Month: January 2020

Lost Capacity

Whatever was bothering the rib in my upper back was pretty much gone by the time I got home last night and no sign of it today. Good night of sleep, but still sore from early in the week. Out in the garage around noon.

Conditioning

30:00 Airdyne

I did 856 cals and 17.89 km and my average was HR 139 with a 161 max. Not good compared to three months ago when I did 950 and 18.79 with an average heart rate of 136 and max of 150! Have I lost that much aerobic capacity since I stopped the Engine Builder workouts? Or did I just not start out at a hard enough pace?

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests (all 3 on one side, then switch)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2 x 20 seconds
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds

All About That Pressing Life

All kinds of things started getting sore yesterday and more so today. My body was feeling beat up the times I woke up in the middle of the night. Yesterday was a rest day but I did some rehab stuff that focused on the hip and butt, which took almost an hour. Went to the 4pm class today.

Warm-up

  • 2:30 Run
  • 3 Rounds
    • 10 Jumping Jacks
    • 5 Push-ups
    • 10 PVC Passes
    • 5 Shoulder Press (45#)
  • Bench Press
    • 5×45#
    • 5×135

Strength Endurance

4 Cycles

  • 3:00 AMRAP
    • 20 cal Echo Bike
    • 10 Strict HSPU
    • MAX Bench Press (135-145-155-165#)
  • 2:00 Rest

All kinds of modifications for me today and for the next week as I try to let my back and calf rest. I did the bike instead of rowing, made the handstand push-ups harder by going strict, and benched instead of doing push jerks. This got really tough. I was pretty consistent with about 73-75 RPM on the bike. I was able to get through three sets of the HSPU unbroken and then 6-3-1 on the final set. My reps per round were 22-17-12-8 for bench press.

Conditioning

EMOM: 5 Burpees
Until the follow is finished:

  • 75 Air Squats
  • 75 Walking Lunges
  • 75 Push-ups

Here’s my modified version instead of 50 reps each of snatches, cleans, and push presses all with 45# dumbbells. When I went down for that first burpee I could already feel the fatigue in my shoulders and chest! It took me 11:55 and it was at about the same time as a couple of other guys so my choices worked out well.

I had planned to stay and practice handstand walking, but a rib in my back felt out of place or something. Plus there was so much pressing that I wasn’t up for it.

So Many Max Rep Sets

Feeling my back a little from yesterday and my shoulders are fatigued. Got to the gym around 12:30.

Warm-up

  • 50 cal Echo Bike

Then we spent forever hanging two sets of rings. There isn’t much extra room for my head in there. This kind of messed with me head for several of the sets.

4 Sets

  • MAX Deficit Parallette HSPU (2 AbMats ~6.5″)
  • MAX MU
  • 2:00-3:00 Rest

Our PVC parallettes are about 12″ high so with two AbMats call it a 6.5″ deficit. I didn’t want to start overextending in the handstand push-ups so I wouldn’t call my sets real maxes at all. I stopped well short of failure. I did 4 each time and they felt better than I expected having never done any on the parallettes before. Going right in to the muscle-ups wasn’t the easiest. I did 9-8-6-5 and was hitting my foot on the floor for some of the reps, which did throw me off some. Last February I did 10-7-6-6 going every three minutes, so pretty good today with the pre-fatigue and only one total rep less.

16:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 12 cal Echo Bike
  • 3-4 MU

Like a dumb ass, when I adjusted the rings, I lowered them, so then I started hitting my foot from the very first rep. I waited until we were done to adjust them properly.

I didn’t want to hinge with my back so I used the bike instead of the ski erg, which was probably much easier. I was able to get four unbroken every round except the sixth because I didn’t kip enough on that last rep. Wasn’t jumping up for a single either because I wasn’t confident I’d get four again in the later rounds. This got real terrible, which I guess is the point.

Nice to do muscle-ups again after not having rings or a rig for about three weeks.

DB Z Press

  • 8-8-12-12 (35#)
  • 90s Rest between sets

Did these in a straddle position. Maybe could have gone heavier, but I didn’t want to risk anything with my back.

4 Sets

  • MAX L-Sit Pull-ups (knees up)
  • 30s Prone GHD Hold

Just blown at this point and did not feel like hanging on the bar. Pussed out on the first set with only five, but then got 7-7-6 in the other rounds. I did the prone hold instead of single leg weighted back extensions.

Back on the Rig

Yep, time to properly rest this right calf. I about fell down the stairs this morning. Went to the 4pm class and we’re upstairs in the CrossFit room for the first time! They still have a lot of work to do, but almost all of the rig is up and there was flooring down.

Warm-up

  • 8×50′ Shuttle Run
  • 3 Rounds
    • 10 Jumping Jacks
    • 5 Air Squats
    • 10 PVC Passes
    • World’s Greatest Stretch
    • 10/10 Leg Swings

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 4/4 Single Arm DB Front Squats (50#)
  • 8 Glute Bridges (50# DB)

Nothing crazy for me as the class did back squats and the bridges (or hip thrusts).

