3/29

Warm-Up

500 meter row
foam rolled lower back, hip flexors, quads, and hamstrings
shoulder dislocates
leg swings

HBBS

45x5
95x5
185x5x2
195x2x2

then

5 rounds for time
5 deadlifts @ #275
7 HSPU
9 pistols

can't do HSPU or pistols so subbed HSPU on a box and step-ups onto a 24' box - 9 each leg. 13:55.

4/1

Warm Up

500 meter row
leg swings
shoulder dislocates
used the stick on quads, hamstrings, and calves
stretching

HBBS

45x10
135x2x5 (2 second pause at bottom)
195x5x5

Press

45x10
95x5
115x3x3

Core Work

Tabata - 2 minutes of each movement 20 seconds on/10 off

SLDL - 95#
butterfly sit-ups
supermans
flutter kicks

then

20 minute AMRAP

50 air squats
15 pull ups
10 hang power cleans @ 135#
20 burpees
250 meter run

Got through 2 rounds + about 35 air squats.

4/2

Warm Up

2 rounds of:
10 back squats w/ bar
10 behind the neck press w/ bar
10 OHS w/ bar

10 groiners
10 shoulder taps
10 mule kicks

I did 1 1/2 rounds.

Overhead Squats

95x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
135x5
145x5

These weren't all that bad, but I've been having medial elbow pain that comes and goes. The overhead squats really seemed to aggravate it today. There's always some body part that is bothering me...such a pain in the ass.

Conditioning

10, 9, 8, 7, 6.... of the following movements:

box jumps - 24'
KBS (American) w/ 53# kb
wall balls
hand release push ups

At the start and every 2 minutes, run 100 meters

I got through the round of 7.

4/3

Warm Up

500m row
shoulder dislocates
leg swings
stretching
foam roll lower lumbar, upper back, hammies, quads, calves, hip flexors

HBBS

45x10
95x5
185x2x2
195x2
205x2
215x2x2

Press

45x10
95x10
115x5x3

these have been feeling a lot better. on the last rep of the last few sets, I really had to fight through the sticking point, but I made all of them, which I'm quite happy about.

Clean Pull + full Clean

135x2x3
155x2x3
165x2x3
185x2x2
185x1
195x2x1

Pendlay Rows

185x5x3

4/5

Weight - 210.8

Dynamic warm-up
Foam rolling

Snatch

95x1 (3 position)
115x1 (3 position)
135x2x1
145x2x1
155x2x1

Conditioning

10 rounds for time (18 min. cap)
5 deadlifts @ 275#
10 squat thrusts
5 L-pull ups
10 squat thrusts

got through 6 rounds before hitting the cap.

4/6

Warm Up

foam roll
stretching
the stick
leg swings
shoulder dislocates

Front Squats

work up to heavy single then 2x2 @ 75%

135x5
165x3
185x1
195x1
205x1
215x1
220x1
225x1
195x2x2

last time I tested my FS 1RM, it was 205#, so a 20# PR. Looks like all that back squatting has carried over nicely. And here I was thinking I had a super efficient 200# clean/175# snatch with a 205# FS...guess I got a little less weak at some point.

Snatch

work up to heavy single, then 5x1 @ 75%

95x1 (3 position)
115x1 (3 position)
135x2x1 (one fail)
145x2x1
155x1
165x1
175x1 (1 fail) (tied my PR)
180xf (so very very close)
135x5x1

Clean

work up to heavy single then 5x1 @ 75%

135x1
155x1
165x1
185x1
195x1
205xf (pinned at the bottom)
155x5x1
155x1 + 5 hang cleans (easy peasy)

I was supposed to C&J but shoulder felt a little wonky push jerking at 135 and 155 so I just cleaned the remaining reps.

4/7

Weight - 212.8

I guess I'm bulking?? I must be eating a lot because I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week for at least an hour at a time (I was in there 2 hrs today). On the plus side, at least my strength numbers are going up across the board. At some point soon, I'm going to take a closer look at my diet and try and shed a few pounds. I might even consider starting to log my food, but that seems like a pain. We'll see how motivated I am.

Warm Up

foam roll quads, hip flexors, lower lumbar, upper back, hamstrings, and calves
shoulder dislocates
stretching

HBBS

45x10
135x5
185x3
205x4x4
225x2

definitely feel like I'm getting stronger. the bar speed slowed down significantly on the last few sets at 205, but it wasn't too bad.

