Crossfit log for Wednesday, January 28th

Really needed to get back to the box. Glad I did.

Strength work was a 5 rounds of 3 stations with 1 minute rest in between.

Part 1: 3 x behind the neck, snatch grip push press + 2 overhead squats
Part 2: strict pull ups for max reps over 5 sets.
Part 3: 3 dead lifts max weight possible.

Did 95# for part one, OHS was a limiter, too tight in the shoulders to go heavier
Did 6 reps for part 2
Did way too heavy at 315# for part three, but I was sharing a bar and didn't want to change the weight.

I only did 3 full rounds plus part 1 for the fourth, but on the third round of dead lifts I did only 1 rep.  I was going to hurt myself if I kept it up.

That was fine.

WOD was a partner WOD, each partner does one full round while the other rests.
12 minute AMRAP:
- 30 double unders
- 15 snatches @ 75#/55#

I started. Partnered with Pat. Rx.  Double unders went well.  Snatches were rough past 10 reps.

We managed 6 rounds plus 35 reps. With a bit less than a minute left I made 26 double unders, the took like 6 tries to get the last 4!  Less than 30 seconds left, managed 5 snatches, keeping pace with Justin who got off the rope 1 second before me. 

Finished strong.  It was good.

Strength log for Monday, January 26th

Short workout yields big results.

In short, I PRd my front squat.  Hit 265# without hesitation.

If I had had more time I would've peeled back there and done my week 1 work, 5x5 @#75, but I only had a little time so I tried to hit 275#, a nice round number.

But I couldn't get out of the hole.  Too fatigued I guess.  Next time.

I guess I'll start week 1 next week using my new PR for my percentages.

Feeling pretty stoked.

Progress update.

New Front Squat PR. 

Strength:
Bench: 230lbs November 19, 2014 (up from 225lbs)
Dead Lift: 365lbs September 17, 2014 (up from 355lbs)
Press: 145lbs September 9, 2014 (up from 140lbs)
Back Squat: 295lbs September 12, 2014 (up from 285lbs)
Front Squat: 265# January 26, 2015 (up from 255#)
Overhead squat: 125# January 23, 2015 (up from 115#)  *4 reps.

Power:
Power Clean: 195lbs Nov 25, 2014 (up from 185lbs)
Power snatch:  140lbs Dec, 5, 2014 (up from 125lbs)
Push Press: 185# (up from 175#) Sept 15, 2014
Clean: 205# (up from 191#) Dec 13, 2014
Jerk: 205# (up from 185#) Dec 13, 2014
Snatch: 135# (up from 130#) Nov 21, 2014
Clean and Jerk: 205# (up from 175#) Dec 13, 2014

Crossfit log for Monday, January 26th

Only 1 rest day, since I worked out on Saturday.

Wasn't too bad. 

Ran out of time.  This was one of the those WODs that the morning guinea pigs got to figure out was way too long.

Started with a 14 minute EMOM of
-evens: 1 power snatch + 2 snatch at 70% of max
-odd: 30 double unders.

I think my best was 23 DU.  I did 95# for the snatch work.

Immediately followed by 5 minute EMOM of 1 snatch. Heaviest weight possible.

Did 95#, 95#, 115#, 125#, failed at 145# which was stupid, but hey, whatever.

Then the WOD which we ended up cutting short to 3 rounds instead of 4 was:

4 rounds, each for time:
-250m row
-12 kettle bell swings
-12 burpees
-12 front squats 95#
-10 chest to bar pull ups
-3:00 rest


Instructions were to scale so you'd finishe in 3 minutes, even then this was a minimum 21 minute workout, right after 19 minutes of EMOM,  there was no time for any prep.

Immediately scaled the pull ups.   First round too me 4:40

So I drop 2 reps off the kb swings, and the squats and cut the burpees in half, since that's what tanked me.  This brought me to 4:06.  A bit better. This is when coach announced that this would be our last round. Do 3 instead of 4.

So I kept the same scales and was back up to 4:40, total time was 18:45 I think.

