My Week As RX

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): January 18 – January 24

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Back Squat – 6 x 2 at 80% (285 lb.)
Started out the day with heavy back squats. I warmed up with a few sets and started on the back squats. I had a good day at the weight wrack, every set was great with the last two being the most difficult. I finished with enough time to set up for the days WOD.
WOD – For Time
 
21 toes to bar
15 deadlifts (115 lb.)
9 box jumps (24 in.)
21 pull ups
15 power cleans (115 lb.)
9 box jumps (24 in.)
21 chest to bar pull ups
15 shoulder to overheads (115 lb.)
9 box jumps (24 in.)
At first glance this workout looks long but it goes by quickly. My concerns for this workout were the bar movements. 21 toes to bar, pull ups and chest to bars are going to suck. Mainly because I’m bad at them. Everything else didn’t seem too bad. The barbell movements and box jumps were going to be cake next to the bar work.As expected, the bar work was rough. I wanted to do most of the reps unbroken but I couldn’t. I broke the toes to bar into sets of five or less. The pull ups were done in sets of five or a more and the chest to bars were in sets of two to five reps. I had to do singles by the end of chest to bar pull ups. The dead lifts and power cleans were not as hard. I finished the deadlifts unbroken and I finished the power cleans in two sets. The shoulder to overhead was also done unbroken, using a power jerk instead of a push press. I finished the workout at 11:44, under the 15 minute time cap. I was hoping I would finish under 10 minutes but the bar work was a lot harder than expected.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Day
 
V-ups (3 second count)
Strict ring dips
Chest to bar pull ups
Worked on some strict movements and chest to bars. The original movement was strict toes to bar but since I can not complete those, I scaled down to v ups. The strict ring dips were not too bad. Was able to go unbroken on all sets. I tend to pull my legs up like I’m doing an L sit when doing dips, so I worked on keeping straight. The chest to bar pull ups were just as hard as Monday. I’m not able to string that many together yet and my form looks bad after a set or two. I took a lot of rest between sets.
WOD 
 
CrossFit Open Workout 15.4
AMReps in 8 minutes
3 handstand push ups
3 cleans (185 lb.)
6 handstand push ups
3 cleans (185 lb.)
9 handstand push ups
3 cleans (185 lb.)
12 handstand push ups
6 cleans (185 lb.)
6 handstand push ups
Since the open is a month away, the gym is retesting last years open workouts. I was excited for this one since I didn’t do that well last year. I wrote a post about it which you can read HERE. Last year I was only able to complete 21 reps but this year I was able to complete 51 reps, a PR of 30 reps! I was able to hit 21 reps at about three minutes into the workout. I was stoked. I didn’t think I would be going this quick. I’ve been working on a lot of press work, mainly strict HSPU’s and strict press. My cleans felt great as well. I struggled a bit last year but not this time.
The handstand push ups were the hardest part, as always. I started struggling during the last few reps of 12 HSPUs. I took a short rest before I started on the cleans but it wasn’t enough. I struggled on the last few reps of my HSPUs before they called time. I was exhausted but I felt great. I knew I just smashed my old PR and I was riding that feeling. Hopefully I do better in this years Open.

Thursday

Push Press 3RM 
Warmed up with the bar and slowly started adding weight. I didn’t have a number in mind when loading the bar. My previous lifts were done at 165 lb. and I felt I had gained more strength since then. I worked up to 185 lb. and focused on my form. My right wrist was a bit tight so I stopped and stretched it a bit before the WOD.
WOD
 
CrossFit Open Wokrout 15.5
27-21-15-9
Row (cal.)
Thruster (95 lb.)
If you didn’t do this workout last year, good for you. It was one of the worse workouts I’ve done. I remember laying on the ground for a few minutes before standing up. I wrote about it last year in this POST. This time around, I was determined to do better. After seeing my score from 15.4 improve significantly, I figured I would crush my new 15.5 time. I was wrong, very wrong.

