My Week As RX

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

I included a video of some of the workouts I did during the week. Check it out at the end of this post.

Monday

Strict Press – 6×6 at 65% (110 lb.)Starting the week with more barbell club workouts. I was able to get through this quickly without much trouble. The weight felt heavy towards the end but that’s about it.

Power Snatch (Low Block) – 4×3 at 75% (115 lb.)

This is the first time I did snatches off of low blocks. It felt great but I need to work on my technique. I need to work my bar path since the bar would swing out.

Pause Power Clean and Jerk – 5×2 at 70% (155 lb.)

This was challenging for the first two sets. I’m not that great at pause lifts but I was able to finish the workout. I got the hang of the movement towards the end of the last round.

Front Squat Pause – 5×3 at 70% (215 lb.)

This was a hard one. In the beginning, it was easier to keep an upright torso and keep my elbows up. Towards the end I had to fight to keep my elbows up. I tried to focus on maintaining a good front rack and being active in the bottom position. I also need to learn how to breathe while holding that pause at the bottom.

WOD – 10 Minute AMRAP

50 double unders
10 back squats (135 lb.)

This was a great workout. I wanted to test my endurance during a high intensity workout. I’m okay at double unders but I tend to tire quickly. The back squats are light enough that I can go unbroken without issue. My goal for this workout was five rounds. I was able to go unbroken on the first two rounds and then I hit a wall on the third. It was difficult for me to string double unders together. I would get to about 5-10 reps and then hit my shoes or stop from fatigue. It took me about a minute or so to get through them. The same goes for round four and the beginning of five. The squats started feeling heavy after round two. I would complete five reps rest for ten seconds and then continue with five more reps. I was only able to complete four rounds plus 35 double unders, a bit short of my five round goal. If I didn’t fatigue on the double unders I would have finished five. I have a lot of room for improvement.

Tuesday

3 Position Snatch – Heavy One Rep
I thought this workout was going to be power snatches but it’s regular snatches. I wanted to at least get up to 145 lb. since I was able to power snatch that weight from two positions. I was only able to get up to 135 lb. but I did notice a few things on the video I recorded. I need to work on lowering my hips, lifting my elbows towards the ceiling instead of back and working on my catch.
Deficit Power Clean – 5×2 at 80% (185 lb.)

Took some time to get used to the platform. I’ve been working on deficit dead lifts which are done on plates but the platform has some room for foot movement. I also had to work on stepping off the platform to drop the weight since it might have hit the platform and bounced everywhere.

Back Squat – 4×4 at 70% (265 lb.)

Ended this day with a back squat workout. Nothing too crazy, mainly a maintenance day.

Wednesday

Deadlift – Max Out!

 

I wasn’t able to hit a PR today but I learned a lot. Programming is important. The past few weeks, I haven’t been doing the strength portion of the class programming. I’ve been focused on the oly strength work and haven’t been doing heavy deadlifts. I was able to complete my 93% (385 lb.) but I failed at 420 lb. I felt my form break a few inches off the ground and I let it go. I didn’t want to fight for it and hurt myself in the process. Need to get back to heavy deadlifts so I can finally PR this lift!

WOD – 14 Minute AMRAP 

Run (200 m)
10 Ab mat sit ups
6 deadlifts (225 lb.)

This was a fun workout especially after all the heavy deadlifts. My goal was to complete six rounds completing one round every two minutes or so. The first few rounds went by smoothly. I did all the reps unbroken and was below my two minute per round pace. After round three though, the run started to slow me down. I was jogging at a slow pace and I couldn’t speed up. It was like I was in auto pilot. I was able to finish 5 rounds and 50 m.

Thursday

Push Press Complex
 
3 Snatch Grip Push Press (Behind The Neck) + 1 Snatch Balance 5×1 at 70% (115 lb.)Haven’t done these skills in awhile and I had a good time doing them. Snatch balances are one of my favorite drills now.

Tabata Clean and Jerk (Touch and Go) at 75% Body Weight (155 lb.)
 
40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest

I would only work for 20 seconds and rest for 40. It was difficult holding onto the bar for that many touch and go reps. I would stop after I let go of the bar. For the first two rounds I was able to do three reps and declined to one rep by the sixth minute. I found a second wind and completed two and then three reps for the last four rounds. I may have to do less reps in the future, since my form wasn’t great towards the end.

