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My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): September 21 – September 27

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Monday

Deadlift – 6×2 at 80% 1RM (335 lb.)

Today’s strength portion was a lot better than last week. I was able to find a “rhythm” in my deadlifts and my body felt a lot better. I was focusing on form, keeping my hips back and staying on my heels. My lower back still tightened up but I was expecting it.
WOD – In 20 minutes: 21 power snatches, run 200 m, 15 overhead squats, run 200 m, 9 hang squat snatch, run 200m. Rest 3 minutes. In remaining time AMRAP: 5 lateral burpee over bar, 5 front squats, 5 push press. Bar weight 75 lb. 
I decided to go with a lighter weight at the beginning of the the workout, the RX weight was 95 lb. My main concern was going to be the power snatches. I was comfortable with the overhead squats and the hang squat snatch at 95 lb. but 21 power snatches were going to be a problem. I was also concerned about the run after the deadlifts.

I was able to breeze through the snatches. I finished the 21 reps under 50 seconds but the run really slowed me down. I wasn’t able to run as fast since I my lower back was very tight. Was able to go unbroken on the overhead squats and hang snatches but the 200 m run rough. Finished this part of the WOD under 10 minutes. I was only able to finish 3 rounds in the second half.

Weighted Plank Hold – 3×60 seconds, 30 seconds rest. 35 lb.

Decided to go up 10 lb., third round was the hardest, dropped to my knees for about 5 seconds.

Wednesday

Warm Up –  60 du’s, 20 kb swings, 5 burpees, 45 du’s, 15 kb swings, 5 burpees, 30 du’s, 10 kb swings, 5 burpees. KB swings – Russian, 45 lb.
Managed to finish this workout under 5 minutes. The hardest part was the double unders. My forearms gave out into the third round which slowed me down.

Run – 1000 m, for time (5:59)

Not sure if the KB swing from the warm up tired me out but my lower back was on fire. I ran considerably slower than normal on this run. Finished this run in 5:59, 29 seconds slower than my last record. Need to test this when we’re not on a deadlift cycle.

Deadlift – 6×6 at 80% (315 lb.)

6×6 is a lot, especially at that weight! I decided to lower my weight just to complete this strength workout in time. It’s about 75% of my 1RM.  I like the structure of this class. The strength portion was at the end, giving us the rest of the class period all the time to finish. I didn’t really feel rushed and finished in time with a good amount of rest between sets.

Friday

Deadlift – 6×2 at 80% (335 lb.)

After improving my form over the week, my lower felt better after Wednesday which made this deadlift workout easier to complete. Two reps are manageable at 80%. I think the cycle is going to pick up next week, probably going up to 85% – 90%. I hope the rep scheme is low.

WOD 1 – Every 2 minutes for 10 minutes: 10 toes to bar, 15 air squats, 1 clean and jerk complex. Clean and jerk complex – 3 Power cleans + Jerk, 70% 1RM (145 lb.).

This workout was fun, except around minute 8 when fatigue started to set in. I thought I did well in the toes to bar, I could feel my lats engage and my form stayed consistent. The clean and jerks were not too bad either, I still need to work on my oly lifts. I slowed down around the fourth round. Fatigue set in and I wasn’t able to complete my toes to bar quickly.

WOD 2 – AMRAP 7 minutes: 30 push press (95 lb.), max row.

The RX weight for this workout was 135 lb. but after the previous workout, I wasn’t sure if I could have handled that weight. I decided to scale down to 95 lb. which I thought would have been manageable. During the workout I could feel my quads tightening up. Not sure how long I could have gone with the weight at 135 lb. Finished the 30 push press before 3 minutes and hopped on the rower. If I could have kept a 2:00 per 500 m pace I would have been able to hit at least a 1k row. The row was difficult and I wasn’t pulling as hard as I usually do. My pace was about 2:15 per 500 m, but I picked it up at a minute left in the workout. I was able to finish with 920 m, rowed. 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): September 14 – September 20

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Monday

Deadlift – 6×4 at 80% (335 lb.)

Today was an off day. I only finished four sets since I took too long. I wasn’t feeling it, I felt weak and ended up doing doubles instead of four touch and go reps.

WOD – Run 400m, 30 handstand push ups, then 2 rounds: run 300m, 10 toes to bar + pull up, then 3 rounds: run 200 m, 7 clean and jerks at 70% 1RM, then max effort double unders. Time cap 25 minutes. Must start double unders at 23 minutes.

