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.

Legs

I'm really enjoying the return to focusing on one area each day. It allows me to pound the shit out of one body part during each session. I decided to go really heavy on my first routine, then do something light and quick to finish.

Trap bar deadlift
170 x 10
220 x 6
260 x 3
310 x 1
325 x 1
330 x 1
335 x 1
340 x 1
345 x 1 (PR)

It's been a while since I went for a 1RM with any type of lift. I did it today for a bit of a change, but I won't be going back to trying to hit a 1RM PR each week. Here's my final lift. It actually didn't feel too bad while I was doing it, even though my sweaty grip caused the bar to slip after I stood up. Also, I reviewed the video straight after this lift and it's clear my back is starting to bow. Rather than go all the way to failure, I decided it was best to quit rather than risk even worse form with a heavier lift.

To put this PR in perspective, it's 20lb lighter than the weight Neal Maddox cleaned at the weekend.

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21-15-9:
Back squats @ 115lb, a2g
Jump squats per leg with 30lb dumbbells
Time = 11:58

Following this metcon, my bike ride home was frigging brutal.

And a partridge in a pear tree, 2011 style

Personal training with Paul.

Today I had my third annual 12 Days of Christmas workout, but made even more challenging than last year. And then some.

1 x pull-up
2 x toe to bar
3 x hang power cleans @ 115lb
4 x jump lunges per leg
5 x kettlebell clean and press @ 20kg per arm
6 x burpees
7 x sit-ups
8 x box jump @ 24"
9 x deadlifts @ 115lb
10 x push-ups
11 x push press @ 105lb
12 x front squats @ 105lb

Time = 49:43

Oh. My. God. That was frigging painful. I really had to dig deep mentally for this one. Several times during this routine I had to tell myself to pick up the weight (usually the kettlebell) or get into position and start moving. I was breathing so hard my head was spinning, plus I thought my right calf was starting to cramp up. Thankfully, it never did. The kettlebell clean and press was by far the toughest part of the workout, mainly because I haven't used them for ages, so the c&j movement felt a bit awkward. This is probably where I took the most breaks, which explains why Paul kept telling me to pick up the weight during the last round. Although I wasn't keeping track of time, Paul was, and he wanted me to finish in under 50 minutes. I only just made it!

Great workout. Merry Christmas! 

December 24, 2011

Full body: Light weight

CrossFit hand-release push-up

An adapted version of one of Paul's routines. I can't do handstand push-ups, so I subbed push-presses. Also, I felt like I've been a bit light on leg work and horizontal pulling this week, so I added jump squats and inverted rows.

8 minutes of each exercise with 1 minute's rest in between:
Push-press @ 75 = 71
Jump lunges = 184 (92 per leg)
CrossFit push-ups = 110
Jump squats = 131
Overhand inverted rows = 98  

I struggled in vain to get to 100 rows! I'm used to leaving a little sweat behind when I train, but when I got up after the last inverted row there was literally a small puddle from the back of my head.

That was a pretty cool workout. I did a total of 502 reps in 40 minutes (if you count both sides of the jump lunges as a single rep). With all 5 exercises I was surprised how quickly the 8 minutes passed.

Pretty pleased overall with this week's training.

Full body

Today was scheduled to be a leg day, but I enjoyed yesterday's mixed-up session so I tried another one today, with quite a few compound movements. It's not that I've been getting in a rut with my training, but trying a different schedule this week is a way of avoiding boredom before it happens.

Lunges @ 115; 5 x max reps
7, 6, 6, 6, 6

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Thrusters 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 (4 risers)
75, 85, 95, 100, 105 (2)

It may not look like much, but I think 105lb is the heaviest I've done thrusters. My version of Fran uses 95lb.

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5 RFT:
8 hang squat cleans @ 95 (4 risers)
8 bent over rows @ 95

Time = 12:43

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Supersets - max reps of dips/inverted rows (parallettes)
10/10, 8/8, 6,7

Legs

Didn't get my usual ride to the gym today, so I cycled. On leg day. Idiot.