Pause Front Squat –  5×3 at 70% (215 lb.)
These front squats were very difficult. It could have been because of all the clean and jerks from the previous workout. I was able to upright but my elbows would drop. I hung in there and was able to complete all the reps. I hope they program the squats at the beginning next time.
WOD 1 – 10 Minutes
 
Alternating EMOM
15 cal. row
15 handstand push ups

I was able to complete the row but not the hand stand push ups. My reps ranged from 5-15. I might have been fatigued from all the press movements but I pushed as hard as I could to finish. It was rough.

WOD 2 
 
25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)
10 supine ring rows
Row (500 m)
10 supine ring rows
25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)
I rested for about five minutes before I joined this class workout. It looked like a lot of fun so I decided to join. The ring rows were the hardest part of this workout. The first set was good. I was able to complete 10 unbroken. I had to break the second round into two sets of five. My forearms started to go during the second set of KB swings. I was able to hold on and finish the set unbroken. My final time was 5:58.

Friday

Back Squat  – 4×4 at 70% (265 lb.)
More back squat work. This was the same workout as Tuesday, not a crazy squat day.
Strict Press – 7×5 at 70% (115 lb.)
35 reps is a lot. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do but their was only one way to find out. Surprisingly, it went by quickly. I focused on my front rack, and my finishing position. The weight felt heavy towards the end but with enough rest I was ready to take on the next set without issue.
Power Snatch – 5×2 at 70% (115 lb.)

I learned a lot in this workout. I had one of my coaches watching my reps and he corrected a bunch of issues with my lift. I worked on my catch and foot work. I feel a lot more confident in this lift but I still have a lot of work to do.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

 

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

Power Snatch – EMOM For 9 Minutes at 75% (115 lb.)
After a few days of rest and recovery, I was ready to start the week strong. I did some warm up drills and some mobility before I started this EMOM. The workout as a whole wasn’t too bad. The weight wasn’t too heavy and helped me focus on form.  It was only nine reps which wasn’t too bad.
Strict Press – 8×4 at 70% (115 lb.)
Coming straight off the snatches, I started on the strict press. Thankfully the sets were short with only four reps. The workout didn’t last too long however. I would take a max of two minutes in between. I worked on my lock out and re racking the bar on my shoulders before the next rep.
Back Squat – Find A Heavy Two Rep
Same workout as last week without a percentage to guide us. I wanted to lift a heavier weight than last week (315 lb.), it would depend on how I feel during the warm up. The warm up went well and I worked my way up to 305 lb. before deciding on a weight.
Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes
15 burpees
20 overhead squats (115 lb.)
30 ab-mat sit ups
Run 100 m
This workout looks like a lot of fun. The overhead squats would be an issue but I’m sure I’ll be able to power through it. Each person must run 100 m which I hope wouldn’t be an issue. We decided to break up the workout evenly. The burpees would be done in fives and then the next round we would switch the order. The overhead squats were split into fives and the ab-mat sit ups were split in half.The burpees started out great, breaking them up into fives helped recovery. The overhead squats were easier than I though. It took me two rounds to warm up. During the breaks I would rest the bar on my back instead of dropping it. This way I wouldn’t have to power snatch it again. I had a difficult time during the last round since the bar and my hands were a bit moist from sweat. I didn’t want to run and chalk up so I gripped it a bit harder and held on. The sit ups were not too bad and the run was quick and short. We finished with six rounds completed.

Tuesday

Front Squat – Find A Heavy Two Rep
Another heavy squat day. I’m gaining confidence in my front squat and it feels great. I warmed up to 235 lb. before starting my heavy set. I loaded 265 lb. on the bar and started my set. The reps were challenging but I was able to complete them without help. I went up to 285 lb. but I was only able to complete one rep.
Power Snatch – 6×1 at 85%  (135 lb.)

My snatch is getting better and I can feel the difference. I treated this like an EMOM and finished it in six minutes.

Clean and Jerk Complex – 4×1 2 Power Clean + Jerk at 85% (185 lb.)

