Month: September 2015

Team Series Event 4

Was planning a rest day but we had an opening to get in a workout for the CrossFit Team Series. I didn’t do a whole lot to warm-up. Some bottom squat holds, some stretching, and a few thrusters.

15:00 AMRAP

  • Male 1 and Female 1 each perform:
    • 5 thrusters (95/65#)
    • 5 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  • Then, Male 2 and Female 2 each perform:
    • 10 thrusters
    • 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  • Then, Male 1 and Female 1 each perform:
    • 15 thrusters
    • 15 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  • Then, Male 2 and Female 2 each perform:
    • 20 thrusters
    • 20 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  • Etc., following the same pattern

Michelle and Bryan went first with the 5s and then Jess and I with the 10s. We ended up 4 reps shy of finishing the sets of 30 for a total of 416 reps.

Wasn’t as bad as we were expecting because you got a lot of rest when the other pair was going. I think I went 10, 10-10, and 9-8-7-6 on my thrusters. The sets of 20 and 30 C2B sucked!

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3 more workouts to go…

Rowing Retests

Got in to the gym before the 9am class started to get going on my rowing for the day.

Warm-up

3 Rounds NFT

  • 8 Reverse Hyper (160#)
  • 1:00 Air Dyne

Row

  • 3:00 for distance
  • 10:00 Rest
  • 250m for time
  • Rest as needed (about 6:00)
  • 20:00 at low intensity

I just didn’t have the juice for the 3 minute test. Beat the first week, but that was limited by 24 s/m so can’t really compare. I did 904 meters, but was thinking maybe I could get close to a 1k. Legs just didn’t have any go.

Felt like I recovered well in the 10 minutes. Took me what seemed like a long time to get going (under 1:20/500m pace) on the 250 but when I got there I was able to hold on. My PR was a 40.4 and I was thinking sub 40 might be possible. Got close with 40.1. My first 100m was in 16.6 compared to my PR of 16.0, so just need to start better and I’ll have it.

I actually wasn’t as out of breath after this as I’ve been in the past. Those power intervals must be working. Took about 6 minutes and then got in on the easy row. Tried to stay around a 2:14-2:15 pace and 24 s/m. Ended up with 4,465 meters and a 2:14.3/500m average.

Can’t wait to see the Team Series workouts released tonight!

Laboring

One class at 10am for the holiday.

Warm-up

  • 2×10 Reverse Hyper (160#)
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Shoulder stretching
  • Barbell warm-up with 45-95#

Conditioning

  • 800m Run
  • 30 Squat Snatch (95#)
  • 400m Run
  • 30 Hang Squat Clean (95#)
  • 200m Run
  • 30 Back Squats (95#)
  • 400m Run
  • 30 Push-ups
  • 800m Run
  • 30 Pull-ups

This is a memorial WOD for a coach at a box in Kentucky that recently passed away. Got nasty real quick with those squat snatches. I started off with 2 triples and then switched to singles the rest of the way. I was wondering what was taking people so long to do their 400 until I went out and started mine. Legs didn’t want to move. I could have walked it faster. I did the cleans in five sets of 6 without much trouble. Really slow on the 200. Didn’t put the bar down for the back squats and then even slower for the 400 meters. Fives on the push-ups and it was a nice rest for the legs. Was able to go a little faster for the 800 and finished up with sets of 5 pull-ups at a time with a quick turn-around. Finished in 30:20. It’s embarrassing how bad my running has become when I’m tired. :-/

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Pre-Labor

Glad I took it easy yesterday.

Warm-up

  • 3×10 Reverse Hyper (160#)
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Shoulder Stretching

Accessory

6 Sets

  • 3 Weighted Pull-ups (35-40-45-50-50-50#)
  • 10 Decline Push-ups (2×12, 4×16″)

Can’t remember the last time I’ve done a weighted pull-up. Seemed harder than it should have been. The push-ups weren’t very hard, but something different.

