Meatfest

Workout 30 May 2009:

This past weekend, I went down to Sharpsville PA for a huge barbecue (Second Annual J & J Meatfest) with about 20 other CrossFitters from PA, OH, IN, KY, MA, MD and maybe a couple others. There were four coed teams of four people each. My team won the overall competition, but I do not remember specific times or reps.

Workout 1:
Relay style kettlebell throw
We threw a kettlebell (16 or 24kg men, 12kg women) down a 25 meter course. Before each throw, we did one push up per each previous throw (e.g. if I had just thrown the KB for the fourth time, before I could throw it again, I had to do four push-ups). The KB had to be thrown behind and over head (a swing then let go). The KB had to cross the 25-meter mark and was then carried (if necessary) back to the 25-meter line and thrown back down the course until it crossed the starting line, at which point the next team member could begin. Scoring was total team time.

I threw the 12kg kettlebell to spare my back. I took 10 throws to get the KB down and back. My team won by about two minutes.

Workout 2:
Relay style sandbag shuttle run

We carried a sand bag (100lb men, 50lb women) from the starting line to a 10 meter mark. We then dropped the bag, ran back to the starting line, then back to the sandbag. We then picked up the bag and carried it to a 20 meter mark, drop, run back to starting line, and return to bag. Carry to 30 meter mark, drop, run, return. Carry to 40 meter mark, drop, run, and return. Then carry the sandbag the full 40 meters back to the starting line at which point the next team member could begin. Scoring was total team time.

I used the 100lb bag and for each 10-meter interval down the course, I just picked up the bag and held it in front of me. For the final 40-meter return, I knew I had to get the bag on my shoulders or I stood no chance of carrying it back without dropping it. Even up on my shoulders, that last interval was the longest 40 meters of my life. I had complete tunnel-vision on the starting line and saw or heard nothing else. My team placed second or third in this event (can't remember).

Workout 3:
Team 90lb sled push and drag

Each team pushed (in a low position) a weighted sled approximately 100 yards. Once the sled completely crossed the 100 yard mark, the team then pulled the sled back using a pair of rings attached to the sled. Each member must pull and push the sled but only one team member can move the sled at once. Rolling substitutions were used. Score was total time.

I pushed the sled approximately 30 yards down the course (actually very slightly uphill) and then pulled it 25-30 yards back. Even though my total time moving the sled was no more than 45 seconds, my legs were like jelly at the end. I couldn't stand for about two minutes afterwards and had a hard time walking for at least another five minutes after that. My team won this event with the second place team only one second behind.

Workout 4:
"Meatfest Gone Bad"

This workout involved four stations about eight meters apart arranged like the four corners of a square.

Box jumps (approximately 20-24 inches high for women, 35-40ish for men). Both feet had to land on box with small pause to show controlled landing.

Sledge hammer swing (12lb for men, 8lb for women). Sledge hammer had to make contact with rim of tractor tire and sledge hammer had to go behind head in back swing.

Lifting a keg from floor to overhead (any method). Men's keg was 50lb and women's was 30lb. Keg had to start on ground and then control at full extension had to be shown at top.

Goblet squat (24kg kettlebell for men, 16kg for women). KB had to be held in front of body but could not touch chest or abdomen. Hips had to be below the patella at bottom of squat.

Each of the four team members started on a different station. We had one minute to do as many reps of that particular station's exercise as possible. After one minute, we then had one minute to get to the next station (clockwise). However, we had to do travelling burpees to get there. If we arrived sooner than one minute, we could rest for the remaining time. We then did one minute at our second station, the one minute for travelling burpees...until we completed all four stations once. Scoring is total number of reps for all team members for all four stations.

I started with the keg station and after testing out the 50lb keg, decided to use the 30lb keg again to spare my back. I can easily clean and jerk or even snatch 50lbs, but the keg was extremely awkward. It was partially filled with water, meaning it sloshed around and was easily thrown off-balance. My next station was the goblet squats. I used the 16kg KB to avoid excess strain on my back. Next were box jumps. Those went reasonably well although I had nothing left in my legs at that point due to the sled event, the just-finished squats, and travelling burpees. My final station was the sledge swing. I should have been able to do several more reps but was just out of gas by that point.

Each team's overall competition score was the sum of its times in the first three events with one second then subtracted per each "Meatfest Gone Bad" rep.

Mark Rippetoe Quote of the Day:
"We have not spent the last 65 million or so years finely honing our physiology to watch Oprah. Like it or not, we are the product of a very long process of adaptation to a harsh physical existence, and the past couple centuries of comparative ease and plenty are not enough time to change our genome.

We humans are at our best when our existence mirrors, or at least simulates, the one we are still genetically adapted to live. And that is the purpose of exercise."