 

The rows started great, I had a good pace and finished ready to get into my first round of thrusters. I broke up the first round into three sets, trying to set a good pace for these as well. I hit a wall after the second round. I kept repeating “finish” in my head, like a mantra to get through the rest of the workout. As the time cap loomed I tried to go faster but it wasn’t fast enough. I finished the workout at 15:05, five seconds after the time cap. It was a small PR of 13 seconds but it was short of what I wanted. I’ve made some improvements over the year but I still have a lot more room to improve.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As RX (Probably Scaled): January 11 – January 17

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Monday

Back Squat

 

10 at 50% (195 lb.)
6 at 60% (225 lb.)
5 at 70% (255 lb.)
5 at 80% (275 lb.)
ME at 80% (275 lb.)

After last Mondays back squat episode and a few days of recovery, I was ready for heavy back squats. I didn’t make the same mistake and warmed up with a few non working sets. The weights through all the percentages felt great. The last two sets were a bit tough but I was ready for it. On the max effort set I stopped at five reps to be on the safe side. I didn’t want another repeat of last week.

WOD
Alternating EMOM – 15 minutes

8 – power cleans (135 lb.)
10 – burpees
12 – wall balls (20 lb.)

This workout was tough. I wasn’t able to complete all reps of the cleans and wall balls. I’ve been trying to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself with heavier weights. The last two rounds were the hardest. I was gasping for air and trying to find the second wind but it never came. I only finished six reps on the the cleans and eight reps on the wall balls.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skills
3×6
Strict toes to bar
Strict ring dips
ME chest to bar
3×60% of chest to bar workout
I couldn’t do strict toes to bar so I scaled to three second v – ups. I was able to finish the ring dips but I need to work on form. I tend to lean too far forward and my legs come up like a L-sit. I was only able to do six chest to bar pull ups because I couldn’t find a rhythm on the kip.
WOD
 
FGB Style – 6 rounds
Row (cal.)
Power snatch (75 lb.)
Double unders
My goal for this workout was to find a good pace and stick with it. Eighteen minutes of work was rough but I paced myself well enough to finish and not quit during the last two rounds. I would finish the row with about five to ten calories, about ten power snatches and about twenty double unders. It was tough, I tried to increase reps but as the rounds went on, I spent more time trying to catch my breath. I was able to stay consistent throughout the workout but I need to work on my stamina. My final reps were 38, 58, 38, 30, 38, and 46.

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As RX (Probably Scaled): January 4 – January 10

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Monday

Back Squat 
10 at 50% (195 lb.)
6 at 60% (225 lb.)
5 at 70% (255 lb.)
5 at 80% (275 lb.)
ME at 80% (275 lb.)
We started a new squat cycle this week starting with back squats. I haven’t done squats in awhile and I was excited to get back into it. I based all my weights off of my one rep max of 355 lb. The weights were a little higher than my actual percentage since I was working with other people. The weights are about 4% higher.I felt a bit awkward during the warm up and during my set of 50%. After warming up a bit, I started feeling more confident. I was focusing on being more explosive coming out of the bottom but I think I may have overdone it. My last set at 80% I managed to finish seven reps and failed on my eighth rep.

WOD

21-15-9, 7 minute time cap
Power cleans (115 lb.)
Strict ring dips
2 minute rest
-then-
5 rounds, 7 minute time cap
10 burpees
10 deadlifts (135 lb.)
2 minute rest
-then-
Max effort double unders, 2 minutes

This workout was terrible. I had a lot of fun, but I was laying on the floor for a few minutes after. I decided to scale the power cleans and strict ring dips on the first part of the workout. The original weight for the power cleans was 135 lb. and I did push ups instead of ring dips. Despite my scaling I wasn’t able to finish the workout under time cap. I was about to start on the power cleans on the round of nine. I was confident in finishing under time cap but I hit a wall after the first round of 21.

During the second workout I was only able to finish three rounds. The two minute rest helped but it wasn’t enough to give me that second wind. The burpees and deadlifts were a grind. I wanted to go faster but my arms were weak from the cleans and push ups. The deadlifts were not too bad since I broke them up into sets of five.

