Jello Pudding Legs

Today I can barely go down stairs, thanks to the Crossfit workout I did yesterday. Skipping the outdoor run, I decided it was time to head to the gym for some cross-training. In the past I've found that cross-trainng has helped my running and prevented injury. It gives your running muscles a break and utilizes others to help balance everything out. My husband (formerly a personal trainer) recommended a Crossfit workout that was "squat intensive." I've had trouble in the past with tight hip-flexors causing back pain and the physical therapist recommended a regime of various squatting exercises; so it seemed like the perfect workout to kick off my cross training (hopefully preempting a problem with tight hip flexors).

The workout my husband suggested goes as follows:

Squat (as many times as you can in 1 minute)

Burpees (as many as your squat number subtracted from 60)

Squat (as many times as you can in 1 minute)

Sit-ups (as many as your squat number subtracted from 60)

Repeat this three times with no rest between each round or each exercise.

So for example, I set the alarm on my stopwatch for 1 minute, pressed start and began my squats. Since I hate Burpees I tried to do as many squats as I could: 47. I went immediately into Burpees (with no rest) and did 13 Burpees (60-47=13). I then did squats again and could manage 45, so I then did 15 sit-ups. I got up pressed start on my stopwatch and went at it again. By the end of three rounds I was my legs were jello and I was wiped out--but a good kind of wiped out.

The original Crossfit workout called for Pushups in the place of Burpees and Pullups in the place of Sit-ups. But I wanted to target the legs and core. That is one of the things I love about Crossfit workouts is that you can often modify them easily, both to fit your ability or your particular mood for the day.

If I tired to run today it would be a stiff-legged waddle of sorts, so I'll rest and let the jello-pudding of my quads firm up before I attempt a run tomorrow.