Climbing Cleans & Bench

I woke up with my right feeling like it’s out of place or I need to crack the joint. Haven’t been able to relieve it all day though. My lats seem to be sore again! Went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

  • 40 cal Row
  • 2 Rounds
    • 10 PVC Passes
    • 10 HR Push-ups
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 Ring Rows
  • Power Clean
    • 6×45
    • 3×95
    • 3×135
    • 3×165
  • Bench Press
    • 6×45
    • 6×135
    • 3×165

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 3 Power Cleans (climbing)
  • 3 Bench Press (climbing)
  • 20 cal Echo Bike
  • 2:00 Rest

I used 185-195-205-215-225 on the cleans and 185-195-215-225-240 on the bench. Went out too hard on the bike and paid for it. My round times were 1:06, 1:21, 1:51, 1:59, and 1:26 to finish at 15:43 on the clock. I ran out of time changing weights before round 3 so didn’t get my belt on, so then I just kept it on the rest of the way. Both lifts felt good and I did all touch-n-go cleans.

Midline

10:00 EMOM (alt)

  • T2B
  • Russian Twists (30# DB)

Tried to work for 40-45 seconds and wore my grips. I went 10-7, 7-5-3, 5-5-3, 5-3-3-2, and 5-3-3-3 on the toes to bars and really fought not to do any singles. I am not a fan of using a dumbbell for the twists because I can’t find a good way to hold it. I did 50, 44, 40, 40, and 44 and those got a lot harder than I expected.

Bench 2RM

I was still pretty sore in my upper back yesterday from the muscle-ups and a bit is lingering even today. It was a much needed rest day yesterday. Out in the garage after 3pm without being able to preheat the garage since the truck battery is dead and we had to push it out to set up the rack. Brrr!!!

Bench Press

  • 6×45#
  • 6×135
  • 4×165
  • 2×195
  • 2×225
  • 2×245
  • 2×260
  • 2×270
  • 2×275
  • 2×280 (PR)

Last cycle I did 2×255, 2×260, 2x1x260 (failed 2nd rep of first set), and 2x1x265. Crushed those numbers and hit a New 2RM by five pounds! Two and a half years ago I did 2×275 and then 290 a week later, so I should be close to a 300# max, especially considering the fatigue from those muscle-ups.

bench-estimated-max.png

To be honest I’m getting sick of benching, which I’ve been doing for over 6 months now through three cycles of the No B.S. Bench Press program. I’m glad this was the last week of the cycle. All that’s left now is to hit 300 by the 26th!

After running the battery over to Autozone for a full charge I jumped on the bike.

Conditioning

40:00 Airdyne

Really easy pace at 66-68 RPM, getting 928 calories and 21.64 km.

Accessory Sunday

My upper back and shoulders are really sore. It’s tough putting on a jacket. Went to check out the new location for the gym this morning and then in for 10am open gym.

Warm-up

  • 30 cal Echo Bike
  • PVC Passes
  • HS Hold
  • HS Walking

Gymnastics Strength

5 Rounds

  • 15s Strict HSPU
  • 45s Rest
  • 15s Hand Release Push-ups
  • 45s Rest

I had planned on strict ring dips, but when I tried a few out, they were rough after those Friday muscle-ups. I don’t really need to be rubbing on the straps either because my arms are pretty raw and scabbing up. So I subbed in the HR push-ups. My handstand push-ups were even a struggle, getting 11-9-7-6-6. I did 12-11-11-10-11 on the hand releases.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 12 Banded KBS (35-35-44-44, red)
  • 8/8 Lateral Step-ups (30”)

4 Sets

  • 8 Barbell Curls (70#)
  • 8 DB Skull Crushers (35#)

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 w/ 10 second rests
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests

2 Sets

  • 10 Pallof Presses + 10 Rotations (per side)

3 Sets

  • 20s RKC Plank
  • 1:00 Rest

Did a little more handstand walking practice and I just wasn’t getting that forward lean going enough. Need to start working on it once a week.

No metcon today, which was nice. I definitely need a rest day tomorrow.

