Double Unders...Not to be Confused with Double Dutch

Tonight at ITF we REALLY went to kindergarten and not only jumped rope, but we also "played" on the rings (at least everyone but me "played" on the rings...I did box dips instead because I was too scared to try the rings since my shoulder is really NOT even close to 100% yet).

Double unders...in case you don't know, this is a jump rope thing.  You jump once and swish the rope around twice before your feet hit the ground.  Shockingly it's a wrist movement.  Embarrassingly enough at first I couldn't even get the single under down.  Mercifully the coach told us most people don't get the double under the first night, and many people take months to get it down.  You can guess, I had one goal for the night-to get at least one double under done.

We learned how to do ring dips but I opted out of that one.  The coach said it's not a strength issue for most people but a stability issue.  I can't afford to have my shoulder any more unhappy than it is right now already so I said no to the word "stability", and like I said earlier, I did box dips.  I have to say I didn't think I could do those either.  They didn't feel good, but I did all of the ones I was supposed to do and I'm okay so far.

Lastly we learned how to do a proper weighted front squat.  This seemed to be the thing that hurt my shoulder the most.  Mainly, I think, because the bar is resting on the part of my shoulder that hurts the most.

After we learned our new exercises we partnered up and did the WOD.  A partner workout is one in which you have a set number of rounds/reps and you split it however you want between partners.  We had 3 rounds of: a ridiculous number of double unders ((or WAY more single unders which everyone was doing instead)), some front squats and then ring dips (or box dips in my case).  Only one person could be working at a time and you could switch back and forth as you needed to.   I felt bad for my partner...I was REALLY struggling to jump rope and then my shoe came untied...and then my other shoe came untied!!  I was just glad she didn't beat me with that jump rope!!

On that first round I could't get more than a few jumps in at a time.  But, by the last round I got 40 in a row!!  Then I DID IT...ONE double under!!  I couldn't do another one, but I did ONE!  Goal MET!!  :D  I can't honestly say, but I don't think my partner and I were last tonight.  I think there was one other group that had a little bit harder time than we did.  I was consumed with the fact I couldn't jump rope and with the fact I was too scared to even try a ring dip to really notice anyone else's time.  But, if I don't listen to my body no one else will so it's up to me to decide what I can and can't do...what I will and won't do.

Still lovin it.

Until next time...
:D