CFDC
Tall snatch/tall snatch/snatch balance complex
35kg, 37.5kg, 37.5kg
Dumbbell floor press 4 x 5 @ 60#
Metcon: Attempt to complete 3 rounds, each within 2 minutes, of:
12 box jumps (24 inch)
6 hang power snatch (95#)
12 overhead squats
6 hang power snatch
Rest 2 minutes
1.45, incomplete, incomplete
Notes: Tonight was a positive step in terms of getting things turned around for the next Open workout. I'm still fighting deep soreness in the shoulders, triceps, and posterior chain, but I was able to work through it tonight and, hopefully, but the burpees behind me. Tom and Chris showed their senses of humor by programming burpees into the warm-up. My snatch complex work was slower than I would have liked. I didn't have much pop on the tall snatch and my snatch balance felt more like a "pressing" snatch balance. It was good, however, to drill the movement and stay fresh in case snatch appears in the Open. Chris told me to lower the dumbbells slowly, pause for a two-count on the ground, and then explode upward. Once again, I didn't have much pop on this movement.
The metcon showcased one of my strengths and one of my weaknesses. My box jumps were as crisp as they've ever been and I cruised through each round of 12 quickly and unbroken. Multiple reps of hang power snatch, as usual, was a problem for me. I really focused on resetting the hook grip at the top, but grip was still a major issue on the final 6 reps of each round. Our goal was to move through each round without setting down the barbell. I was able to do so on the first round, but had to bail during the overhead squats on the second round, and before the overhead squats on the third round. I made it through my last 4 snatches on the second round and one snatch on the third. Something about the combination of movements was particularly brutal. Overhead squats felt as though they were ripping my glutes and hamstrings. Great workout!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday 27 Feb 12
Rest day.
I'm officially tied for 859th out of 2,830 competitors in the Mid-Atlantic Region after the first week of the CrossFit Games Open. My worldwide ranking is tied for 11,353th out of 34,564. The top score worldwide was 161 burpees. I'm very happy with my score of 102, but it's interesting to think about the difference a few reps can make. For example, one more rep would have moved me up 64 spots to 792th in the region. Reaching my goal of 105 reps would have moved me up 188 spots to 668th. It's just another reminder of how valuable each and every rep is in CrossFit. By the same token, it's important to move on from this week and not dwell on the past. This week's workout will present it's own set of challenges and I need to prepare my body accordingly.
Unfortunately, my body is wrecked from this weekend. I have deep soreness in my shoulders and triceps from Saturday's burpees, and I'm terribly tight in my lower back and hamstrings from Sunday's deadlifts. I had planned to train tonight, but I need to take a day to recover. This will force me to train a little more volume later in the week rather than a full taper like last week. It almost feels like a football schedule where you destroy your body on gameday and spend the entire week preparing it for the next weekend's game. Such a schedule is unproductive because it doesn't allow you to improve over the course of five weeks. It only allows you to "maintain" your fitness level and spend the majority of time on recovery. This is uncharted territory for me, so I really don't know what to expect over the next few days. My hope is that a good dinner, some foam rolling, and a good night's sleep will leave me feeling strong for Tuesday night's class. I want to get this ship turned around and headed in the right direction before what's sure to be a brutal test in workout 12.2.
I'm officially tied for 859th out of 2,830 competitors in the Mid-Atlantic Region after the first week of the CrossFit Games Open. My worldwide ranking is tied for 11,353th out of 34,564. The top score worldwide was 161 burpees. I'm very happy with my score of 102, but it's interesting to think about the difference a few reps can make. For example, one more rep would have moved me up 64 spots to 792th in the region. Reaching my goal of 105 reps would have moved me up 188 spots to 668th. It's just another reminder of how valuable each and every rep is in CrossFit. By the same token, it's important to move on from this week and not dwell on the past. This week's workout will present it's own set of challenges and I need to prepare my body accordingly.
Unfortunately, my body is wrecked from this weekend. I have deep soreness in my shoulders and triceps from Saturday's burpees, and I'm terribly tight in my lower back and hamstrings from Sunday's deadlifts. I had planned to train tonight, but I need to take a day to recover. This will force me to train a little more volume later in the week rather than a full taper like last week. It almost feels like a football schedule where you destroy your body on gameday and spend the entire week preparing it for the next weekend's game. Such a schedule is unproductive because it doesn't allow you to improve over the course of five weeks. It only allows you to "maintain" your fitness level and spend the majority of time on recovery. This is uncharted territory for me, so I really don't know what to expect over the next few days. My hope is that a good dinner, some foam rolling, and a good night's sleep will leave me feeling strong for Tuesday night's class. I want to get this ship turned around and headed in the right direction before what's sure to be a brutal test in workout 12.2.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday 26 Feb 12
CFDC
Complete 5 rounds of:
5 deadlifts @ 70-75% of 1 RM (275#)
Rest 30 seconds
Max hollow-position hold
Rest 90 seconds
Then, complete 3 rounds of:
Max toes-to-bar
5 Floor touches/leg
10 dolphin push-ups
25 squats
Rest 2 minutes
Notes: Today's session was a a great compliment to yesterday's Open workout. My body was a little trashed from all of the burpees, so it was great to return to emphasizing proper positioning on both the deadlifts and hollow-position holds. I've been using 355# as my 1 RM, but opted to use 275# for this workout, which was slightly above the prescribed 70-75%. I wanted to push myself a little bit. I had some difficulty maintaining back positioning on the deadlifts, and the hollow-position holds were brutal, as always. I need to continue working these and planks. I hit 20 toes-to-bar on my first set, which is a personal record. The dolphin push-ups and squats were a great way to work through some discomfort but not trash the body too badly. I'm glad our intensity was backed-off somewhat today because I wouldn't have been able to kick it up a gear.
Complete 5 rounds of:
5 deadlifts @ 70-75% of 1 RM (275#)
Rest 30 seconds
Max hollow-position hold
Rest 90 seconds
Then, complete 3 rounds of:
Max toes-to-bar
5 Floor touches/leg
10 dolphin push-ups
25 squats
Rest 2 minutes
Notes: Today's session was a a great compliment to yesterday's Open workout. My body was a little trashed from all of the burpees, so it was great to return to emphasizing proper positioning on both the deadlifts and hollow-position holds. I've been using 355# as my 1 RM, but opted to use 275# for this workout, which was slightly above the prescribed 70-75%. I wanted to push myself a little bit. I had some difficulty maintaining back positioning on the deadlifts, and the hollow-position holds were brutal, as always. I need to continue working these and planks. I hit 20 toes-to-bar on my first set, which is a personal record. The dolphin push-ups and squats were a great way to work through some discomfort but not trash the body too badly. I'm glad our intensity was backed-off somewhat today because I wouldn't have been able to kick it up a gear.
Saturday 25 Feb 12
CrossFit Games Open Workout 12.1
Complete AMRAP in 7 minutes of:
Burpees
This workout begins from a standing position. The athlete will move from flat on the ground to touching an object with both hands that is 6 inches above his max reach. Score is total reps completed.
Score: 102
Notes: Where do I even begin with this one? I'm so proud of myself for pushing my body past its perceived limit. I had played around with pacing schemes throughout the week. But, when it came time for the workout, I just decided to go out strong and just continue to grind. I was fortunate to be paired with Mark, who was ahead of me the entire time by a few reps. I was able to just focus on keeping up with him rather than trying to push myself, which really helped. Tom got in my face with about two minutes remaining and really helped me take it to a place I've never been. We've been talking about finding the "red line" over the past few weeks, and I'm pretty sure I found it during this workout. It's amazing to find out what your body can truly do if you commit to pushing the entire time and not giving up. I finished the day with the fifth highest score for men at CFDC. Dan scored 120, Chris 108, Peter 106, and Mark 104. I would have loved to crack the top three, but I have absolutely no regrets and don't feel as though I left any reps out there. I feel as though I reached my absolute potential on this workout and I'm proud of that. Looks as though I'm going to wind up around the top quarter in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Time to start preparing the body for next week!
Complete AMRAP in 7 minutes of:
Burpees
This workout begins from a standing position. The athlete will move from flat on the ground to touching an object with both hands that is 6 inches above his max reach. Score is total reps completed.
