Back at it: Power Snatch and Running

I think the leg injury is mostly behind me now.  Standing up at my desk at work seemed to accelerate the healing, even if I couldn't go to CrossFit for two weeks due to getting snipped.

I'm not lazy.  I'm just not taking any goddamn chances. 

I wasn't completely inactive during this time, though.  Just this past week, the Boy learned to ride his bike without training wheels, so there was some light jogging beside him, mostly to make sure he didn't crash into a car or a tree while he was bragging about how awesome he was doing.

But, my leg and my junk have now healed to the point where I can go back to CrossFit Regina and give "not taking it easy" a shot. 

A. Power Snatch 3-2-1-1-1


95 x 3, 115 x 2, 125 x 1, 135 x 1, 145 x 1(FAIL), 145 x 1

I could feel a bit of tightness in my leg, but I don't think it really hampered anything. 


B. For times:

Run 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m

800m - 3:25
400m - 1:34
200m - 0:45
100m - 0:19

Running felt good.  I didn't think about my leg at all while I was doing it. 

It was pretty dark in the alley, so I wasn't sure about footing and may have been a bit more tentative because of it.  I don't think it made much of a difference in the times. 

I didn't set any PRs, but it feels pretty good to be back. 

Snatch, 3/5 Nancy, Deadhang PLUs

A. Snatch
Hang Power Snatch 2-2-2-2 @~65%

Power Snatch 2-2-2 (as ~ 70,74,78%)

We didn't follow this exactly.  Did  95, 115, 125, 135, 145.


B. 3/5 Nancy
3 rounds NOT for time:

500M Row
15 Overhead Squats 105/70lbs (scale to 95/65 75/55 65/45 or empty barbell)

Done.  Did the OHS uninterrupted. 


C. Deadhang Pull-ups
2 x max reps (score by total reps), rest ~3 minutes between attempts (no bands, beginners do negatives for 2 sets of 5)

I did 12 and 6.

Power Snatches and "Pistol-Whipped"

A. 2 Power Snatch on the minute for 10 minutes (20 reps)


The uber weight was 155, but I wasn't feeling that goddamn uber, so I went with the 135.  I tried to make my form somewhat less spazzy than when I do this stuff for time, like with Isabel.  I'm not sure I succeeded. 


B. "Pistol-Whipped"

Not for time, but try for each round unbroken:
3 rounds of:
500M Row
16 Pistols (8 L+R)  
16 Sandbag Push Press 45/20


I'm now fairly decent at pistols with my left leg, but the right leg is still a work in progress  I can't really stay on my heel, so when I come back up, I'm usually off balance and have to save it by hopping around on one foot until I stabilize. 

Fortunately, I make that shit look graceful... sexy, even.  Don't worry. It's okay to stare.   

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. 

No Foolin'

For time:

21-15-9 of:

Snatch (75lb)

Pull-ups

Then 21-15-9 of:

Power cleans (75lbs)

Fucking toes-to-bar

THEN 21-15-9 of:

Push press (75lbs)

Box jumps (24")

This was going alright... then the first segment was done and my forearms caught on to the fact that I was in the process of doing something really terrible to them.  They started actively resisting on the T2B and even on the power cleans.  At that point, it was just a matter of chipping away at the middle segment like Tim Robbins digging an escape tunnel out of RapenSuck Penitentiary in The Shawshank Redemption. 

On the final segment, I went through the push press pretty fast but the box jumps were about as inspiring as you'd expect. (i.e. not very)

Final time: 21:15

Overheard at the Gym

"I'm doing that Whole Life Challenge."

"How is it?"

"It sucks."

"For something called 'Whole Life Challenge,' it sure seems like you're missing out on a lot of things."

A Spaz with a Muffin Top - What's not to love?

A. Power Snatch Double 2-2-2-2-2

95-115-125-135-145

Leya was coaching and was doing her best to remain positive about most of my form while being diplomatic about the fact that I'm jumping and stomping way too much. 

Let's face facts:  In life, and in CrossFit, I'm a bit of a spaz.  I'm always gonna be a bit of a spaz.  And when I snatch, I snatch as a spaz would.

As I stepped up to the bar for the last set, it occurred to me that I was stuck on a single snatch at 140 for the longest time.  Now, I wasn't even all that nervous about two at 145.  Truthfully, I probably would have attempted to go heavier afterward if it wasn't so late.  We had to move on to the metcon.

