Conditioning

My hamstrings are pretty much back to normal, but my glutes are still sore as hell. I didn't want to resort to just an upper body workout again, so I decided to do some conditioning that would work my whole body. I started by doing about 10-15 minutes of warming up - especially my legs, obviously - and then did a version of The 540, which is named after the CrossFit box that devised it. The reps are as RXed, but I couldn't find a reference to what weight I should be using. I think it's up to the individual how much to put on the bar, so I guess-timated how much would be a challenge for me. I think I got it about right.

The 540
50 overhead lunges (total reps; 25lb bumper plate)
40 pull-ups
30 thrusters @ 85lb
20 burpees
10 cleans @ 115lb
Time = 18:06

I narrowly missed Rich Froning's world record time. By about 12 and a half minutes. Frig, this took my breath away, especially the thrusters. I think they took the longest time out of everything, just because of the time I spent resting. The burpees were in slow motion, but I only needed one break right in the middle.

For time:
50 sit-ups (strict)
50 push-ups
Time = 4:35

Short workout today, but still felt challenging.

Upper body, because my lower body is so fubar it isn't funny.

My ass hurts. Nuff said.

All relative max alternating sets today.

Hang power snatches @ 65lb - 8, 7, 7, 8

Dumbbell military presses @ 30s - 8, 7, 7, 6

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Underhand pull-downs - 90 x 10, 100 x 10, 9, 8

Dips - 9, 8, 7, 7

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Barbell curls @ 65lb - 8, 7, 7, 6

Push-downs @ 45lb - 8, 7, 8, 6

Full body

Personal training with Paul

I went to see Skyfall yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, and I made the huge mistake of eating popcorn. From the moment I left the movie theatre until about 10:30am this morning (Friday) I had a heartburn sensation, like a huge burp was fighting to escape! Not a good feeling, to say the least, and I had it throughout today's personal training session. If you heard thunder at about 10:00am today, that was me burping as I walked up Hincks Street after leaving the gym. Yeah, I know that's disgusting, but I feel a lot better!

5 rft:
5 Bulgarian split squats @ 115lb
10 dumbbell bench presses @ 45s
Time = 15:12

Well, that felt a damn sight harder than it should have. I don't do split squats often enough, and I think my time reflects that. My balance was all over the place, and I don't think my front foot position was consistent enough. This will need some work.

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Complex: 3 deadlifts + 3 power cleans (t&g)
95, 115, 125, 125, 130

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50 wide-grip pull-ups
Time = 8:59

Upper body

I ate a hell of a lot of food yesterday, but it was all "clean". I would have treated myself and eaten some apple pie IF SOMEONE HAD BOTHERED TO BRING SOME!

Push press - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
85, 95, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125 (2)

I've put that I managed two reps at 125lb, but - to be honest - they weren't great. I got the bar overhead, but it came down pretty quickly both times. I was doing pretty well up to that point, too, and I felt like I got plenty of power from my hips and shoulders up to 120lb.

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5 rft:
5 power cleans @ 115lb
10 dips
Time = 8:59

All of the cleans were unbroken, although they weren't all t&g. About halfway through this routine I found that my form improved significantly by keeping the bar close to my body during the cleans. However, this new-found knowledge came at a price; when I brought the bar up my shins, I ripped off the deadlift scab on my right leg from a couple of weeks ago. I could feel the blood dripping down and pooling on my top of my sock! Also, I noticed that there were spots of blood on the carpet by the dips station. Ew!

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Chin-ups (strict), max reps
10, 7, 5, 5

Last flex of 2012!

Conditioning

Happy Christmas (wah, wah, waaah!)

Yeah, I know it's Christmas Day, but I was bored! Perhaps I'm suffering from OCD (Obsessive CrossFit Disorder). After we'd had our family brunch at home and unwrapped our gifts, I had some fun in the Stonecroft gym.

For time:
1 dumbbell hang squat clean into thruster @ 35s
1 push-up; 2/2; 3/3, etc up to 10 reps of each
Time = 15:40

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Row 1,000m
Time = 6:01

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15 minutes swimming

Full body

After Saturday's lung-burner, I wanted to start this week with some heavy squats.

Back squats, 1rm
5 x 30% = 65lb
5 x 40% = 90lb
3 x 50% = 110lb
3 x 60% = 135lb
2 x 70% = 155lb
2 x 80% = 175lb
1 x 90% = 200lb
1 x 95% = 210lb
1 x 100% = 220lb (new PR)
1 x 102% = 225lb (to parallel)

I videoed the 210lb squat and had my camera ready for the 100% 220lb squat. I addressed the bar and was getting ready to start the rep, when I realised I hadn't started my friggin' camera to begin recording! I think I completed the squat with good form, so that's a new PR. However, no video proof! Bollocks. Anyway, 220lb felt like I could do even more weight, so I rested 3 minutes then added just 5lb more. I was doing okay until I got down to about parallel, when I felt like I was starting to tip towards my right. I panicked a bit because I thought I was going to topple over, so I stood up. A 225lb back squat is still a decent weight, but it wasn't as low as I was aiming for. Oh, well.

By the way, in the video of my 210lb lift, a bit of black tape that was stuck to my butt fell off. It looks like I shat myself!

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Bench press (small bench, 6 holes)
115 x 5
125 x 5
130 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 1, 2
145 x 0

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Military press, rel max
65lb x 10, 8, 6, 6

That's a drop of one rep in the last set.

Full body conditioning

Personal training with Paul

Amrap 10
1 deadlift @ 225lb, 1 burpee, 2/2, 3/3 etc.
Score = 9 rounds exactly

Edit: I only just checked back to see my score when I did something similar but easier a few weeks ago. Back then I did jump squats instead of the RXed burpees, which I did today. Even though my lungs burned like hell this morning, I did much better.

