Tag: snatch

Hammies are Stretching

Knocked out a ROMWOD during the day. After watching the StrongFit video and trying his test yesterday, found out that my left arm doesn’t reach back nearly as far as my right. Guess which shoulder has issues? Been waiting for him to release his bicep openers which are supposed to help address this problem, so I decided to make an educated guess at the what they are (based on the test and the tricep openers). So at least it’s something to do and try to solve the issue until the official video comes out. I could definitely feel the tightness in positions so hope I’m in the ballpark. Went to the 5:30 class.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • 3 Sets
    • 10 PVC Pass-thrus
    • 20 Push-ups
    • 10 Band Pull-aparts (green)

Strength

E2M – 6 Sets

  • 8 RDL (185#)
  • 10 Weighted GHD Sit-ups (20#)

I’m getting to the ground earlier in my reps each week. I think it’s due to the combination of this being the 4th week of RDLs as well as doing ROMWOD each day. Excited to see how much I can improve those hamstrings because they have always been really tight.

Conditioning

12:00 AMRAP

  • 9 Toes to Rings
  • 6 Burpees OTB
  • 3 Power Snatches (115#)

Switched it up by using the rings today instead of the bar. It’s much different. My hips don’t die and I use the swing a lot more, compared to the bicycle type kip I use on the bar. So I was able to go unbroken the entire way. All snatches were touch-n-go as well. Finished 9 rounds exactly.

Gymnastics

Did a max handstand hold facing the wall, but my shoulder was not feeling very good so I came down at 1:45 and didn’t do the other 2 sets. I put in something else for fun…

4 Sets

  • 30s Overhead Hold (Bamboo bar with 2×26# & 2×18# KBs)

20 Singles

I think my hips are feeling those lateral step overs from yesterday a bit. Since yesterday was basically a recovery day and nothing crazy is planned for tomorrow, I could get in today for some work. Did Crossover Symmetry Activation to start and I now will use the yellow band to replace purple when I’m at the gym since one broke. That couple extra pounds of tension makes a bigger difference than you would think. I jumped on the rower for 10 minutes real easy and went 2,328 meters.

Strength

5 Sets

  • 5 GHRs (orange band)
  • 10 Pendlay Rows (95#)
  • 30s Handstand Hold

I tried my third set of glute ham raises without the band and not a good idea. I have to start pulling with my back too much. So back to the band to finish the last two sets. Glad we are putting focus into RDLs because my hammies are obviously weak. I started pulling my feet off the wall more than usual in the handstand holds. Might be time to give walking on my hands a try.

Weightlifting

Snatch

  • 5×45#
  • 5×75
  • 3×95
  • 3×115
  • 3×135
  • 10:00 EMOM
    • 1×155#
  • 10:00 EMOM
    • 1×165#

Every rep into a full squat and I spent some extra time in the hole and in recovery. Felt pretty good with no misses on the day. No extra rest time between the EMOMs, it was a running 20 minute clock.

I did Crossover Symmetry Recovery and will get in some 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.

Gettin’ Flexy

My hamstrings are a little more sore today. Shortly after waking up I did the 2nd video in the ROMWOD welcome path, which focused on hamstrings, hips, and low back. I’m so inflexible! Feels better than other yoga stuff I’ve done and you can definitely feel things opening up as you hold the poses for several minutes. Went to the 5:30pm class.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • 3 Sets
    • 10 Toe Touches
    • 20 Hollow Rocks
    • 30s Bottom Squat Hold
  • 200m Run
  • Back Squat
    • 8×45#
    • 8×135#

Strength

E3M – 5 Sets

  • 8 Back Squats (185#)
  • 8/8 Kroc Rows (53#)

I used a controlled descent on the squats and put some focus into driving my knees out. Really tried to pull the rows with my lats and started each one from a dead stop at the ground. Worked up a nice sweat.

Conditioning

8:00 AMRAP

  • 10 Push Press (75#)
  • 30 DU
  • 10 Hang Snatch (75#)
  • 30 DU

Bryan based this off a recent Outlaw workout he did. I really liked it. Missed 1 double under in the middle somewhere and then missed right at the end with 2 seconds left as I was trying to speed them up to finish the set of 30 I was on. Ended up with 4 rounds plus the push press and 24 dubs. Snatches started to burn at the end of rounds 3 and 4.

Midline

  • 4:00 Plank (hands)

While the class did them in a tabata I just kept going. The last 2 was a mental struggle after the shoulder focused metcon and I was really shaking. Finished up with Crossover Symmetry Recovery.

Did another ROMWOD while watching TV later.

