Full body

Dayum.

This week has consisted of a series of short workouts, but on five consecutive days. I have some doms - especially in my traps, following yesterday's rowing - but definitely no symptoms of overtraining.

Back squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
135, 155, 185, 200, 205 (2)

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7 rft:
7 cleans @ 115lb
7 pull-ups (kipping)
7 burpees
Time = 19:56

Legs

Because of a lack of time, I felt really rushed today, which caused me to lack focus. Also, a combination of a poor night's sleep and feeling hungry seemed to drain my energy a bit.

Complex: 1 power clean + 3 front squats
95, 115, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145 (F), 145

I didn't get a decent grip with my first clean at 145lb, and I was leaning too far forward, causing me to drop the bar halfway through the first squat.

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Deadlift
5 x 30% = 100lb
5 x 40% = 130lb
3 x 50% = 165lb
3 x 60% = 195lb
2 x 70% = 230lb
2 x 80% = 260lb
1 x 90% = 290lb
1 x 95% = 310lb - F and F

At 310lb I could feel my back arching when I had the bar about six inches off the ground, so I dropped it rather than try to complete the reps. Much too risky with that much weight. It just wasn't happening today.

Upper body

I had to miss yesterday's PT session due to the bad weather, but I managed to get in an hour's swimming at the Stonecroft pool, plus shitloads of snow shoveling.

Power cleans (t&g) - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
95, 115, 125, 130, 135, 140 (1)

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Supersets - dips/neutral grip pull-ups
12/10, 10/7, 8/6, 9/6, 8/6

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Piston bench presses (per side)
37s x 10, 42s x 8, 45s x 5, 6, 6, 5

Full body

Limited time today, so I did some shoulder strength work, followed by a fixed-time metcon.

Military press - 5, 5, 3, 3, 2
65, 75, 80, 85, 90 (1)

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Yesterday's main site wod.

"The Chief"
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
115lb power cleans, 3 reps
6 push-ups
9 air squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

Scores:
3 rounds + 5 squats
3 rounds + 3 cleans
3 rounds + 3 cleans
3 rounds + 2 cleans
3 rounds + 2 cleans

The RXed weight is 135lb, which is close to my max for cleans. I think 115lb was the right weight for this routine, which is 20lb heavier than the women's RXed weight, so my ego remains intact. Most reps were t&g, but with some of the later reps I needed to quickly reset. Sometimes when I do cleans I get doms in my biceps, which means I've been curling the bar and not using my shoulders enough. However, two hours later I'm already starting to feel sore in my traps. Hopefully, that means my technique was good. Here's the CrossFit demo video.

Full body / Cindy

I don't usually train on Sundays, just because I take rest day after my Saturday personal training sessions. However, because I trained with Paul on Friday, I rested yesterday and was itching to do something today. I started with power cleans, but I tried a different strategy to normal.

Power cleans, t&g
95 x 3
120 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 2
140 x 1

I wanted to try getting to the heavy stuff more quickly than usual. Last time I did power cleans, I went from 95lb to 115lb, then 125lb, 130lb, 135lb, finishing with 140lb. I thought that perhaps I might save my strength for the later sets by taking heavier jumps between sets, but it didn't work out that way. Oh, well - it was worth a try and it was only an experiment, so I'm not going to get too frustrated by the result.

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I felt like doing a girl WOD today, and - coincidentally - Cindy came up on the main site.

Cindy - amrap 20:
5 x pull-ups
10 x push-ups
15 x air squats
Score = 16 rounds + 3 pull-ups

The last time I did this was back in July, when I tried a "death by" type of strategy. For as long as I could manage, I would only start the pull-ups on the minute, and when I finished the last squat I would rest for the remainder of that minute. Today's score was identical to July's, which was a PR. However, back then I started my workout with Cindy, whereas this morning I started about three minutes after I'd completed the cleans. I didn't use the "death by" technique today, opting for just going when I felt ready. I rested with the slow breathing method I've been using for recent metcons, and I definitely felt comfortable with that. I know that kipping pull-ups are allowed with Cindy, but I started off by doing strict ones and only really resorted for a slight swinging motion about halfway through the routine. That meant I didn't get out of breath too quickly, which seems a bit smarter than attempting to sprint all the way through; that never works out well. 