This workout was fun and challenging. I’m not used to jerks at this weight but I knew I could get it done. The whole workout was great and I finally feel more confident doing jerks. I need to do a few more heavy reps to get the hang of it.

Deficit Snatch Deadlift – 3×3 at 90% (145 lb.)

I haven’t done this in months. Thankfully I had a coach nearby to teach me. These were easy enough. It’s a light weight for me so I focused on form.

WOD – For Time
 
20 pistols
10 deficit handstand push ups
5 bar muscle ups
18 pistols
8 deficit handstand push ups
4 bar muscle ups
16 pistols
6 deficit handstand push ups
3 bar muslce ups
14 pistols
4 deficit handstand push ups
2 bar muscle ups
12 pistols
2 deficit handstand push ups
1 bar muscle up
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw in a WOD after training but I wanted to do some muscle ups. I used a 45 lb. plate for my deficit. The workout was tough but I had fun. I knew the pistols were going to be tough. I didn’t realize it would be that bad. The front squats killed my legs. The deficit handstand push ups went well. It wasn’t a huge deficit but I can tell I’m getting stronger. On the bar muscle ups, I was able to string a few together. I haven’t done it before so it was a small victory for me. I had to take short breaks but it wasn’t an issue. I finished the workout at 14:34.

Wednesday

Deadlift – 5 at 55%, 5 at 60%, 3 at 65%, 5 at 75%, 5 at 85%
I haven’t done deadlifts in a few weeks so I was eager to see how well I would perform. The lifts started to feel heavy around 75%.  I was able to finish the reps but it was challenging. At 85% I had to break up the reps into 2-1-2. I would take 30 seconds in between reps. I need to do more deadlifts. 

WOD – AMRAP 7 Minutes

15 power cleans (95 lb.)
30 double unders
After a few days of heavy power cleans, I was confident I could finish a lot of rounds in this workout. I didn’t think I would have problems with the double unders either. The first round was quick. I did 10 reps of cleans and finished with five reps. The 30 double unders were done unbroken. The following rounds were a lot slower. I over estimated my ability to handle the cleans. I had to break up the reps into sets of five. I was messing up the double unders, only finishing 10-15 reps at a time. After the second round I was drained. I managed to finish a third round but barely. My total rounds for this workout were 3 + 5 cleans.

Thursday

Strict Press – 10×3 at 75% (125 lb.)
This took awhile. I didn’t want to rush the rest so I took a minute or two between sets. The weight was heavy but I was able to get through the reps. 125 lb. used to feel a lot heavier, that must mean I’m getting stronger!
Clean Complex – 3×3 at 70% (155 lb.)
Halting clean deadlift + hang power clean + front squat
This was a fun complex. The last time I did pause cleans was back at the old gym which was more than five months ago. I took a long warm up to get used to the pause and make sure I had correct form. The complex was different, it was fun and I would want to do it again.
Three Position Power Snatch – Find A 1 Rep Heavy 

My snatch still needs some work but this wasn’t too bad. I hit a PR with a power snatch at 145 lb. but I wasn’t able to hit all three positions. I was able to get the ground and the hang snatch at 145 lb. but not the power position.

Friday

Push Press/Overhead Squat – 5×1 at 70% (145 lb.)
 
5 behind the neck push press + 3 overhead squats
I used my overhead squat 1RM instead of my snatch 1RM. I was wondering why this was so heavy! The hardest part of this workout was lowering the bar onto my back after the third rep. I had to be extremely careful since I didn’t want it to land on my spine. Surprisingly, the overhead squats were not too bad. The weight was okay but it irritated my writs a bit. The wrist wrap did help to stabilize but it wasn’t enough to take the pain away.
Jerk – Find A 1 Rep Heavy 

I haven’t maxed my jerk in awhile mainly because my clean hasn’t gone up by much. It was also my first time doing jerks from the blocks. It took a few reps to get used to the blocks and trusting my feet to not hit them. I was able to PR my jerk by 1 lb. and 5 lb. I missed at 226 lb. but I’m okay with it. My PR is not a huge leap but I’ll take it. I would like to hit a 225 lb. clean and jerk soon. I think I’m on the right track. I posted a video below of my jerk PR’s and my miss.

