My Week As RX

Posts related to the “My Week as Rx” segment

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 14 – May 20

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Check out my Instagram @8bit_barbell to see some lifts from this week.

Monday

Overhead Squat –  Find a 3RM

I set a new 3RM at the end of April and I was determined to set a new one. My goal was to at least lift 225 lb. I warmed up to 226 lb. and started my lift. The jerk felt great and was able steady the weight overhead. I almost lost the first rep because I was slightly off balance. I was able to gain control of the weight and complete the rep. The last two reps were quick and had no issues with the reps. This lift was a multiple PR lift. I PR’d my overhead squat of 225 lb. by 1 lb. and my 3RM by 11 lb.

WOD – For Time, 20 Minute Time Cap

4 Rounds

25 Squat Cleans (75 lb.)
Run (400 m)

After that overhead squat PR, I was ready to take on this workout. However, I greatly underestimated this WOD. At 75 lb. I was sure I could get through all the squat cleans, and take it easy on the run. The workout started okay but I knew I was in trouble after the first round. My 3RM attempts caught up with me and I could feel the burn in my legs. I kept a steady pace during the cleans, doing fast singles but I had to change it up in round two. I decided to go with a 5×5 scheme with a short rest in between sets. This worked but I took too long during the rest. I finished this workout with two rounds, 25 squat cleans and 200 m.

Tuesday

Snatch Complex 

Power Snatch + Hang Snatch + Overhead Squat

Haven’t worked on snatches in awhile but I was excited to try this out. The movements felt good and I can tell that I’m getting stronger. My technique still needs a lot of work after watching the replay. I’m pulling the bar too high and I’m slow to get under the bar. I was able to PR this complex at 165 lb. which led me to try any max out my snatch at 175 lb.

Snatch

This attempt was not programmed but I felt good doing the complex that I decided to try this out. After two failed attempts, I was able to successfully lift one at 175 lb. While I missed two tries, I felt very optimistic about future reps. Like the snatch complex I need to work on technique and my snatch suffered from the same problems. I’m pulling too high and moving too slow. This means that if I fix my technique, I could lift more weight!

Partner WOD – AMRAP 18 Minutes

Run (1000m)
Row (1000m)
Then in remaining time, AMRAP
30 Deadlifts (225 lb.)
90 Double Unders

This was a fun partner workout that wasn’t as bad as I though it was going to be. We split the run into 100 m sprints and split the row into 250 m sets. The deadlifts and double unders were split into sets of five and 45 respectively.
The run was not too bad since the distance was short. I was going at a quick pace but was not sprinting and the rest in between each run was enough for me to catch my breath. Towards the end of the run I slowed down a bit but it wasn’t too much. The row was much easier. I kept a quick pace (1:45/500m) and was not breathing too hard when we finished this part of the workout around minute 11 or 12.

The rest of the workout was tough. After all that work, the deadlifts felt very heavy. Breaking up the reps into sets of five really helped and I was able to go unbroken on all my sets. The double unders however were not as smooth. I would do a few and then break because I hit my feet or my arms were too tired. This was the longest part of the workout since I couldn’t string a lot of them together. After 18 minutes we finished with 2 rounds, 30 deadlifts and 36 double unders.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): April 30 – May 6

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

If you want to see some of the lifts I write about here, check out my Instagram @8bit_barbell

Monday

Overhead Squat – 3 Rep Max

My last overhead squat attempt was about a year ago. My lifts were done at 205 lb. and with all of the work that I’ve done in the past year I’m sure I could increase that number by 10 lb. I warmed up well, taking it slow and focusing on form and breathing. My first PR attempt was at 207 lb. The jerk to get the bar overhead felt heavy but I was able to keep it stable. I found a good pace and was able to get three reps without any problems.

My next attempt was at 215 lb. and was a lot harder. I almost missed the first rep, and had to take a short step to balance the bar. The next two reps were just as difficult but I was able to keep the bar straight and finish. It felt great setting two PR’s in the same day!

