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

 

Strength

Deadlift – Find a 3RM

My previous 3RM was 375 lb. and I wanted to hit a new PR. With all the PR’s I’ve been setting, I wanted to see if I could reach a new one. As I added weight the deadlifts felt a lot heavier than I remembered. I haven’t done heavy deadlifts in a while and wasn’t sure if I could hit a new PR. I was able to lift 375 lb. for three but I failed at 395 lb. Hopefully after this cycle, I’ll be able to hit a new PR.

WOD

For Time – 6 Rounds, TC: 15 Minutes5 push press (135 lb.)

10 pistols
Run (200 m)

I had a great time doing this workout. It was hard and I almost hit the time cap but I felt great after. I was worried that the run was going to slow me down since we just did deadlifts. My hamstrings and lower back were tight but I was able to push through it. I wanted to keep a pace of a round every two minutes.

When the workout started, I was able to keep the workout to about 1:30 for the first two rounds. Afterwards, each round was around 2:00 – 2:30. The push press was manage able as well as the pistols. I was able to do the reps unbroken but I took some rest between each movement. The run was the hardest to finish but I got through it with a reasonable pace. I was short of the 12 minutes but I able to finish the workout in 14:15.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled):January 15 – January 22

Strength

Back Squat – Find your 1RM

After weeks of heavy back squats it was time to test my new 1RM. My goal for 2017 was to make it to 400 lb. and I was excited to see how far I have come. The last recorded 1RM was from February of last year. I worked up to a heavy single about 97% and then added up to 380 lb. This would be a 15 lb. increase over my last 1RM attempt.

I felt very confident since I was able to squat my old 1RM of 365 lb. for two reps earlier in the week. I walked the bar out and although it was very heavy, I felt it was achievable. I descended at a controlled pace and was able to complete the lift. Thankfully I was able to get through it smoothly and not stick on the ascent. You can watch the video below.

I attempted 385 lb. but I was not successful. I had a controlled decent but I stayed in the bottom position for a second too long and was not able to get back up. I dumped the bar and called it a day.

WOD

Partner WOD – Bear Complex, 20 Minute AMRAP

This workout was an alternating bear complex. The goal was to keep a steady pace and not rush the reps. I started at 95 lb. but my coach kept adding weight and I ended it up at 125 lb. At 95 lb. the reps were not too bad. I was able to keep moving at a smooth pace which is probably why my coach increased the weight. We finished with a combined total of 57 reps. This was a great workout because I was able to do it with my wife. We pushed each other and were able to keep a great pace. My wife and I are becoming better athletes together.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): Holiday Highlights

Strength

Power Clean

I set a new power clean PR with at 105 kg lift and surpassed my clean PR of 102 kg. I felt that I could have went a bit heavier, maybe a kilo or two. I was surprised that it was a large jump from my previous power clean pr at 98 kg. I hope I can get to 125 kg before the year is over.

Power Snatch
 
I also set a new power snatch PR with a 78 kg lift. My heaviest snatch was at 75 kg and any increase in my snatch weight is great. My wrist and forearms have been hurting lately and I haven’t been working on my snatches since it becomes painful when the weight gets too heavy. I hope it clears up and I finally hit 91 kg.

WOD

CrossFit Games Open: 15.4
 

I was excited and a bit scared when I saw this workout on the board. I have been working on oly lifts and neglecting conditioning. With the open coming up in a few weeks, this workout would be a good gauge of my fitness. My previous PR was 51 reps but I was able to I finish this workout with 57 reps! It’s a small increase but hopefully I’ll do better next time.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): December 5 – December 11

I was only able to workout at the gym on Wednesday. I ran two days out of the week.

Strength

Back Squat – 3 Rep Heavy
 
My goal was to at least lift 305 lb. since I was able to do it last week. I didn’t feel ready in attempting something heavier or even matching my current 3RM. The workout that day also had a lot of back squats which influenced my decisions on weight. I worked up to 305 lb. which felt a bit light. I could have went up in weight to 325 lb. but time ran out.

WOD

EMOM for 12 Minutes
 
6 push press (95 lb.)
6 back squats (95 lb.)
20 double unders
Initially, I thought the workout was an alternating EMOM at 115 lb. then I found out that it was actually all the movements. The weight was too much for me so I decided to scale down to 95 lb. My goal for this workout was to at least finish the double unders.