The two minute rest was not enough but thankfully the workout was almost over. I wasn’t able to keep a consistent number of double unders going. I would complete a few then break. I was tired and couldn’t keep a consistent jump. I completed 60 double unders in two minutes. It’s not a great result but I did my best.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill
 
Worked on the same set of handstand skills as last week. Progress has been slow but I’m getting the hang of some of the drills. Need to work on the free standing handstand and should taps.
WOD
Tabata Fight Gone Bad
Wall ball (20 lb.)
Sumo deadlift high pull (75 lb.)
Box jumps (20 in.)
Push press (75 lb.)
Row (cals)

Tuesdays workout was tabata Fight Gone Bad. The last time I did this workout was two years ago. I did not Rx the weights and I had a total of 24 reps. I decided to do all the work Rx to gauge my progress. I started on the sumo deadlift high pulls, which were not too bad. I’m still a little awkward with the movements but after the first round I was getting the hang of it. I was able to finish six reps per round. The box jumps were okay, it was only 20 inches which made it a bit easier. I also finished the box jumps with at least six reps per round. I was able to keep a constant pace of seven reps per round on the push pres and five calories per round on the rower. My legs were dead when I got to the wall balls. I was only able to complete at least three reps. I was able to PR this workout by three reps and Rx the weight. I’m excited by how much I’ve improved over the years. I can’t wait for the next repeat workout.

Friday

My legs were sore and my knee was also giving me trouble over Wednesday and Thursday. I went crazy on the squats and I paid for it. I’ll be sure to warm up longer and increase the weight gradually.
Back Squat 
10 at 50% (135 lb.)
6 at 60% (165 lb.)
5 at 70% ( 195lb.)
5 at 80% (225 lb.)
ME at 80% (225 lb.)
This was the same workout as Monday but I decided to take it easy. I dropped the weight by 50 lb. since I didn’t want to risk more injury. I stretched out before class and did a longer warm up before I started. My legs were still sore but I was determined to finish a few sets. I was able to finish all the sets with the reduced weight and complete five reps on the last set.
WOD


“Fast n Furious” – Every two minutes 

400 m run
Max effort wall balls (20 lb.)
400 m run
Max effort American kettlebell swings (54 lb.)
400 m run
Max effort push ups
400 m run
Max effort sit ups
400 m run
Max effort double unders

“Slow and mild” is a better description of how I performed during this workout. My goal for this workout was to finish the run under 1:30 and have at lest 10 reps on all max effort movements. The first round was okay. I finished the run at 55 seconds and that’s when I knew, the next four rounds were going to suck. I finished the runs gradually slower with the slowest run time being 1:40. I was almost able to complete 10 reps for all max effort movements. I came up short during the sit ups since I only had 15 seconds left in the round. I hate running but it’s a great skill that I need to work on. If I lose weight, I’m sure my times would be faster as well.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As RX (Probably Scaled): December 28 – January 3

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Happy New Year! Still catching up with some posts but at least this one is recent.

Monday

Gymnastics Skill
 
Worked on some gymnastics skills. Started out doing some handstand drills, 3 x 20 seconds each. Started with freestanding handstands with help from a spotter and shoulder taps. The shoulder taps were scaled to trying to lift each hand off the ground. I don’t have the strength or the balance to do shoulder taps while hand standing. The next set of skills were 3 x 10 seconds each of handstand t’s and handstand walks. Handstand t’s are entry practice for handstand walks. Next up were actual handstand walks. I’m not able to do many steps on the handstand walks and decided to use the wall for assistance. I would be a few feet from the wall and then try to walk to it. I’m still horrible at it but I’m getting better.
WOD  
 
Loredo – 25 minute time cap
6 rounds:
24 air squats
24 push ups
24 walking lunge
400 m run
This was my first time attempting this hero wod. I was worried about the run but it was everything else that killed me. It didn’t hit me until the second round how much the air squats and the walking lunges were going to work my legs. The run wasn’t too bad, since I kept a constant pace. My legs were on fire after the second round but I tried to stay consistent. It was tough, I had to break up everything. The air squats and lunges were done in tens and the push ups were broken up into sets of five or six. Surprisingly, I didn’t walk during the run. I finished the workout with only four rounds completed at time cap.
I was only able to workout one day this week. I did a few hobby stuff with the guys from LFGG and I took some time off during the new year holiday. I hope everyone had an enjoyable new year!
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): December 21 – December 27

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I’m still trying to catch up with all the posts so bear with me. This was a shorter week since I took a few days off to enjoy the holidays.