WOD – 10 Minute AMRAP

10 Power Cleans (135 lb.)
Run (100 m)
10 Front Squats
Run (100 m)

I wasn’t sure how I was going to do on this workout. The cleans would be easy but the front squat was going to kill my legs. The run was short so I wasn’t too worried. The workout started well. I did the power cleans in singles. The run was short and not too bad. The front squats were hard on the legs but that was expected. I did all the front squats unbroken. The first and second rounds were okay but the third is what killed me. The weight felt like 225 lb. instead of 135 lb. I kept the reps at singles for the cleans and unbroken for the front squats. I wanted to complete four rounds but I only finished three.

Tuesday

WOD – 12 Minute AMRAP

30 Handstand Push Ups
3 Rope Climbs (15 ft.)
20 Handstand Push Ups
2 Rope Climbs (15 ft.)
10 Handstand Push Ups
1 Rope Climb (15 ft.)
-then in the remaining time-
Max Burpees

This workout looked nuts. I’m okay when it comes to handstand push ups and bad when it comes to rope climbs. The handstand push ups will have to be broken into sets ten and five or whenever my arms give out. The rope climbs are just as hard since I have a fear that when I get to the top I’m going to slip and lose my grip. However, I wanted to give this workout a go.

The first set of handstand push ups were okay. I was able to get two sets of ten reps before having to switch to two sets of five. By the end of the first set of handstand push ups, my arms were “smoked”. Next I had to do three rope climbs. Which took a minute or two. I’m very slow when it comes to rope climbs since I hardly practice them and my fear of falling. However was able to complete three reps and was on to the next set of handstand push ups. My arms were very tired by this time and the reps were very slow. I would do sets three to five and have a short rest in between. It took forever but I eventually finished that round of handstand push ups. I was a bit quicker on my rope climb reps, I didn’t take a long rest.

I tried to sprint the last set of handstand push ups and rope climbs but my arms couldn’t take it. I was very slow on the handstand push ups and I was able to finish the rope climb quickly. I finished the first portion at 11:09. It took me a few seconds to catch my breath but I started on the burpees. I finished my tenth rep at time. I didn’t think I was going to die out that quickly on the handstand push ups, I need to work on my overhead strength and endurance.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 8×4 at 70% (286 lb.)

This was a good squat day. I the weight felt heavy but I was able to get in some quality reps. Around set six through eight, I started to have some sticking points. I would get stuck around parallel on the fourth rep but I always finished. My legs are slowly coming back.

Partner WOD – 16 Minute AMRAP

30 Double Unders
20 Wall Balls (20 lb.)
10 Cal. Row

This looked like a fun workout but the wall balls were going to crush us. Everything else was going to be manageable. The movements were alternated, giving us some time to rest. The workout wasn’t too bad in the beginning. I was able to get the double unders done unbroken until the last few rounds where I would trip up every few reps. My rhythm was off and I was exhausted but I finished all my double unders. I broke up my wall balls into two sets of 10 but that turned into four sets of five by the end of the workout. The rest was really on the row. I kept a consistent pace and tried to control my breathing. At the end of the workout we finished with eight rounds and 25 double unders. Our goal was nine rounds but we came up a bit short.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): April 23 – April 29

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

Front Squat – Three Rep Max

I decided to try and set a new PR for this lift. My previous 3RM was 275 lb. and I wanted at least 10 lb. increase. Warm up felt good but the weight felt heavy around 225 lb. I haven’t been doing many front squats which is probably why it felt different. I loaded my goal weight 285 lb. and started my attempt. The first rep felt very heavy but I was able to stand it up. The second rep felt heavier and my breathing was not great. I tried to catch my breath and started my last rep. I made it to parallel before I had to drop the bar. After catching my breath and thinking about the lifts I needed to fix my breathing and my bracing. My core was a little loose on that last rep.

After a few minutes I grabbed the bar and tried again. Hopefully the adjustments would be enough. The first rep felt just as heavy but I managed to stand it up without too much issues. The second rep felt better than the last attempt, the breathing and core bracing changes worked. The last rep was the hardest and I barely made the lift. My elbows dropped and it felt like my biceps were stabilizing the weight. Thankfully, I made the lift but that last rep felt “ugly”. I need to work on form before trying this again.