The first two rounds were good. I was able to finish all the double unders within the minute but the next round was tough. I was only able to get five double unders and I decided to scale down to 75 lb. I was not able to finish the double unders and scaled the reps from six to four. My goal from this point on was to at least finish one double under. I should have started at 75 lb. but I wanted to see if I could hang on at 95 lb. Turns out, I should have been more conservative. Lesson learned for next time.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Barbells and Boxcars: Episode 14

Episode 14
On this episode of Barbells and Boxcars we are joined by two guests, Van and Kong. During the CrossFit section we talk about motivation and what you can do to stay motivated. We talk about games we played and others we are waiting to be released.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or email them barbellsandboxcars@gmail.com. Check out the Barbells and Boxcars Facebook Page as well as the Limitless Fails Gaming Group Facebook Page. Also, Follow us on Twitch and watch us play some live table top games!

RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarbellsAndBoxcars

LinkEpisode 14

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): November 28 – December 4

Strength

Monday – Back Squat

4 at 60% (225 lb.)
4 at 70% (275 lb.)
4 at 80% (305 lb.)
2 at 85% (325 lb.)
4 at 80% (305 lb.)
2 at 85% (325 lb.)
4 at 80% (305 lb.)

This was one of my favorite strength workouts for the week. I didn’t set any PR’s but I did reach a milestone. I haven’t been confident in my squat since I came back from Europe. It was kind of a bummer but I knew it was going to take a while for my body to get used to the heavy weight again. Thankfully, I can finally see some progress. A few weeks ago, I wasn’t able to complete a set of squats at 80%. I needed a spot and was only able to get 2 reps and then 1 rep after a short rest. Now, I’m able to complete 4 reps without a spotter and I was able to get 2 reps at 85%. I wasn’t able to complete the last set at 85% because I wasn’t feeling it and it was putting a lot of strain on my knees. It’s going to take time, but I will get there.

Friday – Thruster 3 Rep Max

I set a new PR at 195 lb. My previous PR was set more than a year ago at 175 lb. My first attempt was at 185 lb. I was extremely happy and pumped up that I decided to go for 195 lb. My first rep wasn’t too bad but the second and third were a challenge. The hardest part of the lifts was the breathing. I had to brace my core while trying to take in big breaths. The last rep was tough and I almost didn’t make it. I got stuck for a second on the press and I barely completed the rep. Hopefully with this jump in weight, I’ll be able to set a new jerk PR.

WOD

Thursday – CrossFit Games Open 11.1/14.1 Workout

10 Minute AMRAP
30 double unders
15 power snatches (75 lb.)

This Open workout was programmed about a year ago and I was able to complete four rounds. I was hoping this time around I would be able to finish five rounds. I started the workout at a good pace. I was able to complete the first round of double unders unbroken as well as the first round of power snatches. This took about a minute to complete. I started to fatigue and I was not able to keep up that pace but I was determined to hit a PR. My double unders were not consistent. I would go for a string of 10-15 reps before breaking and in the later rounds maybe 5-10 reps. This was the hardest part of the workout, trying to string together enough double unders quickly. The power snatches were broken up into sets of seven and eight. In the later rounds it would be a fast set of five.

After ten minutes, completed four rounds, thirty double unders and two power snatches, setting a new PR! It wasn’t the five rounds that I initially wanted but I’m excited, since it show improvement. With the open coming up soon, I may have to focus more on metcons so I can work on muscle endurance.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 31 – November 6

 

Wednesday

Partner WOD – For Time
50 pull ups
–then–
4 rounds of:
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)
9 burpees
6 toes to bar
–then–
Run (400 m)
–then–
4 rounds of:
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)
9 burpees
6 toes to bar
–then–
50 pull ups
This was a fun partner workout. Our goal for this workout was to finish under the time cap of 25 minutes. The movements that were going to be tough were the overhead squats and the pull ups. I was not concerned with the burpees or the toes to bar since the reps were low. We decided to split the reps as evenly each round. We were able to get through the pull ups fairly quickly. I was worried about the overhead squats but after a few reps, I was able to get into a rhythm. We flew through the burpees and toes to bar. We slowed a bit during the 400 m run but it wasn’t by much.I tore my hand on the toes to bar which screwed up the rest of the workout. I stripped the weight off the barbell and I did v-ups instead of toes to bar. I was a bit bummed during that second set since I knew I had it in me to finish all the movements. It was unfortunate that my hands tore but I wasn’t going to keep on doing those movements without scaling. It’s better to scale than to exacerbate the injury. We didn’t finish our last set of pull ups which I was okay with. We pushed ourselves pretty hard and we didn’t quit. I think we could have finished if my hand didn’t tear but we’ll never know. I’m happy with our performance.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 24 – October 30

