Tag: Bear Complex

Squat Tools

I’m a little beat up this morning in a fatigued way. Mid back near the bottom of my scaps is sore. In for the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • 3x10x210# Reverse Hypers
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • 10 Toe Touches
  • 25 Jumping Jacks

Strength

Back Squats

  • 10×45#
  • 5×135#
  • 5×205#
  • 5×235#
  • 5x5x255#
  • 5×275#
  • 5×285#

The last 7 sets were done every 90 seconds. I used a belt and my weightlifting shoes today. The weight felt really heavy but started to feel better as I got into the sets of 255. I think I had to get used to a new position with the shoes on. Could feel myself leaning to the left side on some reps due to this weird knot in my right leg that I’ve had for a couple of months now. Need to figure out how to fix it.

squat-tools

Accessory

4 Sets NFT

  • 6 Weighted Push-ups
  • 6 Weighted V-ups

Used a 40# sandbag for the push-ups. 20# DB for first set of V-ups and then 30# DB for the other 3 sets.

Conditioning

3 Rounds

  • 2:00 AMRAP
    • 3 Bear Complex (115#)
    • 8 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 1:00 Rest

The bear always wins. Gave myself a push at the end though. The wall balls really surprised me. I could barely throw the ball up in my last round. We continued each AMRAP where we left off. I got 2+1, then through 4, and finished with 6+1.

Jumped back on the reverse hyper for 3x10x210# after cooling off.

Running Bear

Not feeling it when I woke up this morning. Thought about staying home and hitting up a class later, but got my ass moving and made it to the 9am class.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • 4 Rounds
    • 30s Squat Hold
    • 30s Ring Hang
  • 10 Air Squats

Strength

  • 10×45# Back Squats
  • 5×135# Back Squats
  • 4×225# Back Squats
  • 4×245# Back Squats
  • 4×265# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips
  • 4×270# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips
  • 4×275# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips
  • 4×280# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips
  • 4×275# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips
  • 4×275# Back Squats
  • MU + 5 Ring Dips

The last rep with 280# didn’t feel so good on my low mid back, so I dropped 5# and did the last two sets instead of continuing to increase. Really focused on staying tight with my chest up on the last 2 sets. Decided to do my ring dips up in support after a muscle-up for an extra challenge.

Conditioning

15:00 AMRAP

  • 5 Bear Complexes (115#)
    • Squat Clean Thruster
    • Back Thruster
  • 10 Burpees
  • 300m Run

I did 4 complete rounds plus 3 bear complexes. Dropped the bar on every rep during the 4 rounds and then did the final 3 unbroken as the clock was running out. Weight was perfect for this. Runs sucked! Walked about 200m after the workout.

Glad I made it in and got the workout done. Took an afternoon break out to the garage and started with Crossover Symmetry Activation to get the shoulders ready. Also did some shoulder press sets to get warm with 5×45#, 5×75#, and 5×105#.

XWOD

  • 5-5-5-5-5-5-5 Shoulder Press (120#)
  • Push-ups 2-1-2-1-2-1-2
    • 2s: 20# Weight Vest
    • 1s: Clapping w/ vest

Shoulder presses felt better than the first day back on a Smolov Jr. cycle. The push-ups weren’t that bad. Maybe not the greatest choice for the XWOD.

SkiErg

  • 500m
  • Rest 2:1
  • 5-8 Rounds *If you begin falling off pace dramatically then stop, minimum of 5 efforts*
    • 250m @ 85-95% of 500m pace (~2:02)
    • Rest 1:1
  • 500m

I set a PR on the first 500m with a 1:49.6 and really fell off pace in the last 200m. Would do better not going out so fast, but I was trying the technique improvements (see video below) and didn’t have any idea what I’d be able to do. My splits on the 250s were consistent, actually getting faster as I got more comfortable with the technique.