Take Me Back

Back in Michigan. Weather here is cold and shitty! Out in the garage around 1:30.

Warm-up

  • 5:00 Air Dyne (1.45 miles)
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • 2 Sets
    • StrongFit Tricep Openers (8# DBs)
    • 15 GHD Heel Drives

Weightlifting

  • Squat Snatch
    • 5×45#
    • 5×95
    • 3×115
    • 3×135
  • 15:00 EMOM
    • 1 Squat Snatch (155#) + 1 OHS

IMG_7351.JPG

Missed first attempt 4 (?) times but grabbed the bar right away and made every 2nd attempt. I think all of them were that slow motion loss where it was just a touch forward and I couldn’t quite pull it back in. I actually planned to use 165# but was feeling slow so I scaled it back and still wasn’t very good. I really worked up a sweat though.

I did something a little different today. Since there is a slight slope in the garage, I turned and faced the opposite direction every set. I have always faced out to the middle of the garage with the snatch and C&J. Don’t want to create any imbalances.

Strength

E3M – 5 Sets

  • 10 Back Squat (185#)
  • 10/10 Curls (alternating, 15# DBs)

Finished up with Crossover Symmetry Recovery, which I haven’t done in a long time. I tend to use the Iron Scap or Plyo protocols after workouts most of the time. I did the first 2 sets facing towards the rack like I normally do with squats and the last 3 squats facing out to the middle of the garage.

Nasty Intervals

Ass and hammies definitely sore from 16.4. My upper back is sore from the ring rows yesterday too, but glad to be able to work those muscles again with that pulling movement.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Empty Bar stretching and positions for thruster

Conditioning

E2M – 7 Cycles

  • 5 Thrusters (95#)
  • 5 Burpees over the Bar
  • 4 Thrusters
  • 4 Burpees over the Bar

This was much worse that the 8s every two minutes from 4 weeks ago. Going from the burpees back to the bar was gross. Those jumps over the bar really added up today and had the quads fatigued. Started out taking 37 seconds, got a couple of seconds faster, and then started hitting the wall after the 4th cycle. Was fighting to keep it under 50 seconds by the last cycle.

This was the 4th progression of this combo. Since they all started the final cycle at what would be the 12 minute mark of a running clock, the volume was all effectively in a 13 minute window, which went from 50 reps to 63 of each movement. Bring on the thrusters Castro!

Gymnastics

5 Sets

  • 15 Stalder Leg Lifts (13″)
  • 5 Ring Swings

I actually only got in 2 sets and then did 3 after snatching because I was helping out some people with HSPU technique for their run at 16.4 tomorrow.

Weightlifting – Snatch

  • 2x3x95#
  • 3×115
  • 3×135
  • 2×155
  • 1×175
  • 1×185
  • 1×195
  • 1×205
  • 2x1x185

Felt really good again. Aggressive punch out. No misses on the way up again.

Snappy Snatchy

Made it in for the 5:30 class.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • PVC Pass-thrus
  • 20 PVC Presses
  • Zombie Kicks
  • 30 Jumping Jacks

Strength – Shoulder Press

  • 6×45#
  • 4×95
  • 2×115
  • 2×135
  • 2×155
  • 2×165
  • 1×175 (matches PR, failed 2nd rep)
  • 2×172.5 (PR)

I need to just always put on the belt when getting up there. I overextended too much trying to hit that second rep with 175. Put the belt on, dropped down and was able to grind out the PR double. I really wanted that 175 double after hitting 3×170 not too long ago!

Conditioning

8 Rounds

  • 6 Push Presses (95#)
  • 8 Burpees
  • 10 GHD Sit-ups

Longer than expected, but the burpees and GHD sit-ups slow down significantly. Finished in 11:01.

Midline

6 Rounds

  • 20s Bicycle Crunch
  • 10s Rest
  • 20s Plank
  • 10s Rest

Can’t remember the last time I did those crunches. I did the planks on my hands and really tried to lean out forward to get some extra wrist work.

Weightlifting

Asked Alex if he wanted to work up to a quick snatch before he had to coach the next class. Got after it! All into the full squat.

  • 2x3x45#
  • 3×95
  • 3×115
  • 3×135
  • 2×155
  • 1×175
  • 1×185
  • 1×195
  • 1×205
  • Missed 215 twice

Felt great and really snappy. Was really trying to be aggressive with the lockout because that’s where I seem to fail when it gets heavy. On the misses it definitely didn’t have the same feel. My back was feeling it a little bit from that shoulder press too and I can get loose at it gets really heavy. Any day I hit 200 or more is a good day though. Today it just happened to be enough to match my bodyweight. I was going to drop to 185 just to end on a make but I felt a little tweak in my back as I was twisting to put a couple plates away. Called it quits instead of risking it.

