Open Gym

Front Squat: 70x5, 77.5x5, 87.5x5, 97.5xAMRAP=9 (rep PR!)
OHP: 30x10x5
Ring Rows: 5x15

Run Home: 5.24km, 31:58

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SO happy. A front squat PR after a while and I'm down a couple of kilos. I DON'T KNOW WHY I STOPPED AT 9. 9 reps was a rep PR and was my target, but 10 would have smashed my previous of 92.5x10. It looks like I have 2 more reps from the video. I'm doing an AMRAP in 3 weeks and it's going to be 100x10 or bust.

I was meant to do the metcon afterwards, but felt in no mood to do it. My illness is still lingering a bit. I got a nice upper body pump and then ran home.

So strength is at all time highs, cardio is way past all time highs. Bring on the Open.

Bike

28.1km, 1:22:11

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Got my bike serviced completely and it felt smoother and faster. I'm still not wearing clip ons, but I need to remind myself I am not a cyclist.

Christmas Competition

Teams of 2

Part 1
Obstacle course

Part 2
Build to a heavy squat clean + 3 front squats

90, 95, and a very easy 100!!!!!

Part 3
Death by Burpees and DB Snatches (22.5kg)

Start at 4 and 4 and add 2 snatches every minute.

Did 11 snatches in the round of 18

Part 4
3 rounds for time:
12 wall walks (shared)
2km bike (shared)

13:08

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I decided to do this last minute and let my hair down a bit even though I'm in a groove with training. We got 3rd out of 14 teams. 2nd was very suspect, I think lots of cheating involved. 1st was the 2 best guys at our gym.

It was SO well run. The highlight was my VERY easy 100 squat clean + 3 front squats. My clean PR is 102.5, so that's long gone. I think I could have done 105 in the complex, maybe even 107.5. I wonder if I can clean 110.

I hope I find some videos later.

Crossfit

Weightlifting
Overhead Squat: 60x2, 65x2, 70x2, 75 (failed 2nd rep), 72.5x2 (every 2 minutes)

Metcon
3 sets (Every 7:00)
8 Strict Pull Ups
-straight Into-
3 Rounds
8 Overhead Squats, 42.5kg
12 Calorie Row

14:05 - 4:25, 4:35, 5:05 - 35kg

Ride Home
14.29km

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My OHS 1RM is 80 and it wasn't a true maximum. After the first rep at 75, I just lost balance and dropped it before I even started the 2nd rep. I still lost a bit of confidence and dropped the weight for the next round. This programming severly lacks OHS, so I might need to add it every now and then.

35kg felt pretty light in the metcon, but 72 OHS is a lot.

Open Gym

Back Squat: 75x5, 87.5x5, 100x5
Bench Press: 55x5, 65x5, 72.5x5, 55x5x5
Single Arm DB Row: 22.5x10, 25x10x3 (per arm)
Farmers Carry: 30sx4 sets

Run Home: 5.16km, 31:18

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Grinding away. It was a lighter week. Next week is a bench AMRAP at 80kg, which will give me a good indication if I can hit 100 or not.

what do you think you need on 80 to prove 100 - 12?

Crossfit

Strength
4 sets:
6 Bench Press: 60, 65, 60, 50
12 Push Ups: 12, 12, 9, 9
25 Bench Dumbbell Fly: 7.5s
-Rest 2:00 to 2:30 between sets-

Metcon
Teams of 2
5 sets (each/1:1)
30 Calorie Assault Bike

All my rounds were around 1:45-1:55

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

Phew, fun day. Nice pump, and then a proper interval session. My legs were shot and I was so tired, that I skipped the longer ride home.

I'm pretty anal about my rep PRs, and the bench 1RM predictor seems pretty spot on for me. 8 puts me at 99, and 9 at 103. So I'm going to aim for 9, but I'd be in with a shout at 8.

I will probably attempt 100 before I go back to India for the holidays anyway. I am too old now to pass up on PRs. There are a few I passed on and regret it.

