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.

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.

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. 

Close, but no PR: "Power Elizabeth" / 500m row for time

A. “Power Elizabeth”
21-15-9 reps for time of
Power cleans – 135/95lb
Ring Dips
20 minute time limit

I did this in 7:26 which I THOUGHT was 18 seconds better than my best recorded time. But I just checked and the best time I've done this in is 7:22, not 7:44.   So I was actually four seconds slower than my PR. 

Fuck.  Normally I wouldn't be that bothered by it, but today it annoys me, because I went into the WOD trying to beat the 7:44 and let up during the final set of dips of the WOD when I knew I would. I'm sure I could have found five seconds or even a bit more.


B. KB snatch practice, various weights up to 55/35lb

I still hate these.



C. 500m Row for time

1:37.9  

This is darn close to a PR.   I thought my PR was 1:36, point something, but I can't find any evidence that I've done this faster than 1:37.7.

So, again I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't push (or in this case, pull) just a little bit harder. 

I tried a new technique of not bringing the handle as far forward as I could.  It seemed to make a difference.  I was on pace for a 1:35/500m time for a good chunk of this sprint.    

Usain Bolt, you have nothing to worry about

The WOD at CrossFit Regina called for Power Cleans 3-2-1-1-1 and a metcon involving box jumps, bell swings and 400m runs. 

I did the power cleans, sort of, but was wary of doing box jumps or bell swings, as both have aggravated my injury previously.

Power cleans:
3x165
2x175
1x195
1x205 (FAIL, TWICE, seriously, like what the fuck?!)


After that, instead of doing the metcon, I did a WOD from a little while back, 8x100m sprints. 

I timed myself using a stop watch, and here are my times:

16.89 seconds
15.74
15.92
16.02
16.00
15.89
16.10
16.64

The Lion

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

1 Power Clean
2 Front Squats
3 Push Press
4 Back Squats 75/55lb

As far as I've been able to determine, this was my first time ever doing this WOD.

The number of moderate-weighted squats might not have been a great idea for my leg, but figuring out what I can do without consequences and what I'm going to pay for is a crapshoot these days. 

I was feeling this one for days after, in both legs. 

During the WOD, there were a few times, maybe more than a few, that I did three front squats instead of two.  Dumb.  The sets of four back squats were the hardest at the end.  The push press were still pretty easy, thanks to the fact that I have short arms and the bar doesn't have to travel very far. 

I ended up with 31 rounds, plus 1 clean and 1 front squat.  (31 rounds + 2).

Cleans / 4x400

A. Hang Power Cleans, then Power Cleans

Hang power cleans 2-2-2-2 
I did 95-155-175-185

Power cleans 2-2-1-1
195-205-215-225 (tied a PR)

B. 4x400

The WOD called for two minutes each at four stations (squats, rowing, pull-ups and push-ups), separated by a minute break.  My shoulder was acting up so I decided to just run a 400m at the start of each three-minute cycle, resting for the remaining time. 

These are approximate times:

1:52
1:40
1:42
1:45.

Not great, but I'm fine with it for numerous reasons. 

• First time running in months. 
• First time running in the Innov-8s, and my calves are feeling it right now, let me tells ya. 
• Running in a muddy alley. 
• The 200m turnaround point is gone, so I estimated where it used to be. 

Oh and I had to dodge or hurdle a dead, smashed up seagull two times each run.  There was only one dead bird, but I passed it twice because our route is a round trip.  I wonder if Usain Bolt ever had to deal with this sort of thing?

Back Squats / "Clean and Push"

A. Back Squat 5-5-5 start @ 75%

I did 235, 255, and 265, all of which seemed much harder than I remember.  Hey, maybe I should squat more than once every three months. 

B. “Clean & Push”

5 rounds for time:
10 Power Cleans 135/95lb
15 Push Ball 20/14lb and 10′/9′ line (Wall Ball without squat)

I believe I finished in 10:14   I felt like I was pretty slow on the cleans.  I suppose I could justify it by saying I wanted to make sure my technique was solid, but the truth is probably just that this shit is hard sometimes. 

13.4 - Must be the shoes

Seven-minute AMRAP of
3 clean and jerk (135lbs)
3 toes to bar
6 C&J
6 T2B
9 C&J
9 T2B
(etc...)

I hadn't been to CrossFit since Tuesday, and spent a quick overnight trip to Saskatoon drinking, staying up late, and gorging myself on Fuddruckers and dim sum.  

But, while in Saskatoon, I did manage to vist Brainsport and buy a new pair of minimalist Innov-8 shoes.  

This seemed like the perfect WOD to start them out with.  The flatness is good for Oly lifting and their light weight is ideal for T2B.  I'm not sure how much of a difference it really makes, but it can't hurt.  So far, I really like them, but I might change my mind when having to run 400m in an alley. 

I didn't warm up very much when I got to CFR, but I did a few C&Js just to make sure I remembered what 135lbs felt like. 

My goal was to break 60, which would mean completing the round of 12s. 

After the 3,2,1 GO I wasn't going super fast, but I did keep up a pretty good pace, without stopping too much for air.  In spite of my plan to drop the bar after each C&J to preserve energy, I held onto the bar for the first set of 3. 

While other people can string together T2B, I haven't mastered that yet.  I can do them without dropping off the bar, but there is a lot of excess flailing and swinging involved, so I typically touch my feet to the ground between each rep to reset my position.  It's slower, but the advantage is it hurts my hands less and is not as taxing on my forearms.  In a WOD like this, which is really taxing on your grip and forearms, it's an advantage. 

I apparently dismounted the bar with some flair a couple of times during the transition from T2B to C&Js.  It wasn't intentional, but if it entertained the crowd awaiting the Lance vs. Matt main event, that's cool. 

