went along w/ the CF guys here. the WOD:

20 snatches.
15 handstand press ups
10 toes to bars.
800 metre run

5 rounds.

at noon in mexican summer. yea, terrible programming. the coach didn't want me to sub handstand press ups for press ups, which i did but still quit after 3.5 rounds (35 minutes in). first time i've ever quit a WOD/workout/run. coach did it in 37, rest around 45 - 55 minutes.

Awful. What was his reasoning on the non sub?

"you have to try them. Even if you just hold in that position for a while." all which makes no sense and I'm sure by the 4th round I'd be struggling just to lock out against the wall.

Left shoulder joint is in pain in certain positions/movements today, as it used to be in the past from toes to bars but I bet the snatches helped too this time.

I should have just backed out as soon as he said the WOD but cults gonna cult.

Wanted to strength train today but my body STILL feels like ****. It's been a miserable couple of days. Been doing mobility work, went for a sports massage and did some active recovery on the c2 but still feel terrible.

been doing goblet squats w/ KBs and spending a long time at the bottom shoving my knees out. it's helped an incredible amount. who would have knew Rip knows what he's talking about.

29/02:

S: 175 x 3 x 5
B: 155 x 3 x 5
PC: 95 x 3 x 5

no idea what happened with my bench going backwards. meh. did a power clean progression then that work set. going to start low there and add 10lb on for as long as i can.

today:

S: 185 x 3 x 5
D: 285 x 3 x 5
P: 115 for 5, 5, 6.

bad form on the last 3 reps of my deadlift, lacking strength to keep my back in that good position throughout the lift. Going to reset down. For the press, going to carry on with 2 x 5 at 115 then as many reps as possible for the last set until i think i can hit 125lb 3 x 5.

I need to fix my wrist position/strength for the press. It's getting sore now the weight is going up.

Happy with the gains considering 30% of my calories are coming from alcohol. viva la mexico.

Dynamic warm up.

S: 195 x 3 x 5
B: 160 x 3 x 5 (155 + 4 1.25lb clips)
PC: 105 x 3 x 5 some bad reps of reverse curling, some good reps, weight is still too light.

Cool down: 2:35/5km speed for 5 minutes on the rower, handful of swimming laps and lacrosse ball SMR.

Been doing crossfit 2 days a week for the lulz.

A wod they had was 1k run, 100 cleans, and 1k run. 100 cleans seems pretty ridiculous, but highest weight used was 60kg by one dude, so /shrug.

That 20 snatch, 5 rounds is ridiculous though, haven't seen anything that bad yet.

One of the people who crossfits with that group seemed genuinely interested why i didn't want to train with them anymore even though i do like some of the CF philosophy. So i explained my reasoning about Olympics lifts at high reps when fatigued and plus my ability to injure easily. Then the very next day CF released their open 12.2 WOD:

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
75 pound Snatch, 30 reps
135 pound Snatch, 30 reps
165 pound Snatch, 30 reps
210 pound Snatch, as many reps as possible

shrug.

That's ridiculous. Who comes up with these workouts? I watched some guys who were the "fittest in the world" according to crossfit I guess, and these guys were strugging to finish 165. Doing 210 in that state is a recipe for injury. Why the 30 reps anyway. Why couldn't they do 15 (not that doing 15 excuses the ******edness). Ugh. Not sure this box I'm at did 12.2, gonna ask next time I go.

I had really high hopes for the open this year as the first one allowed everyone to participate, was hard, and seemed to align with my philosophy. After 12.2 came out I gave up- its incredibly ******ed. Only the very best will be able to do this without putting themselves at a huge risk(not to say they aren't at risk to injury) and competently. I saw so much trash at the box I train at and around the internets.

Want to get good at snatching? Get good at OH squatting- snatch balance, and I don't know... snatching? People who aren't years deep in experience are wasting their times with these opens WODs imo and are at risk of severely injuring themselves.

We had a drop in this week from a very very fit woman from san fran. She has been cfing for 3+ years 5-6 days a week. On 12.3 her 2nd box jump she ruptured here achilles, she was a nurse practioner and knew instantly.

For reference 12.3 is 15 box jumps, 12 rack to overhead (115#) and 9 toes to bar.

**** the open.

That's why i like the way my Crossfit in England programs. They're doing well in the open as a team too, currently top 30 in Europe.

---
1 mile run and mobility warm up.

Work out:

D: 285 x 1 x 5 Repeat of last time. This was tough.
S: 205 x 3 x 5. This was tough.
P: 115 for 4. 105 for 5 and then 4. This was tough.

Slow .5 mile jog and swimming for cool down.

These workouts are feeling pretty brutal now that i'm coming to the end of the beginner stage. Doing DL first wasn't smart either.

Deadlift: My figures for deadlift put me at intermediate programming now but i still think there's a couple of resets in there and my form has had a break down recently so i'd like to do a couple of little ones. I'm going to take 20lb off add 10lb each session.