  

B. “Open 12.3″

AMRAP in 18 minutes:

• 15 Box Jumps 24″/20″
• 12 Push Press 115lb/75lb
• 9 Toes to Bar

I got 6 rounds + 15 box jumps + 12 push press  + 2 T2B

Not quite as good as my results last year when I got 7+ rounds, but it's not too far off.  Last year, I think there would have been more a competition feel to it, and I was probably a little more warmed up.  I also think I surprised myself with how good I did last year, so this was okay. 

After seeing some pictures from the Volke's garage WOD and thinking I looked a bit silly in a pair of excessively baggy shorts, I decided to wear some shorts that were more reasonably sized. 

As it turns out, the tighter waistband on those shorts accentuated my already considerable muffin top.  That was unfortunate for bystanders at CFR last night, as I decided I needed to ditch my shirt for the last part of the metcon. 

"Isabel"

The family was in Calgary for a week, which allowed me to do a little CrossFit tourism and sneak in a WOD at one of the local gyms. 

I went to CrossFit Athlete Inside, and did the benchmark girl "Isabel."

30 snatches for time (135lbs)

What I really liked about this was the fact that Coach Kevin led the group through a really extensive warm-up, focusing on the pull from the ground, working up to weights heavier than we'd be using in the WOD. 

Kevin and one of CrossFit AI's firebreather athletes Tim did their best to help me refine my spazzy snatch technique and footwork, but there's only so much you can do in an hour. 

Still I managed to knock 91 seconds off my previous time, even with a shoulder that's been giving me some issues. 

6:45, rx'd. 

“The Trooper-ish” and Double Unders

“The Trooper-ish”
800m Run

15 Snatches – 135/85lb (Advanced do 155/100lb)

400m Run

30 Front Squats – 155/105 (Advanced do 205/145lb)

*Add your own weight onto bar, must take bar from floor
Time cap =20 minutes


I used the 135 for the snatches, but thought I could handle the 205 front squats. 

Wrong.  After six reps, and two cleans, it was pretty clear I wasn't going to finish if I kept that much weight on the bar.  I lightened the weight to 155, and even with that, it wasn't a sure thing that I could get it done under the time cap.


3 scores:

1. 800m Run time   3:29

2. # of Front Squats in first set   3
3. Overall time (or if unfinished, time cap + 1 second for every unfinished rep)  18:58


B. 3 sets of Max Double-Unders

46, 49, 55 (PR)
I broke my previous DU PR of 53, which was nearly two years old. 

"Hope"

Same format as Fight Gone Bad, and it's just as awful.  I sure "Hope" I don't have to do this one again anytime soon. 

(Ha! I kill me.)

Three five-minute rounds, with one minute at each station:
-Burpees
-75 lb power snatch
-24" box jump
-75 lb thruster
-Chest to bar Pull-ups

I had a pretty good pace in the first round (88 reps, I think), but dropped off in the second (60) and third (55).  My goal was to maximize my reps on the burpees, snatches and thrusters.

203 total reps.

Open Workout 12.2 - SNATCHTASTIC!

Spotted on Twitter
"Orthopedic surgeons coast to coast all have the weirdest boner right now & don't know why."
- @WildGorillaMan


Overheard at the Gym
"You've seen my snatch."


Open Workout 12.2
Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

30 Snatch (M 75 / F 45 lbs)
30 Snatch (M 135 / F 75 lbs)
30 Snatch (M 165 / F 100 lbs)
Max Rep Snatch (M 210 / F 120 lbs)

This workout begins from the standing position. The athlete will complete all reps at the first weight before advancing to the next weight. Score is total reps completed in 10min. Athletes use one bar, must change plates as the clock is ticking.

Since I'm a non-committal wuss and didn't sign up for the Open, I didn't do 12.1, but CrossFit Regina made 12.2 today's WOD, so I got a chance to do it this morning.

I'm not particularly strong when it comes to power snatch and 135lb is on the heavy side. I've done "Isabel" (30x135lb power snatches for time), but it took me 8:16 (and that's before doing 30 snatches at 75. So, I figured I'd probably have a tough time getting past the second round. Plus, I've never snatched more than 160, so even if I did reach the third round, I likely wouldn't get one rep.

There were only three people at the morning WOD this morning. Kent and the Janimal did the first heat, with Coach Harlan and me counting reps. Then I went solo.

The first 30 with 75lbs took me less than two minutes, but then I was winded while trying to take off the 15lb plates and put on 45s. That was hard. Actually, catching my breath during this whole WOD was harder than you'd think, considering I was only doing maybe 4-6 snatches per minute during the second round.

