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)

======

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

Upper body / Conditioning

Pull-ups, max reps - 13, 8, 7, 6, 6

======

Amrap 10
5 burpees
5 knees to elbows
Score = 8 rounds plus 5 burpees and 1 k2e

======

3 rft:
20 hang power snatches @ 45lb
20 push-ups (hand release)
20 box jumps @ 24"
Time = 16:46

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)

======

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

======

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

Pulling and pushing

My shoulders were feeling pretty knackered before I'd even started today, and I think that affected my performance. Also, I'd planned on doing cable rows, too, but ran out of time.

Supersets: Pull-ups (strict) and bench presses @ 95lb
10/10 - 11/10 - 8/7 - 7/7 - 6/8

The bench presses were without safeties; i.e. full rom.

======

Alternate sets: Power snatches @ 75lb and dips
5/10 - 5/8 - 5/8 - 5/7 - 4/8

No press outs with any of the snatches. These were all relative maxes, so whenever I felt like the next rep would need some pressing, I stopped.

======

Supersets: Barbell curls and military presses, both @ 65lb:
6/5 - 5/4 - 5/3

I think these were 65lb; I used the short, straight bar that is used for standing curls.

Pulling

Totally loving this video.

Power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 2
90 x 3

Didn't do too well with these, but I think that's probably because I'm out of practice. I need to get more barbell snatches into my workouts (I've been doing plenty of db snatches).

======

Drop set pull-ups - 35lb weighted/bodyweight
6/6, 4/4, 4/4, 3/4, 2/3

======

Dumbbell rows
70 x 5
75 x 5
80 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 3

Full body

A typical Vancouver mother of two.

I think this might be the last day I do full body workouts for a while, as I'd like to get back into the pushing, pulling, legs and conditioning split.

Front squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
95, 115, 135, 155, 165, 170 (1)

Been a while since I did heavy front squats. After the single rep at 170lb, my wrist felt like it was straining, so I decided to rack the bar. I could have tried another rep, I guess, but I didn't want to risk failure due to my grip and have to release the weight quickly.

======

Supersets

Neutral grip pull-ups - 12, 8, 8, 7
Pull downs @ 50lb - 6, 4, 5, 5

Lateral raises - 20s x 10, 9, 8
Military presses - 20s x 12, 9, 6

Feet elevated push-ups (18") - 12, 12, 10
Cable fly curls @ 30s - 10, 9, 6

Full body

Alternate sets; 5 x relative max reps
Bench press @ 125lb: 6, 5, 5, 5, 4

Weighted pull-ups @ 35lb: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4

Exactly 60 seconds rest between sets.

======

3 rft:
15 dumbbell snatches @ 30lb, left arm
15 sit-ups
15 dumbbell snatches @ 30lb, right arm
15 toes to bar
Time = 18:15

This is a modified version of yesterday's WoD. I tried a light db squat snatch - 20lb - but I didn't have enough external rotation to allow me to squat at a reasonable depth. My arm was too far forward, which meant I couldn't get enough weight in my heels and I felt like I was going to topple over. I decide to go with a straight db snatch at 30lb, but, in retrospect, I could have gone at least 5lb heavier. The level of difficulty for each of these movements was exactly as expected - sit-ups were easiest, all unbroken; snatches were okay, with the first set unbroken for each arm, then with one break in the other two rounds. Toes to bar, however, included quite a few no-reps and several breaks in each set. That cost me a tremendous amount of time.

Full body

I want those arms and shoulders!

I feel much better today, and all the symptoms of overtraining have passed. Even though I only took one extra rest day - last week - and I had a PT session on Saturday, it feels like I've had a long break because I'm so refreshed. Weird. Anyway, kept it fairly short today because of a morning meeting.

Complex: 1 squat clean + 1 front squat + 1 squat clean + 1 front squat
95, 115, 125, 130, 135 (1 sc + 1 fs), 135, 140 (1 sc + 1 fs)

Identical outcome to last time I did this complex.

======

Lynne
Five rounds for max reps of:
Bench press @ 120lb (scaled from the RXed bodyweight)
Pull-ups
7/12 - 6/10 - 6/8 - 4/6 - 5/7

This was yesterday's main site WOD. The first set of pull-ups were all strict, and I gradually added more kipping reps as the workout progressed. I took as much rest as necessary between each set, and went to failure every time. If I couldn't complete a rep, that was it for the set. I don't know why I did it, but for the fourth set of bench presses I gripped the bar too wide, and that affected the number of reps I could manage. Here's the official demo video, with some seriously crappy pull-ups.

