Month: March 2016

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): March 7 – March 13

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Monday

Redid 16.2 and I wasn’t able to get past the 1st round. Check out my previous post HERE.

Wednesday

Snatch Complex – Power Snatch + Hang Snatch + Overhead Squat (135 LB.)I worked up to a heavy one rep for this workout. I felt great but my form still needs some work. I also need to incorporate more strength work to increase my snatch weight. I had some difficulties with the hang snatch. I need to increase my speed. I’m not getting under the bar fast enough and I missed a few reps at 135 lb. It’s an ongoing issue that I definitely need to work on.

Partner WOD – Eva, 25 Minute Time Cap

5 rounds

Run (800 m)
30 kettlebell swings (70 lb.)
30 pull-ups

The run was done at the same time with each partner running a 400 m. The kettlebell swings were split at 15 per person and the pull ups were split into three sets of five each. The run wasn’t too bad but as most of you guys know, I hate running. The kettlebell swings were my favorite movement. I decided to stay at the Rx weight of 70 lb. and not scale. I was able to do all reps unbroken which surprised me. The pull ups were okay until the third round. I was tired and my breaks between sets became longer as time went on. I also was doing smaller sets since my grip wouldn’t let me stay on the bar. We didn’t finish this workout under the time cap, we were able to finish four rounds with one more to go.

Thursday

Push Press – 5×3 at 80% (175 lb.)
Relaxed push press workout. I was only able to finish three out of five sets at 80% since a few people were working with me. The class was big and we didn’t have enough racks. I don’t mind sharing the bar, it’s always fun with more people. I worked on getting a deeper dip. One of the coaches pointed out that I only dip slightly and that I could generate a bit more power if I dip a little deeper. Need to work on this more outside of class.
WOD
AMReps
Wall balls (20 lb., 2 min.)
Pistol squats (2 min.)
Power Snatch (95 lb., 4 min.)
Pistol squats (2 min.)
Wall balls (20 lb., 2 min.)
This was an interesting workout. I can’t remember the last time I did one using this format. This workout was going to require some pacing. I couldn’t start too quickly or else I would die out at the power snatches. I’m also not that great at pistols. My balance and form still need some work. The power snatches would be okay since 95 lb. is a good weight.Started out the first set of wall balls with a good pace. I treated it like an EMOM, and shot for 15 reps the first minute. During the second minute I was able to get 17 reps. I was breathing a bit hard by this point and took a few seconds before starting on the pistols. I was able to get a few reps but not many. My balance and form still need work and I had a few no reps. I paced myself on the snatches with about five per minute. I could have done more but I was tired. The second set of pistols and wall balls were about the same in terms of pacing and reps completed.

I think I could have done more in this workout and might have paced it too conservatively. At the end of the workout I was very tired but I could have pushed myself a bit more. I’ll try and up the intensity in future workouts.

Saturday

I did 16.3 on Saturday, check out my post HERE. I hope your 16.3 went well especially if you got your first muscle up.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Open Workout 16.5: The One We Did Two Years Ago

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We made it! After four weeks of killer workouts the 2016 Open is coming to a close with an epic workout. If you’ve been playing the “Guess the Workout” mini game with Dave Castro and instagram, the picture of roadkill with the caption “#16point5” was eye opening. Many people predicted thrusters and a repeat workout. Most of us were thinking 14.5 or 15.5, either way it was going to suck.

When he announced 14.5 is 16.5, I wasn’t scared, I was excited. Check out this POST for my history with 14.5. It has been a year since I redid 14.5 and I wanted to hit a PR with this workout. I was shooting for under 20 minutes but it was going to be difficult.

Workout 16.5

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Thrusters (95 lb.)
Bar facing burpees

I wanted to break the thrusters up into three sets until the round of nine. I would probably be able to do two sets or go unbroken. My strategy for the burpees was to keep a steady pace. The last time I did it, the burpees were the hardest part.

I was able to get through the first three rounds of thrusters without much trouble. Fatigue set in but I was able push through it and stick to my game plan. The burpees however were a different story. I started out consistent but I hit a wall midway through the round of 15. I was exhausted and as much as I wanted to keep up with my pace, I started to slow down. I would take long breaks in between reps. Thankfully I had my coach and fellow members push me to keep going. It was tough, but I finished with a time of 21:14, which is 4:34 PR! I didn’t finish under my goal time but I’m happy with my performance. In the future, when we retest this workout, I will be under 20 minutes!

