"Grace"
30 Clean & jerks 135# for time
We hosted our 2nd annual fundraiser for breast cancer research at CrossFit Will County today. We had more than 50 athletes from several area affiliates show up to donate and put a hurt on "Grace". We had several vendors plying their wares, a giant bouncy house for the kids, an Oswego police squad car (also for the kids), a raffle with a ton of valuable prizes donated by our many sponsors, sweet custom t-shirts, newbie WODs running upstairs in the loft, a bounty of deliciousness, some paleo, much of it not, ice cold adult beverages, and of course, many, many admirable performances in the CrossFit classic WOD "Grace". Oh, and did I mention that we required our members to show up in costume? Of the many highlights: A-rog simultaneously running 2 grills while wearing Tinkerbell wings, Haas going under 2:00 in the WOD in cargo pants (1:57 if I'm not mistaken), Timmy performing the WOD in a full gorilla costume, including gloves, and still putting up a 3:30, Jake finally doing "Grace" rx'd (I had to shame him into it bit I think he's glad I did), and raising a boatload of money for the best kind of cause. Best costumes of the day (in my humble estimation), and there were many awesome ones, went to Marisa as Mia Wallace from "Pulp Fiction", with a giant syringe sticking out of her chest, and Mike as Sloth from that iconic '80s classic "The Goonies". Many, many people contributed to make the event possible, but Shannon was the spearhead, and should be singled out for her efforts. She did a ton of work and wore a bunch of hats. It was a super stressful job, but she handled it gracefully, and the event went off without a hitch. Superlative effort Shan. Thank you.
On a personal note, I was lucky enough to post a 2:38 "Grace" which is a 15 second PR. I say lucky because, judging by the way I felt afterward, I think I could have pushed a little harder, which is disappointing, and frankly, unacceptable. Nor is it like me to hold back, intentionally or not. Certainly there were a myriad of distractions, but a competitor pushes all of that aside for 2 and a half minutes. I will not let that happen again.
Afterward, a bunch of our members stuck around and ate, drank and made merry until pretty gosh darned late into the evening. I'm pretty gosh darned tired.
Hopefully post some pics later.
J
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
10/28 ME Standing Press PR
ME Standing press 5-3-2-2-1-1-1
Weighted pullup 8-8-8
Diamond pushup 12-12-12
Woke up feeling good so I decided to go ahead with the ME upper body day. Hadn't tested my 1RM in the press in a loooooong time, so I had high hopes for a big PR. Previous PR was 155x2 on 5/25/10, and more recently 150x4 on 10/11/10. Weights went like this: 95x5, 115x3, 125x2, 135x2, 155, 160 (PR), 165 (another PR), 170 (a great big PR). Extremely pleased with this. To say the least.
Did the pullups with an underhand grip and a 20# vest.
Happy monkey.
J
Weighted pullup 8-8-8
Diamond pushup 12-12-12
Woke up feeling good so I decided to go ahead with the ME upper body day. Hadn't tested my 1RM in the press in a loooooong time, so I had high hopes for a big PR. Previous PR was 155x2 on 5/25/10, and more recently 150x4 on 10/11/10. Weights went like this: 95x5, 115x3, 125x2, 135x2, 155, 160 (PR), 165 (another PR), 170 (a great big PR). Extremely pleased with this. To say the least.
Did the pullups with an underhand grip and a 20# vest.
Happy monkey.
J
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
10/27 Tastes Like Burning...
3 Rounds for time:
15 Hang power cleans 135#
30 Squats
Planned on doing this at home or after coaching at the gym, but I got to the Clubhouse a little early to coach the 5:15 class, and the 4:15 was just about ready to hit it. So, with no warmup to speak of, I loaded up a barbell and let it rip. Always better with a group. Normally I'd advise strongly against flying into a WOD cold like that, but the weight was light enough and I'd done a fair amount of stretching and foam rolling throughout the day. And of course, a hallmark of CrossFit is training and preparedness for the unknown and unknowable. Managed to keep the pace hot. I never put the barbell down once (thank you chalk and hook-grip), only resting with the bar in the front rack 2 or 3 times. The 2nd set of squats was broken once and the 3rd set twice, each time only long enough to take a single breath before resuming. At the end the clock read 3:57. This WOD was a good test of anaerobic capacity. The cardio engine never really felt tested but it was a leg-burner for sure. In fact, the burn in my legs seemed to actually increase for several minutes post-WOD, not unlike a 500m sprint on the rower, or the "Pain Pony" as we like to call it.