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"Ensign"
3 x 3 minute rounds of:
3 power cleans @ 115lb
6 push-ups
9 air squats

Scores:
3 rounds + 3 power cleans
3 rounds + 6 squats
3 rounds + 6 push-ups

I'm not surprised that the second round was better than the first. I deliberately moved slower, which allowed me to breathe slower. I slowed down in the third round just because I was fatigued.

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3 rounds:
10 ab rollouts
20 sit-ups (strict)

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It's two hours later, and my lower back is already seizing up from the deadlifts! Great workout, though. I'm used to one of the routines in my PT session knocking me on my ass, but not two at the beginning!

Full body

Clever advertising campaign by Nike

Supersets:
Bench presses, max reps @ 125lb - 5, 4, 4, 4, 4
Cable rows, max reps @ 125lb - 8, 7, 7, 7, 7

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For time:
30 x hang clean and presses @ 95lb
10 x burpees whenever I drop the bar (not at the end)
Time = 10:57 (5 breaks/sets of burpees)

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50 strict sit-ups
30 leg raises/hip raises
40 straight leg raises
20 decline sit-ups

A couple of things: I did the leg raises/hip raises before the straight leg raises because the dip station where I do the former was being used. Also, I didn't do any toes-to-bar because all the benches were occupied, so I couldn't get up there! Stoopid short legs...

Full body

If you half-close your eyes and squint, that could be me getting out of the water.

5 rft:
5 back squats @ 165lb (a2g)
5 dumbbell bench presses @ 50s
Time = 7:59

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5 rft:
10 kipping pull-ups
10 plate push-ups
Time = 8:30

That's 1:46 slower than Paul. Bollocks! :-)

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30 straight leg raises

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All of the above was done at ABsolute Fitness in the morning. In the afternoon, I had a 45 minute swim at Stonecroft. It's the first time I've been in a UV pool, which uses ultraviolet light for water disinfection, rather than chlorine or salt. Actually, this was the first time I've been swimming since I started taking better care of myself. I forgot what a good workout it can be.

Full body

Seriously?

This week is going to busy, so I'll be doing shorter, full body routines, rather than my usual focused workouts.

Squat cleans
95lb x 8, 8, 6, 7

That's a one rep improvement in the third set.

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10 rft:
15 deadlifts @ 135
15 push-up
Time = 18:25

The last time I did this routine was back in July 2011, when I finished in 28:00. I knew Paul's time was unattainable, but day-um, that's 9:35 faster. At least my improvement is better than his - ha! :-) Just like last time, I shredded my right shin - why not the left? - and left my dna all over the bar. I didn't rush, but stayed focused and disciplined, even when someone decided to come and start a conversation during the deadlifts. The first round was unbroken, and all the rest of the deadlifts were broken down into 5s. 

A short but satisfactory workout today.

5k Row

" ♫ All I want for Christmas is a six-pack...♪"

Unusual for me to train on a Sunday, but I had a rest day yesterday because my PT session was Friday. All clear?

Anyway, I wanted to try a simple WOD from a couple of weeks ago - row 5k for time. I don't think I've rowed for this type of distance before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I watched the demo video and it looks like most people were finishing around 20 minutes. However, I thought that might be a bit ambitious for me, so I aimed for roughly 25 minutes, about the time I take for a 5k run.

Row 5k for time
Time = 25:54 (average: 41 s/m)

That's roughly my time for a 5k run, so not too bad. I tried to maintain a steady pace throughout, as advised in the video, although that was easier said than done as I became more fatigued.

I don't know if I'll ever do this again, not because it was too tough, but because it was bloody boring! By the time I got to 1.5k, I couldn't wait for the damn routine to be over. Running 5k on the road is one thing, because the scenery changes, plus there are the mini-challenges when I overtake someone or they overtake me. But rowing 5k on a machine when all I can see are the stationary houses outside is pretty tedious. 

To make matters worse, about 10 minutes into my session, there was a power outage in New Hamburg, which meant the TV and lights in the Stonecroft gym all went out. There were three other people working out on machines at the same time as me, but as soon as the power went, so did they. I spent the next 15 minutes rowing in near darkness.

Can't wait to do some heavy lifting tomorrow...

Full Body

Personal training with Paul.

Reverse Fran
Time = 12:24

That's a damn sight quicker than my regular Fran (15:13), which surprised me. I thought I'd be slower because I'd become more fatigued as I progressed. Perhaps the earlier, shorter rounds allowed me to warm up my muscles more, though.

======

The rest of today's session actually felt tougher by comparison.

Supersets:
Incline dumbbell bench press - 35s x 10, 10, 7, 6
Push-ups - 5, 7, 5, 6

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Dips - 7, 5, 5
Push downs - 30 x 8, 6, 5

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Cable flies/curls, drop sets
30s - 10, 7, 6
20s - 6, 5, 4

Legs

A short-ish workout today, but I know my legs are going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow.

Romanian deadlifts
95 x 8
115 x 6
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 5
185 x 3, 3

Searching my blog, I can't find any record of me doing Romanian deadlifts before, other than with the trap bar. I think this might be the first time I've done them, and I really wasn't sure what weight to use. With both sets at 185lb I could feel my form starting to break down, so I stopped at 3 reps each time, even though I might have been able to knock out another one.

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5 rft:
Back squats (a2g) - 10 x 135
Traveling lunges - 25 per leg
Time = 15:57

I pretty much made this up on the spot, and towards the end of the first set of lunges I knew it was going to be painful! The first set of both moves was unbroken, as were all the subsequent lunges. However, the squats had to be broken down into 5 and 5 for the remaining four sets. They weren't heavy, but the sheer number got the better of me. At the end my quads were burning like someone had poured acid on them.

Pulling

My pecs are hurting like hell this morning. It made the inverted rows bloody painful when the bar hit my upper chest.

