CrossFit

Posts about CrossFit

Open Workout 16.3: The One With Bar Muscle Ups

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

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

Workout 16.3 

7 minute AMRAP

10 snatches (75 lb.)
3 bar muscle ups

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

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

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

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

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

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

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

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

WOD 2


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

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

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

Tuesday

Push Press – 3 Rep Heavy

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

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

WOD 2

21-15-9

Run, 200m
Handstand push ups (strict)

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

Wednesday

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

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

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

Friday

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

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

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

 

Monday

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

WOD

3×3:00 AMRAP

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

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

Wednesday

Back Squat – 8×2 at 80% (285 lb.)

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

Partner WOD – Time Cap, 15 Minutes

Helen Meets Grace

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

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

WOD 2 – Time Cap, 7 Minutes

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

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

Friday

Back Squat – Find 1 Rep Max

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

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

Open Workout 16.1: What a Way to Start the Open!

Nick PalomoLeave a comment
The Open is finally here! Today starts the 2016 season and I’m excited to see what Dave Castro has in store for us. I know I’m not going to qualify for regionals but checking out the leader board is fun. Seeing where I stack up against friends from my gym and others is also a bonus. I like competition, and I use it as a way to push myself to be better.
The workout announcements are also fun to watch. Dave Castro is a bit dramatic but it adds to the tension. The athlete showdown is also fun to watch. You get to see how the pros workout and the after show is entertaining. Unfortunately, 16.1 sucked it wasn’t the worst workout that I’ve done but it ranks up there.
Workout 16.1
AMRAP 20 minutes
25 ft. overhead lunge (95 lb.)
8 bar facing burpees
25 ft. overhead lunge (95 lb.)
8 chest-to-bar pull-ups
I didn’t know how to approach this workout but I knew I had to have a good pace. I haven’t done many workouts that last 20 minutes. Usually those workouts are done with a partner.  I underestimated the lunges initially and was more focused on the burpees and chest-to-bars. “I have good legs” I thought to myself, “it’s not going to be that bad”. As the workout went on, I realized the mistake I made. I was able to do the first three rounds unbroken but it was tough. After each interval I would take a short break to catch my breath. My legs were on fire by this point and I was starting to have a hard time lifting my self out of the lunge. Holding the weight overhead was the easy part. The last round was terrible, it was a mental test. I wanted to quit a few times but I stuck it out.
The burpees and chest to bar pull ups were difficult but manageable. I was able to get through them without much trouble, except for the last round. I wanted to stay on the floor every time I did burpees but I was able to get back up somehow.  I broke the burpees into sets of four and the chest-to-bars were done in singles. I finished the workout with 113 total reps.
It was a great start to the 2016 CrossFit season. I hope Dave Castro doesn’t kill us with a crazy workout in the coming weeks. Even though the workout was horrible, I had a good time.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): February 8 – February 14

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

Back Squat – 6×2 at 80% (285 lb.)
Started Monday with some back squats. I was able to complete all six sets at 285 lb. I didn’t want to let up on the weight. Sets went by quickly and I felt great. Another session in the books.
WOD
 
EMOM – 14 minutes
6 clean and jerks (135 lb.)
Max effort burpees
This workout was a lot harder than expected. The clean and jerks were going to be rough especially since 135 lb. is about 66% of my max. The target number for burpees was eight, which is going to be difficult as time goes on. First six minutes of the workout went great. I was finishing the clean and jerks quickly, under 30 seconds and the burpees would be done just as fast. After that, my burpee count dropped to about 5-7 reps a minute. I completed the clean and jerks, until about the ninth minute. I completed 3-5 reps for the remainder of the workout.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 3×3 at 95% (335 lb.)
Sticking with back squats, the percentages are higher today. Usually we do this session a week before we max out. I only did one set at 335 lb. due to time. I was able to hit my old three rep max of 305 lb. right before this PR!

