Joshua Wang

Today's Workout @ CrossFit Markham Accumulate 3 min of L-sits on rings -Then- 20 min AMRAP 20 Box Jumps 100 ft Overhead Barbell Walk (135 lbs - Rx) 20 KB Swings (72 lbs - Rx: 55 lbs) Walk back (with barbell overhead) ( Rounds: 2 ... kinda - 20 min ended right after my KB swings ) Very low score - would normally choose lighter weights, however, strength is a weakness of mine. In much pain from ... everything (Angie, Muscle-Up attempts, etc.) Going to enjoy my rest day tomorrow =) Lots of stretching and protein :D 3 more days to my first muscle-up!

If you look carefully, you can see the remnants of my first skin tear from muscle-up attempts. The area was quite sensitive, but it is healing well. My friend (Ben) gets back this Tuesday. Tuesday's 9am CrossFit class is my deadline for executing the muscle-up (on rings - I'll work on the bar muscle-up later). As another friend (Satwick) used to say: LetzGo!

Today's Workout @ CrossFit Markham "Angie" 100 Pull-Ups 100 Push-Ups 100 Sit-Ups 100 Squats ( Time: 39:50) Super slow on pull-ups and push-ups. Need to work on upper body strength Arms are jellylike. Body is guaranteed to be in pain. Took ice shower and protein (Vega Sport) to help with recovery

Today's Workout 1 Round for Time: 50 Box Jumps (24") 50 Jumping Pull-Ups 50 KB Swings (35 lbs) 50 Walking Lunges (25 each leg) 50 Knees to Elbows 50 Push Press (45 lbs) 50 Sit Ups 50 Wall Ball Shots (10 ft target, 20 lbs ball) 50 Burpees 50 Double Unders ( Time: 43:37 ... way past the 40 min cut-off, but I was told I had to finish -_- )

Recently, at CrossFit Markham ... Muscle-Up attempts! I made a challenge to a friend yesterday to get a muscle-up by this Tuesday (since he was going to be away on a camping trip). To my amazement, he responded by executing his first muscle-up. I still have a long way to go, but I have been working hard at it - earning my first skin tear on my wrist! Here is a good tutorial from Iron Tribe Fitness on how to do a muscle-up:

(Taken from ITF's POD - Picture of the Day) What is a tribe? First definition from Google: A social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader. ... having common goals, common dreams, and common values . In short, a tribe is a family. Iron Tribe Fitness I recently came across a CrossFit Gym that stood out to me ( Iron Tribe Fitness ). What struck me about this gym is their emphasis on helping those who cannot help themselves, together. Partnering together to pursue a vision much bigger than themselves. Their website says it best: "Our mission is to teach and support healthy lifestyles, be a leader in results-based fitness, and encourage fellowship within our global community." This resonates with my own life mission in pursuing 4-D fitness and helping others do the same. How that looks like remains a mystery to me.

Recently, I started attending a Mandarin church. For those who do not know me, my Chinese is quite poor. My reasons for learning Chinese are quite simple, but hard to put into words. Simply put, I have this inexplicable urge to connect with my origin and in (re)discovering who I am. This may sounds weird, but I feel another part of me comes alive when I listen to or speak in Chinese. As a Christian (and as an individual), my life journey has been a bit rough to say the least. Sometimes I want nothing to do with Christianity or God and have feelings of bitterness, anger, frustration and sorrow. Other times, I simply don't care. But deep down, there is a strong desire to reconnect with my Heavenly Father . This is why I cannot ignore God as a figment of imagination or cultural conditioning. It is this relationship - and desire for relationship - that prevents me from abandoning my Christian faith, and ultimately, everything I once held dear. And yes, these desires and emotions could

The Snatch : an Olympic lifting movement involving bringing weight from a dead hang position to overhead in one swift motion. Above: Liao Hui capturing a gold medal for China, lifting a total of 348 kg (158 kg Snatch, 190 kg Clean and Jerk). Total Focus You cannot perform this movement without focus. You cannot muscle your way through this explosive movement. You either have it or you don't. All or nothing . Some of my own stats I was working on some lifts this morning before dragonboat practice. The weights I will post are not heavy, but they are recorded to chart my improvement for the future. This morning, I worked up to: - 95 lbs Push Press - 115 lbs Front Squat - 75 lbs Snatch The emphasis was on perfecting technique and avoiding injury. I would like to get my Snatch to 135 lbs by the end of summer. I am going to work to 95 lbs by the end of this month. The Snatch Attitude The Snatch happens in an instant, requiring complete focus. In life, some activities require this kind o

"Hey mommy, look at me!" ( photo credit ) I went to CrossFit for the 1st time in a while. Part of today's workout involved 1 rep max attempts for the push press. I managed a personal best of 155lbs today so I was quite pleased :) The Feeling of "Bleh" I was not planning on going to CrossFit today. Actually, I planned on going, but then I ate 4 cups of instant noodles and tried sleeping. I have been feeling "bleh" recently. The source of the "bleh" is hard to pinpoint. It seems to be a combination of physical exhaustion, emotional burden, mental fatigue, and spiritual depravity. Nevertheless, the point is that my entire being (mind, body, soul, heart) was not ready for a 1-rep max. Rising to the Challenge A little after 6pm, I walked into the gym, moping around - not my usual self. I made halfhearted attempts at the exercises. Then it came for 1 rep max attempts. Apathetically, I walked up to the bar and tried to do 95lbs, a weight I can usua

Boarding in 1 hour :) I am sitting in Toronto Pearson Airport waiting for my flight to Calgary. I am attending a conference in Lake Louise and staying at the Fairmont! I am the above image emblazoned in my memory. I am looking forward to the nice hotel, the breathtaking scenery, and the opportunity to .... run :) What happened to the workout posts? No, I did not stop working out! I still go to CrossFit regularly and have been keeping an active lifestyle. I did yesterday's workout in 16:26 (4 Rounds for Time: 10 SDHP, 15 Ring Dips, 20 Burpees) and worked on my overhead squat this morning in Hart House before leaving for the airport. If you find it helpful for me to post my workouts, I would be delighted to keep doing so. Many of my workouts are taken from CrossFit Markham . Forging Elite Fitness Forging Elite Fitness is CrossFit's slogan and captures the heart of CrossFit rather well. As you know, I have been on a journey "forge elite fitness", working to increase my

I am an Ultra- Marathoner! I ran my first ultra marathon this past weekend! Yes, it is "only" 50km, 8km longer than a marathon (an "ultra marathon" is defined as any distance longer than a marathon - 42.2km). But hey! It was a tough course! Two 25km loops, 870m of vertical ascent per loop, 1/2 trails and 1/2 country roads, 60% uphill, 30% downhill. It's called the Vertical Challenge for a reason =) Rediscovery You learn a lot about the limits of your own body when you run an ultra - or any race, for that matter, especially when it pushes you beyond the limits of your imagination. Many of us fail to see the extent of our God-given potential. Our vision is often clouded by reality. Rather, we should pursue greatness (to be who we were meant to be) in the context of our reality . Running 50k also teaches you a lot about yourself. You wrestle with a plethora of emotions (joy, pain, anxiety, despair, discouragement, excitement, adventure, and more). And you are forc