Back Feels Good

Recovery day today after a tough few days. My back is feeling great after the deadlifts yesterday. Makes me excited!

Jumped on the Air Dyne (AD2) for 30 minutes in zone 1 and went 14.66km.

Trying something new today. Filling up a 6×6 grid with sets of push-ups throughout the day. A set can be as low as 1 push-up. Got the idea from End of Three Fitness and seems like a good way for me to get in some volume. Upper body strength is definitely a big weakness. It’s also a great way to focus on perfect reps since it’s not about speed or volume in one set.

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Ended up with 250 total push-ups by 6:20pm.

Back in the 400s

Tired this morning. Almost backed out of the morning session I had planned, but got in the garage and did the work.

Warmed up with 5:00 on the Air Dyde (AD2) for 2.58km.

4 Rounds

  • 500m Ski Erg
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 300m Ski Erg
  • 3:00 Rest

Got this one from Chris Hishaw of Vivendi Lab (formerly NorCal CrossFit Lab). It was a row workout, but the distances and pace chart work just as well on the ski erg. My pace targets were 2:02.4 for 500m and 1:54 for 300m based off an estimated 2k PR since my only attempt is too slow. Hit every target and increased my pace every round. The 500s were 2:02.4, 2:02.1, 2:02, and 2:01.7. The 300s were 1:08.3 (1:53.8/500), 1:08 (1:53.3/500), 1:08 (1:53.3/500), and 1:07.6 (1:52.6/500).

3 Rounds

  • 15 GHD Sit-ups
  • 15 Hip Extensions

Did it in 4:17. Planned on 5 rounds, but the CFi workout has deadlifts and T2B today, so I don’t want to destroy my core. To be honest, back extensions with sore quads are pretty brutal!

Went to the 5:30 class.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row (3:58.1)
  • 2×10 Reverse Hyper (210#)
  • Bottom Squat Hold

Strength

Deadlifts

  • 5×155#
  • 5×245#
  • 4×315#
  • 2×365#
  • 2×385#
  • 2×405#
  • 2×425#
  • 2×445#

Yeah! Haven’t pulled 400+ off the ground in months. Felt easy too. Didn’t want to push it too far though. I had a goal of 425-435 when I walked in.

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Conditioning

10:00 AMRAP

  • 8 T2B
  • 8 Deadlifts (185#)
  • 16 American KBS (53#)

Didn’t have a go button today. I could feel my body wore out early in the day. Got 5 rounds plus 8 toes to bar and 8 deadlifts. Everything unbroken except I went 4-4 on my last set of T2B.

Midline

5 Sets

  • 12 Floor Wipers (95#)

Hadn’t done these in well over a year I think, but they were really easy. Tried to go really slow and controlled on the last set.

Figured I’d decompress the back after those deadlifts, so jumped on the RH again for 3x10x210#.

Wednesday Already?

Where did the week go?

Feels good to be waking up at a decent time again. Hit the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • 2 Rounds NFT
    • 5 Strict Pull-ups
    • 10 Push-ups
    • 15 Air Squats
  • Bench Press
    • 10×45#
    • 5×115#
    • 5×165#

XWOD

  • 4-4-4-4-4-4 Bench Press (205#)
  • 2-1-2-1-2-1Plyo Push-up
    • 2s: 18″
    • 1s: 21.5″

Called for 75%, but that seemed took light, so I went up to 80%, which was perfect. Shoulders are feeling kind of beat from “DT” yesterday.

Conditioning

6:00 AMRAP

  • 8 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 8 Weighted Step-ups (2×40#, 20″)

1:00 Rest

6:00 AMRAP

  • 5 Box Jumps (24″)
  • 5 Burpees
  • 25 DU

I got 6 full rounds plus 3 wall balls on the first part and 5 full rounds plus 5 box jumps, 5 burpees, and 15 double unders on the second part.

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 5 Scap Pull-ups (0#, 20#, 40#, 40#, 40#)
  • 5/5 Kroc Rows (62# KB)

First time doing the scap pull-ups.

Been a long time since I hit an OLY session in the garage. Today that ended. Warmed up with 1,000 meters on the Ski Erg in 4:26.

Snatch Balance

  • 3×45#
  • 3×75#
  • 3×95#
  • 3×115#
  • 3×135# (with 1 fail)
  • 3×155#
  • 3×175#
  • 3×185# (with 4 fails too)

Damn I hate these. Could not get comfortable with 185, but kept trying until I stood it up 3 times. Didn’t realize I hadn’t done a snatch balance in over a year. :-/

Snatch

  • 3×95#
  • 3×115#
  • 3×135#
  • 5x3x155#

Tried to focus on keeping my arms long, but looking at the video it didn’t happen. No misses, but a few saves.

Veterans Day “DT”

Was feeling weak and tired yesterday after some yard work. Hopefully it’s not from the diet being a lot fewer calories than eating fast food. Up for the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • 500m Row (2:02)
  • Bottom Squat Hold

Strength

Back Squats

  • 10×45#
  • 5×135#
  • 5×205#
  • 5×235#
  • 5×255#
  • 5×265#
  • 5×280#
  • 5×295#

Felt good. Those back tweaks are really making me focus on technique through all of my heavy reps.

I did a quick complex of 6 deadlifts, 4 hang power cleans, and 2 push jerks with 135# to get a feel for the workout.

Conditioning

DT-th“DT”
5 Rounds

  • 12 Deadlifts (155#)
  • 9 Hang Power Cleans (155#)
  • 6 Push Jerks (155#)

I was shooting for under 10 minutes and was on pace until I died in the last round. I did 11 deadlifts to start every round. Got 1 deadlift + 8 power cleans in the first two rounds, but fell apart with the cleans after that. Lost a good 5 seconds or more too when I miscounted for a second at the end and dropped the bar with 1 rep to go. Dumb! Finished in 10:35, which is good for a 1:13 PR, so I’ll take it.