Crossfit

Accessory
Accumulate 4 minutes of double KB front rack hold: 28kg KBs (in 8 minutes)

Metcon
For Time: (14 minute cap)
100ft Single Dumbbell Walking Lunge, 22.5kg
5 Wall Walks
25 Toes to Bar
100ft Single Dumbbell Walking Lunge, 22.5kg
10 Wall Walks
50 Toes to Bar
100ft Single Dumbbell Walking Lunge, 22.5kg

13:34 - 40 toes to bar

Ride Hom
18.88km

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A bit hungover, so happy to get this done. The double KB hold was SO challenging. I fell apart in the second set of toes to bar and decided to do only 40.

Weightlifting

Snatch: Build to a heavy double - 55x2, 57.5x2, 60x2 (PR?)
10 minute Snatch EMOM: 50 for all
Push Press + Jerk: 60 (10 sets, every 1:30)

Ride Home: 14:57km

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It's been a couple of weeks since I did proper weightlifting, it felt good. I didn't overthink snatches, and they felt okay. Happy to hit 60 for 2. The video of the 50 was my best rep from the EMOM.

Crossfit

Strength
Deadlift: 110x8x3 (every 2 minutes)

DB Walk Through Lunges: 10sx8x3 (32 lunges per set!)

Metcon
10 rounds for time: (12 minute cap)
10 V-Ups
3 Wall Walks

10:56 - 3 wall walks for 2 rounds, 2 for the rest

Ride Home
14.65km

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I kept the deadlifts pretty light. Just something to keep it ticking over.

Open Gym

Bench Press: 62.5x5, 72.5x3, 80xAMRAP=6, 62.5x5x5
Front Squat: 65x5, 75x5, 85x5x5
Ring Rows: 3x15
Curls: 10sx10, 7.5sx10x2

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

Blah. 76x10 to 80x6. wtf. I feel some upper body fatigue, so I'm going to put it down to that. I'm still going to test my bench, might just rest up a touch longer and do it. I want a PR. 100 might be out of reach, but perhaps 97.5.

I used to have a tendency to melk, but only about things I know I'm objectively right on, not opinions. I've become so much better at letting things go, but for some reason today tested me. I was working out next to a coach who is a crossfit junkie. Long story short, she said hyrox is **** because crossfitters with bad technique go there. It is some mental gymnastics to call hyrox **** because of a crossfitter. Anyway, I let it go. And my next set of squats flew up.

I keep dabbling with the idea of doing hyrox, or a weightlifting meet, or another half marathon after the Open. I want a short change in training I think.

Crossfit

Metcon
AMRAP 15:
10-20-30-40-50...
Wall Balls, 9kg
5-10-15-20-25
Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24"

4+60 (20 reps more than Oct 30!!!)

Accessory
Banded Strict Pull-ups: 12, 12, 8, 8 (thick green band)
DB Front Raises: 5sx12x4

Ride Home
14.28km

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One of the better days! I absolutely smashed my score from 7 weeks ago. I have been grinding away with 3+ hours of easy cardio every week for 4 months now and I finally have something tangible to show for it. I beat my score from last time in 13:30, took a quick break, did the 9 remaining wall balls and then 10 quick BBJO.

I finished the first 3 rounds 30 seconds faster. Then did the 4th round 1:08 faster! I remember just blowing up on the 20 BBJO last time. I made sure to pace myself not to do it this time. And pacing myself was still faster this time in the earlier rounds!

Crossfit

Weightlifting
2 Power Clean + 2 Front Squat + 2 Push Jerk: 40, 60, 70, 75, 75, 75 (every 2 minutes)

Metcon
For Time:
2000m Row
*Every 2:00 (including 0:00) perform 12 Toes to Bar

11:28 - 9 toes to bar

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Fun. The complex was cardio. My jerks feel awful under fatigue, but pretty good when I take it off the rack. I just need to keep working on it.

Toes to bar were unbroken for 4 rounds. I probably could have rowed faster.

Open Gym
Snatch Balance: 40x2, 45x8 (EMOM)
Snatch Pull + Snatch: 45 for 6-8 sets
Jerk Drive + 2 Jerks: 60 for 7-8 sets

Ride Home: 14.22km

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Really, really good day. I'm off to India in 5 days and my tennis elbow is flaring up. I don't want to deload now because I will in India. So I came up with this. All things I need to work on, and super light. And it felt SO good. I figured out something with snatches - upper back SUPER tight at setup and with jerks - hands loose. Everything felt good.

