Custom Fitness

Konqer Recap: Guam’s First Obstacle Course Run

Nick PalomoLeave a comment
After four miles in the hot sun, we completed Guam’s first obstacle course race (ocr), Konqer. Held at the Guam International Raceway grounds, Konqer had as many as 600 participants. My CrossFit gym managed to field two teams of eighteen, The Metgot Mudders and The Muddy Lions. We managed to finish the course in an hour and thirty minutes.
Layout 
The course took us trough a variety of terrain with the first leg being mostly mud and dirt with some sections of gravel. The next section was a trail through the jungle with the final leg of the run being mostly gravel. The run took us trough a dirt bike course, through a ATV/MTB course and a rock quarry. The course could have been better however. The quarry was a bit confusing and lacked signs pointing in the correct direction.
Obstacles
 
The obstacles were okay but could have been better. I was expecting a lot more mud and less of a gap between obstacles. Also, the course was missing a few obstacles from what was previewed. Some of the obstacles should have been bigger. A few of them were lack luster. The tire roll and “constipator” could have been better. The roll was too short and not difficult. The constipator was also too short and maybe too tall, I was expecting a crawl.
Final Thoughts

Even with all the short comings of the race, I had a blast. The Xterra Guam team planned a great race and I hope they make the next one better. Running the race with people is what made this event fun. We had great teamwork, and helped everyone get through the obstacles. I hope we do it again next year. Shout outs to Metgot Mudders (my team) and Muddy Lions.

Pictures are taken from the Custom Fitness Facebook page.

 

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

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!

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Sorry for the late post, Otaku Recon zapped all my energy.

Monday

Skill Work: Clean and Jerks

After warming up we did a 15 minute skill portion for clean and jerks. I started with an empty bar and gradually added weight.

 

WOD – 20 minute time cap

In 7 minutes:

Max clean and jerk

–then–

Remaining time AMRAP:

7 lateral burpee over barbell
7 front squats 50% of earlier clean and jerk
7 chest to bar pull ups

Since the skill portion was clean and jerks, I worked my way up to 185 lbs. I began the workout with a 185 lb. lift, and completed a 205 lb. lift. I attempted 225 lb. but was only able to complete the clean. I was able to get the jerk overhead but I was distracted and dropped the bar forward. I didn’t realize how important focus was during lifts. Usually, when I fail to complete lifts it’s because I’m tired or the weight is too heavy. This was my first time failing a lift because of focus.

I was excited after this lift because 225 lb. is a new clean PR! I can probably add another 10 lb. to this lift if I attempt it again. I was able to complete four rounds and seven burpees but it was a struggle. The burpees and the chest to bars were my biggest weakness, with majority of the time being spent on those two movements. Surprisingly the front squats were not too bad and I was able to go unbroken during the four rounds.

Weighted Plank – 3 x 60 seconds (35 lb.)

Finished the night with three sets of weighted plank holds.

Tuesday

Skill Work
 
Started off  the day with gymnastics skill work which focused on handstands and ring dips. The first part of the skill work was a handstand walk drill. You would place your feet on a plate and then gradually move around a plate. I was able to move up to a 24 inch box and completed two sets of rotations.

WOD – Partner Jack 

20 minute AMRAP

10 push press (95 lb.)
10 Russian kettlebell swings (54 lb.)
10 box jumps (24 in.)

This workout was supposed to be done with a partner but I didn’t have one. I did a 1:1 ratio of work to rest to simulate a partner working at the same pace. The Rx weight for the push press was 115 lb. but I decided to scale down to 95 lb. My goal for this workout was to at least complete five rounds which would require me to complete a round every two minutes.

I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep that pace with a 115 lb. push press.  After round three I wasn’t able to complete the push press reps unbroken and broke them up into two sets. The Russain kettlebell swing was my strongest movement. I was able to go unbroken throughout all the rounds. The box jumps were another weak part of this workout for me, mainly because I was coming off of unbroken kettlebell swings. I had to do step ups but I maintained a good pace which was a victory for me. I was tired after each round and I was gasping for air while sitting on my box. I went above my goal of five rounds and finished with six round completed.