Score: 102
Notes: Where do I even begin with this one? I'm so proud of myself for pushing my body past its perceived limit. I had played around with pacing schemes throughout the week. But, when it came time for the workout, I just decided to go out strong and just continue to grind. I was fortunate to be paired with Mark, who was ahead of me the entire time by a few reps. I was able to just focus on keeping up with him rather than trying to push myself, which really helped. Tom got in my face with about two minutes remaining and really helped me take it to a place I've never been. We've been talking about finding the "red line" over the past few weeks, and I'm pretty sure I found it during this workout. It's amazing to find out what your body can truly do if you commit to pushing the entire time and not giving up. I finished the day with the fifth highest score for men at CFDC. Dan scored 120, Chris 108, Peter 106, and Mark 104. I would have loved to crack the top three, but I have absolutely no regrets and don't feel as though I left any reps out there. I feel as though I reached my absolute potential on this workout and I'm proud of that. Looks as though I'm going to wind up around the top quarter in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Time to start preparing the body for next week!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday 23 Feb 12
CFDC
Pin squats 6 x 2 @ 165# (rest exactly two minutes between sets)
Then, complete three rounds of:
Max hollow position hold
Rest 90 seconds
Max glute-ham hold
Rest 90 seconds
Weighted chin-ups 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2
Unweighted, 10#, 20#, 45#, 45#, 45#
Metcon: Complete the following:
Row 500 meters
Block run (~800 meters)
5.09
Notes: I did the best I could tonight, but my mind is already focused on Saturday's Open workout 12.1. It was difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. I really struggled with pin squats. We set the bar on the rack just above parallel. Then, you tighten up under the bar and explode upward. You then squat the bar back down, relax, re-tighten, and explode upward. My goal was to work up to 205#, but I couldn't get the bar to move at anything above 165#. My glutes/hamstrings refused to activate and I was left searching for my quads. I also struggled with mobility, which was a bit frustrating. Definitely need to continue working the posterior chain. The accessory work with hollow position and glute-ham holds will be important for me moving forward. I can already feel an improvement in my hollow position hold. I was pleased with my ability to handle 45# for sets of two on weighted chins. Pretty sure that's a personal record.
The metcon was a real surprise. I decided to go all-out on the 500 meter row and, incredibly, I set a personal record by 4 seconds! I rowed it in 1.33.6. I feel like I saved a little bit, too, because I was able to get off the rower and immediately complete the block run. I think sub-1.30 is within my grasp.
I finally have some ease of mind because I've settled on a strategy for burpees. The strategy: go out hard and hold on for dear life. We'll see where it takes me -- hopefully somewhere north of 100 reps.
Pin squats 6 x 2 @ 165# (rest exactly two minutes between sets)
Then, complete three rounds of:
Max hollow position hold
Rest 90 seconds
Max glute-ham hold
Rest 90 seconds
Weighted chin-ups 5, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2
Unweighted, 10#, 20#, 45#, 45#, 45#
Metcon: Complete the following:
Row 500 meters
Block run (~800 meters)
5.09
Notes: I did the best I could tonight, but my mind is already focused on Saturday's Open workout 12.1. It was difficult to stay focused on the task at hand. I really struggled with pin squats. We set the bar on the rack just above parallel. Then, you tighten up under the bar and explode upward. You then squat the bar back down, relax, re-tighten, and explode upward. My goal was to work up to 205#, but I couldn't get the bar to move at anything above 165#. My glutes/hamstrings refused to activate and I was left searching for my quads. I also struggled with mobility, which was a bit frustrating. Definitely need to continue working the posterior chain. The accessory work with hollow position and glute-ham holds will be important for me moving forward. I can already feel an improvement in my hollow position hold. I was pleased with my ability to handle 45# for sets of two on weighted chins. Pretty sure that's a personal record.
The metcon was a real surprise. I decided to go all-out on the 500 meter row and, incredibly, I set a personal record by 4 seconds! I rowed it in 1.33.6. I feel like I saved a little bit, too, because I was able to get off the rower and immediately complete the block run. I think sub-1.30 is within my grasp.
I finally have some ease of mind because I've settled on a strategy for burpees. The strategy: go out hard and hold on for dear life. We'll see where it takes me -- hopefully somewhere north of 100 reps.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday 22 Feb 12
Rest day.
The Open is finally here. The first workout, 12.1, was published last night, and it's AMRAP in 7 minutes of burpees. That's about as straight forward as it gets. The only nuance is the fact that you have to touch a target six inches about your reach on each rep. I really liked that standard because it forces everyone to fully extend the hips at the top of the movement. That standard will definitely impact quite a few folks at CFDC who tend to cut the reps short at the top. The standard at the bottom of the movement is chest and hips to the ground. I'm surprised that CrossFit didn't require hand-release at the bottom, but this is a good standard. I'm curious to see how it's enforced on the folks at our gym. I have a tendency sometimes to touch my upper stomach instead of my chest to the ground, so I need to watch out for that. Right now, I'm thinking about pacing myself at 5 burpees every 15 seconds for as long as I can. Then, once I fall off that pace, I'll drop it down to 4 per 15 seconds, and down to 3 if necessary. The last minute can be an all-out sprint to the finish. I'm going to try a minute at that pace this afternoon and just see what it does to me. Mary Catherine is going tonight, and it will be fun to watch her!
The Open is finally here. The first workout, 12.1, was published last night, and it's AMRAP in 7 minutes of burpees. That's about as straight forward as it gets. The only nuance is the fact that you have to touch a target six inches about your reach on each rep. I really liked that standard because it forces everyone to fully extend the hips at the top of the movement. That standard will definitely impact quite a few folks at CFDC who tend to cut the reps short at the top. The standard at the bottom of the movement is chest and hips to the ground. I'm surprised that CrossFit didn't require hand-release at the bottom, but this is a good standard. I'm curious to see how it's enforced on the folks at our gym. I have a tendency sometimes to touch my upper stomach instead of my chest to the ground, so I need to watch out for that. Right now, I'm thinking about pacing myself at 5 burpees every 15 seconds for as long as I can. Then, once I fall off that pace, I'll drop it down to 4 per 15 seconds, and down to 3 if necessary. The last minute can be an all-out sprint to the finish. I'm going to try a minute at that pace this afternoon and just see what it does to me. Mary Catherine is going tonight, and it will be fun to watch her!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday 21 Feb 12
CFDC
Metcon: "Death by Suicide"
1 suicide equals midline of the court to sideline and back
Add an additional suicide to each minute until caught
Score: just shy of 13
Post-metcon: TGUs 2 x 3/arm @ 16kg
Notes: Tonight's class left something to be desired. Sure, I got a great workout in by busting my butt on the suicides, but I feel like that should be a finisher, not the main course. Anyways, I'm trying my best to trust the programming and hope that it's best to taper somewhat in the ramp-up to the first Open workout on Saturday. I had seen Mark and Scott each make it to 13 in the earlier class, so my goal was to get 14. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite finish 13, so I wasn't able to continue on. I was actually feeling cold and wobbly after the suicides. This type of training is grossly underutilized in the CrossFit community. I think you get more out of one suicide run at full speed than you do out of a slow, 5K jog. Anyways, I should definitely consider adding more of these to the ends of my workouts. I went through the motions on the TGUs because I was not feeling well.
I was really feeling down after this session. With the Open looming, I really want every session to be a step in the right direction. It's difficult to see how this session puts me in a better position for the Open, but maybe it will. I couldn't sleep at night because I was so anxious to see the first Open workout. There are no movements I'm particularly scared of, but I just want something to show up where I can really show what I can do.
Metcon: "Death by Suicide"
1 suicide equals midline of the court to sideline and back
Add an additional suicide to each minute until caught
Score: just shy of 13
Post-metcon: TGUs 2 x 3/arm @ 16kg
Notes: Tonight's class left something to be desired. Sure, I got a great workout in by busting my butt on the suicides, but I feel like that should be a finisher, not the main course. Anyways, I'm trying my best to trust the programming and hope that it's best to taper somewhat in the ramp-up to the first Open workout on Saturday. I had seen Mark and Scott each make it to 13 in the earlier class, so my goal was to get 14. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite finish 13, so I wasn't able to continue on. I was actually feeling cold and wobbly after the suicides. This type of training is grossly underutilized in the CrossFit community. I think you get more out of one suicide run at full speed than you do out of a slow, 5K jog. Anyways, I should definitely consider adding more of these to the ends of my workouts. I went through the motions on the TGUs because I was not feeling well.
