Author: Nick Momrik

I'm searching for my first hole-in-one. I enjoy being active and making things. I work for Automattic.

15.4 + Super Sunday

Feeling good after not beating up my body since tweaking my back on Wednesday. We had some people coming in from another local gym to do 15.4, so got in at 11 to get it done before Super Sunday started.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Roll back
  • PVC Pass-thrus
  • Cleans
    • 5×45#
    • 5×95#
    • 3×135#
    • 3×185#

2015 CrossFit Games Open Workout 15.4

8:00 AMRAP

  • 3 HSPU
  • 3 Cleans (185#)
  • 6 HSPU
  • 3 Cleans (185#)
  • 9 HSPU
  • 3 Cleans (185#)
  • 12 HSPU
  • 6 Cleans (185#)
  • 15 HSPU
  • 6 Cleans (185#)
  • 18 HSPU
  • 6 Cleans (185#)
  • 21 HSPU
  • 9 Cleans (185#)
  • Etc., adding 3 reps to the handstand push-up each round, and 3 reps to the clean every 3 rounds.

My goal was to get through the 15 HSPU and 6 cleans. Didn’t want to do more than 3 handstand push-ups in a row and all singles in the cleans. I was feeling good on the set of 6 so went 4-2 which was dumb because it doesn’t save any time. Reminded myself after that to stick to 3s, but that even got pretty hard in the round of 12. My tiebreak time after the 9-3 round was 2:20, way ahead of schedule. My HSPU started to die in that set of 12. Got a few no reps over that next part of the workout and was down to doubles and singles. Just couldn’t press out anymore. Cleans were no problem. I didn’t have much time at the end, but just enough to bust through the 6 cleans to hit my goal with 1 second to spare. 66 reps and I’ll take it. Not hard at all on the lungs until the end when I had to bust through the cleans. All about managing the muscle fatigue in this workout for me.

Was a little crazy in the gym this morning so got a later than normal start for the regular workout.

20:00 AMRAP

  • 20 Box Jumps (24″)
  • 20 Burpees
  • 20 Sit-ups
  • 20 Walking Lunges
  • 20 Push-ups

With a lot of people, we set up stations and shared equipment, so some time was spent walking from one area to the next. Tried to keep a pretty casual pace and just keep moving. Did my first round in about 4:40, then it got a little slower the next two rounds. Picked up the pace in the fourth round and managed to get it done with a few seconds left, but was too far away from the boxes. My push-ups even felt good after all the HSPU. I did all sets of 10 until the last round when I did 14-6.

6 Sets

  • 30s Bottom Ring Dip Holds
  • 100′ Farmer’s Carry (62# + 70# KBs)

Didn’t really know how the holds would go since it was the first time trying them. My lift arm started to go numb actually from the ring hold in the last 2 sets. I was able to strict press out of the dip on the first 5, but just didn’t have enough left on the last one.

5x

  • 250m Row
  • ~2:00 Rest

My times were 45.1, 45.4, 46.2, 45.1, and 44.4.

A lot of work overall, but nothing that really destroys you.

Self Maintenance

All human beings should be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.

Kelly Starrett

Back feels ok. Taking it easy today though so I can do 15.4 tomorrow and then Super Sunday. Out in the garage around 11am.

Warm-up

  • 15:00 of Back Stretching
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation

Saw a routine from Jared Fleming a few weeks ago that he used to help with back problems. I’ve been doing it the last few days. Can’t hurt. Hopefully it’ll help with my tight hamstrings as well.

Conditioning

15 Rounds

  • 150m Ski Erg
  • 1:30 Active Rest
    • 15s Walk
    • 1:00 Air Dyne (slow)
    • 15s Walk

The walk was really the transition time to go around the Jeep from one side of the garage to the other. Forgot to check total distance on the AD. Times on the Ski Erg were:

  1. 31.2
  2. 31.2
  3. 31.5
  4. 31.3
  5. 31.0
  6. 31.1
  7. 31.3
  8. 31.0
  9. 30.9
  10. 31.2
  11. 31.1
  12. 31.2
  13. 31.1
  14. 30.9
  15. 30.4

Accessory

  • 4×15 Banded Reverse Hypers (green)
  • Crossover Symmetry Recovery

The 15.4 Handstand Push-up Standard

Back feels better this morning, but still not ready to handle any load. I think I’ll wait to do 15.4 until Sunday. Wanted to try out the HSPU standard though and get in some work, so went in the morning.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • 2×10 Reverse Hyper (210#)
  • 2×3 HSPU to test the standard

Conditioning

This is a row workout I had saved up from Chris Hinshaw.

  • 1000m
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 800m
  • 3:00 Rest
  • 1000m
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 600m
  • 3:00 Rest
  • 1000m
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 400m
  • 3:00 Rest
  • 1000m
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 200m

Pacing: 1,000m at 2000m PR pace plus 10-15sec/500m and others at 2000m PR pace plus 0-10sec/500m.

