VolkeFit: A Double Shot of Steve

My wife said she was too tired to go to Steve's again, so asked me to take her spot.  She ended up staying home and dealing with our children, so I'm not sure it actually worked out for her.   Worked out great for me, though.


A. Every 2 Minutes for 30 minutes

Using 135lb barbell, every 2 minutes:
3 deadlift
3 power cleans
3 push press

The complex took between 23 and 30 seconds most of the way, so it allowed me to rest for the rest of each 2-minute round.



B. Don't Stop Skipping


300 DU
Everytime you stop, do 3 burpees and 1 handstand push-up.

Not for time, so I made sure to catch my breath in between rounds.

Here's how this went:

98 DUs (PR!)
3+1
55 DUs
3+1
6 DUs (DAMMIT)
3+1
60 DUs
3+1
81 DUs.

B-Squad: Front Squats, Hang Cleans and Metcon

A. Front Squats 3-3-AMRAP.

I used 205.  On the AMRAP, I got up to 7.



B. Hang Squat Clean - work up to a tough double

I got up to 185.

Christian gave me some solid advice here to help me keep my form in check.   I've only worked out at B-Squad twice, but there seems to be a real focus on watching athletes closely and correcting their form on the lifts. That is a good thing.  



C. Metcon

Four rounds of the following:

• 250m row
• 3 burpees
• 6 push-ups
• 12 mountain climbers (L+R=1) 
• Rest two minutes

My times were:
1:22
1:21
1:21
1:25

Even a small amount of mountain climbers can get old quick.  This was a cleverly designed metcon in that it was short enough (and incorporated enough rest) to hit hard and not stop during the working portion, but it was still challenging.



Overheard at the Gym

"Why is my dad the only one signed up to work out?  Is it because nobody else likes this gym?"
-My son (age 7)

Christian laughed hard at that one, but I still made the kid do 10 burpees and gave him a gentle talking-to at home.  

VolkeFit: Cleans and Burpees

I took a week off.  I didn't plan to.  I didn't need to.  It sort of just happened. 

Back at Steve's garage, I had a nice little surprise, as my new jump rope from Rogue has arrived.  It's got a silver rope and orange handles the colour of traffic cones.  It's pretty badass. 

As part of my warm-up, I did a set of double unders.   As a matter of fact, I set a new PR with 90 consecutive.  Considering this comes one week (and only one workout) after setting a new PR of 80, and not that long after a new best of 70.  I'm pretty pleased about that. 

Today, for the workout I did:

15 power cleans (115lbs)
15 burpees
12 power cleans (115lbs)
12 burpees
9 power cleans (115lbs)
9 burpees

It took me 5:03. 

I rested for 6 minutes, then did:

12 power cleans (135lbs)
12 burpees
9 power cleans
9 burpees
6 power cleans
6 burpees

It took me 5:23.


Afterward, I did 100 burpees, not for time.  I was trying to do them in as few sets as possible.
First set: 69
Second set: 31


Then I did 2km on the AirDyne.  It took 3:00 exactly. 

Then the Wife and I went and completely undid any good we just did by stuffing our faces at I Love Sushi.

"Megan"

I did a single muscle-up during the warm-up.  Somehow my technique is getting uglier. 

Complete 3 rounds for quality (not for time) of

TGU x 3 each (increase weight each set)

Dead hang Pull up 6-8 @ 2010 (bands are permitted)
Banded anti rotation press x 10 ea (Banded Anti Rotation Press)
rest 45s
Done.  I got up to 55lb TGUs on my right arm, 45 on the left. 

 

Bench Mark “Megan”21-15-9
Burpees
KBS 55/35
Double unders

 

I may have gone a bit too hard during the first round.  My pace really slowed during the 15s and 9s.  But I finished with 5:07, which was one of the better times in the gym all day. 

Burpees, Pull-ups and Sit-ups, with a dash of Thrusters

It had been a while since I made it to CFR on a Saturday morning.  At 11a.m everyone was going to be doing 14.5, but the 10am session had a slightly different WOD:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
-Burpees
-Pull-ups
-Sit-ups

Between each set, do five thrusters with 95lbs. 

I finished this in 18:34.



I did a muscle-up before the WOD.  I had to work to get up there.  I think I could be kipping and pulling harder.  Lifetime total is now 15.   

VolkeFit - Cleans/Burpees; Wall balls/Slams/DUs

1.  30 power cleans @ 115lbs.  Every minute, do three burpees.

