Monday October 28, 2013

A. Front Squat, 3 reps x 3 sets @ 78%
     - used 225#, no belt. Trying to develop some core strength. Sets were tough but doable.

B. Power Snatch, 5 reps x 5 sets, rest 1 minute between sets. Complete all 5 repetitions within 35 seconds. Start @ moderate weight, and work your way up. Drop each repetition.
     - Worked with 135#. Tried to maintain good form while still pushing myself. Really frustrated that this weight still feels fairly heavy to me. However; my technique was OK and I completed all reps within 35 seconds.

C. Clean and Jerk Cluster @ 80%, 1.1.1 x 3 sets, rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
     - 215#. My elbow felt OK today on these. Getting better since being worked on by Crowley a week ago.

** Cash-out with one set of AMRAP muscle-ups: Did 6 reps and stopped after feeling a little discomfort in my elbow. trying to be careful here.

Saturday October 26, 2013

CFNE Masters Comp.

Went into this comp. with the usual case of butterflies due to the enormous amount of pressure I put on myself. I have a terrible habit of considering anything less than a first place finish a failure. I had some concern about the workouts because they were all very short, lactate power based WOD's and there was no individual event longer than 3:00!!!

The biggest concern was the "Triple Take" WOD that featured 3-3:00 couplets back to back to back. This was a very scary WOD for me because I just couldn't figure out a strategy. Do you go conservative and lay off the first part so you can have something in the tank or do you just go for it?

First Event: "Triple Take"

Part 1: 3:00 AMRAP 10 Thrusters / 10 Pull-Ups
    - Got 77 reps on this one which was 2 better than when I practiced it. I also had 2 no reps just due to general sloppiness. The first one was on my second thruster rep when I lost my balance and almost fell on my ass. Only thing that saved me was not going to full depth. I hate getting no-reps. Aside from affecting your score, it's just extra work that saps your energy. Anyway, my 77 reps was good enough for first place...by a lot! Second place score was 70 reps. I say this not to point out how awesome I am but how stupid I am for pushing so hard knowing that I still had 2 more 3:00 AMRAPS!!!

Part 2: 3:00 AMRAP 10 Power Clean/ 10 Burpees
     - I got about 45 reps or so on this one which was 5 better than when I practiced it. Big improvement!. Unfortunately, this is where I felt the wheels start to fall off. 4th place on this one.

Part 3: 3:00 AMRAP 10 Shoulder to Overhead/10 Box Jumps
     - Here's where I hit the dreaded CrossFit redline!This is the point where you have pushed yourself to a point where you cannot recover in a short rest period. I knew I was in trouble on my very first set of Push Presses. When I practiced this WOD I got 3 rounds and all my push presses were unbroken. In the comp. I dropped the bar after only 5 reps. The Box Jumps were just as bad. I felt like it took a minute to do 10 20" box jumps....pathetic. Back to the bar one more time and I only managed 7 reps before the 3:00 mark. Wow....just, wow! This wonderful performance was good enough for 34th place. One of my most humbling moments in a competition.

Second Event: "Playground"
     - The agility course was no big deal.Prowler push was easy and the hurdles didn't give me any trouble. There was a 2 part bonus tacked on to this event, :30 of AMRAP muscle-ups and then :30 of 135# snatches
     - Got 5 straight muscle-ups then barely missed my 6th. I knew that was it because once you go to failure on muscle-ups, it's very difficult to recover.
     - Snatches were a disaster. Only got 2 reps and those 2 reps were hideous. I don't know if I was just blown up from the muscle ups or if my technique has just regressed. I need serious work here.

Last Event: "HorsePower"
     - 1:00 AMRAP Bench Press: I knew this was not a strength, I was just hoping that I wouldn't do so poorly that it would cost me the competition. I only got 33 reps which placed me in 19th, right in the middle of the pack. I did much worse than when I Practiced this so was not happy about that.
     - 1:00 AMRAP Hang Squat Cleans: Got 19 reps which tied for first. Honestly, I could have had a few more reps if my judge didn't count so goddamn slow. Couldn't lower the bar until they counted out the rep. Can't really complain though because the judging was consistent across all the competitiors.

So, after all this...5th place. This is my worst finish in a Master's Comp. No excuses on this one, I just got my ass kicked. I definitely had a few weaknesses exposed and also cost myself a shot due to some bad strategy. All I can do is move on and learn from it.