Back Squat – Find A 2 Rep Heavy
My main goal for this was to at least hit 90% like last week. Surprisingly, my 90% wasn’t that bad. I didn’t need a spot and I was able to get out of the bottom fairly quickly. I might want to max my squat soon. I was able to lift 325 lb. for two reps.
Death By – Burpee Box Jump 

This was an interesting one. I don’t like burpees, I’m slow at box jumps but I was excited to do this workout. The first seven minutes went well and I was keeping a good pace but then I hit a wall at the eighth minute. I was barely able to complete the eight reps under a minute and I was only able to finish seven in the ninth round. I did better than what I thought I was going to do. It was a small victory for me.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!




My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): April 25 – May 1

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

New Start

Hello everyone. I was falling behind in my weekly posts and decided to start writing current workouts. I was a three weeks behind and my memory of those workouts were hazy at best. I have the results on Beyond the Whiteboard, but I didn’t remember all the details of that workout. I’m going to start writing daily and hopefully I won’t have to catch up again.

I also started a Olympic weightlifting program. I’ve been wanting to do more weightlifting specific programming so my coaches added me to one. I didn’t want to stop doing the class WODs so I would do the weightlifting workouts and then the class WOD after.

Monday

Back Squat – 3×5 at 60% (225 lb.)
Short back squat workout for Monday. The first few reps were a bit rough but after warming up I felt a lot better.
Strict Press – 6×6 at 60% (105 lb.)
I had some trouble with this workout towards the end. The last two sets I had to break up. My shoulders and triceps were on fire.
Power Snatch – 3×4 at 70% (115 lb.)
My snatch workout was fun. I didn’t do touch and go snatches and instead opted for quick singles. I had a second or two of rest after dropping the weight.
Clean Pull – 4×3 at 85% (195 lb.)
I haven’t done clean pulls in awhile so I worked up to my 85% slowly. After warming up I was able to finish them quickly.
Partner WOD – 16 Minute AMRAP
Run, (100 m)
10 front squats (135 lb.)
10 floor press (135 lb.)
Initially I didn’t want to do this workout Rx but my partner for this workout pushed me to attempt it. For the first few rounds I was able to keep up. The floor press was the hardest movement. I had to break them up my last two rounds. I would fail around five reps and would need to rest my arms for a few seconds. With the help of my partner I was able to finish my reps and finish the workout. We managed to finish 12 rounds plus 100 m run and 10 front squats.I like doing partner workouts with people who are more fit than me. They push me to go faster and harder and keep me moving when I would otherwise stop. If you want to be better you train with better people.

Tuesday

Front Squat – 4×3 at 60% (175 lb.)
Did some light front squats on Tuesday. The weight was manageable and I did them without any issues. I haven’t been working on front squats but the light weight made it easier to focus on form. I focused on keeping my core tight, elbows up and pushing through my mid foot.
Power Snatch – 4×2 at 80% (125 lb.)
I focused on quality reps and took my time to rest in between sets. The weight isn’t too heavy but I’m weak on technique. Still need to work on bringing my elbows up instead of back.
Power Clean – 4×2 at 80% (185 lb.)
This was easier than the snatches since I’ve done a lot of cleans at this weight. Was able to get through this without an issue.
Back Squat – 2 reps at 85%-90% 1RM (315 lb.) 

I was dreading this workout but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I was scared by the percentages and the weight. I was a bit warmed up from the front squats so I didn’t take as long warming up as I usually do. I was able to do two reps at 315 lb. which is about 86% of my 1RM. I wanted to add 10 lb. to make it ~90% but I decided against it. I didn’t want to risk it since my legs were not fresh. I’m proud of my lift however.

WOD

AMRAP 7 Minutes

30 double unders

15 hang power cleans

10 toes to bar

This workout was more challenging than anticipated. I was weary of the toes to bar but I was confident I would be able to get through it quickly. During the workout it became evident that the toes to bar were going to be the hardest movement. I had to break up the hang cleans during the second and third round but I didn’t have a long rest. The toes to bar were harder to string together. I was only able to to complete three or so before I had to rest. I finished two rounds, 30 double unders and 15 hang power cleans.