I was excited for this WOD before class started and then I started to run. My lower back was tight and my lousy running form wasn’t helping. The movements that gave me the most trouble were running and the clean and jerks. During the first round of the clean and jerks, my quads started to cramp. I wasn’t able to complete the last two rounds before 23 minutes. Started on the double unders with about a minute left and managed to get about 25 double unders.

Monday was a off day, I didn’t feel myself. I decided to shake it off and comeback stronger the next day. Everyone has a bad day, unfortunately, today was my day.

Tuesday

Annie – 50-40-30-20-10, double unders, ab-mat sit ups.
Buy in was Annie with a 7 minute time cap. I wasn’t sure if I could have finished it under time cap but I was going to try my best. I managed to finish 30 double unders at time cap. 
Back Squat Maintenance – 5×3 at 75% of 1RM (275 lb.)
Back squats felt great, unlike Mondays deadlifts. Trying to work on my explosiveness and controlling the weight at the bottom of the squat.
WOD – FGB style, 3 Rounds: Pull up hold, pull ups (strict), pull ups (kipping), chin ups (strict). 15 seconds working, rest 45 seconds.

This workout is deceiving. I underestimated the pull up hold, and I thought the strict movements would be easier with rest. I managed to do okay with with at least three strict reps and five kipping each round.

Wednesday

Deadlift – 6×2 at 80% 1RM (335 lb.)
Wednesday was redemption day. I felt a lot better and was determined to do better than Monday. I was able to complete all my sets with enough time to set up for the WOD.
WOD – 5 Rounds for Time: 10 Burpees, 10 Wall Balls at 11′ (20 lb.), and 10 one arm dumbbell snatch at (50 lb.).
I was not able to complete this workout RX. My main concern for this workout was the wall balls since it was a foot higher and the dumbbell snatches. The RX weight for the dumbbell snatches were 70 lb. which is a difficult weight for me. I scaled down to 50 lb. which is more manageable. Surprisingly the easiest part of this workout was the wall balls. I was able to go unbroken on most sets. The hardest part were the burpees and snatches but I was able to keep a good pace. I finished the workout in 13:45.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): September 7 – September 13

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Tuesday

Pull Up Strength Work

Tuesdays strength work was focused on pull ups. We did narrow, regular and wide grip pull ups and then some chest to bar work. 
WOD – 8 rounds FGB syle (30 seconds), pull ups, push ups, air squats, rest
We performed each movement for 30 seconds and then moving on the the next one. My hands were raw from all the pull up work that I decided to slow down when my hands were about to rip. Since pull ups were taking a toll on my hands I would have to gain reps on the push ups or air squats. I managed to stay consistent with most rounds being around 30 reps. 
Weighted Plank Hold – 3 rounds, 60 seconds, rest 30 seconds. 25 lb.

Thursday

Mobility 
Did some mobility work for 15 minutes. 
Handstand Skill Work

Worked on some handstand skill work. Started out with some headstand drills and then worked to handstand work. 
WOD – Run: 1600 m, rest 3 minutes, 1200 m, rest 2 minutes, 800 m, rest 1 minute, 400 m
Running is my weakest movement which is why I like running WODs. I PR’d my mile by 2 minutes, which was unexpected. I finished all the run intervals in 23:54, not including the rest times.

Friday

Deadlift – 6×2 at 80% 1RM (335 lb.)
After not doing deadlifts for more than a week this was challenging. I worked on keeping my back straight and not rounding it. Form was my main focus during the lifts. 
Strict Press – 6×6 at 70% 1RM (115 lb.)
The we superset the deadlifts with strict presses. I under estimated the weight and I quickly became fatigued. I decided to take a longer rest before the strict press to give my arms and shoulders a rest.
WOD – Partnered, split reps as needed. 200 m overhead walking lunge with 45 lb. plate. Then, AMRAP 7 kettlebell swings 70 lb., 7 burpees and 7 wall balls 20 lb. 
This WOD was tough. We decided to alternate exercises but in the end I couldn’t catch my breath fast enough and my partner kept the pace and made up the reps. I felt like I held him back but he assured me that it’s not about the score. He just wanted to get a good workout which humbled me. We managed to finish 10 rounds. 
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): August 31 – September 6

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This was a short week. I was only able to make it to the gym on Monday and Wednesday.