Friday October 25, 2013

Prep for Masters competition
     10:00 of Airdyne 1:00 @ 80%/ 1:00 @ 50%

     Walkthrough of movements for Comp.
     1 Round of
     10 Thrusters/10 Pull-Ups
     10 power Cleans/10 Burpees
     10 Push Press/10 Box Jumps

     10:00 of rowing, 1:00 @ 80%, 1:00 @ 50%

Thursday October 24, 2013

20:00 run on treadmill (God I hate the fucking treadmill!!)

Tuesday October 22, 2013

5 min @ 85-90%:
3 Strict HSPU
6 GH Sit-ups
9 Russian KBS - 32kg
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 cals on Airdyne
10 Wall Balls - 20#
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
5 KB Power Clean and Push Press @ 16kg/arm
Run 100m
-5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 cals on Airdyne
10 OHS @ 45lb
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
5 Toes to Bar
25 Double Unders
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 cals on Airdyne1
0 Front Rack KB Walking Lunges @ 16kg/arm

   

Monday October 21, 2013

A. Front Squats, 5 sets of 3 reps
     - Worked with 230#. Felt pretty good on these today
B. Snatch off blocks
     - Worked up to 145# for a couple reps. Not too bad today except for a few reps which I received over my toes. Still no misses though.

C. Masters Comp practice
     - So, I had planned to do a full run-through of the workouts but I just didn't have it in me today. This is either me pussing out or me being smart and listening to my body. Reality is that I slept poorly last night and I'm a bit beat up from overdoing it yesterday and also getting worked on in PT.
     - Instead, I did
      2 sets as fast as possible of 10 Power Cleans @ 95, 10 Burpees
      - Both rounds were :42 on the dot

     2 sets as fast as possible of 10 Push Press @ 95#, 10 Box Jumps @ 20"
     - Didn't time these but probably in same ballpark as the first part

Sunday October 20, 2013

I wanted to work out without impeding my recovery. Was going to go for a light run but after meeting with "The Minister of Pain" aka Dr. Crowley, my calf muscles said "no way!". Instead I decided to do the GWOD which was...
   
     - 15:00 AMRAP of
     - 2 HSPU's
     - 6 Pull-Ups
     - 8 Heavy KBS

Problem with this WOD was that the rounds were so short, I felt like I was doing an endless number of pull-ups. I easily did at least 15 rounds which was a little more work than I should have done today. Didn't tear my hands but got a nice blood blister that will tear if I'm not careful.

Saturday October 19, 2013

A. 1:00 AMRAP Bench Press @ 115#

Rest :30

1:00 AMRAP Hang Squat Clean @ 115#

     - Got about 35 reps on the B/P. Went out really fast and actually burned myself out a bit. I had about :12 left and probably could have ground out a couple more reps but instead I just racked it and moved on to HPC's.
     - Got 22 reps on the HPC's and felt pretty good. I felt like I moved as fast as possible while still being able to show complete range of motion with each rep.

B. Partner WOD, Fitness phase
     - 10:00 AMRAP Cals on Airdyne, switch every 25 Cals
     - Rest 1:00
     - 5:00 AMRAP Burpees, switch every 10 Burpees
     - Rest 1:00
     - 5:00 AMRAP 200M sprint

Friday October 18, 2013

Took a detour from my daily training to participate in "The Johnson and Johnson Fitness Throwdown" at my work, lol! This was the 4th of 4 scored events. Final WOD was a take on Fight Gone Bad.

3 Rounds of
     - 1:00 AMRAP Burpees
     - 1:00 AMRAP Hang Pwr Clean @ 75#
     - 1:00 AMRAP of 20" Box Step Ups @ 20# DB's
     - 1:00 AMRAP Push Press @ 75#
     - 1:00 AMRAP Spin Cycle Miles x 4

Total Score - 338

This was good enough for 1st place on the event and 1st place overall. Not a huge accomplishment since only a couple of guys are regular Crossfitters.

Thursday October 17, 2013

A1. DL @ 12X1, 2 reps @ 50% RM x 12 sets, 30 sec
A2. CGBP with Chains @ 20X1, 2 reps @ 30% RM + Chains x 12 sets, 30 sec
B. 6 x Row 300m @ 97%, rest 6-8 min b/t sets

     - This felt like an easy day. Nothing wrong with that once in a while!