Harsh.  But was right there with most of the others.

Crossfit log for Saturday, January 24th

Posted Monday.

Don't often do weekend WODs, but wanted to go and partner with Clarisse.

It was a rough one, and we were supposed to be teams of 3, but we were 11 participants, so Clarisse and I teamed up and did 2 thirds of the work, with less rest.

The WOD was an 18 minute AMRAP of:
 

-50 thrusters, we did 32
-9 rope climbs, we did 6
-40 thrusters (23)
-6 rope climbs (4)
-30 thrusters (20)
-3 rope climbs (2)
-30 snatches (20)

-30 chest to bar pull ups, scaled to regular pull ups (20)

-21 snatches (14)

-21 pull ups (14)

-15 snatches (10)

-15 pull ups (10)

-9 snatches

-9 pull ups

Rx was 115# for men and 75# for women.  I scaled to 95# for the thrusters and after my first 5 snatches at 95# I further scaled to 75# (women's Rx).  Clarisse did 45# for the thrusters, she could've gone heavier.

She initially took the plates off for the snatches but it was way too easy, I made her put them back on after her first 5, and that was much harder on her, but she managed.  We only had 10 each that round.  Pull up weren't a problem for either off us.

The big deal was the rope climbs.  Clarisse can climb a rope, barefoot, but she had no notion of gripping the rope with shoes.  I gave her a bit of a tutorial, then coach Alex gave a more complete lesson as we prepared for the WOD.  Enough that she could hopefully do the 3 pull rule and get part way up the rope for each rep. (I had told her to do 2 pulls, then just before the WOD started coach Alex came over and told her to just to 3 pulls, ha! So that's what she did).

She did great for round 1.  Round 2 she had trouble and decided to try the scale of ring rows, but she'd never done those before and couldn't figure them out on the fly.  So she went back to the to rope. Faced with no alternative and the clock ticking, she really attacked the rope from that point on. 

On the last climb of round three, she went right to the top.   It was pretty epic.  Having climbed before in gymnastics, there was no fear. She just needed the confidence in the new technique.  Once she committed to it, she found it.  

Really proud.

Strength log for Friday, January 23rd

I'm always torn when I get behind in my posts whether I should just combine them or back date them. 

Back dating seems disingenuous, but makes tracking and analysis easier down the road, so I'm back dating this Monday post to Friday and will be doing the same with Saturday's.

Went to the Y at lunch and had a mediocre bench press season. Had to fight for a single at 205#, then did 5x5 at 165#, which was way harder than it should have been. 

Also worked on my pistols. 

Making progress.

Crossfit log for Friday, January 23rd

Good morning at Crossfit.

Strength work was 5 rep max overhead squat.  Yeah, my favorite.

Did some bretzels and lazy push ups.  Tried to loosen up my shoulders. Then did 5 reps with the empty bar.  Yay, at least I have a number.

Went to get some 15# plates for 75#.  5 reps, pretty good not too wobbly.  Now I have a better number.

Jumped to 95#, have done multiple reps at this weight before or the Open WOD recently.

Last one was wobbly, but still got it.  95#  Good number, 20# away from my 1 rep max.

Looking at the 15# plates from my warm up set, I thought, why not.  Threw them on for 125#, maybe I could get one for a new 1 rep max.

Not only did I get it easily, I did a second rep.  And a third, and a fourth...  Lost it at the bottom of the fifth.  Could you imagine hitting my 5 rep max 10# heavier than my previous best for a single!    4 Rep at 125#, that's pretty sweet.

Now I'll have to test for a new 1 rep max.  Maybe next week.

The WOD wasn't so fun.  We revisited Open WOD 12.3:
18 minute AMRAP
- 15 box jumps  24" box
- 12 push press  115#  (scaled to 95#)
- 9 toes to bar

Managed one rep short of 5 rounds.  Box jumps were okay, need to work on my rebound.  Push press was hard, even at 95#, maybe Wednesday's press workout affected me.  Seems likely. T2B got progressively worse as the workout progressed. 