My times (with pace) for the thousands were 3:54.6 (1:57.3), 3:52.8 (1:56.4), 3:52.8 (1:56.4), and 3:50.5 (1:55.2). For the faster intervals my times were 2:52.7 (1:47.9), 2:07.8 (1:46.5), 1:24.4 (1:45.5), 41.9 (1:44.7). Felt good and I always like when I can get faster as the workout goes on.

I wanted to get some videos of the HSPU to show the way I do them because I had absolutely no troubles with this new standard for 15.4. If you normally do your handstand push-ups with an AbMat and bumper plates, while aiming to look similar to a push press lockout (heels up), I suspect you will have absolutely no problems. If you like to keep your hands wide or have the plates far away from the wall, you’re going to have to learn faster than Bridges did. Did he think he was going to get taller during the workout or something? Move your damn hands in or closer to the wall! Here’s a video showing my HSPU technique.

I jumped back on the Reverse Hyper for 3x15x210# and then did Crossover Symmetry Recovery.

Recovery Intervals

Slept ok, so that’s good. Didn’t have any of the shooting back pains when it was the worst. Feels pretty rough though. I did some icing and used the TENS unit last night and I’m icing as I type this. Out in the garage after waking up.

Air Dyne (AD2)

3 Sets

  • 10 Rounds
    • 30s @ 85% (75-80 rpm)
    • 30s Slow (
  • 3:00 Rest

Wanted something different instead of the straight 30-40 minutes of active recovery. Didn’t work up a sweat until the end when I went a little harder. For each of the 3 sets I went 4.85km, 4.93km, and 5.13km.

Did Crossover Symmetry Recovery after. I think I’ll jump on the Reverse Hyper tonight at CFi before watching the 15.4 Open announcement.

Reverse Hyper

  • 4x15x210#

What Next Back?

Went to the 5:30 class since it’s bench night

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • 2 Rounds
    • 5 Strict C2B Pull-ups
    • 10 Push-ups
    • 15 Air Squats

I pretty much always do my strict pull-ups chest-to-bar now. Why stop with just the chin over the bar if it’s a manageable number of reps?

Strength

Was supposed to be an alternating EMOM of bench press and Pendlay rows. Since we bench after class I wasn’t going to do more in class. I figured I’d hit some taller box jumps I warmed up with 5 jumps at 24″ and 10×45#, 5×135#, and 2×185# for Pendlay rows. I made it through a round of 5×185# rows and 10 box jumps at 30″. After 2 reps on the 2nd round of rows my back tweaked hard. WTF! Would never have expected to do anything with this movement since the back is pretty much just holding a stable position. Guess I wasn’t doing those movements anymore today, so I switched over to the RH.

4 Sets

  • 10 Reverse Hyper (210#)

Conditioning

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

  • Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • Pull-ups
  • Ball Slams (25#)

Had a goal to go unbroken the whole way and did. Finished in 7:08.

Midline

Class did a tabata plank hold, so I made it a goal to not rest at all. Made it through the entire 4 minutes to beat my PR old 2:57 hold on the elbows.

No B.S. Bench Press

Week 5 of the program. Shoulders and upper body were already warm from the workout, so didn’t need much to get going.

  • 5×135#
  • 5×185#
  • 4x4x215#

It felt like my right arm was lagging behind a hair on some reps, but other than that it was solid and with good speed on the bar.

Showing Up Can Be an Accomplishment

Woke up late. Almost 8am by the time I rolled out of bed. Wasn’t feeling motivated to make it to the gym for 9am, but did because I have to pick up Mom from the airport tonight.

Warm-up

  • 500m Row
  • Bottom Squat Hold

Strength

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

  • 5×45#
  • 5×135#
  • 5×185#
  • 5×215#
  • 5×245#
  • 5×265#
  • 5×285#

Back squats were on the menu, but still no squatting for me. Sucks! Allows me to focus on a weak part of the legs though, so that’s a positive.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 5 HSPU
  • 7 Power Cleans (135#)
  • 9 Box Jumps (24″)

Didn’t have the energy or motivation to go very hard so I set a goal of doing the cleans unbroken every round. Success! Finished in 7:47.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 5 Evil Wheels
  • 8/8 Kroc Rows (62#)

Tried not to get the body into the rows and focus on making the correct muscles do all of the work.

Retest After 2 Years

I am feeling those wall balls from 15.3 in my hamstrings and ass! Good turnout today even with several people away and some running St. Patrick’s Day races in Bay City.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Shoulder Stretching
  • Cleans
    • 3×95#
    • 3×135#
    • 3×165#
    • 3×185#

Conditioning

7 Rounds

  • 3 Cleans (205#)
  • 21 Unbroken DU

Did this one 2 years ago at CrossFit Full Strength and it took me 9:14. Today it only took 5:24 and I had a miss on 2 sets of dubs! Did all singles on the bar, but never really took a rest.