Tuesday October 15, 2013

5 min @ 85-90%:
10 Wall Balls - 20#
10 Box Jumps - 24" - step down
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 KBS - 32kg
35 Double Unders
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 cals Airdyne
10 burpees
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
10 Hang Power Clean @ 95lb
20 Walking Lunges
--5 min rest
5 min @ 85-90%:
Run 100m
10 burpees

     - This was a tough one. Surprisingly, the Double-Under KBS session made me suffer the most! Can't figure out why since those are usually strong movements for me.

Monday October 14, 2013

A. Front Squat @ 80%, 3 reps x 5 sets, 

     - Worked with 225. Did these w/o a belt. Trying to avoid using this as a crutch and focus on building some core strength. Seems to be my weak link with FS.

B. Squat Snatch off Blocks @ Above Knee Position, work to a moderate to heavy single. No More than 6 sets.

     - Worked to 135, not too heavy. Pretty solid form on these. Avoided hopping forward on most of my attempts.

C. Master's Competition Prep Work: Feel It Out:

AMRAP 3 Minutes of the following:

10 Thrusters, 10 Pull Ups

Rest 30 seconds

AMRAP 3 Minutes of the following:

10 Power Cleans, 10 Burpees

Rest 30 seconds

AMRAP 3 Minutes of the following:

10 Shoulder to Overhead, 10 Box Jumps

     - Overall, felt decent about how I did on this. Might need to back off a bit on the first part of this because that was by far my highest score and I felt pretty taxed on the Power Clean Burpee workout. Need to really dig in and have more mental toughness on the middle WOD. The 3rd part was OK. 

Saturday October 12, 2013

Row 15 Minutes @ Zone 1 Effort
+
20 Minutes of Mobility
+
Row 15 Minutes @ Zone 1 Effort
+
20 Minutes of Mobility

Friday October 11, 2013

A.. Clean and Jerk Cluster, 1.1 x 4 sets, rest 2-3 minutes
     - Stayed with 215. No misses
B. Deadlift, 4 reps x 4 sets, rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
     - Worked with 295
C. On the Minute, Every Minute for 16 Minutes of the following:
Odd Minutes: 10 Hang Squats Cleans @ 95 lbs
Even Minutes: Run 150 Meters(Run to top of driveway)
   

Wednesday October 9, 2013

A. Split Jerk Cluster @ 85%, 1.1 x 4 sets, rest 2-3 minutes between sets

     - 225#. First few sets felt like shit because of my elbow. Got a little better once I loosened up. T

B1. Close Grip Bench Press @ 135 lbs, 10 fast repetitions x 5 sets, rest 1:30 between sets.

     - No problem with these

B2. Pendalay Barbell Row Cluster @ 20x1, 2.2.2 x 5 sets, rest 1:30 between sets.

C. Row @ 100%, 150 meters, rest 1:30 between sets x 10 sets.

Tuesday October 8,2013

5 Sets of the following:

10 Thrusters @ 95 lns

10 Pull Ups

*Rest 60 seconds between sets*

+

5 Sets of the following:

5 Power Cleans @ 155 lbs

15 Burpees

*Rest 60 seconds between sets*

OK this sucked. Can't imagine how much it will suck to do 3:00 straight of each of these workouts with only 3:00 rest in between!!

It was weird because I didn't feel real strong on the Thrusters but felt like I could do pull-ups all day! I felt exactly the opposite last year.

The Clean/Burpee sets were tough too.I hit the burpees at about 85% and this made them manageable. Will probably shoot for the same pace or even slower in the actual competition. Really, really hard to figure out a pace and a strategy for this one.

Monday October 7, 2013

A. High Bar Back Squat @ 85%, 3 repetitions of 5 sets, rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
     - Stayed at 275# and felt pretty good with this weight
B. Squat Snatch on the Minute, Every Minute x 5 Minutes of the following:
First 5 Minutes: 1 Squat Snatch @ 135 lbs
     - Pretty smooth. No misses
Second 5 Minutes: 1 Squat Snatch @ 145 lbs
     - One miss but reloaded immediately and got it.
Third Five Minutes: 1 Squat Snatch @ 155 lbs
     - Missed once or twice, I forget. Started getting a little inconsistent at this weight. Still in the habit of starting pull too early and missing in front. Just gotta keep drilling technique I was really dialed in a few months ago and now somehow I've gotten a little off track.
C. Clean and Jerk @ 75%, 1 repetition, every minute on the minute for 8 minutes.
     - These still feel shitty because of my arm. However; the last few sets were pretty close to pain free. Guess it was because I was loosened up(?). I did first 5 sets at 195 and last 5 at 205#.

