Knees to Elbows – Page 2 – Nick Momrik's Fitness Logs

Knotted Up

Woke up out of it and still wasn’t quite awake when I got to the box.

Warm-up

3 Rounds of “Cindy” NFT

5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats

I did all strict pull-ups and a chin-up grip for the 2nd round.

Skill

E90S 15:00 (10x)

Rope Climb (13′)

Really getting the “hang” of it. Noticing these are going to be really good for grip strength as well as some extra biceps and triceps work.

Conditioning

10:00 AMRAP

10 Box Jumps (24″)
12 DB Snatches (40#)
14 K2E

All step downs from the box and I went 6 in a row with each arm for the snatches. Started out with 5-5-4 for K2E, but was down to 5-4-3-2 in the last couple of rounds. Finished exactly 5 rounds just as time ran out.

Midline

4 Rounds

20s Hollow Hold
20s Rest
20s Russian Twists (53# KB)
20s Rest

I stuck around for some extra work.

10 Rounds NFT

10 GHD Sit-ups
10 Back Extensions

Did each round quick, but took my time in between. Focused on explosiveness with each rep. Nice burn after the other midline stuff.

United Barbell CrossFit Soma

Went to a box called United Barbell / CrossFit Soma here in San Francisco at 7am.

Warm-up

2x
250m Row
Roll out low back

10/10 leg swings
Wide hip grinders
20 mountain climbers
Partner up
– bottom squat hold
– 2 slinkies & 5 good mornings (empty bar)

Strength

Sumo Deadlifts
12×1

Started at 115#, worked up and did the 12 singles at 325#. First time doing the sumo variant with a barbell and it’s a completely different feel.

WOD

18-15-12-9-6-3
– Wall Balls
– Knees to Elbows

We were partnered up and I had to wait after each movement for the other guy to finish or it would have been much faster than 8:09.

Some Hills

Lot’s going on today. Headed to Survival Fitness earlier than the normal 10am so I could drag the sled, get in a workout, and be out of there by 11am.

Warm-up

0.56 mile slid drag with 135# in 14:45. Needed this because my ass and hamstrings are beat up from yesterday.

Strength

Weighted Chin-ups

3 @ 20#
3 @ 25#
3 @ 25#
3 @ 30#
3 @ 35#

Probably could have gone up 5# each set instead of spending 2 sets at 25#.

Weighted Push-ups

8 @ 45#
8 @ 55#
8 @ 55#
8 @ 55#

Got really tough on the last reps of the last two sets.

Weighted Planks

30s @ 70#
30s @ 80#
30s @ 90#
30s @ 90#

Had to really fight to keep my core from dropping. Heavy!

WOD

7 Rounds

7 HSPU
7 K2E
21 DU (Unbroken)

I did this one back in February out in Phoenix in a time of 10:48, with some HSPU failing at the end. I hadn’t missed at all on DU then though. Today I missed one set of DU after 14 and another set after 16. Still getting used to the lighter Rx cable I think. My HSPU were much better though, so I finished in 9:55! Solid improvement in 5 months.

I had a 90 minute massage in the afternoon that was great.

In the evening I went out to the soap box derby with Kevin and Ellen to run some hill sprints. Warmed up with a jog around the track which is probably 600-700m.

10 Rounds

Hill Sprint (About 150 paces)
Slow walk back down to recover

Walked a lap for a cool down. Not too long after, my hamstrings were tightening up already. Deadlifting should be fun in the morning.

Forearms on Fire

I was up late setting up my new TV and everything along with it. Michelle was coaching and had me help her out with the programming with some movements she had in mind. Went in for the 11am class.

Warm-up

We did a bunch of dynamic movements going back and forth the length of the gym, including jogging, high knees, butt kicks, carioca, skipping, Samson stretch, hip flexor stretch, Sumo stretch, etc. Something new and fresh.

Then we did time through the Partner MB Pass Complex with 10 reps each of pass, overhead, left side, right side, and straight up.

WOD

30:00 Running Clock
Each part has a 10:00 cut-off. Part B starts at exactly 10:00 and Part C starts at exactly 20:00. If you finish a part early, rest until the next begins.

Part A, 3 Rounds

15 Goblet Squats (53# KB)
15 Ring Push-ups

This one was fast, but we were also the freshest here. I did it in 2:58.

Part B, 3 Rounds

15 Burpees
15 Ring Rows

I tried to pace myself on the burpees out of the gate, which allowed me to push on them a little more in the 3rd round. Ring rows are a big weakness for me. Took me 5:38 to finish.

Part C, 3 Rounds

15 K2E
15 Sandbag Clean & Toss Over Shoulder

I owned this one. Did the K2E in 15, 10-5, and 10-5 and never stopped with the sandbag. Took me 4:26 to get done.

My total working time was 13:02. About 10 minutes after we were done I could feel the burn in my arms and especially in my forearms. I didn’t see that coming when I whipped this up. Michelle had picked the first 4 movements, so I just plugged them in to my format and picked two more. The grip work in that last couplet was a real treat.