Press

45x10
95x10
115x4x3
120x3

The 3rd rep on the last set was haaaard, but it felt good to get it up. Right shoulder is feeling a little tight at full extension, but not in a bad way, just feels like my mobility is lacking or something.

Full Cleans

Every Other Minute on the Minute

5 rounds @ 165#

First 3 rounds were tap and go and I finished in around 20-25 seconds, so I had about a 90 second rest. Last 2 rounds, did 3 unbroken +1. The last round was really really difficult.

Pendlay Rows

165x5x5

Conditioning

7 rounds of:

5 box jump overs (24' box)
5 strict T2B
5 Russian KBS (70# KBS)

Also got a strict bar muscle up at the end of the workout just messing around with my buddy. It was quite possibly one of the ugliest bar muscle ups in the history of gymnastic movement, but I got over the bar. I tried a bunch more times but couldn't get it again. I'm looking forward to trying these again later this week when I'm fresh.

4/9

Weight - 211.0

Warm Up

300 meter row
foam roll hip flexors, quads, hamstrings
shoulder dislocates
hip stretches
leg swings

HBBS

45x10
95x10
185x2
195x2
205x2
215x2
225x2x2

Press

95x3x5

Conditioning

21-18-15-12-9

Front Squats @ 135#
KBS @ 53# (American)
Knees to Elbow

Got through the round of 15 by the 20 minute time cap. Ughhhhh, this was brutal. Front squats got very difficult very quickly. After the first 10 or so, I started to split the reps up in sets of 5 and then spent a good deal of time staring at the bar for 20-30 seconds. Knees to elbow was not too bad, but is much more difficult for me since I don't kip. All in all, a good workout, but I definitely feel like I lost a step or two on met-con (not that I care much, just an observation).

Edit: Got another strict bar muscle up today. Ugly again. It consists of me doing a pull up, getting my left arm over the bar, balancing the entire left side of my body on the bar, and pulling the rest of me over so I can do the dip. Whatever, I'll take it, and eventually it will look more graceful (I hope).

4/10

Warm Up

Foam roll
leg swings
shoulder dislocates
a little stretching

Snatch

95x1 (3 position - floor, thigh, hip)
115x2 (3 position - same as above)
135x3x1
145x2x1
155x2x1
165 - failed 3 times - wtf???
160x1 - this went up nicely

snatch just felt off today and shoulders were feeling a little tight.

Jerk

65x2
95x2
135x2
165x2x1
185x1 (ties PR)
190xf (really close)
185x1

Conditioning

4 rounds for time:

20 double unders
20 step ups w/ 35# DBs onto an 18' box
400 meter run

rest 1 minute between rounds

got through 3 1/2 rounds in 18 minutes.

4/12

Weight - 209.8

Warm Up

500 meter row
shoulder dislocates
leg swings
samson stretch
foam roll it band, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, and thoracic and lumbar spine

HBBS

45x5
95x5
135x5
185x2
205x2
225x3
225x4x2

My hips were super tight, stiff, and achy for the first few warm up sets. If only I wasn't working out in the morning, this wouldn't be an issue. Once I got to 205 though, I warmed up a good deal and the pain dissipated. The program I'm loosely following called for 230x3x3, but I just wasn't feeling it today because 225x3 felt extremely difficult, so I switched up the rep scheme a little bit.

Hang Cleans

135x2x2
155x2x2
165x2x2
185x3x2
185x4x1

I jerked on the first set, left shoulder felt terrible, and decided just to clean.

Pendlay Rows

185x5x5
135x10

Conditioning

15-12-9 of:

95# thrusters
chest to bar pull ups

Took me around 8:30ish. Those thrusters take so much out of me. Stopped doing chest to bar pull ups after the first 10 or so. It's just too hard for me to maintain doing them strict.

4/13

active recovery day - 3.00 mi run with 10 pushups and ~30 seconds of plank every half mile.

4/14

Weight - 210.4

Warm Up

250 meter row
leg swings
stretching
foam roll everything
shoulder dislocates

HBBS

45x5
95x5
135x3
185x3
205x3
215x3x3
220x3x3

Press

45x5
95x5
105x3x5

Snatch

3 position - floor, mid thigh, hip (without dropping the bar)

105x2x1
125x2x1

2 position - floor, mid thigh (without dropping the bar)

135x2x1
140x2x1
145X1
150x2x1

Full Snatch

155x3x1

Clean

135x3
155x3
175x2x2
185x2x2
185x4x1

Stiff Leg Deads (standing on 45# plates)

185x5
205x5x5

Farmer Walks

walked ~100 meters with 70 lb KB in one hand and 53 lb KB in the other and switched at the 50 meter mark. Did that 3x. Grip was smoked and was sweating like a pig. Did this outside in the 80+ degree heat. I rested about ~1-2 minutes between sets.