Not sure what tomorrow will hold. I rarely train more than 3 days in a row, but I feel very fresh. One of the great benefits of Westside programming is that it maximizes recovery. If I feel as fresh in the AM as I do now, I may decide to hit the ME upper body, which would be the standing press. Haven't shot for a 1RM in the press in at least a year, so I admit it's tempting. We shall see.
J
15 Hang power cleans 135#
30 Squats
Planned on doing this at home or after coaching at the gym, but I got to the Clubhouse a little early to coach the 5:15 class, and the 4:15 was just about ready to hit it. So, with no warmup to speak of, I loaded up a barbell and let it rip. Always better with a group. Normally I'd advise strongly against flying into a WOD cold like that, but the weight was light enough and I'd done a fair amount of stretching and foam rolling throughout the day. And of course, a hallmark of CrossFit is training and preparedness for the unknown and unknowable. Managed to keep the pace hot. I never put the barbell down once (thank you chalk and hook-grip), only resting with the bar in the front rack 2 or 3 times. The 2nd set of squats was broken once and the 3rd set twice, each time only long enough to take a single breath before resuming. At the end the clock read 3:57. This WOD was a good test of anaerobic capacity. The cardio engine never really felt tested but it was a leg-burner for sure. In fact, the burn in my legs seemed to actually increase for several minutes post-WOD, not unlike a 500m sprint on the rower, or the "Pain Pony" as we like to call it.
Not sure what tomorrow will hold. I rarely train more than 3 days in a row, but I feel very fresh. One of the great benefits of Westside programming is that it maximizes recovery. If I feel as fresh in the AM as I do now, I may decide to hit the ME upper body, which would be the standing press. Haven't shot for a 1RM in the press in at least a year, so I admit it's tempting. We shall see.
J
10/26 Heavyish
Max effort back squat 5-3-2-2-1-1-1
Glute-ham raise 5-5-5
Ab-wheel roll-out 5-5-5
Continuing my 1st full week of Westside inspired programming, today was ME lower body day. The idea is not neccesarily to hit a new PR every time out (though that is certainly possible), but to hit at least 3 singles at or above 90% of your 1RM. Weights went 225x5, 245x3, 265x2, 275x2, 285, 295, 305#. Glute-ham raises on the GHD have become just about my favorite movement since I've finally learned how to recruit the calves and hamstrings properly. I perform these as a hip extension and raise right into the GH raise. After 3 sets of 5 the benefit they lend to all posterior chain dominant movements (DLs, squats, oly lifts, etc) is obvious. The ab-wheel has always been one of my favorite movements. Far more than a tremendous core stimulus, the shoulders, lats, hip flexors, serratus, and quads also recieve a healthy dose, and the movement is very similar to slowly lowering from an inverted hang or front lever. Given that an ab-wheel costs about $8 at Walmart (a loaded barbell also works nicely), and the easily scalable nature of the movement, these should be in everyone's core movement arsenal.
Quick WOD tomorrow
J
Glute-ham raise 5-5-5
Ab-wheel roll-out 5-5-5
Continuing my 1st full week of Westside inspired programming, today was ME lower body day. The idea is not neccesarily to hit a new PR every time out (though that is certainly possible), but to hit at least 3 singles at or above 90% of your 1RM. Weights went 225x5, 245x3, 265x2, 275x2, 285, 295, 305#. Glute-ham raises on the GHD have become just about my favorite movement since I've finally learned how to recruit the calves and hamstrings properly. I perform these as a hip extension and raise right into the GH raise. After 3 sets of 5 the benefit they lend to all posterior chain dominant movements (DLs, squats, oly lifts, etc) is obvious. The ab-wheel has always been one of my favorite movements. Far more than a tremendous core stimulus, the shoulders, lats, hip flexors, serratus, and quads also recieve a healthy dose, and the movement is very similar to slowly lowering from an inverted hang or front lever. Given that an ab-wheel costs about $8 at Walmart (a loaded barbell also works nicely), and the easily scalable nature of the movement, these should be in everyone's core movement arsenal.
