own mind.

  • michelle

    ok marisela-what is DNF? i only know DFL. too much for me to keep track of.. :)

  • michelle

    if i get one more email from a “concerned” friend who read the article telling me-michelle be careful someone died from crossfit-i am going to go ballistic.
    besides-i refuse to get rhabdo until i learn how to do a muscle up.

  • Kurt

    Hari,
    I agree that the religious overtones, or in the case of the picture, the direct analogy, are misplaced, but I think that hardcore CF’ers sometimes consider crossfit to be the workout of the gods. Watching the main site videos, you certainly see enough people that are built like Greek dieties!
    I can’t speak to whether the implied connection to religion is a slight as I don’t know what the general opinion of Times writers is towards religion. I confess that I don’t read it often enough to develop any sort of opinion in that regard. However, I did get the feeling that the article adopted that analogy more as an attention grabber than as a method of explaining something. Crossfit is difficult to explain to people outside the community, even those that are interested in fitness (I know I have tried). Likening it to religious fervor may not be the most accurate description, but it doesn’t do half bad at explaining why people would endure the levels of pain that participants suffer, that to some outsiders, might be the equivalent of self-flagellation.

  • michelle

    Kurt-I don’t know about anyone else but I suffer the pain bc I want cocktail arms like Greg’s.
    i was a comparative religion major in college and i just can’t recall any refernces in either the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament to suffering for cocktail arms. Not even Job was jacked.

  • Hari

    Ewen,
    Perhaps the real rub is that CrossFit regards itself as elite. (“Forging Elite Fitness”) The Left is particularly uncomfortable with elitism (other than its own).

  • Kurt

    Hari,
    I agree that the religious overtones, or in the case of the picture, the direct analogy, are misplaced, but I think that hardcore CF’ers sometimes consider crossfit to be the workout of the gods. Watching the main site videos, you certainly see enough people that are built like Greek dieties!
    I can’t speak to whether the implied connection to religion is a slight as I don’t know what the general opinion of Times writers is towards religion. I confess that I don’t read it often enough to develop any sort of opinion in that regard. However, I did get the feeling that the article adopted that analogy more as an attention grabber than as a method of explaining something. Crossfit is difficult to explain to people outside the community, even those that are interested in fitness (I know I have tried). Likening it to religious fervor may not be the most accurate description, but it doesn’t do half bad at explaining why people would endure the levels of pain that participants suffer, that to some outsiders, might be the equivalent of self-flagellation.

  • George

    the crossfit watertown rebuttal is embarrassing; especially that final sentence. give me a break. you wonder where the “holier than thou” perception comes from?
    Although I would agree that the nytimes piece was a bit snide & perhaps she could have done a little more homework (it’s only a five minute walk from the times headquarters to the box) it did not warrant such disdain. Granted, she should have done more homework, but if the only info I got about crossfit was from the main site, I would assume that many “followers” do so with religious fervor. There are even pilgrimages to crossfit meccas!!!
    Perhaps hari is right about the times view on religion having a bit to do with the tone. In a similar vein, much of the “whoahh!” attitude on the main site may be intimidating to a liberal times staff writer.