Monday

Sumo Deadlift – 7×5 at 70% (225 lb.)
My main focus was trying to find a better grip and to be more comfortable. The first few sets were good. I was able to maintain good form and the wider grip made it easier to stabilize the weight. The last few sets I tried to focus on doing some touch and go reps. The weight wasn’t too heavy and I was able to string two to three reps.WOD 1



EMOM – 10 minutes

15 wall balls (20 lb.)

This workout is Karen but EMOM. The last time I attempted Karen, I had to scale Karen the last time and it took me around 13 minutes. I was able to keep the 15 wall balls during the first five minutes. after that the reps would drop from 15 to 10 and then to 8 the last round. I could have finished all 150 reps if I had more time. I’m happy with my results.

WOD 2



AMRAP – 7 minutes

7 – chest to bar pull ups

7 – shoulder to overhead (115 lb.)

My biggest worry for this workout was the chest to bar pull ups. I’m still working on my gymnastics skills and my pull up skills are not great. I’m able to do a chest to bar pull up but I get tired fairly quickly. The shoulder to overhead weight was set at 135 lb. for Rx, but I scaled down to 115 lb. I was tired after the deadlifts and the wall balls so scaling seemed like a good idea. The workout started off okay. I was able to string five chest to bars together and finished with two more. I decided to do push jerks instead of a push press. I was able to finish the rounds unbroken. The last two rounds of chest to bars were slow. I had to do singles or at most sets of two. I finished with three rounds.

Tuesday

Strict Press – 7×5 at 65% (115 lb.)
I haven’t done strict press in awhile and decided to go a bit lighter. The movement was hard on my wrists but I was able to get through it. I need to work on warming up my wrists a bit more before class.
WOD
 
Alternating EMOM – 15 minutes
15 ring push ups
15 box jumps
150 m run

I liked this workout but I under estimated the ring push ups. I thought I would be able to recover in time for the next rep but I was wrong. The last two rounds of ring push ups I was only able to complete eight reps. The other movements were okay. I was able to complete the box jumps unbroken and the 150 m run wasn’t too bad, finishing in about 45 – 50 seconds.Buyout



Tabata – Burpees

I was exhausted by the time we started the buyout. My triceps were on fire from the ring dips, and my legs were sore from the box jumps and the run. I was only able to do two to five reps each round. I tried to push myself to do more but my body couldn’t keep up. At least I pushed as hard as I could.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled) – December 14 – December 20

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This segment is very late. I’ve been busy with work and the holidays. Also my birthday was on the 20th and I took a few days off to enjoy it. I’m going to try and finish up this weeks segment as well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.

Tuesday

Sumo Deadlift – 6×6 at 65% (225 lb)
Started off Tuesday with some sumo deadlifts. I don’t feel like I have control of the bar which is why I’m still not comfortable with the movement. I’m only able to do about two reps touch and go until I have to reset. The weight doesn’t feel to heavy which is great since I’m trying to focus more on form.WOD – 15 minute time cap

50-40-30-20-10

Double unders

Russian Kettlebell swing (54 lb.)

Kettlebell swing Annie. I’m not fast during regular Annie, so I doubt this one will be any better. The kettlebell swings were going to be tough especially after doing double unders. The first round started off well. I went through both the double unders and kettlebell swings unbroken. During the second round is when things started to slow down. I was able to get trough the 40 reps unbroken but the kettlebell swings were broken up into two sets of 20. I started messing up my double unders during the rest of the workout with only the last round of 10 being unbroken. The kettlebell swings were broken up, every few reps. I finished the workout at 13:46.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×7 65% of 1RM (155 lb.)
The strength for Wednesday was bench press. I had a hard time in the last set finishing the last two reps. It was an easy day.
WOD 1 – For Time
7 Rounds – 7 minute time cap
7 thrusters (95 lb.)
7 ring push ups
I had to scale this workout. The original weight was 115 lb. and I know I wouldn’t have been able to finish the workout under seven minutes at that weight. The hardest part of this workout was the ring push ups. It was harder to do after all the bench presses. I started to slow down around the third round. I had to take breaks between all the push ups. I was only able to finish five rounds before the time cap ended.
WOD 2 –
 
5 x 300 meters
Rest 30 secoonds
 
I hate running but I know it’s a great skill to have. I managed to finish each interval under two minutes which is a great pace for me. The last two intervals were trough. The intervals felt like forever and I wanted to quit. I managed to keep jogging, albeit slowly. The total time was around 9:30 for all five intervals.