WOD – For Time, 18 Minute Time Cap

Run (400 m)
21 Back Squats (185 lb.)
Run (400 m)
15 Back Squats (185 lb.)
Run (400 m)
9 Back Squats (185 lb.)
Run (400 m)

After my front squat max, I wasn’t feeling great about doing this workout. Heavy squats and running are not my strong suit. My concern for this workout was the back squats since we had to start from the ground. Cleaning the weight multiple times was not going to be efficient so I had to do the squats unbroken. The run was going to suck but that was a given.
The first round was okay. The run was normal but the squat took a lot of effort. I broke up the reps into 11 and 10. I probably should have went with sevens. After that first round my legs were on fire and my lower back was tight as well. The second round was almost the same. I broke up the squats into sets of five. The last round was the hardest. The weight was heavy and I missed the jerk. I had to reset and take a few breaths before trying it again. After the squats, I was exhausted and my legs hated me. I had to finish the run though and after 400 m I finished the workout in 17:30.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 6×6 at 60% (244 lb.)

Squat maintenance day, nothing crazy.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes

15 Burpees
20 Overhead Squats (115 lb.)
30 Sit Ups
Run (100 m)

I did this workout with my wife and it was a lot of fun. We broke up the reps in half for all movements and alternated on the run. We kept a good pace on the movements. The burpees and sit ups went by quickly. The overhead squats took a bit more time because we broke it up into sets of five. We did it at a steady pace and pushed each other until the end. We finished this workout with four rounds and 30 sit ups.

Thursday

Strict Press – 8×4 at 70% (115 lb.)

I haven’t done much strict press lately and this weight felt heavy. I took a few minutes in between sets to rest. At the sixth set, it started getting very heavy. I was struggling on the third rep and almost missed the fourth rep on set seven and eight.

WOD – 18 Minute Time Cap

Ground to Overhead – 10,000 lb.

I did this workout back in 2014 and posted a short description of the workout on the blog. It was also my first POST! My previous time for this workout was 19:45, 15 seconds under the time cap. This time around, the time cap is 18 minutes. If I finish the workout, it will be a PR. My set up will also be the same. I’m going to do the workout with a 100 lb. bar and the sets will be 10×10. I will be doing the reps with a clean and jerk instead of a snatch. If I did snatches, I’ll definitely gas out.

The workout started well. I did 10 reps unbroken for at least four sets. At set five, I had to break up the reps into two sets of five. My shoulders and triceps were burning making the jerk harder to cycle. This slowed me down considerably and I stayed at this rep scheme until the end of the workout. At set nine I was getting very tired but I wanted to finish as quickly as possible. I decided to snatch the last five reps and managed to do them unbroken. I finished this workout at 16:10, 3:35 better than the last time!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): April 9 – April 15

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Now that the Open is over, we’re back to our original programming.

Monday

Back Squat – 8×4 at 70% (275 lb.)

After squatting a bit last week my legs are almost back to normal. My old numbers were 275 lb. and I wanted to work up to that. I loaded up the bar and I got to work. I took about three warm up sets before putting on 275 lb. The first set felt heavier than usual but after a few more reps the lifts felt normal. I was taking about two minutes of rest in between sets. Around the sixth set I could feel the fatigue in my legs and on the eighth set I almost failed my last rep.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 16 Minutes

7 Dumbbell Snatch (50 lb.)
7 Dumbbell Squat (50 lb.)
7 Russian Dumbbell Swings (50 lb.)
Run (100 m)
Partners alternate rounds

This workout doesn’t look too bad on paper. Some rest in between sets and relatively low reps made me think I would be able to do each round quickly. My goal for this workout was 16 rounds total. I underestimated the fatigue on my legs. All those heavy squats really did a number on them. My first round was quick. The snatches, squats and swings were easy. The run however, was the hardest part of the workout. I tried to pick up my running pace in the later rounds but I couldn’t. My pace slowed as I finished each round. At the end of 16 minutes we finished 14 rounds. I was short of the goal but I gave it my all.

Tuesday

Clean and Jerk Complex – Find A Heavy Rep

Power Clean + Push Jerk + Hang Squat Clean + Split Jerk

This was a fun clean and jerk complex. The hardest part was going to be the hang squat clean and split jerk. Holding the bar for that long was going to strain your grip and challenge your breathing. I didn’t know how heavy I wanted to go. I’ve been doing a lot of clean work at 198 lb. and 205 lb. so I decided to shoot for a weight around there.