Hang cleans
95 x 6
105 x 3
115 x 3
120 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3

Even before I watched the video, I knew my form was starting to go during the 130lb set because the position of my feet was all over the place.

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Alternate sets, relative max reps
Inverted rows - 12, 10, 8, 8
Neutral alternating pull-ups (total) - 10, 6, 6, 7 (only managed the left side)

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Supersets, max reps
Underhand pull-downs - 8, 7, 7
Wide-grip pull-ups - 4, 3, 2

By the time I started the pull-ups my shoulders and biceps were toast. There was nothing left, which is why I only got two pull-ups in the third set.

I had planned on finishing with some barbell curls, but really - what was the point of even trying!

Pushing

The first thing I thought was: "Nice quads."
What's wrong with me?

Decent start to the week.

Push press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
85, 95, 105, 110, 115

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Bench press plus 20 push-ups
95 x 5
105 x 5
110 x 5 (4 + 1)
110 x 5 (3 + 2)

I decided to do standard bench presses - i.e. not using safeties - and went with fairly light weights that I was confident of controlling. As soon as I felt a bit of a struggle to lock out with the weight, I racked it and rested a few seconds. That only happened in the third and fourth sets.

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Alternate sets, relative max reps:
Dumbbell flies @ 27s - 12, 9, 7, 7, 7
Dips - 10, 7, 6, 6, 5

I rested exactly 60 seconds between each set/exercise.

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Trap bar deadlifts
1 minute @ 170lb - 27, 25, 23

Dumbbell military press
1 minute @ 25s - 20, 16, 15

Neutral grip pull-ups
1 minute - 14, 10, 9

Plate push-ups
1 minute - 26, 19, 19

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30 decline sit-ups

Lightweight

Yawn! I was completely lacking in energy today. Not for the first time, I thought I'd had a good night's sleep, but by mid-afternoon I was starting to nod off.

Bear complex x 3
1 power clean, 1 front squat, 1 push press, 1 back squat, 1 rack press
65, 75, 80, 85 (2), 85 (2)

For both attempts at 85lb, I managed to get the bar overhead with the third rack press, but couldn't lock out with my right arm. Pretty damn close both times, though.

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Power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
95 x 1, 0

Even though I didn't set any PRs with my snatches, I do think my form was better than it has been in a while.

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Alternating standing dumbbell curls
1 set of 20s x 10 per arm
3 sets of 25s x 10 per arm

Pretty unspectacular day, but I just couldn't get my mojo going!

Legs

Today's session was a bit later than I usually train, due to work commitments. I had a big lunch at a restaurant in New Hamburg - bacon cheese burger without the bun, but I treated myself to fries for a change. I probably eat one burger a week - always good quality meat - but it must be four months since I've eaten fries. The restaurant we went to is excellent, and we eat there all the time, so I know the food is good. However, after eating the fries I felt sluggish for hours; not a bloated belly like when I have wheat, but just...uncomfortable. Weird how food I used to eat all the time now makes me feel like crap. It's as if my body is rejecting unhealthy food, even if I eat it very rarely. Anyway, I don't think either the later workout nor the meal I ate four hours earlier affected my performance.

Back squats
10 x 105lb
Then 3 x 10 at 140lb

This was based on one of Paul's recent workouts, but scaled to roughly 75% of the weight he used (I rounded up to the nearest 5lb). I also went a2g.

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10 minute time cap:
1 deadlift @ 225lb, 1 jump squat
2 deadlifts, 2 jump squats, 3/3, etc. until time expires
Score = 8 rounds + 1 deadlift

This was loosely based on a routine I stumbled across on a CrossFit gym's website (although I've lost the address). Their WOD was deadlifts and burpees, but I wanted this to be pure leg work.There wasn't an RXed weight for the lifts, just a helpful "Go heavy". Before I started, I thought 225lb might be too light and considered 255lb, but in the end I think I got it right. The deadlifts were unbroken up to and including the fifth round; the sixth was three reps and singles; round seven and eight were all singles. Damn, these made my head spin!

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A quick finisher.

Leg extensions @ 110lb - max reps
8, 9, 9

Pulling

Power cleans (resetting)
95 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 2
140 x 2

I usually opt for t&g power cleans, but my technique has been a bit shitty the past few times. I think this was in part to trying to move too quickly without focusing on my form. Therefore, I allowed myself to reset after each rep today, so that I was able to concentrate on each rep, rather than trying to get through each set as quickly and fluidly as possible. That makes this a slightly different type of exercise, but it's worth it if it forces me to concentrate on my form.

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Chin-ups, weighted - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (strict)
35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 (2)


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Cable rows - 5 x max reps @ 150lb
5, 5, 5, 5, 5

My form during the later sets was better than the early ones, as I leaned back less.

Pushing

Team Poppa and the Moo at Saturday's Santa Pur-Suit in Waterloo.
This was so much fun - we finished the 3k in 31:59, 26th in the parent and child division.

A busy day ahead, so an early training session.

Military press - 5, 5, 3, 3, 2
65, 75, 80, 85, 90 (0), 90 (1)

I failed at my first attempt with 90lb - early start, so a bit rusty. I rested a couple of minutes, then tried again.

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Bench press (small bench, 6 holes)
Warm up: 95 x 8, 8
115 x 5
125 x 5
130 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 2
145 x 1

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4 rft:
10 push press @ 85lb (starting each set from the ground, as well as after a break)
10 dips
Time = 8:00

This went a bit quicker than expected. The first round was completely unbroken, and all the other push presses were 6 and 4.

Barbara

I don't usually train on Friday, but (a) I had a rest day on Wednesday, and (b) I won't have my regular personal training session tomorrow, only a gentle 3k run with Madi.

Barbara - 5 rft:
20 kipping pull-ups
30 push-ups
40 sit-ups
50 air squats
Time = 38:56

Okay, this is 19 seconds slower than last time, which was over a year ago. A couple of things to note, neither of which I'm offering as excuses, only observations.