I hope you hit a PR with that workout. I will be trying to catch up with my weekly posts and recap the open. It has been a crazy five weeks.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Loot Crate April 2016 Theme: Quest

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Images taken from Loot Crate announcement email. 

Interesting franchises for this month. I’m familiar with everything except for the Uncharted series. I know Uncharted 4 gets released in May, but maybe Loot Crate is trying to hype the release. Going off the email, the shirt is probably from Labyrinth since David Bowie refers to voodoo in the song “Magic Dance”. The socks will probably be from Harry Potter and the “toast” item will probably a cup of some sort from Vikings. Not sure what the Uncharted item will be but I can’t wait to find out.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link. If you have any questions, leave a comment at the bottom.

Lift Heavy and Level Up

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): February 29 – March 6

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Monday

Gymnastics Skill Work
 
I started this skill work doing some handstand work. Did a few drills then moved on to rig. I watched as another member worked on muscle ups and I decided to work on them as well. I did a few warm up exercises and drills. I did a few pulls and was able to pull to my sternum and then to right above my stomach. I got a few tips from people who were watching and on my next pull I was able to get my first muscle up!
It was a great moment. One of the coaches yelled out, “did that just happen?!” I got down and waited a few seconds to attempt another one. It wasn’t as nice as the first one, but I was able to get up. At least I didn’t do the “chicken wing”. It’s true what they say. Every rep is easier after you get the first one. I need to work on my form and get stronger so that I can do them strict. Next up, ring muscle ups!

 

Running WOD

Run (1000 m) x 2

I hate running but it’s a necessary skill that I should develop. Thankfully I was coming off of my bar muscle up high that I was ready for anything. I decided to pace with my fiance for both intervals. She is a better runner and I wanted to keep up. The first 1000 m went well. I kept a good pace and kept up with my fiance. The second 1000 m was the same except a bit slower. I was a bit winded and did my best to keep up. I finished the first interval in 7:04 and the second interval in 7:35.

Wednesday

Front Squat Pause – 5×3 (215 lb.)
I haven’t done a pause front squat workout since August so I’m a bit rusty. I’m not sure of my numbers either so I decided to work up to a three rep heavy. I started my sets at 185 lb. and moved up from there. I tired to focus on keeping my elbows up, chest up, keeping an active bottom position and staying tight. At that weight it was easy to achieve all four goals. I did this for three sets before I decided to move up to 215 lb. This is where it gets difficult.
I noticed I wasn’t able to stay tight in the bottom position during the pause. I was holding my breath too long! I need to work on my breathing during the pauses. I was able to keep my elbows and chest up and the active bottom position felt great. Still need to work on staying tight during the pause.
Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes
Run (200 m)
3 deadlifts (115 lb.)
5 hang power cleans (115 lb.)
7 push jerks (115 lb.)
While one person runs, the other partner starts the workout. when the running partner finishes the run. They take over from wherever the other partner left off. I did this workout with my fiance and it was tough. She’s a faster runner and I tried to keep up. I didn’t know how to pace this workout so I started off by trying to get over one round per run. The deadlifts, power cleans and jerks are relatively light so it wasn’t too bad. I started out by doing a round and three deadlifts. My fiance was able to keep up with the pace thankfully. This worked well until minute 10. I noticed a slowdown in my run times and I was only able to finish a full round before she finished her 200 m run. We were able to finish a little over 11 rounds of this workout.

Thursday

WOD – “FGB Style”
3 rounds, 1 minute per station
Handstand push up
Double unders
Box jump
Toes to bar
Pistol squat
Rest 1 minute
 
My goal for the workout was to try to stay consistent. I wanted to to do at least 15 hspu’s, 50 double unders, 15 box jumps, 10 toes to bar and 10 pistol squats. While I was able to complete 100 reps for the first round, the reps for each movement were different. I was able to stay consistent on the hspu’s and box jumps but not the toes to bar or pistols. I did better on the double unders which brought up my score. The following rounds were the same except for the toes to bar and pistols. I would only do around five reps for each movement.  I was exhausted by this point and I’m not that great at them yet. I was able to do more reps on the box jumps and double unders to make up for my reps. I completed 100 reps for the first round, 96 reps for the second and 90 for the third.

