... At least, today was (mostly).

Tuesday, 4/30/2013

Garage Gym Workout

Warmup - Mobility, plyos, jerks w/ bar

Barbell Gymnastics -
Jerk -
5x135-3x165-3x185-2x1x205-1x225-1x245 (f)

Clean & Jerk -
1x225 PR

Strength -
Bench Press
5x135-2x5x175-1x7x175 (max reps)

1a) Pendlay Rows - 3x5x155
1b) Ring Dips - 3x8xBW

Monday, 4/29/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, mobility

Strength - High Bar Back Squat
6x135 - 5x185 - 4x225 - 3x2x265

Not too terribly difficult.  Have video on my camera but I have to upload it when I get home.  I've got a bit of a mobility issue that surfaces in a butt wink, but I'm not sure where exactly it is, upper back, lower back, hip flexors?  Check it out and weigh in if you'd like (when it's uploaded that is).

EDIT:  Here it is!

MetCon - AMRAP 17
20 supermans
20 pistols (2x strong leg, 3x weak leg)
10 front squats (from ground), 145#
20 double unders
20 supine knees to elbows

4 rounds + 3 pistols

One of my friends was bemoaning the streak of long conditioning focused MetCons with me today, maybe we'll get a few more followers on the short, heavy conditioning train soon.

Also, I am way concerned about my clean technique at the start of the front squats.  I'm not sure if it was just the fact it was in the middle of a workout, that I was wearing my Inov8s instead of lifting shoes (double unders made that necessary) or that I haven't worked on Oly in a week, but I felt really sloppy and like my butt was shooting up altogether too fast.

Some Thoughts:  I just can't give up the group workouts, they are my weekday fun and about the most social activity I get on weekdays as well.  I think I am going to sacrifice quick strength gains of a pure linear progression program and be happy with slower ones, taking what strength work the gym has for the days I go and supplementing to make sure I'm doing squats twice a week, something upper body three times a week and deadlifting once.  And doing assistance work during those supplemental sessions too.

Sunday, 4/28/2013

Rest day.  25 minute walk at dusk to loosen up.

Saturday, 4/27/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, plyos, mobility

Workout -
Part 1:
100 situps (straight leg hands to laces)
100 flutter kicks
100 double unders
6:04

Part 2:
6x50m shuttle run (50m there, 50m back) @ :60
19/19/19/19/20/19

Part 3:
2 min Tabata bottom-to-bottom squats
47 reps

Part 4:
20-16-12-8-4
one arm pushups
pistols

through set of 8 pushups in 8 minute cap

Part 5:
500m run
30 box jumps, 24"
30 situps (same standard)
30 lunge steps
30 pullups
6:07

Friday, 4/26/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, mobility

Barbell Gymnastics -
"Jerk Complex"
1 BtN jerk, 1 push jerk, 1 split jerk (right leg), 1 split jerk (left leg)

bar-135-165-185

Didn't want to go higher.  Reracking three times was the hard part.

MetCon -
15 minutes to complete:

10 -> 1
HSPU
Deadlift, 225#

20 C&J, 135#

AMRAP OTB burpees

got through 10 burpees

Was a good one!  Lower back got a little tight, definitely broke a heck of a sweat though... should have worn a headband, it was all in my eyes!

Oh, and HAPPY FRIDAY!

Wednesday, 4/24/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, mobility, plyos

Skill - Banded resistance sprints, double unders, weighted GHD situps

MetCon -
25 minute time cap
400m run (more like 500m)
5 RFT
32' walking pushups
32 KB situps, 1 pood
32 supermans
50m sprint
32 squats
50m sprint

(finished 3 rounds + 5 squats in 4th)

Cashout - 800m run (more like 900m)

Ouch.  Back a little sore from deadlifting yesterday, bad hip that I haven't had issues with in probably 4 or 5 years felt like it popped out a little.  Was bugging me on the sit ups but that's it oddly enough.  Rest day (besides lawn mowing) tomorrow.

Tuesday, 4/24/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Open Gym

Warmup - mobility, plyos, gymnastics skill work

"CrossFit Total"

Back Squat -
Warmup:
5 x bar
5x135
3x3x225

Test:
1x295
1x305 (f)
1x305

Tied PR.  Didn't feel all that good really.

Shoulder Press -
Warmup:
5 x bar
3x3x95

Test:
1x115
1x120
1x125 PR

Was hoping for a little more but I guess I'm not quite there yet.  Still a PR so can't complain too much.

Deadlift -
Warmup:
8x205
3x3x295

Test:
1x385
1x395
1x405 PR

Got the four plates, so that was cool!  Upper back rounded a little but it wasn't terribly ugly I don't think.

Total -
305 + 125 + 405 = 835 PR

Crushed my June 625, but that was expected :-)

Burn!  Actually I have no idea what that means.

