VolkeFit: 14.2-ish

I told Steve that I didn't want to do 14.2 as rx'd.  It calls for high numbers of C2B pull-ups and I didn't think that would do my shoulder any good. 

We subbed lower numbers of deadhangs instead. 

Warm-up: 10 minutes of AirDyne. 

WOD:
14.2-ish

Two rounds of:
10 overhead squats
3 deadhangs pull-ups (14.2 calls for equal numbers of C2B PLU instead)

Complete that within three minutes, and rest the remaining time.

Two rounds of:
12 OHS
4 DHPLU

Complete within three minutes, rest the remaining time

Two rounds of

14 OHS
5 DHPLU

Complete within... oh wait, I didn't. 

I got 8 OHS done in the third round before time ran out. 

I swore, felt sorry for myself, then completed the work for that round. 


Cooldown:
10 minutes of AirDyne. 

Nautical Nancy

I've done variations of this but tonight was the first time I've done Nautical Nancy in the strict, "Five rounds, for time" way. 

Five rounds for time:

500m row
15 overhead squats (95lb)

16:59 rx'd

Nicole wrote down 17:00, but I made her change it, because I made sure to lock out before that second was up, and also because I'm a wanker. 

I'm happy with that time.  Hell, I was only 20 seconds slower than Shae, and anytime I'm in the same neighbourhood as him on a WOD, I'm not gonna complain. 

I took it relatively easy on the rows (all were between 1:50 and 2:05, plus transition time)

As a result, I was able to do all but one of the OHS sets unbroken, or at least without lowering the bar.  I did pause a bit or adjust my balance.  I also did the squats fairly quickly.  That's really the key to doing well on this.  Putting the bar down, picking it back up, re-setting your feet... those things will all cost me far more time than if I row the 500m in 1:40 vs. 1:55.  Plus, the more time you hang out with the bar above your head, the more fatigued you get, and the more you wear out your shoulders. 

A Bucketful of Fail

Made it to another 6 a.m. class. 

A.Snatch Complex

Snatch push press + OHS + snatch balance, x2(reps) x3(sets), 65-75% of Snatch

I used 115, which falls nicely between 65 and 75 per cent of my max snatch of 165.   But it was probably too much for me to use today. 

First set - made it through until the snatch balance on the second rep. 

Second set - I think I dropped it on the overhead squat in the first rep. 

Third set - Completed

Fourth set - made it through until the snatch balance on the second rep. 

A bucketful of fail. 

I was a little pissed off about this right after it happened. Then I had to move on to the other parts of the WOD, so I didn't really think about it again until I was home in the shower.  I started to get mad again. 

Then I gave my head a shake and remembered that if I don't fail every now and then, then I'm probably not pushing myself as hard as I should.  It's actually probably a good thing that I failed. 

Hey you can just call me Little Johnny Brightside.

 

B. Weighted pull up 2-2-2-2

25-35-45-57.5(FAIL)

I was trying to break the 55lb PR I set recently.  I didn't have a lot of confidence, though, as 45 was a struggle.  I got one rep at 57.5, if you're feeling generous.  

C. “If Annie and Karen were sisters…”

AMRAP in 20mins:

30 Double-Unders

20 Situps

10 Wall Ball 20/14lb

  Not a lot of surprises on this one.  Because the reps in each exercise were pretty reasonable, there wasn't a lot of excessive resting.     

My DUs were fairly good.  I think there were only a couple of the rounds where I didn't do 30 straight, which is better than I would have expected.   

Sit-ups got tough.  Once that happened, I broke sets up into three-ish.   

Wall balls were done in sets of 10.   

Thanks to a strong push in the last round, I was able to finish my 10th round and get another five DUs in before the clock stopped. 

10 rounds plus five double unders 

  .

Overhead Squats / “May Flowers?” Pyramid

A. Overhead Squats 3-3-3-3-3

95-125-145-165-185(FAIL)-175(FAIL)

Not much to say about this.  On the two fails, I spent too much time trying to stabilize the weight after jerking it above my head.  (Note to self: get under it more on the jerk overhead next time) By the time I got down into the squat, I couldn't hold it anymore.

My shoulders were a bit of an issue, too, but I think the main problem was that I went for a 20lb jump from a weight (165) that was already a challenge.  Then I psyched myself out. 