Quick WOD tomorrow
J
Monday, October 25, 2010
10/25 "Randy"
Close-grip bench press 12x2, 45s rest
Standing dumbell press 10-10-10
Bent-over barbell row 10-10-10
"Randy" for time:
75 Power snatches 75#
Had my 2nd go around with Westside style DE bench press at home. Added 5# from last week at 150#. Kept the weight moving fast. Used 35# DBs and 135# on the barbell for the assistance movements. Not much to talk about there.
Later at the Clubhouse I had a few minutes between classes to hit the CFWC workout of the day, "Randy". I hadn't done this WOD in well over a year, clocking in at 4:14. There were a bunch of solid times on the board and I was anxious to see how I'd fare. Haas, our resident olympic lifting guru, stuck around to holler at me and keep my form honest. Managed 25 straight to start, then 3 sets of 15, before finishing with a final 5. When all was said and done the clock read 3:45, a :29 PR. PRs make Johnny a happy monkey. The reps never got heavy, just a little slow. The weight is light enough that you never really have to Vasalva (holding the breath in the abdomen to help stabilize the midline during heavy lifting) so you really don't have a good excuse to slow down , and I was breathing like a steam engine. Nice.
Tomorrow: max effort back squatting and the accompanying assistance movements.
J
Standing dumbell press 10-10-10
Bent-over barbell row 10-10-10
"Randy" for time:
75 Power snatches 75#
Had my 2nd go around with Westside style DE bench press at home. Added 5# from last week at 150#. Kept the weight moving fast. Used 35# DBs and 135# on the barbell for the assistance movements. Not much to talk about there.
Later at the Clubhouse I had a few minutes between classes to hit the CFWC workout of the day, "Randy". I hadn't done this WOD in well over a year, clocking in at 4:14. There were a bunch of solid times on the board and I was anxious to see how I'd fare. Haas, our resident olympic lifting guru, stuck around to holler at me and keep my form honest. Managed 25 straight to start, then 3 sets of 15, before finishing with a final 5. When all was said and done the clock read 3:45, a :29 PR. PRs make Johnny a happy monkey. The reps never got heavy, just a little slow. The weight is light enough that you never really have to Vasalva (holding the breath in the abdomen to help stabilize the midline during heavy lifting) so you really don't have a good excuse to slow down , and I was breathing like a steam engine. Nice.
Tomorrow: max effort back squatting and the accompanying assistance movements.
J
Friday, October 22, 2010
10/22 Zoftag!!!
Find 1RM front squat
"Josh" for time:
21 Overhead squats 95#
42 Pullups
15 OHS
30 Pullups
9 OHS
18 Pullups
30 Good mornings 45#
Dropped in on the 9:30am class at CFWC. The group was already front squatting so I jumped in with Rick and Mac. Oddly, considering my failures at the FS last week (a paltry and difficult 5# PR) and lack of extensive warmup, the weights felt light. So up they went. Hit 245 and 265 (another 5# PR) easily, so with a PR in my back pocket, I loaded up the bar to 275#, stomped my feet and unracked it. Had trouble drawing a big breath into my abdomen and nearly lost it coming out of the hole, but I managed to recover and stand it up for a 15# PR.
"Josh" is one of my favorite WODs and I was looking forward to it. Was hoping to complete all OHS unbroken and at least the 1st set of pullups as well. Was not to be as it turned out, but I did manage 37 pullups before my grip was screaming at me. All OHS were indeed unbroken. Pullups were broken up quite a bit in the rounds of 30 and 18, and I had to scramble a few times to find space on the crowded pullup bars. When it was all said and done the clock read 5:13. Previous PR, nearly a year ago was 6:14.
Curious how these two movements seem to blow each other up. You wouldn't think OHS would have such a profound effect on your grip, but it does indeed. More predictable is the fatigue each movement causes to the core and shoulder girdle, causing each movement to negatively affect the performance of the next. After 42 pullups, the set of 15 OHS becomes a bit dicey halfway through, forcing you to concentrate on active shoulders and stabilize the midline when you're gasping for breath. Gooooood stuff...