 

Friday

Bench Press – 5×7 at 65% (155 lb.)
I took my time on the bench press and didn’t rush. My bench press form is not great and I’ve been trying to work on it. I’m used to bench pressing with my elbows flared instead of keeping them closer to my sides.
WOD – AMRAP 7 minutes
7 deadlifts (225 lb.)
14 pistol squats (alternating legs)
21 double unders
At first, I was worried about the deadlift weight but I knew I could get through it. The last deadlift cycle gave me some confidence in my deadlift and I wanted to push myself. Also, I knew that the deadlifts were not going to be the hardest part of the workout. I recently started doing pistols unassisted but I couldn’t do them for a  lot of reps. Out of the three movements, this was going to be the toughest one.
Surprisingly, the deadlifts were not too bad. I focused on maintaining good form instead of speed. I was able to zip through this section and finish all my deadlifts unbroken. The pistol squats however, were a different story. I was able to do them unassisted but I broke them up into sets after the second round. My legs were on fire. The double unders were easy enough but I wasn’t able to do them all unbroken. I would always mess up around the 15th rep. I finished the workout with three rounds, seven deadlifts and six pistol squats.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Warm Up – Cindy
AMRAP 5 minutes
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
Monday Funday started off with Cindy. I’ve done this warm up before and I usually finish a round a minute. I wasn’t as energetic and I felt a bit drained. It was probably because I didn’t mobilize before class, traffic was a bit busy. I finished four rounds which wasn’t too bad, at least my hips and legs were warmed up for the back squats.Back Squat – 4 at 60% (225 lb.), 4 at 70% (255 lb.), 2×4 at 80% (285 lb.)

The strength portion for today was a moderately heavy back squat. I warmed up with 135 lb. and worked up to my first set at 225 lb. I haven’t done back squats since early October but I was able to adapt quickly. During my set at 80% my form was a little off. I could feel myself going onto my toes instead of my heels but I was able to adjust. One of my coaches suggested that I slow down on the decent. He noticed that I will usually ride the bounce out of the bottom of the squat and a more controlled decent will help with stability.

WOD – For Time

10 dumbbell snatch, alternating arms (40 lb.)
–then–
3 rounds:
6 burpees
12 wall balls (20 lb.)
–then–
20 dumbbell snatch, alternating arms (40 lb.)
–then–
3 rounds:
6 burpees
12 wall balls (20 lb.)
–then–
30 dumbbell snatch, alternating arms (40 lb.)
–then–
6 burpees
12 wall balls (20 lb.)

This workout was going to be challenging because of the movements. The workout was a sprint with a 20 minute time cap, and I wasn’t sure if I was going finish under it. I’m not proficient with dumbbell snatches and the heavier weights give me trouble. The Rx for the dumbbell snatches was 70 lb. but I had to scale to 40 lb. I think I could have done it at 50 lb. but I’ll try that next time. Burpees are burpees and I suck at them. They are easily the biggest speed bump for me in any workout. I was able to keep consistent reps and finish each round unbroken. Surprisingly, the hardest part of this workout was the wall balls. After the back squats, my legs were feeling a bit weak and the wall balls were not helping. I wasn’t able to complete 12 reps unbroken, breaking up most rounds in sets of six or less. I finished the workout in 21 minutes since the coaches let me finish beyond the time cap.

Tuesday

Started Tuesday with a short medicine ball warm up. The movements were medicine ball cleans, sit ups and walking lunges. I used a 16 lb. medicine ball.
Power Clean Complex – Find a one rep heavy
1 power clean + 1 hang squat clean + 1 jerk
Continuing with the Oly lifts, Tuesdays strength/skill portion was a clean a jerk complex. I didn’t have a goal weight but I wanted to at least hit my power clean PR of 215 lb. I started with 95 lb. and worked up to 205 lb. with six sets in between. I was able to power clean 205 lb. but I wasn’t able to complete the hang clean. My grip was a factor and I wasn’t able to re establish a hook grip after the power clean. I don’t think I was taking enough rest and I maybe had too many sets in between. I would like to attempt this lift after I have more rest and less reps in between.
WOD – 9 minute AMRAP
9 lateral bar jumps
9 hang power cleans (95 lb.)
9 deadlifts (95 lb.)
This workout is deceivingly hard. Even though the bar light, the reps add up fast. The most difficult part of this workout were the hang power cleans. I wasn’t able to complete them unbroken instead breaking them up into sets of five and less. The lateral bar jumps and deadlifts were easier. I was able to complete them unbroken during all rounds. I was able to complete five rounds.Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled) – October 26 – November 1

