Joshua Wang

DeFranco's Agile 8 Routine:  YouTube link Article link MWOD Recommendations (selected to help improve your front rack positioning and shoulder mobility):  1.  flexion-external-rotation-analogs 2.  solving-front-rack-problems-part-1 3.  a-front-rack-wrist-mob-and-more 4.  improving-shoulder-organization-3-min-challenge 5.  use-your-tv-to-time-your-pain-hips-and-lower-leg 6.  great-sub-scap-shoulder-smash-drill 7.  best-shoulder-mob-ever CrossFit Endurance Link:  FAQ

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. –John 16:33 From a devotional by Billy Graham I recently read: The Christian life is the most satisfying, but only when we actually go all out and all the way. It is the Christian who tries to compromise who finds life miserable, for he has all the problems, without the fellowship that comes through surrender. For every trial and test, Christ supplies an abundance of grace with which to bear it, and in our weakness we are made strong.

Morning Coffee Keurig machines are amazing. Enough said :) Passages from this morning This morning, Carmelina came over for devotions and coffee. Here are two passages that stood out to us during our time in God's Word. Justice is turned back,     and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares,     and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking,     and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The Lord saw it, and it displeased him     that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man,     and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation,     and his righteousness upheld him. -- Isaiah 59:14-16 Check out this video on intercession . This video references this passage in Isaiah and unpacks the importance of intercessory prayer. Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes t

Morning Coffee "Medium black coffee, please?" "Anything else, sir?" "Um ... no. ... oh wait ... yes. Would you add a bagel with cream cheese?" Okay, this is not exactly your power breakfast of champions. I'm trying to clean up my diet but it's hard when your body is tired. Needless to say, I certainly appreciated the coffee! Verse of the Day (Bible Gateway) For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. -- Hebrews 10:30-31 NIV This passage is a warning for Christians who continue in sin. God's kindness is to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4), to a change in heart and life direction. The journey is certainly difficult, seemingly impossible at times. But our God is greater. This truth is both convicting and encouraging to me. Food! So since I'm mainly by myself these days, I have been eating out, b

Morning Coffee This morning I picked up at a Tall Blonde from Starbucks. Early mornings are tough but the coffee certainly helps! Verse of the Day (Bible Gateway) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. -- 1 John 2:1 This verse brings me great assurance. While I try to live as God tells me, I still do battle against sin. When I fall, when I feel unworthy or inadequate, I have Jesus Christ, who stands in the gap, interceding for me. Fitness: Body On Monday, I had the opportunity to shadow a coach to see how things go down in the fitness world. Pretty cool I must say! I ended up working out with the group and helping coach, growing in confidence as time went on. The feedback I received was quite helpful. It's good that I'm friendly. One of the things to work on is being more vocal. I want to be the best I can be as a coach by helping others be the b

Morning Coffee Today's cup is from Tim Hortons since Starbucks opens a bit later. I did try making my own this morning, but it ended up being too bitter, even with some almond milk as a treat. I'm pretty tired this morning. Late nights and early mornings are a bit tough, but I'm loving it! Oh! And tomorrow will be my first dragonboat race of the year! I'm pretty excited and nervous. This also means an early morning, but it wil be fun to see old friends and teammates. Verse of the Day (Bible Gateway) Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. -- Joel 2:23 Yes, rejoice indeed! It is easy for me to get caught up with material pursuits, or just caught up with .... me. Yes, I know. I'm selfish that way. But I'm working on it. God is working on it -- on me, that is. Fitness: Body I did not get to workout yeste

Morning coffee I am at my desk about to head onsite for work. I am slowly waking up thanks to the goodness of God and the Grande Blonde from Starbucks. I have not been blogging for a while. Here's to an effort to start blogging again :) Verse of the Day (Bible Gateway) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. -- Ephesians 4:29 Fitness: Body I miss CrossFit. It's been several months since I have been doing CrossFit regularly. I feel my body getting older -- ha! But it's been good too. This time away has allowed me to start saving bit by bit. My "financial fitness" definitely needs work! Last night, I dropped in to a church where they do CrossFit workouts Wednesday nights. I had one purpose: PR on my clean (225#). This has long been an elusive weight for me (mainly mental). After several attempts over the past several months

Brooks has a cool catch phrase: "Run Happy". I have been a long-time fan of Brooks and a big believer in the idea of running happy - discovering the little things (and big things) that make us smile along our running adventures. While the idea of "Run Happy" always appealed to me, it has been a long time since I truly ran for the love of running. I have been caught up in the "9-5" of work and the crazy drives that accompanies my job. There were recent instances that brought back this "Run Happy" spirit to me: 1. Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Pacer Meeting: I am volunteering as a pacer for a half marathon in the fall and the pacer program is sponsored by Brooks. When I arrived, I was greeted by a slew of friendly faces and exciting individuals. Just being there and hearing them talk made me itch to run again. It was like a breath of fresh, "Run Happy" air! 2. Yesterday's spontaneous run: Yesterday I had to get to m