Partial squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
200, 220, 245, 275, 285 (2)

I was pretty shaky on the way up for that second rep at 285. This actually felt less comfortable than the last time I did the same routine. Also, I failed the first rep at 275 and had to reset the bar, rest a little longer, then go again. Perhaps my jump from 245 to 275 was too much; last time the 4th set was 270, 5lb less.

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Front squats (previous # of sets in brackets); 1 minute rest between sets:
115 x 25 - 5 (7)
105 x 25 - 4 (5)
95 x 25 - 3 (5)

I think the last time I did these I squatted to 4 risers. I forgot to set that up this time and it wasn't until I'd done about 6 reps at 115 that I realised. Still, I'm pretty sure I squatted to at least parallel - if not a bit lower - today. As usual, my grip was pretty lousy, except in the 95lb set, when I found it easier to keep my elbows up and my thumbs out of the way. Pleased about the fewer number of sets.

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For time:
20 bs @ 135
30 bs @ 115
40 air squats
20 traveling lunges @ 50s (total)
30 traveling lunges @ 35s (total)
40 traveling lunges (total)

Time = 14:09

That's 1:03 quicker than last time, but it bloody hurt! I remembered to set up 4 risers as my target for this routine.

Legs

Heather Bergeron

Personal training with Paul

40 front squats @ 125
Every break do 10 jump squats - not at the end
(6 breaks)

I only managed 5 reps in the first round, but that's because I tried to use a grip with my thumbs on top and the bar started to slip. I switched to my usual - albeit "incorrect" - grip with thumbs under the bar and felt more in control.

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3 rounds:
10 reverse lunges @ 115 (5 per leg)
10 back squats @ 115
(Only set 3 broken)

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For time:
20 bs @ 135
30 bs @ 115
40 air squats
20 traveling lunges @ 50s (total)
30 traveling lunges @ 35s (total)
40 traveling lunges (total)

Time = 15:12

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The back squats throughout today's session were quite painful when I was in the lower part of the movement. This felt more like stiffness and doms, rather than a typical injury pain. This might be left over from Wednesday's deadlifts. It felt fine immediately afterward, so I'm not too worried about it. However, it might be an indication that I need to do more stretching and warming up.

Conditioning

My quads and glutes are still painful from Tuesday's leg session, so I wasn't looking forward to the box jumps today.

This was inspired by one of Paul's routines, but I switched a few of the exercises.

50 box jumps @ 28"
50 dumbbell snatches @ 40lb (25 per arm; finish left arm before switching)
50 burpees
50 chin-up
50 jump lunges per leg
50 sit-ups

Time = 32:08

I actually started this routine with 30" box jumps and got as far as 9 reps but the box wobbled when I began to feel fatigued. I wasn't landing cleanly on the box and the 9th rep nearly made the whole set up topple over. I was concerned that box jumps at that height wouldn't be safe when I was really tired, so I stopped my watch, removed one riser from each side, then started again.

With the dumbbell snatches I had intended to use 45lb, but after I tried a few reps before the actual workout I felt that I wouldn't be able to handle that weight as part of a longer workout. In the end 40lb was still challenging. I started with 7 reps on my left, then couldn't manage more than 5 consecutive reps after that.

I still wanted to do a routine with 30" box jumps so I made up a quick one on the spot to finish.

5 RFT:
5 box jumps @ 30"
10 squat thrusts

Time = 7:22

I screwed up the first box jump and nearly went face-first into the wall! That was fatigue rather than lack of confidence. However, I wasn't 100% happy with my form on all reps because I didn't open up my hips and stand upright every time like I normally do.

I was reading a magazine early this morning before breakfast and there was a short article that referred to squat thrusts. I remember doing a squat thrust exercise when I was a kid at school, and that's what I did today. However, afterward I found demo videos on YouTube and it looks like the North American version is more like a burpee. The Brit technique is to get in a push-up position and bring your knees in quickly so that they're by your elbows; you don't stand or jump up.