I started with a light weight and worked up to 198 lb. Everything felt good except for my breathing. I had to focus on my breathing during the hang squat clean and split jerk. I was usually out of breath by then. I manged to lift 198 lb. and moved on to 205 lb. and the 216 lb. I managed to lift 216 lb. which is somewhat of a PR. 216 lb. is also 96% of my current clean and jerk max. I may need to retest that number.

WOD – 15 Minute Time Cap

5 Rounds

100 Single Unders
15 Hang Clean and Jerks (115 lb.)

After the clean and jerk complex, I was very confident doing the hang clean and jerks at 115 lb. I should be warmed up and able to rep these out quickly. I was wrong, very wrong. The first round of singles were easy and I got through them quickly. The first round of hang clean and jerks however, were terrible. My plan was to do eight reps and then seven reps. I did five reps and then scrapped that plan. I stayed at five reps per set for the rest of the workout.

I only finished four rounds of this workout at time cap. I under estimated how fatigued my arms were. The cleans were easy, the jerks were hard. My shoulders were burning by the end. It was a fun workout but I should have scaled the weight to 95 lb. to finish the jerks quicker.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): January 1 – January 7

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Tuesday

Power Snatch –  Find your 1RM

My last power snatch and snatch PR was at 172 lb. (78 kg). After not training snatches, I wanted to at least reach that weight if not hit a new PR. I warmed up with about three singles at each weight interval. I focused on form and movement throughout all the positions. As the weight got heavier, I took longer rests between sets.

I was able to complete 60 kg and 65 kg fairly easily. Once I reached 70 kg, it started to get challenging. I had to squat a little lower at this weight as I tried not to “starfish”. At 75 kg, I was able to complete two singles, then I attempted 80 kg. I missed my first attempt. I was able to get the weight overhead but I caught it too far forward. I made some mental adjustments and went for the next rep. I was able to get under the bar but I landed in a “starfish”. I also had a slight press out. I decided to stop there since my form was starting to deteriorate but I at least have a new training pr!

WOD – AMRAP, 9 Minutes

10 Dumbbell Snatch, Alternating (50 lb.)
Run (100 m)

After speaking to a few members in the previous class, I decided to shoot for eight rounds. The average was about seven to nine rounds and I was shooting for the middle. I was going to try and keep my pace to one round a minute and try to hold on until the end. The dumbbell weight shouldn’t be a problem, I’ve done dumbbell snatches before at that weight. The run would probably be a bit difficult but it was short.

At the start of the workout, everything went smooth. The dumbbell snatches were not giving me a problem and the run was okay. I was able to keep my pace until the fifth round. The dumbbell snatches were a little slower than previous rounds, and my run was slower as well. I could feel my lower back tightening up, which means my running form was not good. I powered though it and was only able to finish seven rounds and 80 meters on the run. I was 20 meters short of my goal! I was happy with the result since I pushed as hard as I could.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx Probably Scaled: December 11 – December 17

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Friday

Back Squat – 7×5 at 75% (275 lb.)

After not working out the whole week, I start up with back squats. The programming calls for 75% + 10 – 15 lb. increase from the last week. I haven’t been squating lately so I stay at my actual 75%. After warm ups I get to the bar and start my first set. I was able to control the weight on the decent but was slow on the ascent. I was trying to be more explosive but I could stand up quick enough. After a few more sets, my legs warmed up and I was able to be quicker. I was only able to finish six out of seven sets at 75% because of time limitations. Great squat day and I’m feeling more confident.

WOD – 10 Minutes

150 Double Unders
–then in remaining time, AMRAP:
15 Wall Balls (20 lb.)
15 Power Cleans (95 lb.)

After the squat session, I knew this workout was going to suck. My legs were going to be working hard for the next 10 minutes. The double unders were going to give me a hard time as well as the wall balls. The power cleans were going to be okay since it’s a light weight for me to cycle.

I was able to complete 75 unbroken double unders before my arms started to tire. It was hard to string reps after. I would be able to complete up to 10 reps before I would trip again or I would stop because my arms couldn’t keep going. I finished the double under, three minutes into the workout and started on the “hard part” of the workout.

