Conditioning: Murph

It's been a while since I did a pure conditioning workout, so it's about time I threw one in. And this one was a killer. I've been wanting to do the Murph routine all summer, but for one reason or another I never got round to it. It looks like the weather is going to start getting worse after today - rain projected for the next few days - so I wanted to have what might be last my run of the year. The squatting part of Murph would have been impossible due to my hip, so I subbed box jumps instead.

For time:
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 box jumps @ 20"
1 mile run
Time = 1 hr 11 min

I broke up the moves between the 2 runs into 10 rounds of 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups and 30 box jumps.

For the mile I ran from the outer gym door and back again, using the longest loop of the 1 and a half mile course. According to this on RunningMap.com, that's almost exactly a mile. The first run was deliberately quite slow to conserve energy. I glanced at my watch when I got back to the gym the first time and I'd taken about 8:40.

The second run hurt like hell. I'd just got out of the parking lot when both my calves started to cramp up (300 box jumps will do that to ya). I walked for a few yards, then started jogging again. By the time my calves felt better, my quads started to get cramp, too. I walked that off for a little bit and jogged again. The rest of the second mile was a series of jogs and walks, which must have cost me several minutes. I got to the top of Elgin Eby and Forest and decided to run the rest of the way, no matter how much it hurt.

Not my longest ever training session, but close. Glad I did it, though. 

I spent about 4 hours yesterday preparing meals for the rest of the week. Chicken stew, turkey sausages, pork meatballs with ginger and orange, tuna fish cakes, roasted fall veggies. Yum!

Light/Bodyweight/Conditioning

Yesterday's lunch: 2 homemade veal and beef burgers topped with eggs fried in olive oil (seasoned with black pepper), plus baked sweet potato with onion and sage. I'm getting into this proper cooking deal!

I give up. Seriously. My knee - which yesterday felt like someone was hammering a nail into it - is 100% fine today, so I thought I'd do some squats to parallel for the first time in ages. I did a few warm up reps with just the bar, then added plates to take the weight up to 135lb. With the first rep I felt a slight twinge in my hip flexor and the second rep was pretty painful. It's nowhere near as bad as it was, but it hurt enough for me to stop my routine, which was going to be 5 x max reps @ 135. I decided to stay away from leg work today and did a push press routine instead.

Push presses (with 2 second hold) 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
75, 85, 95, 100, 105 (1)

I got the bar overhead again in the last set, but even though I locked out I couldn't hold the bar up for long, so didn't count the second rep.

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Alternate sets:
Inverted row (parallettes) - 5 x max: 13, 12, 11, 11, 10
Dips - 5 x max: 11, 10, 9, 8, 8

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21-15-9 rft:
OTB jumps @ 20" (per side, so double the number)
True push-ups
Chin-ups (mild kipping allowed)
Time = 15:54

Conditioning

Took it a bit easy today for a couple of reasons. First, I think yesterday's results might indicate I'm a bit tired, although I don't feel I've overtrained. Second, my hip flexor is still causing me problems. Although it isn't getting any worse, its recovery does seem to have plateaued.

Today's conditioning routine was very basic - just hang power cleans and box jumps. I had intended to do hang squat cleans and burpees as well, but when I tried those moves during my warm up I could feel pain in my hip flexor, especially while bring my knees/legs in during the burpees. I've been stretching it, but it's probably just a matter of being patient and not causing any further damage.

5 rft:
25 hang power cleans @ 95
25 box jumps
Time = 30:14

That's it. Nothing spectacular today. It felt fairly challenging, but I have nothing to compare it to in order to evaluate if that's a respectable score. I might have a "vanity day" tomorrow, then try a limited rom leg day on Thursday. I'll wait to see how I feel, though.

Conditioning

Angie Frye

Personal training with Paul

Bike 2 mile @ resistance 10
   20 rounds of:
   5 pull-ups
   10 push-ups
   15 squats
Bike 2 mile @ resistance 10

Time = 44:04

My PR was 47:09 doing only 15 rounds of Cindy, so that's some improvement, not just of physical strength but also mental. Having said that, after I'd completed the push-ups in round 17 I totally zoned out and stayed sitting on the ground when I should have been getting ready to squat! Also, on the way home Cher was amused at my attempts to calculate how many reps I'd done of each exercise (I know, I know), but my mind couldn't figure out 20 x 15 squats.

I was worried that there would be rowing today because my back was sore when I woke up, but there wasn't anything today that caused me any problems. However, I'm going to be helping my sister-in-law   move her store - Lilies White - to a new location, so there's going to be plenty of lifting. Sheesh!