Weightlifting

E2M 20:00

  • Power  Snatch
  • Hang Squat Snatch
  • OHS

Warmed up with a little work at 45-75-95#. Started with 105# on my first set. Increased by 10# up to 155#, then 160#, and finally the final 3 sets with 165#. Bringing the bar back down and getting a solid grip on it for the hang snatch was probably the hardest part; really felt it in that thumb area. I think the tempo overhead squat work is helping already. Felt more comfortable in the bottom position and the OHS felt like butter.

Conditioning

  • 200m Run
  • 40 T2B
  • 200m Run

Quick one. I went with sets of 5 toes to bars without much rest between, which served me well up until the final 5 reps where I went 1-2-2 I think. Finished in 3:38 with enough in the tank where I could still run hard the 2nd time around.

Midline

4 Rounds NFT

  • 30s Hollow Hold
  • 50 Double Unders

First hold was rough but was able to do each one without breaking. Each set of dubs were done unbroken too. Rested about 60-90 seconds between rounds. Abs are pretty sore from the weighted GHDs yesterday.

Got in some solid work but nothing crushing. Will be thankful for that with the workout that is planned for tomorrow.

Working Little Things

My plan for the week went out the window when golf was rained out on Thursday. Felt like I needed a recovery day so skipped the 10am class. Out in the garage around noon for accessory work.

Warm-up

  • 3:00 Ski Erg (640m)
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation

OHS – 33X3 Tempo

  • 3×45#
  • 3×75#
  • 3×95#
  • 3×115#
  • 3×125#
  • 3×135#
  • 3×145#
  • 3×155#

Started just inside of jerk grip at 45# and does that ever feel terrible. I can tell the bar is way forward but I can’t get it back. Hopefully as I keep doing this it will improve. Slowly inched out my hands each set. Fewer sets today so didn’t even make it out to the collars like I have been. Here’s the final set (not slomo).

Accessory

6 Sets

  • 10/10 Single Leg RDL (75-75-95-95-95-95#)
  • 10 Decline DB Bench (50# DBs)
  • 10 Weighted GHD Sit-ups (20# MB)

Used a barbell for the RDLs today so I could go heavier. I could have used 2 DBs but I didn’t feel like having to change the weight going back and forth between the bench. Doesn’t look like much but I was sweating buckets through this.

Finished up with Crossover Symmetry Iron Scap.

Only 1:00 Rest

Sore in a few places from the last couple of days. Deadlifts got my hamstrings, both days got my shoulders, all of the pressing yesterday got my traps, and I think the heavy squats followed up by the set of 35 squats in the metcon got the rest of my legs. Went in around 5pm to get in my rowing.

Warm-up

3 Rounds NFT

  • 10 Reverse Hyper (160#)
  • 1:00 Air Dyne

Row: Power Intervals

  • 1:00 @ 24 s/m
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1:00 @ 26
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1:00 @ 28
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1:00 28+ (must be rowing full length)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1:00 Flat-out (full length not required)
  • 15:00 Rest then repeat

Oh my! From 2 minutes of rest, to 1:40, to 1:20, and finally down to a minute. Big improvement during both sets on the 24-26-28, but I had no power left for the final 2 minutes of each set. I was still able to set a new best for the first set and total though. Total of 3,181 meters this week, up from the first week of 3,088, the second week with 3,166, and last week with 3,174. Same work time every week just less rest between each minute of work. I stuck to the same 15 minutes of rest between sets, which was definitely needed.

Pretty sure this is the first week where my pace/500m has actually gotten slower in the final minute. In the first set I actually kind of stopped for a second or two before I slapped myself and kept going. So much lactic acid build up after the first four minutes.

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Next week is a retest so I’m excited to see where I’m add. Should see a nice improvement if this power intervals are any indication. Timing is good too since I’ll need to get in the Team Series workouts.

I think tomorrow is going to turn into a light day instead of going to the 10am class. Feeling a little rough from this week and don’t want to go into testing and the Team Series beat up.

Gold Star

Had taken the day off work to play our end of the year golf tournament. We only got through 7 holes before storms rolled in and it rained all day. So back home and worked out in the garage before 5pm.

Warm-up

  • 3×10 Reverse Hyper (180#)

Was pretty easy to setup and take down my contraption.