J
"Josh" for time:
21 Overhead squats 95#
42 Pullups
15 OHS
30 Pullups
9 OHS
18 Pullups
30 Good mornings 45#
Dropped in on the 9:30am class at CFWC. The group was already front squatting so I jumped in with Rick and Mac. Oddly, considering my failures at the FS last week (a paltry and difficult 5# PR) and lack of extensive warmup, the weights felt light. So up they went. Hit 245 and 265 (another 5# PR) easily, so with a PR in my back pocket, I loaded up the bar to 275#, stomped my feet and unracked it. Had trouble drawing a big breath into my abdomen and nearly lost it coming out of the hole, but I managed to recover and stand it up for a 15# PR.
"Josh" is one of my favorite WODs and I was looking forward to it. Was hoping to complete all OHS unbroken and at least the 1st set of pullups as well. Was not to be as it turned out, but I did manage 37 pullups before my grip was screaming at me. All OHS were indeed unbroken. Pullups were broken up quite a bit in the rounds of 30 and 18, and I had to scramble a few times to find space on the crowded pullup bars. When it was all said and done the clock read 5:13. Previous PR, nearly a year ago was 6:14.
Curious how these two movements seem to blow each other up. You wouldn't think OHS would have such a profound effect on your grip, but it does indeed. More predictable is the fatigue each movement causes to the core and shoulder girdle, causing each movement to negatively affect the performance of the next. After 42 pullups, the set of 15 OHS becomes a bit dicey halfway through, forcing you to concentrate on active shoulders and stabilize the midline when you're gasping for breath. Gooooood stuff...
J
Update
Haven't posted in a while, mostly because training has been a bit crappy lately. My birthday and the required celebrations are a big part of that. Recently it's been looking up so hopefully I'm back on the wagon, both training and posting. A few highlights among many lowlights:
10/15/10
4 Rounds for time:
7 Hang power snatches 95#
1 round of "Cindy", which is
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
-3:35
10/20/10
Hoping to incorporate some Westside Barbell principals into future training at CFWC. Started tonight with:
DE (dynamic effort) Close-grip bench press, 12x2 on the minute, 60% 1RM
Used 145#. DE is designed in part to maximize recovery. After this WOD I felt barely taxed at all, and two days after the fact I still feel no soreness, so I'm inclined to believe the benefits to recovery. Polished off the session with glute-ham raise pushups. These are performed by wedging your feet under something (I used my bedframe, you could have a partner hold your feet as well) in a pushup position on the floor. Contract your glutes and hamstrings HARD, attempting to pull yourself up into an upright position. Use your arms, as in a pushup, to help yourself up as little or as much as needed. Follow with a slow negative back to the floor. These have tremendous benefits to the posterior chain. I did 3x8 and am still feeling them. Nice.
J
10/15/10
4 Rounds for time:
7 Hang power snatches 95#
1 round of "Cindy", which is
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats
-3:35
10/20/10
Hoping to incorporate some Westside Barbell principals into future training at CFWC. Started tonight with:
DE (dynamic effort) Close-grip bench press, 12x2 on the minute, 60% 1RM
Used 145#. DE is designed in part to maximize recovery. After this WOD I felt barely taxed at all, and two days after the fact I still feel no soreness, so I'm inclined to believe the benefits to recovery. Polished off the session with glute-ham raise pushups. These are performed by wedging your feet under something (I used my bedframe, you could have a partner hold your feet as well) in a pushup position on the floor. Contract your glutes and hamstrings HARD, attempting to pull yourself up into an upright position. Use your arms, as in a pushup, to help yourself up as little or as much as needed. Follow with a slow negative back to the floor. These have tremendous benefits to the posterior chain. I did 3x8 and am still feeling them. Nice.
J
Friday, October 15, 2010
10/14 Like When You Climb the Rope in Gym Class...
Front squat, find new 1RM
3 Rounds for time:
3 Rope climbs 15'
15 Wallballs 20#
Hadn't focused on front squats in a while so wanted to find my 1RM for the next strength phase. Didn't go very well unfortunately. Warmup weights felt pretty easy but max attempts were lacking. Managed 260# (ughhh) for a 5# PR, then failed badly at 270#, dropped the weight to 265# and failed twice there. Not sure what the problem was. Kinda felt like I couldn't find the proper depth and transition from down to up in a smooth manner. Disappointing, but a PR nonetheless.