Conditioning

Tabata

  • T2B
  • OH Single Arm Walking Lunge (50#)
  • Seated Shoulder Press (45#)
  • MB Cleans (20#)

I decided I’m going to scale all kinds of things for the next 1.5 weeks before I leave on a trip in order to let this leg and my back heal up. No explosive movements (jumping, driving up, etc.) with my legs and no barbell lifting. So then that really gives me almost a month before I’m back and hopefully can hit things hard again. Will give me a lot of time to focus on gymnastics movements, bodyweight stuff, and maybe the bike. The class programming was T2B, barbell lunges, push presses, and Sumo deadlift high pulls (all with 95#).

I definitely wore grips for the toes to bars. Weston and I couldn’t remember what we used to do for these, but thought it was 7-8. So of course we both went for eight out of the gate. I got six rounds unbroken, did 4-4 in round seven, and then 6×1 in the eighth. Might have been able to sustain seven unbroken the whole way. I did six lunges every round. I sat on a medicine ball for the shoulder presses, doing four rounds of ten and four rounds of eight. I bet I feel those presses tomorrow. Then I did seven every time for the medicine ball cleans.

I went back and looked at my history and the best I’d done for Tabata T2B was 57 reps a year ago with 6×8 and 4-5. That day I did 5×8 unbroken, 5-3, and then singles. So 62 today was a nice PR!

I’m Not Pat

Didn’t do shit yesterday other than watch the Mayhem Classic. I’m still feeling my back a little bit at points during the night. I may hold off on hitting the barbell all week. Got to the gym early before 10am open gym.

Warm-up

  • 50 cal Echo Bike
  • 50 cal Ski Erg
  • 50 cal Row
  • 50 cal Echo Bike
  • Reverse Grip Bench Press
    • 8×45#
    • 8×95
    • 8×135

Figured I’d get in some extra aerobic work with a long warm-up.

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 8 Reverse Grip Bench Press (155-160-165-170-175#)
  • 8/8 Hammer Curls (30-30-35-35-40# DBs)

Gymnastics

Worked on handstand walking for 15 minutes. I still have a lot to work on but I was starting to consistently get out to 15 feet or more.

 

Conditioning

  • 100 Burpee Box Jump Overs (24″)

Pat Vellner did this in 5:37 earlier this week! I did not.

I went out way too hot in the first 10 reps and my heart rate never recovered. I was hoping for sub 10 minutes but when I got through 25 reps around 2:15 I knew it wasn’t in the cards and changed my goal to break 11. I was through 50 some time after 5:00 and was doing 10 reps about every 70 seconds, so I knew I’d have to turn things up a notch. I picked up the pace with 20 reps left, almost biffed it around 8 reps left, and made up a lot of ground on my pace to finish in 10:40. That was a nasty workout!

I started feeling my right calf in the middle of the workout and had to start jumping mostly off my left leg. Was limping almost immediately after the workout. That calf is not happy with me.

Midline & HS Mobility

8 Sets

  • 12s RKC Plank
  • 20s Rest

5 Sets

  • 15s Prone PVC Raise + Hold
  • 40s Rest

Press Everything

Nothing is bothering me from yesterday’s workout. Went in around 3:20 to do Molly’s workout.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×135
  • 8×185
  • 8×205
  • 6×215
  • 6×235
  • 4×255

That’s a new 6RM, which I’ve never really gone for and matches the 4RM I set on December 3rd.

Shoulder Press

  • 5×45#
  • 5×95
  • 5×115
  • 5×135
  • 5×150

That’s only 5# shy of my best 5RM. I put my belt on for the last set.

Push Press

  • 3×185#
  • 3×205
  • 3×215

Tightened the belt for the second set and then the rest of the overhead lifting. Just 10# shy of my best 3RM.

Push Jerk

  • 2×225#
  • 2×335
  • 2×245

Second and third set felt better than the first. Matches my 2RM and only 10# shy of my 1RM.

Conditioning

16:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 12 cal Ski
  • 15 HSPU
  • 18 Push-ups
  • Rest

I was doing about ~1,300-1,350 cal/hr on the ski erg. Was able to do the first three rounds of handstand push-ups 8-7 but was really grinding and only got 5-5-3 for 13 reps in the final round. I did 12-6, 6-6-6, and two rounds of 5-5-5-3 for the push-ups. Pretty nasty workout after so much pressing the weights. I probably should have done 15 calories for a male, but I knew the HSPU would be the challenge and appreciated the extra rest.

An Odd Mix

I felt wrecked on Tuesday night, which I did not expect from that workout. Can’t say that I ever really go 60 minute straight like that though. My shoulders and neck were beat the fuck up. Glad yesterday was a rest day. Went to the gym at 4pm.