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

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Tuesday

Snatch Complex
 
Power snatch + snatch balance + 2 overhead squats – 1 at 50%, 2 at 60%, 2 at 65%, 1 at 70%
Started with a snatch warm up that lasted about 15 minutes before starting this snatch complex. The weights were based off our snatch 1RM. As the weight increased I noticed issues in my form. I didn’t lock out on my power snatch, and I had a small push to lock out. I need to work on dropping into a lower squat on my catch. Other than that, I felt great.WOD



21 – 15 – 9

Box jumps, 24 in,

Power snatch (75 lb.)

Chest to bar pull ups.

My goal for this workout was to finish under 15 minutes. I scaled the weight for the power snatch from 95 lb. to 75 lb. Hopefully the weight drop would be enough. I planned on doing chest to bar pull ups but would probably have to scale later in the workout. The beginning of the workout was good. I went through the box jumps at a good pace and then I reached the power snatches. I was able to break up the snatches into two sets. I could definitely feel the snatch complex catching up to me. The chest to bar pull ups were not great. I broke up all the reps into fives which took a lot of time. I decided to switch to pull ups for the remainder of the workout.

The second round wasn’t any better. I kept a good pace through the box jumps but the snatch and pull ups were slow. At this point I was extremely tired. I split the snatches into fives and the pull ups into threes. I tried to string more together but I couldn’t find a rhythm. The last round was a grind. I was able to make it through the box jumps and went very slow through everything else. I was able to finish the workout in 15:36, short of my goal.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 8×3 at 80% (185 lb.)
Started out the day with bench presses. I was still sore from Tuesdays workout and I was glad the strength portion was bench. The weight was a bit heavy but thankfully it was only three reps. Made it through the workout and started to get ready for the days WOD.
WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes
10 row (cal)
15 wall balls (20 lb.)
15 American kettlebell swings (54 lb.)
 This workout was a partner WOD. Only one person would work while the other rested. After you complete your movement, your partner will start the next movement and you will go to the following movement. This way, the work would be split evenly and you would have a short rest. I was paired up with someone who was more fit than me. I didn’t want to drag him down so I decided to push myself harder than usual.
The first eight minutes were great. I was transitioning well and I didn’t take extra breaks. I was moving at the same pace as my partner. It was around nine minutes that I began to feel tired. I’m not sure if it was the adrenaline wearing off or if I hit my wall for that workout, but I was starting to take longer breaks. The hardest movements were the row and wall balls. I wasn’t pulling as hard during the row and I wasn’t able to string wall balls easily. I would miss reps and allow the ball to drop which slowed me down. Surprisingly the easiest part of the workout was the kettlebell swings. Even though I was very tired, I managed to do all the reps unbroken. We managed to finish 12 rounds.
Even though working out with a more advanced partner is intimidating, it also helps you in the long run. If I was with someone who was at the same level as myself, I wouldn’t have completed that many rounds. I do well when I’m working out with better people since I push myself harder trying to keep up. I’ll eventually get there, I need to work harder.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!
 

 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): November 30 – December 6

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Monday

Snatch Balance + 3 Overhead Squats – 40%, 50%, 60%, 65%, 2 x 70%

Worked off my snatch 1RM. Weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. Worked on form since the weight was relatively light. I need to work on moving my feet during my snatch balance since my feet do not move wide enough. My overhead squat work was good, I focused on my form and keeping active shoulders and controlling my decent.

WOD

Nancy – 20 minute time cap

5 rounds

Run, 400 m

15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

My last attempt at Nancy was 22:34 with the bar at 75 lb. I was going to scale the weight but decided to give it a try. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish under 20 minutes but I was going to do my best. My overhead squats have improved and my total weight has gone up the past few months. I was confident I would finish.