Metcon wasn't much better. Wallballs weren't terrible but the rope climbs got ugly fast. My already tired and sore biceps had a hard time pulling me up to position my feet, and my grip was screaming at me. On each of the last 6 climbs I missed the rope with my feet once, which made things even worse. But I got through it, just not as fast or pretty as I would have preferred. Something to be said for gutting it out when it's not your day. RC was good enough to keep an eye on me and video the debacle, warts and all.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring. I had a plan, but given today's suckitude, I may play it by ear.
J
Awesome. Now the vid won't load. Maybe better luck later.
3 Rounds for time:
3 Rope climbs 15'
15 Wallballs 20#
Hadn't focused on front squats in a while so wanted to find my 1RM for the next strength phase. Didn't go very well unfortunately. Warmup weights felt pretty easy but max attempts were lacking. Managed 260# (ughhh) for a 5# PR, then failed badly at 270#, dropped the weight to 265# and failed twice there. Not sure what the problem was. Kinda felt like I couldn't find the proper depth and transition from down to up in a smooth manner. Disappointing, but a PR nonetheless.
Metcon wasn't much better. Wallballs weren't terrible but the rope climbs got ugly fast. My already tired and sore biceps had a hard time pulling me up to position my feet, and my grip was screaming at me. On each of the last 6 climbs I missed the rope with my feet once, which made things even worse. But I got through it, just not as fast or pretty as I would have preferred. Something to be said for gutting it out when it's not your day. RC was good enough to keep an eye on me and video the debacle, warts and all.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring. I had a plan, but given today's suckitude, I may play it by ear.
J
Awesome. Now the vid won't load. Maybe better luck later.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
10/12 Tuesday- Strength, Metcon, and CFE
Power clean 2 reps on the minute for 8 minutes
Ring dip 3x max reps (no kip)
----------
21-15-9 for time:
Straight barbell curl 85#
GHD situp
Did the power cleans with 185#. No big deal. Wanted to keep the weight light and fast. Will go heavier next week. 205# sounds about right.
Ring dips went 15, 13, 13. Will do these weighted next week, along with yesterday's dead hang pullups.
Metcon: yup, you read that right. Barbell curls. Most CrossFitters will turn their noses up at the very thought, but not this guy. Anyone who finds them non-functional has never held their 4-year old in the crook of their arm for 5 minutes. They're also beneficial for strengthening the connective tissues of the elbow, which might be useful for someone attempting 100+ butterfly pullups in a WOD, and well, I like 'em. Odd choice for a metcon? Maybe, but my lungs would beg to differ. 1st and 3rd sets of curls unbroken, all GHD situps unbroken. 4:42 when it was said and done.
Tabata row
8 rounds of :20 work/:10 rest for meters
About 8 hours after the last GHD situp I hit this CrossFit Endurance WOD from a few weeks ago. At the recommendation of a few of our members who've had tremendous success with CFE in addition to the CFWC daily WODs, I've decided to give this a shot. Gonna shoot for 2 CFEs a week, one rowing, one running. Thought this would be a good one to get my feet wet with. Rounds looked like this: 106, 106, 104, 103, 103, 101, 102, 101. I'll have to check the CFE site to see how this stacks up.
Darn good day all told. Didn't get the best night's sleep but diet was spot on. Plenty of quality protein, fat, water, and the fish oil is dialed in again. Also started supplementing with my favorite brand of creatine again, pre and post-WOD. Feel like I could hit another WOD if I wanted, which I do not. Most likely rest tomorrow. Front squats, bench press, and chest-to-bar pullups on Thursday.
J
Ring dip 3x max reps (no kip)
----------
21-15-9 for time:
Straight barbell curl 85#
GHD situp
Did the power cleans with 185#. No big deal. Wanted to keep the weight light and fast. Will go heavier next week. 205# sounds about right.
Ring dips went 15, 13, 13. Will do these weighted next week, along with yesterday's dead hang pullups.
Metcon: yup, you read that right. Barbell curls. Most CrossFitters will turn their noses up at the very thought, but not this guy. Anyone who finds them non-functional has never held their 4-year old in the crook of their arm for 5 minutes. They're also beneficial for strengthening the connective tissues of the elbow, which might be useful for someone attempting 100+ butterfly pullups in a WOD, and well, I like 'em. Odd choice for a metcon? Maybe, but my lungs would beg to differ. 1st and 3rd sets of curls unbroken, all GHD situps unbroken. 4:42 when it was said and done.