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.

======

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.

Full body

Personal training with Paul

10 rft:
5 front squats @ 115lb, starting from the floor
5 pull-ups (strict)
Time = 12:00

I'm very pleased with this time, even though I've never done this routine before. All the rounds of squats were unbroken - the first rep each time was a squat clean - although a couple of times near the end I paused for a few seconds at the top in order to catch my breath. I think the first six rounds of pull-ups were unbroken, too. The best part about this routine is that I didn't rush and I was disciplined, controlling my breathing between sets and between the squats/pull-ups. I've been using this technique a lot recently, slowing down my breathing when necessary. It feels like I'm taking too long while I'm doing this - breathing in through my nose, then out slowly through my mouth - but it always seems to pay off with decent finish times. Basically, I don't think I could have done this routine any better, and that's always a good, rewarding feeling.

======

4 rounds, each for time; 1 minute's rest between rounds
15 dips
20 push-ups
2:19, 4:02, 4:03, 3:55

======

Cable fly curls; 30lb each side
10 with hold
9 with hold
8 with hold

Bloody hell, this burned my shoulders during the hold.

Full body

First heavy lift for the year; first PR.

Trap bar deadlift, 1rm
6 x 30% = 105lb
6 x 40% = 140lb
4 x 50% = 175lb
2 x 60% = 210lb
1 x 70% = 245lb
1 x 80% = 280lb
1 x 90% = 315lb
1 x 95% = 335lb
1 x 100% = 350lb (new PR)

This actually felt pretty comfortable, although it's clear from the video that my form was starting to go south (curved back). Still, I think I managed to start with my butt low down, which helped me to push up through my heels. This is the heaviest weight I've ever lifted, so felt pretty good. It looked pretty cool, too - three 45lb bumpers on each side!

======

Bench press, relative max @ 130lb (large bench, 7 holes)
4, 4, 3, 4, 3

======

Pull-ups, max with strict form - 11, 7, 6

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

If you half-close your eyes and squint, that could be me getting out of the water.

5 rft:
5 back squats @ 165lb (a2g)
5 dumbbell bench presses @ 50s
Time = 7:59

======

5 rft:
10 kipping pull-ups
10 plate push-ups
Time = 8:30

That's 1:46 slower than Paul. Bollocks! :-)

======

30 straight leg raises

======

All of the above was done at ABsolute Fitness in the morning. In the afternoon, I had a 45 minute swim at Stonecroft. It's the first time I've been in a UV pool, which uses ultraviolet light for water disinfection, rather than chlorine or salt. Actually, this was the first time I've been swimming since I started taking better care of myself. I forgot what a good workout it can be.

Full Body

Personal training with Paul.

Reverse Fran
Time = 12:24

That's a damn sight quicker than my regular Fran (15:13), which surprised me. I thought I'd be slower because I'd become more fatigued as I progressed. Perhaps the earlier, shorter rounds allowed me to warm up my muscles more, though.

======

The rest of today's session actually felt tougher by comparison.

Supersets:
Incline dumbbell bench press - 35s x 10, 10, 7, 6
Push-ups - 5, 7, 5, 6

===

Dips - 7, 5, 5
Push downs - 30 x 8, 6, 5

======

Cable flies/curls, drop sets
30s - 10, 7, 6
20s - 6, 5, 4

Pulling

My pecs are hurting like hell this morning. It made the inverted rows bloody painful when the bar hit my upper chest.

Hang cleans
95 x 6
105 x 3
115 x 3
120 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3

Even before I watched the video, I knew my form was starting to go during the 130lb set because the position of my feet was all over the place.

======

Alternate sets, relative max reps
Inverted rows - 12, 10, 8, 8
Neutral alternating pull-ups (total) - 10, 6, 6, 7 (only managed the left side)

======

Supersets, max reps
Underhand pull-downs - 8, 7, 7
Wide-grip pull-ups - 4, 3, 2

By the time I started the pull-ups my shoulders and biceps were toast. There was nothing left, which is why I only got two pull-ups in the third set.

I had planned on finishing with some barbell curls, but really - what was the point of even trying!

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Trap bar deadlifts
1 minute @ 170lb - 27, 25, 23

Dumbbell military press
1 minute @ 25s - 20, 16, 15

Neutral grip pull-ups
1 minute - 14, 10, 9

Plate push-ups
1 minute - 26, 19, 19

======

30 decline sit-ups

Barbara

I don't usually train on Friday, but (a) I had a rest day on Wednesday, and (b) I won't have my regular personal training session tomorrow, only a gentle 3k run with Madi.

