WOD at the Westin

I was able to sleep longer than I expected with the 3 hour time difference and didn’t get out of bed until after 8am. Granted I didn’t go to bed until after midnight, so it was a long day yesterday. The workout center in the Westin was pretty busy today, but I was able to get in a pretty good workout. When traveling you have to make due with what you have. It’s better than doing nothing.

Warm-up

400m run on the treadmill at a 6 mph pace.

Strength

I used a couple of machines.

4 sets

  • 5 Chest Presses
  • 2m Rest

I set the weight to 115#, 115#, 130#, and 145# for my sets.

4 sets

  • 5 Lat Pulldowns
  • 2m Rest

I set the weight to 100#, 115#, 130#, and 145# for my sets.

WOD

5 rounds

  • 10 HR Push-ups
  • 10 Floor Wipers (45# DBs)
  • 5 Bent Rows (45# DBs)

Originally I was going to do 10 push-up renegade rows instead of the HR push-ups and the bent rows, but the DBs are round, so I was rolling all over the place. Sometimes you have to modify due to equipment. Not a bad little workout. I did it in 7:48.

Finisher

20:00 on a stationary bike. The computer said I went 7.14 miles, but I don’t believe it. I got a good sweat on though.

Treadmill Hills

After getting settled into my room, I headed down to the hotel gym. I jumped on the treadmill and set it for 30 minutes and selected the Hills program. This was my first time using a treadmill’s incline and it turned out to be a damn good workout. I started out with a speed of 7 mph, but quickly set it to 6.5 mph and by the end of the 30 minutes I was down to 6 mph. Some of the incline intervals were as much as 7.5% and it was always at least 1.5%. Once the 30 minutes were up it had me do a 5 minute cool-down. According to the display I ended up going 3.39 miles in total.

Push (Press) It Real Good

I was planning to hit up the 8pm tonight, but decided to go to the 7pm in case I felt like staying after for a bit and doing some extra work, which we can do during the 8pm. Shoulders are sore from yesterday.

Warm-up

4 rounds

  • 15s Jumping Jacks
  • 15s Air Squats
  • 15s Mountain Climbers
  • 15s Squat Jumps

Strength

Find a 2 rep max for Push Press

Started off at 5 reps of the 45# bar. Then did 2 reps at each of 85#, 105#, 125#, 145#, 165#, and 175#. The last time I tried a max push press was at the end of March when I got 145#. That’s a 30# PR with 2 reps.

WOD

10:00

  • Odd minutes: 7 Power Cleans (100#)
  • Even minutes: 7 Front Squats (100#)

Take 1 minute off to add weight

10:00

  • Odd minutes: 5 Power Cleans (120#)
  • Even minutes: 5 Front Squats (120#)

Take 1 minute off to add weight

10:00

  • Odd minutes: 3 Power Cleans (140#)
  • Even minutes: 3 Front Squats (140#)

After a couple of reps into that first minute of power cleans I didn’t think I could keep going. My back was really feeling it. I realized I was pulling too much too early with my back, so I slowed down the deadlift portion of the clean and then exploded with the weight once I got above my knees. It really helped a lot and I didn’t feel a problem with my back until after the we were done.

We ended up doing 5 more power cleans with each weight that what you would see here because we didn’t have racks, so everything was off the floor. I really liked this one. It was over 30 minutes, but there was less than 30s of work during each minute. Just enough time to recover before starting on the reps of the next movement.

I’m heading off to San Francisco early tomorrow morning and won’t be back until late on Monday night. Hopefully I’ll find some time to workout at the hotel.

After a Couple Days on the Golf Course

My cousin Matt and I, all muddied up

On Saturday night I did the Warrior Dash for the first time. It was a lot of fun doing the obstacles. As I had expected, the run wasn’t bad at all. Now I need to step it up and try a Tough Mudder. Then on Sunday and Monday I went on a little golfing trip up to northern Michigan. It was nice to have a couple of rest days away from the WODs.