I was really feeling down after this session. With the Open looming, I really want every session to be a step in the right direction. It's difficult to see how this session puts me in a better position for the Open, but maybe it will. I couldn't sleep at night because I was so anxious to see the first Open workout. There are no movements I'm particularly scared of, but I just want something to show up where I can really show what I can do.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monday 20 Feb 12
Balance Gym
CFWU (subbed 15 second hollow-position hold for GHD sit-ups)
False-grip ring pull-ups 4 x 5 (perform 3 GHRs between each set)
Metcon: Every minute on the minute, perform:
10 ball slams (40#)
Score: 10 minutes (time cap)
Notes: This turned out to be a great session. I subbed hollow-position holds for GHD sit-up on the warm-up because my hollow position is major weakness. At this point, I feel much better served with hollow-position holds, hollow rocks, and plank holds, than by sit-ups. I need to hone in on the deeper core strength in order to improve my gymnastics and power movements. I find that sit-ups have very little translation to anything else. I also did chest-to-bar pull-ups in the warm-up because I was so off rhythm on them yesterday. These have always been, and must continue to be, my biggest strength. Key for me is remembering to keep the legs straight and to generate the additional power from the hips, not from a bigger horizontal swing.
Ring pull-ups were an interesting addition to the programming. Maintaining the false-grip was challenging, but I think I did a pretty good job. Chris had prescribed weighted ring pull-ups, but he also wanted me to pull the rings all the way to my chest. I was barely able to do this unweighted, so I opted not to add weight. GHRs were also a great addition. I'm glad Chris limited these to three reps per set, but they are something I want to incorporate more often. I set the machine at 10 to ensure that my knees reaching the flat pad. Lastly, the metcon was killer. Each round took me about 30 seconds, but each round was brutal, particularly after about half-way mark. My heart rate was through the roof, but I really wanted to reach the time cap. I did so, and am glad I gutted through the workout. Most difficult part for me was getting the ball back overhead. I was more like a clean and press/ball slam than just a ball slam. 40# can get really heavy. I had planed a 2K row, but that wasn't happening after this beatdown. I rowed 500 meters without my feet in the straps just to focus on form and as a cool-down.
CFWU (subbed 15 second hollow-position hold for GHD sit-ups)
False-grip ring pull-ups 4 x 5 (perform 3 GHRs between each set)
Metcon: Every minute on the minute, perform:
10 ball slams (40#)
Score: 10 minutes (time cap)
Notes: This turned out to be a great session. I subbed hollow-position holds for GHD sit-up on the warm-up because my hollow position is major weakness. At this point, I feel much better served with hollow-position holds, hollow rocks, and plank holds, than by sit-ups. I need to hone in on the deeper core strength in order to improve my gymnastics and power movements. I find that sit-ups have very little translation to anything else. I also did chest-to-bar pull-ups in the warm-up because I was so off rhythm on them yesterday. These have always been, and must continue to be, my biggest strength. Key for me is remembering to keep the legs straight and to generate the additional power from the hips, not from a bigger horizontal swing.
Ring pull-ups were an interesting addition to the programming. Maintaining the false-grip was challenging, but I think I did a pretty good job. Chris had prescribed weighted ring pull-ups, but he also wanted me to pull the rings all the way to my chest. I was barely able to do this unweighted, so I opted not to add weight. GHRs were also a great addition. I'm glad Chris limited these to three reps per set, but they are something I want to incorporate more often. I set the machine at 10 to ensure that my knees reaching the flat pad. Lastly, the metcon was killer. Each round took me about 30 seconds, but each round was brutal, particularly after about half-way mark. My heart rate was through the roof, but I really wanted to reach the time cap. I did so, and am glad I gutted through the workout. Most difficult part for me was getting the ball back overhead. I was more like a clean and press/ball slam than just a ball slam. 40# can get really heavy. I had planed a 2K row, but that wasn't happening after this beatdown. I rowed 500 meters without my feet in the straps just to focus on form and as a cool-down.
Sunday 19 Feb 12
CFDC
Clean 1 RM
Attempt 1: 85kg(f)
Attempt 2: 85kg
Attempt 3: 90kg(pr)
Metcon: 3 rounds of:
15 burpees
15 hollow rocks
4.45
Post metcon: Without dropping from the bar, complete:
5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
10 toes-to-bar
5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
Then, max ring dips
Notes: Yes! What a day! My hard work on learning the correct movement patterns on Olympic lifts is paying off. Technically, my clean personal record is 95kg, set at the Baltimore Open last year; however, it was such an ugly sumo-power clean that I don't like to count it. Plus, it was leading me down the wrong path. I finally realized that I'll never be able to move big weights without getting under the bar. Today was the first time I've ever gotten fully under more than 80kg. My failed my first attempt because I bumped weight out too far. I had it sitting on my shoulders in the bottom, but I lost it forward. My second attempt was much better. I didn't quite catch it all the way in the bottom, but I rode it down and stood up with it without much of a problem. Everything seemed to come together on my third attempt. The entire class was watching me and I got major extension on the bar by fully opening my hips. Then, I caught it all the way in the bottom, paused for a second, and then stood up with it. The front squat portion was difficult, but it was a great lift. I was so charged up with energy that I was running around screaming. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Sunday morning.
I had zero energy remaining, but we worked through a quick metcon. I really struggled with hollow rocks, so I intend to start doing more hollow-position work. Also, I was out of rhythm on chest-to-bar pull-ups, which really pissed me off. I was getting huge height, but was then swinging all over the place. I need to get that movement honed in before the Open.
Clean 1 RM
Attempt 1: 85kg(f)
Attempt 2: 85kg
Attempt 3: 90kg(pr)
Metcon: 3 rounds of:
15 burpees
15 hollow rocks
4.45
Post metcon: Without dropping from the bar, complete:
5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
10 toes-to-bar
5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
Then, max ring dips
Notes: Yes! What a day! My hard work on learning the correct movement patterns on Olympic lifts is paying off. Technically, my clean personal record is 95kg, set at the Baltimore Open last year; however, it was such an ugly sumo-power clean that I don't like to count it. Plus, it was leading me down the wrong path. I finally realized that I'll never be able to move big weights without getting under the bar. Today was the first time I've ever gotten fully under more than 80kg. My failed my first attempt because I bumped weight out too far. I had it sitting on my shoulders in the bottom, but I lost it forward. My second attempt was much better. I didn't quite catch it all the way in the bottom, but I rode it down and stood up with it without much of a problem. Everything seemed to come together on my third attempt. The entire class was watching me and I got major extension on the bar by fully opening my hips. Then, I caught it all the way in the bottom, paused for a second, and then stood up with it. The front squat portion was difficult, but it was a great lift. I was so charged up with energy that I was running around screaming. I can't imagine a better way to spend a Sunday morning.
I had zero energy remaining, but we worked through a quick metcon. I really struggled with hollow rocks, so I intend to start doing more hollow-position work. Also, I was out of rhythm on chest-to-bar pull-ups, which really pissed me off. I was getting huge height, but was then swinging all over the place. I need to get that movement honed in before the Open.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday 18 Feb 12
Balance Gym
CFWU (subbed push-ups for dips)
Rack delivery 6 x 3 (bar only)
1 snatch balance/3 overhead squats 5 x 1
35kg, 40kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg
Dips 5 x 5 @ 25#
Rowing intervals: Complete the following:
Row 1K (3.37.7)
Rest 3 minutes
Row 750 meters (2.43.7)
Rest 2 minutes
Row 500 meters (1.48.5)
Rest 1 minute
Row 250 meters (0.52.8)
Notes: Intensity level was very light today, but I got in some great work. CFWU continues to be helping with my overall volume. I performed 15 reps of each movement today for the first time. Rack delivery is a drill for improving the turnover in the rack position for the clean. It doesn't feel like much, but I it helps to reinforce good mechanics on heavier cleans. I took huge strides today on snatch balance. For the first time, I was really driving under the bar catching in a full squat position. My feet were landing in the proper position and I didn't have to move them at all before performing the overhead squats. I feel primed to start really moving up the ladder on snatch weight. I was excited to see weighted dips programmed. I haven't done them in a long time, so I played it conservative and used only a 25# plate. Each set was difficult, but I think these will have carryover to my unweighted dips and other pressing movements. Threw in a few intervals on the rowing machine to stay fresh. Plan is test a 2K row on Monday morning. I've upped the stroke rate to approximately 25 strokes/minute and it is really paying dividends. I'm still getting strong pulls, but I'm taking advantage of my conditioning level a little bit more now. Each interval is a little more taxing, but my times are improving dramatically.