Thursday

Back Squat – 4×4 at 70% (265 lb.)
My back squat feels better. After the Tuesday squat workout, the reps felt lighter and I was moving a lot better.
Strict Press – 5×7 at 65% (110 lb.)
This was a grind. Even though the weight is light, the high number of reps taxed my shoulders. The last two rounds felt very heavy. I was able to do five reps before I had to rest the bar on my shoulders and take a few breaths. I was able to finish all the reps before I had to rack the bar.
Snatch Pull – 3×3 at 85% (135 lb.)
This is movement I need to work on. One of my coaches gave me a few pointers that I will be trying out in the near future. Need to work on slowing down my first pull instead of yanking the weight off the ground. My coach also told me to try and keep my chin down instead of bringing my head back.
Clean and Jerk – 4×2 at 75% (165 lb.)
I need to work on some stuff for the clean but my jerk needs a lot more work. I don’t many jerks which is apparent in my foot movement. I still feel awkward which is a sign I need to do more reps. It’s a good thing this program is not short on reps for me to do.
WOD
21-15-9
Knees to elbow
Dumbbell hang squat clean thruster (30 lb.)
Dumbbell lunge (30 lb.)The easiest part of this workout was the knees to elbows and dumbbell lunge. The squat clean thrusters were the worst. I was only able to do five reps before I had to rest. I tried to push for more reps but my shoulders and triceps would not cooperate. I had under estimated the weight of the dumbbells. It was a humbling workout.

Friday

Push Press – 3×3 at 70% (155 lb.)
I was able to complete this workout without much trouble. The last set was the hardest and I was a bit slower doing the reps. One of the coaches was saying I should test my 1RM since it looked too easy. 

Power Snatch

Every Two Minutes for Ten Minutes

2 power snatch at 85% (135 lb.)

This workout was not as bad as I had envisioned it. Since I have a light snatch, the weight was manageable. I had enough time to recover between sets. I hope this means I can try and PR my snatch soon.

Clean and Jerk

Every Two Minutes for Ten Minutes

2 power cleans plus jerk at 85% (185 lb.)

I thought this workout was going to be tough and it was. The first two rounds were good. I was able to clean the weight without much trouble but my jerk needed help. I’m still not comfortable doing my jerk and it showed during the workout. I need to do more reps to get the hang of it. I was making sure my form was good and my coach said I was doing a great job. The last round was the hardest. At this time I was barely able to power clean the weight and it took the last bit of strength to complete the jerk. I was drained at the end but I managed to complete the workout.

Front Squat

4×4 at 75% (215 lb.)

I really didn’t want to do this squat workout. I was drained after the clean and jerk workout that I wanted to just walk away. A few members didn’t finish this part since they ran out of time but I was determined to end the week on a high note. After warming up my front squat I decided to get right into it. The first set wasn’t good. I felt my elbows dropping and I was struggling to stay upright. I took a few minutes to regroup and catch my breath and started on my next set. My form improved and the reps felt better, I was feeling a lot more warmed up. All I needed was a few minutes to regroup. The last two sets were great. I kept telling myself that it was almost over and that was enough to push me to finish.

I wanted to do the WOD but I was too tired. I was drained and I would have done horribly in that workout. It looked like lots of fun but my body didn’t want to cooperate. Sometimes, it’s best to just take a break and hit it hard the next time.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): March 28 – April 3

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

I attempted 16.5 toady and was able to hit a PR! Check out the post HERE.

Tuesday

Power Clean 1RM
 
We have been doing a lot of heavy power clean workouts lately and I was excited to test out my max. I warmed up to about 195 lb. and decided to go for 210 lb. as my PR. My attempt felt great but I did catch the bar a bit lower than normal. I took a three minute rest and attempted 215 lb. I struggled a bit but I was able to catch the bar high enough. I was caught a bit off balance but I was able to recover and finish.
Partner WOD
16 Minute AMRAP 

6 pull ups
9 power cleans (95 lb.)
12 toes to bar

This was a fun partner workout and I was excited to do it. My partner and I decided to split the reps by alternating movements. I would start on the pull ups and then he would do the power cleans and I would finish with toes to bar. I wanted to finish eight rounds, which would put us at a round every two minutes. I felt this was achievable since my partner and I are similar in fitness. The toes to bar would probably be our hardest movement. I’m still not great at it but hopefully I can recover between rounds.