Warm-up

5 rounds

  • 1m AbMat Sit-ups
  • 1m Russian Twists (30# KB)
  • 1m Plank
  • 1m V-ups
  • 1m Table Top (30s each side)
  • 1m Rest

I could still feel the GHD work that I did on Friday night. This was the first time doing table tops and wow are they tough.

WOD

  • 1m Wall Balls
  • 3 rounds
    • 100m Run
    • 5 KB Snatches (L)
    • 5 OH KB Lunges (L)
    • 5 KB Snatches (R)
    • 5 OH KB Lunges (R)
    • 100m Run
  • 1m Wall Balls

Kind of a weird WOD with the minute of wall balls at the beginning and at the end of the WOD, especially when everyone had to keep track of their own minute at the end. I got 29 wall balls that first minute and 25 at the end in the last minute. Total time for the WOD was 8:40, using a 53# KB for all of the snatches and lunges.

Finisher

  • 100 HR Push-ups

My push-up endurance sucks. I think I started off with a set of 15 and then a set of 10, but after that it was 5s for a while and then whatever I could do. It took me 7:48 to finish off the 100.

Be a Warrior

Got to sleep late last night, but feeling pretty good today, other than my lower back of course.

Warm-up

  • 400m Run
  • 30 Air Squats
  • 20 PVC Pass-thrus
  • 30 PVC OHS
  • 4 rounds
    • 15s Jumping Jacks
    • 15s Air Squats
    • 15s Mountain Climbers
    • 15s Jump Squats
  • 4 rounds
    • 15s Plank
    • 15s Supermans
    • 15s Side Plank L
    • 15s Side Plank R

Long warm-up, but just what my body needed.

WOD

Cool partner WODs today. I was paired up with Laura. You keep alternating each part of the workout, so while one person is running, the other is doing the movement for reps inside.

10:00 AMRAP

  • 150m Run
  • Over the Box Jumps (24″)

We got 198 reps total. Great WOD that keeps up the intensity the entire 10 minutes. There is no place to rest here until you’re done.

We rested for 5 minutes before moving on to the second part.

10:00 AMRAP

  • 150m MB Run
  • Alternating one-arm DB Snatches (40#)

We got 175 reps in this one. MB runs are never easy. Another 10 minutes where there is no place to rest because snatches are such a full body move.

Now I’m off to run the Warrior Dash at 4:30 this afternoon. It’s only 3.25 miles and from what I’ve heard there is a lot of waiting at the obstacles, so I don’t expect it to be too hard on the body. I’ll use it as a recovery from this morning’s WOD. Then tomorrow I’m heading out-of-town for the weekend to golf with my Dad and a couple of buddies. Looking forward to the rest days.

Row, Row, Row on the Rings

After doing 210 KBS yesterday in the WOD, I can feel it in my posterior chain like I haven’t in quite some time. My back still has issues. I made it out to walk 18 holes of golf this morning.

Warm-up

5 rounds

  • 10 Single-leg RDL (62# KB)
  • 45s Rest

5 rounds

  • 8 DB Shoulder Presses
  • 45s Rest

I started off with 45# DBs, moved to 40# during the 3rd set and even had to go down to 35# to finish out. Not sure why I was so weak with these.

3 rounds

  • 20 GHD Sit-ups
  • 1m Rest

The GHD at the gym is whack! Doesn’t even adjust, but we make due I guess. 20 in a row was tough.

WOD

21-15-9

  • Thrusters (30# DBs)
  • Ring Rows

I’ve decided it’s time to start scaling weights more so I can increase power output. Again Faster has a great article you should read. I’m just not strong enough to do many WODs Rx that involve heavy weights, so why try, when it means I have to go slower and can’t keep up the intensity. I almost went with the 35# DBs, but switched to 30s at the last-minute. Ring rows were the real struggle of this though. I finished in 6:02.

Finisher

Work on HSPU.

I did 3 sets with a minute or two of rest in between. My arms and shoulders were already fried at this point. I managed to get 5, 6, and 4 reps. Terrible!

Hold that Finish

Other than my lower back I’m feeling good. Went to the 5:30pm class today and with all the rain we got last night it was really humid out.