 

Partner WOD

Roy – 5 rounds

15 deadlifts (195 lb.)

20 box jumps (24 in.)

25 pull ups

I partnered up with my fiance for this workout and we split the work evenly. I decided to not do the workout at 225 lb. I didn’t want to put too much strain on my lower back because of the heavy back squats. The workout was great but I slowed down on the pull ups. I was able to finish all the other movements unbroken except for the pull ups. I finished the workout at 15:38

Friday

Back Squat – 6×2 at 80% (285 lb.)
Maintenance squat day. I felt great during the reps and my knee felt better. We should be maxing out next week.
WOD
 
Recovery WOD – rest 1 minute after each interval
4x400m run
The first 400 m had to be finished under 2:00. If you didn’t you had to scale the distance. I kept a good pace and finished at 1:55. After the first interval I was unable to finish under 2:00 and ended the last interval with a time of 2:20.

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

This entry is going to be longer than other weeks since I went six days straight.

Monday

Back Squat – 5×5 at 85% (275 lb.)
I decided not to go up to 85%. I warmed up and wasn’t feeling it. I was having a difficult time at 275 lb. and I didn’t want to risk an injury. I was able to finish four sets at 275 lb. before the time ran out.
WOD
 
3x 3:00 AMRAP:
30 double unders
20 shoulder to overhead (75 lb.)
10 toes to bar
Rest one minute
My goal for this workout was to at least finish 1 round each set. My first set I was able to finish one round and 30 double unders. My slowest area was the shoulder to overhead and toes to bar. I was able to go unbroken on the first round of shoulder to overhead but I had to break the toes to bar reps into two sets. The second round was worse. The fatigue set in and I was only able to get through one round. I wasn’t able to finish a round in the third set. I took longer rests and was slower overall. It was rough and I only was able to finish eight toes to bar. 

AMRAP 7 minutes

7 pull ups
7 overhead squats (75 lb.)
7 burpees

We only had a minute or two of rest before we started this workout. I was super slow during this workout. The pull ups were slow. I was only able to complete them in singles. The overhead squat was also hard to complete mainly because of my wrist. I have been having wrist issues and overhead work has been taking a toll on it. I also haven’t done overhead squat work in awhile. I was able to complete this in two sets. The burpees were taxing adding to my overall fatigue. I was only able to finish two rounds of this workout.

Tuesday

Snatch Complex
 
3 power snatch + 1 overhead squat
Started by doing the Burgner warm up and some empty bar work to loosen up. Started with 75 lb. and worked up to 135 lb. I was a bit worried about my wrist but it wasn’t too bad. I stopped at 135 lb. because I could feel my form starting to go bad and time was running out. I’m happy with the workout since 135 lb. used to be my two rep max. 

WOD – FGB style

3 rounds, 1 minute per station

Flutter kicks (4 count)
Ring push ups
Superman holds
Handstand holds

This workout was a nice change of pace, my hands were thankful. Even though the workout didn’t have a barbell or gymnastics work it was plenty difficult. The hardest movements were the ring push ups and the handstand holds. I would only be able to get a few reps in before my arms would give out. I would complete at least 10 in a minute. I was able to hold the handstand for at least 40 seconds each round. The flutter kicks and superman holds were easier to get through. I was able to complete at least 30 reps of flutter kicks and at least 10 reps of superman holds.

Wednesday

Back Squat – 6×2 80% (275 lb.)
Another day of back squat maintenance. I was able to get in a full six sets this session but I didn’t increase the weight to 285 lb. for my actual 80%. The squats felt great and my knee felt better after the warm up.
WOD
 
Fran: 21-16-9
Thrusters (95 lb.)
Pull ups
After doing well in the 15.5 retest, I wanted to retest Fran. Today was my chance and I was going to go hard! That was my plan, but that is not what happened. I was able to get through the thrusters but the pull ups were another story. I was very slow, only doing a few reps at a time. I was also resting longer than usual. I finished this workout at 7:39, 32 seconds slower than my last time. I thought I was going to do a lot better this time. I wanted to at least a minute faster. I didn’t do as well but I can at least learn from it. I need to work on my pull ups. I need to do more strength work and work on my kip. I was kipping the pull ups but I couldn’t find a rhythm. I was only able to string a few reps together. I will add in some more strict pull up work.