P-Dubb,

For 4/13, what speed did you run at?

I haven't tried farmers walks with KBs. I have always used weighted barbells. Have you used both? Preference for either?

run was very very slow, like a 11:30 min. mile pace. I had terrible DOMS from the previous day's squats/thrusters and I wasn't going for speed, just an active recovery run with the wife without overdoing it.

I never tried farmer's walks with barbells. When I do farmer's walks (which isn't often), I usually take the KBs outside the gym to walk with them, so they are just smaller/more manageable, and my grip isn't strong enough that I would need to go beyond 80 or so pounds, so the KBs work just fine.

How many cleans per set?

Progress Pics: The first ones are from 2010 when I was ~240ish nearing all time fatness. The more recent ones are from January or so at around 205 lbs. I would like to shed some more fat obv, but happy with progress so far. Besides, I'm married, I don't need them abz.

4. I wanted to do 5 but thankfully my workout partner talked me out of it. This was last week and I still remember those last rounds as being absolute murder.

4/17

Warm Up

Foam roll everything
used the stick on my hamstrings
shoulder dislocates
150 meter run
2x10 strict presses, deadlifts, and squats with the bar

Crossfit Total - 3 attempts to establish 1RM of Squat, Dead, and Press

Squat

135x5
185x3
225x1
245x1
255x1 (pr)
260x1 (pr)

Deadlift

225x5
275x3
315x1
345x1
365x1 (ties PR, but was a lot easier this time around)
375xf (bar didn't leave the ground)

Press

125x1
130x1 (ties PR)
135xf

So a rather pitiful 755 total, although last time I tested it in June 2012, it was 690. I could probably lift a tad more on the squat and dead if I had a belt, but I don't. I have a Valeo 6 inch leather belt in the mail though. It should be here Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing if my squats feel any different with them.

Conditioning

1 minute ME of burpees (18), double unders (40something), and pull ups (11).

4/18

Weight - 210.4

Warm Up

250 meter row
shoulder dislocates
leg swings
foam roll
light hip stretches

HBBS

45x10
95x5
135x5
185x2
210x6x2

Snatch Complex

Full Snatch + Hang Snatch (from below the knee) + 2 OHS

95x2
115x2
125x2
135xf (failed hang snatch twice. bar path was out of whack when I was trying to snatch from the hang...frustrating)

then did 5 or 6 singles at 135

Snatch Grip DL

185x3x3

Pendlay Rows

185x2x3
195x3x3

Conditioning

"Nancy" - 5 RFT of:

400 meter run
15 overhead squats @ 95#

got through 4 rounds in ~19 minutes. Did the first round of squats unbroken and had to split up the remaining rounds. The run started to really suck in round 2, but really really suck in rounds 3 and 4.

4/20

Paid $30 to run a 5k today, but they were raising money to donate to Boston victims, so that was good and I'm glad to help in any little way I can.

Running a 5k in 88 degree heat and humidity is pretty challenging. My conditioning also feels like it's gone to ****. Finished in 31ish minutes with a 2 minute water break at the 2 mile mark (wife was getting dizzy). Probably would have finished in 29ish minutes, which is still pretty slow and 5 minutes off my PR. Have another 5k on Thursday. I'm interested to see how fast I can do it when I really push it. Oh, and I hate running. Don't know why I get tricked into signing up for these things.

4/21

Weight - 211.2

Warm Up

Foam Roll
leg swings
shoulder dislocates
stretching
a few air squats

HBBS

45x10
95x5
135x3
185x3
210x7x3

first time using a belt. Didn't feel much of a difference other than just having my abs pushed up against something. I think I got it one size too big. I have to use the last notch and would want to see what it is like one notch tighter. I'm too lazy to ship it back to exchange it though.

