If you've spent any time on PeopleJam, you've probably seen a video from CrossFit trainer Andy Petranek. And if you are like me (that is, in decent physical condition but nothing spectacular) you probably found yourself wondering, "How the hell does he do 100 pullups in his workouts?" Or worse, you may be wondering how you can even begin such a program.

The guy is a machine. Superhuman. Is there a workout for mere mortals?

Recently I connected with Dawn, one of the Crossfit trainers on PeopleJam. Dawn posted a workout program called "The Murph" which seemed challenging but within reach. She kindly responded to my message with some suggestions for how I might begin doing this workout. And so I went for it.

I have to tell you, people, this stuff works. I have been doing my own version of the Murph workout 3x a week at the gym. It's fast, intense and completely exhausting but afterwards I feel exhilarated and full of energy. I sleep like a baby at night. I've lost weight and I am gaining muscle mass. All from three short workouts each week.

What did I learn? First of all, don't let the intensity of the program daunt you. Go for it and work to exhaustion (regardless of the number of reps). Or modify the program so you can do it. But don't use the intensity as an excuse.

Second, starting anything is better than sitting around doing nothing. Go for it. Muster the energy. Get to the gym. Start the program. Nine times out of ten, you will feel renewed energy and you will want to complete the routine. And that tenth time? So what? Relax. Give yourself a break. Knock off early, call it a day, and be glad that you at least did something instead of sitting on the couch munching on Doritos.

I'm not trying to tell you that I mastered the Murph workout straightaway. Heck no. I failed when I tried it the first time and frankly I haven't been able to do the whole thing all the way through in one shot. But that's not important. The main thing is that i am doing a routine I like, I am making measurable progress, and I am seeing the results.

The biggest room is the room for improvement. That's the room I live in.

RT