  • 1:02.4
  • 1:02.5
  • 1:02.0
  • 1:01.9
  • 1:01.0
  • 1:01.3
  • 1:01.3
  • 1:01.1

Then the last 500m my goal was to be able to hold the pace I’d been using for the 250m intervals since it was on the short rest coming off the last one. Did a 2:01.2, so goal accomplished.

Walked 0.44 miles around the block to cool down and catch my breath. Then did Crossover Symmetry Plyometrics.

10 Too Much?

Wasn’t very sore yesterday, so I guess on Tuesday my legs were still feeling the thruster work from Saturday. Walked 18 holes of golf yesterday. Didn’t get my usual fill of sleep last night due to watching the OHS event of the CrossFit Games. Still in for the 9am at CFi though.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Box Shoulder Stretches
  • 15# Good Mornings
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Arm Circles

Strength & Skill

  • 5×155# Deadlift
  • 3×245# Deadlift
  • 3×315# Deadlift
  • 3×365# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×385# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×395# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×395# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×395# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×395# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 2×405# Deadlift
  • 3 MU
  • 3×365# Deadlift
  • 3 MU

Ugh, I had to try and go for 405# on the last two sets. Felt it in my back after the 2nd rep. Dropped weight and did 3 slow singles trying to keep a perfect back on the end. It was only an extra 10#, but maybe the same thing would have happened if I had stayed at 395# for that set. Who knows. Can’t change it now.

New PR for muscle-ups in one day with 8 sets of 3! Getting more and more comfortable with them every time I do them. This combination was pretty brutal though. I was sweating my ass off and completely out of breath.

Conditioning

10-8-6-4-2

  • T2B
  • Burpee over the Box Jumps (30″)

Damn near biffed it on the first jump to the box. Did all of the toes to bar unbroken and finished in 4:57. My burpees were slow.

Midline

100 Russian Twists

Grabbed the 35# KB with the goal of getting some big sets. Did it in 60-40.

Guess what, another afternoon break session in the garage! Did Crossover Symmetry Activation to get my shoulders ready.

Bear Complexes

If you don’t know what a bear complex is…

  • Clean
  • Front Squat
  • SH to OH
  • Back Squat
  • SH to OH

Usually condensed down into…

  • Squat Clean Thruster
  • Back Squat Thruster

I warmed up with some “bears”:

  • 5×45#
  • 2×95#
  • 2×115#
  • 2×135#

E45S for 8 Rounds

  • 2 Bear Complex 155#

My original (ambitious) plan was 16 rounds. Haha!! I wanted to quit after 4! Pushed through to 8. Dropping to my back was starting to get sketchy and I could barely get the bar locked out overhead. Good time to take a breather. I think I made it through the first 2 (maybe 3) rounds without dropping the bar in between each complex.

Rested about 5:00.

E45S for 8 Rounds

  • 2 Bear Complex 115#

Never had to drop the bar in any round. Too easy.

SkiErg

  • 10:00 @ 2:30-2:40/500m

Nice cool down and recovery pace. Made it 1,909 meters.

Finished up with CS Iron Scap.

What a Bear!

Had a needed rest day yesterday and got a massage. Back at 9am today.

Warm-up

  • 20 Air Squats
  • 20 PVC pass-thrus
  • 20/20 Leg Swings
  • 30s Deep Lunge Stretch

Strength

5×3 Front Squats @ 80-90%

  • 10×45#
  • 3×135#
  • 3×185#
  • 3×225#
  • 3×245#
  • 3×250#
  • 3×255#
  • 3×265#

Dialed back my weights a bit today. Felt pretty good.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 3 Bear Complex (135#)
  • 10 Burpees

Rest 5:00 and then do it again.

Shit! I did 3 unbroken bear complex for the first 3 rounds I think, then the first and last round the second time through. I stepped down into nearly all my burpees except maybe at the start and then the last round each time where I tried to push through to finish. 7:38 the first time and 9:20 the second time.

