Vlog 53: Power Clean PR!

Vlog 53: Power Clean PR!

 

I went to get some groceries and I set a new Power Clean PR!
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I went to get some groceries and I set a new Power Clean PR!I went to get some groceries and I set a new Power Clean PR! to get some groceries and I set a new Power Clean PR!

Vlog 28: Double PR!

Vlog 28: Double PR!

I was able to set two PR’s in today’s workout.
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My Week As Rx (Probably Scaled): May 2 – May 8

 

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): October 12 – October 18

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!

CrossFit Progress: Overhead Squat PR!

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.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

CrossFit Progress: Overhead Squat 3 Rep Max PR!

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.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

CrossFit Progress: PRs!

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!