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Warm Up


15-12-9Single arm kettlebell deadlift (54 lb.)
Russian kettlebell swing (54 lb.)
Single arm kettlebell deadlift (54 lb.)
Goblet squat (54 lb.)

This was a hard warm up. The weight was a bit heavy for a warm up but I was going to take it slow and not rush it. The hardest movement was the single arm kettlebell deadlift. I would be able to do a few reps but I would loose balance easily. I’m not sure if my form was correct, but I tried to keep a neutral spine and hinge at the hips. The strength portion for today included front squats so I made sure to warm up my legs doing goblet squats. I finished around six minutes.

Strength/Skill – 2 Front Squats + Jerk, 3×2 at 60% (135 lb.), 3×2 at 70% (155 lb.)

Another fun weightlifting complex to start the week. After a light warm up I started on my first set. We only had 25 minutes to complete this section and I used half of it setting up and warming up. Each set was done with a short rest in between which made the last set of 70% harder than expected.

WOD – Power Clean Cindy, Time Cap: 15 minutes

10 power cleans (135 lb.)
–then–
5 rounds of:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
–then–
10 power cleans (135 lb.)
–then–
5 rounds of;
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
–then–
10 power cleans (135 lb.)

I wasn’t able to finish this workout under time cap. I was able to get through two rounds in the last set of Cindy. The hardest part of this workout was the air squats. After front squats in the strength section, I wasn’t able to finish the air squats quickly. My legs started cramping up during the second set of Cindy and I had to break them up.

Weighted Plank Hold – 3×60 seconds, 35 lb.

Ended the night with some weighted plank holds. With all the push ups we just did, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to hold a plank for 60 seconds. I was able to complete the first set but had to break up the next two. I rested for about five to ten seconds.

Wednesday

Sumo Deadlift – Find a three rep heavy
I haven’t done many sumo deadlifts, and I wasn’t sure how heavy I could go. I slowly worked up to a heavy three rep of 295 lb. which is lower than my regular deadlift three rep. A few factors could have contributed to my lower weight. My in experience with the lift is probably the biggest issue. I felt off balance at times, and my pulls didn’t feel great. Another issue was my grip. The bar I used did not have center knurling and I couldn’t hold the bar for too long. I used a hook grip but it only helped a bit. I went a bit heavier to 315 lb. but was only able to complete one rep.
WOD – 21-15-9
Single arm kettlebell swing (54 lb.)
Box jump (30 in.)
Single arm kettlebell swing (54 lb.)
I wasn’t going to Rx this workout but I decided to push myself. The hardest part of the workout was going to be the box jumps. I’m 5’6″ and 30 in. is tall for me. I wouldn’t be able to do step ups and I would have to jump. Also, I wouldn’t be able to step down. I had to jump off while placing my hands on top of the box. I wasn’t too worried about the kettelbell swings but I knew I would be tired by the second round. I finished the workout in 7:56.

Thursday

Power Clean Skill Work
 
The skill work for today was power clean positioning. We worked on three positions, ground, above knee and power.
Three Position Power Clean  – Find a 1 rep heavy
After the short skill work, we loaded plates on the bars. My main goal was to work on technique and foot work. I started at 95 lb. and worked up to 195 lb. I noticed a few things while lifting. The bar would loop out as the weight got heavier. It also happened more on the hang and power power positions. I need to work on keeping the bar close to my body, keeping my elbows high. I was also rushing my first pull. Slowing down that pull really helped.
WOD
 
4 rounds for time:
Run, 300 m
Overhead walking lunge with a plate, 40 m (35 lb. – 45 lb.)
Even though the distance seems short, walking lunges are no joke. I started with a 45 lb. plate but after the second round I had to use a lighter 35 lb. plate. My quads were on fire and I was taking too long to complete the lunges with a 45 lb. plate. I finished this workout in 17:56.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!
 