Last Thursday at Harvest Young Adults, we continued our series "Taking Care of Each Other" with a session called "Surrendering Anger with Humility". Anger has been an issue I never thought I had, since I often ignore issues or suppress my emotions. I later realized that this too is a form of anger. Here are some lessons I learned to become emotionally fit by understanding and handling anger God's way. Four questions to ask when someone is angry 1. What was going on? 2. What did you do? (response) 3. What were you thinking? 4. What were you really looking for? (Getting to the heart issues) When you're angry, consider: - What idols are being messed with on your life? Eph 5:26 - What do I want so much I'm willing to kill for it? Anger inside the heart is murder - What are the heart issues? Anger usually masks other emotions (e.g. fear) Ephesians 4:31-32 - no room for anger in the Christian life Bitterness is like a weed s

WOD - June 25 Dropped into CrossFit Ark with Carmie! I had so much fun. Definitely miss CrossFit! "Grace" 30 clean & jerk for time (135#/95#) Carmie: 6:20 (65 lbs) Josh: 6:34 rx -then- 500 m row Carmie: 2:04.0 Josh: 1:38.4 Plans I am looking for ways to get stronger. There's no shortcut to hard work, but there are plans out there to help you get there. One plan currently used by The Outlaw Way is the Smolov Jr program. I'll post more when I get a chance to try it out. For now, here's the calculator they use. If any of you tries this (or have any other ideas), please let me know. Always open to suggestions :) Smolov Jr Calculator http://joshmahony.com/weights/smolov_jr.php More on Smolov jr http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/2362/articles/smolov-jr

Jonah 2 v. 2 "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me" v. 7 "When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD" v. 8 "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love." 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. Colossians 1:9-10 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

With promises of warmer weather, field work starts up again tomorrow, and with that, the beginning of my travels this year. I'm writing from Gananoque, near 1000 Islands, just east of Kingston. Here are a few reflections from my afternoon drive. Reflection 1: "I am Jonah" Today's sermon at church , our pastor talked about Jonah. So many things struck me from that sermon. I especially liked the part when the sailors asked Jonah who he was. His reply was simply: "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." First reaction is "Yikes! We're messing with the wrong god!" The other thing that struck me was Jonah's identity. It reminds me of that epic moment in the movie, Gladiator , when Maximus responds to Commodus ( reference ). [Commodus enters the Colesseum arena to greet the Spaniard] Commodus:  Rise. Rise. [Maximus stands up, clenching an arrow head in his right hand and in that same m

The year started strong. I was diligent in my Bible readings, serving Christ in joy and growing in community.  More recently, my life has been dry -- at least on the inside. This post is a self-reflection on my struggle to finish well, not on how to finish well. The latter I still need to learn. It started a couple months ago. I made three dangerous choices: 1. I fought for a diligent and fervent prayer life. 2. I started sharing my faith. 3. I asked God for passion. Shortly after a temporary high,  1. I chose sleep over prayer, my job over my God; 2. I cared more for my comfort than the eternal destiny of others; and 3. I filled my life with the passions and cares of this world, giving little room for a sold-out heart for God. My past self was resurfacing. Yikes! For example, Proverbs 12:16 says, "The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores [or overlooks] an insult." How easy it has been to be the fool rather than the pru

WOD 2013.03.07 - Open WOD 13.1 17 min AMRAP 40 Burpees 30 Snatches (75 lbs) 30 Burpees 30 Snatches (135 lbs) 20 Burpees 30 Snatches (165 lbs) 10 Burpees Snatches (max rep @ 210 lbs) Burpees are chest to ground and touching target 6" from reach. My current snatch PR is 155 lbs. My goal is to at least attempt 165 lbs. We'll see though. I've never done Isabel (30 snatches @ 135 lbs for time). Update: I only made a small dent into the set of 135 lb snatches. Final score was 108 (8 reps at 135 lbs). Definitely underestimated the workout! WOD 2013.03.06 Hang squat snatch 1 x 95 lbs, 1 x 115 lbs, 1 x 135 lbs, 0 x 165 lbs (failed) - then - 5 rounds for time 10 Front squats (155 lbs) 20 Box jumps (24") 30 Butterfly sit-ups (Time, 19:40)

From this morning's reading, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." What a loaded passage! At times, I think about the weight of leadership. The weight of responsibility. The weight behind one's words. To think about an "eternal weight of glory" ... I can't even begin to fathom how heavy that would feel. Maybe analogous to a 500 lb back squat! Now "this light momentary affliction is preparing us for this eternal weight of glory". I think about the stress at work. The stresses and worries of life. The hurts and the sorrow. All these things somehow prepare us for this "eternal