Strength: Safety Bar Squats

  • 10×65#
  • 6×135#
  • 3×185#
  • 3×225#
  • 3×245#
  • 3×255#
  • 3×265#
  • 3×275#
  • 3×285#
  • 3×295#

Lifting shoes but no belt. Second to last rep was a struggle so I started thinking too much and made my final rep pretty squirrely.

Warmed up for the metcon with 5 shoulder press + 5 overhead squats with 45# and 95#.

Conditioning

  • 10 Shoulder Presses (115#)
  • 15 OHS
  • 20 Push Presses
  • 25 Front Squats
  • 30 Push Jerks
  • 35 Back Squats

Same bar and load for each movement. One of my favorites to come back to because it tests you in many different ways. I’ve done it three times now, getting better each time.

  1. 4/15/13 – 14:03
  2. 7/21/14 – 13:34
  3. 9/3/15 – 10:33

Over a 3 minute improvement in the last year! I went 7 shoulder press, 3 presses then on to my back and in to 9 overhead squats, and then finished the last 6 OHS. Push presses were done 9-6-5, front squats 10-10-5, push jerks with 3 sets of 10, and didn’t put the bar down for the 35 back squats. Tried not to rest too much when I dropped the bar in between sets.

Jumped on the Air Dyne for a very easy 10 minutes to flush out the legs.

Check out some CrossFit elite doing this one…

Push It

In bed early. Not a fan of this heat wave. Bring back the 70s. Made it to the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • 2×10 Reverse Hypers (210#)
  • 10 Air Squats
  • 10 Good Mornings (45#)
  • 5 Burpees
  • Deadlift
    • 6×155#
    • 5×205#
    • 6×245#

Strength-ish

12:00 EMOM (alternating)

  • 6 Deadlifts
  • 6 Burpees

I went 275# for the first 3 sets, 295# for 2 sets, and 325# for the final. No belt. Felt good.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 8/8 Kroc Rows (70#)
  • 8 Barbell Curls (75#)

Little heavy for the curls, but tried hard not to cheat the reps. By this point I was nearly soaked with sweat already.

Conditioning

  • 3:00 AMRAP
    • 8 Thrusters (95#)
    • 8 Push-ups
  • 2:00 Rest
  • 5:00 AMRAP
    • 8 Wall Balls (20#, 10′ target)
    • 8 OH Lunges (45# plate)

Push, push, and more push! I couldn’t do push-ups after the thrusters. Struggle-bus through 3 rounds plus 12 reps. Arms didn’t want to work going into those first wall balls. Lunges were in done in place. Got through 5 rounds plus 6 reps.

On Target

Felt fatigued this morning, especially in the lower body. Skipped out on CrossFit in the morning. Between golf and mowing the lawn, went over 11.5 miles on foot yesterday according to the iOS Health app. I think it had a cumulative effect in addition to the weekend workouts.

2015-08-31-on-foot

Made it to CFi in the afternoon when I needed a break from work.

Warm-up

3 Sets

  • 10 Reverse Hyper (210#)
  • 1:00 Air Dyne (AD2)

Row: Pacing & Engine

  • Interval 1
    • 4:00 @ 20 s/m
    • 4:00 @ 22
    • 2:00 @ 26
    • 2:00 @ 28
  • 6:00 Rest
  • Interval 2
    • 4:00 @ 22
    • 3:00 at rate 24
    • 2:00 @ 26
    • 1:00 @ 28
    • 1:00 @ 28+ (full length)
    • 1:00 flat-out

Final week before retesting. This was a challenging upgrade to the pacing workouts. Starts to converge on the power intervals at the end. The 4 s/m jump in the first set was interesting. Bumped up the pace @ 20 strokes/min right out of the gate and increased from there. Wasn’t too bad. Looking back I’m a little surprised to see how consistent my pacing was and how I was damn near spot on with the 2 second change for every 2 strokes per minute. Must be getting a lot more comfortable in the seat. The end of the 2nd twelve minutes was pretty damn tough. Went a total of 6,221 meters.

rowing-wod-w5s1