The 135lb snatches were tough from the get-go. I tried to concentrate on keeping my chest up and dropping under the bar as best I could, but I still had to press out the weight on most reps.

I was also trying to keep my form decent as a way of self-preservation. As GorillaMan's quote indicates, this WOD would be a good way to fuck up your back if you're not careful. In that respect, it's a benefit that I: a) am not in the competition and b) did this at 6am. I didn't go crazy and sacrifice form in trying to achieve a particular score or beat someone.

On the bright side, I'm pretty sure my pace was a bit better than the last time I did "Isabel". I also had far fewer failed attempts (only two this morning, if I'm remembering right).

Total reps: 57 (30x75lb, 27x135lb)

Monday restfulness: Pre-Valentine's Day Snatch

The Boy accompanied me to the gym... sort of. He fell asleep in the car and spent my entire workout snoozing on the futon in CFR's front entrance.

A. Snatch Deadlift + Snatch from just below knee 1x3 with 75-80%1RM
Then, 3 snatch attempts to a heavy single

Did the DL + Snatch with 125.

Then did 135 and 145. The 145 felt really good going up, so I thought I'd put 160 on the bar, since my listed PR is 155. I utterly failed on the first one.

I tried a couple more times. It went up, with a fairly significant press-out on the first. Then it went up a bit better on the second. A bit of a press-out but Nolan still counted it, so I will too.
160

Still, there's a bit of an asterisk there. I think I'll make sure that I can confidently and consistently snatch 160 before looking to add to that number. I just need to remember to drop a bit lower.



B. 3 rounds with 10 minute limit of 50 Double-Unders and Max Pull-Ups

The deal here was that it wasn't for time, just for max pull-ups. As long as you could get all three rounds in under the 10:00. It allowed for a bit of rest between the DUs and each set of max pull-ups.

First set: 22
Second set: 16
Third set: 12
______________
Total: 51


C. 1 set Max Push-Ups

29. Ugh, that is not good.

Power Snatch and Burpees/K2E

A. Power Snatch 3-2-1-1-1

115-125-145-145-150(F)
Got some extra instruction from Aaron trying to correct my many snatch deficiencies.

Incidentally, if you were to write a book chronicling my high school years, "Snatch Deficiencies" would be a good title.



B. For time, Reps 10 -> 1 of:
- Speed Burpees
- Knees to Elbows

Took me 8:11

My knees were hitting my triceps (not high enough to count as contacting elbows) enough that Aaron wouldn't give me the rx'd star, which is completely fair. I'm not too bitter.

Knees to elbows are not fun when you've got Sissy Hands.

"Isabel" and Sled Drags

A. "Isabel" 30 power snatches with 135lbs

It was my first time doing it as rx'd. I had done it using 115lbs in 5 minutes plus change, and I vowed that the next time I did it, I would do it rx'd, even if it took me a lot more time. I figured 10:00 was a reasonable time to shoot for. It's only three reps per minute.

I will admit I had some doubts when I first tried the 135lbs. "Fuck, this is harder than I remembered."

I struggled with technique for a good part of this WOD, mostly pressing out my snatches from forehead level rather than doing it right. I missed on a few attempts as early as rep #6 but I kept plugging away. It wasn't until rep #24 that I realized I should have been dropping under the bar more the WHOLE TIME. (Note to self: Tyler, when you are reviewing this post the next time you go to do Isabel, remember to drop under the fucking bar so you won't have to press out on every rep.)

8:16 as rx'd.


B. Three minutes of 180lb sled drags for distance.

Sled drags are no one's idea of fun.


164m.

Sectional WOD #1

AMRAP in 10min of

30 double unders
15 power snatch (75lbs)

I got four rounds plus 30 DU and 11 snatches.

I'd like to think that I could have finished those four reps for an even 5 rounds, but this took all I had and as it was,I was desparately trying to keep pace with D3. I kept looking at the clock throughout this one, praying for it to be over.

Spring Fling WODs 2 and 3

Spring Fling WOD #2 “Pull Through”
For time: 45 Pull-ups
Then 21-15-9 reps of
Power Snatch – 95/65lb
Row Calories

Time was 12:52


“Rain or Shine”
3 rounds for time:
400m Run
20 Push Press/Jerk – 115/80lb
20 Box Jumps – 20″

Time was 13:53

My times today were slower than they were when I did these in the Spring Fling, (10:28 and 3:20 respectively). That can be attributed to a number of factors, but mostly due to the fact that the competition atmosphere is so crazy that it pushes you to your absolute limit. It's hard to take much of a break when you've got a gym full of people screaming at you to pick up that bar or jump on that box, and you've got a counter right with you keeping track of your results and coaching you through. Plus, if you're chasing someone or trying to stay ahead of someone, it gives you a heck of a push.