1. This time, I did strict sit-ups, not the old "hands-over-head" that gave me some momentum. That may or may not have slowed me down, but, on the other hand, I hope I'm stronger than I was in September 2011. Also, the air squats were a2g; I can't remember if I only broke parallel last year.

2. Usually when I do a significant number of pull-ups in a metcon, I start with strict pull-ups rather than the kipping version. This is to enable my shoulders to warm up a bit before I start resorting to kipping. This morning, however, I went into straight into kipping because I wanted to move as quickly as possible from the beginning. My form was fucking awful; I lacked control and although I managed 12 consecutive reps before I had to rest, I was already out of breath. From that point onward I was struggling with breathing too hard, and that meant I needed to take too many breaks throughout the rest of the routine, just so I could catch my breath. Not a smart start by any means.

Regardless of whether or not I could/should have done better, this was still a good workout. I'm typing this a couple of hours after I left the gym, and I'm already seizing up. My moobs are sore as hell! Thankfully, tomorrow's Santa Pur-Suit won't be too taxing.

Full body

Short and simple today, due to time restraints.

Alternate sets; 5 x relative max reps
Bench press @ 125lb: 6, 5, 4, 4, 4
Weighted pull-ups @ 35lb: 5, 5, 4, 4, 4

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Superset - front and back squats (a2g)
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
150 - 3 & 3
160 - 3 & 3
170 - 2 & 3

Full body: Heavy weight and conditioning

I decided to revisit a whole workout from about a year ago. This was originally done as a personal training session on November 26, 2011. Yeah, I know yesterday would have been more symmetrical, but I didn't think of doing this until this morning.

Clean and push press (t&g; 2 second lockout)
95 x 3
105 x 3 (only did 2 last time)
110 x 2
115 x 1
120 x 1 (but not a full 2 second lockout)

I only just checked out the video from last time and realized I did squat cleans back then. However, today I only did power cleans. A year ago I failed the press at 115lb several times, but I managed a single at both 115lb and 120lb today. The heavier lift stayed up for about a second before I had to drop the bar. Coincidentally and bizarrely, looking back on that video I noticed I wore exactly the same shorts and shirt today!

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Cindy on Steroids: Amrap 20
5 wide grip pull-ups
10 clapping push-ups
15 jump squats
Score = 10 + 1 pull-up

That's significantly better than last year, when my score was 9 rounds and 5 pull-ups. I can't remember if I used any type of strategy back then, but today I did a kind of "death by" technique. I would complete a round - which always took over a minute - then rest for the remainder of the two minutes. I would only get into position for the pull-ups when my watch approached the end of the second minute. This seemed to work quite well, hence the improvement. All of the pull-ups were unbroken, except for the 10th round, which was 3 and 2. The first round of all three moves was completed without any breaks.

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Each for time: 15 sit-ups (strict) and 30 bicycle crunches per side
59, 1:15

These were tougher crunches than a year ago, but I still beat both times, which were 1:05 and 1:25.

Overall, a decent workout today.

Full body

I decided to try something different from my usual Monday pushing workout today, just for a change.

Diane: 21-15-9 rft
Deadlifts @ 225lb (sets broke down as 11, 5, 5 - 5, 5, 5 - 5,4)
Push presses @ 95lb (5, 6, 5, 5 - 5, 5, 5 - 5, 4)
Time = 12:54

Because I can't do handstand push-ups, I substituted presses instead. The last time I did Diane - with Paul - I used military presses, but today I went for push presses with more weight. The reason for trying this is because a few of the YouTube Diane videos show some athletes doing a kipping type of motion for the handstand push-ups, and I thought push presses might be a good approximation of that movement. My time ended up being quicker by 6:45, so perhaps I could have gone heavier on the push presses (the deadlifts were RXed).

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The second routine was yesterday's main site WOD.

For time:
5 front squats @ 125lb
25 pull-ups
4 front squats
20 pull-ups
3 front squats
15 pull-ups
2 front squats
10 pull-ups
1 front squat
5 pull-ups
Time = 13:14

The demo video stipulates using 65% of a 1RM for the front squats. I can't recall ever going for a 1RM, so I used my heaviest ever weight - 175lb - and did a little over 70% of that. That would have been 122.5lb, so I rounded up. The front squats were just breaking parallel and actually felt quite easy. This enabled me to do all the reps with good form; i.e. elbows up. The pull-ups, however, really took my breath away and slowed me down.

Overall, a good, sweaty workout today!

Full body

A bit more elegant than me

Personal training with Paul

Alternating sets
Bench press
95 x 5, 115 x 5, 125 x 5, 135 x 2, 135 x 3 (fourth rep was assisted)

Dumbbell rows
70 x 5, 75 x 5, 75 x 5, 80 x 5, 80 x 5

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For time:
50 hang power cleans and push presses @ 75lb
Every break (bar on the ground) do 10 pushups and 15 jump squats
Time = 10:57

I think I took breaks after the following reps: 14, 10, 8, 5, 5, 8. Edit: 14-10-10-8-8.

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50 strict sit-ups
40 straight leg raises
30 leg raises/hip raises
20 decline sit-ups
10 toes to bars

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At the end of today's workout I weighed myself on the gym's scale. According to that, I'm now 148lb, which is 6lb more than the last time I weighed on my home scale. There may or may not be a discrepancy between the two scales, but I think Paul might be exaggerating when he said I'm getting fat! The evidence in my favour...

Flexin' time

Looking back at all these photos, I can't see too much difference between them, although I do look a bit lighter in the early ones. Other than that, everything looks pretty consistent.

Upper body and conditioning

Well, it worked for deadlifts...