I didn't improve on my previous score, but a big positive for me was that all of the rounds of pull-ups and air squats were unbroken, except for the last three pull-ups, which I knocked out as singles straight after completing round 16. It's a good thing I did, as I hadn't made a note of my PR, so I didn't realise until now that I'd matched it. I would have been pissed if I'd missed out by one or two reps.

Conditioning

My hamstrings are pretty much back to normal, but my glutes are still sore as hell. I didn't want to resort to just an upper body workout again, so I decided to do some conditioning that would work my whole body. I started by doing about 10-15 minutes of warming up - especially my legs, obviously - and then did a version of The 540, which is named after the CrossFit box that devised it. The reps are as RXed, but I couldn't find a reference to what weight I should be using. I think it's up to the individual how much to put on the bar, so I guess-timated how much would be a challenge for me. I think I got it about right.

The 540
50 overhead lunges (total reps; 25lb bumper plate)
40 pull-ups
30 thrusters @ 85lb
20 burpees
10 cleans @ 115lb
Time = 18:06

I narrowly missed Rich Froning's world record time. By about 12 and a half minutes. Frig, this took my breath away, especially the thrusters. I think they took the longest time out of everything, just because of the time I spent resting. The burpees were in slow motion, but I only needed one break right in the middle.

For time:
50 sit-ups (strict)
50 push-ups
Time = 4:35

Short workout today, but still felt challenging.

Full body

Personal training with Paul

I went to see Skyfall yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, and I made the huge mistake of eating popcorn. From the moment I left the movie theatre until about 10:30am this morning (Friday) I had a heartburn sensation, like a huge burp was fighting to escape! Not a good feeling, to say the least, and I had it throughout today's personal training session. If you heard thunder at about 10:00am today, that was me burping as I walked up Hincks Street after leaving the gym. Yeah, I know that's disgusting, but I feel a lot better!

5 rft:
5 Bulgarian split squats @ 115lb
10 dumbbell bench presses @ 45s
Time = 15:12

Well, that felt a damn sight harder than it should have. I don't do split squats often enough, and I think my time reflects that. My balance was all over the place, and I don't think my front foot position was consistent enough. This will need some work.

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Complex: 3 deadlifts + 3 power cleans (t&g)
95, 115, 125, 125, 130

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50 wide-grip pull-ups
Time = 8:59

Upper body

I ate a hell of a lot of food yesterday, but it was all "clean". I would have treated myself and eaten some apple pie IF SOMEONE HAD BOTHERED TO BRING SOME!

Push press - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
85, 95, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125 (2)

I've put that I managed two reps at 125lb, but - to be honest - they weren't great. I got the bar overhead, but it came down pretty quickly both times. I was doing pretty well up to that point, too, and I felt like I got plenty of power from my hips and shoulders up to 120lb.

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5 rft:
5 power cleans @ 115lb
10 dips
Time = 8:59

All of the cleans were unbroken, although they weren't all t&g. About halfway through this routine I found that my form improved significantly by keeping the bar close to my body during the cleans. However, this new-found knowledge came at a price; when I brought the bar up my shins, I ripped off the deadlift scab on my right leg from a couple of weeks ago. I could feel the blood dripping down and pooling on my top of my sock! Also, I noticed that there were spots of blood on the carpet by the dips station. Ew!

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Chin-ups (strict), max reps
10, 7, 5, 5

Last flex of 2012!

Full body conditioning

Personal training with Paul

Amrap 10
1 deadlift @ 225lb, 1 burpee, 2/2, 3/3 etc.
Score = 9 rounds exactly

Edit: I only just checked back to see my score when I did something similar but easier a few weeks ago. Back then I did jump squats instead of the RXed burpees, which I did today. Even though my lungs burned like hell this morning, I did much better.

