Snatch Pull

129 Is For Freedom

Did make it out on the course yesterday and took a cart for a quick 12 holes (back 9 was actually closed). In to the gym before 5pm tonight.

Snatch

5x20kg
3×40
2×50
2×60
1×65
1×70
EMOM
- 5x1x75
- 5x1x80
- 5x1x85
Heavy Single
- Miss 88
- 1×88

I was forward with 65 or 70 and really pulled it in, feeling a little tweak in my back. Didn’t really affect me until I felt it in the bottom of the 88 make. Called it quits there. The singles with 85 were really shaky with some good saves. Didn’t have the feel today like I did the other day, so I was actually happy to go 100% on the EMOM.

3x3x90kg

I wore straps for the pulls and deadlifts.

Snatch Deadlift

3 Segment Snatch Deadlift (knee) + 1 Floating Snatch Deadlift

3 Sets @ 85kg

Back Squat

Spend 5 seconds on the eccentric portion of rep 1 for every set.

5x70kg
5×95
5×111
5×121
3x5x129

Little tougher this week with trying to protect my back. I put on the belt starting with 111 kilos.

Skipped the ab work and some other accessory stuff I had planned. Will give my back some rest. I’m heading out of town for the weekend anyway, so nice to get out of the gym early. Will try to do a 21 minute ROMWOD when I get up north. (Too late, so didn’t get it in.)

F is For…

Out in the garage by 9:30 for the first day of Catalyst OTM “week” 2. Warmed up with Crossover Symmetry Activation. Wore knee sleeves since my knees were bugging me yesterday during and after class.

Snatch

5×45#
3×95
2×115
2×135
1×145
1×155
EMOM
- 5x1x162.5
- 5x1x172.5
- 5x1x182.5
Heavy Single
- 190 F
- 190 F
- 190 F

Today “F” is for fuck! Felt good during the EMOM with no misses. Was only allowing myself three misses with the heavy single. First try was forward, gave it too much and the bar was going to go behind me on the 2nd rep, and third rep was forward again.

Used straps for the pulls and deads.

Snatch Pull

3×185#
2x3x200

Snatch Deadlift

3 Segment Snatch Deadlift (knee) + 1 Floating Snatch Deadlift

175#
2 Sets @ 185

Back Squat

5 second eccentric on the 1st rep of each set.

3×185#
3×225
5×265
2x5x285

I was worried going in to these after the front squats doubles yesterday and how rough these felt last week with every set at 265. I decided to take fewer warm-up sets, made sure to get the tempo rep even on the warm-ups, and took about 4 minutes of rest between my working sets. Surprisingly these felt much easier than last week. Needed that win after feeling shitty about the heavy snatch ~~single~~ zero. Trust the program! I did wear the belt for my 3 working sets.

I will do the abs tomorrow, but should be able to get in a 22 minute ROMWOD tonight.

On The Minute

First day of a new lifting program. I’m going with Catalyst Athletic’s On The Minute Cycle, which I got out of the weightlifting bible. Out in the garage at 10am. Not wearing the knee sleeves today for a change.

Snatch

5×45#
3×95
2×115
1×135
1×145
15:00 EMOM
- 5x1x155
- 5x1x165
- 5x1x175

Felt good to be able to hit full lifts from the floor after the Vaughn program and all of it’s tempo/pause work. Tried to work on receiving the bar where it was and not putting more into the bar than I needed to. Haven’t recorded lifts in awhile, but had the GoPro on the ground which produced a shitty angle…

Need to keep an eye on that jumping back. Don’t want it to be too excessive.

Snatch Pull

3x3x185#

Pulls have always felt awkward to me, but for some reason they felt normal today. Wore straps. Tried to focus on leg drive and staying on my heels as long as I could.

Snatch Deadlift

3 Segment Snatch Deadlift (knee) + 1 Floating Snatch Deadlift

3 Sets @ 175#

Wore straps for these too, but easy compared to the heavier loads used in the last program, which often included more pauses or tempo.

Back Squat

E2M – 12:00

5×155#
5×205
5×235
3x5x265

I forgot I was supposed to be doing a tempo descent, so didn’t start until the 3 working sets. It was a 5 second eccentric on rep 1. I was going to go beltless, but suspected the tempo would not be fun. I was right, so I’m glad I strapped it on for the working sets.

The OTM work really sets the tone for the entire session. I was finished with all of the lifts in under an hour, which never happened in the Vaughn program. It also helps a lot that each lift leads into the next one so you don’t need to warm-up different movements.

Midline

5 Sets
- 8 Weighted GHD Sit-ups (30#)
4 Sets
- 15 Lying Leg Raise

I’m going to try to stick with their recommended ab work with each session and can easily use my GHD as part of it. All sets of one movement were completed before going to the next movement.