Worked hard, that's what matters.


Progress update.

New Overhead Squat PR. 

Strength:
Bench: 230lbs November 19, 2014 (up from 225lbs)
Dead Lift: 365lbs September 17, 2014 (up from 355lbs)
Press: 145lbs September 9, 2014 (up from 140lbs)
Back Squat: 295lbs September 12, 2014 (up from 285lbs)
Front Squat: 255# September 3, 2014 (up from 250#)
Overhead squat: 125# January 23, 2015 (up from 115#)  *4 reps.

Power:
Power Clean: 195lbs Nov 25, 2014 (up from 185lbs)
Power snatch:  140lbs Dec, 5, 2014 (up from 125lbs)
Push Press: 185# (up from 175#) Sept 15, 2014
Clean: 205# (up from 191#) Dec 13, 2014
Jerk: 205# (up from 185#) Dec 13, 2014
Snatch: 135# (up from 130#) Nov 21, 2014
Clean and Jerk: 205# (up from 175#) Dec 13, 2014

Strength log for Thursday, January 22nd

Still feeling under the weather.  Nose and throat congestion, I can't imagine doing any high intensity. 

So I skipped Crossfit this morning and focused on strength work at the Y.

Squat day. Really wanted to do front squat but felt compelled to tackle back squats instead.

Worked up to a heavy single;  hit 285#.  It was hard but not a real fight.  Glad I stopped there. 

Then I peeled back to 225# for 5 sets of 5.   Week one of the program 5x5 @ 75%.

Happy with that.

Strength log for Wednesday, January 21st

I've decided that this will be my last strength development cycle.   Since I have had no consistency since before Christmas, I'm starting over following a hybrid program.

I'll go the 5x5 @ 75%, 3x5 @ 80%, 5x3 @ 85%, 3x3 @ 90% and 1x3 or 3x1 @ 95%, followed by retest of 1 rep max, but I will work up to a heavy single as the warm up, at least for the three or four first weeks.

Did that today for strict press, went a bit light in fact, rounded down 105# from 108#, which is 75% of my 1 rep max record.

Looking back at my logs, I haven't had successful progress on the strict press since early November.  This is going to be hard work.

I worked up to a single at 135#, which I failed last time I tried on Dec 17th.

Then I peeled off for 5 sets of 5 at 105#.  Last set was rough.  Good choice.  I will be sore tomorrow.

Crossfit log for Wednesday, January 21st

Finally back at Crossfit today.  Was going crazy.

Friday I was sore after Thursday's workout and feeling a bit under the weather, no doubt thanks to Dexter.  Then Sunday morning I get out of bed and stretch and yawn and throw out my back.

How does that even happen? Unreal.  I can squat nearly 300lbs and dead lift 365bls but I can't yawn without hurting myself???  WTF?

So I stretched and rolled and got a massage and was finally feeling up to going again.  Not 100% but good enough.

Glad I went.

Did snatch balance + 2 overhead squats for strength/skill work.  Snatch balance at 115# was fine, OHS not so much.

The workout was a Team/Partner WOD.

For time
- 500m row while partner does 100 double unders
- when both are finished, switch.

- 50 dead lifts while partner holds bar at the hang  225# (scaled to 185#)
- alternate 5 reps then switch

- 50 toes to bar while partner in dead hang from bar
- alternate 5 reps then switch

Worked with new guy Matt (new to mornings anyway)

Row was fine, double unders were hit and miss, dead lifts were hard.  T2B were torture.

Finished in 14:34

Strength log for Thursday, January 15th

Finally got back to the Y this week.

Figured after the arm thrashing I got this morning squats were in order.

Worked up to a heavy single at 275#.  I should've done some reps afterwards at 185# or 205#, but I was a bit bummed at how hard that 275# was.  So I worked on mobility and pistols. 

I need to book a massage for my armpits (yes, really) and my bicep which I seem to have tweaked shovelling snow.

I'm getting good on the position of the pistols, but getting out of the hole is a lot harder with only one leg. Gotta keep practising.