Friday

This was the second week of the open so check out my post on 16.2 HERE!
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Open Workout 16.4: Glutes on Fire!

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We’re close to the end of the open with two more workouts to go and this workout is no joke.



Workout 16.4 – AMRAP 13 Minutes

55 deadlifts (225 lb.)

55 wall balls (20 lb.)

55 row (cals.)

55 hand stand push ups

My first reaction after Dave Castro’s mic drop was, “my back is going to get destroyed”. 225 lb. is about 54% of my 1RM but I didn’t take it lightly. I was hoping to at least make it off the rower but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I decided to do this workout Friday and then redo it on Monday if I didn’t like my score.

After a short warm up. I started the WOD. I decided to break up the deadlifts into sets of five. This strategy worked great until the last 10 reps. My back as a bit fatigued and I could feel my hamstrings tighten as well. I powered through and made it to the wall balls. I decided to break up the wall balls into sets of 10. I’m better at wall balls than deadlifts so I figured sets of 10 would be okay. The first round was good, I was able to hit ten reps before my first break. Then I started to get no repped. The ball wouldn’t hit above the line or the ball wouldn’t hit the wall at all. I took about 20 seconds to rest and refocus and started again. This time I only did sets of 5 with a short rest in between. This worked fine for the rest of the reps in this round.

I was exhausted by the time I got to the rower. I strapped in and started on my row but it was tough. My pace was between 800 cals/hr – 1000 cals/hr. I’m usually able to keep a pace above 1000 cals/hr but I wasn’t able to during this workout. I struggled and by the 13th minute I was only able to complete 41 calories. I was short of my goal by 14 calories. I unstrapped my feet and slumped to the floor.

With my total score of 151 reps, I’m not sure if I want to redo this workout. It was difficult but the deadlifts did take a toll on me. If I can recover by Monday I’ll consider redoing it. I really want to get off the rower! Hope your 16.4 attempt goes better than mine.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Open Workout 16.3: The One With Bar Muscle Ups

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Muscle ups are here to stay. After last years workout announcement, I was waiting for it. Would this be the workout that I would finally get a ring muscle up? Nope, Dave Castro programmed bar muscle ups. Thankfully, I did my first rep last week and have been practicing every day at the gym since. No muscle up scaling this year. I figured I could have done at least one round, but I wanted at least two. I also did this workout twice.

Workout 16.3 

7 minute AMRAP

10 snatches (75 lb.)
3 bar muscle ups

The first round was exciting. I didn’t know what to expect since I just learned how to do bar muscle ups. The snatches were light I started by doing the snatches unbroken. When I got to my first set of muscle ups, I looked at the bar for a few seconds before I started. I would complete a muscle up and then wait a few seconds to attempt my next one. I felt good on the bar and I didn’t rush the reps. I did fail a rep once, which took about 15 seconds to get another one. I finished the workout with 3 rounds, 10 snatches and 1 bar muscle up.

The second time around I wanted to get two more reps and finish four rounds. I felt more comfortable doing the bar muscle ups and I felt confident. My pacing was better and I wouldn’t take as much time between muscle up reps. I finished the third round of snatches a minute earlier than my last time. I took a deep breath and started on the muscle ups. I failed the first rep with a minute to go. I took about 10 seconds and completed a rep. Took another 10 seconds and completed the second rep. With about 15 seconds to go I attempted the third rep and I failed. I tried to complete it but I couldn’t. With only five seconds left on the time. I stopped there.

Just like 16.2, my redo only yielded a one rep difference. It was also the difference between me accomplishing my goal of completing four rounds. I was bummed for a few minutes after the workout but I eventually got over it. I feel more confident on the bar now, next up is rings. I hope you did well on 16.3 and if you got your first muscle up, congrats!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): February 22 – February 28

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Monday

Banded Deadlift – 6×3 at 60% 1RM (225 lb.)