Back to the gym at 8pm for open gym with Brent.

E2M 10:00

  • 150m Row
  • 10 Pull-ups

Rest 10:00

E2M 10:00

  • 10 cal Air Dyne (AD6)
  • 50 DU

The combination of rowing and pull-ups was absolutely brutal after the first 2 rounds. Did pretty well with my double unders getting the second set unbroken.

All Over the Place

In at 10am with Matt and Alex.

Warm-up

  • 3-4:00 of Jump Rope & DU
  • 45# Snatch Positions and some Klokov Presses

Power Snatches

  • Positions and some doubles with 95#
  • 2×2 @ 115#
  • E30S 5:00 1 @ 135#

Back Squats

  • 5 @ 135#
  • 5 @ 185#
  • 3 @ 225#
  • 3 @ 255#
  • 2 @ 275#
  • 2 @ 295#
  • 1 @ 305#
  • 1 @ 315#
  • 1 @ 325#

Matt and Alex were doing some 7 rep TnG Bear Complex, so I jumped in at 145# for a go. That’s a 20# PR. I actually forgot to do a front squat (power clean right to jerk) on the 2nd or 3rd one, so did an 8th for it to be legit.

I grabbed an empty bar and did a set of 20 shoulder presses.

10 Rounds

  • 30s Row
  • 30s Rest

Felt pretty rough today on this, but looking back, that’s 5m more than October 4th, which isn’t all that easy to do when you’re sprinting anyway.

nov-4-2013-row-1

nov-4-2013-row-2

Grabbed an empty bar for 20 more shoulder presses.

Came back at 8pm to do a little more with Matt.

3 Rounds NFT

  • 100m Sled Drag (25# sled + 270#, 50 down and back)
  • 30s Battling Ropes waves
  • 30s Battling Ropes slams
  • 30s Battling Ropes circles

Holy fuck! Tried to do big steps and full foot on the ground for all of the sled dragging. We’ve done 5 plates before, but never 6. Really burned the ass. Those battling ropes are no fucking joke either.

The Real Bear Complex

Yesterday I rested. Walked 9 holes of golf early in the morning, which was good active recovery. I was pretty wrecked from Saturday through Tuesday so my body needed it. I’m still sore today, but don’t feel destroyed like I did. Went in for the 9am.

Warm-up

2 Rounds

  • 5 Pull-ups
  • 10 Push-ups
  • 15 Air Squats
  • 20 Sit-ups

2x Bergener Warm-up with empty bar

Strength

10:00 EMOM

  • Power Snatch
  • Hang Full Snatch

I’m excited about all of the snatch work we’ve been doing. Today I really focused on full hip extension and I think I made some great progress. I went 75#, 85#, 95#, 105# for 3 minutes, 115# for 2 minutes, and 125# for the last 2 minutes. In the 9th minute I lost focus a bit and had to bail on the full snatch in the bottom of the squat, but I picked it back up and got the rep in. I felt like my hip extension was pretty good in the power snatches and still short from the hang position. It’s definitely improving though.

WOD

bear-complex5 Rounds

  • 7 TnG Bear Complex (Power Clean, Front Squat, SH to OH, Back Squat, SH to OH)

* Combining is allowed, such as doing a thruster for front squat + shoulder to overhead.
* Increase weight each round.
* Partner up so you rest while the other person is working.

I’ve done bear complexes, but never as it’s designed to be done, with 7 TnG reps of the complex per “round”. It was definitely a challenge! Started off light with 75# to get the feel for it and warm up some more. Then went 85#, 95#, 115#, and 125#. Pretty much thrusters and back thrusters the entire way for me. I did quite a bit of resting with the bar on my back in the last round and some in the 4th round. Going any heavier would have been very difficult to finish.

Hike

After 4pm I headed out and did a hike. 2.39 miles in 1:03:59, while wearing the 20 pound weight vest. Strapping that thing around my chest really adds a whole other level to the hike.