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"Ensign"
3 x 3 minute rounds of:
3 power cleans @ 115lb
6 push-ups
9 air squats

Scores:
3 rounds + 3 power cleans
3 rounds + 6 squats
3 rounds + 6 push-ups

I'm not surprised that the second round was better than the first. I deliberately moved slower, which allowed me to breathe slower. I slowed down in the third round just because I was fatigued.

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3 rounds:
10 ab rollouts
20 sit-ups (strict)

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It's two hours later, and my lower back is already seizing up from the deadlifts! Great workout, though. I'm used to one of the routines in my PT session knocking me on my ass, but not two at the beginning!

Pulling

Power cleans (resetting)
95 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 2
140 x 2

I usually opt for t&g power cleans, but my technique has been a bit shitty the past few times. I think this was in part to trying to move too quickly without focusing on my form. Therefore, I allowed myself to reset after each rep today, so that I was able to concentrate on each rep, rather than trying to get through each set as quickly and fluidly as possible. That makes this a slightly different type of exercise, but it's worth it if it forces me to concentrate on my form.

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Chin-ups, weighted - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (strict)
35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 (2)


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Cable rows - 5 x max reps @ 150lb
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

My form during the later sets was better than the early ones, as I leaned back less.

Pulling

Post-lunch workout.

Complex: 3 power cleans + 3 hang cleans
85, 95, 110, 120, 125 (1 hang clean)

I didn't video this, but I know my single hang clean at 125lb was shit. I lacked control, and my legs were all over the place. Still, I attempted a second rep, but couldn't get the bar anywhere near my chest.

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Dumbbell rows 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 per arm
70s, 75s, 80s, 85s, 90s (4)

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Power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
90 x 3

A little bit of press out from 85lb onwards, which is why I didn't add any weight after my first set with 90lb. That being said, the second round 90lb was better than the first.

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Cable rows
100 x 10
110 x 10
120 x 8, 6, 5

Legs and pulling

Cool - yet disgusting - pants design

Another combination day because I missed yesterday's pulling workout, due to attending a funeral in Toronto.

Complex: 1 power clean + 5 front squats
115, 125, 135, 140, 145 (4)

Video of the last two sets (forgot to subtitle the video). My elbows are too low after catching the clean, but I corrected them for the squats. For the 145lb clean, my legs are all over the bloody place.

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10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rft
Deadlifts @ 185lb
Pull-ups
Time = 11:16

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21-15-9 rft
Traveling lunges with 25s (per leg)
25lb dumbbell snatches (per arm)

I got as far as completing the 21 lunges per leg and then I got the a frigging painful cramp in both quads. It was the type of cramp where I thought I was going to puke, and I was hoping from leg to leg - both of which were equally bad, so that wasn't helping - then collapsed on my ass. It was bad enough that two people came to ask if I was okay! When I finally felt good to go, I started doing the snatches, but it still felt like the cramp would come back at any moment (I got to a total of 12 db snatches). I decided to abort as the time I'd spent trying to recover was longer than I'd actually spent moving, so whatever time I finished with would have been meaningless, anyway. I don't like walking away from an incomplete or poorly executed workout - or, in this case, staggering away - so I'm going to start with this tomorrow morning and make sure I finish it.

Pulling

44

Only time for a short workout today. Also, I had a bit of an upset stomach, which was due, I think, to too much caffeine. I stayed up later than usual last night to watch the U.S. election results so I felt quite tired today. I tried to get myself going with lots of coffee throughout the day.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rft
Power cleans @ 115lb
Kipping pull-ups
Time = 17:43

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Wide cable rows
100lb x 10, 10, 7, 9

Pulling

According to this, I think I'm somewhere between
15% and 20%. 3% looks like a bloody reptile.

I had to postpone my usual training time because of a busy morning. I was less busy this afternoon, so I managed to fit in a quick session (thankfully, just before the jocks started arriving).

Chin-ups, weighted - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

First time I've managed all three reps at 60lb.