Working on Muscle-Ups

Feeling good today. Pecs are still sore from the competition. Was up early so headed in to work on muscle-ups before the 9am class.

I started out with rings hanging low from a pull-up bar so I could get in some reps working the transition with my feet bent under me and on my toes. Then I moved over to a set of rings I could grab on to while standing flat-footed and worked the strict transition. I kept missing because I’d let the rings get too wide and I was too slow in the turn-over. I nailed a few of them though. Just from that bit of work, my wrists started to rub raw. Need to try to do this once or twice a week.

Warm-up

4/4 World’s Greatest Stretch
15 No Push-up Burpees
200m Run
100m Run Backwards
200m Carioca (100m each direction)
300m Run
3 Rounds:
- 10 Evil Wheels
- 5/5 Glute Bridge March
- 10s Glute Bridge Hold

I worked up quite a sweat with the evil wheels.

WOD

30 Box Jumps (30″)
20 Full Cleans (155#)
30 K2E
20 Single-arm Push Press (53# KB)
30 Sit-ups
20 Alt Pistols
30 Burpee Box Jumps (30″)

Damn those cleans sucked ass and then the burpee box jumps at the end were pretty killer as well. Everything else was smooth sailing for the most part. I did the box jumps unbroken, the K2E in 12-10-8, push presses in sets of 5 per arm, sit-ups unbroken, and pistols with 2 short breaks mainly to get back to balanced. Really had to concentrate on the box jumps at the end. Finished in 16:36.

Call Me Julie

I don’t think the leg burning workout from Tuesday night had hit me yet, so I went in for the 9am figuring I could then go in at night on Thursday and enjoy the longer rest.

Warm-up

500m Row
2 Rounds
- 20/20 Band walks
- 15 Band Presses
- 10/10 Hitchhikers
- 10/10 T-stabilizations

Strength

5×5 Push Presses with 2-1-X-2 Tempo

The tempo work on for pressing doesn’t seem quite as taxing as it does for squats. I did a set with the bar to get the feel for it, then went 95#, 115#, 135#, 150#, and 165#. Couldn’t have gone any higher. Got really unstable at the top in the last two reps, but got it done.

WOD

7 Rounds

7 HSPU
7 K2E
21 DU (unbroken)

I knew the limiter would be the HSPU, but didn’t think they would get as hard as they did. I guess I didn’t realize how little rest there really was between sets. I was solid for the first 3 rounds going unbroken and right around 1 minute per round. Even the 4th and 5th rounds weren’t too bad, but 6 and 7 were brutal for HSPU. And then I get all the way to my last rep and I failed half way up. Felt a little like Julie Foucher trying to do her deficit HSPU last year at the Games. All of my K2E were unbroken and I didn’t miss a single DU. Finished in 10:48.

Home WOD

Needed to do something at night sitting at home. I’ve been meaning to do a little burpee testing to see where I’m at, so game on.

50 Burpees (Touch 6″ target above reach)

I can touch the ceiling with my fingertips standing up, so I slapped the ceiling with both hands making it 6-8 inches. Might have started out a little too fast because the last 20 reps were brutal. Took me 2:39 to finish, which nearly beats my normal PR for 50 burpees in 2:33. Jumping up to the target is a lot tougher and I could really feel the burn in my quads right around 25-30 reps. Yesterday’s big leg workout is probably starting to hit me as well.

In last years Open WOD 12.1 I did 92 of these in 7 minutes. I’d say I’ve improved some since then. I’m kind of curious to know if by starting out slower I would have been able to keep a steadier pace and get done quicker. Might have to play around with pacing once or twice in the next couple of weeks before the Open. I’ll bet they are going to have a burpee WOD again since it was a pretty good way to kick of the Games season in 2012.

2 Hour Saturday

I had a great rest day yesterday and went in for the 8am Competitors WOD and stayed to do the regular WOD as well.

Warm-up

500m Row
PVC Pass-thrus
PVC OHS

Strength

Work up to a heavy snatch single.

I started out with a few at 75# and a few at 95#, then started going up by 10# after one or two reps at each weight. Focus was on keeping the bar close and getting hip extension instead of looping the bar out, which I have a problem with. I got up to 155# and got under it for the first time, but it was a little too far forward and I couldn’t steady it before standing up. Took another shot and wasn’t committed to it. Nailed it on the 3rd try, which is a 10# squat snatch PR. I’ve hit 155# with an ugly power snatch in competition before, so this felt good to finally get out-of-the-way. Took the personal win and stopped there for the day.

WOD #1

This one comes from event #5 of the 2010 CrossFit Games.

7 Rounds

3 Cleans (185#)
4 Deficit HSPU (10# bumpers)

I scaled of course because it calls for 205# cleans and ring HSPU. I did power cleans the whole way through and reset for each rep. It was heavy, so I picked a good weight. My neck and collarbone are already showing some bruising. I can’t believe how much my HSPU have improved in the last few weeks. We’ve been doing them once or twice a week, so I’ve had plenty of work on them and it’s really paying off. I did each set unbroken. Final time was 8:36.