5:00 AMRAP
2-4-6-8…

  • Hang Power Snatch (95#)
  • Box Jumps (24″)

Got nasty pretty quick! I finished the 10s and then 12 snatches.

Gymnastics

10 Sets

  • 3 Strict C2B Pull-ups
  • 3 Strict Pause Ring Dips (5s)

Really focused on keeping a tight hollow position in both movements. Wanted to be explosive with my pull-up. Got tough with the longer pause on the dips.

Midline

3x

  • MAX Weighted Plank (45#)
  • ~2:00 Rest

I went 2:15, 1:30, and 1:25.

Feeling Some Shoulders

My shoulders feel beat up and seems like some sort of impingement in the left one that has been creeping up over the last few weeks. Went in for the 10am class.

Warm-up

  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Ankle stretching
  • PVC pass-thrus
  • Shoulder stretching

Strength

Push Jerk

  • 5×45#
  • 5×95#
  • 3×115#
  • 3×135#
  • 3×155#
  • 3×185#
  • 2×205#
  • 1×225#
  • 1×245#

Conditioning

20:00 Partner Workout

  • Buy-in: 200 American KBS (53#)
  • AMRAP – each do an entire round and then rest
    • 3 Power Cleans (115#)
    • 7 Push Jerks (115#)
    • 9 Deadlifts (115#)

Teamed up with Bryan. We alternated sets of 15 kettlebell swings and then each had a set of 10 at the end. We kept a steady pace on the bar and got 10 rounds each, plus I got 3 cleans before time ran out. The load was good and allowed us to keep the gas on. When the clean weight is lighter like this I’m starting to work on going right from the front rack to the ground instead of making that slight pause back at the thigh on the way down.

Felt like hitting some more jerks after trying to help some folks with muscle-ups.

More Strength

Push Jerk

  • 2×205#
  • 2×225#
  • 2×245#
  • 1×255# (PR match)

For some reason I thought I’d done 260 or 265 before or I would have added more weight to set a PR. Oh well. Strength is there for the jerks, just need confidence and technique work for my split. Definitely going to become a priority once the Open is over and I take a couple of easy weeks to heal up some of this lingering stuff I’m dealing with.

Hit some intervals around 5.

Ski Erg

This was a Hinshaw rowing working, but easily adapted to ski.

4 Rounds

  • 500m (2:02.4 pace target)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 300m (1:54 pace target)
  • 3:00 rest

My times on the 500s were 2:02.2, 2:03.7, 2:01.6, and 2:01.4. I messed up in the 2nd round thinking I had to be under a 2:04. The 300s were 1:08.4, 1:08.3, 1:08.2, and 1:08.1. Not very hard to hit those paces and I don’t have a true 2k PR, so I based the paces off something 20 seconds faster than I’ve done.

Did Crossover Symmetry Recovery after and one of the bands snapped on my ghetto system!

  

2015 CrossFit Games Open Workout 15.3

I was happy to see what Castro announced for 15.3. Was pretty excited to give it a shot today. Got to the gym a little after 5:15 to start warming up.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • PVC pass-thrus
  • Bottom Squat Holds
  • 1 Muscle-up
  • 5 Wall Balls

Wanted to get that one rep in there since sometimes I fall through on my first one in a workout.

2015 CrossFit Games Open Workout 15.3

14:00 AMRAP

  • 7 MU
  • 50 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 100 DU

My goal was to get 2 rounds plus at least another muscle-up. I planned to go 3-2-2 on the first set, get a double on the second set and then do doubles or singles, whatever I could do. Planned for 15-15-10-10 on the first set of wall balls or 5 sets of 10 depending how I felt coming off the rings and then sets of 10 for the other round. Hoped to cut myself off at 40 double unders and do 3 sets each round.

Things played out a bit differently and mostly for the better. Easy muscle-ups the first round with 3-2-2, so I went 15-15-10-10 on wall balls, but missed more than I’d like on the rope. Was done in under 5:00 I think when I figured 5:30 was a best case scenario. Went 2-2-2-1 on the rings and 5 sets of 10 on the wall, then a little struggle on the rope again, but 5 sets I think. Finished that second round at 11:37, way ahead of where I expected. Felt decent up there so busted out 3-2-2. Not sure where that came from. I guess I should have trusted all the muscle-up work more because it sure paid off. Then I just tried to get as many wall balls as I could before time ran out and got 27 for 348 total reps. Pumped!

IMG_5717

That was a fun workout and one I’ll try again in a few months.

Oh, and get this, about 15-20 minutes after the workout I did a strict muscle-up for the first time with no problem. WTF! Guess I just need those muscles really warmed up to do it.