Crossfit

Back Squat
Heavy 7-5-3
0:00, 3:30, 7:00

90x7
95x5
100x3

For Time (12 min cap)
75 Calorie Row
21 Single Dumbbell Front Squats (22.5kg)
21 Single Dumbbell Push Presses
21 Single Dumbbell Hang Clusters

11:14 RX

Pretty great session - squats, cardio, leg accessories, push accessories. My last squat session was 90x5x3, so these weights seemed like a reasonable step up. I probably had 4 or 5 RIR on the last set, which puts my 1RM around 120-125. That's pretty decent from 135-140 pre-lockdown.

The metcon was fun. I rowed at around 950-1000 cal per hour (around 2:00 pace) and that let me start the squats immediately without being out of breath. Squats were fine, push presses were fine, hang clusters were a cluster****. Down to singles early on, but got through it. I like the single DB stuff, it really forces you to brace your core. It was really good to do crossfit in the morning and see lots of familiar faces.

Deload week starts now!

Crossfit - Strength

Squat: 95x5x3
OHP: 47.5x5x3
Deadlift: 100x5, 115x5x2

Squats were easy, OHP was easy. I was doing 1 set of 5 with deadlifts, but this coach said 3 sets of 5. He then made me do touch n go, wat. So anyway, 115x5x2 it was. It wasn't too bad. I'll continue adding 5kg to squats and deadlifts and 2.5 to bench and OHP.

Crossfit

For Time (18 min cap)
500m Row, 21 Burpees
500m Row, 15 Burpees
500m Row, 9 Burpees
250m Row, 9 Power Cleans (52.5kg)
250m Row, 15 Power Cleans
250m Row, 21 Power Cleans

Scaled to 45kg and finished in 17:56

Strict Gymnastics (5 minute cap)
1) Max Unbroken Strict Handstand Push-ups
2) Max Unbroken Strict Pull-ups

10+10

I scaled the metcon perfectly (heaviest possible weight to get under the time cap). I rowed at around 2:06 for the first 4 rounds, and then a lot slower. Power cleans were 5+4, then sets of 3 with a small break. HR was under control until the set of 15 power cleans when it probably went up a lot. I had to hustle to get in under the time cap in the last round; I had less than 2 minutes for the 21 power cleans and my forearms were burning. Really fun though and I think in the past I would have had to do 40kg to get under the time cap even though I was stronger, due to worse cardio.

I didn't really see the point of testing a max set of gymnastics under fatigue, but I was surprised with 10 HSPU and 10 pullups were meh, but my grip gave way. PRs are 13 and 15 (both likely soft).

Deload week update:
My body feels ****ing great. My RHR on my garmin is fairly accurate and has been plummeting. I feel well rested and rearing to go. I'm also thinking about abandoning the monteship and joining the syndromship. I just want to get up, go do crossfit, and forget about exercise for the day. My WIM for rowing is dwindling and grinding the 4x2000 and 60 minute UT2 does not sound fun. I think there's a decent chance that gyms in London are shut over the winter. If I do a couple of months of lifting/crossfit and maintaining rowing, that should get my WIM back for rowing over the winter if gyms are indeed shut.

I know myself well enough now and after 1-2 months of crossfit/lifting, when my strength gains start slowing and metcons are not fun and are grinding me down, I'll want to get back to either a proper strength program or rowing again.

I've also started working long hours. I'm trying to teach myself a new way to trade, since the old way is fairly stable and doesn't require too much time. I feel mentally stimulated after quite a while and it's fun. This means that getting exercise out of the way in the morning is what I need, and combining strength and cardio into a crossfit session seems sensible. If I were to row everyday in the morning, I would have no time for any strength, which would be lolbad.

Trade?

You being ok with switching things up is wise.

I agree both they taking a training break is advisable if you're feeling run down and that CrossFit is unlikely to be available in the winter, so might as well get it while it's available.

Are you going to do 1-2 home rows per week just to keep the groove greased a bit?

Yeah, I gamble in the financial markets.