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 19 – October 25

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Skill Work – Turkish Get Up
Worked on some Turkish get ups.
Weightlifting Complex 
 
1 power clean + 3 front squats (115 lb. – 215 lb.)
With the deadlift cycle ending last week, the new cycle will be focused on Olympic weightlifting (Oly). Usually the gym has an Oly fundamentals class on Saturdays but I’m not able to make it most weeks. Incorporating more Oly work into weekly classes is exactly what I need to improve my lifts. The next few weeks are going to be fun, and todays weightlifting complex was a great start to the cycle.I haven’t done heavy power cleans since April with my heaviest lift at 205 lb. I hit a PR on my power clean at 215 lb and I think I could have gone a bit heavier. I was surprised I was able to clean it since the lift didn’t feel great. The pull was okay but the extension and catch was a bit sloppy. Hopefully I will continue to get better over the next few weeks.

WOD


AMReps 9 minutes

3 thrusters (75 lb.)
3 lateral burpee over barbell
Add three reps every round


The burpees were my speed bump. The thrusters were not too bad. I was able to go unbroken until I hit the round of 12. I finished this workout with 15 thrusters and four burpees for a total of 79 reps.

Weighted Plank Hold – 3×60 seconds, 35 lb.

Finished the day with some weighted plank holds. I was able to hold the first round of 60 seconds. I had to take a five seconds rest during the last two rounds

Tuesday

Skill Work


Started the day with a short warm up consisting of shoulder dislocates, wrist stretches, and handstand holds. The skill for today was a handstand walk progression. Three sets of around the plate handstand walks with 1:30 of rest in between. Since I can not do handstand walks I had to scale down to using a 24″ box. It was getting a bit tough around the third set but I managed to finish. The next skill portion was six sets of 30 second handstand shoulder taps. I had to scale this portion as well since I’m not strong enough to complete 1 shoulder tap. I used a 24″ box to scale and finished the shoulder taps fairly quickly. The hard part is trying to tap my shoulders since I don’t have the flexibility.Strength – 5×5

Strict ring dips
Strict ring push ups
Strict handstand push ups

I started having trouble with the ring dips and handstand push ups around the fourth set. My triceps were fatigued as well as my shoulders. I had to take rests in between a few reps because I didn’t want to sacrifice form. The ring push ups were not too bad and didn’t give me trouble through out the workout.

WOD – Partnered, 25 minute time cap

3000 m – Row
200 – Russian kettlebell swings (54 lb.)
100 – Handstand push ups

I was partnered with my fiance and we split the reps in half. I was able to do this workout without scaling while she scaled the kettlebell swings and the handstand push ups. I was able to keep a steady pace of around 2:00 per 500 m on the row. I had a harder time with the kettlebell swings, I was only able to do 20 reps at a time. I had the strength to do more reps but my grip would start to give around rep 15. Need to work on grip exercises or do more heavy kettlebell swings. The handstand push ups were difficult as well. The skill and strength work took a toll on my shoulders and triceps. I was able to do some kipping handstand push ups but not much. We were able to finish 70 reps of the handstand push ups at time cap.

Wednesday

Started Wednesday with a short medicine ball warm up that consisted of sit ups, cleans and Russian twists. After the warm up we started on warming up for the days skill/strength workout, jerks.
Jerk Complex
 
1 push press + 1 power jerk + 1 split jerk
I think the first half of this weightlifting cycle is going to be focused on clean and jerks. We started with power cleans and front squats and on Wednesday we did jerks. I’ve been wanting to practice more jerks since I’m not proficient in that movement. My goals for this workout were to practice heavy jerks and work on my rack position. Started with a weight of 75 lb. and worked up to 185 lb. I think I could have gone a bit heavier but I was on my seventh set and the reps caught up with me.My split jerk felt good, but I need more work. My drive could be better as well as my foot work. I will try to do some footwork drills at home to see if it helps. I worked on my rack position, mainly keeping a full grip on the bar. I need to work on my mobility to make it easier to grip the bar.

