Full of Grace

Enjoyed the extra hour of sleep, even though I was in bed by 11. Feeling better about myself now that I’m waking up at a decent time again. Super Sunday at 11am.

Warm-up

  • 1000m Row (4:21)
  • 2×50 Band Pulls (red)
  • 5×45# C&J
  • 5×95# C&J

Benchmark Test

“Grace”

  • 30 C&J (135#)

Last August I did a 3:03. Was hoping to get under 2:30 today. Did 10 unbroken and then all singles. Had 15 reps in at 1:00 and finished in 2:17, which is a 46 second PR! I attribute a lot of that to the Thruster Attack, but also to the combination of Kevin’s CFi programming and the extra work I do. I’ve been making huge progress the last few months.

Gymnastics

1/2 of “Tabata Something Else”

  • 4 Tabata Pull-ups
  • 4 Tabata Push-ups
  • 4 Tabata Sit-ups
  • 4 Tabata Air Squats

I did 43 pull-ups, 45 push-ups, 42 sit-ups, and 58 air squats for a total count of 188. Originally had planned on doing the full benchmark workout, but when several people showed up late to delay Grace I adjusted. At the end of the day it turned out to be a great call.

Strength

5 Sets

  • 10 Good Mornings (95#)
  • 4/4 Barbell Step-ups (95#, 20′)

Went right from the good mornings into the step-ups since the bar was already on our back. Nothing super heavy.

Monostructural Conditioning

4x

  • 250m Row
  • ~3:00 Rest

I busted ass on the first one, seeing a new low of 1:15/500m on the pace at one point. Couldn’t keep up that pace for the remaining 3. Times were 40.4, 43.3, 43.5, and 43.8. Quads and ass were burning up at the end of those last two intervals.

Nowhere for any body part to escape today. Walked out feeling pretty beat.

All The Burpees

Was up late for the CFi Halloween party last night, but made it out to 989 CrossFit at 9am for a charity event to raise money for MS. It was 350 burpees and you could do it as a team. I went solo for a challenge.

My goal was to finish under 30:00. I figured I’d do 12 reps every minute and then rest until the next minute. I was slowly getting less and less rest time, but I kept at this for 20 rounds. Then I took the next minute off. Did 10 reps to get me to 250 so I could just count up to 100. Did 2 sets of 20, then a set of 12 I think, and not sure what next. I had to bust out the last 25 or 30 (it was a bit of a blur, but pretty sure I had 25 reps to go with 2:00 to make it) without stopping to reach my goal, but I did it! Finished at 29:45. It was a real mental battle for those last 100 reps. I kept negotiating with a quitter’s attitude, trying to convince myself that I’d be happy with 31 or 32 minutes. Glad I pushed through.

Drove back over to Saginaw and did some overhead squats with Kevin.

OHS

  • 5X45#
  • 5X75#
  • 5X95#
  • 5X115#
  • 5X135#
  • 5X155#
  • 5×175#

I started out just outside of a jerk grip and used that up until I lost the third rep with 135#. Then I moved out a bit to finish the set and same for 155#. For 175# I was about half way between my jerk and snatch grips. That last set was rough to keep stable because my shoulders were pretty beat from the burpees.

Year 4 Begins

Solid sleep again! I could get used to this. In for the 9am class.

3 years ago I did my first CrossFit workout and almost didn’t make it out the door. I was hooked and I love it just as much as I ever have, maybe more. CrossFit has changed my life in many great ways and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

Power Cleans

  • 5×95#
  • 3×135#
  • 2×155#
  • 2×175#
  • 2×195#
  • 2×215#
  • 1×225#
  • 1×235#
  • 1×245#
  • 1×255#
  • 1×265# (PR & matches my best clean)

I didn’t have any second thoughts about 245# or 255#, but add that extra 10# and it starts to get in my head. I was confident I’d hit it without much trouble, but still it was still scary. Fitting for Halloween I guess.

4 Rounds NFT

  • 8 GHD Sit-ups (14# MB)
  • 10 Reverse Hyper (210#)

20:00 AMRAP

  • 5 Power Cleans (185#)
  • 7 Push-ups
  • 9 Air Squats

Decided to go heavy as a way to pace this out. If I had used something like 95# it would have been all gas on the cleans. I did the first round pretty fast and then settled into a relaxed pace until there was about 3 minutes left on the clock when I picked up the pace. Did the air squats pretty slow, with a focus on pushing my ass back first. Finished 12 rounds and 2 more cleans for a total of 62 power cleans!