After the long back squat cycle it’s time for some pulling. Since this was the first day I decided to take it a bit easy working up to 54%. I focused on form and technique, making sure they were solid. The lifts felt great considering I haven’t deadlifted anything heavy or used bands in awhile. 
WOD 1

7 Minute AMRAP
30 burpees
20 overhead squats (75 lb.)
20 burpees
10 overhead squats (75 lb.)
10 burpees
5 overhead squats (75 lb.)
Burpees, my nemesis! My goal for this workout was to finish at least one round. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. My time for 50 burpees is around four to five minutes giving me two minutes to complete 35 overhead squats and 10 burpees. I was hoping I could pace it a bit to finish. Started out great. I didn’t go too fast on the burpees and kept an even pace. Had to stop around 20 burpees before finishing. The overhead squats were okay, it took me a few reps to get into it but I got it eventually. I was able to finish it unbroken.

The next set of burpees took a lot longer than expected. I may have went too hard on the overhead squats and I was starting to feel it. I was slow on the burpees and took frequent breaks. I was able to at least finish 10 overhead squats before time was called.

WOD 2


Death by Double Unders – 25 reps + 5 reps every minute

I think a lot of the work we are doing is prep work for the open. With the open starting this week, we are doing a lot of movements that you will most likely see this season. Thankfully, I’m good at double unders. I still have a lot to work on, but I can string some together. Before the class started, I was excited for this part of the workout but after the previous AMRAP, I was dreading it. My legs were tired from all the burpees and overhead squats. My main concern was my legs cramping but I managed to drink some water and waited for the countdown.

I started out great. I was able to go three rounds unbroken and have at least 30 seconds of rest. The next two rounds were much harder. At this point I started feeling the fatigue and wasn’t able to string together many. I would hit myself every few reps but I eventually finished with at least 15 seconds left in the minute. I made it to the fifth round and stopped at 30 reps.

Tuesday

Push Press – 3 Rep Heavy

Had fun Tuesday, working on the push press. I wanted to go heavy and try to set a new PR. Everything felt great warming up but I was sharing the bar with three other guys. I spent some time helping the other guys with form and technique which I don’t mind. I was only able to match my previous pr which was fine. The reps felt great and I’m sure I’ll pass it next time.
WOD 1

Every 1:30 for 9 minutes:
Shuttle Run (200 m)
Max effort dumbbell snatch (50 lb.)
Rx weight for the dumbbell snatch was 70 lb. but I’m still not able to control the weight. I opted to scale down to the heaviest dumbbell at 50 lb. The run would last  60-75 seconds and I would get in at least one rep of the dumbbell snatches.

WOD 2

21-15-9

Run, 200m
Handstand push ups (strict)

I’ve done this workout before using plank push ups about two years ago. I’ve improved and I am able to do strict handstand push ups but I had to scale by using two ab mats instead of one. The run wasn’t too bad  but I was tired from the previous workout. The handstand push ups were not too bad. I should have tried it with only one ab mat since I was able to finish quickly.  I finished the workout in 4:48.

Wednesday

Snatch – 1 Rep Heavy
Worked on heavy snatches Wednesday. A few weeks ago I tried to work up to my previous 1RM, but wasn’t able to complete it. The closest lift was 145 lb. which I tried to reach for today. I warmed up 145 lb. and attempted my first lift. It was a miss. I’m still working on getting under the bar and I haven’t lifted heavy consistently. On my second try, I was able to finish the lift which gave me some confidence. Hopefully in the coming weeks, I’ll be able to pass my current PR.
Partner WOD – 15 Minute Time Cap

60 row (cals.)
Then in the remaining time, AMRAP of:
9 chest-to-bar pull ups
12 overhead squats (115 lb.)
15 box jumps (30 in.)

I did this workout scaled. The overhead squats were originally set for 135 lb. but I wasn’t confident I would last long under that weight. I didn’t want to slow my partner down so I went lighter while he stayed at 135 lb. This workout wasn’t too bad. The reps were split evenly with minimal rest. We were always moving. I tried to keep a steady pace and catch my breath in between sets. Towards the end, I did singles for chest to bars but the overhead squats remained unbroken. We managed to finish four rounds and nine chest-to-bars.

Friday

Since the open starts this week check out my post on 16.1. Good luck everyone!
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Open Workout 16.2: I Can’t Feel My Legs (Update)

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Update*
I redid the workout yesterday and improved by one rep. I was short of round two by five seconds! I messed up once on the double unders and the toes to bar were a bit harder than last time. I’m happy that I improved but I wish it was by more than one rep. Recovery took just as long, I was wrecked. Hope your 16.2 went better than mine.
 