First minute (0:00 to 1:00) - 8 cleans
Second minute - 3 burpees, 7 cleans
Third minute - 3 burpees, 6 cleans  (It was about here that I got a little more comfortable with a touch-and-go during the cleans)
Fourth minute - 3 burpees, 5 cleans
Fifth minute - 3 burpees, 4 cleans

Finished at 4:46.



2. With 5:00 on the clock:
-30 Wall Ball
-30 Ball slams
-As many double unders as possible during the remaining time.

Rest five minutes.  Repeat.

First round:
 I did 100 DUs. (Sets: 40, 30, and 30)   

Second round:
I did 83 DUs.  My first set was 50, but I couldn't get a sustained series going after that.  Then I whipped myself and got pissy. 

To Twelve and Back

Another Tuesday night at CrossFit Regina


"Thunderstruck" Warm-up

This was fun. As we jogged in place, they played "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC and everytime we heard the word "thunder" we had to drop and do a burpee.



Skipping

100 running skips - I did these unbroken.
75 double unders - This took me three or four sets, which is pretty bad.
25 crossovers -  I'm pretty sure I look awkward and spazzy when I do these, but I got through them.



To Twelve and Back

1 -> 12 <- 1="">Pullups
KB Snatch 55/35
**Alternating movements (1 pullup, 2 KB Snatch (1 per arm), 3 pullups, 4 KB Snatch (2 per arm), etc…)

This took me 13:52.  I think my technique fell to shit on the snatches by the end.  Also, my sissy hands were starting to hurt. 

  **Bonus**   I did a tremendously ugly muscle-up at some point in the warm-up portion. That brings my lifetime total to nine.  I thought about going for another one after the WOD was done, but I thought I would be courting disaster.   I'm thinking I should probably try to do at least one or two everytime I come to CFR. 

Push Press, Weighted PLU, AMRAP (DUs and Burpees)

Push press 5-5-5 (start at 70%)


135-145-155


Wt. PLU 3-2-1
3x35
2x45
1x55 (KB)

I tried 1x60 and got close, but I kipped, and chicken-necked quite a bit on it and am not sure if my chin actually broke the plane  

B. 12 min AMRAP

11 double unders
1 burpee

12 Double unders
2 burpees

13 double unders
3 burpees

etc.
Continue up the ladder for 12 min. Score is total rounds.

I did 11 rounds, plus 12 DUs and 20 burpees. 

All but one of my sets of DUs were unbroken. 

Snatchy Snatch Snatch / "Breathless"

A. Snatchy Snatch Snatch*

*Not the official name. But it should be, amiright?

1. Snatch Complex: Snatch DL, Snatch Shrug, Snatch high Pull, Snatch (bar, +20lbs, 40%,50%)
2. Snatch 60% x 3, 65% x 3, 70% x3x3 – build into with snatch with complex, focus on bar positioning and ending up on toes in full extension. Do not set bar down in between each rep, lower the bar so it is about 1 inch from floor (completing 3 reps not 3 singles). 

I did 95, 105 and 115. 

Uncles gave me a good tip on the snatch.  He said I could be opening my hips more.  I kept that in mind and noticed an immediate difference. 


B.  Metcon = “Breathless”
AMRAP in 12mins:
15 Burpees
35 Double Unders

Note to self: When doing a WOD that has double unders, ensure that your shorts are laced sufficiently tightly so they don't start falling down around your ass in the first fucking round, forcing you to drop the rope and waste precious seconds retying your shorts so that you preserve some shred of modesty.

Other than that, things went just swimmingly.  Meaning, I sucked wind like this one as much as I did when swimming* at Spring Fling.

*Fuck swimming, amiright? Fuck it in its ear.

In addition to the near self-pantsing, my first attempt at double unders also featured a couple of sets of five or less.  Somewhat less than efficient. 

In subsequent rounds, I did them in 20 and 15.  In the last one, though, I was trying to maximize my score, so I did 35 straight.  Not sure if that was smart, because I wanted to complete 15 burpees and get back on the rope, but I was pretty gassed.

No dice.  I only got to 12 burpees. 

Final score: 5 rounds + 12 burpees.

Clean & Jerk / Run & Burp



Warming up with the Boy



A. Clean + Jerk 3-2-1-1-1

3×145, 2×165, 1×185, 1×205, 1×220 (PR)




B. Run + Burpee

Every 2 min for 5 rounds complete:

100m sprint

5 speed burpees

Record each round time. Use a continuous clock and start every 2nd min.