Early

Went to bed early and got up early. Headed in at 8am to do some lifting with Kevin before class. I jumped on the rower for an easy 1,000m in 4:16. Also warmed up with 10×45# shoulder press, 10×45 good morningis

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row – 4:16
  • 10 Shoulder Press (45#)
  • 10 Good Mornings (45#)
  • 5 Power Cleans (45#)
  • 5 Jerks (45#)
  • 5 Power Cleans (95#)
  • 5 Jerks (95#)

Weightlifting

Power Clean & Jerk

  • 3×115#
  • 2x3x135#
  • 2×155#
  • 3x2x175#
  • 2x2x195#

Strength

Deadlift

  • 4×155#
  • 4×245#
  • 4×315#
  • 4×335#
  • 4×345#
  • 4×355#
  • 4×365#
  • 4×375#
  • 4×385#
  • 4×395#

Little scary getting back up 400, but it felt good.

Conditioning

8 Rounds (Tabata)

  • 20s Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 10s Rest

I got all 9s, which seems like I was going slower than normal.

15-12-9-6-3

  • Burpee Box Jumps (24″)
  • Sit-ups

Finished in 5:56.

Z1 Training with a HRM

Out to the garage after waking up for active recovery. I strapped on my heart rate monitor so that I could see exactly what zone I was in. I’ve always just guessed. Usually I keep the rpm at 55 when I do this, but quickly found out I could push a little harder and get up on the border between zone 1 and 2 with 59-60 rpm. Still felt fine and barely broke a sweat, going 14.56km in 30:00.

IMG_5064.JPG

Alarming Morning

I actually set my alarm to wake up this morning to make the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • 3×15 Reverse Hypers (140#)
  • Air Squats
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • 30 Mountain Climbers
  • 500m Row

Strength

Back Squat

  • 10×45#
  • 5×135#
  • 4×205#
  • 2×245#
  • 2×265#
  • 2×285#
  • 1×305#
  • 1×315#
  • 1×325#
  • 1×335#

No pops or tweaks! That’s the most I’ve done since setting the PR in June. Hopefully it continues. I focused on pushing my butt back first and not bottoming out.

Conditioning

4 Rounds

  • 10 OH Walking Lunges (45#)
  • 10 MB Cleans (20#)
  • 5 Burpees

Took me 5:11. Nice leg burn during the last two sets of medicine ball cleans.

Midline

4 Rounds

  • 20s Hollow Hold
  • 10s Rest
  • 20s Plank
  • 10s Rest

Jumped on the reverse hyper for 3x10x140# after class.

A little afternoon double in the garage. Warmed up with 5:00 on the Air Dyne, but didn’t record the distance.

6 Rounds

  • 250m Ski Erg
  • 15 GHD Sit-ups

With the Jeep in the way, having to walk around to the other side of the garage provided some nice rest in between movements. Took me 12:18 to finish. My splits on the skier were: 58.7, 57.9, 59.6, 59.4, 59.3, and 58.9. According to the monitor my time to get the sit-ups done and get back was 1:00, 1:10, 1:05, 1:10, and 1:10.

A lot of times when I workout alone in the garage I want to quit early or switch up the workout when I get uncomfortable. Glad I stuck this one out.

Show Up

Went in for the 5:30pm class. Started with some bottom squat hold and stretching.

Warm-up

  • 5 Shoulder Press (45#)
  • 8 Front Squats (45#)
  • 5 Shoulder Press (95#)
  • 8 Front Squats (95#)
  • 5 Push Press (135#)
  • 8 Front Squats (135#)

Strength

12:00 EMOM

  • Odds: 4 Push Press (185#)
  • Evens: 8 Front Squats (185#)

Deadly! I was near failure on every set of push presses and the front squats were no joke. Felt like I got done with a WOD at the end I was breathing so hard and sweating my ass off.

Accessory

3 Sets

  • 10/10 Kroc Rows (62# KB)
  • 10 Ring Push-ups

Conditioning

5:00 AMRAP

  • 8 KB Snatches (44#)
  • 10 Sumo Deadlifts (44# KB)
  • 12 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)

* 2:00 rest and then another 5:00 of the same thing starting where you leave off in the first AMRAP.

I had no sense of urgency, just kept moving at a slow steady pace. I did 3 rounds plus 8 snatches, 10 deadlifts, and 3 wall balls in the first half and finished with 7 full rounds plus 7 snatches overall.

Walked 200m outside since it was so nice out. After class I stayed for some extra work.