Conditioning

For time:
Cycle 4 laps @ 8 resistance (1 mile)
50 burpees
50 box jumps @ 24"
Cycle 3 laps @ 8 resistance (0.75 mile)
50 burpees
50 box jumps @ 24"
Cycle 2 laps @ 8 resistance (0.5 mile)
50 burpees
50 box jumps @ 24"

Time = 43:54

Jeez, I thought I was going to drown in my own sweat! This definitely got my heart pumping. I was going to end today's training with some 100yd sprints in the parking lot, but I had nothing left in the tank.

Conditioning

Lance Armstrong

Holy shit. Longest. Workout. Ever.

10 rounds for time:
10 x Burpees
10 x Box jumps @ 26"
10 x DB Thrusters @ 30s
10 x Bench-supported lateral hops @ 26"
10 x DB Swings @ 30
10 x Push-ups
10 x Jump Squats

Time = 1:14:48

I planned this at the last minute this morning and figured it would take me about 40 minutes, leaving some time to do another workout. Looking at that statement now, an average of 4 minutes per round is ambitious and optimistic. At one point - when I realised this was going to take longer than expected - I considered changing this workout to an amrap 45. However, this felt like quitting and I know I would have regretted it. I remember seeing a sign at Crossfit Waterloo with a quote from Lance Armstrong: "Pain is temporary. Quitting is forever." Sounds corny, but thinking about that kept me going.

Almost lost in all this is the fact I did box jumps and lateral hops at 26", the highest I've ever attempted. It shows how far I've come with my training that the height didn't intimidate me. It's only 2" taller than my usual box height, so progress in increments feels achievable.

Conditioning

Wednesdays are usually pulling days, but - even though my shoulder feels better - I don't want to take the risk.

I made up today's conditioning routine at the last minute. In retrospect, the first movement seems a little out of place because all the rest are bodyweight-based.

30 reps each of:
Hang squat cleans @ 95 to 5 risers
Burpees
Box jumps @ 24"
Burpees
Over the box jumps @ 24" (30 per side)
Burpees
Bench supported lateral hops @ 24" (30 per side)
Burpees

Time = 34:45

Seems a long time, but not bad considering my quads and glutes are toast after yesterday's leg session. I did 10 minutes of stretching and warm-ups before I started the clock.

It wasn't particularly helpful when someone came up to me while I was taking a break after rep 40 of the otb jumps and asked if I thought what it would be like if I tripped over the step while I was jumping. Thanks for the pep talk, pal.

Conditioning

My glutes were really sore from Tuesday's leg workout, so I spent the first 10 minutes today stretching and warming up. That turned out to be a good time investment!

For time:
10 burpee broad jumps
40 box jumps @ 24"
10 burpee broad jumps
40 bench supported lateral jumps (per side)
10 burpee broad jumps
40 over the box jumps @ 24"
10 burpee broad jumps
40 jump lunges (per leg)

Time = 18:55

This was a 1:24 slower than my PR, but also the first time I've done it completely as RXed. My burpee broad jumps had much more power than before (i.e. I jumped a greater distance forward), so that took more out of me. Surprisingly, I think I lost some time because I had to break down the box jumps into 4 sets of 10. I think I managed to do them close to unbroken before. 

The most significant difference today is that I did the otb jumps @ 24", which is the highest I've ever done them. I did a few warm up jumps before I started just to see if I could. It was a little intimidating at first, but a few seconds of staring at the set-up helped to pump up my confidence! During the routine itself I got more confident with the otb jumps, but I lost some time at the beginning because I was staring at the box before my first rep. By this time I was pretty fatigued so I was telling myself - out loud - to just bloody jump! My confidence gradually improved and I did the last 10 reps quickly and unbroken. The only time I had a lapse of concentration was when another gym user decided to walk really close by the box as I was about to jump, which put me off.

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25 box jumps @ 24"
25 bench-supported lateral jumps per side
25 otb jumps

Time = 7:05

Conditioning

Personal training with Paul

For time:
250m row
30 otb jumps @ 22"
250m row
30 burpees
250m row
30 kipping pull-ups
250m row
30 jump squats
250m row
30 push-ups
250m row
30 sit-up
250m row

Time = 25:51

I thought either my back or left shoulder would give out on me, but everything felt - and still feels - good. I don't think there was a single easy move amongst this lot, but I'm most pleased with the otb jumps @ 22", which is the highest I've ever done them. I only clipped the step on the first jump, but I did have a temporary lapse of confidence about a third of the way in. When I realized I had to stop thinking too much about the jump I did much better.