WOD Strict press The plan was 5-5-3-3-1-1. Here's what happened: 5 x 95 lbs, 5 x 95 lbs, 3 x 115 lbs, 5 x 115 lbs 1 x 135 lbs, 3 x 115 lbs, 5 x 125 lbs, 0 x 145 lbs Yup, that last attempt was way to big a jump for me. - then - 4 Rounds (1 min each; 1 min rest between rounds) Double unders Ball slams (50 lbs) HSPU Ring dips I was definitely a lot more tired than normal. For some reason, today was a "bleh" day. I find if I win the battles in the morning, whatever they may be, the rest of my day is great. Morning Devotions I'm working on spending time with God in the mornings. To meet with God before meeting whatever comes my way. I find I really need that. My approach to reading the Bible is just straight reading. I do think and read carefully, but I also don't have (or make) the time to sit there for an hour meditating on what I just read. There are other times when I do meditate / savor, but for my morning reading, I treat it like breakfast.

WOD Deadlifts 6 x 135 lbs, 6 x 135 lbs, 6 x 185 lb s, 6 x 185 lbs 6 x 225 lbs, 6 x 225 lbs, 6 x 275 lbs 3 x 365 lbs, 3 x 365 lbs - then - 4 Rounds for Time 7 Toes-to-bar 14 KB Swings (72 lbs) 21 Hand release push-ups (Time: 6:55) Incredible lesson from Harvest Men's Conference 2013 "The Christian's response to sin should not be guilt leading to shame, but rather conviction leading to change." My new favorite song: "Good and Faithful Friend" by Andi Rozier

Fri Feb 8 2012 Rest day Thu Feb 7 2012 Overhead squats 4 x 95 lbs, 4 x 115 lbs, 4 x 135 lbs, 4 x 135 lbs - then - 20 min AMRAP 4 rope climbs 8 burpees 4 pistols per leg 8 deadlifts (275 lbs) Score: 4 rounds + 1 deadlift Wed Feb 7 2012 Rest day Tue Feb 7 2012 Push press 4 x 95 lbs, 4 x 135 lbs 4 x 165 lbs, 4 x 165 lbs, 3 x 165 lbs, 4 x 165 lbs - then - "The Chief" 5 Rounds Max rounds in 3 mins of: - 3 power cleans (135 lbs) - 6 push-ups - 9 squats 1 min rest (Score: 443 reps)

WOD Backsquat 1x135 lbs, 1x225lbs, 1x275lbs 1x295lbs (PR), 1x315lbs (failed), 1x315lbs (failed), 1x315lbs (failed) - then - 10 min AMRAP (Open WOD 11.1) 30 double unders 15 snatches (75 lbs) (score: 4 rounds) Also, I've been working on my burpees. Here is a log of some burpee attempts: 100 burpees for time Tues, Jan 22, 2013: 5:57 (100) Sat, Feb 2, 2013: 5:41 (100), 7:48 (130)* *130 burpees since I lost a bet (guess the price of groceries; each $1 difference from total is 10 burpees; I was off by $13) The goal is to beat my brother (his time was 5:21 last September!). I have a long way to go..

Jan 7 2013 WOD @ CFM Work to 1 RM C & J PR. 95 lbs - 145 lbs - 195 lbs - 205 lbs (failed) - 205 lbs (PR) Front squat (3 s pause at bottom) 3 x 155 lbs, 3 x 155 lbs, 3 x 205 lbs 3 x 175 lbs, 3 x 200 lbs, 3 x 200 lbs 1 ring muscle-up (and 1 skin tear :P) Max clean attempts (i.e. fun with Ben!) 245 lbs (failed), 225 lbs (failed), 225 lbs (failed; almost caught it though!) Jan 6 2012 GameChanger Workout (Game Day #8 @ Markham YMCA 6 rounds 8 sets / round Each set = work + active rest work = 30 s, 45 s, 60 s, 75 s, ... then back down -.- rest = 15 s each goal: accumulate max reps A huge congratulations to all my friends who competed (CrossFit Markham, Rak Chazak Markham / London, Iron Dragons). A super awesome congrats to the two teams that made it to the finals (Young Guns from CFM, and Monster Kookies who ended up winning it all!). And finally, a SUPER HUGE SHOUT OUT to Kimi, who laid her heart out there, toughing it out not only in the competition, but in t

Thu Jan 3 2013 Warm-up 2 km  row (1:56 / 500 m pace) EMOM for 10 mins 2 Power cleans @ 185 lbs for first 6 sets @ 190 lbs for last 4 sets 10 min AMRAP 2 rope climbs 10 burpees 15 front squats (135 lbs) Score: 3 + 5 front squats (started on burpees) Wed Jan 2 2013 2 km row (2:03 / 500 m pace) Run to CFM Warm-up Work on pull-ups (kipping / strict) Push Press (sets of 3) "Nate" 2 muscle-ups (or 6 ring dips) 4 HSPU 8 KB swings (72 lbs) Josh: 3 rounds (rx) Jireh: 1 round (rx) + 6 rounds scaled Mom: 10 rounds! Charis: forgot :p Got own'd by my mom!