Over 2 Years Later

Well rested and feeling good. Eating better starting today to drop some weight before heading to Long Beach on the 24th. Super Sunday at 11am.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m row (4:00)
  • 2 Seated Box Jumps (24″)
  • 5 OHS (45#)
  • 2 Seated Box Jumps (30″)
  • 3 OHS (95#)
  • 2 Seated Box Jumps (34″)
  • 3 OHS (135#)
  • 2 Seated Box Jumps (38″)
  • 3 OHS (155#)
  • 2 Seated Box Jumps (41.5″)

XWOD

  • 3-3-3-3-3 OHS
    • 165#
    • 175#
    • 185#
    • 195#
    • fail 200#
  • 2-1-2-1-2 Seated Box Jumps
    • 2s: 45″
    • 1s: 48″ (PR)

Just not tight on that last attempt. Got to the bottom and dumped the bar forward on the first rep. That was a 0.5″ PR for the two single seated box jumps.

Conditioning

CrossFit Games Open 12.2
10:00 AMRAP

  • 30 Snatches (75/45#)
  • 30 Snatches (135/75#)
  • 30 Snatches (165/100#)
  • 30+ Snatches (210/120#)

When I did this in 2012, I was only a few months into CrossFit and had never snatched more than 95#. Took me over 3 minutes of attempts to finally make one at 135#. I ended up getting 6 reps. Today I got through the first 60 reps and then 8 with 165#.

3 Rounds

  • 1:00 Bar-facing Burpees
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1:00 Air Squats
  • 1:00 Rest

I got 14-14-16 on the burpees and 45-44-45 on the air squats. Such a quad burn on the squats.

Midline

3x MAX HS Hold

  • 2:00
  • 1:13
  • 1:14

Accessory

Reverse Hyper

  • 3x8x260#

So Much Oxygen

Traveled back from Estes Park, CO yesterday. Was great to get a solid night of sleep in my own bed. Made it in for the 10am class. Warmed up with a few minutes of jump rope and 3/3 Turkish Get-ups with a 30# DB.

10:00 EMOM

  • 2 Turkish Get-ups (53# KB)

Partner Chipper

  • 100 DU (50 each, can work at the same time)
  • 150 American KBS (62#, Kevin used 53#)
  • 100 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 75 Push-ups
  • 50 Ring Dips
  • 100 DU (50 each, can work at the same time)

We finished in 15:59. Ring dips sucked! Wasn’t too bad of a workout, especially coming back down from elevation all week.

Altitude Angie

Still in Colorado. We went roller skating last night, which was awkward at first compared to roller blades, but got the hang of it. Could really feel different things getting stretching out, especially around the ankles. Also shot some hoops, where I dominated a game of HORSE. 🙂 Up to hit CrossFit Estes Park at 7am again.

Warm-up

  • 400m Row (1:39)
  • 15:00 Stretching & Mobility
  • 4 Rounds NFT
    • 10 American KBS (35#)
    • 6 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
    • 2 Burpees
    • 2 Good Mornings (PVC)

Conditioning

“Angie”

  • 100 Pull-ups
  • 100 Push-ups
  • 100 Sit-ups
  • 100 Air Squats

I did sets of 5 pull-ups until 80, then switched to triples and doubles. Finished them at 7:03, which is about 1:30 faster than I’ve done before. Was able to do 5 push-ups at a time until 40 or 45, then switched to 3s and 2s and finally 2s after 80. Split was 13:04. Sit-ups were slow, but no stopping. Clock was about 17:14 when I moved on to the squats. I can’t believe how much these burn! Finished at 20:40, which is a 2:02 PR and done at 1.5 miles above sea level!

Jumped on the rower for 500m (2:38) to help flush out my legs. Going for a hike in the mountains this afternoon.

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Went on 3.46 mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park (more pics) in the afternoon for about 2 hours. Beautiful!

IMG_5262

Burpees up High

Up for the 7am at CrossFit Estes Park again. I did the programmed workout today.

Warm-up

  • 3:00 Row (680m)
  • 20:00 Mobility
  • 7:00 AMRAP (no rush, just get warmed up)
    • 10 Lunges
    • 8 Ring Rows
    • 6 Hollow Rocks

I did 5 rounds of the AMRAP going at a nice easy pace, not breaking a sweat.

Conditioning

21-15-9

  • Burpees
  • Box Jumps (24″)

Damn those burpees eat you up at altitude. Took me 4:59.

Accessory

Turkish Get-ups

  • 3/3 26#
  • 3/3 35#
  • 3/3 40#
  • 3/3 53#

Every time I do these I say I need to do them more often.

CrossFit Estes Park

I’m in Estes Park, CO for the week. Had a rest day yesterday while traveling, but was up and headed in to CrossFit Estes Park this morning at 7am for open gym. It’s 1.5 miles above sea level, so more training at altitude.

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They seem to follow the main side programming most of the time, so it was “Fran” today. No thanks after doing it a week ago and being at altitude here. I did my own thing…

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row (4:23)

Strength

Back Squat

  • 10×45#
  • 5×135#
  • 5×205#
  • 5×245#
  • 5×265#
  • 5×285#

Not sure why I got up there in weight so fast. Felt good, but didn’t want to push it and risk tweaking the back again, especially as a guest.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 10 GHD Sit-ups
  • 10 Box Jumps (24″)

Figured I’d better stick to something short as I get used to the lack of oxygen. Took me 5:17.

  • 2,000m Row

Nice easy pace to do it in 9:04.