Monday

Floor Press – Find 3 RM (225 lb.)
Todays strength section was find a 3 rep max floor press. Since the bench press cycle was a few months ago I had some numbers I could base it on. I was shooting for a bit heavier than my bench press 3 rep max of 205 lb. and was able to lift 225 lb. for the floor press.
WOD – 8 minutes: Run 1000 m, max effort dumbbell snatches with remaining time. Rest 2 minutes. 6 minute AMRAP: 3 muscle ups, 6 dumbbell lunges, 9 dumbbell swings. Rest 2 minutes. 4 minutes: max effort burpees.
Monday Funday! At first glance I knew I was going to have problems with the dumbbells especially at the RX weight. I scaled down to 50 lb. dumbbells. I am not proficient in my dumbbell movements so it was best to keep the weight lower in order to maintain form and not lose control of the dumbbell. The other part that worried me was the run. The last time I ran a 1000 m, I finished in 7 minutes. Leaving me no time to catch my breath and do some dumbbell snatches. 
I finished the run in 5:30 which was very surprising. I managed to complete 15 alternating dumbbell snatches as well. I had to scale the muscle ups and did 2 pull ups and 1 ring dip for every muscle up rep. I finished 3 rounds and up to 6 dumbbell swings. At this point I feel extremely exhausted and only managed 25 burpees. 

Wednesday

Deadlift  – Find 3 RM (375 lb.)
I didn’t get to find my 1 rep max during the last deadlift cycle so I wanted to push myself on this one. My previous 3 RM was 325 lb. and I wanted to see how heavy I could go. I managed to lift 375 lb. making it my new 3 RM PR!  
WOD – 5 rounds for time: 10 Deadlifts (225 lb.), 10 Box Jumps (30 in.), 100 ft walking lunge. Rest 1 minute between rounds.
This wod was very humbling. After coming off the 3 rep max deadlift pr, I felt confident going into the wod. I decided to not scale the deadlifts and box jumps. I was more worried about the deadlifts but I should have been more concerned about the box jumps and walking lunges. After round 2 I decided to lower my box to 24 inches and do step ups. My quads were on fire and by the end of the wod. I should have been more mindful of those two movements but it’s a learning experience. I finished in 13:46.
I’m starting to realize that I need to push myself more. I know I’ve been overly cautious in my workouts but if the last few weeks have proven anything, it’s that I can do it.

“You don’t need harder workouts, you need to go harder in your workouts” – Tommy Hackenbruk.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): August 24 – 30

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Monday


Pause Back Squat (3 Seconds) – 5×3 at 60% (215 lb.)
I took a long time to warm up, weight felt heavier than usual. I was able to power through under the time limit. 
WOD – 12 minutes: Run 1 mile, max power cleans with remaining time. Rest 3 minutes. 10 minutes: AMRAP – 6 Front Squats, 6 Push Jerks, 6 Toes to Bar.
At first glance this WOD looks like a grind. It’s 25 minutes of work and not much rest except for the 3 minutes after the power cleans. I wasn’t as quick on the run since it was just after the squats, my legs felt like jello. I was able to finish the run in about 9 minutes, and finish 20 max cleans. After the 3 minute rest I managed to finish 4 rounds, 6 front squats, 6 push jerks, and 3 toes to bar.

Tuesday

Skill Work – Pull Ups
Worked on strict chest to bar pull ups, kipping pull ups and toes to bar. I like gymnastic skill days, they give me time to work on pull strength. Need to more strength for the muscle up.
WOD – 15-12-9, Deadlifts (225 lb.), Lateral Burpee over Barbell, Run 200m 
I was going to scale this workout but I decided against it. 225 lb. is about 60% of my 1RM and I wanted to push myself. I was sure the burpees and the run will be the limiting factors in this workout which made recovering from the deadlifts a little easier. I broke up the deadlifts into 2 sets each with a 10 second rest between sets. I didn’t break up the burpees but did them at a constant pace. I finished the WOD in 9:40.

Wednesday

Did a short warm up consisting of air squats, pvc shoulder rotations and good mornings to warm up our legs, hips and shoulders. 
Overhead Squat 1 Rep Max – 205 lb.
I wrote about this in a previous post here. 
WOD – Partner Morrison 50-40-30-20-10, Wall Balls (20 lb.), Box Jumps, Kettle Bell Swings (24 kg)
Managed to finish this wod in 16:40, but I think I was too slow. My partner for this wod was pretty quick and didn’t seem to slow down at all. I managed to do all my Wall Ball sets unbroken as well as KB swings. My limiter was box jumps since I couldn’t jump all my sets, I would switch between jumping and step ups.