B. “May Flowers?” Pyramid

2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2

Bell swings (55lbs)
Toes-to-Bar

5:37

I did all the bell swings unbroken.  Not so much with the toes-to-bar

By the time I reached the second set of eight, my grip felt like it was fried. 

2012 Team Games workout #8

With a team (I had Steve and Michelle)

30 GHD or weighted situps
30 DL 225/135lb
30 Double-unders
30 OHS 95/65lb
30 Pullups
Athletes only advance once the station ahead is clear

I thought DUs would provide a nice little respite in the middle of this WOD.  Not for me, though, as I went second behind Steve and, other than a few seconds on the deadlifts,  he didn't leave me a lot of time for waiting around as he blazed through each station and was long gone before I could get there. 

The DLs were the hardest.  I did them in sets of 10, 5,5,5.  I did okay on the OHS, though, with sets of 12, 10, and 8.  

Our team was done in  18:19

Fine, Double Unders, be that way. See if I care.

A. Power Clean & Jerks, on the minute, for 15mins


65% x1x5, 70% x1x5, 75% x1x5

Basically, you do one clean and jerk per minute for 15 minutes.  For the first five minutes, you do 65% of your one-rep max C&J.  For the next five minutes, you use 70% and for the last five you do 75%
 

I thought my max clean and jerk was 215, but it's actually 210.  I probably would have ended up using roughly the same weights, though, so whatever. 

140lbs
150lbs
162lbs 

I didn't find this terribly challenging.  I like C&J's. 



B. Modified NW Regional WOD 2010

3 rounds for time:
10 Overhead Squats – 95/65lb
50 Double-Unders

Once upon a time, I considered myself fairly proficient at double-unders.  Now, they seem to kill me, cardio-wise, and really bring down my WOD results even in relatively small numbers like in this WOD.

I'd like to blame it on my fraying rope (which will be replaced before I do another DU WOD) or the fact that I was wearing my flat-soled Airwalk Chuck Taylor knockoffs and not my cross-trainers,* but the fact was that the DUs just sucked the life out of me during this workout. 

*It's a poor carpenter who blames his tools, fucko. 

I actually was more worried about the overhead squats during this workout, due to my bum shoulder.  I actually considered upping the weight and doing front squats or back squats.  I decided to go ahead with the OHS.  I felt them, but did the first two sets unbroken.  I broke up the last set, but that was more due to fatigue than shoulder issues. 

I suppose it's possible I haven't really regressed all that much on DUs (though some recent Rhiannon results would seem to indicate otherwise). Maybe it's just that a bunch of people at CFR are just that much more advanced at them. 

Whatever it was, I was more than two minutes slower than the fastest times of the day, which is a pretty fucking big gap on a short workout.   I mean, this wasn't the worst time of the day, but it was pretty mediocre and below my expectations.

6:57. 

Good news / bad news

A. Overhead Squats 3-3-3-3-3

185 (PR)


B. Benchmark Girl “Helen”
3 rounds for time of:
400m Run
21 KBS – 55/35lb
12 Pull-ups

10:39. That is about a minute and a half slower than my PR. Shows what 12 extra pounds and a winter without running can do.

Overhead Squats and Metcon

A. Strength = Overhead Squat 3 x 3 at 85% 1RM
I used 155 lbs.

B. Metcon = Squat and Jump on the Minute
For 15 minutes on the Minute
3 Front Squats – 115/75lb
5 Box Jumps – 20″

Done.


Overheard at the Gym
"It's all about my groin."

.

Lunchtime rush: OHS + Metcon

A. Overhead Squats 80% x3x3

I miscalculated what I should be lifting and did 155 (thinking my 80% was 152) instead of 144.

B. Metcon = AMRAP/10 min:
3 Power Cleans – 135/95lb
6 Toes 2 Bar
9 Speed Burpees

7 rounds plus 3 cleans and 4 T2B.

6 a.m. Waxing & Tanning: OHS and Row/DU

I showed up at CFR at 6 a.m. after approximately three hours sleep. I should be paying for that later today.

A. Overhead Squat 3-3-3

155-165-180(PR)

My previous best for 3s was 175. The 180 felt really good, actually easier than the 155, likely because I didn't warm up very much. I probably could have done a bit more.

B. 12 minute Time Cap:
2km Row (one score)
Max Double Unders in the remaining time (one score)

Row: 7:42
DUs: 141

I figured I would do a nice leisurely row, and I didn't burn myself out here, but I actually kept up a pretty good pace. the thing that really helped was the fact that we got Aaron to talk about random CrossFit-related things. It was like he was the Piano Man, but instead of playing songs on request, he'd talk about CrossFit stuff.

