Full body (mostly legs)

Stoopid trap bar.

Squat cleans:
95 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 3
135 x 1 (failed second rep)
135 x 2 (failed third rep)
140 x 1 (failed second rep)
140 x 1 (failed second rep - just!)

I want to count my last set at 140lb as 1.75, because I was so close! It all happened pretty fast, but I think the bar was only inches away from my chest on my second rep. I seemed to lose my grip and the bar just dropped. Feck! That would have been a PR.

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Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
285 x 1
315 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1 (equal PR)
345 x 0
345 x 0

I managed to equal my PR from a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think my form and technique was very good today - too much back, not enough legs. 

Not that it made any difference to my performance, but after the set at 260lb I could feel the rough grip on the trap bar was going to be tough to hold, so I went to get my gloves only to realise that I'd left them at home. D'oh! Hence the ripped calluses on my hands.

I'm planning on doing some running this afternoon at the Wilmot Rec Complex while Madi is having her swimming lesson, so lots of leg punishment today.

Full body / Conditioning

Personal training with Paul

Serious sweating today, but great fun.

Diane: 21-15-9
Deadlifts @ 225lb
Military press @ 70
Time = 19:39

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21-15-9:
Back squats (a2g) @ 115lb
Burpees with 8 foot jump/bar touch
Time = 14:56

Full body / Conditioning

About three weeks ago, I did a CrossFit Heroes WOD with Paul - The Six - but that was shortly after my return from England, and I was still feeling jetlagged. It was bugging me that I didn't feel like I'd given my best, so I was eager to try again. So glad I did.

6 rounds for time:
6 power cleans @ 115lb
6 box jumps @ 26"
6 dumbbell swings @ 55lb
6 over-the-bar burpees
Time = 20:31

That's 3:03 quicker than last time. I think there were two major differences today: (a) More consistent cleans. In the first round they were unbroken; the second, third and fourth rounds were three and three; and the last two rounds were 3-2-1. (b) My rest breaks were much shorter. I think I was a bit tougher mentally today, compared to three weeks ago, so I was talking myself into moving again every time I stopped.

I glanced at my watch at the end of the third round, and the time was 9:47. I thought the second half of the routine would be much slower and I wouldn't beat my previous time. However, the final time shows I was pretty consistent throughout.

In my blog from earlier this month, I noted that I felt nauseous, thirsty and crampy (is that a word?). Today, I was an exhausted puddle of sweat at the end - which is to be expected - but other than that, relatively good!

Feels like a monkey off my back.

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Chin-ups, max reps: 10, 7, 6, 4

Not great, but after my performance with The Six, I don't give a shit!

Legs

WTF?

A quick two-part leg workout.

Superset - front squats/back squats
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
145 - 3 & 3
155 - 3 & 3
165 - 3 & 3
170 - 1 & 3

The last time I did this routine I only managed two front squats at 165lb plus three back squats, then stopped. Today, I managed to complete all the prescribed reps at 165lb, plus one 170lb front squat and all three back squats with the same weight. All the front squats were hamstring to calf, even at the heavier weights. The back squats started off that way, but I couldn't maintain that depth beyond 155lb. However, they were all well below parallel.

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Traveling lunges (continuous) - 3 x 15 per leg @ 20s

The video shows the second and third sets.

I made sure I did some good quad stretches at the end of today's workout, so hopefully I'll be able to do some conditioning tomorrow.

Posterior Chain

Only time for one routine today, because of work, but it was a good, heavy one.

Deadlifts:
165 x 6
185 x 4
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
320 x 1 - New PR!
325 x 0

That didn't take too long, but I had to rush back home to get through my ever-growing workload. Perhaps I'll train on four days this week, rather than my usual three, just to fit in another workout.

Full body

Julie Foucher

This is my first time in the gym training on my own for a week. I had the best night's sleep for weeks, and my nutrition was good yesterday (not that I eat a lot of crap, but some weekends I don't eat enough if I'm running around doing errands.) Bearing all that in mind, I can't figure out why today's session was so disappointing.

Power clean and jerk:
95 x 3
105 x 2
105 x 3
110 x 2
115 x 1
115 x 2
120 x 0
120 x 0

Only 2 reps at 105lb was pretty shit, so I redid that set before proceeding. Likewise, I should be able to get 2 reps at 115lb, but I failed my second rep in my first attempt, so I did it again. Even though I didn't manage to hold the bar overhead with either of my 120lb jerks, they were both pretty close. I got the bar overhead, but couldn't hold it there for long.

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Cindy - Amrap 20: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats
Score = 12 rounds plus 5 pull-ups and 5 push-ups

The last time I did this - in January - I was disappointed and frustrated with my performance. Today was even worse. However, back then I felt pretty weak and that accounted for my low score; today I felt really good but my strategy was different - and failed. I didn't count my rounds so that I could concentrate on just completing the movements as my body allowed. This was a mistake because sometimes knowing how much I've done and how long I have left can push me to increase my speed. Also, I deliberately tried not to go at full speed from the beginning so that I could save my energy for later in the routine. Again, this didn't work very well.

