Seven is better than one!
I know, I know, I said no more re-dos, one and done. Yeah. I know.
But my score was 1! It wasn't even a workout. I could do no worse. I felt that if I focused on stabilizing my shoulders I just might managed 10 reps and get myself to that pull up bar and give 14.2 a solid effort.
Since I knew I wasn't going to get very far, I took some creatine before leaving for the gym, with my ubiquinol and testAlpha supplements. Whether it helped or not, the world may never know.
Well I did much better. On Friday I took somewhere around 13 attempts for only 1 successful rep, whereas today, I took maybe 10 tries and got 7.
Still didn't make it to the pull ups. The first 5 reps took me half of the the 3:00 for round one!
Considering on Friday, 95# was my 1 rep max overhead squat, I'm pretty happy with my result.
This time, unless you got to round 2 you had to do the alternate WOD as well. I didn't mind. I needed to get some real work done.
-100 double unders
-5 rounds of:
-- 15 wall balls 20# med ball
-- 2 ring dips
-100 double unders.
Rx was 2 muscle ups, so that was a non-starter. You could also scale the double unders to 50, or 200 singles.
As I fumbled through the first set of double under, I got to 49 in like 6 or 7 tries, and was ready to quit at 50, but I ended up getting a string of 29, so I kept fumbling to 100.
The wall balls started to get rough on round 5. Shoulders were fried on the ring dips, thankfully there were only 2 reps per round.
Second round of double unders I stopped at 50. It just wasn't funny.
Feeling pretty good.
Monday, 10 March 2014
Friday, 7 March 2014
Strength log for Friday, March 7th: Achievement Five unlocked
After my poor performance in 14.2 this morning, I needed a win. It was gamble, my last 3 attempts to hit my strict press PR failed miserably.
I had done a couple of weeks of sets of 5 reps or 3 reps, or even singles at 90%, 95% an 100% of max respectively, but my shoulders took a beating this week.
So it was iffy going in, but I committed to giving it a go.
Worked up with empty bar and 65# for 5 reps, then 95# for 3. 115# for one rep seemed heavy, I started to worry. 125# went up, but not as easily as I had hoped. I took a good long break between 125# and 130#.
I unracked it, carefully positioned my hands, making sure I had a good firm grip of the bar, the weight right in the crease of my thumb, elbows down, leaving just enough shelf to hold the bar.
Then I pushed. Right away it went higher than ever before, but it stopped dead just over my head. Thanks to the mirror at the Y, I could see just how high it was and I thought, NO WAY ARE YOU STOPPING THERE!
My face looked like was about to have an aneurysm, slowly, one side started to go, then the other and with everything I had I locked it out.
Ta DA! I held it over head of a long time, just to confirm to myself that I had it locked and stable over head, since the way up was so ugly.
This one was a long time in coming, after at string of achievements around the new year. I suspect the last one may be even longer.
Still making progress. I needed that.
Progress update of revised weightlifting goals. Derived from intermediate level for my body weight (at the time the goals were set!) at www.exrx.net
New Strict Press PR. Goal attained!
Lift / target weight / current PR
Bench / 190lbs / 195lbs Jan 10, 2014 (up from 185lbs) !!!!!!
Dead Lift / 300lbs / 300lbs Jan 22, 2014 (up from 285lbs) !!!!!
Press / 130lbs / 130lbs Mar 7, 2014 (up from 125lbs) !!!!!!
Power Clean / 185lbs / 185lbs Dec 30, 2013 (up from 175lbs) !!!!!!
Power snatch / 140lbs / 115lbs Aug, 15, 2013 (up from 105lbs)
Back Squat / 255lbs / 265lbs Jan 14, 2014 (up from 245lbs) !!!!!