Monday, 4/22/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, shoulder mobility, med ball movements

Strength - Bench Press
5x135-2x3x185-3x205 PR-1x225 PR

Hit my old 1RM for 3, then 225 was fairly easy.  Another post-deload PR :-)

MetCon - "Nate"

AMRAP 20
2 muscleups
4 HSPU
8 KB swing, 2 pood

10 rounds + 4 HSPU

MUs were easy - figured out swinging in between them to make them faster.  KB swings are always pretty easy.  HSPU - hard.  Still working on those.  Did them to abmat with 25# plates for my hands.

Saturday, 4/20/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, mobility

Strength - Front Squat
3xbar - 3x135 - 3x165 - 3x185 - 3x225 - 1x255 PR - 1x265 PR

Obligatory post-deload PR :-)

MetCon - 
In teams of 3, all wearing 25# weighted vest

600m run
50m truck push
multiple 50m wall ball/plyo box carries

Then, as a team
200 wall ball shots, 20#

60-50-40-30-20
Pistols
Pushups

Pistols are hard with a weight vest, my hip flexors were really feeling it!

Windy walk today!  Little colder than I expected!

Friday, 4/19/2013

(messed up the date on the day before, oops!)

Deload Week Workout

Warmup - mobility, Oly lift drills w/ bar

Snatch first pull + 2 second pause + low hang snatch - 5x1x135

Shoulder Press 3x5x75

Clean first pull + 2 second pause + low hang clean - 5x1x135

Deadlift 3x5x240

20 minute walk

Not really.  There were only a few other guys there.  It was open gym...

Thursday, 4/19/2013

Deload Week - CFE Open Gym

Warmup - mobility, Oly lift drills

Snatch Pull + High Hang Snatch - 5x1x135
Clean Pull + High Hang Clean - 5x1x135

Front Squat - 3x5x165
Bench Press - 3x5x115

3 Rounds
5 KB Clean & Jerks per arm, 1.5 pood
3 MUs
20 DUs

Wednesday, 4/17/2013

No workout, but not really rest day.  Mowed the lawn for the first time this year and did some general handyman stuff.

Also, I know it's not nearly as inspiring as somebody losing a ton of weight or other such CrossFit success stories, as I was always sort of an athlete - but I saw the last picture in this series and I went back and looked at how far I've come since I was a scrawny college swimmer - have a look for yourself if you'd like:

Still have work to do - 10 more pounds is the goal, would be perfect to settle at 195 - but I'm happy with where I've gotten to so far.  Squat +80, Dead + 115, Press +45, Clean +80, Snatch +60, and doing things like muscleups that I never could imagine doing before.

Tuesday, 4/16/2013

Deload Day 2 @ CrossFit Edwardsville Open Gym

Warmup - Bar snatch drills, Cal Strength progressions, mobility

Snatch - 5x1x135
Clean - 5x1x135

Tempo Squats (4 seconds down + 2 seconds hold + up) - 4x3x165
Shoulder Press - 3x5x75

Conditioning -
3 Rounds
5 KB snatch each arm - 1.5 pood
20 DUs
5 KB swing - 1.5 pood
10 box jumps, 24"

5:28

^ Forecast for the week!

I'm going to write up my Fittest Team in the Metro East recap when the photos come out, so I can make it more of a narrative.  Until then, just know that it was a blast, my team tied for first, and I PR'ed by 30# (to 255#) on shoulder-to-overhead... it was a behind-the-neck jerk, but still!

Monday, 4/15/2013

Deload Week Workout #1

Warmup - Stretches, plyos

Workout -

High Hang Snatch 5x1x95

Back Squat 3x5x165

Low Hang Snatch 5x1x95

Bench Press 3x5x115

Full Snatch 5x1x95

CrossFit board people keep telling me I get on my toes too early.  I'm having trouble understanding how to stay on my heels, and also really what the benefit is to stay on my heels longer on the third pull.  It'd be nice to get that kind of depth of analysis from my affiliate coaches though, although that's hard because there are other people at the workouts that need more help than I do!

20 Minute Loosen-up Walk

Would ya look at that??

Tuesday, 4/9/2013

Team Thundercats Workout

Warmup - Football catch, various other outside fun, mobility, plyos, light snatches

MetCon - As a team, complete in order

3 RFT
10 snatches, 135#
20 wall ball shots, 20#

AMRAP 6
15 HSPU
20 calorie row

9/150-7/100-5/50
muscleups
double unders

Rest, then

4 rounds per team member
5 tire flips
1 rope climb

Cashout

20 burpees

Last entry being terribly unexciting, I promise.  Haven't been keeping up with this very well!

Monday, 4/8/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE Warmup, plyos, wall ball drills

Barbell Gymnastics - "Jerk Complex" -> behind the neck jerk x2, jerk x1

95-135-165-185

Coach called this "Max Effort Monday."  Was expecting something that, I don't know, maybe it was possible to do max effort on?  Racking from overhead multiple times is pretty tough at jerk weights, this was definitely not near max jerk.

MetCon - 
3 rounds, not for time, bar not touching ground during sets, 3 min rest between sets

Max rep shoulder press, 95#
Max rep push press, 95#
Max rep jerk, 95#

R1: 9-8-8
R2: 8-9-8
R3: 8-8-10

Cashout -
2 min max toes-through-rings: 42

Our coach thinks he is going to taper us for the team competition Saturday.  I'm not sure he understands that to taper, you need to actually be on some kind of periodized routine.  Otherwise, it really makes no sense.