My 400 m run was fine but the overhead squats were a bit difficult. I had to break the overhead squats into two sets. The rest of the workout however I was able to do all the reps unbroken. The run gave me the most trouble. My legs felt like jello and I couldn’t keep a quick pace. On the last round, I was barely jogging, it was rough. I managed to finish under time cap with a time of 19:46, a new PR! I was almost three minutes faster and it was done Rx. Even though I came in close to last, I was proud of myself and the progress I made. I did some mobility and called it a day.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Work
 
Worked on some gymnastics drills. Bridge rocks, Superman Holds and chin over bar holds. We also worked on strict toes to bar and muscle up drills.
WOD – For Time
5 Rounds
7 Toes to bar (unbroken)
21 Kettle bell swings (1.5 pood, unbroken)
penalty for going unbroken 100 m run.
At the beginning of the day I wasn’t feeling it. During the warm up, I was moving very sluggishly. It was a rough day at work and all my energy had been zapped. I almost quit but I decided to push through, at least until after the workout.  After the skill work, I started feeling better. I got a second wind and was ready for the WOD.
The original weight for the kettlebell swings was 2 pood but I knew my grip wouldn’t last that long. I scaled down to 1.5 pood which is more manageable. My goal for this workout was to go unbroken all five rounds. With the scaled kettlebell swings, it would be achievable. Also, I didn’t want to run. I took a good amount of rest in between rounds to regain my grip and to catch my breath. The last round was the biggest challenge. I was barely able to finish the toes to bar and the kettlebell swings because my body was fatigued. I could barely lift my legs on the last toes to bar but I finished. My grip was starting to go around rep 15 on the kettlebell swings, but I pushed through it and finished it unbroken as well. I was very tired but I managed to reach my goal of going unbroken throughout all rounds. I finished the workout in 9:26, next time I hope to do it with a 2 pood kettlebell.

Thursday

Skill Work
 
I worked on four movements: double unders, ring dips, pistol squats and hand stand push ups. I have most of these movements down except for pistol squats. I’m able to do them but I still need to work on my left leg. I used a 15 lb. plate as a counter weight to get into a better position on my pistols which worked. It’s a good thing we worked on this skill since our workout included all these.
WOD
 
Tabata
Double unders
Ring dips
Pistol squats (alternating)
hand stand push ups
I did a lot of reps during the skill work and it showed during the workout. My goal for this workout was to at least do one rep every round. Especially for the ring dips and hand stand push ups. I started out the rounds doing well. During the double unders I would get around 20 – 25 reps but as the rounds went on, I barely made it to 18 reps. I started out the ring dips with four and by the end I was only at one rep. During the beginning rounds of pistols I was able to maintain six to eight reps but that went down to only two. The hand stand push ups were the same as the pistols. I started high and ended up low, finishing with two reps as well.

Friday

Snatch Complex
 
1 Power Snatch + 3 Snatch Balance – 35%, 40%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%
Worked off our 1RM for percentages. The weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. The lifts felt good during the entire complex. I didn’t miss any of the reps. I worked on my form for the power snatches and the snatch balance. I need to work on it more during open gym times.
WOD
12-9-6-3
Power snatch (75 lb.)
Burpee
Before the workout, the coaches said the workout should be under five minutes. The Rx weight was 95 lb. for the snatches, so I decided to scale. My goals for this workout were to finish under five minutes and to be consistent during the burpees. I was able to be consistent on the snatches and the burpees. I had to break up the power snatches during the round of six but I was able to recover and finish everything unbroken. The burpees were not too bad. They were difficult but I pushed my way through it and finished 3:46. I want to redo this workout at 95 lb. to see how long it would take me. I finished the day with 15 minutes of mobility.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As RX (Probably Scaled): November 23 – November 29

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Monday

Power Snatch + Snatch Grip Push Press + Overhead Squat 
 
Worked up to a two rep max of 135 lb. which is about 70% of my 1 rep max of overhead squat.  The power snatch felt good as well as the push press. My overhead squat needs some work. I need to control my decent and stay tight throughout the movement. The weight didn’t feel to heavy and I felt like I could have went heavier but I wanted to stay within the percentages on the board.
WOD

10 minute AMRAP:30 double unders

15 power snatches (75 lb.)