Since I was already warmed up, I skipped out on the warm-up the regular class was doing so I could cool down a bit.

WOD #2

3 Rounds

5 Wall Walks
20 cal Row
15 K2E
25 Wall Balls (20#, 10′ target)
15 Ring Dips
50 DUs

This was a non-stop suck fest! It was the first time I’ve ever done wall walks and after the 28 deficit HSPU they were not easy. Finished in 22:57.

I’m actually not feeling too bad after all that, but I suspect tonight I’ll be exhausted, especially if I head out for a round of golf this afternoon. Felt good to get really heavy in a WOD with the 185# cleans.

I jumped on the scale after everything and was at 191.5 with my shoes and clothes on, so I’d say the diet changes are working. I certainly am feeling good with the healthy food changes and getting a lot of sleep.

The Seven

Feeling better today. Went in for the 9am class instead of the 8am Competitors WOD because the Hero WOD sounded like fun and I could get another hour of sleep.

Warm-up

600m Run
2 Rounds
- 5 Push-ups
- 10 Air Squats
- 10 Leg Swings (Front to back, Side-to-Side, each leg)
- 10 PVC Pass-thrus

WOD

“The Seven”
7 Rounds

7 K2E
7 Deadlifts (245#)
7 Burpees
7 KBS (70#)
7 Pull-ups
7 HSPU
7 Thrusters (115#)

When it’s a Hero WOD you know you’re in for a suck fest. The first round wasn’t bad, but after that it was brutal. This WOD actually starts off with the HSPU and then thrusters but because of a big class size we paired up to share bars, so I started with the K2E. Rx for thrusters was 135#, so I scaled it down to 115#. I did all of my K2E, deadlifts, burpees, and KBS unbroken. Pull-ups were usually 4-3, but I think I got all 7 in round 1. HSPU were unbroken except for my 6th round where I went 5-2. Thrusters unbroken until round 6 where I wont 4-3. We had to stop at 33:53 because the next class was starting. At that point I had completed 6 full rounds and 3 of the pull-ups, so I only had 18 more reps to finish. Great WOD, but brutal. I think I did the first round in 3:11, but slowed down a ton after that.

Hike

Went out to Piestewa Peak and did the Summit Trail wearing the 20# weight vest. Going up while wearing that thing is horrible. The last 10-15 minutes with the vest is absolutely brutal, but I kept chugging along without stopping. Overall went 2.05 miles in 58:59 with 1,024 feet of climb.

Off to Phoenix

Went in at 9am for my last Survival Fitness WOD for a couple of months. Starting the road trip to Phoenix this afternoon.

Warm-up

Tabata Mash-up

Burpees
Plank

I did 5 burpees each round.

Strength

1RM Floor Press

Started with 8 easy reps at 95# and 2 at 165#. Then went 1 at 195#, 215#, 235# (PR), and missed at 245#. After getting 3 at 225# last week I figured I had 245# in the bag, but I just didn’t have it after a tough WOD last night.

WOD

Since it was my last WOD at SF for a while, Matt made up the WOD in my honor using my age and first letters of Momrik. 33 reps of each.

“Momrik 33”

Man Makers (40# DBs – push-up, row, row)
OHS (95#)
Man Makers (yes, again!)
Ring Dips
Inchworms
K2E

No rest for the arms and shoulders in this one. I started off with 10 man makers and then tried to stick to 5 reps at a time for the rest of the way. For OHS I did 10-10-8-5. Kipped all of the ring dips and was able to stick to sets of 5 so I didn’t hit failure. Took a short water break after 10 inch worms and then yelled at myself for taking any break on what was the easiest part of this WOD, so did the rest unbroken. On K2E, I went 10-8-8-5-2 I think. Finished in 19:58, which should be a pretty good time. Rx for the man makers was 45# DBs, but I know my limits there and 40# was just right for me.

My arms and shoulders are fried. I’m looking forward to a few days off as I drive out to Arizona. I’ll probably go out for a hike on Sunday when I get to town and then hit up CrossFit Full Strength on Monday morning.

Hungover

Went out last night with the Survival Fitness crew last night, so didn’t get very good sleep and things are a little foggy today. Went in to the noon class, which only had 3 people, compared to 20 that went to the 11am.

Warm-up

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Weighted Step-ups (95# – front rack)
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 Floor Wipers (95#)

Nice little workout right there in the warm-up.

WOD

20-15-10-5

Curtis Ps (95# – hang squat clean, 2 lunges, press)
K2E

Those Curtis Ps are brutal. I started off with 5 in a row, but then went 2 or 3 at a time with a couple of singles. I was pretty out of it, so took the opportunity to really concentrate on my squat clean and push jerk techniques. I broke the set of 20 K2E into 15 and 5, then did the other sets unbroken. Got a good workout, but didn’t really push it today. Finished in 27:41.