I am however going to cut back and just try to get in 3 lifting days per week so I can hit a few more metcons here and there. My body doesn’t respond very well to lifting 4-5 days a week.

Walked 18 holes after lunch and will hit a 21 minute ROMWOD tonight.

Too Heavy on the Bench

Woke up and out in the garage a little after 8. My hamstrings are still sore from the RDLs.

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
2 Sets – StrongFit Tricep Openers (8#)
Bench Press
- 5×45#
- 5×95#
- 5×135#

Strength

E3M – 5 Sets

11 Bench Press (165#)
24 Alternating DB Curls (20#)

I know exactly why I decided to start with 165# last week on the bench work but it’s way too much over my 50%. I remembered doing 10 sets of 10 with 155# this winter with Bryan and figured I should go heavier than that. Last half of sets were slow this morning, too slow. Should be using 140-145 instead. The curls are still easy.

Midline

50 GHD Sit-ups

Took me about 56-57 seconds for the first 25 and finished in 2:11. I had to start taking a few extra breath and breaking things up after 30 reps. I knew the 3:40 on March 1st was not a representative effort.

Took a break during the day and knocked out video 4 of the ROMWOD Welcome Series.

Headed to the gym at 4:30 to do Bryan’s Outlaw lifting with him.

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
45# Snatch Warm-up
- Bottom Squat Hold
- Muscle Snatches
- Snatch Presses in Squat
- OHS

Snatch Pull + Power Snatch + Squat Snatch

40kg
50
60
65
70

Easy stuff. Looks like he’s on a deload week. Also through up an 80 kilo power snatch after.

OHS

3×95#
3×125
3×145
2×165
3×175

I was using a 33X1 tempo and then lost the final rep with 165 while in the hole. I also didn’t have my grip all of the way out in a snatch width for any of those sets. No tempo and a snatch grip on my final set. I really need work on my stability with these.

Clean Lift Off w/ 5s Hold at Knee

3×145#
3×195
3×220
3×230
3×245

Minimal rest between each rep. These were rough on the hook grip, but I felt better with them than I expected.

Back Rack Reverse Lunge

3/3 @ 135#
3/3 @ 165
3/3 @ 175
3/3 @ 190

I really like the reverse lunges. Not only is it better on the forward knee, but I feel like I can control the descent a lot easier and get full depth instead of banging my knee into the ground like on a forward step. Felt much more comfortable than with the overhead ones earlier this week.

Bamboo Bar Stability Work

30s Hold (52#)
30m Walk (52#)
30m Walk (68#)
3 Sets
- 30s Hold (84#)

Challenging! Used 25# KBs, then added 8s, and 8s again.

Conditioning

3 Rounds

1:00 AMRAP
- Thrusters (95#)
2:00 Rest

Really wanted to try these that were done in class earlier in the week. Right after that overhead stability work was not my best idea though. My reps were 24-23-19. Last round was nasty! I actually even rested in the bottom of a squat for about 5 seconds it was hurting so bad.

Finished up the ROMWOD Welcome Series later in the evening. Seems like a busy day but all of that really didn’t take too long.

Almost Done

In to the gym at 9am for a squat session. Warmed up with 100 walking lunges.

Back Squat

10×45#
5×135#
4×225#
4×265#
4×290#
4×310#
4×325#
4×340# (PR)

Reps felt really good even though my legs are feeling trashed. Last set was a grind, but solid. I’m thrilled with the improvements I’m seeing in my squat positions. Didn’t have any forward lean at all when it got heavy. Ankles, knees, and leg muscles really starting to feel all of the volume though. One more day!

Didn’t have time to get in my bench accessory work so took the rest before class started.

Weightlifting

Worked on snatch stuff with complexes. Combination of 3 position pause snatch deadlifts, snatch pulls, power snatches, and an OHS here and there. Weights were 45-75-95-115-125-147#.

Conditioning

21-15-9
- Deadlifts (225#)
- Push Press (95#)
75 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)

It was “Diane” but I just got stitches out of my head on Thursday so bouncing on my head isn’t a good idea yet. The push presses were a good substitute and that weight allowed me to go unbroken with some hurt. A heavier weight would have been more comparable to HSPU, but that’s ok. I did the deadlifts unbroken too. Finished the 9s in 4:10. Going into the wall balls was a bit of a surprise with dead arms. I did 3 reps and dropped the ball to rest. Got to 10, then lets of 10 until finishing with 13-12. Total time was 9:49, which is pretty damn slow for wall balls.

How Much Ya Bench?

Okay, this morning I can feel a little fatigue in my shoulders from that shoulder press work I did Monday night. Crawled out of bed by 7am today. Might as well get in those squats early. Warmed up with a quick 3:00 on the Air Dyne (1.47km).