Thursday

Power Clean, 3 Rep Max (Touch and Go)

I was able to complete three reps at 175 lb. which was surprising. I’ve been having issues trying to re grip the bar after a rep. I would use a hook grip for the first rep but use a regular grip for the other reps. I’m not sure if I could have went heavier, the reps were getting harder to complete with good form. I’m happy with my progress since my old squat clean 1RM used to be 185 lb. 

Partner WOD

AMRAP, 12 minutes

9 power cleans (135 lb.)
12 row (cals.)
24 double unders

I like doing partner workouts. I tend to rest less and push myself to keep up. We alternated movements instead of each person completing a round each. This way, we kept moving instead of resting too long. We kept a good pace throughout the workout. We had enough recovery time between each movement, and I didn’t have to slow down on the intensity. We finished this workout with eight total rounds completed.

Friday

Back Squat – 4×4 at 90% (315 lb.)
90% is the heaviest I’ve gone since this squat cycle started. I felt good on Monday and I was eager to squat heavy. I took a bit longer to warm up since I haven’t lifted this heavy in awhile. I’m still looking out for my knee as well. I was able to get up to 305 lb. for two sets of four and then 315 lb. for the last two sets. I wanted to get in another set at 315 lb. but I ran out of time. 

WOD

For time

50 chest to bar pull ups
50 wall balls (20 lb.)
50 row (cals.)

The hardest part of this workout was going to be the chest to bars. I’m still weak at that movement and I can’t do many at one time. I would do as many reps as I could before scaling. I was able to do ten before I had to scale. It took me almost a minute and I realized I wasn’t going to finish if I didn’t scale to regular pull ups. I broke up the reps into fives and eventually singles. I went a bit quicker after scaling but it still took me awhile to get those last few pull ups.

Wall balls are a strong movement for me and I was able to get through these reps. I broke up the reps into sets of 10 which were manageable. The row was a grind. I was feeling the effects of the wall balls as well as the squats. It was tough but I focused on each pull and zoned out. I finished the workout at 13:38.

Saturday

Snatch, 1 rep heavy
 
I spent Saturday working on snatches. After working on cleans the week before, I decided to switch to snatches. I’m very weak at snatches and it’s something I want to improve on. I started warming up with 75 lb. and focusing on form. I haven’t snatched heavy in awhile and all I have been doing in class is power snatches. I would stay at a certain weight until I was able to get at least three reps before adding more. I was able to get to 145 lb. but I started missing lifts.
145 lb. is about 94% of my 1RM. I was only able to successfully hit this weight once out of six tries. After my fourth miss, I decided to call it a day. A big issue was getting under the bar. My lack of experience really shows in this area. One of my coaches commented that I had the power but not the speed. I need to work on getting into that bottom position. I will try to get more sessions in over the next few weeks.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): January 25 – January 31

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Sorry everyone for the delay. I’m also trying out this graphic for this segment of the blog.