Other lift PRs:
Front Squat 215# Sept 11, 2013
Push Press: 175# (up from 165#) Feb 18, 2014
Clean: 185# (up from 180#) Dec 23, 2013
Jerk: 185# (up from 180#) Oct 30, 2013
Snatch: 130# July 22, 2013
Clean and Jerk: 175# July 24, 2013
I had done a couple of weeks of sets of 5 reps or 3 reps, or even singles at 90%, 95% an 100% of max respectively, but my shoulders took a beating this week.
So it was iffy going in, but I committed to giving it a go.
Worked up with empty bar and 65# for 5 reps, then 95# for 3. 115# for one rep seemed heavy, I started to worry. 125# went up, but not as easily as I had hoped. I took a good long break between 125# and 130#.
I unracked it, carefully positioned my hands, making sure I had a good firm grip of the bar, the weight right in the crease of my thumb, elbows down, leaving just enough shelf to hold the bar.
Then I pushed. Right away it went higher than ever before, but it stopped dead just over my head. Thanks to the mirror at the Y, I could see just how high it was and I thought, NO WAY ARE YOU STOPPING THERE!
My face looked like was about to have an aneurysm, slowly, one side started to go, then the other and with everything I had I locked it out.
Ta DA! I held it over head of a long time, just to confirm to myself that I had it locked and stable over head, since the way up was so ugly.
This one was a long time in coming, after at string of achievements around the new year. I suspect the last one may be even longer.
Still making progress. I needed that.
Progress update of revised weightlifting goals. Derived from intermediate level for my body weight (at the time the goals were set!) at www.exrx.net
New Strict Press PR. Goal attained!
Lift / target weight / current PR
Bench / 190lbs / 195lbs Jan 10, 2014 (up from 185lbs) !!!!!!
Dead Lift / 300lbs / 300lbs Jan 22, 2014 (up from 285lbs) !!!!!
Press / 130lbs / 130lbs Mar 7, 2014 (up from 125lbs) !!!!!!
Power Clean / 185lbs / 185lbs Dec 30, 2013 (up from 175lbs) !!!!!!
Power snatch / 140lbs / 115lbs Aug, 15, 2013 (up from 105lbs)
Back Squat / 255lbs / 265lbs Jan 14, 2014 (up from 245lbs) !!!!!
Other lift PRs:
Front Squat 215# Sept 11, 2013
Push Press: 175# (up from 165#) Feb 18, 2014
Clean: 185# (up from 180#) Dec 23, 2013
Jerk: 185# (up from 180#) Oct 30, 2013
Snatch: 130# July 22, 2013
Clean and Jerk: 175# July 24, 2013
Crossfit log for Friday, March 7th: Crossfit Open 14.2
The 2014 Crossfit open week 2. I intentionally avoided the announcement. Which turned out to be easy, I fell asleep before it even aired at 8pm!
I didn't even look it up before leaving the house.
I did all of my nutrition except creatine again, I meant to take some last night but forgot. Oh well. I'm likely saturated anyway.
It wasn't until I was putting on my shoes that I found out what it was.
It was modelled after last year's super Fran, but a bit different.
2 rounds in 3 minutes of
10 overhead squats
10 chest to bar pull ups.
If you complete 2 rounds before the time is up, you buy yourself another 3 minutes. Unlike last year's 13.5, you can't start the next round right away, you rest until the 3 minutes are up then start the next 3 minute segment. Each segment you increase the rep count by 2. So the first 3:00 is 2 rounds of 10 reps, the next 3:00 is 2 rounds of 12 reps, the 2 rounds of 14 reps, and so on.
This last paragraph was for informational purpose only, as I didn't not make it past the first 3 minutes.
In fact, I didn't even make it to the chest to bar pull ups. If you have read much of my blog you will know that my whole year of mobility was to address my inability to do over head squats.
At least I had my new lifting shoes from Risto, which gave me 1" heel. So I grabbed Mitch's warm up bar (75#) just to try one. No go. I couldn't break parallel with my hips. Now I'm thinking this will be a joke.
So I grab a women's bar (35#) and try a couple and after a few reps I was able to get low enough. Okay, my physio said that even he take many warm up reps before he can get full range of motion.