30s, 30s, 29s, 28s, 30s
        Photo courtesy of Drew Fossum.

"Nothing good happens in a back alley"

2 rounds for time:

10 Thrusters (115lb)
shuttle run (20m, back, 30m, back)

15 Push Press (115lb)
shuttle run (20m, back, 30m, back)

20 Kettle Bell Swings to Shoulder Height 70lbs
shuttle run (20m, back, 30m, back)

25 burpees
shuttle run (20m, back, 30m, back)

The Rx'd version of this calls for dumbbell thrusters, using 55s.  We had a shortage of those so I volunteered to do a barbell version with a slightly heavier weight.  Even though the weight was heavier, not having to do this with dumbbells means this was an easier version.  Not that it was actually easy, mind you. 

15:26. 



Overheard at the Gym

The Boy accompanied me to the gym, and did the workout in the back alley with the rest of us.  He followed the pace set by Shae, rather than his old man, who was considerably slower.

My son is a very inquisitive little boy. You don't so much have conversations with him as you get interrogated by him.  He just constantly asks questions.  While I love my son as much as one human being can love another, this habit can be somewhat maddening.   I've developed a few coping mechanisms (don't worry, bleeding hearts, none of them involve electroshock training) but have somewhat gotten used to it.

For people who aren't around my kid very much or aren't forced by the laws of nature to love him, his habit might be considered either mildly amusing or insanely annoying. 

Leya, God bless her, seemed to fall in the former camp, and she temporarily immortalized a few of the Boy's questions on the CFR whiteboard.

(To me) "Is she stronger than you?" "Yes, she is."

"Why am I so sweaty?"

(To me) "He's better than you!" He ould've been referring to Lance, Shae, Justin or just about any dude who was there on Sunday, really.  I think he meant "better at CrossFit," but could have been referring to my moral fiber, my contributions to society, or my potential usefulness in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

(To Leya) "Were you born here?" "Yes." "Do you live here?" "Sometimes it feels like it." "Where do you sleep?" "I pull those crash mats up over the bathroom and sleep up there."

Hang Squat C&J / "Condition This"

A. Hang Squat Clean + Jerk (clean from mid-thigh) 3-2-1-1-1

(Jerk only on last rep of triple and double)
3x135
2x165
1x185
1x195
1x205
Jamie was coaching gave me some good advice about engaging my legs.  I was cleaning it from just below my waist, and Jamie said I had a good shrug and a good pull under the bar, but I was not fully taking advantage of the hips and legs.  I tried to keep that in mind for the final set. 

I am noticing my left shoulder more than I'd like on the jerks.

B. “Condition This”

For time: 800m Run, 50 Speed Burpees, 75 Double-Unders, 25 Speed Burpees… wait 3 minutes then 30 Unbroken 20″ Box Jumps, MUST step down, not part of scored time.

This was fine.  I felt kind of slow on the 800m, and was in the back third of the pack.  I could have been running a bit more tenatively in the Innov-8s. 

Or maybe I just had a better understanding of the need to pace myself on the run, because it's followed by 50 burpees. 

Or maybe I'm just slow.  Yeah... that's probably it. 

After getting back from the run, I started the burpees right away.  I had a pretty good pace on the burpees, though the pauses were a little more frequent once I hit 30. 

With the DUs, I figured I'd try to do them in three sets.  I did 32, 24 and then 14. Screwed up with 5 more to go, which kinda sucks. 

11:18.  I was pretty happy with that time, though if I had been faster on the final 25 burpees, I could have gotten sub-11. 

"Marathon Monday"

 5 rounds for time (30min time cap):

• 4 Squat Clean and Jerks (185/125)
• 15 Chest to Bar Pull-ups
• 13 Burpee lateral jumps (over barbell)

Then finish with 1km Row (once)

When I read this originally, I thought every round ended with a 1km row.  Even though that would be an insane amount of work, it didn't occur to me just how insane.  If I had taken some time to think about it, I probably would have stayed home. Fortunately, thinking too much is something I rarely do. 

Even as it was written, this was a very gruelling workout.  I was doing this by myself, as well.   The gym was full, but it was Strength Club on one side and  a youth soccer team doing a training session with Keenan on the other.  There was also the Sask Weightlifting Association guys, who - if they had paid any attention all - would have likely been amused by my struggles to squat clean and jerk a weight they would consider an inadequate warm-up weight. 