Saturday

Snatch Skill Work
Did some work on snatch positions and lat activation. I still have to work on activating my lats during snatches.
3 Position Power Snatch (Ground, Hang, Power) – 135 lb.
Worked up to a 1 rep heavy for this one. Started at 95 lb. and finished at 135 lb. I’m not sure if I could have went heavier. 135 lb. is ≈ 87% of my 1 rep max for snatches. 
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

CrossFit Progress: Overhead Squat PR!

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After weeks of heavy overhead squats, it was time to test my max. I wasn’t feeling confident going into today. I have been trying to get over a cold since Sunday but after last weeks 3rm PR, I was going to try my best. My target for today was 205 lb. and I was able to successfully finish the lift. I attempted 215 lb. but I wasn’t able to get the weight overhead. If I was able to get another attempt I would have done a split jerk instead of a push press. I am very happy with my result and I am looking forward to the next strength cycle. PR video below.

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My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): August 17 – August 23

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Monday

Started out with some mountain climbers, wall balls and lateral lunges to warm up our legs and hips before we started our strength portion for today.

Front Squat – 5 at 60%, 5 at 70%, 3 at 80%, 3 at 85%, 3 at 90% (1RM is ≈ 295 lb.)

I haven’t been doing front squats regularly and this was a challenge at 85% and 90%. I focused on getting my hips back and leading with my elbows. I hope more front squats are programmed down the line.

WOD (Partner) – AMRAP 25 minutes, 500m row, 40 Deadlifts, 30 HSPU, 20 Hang Power Cleans, 10 Muscle Ups. Every five minutes, 20 burpess

This was my dad’s first day after the on ramp and I decided to do this partner WOD with him.We used the same weights instead of getting two barbells out and I also scaled the muscle ups. I wanted to keep a pace that my dad could keep up with. He did great, scaling the movements so that he was constantly moving. It was a great experience and I’m happy that he’s getting some exercise.

Plank Holds – 3 rounds at 60 seconds each.

Used a 25 lb. plate and had a 30 second rest in between rounds.

Tuesday

Bench Press – 5 at 60%, 5 at 70%, 3 at 80%, 3 at 85%, 3 at 90% (1RM is 240 lb.)
Haven’t done heavy bench presses in a while but these were not too bad. Went a bit lighter than the posted percentages but I was more focused on form than the weight.
WOD – AMRAP 7 minutes – 1 Front Squat at 135 lb., 2 Ring Dips. Add 1 rep to front squat and 2 reps to ring dips each round. 
This WOD was difficult but I manged to make it up to the six front squat round. I decided to use a 135 lb. bar since it was close to my front squat 1RM and I would be able to speed through the front squats. I knew coming into this WOD that the ring dips were going to slow me down a lot. I’m not great with body weight movements and the bench press was taxing on the triceps. Also, my ring dip kip is not great which slowed me down. I need to work on more gymnastics.
Burpee onto Plate – For Time – 50 reps
My arms and chest were still recovering from previous workouts, making me hate the burpees that much more. Surprisingly I finished this in 4:53 which I’m happy with. I was shooting for sub four minutes but I have a goal to aim for next time. 

Wednesday

Overhead Squat –  5 at 60%, 5 at 70%, 3 at 80%, 3 at 85%, 3 at 90% (1RM is ≈ 200 lb.)

I hit a PR during this workout. My previous  3RM was 175 lb. and I managed to lift 180 lb. I can tell my form is improving, at heavier weights I have to fight for position but it’s becoming easier. Hopefully I can set a new 1RM next week.

WOD – 4 x RFT 400m Run, 10 Power Snatch (75 lb.), 15 Box Jumps. Rest for 2 minutes after each round.

This WOD was fun and challenging. I decided to use a 75 lb. bar since I wanted to get through the snatches and box jumps as fast as possible. Managed to be consistent with my time and finished all rounds under 4:20.

Friday

Thruster 1RM 
This was my first max thruster attempt. I was able to lift 205 lb. but it was difficult. I’m not sure if I could have went heavier.
WOD – 4x AMRAP 3 minutes – 6 Mountain Climbers, 9 Sit Ups,  12 Wall Balls (20 lb.). Rest 1 minute between each AMRAP.

My main goal was being consistent and I managed to finish at least two rounds every set. The wall balls were what slowed me down the most.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!