CFWU (subbed push-ups for dips)
Rack delivery 6 x 3 (bar only)
1 snatch balance/3 overhead squats 5 x 1
35kg, 40kg, 45kg, 50kg, 55kg
Dips 5 x 5 @ 25#
Rowing intervals: Complete the following:
Row 1K (3.37.7)
Rest 3 minutes
Row 750 meters (2.43.7)
Rest 2 minutes
Row 500 meters (1.48.5)
Rest 1 minute
Row 250 meters (0.52.8)
Notes: Intensity level was very light today, but I got in some great work. CFWU continues to be helping with my overall volume. I performed 15 reps of each movement today for the first time. Rack delivery is a drill for improving the turnover in the rack position for the clean. It doesn't feel like much, but I it helps to reinforce good mechanics on heavier cleans. I took huge strides today on snatch balance. For the first time, I was really driving under the bar catching in a full squat position. My feet were landing in the proper position and I didn't have to move them at all before performing the overhead squats. I feel primed to start really moving up the ladder on snatch weight. I was excited to see weighted dips programmed. I haven't done them in a long time, so I played it conservative and used only a 25# plate. Each set was difficult, but I think these will have carryover to my unweighted dips and other pressing movements. Threw in a few intervals on the rowing machine to stay fresh. Plan is test a 2K row on Monday morning. I've upped the stroke rate to approximately 25 strokes/minute and it is really paying dividends. I'm still getting strong pulls, but I'm taking advantage of my conditioning level a little bit more now. Each interval is a little more taxing, but my times are improving dramatically.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday 16 Feb 12
CFDC
CFWU
Clean pulls 5 x 5 @ 80kg
Metcon: As a team of 2, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Push press (115#)
Shuttle run
50 (me) + 56 (Mark) = 106
Then, as a team of 2, each partner completes 3 rounds of:
12 burpees (hand-release)
24 Ab-mat sit-ups
50 foot bear crawl
8.48
Notes: Huge volume tonight. I wasn't expecting any additional work because of the two metcons, but Chris had me work heavy clean pulls before class. Insructions were to use 90% of 1 RM, but I don't really have a true 1 RM right now on the clean. My max of 95kg was a sumo, power clean last year at the Baltimore Open. The most I've even squat cleaned is 80kg. So, I worked up to 80kg and it was very taxing. I decided to keep the weight there and focus on getting a huge pull with the shoulders. Each set was extremely taxing. Class was awesome because we revisited the two workouts from last month's Smackdown. I knew my numbers from the push press/shuttle run workout were 25/15/8, so my goal was to beat those numbers each round. Tonight, I managed 26/15/9, which is a nice improvement considering my legs were gassed from the clean pulls and my shoulders are still banged up from Tuesday. The burpee/sit-up/bear crawl workout was really difficult. My arms were shot from the push presses, so it was really difficult to get pop out of the bottom of the burpee. I even reached failure in my abs during the last round of sit-ups. Everyone was making fun of my bear crawls because they looked so funny. It turned out to be a great workout and I've definitely earned a rest day on Friday.
Plan is to work speed/accessory lifts on Saturday. I guess we're gearing up for a substantial beatdown on Sunday, and then it will probably be a lighter rest of the week leading up to the first Open event next Saturday. I'm getting really excited.
CFWU
Clean pulls 5 x 5 @ 80kg
Metcon: As a team of 2, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Push press (115#)
Shuttle run
50 (me) + 56 (Mark) = 106
Then, as a team of 2, each partner completes 3 rounds of:
12 burpees (hand-release)
24 Ab-mat sit-ups
50 foot bear crawl
8.48
Notes: Huge volume tonight. I wasn't expecting any additional work because of the two metcons, but Chris had me work heavy clean pulls before class. Insructions were to use 90% of 1 RM, but I don't really have a true 1 RM right now on the clean. My max of 95kg was a sumo, power clean last year at the Baltimore Open. The most I've even squat cleaned is 80kg. So, I worked up to 80kg and it was very taxing. I decided to keep the weight there and focus on getting a huge pull with the shoulders. Each set was extremely taxing. Class was awesome because we revisited the two workouts from last month's Smackdown. I knew my numbers from the push press/shuttle run workout were 25/15/8, so my goal was to beat those numbers each round. Tonight, I managed 26/15/9, which is a nice improvement considering my legs were gassed from the clean pulls and my shoulders are still banged up from Tuesday. The burpee/sit-up/bear crawl workout was really difficult. My arms were shot from the push presses, so it was really difficult to get pop out of the bottom of the burpee. I even reached failure in my abs during the last round of sit-ups. Everyone was making fun of my bear crawls because they looked so funny. It turned out to be a great workout and I've definitely earned a rest day on Friday.
Plan is to work speed/accessory lifts on Saturday. I guess we're gearing up for a substantial beatdown on Sunday, and then it will probably be a lighter rest of the week leading up to the first Open event next Saturday. I'm getting really excited.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday 15 Feb 12
Balance Gym
CFWU
Buy-in: 30 pistols (not for time)
Weighted step-ups 4 x 10 @ 135# (perform 15 knees-to-elbows immediately after each set; rest exactly 2 minutes before next set up step-ups)
Cash-out: 25 push-ups
Notes: Fairly light volume this evening, but it was a good session nonetheless. Started with CFWU to continue increasing volume on pull-ups, dips, and the GHD. Starting to better understand proper form for back extensions, but need to record next time to make sure. Dips felt solid, even after all the pressing on Tuesday, which is a good sign. Pistols continue to be a problem on my right leg. I've injured my right three times in my life playing basketball, and it is far less mobile than my left ankle. I banged out reps on my left leg, but failed most of the reps on my right. I did a few assisted reps with a band afterward to prevent a strength imbalance. Need to dedicate additional time to mobilizing the right ankle. Weighted step-ups were a nice addition to the programming. Instructions were to use 40-50% of 1 RM back squat. I estimated my 1 RM back squat to be approximately 270# based on my 245# 2 RM on box squats last Sunday. Therefore, I used 135# for working sets on the weighted step-ups. I found it difficult not to cheat on these by using momentum and the "off" leg, but I still got in some good work. I think I prefer lunges over step-ups, but they're both good to have in the bag. Knees-to-elbows are improving, but I still feel as though I'm coming up just shy of touching my elbows. I think toes-to-bar are a more likely movement in the Open due to the easier judging standard.
Looking foward to some heavy clean pulls on Thursday and a repeat of two events from the Smackdown. The burpee/sit-ups/bear crawl should be particularly challenging.
CFWU
Buy-in: 30 pistols (not for time)
Weighted step-ups 4 x 10 @ 135# (perform 15 knees-to-elbows immediately after each set; rest exactly 2 minutes before next set up step-ups)
Cash-out: 25 push-ups
Notes: Fairly light volume this evening, but it was a good session nonetheless. Started with CFWU to continue increasing volume on pull-ups, dips, and the GHD. Starting to better understand proper form for back extensions, but need to record next time to make sure. Dips felt solid, even after all the pressing on Tuesday, which is a good sign. Pistols continue to be a problem on my right leg. I've injured my right three times in my life playing basketball, and it is far less mobile than my left ankle. I banged out reps on my left leg, but failed most of the reps on my right. I did a few assisted reps with a band afterward to prevent a strength imbalance. Need to dedicate additional time to mobilizing the right ankle. Weighted step-ups were a nice addition to the programming. Instructions were to use 40-50% of 1 RM back squat. I estimated my 1 RM back squat to be approximately 270# based on my 245# 2 RM on box squats last Sunday. Therefore, I used 135# for working sets on the weighted step-ups. I found it difficult not to cheat on these by using momentum and the "off" leg, but I still got in some good work. I think I prefer lunges over step-ups, but they're both good to have in the bag. Knees-to-elbows are improving, but I still feel as though I'm coming up just shy of touching my elbows. I think toes-to-bar are a more likely movement in the Open due to the easier judging standard.
Looking foward to some heavy clean pulls on Thursday and a repeat of two events from the Smackdown. The burpee/sit-ups/bear crawl should be particularly challenging.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday 14 Feb 12
CFDC
Press 6 x 3 (perform 5 chin-ups immediately after each set; rest exactly two minutes between sets)
115, 125, 130, 135, 140(f), 135
Then, perform one burn-out set at 115#, moving to push press once press fails, and moving to push jerk once push press fails
14 total reps
Metcon: 30 seconds on/30 seconds off for:
6 minutes of box jumps (24 inch)
Rest 4 minutes
6 minutes of kettlebell swings (24kg)
Rest 2 minutes
6 minutes of double-unders
Notes: It's exciting to be seeing such great progress on my pressing movements. 135# is the most I've ever pressed and, today, I used it for sets of three! I moved up to 140# and managed two reps, but couldn't quite lock out the third. I think my extra dips and push-ups are paying dividends. I probably should have gone a little lighter on the burn-out set. I did about 8 reps of strict press, but my arms hit absolute failure. I thought I could've pumped out a bunch of push presses, but it just wasn't there. Also, my chin-ups were smoother than they've ever been tonight.