Tabata row
8 rounds of :20 work/:10 rest for meters
About 8 hours after the last GHD situp I hit this CrossFit Endurance WOD from a few weeks ago. At the recommendation of a few of our members who've had tremendous success with CFE in addition to the CFWC daily WODs, I've decided to give this a shot. Gonna shoot for 2 CFEs a week, one rowing, one running. Thought this would be a good one to get my feet wet with. Rounds looked like this: 106, 106, 104, 103, 103, 101, 102, 101. I'll have to check the CFE site to see how this stacks up.
Darn good day all told. Didn't get the best night's sleep but diet was spot on. Plenty of quality protein, fat, water, and the fish oil is dialed in again. Also started supplementing with my favorite brand of creatine again, pre and post-WOD. Feel like I could hit another WOD if I wanted, which I do not. Most likely rest tomorrow. Front squats, bench press, and chest-to-bar pullups on Thursday.
J
Monday, October 11, 2010
10/11 Pick Up Something Heavy
Back squat 5-3-1+
Standing press 5-3-1+
Deadhang chinup 3x max reps
Had a hell of a time carving out training time last week. In an effort to remedy this, I acquired yet another 2nd hand olympic weight set. So I now have about 400# of iron in the garage to go along with rings, pullup bars, squat rack, bench, a GHD, and a few other random pieces of pretty good stuff. At the very least, this should allow me to get in the bulk of my strength work at home.
Back squat
235#x5
265#x3
300#x1 Felt like I had 2-3 in me but wasn't willing to dump 300# of iron on the concrete garage floor if I got buried. Gonna try and find some scrap rubber flooring at the gym to take care of this.
Press
120#x5
135#x3
150#x4 Not too bad. Haven't tested my 1RM in a while, but I know this is not far off. Solid.
Deadhang chinup 13, 15, 15. This was the toughest part of the workout for some reason. After the 1st set my heart rate skyrocketed, and it was a good 5 minutes before it came back down. It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed.
Tomorrow: heavy power cleans, ring dips, metcon and CFE
J
Standing press 5-3-1+
Deadhang chinup 3x max reps
Had a hell of a time carving out training time last week. In an effort to remedy this, I acquired yet another 2nd hand olympic weight set. So I now have about 400# of iron in the garage to go along with rings, pullup bars, squat rack, bench, a GHD, and a few other random pieces of pretty good stuff. At the very least, this should allow me to get in the bulk of my strength work at home.
Back squat
235#x5
265#x3
300#x1 Felt like I had 2-3 in me but wasn't willing to dump 300# of iron on the concrete garage floor if I got buried. Gonna try and find some scrap rubber flooring at the gym to take care of this.
Press
120#x5
135#x3
150#x4 Not too bad. Haven't tested my 1RM in a while, but I know this is not far off. Solid.
Deadhang chinup 13, 15, 15. This was the toughest part of the workout for some reason. After the 1st set my heart rate skyrocketed, and it was a good 5 minutes before it came back down. It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed.
Tomorrow: heavy power cleans, ring dips, metcon and CFE
J
10/10/10 Chicago Marathon
Not me. Don't get excited.
Chris W, a long time client at CFWC, ran his 2nd marathon of the year and 4th overall today. Tam, Shan and I made the trip into the city with the boys (4, like herding gerbils), and played the requisite game of planes, trains, and automobiles to catch a glimpse of him at both the 20-mile mark and the finish line. It should be noted that Chris has been dealing with a nagging strain to his heel chord and has only run once in about a month. He also eschews traditional endurance training in favor of CF supplemented by CrossFit Endurance a few days per week (rowing, to favor the injury). He finished in 4:17 (A PR I believe, maybe Chris will chime in) and looked and felt great after the race. Afterward, a number of CFWC friends gathered to celebrate Chris' achievement with a few adult beverages and some steaks the size of your flippin' head. Great day overall. Congrats Chris!
Chris will now turn his training attentions towards Ironman Coeur D'Alene held in June of next year, again relying on CFWC and CFE programming.
More later, looking forward to getting back on the training and diet wagon today.