I hate wall balls and they were the first movement after the double unders. My strategy was to break up the wall balls and power cleans into sets of two. The wall balls were slow and steady. I would take a few seconds between each set to catch my breath and try to get back to the movement quickly. The power cleans were the same. After the first round, I could feel the exhaustion catching up to me and would take more rest in between sets. It was tough and I finished with two rounds and 13 wall balls. I was shooting for three rounds but I wasn’t able to get there. Fun workout for the week.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): December 4 – December 10

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

I haven’t been doing a lot of posts lately. I just got back from the Philippines and I have a lot of stuff to do for the holidays. I’m trying to catch up with all my posts and I’m starting with my workout week. If you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Back Squat – 6×6 at 70% (275 lb.)

We started a new back squat cycle and I’m pumped. I really want to get my squat up to 400 lb. but I haven’t been putting in the work. At the end of the cycle I want to at least hit a new PR, even if it’s only five pounds.

I worked up to 275 lb. slowly. I haven’t been squatting heavy and wanted a good warm up before putting on some heavy weight. Surprisingly, the squats felt good but not light. It took a lot of focus and concentration. I did notice some hip shift in the later sets which is something that I’ll need to correct. Overall, great squat session.

WOD – 10 Minute AMRAP

10 Single Arm Thrusters (50 lb.)
Run (100 m)
10 Single Arm Thrusters (50 lb.)
Run (100 m)

I almost scaled this workout to 30 or 40 lb. The weight was a little heavy for my left arm but I thought I could get through it. The run was going to be the longest portion of this workout. I was able to go through the right arm thrusters unbroken. When doing the left arm thrusters, I had to break up the reps. Like my squat, I have to work on my muscle imbalance. The run sucked but I kept a good pace and tried to catch my breath during the run. I finished three rounds and two right arm thrusters.

Tuesday

WOD 1 – For Time, 6 Minute Time Cap

3 Rounds

10 Deadlifts (275 lb.)
50 Double Unders

Like most workouts, it’s the cardio that’s going to kill me and those double unders look scary. The deadlifts seemed a bit heavy but I should be able to get through it in two sets each round. I warmed up a bit for the deadlifts before the workout started. I forgot how heavy 275 lb. felt, I wasn’t worried however since this is only about 65% of my 1RM.

I was able to get through the deadlifts in sets of five and go unbroken on the double unders in the first round. It only took about a minute to finish. The second and third sets were a lot harder. I had to take a few seconds in between sets. I kept missing my double unders and it took a lot time to string more together. At the time cap I was ten reps into the last round of double unders.

WOD 2 – AMRAP 6 Minutes

5 Pull Ups
7 Burpees
9 Double Unders

We had a two minute break before starting this workout. I am more comfortable with these movements and I wasn’t too worried. The hardest movement was going to be the burpees. I was still tired from the previous workout but I was able to get an okay start. I went through all the movements without much trouble but I had to take a few seconds in between movements. The burpees were the worst part. I moved at a very slow pace but I didn’t stop to catch my breath. I was able to go through all the pull ups and double unders unbroken. I was shooting for six rounds, trying to do this workout like an EMOM, but that didn’t go as plan. I finished this workout with four rounds and two pull ups.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): November 6 – November 12

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

The last few weeks have been busy. I was not going to the gym consistently, and I was able to go five days out of the last three weeks. Now that things have calmed down, I can get back to documenting my CrossFit journey!

Monday

Strict Press – Find your 1RM

After missing the past few weeks, I knew this was going to be tough and my chance of setting a new PR were slim. However, I was going to give it my all and try my best. I loaded up some weight and started the warm up. The coaches suggested some percentages for the warm up that I followed until I reached 85% of my 1RM. 145 lb. felt good and I was able to complete two reps at that weight. I loaded 155 lb. and I was not able to get the bar past my eyes. I took a few minutes rest and tried again but ended up with the same result, no rep. I felt defeated but I know, I need to work more. If I was more consistent, maybe I would have been able to get it. Next time, their is always next time.

WOD 1 – 8 Minute Time Cap

15-9-6

Thrusters (135 lb.)