Questions I shouted out:
"Most common mistakes people make with overhead squats?"

"Tips on how can someone maximize their Fran time (if they were to do it right now)?"

"I'm about to pose for a calendar, do you have any advice you can share?"

For the last one, his tips involved tanning and waxing. I can't say I disagree with either of them.

"Gates of Fire 2"

For time:
50 Situps
50 Pushups
25 Front Squats (65/45)
25 Back Squats (65/45)
25 Overhead Squats (65/45)
25 Front Squats (65/45)
50 Pullups
50 Situps

Took me 15:11, which isn't the fastest I've ever done it, but it's close.

***


Overheard at the Gym:

"I feel weird complimenting a girl on her snatch with her dad RIGHT THERE."

"He likes it, too."

"The Dog Sled"

“The Dog Sled”
3 rounds:
30 Double-Unders
10 Overhead Squats – 135/95lb

2 min rest

3 rounds
10 Handstand Push-ups (BCBD standards)
100m sled push with dowel – 115/75lb

Finisher for BCBD folks:
3×10 Chest-to-bar Pull-ups or 90 second Row (pick your pain)

37:02 as rx'd

That is a lot of OHS and HSPU. I did the row at the end. Got 426 m.

Overhead Squats and DL/T2B: That'll teach me to open my big mouth

Yesterday, I ranted a bit about cherrypicking WODs, and not skipping the gym if you see one you don't like.

It's like the CrossFit gods (or Robin and Aaron) read what I wrote and wanted to test my resolve by including a WOD that is tailor-made for me to ditch.

Hey, what if it included both deadlifts for time AND toes to bar?


A. Overhead Squats 3-3-3

135-155-175(PR)

Barely got the third rep on the 175 and strained my right shoulder a bit in trying to hang on. Nothing serious.

B. Dot Com 2
5 rounds for time:
15 Deadlifts – 185/135lb
15 Toes to Bar

19:58 Just barely got in sub-20. That's about three minutes slower than I would have liked.

I took WAY too many breaks on this, but I found it really tough. Fortunately, I did not tear my sissy hands, though there might be a couple of new blisters in development. Whatever, callouses are manly and sexy.


C. SASKATOON COMPETITORS' BONUS - A 400m run with a medicine ball. Not timed.
I did it, but it was mostly a walk with a few half-hearted jogging spurts. The rain, my sweat and the leftover chalk got things nice and pasty, and the ball was hard to carry.


In a vaguely related matter, the squiggly veins on either side of my forehead are especially pronounced these days after a workout. I realize it's probably nothing, but part of me wonders if I should be concerned. If it gets any more noticeable, I'll be looking like the dude from the Green Lantern movie.

Regional Team WOD #4

Team WOD #4 from the upcoming 2011 CrossFit Regionals:

For time:
250 Pull-ups
250 Kettlebell swings (53lb / 35 lb)
250 Double-unders
250 Overhead squats (95lb / 65lb)

Teams of 4 (2 men, 2 women). Team will complete this as a chipper, with one athlete working at a time. A team must complete all of the Pull-ups at the rig, then complete all of the Kettlebell swings, then all of the Double-unders, then all of the Overhead squats. There is no set rotation needed among the athletes. A team’s result is their total time to complete this chipper.

I teamed with Gerald, Raichel, Mandy and a new guy named Jason. I did a lot of pull-ups, not too many DUs, and my share of bell swings and OHS.

I think we were around 35 minutes or something, but what is really important is that I'm actually writing this on Tuesday and my arms and shoulders still hurt.

Overhead Squats / Rowing Helen

I am so pleased with myself for being able to avoid the temptation to hit the snooze button for the first time in two weeks and actually make it to CFR for a 6am WOD.

As it turns out, everything we were doing today was stuff I like.


A. OHS 5-5-5 starting with 81 per cent of one-rep max.

The best one-rep max I could find of mine was 165, so I started with 135. After the WOD, I found that in December, I did 3 x 175, so I probably should have started higher. But I've also lost some strength due to the baby-induced break from CFR and being sick.

135-145-160 (5lb PR, I think). The 160 should barely count, because I walked it out a bit on the last rep. Jeff said it counted, but he's a generous soul. As it turns out, I used just enough weight.