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For time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Kipping pull-ups
Between each round and at the end do 6 burpees
Time = 13:22

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I felt better than I expected after this workout. Went home and treated myself to - gasp - two rashers of bacon to go with my eggs!

Conditioning (plus some diet notes)

My glutes are still incredibly sore from Tuesday's leg session, so today's conditioning workouts were really just about grinding out the reps. Everything today felt like it was in slow motion, but I'm just pleased I got through it. I started with 10 minutes of leg stretches to loosen up my quads and glutes.

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For time:
30 box jumps @ 24'
30 burpees
30 dumbbell swings (two-handed grip)
30 jump squats
30 push-ups
30 sit-ups
30 bench-supported lateral hops @ 24" (per side)

Time = 15:28

The first 2 moves felt slow, but the box jumps were unbroken and I only took two short breaks during the burpees. Surprisingly, the sit-ups were the hardest because it hurt my butt so much to sit down. When I lowered down flat on my back it hurt my glutes even more. I had to struggle not to shout out my favourite swear word with every rep.

This was loosely based on one of Paul's routines, but without the rowing. Also, I added the lateral hops at the end.

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Cindy:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats

Score = 13 in 20:03

Not my best score by any means, but as I said earlier, I just wanted to push out the reps today. The last time I did Cindy was back in January 2011 for a score of 13 plus 5 pull-ups (my PR), so not too bad by comparison. I was sharing the pull-up station with another client, but it didn't really affect my score. He was doing pull-ups while I was doing push-ups and squats.

Overall today's conditioning wasn't to the same intensity of recent weeks and the scores aren't great if you look at them out of context. However, I'm just pleased that I managed to push through the pain for these two routines. A pain in the ass is not to underestimated!

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I commented yesterday that I seem to be hungry all the time. The answer to this is blindingly obvious: Eat more! Looking back at what I've been consuming over the past couple of days, I don't think I've had enough (healthy) fat. 

My pre-training breakfasts always consists of 3/4 cup of oats, 200ml 1% milk, 1 tablespoon of Sun Maid raisins (the only brand that isn't baked in oil), and 2 tablespoons of apple sauce. That's only 1% fat from the milk, so it's no wonder I'm hungry within an hour. 

I'm not consciously reducing my fat intake; that's just how it's worked out from what I've been eating recently. Plus my conditioning workouts have been more intense over the past few weeks - perhaps not including today's - so my metabolism has probably increased, too. No need for panic, but I just need to be more aware of what I'm eating every day.

Olympic Lifting/Conditioning

Hang clean 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
105, 110, 115, 120 (2), 125 (F)

Still disappointed with my lack of progress with cleans. Perhaps it's a failure of technique, rather than a lack of strength.

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For time:
30 x hang squat cleans @ 95 (to 4 risers)
40 x deadlifts @ 145
50 x dumbbell snatches @ 45 (25 per arm)

Time = 26:10

Bloody hell, this hurt more than I expected. I made up this routine, although the individual movements are obviously familiar. I did the hang squat cleans properly this time, starting my squats while the bar was moving up to my chest. 

I had planned to do 135lb deadlifts, which would have meant adding two 10lb plates to each side of the same bar I was using for hang squat cleans. However, all the 10s were being used so I had to quickly adapt and used one 25lb extra on each side instead. This was probably a better weight, anyway, as it was a bit more of a challenge. I consistently broke down the 40 reps into sets of five.

With the snatches I kept switching arms as they got tired, so four reps with my left and then four with my right. By the time I got to about eight reps I wished I'd chosen a lighter weight! 

This was a tough but fun workout and, I think, the first time I've made up my own rft routine. I usually repeat something I've done before or copy one of Paul's. No-one to blame but myself!

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100 x sit-ups

Conditioning

Today I did a slightly modified version of the Filthy 50-style workout from a few weeks ago.

For time:
50 x kipping pull-ups
50 x box jumps @ 24"
Cycle half a mile
50 x burpees
25 x traveling lunges per leg
25 x dumbbell snatches per arm @ 35lb
50 x sit-ups
50 x jump squats
50 x push press @ 45lb
50 x bench-supported lateral hops @ 24" (25 per side)

Time = 36:35

This is a much quicker time than when I did Paul's version. I switched cycling for rowing (this took about 1:45) and dumbbell snatches instead of kettlebell swings. I don't know if that would have account for the big difference, although I remember in February I had to take several fairly long breaks during the 45lb push press round, whereas today I was able to knock out at least 9 in a row (mostly got up to sets of 10). Also, the kb swings were a killer back then. Today the burpees were the toughest; traveling lunges felt pretty easy.