The metcon was a great opportunity to test some skills in an intense environment. I was working box jumps as a skill for quite some time, but have stopped as of late. I was pretty happy with my ability to cycle them tonight, but my added weight certainly isn't doing my any favors on that movement. I should probably be working box jumps once per week, but it seems as though it's more like every other week right now. Same with kettlebell swings. I can't remember that last time I performed swings. Interestingly, I felt more powerful than ever on them. Tom and Chris were yelling at me, as always, to not overextend my lower back at top. Despite that, I was really using my hips well to generate power. Double-unders were fine, but forearms were really burning after all the swings.
Tonight was a good reminder that, in CrossFit, it's difficult to stay sharp on every movement at once. My press is improving rapidly, but it has come at the expense of not practicing as many box jumps and kettlebell swings. Rather than working those two movements, I've been adding more push-ups, handstand push-ups, and dips, to my programming. But, all in all, I feel as though my overall fitness level is improving. My added strength really helped on the swings. I'm looking forward to keeping things moving in the right direction.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Monday 13 Feb 12
Rest day.
We're now only one week out from release of the first Open workout. My focus over the next week will be on continuing to hammer away at my metabolic threshold. That includes both pushing past the comfort zone on metcons and improving limiting factors (i.e., pressing endurance and leg strength). I've been trying to increase my volume on the pull-up bar in terms of pull-ups, knees-to-elbows, and toes-to-bar, as I want to be able to hammer these movements during the Open. I've also been emphasizing pressing endurance by including dips in my warm-ups and by performing extra push-ups at every opportunity. I should probably spend some time on the rings this week. My muscle-ups are decent, but could surely use some extra work. There's not much I can do at this point about ring dips and handstand push-ups other than continue to hammer away at my dips and push-ups. I can throw in some extra skill work, but I can't worry about it too much.
I'm pleased with how my deadlift and squatting have progressed. I'm front squatting more weight than ever and feel confident handling anything under 275# for reps on deadlift. I believe that some continued work on the GHD will help with both of these movements. Heavy weights will always be a weakness of mine, but I feel as though I've gotten over some major mental hurdles and feel more confident than ever lifting big weights.
One thing I haven't considered much is scheduling with respect to the Open workouts. I'm not sure how much rest I want to take beforehand and when they'll fall into the weekly schedule. I definitely want a full rest day before the workout, but I'm not sure about two rest days. Maybe a lighter volume day followed by a rest day would be best. I'll know more in a few days.
We're now only one week out from release of the first Open workout. My focus over the next week will be on continuing to hammer away at my metabolic threshold. That includes both pushing past the comfort zone on metcons and improving limiting factors (i.e., pressing endurance and leg strength). I've been trying to increase my volume on the pull-up bar in terms of pull-ups, knees-to-elbows, and toes-to-bar, as I want to be able to hammer these movements during the Open. I've also been emphasizing pressing endurance by including dips in my warm-ups and by performing extra push-ups at every opportunity. I should probably spend some time on the rings this week. My muscle-ups are decent, but could surely use some extra work. There's not much I can do at this point about ring dips and handstand push-ups other than continue to hammer away at my dips and push-ups. I can throw in some extra skill work, but I can't worry about it too much.
I'm pleased with how my deadlift and squatting have progressed. I'm front squatting more weight than ever and feel confident handling anything under 275# for reps on deadlift. I believe that some continued work on the GHD will help with both of these movements. Heavy weights will always be a weakness of mine, but I feel as though I've gotten over some major mental hurdles and feel more confident than ever lifting big weights.
One thing I haven't considered much is scheduling with respect to the Open workouts. I'm not sure how much rest I want to take beforehand and when they'll fall into the weekly schedule. I definitely want a full rest day before the workout, but I'm not sure about two rest days. Maybe a lighter volume day followed by a rest day would be best. I'll know more in a few days.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Sunday 12 Feb 12
CFDC
Box squats 2 RM (245#)
Then, 3 x 3 @ 185#
Metcon: 2 minutes at each station with 30 second transition:
Dumbbell power cleans (35#)
Ab-mat sit-ups
Side-to-sides over the box
Dumbbell push press (40#)
Row
32 + 58 + 118 + 35 + 529 meters
Threshold training: Maintain sub-1.45 pace on rowing machine for as long as possible. As soon as you fall off the pace, get off the rower and immediately begin performing 4 burpees every 15 seconds. As soon as you fall of the pace, begin performing 10 jump squats every 20 seconds until failure.
Notes: Solid finish to a great week of training. Really struggled to generate power from the bottom of the box squat. I've been doing so many front squats and so much Olympic weightlifting lately and haven't done much direct posterior chain work. Consequently, my glutes/hamstrings aren't used to firing to generate speed/power. Instead, I rose slowly off the box and, once my quads kicked in, generated some explosiveness at the top. After a successful set at 245#, I decided to perform a few back-off sets at 185# to practice exploding out of the hole. I was pretty happy with the metcon. I knew that we had "threshold" training afterward, so I just focused on continuous movement. I went unbroken on the side-to-sides over the box and felt particularly strong on the dumbbell push press.
The threshold training was awesome, but I feel as though I continue to fall just short of reaching my threshold. Tom took my 500 meter personal record on rowing machine (1.37) and added a few seconds to it. He then told me to maintain 1.45 pace for as long as possible. If you fell off the pace, quickly try to get back on it. If you fell off it again, then you were done. We then hopped off the rowing machine and immediately began performing burpees. I made it through quite a few cycles, but eventually fell of the pace and performed a few cycles of jump squats. I know deep-down that I had a pull more pulls left in me on the rowing machine and at least one more cycle of burpees in me. Despite that, it was a great workout and I feel as though I'm learning how to push harder. I feel as though I'm in a great place heading into the Open. This was my sixth straight day of training. I'm looking forward to rest day on Monday.
Box squats 2 RM (245#)
Then, 3 x 3 @ 185#
Metcon: 2 minutes at each station with 30 second transition:
Dumbbell power cleans (35#)
Ab-mat sit-ups
Side-to-sides over the box
Dumbbell push press (40#)
Row
32 + 58 + 118 + 35 + 529 meters
Threshold training: Maintain sub-1.45 pace on rowing machine for as long as possible. As soon as you fall off the pace, get off the rower and immediately begin performing 4 burpees every 15 seconds. As soon as you fall of the pace, begin performing 10 jump squats every 20 seconds until failure.
Notes: Solid finish to a great week of training. Really struggled to generate power from the bottom of the box squat. I've been doing so many front squats and so much Olympic weightlifting lately and haven't done much direct posterior chain work. Consequently, my glutes/hamstrings aren't used to firing to generate speed/power. Instead, I rose slowly off the box and, once my quads kicked in, generated some explosiveness at the top. After a successful set at 245#, I decided to perform a few back-off sets at 185# to practice exploding out of the hole. I was pretty happy with the metcon. I knew that we had "threshold" training afterward, so I just focused on continuous movement. I went unbroken on the side-to-sides over the box and felt particularly strong on the dumbbell push press.
The threshold training was awesome, but I feel as though I continue to fall just short of reaching my threshold. Tom took my 500 meter personal record on rowing machine (1.37) and added a few seconds to it. He then told me to maintain 1.45 pace for as long as possible. If you fell off the pace, quickly try to get back on it. If you fell off it again, then you were done. We then hopped off the rowing machine and immediately began performing burpees. I made it through quite a few cycles, but eventually fell of the pace and performed a few cycles of jump squats. I know deep-down that I had a pull more pulls left in me on the rowing machine and at least one more cycle of burpees in me. Despite that, it was a great workout and I feel as though I'm learning how to push harder. I feel as though I'm in a great place heading into the Open. This was my sixth straight day of training. I'm looking forward to rest day on Monday.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Saturday 11 Feb 12
Balance Gym
Snatch 7 x 1
55kg, 60kg, 60kg, 62.5kg, 65kg, 67.5kg(f), 67.5(pr)
Snatch pulls 3 x 2 @ 72.5kg
Metcon: AMRAP in 3 minutes of:
3 power cleans (135#)
6 push-ups
9 squats
5 rounds plus 3 power cleans and 1 push-up
Then, attempt to complete the following in 3 minutes:
Row 20 calories
30 wallball shots
20 toes-to-bar
Completed 15 toes-to-bar
Then, complete the following for 3 minutes:
20 toes-to-bar
burpees
28 burpees
Notes: Monster session today! Most importantly, I set a personal record on snatch. I was successful on my second attempt at 67.5kg (~150#). I've never attempted that much, but I felt strong today. As can be seen in the video, I still have a lot of room to get under the bar. I was getting under the bar better on my lighter attempts; however, I still have to get over the mental hurdle of catching the heavy weight in the hole. I then took some heavy pulls to improve my first and second pulls. One of my biggest issues on snatch is taking the weight off the floor. I used my straps for the first time and really liked using them.
