Start the Attack

Had a great time in Iceland last week. Got home last night and was happy to sleep through until 8 this morning. Was nice to relax and take a break from workouts, but was ready to sweat again today. Finally got out in the garage after 5. I’ve been planning for weeks now to start the Thruster Attack program after the trip. No sense in waiting…

Thruster Attack – Week 1 #1

32 rounds

  • 20s Thrusters (15#)
  • 10s rest

I started out with 8 reps, which turns out, is the same number I did originally. Never racked the bar, but did bring it down to my back after the 8th rep and started each set with a back thruster then. After about 12 reps I turned from facing the rig (clock off to my right) so that the clock was to my back so I couldn’t look. I wasn’t keeping track but at one point came to make a deal with myself that I’d do 6 more rounds before turning so I could see where I was as I would down. Turns out I only had 5 rounds left and didn’t even get to a 6th. I was caught off guard when the clock didn’t beep again for the next round. Funny how little games like that make a workout much easier mentally. I swore I’d get through those 6, turn around and have 4-8 more.

Jumped on the Air Dyne for 10 minutes to help flush out my legs and went 2.69 miles.

Heading to Iceland

Wanted to get in something before I head to Iceland this afternoon, especially since I don’t plan to do much during the week. Out in the garage to try something different…

Interval Weight Training

I’ve been hearing about IWT for about a year now and have looked it up a few times. Has always looks nasty from the few examples I was able to find and the science/theory behind it makes sense. After seeing it come up again last week I did a little more digging and found an article on Breaking Muscle of all places with some great info and what looked like a good way to get started. I warmed up with some power cleans, 5 touch-n-go each with 45-95-135 pounds.

  • Part 1 – 3 Rounds
    • 8 Power Cleans (155#)
    • 2:00 Ski
    • Rest 2:00
  • Rest 5:00 (total)
  • Part 2 – 3 Rounds
    • 8 Back Squats (205#)
    • 2:00 Air Dyne
    • Rest 2:00
  • Rest 5:00 (total)
  • Part 3 – 3 Rounds
    • 10 Mountain Climbers
    • 10 Push-ups
    • 10 Burpees
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 Box Jumps (24″, step down)
    • Rest 1:00

Something I really struggle with is steady state cardio, when fatigued, like the working this week with running. As soon as I got into round 2 of part 1 that couldn’t have been more clear. My meters on the ski erg went from 554 to 530 to 509. I think there is a lot of room for improvement there. All of the cleans were TnG.

When I got to the Air Dyne I was able to stay consistent or maybe I paced too much in the first two rounds. I got 63-62-63 calories on my AD2. The body weight circuit was pretty consistent two with splits of 1:30-1:30-1:33.

Other than trying to keep up a pace on the erg, the hardest part was the first box jump each round. Hopefully I can repeat this each week for a month or two (maybe switch up the movements after a month) and see where it takes my conditioning.

I better shower and pack so I can make my flight!

With Ease

In to lift with the boys to close out my lifting focus.

Snatch

  • 5×45#
  • 3×75
  • 3×95
  • 2×115
  • 2×135
  • 1×155
  • 1×175
  • 1×185
  • 1×195
  • 1×205
  • Missed 215 4x
  • Missed 222.5
  • Missed 225
  • Missed 227.5

Well, I know I can get the weight overhead, but still my same old problem of locking it in. Wasn’t mental at all today and never hesitated with any of the pulls; got them overhead with ease.

Clean & Jerk

  • 2×135#
  • 2×165#
  • 1×195#
  • 1x95kg
  • 1x105kg
  • 1x115kg

Felt my back in that last rep and everyone else was calling it a day, so I did to. No need to get hurt before leaving the country.

1 Day Remains

My core is sore from the Monday night work. Out in the garage at night. One day of Catalyst OTM left for me after this.

2 Power Clean + 2 Push Jerk

  • 3×45#
  • 2×95
  • 135
  • 165
  • 185
  • 205
  • 5 Sets 215

Combined the two into a complex again, which increases the jerk weight over the %, plus they are harder in the complex. Saves a lot of time though. All TnG cleans.

Stiff-legged Deadlift

  • 5×215#
  • 5×235
  • 5×255
  • 5×275

All sets with a neutral grip and standing on 55# comp plate.

rdl-loaded.jpg

Midline & Accessory

20:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 6 Strict HSPU
  • 8/8 Side Bends (90# landmine)
  • 10 Goblet Squats (90# landmine)
  • 12 Wall Ball Sit-ups (20#)

Happy to get all sets of handstand push-ups unbroken! Using the landmine is not the full weight loaded, but the easiest way to keep track of the load. Doing goblet squats with the landmine attachment is really weird due to the arc of the bar path. Sends your body forward as you come up out of the squat.

Recovery day tomorrow and hopefully will be ready to lift heavy on Friday.

Need More Curls

My shoulders are feeling the jerks from Sunday. Went to the 4:30 class.

Warm-up

3 Sets

  • 30s Bottom Squat Hold
  • 20 Mountain Climbers
  • 20 Jumping Jacks
  • 20 Pass Thrus
  • 10 Push-ups

Strength – Shoulder Press

  • 10×45#
  • 5×75
  • 5×95
  • 5×120
  • 3×140
  • 5×155 (PR)

In the class 5/3/1 schedule it was a 1+ day. Really happy with the 5 reps since it’s a PR.