WOD – Tabata, 8 rounds

Knees to elbows
Box jumps
Dumbbell snatch (40 lb.)

My main goal for this workout was to push the intensity and stay consistent. The intensity portion of that goal went out the window after the first round of knees to elbows. I completed eight reps in the first round but I knew that was not sustainable. My hands were feeling raw and my abs started to tighten up but by the last round I was down to three reps. During the box jump set, I kept a pace of five reps per round. I was still tired from the knees to elbows and I was doing step downs instead of rebounding. I was starting to feel fatigued by the time I reached the dumbbell snatch set. I wasn’t happy with my pace but I don’t think I could have pushed myself harder. I was keeping a four rep per round pace but it was becoming more difficult towards the end.

Friday

Strength
 
Pause front squat + 2 front squat
The strength portion for Friday was a heavy pause front squat (three seconds) plus two front squats with a four second decent. My goal for this workout is to keep an active bottom position and to at least hit 225 lb. or more. I controlled the weight into the bottom position of the squat while still keeping tension in my legs and core. I managed to hit 255 lb. on the complex which is also a new front squat PR!
WOD
FGB style – 4 rounds
Double unders
Wall balls (20 lb.)
Hand release push ups
Rest 1 minute
 

I didn’t do as well as I wanted in this workout. I wanted to at least finish 60 reps on double unders, and 15 on wall balls and hand release push ups. After the first three rounds I was able to finish 45-50 reps on the double unders and 10-15 on the wall balls and hand release push ups. The last round had my lowest reps. I couldn’t string many double unders together, tripping up every 5 – 15 reps. Fatigue played a factor in the wall balls and push ups. I finished the workout with 282 reps.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): October 12 – October 18

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Warm Up – 8 minutes

Run 400 m
–then–
AMRAP:
10 pull ups
20 push ups
30 ab-mat sit ups
40 air squats

We did a quick 8 minute warm up to get the blood moving. We were going to need it since, the rest of the workouts looked rough. I didn’t focus on trying to get more rounds instead just making sure I was performed quality reps.

Deadlift –  2×2 at 100% 1RM (395 lb.)

Last weeks deadlifts took a toll on my body. I wasn’t able to lift my 80% on Wednesday but I took a few days off and let my body recover. I haven’t established my 1RM yet but the heaviest weight I lifted up until now was 385 lb. I decided I wanted to at least lift 395 lb. if not more. I warmed up to 335 lb. and started my sets at 365 lb. and finished with 395 lb. It was difficult but I was able to power through it. Afterwards I was confident in my deadlift, I knew I was going to break 400 lb. on Friday.

WOD

Time Cap: 25 minutes

30 pull ups
–then–
Run 400 m
21 Thrusters (75 lb.)
21 Burpees
Run 400 m
15 Thrusters (75 lb.)
15 Burpees

Run 400 m
9 Thrusters (75 lb.)
9 Burpees
Run 400 m
–then–
30 pull ups
As always, the run and the burpees were going to be the hardest part of the workout. I wasn’t worried about the pull ups or the thrusters. The first round of thrusters and burpees were not too bad. I broke the thrusters into two sets and was consistent on the burpees. The second and the third rounds were a different story. The run became difficult and was moving at a slow pace. My main goal for the run was to catch my breath and maintain a steady pace. The thrusters were not too difficult. I was able to do them unbroken. The burpees were becoming harder as time moved on. I was taking long breaks in between sets and wasn’t moving as fast as before. I did not finish the workout, finishing the last 400 m run at 26:48.