  • Hari
  • Moon

    Hari – Leftist here – and I am quite comfortable with participating in this sort of “elite” activity, but I thank you for your concern. :) I do believe I understand your point however and I would like to say that in response, the “eliteness” of Crossfit has little to do with the exclusion aspect of the word. It is not a function of preselection, predestination, station – that kind of stuff annoys the bejeebus out of some of us over here. No, CrossFit is available to any person who wishes to challenge themselves, to become stronger and to achieve goals. That door and website is open to all. And doing the best a person can do is an idea that I believe is celebrated by a broad spectrum of religions, political philosophies, etc. Despite the leanings of the main site (and perhaps this one *shrug*), I feel that trying to hedge it to one “side” or another is doomed to fail. CrossFit also encourages a high level of community and camaraderie that is the anthesis of the complete celebration of the achievement of the individual. If one were just in it for themselves, why would they EVER encourage someone to push to beat one’s weight/time or be sincerely happy when their “competitors” do well? Sounds kinda Commie to me…
    As far as the religion part of the article goes, from what I can tell, most religions believe themselves and their adherents to be quite elite. It is almost intrinsic to all faiths that the participants are innately special (by birth, conversion, or ritual practice), follow someone who is special, or have some sort of knowledge advantage that puts them – if only in some small way – superior (or closer to a goal) when compared to the Others. In this way, I feel the religion analogy is dead on. Do we not critique the GloboGyms? The elliptical runners? Those who do curls in the squat rack? And why do we do this? Because we rabidly believe that we are doing the “fitness” thing better than they are. That we are fitter which, by our metrics, is better to be. I agree with these metrics and the methodology and so I’ll be there tonight, working Barbara over like she owes me money. Still, CrossFit might not be the “thing” for everyone to adopt, much like converting to Catholicism may not appeal to the Shaker, despite the former’s clear “success”.
    At least this is the message I feel I have received. YMMV.

  • Hari

    Moon,
    Well argued.

  • michelle

    YMMV?
    Moon is this like No Cats?

  • Kurt

    I remember reading those articles (or some just like them, I guess everybody just copies the AP at this point) last year. Of course, I remember it being cast as a “Aren’t the French crazy?” piece rather than a “Aren’t the left-wingers nuts?” one. It reminds me of the sex scandels on both sides of the aisle that Americans get in a tizzy about and foreigners can’t understand why we care about it.
    I agree with George that the both pieces are embarassing to a member of the CF community. Having played paintball for a long time, I am used to people having no idea what it is about, no matter how many times you explain it or how slowly you say it. At least for Crossfit, no one has made the link between our fitness regime and training terrorists. That one seems to come up for paintball every six months or so, despite how absolutely idiotic that statement is to anyone that has actually played before.
    And since Moon posted as I was writing: well done. I try to hate less on the elliptical people than seems to be the norm on the main site. Hell, given the people I have to cram into the F train with, ANY exercise is a good thing! We should definitely remember that the comraderie and in group mentality can come off as arrogance or elitism to those on the outside.

  • Moon

    Michelle – I’m sorry. Let me send you some common breakouts of acronyms.
    YMMV – “Yo Momma Moves Volkswagens”. It’s sort of the street equivalent to “QED”.
    DNF – “Due Next Friday”. Means someone has decided to temporarily stop a WOD and pick it up again on a later date. Right Marisela? ;)
    NO CATS – “Never Overalls! Crocks, Ascots, Turtlenecks – Sometimes” It’s a fashion advice for summer thing. Honestly, I’m not sure about Crocks.
    Hari – Thanks, but here – as in muscle-ups – I’m only trying to catch up to you.

  • Ewen

    Lest our comraderie seem too elitist to outsiders, I’m going to do my best to screw it up.
    ****
    Hari,
    I could just type “What Moon said” and leave it at that, but since you dragged some of my countrymen into the fray, I will say this:
    You’re reaching.
    I won’t bore everyone with details on how Alain Finkelkraut is hardly a poster boy for the French Left; nor do I have the time to translate the original Lib√©ration article and explain how it differs vastly from the NYT articles in both tone and content. I could, however, point out that taking Sarkozy and jogging as examples of physical fitness is highly ironic, coming from a dedicated Crossfitter such as you.
    CrossFit is a great fitness program. If you start elevating it to a different status, then sure, it becomes easier to find plenty of imaginary reasons for imaginary foes to attack it. Seems like a waste of energy to me.
    By the way, CF can’t exactly claim to be the first – let alone the only – business to string the words “elite” and “fitness” together. So many websites and gyms out there for the NYT to hate and undermine, how do they find the time to make a newspaper? Maybe they have their priorities straight. Defending my training regimen against a NYT reporter doesn’t even make it on my list.
    ****
    And now, to balance things out:
    Michelle,
    YMMV= your mileage may vary
    DNF= did not finish, an acronym actually used in real race results (see also DNS, did not start), whereas DFL is a parody of those terms.