Try Hanging On

I didn’t sleep very well last night. My hands and pretty smoked and can already feel tightness in my upper back. Miss doing partner workouts so I went in at 9am.

Warm-up

  • Plank Cuban Shuffle
  • 45# Snatches, C&J, Thrusters
  • 95# Snatches, C&J

Partner Workout

  • 2 Rounds
    • 400m Row
    • 25 Power C&J (135#)
  • 2 Rounds
    • 50 cal Assault Bike
    • 25 Thrusters (135#)
  • 2 Rounds
    • 50 cal Row
    • 25 Power Snatches (135#)

I worked with Tom, who scaled his weights a bit. We also had a 3rd guy, but he worked at the same time as me. We split the row at 200m down the middle, calories 15-10, and barbell in fives everywhere. With doing fives it meant I did 15 reps in the first round and 10 in the second. I think I did one set of singles somewhere on the C&J and then started with singles on the snatches before hanging on unbroken the rest of the way. Good challenge with my grip feeling like it was. We finished at 27:35. I thought the thrusters would feel the worst, but they ended up feeling really good. Snatches got tough at the end.

Seventy Seven

No issues with my back after yesterday. 👍 Went in at 3pm for muscle-up work with Molly.

Warm-up

  • 50 cal Echo Bike
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Ring Swings

Gymnastics

Muscle-ups

  • 6×3
  • 6×4

**Rest as needed

Felt good and I easily hit every set.

Gymnastics Conditioning

20:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 10 cal Echo Bike
  • 3 MU
  • 8 Burpees
  • 4 MU

I’m not calling this conditioning because the bike and burpees weren’t at a fast pace. It was all about getting the muscle-ups done. 77 muscle-ups in a day is a huge number for me, so happy that I was able to hit all of my sets unbroken. I did have to start focusing more on my kip and a strong pull though. My 1st rep catches got iffy on several of these too. My grip is blown and I’m going to have some nice burns on my arms from the ring straps.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 8 Strict Ring Pull-ups
  • 8/8 Kroc Row (60# DB)
  • 90s Rest

This might have been the worst part because my hands were hurting so much and I had no pull left.

Power It

Body is still feeling pretty good. Went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

  • 2:00 Echo Bike (30 cal)
  • 2 Rounds
    • 10 PVC Passes
    • 5 Kip Swings
    • 5 Ring Rows
    • 10 Good Mornings (45#)
  • Power Snatch
    • 5×45#
    • 5×75
    • 3×95
    • 3×115

Gymnastics + Weightlifting

15:00 EMOM

  • 7 T2B
  • 1 Power Snatch

Easily did the toes to bars unbroken every round, wearing grips. Started the snatch at 135#, added five pounds every round, never missed, and finished at 205. From the first rep I was working on landing the catch in a lower position so I’d be more comfortable dropping under the heavier weights. Seemed to help some. I’ve only ever powered more than 195 once and it was in a competition in 2015. Sure feels good to rip some weight!

Conditioning

3 Rounds

  • 15 cal Echo Bike
  • 15 cal Row
  • 50 DU
  • 15 Deadlifts (185#)

Missed twice in the first set of dubs and then did 30-20 on purpose the next two rounds for a quick breather before deadlifts. I did 3×5, 8-7, and 3×5 for the deadlifts with no belt and they felt pretty good after all of those snatches. Finished in 11:26. Not the greatest setup for speed with the bikes and rowers all the way in the other room and having to reset the height on the seat every round and adjust the rower feet each time I’d get on.

Unexpected Terribleness

My lower body is really tight from the Monday squatting. Went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

4 Rounds

  • 10 Jumping Jacks
  • 10 PVC Passes
  • Front Rack Stretch
  • 5 Hand Release Push-ups
  • 5 Air Squats

Power Cleans

  • 5×45#
  • 5×95
  • 3×135
  • 3×165

Conditioning

10:00 EMOM

  • 3 Power Cleans (185#)
  • 12 Push-ups

Went with the RX+ of 12 here over the Rx of 10. The Rx++ was 15, but that seemed like a stretch and I’ve done a lot of burpees and push-ups over the last week and a half. Rested five minutes before the next part.