Weightlifting

  • 5 Hang Muscle Snatches (45#)
  • 5 Snatch Presses (45#)
  • 5 Hang Muscle Snatches (65#)
  • 5 Snatch Presses (65#)
  • 5 Hang Muscle Snatches (75#)
  • 5 Snatch Presses (75#)
  • 5 Hang Muscle Snatches (85#)
  • 5 Snatch Presses (85#)
  • 5 Hang Muscle Snatches (95#)
  • 5 Snatch Presses (95#)

I was dead after the workout and know I wouldn’t have the energy for anything explosive. The muscle snatches and presses were back to back so it got tough.

Back

Reverse Hyper

  • 3x10x230#

Could feel my back tight from the class so figured these were a good idea.

I don’t know if yesterday took more out of me than I noticed or that the EMOM to start just completely wiped me out.

2nd Date with Fran

Rested yesterday and spent all day watching friends in a weightlifting meet over in Lansing. Was feeling pretty nervous about hitting Fran today.

I got on the rower for 1,000m in 4:40 to loosen up after some rolling and stretching. Then did 10×45# and 5×95# thrusters.

“Fran”

21-15-9

  • Thrusters (95#)
  • Pull-ups

I’ve only done this bitch Rx once, back in August of 2013 and it took me 4:50. I knew I could crush that, but I was still nervous about the hurt Fran causes and about how the thruster attack and all of the pull-up work would transfer to the workout. I did 21-21 unbroken, then 15 thrusters unbroken and 5-4-6 on the pull-ups because my pull was giving out. Finished with 9 unbroken thrusters again and 5-4 pull-ups for a time of 3:30! How’s that for a PR?!?!

I still have a cough from the bug I dealt with for over a week, so when Fran Lung kicked in, it was extra brutal and still was, hours later. Somehow I smacked my nose on the bar on my 19th pull-up. Hurts! Happens at about 1:20 in the video. I lose my rhythm, but don’t drop from the bar.

Took a pretty good break, including jumping on the rower for a really easy 500m.

4:00 AMRAP

  • 30 Unbroken DU

Dubs were really pissing me off today. I kept missing my first one! Managed to get in 6 sets.

25 Rounds

  • 2 Burpees
  • 2 T2B

When I wrote this I thought it would be pretty easy, but damn was I wrong! Took me 6:08. I was throwing a poker chip after every 5 rounds to keep track, but I guess I could have easily just counted up to 100 total reps. Simple programming, but really nasty after Fran. My hips didn’t want to do those toes to bars.

Boxed Grace

In to CFi early before the 5:30pm class so I could get in some extra work on my cleans.

Weightlifting

Power Cleans

  • 5×45#
  • 3×95#
  • 3×115#
  • 3×135#
  • 3×155#
  • 2x3x175#
  • 2x3x195#
  • 2x2x205#

Still working on getting under fast. Was feeling pretty good.

Conditioning

6 Rounds

  • 5 C&J (135#)
  • 10 Box Jumps (24″)

Finished in 5:42. The clean & jerks felt great, but I was dying on the box jumps. I’ve missed most of the box jump workouts lately. Makes me excited to tackle “Grace” next Sunday.

Strength

5 Sets

  • 3 Weighted Pull-ups (44#)
  • 3 Weighted Ring Dips (44#)

I’m fat!

Conditioning #2

2,000m Row

Nothing crazy, just a solid pace. Took 7:52.6.

2,263

Planned to go at 9am, but didn’t get up until 8:30 and that was only because I got a text from my Dad after DnD turned off on my phone. Guess I needed the sleep. Went to the 4:30 class instead.

Warm-up

  • 300m Row
  • Shoulder Pass Thrus
  • Bottom Squat Hold

Strength

Deadlifts

  • 6×155#
  • 6×245#
  • 6×315#
  • 6×335#
  • 6×345#
  • 6×355#
  • 6×365#
  • 6×375#

Hadn’t done anything more than 205# since September 12th, especially with the back tweak in the middle of that period somewhere. Felt solid.

Conditioning

Thruster Attack!

thrusters-are-coming

Every 1:30 for 5 sets

  • 15 Thrusters (95#)

It was a fight, but made every round unbroken. It was actually easier than on Sunday when it was every 1:45, so that’s 1:00 of less rest overall. Shows how sick I must have still been. Really felt a burn in the quads, which were probably working a little extra after the deadlifts trashed the posterior chain.

That completes the 10 week thruster program. I’m glad it’s over! Next up is to test out “Fran”. I was planning to do it Sunday, but might wait until next Sunday to let my body fully recover. We’ll see how the next two days go. Over the 10 weeks I did a total of 2,263 thrusters (not counting warm-ups).

Midline

  • 100 Sit-ups

Went unbroken in 3:34. Not blazing by what I’ve done before, but was pretty tired after the deadlifts and thrusters.

After class I jumped on the Reverse Hyper for 3x10x230#.