J
Chris W, a long time client at CFWC, ran his 2nd marathon of the year and 4th overall today. Tam, Shan and I made the trip into the city with the boys (4, like herding gerbils), and played the requisite game of planes, trains, and automobiles to catch a glimpse of him at both the 20-mile mark and the finish line. It should be noted that Chris has been dealing with a nagging strain to his heel chord and has only run once in about a month. He also eschews traditional endurance training in favor of CF supplemented by CrossFit Endurance a few days per week (rowing, to favor the injury). He finished in 4:17 (A PR I believe, maybe Chris will chime in) and looked and felt great after the race. Afterward, a number of CFWC friends gathered to celebrate Chris' achievement with a few adult beverages and some steaks the size of your flippin' head. Great day overall. Congrats Chris!
Chris will now turn his training attentions towards Ironman Coeur D'Alene held in June of next year, again relying on CFWC and CFE programming.
More later, looking forward to getting back on the training and diet wagon today.
J
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
10/6 "Jack"
"Jack"
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
10 Push jerks 115#
10 Kettlebell swings 53#
10 Box jumps 24"
Sadly, another hero WOD for a recently deceased member of our country's armed forces. They spill blood in our defense and we drip sweat in their honor. Hardly an even trade.
Our good friend and part-time CFWC member (and full-time CrossFit Bloomington-Normal member) Katie B. was in town for her brother's wedding and stopped in for the WOD. Katie is a beast and provided a good push for yours truly. After 20 minutes of fun I'd completed 11 rounds and 2 push jerks. Katie blew through the push jerks every round and ended up with 10 rounds and change.
Not particularly satisfied with this. Generally, AMRAPs are not my cup of tea. I'm not sure if it's the actual longer duration or the lack of an end goal (think 21-15-9 or 3 rounds for time, etc). In either case, I certainly lack keen focus on these types of WODs, and this must be addressed. The cure, of course, is to do more of them. This notion thrills me no end.
J
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
10 Push jerks 115#
10 Kettlebell swings 53#
10 Box jumps 24"
Sadly, another hero WOD for a recently deceased member of our country's armed forces. They spill blood in our defense and we drip sweat in their honor. Hardly an even trade.
Our good friend and part-time CFWC member (and full-time CrossFit Bloomington-Normal member) Katie B. was in town for her brother's wedding and stopped in for the WOD. Katie is a beast and provided a good push for yours truly. After 20 minutes of fun I'd completed 11 rounds and 2 push jerks. Katie blew through the push jerks every round and ended up with 10 rounds and change.
Not particularly satisfied with this. Generally, AMRAPs are not my cup of tea. I'm not sure if it's the actual longer duration or the lack of an end goal (think 21-15-9 or 3 rounds for time, etc). In either case, I certainly lack keen focus on these types of WODs, and this must be addressed. The cure, of course, is to do more of them. This notion thrills me no end.
J
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
10/4 Birthday WOD
3 Rounds for time:
12 Thrusters 135#
12 Doubleunders
Well I was still seriously sore in my hips and hamstrings from my bout with "Diane" Saturday, as well as feeling the effects of some dietary jackassery (beer, cake, ice cream, beer, potatoes, cookies, and beer) on Sunday (Bday celebration with the parental units), but it WAS my 36th birthday, and Haas and CK were kind enough to conjure up a nasty WOD in my honor, soooo....
Hit the foam roller for a good 15 minutes before getting started but my ass and hammies, particularly my left for some reason, were still just screaming at me, so I gave that up and decided to just hit it. These two movements, heavy thrusters and DUs are strengths for me, so I had hopes for a fast time, maybe 3:30ish. Gravity, however, had other ideas. The thrusters just seemed really heavy and slow. Managed to finish the 1st set unbroken, dropped the bar, grabbed the rope and then tripped TWICE on DUs. What? Don't the CrossFit gods know it's my birthday? Anyway, broke the 2nd set of thrusters once, the 3rd set at least twice, and finished the remaining DUs unbroken. 4:12. Not as fast as I would've liked but still the fastest time of the day by a minute. Nice of everyone to let me win on my day.
Hopefully hit a new 1RM in the back squat and perhaps some other madness tonight.
J
12 Thrusters 135#
12 Doubleunders
Well I was still seriously sore in my hips and hamstrings from my bout with "Diane" Saturday, as well as feeling the effects of some dietary jackassery (beer, cake, ice cream, beer, potatoes, cookies, and beer) on Sunday (Bday celebration with the parental units), but it WAS my 36th birthday, and Haas and CK were kind enough to conjure up a nasty WOD in my honor, soooo....