10:00 EMOM

  • 14 Russian KB Swings (53#)
  • 14 Air Squats

Also did Rx+ here instead of doing 12s, however I didn’t do American swings. Rest was another 5 minutes before going on to the midline work.

Midline

3 Rounds

  • 15-20s RKC Plank
  • 40-45s Plank
  • 1:00 Plate Sit-ups (45#)
  • 1:00 Rest

It was a one minute plank so figured I’d make it harder by doing the first 15-20 seconds RKC style. The plate sit-ups were the worst part of the programming by far! I managed 17-15-14 reps.

Newer 4RM

My outer pecs are sore, probably from the 100 diamond push-ups I did on Sunday. Out in the garage by 4pm with Kevin.

Bench Press

  • 2x6x45#
  • 6×135
  • 3×185
  • 2×215
  • 2×230
  • 4×245
  • 4×250
  • 4×255
  • 2×265
  • 2×270
  • 1×275

This turned out to be a lot of sets when adding the extra doubles or singles after the working sets. In the last cycle I did 240-245-240 for my working sets. Today sets another new 4RM, beating the 250# I set a few weeks ago. If I had gotten 2×275 that would have matched my 2RM, but I didn’t even attempt the second rep. The doubles with 265 and 270 are better than the 260 I was able to get in the final week of last cycle. Curious to see what I can get for 4×2 next week.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 15 Banded Tricep Press-downs (Fat Gripz)
  • 10 Pendlay Rows (115#)

After standing up for the first set of pull-downs, I kneeled for the rest and they were still pretty easy. The rows felt easy as well.

Bigger T2B Sets

I got over 9 hours of sleep last night, but not enough of the correct type due to having a few beers to end my holiday vacation.

Warm-up

  • 2:00 Row (550m)
  • 2 Rounds
    • World’s Greatest Stretch
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 PVC Passes

Strength

Back Squat

  • 10×45#
  • 6×115
  • 3×165
  • 2×205
  • 2×235
  • 2×255
  • 20×185

It’s going to be Super Squats Monday for the month. I have to be smart about it though. I haven’t had 255 on my back since last December, but it felt pretty good. Figured I’d start pretty conservative for the 20 reps, but even that wasn’t easy. Far cry from my best of 20×285!

Conditioning

15:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 5 Front Squats (165#, from ground)
  • 15 cal Echo Bike
  • 15 T2B

I wore a belt and grips the entire time. I went 8-7 on every round of toes to bars, which is a big win. The bike got real nasty, but I got the 15 calories one each time.

Good Day for a Ski…Erg

On Friday my forearms were sore from all of the swings. I really needed the rest day yesterday after doing some kind of workout 12 days straight. Last night I drove home late from up north because of storms rolling in overnight. No heading to the gym today due to the ice storm and then snow on top of it. Went out to the garage around 11am.

Conditioning

15 Rounds

  • 30s Ski Erg
  • 1:00 Rest

It was snowing, so I might as well ski, right? I didn’t bother to heat up the garage, so wore a hat, gloves, and bundled up. Was stripping things off by the end though. You can really see the effect of no warm-up, where I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold the pace I went at for the first interval. I’m also not used to the ski erg, which I haven’t used in months and it’s easy to forget how much tougher it is to get up to speed compared to the rower. Settled in on a pretty solid pace.

Accessory

5 Rounds

  • 25 Band Pull Aparts (red)
  • 20 Diamond Push-ups
  • 2:00 Rest

Was controlled on the pull aparts and kept tension on the band. Did 2×10 push-ups every round, though the second ten got tough in round 3. Finished in 13:15.

Midline

Might as well start on some of the back isolation/stability stuff.

3 Sets

  • 10 Curl-ups w/ 2s hold

3 Sets, 2 Sets, 1 Set

  • 20s Side Plank
  • 10s Rest

Do three sets on one side and then three on the other side, rest 1:00, then do two sets per side, rest 1:00, and finally one set per side.

5 Sets

  • 20s RKC Plank
  • 1:00 Rest

During an RKC plank you are trying to create as much tension through the midline and posterior chain as you can be contracting all of those muscles. These get really hard.