Sunday October 6, 2013

20:00 light run @ recovery pace

Saturday October 5, 2013

This was a scheduled "back off day" so I tried to respect that and not kill myself. Did a nice partner WOD with the wife which was a lot of fun.


10:00 of....
     Run 200M

Rest 2:00

10:00 of....
     Row for :30 alternating partners

Rest 2:00

10:00 of
     10 Box Jumps
     10 Russian Swings @ 70#

Friday October 4, 2013

A. Deadlift @ 75%, on the minute, every minute x 12 minutes x 2 repetitions.
     - Used 315#
B. Clean and Jerk Cluster, 1.1.1 x 3 sets, rest 2-3 minutes
*Choose a weight and stay at it that is challenging, but you hit every repetition solid*
     - Used only 185#. Did I mention how much these things suck since my elbow started bothering me??

C. High Hang Snatch Tech Work…
     - Worked up to 115# @ 3 reps. Trying to really focus on perfect technique.
D. On the Minute, Every Minute x 20 Minutes of the following:
Even Minutes: Run 100 Meters
Odd Minutes: 3 Unbroken Muscle Ups

     - No trouble with these. Nice way to end a workout.

Wednesday October 2, 2013

Visit to CrossFit Ann Arbor aka "HyperFit"

Always interested to check out other CrossFit boxes. This is one that I'd been to before about 4 years ago.

A. Front Squat: 5 sets of 2 reps
     - Wow! Don't know what the fuck is up with me today but I couldn't lift shit!!! I failed at 235 and even failed at 230!! Not sure if this has to do with not being able to wear a belt or the pain I was feeling in my elbow but this was not good...not good at all!!

B. 5 rounds for time of.....
     - 10 Sumo D/L High Pulls (lol)
     - 10 Push Jerk

     RX weight = 95#
     - My time was 5:35 and I pretty much smoked everyone else in the gym (yay, me!!). Got through Push Press unbroken but started breaking up the SDHP's in about the 3rd or 4th round. I really do hate this movement. So awkward and I'm always concerned about form breaking down and leading to injury in back or shoulder.

C. 10:00 of EMOM
     - 10 Wall-Balls @ 30#

    - These were cool. I don't use 30# WB that often so good practice

Monday September 30, 2013

12 sets of the following:
30 seconds of rowing @ 2:00 minute/500 meter pace
rest 30 seconds
30 seconds of double unders
rest + walk 60 seconds
+
PM Session
5 Minutes of the following:
Run 100 Meter
5 Burpees
*Rest 2 Minutes*
5 Minutes of the following:
Row 150 Meters
5 Step Down Box Jumps
*Rest 2 Minutes
5 Minutes of the following:
Run 100 Meters
10 Russian Kettlebell Swings
*Rest 2 Minutes*
5 Minutes of the following:
Row 150 Meters
5 Overhead Squats
*Done*

Good workout today. This is definitely the type of workout that tends to be in my comfort zone.

Sunday September 29, 2013

A. Front Squat @ 85%, 3 repetitions of 5 sets, rest 2-3 minutes between sets.
     - Used 225#
B. Squat Snatch Cluster, 1.1.1 x 3 sets, rest 2-3 minutes
*Let's start @ 145 lbs and stay at this weight for 3 sets*
     - Technique was unbelievably bad on these today. Ok, maybe that's not fair. My technique was just a bit off but it was just enough to cause me a lot of frustrating misses at what should be easy weight! I actually struggled so much when I was doing these that I did not successfully complete all my sets during this training session. However; after I got home I got out the barbell, took my time in working back up to this weight and then completed my sets without missing a single rep! Obviously not strength holding me back. It's 100% technique!!!

C. Clean and Jerk @ 70%, 1 repetition, every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.
     - Worked with 185#. Clean and Jerks have been feeling terrible lately because of some tendinitis in my left elbow.