Tuesday

Pull Up Bar Complex
4 Rounds:
4 toes to bar
3 kipping pull ups
2 chest to bar pull ups
1 muscle up
The complex is supposed to be done without letting go of the bar. I’m not strong enough to do muscle ups yet but the other movements were not difficult.
Back Squat – 5×3 at 75% (275 lb.)
After warming up I started my five sets at 255 lb. and then moved up to 275 lb. I haven’t done back squats in a few weeks and I wanted to be more conservative with the weight.
WOD
 
Alternating EMOM: 10 Minutes
45 double unders
12 handstand push ups
The first four minutes were not too bad. I was able to complete all the reps but fatigue set in quickly. I wasn’t able to complete all the handstand push ups during the sixth minute and the double unders didn’t get easier. I kept messing up and only completed around 30 reps for the rest of the workout. My triceps and shoulders started to fatigue around minute seven. I wasn’t able to complete all twelve reps and stopped around six.

Wednesday

Warm Up

Alternating EMOM:

Row (45 seconds)
Plank hold
Easy warm up. Plank holds were a bit difficult by the end of the warm up, but managed to finish all rounds.
Deadlift – 6×3 at 80% (335 lb.)
I was trying to take it easy since our max out day was Friday. 335 lb. felt great and I’ve been getting used to the weight. I take less time set up and complete lifts and was power through it. I’m excited for our max out day on Friday.
WOD
 
AMRep 12 minutes
American kettle bell swing (54 lb.) – 3 minutes
Kettle bell goblet squats (54 lb.) – 3 minutes
Butterfly sit ups – 3 minutes
Row (calorie) – 3 minutes

At first I wasn’t sure about the weight for the kettle bell swings and squats. American kettle bell swings are a bit tricky and I didn’t want to burn all my energy in the first three minutes of the workout. I decided to stick with the 54 lb. kettle bell and power my way through it. I paced myself through the workout and luckily I didn’t “gas out”. I was able to complete 50 reps which is not bad considering I haven’t done American swings in a while.

Since their was no rest I was trying to keep a steady pace through the goblet squats. After the first minute however, my legs were on fire. I was only able to get about 10 reps in the first minute. I decided to at least get at least 10 reps a minute and I barely made it. At the end of the goblet squat section I finished with 32 reps. The butterfly sit ups were my “rest” round. I was able to keep a good pace and didn’t start to cramp up until two minutes into the round. I was able to finish with 52 reps.

By the time I reached the row I was already exhausted. I was able to recover during the sit ups but it wasn’t enough. During the row my pace suffered and my pulls were fairly weak. I was taking a long break in between pulls and was not pulling as hard as I should have. I picked up the pace in the last minute and finished with 37 calories. Total rep count for the workout was 171 reps.

Friday

Warm Up
 
24 – 16 – 8
Banded good mornings
Hollow rocks
Reverse alternating lunges
I took my time with this workout since it was max out day! Making sure I was able to warm up my hamstrings and lower back. I didn’t rush the workout and focused on making quality reps.
Deadlift – Find your 1 rep max.
I took my time warming up for this lift and made a goal of at least 405 lb. for my PR. Up until now my heaviest lift was 395 lb. I made sure my form was consistent and put in enough warm up reps before I started going heavy. The lift started becoming difficult around 395 lb. I would struggle to get the bar off the ground but once it was a few inches off, I knew I would be able to complete the lift.

My last lift was at 415 lb. and it was a struggle. It was the longest deadlift and I almost gave up. Thankfully I was able to power through it without compromising my form. The other gym members were also there to cheer me on which helped. Surprisingly, the weight wasn’t too hard to hold. At the top of the lift, I held the bar for a few seconds just to “feel the weight”. My new goal for the next deadlift cycle will be 425 lb. to 445 lb. It will be about a 6% increase which I would be happy with.

WOD

Every 1:30 for 12 minutes

3 cleans + 1 split jerk (125lb. – 145 lb.)

The weight we were supposed to use for this workout was 60% of our 1RM, but after all those deadlifts I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to pull that much weight. I decided to scale down a bit to 125 lb. which is slightly below my 60%. After the first three rounds, I started to add more weight. I was able to complete the complex under 30 seconds which gave me confidence to add more weight. After three more rounds I added another 10 lb. and finished the last two rounds at 145 lb.