Conditioning

15:00 AMRAP

  • 200m Run
  • 10 Deadlifts (185#)
  • 10 Burpees
  • 10 Ball Slams (25#)

Once I get tired I cannot seem to push myself on the runs. All kinds of people running faster than me and then I’d make it back up on the other movements. Didn’t help I had the longest distance from the door. Finished 5 rounds and about 110 meters.

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 8 Barbell Curls
  • 8 Wrist Curls

Holy hell I’m weak. I need to do these more often. Went with kilos for 20-22-25-28-30 and the wrist curls were pretty shit at 25 and above.

Year 5

I started CrossFit 5 years ago!!

Didn’t have candy to pass out so I hid out at the gym for a couple of hours.

Clean

  • 5x20kg
  • 3×40
  • 3×60
  • 2×75
  • 1×85
  • 1×93
  • EMOM
    • 5x1x101
    • 5x1x108
    • 5x1x115
  • Heavy Single
    • 1×120
    • 1×124
    • Clarked 128

My head is my biggest obstacle.

Clean Pull

  • 3x117kg
  • 2x3x124

Clean Deadlift

3 reps with a pause at the knee + 1 rep floating

  • 1 set @ 111kg
  • 2 sets @ 117

Pause Back Squat

3 seconds pause in the hole.

  • 2x100kg
  • 2×112
  • 3x2x121

Midline

5 Rounds

  • 20 Hollow V-ups
  • 20 Russian Twists (53# KB)

Those V-ups were terrible after round 1; had to break them up way too much. Did all of the twists unbroken and finished in 6:40.

Dip Commitment

Feeling lazy and tired today. Body feels beat up from the class met-cons yesterday too. Out in the garage after the Lions game.

Split Jerk

  • 5×45#
  • 3×95
  • 3×135
  • 2×165
  • 1×195
  • 1×215
  • EMOM
    • 5x1x235
    • 5x1x250
    • 5x1x265
  • Heavy Single
    • 1×275
    • Miss 285

I gave up during the dip on the first attempt with 265, but racked it right back up and nailed it. Mental games! Nice to still be able to go up after so many heavy singles in the EMOM.

Push Press

  • 5x3x205#

Back Squat Jump

  • 3x3x95#

Skipped out on the ab work. Happy to still get in a pretty solid session feeling tired.

Twice a Partner

Feeling a little rough from last night, but made it to class. Warmed up with a 1,000 meter run.

Strength

Romanian Deadlift

  • 7×45#
  • 7×135
  • 7×185
  • 7×205
  • 4x7x2225

Stood on a 55# competition plate and did all sets with a neutral grip.

Conditioning

8:00 Partner AMRAP (alternate rounds)

  • 10 cal Row
  • 5 Power Cleans (155#)

Paired up with Bryan. Should have tried going unbroken on the cleans from the go, but we didn’t try until our last 2 rounds each. I went first and got through 6 rounds. We got 11+4 total. Rested 3:00 before a second AMRAP…

8:00 Partner AMRAP (alternate rounds)

  • 3 Power Snatch (115#)
  • 6 Toes to Bar

Bryan went first and we got 17+6, so I was able to get through 8+6. Real nasty on the grip. Everything unbroken.

Snatch Lockout Sucks

Legs were feeling heavy this morning. Went to the gym tonight and Alex worked in with me on the snatch work. First day of Catalyst OTM Week 5.

Snatch

  • 5x20kg
  • 3×35
  • 3×45
  • 3×55
  • 1×65
  • 1×72
  • EMOM
    • 5x1x78
    • 5x1x83
    • 5x1x88
  • Heavy Single
    • Miss 90
    • 1×90
    • Miss 92
    • Miss 92

I was rushing with the first rep at 88 due to 2 of us lifting in the minute and the weight change. Picked the bar back up and made the lift though. It was getting squirelly with the 88s but I made the rest of them. Not a good performance with the heavy ones after. I can’t get that shit locked in. 😦

Snatch Pull

  • 3x90kg
  • 2x3x95

Snatch Deadlift

3 Pause reps (knee) + 1 Floating

  • 85kg
  • 2 sets @ 90

Back Squat

First rep of each set has a 5 second eccentric tempo.

  • 3x70kg
  • 3×90
  • 3×110
  • 3×122
  • 3×131
  • 3×133
  • 3×135
  • 3×137

Things were feeling rough on the way up, so I scaled back from 3 sets with 137. Actually started feeling better in those last 3 sets so I think I could have made the prescribed weight.

Midline

  • 5 Sets
    • 30s L-sit (hands on boxes)
    • 1:00 Rest
  • Rest
  • 3 Rounds (for time)
    • 5/5 Turkish Get-ups (35#)

Tried something different by using the boxes today for the L-sits. Definitely a lot easier on the arms without holding on to the rings or parallettes. I decided to go lighter on the get-ups and just get them done because I was almost at 2 hours already. Alternated arms every 5 reps. Finished in 4:55.