Conditioning

3 circuits; 1 minute's rest in between:

100 skips
15 ball slams
15 kettlebell lateral swings per arm
15 box jumps
15 burpees
20 ball squats (lifting the ball to the top of the punchbag)
10 shuttle runs

Today was another one of those days when I didn't want to do a conditioning routine, but pushed myself anyway. It took me a little while to get going in the first round, but by the second round my mind was in the right place. I started to drag my arse halfway through the third set as fatigue started to kick in. However, a couple of people came into the yoga room to do some stretching, and that seemed to give me some impetus. Nothing like an audience to get me going.

======

3 x 20 ab rollouts

3 x 50 bicycle crunches

Conditioning

Four circuits:
Row 500m
30 kettlebell swings
30 box jumps
2 minutes skipping
30 ball slams
10 shuttle runs

This was one of those workouts where, at the halfway point, I wished I hadn't started it.

Conditioning

One sweaty bugger.

Holy crap, this left me as a simpering puddle of sweat!

4 circuits:
30 kettlebell swings
20 box jumps
15 kettlebell lateral swings per side
2 minutes skipping
30 kettlebell crunches

It probably took me 10 minutes to put all the equipment away, just because I was so knackered.

Conditioning and upper body

Christie Phillips

Another ass-kicking conditioning session to start the workout. Cosmo reckons I probably burned about 700 calories. Only 700?!

Circuit x 3; 60 seconds rest in between each
15 x inverted rows off parallettes
90 seconds skipping
10 x kettlebell swings per arm (alternating each rep)
12 x box jumps
2 x lengths of the yoga room, traveling lunges with 75lb barbell
2 minutes shuttle runs, starting from push up position

======

Pyramid bench presses:
2 sets of 10 x 115lb, 8 x 125lb, 6 x 135lb, 10 x push-ups
30 seconds rest between each weight change; 1 minute rest between sets.

======

Pyramid dips: 10, 8, 6
30 seconds rest between each round.

======

Cosmo gave me a body fat test after today's session, and mine came out at 15.3%. That places me in the "Fitness" category, so I need to drop another 1.3% to sneak into "Athlete". That's a little bit higher than I expected, based on previous measurements and my regular "mirror test". I don't think I've put on any unwanted fat, so perhaps the discrepancy might be due to different measuring techniques (like weighing yourself on different scales). I'm not too bothered, as I feel great and I definitely feel like I'm getting stronger and fitter.

Conditioning and upper body

Goddamn box jumps! Started today's PT session with a punishing circuit. I'm not sure of the proper name for some of these moves.

3 sets:
35 kettlebell swings
25 kettlebell figure of eights
20 kettlebell crunches
1 minute of kettlebell bicycles (lying down, holding the weight up while doing cycle movements with my legs)
10 box jumps @ 28"

I took breaks when I needed to, in order to catch my breath. The box jumps were going well until I took a breather after four reps in the third and final set. When I went to move again, I couldn't get my feet off the ground! My mental block resurfaced. Despite Cosmo telling me not to think too much, that, of course, is exactly what I did. I eventually removed one step from each side so that I could finish off the last six reps, but even that felt like a mental hurdle. 

2 sets: Bench press pyramid
8 reps each @ 135lb, 115lb and 95lb

Lots of assists were needed!

======

Concentration curls @ 25lb

That might seem light, but slooooow movements are a killer.

Conditioning and Legs

I can't even describe what I did today with Cosmo. I don't even know what fucking day it is. It hurt during the workout; it hurt after the workout; and it's going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow.

I did a conditioning routine for the first half hour or so, followed by two sets of this leg circuit:

Back squats - 135lb x 10
Leg presses - 230lb x 12
Straight leg deadlifts - 135lb x 10 (broken up as necessary)
Calf raises on a step - 135lb x 10

Upper body / Conditioning

Pull-ups, max reps - 13, 8, 7, 6, 6

======

Amrap 10
5 burpees
5 knees to elbows
Score = 8 rounds plus 5 burpees and 1 k2e

======

3 rft:
20 hang power snatches @ 45lb
20 push-ups (hand release)
20 box jumps @ 24"
Time = 16:46

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.

======

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

======

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.

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!

======

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

Conditioning

Okay, let's try again...