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Cable rows - 5 x max reps @ 150lb
5, 5, 5, 4, 4

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5 rft:
8 power cleans @ 95lb
8 inverted rows off parallettes
Time = 9:32

Pulling

Power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
95 x 0, 0

I think I should have spent more time warming up this morning. I arrived at the gym and jumped straight into my workout. My failure with snatches today was more a matter of mental preparation, I think; I didn't have much focus and my mind wasn't very relaxed. This improved as my session progressed, though.

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Wide cable rows
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 5
145 x 4
145 x 4

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5 rft:
8 x power cleans @ 115lb
8 x kipping pull-ups
Time = 13:13

Pulling

Complex: 3 power cleans + 3 hang cleans
85, 95, 105, 115, 125 (2 hang cleans)

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Cable rows
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 5
150 x 5
160 x 5

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Death by neutral grip pull ups
Score = 9 rounds + 6 reps

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Barbell preacher curls @ 50lb
6, 5, 5, 5, 4

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Complex: 1 power clean + 5 front squats
115, 125, 135, 140 (4 squats), 140 (3)

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Alternate drop sets

Weighted pull-ups - 25 x 9, 5, 4, 4
Pull-ups - bw x 3, 4, 3, 3

Military press - 65 x 9, 7, 7, 5
Push press - 65 x 7, 8, 6, 6

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Death by burpees
11 rounds + 9 reps

Pulling

It's a bloody girl!

Today I felt a bit blah due to lack of sleep. As a consequence, I wasn't expecting too much from this morning's session, but I think I did surprisingly well.

Power cleans, t&g
95 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3
135 x 2
135 x 3
140 x 2
145 x 1 (PR)

I had planned on only adding weight if I'd completed 3 reps in the previous set, which probably would have meant stopping after 140lb. However, I just felt like going for my max at 145lb, and I'm glad I did. My elbows were up nice and high, but on some of the heavier reps my legs were a bit wobbly before I straightened up. Not very elegant, but I got the weight up to my chest cleanly.

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Cable rows:
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 5
150 x 5
160 x 5

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21-15-9 rft
Power snatches @ 75lb
Neutral grip pull-ups (strict)
Time = 14:55

Did better than I expected today, so I'm pretty pleased overall.

Pulling

Some trainers would be all over Christy Phillips' elbows. Tsk!

Complex: 3 power cleans + 3 hang cleans
85, 95, 105, 115, 125 (2 hang cleans)

As you can see in the video, I dropped the bar straight after I completed the second hang clean at 125lb. This wasn't because my grip failed; I simply knew I didn't have a third rep in me, so I thought "Sod it!" and let the bar go. Both wrists held out okay - my right is almost 100% better, but my left felt a bit sore during the heavier sets of the next exercise.

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Dumbbell rows 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 per arm
70s, 75s, 80s, 85s, 90s (4)

My grip gave out on me - with both hands - rather than failing because of my shoulders and arms.

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Wide grip pull-ups; max reps, strict
10, 7, 6, 5, 5

Upper Body

The first routine is yesterday's main site WOD. I've been focusing on hang cleans recently, but I went with power cleans today - as per the WOD - just to see how I'd cope.

Power cleans 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
95-115-125-130-135-140-150 (F)

Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks! I think I was doing pretty well with my form and technique, but I got too cocky with the last attempt, jumping from 140lb to 150lb. I'm pretty sure I could have cleaned 145lb, which would have been a 5lb PR anyway, so I didn't need to increase by 10lb. It was just a little bit too heavy for me to get my elbows up quickly enough. The video shows my last three reps.

By the way, I've been wearing a knee brace since yesterday, when it started to hurt while I was out walking. The brace certainly helps, as I didn't feel a thing throughout today's workout, including the next part.

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5 rft:
5 x deadlifts @ 225lb
10 toes to bar
Time = 11:07

This video is of the first and fifth rounds.

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Alternate sets:
Preacher curls @ 65lb - 7, 5, 6
Push-downs - 40lb x 10, 45lb x 7, 8