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1 mile(?) run

Time =  7:55

To finish off this week's training I decided to test my ankle with a short run. It's been a while since I did the one and a half mile run - which is one long loop and one short loop - but I opted for just the long loop, which I think is about a mile. I started with a bit of a jog to see how my ankle felt and gradually picked up the pace the further I went as there wasn't any pain. In the end my ankle held out, but my lungs were burning! I completed the run in 7:55, which isn't that impressive on its own, but (a) I deliberately started running slowly, and (b) I'd completed a tough conditioning workout less than five minutes before I started running.

Conditioning: The 300 Workout

Just one routine today, but it was challenging.

The 300 Workout:
25 x pull-ups
50 x deadlifts @ 135lb
50 x push-ups
50 x box jumps @ 24"
50 x floorwipers (each side) @ 135lb
50 x single-arm clean and press @ 35lb dumbbell (25 per arm)
25 x pull-ups

Time = 34:17

According to Paul, my previous time was 39 and change. Although I can't remember doing it before, apparently it was some time ago. A 5-minute improvement is still an improvement, but I would have hoped/expected for a better one. Not sure if I did 24" box jumps back then, as I've only started doing that height in the past couple of months.

As expected, the floorwipers were the most challenging component. The first 20 reps were broken down into 2 sets of 10 (left and right counts as 1 rep), then 3 sets of 5, followed by triples and doubles.

For the one-arm clean and presses I switched arms each time one arm needed a rest. So, for example, I would do, say, 6 reps with my left arm, 6 with my right, then switch back again. That way I could keep moving.

Conditioning

21-15-9 reps for time:
Hang squat cleans (to 5 risers) @ 95lb
Burpees
Box jumps @ 24"
Bench-supported lateral hops @ 24" (per side)

Time = 24:15

This was over 10 minutes longer than Paul's time using the same weight for the hang squat clean. It's not a spectacular time, but respectable. I actually thought I'd do a lot worse, especially with the 95lb barbell (45lb bar with 25lb plate on each side). They were challenging but easier than I expected. 

However, when I've watched videos of this movement (see below) people have been doing them with one fluid movement. When I did them, I performed a clean, then let the weight settle for the briefest moment before squatting. Perhaps this was because of my size, or perhaps I need to work on the mechanics of the movement as I get stronger.

I completed 7 reps of the hsc before I rested, then the rest were broken down into 4s and 3s (got down to 2s in the last set). I didn't fail on any reps, but I don't know if this means I judged correctly when to rest or if I could have pushed myself harder.


The next routine was an amended version of Paul's.

25 reps for time:
Over-the-box jump each way plus 1 burpee = 1 rep

Time = 7:19



Hang Squat Clean

Conditioning

Personal training with Paul.

For time:
50 x kipping pull-ups
50 x box jumps @ 24"
Row 500 metres
50 x burpees
25 x traveling lunges per leg
25 x alternating kettlebell swings per arm @ 20kg
50 x sit-ups
50 x jump squats
50 x push press @ 45lb
50 x bench-supported lateral hops @ 24" (25 per side)

Time = 43:37

My first full conditioning session with Paul, and this was tough. I was feeling a bit groggy this morning due to a cold/cough, but it didn't really make any difference once I got going. I was worried that I'd be coughing through the whole thing, but I was fine in the end. However, for about two hours afterward I couldn't stop hacking! Not pleasant to be around. I guess the firebreather loosened up the mucus in my chest. Ew!

My time was nearly 10 minutes slower than Paul's, but I'm satisfied I gave it everything I had. 

Paul celebrates a hard workout with chicken breasts. I had apple pie at Phidellia's.

Conditioning

I tried to take it a bit easier today because I had a poor night's sleep due to waking up early - 4:30am! - with a cough. Just one conditioning workout, with a little bit of cycling to warm up and cool down. A good sweaty routine usually makes me feel better if I have a cold, and this seemed to help. I must have looked pretty crappy, though, because Cher sent over Liliana to check that I was okay!

Amrap 30:
5 x kipping pull-ups
5 x jump lunges (per leg)
5 x clapping push-ups
5 x box jumps

Score = 16 rounds exactly

I've done a similar workout before, but with strict pull-ups and burpee box jumps. My score for that routine was 14 rounds plus 5 pull-ups. I really went for it with the kipping pull-ups, but I kept good form. However, all the swinging nearly toppled over the pull-ups rack!

