Full body

RIP Kenneth Chan

Squat cleans
85 x 5
95 x 3
115 x 2
125 x 2
135 x 1
140 x 1
145 x F, F

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Supersets
Incline bench press - 35s x 12, 40s x 10, 7, 7
Push-ups - 16, 10, 8, 7

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Amrap 10
1 deadlift @ 225lb, 1 burpee, 2/2, 3/3 etc.
Score = 7 rounds and 8 deadlifts

Rowing and core

I don't usually train on Sundays, but I didn't have time to do as much as I wanted yesterday, plus I was bored so I went to the Stonecroft gym for a short workout.

Rowing - 2k; damper setting @ 6
Time = 10:27

I used to think that the higher the damper setting, the harder it is to row. However, I recently stumbled across a CrossFit article - which, quite frankly, I didn't understand - that says this isn't the case. It's just... different. Anyway, this 2k with the damper at 6 felt tougher on my arms than my recent 5k set at 10.

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Some core work, all separate and untimed.

100 sit-ups
Push-up/Swiss ball crunches - 7, 6, 6, 7
Leg/hip raises - 5 x 10 reps

Upper body / Conditioning

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

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

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

Upper body

Elisabeth Akinwale

Light weight, lots of reps today.

Push press - max reps @ 85lb
9, 10, 8, 8, 9

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Bench press - full rom
95 x 10
105 x 8, 7, 7, 6

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Supersets: Lat raises @ 20s / Push-ups
10/16 - 9/12 - 8/12 - 7/10 - 7/10

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Leg hip raises
18, 16, 15

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

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.

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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

I wanted to do some conditioning work today, but I had the most godawful headache. I don't know if it's related, but I decided to cut way back on my caffeine intake. For the past few weeks I've been having some heartburn in the morning, and I couldn't figure out why. I haven't changed from my usual breakfast - oatmeal, 1% milk, flax seed, raisins and apple sauce - so I didn't think it could be that. Then a couple of days ago I read a blog post where the writer said that he'd stopped drinking caffeine because it was causing GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), and one of the symptoms is heartburn. Decaf coffee is fine, so I've been only drinking that for the past two days. However - and I don't know if this is the cause - I've had a thumping headache for about a day and a half. Perhaps I shouldn't have gone cold turkey, so I'm going to allow myself some caffeine first thing in the morning, but a greatly reduced amount.

Anyway, I took an ibuprofen before I headed to the gym, and that helped somewhat, but there was still a residual ache at the back of my skull that I found distracting more than anything else, so I opted to do some weight work instead of some fast-paced metcons.

Back squats
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
175 x 5
185 x 5
195 x 4

That's one rep more at 195lb, plus I think my form was much better today (full rom).

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I copied part of Paul's workout from a short time ago, just to see how I measure up. Paul's scores are in brackets.

Push-ups - 34, 22, 16 (40, 21, 20)
Paul beat me by nine reps in total, but at least I managed one rep more in the second set!

Chin-ups - 15, 10, 9 (15, 10, 9)
I shouted the loudest "Shit!" when I tried and failed to get a 10th chin-up in the last set!

And to finish off...

Leg raises - 21, 17, 12

Upper body

Personal training with Paul

I've been feeling the symptoms of overtraining the past couple of days, and even a bit this morning when I got up. As before, it manifests itself with a flu-like ache in my chest, arms and shoulders. To be honest, I really wasn't looking forward to today's session because I didn't have much energy. However, I thought I might start to feel better once I got warmed up. I actually felt much better after this workout than at the start, and I barely have any of that aching feeling now.

For the record, it's well established that Paul's memory is better than mine, and I did actually train on Wednesday, contrary to what I'd suggested. However, he can't count for shit. Rather than paying attention to the reps I was doing, I think he was picking his lotto numbers.

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Supersets

Incline bench press - 35s x 10, 40s x 10, 8, 8
Push-ups - 16, 12, 8, 6

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Pull downs - 100 x 10, 10, 8, 7
Straight arm pull downs - 70 x 10, 7, 7, 6

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Lateral raises - 20s x 10, 9, 7
Military presses - 20s x 11, 8, 5

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Chest supported row - 100 x 10, 10, 10
Reverse lateral raise - 40 x 10, 7, 5

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For time:
50 sit-ups (strict)
50 Russian twists with 25lb plate (total)
25 sit-ups
25 Russian twists
Time = 7:53

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.

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.

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

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

Bloody hell, this burned my shoulders during the hold.

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.

Conditioning

Happy Christmas (wah, wah, waaah!)

Yeah, I know it's Christmas Day, but I was bored! Perhaps I'm suffering from OCD (Obsessive CrossFit Disorder). After we'd had our family brunch at home and unwrapped our gifts, I had some fun in the Stonecroft gym.

For time:
1 dumbbell hang squat clean into thruster @ 35s
1 push-up; 2/2; 3/3, etc up to 10 reps of each
Time = 15:40

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Row 1,000m
Time = 6:01

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15 minutes swimming

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!

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

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

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

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30 straight leg raises

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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

Seriously?

This week is going to busy, so I'll be doing shorter, full body routines, rather than my usual focused workouts.

Squat cleans
95lb x 8, 8, 6, 7

That's a one rep improvement in the third set.

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10 rft:
15 deadlifts @ 135
15 push-up
Time = 18:25

The last time I did this routine was back in July 2011, when I finished in 28:00. I knew Paul's time was unattainable, but day-um, that's 9:35 faster. At least my improvement is better than his - ha! :-) Just like last time, I shredded my right shin - why not the left? - and left my dna all over the bar. I didn't rush, but stayed focused and disciplined, even when someone decided to come and start a conversation during the deadlifts. The first round was unbroken, and all the rest of the deadlifts were broken down into 5s. 

A short but satisfactory workout today.

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.

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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

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

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

Pushing

The first thing I thought was: "Nice quads."
What's wrong with me?

Decent start to the week.

Push press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
85, 95, 105, 110, 115

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Bench press plus 20 push-ups
95 x 5
105 x 5
110 x 5 (4 + 1)
110 x 5 (3 + 2)

I decided to do standard bench presses - i.e. not using safeties - and went with fairly light weights that I was confident of controlling. As soon as I felt a bit of a struggle to lock out with the weight, I racked it and rested a few seconds. That only happened in the third and fourth sets.

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Alternate sets, relative max reps:
Dumbbell flies @ 27s - 12, 9, 7, 7, 7
Dips - 10, 7, 6, 6, 5

I rested exactly 60 seconds between each set/exercise.

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

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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

A bit more elegant than me

Personal training with Paul

Alternating sets
Bench press
95 x 5, 115 x 5, 125 x 5, 135 x 2, 135 x 3 (fourth rep was assisted)

Dumbbell rows
70 x 5, 75 x 5, 75 x 5, 80 x 5, 80 x 5

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For time:
50 hang power cleans and push presses @ 75lb
Every break (bar on the ground) do 10 pushups and 15 jump squats
Time = 10:57

I think I took breaks after the following reps: 14, 10, 8, 5, 5, 8. Edit: 14-10-10-8-8.

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50 strict sit-ups
40 straight leg raises
30 leg raises/hip raises
20 decline sit-ups
10 toes to bars

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At the end of today's workout I weighed myself on the gym's scale. According to that, I'm now 148lb, which is 6lb more than the last time I weighed on my home scale. There may or may not be a discrepancy between the two scales, but I think Paul might be exaggerating when he said I'm getting fat! The evidence in my favour...

Flexin' time

Looking back at all these photos, I can't see too much difference between them, although I do look a bit lighter in the early ones. Other than that, everything looks pretty consistent.