This is the a repeat of the CrossFit Games Open workout 11.1/14.1. This was my first time attempting this workout and it was rough. The double unders were not too bad but the snatches were difficult. I had to break up the snatches into sets of two. The skill work definitely played a role but I powered through it. Managed to finish four rounds. Finished the night with 60 second weighted planks. I used a 35 lb. plate.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Work
 
Worked on handstand skill work. I started with a handstand walk drill. I used a 24 inch box as an anchor point and did two 360 degree rotations around the box. I did this for three sets. I made some improvements over last week, finishing both rotations before stopping. Last week I had to take a break in between rotations. I also did some ring work. I worked on my lock out position on dips and ring push ups.
WOD – Partner Workout, 30 Minute Time Cap
For time
100 bench press (135 lb.)
–then–
3 rounds
1,000 m row
30 handstand push ups
1,000 m run
My main goal for this workout was to finish under time cap, but we didn’t. We finished two rounds and halfway through the row on the third round. This was a great workout but it was harder than expected. I wasn’t sure if I could complete all of the bench press reps at 135 lb. but my partner pushed me to finish. We decided to do it in sets of ten and then finish with sets of five. The rest of the workout was split evenly except the run. The row was split into 500 m the first round and the second round was 250 m. The run was done in 200 m intervals and I ended up doing 600 m total each round. I didn’t do well in the run. I kept a slow pace because I was tired. The row and handstand push ups took a lot out of me and I didn’t recover fast enough. Hopefully, I will do better next time.

Wednesday

Overhead Squat 3 Rep Max

I hit a new PR during this session. I was able to lift 195 lb. which is a 20 lb. increase. I think I could have went a bit heavier but the time ran out. My current 1 rm is 205 lb. and I can’t wait to retest it. With all the heavy overhead work, I want to max my snatch and clean and jerk.

WOD – Fight Gone Bad

3 rounds, 1 minute per station

Wall Balls (20 lb.)
Sumo deadlift high pull (75 lb.)
Box jump (20 in.)
Push press (75 lb.)
Row, cals
Rest 1 minute
My goal for this workout was to be consistent in all the movements. I also wanted to do better than the last time I did this workout. I wanted to at least complete 80 reps each round as well. The first round wasn’t great. I ended up completing 70 reps; short of my goal. The movements that slowed me down were the sumo deadlift highpull (sdhp) and the push press. I felt off balance during the sdhp, mostly because of my inexperience with the movement. My pull was not balanced and one side tilted  during each rep. The second and third round were better however. I was able to find a rhythm but I was too fatigued to do more reps. The push press felt heavy. I’m not sure if it was because of all the reps from the wall balls or the overhead squats. I was only able to finish about 10 to 15 reps each round.

My reps per round were 70, 71 and 69. I was able to stay consistent but I was hoping for more reps. On the bright side, I PR’d this workout by one rep.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): November 16 – November 22

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Snatch Complex –  65% – 75% of Max Snatch (115 lb.)
Hang power snatch + overhead squat + snatch balance
I haven’t done snatches in awhile since we have been working on the clean and jerk. It took a few warm up reps for me to feel comfortable and add on more weight. The goal of the complex was to focus on technique. I need to work on my shrug and keeping the bar close.
WOD 1 – 7 Minute Time Cap
 
4 rounds for time
15 hang power snatches (75 lb.)
30 double unders

My goal for this workout was to finish under time cap. I scaled the snatches to 75 lb. from 95 lb. The first round was good. I went through the snatches fairly quickly but I could feel my grip weakening. The double unders didn’t give me any trouble, but I was out of breath by the end of it. I was only able to finish three rounds in seven minutes.WOD 2 – 7 Minute AMRAP

5 lateral burpees

15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

This workout was just as difficult as the previous one.  The burpees weren’t too bad but the overhead squats were giving me trouble. My wrist started to hurt even with the wrist wraps but I tried to power through it. I was also tried from the previous workout which is why I didn’t do as well in this workout. I finished two rounds and five burpees.