Crossfit log for Thursday, January 15th

So much for a regular week.  Dexter has been sick with a croupy cough and the spectre of a trip to the ER kept me home for two days.

You'd think after two days rest I'd be fresh and ready for anything they could throw at me.  Yeah, not really.

No strength work, started with a "warm up" workout:

3 rounds of
- row 2 minutes
- rest 1 minute
- Cindy 2 minutes  (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats)
- rest 1 minute

Instruction were to take the first round easy.   because of the number of rowers some of us started with Cindy.  3 squats shy of 2 rounds.

Coach Alex jokingly asked it that pace was sustainable for 18 minutes.  I sheepishly said no. So much for easy first round.

Row was around 460m, we weren't keeping score, intentionally.

Second round I managed 2 full rounds plus 3 pull ups.  So maybe my pace wasn't so bad after all.   Row was very similar.

Third round again, 2 full rounds plus 2 pull ups.  Not too shabby. 

But we still had the WOD to do.

It was a killer.
5 rounds for time
- 9 toes to bar
- 7 unbroken touch and go squat cleans from the floor
- 5 handstand push ups
- 3 bar muscle ups (scaled to ring dips)

First round T2B were unbroken.  That was good.

The first two rounds I took the cleans slowly, resting in the front rack and in the hang before tackling the next rep.  This bled too much time and wasn't effective rest anyway.

First round I also did the hspu Rx.  But after the ring dips I had to resort to an abmat.

Round 3 sucked.  I did the t2b 5 and 4, but the 4 weren't chained nicely.  Then I tackled the cleans aggressively 5 quick and 2 not so quick.  Took a long break before tackling the hspu, as I was feeling a bit nauseated.

After that it went better,  the nausea didn't completely pass but it was faint enough to allow me to finish. 

Took me a whopping 20:51  dead last.  Oh well.  Done is done.

Crossfit log for Monday, January 12th

Hopefully the start of a normal week.

Strength work was 3 rep max hang clean.

Made it up to 175#.  Really should've tried 185#, but I'll just be happy with that.

Part two was 4 sets of 4 front squats vs 4 sets of a max reps chest to bar pull ups, 1 minute rest between.

Did 205# for the squats and about 5 chest to bar each round.  I got a bit better at stringing them.  Didn't manage 3 in a row, but after losing my rhythm I was able to get a second string of 2, which I've never done before.  So progress.

The WOD was for time:
- 75 double unders
- 3 rounds of
   - 15 dead lifts  @ 155#
   - 10 wall balls @ 20#
followed by :
- 75 double unders.

Huge PR on my double unders, better than my old rope, way better than anything I've done with this rope.  Hit 65 reps unbroken. Really happy with that.

Finished the workout in 10:13,  the last 75 double unders weren't as quick as the first set.   Oh well.  It was a good day.

Strength log for Friday, January 9th

Work, family and DOMS have gotten in the way of my training this week.

So I just had to go to the Y at lunch.

Took my new Purple K creatine supplement and headed out to do some front squats.

Did a couple of handstand holds,  one was a good 20 seconds. Then off to the squat rack.

Wanted to hit a heavy triple and match my effort from Dec 19th of 245#.  Man that was heavy, but I did it.

I'm gonna blow away my 255# PR.

Then I worked on my rounded squats.  Decided to try some pistols with a small kettle bell as counter balance and to my utter surprise I was able to do one on my left leg and almost on my right.

Maybe next time try before the heavy front squats!

Physio and strength log for Wednesday, January 7th

Went to physio this morning and I'm pretty much done.  He said don't come back unless you need a touch up (needling) or something new comes up.

Dominique gave me some pointers on my handstand holds.  So essentially keep working the position, occasional bretzel and lazy push up, hamstring stretch and rounded squats. I'm on the right path.

He is going to a seminar on upper thoracic mobility so he may have some new stuff for me to try after March.  I'll definitely go see him then.