Warm-up

  • 31 cal Row
  • 15 PVC Passes

Conditioning

  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 14 Goblet Squats (53#)
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 20 AbMat Sit-ups
  • 12 Assault Bike Calories
  • 14 Goblet Lunges (53#)
  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 1:00 Plank
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 10 Hand-to-Hand Kettlebell Swings (53#)
  • 12 Assault Bike Calories
  • 4x10s Star Planks
  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 25 Air Squats
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 20 Lying Leg Lifts
  • Rest 5 mins
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 14 Goblet Squats (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 20 AbMat Sit-ups
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 14 Goblet Lunges (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 1:00 Plank
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 10 Hand-to-Hand Kettlebell Swings (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 30/30s Side Planks
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 25 Air Squats
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 20 Lying Leg Lifts

Pretty weird workout with a random assortment of movements, none of which fatigued any muscle group. It was really an E2M workout with a machine being the buy-in each minute, complete the other movement, and then rest. So depending on the movement you got about a minute of rest (KBS) or almost no rest (planks).

Do it Fatigued

Woke up feeling good and I’m not taking cold meds anymore. Decided to stay home for the day instead of repeating a bunch of movements at the gym that could aggravate my back, which got a lot of volume from kettlebell swings and squats yesterday. Out in the garage at about 12:30. Did 3×10 PVC passes to warm-up.

E6M – 10 Rounds

  • 20 Shoulder Taps (facing wall)
  • 5 Strict HSPU (facing wall)
  • Airdyne

Originally I thought I might just sit on the bike for an hour. This seemed like a good way to break it up and get in some time upside down. I wall walked up each round because of the location in my garage. I really started to struggle and grind out the last couple of handstand push-ups in round four. I did, however, keep a very consistent timing and got about 5:00 on the bike each round. In round five or six I started going legs only for the final minute to let my upper body rest. Eventually I also realized the taps were easier when my nose was closer to the wall. I made it through each set on the wall unbroken, though I’m not sure I would have made it one more set. Ended with 1,058 calories and 25.62 km on the Airdyne.

Hot in the Basement

My back was a little tight this morning, but much better than the previous two days and it didn’t bother me much in bed. Another 100% day on my WHOOP sleep score. Went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

  • 2:00 Row (40 cals)
  • 3 Rounds
    • 5 HR Push-ups
    • 10/10 Arm Circles
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10/10 Leg Swings

Conditioning

  • 10:00 Time Cap – 15-15-12-12-9-9
    • cal Row
    • DB Thrusters (20# DBs)
  • 3:00 Rest
  • 10:00 Time Cap – 10-20-30-40-50
    • H2H KBS (53#)
    • Air Squats
  • 3:00 Rest
  • 5 Rounds
    • 1:00 Turkish Get-ups (26#)
    • 1:00 Flutter Kicks

I scaled down the dumbbells from 35# and it was a good choice with my back. Allowed me to stay unbroken and finish in 7:58. I tried to row around 1,200 cal/hr the entire way.

In the second workout I scaled down from American swings and went unbroken. Took me 9:28.

In the third I moved quick on my get-ups. I’m pretty sure I did another get-up in some of my rounds. I always screw up my counting with the TGU by not remembering if I should count at the top or bottom of the rep, when I should clearly wait until I complete the entire rep to count it. I did all sets of 30 for the flutter kicks with short rests and did not do them in the hollow hold position. I logged 8-8-8-8-10 and 90-90-90-90-120 for my scores.

It’s actually kind of nice being limited in the basement while my back recovers, where we don’t have any barbells. It’s hot as hell down there though.

Step by Inverted Step

Yesterday I was feeling better with regards to the cold. My back did not feel very good though. Probably did too much too soon this week. Glad it was time for a rest day. My triceps started to feel a little sore last night. Still took cold meds this morning and I was thinking it would be the last of it, but I was hacking up a lung at the gym and sound all stuffed up. Not feeling any improvement in my back or with the strained calves. Went to open gym at 10.

Warm-up

5:00 Echo Bike

Did 52 calories.

Conditioning

6 Rounds

  • 30s Echo Bike
  • Transition
  • 20s Wall Sit
  • 2:00 Rest

My calories were 17-17-16-15-16-15. As nasty as I expected it to be.

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 20 Shoulder Taps (facing wall, tap across)
  • 5 Strict HSPU (facing wall)
  • 100′ Farmer Carry (53# KBs)
  • 1:30 Rest

We don’t have our big mats at the gym, so I cart-wheeled up for my shoulder taps and then side shuffled over and up on some plates with an AbMat for the handstand push-ups. Might have been the first time I’ve done those facing the wall and it’s a lot different. Good to work on them fatigued after the taps like that. This work ended up being a lot harder than I expected.

Midline

10 Sets

  • 10s RKC Plank
  • 20s Rest

Gymnastics

Worked on handstand walks and I’m making some solid progress already. Got out to 15 and 20 feet. I’m starting to feel things and be able to make changes in the middle of a walk.