2/28/11 What Do Squirrels Give for Valentine's Day?

AM

Forget-me-nuts:)

Back squat 3-5-7
Press 3-5-7

PM
Complete as many rounds as possible in 8 minutes:
4 Handstand pushups
8 American kettlebell swings 70#
12 GHD situps

Was totally dreading squats today.  Went out with a bunch of CFWC friends Saturday night and didn't do much of anything Sunday but lick my wounds.  But I got a good long warmup and and, as usual, it wasn't that bad.  I've got to get rid of this irrational dread of heavy squats.  Hit 295-265-235, then 150-135 and 120 in the press.  After the squats the presses were a skip down the prairie path.
Hit the metcon in the evening.  Managed 8 rounds even without really redlining.  This is a 2 round PR from about 13 months ago.  HSPUs finally coming around.
J

2/25/11 Zoftagular!!!



If you find yourself in the Bloomington-Normal area, hit
this place up. Excellent grub. And it happens to be owned
by my baby brother :)

10 Rounds for time:
5 Hang squat cleans -50# dumbells
5 Burpees

I had originally intended to use 45# dumbells, but nearly all of the rx'd men's times had 50# next to their names, so 50s it had to be.  The best time on the board was 7:39, which was a bit longer than the 5-6 minutes I'd had in mind when I programmed the WOD.  I tried to keep a steady, moderate pace (which is a new approach for me) and never really slowed down.  This was rough on the legs and lungs, but the rep scheme was such that it wasn't impossible to push through.  I pushed hard on the last two sets of burpees and finished in 6:12.  Good WOD.  Really tough.  I laid on the floor for a good while letting my throat bleed before peeling my ass of the mat.  Darnedest thing, on the drive home (roughly 30 minutes post-WOD) I experienced a profound sense of euphoria, for a good 15 minutes.  Runner's high?  I dunno.  Gonna have to research it.  Weird.

J

2/24/11 It's a Pillket

AM
Front squat 3-5-7
Bench press 3-5-7

PM
Deadlift 3-5-7
GHD situps 3x20

Continued the 3-5-7 experiment.  I have to say it is challenging, to say the least, and that I like it.  I can see numerous benefits to the protocol and I'll elaborate on that later.  Basically I'm using a weight close (95ish%) to a 3RM for the 3, 90% of that for 5, and 80% for 7.  For almost all of the movements, these percentages are working out just right.  I'll add the usual 5-10# per week and see where I end up in a few weeks.  Front squat went 240-215-190, bench press 220-200-180, and DL 345-310-275.  Went lighter on the DL due to the re-grip/no-bounce style I've favored as of late.
Nasty metcon tomorrow
J

Tsaheylu

Just the highlights, for what it's worth:
2/15/11
21-15-9 for time:
Ring dip
Deadlift 135#
-1:56
Could've gone a little heavier.  Ha!

2/17/11
Hang power clean 5-5-5-5-5
Close-grip bench press 5-4-3-2-1
Kettlebell swing 5x15
Ring pushup 5x max reps
95, 135, 155, 170, 185# in the HPC.  155x5, 165x4, 175x3, 195x2, 205x1 in the bench.  70# unbroken KBS, all 5 sets.  Ring pushups (1st time with these) went 21, 20, 19, 17, 17.

2/19/11
Every minute for 100 minutes:
1 Burpee-pullup
1 Handstand pushup
We may or may not have consumed a shot of beer every minute as well.

2/22/11
Back squat 3-5-7
Standing press 3-5-7
GHD situp 3x15
Trying out a new rep scheme I stole from Jeff Martin of CrossFit Brand X.  The man knows a lot about getting people strong.  And it was NOT easy.  A real mental grind.  So, I'll definitely be using this in the future.  Hit 290x3, 275x5, and 260x7 in the back squat and 145x3, 130x5, and 115x7 in the press.  The 7s were just a pukefest.  I wanted out from underneath that bar soooooo bad.  I think the percentages I used for the 5s and 7s in the squat were a bit ambitious, while the ones I used for the press were just right.  I'll tweak this a bit next week.
Metcon at the Clubhouse later
J

Update- I Like Your Shoes

2/7/11
Back squat 5-5-5
Press 5-5-5
Worked up to 285# in the squat and 142.5# in the press.  Finally at pre-comp number in the squat and beyond in the press (140# pre-comp)

2/8/11
Power clean 3-3-3
210#.  No big whoop

2/10/11
Front squat 5-5-5
Bench press 5-5-5
Deadlift 1x5
235#, 215# and 335# respectively.  Again, back to pre-comp numbers or beyond (DL).  Regripped each DL on the ground to eliminate bounce.

2/11/11
"Mary"
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
5 Handstand pushups
10 Pistols (5/leg)
15 Pullups
Completed 12 rounds+5 HSPUs and 1 pistol.  Previous PR was 11 rounds even.  Felt like I was doing pullups for the entire 20 minutes.  Broken down it amounts to 65 HSPUs (all unbroken), 121 pistols, and 180 pullups (unbroken for at least 7 rounds).  Days later (and more than 1 ice bath) and I'm still pretty sore, particularly in the lats, biceps and forearms.  Also tore my right hand slightly, which cost me time and my goal of 13 rounds.  Overall a pretty good effort.

More later
J

2/4/11 My Nuts Are Yours

"7 Year B!tch"
7 Rounds for time:
7 Sumo deadlift highpulls 135#
7 Box jumps 30"

My 3rd go around with what has become a CFWC classic, the "7 Year B!tch".  My best (pathetic) time in this one was 6:32 on 9/18/09.  I'd consistently got my ass handed to me by the bigger, stronger guys in the gym, and there were already a couple of great times on the board (5:57 and 5:52).  Did it on my own, which is never ideal, but my good friend and fellow trainer Haas stuck around to get me through it.  The 1st few rounds went very fast, both done before a mnute had elapsed.  By the 3rd round I was wondering how the heck I was gonna pull 135# to my chin for 7 rounds.  But Haas kept on me, and I kept moving, to finish at 5:47, a huge PR. 
It dawns on me that the importance of having a good coach can not be overstated.  Haas knows me and my limits VERY well, and I trust him implicitly.  When he tells me I have another rep in me I believe that I do, and lo and behold the bar indeed goes up.  When his tone implies that my effort is disappointing, I suck it up and go harder.  This is the stuff of a good coach: not just the wherewithall to spot and communicate good and bad movement, safety and efficiency, but to inspire us to efforts beyond that which may come from within.  If, in the hazy heat of your next WOD, you find yourself willing to bleed rather than catch a glimmer of disappointment in the eyes of your trainer, then consider yourself fortunate.  You have found a coach.
J

Missing Klibbus



Sweet pic right?  I like it. 
From crossfit.com

 1/31/11
Back squat 5-5-5
Press 5-5-5
Worked up to 280# and 140# respectively.

2/2/11
Shoveled snow for 3 1/2 fun filled hours.  Which was awesome.  If you're anywhere near northern Illinois, this was likely your WOD as well.  Had drifts as high as 4 feet in my driveway.  I now have heaps of snow approaching 6 feet high flanking my driveway.  It's like the coolest snow fort ever.

2/3/11
Front squat 5-5-5
Bench press 5-5-5
Deadlift 5-5-5
Glute-ham raise 3x5
GHD situp 3x15
Finally got the training back on track.  Can't quite say the same for the diet piece.  Gonna start back on the Zone tomorrow.  Hit 225#, 210#, and 325# in the lifts.
A classic CFWC heavy metcon tomorrow.  Can't wait.
J