Open Gym

Overhead Press: 42.5x6x6
Strict Pull-ups: 6x6
DB Bench Press: 15sx20x4
Ring Rows: 4x15

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I'm coming down with another cold 3 weeks later, wtf. It's not too bad though. I pivotted and did an upper body session and combined with an easy 25 minutes of cycling total to and from, was the perfect day for being a little under the weather.

Snatches are looking way better.

Happy Christmas!

Strength

Back Squat: 100x3x4, 105x3x2
Elevated DB Romanian Deadlift: 15sx15x3
DB Box Step Ups: 15sx24x3
Calf Raises: 3x20

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This is my last lifting session before India and I was meant to set PRs in squat and bench, but didn't feel upto it because of a cold. I just did a strength class and squats felt pretty strong.

Thanks. It's all about the setup for me. Knuckles down, back tight and my bar path seems to sort itself out. Which makes me confident getting under. Excited for what's to come

Merry Christmas!

Crossfit

Weightlifting
Snatch EMOM: 40x2, 45x4, 47.5x3, 50x3

Metcon
5 Sets
6 Deadlifts, 102.5kg
8 Bar Facing Burpees
10 Calorie Row
-rest 1:1 between sets-

12:05 - 1:21, 1:19, 1:19, 1:25, 1:17

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

Managed to squeeze in an extra session. Flight in an hour. Merry Christmas everyone!

Apartment Gym

5 rounds for time:
18 DB Deadlifts
12 DB Hang Cleans
10 DB Jerks

12:50 - 17.5s

Strict Pull-ups: 5x5

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In India, squeezed this in at the downstairs gym. Heaviest DBs were 10kgs, but I ordered a pair of 17.5s on Amazon. Leaving tomorrow for another city, so one and done with those DBs. Until next year. Very fat now.

and guessing fatter by the time you return to good old london town! may as well enjoy your holiday...and what do old Indian lady relatives like more than fattening up the boys they don't see very often? So do it for them too!

do the weigh in when you get off the plane and then commit to weighing less the rest of the year and there's an easy goal to achieve!

re last snatch vid

slow down the vid and pay very close attention to your feet, as the bar passes the knee your balance shifts to your heels and there is a lot of separation between your legs and the bar, you lose all your power this way so your extension ends weak

focus extremely hard on feeling the weight in the midpoint of your foot throughout the entire pull, it's easier if you slow down the pull too (and only forcefully extend at the end)

you're also a little too upright, your shoulders should be a little more over the bar in the setup, but it's all connected. just focus on the balance in your feet

5/1

Smith Machine Squats: 81x5, 91x5x2
DB Bench: 25sx8x5
Strict Pull-ups: 10x3

17 minute swim

6/1

30 minute swim

90 minutes pickleball

7/1

Smith Machine Squats: 91x5x2, 96x5
DB OHP: 17.5sx10x3
Strict Pull-ups: 5x5

30 minute swim
15 minute swim

8/1

25 minute EMOM:
1 - 10 lunges (17.5kg DBs)
2 - 8 strict pull-ups
3 - 16 push-ups
4 - 30 second run (treadmill) at 14.5 km/h
5 - rest

20 minute swim
15 minute swim

9/1

Smith Machine Squat: 71x10x3
DB Incline Bench: 20sx12x4
Lat Pulldown: 4x10

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Huge fan of resort holidays. Gym/pool/other sports throughout the day, and read a book by the beach and eat good food the rest of the time. Really fat though.

Might have done a thing.

6 weeks to the Open, so I have no choice but to cut now. Supremely obese now.

Yeah, damn I always knew this. A few months ago, I made it my sole focus to have my weight midfoot and it worked for a bit. Then something else went wrong and I forgot about it. Snatches are so frustrating. Are you still oly lifting?

Crossfit

Metcon
For time: (teams of 2)
440 calories on any machine
*Every 3:00 perform 4 Bench Press, 85kg

33:30 - echo bike

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Nice to be back, basically did 70x11x4 bench