Definitely! I just switched my membership to unlimited, but on days where there are 2 metcons or I think the programming is dumb, I plan on doing UT2. I figure 20k per week of UT2 and metcons will at least maintain my conditioning. My rowing specific conditioning will probably get worse without all the intervals, but it shouldn't take too long to get that back.

------------

My cut started a few days back. I've made these changes:

1. No butter with toast at breakfast (100 calories)
2. Banana instead of a protein shake preworkout (150 calories)
3. Small dessert instead of binge dessert after dinnner (300-400 calories)
4. No stupid choices when getting delivery (fries, hummous, etc. ~200 calories since I get delivery once a day atm)

This should easily get me in a deficit and I'll cut more food out if the weight isn't dropping. I was in loco's zone of too fat to bulk and too skinny to cut, but I'm definitely out of that zone now and into must-cut territory.

If you are looking to increase your variance and have fun with math, I recommend trading VIX futures

I keep an eye on it, but don't trade it. Do you trade it? I'm currently trying to trade the S&P, which is 2:30pm to 9pm over here, hence the long hours.

Yep. It is only worthwhile if you are a quant and don't mind occasionally shitting yourself.

Why do you think you need to be a quant to trade the VIX? I've studied enough to be a quant, but you get taught nothing practical on how to trade. If you're talking about algorithmic trading, then perhaps, but I don't think you were talking about that. Trading the VIX is not really different to trading any other product and you certainly don't need to be a quant to trade anything else. Money printer, brrr, stonks go up, etc.

Well, using a theory/model, testing it and then writing an algorithm (or doing by hand).

It is a weird bird. Not directly investible, so none of the normal logic surrounding trading works.

Row

10,000m - UT2 (allegedly)
45:49.5 10,000m 2:17.4 135 763 19 161

9:11.3 2,000m 2:17.8 134 760 19 151
9:08.0 4,000m 2:17.0 136 768 19 157
9:11.6 6,000m 2:17.9 133 759 19 162
9:13.6 8,000m 2:18.4 132 754 19 166
9:04.9 10,000m 2:16.2 138 776 19 171

Deload week done, look at that high HR! RPE was really low though, it felt good. But my HR just went higher and higher, nearly UT1. I hope I haven't lost too much fitness and it's just a bit of rust.

I feel great, ready to start training again. My resting HR on my garmin was always around 70 for the last month, it's now down to below 60. The garmin calculates it around 5 beats higher, but it is inconsistently consistent. I needed this week off badly.

Sounds good. Hope you finish the deload week refreshed and recovered.

Crossfit - Strength

Squat: 100x5x3
Bench Press: 65x5x3
Deadlift: 120x5x2

Squats are becoming more grindy, but still room to go. Bench was hard, might fail next week. No chest present. Deadlifts were the easiest of the lot; I will however go back to doing just 1 heavy set. I'm going to start adding 2.5kg for squats and deadlifts now, instead of 5.

Yeah, I feel great! I really need to do these more often or even a mini 3-4 day deload.

The gap between your squat and dl seems abnormally high. Maybe you overestimate squat rpe? Or just have really long arms

.

Crossfit

10 minutes Muscle up technique
Plus one max effort set to finish

I did 1 muscle up and my head scraped the ceiling and I stopped. I couldn't choose another bar because of covid and staying in your own lane, etc.

For Time (20 min cap)
1000m Row
21 Dumbbell Squat Cleans (22.5/15kg)
500m Row
7 Muscle ups or 21 Pull ups
500m Row
21 Dumbbell Squat Cleans (22.5/15kg)
1000m Row

I scaled to 20kg DBs and finished in 19:48. I did one muscle up and again my head scraped the ceiling and I got scared again. I switched to pullups and did 18. 2x20kg DBs were too heavy and I scaled it down to 14 reps in the second round to get in under the time cap. Rowing was all very slow to recover for whatever was next.

I stayed after class and attempted a bar muscle up EMOM on a bar where my head didn't hit the ceiling. I did 1 a minute for 4 minutes, then failed one and went home. I just wanted to see where I was with muscle ups. I was pretty tired at this point but at least did a few.