I'm disappointed with today's performance because I felt so good and very positive heading into the gym. I felt fully rested and full of energy, which makes the results so frustrating. 

Full body

Flexin': April 21, 2012. Finally - some horizontal lines!

Personal training with Paul

This is my first day of gym training since last Saturday. The only exercise I did the rest of the week was running (twice on Monday, plus once on Wednesday and Thursday). I needed a break from lifting, but the running showed my conditioning isn't as good as it should be. My legs got more fatigued as the week progressed - which is to be expected - but I was surprised how quickly I got out of breath during my runs. Definitely something I need to think about with my programming.

Alternate sets:
Chin-ups - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5:
30, 35, 40 (4), 40 (5), 40 (3)

Military press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5:
65, 75, 80 (4), 80 (4), 80 (4)

I kept getting cramp in my left calf during the second half of the pull-ups, probably due to not stretching enough after my runs.

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5 rft:
10 deadlifts (t&g) @ 135
10 burpees
Time = 9:19

The deadlifts were all unbroken - or, rather, I never released the bar. The burpees turned into slow motion and I felt like I was running on auto-pilot. Thinking about the pain would have slowed me down!

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Box jumps (bounce reps only):
14" x 10
16" x 10
18" x 10
20" x 10
22" x 10

As soon as I landed on the ground I had to go straight into the next jump, or the rep wouldn't count. Resting momentarily at the top was fine, but I lost my balance and rhythm a few times. Still, the last, highest set was probably my best out of the whole routine.

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Complex - 2 squat cleans + 2 hang squat cleans
95, 105, 110, 115, 120 (F on second hsc)

A temporary lapse in concentration cost me that second rep at 120lb.

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4 sets, 1 minute max reps:
C2B Pull ups - 9, 7, 6, 7
Push press @ 30s - 20, 20, 18, 17

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Traveling lunges (continuous) - 3 x 15 per leg @ 20s

Expecting plenty of leg pain tomorrow.

Conditioning: 20s Workout

Today was the first time since I returned from England that I feel like I have any energy, so it was a good chance to try a workout I found on the CrossFit Journal. I scaled the weighted portions to allow me to do a quicker routine.

Back squat @ 115lb, 20 reps to parallel, single set
Time = 2:01

Then three rounds, each for time, of:
20 push presses @ 75lb
20 hand-release push ups
20 pull-ups
Rest 2 minutes after each set
Times = 5:39, 6:21, 6:39

Paul advised me to keep the back squats pretty light, and I thought he was underestimating me. He suggested I'd feel dizzy and want to quit halfway through the squats, but it actually took until rep #12! I was staggering around like a drunken sailor with a barbell on my back. 

The push presses were RXed at 95lb, but I wanted to do them quickly while maintaining good form, so lowered the weight to 75lb. I probably could have gone 5 or 10 pounds heavier, but I wasn't too far off. In the first set I managed to do 10 consecutive reps before I had to rest; by set #3 I started the push presses with 7 reps before resting. Clearly, by the last round I'd lost the ability to count. Reviewing my video, I did 21 reps for the push presses and push ups, but only 19 for the pull ups. Bollocks!

The video shows my final round.

Pulling

Power cleans, touch and go:
95 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3
135 x 2
135 x 3
140 x 1
140 x 1

The last time I did this routine I got 3 reps at 135, but watching the videos, I'm particularly happy about the power I'm getting from my legs and hips, as shown by how often my feet leave the ground. After reviewing my first attempt at 135lb I felt that I'd given up too soon, so rested a couple of minutes and tried again. Sure enough, I completed all 3 reps. Similarly, it looks like I was pretty close to succeeding with the second rep at 140lb in my first attempt, so I tried again. However, by that point I think I'd reached my limit and the second try was worse than the first. Still, it was worthwhile giving it a go.

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Deadlifts:
140 x 10 (touch and go)
185 x 5 (t&g)
205 x 5 (t&g)
225 x 5  (t&g)
250 x 5  (t&g first two reps, then reset)
275 x 4 (reset after each rep)

Pushing

British cycling World champion, Victoria Pendleton.
Impressive hamstrings.

Nothing impressive about today: I either matched or did worse than previously with the following routines.

Military press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
65, 75, 80 (3), 80 (2), 75

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Piston bench presses - 5 per side
35s, 40s, 45s, 50s, 52s, 55s (3 per side)

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Push press:
85 x 5
90 x 5
95 x 5
100 x 4
100 x 3

Full body / Conditioning

Angie Pye

Personal training with Paul

No idea why, but this morning I felt a bit drained. I ate well yesterday (although I did have a "cheat" burger and fries for lunch) and I slept well last night, so I don't think they would be the cause. Anyway, I felt that my performance with today's metcon could have been quicker, if not for my general feeling of bleh (that's a medical term; look it up.) I think my rests would have been shorter. However, this was a challenging workout, so I'm not going to be too hard on myself.