The three metcons were great. I worked with Ben Brown and we alternated to give each other rest after each three minute segment. My goal was to design three metcons that would test my threshold. There would be no resting at all. I moved rapidly throughout the first one, and even felt strong on push-ups. Quads were on fire, but I felt as though I had good wind. Probably should have gotten all 20 toes-to-bar on the second segment, but I couldn't stay on the bar. I was happy that I rowed hard and was able to bang out all 30 wallball shots unbroken. The third segment was just a grinder. I wanted to get more exposure to toes-to-bar, as I believe they are likely to appear during the Open. I took me about a minute to get through them, and then I managed 28 burpees. I continue to push my threshold; however, if I'm honest with myself, I know that there's more effort there to give. I need to learn to push myself to the point of complete muscle and body failure.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Friday 10 Feb 12
Balance Gym
CFWU: Complete 3 rounds, not for time, of:
Couch stretch
10 overhead squats (PVC)
10 pull-ups
10 dips
10 GHD back extensions
10 GHD sit-ups
Row 7 x 750 meters (rest 2 minutes between intervals)
1. 2.48.1 (22) (2.48.2)
2. 2.49.6 (21) (2.48.0)
3. 2.48.7 (21) (2.50.0)
4. 2.51.8 (20) (2.51.6)
5. 2.52.8 (19) (2.54.9)
6. 2.49.1 (22) (2.54.7)
7. 2.48.4 (24) (2.52.3)
Post-workout: 25 push-ups
Notes: I was better today on 5 of the 7 intervals than compared to this same workout 9 Jan 12. Overall, my performance was much better, particularly in the later intervals. I really started to find my rhythm on the last two intervals by increasing the stroke right slightly. I found that working in the 22-24 domain is a much better fit for me. I've been trying to emphasize strong pulls over stroke rate. However, I think its now time to bump up the stroke rate slightly. Drag factor was 131 (7) and feet were at 3.
I also made the decision to perform the CFWU before the workout in an effort to increase exposure to some movements, particularly dips and GHD work. My hope is that, by including these movements in my warm-up, I'll begin to slowly improve as the volume increases. I also threw in a set of push-ups at the end for good measure.
CFWU: Complete 3 rounds, not for time, of:
Couch stretch
10 overhead squats (PVC)
10 pull-ups
10 dips
10 GHD back extensions
10 GHD sit-ups
Row 7 x 750 meters (rest 2 minutes between intervals)
1. 2.48.1 (22) (2.48.2)
2. 2.49.6 (21) (2.48.0)
3. 2.48.7 (21) (2.50.0)
4. 2.51.8 (20) (2.51.6)
5. 2.52.8 (19) (2.54.9)
6. 2.49.1 (22) (2.54.7)
7. 2.48.4 (24) (2.52.3)
Post-workout: 25 push-ups
Notes: I was better today on 5 of the 7 intervals than compared to this same workout 9 Jan 12. Overall, my performance was much better, particularly in the later intervals. I really started to find my rhythm on the last two intervals by increasing the stroke right slightly. I found that working in the 22-24 domain is a much better fit for me. I've been trying to emphasize strong pulls over stroke rate. However, I think its now time to bump up the stroke rate slightly. Drag factor was 131 (7) and feet were at 3.
I also made the decision to perform the CFWU before the workout in an effort to increase exposure to some movements, particularly dips and GHD work. My hope is that, by including these movements in my warm-up, I'll begin to slowly improve as the volume increases. I also threw in a set of push-ups at the end for good measure.
Thursday 9 Feb 12
CFDC
Metcon: Complete the following:
Max pull-ups in 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes
Max handstand push-ups in 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes
Max dumbbell thrusters (25#) in 2 minutes
Rest 2 minutes
Max burpees in 2 minutes
Rest 2 minutes
Max squats in 1 minute
Rest 1 minute
Max push-ups in 1 minute
Score: 52 + 6 + 21 + 30 + 47 + 24
Notes: I was very disappointed with myself after this workout. Only managing 6 handstand push-ups really made me upset. Then, to make matters worse, dumbbell thrusters are impossible for me. I had to drop down to only 25# dumbbells and, even then, I still had trouble. I grinded through the rest of the workout, but was really pissed off. I plan to do everything in my power to improve my pressing endurance between now and the Open.
Metcon: Complete the following:
Max pull-ups in 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes
Max handstand push-ups in 3 minutes
Rest 3 minutes
Max dumbbell thrusters (25#) in 2 minutes
Rest 2 minutes
Max burpees in 2 minutes
Rest 2 minutes
Max squats in 1 minute
Rest 1 minute
Max push-ups in 1 minute
Score: 52 + 6 + 21 + 30 + 47 + 24
Notes: I was very disappointed with myself after this workout. Only managing 6 handstand push-ups really made me upset. Then, to make matters worse, dumbbell thrusters are impossible for me. I had to drop down to only 25# dumbbells and, even then, I still had trouble. I grinded through the rest of the workout, but was really pissed off. I plan to do everything in my power to improve my pressing endurance between now and the Open.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday 8 February 12
Balance Gym
1 tall snatch/3 overhead squats 8 x 1
20kg, 30kg, 32.5kg, 35kg, 37.5kg, 40kg(f), 40kg, 40kg
3 x 10 weighted GHD sit-ups (10#)/3 x 15 dumbbell rows
50s, 55s, 60s
Metcon: Tabata burpees
Notes: Legs felt good, but I still struggled to get pop on the bar during tall snatches. Really need to focus on generating upward movement on the bar from a huge shrug. I'm also having trouble conceptualizing "pulling" under the bar rather than "dropping" under it. Bottom position felt strong, however, as did positioning on overehad squats. 10# was not challenging on GHD sit-ups. I feel good on this movement and would love to see it appear as part of the Open. Enjoyed the dumbbell rows and hope this movement will help strengthen my upper back for front squats and deadlift/clean/snatch starting positions. Was scheduled to row 7 x 750 meters; however, due to time constraints, I performed tabata burpees. Goal was to perform 7 burpees per 20 second interval. Was able to maintain that pace for the first 5 intervals, but dropped off to 6 for the final 3 intervals. Pretty good session. Not too taxing on the legs, so I should be ready to rock on Thursday.
1 tall snatch/3 overhead squats 8 x 1
20kg, 30kg, 32.5kg, 35kg, 37.5kg, 40kg(f), 40kg, 40kg
3 x 10 weighted GHD sit-ups (10#)/3 x 15 dumbbell rows
50s, 55s, 60s
Metcon: Tabata burpees
Notes: Legs felt good, but I still struggled to get pop on the bar during tall snatches. Really need to focus on generating upward movement on the bar from a huge shrug. I'm also having trouble conceptualizing "pulling" under the bar rather than "dropping" under it. Bottom position felt strong, however, as did positioning on overehad squats. 10# was not challenging on GHD sit-ups. I feel good on this movement and would love to see it appear as part of the Open. Enjoyed the dumbbell rows and hope this movement will help strengthen my upper back for front squats and deadlift/clean/snatch starting positions. Was scheduled to row 7 x 750 meters; however, due to time constraints, I performed tabata burpees. Goal was to perform 7 burpees per 20 second interval. Was able to maintain that pace for the first 5 intervals, but dropped off to 6 for the final 3 intervals. Pretty good session. Not too taxing on the legs, so I should be ready to rock on Thursday.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday 7 Feb 12
CFDC
Snatch-grip push press 5 x 5 @ 65% of 1 RM (perform 2 kneeling jumps between sets)
45kg, 50kg, 50kg, 50kg, 50kg
10# plate, 25# plate, 23# plate, 45# plate, 45# & 10# plate
RDLs 5 x 5
135, 155, 155, 175, 175
Metcon: 15 minute partner workout of:
Plate pushes (45#)
Double-unders
Notes: I've been using 70kg as my 1 RM for purposes of determining snatch accessory movements, even though my most I've truly snatched is 65kg. 65% would have been only 45kg on the snatch-grip push press; however, after one set at that weight, I decided to bump it up to 50kg. I felt very strong on this movement and, clearly, I'm a much stronger push presser than I am a snatcher. Our focus on RDLs was keeping the shoulders and upper back in proper position. Even if it meant sacrificing depth on the movement, we were to keep the shoulder blades pinched the throughout the entire movement. This is a major weakness for me. My mobility is severely limited once I keep the upper back tight and I tend to lose upper back positioning on deadlifts, cleans, and snatches.