It seems fairly standard by most ratios I have seen. Deadlift is also 1 set (except for the last couple of times) vs 3 sets for squats, so that reduces it further.


That's exactly how I look.

Crossfit - Strength

Squat: 102.5x5x3 (Video)
OHP: 50x5x3
Power Clean: 60x5x3 (Video)

First lifting videos after lockdown - how do they look? Squats were a bit grindy but lots of room left. OHP was surprisingly fine, maybe RPE 8.5. Power cleans were easy obviously because it's my starting weight.

I forgot a GGO from Friday. There was a girl lifting opposite me at crossfit who was outlifting me by 5-10kgs. She is a strongman competitor and deadlifted 180 at 60 prelockdown. Pretty impressive.

I have pretty much decided on running ATS2.0 for 21 weeks after this month of my unlimited crossfit membership runs out. I want to commit to a long program and break lots of PRs. I will have to call an audible and probably go back to rowing if gyms are shut. I'm excited for it though.

You could probably generate more power out of the hole if you had a more aerodynamic haircut and lost the beard.

Obviously keep the mustache to intimidate the weights.

Edit: the worst lifting experience I've ever had was when I was being a good gym citizen and pulling weights off a trap bar to put away after doing deadlifts a smallish-but-thick woman told me to not bother. She then did her first warm-up set using what had been my work set weight.

I like the CB approved "start walking the weight back to the rack on the way up to save time" method. The set did look pretty easy, though.

I probably look my age now (I'm 33), but without the beard I legit look like I'm 20. It shall stay and at least I have an excuse up my sleeve when the powerlifters come and poke fun of me in here.

I had a moustache once and I thought I looked amazing one day and terrible the next. It was infuriating.

After reading the Melk-Monte debate, I am unclear whether you are saying I am getting forward out of the hole or whether I actually walked back to the rack quickly. I'm strongly leaning towards the latter.

Crossfit

Squat snatch
(0:00-4:00): Build to a Moderate High-Hang Squat Snatch (Pockets)
(4:00-8:00): Build to a Moderate Hang Squat Snatch (Above Knees)
(8:00-12:00): Build to a Moderate Low-Hang Squat Snatch (Below Knees)

40, 45, 45

On the 4:00 x 5 Rounds:
20 Calorie Row
20 Double Unders

Rope broke again during the warm up, so changed it to 40 hops over a dumbbell. 1:17, 1:20, 1:23, 1:17, 1:22

I loved this session, weightlifting and cardio. It was my first time snatching in 6 months, so I kept it light. It felt decent. Coach said not to go up in weight for the last 4 minutes to work on being explosive. I can't believe my rope broke again; I'm going to order one from a new company this time. It was a nice sprinty metcon. I rowed around 1:44.

4 days in a row now, but my body feels good. I'm going to be smart and take tomorrow off, crossfit on Wednesday, and Thursday off.

You started walking back to the rack before finishing your last rep, which is a CB special; not sure what calling Melk out for melking has to do with it, though.

Yeah, not exactly sure what I was thinking re: the debate. I'll try walking it to the rack quicker next time.

Crossfit

For Time (15min cap)
20 Power Cleans (42.5/30kg)
20 Thrusters
20 Push Press
20 Hang Power Snatches
20 Overhead Squats
20 Front Squats
On the Minute: 5 Burpees

There was an extensive warmup, and I just didn't feel good during it. I was debating between 30 and 35 and ended up going with 30kg. I got crushed. I tried to pace my burpees and do them in 20-25 seconds. I got through the first 2 movements in 5 minutes, right on pace. My shoulders then didn't have anything and the movement I thought would be the easiest (push press) became the hardest. I finished them in 9 minutes, then scaled further to 20kg/3 burpees and finished in 14:44. Pathetic. I think I did only 15 snatches as well. I blew up.

In hindsight, 30/3 or 25/5 would have been fine. A little bit of extra cardio goes a long way in this one as it lets you get the burpees done quicker at a lower heart rate and that gives you more time for the rest.