At the Y at lunch I worked my rounded squat with bare feet and a kettle bell for counter balance, that was good.  I need to do some work in my lower lifters or runners.

Worked on push press. Got up to 165# for a double.

Then I did some handstand holds, but my arms were tired.  Still managed a couple of good ones.

Onward and upwards.

Crossfit log for Wednesday, January 7th

Did 4 sets of 3 hang power clean, 5 on the last set vs 4 sets of toes to bar for max reps.  1:00 rest between each.

After warming up started with 135# on the bar and then did 5 t2b.  Hands just couldn't hold on longer.

Round 2 did 145# and another 5 t2b.  Then 155# and managed 6 t2b and for the final round did 5 hang power cleans at 155# and 6 t2b.

Happy with that.

WOD was Nasty Girls

3 rounds for time:
- 50 air squats
- 7 muscle ups (scaled to ring dips)
- 10 hang power clean  135#/95#  (split the difference and did 115#)

Squats were fast and furious.  Dips were quick.

Took til the last round to get a good rhythm on the cleans and did the 10 unbroken.

Finished in 9:01, right behind Kyle.  Happy with that.

Crossfit log for Tuesday, January 6th Clarisse's class

Last night I went back to Crossfit, this time to register Clarisse for her first adult class.

She did really well.   The workout changed sometime during the day to remove the 3 minute rest between rounds, so it essentially became heavy Fran.

She did really well.  She did the 5 jerks at 72#.  She looked good.  She wasn't landing like a ballerina, it was fast and I could hear her feet landing.  Much better than before.  She was lowing the bar too quickly, before she completely stood it up and I called her on it, but got a scolding from coach Frank. 

a) I'm not the coach!  and b) he didn't want to worry her about technique on her first day, it was about fitting in, and getting to know the routine and flow of adult classes.

Fair enough.

She settled on women's empty bar (35#) and regular pull ups. After she did the first 21 thrusters unbroken, I thought she'd gone too light.

She started her pull ups with 6 unbroken, coach Isabelle's jaw dropped. "How old is she"?  Yeah, that's my14 year old.

The round of 15 hurt more, she broke up the thrusters 11 and 4,  and then did the 9 unbroken.

Finished in 9:23. 

Proud papa.

Strength log for Tuesday, January 6th

Not a bad workout today.

Brought my rings again and finally got to put Adam through the ringer (ha! so to speak).

Did some dips with him, it was fun.  Didn't take him long to figure it out.

Then I worked on mobility and shoulder homework (physio appointment is coming up), before moving on to back squats.

Decided to go bad to week 3, so 3 sets of 5 at 85% (255#).

That was really hard.  But I did it.

Legs are going to feel it tomorrow and Thursday for sure.

Finished up with some more handstand holds (can hardly make 10 seconds) and some rounded back feet together squat holds (getting pretty good in my lifters). Did shorter duration, higher reps this time.

New Year's resolution crowd wasn't too bad. 

Crossfit log for Tuesday, January 6th

Almost a week off.

Between the weekend, being sick and holiday closures, I've been pretty idle since last Wednesday.

So on the good side, I was fresh.  On the bad side, I'm going to be really sore for a couple of days.

We did jerks for 5 reps touch and go.  Max weight for 1 set.

Did 135#.  That was pretty hard.  Likely could have gone a bit higher, but no need to kill myself first day back.

The WOD was a different take on Fran.

21-15-9
-Thrusters @ 115#/95#
-Chest to bar pull ups
-rest 3:00 between rounds.

I ended up using women's Rx weight but still doing CTB (which really slowed me down).

Still broke the thrusters, even the first round.  15, 4 and 2.  Pull ups were worse, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3, 1 ugh.

3 minutes is a long time

Did 10 and 5 for the thrusters and and 5, 3, 3, 4 for the pull ups.

3 minutes didn't seem so long this time.

Thrusters unbroken, pull ups 5, 2 and 2.  Finished in 17:29

Take away the 6 minutes of rest that's 11:29 of work.  Not great. Regular pull ups would've been a completely different workout.