Bench press
5 x 30% = 45lb
5 x 40% = 60lb
3 x 50% = 75lb
3 x 60% = 90lb
2 x 70% = 105lb
2 x 80% = 120lb
1 x 90% = 135lb
1 x 95% = 140lb
1 x 100% = 150lb (F)
1 x 145lb

But not quite for bench presses. I managed to get the bar halfway up at 150lb, but couldn't get near a lock out. Still, that's the heaviest bench I've ever attempted, and at least I was able to move it! I took off 5lb, rested a couple of minutes, then did a single lift at 145lb, so at least I matched my existing PR.

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Alternate sets:
Preacher curls @ 65lb - 7, 6, 6, 5, 5
Push-downs @ 45lb - 8, 7, 8, 7, 7

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For 20 minutes:
Every minute on the minute do
7 Push-ups
7 Box jumps @ 22"

Rest for 5 minutes

75 strict sit-ups for time = 3:50

This was based on a workout I found online this morning, but the original finishes with burpees, not sit-ups. Yeah, I know sit-ups are nowhere near as tough as burpees, but this was a matter of running out of time - honest! I knew the burpees would take me more than 15 minutes, but I couldn't stay that long, so I did a move I knew I could get through quickly. I don't think the original stated the height for the box jumps, but in retrospect I could have added a couple of inches. Despite my recent problems with these, the 22" jumps were no problem, and all 20 rounds were unbroken. In fact, none of the rounds took me longer than 32 seconds to complete both movements. Still, this was fun, and I was a puddle of stinky sweat at the end.

Legs

Only two routines this morning, but good results for both.

Back squats (a2g)
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
175 x 5
185 x 5
195 x 3 (PR)

My weight increase progression is usually quite erratic, simply based on how I feel. Today, I deliberately increased the weight by no more than 10lb each set (other than after the first one), and that seemed to work quite well because I didn't feel a sudden jump in weight at the start of each round.

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Similarly, I changed the way I approach weight progression for the next routine. I've struggled to increase my 1RM for deadlifts for a while now - which was 320lb - and I was starting to get frustrated by this because I didn't know what I could change. I googled "1 rep max deadlift" yesterday and found a forum discussion about how to warm up for a 1RM. I tried one of the suggestions today (the first answer in the forum), which is based on a 10% weight increase each set and the number of reps decreasing gradually, with the aim of hitting a specific weight. My target was 325lb.

Deadlift
5 x 30% = 100lb
5 x 40% = 130lb
3 x 50% = 165lb
3 x 60% = 195lb
2 x 70% = 230lb
2 x 80% = 260lb
1 x 90% = 290lb
1 x 95% = 310lb
1 x 100% = 325lb

Finally - a new deadlift PR! When I sat down afterward, I had a huge, goofy grin like the Cheshire Cat. Before when I've attempted 325lb, it's been a struggle to even get the weight off the ground. However, today felt much more comfortable. I can see in the video that my form isn't perfect; there's a bit of back arching, which isn't good, of course, but I don't think it was horrendous. I felt like I could have attempted another 5lb increase, but I didn't want to push my luck. Another change I made today was going back to lifting in my socks so that my feet were completely flat on the ground.

Like I said, only two routines today, but I'm very happy with the results.

Pulling

Post-lunch workout.

Complex: 3 power cleans + 3 hang cleans
85, 95, 110, 120, 125 (1 hang clean)

I didn't video this, but I know my single hang clean at 125lb was shit. I lacked control, and my legs were all over the place. Still, I attempted a second rep, but couldn't get the bar anywhere near my chest.

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Dumbbell rows 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 per arm
70s, 75s, 80s, 85s, 90s (4)

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Power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
90 x 3

A little bit of press out from 85lb onwards, which is why I didn't add any weight after my first set with 90lb. That being said, the second round 90lb was better than the first.

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Cable rows
100 x 10
110 x 10
120 x 8, 6, 5

Pushing

Damn easy - and delicious - pulled pork.

Yesterday, we had a surprise party to celebrate my Mum's 80th birthday. There were about 30 guests, so I cooked a big batch of pulled pork, with a recipe from a Paleo cookbook Cher gave me for my birthday. The recipe is sooo easy, but tastes frigging amazing. The meat was juicy and tender, even though you don't add any liquid to it. It's just pork, a seasoning dry rub, and onions. It was one of those gratifying occasions when I cook something really healthy and everyone loves it!

Military presses 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
65, 75, 80, 85, 90 (0), 85, 85

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Supersets

Dumbbell bench presses; rel max @ 50s - 8, 5, 4, 3, 3
Push-ups - 10, 8, 6, 7, 7

Push presses @ 105lb - 5, 6, 4, 5
Dips - 6, 5, 5, 4

Full body (mostly upper)

Personal training with Paul

Note to self: The next time I see a workout online that I'd like to try, shut the hell up.

Rowing Helen
3 rft:
500 metre row
21 kettlebell swings @ 24kg
12 pull-ups (kipping)
Time = 19:11

I saw a CrossFit main site video yesterday, which showed some top level athletes doing a metabolic analysis. All the data was based on their reactions to a workout called Rowing Helen (the standard Helen uses running sprints, not rowing). Anyway, I thought it looked like an interesting challenge, so I asked Paul if I could do it with him sometime, as the rowing machines and kettlebells can only be used in a personal training session.

The kettlebells were the hardest part, and I no-repped a few times because I didn't get the weight overhead. In all three parts of the routine, it wasn't the weight that challenged me the most; it was my lack of breath. (Come to think of it, I can see why they chose this for a VO2 test). In the third round of rowing, I started off really slowly because I could hardly breathe, but I wanted to get moving. About halfway through, I started rowing 50 metres slowly, then 50 quickly, up until the end.

Not basing this on anything, but I thought I might get a time of circa 15 minutes. Still, I think I gave it everything to get 19:11, and it definitely required a lot of mental strength.