So I kept a steady pace and had lots of time left as I entered the round of 12s.  I knew at that point I was going to break 60.  I finished the 12 T2B with around a minute left and managed to squeeze in another 10 C&J before time ran out.

Final score: 70. 

"The Bear"

Five rounds of 7 reps of the following complex:
Power clean
Front squat
Push press
Back squat
Push press

No dropping the weight during a round, must touch and go.  Resting is possible, but the weight needs to be across your shoulders or thighs, in the rack position, or held onto in some other awful way. 

I partnered with Lance, which is a terrific way to feel inadequate. He didn't start to use substantially heavier weights than me until the later rounds, though when we were using the same weight, he made it look effortless 

I did it 75-95-115-130-95

With the Open WOD tomorrow, I was thinking I'd go lower than my PR of 130, but plans changed once I saw 125 on the bar.   

Honestly, this is one of the WODs I dread the most, and that's not gonna change. 

Clockless CLOC #5

Yesterday's WOD at CrossFit Regina was back squats and then "Helen."  My lower back was sore for most of the day so I decided that I wasn't going to chance further aggravating it. 

Instead, I decided to to CLOC #5 from last week:

15 power cleans @ 115lbs
30 double unders
10 power cleans @ 135lbs
30 double unders
5 power cleans @155lbs

There were various groups doing various things around the gym, and  clock was already running, so I started doing the WOD on my own. 

I neglected to let either of the coaches know, so Keenan re-set the clock while I was about 90 seconds in.  He was extremely apologetic, but honestly, he did me a favour. 

I was thinking I'd get finished this WOD in under 5:00 and I might even threaten the 4:00 mark if my DUs were on. 

They weren't.  AT ALL.

Despite the fact that I didn't have a clock running, I was trying to get it done as quick as possible.  But I couldn't string together more than 10 DUs in a row for the most part.   And the more inept I was at them, the more pissed off I became.  And the more pissed off I got, the worse my DUs became.  By the end, I was a hapless-skipping rage monster. 

I don't know how long this took me, but it's very possible I wouldn't have made it under the 7-minute time cap.

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

You jerk... less weight than you want to

A. Power Clean & Push Jerk 2-2-1-1-1


My last successful single was 185lbs.  I cleaned 205lbs, but failed the jerk on two separate tries.  Because it was a strict push jerk, I didn't allow my legs to split.  If I had, I'd like to think I probably could have done it, as I've jerked that weight in the past.  (Sour Grapes Alert!!)

B. “Head Over Heels” NOT for time

12 Handstand Push-Ups

10 Shoulder Touches

8 Wall Shuffles

6 Inverted Toes to Floor

Weekend of Leg Death, Part 2: "The Chief"

“The Chief”

Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

I got a total of 18 complete rounds, but had enough left-over reps to bring the total up to 20 rounds, plus 5 reps.

Clean and Jerks / Petranek Fitness Test

A. Clean & Jerk 3-2-1-1-1
Then 85%x2x2

3x135
3x155
1x185
1x195
1x205 (FAIL on the jerk)
1x205

Then 2x175 for two sets.

I'm sure I've done 205 before, but don't have any record of it. Maybe it was just a rack jerk. Any day you get a PR or close to it at 6am in the morning is a good day.

B. Petranek Fitness Test
For time: 500m Row
40 Squats, 30 Situps, 20 Pushups, 10 Pullups

After doing the row pretty quickly (for me) my legs were done for the squats.

Took me 4:24 which felt like forever, since Jarret was done about 40 seconds sooner. That's one second slower than I did this in 2009. Yesterday's front squats might have something to do with that, though.

Power Cleans and Burpees

For time, 15-12-9 reps of
Power cleans
Burpees

5:17

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.

"The Chief"

Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135/95lb Power Cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Start from where you left off.
Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

I got 21 rounds, plus one power clean. The last time I did this WOD more than two years ago, I got 16 and change, so I'm pretty happy with that.

The Bear and Weighted Pull-ups

I had another 5:40am conversation with myself this morning.

"You're awake. Get the fuck up and go to that 6am workout."
"Bed. Comfy. Warm. Tired."
"Don't give me that shit. You know damn well you can get up."
"I could go at noon."
"You always say you want to go at 6am, yet you hardly ever go. It will be a lovely start to your day."
"I was up past midnight last night."
"That's why scientists invented caffiene. Go. You won't regret it."
"But it's cold out there."
"Okay, now you're just being a pussy. Get the fuck up."


A. “The Bear” 5 rounds of 7 reps
1 rep = 1 each of:
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press
Increase weights each round.



75-85-105-115-120(PR)

Christian gave some good advice, which was not to increase our weight too quickly. I've felt for a long time that I could do more than my previous best of 115, but the Bear is really frickin' hard. Today at 6am, I just wanted to beat that mark, but not smash it.


B. Weighted Pull-ups 3-2-1-1-1


15-25-35-45F


***

Overheard at the gym:

"Now my family is me, a Japanese dog, and another dude."
.

Push Press and Dot Com 3

A. Push Press 3-3-3

135-155-175(F)

Couldn't even get one of the 175, when I managed three of them the last time we did this in July. Obviously, I'm not pleased, but I probably should have warmed up better and got my head straight if I wanted to take a good run at a new personal best. I'll do better next time.

B. Dot Com 3 from 110828
5 rounds of:
3 Cleans
20 Push-up Burpees
*NOT for time, go as heavy as you can on the cleans

I did 165 for the first round and 175 for the other four.

C. Surprise Finisher 400m run with a 45lb sandbag.

2:09. Not blazing fast, but not bad.