Ah, yes, the clean and jerk.  Before starting, I had to consider was whether to Rx this WOD with the 185lb squat clean and jerks or go with the 155lb intermediate weight.  My general rule of thumb is that if I can do it, I do it.  I can do a 185lb squat clean and jerk, but that's a fairly heavy single for me.

I went with the 185lb, realizing that it would take a significant amount of time.  I may have underestimated just how much.  Doing those four reps in each round took more time than either of the other exercises, due to the lengthy breaks in between lifts.  I just couldn't bring myself to get back to the bar.  Because I was doing a squat clean, I wanted to ensure that I was able to do the lift without failing every time. 

In the first round, it took me around two minutes to do the set of four.  I think by the later rounds, I was taking more than three minutes, maybe close to four to do those same four reps. 

The C2B pull-ups were fine.  I split them into two sets at the start, three sets at the end.  The burpee lateral jumps were okay.  I was moving pretty slowly by that point in each round.

I finished the five rounds in 28:11. 

It probably took me at least another minute, maybe more, to get strapped into the rower, and then I rowed the 1000m in 4:02.

Volke Vikings Garage WOD: Squat cleans, Burpee Broad Jumps, Wall Balls

The mascot for Steve's garage gym.  I'm not sure if that counts as a hook grip.

"The thought of having to pick that bar up again makes me sad."
-Me, at the start of the second round.  Or maybe the third.  Whatever.

Steve Volke invited Rankin and me to his garage of discomfort (I can't remember... are we calling it VolkeFit?) for a Monday evening Volke Vikings workout.

The WOD was an adapted team version of the previous day's WOD at CFR.  I was acutally sorry I missed out on Sunday, so I was happy to get a chance to do it.  (Chalk this up to utter foolishness.)

3 rounds for time:
7 Squat Cleans (165/105)
9 Burpee Broad Jumps (we actually did them like this - broad jump, burpee, jump up to touch Steve's pull-up bar)
40 Wall Balls (20/14)

- 20 minute time cap


We started with a guy at each station and would rotate when the last guy had finished his quota.  When this was originally conceived, I thought maybe we should have each guy keep going until the last guy had reached his quota.  But Steve and Rankin did some warm-ups on the 165lb squat cleans and Steve informed me that my idea was fucking stupid. 

Steve is a very nice guy, so he was more diplomatic about it, but he was right.

This was way tougher than it looks, even with the brief respite you got whenever you were at the burpee broad jump station.

By the time I got to the wall balls each round, I was kind of wrecked so there were plenty of breaks.  I don't think I did any group of 40 in fewer than five sets, which is pretty bad.  It worked out okay for Steve and Rankin, though, because they got a bit more thanks to my lagging. 

We got finished in 19:47.  Originally, I didn't think you'd need anything close to 20 min for this workouts, but if I had done this individually, there's a good chance I wouldn't have had the motivation to finish this before the time cap. 
Afterward, I stopped by Starbucks to get my lovely wife a vanilla latte on the way home (because I'm sweet like that, yo) and my legs were so messed up I had to sit down while they made the order. 

CrossFit Open 13.1

17 minute AMRAP of:


40 Burpees (touching a target 6" above your reach)
30 Snatch, 75 / 45 lbs
30 Burpees
30 Snatch, 135 / 75 lbs
20 Burpees
30 Snatch, 165 / 100 lbs
10 burpees
Max rep Snatch, 210 / 120 lbs

The stuff in italics was the stuff I knew going in I didn't have to worry about.  I've snatched 165 exactly once, and it wasn't at the back end of a cardio nightmare workout.   As it turns out, I didn't get to the 20 burpees either.    My score was 125, meaning I got done 25 snatches at 135.    For the tiebreaker, we're supposed to note what time we finished our last full set of snatches.  For me, that would have only been the 75lbs, and I got done that at 4:57 on the clock.  It might have been a bit quicker, but I had to put the bar down after grazing my forehead with it after my 15th snatch.  It didn't hurt at all, but was distracting.    However, when I went to enter the score online (about three minutes before the deadline), I entered it as 5:47.  Because I'm a dumbass.*   *In my defence, I thought I had already entered it (with the correct information), but something didn't go through, so I had to be alerted by Robin and Aaron to do it again, which I did from my wife's iPhone in a London Drugs.  Which means that I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing the first time around.  Which, I guess, makes me a double dumbass.    It's not a great score, but not an awful one, either.  Realistically, it's almost exactly what I thought I would end up with, but I was really hoping I could get done the 30 snatch and get some burpees in.      'Twas not meant to be. 