So I add a bit of weight and even at 75# I was able to get multiple good reps. I confirmed that I could use the women's bar (the grip is narrower, and I'd been a having some success, so I wanted to keep going with what worked) and put on 25# plates for 85#. Again, 2 or 3 reps out of 5 or 6 attempts.
So I added 5# plates and went off to judge Natasha's performance. Sadly, despite getting a chest to bar recently, having done so many this week, she was sore and just couldn't get one. She breezed through her overhead squats and spent 2 and a half minutes trying to get a pull up. Frustrating.
But not as frustrating as my turn. All the practice I did left my shoulder's fatigued, first two attempts weren't low enough. Third try and I finally got a good solid overhead squat at 95#. Every subsequent attempt was either too shallow, of if I got deep enough, I lost the bar, unable to stabilize the shoulder.
Total score for 14.2: 1.
Oh well, it was a PR. ;)
Afterwards, I grapped the 5lbs practice bar which is shorter, and I can press my hands against the collars. Way easier to stabilize the shoulders and I did a bunch without issue. I guess I need to work on shoulder stability.
Progress.
I didn't even look it up before leaving the house.
I did all of my nutrition except creatine again, I meant to take some last night but forgot. Oh well. I'm likely saturated anyway.
It wasn't until I was putting on my shoes that I found out what it was.
It was modelled after last year's super Fran, but a bit different.
2 rounds in 3 minutes of
10 overhead squats
10 chest to bar pull ups.
If you complete 2 rounds before the time is up, you buy yourself another 3 minutes. Unlike last year's 13.5, you can't start the next round right away, you rest until the 3 minutes are up then start the next 3 minute segment. Each segment you increase the rep count by 2. So the first 3:00 is 2 rounds of 10 reps, the next 3:00 is 2 rounds of 12 reps, the 2 rounds of 14 reps, and so on.
This last paragraph was for informational purpose only, as I didn't not make it past the first 3 minutes.
In fact, I didn't even make it to the chest to bar pull ups. If you have read much of my blog you will know that my whole year of mobility was to address my inability to do over head squats.
At least I had my new lifting shoes from Risto, which gave me 1" heel. So I grabbed Mitch's warm up bar (75#) just to try one. No go. I couldn't break parallel with my hips. Now I'm thinking this will be a joke.
So I grab a women's bar (35#) and try a couple and after a few reps I was able to get low enough. Okay, my physio said that even he take many warm up reps before he can get full range of motion.
So I add a bit of weight and even at 75# I was able to get multiple good reps. I confirmed that I could use the women's bar (the grip is narrower, and I'd been a having some success, so I wanted to keep going with what worked) and put on 25# plates for 85#. Again, 2 or 3 reps out of 5 or 6 attempts.
So I added 5# plates and went off to judge Natasha's performance. Sadly, despite getting a chest to bar recently, having done so many this week, she was sore and just couldn't get one. She breezed through her overhead squats and spent 2 and a half minutes trying to get a pull up. Frustrating.
But not as frustrating as my turn. All the practice I did left my shoulder's fatigued, first two attempts weren't low enough. Third try and I finally got a good solid overhead squat at 95#. Every subsequent attempt was either too shallow, of if I got deep enough, I lost the bar, unable to stabilize the shoulder.
Total score for 14.2: 1.
Oh well, it was a PR. ;)
Afterwards, I grapped the 5lbs practice bar which is shorter, and I can press my hands against the collars. Way easier to stabilize the shoulders and I did a bunch without issue. I guess I need to work on shoulder stability.
Progress.
Crossfit log for Thursday, March 6th
I totally forgot to log this workout yesterday.
Now I have to rack my brain to remember, I usually only have an 8 hour memory window to log my workouts. ;)
Strength work was 3 sets of 3 medium weight front squats. Did 155#.