Double Down

Stupid time change. I was very confused for a few seconds this morning when I woke up after 9, before I remembered the hour shift. Messed up my entire morning before the gym.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Snatch
    • 5×45#
    • 3×95#
    • 3×115#

Conditioning

“Isabel”

  • 30 Snatch (135#)

Started with 5 doubles before switching to singles. Finished in 2:26 for an 11 second PR! At 1:00 I had exactly 15 reps done, compared to 17 when I did Grace. I really like this new strategy I mentioned in my last Grace post. Here’s more detail I just shared on Facebook…

For the last year, I’ve been thinking about a strategy for Grace/Isabel that I never really see. Just about everyone comes out of the gate hot, trying to get as many unbroken reps as they can. I think this is a mistake for the majority of us and with my recent attempts at both Isabel and Grace, I did a little testing. Let me explain…

My previous Grace was 2:17, done with 10 unbroken and 20 singles. I got the PR of 2:04 by doing 3×5, 1×2, and 13 singles. For Isabel I went from doing 2×2 and 26 singles to 5×2 and 20 singles. Ok, but what’s the difference?

Dropping the bar, getting (or waiting for) the bounce to settle, and grabbing it again takes the most time in workouts like these. In the first Grace, I dropped the bar and had to reset 20 times, but in the retest there were only 16 bar drops, resulting in a gain of 13 seconds. Isabel bar drops went from 27 to 24, for an 11 second improvement.

Heart rate isn’t all that important in a 2-4 minute workout, but I think it can help a little, at least from the point of how you perceive your level of fatigue. Smaller sets should keep HR down some. I think not starting with a huge set (to near failure) can help a lot with muscle endurance over those 30 reps though. The last 5 reps are going to suck no matter what, but they can feel just a bit easier.

Sure I could have gotten the same 16 bar drop Grace by doing 14 unbroken then 16 singles, but I would have been a lot more tired going into the singles, resulting in less motivation to pick up the bar with each rep. Starting off Isabel with 6 unbroken to make it 24 drops doesn’t sound very fun at this point in my fitness for the same reasons.

Would this work for you?

If either workout takes you more than 5:00, you should use a lighter weight. Check your ego.

If your time is 3:30 or longer, I’d recommend sticking to singles but speed up how long it takes you to pick up the bar. Anyone can get a time of 3:00-3:30 by doing all singles if you pick the bar up as soon as it stops bouncing. You can’t step away from the bar though, you have to be ready to go and pick it up every single time.

If your time is close to that 3:00 mark and maybe even all the way down to 1:40 (??), simply try to decrease the number of times you drop the bar, but keep your sets manageable. Switch to singles when you have to.

The tricky part is making sure you don’t pick something you can’t maintain. For example, I bet I would improve my Grace time if I did 15 sets of 2, getting me to 14 drops instead of 16. Probably wouldn’t be a very good strategy though, because I doubt I’d be able to maintain sets of 2 for the entire workout. I’d end up doing singles and then wouldn’t actually decrease bar drops.

Make sense? If you try it out or have any questions let me know.

On Your Hands

3 Sets

  • MAX Handstand Hold (facing wall)
  • ~2:00 Rest

I should have checked my PR before. Made it 2:36, just 4 seconds short of my best. Then 1:40 and 1:00. Not easy after Isabel.

Conditioning II

3 Rounds

  • 30 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 60 Double Unders
  • 1:1 Rest

Times were 1:36, 1:47, and 1:47. Unbroken wall balls each time with unbroken dubs in round 1, 2 misses in round 2, and 1 miss in round 3. Was fun to do some big sets of wall balls. If not for the shoulders being pretty wrecked from the earlier stuff, using 30# would have been a good challenge.

I tried the false grip bar muscle-up and it wasn’t great. I definitely was sliding off the bar on the swing and had to do kind of a chicken-wing attempt, which I never do. Going to start working on that false grip strength on the bar with some drills because I think it will eliminate the feeling I’m ripping off my entire palm with a full grip on the bar when linking them together.

Did Crossover Symmetry Iron Scap before leaving.