My Week as RX (Probably Scaled): August 10 – August 16

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I wanted to keep track of my workouts and decided to add them to the blog. Now I have a written record of my training that I can reference.

Tuesday

Started off Tuesday with lat and shoulder warm up and then moved on to the skill portion of the day. The skill portion was a chest to bar complex and toes to bar.

6×2 – 1 strict chest to bar, 2 kipping chest to bar, 3 toes to bar (Unbroken)

I wasn’t able to complete this skill portion because my grip started to fail, my hands were starting to feel a bit raw and I wanted to save my hands for the WOD.

WOD – 3 Toes to Bar, 3 KB SDHP (Reps increase by 3 after each round)

I was a bit conservative during the WOD since I didn’t want to tear but managed to make it to the fifth round before time ran out. After the WOD, I spent about ten minutes on mobility.

Wednesday

Did a short five minute warm up of Double unders and overhead squats before we went into the strength portion.

6×3 – Overhead Squats at 80% of 1RM (165 lb.)

The overhead squat is not one of my strong lifts. I need to work on keeping my hips back and not bending at the knee first. I’m slowly improving and the lifts are becoming easier.

WOD – 400m, 50 burpees, 800m, 50 burpees, 400m

This WOD was rough. Two movements that I do not like, running and burpees. I managed to finish in 24 minutes but it was a grind. Finished the class with some mobility.

Thursday

Thursday was another skill day focusing on core strength and hand stand push ups. The warm up was a 500 m row and then four, fifteen second holds. The holds were a head stand, a hand stand, a L-sit from a bar and a ring support. The skill portion was broken up into two complexes.

6×2 – 1 Ring Push up, 2 ring plank

The ring planks are very similar to an “ab-wheel” plank.

6×1 – 2 Strict Deficit HSPU, 6 Kipping HSPU, Max Effort Kipping HSPU

I used two 45 plates for my deficit and managed to finish four of the six sets. I ran out of time since I took a longer rest period in between sets.

WOD: 4 RFT: 25 Bench Press at 75% body weight, 500m row, 4 minutes of rest between rounds.

Wasn’t able to do this WOD Rx since it would take forever for me to complete. 75% of my body weight would be 150 lb. I decided to scale down to 50% of my body weight. I manged to finish the WOD in 24 minutes. Finished the class with some mobility.

Friday

Started the class with 10 minutes of mobility and then started the strength portion.

6×5 – Back Squat at 75% of 1RM

Did the squats at 265 lb. and they felt great. I struggled a bit in the fifth set but other than that, manged to get through it without any issues. I realized it’s easier to get your hips back during back squats than overhead squats.

WOD –  Reverse Tabata: Row (Cal), Ski Erg (Cal), Box Jumps and Air Dyne.

This WOD is very deceiving. Manged to stay consistent throughout the workout and movements. Finished the class with some mobility.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

CrossFit Progress: Overhead Squat 3 Rep Max PR!

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The last time I tested my three rep max for the overhead squat was five months ago in February. Since then, I worked on a lot of shoulder strength. From handstand push ups to strict press, the programming focused on the shoulders and it showed. I was able to add 20 lb to my overhead squat three rep max bringing my new three rep max to 175 lb. I didn’t have much time but I could have added another five to ten lb to that number. I missed my attempt at 195 lb, I was either too fatigued from the previous lifts or it was too heavy. I want to work on more accessory lifts, especially the overhead squat.

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CrossFit Progress: PRs!

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This week is our “max out” week for CrossFit Gof Metgot. So far we had a max day for bench press, deadlifts, hand stand push ups and strict pull ups.

PRs from Monday and Tuesday:

  • Handstand Push Ups – 13, +5 reps 
  • Bench Press – 240 lb, +15 lb 
  • Strict Pull Ups – 10, +4 reps 
  • Fran – 7:07, -4:53 from previous time
I’m happy with all the numbers I put up and the progress I have made. I’m especially happy with my Fran time. I didn’t finish my last Fran attempt under the 12 minute time cap. Also, I didn’t finish all the thrusters in the last set. This time I manged to almost knock off five minutes from my last attempt and finish. Fran is one of those iconic CrossFit workouts and hopefully I make it under seven minutes next attempt. More lifts are coming, I recently hit a new PR on my clean and jerk but I’ll write about that next time. I want to max out my deadlift this week, wish me luck. 
Lift Heavy and Level Up!