We started out great, doing the first round in under a minute. I knew we would be able to keep this pace so I decided to slow down a bit so that we wouldn’t die out halfway through the workout. We were able to keep going at a steady pace until the sixth round. My partner and I had to take longer breaks between movements which slowed our pace. We completed eight rounds, six pull ups and nine power cleans.

Friday

Back Squat – 6×2 at 70% (265 lb.)
Squats! I miss squatting heavy. Since our last max day, I’ve been meaning to start squatting more. Now that the open is over, I can get back to doing more heavy stuff. I was also thinking of doing more oly training as well. The squats felt great but I need to work on my form especially at the bottom. I noticed that my core is not tight when I hit the bottom. That was a big reason why I wasn’t able to hit higher numbers last time. I was able to correct that portion and for the rest of the sets I made sure my core was tight. 

Group WOD


Sled Push and Sled PullsThis workout was broken up into two. The sled push would be first and the pull would be second. We had about a minute of rest in between. I had a great time doing this workout. We do not get to use sleds often and I made the most of it. The class was divided evenly, and we used a rogue sled with a 45 lb. plate. The distance was about 25 m. After the sled push, we would have to do burpees or air squats. We didn’t have much rest either since everyone was completing the sled push quickly. I didn’t have much issues with the movements thankfully.

The sled pull was the same distance except without the burpees or air squats. I haven’t done sled pulls in awhile and it was murder on my quads. It was a lot of fun however. Everyone was working hard and it was great motivation to push harder. This was a fun workout and I wish we did more of them.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

Redid 16.4 and did better by 8 reps. Check out the post HERE!

Wednesday

Partner WOD – Partner Murph
Run (800 m)
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 air squats
Run (800 m)
I’ve never done Murph but it’s a famous workout. Just watching the games athletes last year get through it was impressive. Wednesday I had the opportunity to get through half of it and it was crazy. I can’t imagine doing it by myself. Thankfully I had a good partner to push me.
The run was done together and we broke up the other reps into 20 rounds of Cindy. The first 800 m was okay since I was fresh. I didn’t take off quickly and kept pace with my partner. We alternated rounds of Cindy which went well until my eighth round where my triceps were starting to give out. I went to failure and I wasn’t able to complete my last round of push ups. My partner and I swapped, and he did push ups while I did his air squats. We completed the run and finished at 27:40.

 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): March 14 – March 20

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Redid 16.3 and was able to get an additional muscle up! Check out my post on it HERE.

Tuesday

Deadlifts – 5×3 at 80% (315 lb.)
Haven’t done heavy deadlifts in a month so I took it easy and slowly worked up to my 80%. I focused on my form and technique and felt great after.
Partner WOD
 
30 deadlifts (225 lb.)
10 box jumps (24 in.)
25 deadlifts (225 lb.)
15 box jumps (24 in.)
20 deadlifts (225 lb.)
20 box jumps (24 in.)
15 deadlifts (225 lb.)
25 box jumps (24 in.)
10 deadlifts (225 lb.)
30 box jumps (24 in.)
We decided to split the reps evenly at five reps per person which worked out great. Initially I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle the weight but I felt that I could recover during the box jumps. I didn’t have a lot of recovery time during this workout since my partner didn’t need much rest. We slowed down a bit towards the end but we finished the workout at 8:42. It was faster than expected since I thought we would finish after 10 minutes.

Wednesday

Partner WOD – 16 Minute Time Cap
Run (1000 m)
–Then AMRAP–
20 handstand push ups
20 pistol squats
20 row (cals.)

This was a fun workout since I did this workout with one of my gaming friends. He’s been looking for a way to lose weight and I recommended my gym, CrossFit Gof Metgot. He likes the gym and has been consistent with workouts. He’s been doing great and I hope he sticks with it. Another friend has just finished the on ramp and will be starting regular classes soon.The run was broken up into 100 m shuttle runs. We each did five runs and then started on the rest of the movements. We broke up the reps in half. I felt like 10 reps a round would be okay, and would have a good enough time to recover for the next movement. I was able to do the workout Rx and my partner had to scale the handstand push ups and pistols.

