Nick Momrik

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.

Back at the Whip

Holy shit, by 7pm last night my back was twitching all over the place (and still is doing it some this morning) from concentrating on better movement with the Kroc rows! I got another 9+ hours of sleep last night, but this cold is still lingering. I’m limping a little on both calves instead of only the right one. My back is a bit aggravated. I got to the scale for the first time in weeks and as expected my weight is up. Was just over 206 pounds, so it’s time to cut.

Today CrossFit Whip reopened in the basement, which will be where the less skill focused “Sweat” classes will be held. The CrossFit area upstairs isn’t ready yet. I went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

3 Rounds

5 Hand Release Push-ups
10/10 Arm Circles
10 Air Squats
10/10 Leg Swings

Conditioning

35:00 AMRAP

50 Push-ups
50 Dumbbell Thrusters (20# DBs)
50 cal Row
50 Overhead Walking Lunges (20# DBs)
50 Step-ups (24″)
50 H2H KBS (53#)
50 Burpees
50 H2H KBS
50 Step-ups
50 Overhead Walking Lunges
50 cal Row
50 Dumbbell Thrusters
50 Push-ups

I did 5×10 push-ups, 5×10 thrusters, and averaged around 1,200 cal/hr on the rower the first time. It was 12 steps for me to get across the floor, which was a good place to rest and then I took two extra steps on my fourth length. Alternated lead legs every five step-ups, did the swings unbroken and kept slowly moving through the burpees. My second row was more like 1,000 cal/hr or lower. I think I started with 10 thrusters, and then did some fives with holding the dumbbells at my sides for a quick rest, then held on for 15 final reps. I ended up getting through 45 thrusters, so only had five left and the 50 push-ups. I subbed step-ups instead of box jumps because of my calves and hand-to-hand swings instead of American swings because of my back.

I can’t remember the last time a chipper like this was programmed. I bet this didn’t come from the Chalk Online – CrossFit program, which is what we usually follow. Looks like one of Ryan Fischer’s Chalk Online – Sweat! workouts.

Midline & Gymnastics

3 Sets

20 McGill Dead Bugs
20s Prone PVC Raise & Hold
20s Handstand Hold (nose to wall)

Stayed after for some extra work.

Another Calf Strain

I took another nap yesterday and got a lot of sleep last night. Still popping drugs to keep this cold under control. My holiday break is over, so it’s back to work today. Out in the garage at noon.

Warm-up

5:00 Airdyne

Did 109 calories and 2.63 km.

Planned on doing 18.1, but my back is way too tight for those movements and didn’t feel like I had the energy for a solid effort.

Conditioning

Flight Simulator

5-10…45-50-45…10-5 Unbroken Double Unders

Didn’t miss until 49/50 (before the clock was even at 4:00) and then it was a fucking shitshow!! My right calf strained (like it did over the summer) at 10:30 on the clock trying to get through 20 so that was the end of my workout. My PR is 9:30, so that tells you how bad I did coming back down from 50. Estimated that I did 580 dubs (which is probably low), so I logged it as an AMRAP in BTWB.

Accessory

5 Sets

10/10 DB Hammer Curls (alternating, 25#)
8/8 Kroc Rows (70#)
1:30 Rest

I focused on not shrugging my shoulders up for the curls. With the rows I focused on keeping my shoulder blades down and back.

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

Was able to do these on a elbow by using two layers of soft thick mats.

The gym finally opens back up tomorrow with limited functionality, but I might make it a rest day.

Sick, but Recovering

Started getting stuffed up on Monday night and woke up with my WHOOP recovery in the yellow after a seven day green streak. Sinuses really started bothering me as the day progressed. My quads and ass were getting very very sore! Made New Year’s Eve a rest day. I took a nice nap, loaded up on drugs through the day, and was in bed at 10pm. Still not feeling great this morning and my quads are still on fire. Out in the garage at 11.

Warm-up

5:00 Airdyne

Did 112 calories and 2.66 km.

Accessory

5 Sets

6/6 Single Arm Front Rack Squats (53#)
10 Sumo KB Deadlifts (70#)

A way for me to easy back into some lifting and see how my back handles a little load. When holding the kettlebell in my right arm I could feel my back a little unless I made an adjustment to my positioning.

Conditioning

4 Rounds

2:00 Sandbag Cleans over the Box (100#, 48″)
1:00 Rest
1:00 Rope Pulls
1:00 Hand Release Push-ups
1:00 Rest

Not going to lie, I was scared when I went to pick up the sandbag for a warm-up attempt. No issues though. I twisted my ankle on a rep in the first or second round when I came down on the sandbag, but walked it off right away and it never bothered me. Just made sure to jump down to the side of the bag from there on out. I did 10-12-12-13 with the sandbag, 9 rope pulls each time, and 25-23-25-25 push-ups. Tried for some larger sets in that third round, which just made me rest more, hence the fewer reps.

Midline

3 Sets

10 Curl-ups (3s Pause)

3 Sets

10/10 Bird Dogs + 10s pause