Plus, I hadn't eaten. I had woke up about 5:45. I didn't warm up. AND it was 6am in the morning and I didn't even have my pre-morning WOD meal of a spoonful of Nutella (note to self: buy more Nutella). Finally, I knew I'd have only a 10-minute break to do these WODs, not five hours so I paced myself a bit more on the first one.

If I'm being honest with myself, I could and should have pushed myself a little harder. Lesson learned.

Strength - Workout B

Given what I said in yesterday's post, I decided that I was going to do some Strength work today, no matter how "fun" the WOD looked.

Aw, damn, it's Filthy Fifty. I haven't done that for a year, and my 33-plus-minute time from back then is just begging to be improved upon. Oh well, a promise is a promise.

Back squats - Three sets of 5 x 215 lbs

I continue to be amazed at how heavy this feels, when I was at one point squatting 265 for fives. It goes up, but... damn.


Bench press - Three sets of 5 x 145 lbs

Heavy. Reaching the upper limits of my capability there. I wonder if I should still be going up by five lbs each time, or change it to 2.5 lbs? Maybe I'll wait until I actually fail.


Power cleans - Five sets of 3 x 155 lbs.

Still pretty good. The hook grip hurts.


I did five snatches of 135 lbs for fun afterward.

Tomorrow's workout may involve back squats and running. Maybe I can do Filthy Fifty then.


Overheard at the Gym:
(Discussing what the hook grip has in common with a condom)
Christian: "You know you should use it, but it just doesn't feel right."

Hero WOD "Randy" and must-see snatch video

For time:
75 power snatches, using 75 pounds.

I did this almost exactly one year ago, right before I started this blog. Back then, it took me 8:55.

Today, it took me 6:29. I'm pretty happy about that improvement. I wanted to take at least a minute off my time, and was hoping for a bit more. I figured I'd end up somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30.

I started off pretty fast, and did the first 30 in a little more than a minute. I slowed down a fair bit after that. I did the first 15 unbroken, and then did them in sets of five or less after.

Afterward, I did the 30 knees-to-elbows that was part of yesterday's workout, which I didn't have time for. I needed three sets (12, 13, 5) to do it.

Here's a video of some LAPD SWAT team members and CrossFitters doing the "Randy" WOD. The snatch technique ranges from good to not-so-good. Some guys are doing hang power snatches, but I think that's because they don't have bumper plates.

After the group workout is done, at 4:44 into this, there is an INSANE display by Josh Everett, who even I've heard of, so he is one of the top CrossFitters in the world. I'm gonna ruin it for you and tell you that he does the first 45 UN-FUCKING-BROKEN.

Strength - Workout A and training for an Isabel rematch

Back squat - Three sets of 5x 210 lbs

Why are these so heavy for me now? Oh, that's right, because I haven't been doing the fucking work.


Shoulder press - Three sets of 5 x 115 lbs

The last time I did these, this was supposed to be my warm-up weight. Then I failed trying it. Time to work my way back up.


Deadlift - One set of 5 x 225 lbs

This was okay.


After not being confident in my ability to do Isabel as rx'd, I kept 135 lbs on the bar and did some snatches. Not for time, just to do them. I did about 15, maybe averaging about three a minute. I think I was helped by the fact that I was pretty warmed up from the strength work.

I want to do a little work on my snatches at least once a week.

Doing 15 tells me that I can definitely do Isabel rx'd, but my time will probably be closer to 10:00 than 5:00.

Isabel and 400m "sprints"

Isabel rx'd is 30 135lb snatches for time. A couple warm-up snatches at that weight helped convince me to drop to 115.

With 115, it took me 5:13.

Next time, I will do this with a heavier weight, even if it takes longer.

Afterward, we had to do 3x400m sprints, resting between. The rest was as long as the previous run.

1:22
1:37
1:47

Front Squat / Snatches

Front Squat 5-5-5

I did 185 lbs, 205 lbs, 215 lbs. I came really close to failing on the 215 .

Then for load(not time): 15-12-9 reps of Snatch. Select a weight and each set must be unbroken with no rests. Increase weight for each set. Penalty for broken set is immediately do 7 burpees, adjust weight if needed and repeat set.

Burpee penalty? REPEAT SET? Eff dat.

95 lbs, 105 lbs, 115 lbs.