Monday

Snatch – 4 at 60% (45 kg), 4 at 70% (53 kg), 3×4 at 75% (57 kg)
I haven’t done much snatching since I’ve been back. It took a few warm up reps to get used to it and I started on my percentages. Overall, I felt great at these weights. I didn’t miss a rep and was able to get through this fairly quickly. It was a lot more reps than what I was used to however but I took some time in between to rest up.
4 Cleans + 1 Jerk – 1 at 60% (62 kg), 1 at 70% (72 kg), 1 at 75% (77 kg)
This was just as hard as the snatches but I was able to pick it up. I’m more comfortable with heavy cleans than snatches. I didn’t need much of a warm up and went right into my first set. This workout wasn’t as bad since I had cut out two of my last three sets. I had to leave early. Four cleans are tough especially at the higher weights.

Wednesday

Bench Press – 5×5 at a heavy set of 5
My previous weight for this workout was 185 lb. but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to complete a set. I warmed up and loaded 185 lb. on the bar. I was only able to complete three reps. This was not a big surprise since I haven’t been doing much bench presses.
WOD – For Time
Row (1000 m)
50 pistol squats
30 hang power cleans (135 lb.)
I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do in this workout. The pistol squats were going to be tough and would probably slow me down. I wasn’t too worried about the cleans or the row, I’m sure I would be able to get through them without much trouble. My pace for the row was about two minutes per 500 m. I finished the row at about 4:10. The pistol squats were tough but I broke the sets into 10 reps. I took some time in between each set so I could catch my breath but I took a lot longer than expected. The 30 hang cleans were not too bad. I broke it up into sets of 10 reps which were manageable. My goal was to finish within 15 minutes but I finished in 16:17.

Saturday

Power Snatch – 2 at 60% (45 kg), 2 at 65% (49 kg), 2×3 at 70% (53 kg)
This was easier than Monday. The heavier Monday session was just what I needed to get better at my Olympic lifts.
Power Clean + 2 Jerks –  1 at 60% (62 kg), 1 at 65% (67 kg), 1×3 at 70% (72 kg)
Started to feel the fatigue in my arms at the 70% weight but it wasn’t an issue.
Back Squat – 3 at 60% (225 lb.), 3 at 70% (275 lb.), 3×3 at 80% (305 lb.)
This was my biggest workout of the day. I haven’t squatted anything heavy in awhile. The last time I attempted a heavy back squat was back in July. I was a little nervous but I wanted to hit some numbers. My first set for the workout was okay, I wasn’t too worried about 225 lb. My second set however was a bit worrying. The three reps at 70% were a lot harder than what I remember. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the time between lifts or if my warm up was too short but I decided to move forward and go to 80%.

 

My July workout was 6×3 at 80% (305 lb.) and I felt great doing it. This gave me some confidence. I completed the first set but it was tough. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish the rest of the sets. I took a few minutes to get some air and rest before going on to set two. I was able to finish two reps before racking the weight. It was too much and I almost needed a spot. I decided to stop there and end the workout. After reflecting on the workout, I realized that I needed to slowly get back to squatting. I should have gone up to 75% instead but I wanted to see if I could handle my weights from only a few months ago. I’m confident that after a few more sessions in the squat rack, I’ll be back to my old self.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 17 – October 23

Monday

Three Position Power Clean – Find a 1Rep HeavyAfter taking it easy the past few weeks, I wanted to lift some heavy weight. I wanted to get to 185 lb. at the very least. After warming up and lifting 135 lb. then 165 lb. I decided to go for it. I loaded 185 lb. on the bar and completed the lifts. My grip was starting to give out so I opted not to try for 195 lb. At least I know, I can still lift this much weight. Next time, I’ll definitely go for something heavier.

 

WOD 1 – 2xAMRAP 3 Minutes
5 power cleans (135 lb.)
30 double unders

This first workout was a fun. I wasn’t worried about the power cleans, especially after the complex. The double unders on the other hand were going to hurt. I have a tendency to mess them up when I get too tired. My goal for this workout was two rounds each.The first set was fun, I was able to complete all the reps unbroken. I did take a short rest after each movement, pacing myself for the three minutes. I was able to complete two rounds in the first set. The second set was much more difficult especially on the double unders. I kept messing up my double unders and I almost didn’t finish my second round. I still finished but I was exhausted by the end. I hope I could find the energy to complete the next workout.