The run was different since it was a shuttle and not a straight run. I was able to keep the same pace throughout and recovered just in time for the rest of the workout. I was able to keep a constant pace on the handstand push ups. I did the reps unbroken except for the last set. I took a bit longer on the pistol squats however. I’m not as strong on pistols which caused me to take more time. The row was great. I was able to actively recover and not lose intensity. Our score was 3 rounds + 20 hspu’s + 20 pistol squats.

Thursday

Snatch Complex – 1 Rep Heavy
1 power snatch + 3 overhead squats

I’m starting to like snatch complexes. My wrist has been limiting a lot of my overhead work but today it wasn’t too bad. I warmed up light and worked up to a 135 lb. rep. I was limited on time so I didn’t add more weight. Also, 135 lb. is my 1RM for power snatches so I’m not sure if I could have went heavier.

WOD – EMOM for 8 Minutes

5 power snatches at 60% 1RM (85 lb.)
5 lateral burpees over barbell

This workout was going to be tough. I just finished a heavy snatch complex and it had burpees. My main goal was to sustain a high intensity, so I decided to try and finish all the reps before 30 seconds. I didn’t want to go with heavier snatches since I would have rested longer. I was doing well for the first few minutes, finishing the round around 20 seconds. I hit the wall around the fifth minute. I could feel myself slowing down finishing the reps around 25 – 30 seconds. I tried to push through it but I wasn’t able to finish the last round under 30 seconds. I finished at 40 seconds which is not too bad. I was able to sustain a high intensity for most of the workout. I’m happy with my performance.

Friday

I did my first attempt of 16.4 which you can read HERE!
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

 

Monday

Redid 16.2 and I wasn’t able to get past the 1st round. Check out my previous post HERE.

Wednesday

Snatch Complex – Power Snatch + Hang Snatch + Overhead Squat (135 LB.)I worked up to a heavy one rep for this workout. I felt great but my form still needs some work. I also need to incorporate more strength work to increase my snatch weight. I had some difficulties with the hang snatch. I need to increase my speed. I’m not getting under the bar fast enough and I missed a few reps at 135 lb. It’s an ongoing issue that I definitely need to work on.

Partner WOD – Eva, 25 Minute Time Cap

5 rounds

Run (800 m)
30 kettlebell swings (70 lb.)
30 pull-ups

The run was done at the same time with each partner running a 400 m. The kettlebell swings were split at 15 per person and the pull ups were split into three sets of five each. The run wasn’t too bad but as most of you guys know, I hate running. The kettlebell swings were my favorite movement. I decided to stay at the Rx weight of 70 lb. and not scale. I was able to do all reps unbroken which surprised me. The pull ups were okay until the third round. I was tired and my breaks between sets became longer as time went on. I also was doing smaller sets since my grip wouldn’t let me stay on the bar. We didn’t finish this workout under the time cap, we were able to finish four rounds with one more to go.

Thursday

Push Press – 5×3 at 80% (175 lb.)
Relaxed push press workout. I was only able to finish three out of five sets at 80% since a few people were working with me. The class was big and we didn’t have enough racks. I don’t mind sharing the bar, it’s always fun with more people. I worked on getting a deeper dip. One of the coaches pointed out that I only dip slightly and that I could generate a bit more power if I dip a little deeper. Need to work on this more outside of class.
WOD
AMReps
Wall balls (20 lb., 2 min.)
Pistol squats (2 min.)
Power Snatch (95 lb., 4 min.)
Pistol squats (2 min.)
Wall balls (20 lb., 2 min.)
This was an interesting workout. I can’t remember the last time I did one using this format. This workout was going to require some pacing. I couldn’t start too quickly or else I would die out at the power snatches. I’m also not that great at pistols. My balance and form still need some work. The power snatches would be okay since 95 lb. is a good weight.Started out the first set of wall balls with a good pace. I treated it like an EMOM, and shot for 15 reps the first minute. During the second minute I was able to get 17 reps. I was breathing a bit hard by this point and took a few seconds before starting on the pistols. I was able to get a few reps but not many. My balance and form still need work and I had a few no reps. I paced myself on the snatches with about five per minute. I could have done more but I was tired. The second set of pistols and wall balls were about the same in terms of pacing and reps completed.