Chest to bar pull ups

After failing at my strict press PR, I knew I had to redeem myself. I decided not to scale the thrusters and attempt the workout Rx. The chest to bar pull ups were going to be hard but that’s to be expected. The first 15 reps of thrusters were not bad. I broke it up into two sets of ten and five making the work manageable. The chest to bars were broken up into sets of five. The last two rounds were a lot harder but I was able to grind through it. I Finished the workout at 7:17.

WOD 2 – 6 Minute AMRAP10 burpees

50 double unders

We started only a minute after finishing the first WOD. I was exhausted and tried to catch my breath before starting the next workout. What followed was the slowest burpees I’ve ever done. I would hit the deck, and rest at the bottom for a second before standing up. It was a snails pace but it was the best I could do. The double unders however went a lot better than expected. I finished two rounds unbroken and had to break up the other rounds into three or four sets. It was a great workout but I wish I had more energy for the burpees. I finished the workout with two rounds and three burpees.

Wednesday

Power Clean Complex

1 Power Clean + 3 Push Press

My power cleans have been consistent lately. I’ve been able to complete some complexes at 205 lb. but the push press would be tough at that weight. My last three rep max attempt was at 200 lb., a new PR. I was hoping I would be able to complete this complex at 205 lb. At the beginning of the workout the clean and push presses felt great. As the weights increased the push press became more difficult but I was able to complete the lifts without any misses. At 205 lb. the clean wasn’t hard but the push presses were very heavy. I was able to get one good rep and two “ugly” reps. I was able to lock out my arms and not re dip like a jerk. They were not the nicest looking lifts but I got them done. Complete one complex at 205 lb.

Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 110% (205 lb)

205 lb. was 10 lb. over my 110% but I wanted to try out pulls at this weight. I took the first set to get used to the weight. It was heavier than what I’m used to but I tried to focus on form and completing the pulls. After the first set, the other two went smooth. The weight still felt heavy but I’m sure I will be able to snatch this one day.

Back Squat – 3×10 at 65% (245 lb.)

Ten reps is no joke! I was confident going into the workout but as the warm up went on, I started to have doubts. Doing five reps at 225 lb. was a lot harder than what I expected. Ten reps at 245 lb. was going to be terrible.

I psyched myself up and started on my first set. I felt good until the ninth rep where I started to feel tired. I barely made it up on the 10th rep. The next set was just as hard. I barely finished the set, getting stuck on the eighth rep. The last set was the most difficult. I made it to five reps before I had to re rack the bar. I took about 30 seconds of rest and finished the last five reps. It was a very challenging squat workout.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 9 – October 15

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

This is going to be a long post. I worked out for five days straight. I’ll try not to bore you and if you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Overhead Squat Complex – Find a  Heavy 1 Rep

Behind the neck push jerk + overhead squat

I treated this as an overhead squat max. I usually push jerk to get the weight overhead. My goal for this was to complete at least 200 lb. After warm up, I was able to complete lifts at 185 lb. and 200 lb. The lifts felt good and decided to try 220 lb., five pounds below my current PR. After a minute of rest, I attempted the lift and was able to complete it. I decided to call it a day. I was happy with my lift.

Hang Snatch – 3×3 at 75% (130 lb.)

I was riding my high completing the overhead squat and went directly into the hang snatches. 130 lb. is heavy for me but I used straps to keep my grip in tact. I had one miss in the first set. I took a breath and focused. I was able to complete the next nine reps without a miss. Not bad for snatches.

Strict Press – 3×5 at 65% (110 lb.)

After all the strict press work we have been doing, this was a piece of cake. Had no issues.

Back Squat – 3×5 at 75% (264 lb.)

I didn’t need a warm up for this and went into it quickly. I haven’t been squatting heavy so this took some effort. It was a tough three rounds but I got through it quickly.

Tuesday

Overhead Squat – Find a 3RM

I was a bit sore from Monday but I was going to try and set a new PR today. I started with 135 lb. and worked up to 185 lb. before  thinking of my next few weights. I decided to lift 195 lb. and then jump to 209 lb. to try and set a new PR. I was able to finish three reps but they were a struggle. I was able to PR my overhead squat by four pounds. Not a large number but I’m happy with it.