Then metcon was supposed to be 5-4-3-2-1 plate pushes with 35 double-unders between sets. That would have been an awesome test. Instead, we partnered up and alternated plate pushes and double-unders. Goal was to perform AMRAP double-unders while your partner performed a half-court-and-back plate push. I worked with Julia and was amazed at how she continued to push the plate. I probably outweigh her by 50 pounds, yet she was pushing the plate better than me. I couldn't believe the toll that plate pushes took on my body. You don't feel it until you finish pushing. Then, the feeling hits you like a ton of bricks. I was having trouble standing up toward the end. Chris started counting how many seconds it took us to get back on the plate once we had pushed it to one end of the court. Julia and I were both taking about 10 seconds to transition. He challenged us to transition in 5 seconds, instead, and counted on his fingers for us. It really pushed things to the next level and left me destroyed. Turned out to be a great workout!
Snatch-grip push press 5 x 5 @ 65% of 1 RM (perform 2 kneeling jumps between sets)
45kg, 50kg, 50kg, 50kg, 50kg
10# plate, 25# plate, 23# plate, 45# plate, 45# & 10# plate
RDLs 5 x 5
135, 155, 155, 175, 175
Metcon: 15 minute partner workout of:
Plate pushes (45#)
Double-unders
Notes: I've been using 70kg as my 1 RM for purposes of determining snatch accessory movements, even though my most I've truly snatched is 65kg. 65% would have been only 45kg on the snatch-grip push press; however, after one set at that weight, I decided to bump it up to 50kg. I felt very strong on this movement and, clearly, I'm a much stronger push presser than I am a snatcher. Our focus on RDLs was keeping the shoulders and upper back in proper position. Even if it meant sacrificing depth on the movement, we were to keep the shoulder blades pinched the throughout the entire movement. This is a major weakness for me. My mobility is severely limited once I keep the upper back tight and I tend to lose upper back positioning on deadlifts, cleans, and snatches.
Then metcon was supposed to be 5-4-3-2-1 plate pushes with 35 double-unders between sets. That would have been an awesome test. Instead, we partnered up and alternated plate pushes and double-unders. Goal was to perform AMRAP double-unders while your partner performed a half-court-and-back plate push. I worked with Julia and was amazed at how she continued to push the plate. I probably outweigh her by 50 pounds, yet she was pushing the plate better than me. I couldn't believe the toll that plate pushes took on my body. You don't feel it until you finish pushing. Then, the feeling hits you like a ton of bricks. I was having trouble standing up toward the end. Chris started counting how many seconds it took us to get back on the plate once we had pushed it to one end of the court. Julia and I were both taking about 10 seconds to transition. He challenged us to transition in 5 seconds, instead, and counted on his fingers for us. It really pushed things to the next level and left me destroyed. Turned out to be a great workout!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sunday 5 Feb 12
CFDC
Power snatch 8 x 2 @ 115#
Metcon: 5 rounds of tabata (alternating style):
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
Mountain climbers
Notes: This was a rough session. My legs were absolutely wiped from yesterday's Smackdown. All the deadlifts at 275# zapped any explosivenss from my legs. Also, I think the intensity of the push press/shuttle run event left me more fatigued than I realized. My power snatches at 115# were pretty ugly. Biggest issue was getting into a proper starting position. My posterior chain was really tight and I had trouble keeping my shoulder blades back and down at the start. This prevented me from getting a good "pop" at the top of the second pull. I basically grinded out the sets and just did the best I could. I tried to push as hard as possible during the metcon. I didn't want to look back on this day as a waste. I turned out to be a nice session and I think it actually helped work some of the lactic build-up out of my body. I plan to row 7 x 750 meters on Monday evening (along with some foam rolling and mobiity work) and should be back to full operating status by Tuesday's class.
Power snatch 8 x 2 @ 115#
Metcon: 5 rounds of tabata (alternating style):
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
Mountain climbers
Notes: This was a rough session. My legs were absolutely wiped from yesterday's Smackdown. All the deadlifts at 275# zapped any explosivenss from my legs. Also, I think the intensity of the push press/shuttle run event left me more fatigued than I realized. My power snatches at 115# were pretty ugly. Biggest issue was getting into a proper starting position. My posterior chain was really tight and I had trouble keeping my shoulder blades back and down at the start. This prevented me from getting a good "pop" at the top of the second pull. I basically grinded out the sets and just did the best I could. I tried to push as hard as possible during the metcon. I didn't want to look back on this day as a waste. I turned out to be a nice session and I think it actually helped work some of the lactic build-up out of my body. I plan to row 7 x 750 meters on Monday evening (along with some foam rolling and mobiity work) and should be back to full operating status by Tuesday's class.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Saturday 4 Jan 12
Throwdown!
Event 1: As a team of 4, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Deadlift (275/225/185/135/95)
Event 2: As a team of 2, each partner completes 3 rounds of:
12 burpees
24 Ab-mat sit-ups
1 bear crawl
Event 3: As a team of 2, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Push press (135/115/95/65)
Shuttle run
Notes: A really fun day! We opted to challenge ourselves with 275# on the deadlift workout. We may have been able to score more points by using 225#, but I'm happy to have cleared that mental hurdle of doing heavy deadlifts since my back injury last year. I feel like my deadlift is finally back to where it should be. I managed sets of 12, 12, 10, and 8 (I think). I sat out of the second event, but think that it would have been right up my alley. I decided to challenge myself again on push press by using 115#. I banged out 25 reps on the first set! I surprised myself with that one. The shuttle runs were 4 sideline-and-backs on the basketball court. Steph and I timed it perfectly so that we each had time for three sets on the bar. My other two sets were 15 and 8. I wish I had stayed on the bar for another few reps on the last set, but that's how it goes. All in all, it was a really fun day and turned out to be a great training day.
Event 1: As a team of 4, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Deadlift (275/225/185/135/95)
Event 2: As a team of 2, each partner completes 3 rounds of:
12 burpees
24 Ab-mat sit-ups
1 bear crawl
Event 3: As a team of 2, complete AMRAP in 8 minutes of:
Push press (135/115/95/65)
Shuttle run
Notes: A really fun day! We opted to challenge ourselves with 275# on the deadlift workout. We may have been able to score more points by using 225#, but I'm happy to have cleared that mental hurdle of doing heavy deadlifts since my back injury last year. I feel like my deadlift is finally back to where it should be. I managed sets of 12, 12, 10, and 8 (I think). I sat out of the second event, but think that it would have been right up my alley. I decided to challenge myself again on push press by using 115#. I banged out 25 reps on the first set! I surprised myself with that one. The shuttle runs were 4 sideline-and-backs on the basketball court. Steph and I timed it perfectly so that we each had time for three sets on the bar. My other two sets were 15 and 8. I wish I had stayed on the bar for another few reps on the last set, but that's how it goes. All in all, it was a really fun day and turned out to be a great training day.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Thursday 2 Feb 12
CFDC
Explosive work: broad jumps, power skips, bounding, etc.
Metcon: Complete 3 rounds of
1 minute of box jumps (24 inch)
1 minute of wallball shots
Rest 1 minute
1 minute of dumbbell hang squat cleans (35#)
1 minute of Ab-mat sit-ups
Rest 1 minute
Notes: Today was a bit of a grind. Thursday was the sixth day in a row of training, and my body felt fatigued. My legs were heavy and my upper body was tight. I was happy to see that class didn't involve any heavy lifting, and I just decided to grit my teeth and give the best effort I could. The jumping work was fun. I don't think it provided much of a stimulus, but it was enjoyable and helped to awaken my body. The metcon was a bit difficult for me because of the dumbbell hang squat cleans. For some reason, I still cannot reach full depth with the dumbbells racked on my shoulders. I think it's an external rotation issue that somehow locks up my entire back and makes it difficult to squat. I pushed hard on the box jumps, wallball shots, and sit-ups, but wasn't able to string together the box jumps as well as I would have liked. I did more of the "Games" standard, where I reach full extension on top of the box, and then exploded off the floor. This was a pretty poor effort overall, but I'm happy with the fact that I grinded through a difficult session.