I think I could have done more in this workout and might have paced it too conservatively. At the end of the workout I was very tired but I could have pushed myself a bit more. I’ll try and up the intensity in future workouts.

Saturday

I did 16.3 on Saturday, check out my post HERE. I hope your 16.3 went well especially if you got your first muscle up.
Lift Heavy and Level Up!

My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): February 29 – March 6

Nick PalomoLeave a comment

Monday

Gymnastics Skill Work
 
I started this skill work doing some handstand work. Did a few drills then moved on to rig. I watched as another member worked on muscle ups and I decided to work on them as well. I did a few warm up exercises and drills. I did a few pulls and was able to pull to my sternum and then to right above my stomach. I got a few tips from people who were watching and on my next pull I was able to get my first muscle up!
It was a great moment. One of the coaches yelled out, “did that just happen?!” I got down and waited a few seconds to attempt another one. It wasn’t as nice as the first one, but I was able to get up. At least I didn’t do the “chicken wing”. It’s true what they say. Every rep is easier after you get the first one. I need to work on my form and get stronger so that I can do them strict. Next up, ring muscle ups!

 

Running WOD

Run (1000 m) x 2

I hate running but it’s a necessary skill that I should develop. Thankfully I was coming off of my bar muscle up high that I was ready for anything. I decided to pace with my fiance for both intervals. She is a better runner and I wanted to keep up. The first 1000 m went well. I kept a good pace and kept up with my fiance. The second 1000 m was the same except a bit slower. I was a bit winded and did my best to keep up. I finished the first interval in 7:04 and the second interval in 7:35.

Wednesday

Front Squat Pause – 5×3 (215 lb.)
I haven’t done a pause front squat workout since August so I’m a bit rusty. I’m not sure of my numbers either so I decided to work up to a three rep heavy. I started my sets at 185 lb. and moved up from there. I tired to focus on keeping my elbows up, chest up, keeping an active bottom position and staying tight. At that weight it was easy to achieve all four goals. I did this for three sets before I decided to move up to 215 lb. This is where it gets difficult.
I noticed I wasn’t able to stay tight in the bottom position during the pause. I was holding my breath too long! I need to work on my breathing during the pauses. I was able to keep my elbows and chest up and the active bottom position felt great. Still need to work on staying tight during the pause.
Partner WOD – AMRAP 20 Minutes
Run (200 m)
3 deadlifts (115 lb.)
5 hang power cleans (115 lb.)
7 push jerks (115 lb.)
While one person runs, the other partner starts the workout. when the running partner finishes the run. They take over from wherever the other partner left off. I did this workout with my fiance and it was tough. She’s a faster runner and I tried to keep up. I didn’t know how to pace this workout so I started off by trying to get over one round per run. The deadlifts, power cleans and jerks are relatively light so it wasn’t too bad. I started out by doing a round and three deadlifts. My fiance was able to keep up with the pace thankfully. This worked well until minute 10. I noticed a slowdown in my run times and I was only able to finish a full round before she finished her 200 m run. We were able to finish a little over 11 rounds of this workout.

Thursday

WOD – “FGB Style”
3 rounds, 1 minute per station
Handstand push up
Double unders
Box jump
Toes to bar
Pistol squat
Rest 1 minute
 
My goal for the workout was to try to stay consistent. I wanted to to do at least 15 hspu’s, 50 double unders, 15 box jumps, 10 toes to bar and 10 pistol squats. While I was able to complete 100 reps for the first round, the reps for each movement were different. I was able to stay consistent on the hspu’s and box jumps but not the toes to bar or pistols. I did better on the double unders which brought up my score. The following rounds were the same except for the toes to bar and pistols. I would only do around five reps for each movement.  I was exhausted by this point and I’m not that great at them yet. I was able to do more reps on the box jumps and double unders to make up for my reps. I completed 100 reps for the first round, 96 reps for the second and 90 for the third.

Friday

This was the second week of the open so check out my post on 16.2 HERE!
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!
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!