Olympic lifting/Conditioning

I was pretty exhausted this morning but I thought I'd be able to push myself once I got going. Today was supposed to be an Olympic lifting day and I wanted to have a decent hang clean session. I started by warming up with the empty bar, then added 20lb to each side. I got through the first set of 3 reps at 110lb without any problems, so added 2.5lb to each side, making 115lb. I attempted and failed three times, so it was clear to me that it just wasn't going to happen for me today. 

It's the first time in three years that I've bailed on a training session, but I knew my body was telling me that my muscles needed to rest. Instead of giving up completely I decided to do a few conditioning sessions instead, none of which required much upper body strength.

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Cycle 1 mile
50 box jumps @ 24"
Cycle 1 mile

Time = 10:01

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25 box jumps @ 24"
50 bench-supported lateral jumps @ 24"
25 box jumps

Time = 9:16

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50 over the box jumps (8 risers + step)

Time = 5:25

This last routine was more about me building confidence at jumping over the box and I think it definitely helped. There were 8 risers, which is one more than I used last week. I tried a couple of reps before I started my stopwatch, but I stood staring at the set-up for what felt like ages before I attempted one jump. 

I started by doing sets of 4 or six, but the last 10 were unbroken because I felt more comfortable with the height/depth.

My time would have been a bit better if I hadn't needed to move the steps because two young muppets decided to do push-ups and sit-ups where I was landing.

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It was definitely frustrating not being able to complete the workout that I'd planned. I don't like feeling that I've given up or that my body isn't listening to what my mind is telling it. However, I'm not an athlete, so I don't feel like I need to push myself to the point of injury. Over the past few months I've set new standards for myself and - despite the fact I've been training for a few years - I still need to learn the signals my body is sending me. Yes, it's frustrating, but it's not the end of the world. I know with some rest might be necessary for my long-term goals.

Even before I stepped into the gym I felt physically drained. Yesterday's workout wasn't the best, but I pushed really hard to get through it. That probably took it's toll and now I think I need to take it easy with the weights for a few days.

I had planned on doing one leg session and another upper body workout this week, but I think I'll postpone them. I'll either do two more conditioning days or just one and take an extra rest day.

Conditioning

My legs are still knackered from Monday's workout, but plenty of stretching and some air squats helped loosen me up. 

I trained earlier than usual today so I could set up in the yoga/aerobics room and have more space. The first routine includes over the bench jumps. 24" is still too ambitious right now, so I set up a 24" station for the box jumps - and lateral jumps - and a set of 7 risers with a step for the OtB jumps.

10 burpee broad jumps
40 box jumps @ 24"
10 burpee broad jumps
40 bench-supported lateral jumps (per side) @ 24"
10 burpee broad jumps
40 over the bench jumps (40 total) @ 7 risers + step
10 burpee broad jumps
40 jump lunges per leg

Time = 17:31 (PR = 21:50)

The OtB jumps were actually less intimidating than I expected, but I still need to work my way up to 10 risers and a step. Next time I do these I'll move up to 8 risers.

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20 squats
20 burpee box jumps
20 push-ups
15 burpee box jumps
20 tuck jumps
10 burpee box jumps
20 jump lunges per leg
5 burpee box jumps
20 squats

Time = 15:19

This was slower than last time - 14:12 - but back then I started with this routine; it wasn't following another challenging workout.

Surprisingly, the tuck jumps were the hardest part of this because I was so out of breath when I started them. I began with single reps before I could get a rhythm going and string together 3 or 4 tuck jumps.

A good end to a pretty good week.

Conditioning

An example of what I did today.

100 x burpee pull-ups
Time = 21:45

The pull-up bar is too high for me to jump up and grab it, so I set up a weighted barbell resting on the safeties about 12 inches below it. This was a tough routine, but easier than I expected because the pull-ups allow for kipping if necessary due to the momentum of the jump from a burpee position. 

I started off with seven reps before I needed a break. I never had to rest for too long and the remaining reps were broken down into fours and fives.

Despite the challenge, it was worth it just to see the look on Eric's face when I explained to him the barbell was set up so I could do mid-air push-presses.

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3RFT:
20 x burpees
20 x pull-ups

Score = 17:09

A slower time than when I did this on January 5, 2011, but (a) this time I used better form for the burpees (I did overhead claps) and (b) last time the routine wasn't preceded by 100 burpee pull-ups.

Conditioning

3 RFT:
20 x burpees (with push-ups)
20 x pull-ups

Time = 16:44

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For time:
Cycle 1 mile @ 8 resistance
50 x box jumps @ 24"
Cycle 1 mile @ 8 resistance

Time = 12:16

This definitely got the blood pumping. I was really pleased that I took my first and only break after the 42nd box jump.