2010 Cdn Regional WOD #4

Max Deadhang Pullups x3

11-6-6




Canadian Regional WOD#4 2010 – Individual Event
For time:
50 Double Unders
10 Burpees
40 Double Unders
10 Burpees
30 Double Unders
10 Burpees
20 Double Unders
10 Burpees
10 Double Unders
10 Burpees

6:22.  That's quite a bit better than the 7:49 it took me when I did this in 2010. 

There were people with sub-5-minute times, so this isn't super-awesone but it's pretty good. 

My double unders didn't seem to betray me so much, like they have of late.  I did the first 50 unbroken.  I thought that might hoop me for the rest of the WOD but I don't think it did. 

When it comes to band names, "FUN" < "Barski Cleans" or "Burpee Suicides"

A. Barski Cleans: 75% x 3 x 5 sets


It's so weird, the right arm (elbow and shoulder) that have been giving me issues, even when not CrossFitting, feel FANTASTIC after doing cleans of any kind.  I think I will start doing cleans in my warm-up, even if it's just a few reps of 155 or so. 

Anyway, I liked doing these Barski cleans.  They're basically like three hang squat cleans in a row, but only using a really small dip on the clean.  Doing this helps you focus on getting down and catching it in a squat. 

I used 165. 


B. Burpee Suicides

5 yard distance

Start on one side, which is touch side, run to other side burpee side. Complete one burpee and run back to touch line. AMRAP Burpees in 5 minutes.

I did 48 in the 5:00 which I would classify as pretty good, but not great.  I would've been thrilled with 50.  By about 90 seconds in, I was hating life. 


And, just because I've had this song in my head for DAYS now, and sang badly along with it prior to the start of the burpee suicides, here's "Some Nights" by FUN.

     

Cleaning my CLOC

A. Power Clean 3-3-3, Squat Clean 3-3-3


Power clean 155-185-205 (3-rep PR)

Leya did her best to correct my suspect form and shoddy footwork, and I actually had a couple of decent lifts at 185.  Then the weight got heavy and I started spreading my feet way wide on the 205s.  Got 'em up, though. 
Squat clean 135-155-175 (3-rep PR)


B. CLOC#1* 

*This WOD is part of the 2012 CrossFit Ladies of Canada challenge. 

2 rounds for time of:
1000m Row
30 Air Squats
15 Burpees onto a 45lb plate (guys)

We could have done a bonus third round, but I opted out, like most people.  This was plenty. 

I wanted to keep both my rows under 4:00.  I was well under that for the first one, probably 3:35 or 3:40ish but was just over for the second one.  Because the end was near, I think I completed the squats and burpees quicker in the second round, though. 

12:51

Like the salad dressing, hate the WOD

Looks delicious, huh? Well, the WOD that shares a name with this dressing sent me into a weekend-long shame spiral.

“Thousand Islands”

10 Burpees

1000m Row

10 Burpees

1000m Run

10 Burpees

1000 Skips

10 Burpees

33:47.  All I know is that it took FUCKING FOREVER once I got to the 1000 skips.  I couldn't do more than 50 straight without my feet protesting that I was hurting them, so there were a lot of breaks. 

I belatedly realized,after already doing more than 600 skips, that I could skip faster than I had been and it didn't seem to affect my cardio or discomfort (could still get 40-50 consecutive skips in a set before my feet started to call Amnesty International) so I guess that's something to keep in mind for next time. 

Burpee/KB Metcon

It's a 10-min AMRAP combined with an every minute on the minute WOD.  Two types of awful for the price of one!
Here's the deal:
We do one burpee on the first min, two on the second, etc.
With the time remaining in each of the minutes, we swing a kettlebell until it feels like our arms are going to fall off. (These are not the official instructions, BTW).

Your score is the number of KB Swings.

Because I am the World's Laziest CrossFitter and not particularly gifted athletically, I usually try to gameplan WODs to maximize my score with minimal effort.   But this one was hard to gameplan. 

I figured I would get tired later, so the smart thing to do was to try to maximize the swings early on, when I had the most time. 

It mostly worked, I think.  

As the number of required burpees got higher,  I went slow during those in an effort to catch my breath to do a quick burst or two of bell swings. 
127, rx'd.