Squat: My right leg is noticeable stronger and more stable than my left leg as seen from my hopeless left leg pistol. I think this is causing some strange motion in my squat as i feel like my body is trying to shift the weight to one side more. If that is even possible. I'm going to work in some single leg work in the future.

Press: I'm causing damage to my left wrist with my press as don't get my elbows that much past the bar causing my forearm/wrist/hand to be bent and my wrist is taking the pressure of this bad position. I THINK it's because of scapular tightness but i'm not sure. I'll google and ask around later. So i'm going to reset this down to 105lb and add 5lb each session. Working mobility in the meantime.

Spring break in Cancun for the next 4 days. Upping my diet to 60% of total calories consumed from alcohol.

Blog style entry just to clear my thoughts:

Last Sept i set a bunch of fitness goals with a one year deadline. Most of these were past goals that i'd given up on at some point and had finally decided it's lame of me to set them and then forget about them. They are:

- Intermediate club for deadlift, press, bench, squat and power clean, video recorded with GOOD form.

- Achieve a sub 18 minute 3 mile run.

- Summit one of the 7 summits - Kilimanjaro being the choice.

- Run the London Marathon.

- Complete the Comrades ultramarathon.

- Hike the Tour de Mount Blanc.

Lamer ones:

- Do the 300 workout in a respectable time (gymjones fanboy)

- Achieve a muscle up.

----

After i blew my knee up in the Vegas half marathon the comrades ultra is off. And given my knee still has problems when i'm running even short distances there is no way i'll be able to run the London Marathon in April. But i'm back in England May - August so i'm entertaining ideas of going down there for a weekend and just running the official course on a normal day in August. Even if i just have to just struggle some 5hr walk-run BS for no other reason than to tick the goal off.

Plus as of May i'll be back doing CF in England so i can start CF Endurance again for the short/long tempo runs to get my 18 min 3 mile, hopefully that will crossover and make the marathon easier.

Before May I need to pick off as many of the intermediate lifts as possible and then use CF to maintenance my strength but increase my conditioning.

But most importantly given the long time frame of these relatively easy goals, my current niggling injuries and the long hikes of Kilimanjaro and Tour de Mount Blanc i REALLY need to be focusing on fixing my knee/mobility and becoming more less injury prone. For me, there really is no point in being able to squat 300lb if i can't hike for consecutive days without flaring up my knee. So when i get to intermediate on the lifts i'm just going to do enough to maintain at that level for a while and use the extra time for mobility etc.

thinking this is true is perhaps why you're injured often. You're serving like 4 masters here.

programming ADHD def. but i like conflicting goals and i think i have enough time to complete them. i feel only the long distance and lifting conflict that much.

went to the gym the following day after 3 wild days of 16 hour drinking sessions at spring break in Cancun, put 205 on the bar, squatted it down, dropped it on the safeties and called it a workout.

today:

S: 195
B: 160
D: 265

all good. worked out w/ a fellow 2p2er who is also doing SS. it helps an incredible amount.

shall be drinking and partying less and eating and sleeping more in the future so cheers to gains

S: 200. (195 w 6 clips)
P: 115 for 5 5 7.
PC: 105.

Felt strong. PC form still needing work obv.

S: 205.
B: 162.2 (160 w/ metal clips)
D: 271.6 (265 w/ 6 metal clips lulz)

Just getting over flu so this session was fairly tough. The squats felt brutal. Bench felt easy. I need to practice getting my trunk tighter on all the lifts.

S: 210
P: 117.2
PC: 115

PC is still light. Some good reps and some muscled up reps. I'm catching it better though.

Squat was tough. Some bad reps and I could use more flexibility just for more of a buffer on bad reps. Will probably take a week off for recovery and more mobility in 3 weeks.

D 275
B 165
S 215

Failed the last rep on the squat. Will repeat next time. Failed more because of balance and depth than strength. Had to switch the lifting order because the curl rack was in use.

S 215
P 117.2
PC 125

Both squat and press were a repeat as i failed a rep last time. Both felt a lot easier this time. PC still feels light and and my form still needs to improve. I'm jumping backwards a lot but Rip says that's fine.

2nd April:

S: 220
B: 167.2
D: 280

Today:

S: 225, 5 5 4.
P: 120 - felt surprisingly very easy.
PC: 135

March felt like a very productive month w/ my lifts. Stats:

Squat: +50lb
Deadlift: +0lb - because of the large reset, but dropping my ass before the start of the lift better.
Press: +5lb - large reset too
Bench: +12.2 - much better form
PC: +40lb

D: Did 280 before realising I was supposed to do 285 today. So then did 285. Felt fine.
B: 170. Felt fine.
S: 225. 5 5 4. Missed again. Mostly due to bad balance and form. Going back to 210.

S: 210
P: 122.2
PC: 140

PC final set felt tough, will rest more. Form is getting worse for it too now. Will reread that chapter since it's been a while.

Squat felt like the best form i've ever had, i love resets.

D: 290
B: 172.2
S: 215

Slight break down in form on the last rep of my deadlift and squat. Bench felt great.

I hate doing the lifts in that order but someone was doing sit ups on a yoga mat in the squat rack.