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.

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. 

(Hang) Squat Clean and Jerk / "Dec Dot Com"

A. Hang Squat Clean +1 Jerk 3-3-3
155-170(PR)-175(PR)

The last time I did this, I went up to 165. 


B. Clean & Jerk 1-1-1

175-195-205(PR)

This is a record for a squat clean and jerk for me.  My PR for the power clean and jerk is 210.  My confidence in the squat cleans has grown. 


C. “Dec Dot Com”
3 rounds for time:
250m Row
14 DB Push Press (7 each arm, 55lb)
14 Ring Rows

5:59

Max Clean and Jerk / Angie to the Max

A. Max Clean & Jerk 3-2-1-1-1

 

135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1, 210x1(PR)

 

 

B. “Angie to the Max”

 

2 rounds of 2 minutes AMRAP each of:

• Pullups
• Pushups (not exactly modified, but, as Leya pointed out, they were substandard and shitty ... though I don't really blame her*)
• Situps 
• Squats

I really need to pay better attention.  I thought this was two minutes of Tabata for each of these exercises and didn't realize that it wasn't until I looked up at the clock. 

Then when I fiinished the squats on the first round, I thought I was done.  I sat down and started adding up my results, glad it was over.  Then I realized everyone else was back doing pull-ups. 

Knowing I had to do another eight minutes of this was a very unpleasant wake-up call.

 

Total reps, if I did the math right, was 363. 

Overheard at the Gym:

"My God, Leya, your shins! You should wear socks.  Not to protect your shins.  To protect me from having to see your shins."
-Me.

.

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.

BCBD #1,2,3

Sled Drags with Dowels
A. 5 minutes to find max of
Deadlift+Hang Clean+Jerk (1+1+1)

I got up to 195.


5 minute total time but no time limit for the set.
rest 60 seconds, then

B. Row 90 seconds for max distance

I got 453m, which is a bit better than when I did this yesterday. (I was less exhausted.)

Rest 10-15 minutes, then

C. Sled Drag with Dowel for time
100M + return
M-75lb, W-55lb

Took me 1:33

"Hammer"

Five rounds, each for time, of:
5 Power cleans – 135/95lb
10 Front squats – 135/95lb
5 Jerks – 135/95lb
20 Pull-ups
Rest 90 seconds

My rounds were 2:08, 2:42, 3:36, 3:42, 4:16.

Even though my last round took twice as long as my first, I am pretty happy with how this went. Everything felt okay.

Clean and Jerk / 800m runs

Clean and Jerk: 1-1-1

Then, 4 x 800m runs, resting as needed between.


C&J
I really enjoyed re-acquainting myself with the clean and jerk. The most I had ever cleaned was 195. The most I had ever put over my head was 185, last fall at the SCFC in Saskatoon, but then we got to take the weight from the rack, and I used a push press because I wasn't confident in my jerking ability. I remember failing to do 185 in a WOD a little while after the SCFC,

Today, I started out at 145, then 165. Then I put 185 on the bar, which was a little intimidating, just because it's bodyweight and it would be tying a PR.

But I told myself it was gonna go the fuck up, and it went the fuck up. And then some.

185(PR)-195(PR)-200(PR)

I'm optimistic that I've got a bit more in me, but time was short and I still had to do the 800m runs.

3:03
3:17 (I think)
3:28
3:33

Gearing up for the Games

Today, participants in the upcoming Saskatchewan CrossFit Games (co-organized by the Regina and Saskatoon affiliates) were invited to do two workouts, one at 9am and the other at noon, in order to begin to get used to what it's going to be like in a couple of weeks.

9am

Three rounds of:

12 x 115 lb overhead squats
12 x 24" box jumps
12 x chest-to-bar pull-ups

We were given a 15 minute time limit to do this, and each competitor was assigned someone to count our reps and make sure our form was perfect. I was lucky to have Ferrah do mine. She provided just the right amount of steady encouragement throughout.