Sunday, 4/7/2013

Garage Lifting

Warmup - yardwork, light squats, mobility

Strength - Front Squat
2x5x185-2x3x205-3x1x235

//These were nice.  Definitely ATG, especially for the singles.

Pendlay Row:
5x135-5x145-5x155

Trying to engage lower traps to work on inbalance.  I know an upright row would be better for this but I don't have that option.  Anybody know any other good exercises for this?

Barbell Gymnastics - (Full) Clean
1x155-1x185-1x205-1x235(f)

Ugly.  Tried going for a max, not pretty... ended up with my elbows slamming against my knees at the bottom and got stuck there.

Saturday, 4/6/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Workout

Warmup - Plyos, mobility, jogging, light thrusters and C2B pullup practice

MetCon - CF Open WOD 13.5
AMRAP 4
15 Thrusters, 100#
15 C2B Pullups

68 reps

Skill MetCon #1 -
EMOM 4
3 snatch (full), 100#
5 pullups

Skill MetCon #2 -
EMOM 4
3 HSPU
5 hang clean, 100#

Then, I was watching the intro class get ready to do the baseline workout that I had the gym's second-best time for, and the coach said that the record had been broken the week before by a second (I had set it at 3:39, another guy came in at 3:33, and a different guy did it a second time at 3:32) so I was now third.  I couldn't let it stay like that :)

Baseline MetCon -
400m run
40 squats
30 situps
20 pushups
10 pullups

3:16

I think that's going to stay there for awhile ;)

Thursday, 4/4/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - Plyos, mobility, "GoRuck warmup"

Strength - Back Squat (low bar)

5x135-5x185-1x225-1x255-1x275-1x305 (PR!)

MetCon - In teams of two, seperate reps as needed

5 RFT
20 burpee pullups/partner 225# deadlift hold
20 KB swings, 2 pood/partner wall handstand hold
200m run - both partners

Partitioned the pullups pretty evenly
Partner did a few more of the swings since he had problems holding handstand
200m runs held at pretty fast pace.  Sprinted last one.

I kill these interval MetCons, that's what I've pretty much trained my whole life for as a swimmer!


Wednesday, 4/3/2013

Rest Day

Tuesday, 4/2/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, plyos

Strength -  Weighted front rack lunges, superset with "dynamic effort pushups"

Reps are per leg:
2x135-2x155-2x185-2x225

MetCon - "Blake"
4 RFT (20 min time cap)
100m walking lunge steps, 45# plate overhead
30 box jumps, 24"
20 wall ball shots, 20#
10 HSPU

3 rounds + 100m lunge in time cap

Sigh.  Pretty much the same thing two days in a row.  Oh well, still got a sweat going.

Waaaaay behind.  Was extremely busy last week and didn't have the motivation to blog.  Here goes though:

Monday, 4/1/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE Warmup, stretching

Strength - Deadlift
5x135-5x225-3x5x315

MetCon -
"Nutts"
10 HSPU
15 DL, 250#
25 box jumps, 24"
50 pullups
50 wall ball shots, 20#
200 double unders
400m run w/ 45# plate

18:03

Couldn't get into much of a rhythm with the box jumps, pullups or DUs.  Was a little odd. 

Saturday, 3/30/2013

CrossFit Open WOD 13.4

Warmup - Jumprope, mobility, plyos, 600m run, warmup C&J and TTB

MetCon - Open 13.4
AMRAP 7
3 C&J, 135#
3 TTB
6 C&J, 135#
6 TTB
...

Score:  81 reps - 6 TTB in round of 15

Pretty happy with that.  No real big breaks, kept moving the whole time.  Unbroken TTBs, dropped every C&J rep to keep grip.

Friday, 3/29/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, plyos

Barbell Gymnastics -
C&J complex - 1 mid-hang power clean, 1 mid-hang clean, 1 split jerk
135-155-185-205-215

MetCon - "Tom P. Birthday WOD"
EMOM 15 - progress through:

power clean, 135# for reps
HSPU for reps
rev-hyper raise for reps
handstand walk for feet

100m run at 2:12, 3:21, 12:31

Thursday, 3/28/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout
Warmup - CFE Warmup, plyos

Strength - Weighted dips
3xBW, 3x35, 5x3x50

MetCon - "Brian Birthday WOD"
21 DUs
8-7-6-5-4-3-2
Muscleup to Ring Dips
Front Rack weighted lunges, 165#
21 DUs

7:08

Tuesday, 3/26/2013

CrossFit Edwardsville Morning Workout

Warmup - CFE warmup, mobility

Strength - Overhead Squat
5x45-5x95-3x135-1x165-1x185 

Couldn't stabilize right shoulder overhead so didn't feel comfortable going heavier than that.

MetCon - Open 11.4 - Scaled
AMRAP 10
60 bar-facing burpees
30 OHS, 95#
10 muscleups

1 round + 5 burpees