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4 rft:
10 incline dumbbell bench presses @ 40s
10 dips
Time = 16:47

21-15-9

Lindsey Valenzuela

This morning I started with the aborted lunges and snatches from yesterday. 

21-15-9 rft
Traveling lunges @ 35s (per leg)
Dumbbell snatches @ 35s (per side)
Time = 14:51

Yesterday I attempted this with 25s, but I decided to go a bit heavier because I was starting my workout with the routine, which meant I was much fresher. I spent plenty of time stretching out my glutes and quads beforehand, which was especially important because (a) my legs were quite stiff from Wednesday's exercises and (b) I went for an early morning bike ride and really pushed myself for speed. It was so damn cold when I set off to McD's (-5!) so I needed to pedal hard just to get warmed up! 

Anyway, I'm glad I was able to actually complete this today. The lunges were tough, but not as bad as I expected. The snatches, on the other hand, left me gasping for breath.

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I did something that was pure weight, just to allow myself to feel fresh again before my final routine.

Barbell curls @ 60lb; relative max reps - 12, 8, 6, 6, 5

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21-15-9 rft
Wide grip strict pull-ups
Strict sit-ups
Time = 9:18

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I was going to do some box jumps, too, but I realised that I only had nine steps for one side, with 10 on the other. There was a yoga class in session, so I didn't want to disturb them. Of course, it only occurred to me later that I could have simply done a routine with a lower height for the jumps. D'oh!

Legs and pulling

Cool - yet disgusting - pants design

Another combination day because I missed yesterday's pulling workout, due to attending a funeral in Toronto.

Complex: 1 power clean + 5 front squats
115, 125, 135, 140, 145 (4)

Video of the last two sets (forgot to subtitle the video). My elbows are too low after catching the clean, but I corrected them for the squats. For the 145lb clean, my legs are all over the bloody place.

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10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rft
Deadlifts @ 185lb
Pull-ups
Time = 11:16

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21-15-9 rft
Traveling lunges with 25s (per leg)
25lb dumbbell snatches (per arm)

I got as far as completing the 21 lunges per leg and then I got the a frigging painful cramp in both quads. It was the type of cramp where I thought I was going to puke, and I was hoping from leg to leg - both of which were equally bad, so that wasn't helping - then collapsed on my ass. It was bad enough that two people came to ask if I was okay! When I finally felt good to go, I started doing the snatches, but it still felt like the cramp would come back at any moment (I got to a total of 12 db snatches). I decided to abort as the time I'd spent trying to recover was longer than I'd actually spent moving, so whatever time I finished with would have been meaningless, anyway. I don't like walking away from an incomplete or poorly executed workout - or, in this case, staggering away - so I'm going to start with this tomorrow morning and make sure I finish it.

Pushing

A decent start to the week.

Bench press - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (small bench, 6 holes)
105, 115, 125, 135, 140, 145 (2), 145 (1)

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Push press - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
85, 95, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125 (2)

I didn't PR on the benches nor the push presses in terms of weight, but I increased the number of reps - by one - of the heaviest I've managed with both routines.

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5 rft
10 x dips
15 x push ups
Time = 12:08

The dips station was being used when I started, so I used the unsecured pull up rack instead. It feels a bit different (a) because it doesn't have grips, and (b) the horizontal bars slant inwards. Even though the proper dip bars became vacant midway through this routine, I stuck with the same type of dips for the sake of consistency.

Full body

Personal training with Paul

A lot of relative maxes to start...

Squat cleans
95lb x 8, 8, 5, 7

I lost concentration during the first set and my grip failed, causing me to drop the bar. That pissed me off; there was no reason for me to fail.

Military press
65lb x 10, 8, 6, 7

Neutral alternating pull-ups
10, 8, 6, 5

Dips
12, 8, 9, 7

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Amrap 10
10 x traveling lunges @ 20s (per leg)
10 x burpees
10 x sit-ups (strict)
Score = 4 rounds + 3 burpees

After a disappointing first set of squat cleans to start the day, I was quite pleased with how I finished with this short amrap. The lunges burned my quads, but I kept going and never broke them up. The burpees burned my lungs and I had to take a rest during the first three sets, but not the fourth. I wanted to, but I kept telling myself that this was only a short metcon, so just keep going! The sit ups weren't too bad. They started to hurt, but not enough to force me to take a break, other than a couple of breaths in the final set.

Conditioning

Goddamn box jumps. I had a great night's sleep that left me feeling fully rested and ready to work my ass off at the gym. I hadn't actually planned my session and was just going to wing it when I got there, making up something on the spot for my first routine.

3 rft
25 burpees
50 supported lateral hops @ 24"
100 single skips
Time = 18:37

Okay, that might not look too bad, but I had actually set up the risers and step so I could do box jumps (over by the squat rack in the corner). However, while I was warming up, I started to get that same damn mental block I've had the past few times I wanted to do box jumps. I've no idea why this has suddenly become a problem, but every time I started to crouch down to jump, I couldn't get my feet off the ground! I kept staring at the bloody thing and froze. Rather than stand there for half an hour and not doing anything, I decided to at least get moving, swapping in the lateral hops instead.

When I got to the end, I felt really pissed at myself. I decided I wasn't going to leave the gym until I'd completed 50 box jumps at 24". There's something about attempting these with lots of clear space in front of me that puts me off, as if I think the whole set up is going to collapse and I'm going to fall over, knocking out all my teeth. Yeah, I know that's bloody stupid; I'm not saying I was being rational! Anyway, I moved the setup to the corner by Chris's office, about a foot in front of the cupboard door. I figured if I misjudged my jump I could steady myself by putting my hand on the door. That seemed to calm me down mentally, although I'm sure it must have pissed off Chris with the constant "thump, thump, thump" of me landing on the box. Anyway...

50 box jumps @ 24"
Time = 4:24

Ironically, I did actually trip attempting the 47th rep, and hit my hand on the top step!