  • Brett_nyc

    Well, I’ll contribute where I can…
    DFL, Dead fucking last.

  • Moon

    Just for fun, here’s another “cult”.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6JWk4GYw4k
    Go for the cultiness. Stay for the nearly-hypnotic clothing patterns.

  • AllisonNYC

    Barbara:
    5:29
    9:04
    10:33
    8:49
    9:30
    Rounds 2-5 done with dead hang ring pull-ups.
    PRE WOD: OHS
    5 x 75
    5 x 85
    10 x 95
    10 x 95
    10 x 95
    15 x 75
    My chest and lats are super sore from those MUs

  • michelle

    ok DFL i knew- its one i am familiar with.
    Moon-its Crocs, not crocKs :)

  • Brendan

    17:03 all over the place
    my situps looked like pushups.

  • chris gaskin

    4:27
    6:15
    7:14
    8:02
    13:31(thanks to Coach P for keeping the clock running after stopping the 6:45 class. Stopped for a couple of minutes before completing the 10 push ups, 40 sit ups, 50 squats I had left. Needed the rest)

  • Moon

    5:56
    8:03
    8:22
    8:40
    [Last time corrupted - I accidentally hit "stop" on my watch at some point in the workout. I believe I was on pace for hitting around 9:00, however.]
    Total 51ish min (including the 12 min of rest).

  • Jack Bauer

    Running class was not fun in that windy ass weather! Sorry I missed Barbara but I am sure there will be plenty of Ladies this week. But considering Brendan’s last comment, I am kinda glad I froze outside.

  • Hari

    27:59 (4:13, 4:43, 5:40, 6:36, 6:47)

  • michelle

    I am still thawing from running class. brrr.

  • Justin

    Missed running class as I got out of work too late… Should have went anyways.

  • michelle

    justin-stick urself in a freezer for 15 minutes and then do some running and u will feel some of the after effects.
    guys watch the video on the main site. looks like the black box folk had a nice lunch break while the lecture was going on. Tyler-that looked like a nice sandwich.

  • http://blog.derekrose.com derek

    Did this one at home after how crowded the evening workout was at the Box last night…
    6:27.6
    7:45.5
    7:52.3
    8:37.1
    10:10
    Total time 53:01, including 12 min rest.
    I pretty much agree with Kurt and Ewen. There can be a holier-than-thou element among some Crossfitters that can be a bit annoying. Let’s not forget that GloboGym is just a movie character … I enjoyed Gold’s membership, and feel like some of the workouts I did with a PT at Crunch were at least as intense as the hardest WOD.

  • http://www.crossfitwiki.com/Crossfit/Ewen Ewen

    3:50 – 4:17 – 4:27 – 4:54 – 4:19 = 21:47
    +12:00 rest
    33:47
    Pull-ups and squats unbroken. The 3′ rests were a godsend.

  • Kevin

    Thanks to Brian H for the rest day WOD this morning. It was great! Just what I needed. Awesome job morning crew! Welcome Sloane(hope I spelled that right).
    Todays WOD
    3 rounds for time
    400m run
    10 kb overhead walking lunges (each arm) 24k men, 16k women(scalable)
    10 kb push presses (each arm)
    20 back extensions (can be done with kb behind neck, good mornings with bar or GHD machine)
    20 double unders
    19:07 as rx’d with kb back extensions
    felt like my 1st run was a warmup. Stairs killed as usual. Very necessary WOD as I’ve been working alot on my feet and needed some oxygenated blood in the legs. Gotta get those toxins out.

  • Kurt

    44 mins even on Barbara. Was on the pushups when the 6:45 class was cut off, but finished the workout on my own. Not as good of a performance as I would hope, but it reminds me of two big hurdles I need to overcome: better kip and more pushups.