When I got home I remembered I had a client meeting and I had to cycle there. Right now there isn't a part of me that doesn't feel exhausted. The worst part is - how can I put this delicately - my ass hurts like a bitch. Jesus.

Conditioning

Personal training with Paul

Deck of cards:
Hearts = Burpees
Diamonds = Pull-ups
Spades = Box jumps @ 28"
Clubs = Jump lunges

Each suit is a designated exercise, the number on the card dictates how many reps you will perform. Jack=11, Queen=12, King=13, and Ace=14, must get through the entire deck, only picking a new card when you finish the last one. For the jump lunges, you perform that many per leg.

Time = 47:15

Not a bad time, by comparison, although Paul did box jumps to 30", 2" higher than me. He's 11" taller, so perhaps he should have been doing them to at least 38"!

This was a fun workout. The random aspect, because of the card draw, kept it interesting. Early in the routine I did 34 box jumps because I drew 3 spades in a row. Simply doing a rotation of all the different movements from 1 to 14 reps wouldn't have been as enjoyable, although I think the word "bollocks" was used more than once when I got the same exercise back to back.

In order of easiness, from easy to hard: box jumps, pull-ups, jump lunges, burpees. The latter made me feel nauseous from all the up and down movements. Also, the first few rounds of both burpees and pull-ups were a little painful on my lower back, which had been stiff since I woke up. Kipping wasn't possible because it hurt too much. However, I soon loosened up and the pain cleared up.

I did a few box jump at 30", just to see if I could. That's what I'll use as my set height the next time I do them.

Legs

Partial squats 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
195, 215, 235, 255, 270

Very pleased with this - a new PR, and it felt quite comfortable. In the final round I thought I'd only be able to manage 1 rep, but I got through all 3 without any problems. I'm closing in on my goal of partial squats @ double my body weight (i.e. 280). Looking back at my old training journal, the first time I did this exercise in September 2010 I got up to 225.

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Front squats to 4 risers:
105 (10), 135 (4, 4, 4), 105 (8)

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Back squats to 4 risers:
105 (14), 135 (8, 8, 8), 105 (12)

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Amrap 20:
24 air squats
24 lunges (12 per leg)
24 jump squats max air
24 jump lunges (12 per leg)

Score = 4 rounds + 24 air squats, 9 lunges per leg

The last time I did this was back in October when I managed 3 rounds plus 24 air squats and 12 lunges. However, my previous best was in August 2010 when I got 4 rounds and 6 air squats.

Overall, a pretty good session.

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!

Legs

This felt like a much more challenging leg workout than last week's.

Partial squats (11 holes) 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
185, 205, 225, 245, 260

My PR was 255. I'm aiming to get to three reps @ 280 (double my bodyweight) by Easter.

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For time:
50 back squats @ 140
40 jump squats @ 45 (empty bar)
30 jump lunges @ 47.5s
20 db front squats @ 47.5s
10 back squats @ 140

Time = 20:24

I used 5 risers as my target for the weighted squats so I knew I was hitting a consistent depth each time. The first 50 squats was broken down into five sets of 10; the last round of 10 squats was 3, 3, 2, 2.

I had a quicker time back in November 2010, but with slightly less weight. Also, the preceding exercise last time was slightly less challenging, so perhaps that might have been a factor. I'm not sure what my form was like in November, but today it was flawless. During the jump lunges I thought I was going to lose my breakfast, so there's no doubt in my mind that I gave it everything!

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Amrap 10:
12 air squats
12 lunges (6 per leg)
12 jump squats
12 jump lunges (6 per leg)

Score = 4 rounds plus 12 air squats

My biggest achievement today was keeping down my oatmeal. Always a risk when I do quick squats.

Legs

A mixed set of results today: One truly awful time followed by two new PRs.

10 RFT:
10 x traveling lunges @ 50s
10 x jump squats

Time = 19:39

My PR for this routine is 16:21, so I was 3:18 slower today. The difference was my mental attitude; I really didn't feel like my mind was in the right place for training today and I was just going through the motions. It's not like I was distracted with lots on my mind or anything like that. I just wasn't in the mood to exercise this morning. That's disappointing but I'm not training to be an athlete, so I'm not beating myself up too much about it. Today was just one of those days. 