The worst part of this was the overhead squats. Actually, getting the 115 lbs overhead with a snatch was very tough, so it actually probably helped my time in a way, because it made me more reluctant to drop it. The first set of 12, I was able to do all of the squats uninterrupted. Getting low enough without losing my balance was a big challenge. I did end up falling on my ass during the second set. Always fun.

Somehow, I managed to finish with a time of 8:18, which was the best time of the day. I attribute it mostly to Brad Flood being next to me. I was finishing my squats a bit faster than him, but then we'd move to box jumps and he was popping up and down like it was completely effortless. (Note to self: Do more box jumps) It was everything I could do to just try to stay ahead of him.

12pm

At 9am, all we knew about the noon workout was that it would involve a salt bag. I joked, "Hey, after the 115 lb overhead squats, a 45 lb salt bag will feel light."

I should have known better.

With two saltbags in an oversized army surplus duffel bag:

400m run (yep, carrying the 90 lb bag anyway you like, without using the straps).

30 clean and jerks with the bag. ("Grace")

Climb the rope and ring the bell (thankfully, not carrying the two salt bags with you.)

I was placed in the second heat, which means I had to count for one of the competitors, James, who's an absolute animal and one of CFR's most elite athletes. That's when it hit home just how frickin' hard this workout was going to be. James's weighted 400m run was faster than a lot of people's regular 400m time, but he looked like he was going through Hell on the C&Js. He finished in just over 10 minutes, which was pretty incredible. Here's a video of BrianB doing C&Js with the bag. BrianB is in awesome shape, so watching this should tell you how tough this workout was.


After ripping up my hand on a rope dismount a few weeks back, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of a rope climb. But after seeing how the other competitors did in the first heat, I figured that I probably wouldn't finish the 30 C&Js before the 13 minute time limit, so it wouldn't be an issue.

When it was my turn, I had a pretty good time on the 400m, but it was very tough to get any kind of speed on the C&Js. I was taking way too long between the reps, but James was very good at keeping me going, making me aware of the time and giving me advice on the best way to keep the bag jerkable. He said my form got better and faster as I got toward the end. Part of that was just me wanting to get done so I wouldn't have to do it anymore.

I finally got done the 30 C&Js at around 11:00, so it was time to climb the rope. I took a quick drink, chalked my hands, and got on the rope. If I was fresher, I would have tried it no-hands, but today I needed my feet, too. Although I'm not sure how much spreading my knees out bowlegged and pinching the rope between my feet really helped. When I finally got to the top, it took a fair amount of willpower to get one hand off the rope to ring the bell at 11:50. This time, I climbed down and emerged free of any hand trauma.

Clean & Jerk on the minute

I never did go out to the garage last night to atone for my nacho sins.

Men use 135lb / Women use 95lb

With a continuously running clock do one Clean & Jerk the first minute, two Clean & Jerks the second minute, three Clean & Jerks the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

On the minute workouts start off good, but they start to suck really fast as you have less time to rest and more work to do. 135lbs is still pretty heavy for me, and it probably always will be.

I did 5 rounds and did 5 of the 6 required in the 6th minute. My sissy hands were still a little sore from yesterday's Cindy pull-ups, so I wasn't sad to be done. Probably not the best attitude.

After that, it was back to wall balls. I was already paid up for today, but I can't come in on Thursday or Friday, so I did the wall balls for those days. 84 + 85 = 169. Started with a little race to 75 vs. TallTerry. We had a difference of opinion about whether his 6'7" height (I'm guessing) makes it easier or harder to do wall balls. He argues that he has to come down and up higher on the squat. I argue that he doesn't have to throw the ball nearly as far as I do at 5'9". It's probably a wash. Anyway, I edged him out on that, then did 9 more to finish Thursday's 84, and did lazy sets of 11 (meaning, they definitely were not on the minute) to get to Friday's 85. So I've got three WB done for Saturday. Whoooo!