Explosive work: broad jumps, power skips, bounding, etc.
Metcon: Complete 3 rounds of
1 minute of box jumps (24 inch)
1 minute of wallball shots
Rest 1 minute
1 minute of dumbbell hang squat cleans (35#)
1 minute of Ab-mat sit-ups
Rest 1 minute
Notes: Today was a bit of a grind. Thursday was the sixth day in a row of training, and my body felt fatigued. My legs were heavy and my upper body was tight. I was happy to see that class didn't involve any heavy lifting, and I just decided to grit my teeth and give the best effort I could. The jumping work was fun. I don't think it provided much of a stimulus, but it was enjoyable and helped to awaken my body. The metcon was a bit difficult for me because of the dumbbell hang squat cleans. For some reason, I still cannot reach full depth with the dumbbells racked on my shoulders. I think it's an external rotation issue that somehow locks up my entire back and makes it difficult to squat. I pushed hard on the box jumps, wallball shots, and sit-ups, but wasn't able to string together the box jumps as well as I would have liked. I did more of the "Games" standard, where I reach full extension on top of the box, and then exploded off the floor. This was a pretty poor effort overall, but I'm happy with the fact that I grinded through a difficult session.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday 1 Feb 12
Balance Gym
1 tall snatch/3 overhead squats 6 x 2
20kg, 30kg, 32.5kg(f), 32.5kg, 35kg, 37.5kg
5 x 5 tempo push-ups (5 seconds to lower; explode up)/max reps of knees-to-elbows (K-to-Es) (rest 90 seconds between sets)
Score on K-to-Es: 15, 13, 12, 10, 10
5 x 5 tempo back extensions/10 GHD sit-ups
Notes: Very interesting session. First of all, my legs were shot from the last four days. I felt surprisingly spry during my warm-up on pull-ups, etc., but I could really feel the heavy legs once I moved to the barbell complexes. It felt as though I was moving in slow motion on the tall snatches. I couldn't generate pop on the bar with the shrug and resorted to basically just dropping under the bar versus pull myself under aggressively. Despite this, it was still good to work the movement and positioning. I'm becoming more and more comfortable in the bottom position of the snatch. The push-up/K-to-Es combination was neat, too. I'm willing to try anything to stimulate some pressing endurance. I was able to get into a nice rhythm on K-to-Es. I should probably incorporate more of these as they're likely to appear in one of the Open workouts (or toes-to-bar). I also liked the GHD work. I need to learn how to do the back extension properly. I think I was doing more of a hip extension. Anyways, I feel like I worked on some important things today without beating up the body too much. Thursday's CFDC workout is on the lighter side, and I'm looking forward to a rest day on Friday.
1 tall snatch/3 overhead squats 6 x 2
20kg, 30kg, 32.5kg(f), 32.5kg, 35kg, 37.5kg
5 x 5 tempo push-ups (5 seconds to lower; explode up)/max reps of knees-to-elbows (K-to-Es) (rest 90 seconds between sets)
Score on K-to-Es: 15, 13, 12, 10, 10
5 x 5 tempo back extensions/10 GHD sit-ups
Notes: Very interesting session. First of all, my legs were shot from the last four days. I felt surprisingly spry during my warm-up on pull-ups, etc., but I could really feel the heavy legs once I moved to the barbell complexes. It felt as though I was moving in slow motion on the tall snatches. I couldn't generate pop on the bar with the shrug and resorted to basically just dropping under the bar versus pull myself under aggressively. Despite this, it was still good to work the movement and positioning. I'm becoming more and more comfortable in the bottom position of the snatch. The push-up/K-to-Es combination was neat, too. I'm willing to try anything to stimulate some pressing endurance. I was able to get into a nice rhythm on K-to-Es. I should probably incorporate more of these as they're likely to appear in one of the Open workouts (or toes-to-bar). I also liked the GHD work. I need to learn how to do the back extension properly. I think I was doing more of a hip extension. Anyways, I feel like I worked on some important things today without beating up the body too much. Thursday's CFDC workout is on the lighter side, and I'm looking forward to a rest day on Friday.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Tuesday 31 Jan 12
CFDC
Front squat 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (complete max set of strict chin-ups after last three sets)
135, 155, 175, 185, 185
Metcon: 8 minute time-cap:
Row 500 meters
Unbroken push press (95#)
Burpees (100-total push press reps)
Score: 81
Notes: This was a ton of volume packed within an hour. I haven't worked sets of five on front squats in a really long time. I found sets of five to be disproportionately more difficult than sets of three. We were a little rushed with the strength work so I probably wasn't able to take quite as much rest as needed between sets. Plus, adding in max chin-ups between sets turned this into a total grinder of a strength session. My form was really great tonight on front squats as I was able to keep the elbows driving upward out of the bottom position. My final two sets at 185# were really intense. My 1 RM indicates that I should probably be able to handle a little more for sets of five, but 185# was about all I could manage. Conditioning really kicks in the last two reps of each set. Chin-up sets were 10, 8, and 7.
This metcon was awesome. I was totally wiped out from the front squats and chin-ups before we even started. I decided to jump into the first heat and just get it over with. Goal was to row the 500 meters in about 1.50, but I could feel right away that I had no driving power in the legs. My goal was 30-35 push presses, but I only managed 23. I banged out 20 straight, rested for two seconds (the max time allowed for resting) in the rack position, and then only managed three more reps. Looking back on it, I should have rested in the rack position again and then banged out a few more reps, but it was just uncomfortable. I was mentally weak and dumped the bar. That left me with a race against the clock to complete 77 burpees in about 5 minutes. It didn't happen and I only managed 58 burpees for a total score of 81. Dan and Julia both made it to 100 before time expired, which really left a sour taste in my mouth. My pacing on the burpees was simply too slow. It's hard to tell while you're going, but it's easy to look back afterward and see that you could have gone faster. I don't think I could have made it to 100, but I think with a few more push presses and a little faster pace on the burpees that 90+ was attainable. This is exactly like a competition event where every single rep counts. I'm disappointed with my effort because the load was light and I have no excuse at to why I couldn't compete with the other top athletes.
I'm be keeping things fairly light this evening. Chris has me working some tall snatch/overhead squat complexes as well as some push-ups and knees-to-elbows. I'll also do some work on the GHD.
Front squat 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (complete max set of strict chin-ups after last three sets)
135, 155, 175, 185, 185
Metcon: 8 minute time-cap:
Row 500 meters
Unbroken push press (95#)
Burpees (100-total push press reps)
Score: 81
Notes: This was a ton of volume packed within an hour. I haven't worked sets of five on front squats in a really long time. I found sets of five to be disproportionately more difficult than sets of three. We were a little rushed with the strength work so I probably wasn't able to take quite as much rest as needed between sets. Plus, adding in max chin-ups between sets turned this into a total grinder of a strength session. My form was really great tonight on front squats as I was able to keep the elbows driving upward out of the bottom position. My final two sets at 185# were really intense. My 1 RM indicates that I should probably be able to handle a little more for sets of five, but 185# was about all I could manage. Conditioning really kicks in the last two reps of each set. Chin-up sets were 10, 8, and 7.
This metcon was awesome. I was totally wiped out from the front squats and chin-ups before we even started. I decided to jump into the first heat and just get it over with. Goal was to row the 500 meters in about 1.50, but I could feel right away that I had no driving power in the legs. My goal was 30-35 push presses, but I only managed 23. I banged out 20 straight, rested for two seconds (the max time allowed for resting) in the rack position, and then only managed three more reps. Looking back on it, I should have rested in the rack position again and then banged out a few more reps, but it was just uncomfortable. I was mentally weak and dumped the bar. That left me with a race against the clock to complete 77 burpees in about 5 minutes. It didn't happen and I only managed 58 burpees for a total score of 81. Dan and Julia both made it to 100 before time expired, which really left a sour taste in my mouth. My pacing on the burpees was simply too slow. It's hard to tell while you're going, but it's easy to look back afterward and see that you could have gone faster. I don't think I could have made it to 100, but I think with a few more push presses and a little faster pace on the burpees that 90+ was attainable. This is exactly like a competition event where every single rep counts. I'm disappointed with my effort because the load was light and I have no excuse at to why I couldn't compete with the other top athletes.
I'm be keeping things fairly light this evening. Chris has me working some tall snatch/overhead squat complexes as well as some push-ups and knees-to-elbows. I'll also do some work on the GHD.
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