WOD was 8 minutes AMRAP
15 wall balls 20#
15 power cleans 115#
15 push press 115#
15 chest to bar pull ups.
Wasn't sure if I wanted to do Rx. Rob was doing 95#, so I considered doing that too, but coach Alex was like: you're doing at least 105# right?
For the sake of 5lbs, I decided if I was going to be dead last it would be at Rx.
Wall balls were fine, cleans went okay, sets of 5, same with push press, but 115# was heavy. Chest to bar were rough. I can't string them together like I can the kipping pull ups, so each rep is kip/down/kip/up. Twice the amount of time hanging for the same number of reps. Frustrating.
Made 1 full round and 15 wall balls. Dead last, but not by too much.
Cashout was EMOM for 6 minutes of 10 burpees. First 4 rounds went really well. Round 5 I took easy, and round 6 I had to fight to finish within the minute.
Sucked.
Now I have to rack my brain to remember, I usually only have an 8 hour memory window to log my workouts. ;)
Strength work was 3 sets of 3 medium weight front squats. Did 155#.
WOD was 8 minutes AMRAP
15 wall balls 20#
15 power cleans 115#
15 push press 115#
15 chest to bar pull ups.
Wasn't sure if I wanted to do Rx. Rob was doing 95#, so I considered doing that too, but coach Alex was like: you're doing at least 105# right?
For the sake of 5lbs, I decided if I was going to be dead last it would be at Rx.
Wall balls were fine, cleans went okay, sets of 5, same with push press, but 115# was heavy. Chest to bar were rough. I can't string them together like I can the kipping pull ups, so each rep is kip/down/kip/up. Twice the amount of time hanging for the same number of reps. Frustrating.
Made 1 full round and 15 wall balls. Dead last, but not by too much.
Cashout was EMOM for 6 minutes of 10 burpees. First 4 rounds went really well. Round 5 I took easy, and round 6 I had to fight to finish within the minute.
Sucked.
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Crossfit log for Tuesday, March 4th
Meh. Feeling a bit low after yesterday's fiasco.
10 minutes of positive self talk to get out of bed at 5:00am
Strength work was 1 clean + 3 power jerks vs. unbroken chest to bar pull ups.
Maxed out at 125# for the jerks, and 4/5 pull ups. I could hang on the bar longer but my hands felt raw.
WOD was a 12 minute AMRAP
- 75 wall balls
- 50 burpees
- 25 dead lifts @ 155#
Wall balls took just over 5 minutes. Burpees likely longer, only had 1 minute left for dead lifts.
Score was 138. Meh.
Our scores for the Open week one (14.1) are finally up.
Of the 4,390 registered male competitors in Canada east, I'm in a 15 way tie for 3205th place. (top 73%)
Of the 111,060 registered male competitors worldwide, 79,108, (top 71%)
Of the 391 Masters 40-44 in Canada East, I'm in a 3 way tie for 241st (top 61%)
Of the 10954 Masters 40-44 worldwide, I'm 6494 (top 59%)
Yikes, compared to my running where I'm usually in the top 20-25%, this hurts.
Canada East is more competitive than the worldwide average.
10 minutes of positive self talk to get out of bed at 5:00am
Strength work was 1 clean + 3 power jerks vs. unbroken chest to bar pull ups.
Maxed out at 125# for the jerks, and 4/5 pull ups. I could hang on the bar longer but my hands felt raw.
WOD was a 12 minute AMRAP
- 75 wall balls
- 50 burpees
- 25 dead lifts @ 155#
Wall balls took just over 5 minutes. Burpees likely longer, only had 1 minute left for dead lifts.
Score was 138. Meh.
Our scores for the Open week one (14.1) are finally up.
Of the 4,390 registered male competitors in Canada east, I'm in a 15 way tie for 3205th place. (top 73%)
Of the 111,060 registered male competitors worldwide, 79,108, (top 71%)
Of the 391 Masters 40-44 in Canada East, I'm in a 3 way tie for 241st (top 61%)
Of the 10954 Masters 40-44 worldwide, I'm 6494 (top 59%)
Yikes, compared to my running where I'm usually in the top 20-25%, this hurts.