Coffee Squats

Pause Front Squats (3s in the hole)

10×45#
5×135#
5×155#
5×175#
5×185#
5×195#
5×205#

Those last two sets sucked! I couldn’t hold a breath in the hole after the first two reps. Wore a belt for the last 3 sets to help keep tight. That’s the 10 day of squatting. Didn’t feel the quad at all in this session, but I did feel something odd on the inside of my right knee as I descended on some of the reps. Did 15 minutes of stretching after I was done.

Got to CFi at about 6pm. Did Crossover Symmetry Activation and then a little warm-up workout.

2 Rounds

500m Row
50 DU

Got a new coated cable for my RPM rope so replaced the frayed bare wire one before heading to the gym. Wanted to try it out so came up with this. I didn’t attack the rower at all; just under a 2:00/500m pace I think. Finished in 5:29. Was a little worried the coated cable would be too slow for me but it felt pretty good. Had one miss in each set and it was after 48 in the second round.

No B.S. Bench Press

Test Day!

10×45#
8×115#
5×155#
3×185#
1×215#
1×240#
1×260# (PR)
1×265# (PR)
F @ 270#

Damn, I thought I had that last one. Got it pretty far up and thought for sure I was going to fight through it before stalling out. That’s a 15# PR though, probably 10 of which can be directly attributed to the 9 week program. My estimated max was 255# from a set not too long before we started. New cycle starts next week. 🙂

Weightlifting Wednesday

The plan is to make 7pm class on hump day all about weightlifting. Should be fun.

5 Hang Muscle Snatch (45#)
5 Snatch Press (45#)
5 OHS (45#)
2 Snatch High Pulls, 1 Snatch
- 3 sets @ 75#
- 3 sets @ 95#
- 2 sets @ 115#
Snatch
- 2×135#
- 2×145#
- 2×155#
- 1×165#
- 1×175#
- 3x1x185#

I missed one at 145# before hitting it a second time. Catches were kind of shaky with some of the heavier weights, but the final one was locked in the best of them all. I think the Crossover Symmetry has really helped with my shoulder stability because I was able to manipulate the weight overhead for some good saves.

Sprint

Felt like a quick row so went for 500m. Was killing it and then hit a wall with under 200m to go. Was able to hold on for a 0.3 second PR – 1:24.8!
500m-row

The last two times I’d done 500 meter time trial it’s been an afterthought on the way out of the gym after a long session. Maybe I should try it fresh some time. 🙂

Schedule Change

I was planning to go to the 8am open gym and then to play some beach volleyball, but they changed the schedule starting this weekend. So I went to the 9am barbell class and then stayed for CrossFit right after.

Warm-up

Straight-arm Plank
5 Push-ups
Arm Circles
Shoulder opener up against wall
10 BTN Shoulder Press (45#)
10 Push Press (45#)
5 Shoulder Press (45#)
5 Explosive Push Press (45#)

Push Press

3×95#
3×135#
2x3x165#
2x3x175#
3×185#
2×200#
2×215#
1×225#
1×230#
1×240# (PR)

BOOM! Another PR this week. Happy ThanksGAINing!

Snatch High Pulls

3×95#
3×135#
3×155#
3×175#
3×195#
3×215#

Hadn’t done those in forever.

Then right into the 10am class.

Warm-up

Jog
Dynamic Warm-up (Zombie Kicks, High Knees, Butt Kicks, Side Shuffle, Carioca
Partner Shuttle Sprints
Jog
Stretch

We split up into teams of 3.

5:00 AMRAP
1-2-3-4…

Deadlifts (143#)
HSPU

First person did the round of 1s, then the next person did the round of 2s, and so on. You could start a movement when the person in front of you finished their reps. Deadlifts had to all be unbroken. Pretty easy deadlifts for me. I went 3rd so did the rounds of 3-6-9-12. The girl behind me got through 13+5 and the other guy was on his 14 deadlifts.

7:00 AMRAP
Relay style, so one person does an entire round before the next person goes.

7 T2B
6 Thrusters (45#)
5 Plate Snatches (45#)

I went first and finished 3 rounds. The guy behind me got through the toes to bar and deadlifts before time ran out. Pretty easy for me. I actually think I would have finished more rounds doing it all alone.

Some Firsts

In at 10am this morning.

Warm-up

Did a 500m Row.

Strength

Bench Press

Going for a 1RM today since it’s been ages and I wanted to see where I was at. 10 @ 45#, 5 @ 135#, 3 @ 185#, 1 @ 215#, and then failed on two different attempts at 235# to match my PR. My left arm was not having any trouble, but my right was way behind and couldn’t catch up. Then I dropped down for 5 @ 185#. On these, my right arm was still trailing behind. Kevin noticed my elbow was a lot more flared out then the left, putting me in a bad position. Something to work on.