Barbara - 5 rft:
20 kipping pull-ups
30 push-ups
40 sit-ups
50 air squats
Time = 38:56

Okay, this is 19 seconds slower than last time, which was over a year ago. A couple of things to note, neither of which I'm offering as excuses, only observations.

1. This time, I did strict sit-ups, not the old "hands-over-head" that gave me some momentum. That may or may not have slowed me down, but, on the other hand, I hope I'm stronger than I was in September 2011. Also, the air squats were a2g; I can't remember if I only broke parallel last year.

2. Usually when I do a significant number of pull-ups in a metcon, I start with strict pull-ups rather than the kipping version. This is to enable my shoulders to warm up a bit before I start resorting to kipping. This morning, however, I went into straight into kipping because I wanted to move as quickly as possible from the beginning. My form was fucking awful; I lacked control and although I managed 12 consecutive reps before I had to rest, I was already out of breath. From that point onward I was struggling with breathing too hard, and that meant I needed to take too many breaks throughout the rest of the routine, just so I could catch my breath. Not a smart start by any means.

Regardless of whether or not I could/should have done better, this was still a good workout. I'm typing this a couple of hours after I left the gym, and I'm already seizing up. My moobs are sore as hell! Thankfully, tomorrow's Santa Pur-Suit won't be too taxing.

Full body

Short and simple today, due to time restraints.

Alternate sets; 5 x relative max reps
Bench press @ 125lb: 6, 5, 4, 4, 4
Weighted pull-ups @ 35lb: 5, 5, 4, 4, 4

======

Superset - front and back squats (a2g)
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
150 - 3 & 3
160 - 3 & 3
170 - 2 & 3

Full body

I decided to try something different from my usual Monday pushing workout today, just for a change.

Diane: 21-15-9 rft
Deadlifts @ 225lb (sets broke down as 11, 5, 5 - 5, 5, 5 - 5,4)
Push presses @ 95lb (5, 6, 5, 5 - 5, 5, 5 - 5, 4)
Time = 12:54

Because I can't do handstand push-ups, I substituted presses instead. The last time I did Diane - with Paul - I used military presses, but today I went for push presses with more weight. The reason for trying this is because a few of the YouTube Diane videos show some athletes doing a kipping type of motion for the handstand push-ups, and I thought push presses might be a good approximation of that movement. My time ended up being quicker by 6:45, so perhaps I could have gone heavier on the push presses (the deadlifts were RXed).

======

The second routine was yesterday's main site WOD.

For time:
5 front squats @ 125lb
25 pull-ups
4 front squats
20 pull-ups
3 front squats
15 pull-ups
2 front squats
10 pull-ups
1 front squat
5 pull-ups
Time = 13:14

The demo video stipulates using 65% of a 1RM for the front squats. I can't recall ever going for a 1RM, so I used my heaviest ever weight - 175lb - and did a little over 70% of that. That would have been 122.5lb, so I rounded up. The front squats were just breaking parallel and actually felt quite easy. This enabled me to do all the reps with good form; i.e. elbows up. The pull-ups, however, really took my breath away and slowed me down.

Overall, a good, sweaty workout today!

Full body (mostly upper)

Personal training with Paul

Note to self: The next time I see a workout online that I'd like to try, shut the hell up.

Rowing Helen
3 rft:
500 metre row
21 kettlebell swings @ 24kg
12 pull-ups (kipping)
Time = 19:11

I saw a CrossFit main site video yesterday, which showed some top level athletes doing a metabolic analysis. All the data was based on their reactions to a workout called Rowing Helen (the standard Helen uses running sprints, not rowing). Anyway, I thought it looked like an interesting challenge, so I asked Paul if I could do it with him sometime, as the rowing machines and kettlebells can only be used in a personal training session.

The kettlebells were the hardest part, and I no-repped a few times because I didn't get the weight overhead. In all three parts of the routine, it wasn't the weight that challenged me the most; it was my lack of breath. (Come to think of it, I can see why they chose this for a VO2 test). In the third round of rowing, I started off really slowly because I could hardly breathe, but I wanted to get moving. About halfway through, I started rowing 50 metres slowly, then 50 quickly, up until the end.

Not basing this on anything, but I thought I might get a time of circa 15 minutes. Still, I think I gave it everything to get 19:11, and it definitely required a lot of mental strength.

======

4 rft:
10 incline dumbbell bench presses @ 40s
10 dips
Time = 16:47