Warm-up

5 rounds

  • 15s Jumping Jacks
  • 15s Air Squats
  • 15s Mountain Climbers
  • 15s Jump Squats

WOD

20-19-18…3-2-1

  • Burpees
  • Russian KBS (53#)

Wow, this one will kill you. I did all of my reps unbroken for both movements and only rested during transitions. I think we had 16 people in class so it was a scramble for KBs. I ended up with a 53#, which was just fine by me. It allowed me to keep a high intensity and maximize my power output. I finished in 25:51 with an ocean of sweat under me.

Finisher

5 rounds

  • 30s Bottom Squat Hold
  • 30s Handstand
  • 30s Plank

This looks rather easy, but it definitely was not, especially being so sweaty. When I went up for my 3rd handstand, the mat started to go flying and I nearly ended up on my head. My arms were even shaving in the 3rd round of plank. Great way to finish of the workout.

One Card at a Time

Still a little sore today, but I’m finally on the tail end of it. Well, except for my lower back that is. I walked 18 holes of golf this morning and then headed in at 7pm tonight so I could stay after for the 8pm open gym time.

Warm-up

750m Run

WOD


Deck of Cards

Reps

  • 2-10 = Face value
  • Jack = 11
  • Queen = 12
  • King = 13
  • Ace = 14

Movements

  • Joker = Run 500m
  • Hearts = Burpees
  • Diamonds = 4 Mountain Climbers
  • Spades = Thrusters (60#)
  • Clubs = Ring Rows

I haven’t done a deck of cards in a really long time. We were allowed to substitute any movements out for something we are weak at or needed to work on. Originally clubs were one-arm snatches, which I like, but figured they are not a good idea with my back. So I put in the ring rows. I thought I was using 75# for the thrusters but after we got going I realized I had the women’s bar. Oh well, 50# was plenty with that many thrusters.

There was a 40:00 time limit. When time ran out I had just started on my first burpee of the King and then had 5 more cards to go.

Strength

  • Back Squats
  • 5 HSPU
  • Rest 2-3m

For the back squats I did:

  • 5x 135#
  • 3x 185#
  • 2x 205#
  • 1x 225#
  • 1x 235#

I was hoping to set a PR today, but when I did that rep at 235# I could really feel it in my back as I came out of the bottom. I had to shut it down after that. I was pretty fatigued from all of the Thrusters in the WOD too I guess. HSPU felt really good and I was able to do each set of 5 unbroken without resorting to using any AbMats.

Feels Good to be Back in the Box

I was still kind of sore this morning, but I was able to go in for the 9am class and I felt great after warming up.

Warm-up

5 rounds

  • 1m Bottom Squat Hold
  • 1m Jumping Jacks

WOD

“Helen”
3 rounds

  • 400m Run
  • 21 KBS (53#)
  • 12 Pull-ups

I felt really good in this one. All of the KBS were done unbroken and I broke each round of pull-ups into 2 sets. Finished in 9:30.

Finisher

EMOM 10:00

  • 100m Sprint (50m down and back)
  • 3 Burpees

This may have been tougher than the WOD. Felt good after, but the sprints started feeling slower and slower until the last one where I dug deep.

It sure feels good to be back in the box, especially after only doing one WOD last week leading up to the competition. Maybe all of the rest was really needed though since I had been pushing my body so hard the couple of weeks before.

Already Feeling Better

I’m already feeling much better tonight, so I decided to do a quick garage WOD. This was the first time really using the rings after putting them up in my garage.

5 rounds

  • 5 Ring Dips
  • 10 Ring Rows
  • 20 AbMat Sit-ups

Dips and rows are both weaknesses on the rings and a good push-pull combo to work on. I threw in the sit-ups because you can never work too much on the abs, right? I finished in 10:07 doing each round in pretty consistent times.

In other news, I got my latest order from Progenex today and I’m excited to get on the Omega+, which is a krill oil product to use in place of fish oil because it’s better. I ran out of fish oil last week and I’m confident I wouldn’t have been so sore from the competition if I had still been taking some. Live and learn.