Hit the foam roller for a good 15 minutes before getting started but my ass and hammies, particularly my left for some reason, were still just screaming at me, so I gave that up and decided to just hit it. These two movements, heavy thrusters and DUs are strengths for me, so I had hopes for a fast time, maybe 3:30ish. Gravity, however, had other ideas. The thrusters just seemed really heavy and slow. Managed to finish the 1st set unbroken, dropped the bar, grabbed the rope and then tripped TWICE on DUs. What? Don't the CrossFit gods know it's my birthday? Anyway, broke the 2nd set of thrusters once, the 3rd set at least twice, and finished the remaining DUs unbroken. 4:12. Not as fast as I would've liked but still the fastest time of the day by a minute. Nice of everyone to let me win on my day.
Hopefully hit a new 1RM in the back squat and perhaps some other madness tonight.
J
Saturday, October 2, 2010
10/2 "Diane"
"Diane"
21-15-9 for time:
Deadlift 225#
Handstand pushup
It was PR Saturday at the Clubhouse this morning, and we saw lots of new ink on the leaderboards. My lady of choice was "Diane", and I was gonna finally break 4:00 or die trying. My last two attempts at this WOD came in at 4:10. The 1st was OK. It was a PR of 10-15 seconds. The 2nd time, HSPUs just abandoned me completely and was a lot like kissing your sister. So, I was a little nervous. As it turned out, by the time I'd loaded a bar, chalked up and shook out the jitters, there were a bunch of good people waiting to cheer me on. If I'm honest, the deadlifts were light and never presented a problem. I'm reasonably certain that I simply cannot complete them any faster with full ROM. The HSPUs were another story. They started off fairly strong, and I was careful to avoid going to failure, but they declined rapidly. I kipped a rep of the 15s and a number of the 9s as well. Despite that, I never once thought I might not PR. All my friends, clients, people that I love, that I've shed sweat and blood with at the Clubhouse, in short my family...screamed their lungs out, doing their damnedest to lend me their energy when I needed it most. They weren't about to let me fail myself.
And I didn't.
3:51
Take that Di.
21-15-9 for time:
Deadlift 225#
Handstand pushup
It was PR Saturday at the Clubhouse this morning, and we saw lots of new ink on the leaderboards. My lady of choice was "Diane", and I was gonna finally break 4:00 or die trying. My last two attempts at this WOD came in at 4:10. The 1st was OK. It was a PR of 10-15 seconds. The 2nd time, HSPUs just abandoned me completely and was a lot like kissing your sister. So, I was a little nervous. As it turned out, by the time I'd loaded a bar, chalked up and shook out the jitters, there were a bunch of good people waiting to cheer me on. If I'm honest, the deadlifts were light and never presented a problem. I'm reasonably certain that I simply cannot complete them any faster with full ROM. The HSPUs were another story. They started off fairly strong, and I was careful to avoid going to failure, but they declined rapidly. I kipped a rep of the 15s and a number of the 9s as well. Despite that, I never once thought I might not PR. All my friends, clients, people that I love, that I've shed sweat and blood with at the Clubhouse, in short my family...screamed their lungs out, doing their damnedest to lend me their energy when I needed it most. They weren't about to let me fail myself.
And I didn't.
3:51
Take that Di.
9/30 Heavy Deads
Deadlift 5-3-1+ (70-80-90% of 1RM)
Another late night at the Clubhouse. Decided to squeeze in some heavy deads at about 9:15pm. Wanted to stay on schedule with 5-3-1 and I also want to take Friday off, as I have a score to settle with that fickle Jezebel "Diane" on Saturday. Weights were 280x5, 320x3, and I managed 4 reps with 360#. I'm convinced my strength numbers are up across the board after the long oly-lifting biased phase on OPT, and I'm planning to test some 1RMs next week. Also looking forward to starting a new template I've been working on.
J
Another late night at the Clubhouse. Decided to squeeze in some heavy deads at about 9:15pm. Wanted to stay on schedule with 5-3-1 and I also want to take Friday off, as I have a score to settle with that fickle Jezebel "Diane" on Saturday. Weights were 280x5, 320x3, and I managed 4 reps with 360#. I'm convinced my strength numbers are up across the board after the long oly-lifting biased phase on OPT, and I'm planning to test some 1RMs next week. Also looking forward to starting a new template I've been working on.
J
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