Wednesday

Front Squats – 3 at 60% (135 lb.), 3 at 65% (185 lb.), 3 at 70% (205 lb.), 3 at 75% (225 lb.)

Squats felt great. Worked on form and keeping my elbows up. Also worked on keeping a full grip on the bar and not letting it rest on my fingers.

WOD – “Squat Monster”

4 rounds for time

Run (400 m)

50 air squats

My legs were still tight from the front squats so I tried to loosen them up before we started this workout. I knew I had to pace the run and I would have to break up the air squats somehow. The first two rounds of the workout were okay. My run pace wasn’t too bad I did it in 2:00 – 2:30 and the air squats were done in sets of 25’s. After the second round, my pace stated to slow down. My 400 m time was slower by at least 30 seconds, and I had to break up the air squats into sets of 10. I finished the workout in 18 minutes but I didn’t feel good about my time. After checking out Beyond the Whiteboard, I realized I PR’d my time. This instantly gave me a boost of confidence. I came in second to last but I felt great. Seeing progress always picks me up. I hope to at least finish under 17 minutes next time we do this workout.

Farmer Carry – 15 lb. Bumper Plates

Ending our day we had to do a pinch grip bumper plate farmer carry. I was exhausted from the previous workout that I decided to only use 15 lb. I only dropped the weight twice which is a big improvement from the last time. My grip was also failing by the first 100 m, my hand started cramping. I hope I’ll be able to go up to 25 lb. the next time we do farmer carries.

Thursday

Skill Work – Handstand Walk and Rings
Thursday’s skill work was the same as last week Tuesday. I’ve made some improvements over last week in the handstand walk drill. I was able to complete a clockwise and counter clockwise rotation without stopping. Last week I was only able to complete one rotation before I had to stop.
5 sets – 2 second lockout
5 ring push ups
5 ring dips (strict)
5 handstand push ups (strict)
After the handstand walks, I started on the rings. The hardest part was the ring dips. I’m able to do a few dips strict but not many. I was able to finish three rounds before I had to scale. The ring push ups and handstand push ups were not too bad. I struggled on the last set but I managed to finish.
WOD
4 rounds, 2 minutes per station, “Fight Gone Bad” Style
Row
Wall balls (20 lb.)
1 minute rest
 
The goals for this workout were 450 m on the row and 25 wall balls. I was able to reach both goals every round but it wasn’t easy. After Wednesday’s air squat workout, my legs were sore and the row and wall balls were not helping either. I pushed myself throughout this workout and I’m happy with the results. I hope to increase my goals to 500 m and 30 wall balls next time.

Friday

WOD
30 toes to bar
–then–
2 rounds:
15 hang power cleans (95 lb.)
15 box jumps
15 push press (95 lb.)
–then–
30 toes to bar

After a short warm up we started the workout. The format today is a bit different, with the WOD being first and the strength portion after. The hardest part of the workout was going to be the toes to bar. I have been working on body weight movements and have made improvements but I’m not great at them yet. I tried to break up the toes to bar into three sets of ten but I couldn’t hold onto the bar. I ended up doing two sets of ten and two sets of five.I was a bit slow during the middle portion of the workout. The hang power cleans were a bit harder than expected. My grip started to fail around the tenth rep and I had to drop the bar. I kept trying to get a hook grip but I couldn’t pull it off. I need to work on that. I took my time on the box jumps, only doing step ups. The push press was the easiest part of this workout. I was able to go unbroken during the first round. The second round was just as hard. My grip was still bad and I had to break up the cleans into three sets. The box jumps were consistent and the push press were broken up into two sets.

The last set of toes to bar were the hardest part of this workout. I wasn’t consistent in my reps only doing a few at a time. I think this portion of the workout was also the longest, taking up a lot of time on the clock. I eventually finished in 14:45, but I was not done. We still had some bench press sets to do.

Bench Press  – 7×6 at 70% (175 lb.)

I wasn’t able to do all sets at 70%. My body was tired from the previous workout  and I was only able to complete five sets at 70%.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!