B. Rowing Helen
Three rounds for time of:
500m row
21 bell swings (55lb)
12 pull-ups

Took me 13:44. I'm sure I've done Rowing Helen before, but couldn't find a time. It was probably better than this. I've been away from CFR so much, my pull-up callouses had disappeared, so this was even harder on my sissy hands. With my reduced cardio, this kicked my ass. Norm said I sounded like a smoker, the way I was coughing and hacking during and after.

Overhead Squats and 10 Minute Cindy

A. Overhead Squats 5-5-5-3-3-3

135-145-155(PR)-160-165(FAIL)-165(PR)


B. 10 Minute Cindy
As many rounds as you can in 10 minutes of:
5 Pull-ups, 10 Push-ups, 15 Squats

I got 10 rounds, plus five pull-ups and three push-ups.

Push-ups continue to slow me down.

Team Okotoks

In teams of 4 (2 men and 2 women):
600m run by both males in tandem
25 OHS 65# by both females, each (men rest)
25 OHS 95# by both males, each (females rest)
80 burpees in 8 sets of 10, each athlete does sets of 10 in order i.e. 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4
25 SDLHP 65# by both females, each (men rest)
25 SDLHP 95# by both males, each (females rest)
600m run by both females in tandem

I teamed with Darren, Kim Fe, and Kat for this one, and it took us 18-something.

Everything felt good, probably because there was lots of rest. I felt like I had a pretty good pace on the 600m run. I did the 25 OHS unbroken. I actually should have done them in smaller sets to make it easier on Darren, who is nursing an ankle injury.

Burpees are burpees. I can do sets of 10 pretty quickly. The sumo deadlift high pulls felt better than they usually do. I think I was getting a better shrug than I ever have before.

Another CrossFit Calgary WOD

It was split into two parts. These WODs weren't timed, but we were supposed to record loads.

FIRST PART:

Five rounds of:

2-4 x 3211 overhead squats.
-The idea was to control your descent and ascent (three seconds on the way down, two at the bottom, up in one, rest for one) using a weight that would make this challenging.
Rest 90 seconds
50 double unders in as few sets as possible.
Rest 90 seconds

For the overhead squats, I used 115 for the first two sets, 125 for the third, and 130 for the last two. I did four reps on all of the sets except for the last one.

For the DUs, I never did 50 unbroken. My best sets were 39 and 48 in rounds 1 and 4 respectively.


SECOND PART

Four rounds of:

25 bell swings (unbroken)
Rest 90 seconds
25 wall balls (unbroken)
Rest 90 seconds

I used a 40 lb kettlebell and a 20 lb medicine ball for all of these. I did manage to do them unbroken. I feel like I sort of copped out by not using a 55 lb KB, but I don't think I could have done more than one set unbroken.

Overhead Squats and Box Jumps

OHS 5x5

115-135-145-155(f)-155

On the failed set, I spent too much time with the bar over my head and my right arm decided it was done for the moment. I coaxed it back to work for the fifth set. I feel like I probably could do a bit more. My one rep max late last year was 165, and since I did the strength work, I find that the weights on a lot of my five-rep maxes are my pre-Strength work old one-rep maxes. But since I stopped doing strength work, I may have regressed a bit. Still fat, though!

24" box jumps for one minute x 3, resting four minutes between.

27-28-29. Just trying to keep up with the Janimal.

In the second and third sets, I had a smoother rhythm going for the first 15 or so. Then fatigue would kick in.

"Gates of Fire 2"

For time:
50 Situps
50 Push-ups
25 Front Squats
25 Back Squats
25 Overhead Squats
25 Front Squats
50 Pull-ups
50 Situps

Rx'd weight for the squats for dudes is 65lbs.

Time was 14:40... unless I miscounted on the sit-ups, in which case I did it in 15:12. But I'm pretty sure it's 14:40. It's more than a two-minute improvement from the last time I did it, and that's probably the first WOD where I've seen tangible benefits from all the strength work I did.

Back in September, it sounds like I was slowed down a bit by the results of the previous day's workout. Today, I was actually wondering if I should even go, as my shoulder is a bit tender. In the end, I decided to go for it rather than gorge myself on the delicious Indian buffet at Spices of Punjab.

The good: Squats. Oh, and I did 15 pull-ups straight to get off to a good start for the set of 50. It was mostly sets of five after that.

The not-so-good: Push-ups. But you already knew that.