However...

Amrap 12:
5 x leg press @ 200 lb
8 x jump lunges per leg

Rounds = 8 + 5 leg presses [PR = 8 + 2 leg presses]

Because of my disappointment over the first routine I really pushed myself to do the best I could with this one. I felt like I was struggling, though. Only a slight improvement, but better nonetheless. 

5 RFT:
5 x dumbbell front squats @ 37.5s
10 x air squats

Time = 4:18 [PR = 4:43]

Only a short routine, but some improvement. At least I finished on a positive note.

Legs

Ouch. This one hurt. A lot. It's a scaled down version of one of Paul's routines. I used to scale his routines to two-thirds, but after the results of my last two personal training sessions I went for approximately three-quarters instead. That's to take into account my strength gains over the past few months.

Traveling lunges 6 x 6 @ 55s

Had to drop the dumbbells a couple of times in the last two sets because I completely lost my ability to grip them.

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Amrap 12:
5 x leg press @ 200 lb
8 x jump lunges per leg

Rounds = 8 + 2 leg presses

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5 rft:
5 x dumbbell front squats @ 37.5s
10 x air squats

Time = 4:43

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Leg extensions 3 x 25 @ 70, 80, 90

The last set was supposed to be 90 pounds of weight resistance, but the the 10 pound weight I'd added to the 80 fell off after one rep, so I switched up to 20 reps at 95 pounds.

Overall I liked this style of training because it was a change from the heavy weight squats that can sometimes cause problems with my lower back. 

Legs

Front squat 5, 5, 5, 3, 3
95, 105, 110, 115, 125

When I did this two weeks ago I got up to 145 lb in the last set. I felt like I could have gone heavier today, but I didn't progress with big enough increments to get me up to the heavier weight. I don't usually check back to my final weight until I finish a routine, so I didn't know what I should be aiming for. Shame.

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10 RFT:
3 x front squats @ 125 lb
5 x back squats @ 125 lb

Time = 12:08

Last time I finished in 13:11. Perhaps Paul's pen did lie! :-)

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For time: 50 lunges with 52.5 lb dumbbells; 15 x air squats and 10 x jump squats whenever I have to put down the dumbbells.

Time = 9:56

No record of my previous time to compare this to.

Conditioning

Another souped-up version of an earlier home workout.

Amrap 30:

5 x pull-ups
5 x jump lunges (per leg)
5 x clapping push-ups
5 x burpee box jumps

Rounds = 14 plus 5 pull-ups

The last time I did this was in April 2010, when I completed 15 rounds exactly. Back then I did chin-ups (underhand) instead of pull-ups (overhand), and the box jumps in April were 18 inches high, whereas this time they were 24 inches.

It's been a while since I had the "fire-breather" effect!

More admiring comments today, but I also pissed off another gym member who asked if I had finished with the pull-up station. He didn't look happy when I told him I had another 15 minutes.

Conditioning

I'll be staying away from heavy weights this week because (a) my back is still causing me some problems, and (b) I've been doing a lot of work with weights for a couple of months, so I probably could use a short break. It was starting to feel like I was just going through the motions.

Five minutes' warm-up on the stationary bike. 

This is a routine I did at home on Wednesday, 29 July, 2009, but I made it a bit more challenging by increasing the height of the box jumps to 24 inches (from 18), as well as doing a full chest-to-floor push-up as part of the burpee.

20 x squats
20 x burpee box jumps
20 x chest to floor push-ups
15 x burpee box jumps
20 x tuck jumps
10 x burpee box jumps
20 x jump lunges (per leg)
5 x burpee box jumps
20 x squats

Time = 15:33

I had some admiring comments about the height of the box jumps, including one person who asked me if I was afraid I'd fall over while trying to jump so high!

Followed this with a shorter routine:

21-15-9 reps of push-ups off parallettes and inverted rows (overhand)

Time = 5:11

Walking home, I realised my protein shake had frozen! Bloody country...