Monday

Back Squat – 6×2 at 80% (285 lb.)
Starting off the week with back squats. Like previous weeks tried my best to hit my numbers. I was only able to complete five sets at 80%, with one set at 75%. It was a great session, but I ran out of time.
WOD – 30 minute time cap
Run 200m
21 thrusters (75 lb.)
21 pull ups
Run 200m
15 thrusters (75 lb.)
15 pull ups
Run 200m
9 thrusters (75 lb)
9 pull ups
Rest 5 minutes
–then–
5 rounds
15 toes to bar
15 power cleans (95 lb.)
Rest 5 minutes
–then–
Max effort burpees, 3 minutes
As you can imagine, this workout was tough. I had to scale this workout because I knew I wasn’t going to finish on time. I treated it like Fran but I did go faster. The thrusters were okay, since it was only 75 lb. The pull ups were a bit difficult but I managed to power through it. I broke up the reps into small sets which helped.Finished the first part of this workout at 10 minutes and rested the full time.The second part of this workout was harder than the first part, mainly because of the toes to bar. The power cleans were done almost unbroken but I had to scale the toes to bar. I was tired by this point and I took a lot of time between rounds. I finished this part of the workout at 25 minutes. I didn’t get to start the max effort burpees.

Tuesday

Gymnastics Skill Work

I worked on dips and handstand push ups. The reps were 6×6 and all the movements were strict. It was difficult but I was able to get through it. I’m getting stronger on the rings, and my handstand push ups are getting better.

WOD – 20 minute time cap.

3 rounds

15 overhead squats (95 lb.)
50 double unders
Rest 3 minutes
20 lateral burpee (over barbell)
15 handstand push ups
10 power snatches (95 lb.)
15 handstand push ups
20 lateral burpees (over barbell)

 

I wasn’t able to finish this workout under the time cap or Rx. The initial weight for both bar movements was 135 lb. The overhead squats were harder than expected, even with a scaled weight. I wasn’t able to get a rhythm, and it took me a lot longer to finish the reps. The double unders were not too bad, was able to do at least half unbroken. The burpees were the hardest part of the second half. The handstand push ups and power snatches were quick but the burpees felt like forever.

Wednesday

Back Squat –  6×6 at 80% (275 lb.)
That’s a lot of reps. I wasn’t able to finish all the sets because of time. My legs felt great, they were not sore from Monday. My body might be starting to adapt to the work load. I was able to finish four of the six sets at 275 lb.
Partner WOD 
14 minute AMRAP
4 power cleans (135 lb.)
4 front squats (135 lb.)
4 shoulder to overhead (135 lb.)
Partnered with my fiance for this workout. Everything went great, we moved quickly but I had to rest longer. I would complete each round unbroken but I would take at least 30 seconds before my round. My fiance scaled her weight but she was quick. I wished she was slower so I could get more rest. She did great. We managed to finish five rounds each.

Friday

Back Squat – 6×2 at 80% (285 lb.)
I actually completed all the sets at 80% after deciding not to scale the weight. My legs felt great and I warmed up for about 20 minutes before the class. It wasn’t too bad, the last two sets were a struggle but I got through it. Thankfully I didn’t need a spot.
WOD
 
For time
20 back squats at 50% 1RM (165 lb.)
Run 1 mile
20 back squats at 50% 1RM (165 lb.)
Run 1 mile
I can’t remember the last time I hated a workout. Usually most workouts are fun but this one was horrible. The back squats were done from the floor and I almost lost my balance the first time I tried to load the bar on my back. Thankfully I was able to gain control and not drop the weight. I was able to finish all the reps unbroken. The mile run was a different story. I paced myself but I wasn’t quick. I haven’t ran a mile in awhile and this was another sign that I needed to run more. When I got back to the box, my quads were on fire. I powered through it and started on my second round of squats. I was able to finish this round unbroken as well but my quads were super tight on the run. I finally finished at 29:30, close to last in the class. I need to run more.

Saturday

Heavy Cleans
 
I worked on cleans this day. I haven’t been doing many oly lifts and came in on a Saturday to work on them. Since I haven’t done heavy reps in awhile I decided to focus on cleans. I started low and worked up to my 1 rep max. One of the coaches told me to add five pounds to the bar just in case I make it, it would be a new PR. I managed to lift 230 lb. for a new PR! I wanted to add more weight but I could feel some strain in my elbow. I called it a day right after. If I’m able to come in again next Saturday, I’ll work on my snatches.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!
 

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

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!