Canada East is more competitive than the worldwide average.
Monday, 3 March 2014
Strength log for Monday, March 3rd
Hard to recover mentally from this morning. Feeling rather defeated.
The alternate workout had back squats and cleans for strength, so I did that at lunch.
I tried a couple of double unders with my fixed up rope, but 5 or 6 unbroken was all I could muster. After seeing my legs in the mirror, all bruised up, looking like I'd been in a skiing accident or something, it may be pain reflex holding me back!
So I did 5 sets of 5 back squats @ 205#, the I worked up to heavy clean at 100% of my max: 185#. Nice to know I can still do that.
The alternate workout had back squats and cleans for strength, so I did that at lunch.
I tried a couple of double unders with my fixed up rope, but 5 or 6 unbroken was all I could muster. After seeing my legs in the mirror, all bruised up, looking like I'd been in a skiing accident or something, it may be pain reflex holding me back!
So I did 5 sets of 5 back squats @ 205#, the I worked up to heavy clean at 100% of my max: 185#. Nice to know I can still do that.
Crossfit log for Monday, March 3rd
That was the worst, most humiliating workout of my life.
I had it all planned out. 14.1 take two.
I got a new rope. I practiced my double unders with the new rope all weekend. I have the welts to prove it.
I brought my own bumper plates, since we can't drop the 10s or 15s, I brought my York 10s from home, so I could feel free to drop them as much as I wanted.
Made sure I had my compression shorts on, so the snatches wouldn't rub my upper legs raw.
Followed my nutrition plan to a T, taking my creatine the night before so I wouldn't get that parched mouth during the workout. Caffeine, carbs, ubiquinol, the whole 9 yards.
Everything was ready.
All for nothing.
I couldn't string together 3 double unders to save my life. 4, 5, 6 attempts before I could get a rhythm going. Once I got like 10, so yay, found my rhythm. Nope, couldn't get started after that.
Kamil was starting round two and I was still trying to finish double unders for round 1.
Round two, after 5 attempts to get to 8 reps, I threw my rope away in disgust.
At this point I laughed at myself. Went to get my rope and decided to just forget my score, take my time and just finish the workout.
Next attempt my rope handle comes apart.
Workout over.
I went to cheer on Kamil, who bested his previous effort by 11 reps. Although, it's hard to believe an extra 11 was worth the effort that went into it, but that's up to him.
Going back to my Open Rule #1. One and done. No more repeats. Ever.
I had it all planned out. 14.1 take two.
I got a new rope. I practiced my double unders with the new rope all weekend. I have the welts to prove it.
I brought my own bumper plates, since we can't drop the 10s or 15s, I brought my York 10s from home, so I could feel free to drop them as much as I wanted.
Made sure I had my compression shorts on, so the snatches wouldn't rub my upper legs raw.
Followed my nutrition plan to a T, taking my creatine the night before so I wouldn't get that parched mouth during the workout. Caffeine, carbs, ubiquinol, the whole 9 yards.
Everything was ready.
All for nothing.
I couldn't string together 3 double unders to save my life. 4, 5, 6 attempts before I could get a rhythm going. Once I got like 10, so yay, found my rhythm. Nope, couldn't get started after that.
Kamil was starting round two and I was still trying to finish double unders for round 1.
Round two, after 5 attempts to get to 8 reps, I threw my rope away in disgust.
At this point I laughed at myself. Went to get my rope and decided to just forget my score, take my time and just finish the workout.
Next attempt my rope handle comes apart.
Workout over.
I went to cheer on Kamil, who bested his previous effort by 11 reps. Although, it's hard to believe an extra 11 was worth the effort that went into it, but that's up to him.
Going back to my Open Rule #1. One and done. No more repeats. Ever.
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