 
Workout 16.2
 
25 toes-to-bar
50 double unders
15 squat cleans (135 lb.)
If the athlete finished the round under four minutes, they would get an additional four minutes added to their total time for the next round. The weight for the cleans would increase but the reps would decrease. Open workout 16.2 is a deceptively hard workout. Going into it, I wanted to get to round three but I wasn’t able to finish round one.
I broke up the toes-to-bars (t2b) into sets of five with about five seconds of rest in between. I wasn’t able to complete the last five reps unbroken, instead going with a set of three and singles. I finished the t2b and started on the double unders. I finished the double unders unbroken surprisingly, and spent a few seconds catching my breath before moving on the the cleans. This is where it goes downhill.
The weight wasn’t heavy but I wasn’t ready for the reps. I didn’t do any touch and go, and opted to do them in singles. After 10 reps my quads were on fire, which tells me that I need to work on my form. I hit the four minute mark at the 13th reps of the cleans. I’m not sure if I’m going to redo this workout. It was rough, and it took me over 10 minutes to recover. I really want to make it to the second round however. I’ll update this post if I decide to redo it. Good luck everyone.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!
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Monday

Back Squat – 2×2 at 100% (355 lb.)
This is the last week of the back squat cycle. Our max day is going to be Friday, but first I had this workout to do. I was really nervous but confident I could finish the lifts. The first set went well. I was able to lift the first rep without any pauses. The second rep however was difficult. I had a slight pause but with the help of a spotter, I was able to finish. He said he didn’t really lift the bar which was great to hear. The second set went the same with the spotter helping on the last rep. Overall, I’m confident that I’ll be able to hit a PR Friday.

WOD

3×3:00 AMRAP

10 toes-to-bar
10 one arm dumbbell snatch (50 lb.)
30 double unders
Rest 1 minute between each AMRAP

The Rx weight for one arm dumbbell snatch was 70 lb. but I can only do a few reps at that weight. I wish the box had a 60 lb. dumbbell but I settled for 50 lb. I was able to at least finish one round per set. The hardest part of this workout was the toes-to-bar since I’m still weak in gymnastics movements. The snatches were good, wanted a bit more weight but I’ll take what I can get. The double unders were not too bad. I would mess up every 10 or so reps during the second and third sets. That was mainly due to fatigue. I was able to complete a total of 4.067 rounds, when you count partial reps.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 8×2 at 80% (285 lb.)

Since we’re maxing out this Friday, today was a maintenance day. The weight felt a lot lighter and I was able to move faster during the reps. I was ready to set a new PR.

Partner WOD – Time Cap, 15 Minutes

Helen Meets Grace

3 Rounds
Run (400 m)
21 kettlebell swings (53 lb.)
12 pull ups
-then-
30 clean and jerks (135 lb.)

I partnered with my fiance for this workout. The hardest part of this workout was the run. If you have read these posts for awhile, you know I hate running. I would be winded by the time we would get to the kettlebell swings. The kettlebell swings were not too difficult and the pull ups were easy to finish. We were only able to finish 10 clean and jerks when time was called.

WOD 2 – Time Cap, 7 Minutes

3 Rounds
15 hang power clean (135 lb.)
15 burpees

We had a few minutes to rest before starting this workout. I was still exhausted when we started. I was so tired that I forgot how to hang clean. I took a few seconds for me to snap out of it. 15 hang power cleans is not easy especially at 63% of your max. I wasn’t able to string many together but I got through it. My speed bump was the burpees. It would take me more time to finish burpees than cleans. I was only able to finish two rounds when time was called.

Friday

Back Squat – Find 1 Rep Max

After six weeks of back squats, I was eager to test my new 1RM. My goal weight was 375 lb. which is 20 lb. over my last 1RM. I warmed up and attempted my first lift at 365 lb. I successfully completed the lift but not without a lot of effort. I wasn’t confident in attempting 375 lb. but I decided to do it anyway.I learned a lot from that attempt. I didn’t complete it, but it was a great learning experience. I was a bit fast on the decent. Not sure if it was nerves or if the weight was too heavy. I hit the bottom and I deflated. My breathing needs some work. I tried my best to stand it up but my spotter had to step in and help. After that attempt I know I have to work on a few things. I need to stay tight throughout the lift especially at the bottom. I also need to work on tempo. Even though the cycle is over, I’m going to start incorporating more squats.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!