Snatch

95x2x1
125x2x1
135x2x1
145x2x1
150x2x1
160x2x1
165x2x1
170xf (failed 3 times - the first in front and the next two behind. so ****ing annoying)

C&J

95x2x1 + 1 jerk
135x2x1
155x1
165x2x1 (didn't jerk, instead cleaned from floor + hang clean from below the knee)
185x3x1 (clean only)

Pendlay Rows

185x5x5

Weighted Pull Ups

5x3 with a 16 kg kettlebell hanging from my foot.

Conditioning

3 rounds of:

50 meter farmer's walks with 70# KB in one hand and 53# KB in the other
20 double unders
50 meter farmer's walk (alternating hands)

Used chalk this time and grip was a non-issue. Probably should've done more rounds or something else because this wasn't very met-conny, but I was running out of time and my shorts kept falling off while doing dubs, so I just said F it and went home. There's always tomorrow.

I need to get in on this snatching and C&J business. Seems my two fave H&F CFers love'm.

Odd to see you doing a conditioning drill that calls for off-balance kettlebell weights on opposing sides. What's the benefit?

How hard it is to hang the kettlebell from your foot when doing weighted pullups? I find it really easy to lock a dumbbell between my two feet.

Tbh, it wasn't the best met-con, but reason for uneven weights is it makes your core work harder to balance out. At least that's what I've read somewhere. Whether or not that's true, I have no idea, but I like doing them.

Wrt kettlebells for weighted pullups, it's pretty easy provided you don't have to jump to grab the bar, which I don't. I just step on the top of the bell while situating my foot under the handle, grab the bar, and pull. It would be easy enough to do with a dumbbell as well, but the kettlebells just happen to be more accessible at my gym. Plus, my gym's dumbbells don't go over 35#, so when I want to go heavier, I have to use a kettlebell or a dip belt with plates.

Edit: Oh, And oly lifting is a ton of fun. I'd recommend getting coaching if you want to get into it, although I think there are people on this board have done it with books/youtube, and form checks uploading videos. I think Greg Everett has a book for beginners, but I personally would recommend coaching in person if possible.

4/22

Warm Up

500 meter row
shoulder dislocates
foam roll thoracic and lumbar spine, hammies, quads, and calves

Press

45x10
95x5
115x5x3

Clean & Press Complex

warmed up with 2x5 hang power cleans at 115

3 hang power cleans + 2 push press

135x4

2 hang power cleans + 1 push press

155x5
165x2 (on the first set, I failed the push press, brought it back down to my shoulders and jerked it)

Conditioning

"Kelly"

5 rounds for time of:

400 meter run (subbed row)
30 box jumps 24' box
30 wall balls 20 lb ball

took me 30 minutes and I'm pretty sure I cheated some reps in there. Oh well.

PSA for anyone who reads my log and does occasional xfit movements - here is a very good article highlighting some movements to consider avoiding: http://www.crossfit77.com/7-most-overrated-exercises/. I don't agree with him on the hand release push ups. Just because people cheat the movement doesn't make it a bad one. I also don't have a problem with American style KBS, although I do prefer Russian swings. I think he's pretty spot on with the rest of his criticism though.

4/23

Warm Up

foam roll quads, calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors
stretching
leg swings
dislocates

HBBS

45x10
95x5
135x3
185x2
210x6x2
225x2x2

210 & 225 were belted. I was having some minor tailbone pain on the warm ups, but once I put the belt on, I didn't feel it anymore.

Snatch Balance

45x5
95x5
115x3
135x3x1

Conditioning

"Grace" - 30 Clean & Jerks for time @ 135#. 6:30. I push pressed nearly every one and dropped to reset every one as well. Probably could've done it a little faster if I did a few touch and go, but I decided to take the time to reset every one. Even slowing things down, some of my cleans were ugly.

4/25

Warm Up

300 meter row
foam roll back, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors
shoulder dislocates
leg swings
stretching

HBBS

45x10
95x5
135x4
185x4
210x6x4 (belted)

These were pretty tough. Not looking forward to doing 6x6 of 210 next week.

Press

45x10
95x5
115x3
120x2x3
120x2x2
125x1

Hang Snatch (from mid-thigh)

did a bunch of warm ups with 95#

115x3
135x5x2

I failed the second rep on the 4th set at 135 behind, mainly because grip was bothering me, so on the last set I dropped the bar between reps. All others were done without dropping the bar.

All in all a light day because I have a 5k this afternoon. I would like to beat my 25:22 PR I set back in November, but I've made conditioning a secondary goal behind getting stronger, so I'm not terribly optimistic. We'll see.