 

WOD 2 – 2xAMRAP 3 Minutes
5 front squats (135 lb.)
10 handstand push ups
My goal for this workout was less ambitious. I just wanted to complete one round in three minutes. After looking at the reps, it seemed easy but I quickly found out how hard it was going to be. I still haven’t recovered from the last workout and we started this one. The front squats were fairly easy. It was the handstand push ups that did me in. I finished my first round at a minute thirty but I didn’t start on a second. I was exhausted by this point and opted to rest for the remainder of the time. I wanted to at least finish one round in the set. I struggled with the front squats, and almost dropped the bar before the last rep. I took about two minutes to complete ten handstand push ups. I almost gave up. My arms felt like jello but I pushed through the pain and finished the last rep right before the coaches called time. It was only two rounds but I felt like I did twenty.

Thursday

WOD – 3 Rounds

Row (500 m)
21 burpees
Run (400 m)

I have done this workout before but I didn’t finish. My goal for this one was to finish, hopefully before the time cap. The first round went by quickly. I kept a pace of about two minutes per 500 m and the burpees were broken up into sets of 10 and 11 reps. The run is where I ran into trouble. During the run, my right calf started to cramp. I stopped for a few seconds to stretch it but I couldn’t run as fast. I took a minute or two to stretch before I hopped on the rower for round three. Stretching did the trick and my leg felt better. The last two rounds were a struggle. I was moving very sluggishly but I was still determined to finish. I finished the workout at 23:36.

Friday

WOD – “FGB Style” 4 Rounds
Double unders
Wall balls (20 lb.)
Hand release push ups

We started the workout before going onto the barbell skill/strength. This is another workout I have done before so my goal was to beat those numbers. I needed to at least hit 70+ reps per round. I knew I would do well on the double unders but the wall balls and push ups were going to be challenging. The first time I picked up the 20 lb. ball, I knew this was going to be the hardest movement. I don’t remember 20 lb. being that heavy! Hopefully the adrenaline will kick in and it will not feel too heavy. The first round went well. I finished 70 double unders and 15 wall balls and 15 hand release push ups. I went hard on the double unders that I was out of breath doing the push ups.I tried to catch my breath but I didn’t have enough time. I just hoped I would be able to keep up for the next three rounds. The double unders did not go as well as the first round. I would mess up but I would at least get 50 reps. I would only be able to get around 10-13 reps on the wall balls and about 10-13 reps on the hand release push ups. I was able to stay above my 70+ goal for reps and I hit a new PR by 43 reps!

 

Clean Complex – Find 1 Rep Heavy

 

Clean High Pull + Power Clean + Clean


After completing the three position clean complex earlier in the week, I started to gain more confidence in my Olympic lifts. My goal for this complex was 205 lb. Working up to 205 lb. wasn’t too hard. I felt comfortable in all my lifts which elevated my confidence to go for 205 lb. The high pull felt great. It was heavy but I was able to get it to a good height. The power clean and clean felt smooth with the only struggle coming from the squat out of the clean. I felt good after finishing but I didn’t want to go heavier. I wanted to save my legs for next week.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 10 – October 16

 

Monday

Overhead Squat – 6×2 at 80%I was only able to work up to a set of overhead squats at 170 lb. I’m not at 100% yet but I’m trying to work up to it. Taking six weeks off is starting to take it’s toll.

Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes

Assault Bike (100 Cal.)

-then-
6 bar facing burpee
9 alt. pistol squats
12 power snatches (75 lb.)
Initially the WOD called for a 100 calorie row but their wasn’t enough rowers. I opted for the bike instead of the ski erg. The gym just added the bikes not too long ago and I was eager to test them out. The second portion of the workout would be alternating movements.We decided to split the work into 25 calorie sets but that changed after 50 calories. I was winded so we switched to a set of 15 and then a set of 10. The second portion of the workout was just as hard. The movements were alternating but I couldn’t catch my breath fast enough. I tried to keep a steady pace on the burpees and pistol squats. I had to break the snatches into sets of two. We finished with four rounds, six burpees and nine pistols.

This was the only day I was able to make it to the gym. I had a lot of things I had to do and wasn’t able to make it for the rest of the week. I’m still getting back into it and hopefully next week will be better.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!