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300 single skips
10 push ups whenever I fail a rep or rest
Time = 8:13, with 80 push ups (8 fails)

Pulling

44

Only time for a short workout today. Also, I had a bit of an upset stomach, which was due, I think, to too much caffeine. I stayed up later than usual last night to watch the U.S. election results so I felt quite tired today. I tried to get myself going with lots of coffee throughout the day.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rft
Power cleans @ 115lb
Kipping pull-ups
Time = 17:43

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Wide cable rows
100lb x 10, 10, 7, 9

Legs

Usually without 165lb on my back.

On Saturday morning - before my training session - I had a pain in my left shoulder. It went away by the time I got to the gym, and it didn't cause any problems during my workout, so I didn't think anything more about it. Yesterday was a pushing day, and I did some push ups, bench presses and fast push presses. Again, no problems. However, by late afternoon my shoulder started to hurt quite a lot when I moved it a certain way. It wasn't the same as the injury I had earlier this year; this is more of a clicking and grinding sensation (hard to explain). I felt fine this morning, but thought it best not to do my usual Tuesday pulling workout and switched to a leg day instead.

Supersets
Box back squats - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (small bench, wooden step)
135, 145, 155, 160, 165

Jumping lunges (BW) x 10 per leg

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Deadlifts
175 x 6
195 x 4
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 1
295 x 1
310 x 0, 1
320 x 0

With my first attempt at 310lb I tried to use wrist straps and I almost completed the lift, but I felt unbalanced on my left side as the strap felt uncomfortable (probably because it felt weird using them with a mixed grip). I rested a few minutes and tried again - successfully - without the straps.

Pushing

After-lunch workout with mixed results.

Dumbbell seated shoulder press
30s (10), 35s (5), 37s (5, 5), 40s (4)

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Bench press (small bench, 6 holes)
95 x 10
115 x 7
125 x 4
135 x 2
135 x 1

A little bit below par with these.

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12-10-8-6-4-2 rft
Push press @ 95lb, from a clean
Push ups
Time = 6:18

I did this in August with 85lb from a rack. I was warming up with 65lb, then 85lb, and felt really comfortable, so I upped the weight. Also, I wanted to use cleans whenever I picked up the bar, rather than a rack. I felt like I took long rests, although not too often. I expected the extra weight and starting with a clean would slow me down, so I was really surprised when I checked my watch at the end and saw that I was over 3 minutes quicker. The presses felt really good, with plenty of hip power. 6:18 is two thirds of my previous time!

Full body

Lots of supersets today.

Front squats - 135 x 5, 145 x 5, 150 x 5, 5
Jump squats - 4 x 15

The first two sets of jump squats were unbroken, but my quads burned like feck!

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Incline dumbbell bench press - 40s x 6, 45s x 6, 47s x 6, 50s x 5
Dips - 4 x 8

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Pull-downs - 100 x 8, 8, 8, 8
Wide pull-ups - 4 x 5

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And to finish...

50 sit-ups
Time = 2:26

Death by...

I felt a bit meh today - no idea why. I'd planned on doing either Angie or Barbara today, or even Cindy Max, but when I got to the gym, the pull-up rack was being used. I must admit I was secretly pleased because it meant I couldn't do kipping pull-ups. Yeah, I know I was being damn lazy, but hey, I'm being honest here. I did a few shorter routines instead.

Alternate sets
Incline dumbbell curls - 25s x 10, 27s x 5, 5, 5, 4
Skull crushers - 22s x 12, 25s x 9, 7, 7, 8

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Death by military press @ 65lb
Score = 8 rounds + 7 reps
1 round increase.

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Death by chin-ups (strict)
Score = 8 rounds + 5 reps

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Death by sit-ups x 2
Score = 12 rounds (24 sit-ups) + 14 reps
Another 1 round increase.

I got to the end of the 12th round and immediately started the next one, as there wasn't even time for one second's rest.

Legs and Pulling

Yesterday was so busy I didn't have time to visit the gym, so I doubled up this morning. I had a bit of time to spare, so I didn't feel rushed.

Superset - front/back squats (a2g)
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
150 - 3 & 3
160 - 3 & 3
170 - 2 & 3

I used the correct front squat grip throughout.

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Dumbbell snatches for time; 5 per arm, alternating (previous times in brackets)
40lb - 25 seconds (25)
45lb - 24 (28)
50lb - 28 (30)
55lb - 32 (51)
60lb - 1:01 (2:03)

Only the 60lb set needed to be broken up. I failed the third rep with my left arm, but only needed a few breaths before going again.

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50 deadlifts @ 205lb
Time = 6:11

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Drop sets
Weighted pull-ups - 25lb x 6, 4, 3
Pull-ups - bw x 3, 3, 2

All pull-ups were strict, with exactly 60 seconds rest between each double set. Not my best performance with this routine, but by this point I was cream crackered.

Pushing

I still feel damn sore from Saturday's workout. My lower back doms have almost gone, but my pecs hurt like hell. Oh, well...

Push press 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
85, 95, 105, 110, 115, 120 (1), 120

Both racks were being used, so these push presses were preceded with a power clean to get the bar to my shoulders. I don't think that affected the presses too much, as my 1RM for cleans is 145lb. I got the bar overhead with my first attempt, second rep at 120lb, but didn't lock out with my right arm.

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Dumbbell bench press
45s x 5 plus 20 push-ups
50s x 5 plus 20 push-ups
55s x 5 plus 20 push-ups
55s x 5 plus 20 push-ups

I did this using rack bench presses a few weeks ago as part of a PT session. Both racks were being used - by a personal trainer whose name rhymes with "Derek" - so I went for straightforward db benches instead.

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Amrap 12
5 db military presses @ 35s
10 db push presses @ 35s
15 dips
Score = 2 rounds exactly

I completed the second round with about 30 seconds remaining, but I couldn't complete another shoulder press without resorting to a dip and push motion. This was a damn sight tougher than I expected. The push presses were the only movement that felt comfortable.