Disappointing bench day. I haven’t PR’d a lift in a couple of weeks and need that rush of beating a record soon!

Snatch Pulls

6 x 2 @ 185#

First time using lifting straps. The first set felt super heavy and awkward getting used to the straps, but it got much easier as the sets went on and the pulls felt pretty good. I still have a hitch where I kind of stop and almost dip back down in my Olympic lifts. Need to fix that.

Pendlay Rows

Something new to try out. Not exactly sure we were doing them right, but they felt like they were working something. Did 5 reps each at 95#, 105#, 115#, 125#, and 135#.

We were close…

WOD

18:00 AMRAP

50 DU
40 Air Squats
30 Push-ups
20 T2B
10 HSPU

Much harder than I imagined because you hit muscle fatigue in so many of the movements. I was 10 HSPU short of completed 3 full rounds, so 2 + 140. Lot’s of resting in this to give the muscles time to recover and keep from hitting failure until that last round.

Destroyed Upper Body

Went in with a few people at 3:15 to work on our Olympic lifting and then stayed after for the regular class.

Loaded one bar up with 185# for snatch pulls and then used another bar for snatches. Started off doing one snatch pull, one power snatch, and one hang full snatch. I started at 95# and worked my way up to 125# on the snatch work. Then I switched to single full snatches with 135# after the snatch pull for a handful of sets. Probably worked for a solid 40 minutes, taking a few minutes of rest in between each complex. The snatches didn’t feel very good today.

Strength

5×3 Push Presses with 21X2 Tempo

The goal was to hit the 5×5 max from 2 weeks ago in our second set. Since that was going to be 165# for me, I started at 135#. Then went 165#, 170#, 175#, and 185#. Shit that was tough, but I’m glad I jumped 10# on that last set. My old 1RM push press is 190#, but it’s been a long time, so I should obviously be able to beat it pretty good now.

WOD

3 Rounds

400m Run
25 Shoulder to OH (95#)
50 DU
10 Ring Dips

OMG, my upper body was destroyed already in the first round. I did 15 and 10, then 10-9-6, and then probably 6 or 7 sets in the 3rd round, where I was even doing some jerks to get them done. The ring dips were pretty tough too. Finished in 16:09.

Upper Body Push

After golf last night I was exhausted and got a huge headache which throbbed whenever I moved very much. I’m not used to nearly 6 hours out in the sun like that. Got to bed early for some sleeping recovery. In at 9am this morning.

Warm-up

3/3 World’s Greatest Stretch
400m Run
200m Run Backwards
200m Run
1 x 10 MB Pass Ab Circuit w/ Partner

WOD

“Coe”
10 Rounds

10 Thrusters (95#)
10 Ring Push-ups

A couplet with both movements being upper body pushes. Reminds me of the 21-15-9 thruster and HR push-up WOD I did in a competition, which completely crushed the shoulders. Except this WOD was much tougher due to heavier weight, tougher push-ups, and more than 2x the reps. I didn’t realize it was a Hero WOD until a couple of hours later. Now it makes sense. 🙂

I did the first round unbroken and then switched to 5 thrusters at a time the rest of the way. I think I did the 2nd round of ring push-ups unbroken, then went 5-5 for the next 4 rounds. At that point I realized I was going straight up and down on my ring push-ups. I let myself come forward over the rings and was able to go 6-4 really easily until the last round when I went with as little rest as possible through everything and had to do smaller sets.

My time was 18:54, beating the 20 minute goal I set for myself. This was a good WOD for me to do since I need the work on upper body strength and thrusters. I got some nice skin burn on my triceps from the ring straps.

Ran home for a snack and a little rest. Back at noon for OLY.

Olympic Lifting

Might have been a good idea to skip the OLY work after that shoulder crushing WOD, but I need the technique work.

5 Sets

Hang Power Snatch
Full Snatch
2m Rest

I used 75#, 95#, 105#, 115#, and 125#. Tried to really focus on meeting my hips with the bar. Could tell I was fatigued in the last set. In my full snatches I need to work on riding the bar down instead of crashing into the bottom of the squat.

4 x 2 Drop Snatches

Because of all the shoulder work I used 95# for every set. Concentrated on jumping out to good foot position, keeping the weight back, and riding the bar down.

5 x 3 Snatch Pulls

We went up to the shrug but didn’t break the elbows at the top. I went 95#, 105#, 115#, 125#, and 135#. Found out I haven’t been getting the ankle extension and coming up on my toes. I kind of jump and float. So worked on getting to extension with the ankles as well as in the hips here. Still need to stay over the bar longer too. I could see snatch pulls over and over again really helping with the major problems in my technique.

In the end, I’m glad I was there because I learned a few new things that can help me out. Need to keep working at it.