More Hanging

More goddamn gymnastics in 16.3! I thought for sure we’d see a break from it. I’m not surprised by the bar muscle-up being added this year though. Having to do single C2B in week one used up a lot of my time in the workout, but bar muscle-ups singles may pace me out better over the course of this one. Trying to make the best of my injury limitation. 🙂 If I average 30 seconds on snatches and 30 seconds on bar muscle-ups (plus transition time), 6 rounds seems like a good goal and 7 being something I’d be thrilled with. I’m just not sure how the muscle-ups are going to feel on my shoulder. I’ve only done 1 in the last 2-3 months.

Warm-up

  • 1,000m Row
  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • GHD Heel Drives
  • Bar Taps
  • 5 Muscle Snatch (45#)
  • 3 Power Snatch (75#)

I did a couple of muscle-ups trying to see if I could string them together. I think I could have gotten through it, but why risk it and I’m pretty sure I would have ripped by the end even with the gymnastics grips on. Once this shoulder heals I need to figure out what to do with my grip because I can feel it starting to tear when I swing down, even on a first set.

CrossFit Open 16.3

7:00 AMRAP

  • 10 Power Snatches (75#)
  • 3 Bar Muscle-ups

16-3-splitsIt went really well with the singles. Much better than expected. I was able to drop straight down from the top so didn’t have to move much. I had a nice steady pace on the snatches with no problem going unbroken every round. I took a split second pause at the top and opened up my grip on every rep. That worked so well and my grip was fine throughout, where the other guys’ grips were smoked. I barely had enough energy left to just fly on that final set of snatches. Made it through 6 rounds plus 8 snatches with a tiebreaker of 6:39. Happy. 🙂

With the exception of round 1 my splits were a lot more consistent than I expected. Round 1 is going to be lower, since you don’t have a transition from the the top of the last bar muscle-up, to drop, and get to your barbell. Measured in seconds my rounds were 52-66-68-73-70-70, so only one was over the 70 second average needed to get 6 rounds and, other than the first, they varied by only 7 seconds. That might be the best pacing I’ve ever done.

We had a great atmosphere in the gym with Jason, Bryan, and I battling it out. I thought Bryan had lapped me because he was doing all of his muscle-ups unbroken, but I guess he was just a bit ahead of me. I almost caught him on my final sprint, but was 1 rep shy. Then we got to see Michelle and Jess get their first muscle-ups, with it finally clicking for Michelle and then she got 4 more in the workout. Probably the funnest Open workout I’ve been a part of. This will be a neat one to retest once my shoulder is better.

 

On to next week…

 

Work Up Quick

Got to the gym around 5. Figured it would be a good idea to get in some heavy snatches in case some sort of max is coming in the Open.

Warm-up

  • Crossover Symmetry Activation
  • Bottom Squat Hold
  • Snatch Warm-up Complex (45#)
  • Pass-thrus

Snatch

  • 3x40kg
  • 3×50
  • 60
  • 63
  • 66
  • 69
  • 72
  • 75
  • 78
  • 81 (missed first attempt)
  • 83
  • 87 (missed first attempt)
  • 90

Starting at 60, Bryan and I went back and forth without much rest other than changing the plates. Worked up in less than 20 minutes because I wanted to do the 5:30 class. Felt like the make at 90 was a good place to stop. Was rusty for sure, so need to get these in more often. I much prefer lifting like this though instead of taking 40-50 minutes.

Strength – Shoulder Press

Class was programmed as 3 rounds of these sets:

  • 3 @ 85%
  • 2 @ 90%
  • 1 @ 95%

I based mine off what my max should be (180#) after a recent triple with 170#.

  • 6×45#
  • 3×95
  • 3×115
  • 3×145
  • 3 Waves
    • 3×155
    • 2×162.5
    • 1×170

I was questioning myself during the first wave, but they actually got easier the next two times through.

Conditioning

“Wall Ball Kalsu”

  • 100 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 5 Burpees EMOM (Starting at 1:00, so first minute is free)

I don’t like it this way because it doesn’t read correctly and it’s not how you do Kalsu. 🙂 You should start with the burpees as soon as you start the clock. But it’s good to vary things, right? I’ve done it the proper way, in 5:54, a year ago. Today the wall balls felt really light and I was getting in a lot more each minute than I did the other time. Started with 30, then 3 sets of 18, and a final set of 16 to finish in 4:50. I was kind of mad I dropped the wall ball early in the first 2 sets of 18 too, with about 6 seconds left. I could have gotten in 2 more each of those sets.

Update: I found where we did it this same way in October and it took exactly 5:00 then. I’ll take a 10 second improvement! 😀

Midline

8 Rounds (Tabata)

  • 20s Weighted Plank (45#)
  • 10s Rest

This was the worst part of the workout! I wanted to quit after round 4, but made it all the way through them.