5-4-3-2-1
Clean and press @ 110lb
C2B kipping pull-ups x 2
Box jumps @ 24" x 2
Over the bar burpees x 2 (each side = 1 rep)

Time = 14:16

That's one second slower than last time! However, back then my wrists were still causing problems so I'd used two 50lb dumbbells; this time, I went for a 110lb barbell. That box jump crap was still at the back of my mind during the warm-up, but I seemed to be okay during the actual routine. Yeah, it's a little slower - one second! - but the barbell felt tougher than the dumbbells.

======

2 round for time:
20 pull-ups (strict!)
50 push-ups

Time = 11:12

Maybe the strict pull-ups do make a difference. Meh! :-) Still, only 13 seconds slower than my target...

Full body

Personal training with Paul

Today's session felt a lot tougher than it should have. Because my training has lacked focus this week, I walked to the gym just so I had a chance to relax my mind and not feel rushed, which can sometimes happen when I cycle. Rather than use my bike as a mode of transport, I often try to ride as quickly as possible, which, of course, can be counterproductive. 

Sumo deadlifts from deficit
185 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 3
265 x 2

======

20-15-10-5 rft
Dumbbell thrusters @ 35s
Pull-ups
Between each round and at the end, do 20 box jumps @ 20"
Time = 21:07

Man, I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I was breathing so hard during this routine and was one of those rare occasions when I seriously wanted to quit. Perhaps yesterday's impromptu conditioning workout took more out of me than I thought. Still, I was disappointed in myself because I felt like I lacked mental discipline and strength today.

Full body

Mean trainer wants me to do box jumps. Don't wanna!

Personal training with Paul

Fuck my brain! I don't know what happened during the warm-up for the first routine today, but there was something in my mind that stopped me from doing box jumps at a height I know I can kill. I'd get ready to jump, but my thighs would start shaking and my feet would refuse to leave the ground. In the end, I had to remove some risers and do the jumps pretty low.

The weird thing is, I wasn't looking forward to my last PT session, but did quite well; this time, I was up for it and couldn't kick it into gear. WTF?!

5-4-3-2-1
Dumbbell clean and press @ 50s
C2B kipping pull-ups x 2
Box jumps @ 24" x 2
Over the dumbbell burpees x 2 (each side = 1 rep)
Time = 14:15

======

3 rft:
10 knees to elbows
10 dips
20 sit-ups
Time = 11:25

Legs

Lindsay Smith. I'd like to have just one of her abs.

Now that I'm back to doing sessions where I focus on one area of my body each day, I've had to revisit old routines I haven't done for a while in order to keep things varied.

Box back squats - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (small bench, wooden step)
135, 145, 159, 155, 160, 165 (6)

My previous best was 8 reps at 160lb, almost exactly a year ago. Because I managed to do 10 reps at that weight, I added an extra set with 5lb more.

======

My second routine mixed a heavy and slow movement with a quick, plyometric one.

21-15-9 rft
Deadlifts @ 225lb
Box jumps @ 24"
Time = 13:27

My form was a bit dodgy for some of the deadlifts, plus I almost lost my grip for a few reps. My palms were so sweaty that the bar started to slip.

Full body

Christmas Abbott

The first two exercises I did today are ones where I usually aim for a 1RM, but I wanted to focus on form and technique, so I went lighter than normal.

Clean and press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
75, 85, 90, 95, 100 (4)

With the fifth attempt in the final set, I managed the clean and got the bar overhead but couldn't hold it there for more than a split second. I'm being strict with myself, but that would probably be regarded as a no-rep. That being said, I was very pleased that I was able to get four reps at 100lb with what I think was good form (I forgot my camera, so didn't video this). With all the cleans I caught the bar on my clavicle with my elbows up and forearms parallel. That meant I was able to power the bar up cleanly without using my shoulders too much, which I do when my elbows are pointing down. I didn't have to adjust my grip before getting the weight overhead. My 1RM is 125lb, but with crappy technique and very little control (my back was bending back and my feet were all over the place). This felt much more satisfying.

======

Trap bar deadlift, touch and go
170 x 10
220 x 8
240 x 6
260 x 6
280 x 6

I could feel my lower back starting to bow with the last rep, but every rep before that felt like decent form.

======

Bounce box jumps (only bounce rep count)
18" x 10
20" x 10
22" x 10

I added this at the last minute; no idea why. I think I started too high at 18" and couldn't get a good, consistent flow of reps. None of the sets were 10 consecutive reps. Oh, well. Still felt like a decent workout today.