This is a scaled/adapted version of a British Hero workout. Paul did this a while back - with heavier weights and higher box jumps, of course - which in turn was based on one of Chris's metcons in Brighton.

6 rounds for time:
6 power cleans @ 115lb
6 box jumps @ 26"
6 dumbbell swings @ 55lb
6 over-the-bar burpees
Time = 23:34

Early into this routine I thought I was going to puke! I was thirsty, but didn't want to drink too much because that would mean more liquid swooshing around in my stomach - not a good idea. That dehydration might account for the cramp I got in my right thigh in the changing room afterward. I clearly didn't look too good because another gym member commented that she thought Paul was going to kill me (like that would stop him). At the end I felt like I was going to pass out; I was light-headed, my eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head, and I was hyperventilating. Remind me why I do this?

Pull-ups, max reps: 12, 7, 6, 5

Running

Okay, that hurt a hell of a lot more than I expected.

My mid-back is still sore from yesterday's heavy back squats, and I think I might have pulled a muscle. It feels much better today than it did yesterday, but it's still bad enough that I decided not to go ahead with my planned power lifting routine at the gym this morning. Instead, I thought this was a good opportunity to go for my first run of the year, especially with the New Hamburg Classic only a few weeks away. I'm planning on running the 5K again this year, aiming to beat last year's time.

My quads felt a little tight from yesterday's leg session, but not too bad. However, after about 10 minutes it felt as though they were going to cramp up. There was some pain for the rest of the run, but not enough to make me quit.

I didn't time myself or measure the distance I ran. I wanted to check out the trails at Stonecroft, where I'll be moving in late summer/early fall. The signage there advertises 5K of trails and I think I covered most of it, plus the run to and from my house to Stonecroft.

I wasn't expecting too much from today's run, but I certainly wasn't expecting my legs to hurt this much! Clearly, I have a lot of work to do over the next few weeks.

Legs

Julie Foucher

Partial back squats (11 holes):
185 x 5
225 x 3
245 x 3
255 x 3
270 x 3
285 x 3
300 x 3
310 x 3 (PR by one rep)
315 x 3
320 x 3

That's a significant improvement on my PR. I felt like I could have gone for at least an additional 5lb, but while I was completing the third rep at 320lb I felt a slight twinge across my mid-back. It still feels a bit dodgy now, an hour later, but hopefully it isn't anything too serious.

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Box front squats 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 (small bench, wooden step)
115, 125, 135, 145, 155 (3)

My previous best was 150 for three reps, so this is a little better, but the last time I did this was way back in November. Still, improvement is improvement.

Pushing and Pulling

Holmberg and Khalipa

Man, my upper back hurts like a beeatch, following yesterday's trap bar deadlifts. I keep forgetting about that.

Alternate sets, max reps

Bench press @ 100lb (small bench, 6 holes): 13, 11, 10, 7, 6
Chin-ups: 12, 9, 8, 6, 5

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Push press @ 80lb: 9, 11, 9, 9, 7
Inverted row: 3 (aborted)

My left shoulder, which I injured while doing dips a couple of months ago, started to cause problems again while I was doing the rows. I had a burning sensation that began with the first rep and got worse with each one. It didn't actually hurt, but I could feel that it was about to. As soon as I stopped, so did the burning, and the pain never materialised. However, it looks like I still need to be careful not to injure my shoulder again.

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Preacher curls @ 55lb: 10, 7, 6, 5

Full body

I'm still pretty jetlagged, but I was aching to get back in the gym, even if it was only for a short workout.

Squat cleans:
95 x 5 reps
115 x 5
125 x 5
130 x 1, 1, 0, 1, 0
130 x 5
135 x 1, 0
135 x 1, 1, 0

I didn't feel like I had much power today - understandably - which accounts for my poor squat cleans at the heavier weights. Ordinarily, I'd be pissed at myself for not hitting the same number of reps as as when I did this routine in the past. However, today was just an excuse to get back to doing some real lifting that didn't require any machines.

The next routine went better.

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Trap bar deadlifts:
170 x 10
220 x 5
260 x 3
280 x 1
310 x 1
330 x 1
340 x 1 (PR)
345 x 0

It's been several months since I've done trap bar deadlifts, as the frame was being repaired. This is only a 5lb PR, but given the circumstances I'm quite pleased with it. Looking at the video, I probably shouldn't have attempted an extra 5lb after the PR; even though I lifted 340lb, it's clear that my form is deteriorating and my back is starting to bow.