WOD – Double Under Nancy

5 Rounds

50 double unders
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

I did this workout three years ago. I scaled to using only the bar which took me 14:26. This time around, I wanted to PR my time as well as the weight. After doing the overhead squat session, I was feeling good. I was confident in my overhead squat but not the double unders. I didn’t want to push too hard and gas in the third or fourth round.

The workout started great, I was able to go unbroken on the double unders and the overhead squats for the first two rounds. Round three started to get tough. I was barely able to string 10-20 double unders before messing up. The overhead squats were starting to feel heavy. I was able to get five or six reps before setting the bar back on my back.

It was a grind to finish the fourth round but I almost gave up at the fifth. My legs were on fire and it me a few seconds to catch my breath. Around this time my wife finished her workout and walked over to me to give me some encouragement. I was able to get through the double unders and go unbroken on the overhead squats. The overhead squats were extremely difficult. I had to put all my focus into keeping my arms engaged and break through the pain. I almost lost it around rep seven or eight but I was able to save it. My arms were starting to go numb right when I finished the last rep. My total time was 13:21, 1:05 faster than my last time. Double PR for the day!

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×2 at 90% (205 lb.)

This was the heaviest I’ve gone in awhile. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad. I used a spotter but I didn’t have to be helped. It felt great.

Partner WOD – AMRAP, 16 Minutes

20 box jumps (24 in.)
15 deadlifts (225 lb.)
Handstand hold (30 sec.)

I did this partner workout with my wife and we scaled it. Instead of the handstand hold it was a 10m handstand walk. The scale was handstand holds which was more than enough to get our shoulders burning. We split the reps down the middle. Our goals for this workout was to complete six rounds.

The first three rounds went smooth but my partner and I were tired out. I under estimated the deadlifts and tired my best to keep up the intensity.We fell short of the six round goal and completed only five rounds.

Thursday

Clean Complex

Clean + Hang Clean + Clean

This was a fun complex but it was also frustrating. I couldn’t hold onto the bar during the hang portion of the complex at 215 lb. and decided to finish the workout. I have work on establishing the hook grip after the first clean. That should help with my grip issues. I was able to complete the complex at 205 lb.

Push Press – 4×5 at 65% (145 lb.)

At 65% I was able to finish this workout quickly. I focused on my front rack position and my finishing position

Back Squat + Jerk

3 back squat + behind the neck jerk

This was a difficult one because of the behind the neck jerk. I haven’t been practicing it that much and it felt a bit awkward. My limiting factor for this complex was going to be the jerk but I wanted to work up to 225 lb. I started off with a light weight, focusing on form and getting used to the movement. I started getting used to the movement but my form wasn’t great. I was able to reach my goal of 225 lb. but it wasn’t pretty. I had a slight press on jerk and I had to save it. Slowly getting back into these movements.

Friday

Strict Press – 5×6 at 65% (99 lb.)

I was able to get through this quickly. The last two rounds were tough but not too difficult.

Strict Press – 1×10 at 60% (88 lb.)

This burnout set was difficult. After the thirty reps my arms were tired. I was able to complete about eight reps at a touch and go pace before my arms were tired. I was able to finish the last two reps but they took a bit longer. 88 lb. never felt so heavy!

Partner WOD – AMRAP, 20 Minutes

4 muscle up
8 pistols
12 handstand push ups
Run (200 m)

I did this workout with my wife and we had a great time. I was able to do all the movements Rx but she had to scale. The reps were split in half and the worst part of this workout was the run, no surprise there.

The first few rounds started off great. The movements were challenging but I was able to get through them quickly. We started to slow down after round four. I was able to keep my same pace but my partner had to slow down a bit. I kept an okay pace for the rest of the workout but had to slow down on my partners reps. It was not a problem and my goal was to keep her moving and motivated. We survived the workout and finished with six rounds and a muscle up. Great partner workout!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 2 – October 8

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Power Clean Complex – Find a 1 Rep Heavy

Power clean + push press

It was a heavy Monday and that doesn’t go that well for me. I was still a bit sore from the previous week but I wanted to get some work in. The limiting movement for this complex was going to be the push press. My estimated weight for this complex would be around 205 lb. – 225 lb. The warm up felt okay, my quads were still a little tight but thankfully it was power not squat cleans. I made the lift at 205 lb. and then tried for 215 lb. I missed the 215 lb. lift and decided to stop there.

Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 100% (185 lb.)

I haven’t done snatch pulls since the last time I was doing barbell club programming. I warmed up with some light weight and slowly got the feel for the movement. I loaded up my 100% and finished all three sets.

Front Squat – Find a 1 Rep Heavy

The clean complex saved my quads but this front squat session was going to kill them. My previous 1RM was around 305 lb. but I knew I was not going to get that high. I was a bit warm from the power cleans so I loaded about 50% (165 lb.) as my first weight. It felt very heavy and I knew I was going to struggle at anything over 280 lb. I loaded 225 lb. and was able to complete a few reps. I loaded 265 lb. on the bar and I was able to complete one rep. I was having a hard time keeping the bar on my shoulders and keeping my elbows up. I decided to end it there since my form was starting to suffer.

Tuesday

Front Squat – 5×5 at 70% (225 lb.)

If Mondays squats were not enough, today we have 25 more reps! My 70% is about 225 lb. which felt heavy Monday. The warm up felt good and I loaded my 70%. My first two sets were easy to get through. My legs felt great but I could feel my core starting to fatigue. I was trying to keep my torso upright and not dropping my elbows but after the second set, it was going to be a struggle. The following sets were a grind but I was able to get through it. I was able to complete the workout at my actual percentages. I was stoked.

Partner WOD – For Time

Row (90 cals.)
60 toes to bar
300 double unders
70 burpee over partner

This partner workout looked like a lot of fun except for the toes to bar. The toes to bar was going to be my worst movement. The other three were not too bad. We decided to break up the reps in small sets so that we could keep up the intensity.

The row was broken up into sets of 15 cals. This would give each partner about a minute of rest. My partner was a strong rower and he was a lot faster than I was. I pulled at a faster than normal pace and we finished the row fairly quickly. The toes to bar is where we hit a snag. I was not able to string more than three or five reps together. My abs started to cramp up after the first 10 reps. My partner scaled the toes to bar and was able to go unbroken for all his reps leaving me with a short rest time. I took longer than what I would have liked on the toes to bar but I will make it up on the double unders.

We broke up the reps into sets of 30 switching off every 20 seconds or so. This was the fastest portion of the workout for us. The last movement was just as bad as the toes to bar. We broke up the reps into sets of five but we were already running out of breath by then. We pushed till the end and finished the workout at 19:34.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 3×6 at 85% (185 lb.)

Bench pressing is starting to feel good again. My wrist still has a slight pain but nothing too uncomfortable. 185 lb. is lower than my actual 85% but I was happy with the workout. Slowly building up the strength again.

WOD – Fight Gone Bad Style, 4 Rounds

Power cleans (155 lb.)
Shuttle run (200 m)
Chin over bar hold
-Rest-

I planned to do at least seven to eight reps on the power cleans, finish the run and complete at least 40 seconds of chin over bar holds. While it was the plan, it didn’t go that well. I was able to get the reps in for the power cleans but not the other two movements. However, I’m not surprised. Gymnastics is still a weak part of my fitness that I’m actively trying to work on. It was a great workout but I under estimated it.

Friday

Strict Press – 3×7 at 60% (100 lb.), 1×2 at 90% (135 lb.), 1×10 at 60% (100 lb.)

My strength is slowly coming back. I was able to finish this workout at weights close to my old percentages. The burn out set was a killer, smoked my shoulders and triceps.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 15 Minutes

Row (200 m)
15 thrusters (45 lb.)
10 push ups

My wife and I had a great time doing this workout. The movements were not heavy or difficult but the large volume would add up towards the end of 15 minutes. The workout was split up with partners alternating movements. The workout started well. The row was quick, less than a minute per person. The thrusters didn’t feel heavy until the end of the workout and the push ups felt a lot harder than normal. The strict press did a number on my triceps and I was struggling with the push ups and thrusters by the end of the workout. We finished the workout with 8 rounds, 200m row and nine thrusters.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!