Conditioning

Personal training with Paul

Across the U.S. today, many CrossFit gyms are taking part in the CrossFit for Hope event to raise money for St. Jude's children's hospital. I looked at the routine's components and felt that I could do the workout as RXed, but it requires a second person to keep track of the time. I asked Paul if we could do this as part of one of our training sessions so he could time me. He probably pissed his pants laughing when he read my request, because this was friggin' tough! My scores for each individual movement in each round are in brackets.

"Hope"
Three rounds of:
Burpees (17, 11, 10)
75 pound Power snatch (10, 6, 7)
Box jump, 24" box (15, 11, 10)
75 pound Thruster (9, 7, 7)
Chest to bar Pull-ups (8, 8, 8)

Total = 144 (59, 43, 42)

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," you must move to the next station immediately for a good score. One point is given for each rep.

Not based on prior experience of anything like this, I thought I'd hit around the 200 mark, but I was nowhere near. I'm not too bothered about that, though, because I know I gave it everything (the subsequent feeling of nausea is testament to that). I followed the advice in the demo video of (a) not going flat out on the burpees to avoid being burnt out when I moved to the next station, and (b) keeping my elbows up for the thrusters - rather than pointing down, like I usually do - so that I can power up from my legs and hips and not rely on my shoulders to push the bar overhead. 

My legs were still damn sore from Thursday's workout and I thought that might be a problem. However, after about 10 minutes of stretching and warming up beforehand, that wasn't an issue. It was my breathing that hurt more than anything else. Also, the final set of pull-ups were a killer because I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest.

This was a good, challenging workout, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot (was it only 17 minutes?!). That being said, I told Paul that if I ever suggest something like this again, just punch me in the face.

Here are other posted scores: www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/008407.html.

======

And to finish off today's session...

Alternate sets
Underhand pull-downs @ 100: 10, 10, 9
Incline dumbbell presses @ 35s: 10, 10, 10

Conditioning

The first routine is based on one I saw Rich Froning do, but scaled (obviously). Froning did deadlifts at 275lb, but I took them down to roughly 75% of that weight, so it was still pretty challenging. 

7 rft:
7 deadlifts @ 205lb
14 push-ups
Time = 8:29

The video didn't say what his time was, but I'm pretty satisfied with how mine turned out. I'm sure Froning was much quicker, but still - 75% of the weight handled by the Fittest Man on Earth? I'll take it! The first round was completely unbroken; in fact, with all the deadlifts I never released the bar during a set, although they weren't all touch and go. I occasionally paused for a second at the top of the movement, then went for the next rep.

======

This next routine was completely made up on the spot. I knew I wanted to do a 10-9-8... routine, but I hadn't decided which two exercises to combine. In the end, I went for a technical lift that I want to improve - snatches - together with a movement I know I can do well, box jumps. I typically do 24", but pushed it up by a couple of inches to make it a little tougher.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time
Power snatches @ 75lb
Box jumps @ 26"
Time = 18:04

This really got me breathing hard and sweating like a pig. I thought that the snatches might be too light, but none of the longer early sets were unbroken. The first one was 7 and 3. I lost my concentration during the set of seven box jumps and jumped right into the step on the fourth rep (for some reason I started to picture myself doing the high box jumps last week - no idea why!) I recovered quickly and then continued to finish the set.

Pleased with a good sweaty workout today. I'll probably work on my skipping tonight while Madi is in her spin class.

Full body

10 rft:
3 x power cleans @ 115lb
6 x push-ups
9 x air squats
Time = 11:16

======

Box jumps for height:
5 @ 24"
5 @ 26"
5 @ 28"
5 @ 30"
5 @ 32"
1 @ 34"
1 @ 34"

It's been a while since I did box jumps for maximum height. Last time I got four jumps at 32", so this is a slight improvement. Today, as back then, my progress was hampered by my mind rather than my legs. Even though I had completed a rep at 34", I kept psyching myself out when it came to the second one. I tried twice, and the second time I experienced a "CrossFit Moment", with other gym users shouting words of encouragement, plus David - who was training a client nearby - stopped to give me some advice. The 32" jumps and both 34" attempts are shown in this video, including my mental breakdown!

======

Dips, relative max: 10, 10, 7, 5, 5

To finish off the week, I decided to test my left shoulder with some dips. They were all slow and controlled, and I went down just about to parallel, as I didn't want to push my luck. My shoulder felt okay, so hopefully it's fully recovered this time.

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.

======

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

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

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.

======

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!

======

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 / 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