Full body

Miranda

Personal training with Paul

I don't know much, but I know one thing: tomorrow morning, I'm going to hurt like a bitch.

Sumo deadlifts for time
185 x 10 - 19 sec
225 x 10 - 21
255 x 10 - 30
275 x 10 - 3:20 (!)
225 x 10 - 32

Both my quads and hamstrings gave out on me at the same time during the 275lb round. Shee-it.

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Bench press for time
95 x 10 - 14 sec
105 x 10 - 18
115 x 10 - 1:02
120 x 10 - 3:02
105 x 10 - 59

With both the deadlifts and the bench presses, as soon as I needed to take a break my time dropped like a lead balloon.

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10-8-6-4-2 rft
Dips
Neutral grip pull-ups
Time = 9:31

Sub-5 minutes my ass.

Because it was raining, Cher told me to call her when I finished training so she could pick me up. I swear, my neck and shoulders were so sore, it hurt to hold the phone to my ear.

Conditioning

A quick session at the Stonecroft gym.

50-40-30-20-10 rft:
Burpees
Skips (single unders)
Time = 19:45

I. Hate. Burpees. Bloody hell. I was totally alone in the gym, with no noise from a tv nor any music. I never realised how loudly I breathe when I'm doing a fast-paced routine like this! 150 burpees - what was I thinking.

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Sit-ups

I did the same sit-up routine I did with Paul a couple of weeks ago. It felt easier today, and all sets of 10 reps were unbroken, perhaps because I did more of a workout beforehand last time.

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200m rowing sprints x 3 (Concept 2 at maximum resistance)
52 seconds, 51, 50

I dropped a second each time! My arms felt like shit at the end.

I don't know if it was due to the heavy breathing or the unusually warm weather, but when I got back home my sinuses flared up. My whole head was throbbing and I thought I was going to heave. Not pleasant.

Legs

Another post-lunch session. The gym was really quiet, which allowed me to feel more relaxed.

Complex: 1 squat clean + 1 front squat + 1 squat clean + 1 front squat
95, 115, 125, 130, 135 (1 sc + 1 fs), 135, 140 (1 sc + 1 fs)

My elbows look too low during the heavier squat cleans, but I think I corrected them for the front squats.

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Back squats - 1RM
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 1
195 x 1
205 x 1
215 x 1
220 x 0

I chickened out on the last attempt, when I should have just let myself fail. Arse!

Flexin' time!

Pulling

According to this, I think I'm somewhere between
15% and 20%. 3% looks like a bloody reptile.

I had to postpone my usual training time because of a busy morning. I was less busy this afternoon, so I managed to fit in a quick session (thankfully, just before the jocks started arriving).

Chin-ups, weighted - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

First time I've managed all three reps at 60lb.

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Cable rows - 5 x max reps @ 150lb
5, 5, 5, 4, 4

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5 rft:
8 power cleans @ 95lb
8 inverted rows off parallettes
Time = 9:32

Pushing

Bench press - small bench, 6 holes
105 x 2
115 x 2
125 x 2
135 x 2
140 x 2
145 x 0, 1

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Military press - 5, 5, 3, 3, 2
65, 75, 80, 85, 90 (1)

Got the bar to eye level while attempting my second rep at 90lb, but the weight just dropped back down again.

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Supersets - relative max reps
Incline dumbbell flies @ 30s - 10, 9, 8
Dumbbell push presses @ 40s - 7, 6, 6

47 (not 48)

This is how my chest felt today.

There's only one day each year when I regret getting older.

For time, breaking however I want
47 back squats @ 135lb
47 strict pull-ups
Time = 10:41

I can't believe Paul no-repped me on the last pull-up! I seemed to get more fluid with the squats towards the end as I became more warmed up. The pull-ups were much tougher than I expected.

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For time, breaking however I want
47 deadlifts @ 205lb
47 dips
Time = 12:19

As I expected, the deadlifts - while not easy - were by far the least challenging part of today ("least challenging" is the wrong phrase, but you know what I mean). I was able to move pretty quickly, and the last block of 7 reps were unbroken. However, that speed had a consequence as it left me out of breath by the time I went into the dips. I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest.

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47 burpees (aiming for under 5 minutes)
Time = 4:47

Fucking hell, this was the toughest thing I did today. I must have looked like I was in slow motion by the end. When Paul told me what this part of the workout was going to be, I thought: No problem. I'll start off with about 20 consecutive reps. Five. I managed five fucking reps before I needed to rest. Jesus.

That was a fun, imaginative workout today, but I was damn pleased when it was all over. I collapsed to the ground after the last burpee, with my head spinning from hyperventilation. Paul was talking to me, but I have no frigging idea what he said. I didn't hear a damn thing!

Conditioning

I needed plenty of leg warm ups before my first routine because my hamstrings and glutes are pretty sore from yesterday's leg session.

Fran: 21-15-9 rft
Thrusters @ 95lb
Kipping pull-ups
Time = 15:32

That's a lot slower than nearly a year ago. Today I was fresh - i.e. last time I did some weight work first - so not improving is a big disappointment. This morning the thrusters took more out of me than I expected, and I needed plenty of breaks. Strangely, I think the round of 9 - when I was already fatigued - was my most fluid. I only managed doubles, but when I picked up the bar from the ground, I did a squat clean and punched the bar overhead when I got to the upright position. When the bar came back down to my chest, I went straight into a squat.

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5rft:
5 deadlifts @ 225lb
10 otb burpees (total)
Time = 8:13

The closest routine I've done to this in the past was in February 2012 with standard burpees, when I finished in 8:51. My energy level seemed to jump up a notch during this workout. I collapsed on my back into a steaming puddle of sweat at the end.