The next strength cycle will be centered around the Olympic lifts. It’s going to be an exciting next few weeks.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As RX (Probably Scaled): October 5 – October 11

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Deadlift – 6×2 at 80% (335 lb.)
Deadlifts at this weight are starting to get a lot easier. My setup is quicker and my rest in between sets is a bit shorter. I hope I can keep this up until next week when we test our 1RM.
WOD
For Time:

Run 400 m
Max Rep Wall Balls (20 lb., 11 ft)
Rest 1 Minute
Max Rep Wall Balls (20 lb., 11 ft)
Rest 1 Minute
Run 400 m
Rest 3 Minutes
–then–
4 Rounds:
5 Power Cleans (115 lb.)
10 Later Burpee Over Barbell (115 lb.)
15 Deadlifts (115 lb.)
–then–
Max Effort Air Squats
Decided to use a new format for the WOD section of the blog since it would be easier to read as a list instead of a continuous line. The hardest part of the WOD was the wall balls, burpees and deadlifts. The wall balls were difficult because of the Rx requirements. Height and weight are listed above but their was a rep requirement as well. I was able to reach the Rx minimum for the first set of wall balls but not the second. The requirement was 25 reps and I was able to barely able to make 27 the first set and 15 the second set. I tried to hold on to the wall ball as long as I could but I gave into fatigue.   I was confident with the weight, it was was the reps I was unsure about. I wasn’t expecting it to be a max rep attempt instead thinking it would be max reps in a given amount of time.

I wanted to use 135 lb. for the second part of the workout but I decided to go down a bit more. The weight was supposed to be light enough that the deadlifts would be done unbroken. I was only able to do the first round unbroken. I was feeling the effects of the deadlifts from earlier and had to break up the deadlifts into two or three sets. The burpees were difficult because, burpees! Finished the workout with max effort air squat. After all the work we did earlier, these air squats were tough. The Rx reps were above 75 reps which is not hard for me when my legs are fresh. I only did 35 reps after two minutes.

Tuesday

Hand Stand Push Ups – max effort strict and kipping
 
Worked on some hand stand push ups. Started with a max effort strict hand stand push ups (MEHSPU) and I was able to complete ten reps which is a new PR for me. My previous PR was five. I was able to complete 11 reps on my kipping HSPUs but it wasn’t a PR. The most I’ve done unbroken was 15.

Floor Press – Find 2RM (235 lb.)

My floor press 3RM is 225lb. and I was shooting for at least 235 lb. on this attempt.

WOD – TC 12 minutes

25 toes to bar
50 overhead squats (45 lb.)
100 double unders
50 overhead squats (45 lb.)
25 toes to bar

Going into this workout, I thought my biggest hurdle was going to be the toes to bar. I was wrong, it was the 50 overhead squats! I was still sore from Monday and I felt it after 25 reps into the first 50 overhead squats. I was able to hold the weight overhead, but I wasn’t able to complete all the squats as quickly as I would have liked. I was slow during the double unders but I will attribute that to fatigue. I was only able to finish 35 reps of the overhead squats when I hit the time cap.

Wednesday

Warm Up – 3 rounds
15 ab-mat sit ups
15 banded good mornings
15 walking lunges with med. ball
Started Wednesday with an easy warm up. I used a light med. ball (8 lb.), and a thin band. I took it slow and made sure my body was warmed up for the deadlifts.
Deadlift  – 3×3 at 95% 1rm (365 lb.)
Not sure if I was fatigued from the previous days or if it was an off day, but I felt weak during the deadlifts. My estimated 95% is around 405 lb. but I was barely able to complete 365 lb. I actually had to scale down after my first set at 365 lb. I wasn’t able to get the second rep off the ground and scaled down to 315 lb. I might have to take longer rests in between sets but I’m not sure how much of a difference that was going to make. I hope I recover before next week.
WOD 
 
Partner Cindy – AMRAP 20 minutes
Partners alternate rounds
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
This was a milestone workout since this was my fiance’s first day at the gym. She was a member of another local affiliate and was excited to workout with the Lions! I’m excited for her to be a regular member so we can both support each other through our fitness journey. I managed to do the workout Rx and she scaled the pull ups. We finished 14 rounds.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!