Legs

After yesterday's 25lb dumbbell workout, I was eager to do some heavy lifting today. That being said, my daily schedule is all over the place this week while I adjust to living further outside town, and I felt a bit groggy when I got to the gym after getting up earlier than usual.

Front squats (a2g with pause) 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
95, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175 (1)

I think 175lb equals my heaviest a2g front squat, so while it isn't an advance, there was some cause for celebration. All of the sets except the last one used a conventional grip. I could feel my wrists stretching a bit at 165lb, so I switched to a crossover grip for 175lb. That's a significant improvement in wrist flexibility from a few months ago. It certainly feels like both wrists are back to 100%.

What certainly helped with both grip techniques was getting my head way back with my chin up high. That made it easier to keep my elbows up.

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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 1
325 x 0
325 x 0

My 1RM is 320lb, so I had two attempts at beating that, but failed both times.

On balance, not a bad day.

Upper body and Conditioning

Not a fellow resident

Time ran away from me this morning, as I'm still getting used to living a bit further away from the downtown core, thus taking longer to get around town. Consequently, I couldn't make it to ABsolute Fitness and had to settle for a workout in the Stonecroft gym. I don't think I'll be doing that too often.

Supersets

Seated shoulder press @ 25s - 14, 10, 10, 7, 8
Upright dumbbell rows @ 25s - 14, 11, 10, 8, 8

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Push presses @ 25s - 20, 18, 14, 14, 14
Push ups - 12, 8, 7, 6, 7

I thought the heaviest dumbbells in the gym were 50lb, which would have given me a significant challenge, but I was mistaken: they only go up to 25lb! My shoulders started to burn during the routines above, but - as is apparent from the high rep numbers - it took a long time to get there!

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2km on Concept 2 rowing machine @ 8 resistance
Time = 11:02

There were a couple of much older people in the gym while I was training, and they kept giving me funny looks while I was rowing. I don't think they've ever seen someone sweating and grunting in there before! When I stepped off the machine, I nearly keeled over when both my hamstrings started to cramp up. That wouldn't have impressed the neighbours.

Upper Body

This is how my forearms felt at the end of today.

Personal training with Paul

I asked Paul to take it easy on me today because I would be doing plenty of heavy lifting during our house move. Of course, he ignored my request. @#$*!!

Bench press
95 x 10
115 x8
125 x 5
135 x 2
135 x 2

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Pull-ups
10
25 x 7
30 x 5
35 x 4
35x 4

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Supersets
Incline dumbbell bench press - 35s x 10, 10, 10, 10
Incline dumbbell flies - 25 x 10, 10, 5, 5

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Neutral pull-ups - 10, 6, 5, 4
Cable rows - 80 x 10, 9, 10, 10

All of the above was simply a warm up for five hours of lifting heavy boxes and furniture. Bloody hell. It actually wasn't too bad, other than the fact our schedule over the whole weekend meant I ate plenty of crap I wouldn't usually.

Legs

Back squats a2g - Smith rack
115 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
170 x 5
180 x 5
190 x 0

Both the free weight racks were being used this morning, so I went with the Smith rack again. This time, I took into account that the bar weighs 30lb. I've done 3 reps at 190lb before, so I was disappointed that I couldn't even manage one today. In fact, I've felt pretty tired all week. More about that below.

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21-15-9 rft
Deadlifts @ 185
Weighted lunges @ 35s (per leg)
Time = 13:29

I probably could have used heavier weights for each of these movements, but I wanted to do a routine that enabled me to move as quickly as possible, rather than simply heavy. 

Earlier this week, I thought that Saturday's back-to-back metcons had taken more out of me than I expected, but that's probably a stretch. Then I realised that although my gym sessions haven't been anything too unusual, I've been spending two or three hours every day moving boxes and furniture to the new house. Try deadlifting a heavy sofa, then carrying it up and down stairs!

Pulling

How I felt this morning.

My arms felt a bit knackered today, plus the gym was pretty humid. On top of that, I felt really old this morning, as it was Madi's first day in Grade 3. GRADE-BLOODY-THREE!? Jesus - where did the years go?

Power snatches (from the ground)
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
95 x 2

Bit of a press out on the last two sets.

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Chin ups (weighted)
35 x 3
40 x 3
47 x 3
52 x 3
55 x 3
60 x 2

Same as last time.

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Supersets
Wide pull downs @ 80lb - 10, 10, 10
Chest supported rows @ 100lb - 10, 8, 6

Pushing

Lucas Podolski tucks one away for the Gunners against Liverpool

Push press
85 x 3
95 x 3
100 x 3
105 x 3
110 x 3

Exactly the same number of reps as last time. Bearing in mind the punishment my shoulders endured on Saturday, I'm not too bothered.

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Bench press - Smith rack, safeties on third hook; small bench
110 115 x 3
120 125 x 3
130 135 x 3
135 140 x 2
135 140 x 1

These weights are based on the assumption that the bar weighs 35lb 30lb, but I'm not sure if that's the case. I would have used my usual set up, but both the squat rack and the cage were being used. Of course, I could have opted for dumbbell bench presses, but I wanted to try something a bit different.

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Dumbbell incline shoulder press
32s x 10, 37s x 5, 5, 5, 4

Conditioning

Personal training with Paul

This video sums up today's workout.

A DVD extra from the hilarious thriller, "In Bruges",
with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason and Ralph Fiennes. NSFW!

21-15-9 rft
Squat cleans @ 75lb
Dips
Time = 12:46

Rest 1 minute

30 power snatches @ 75lb
Time = 8:59

Rest 1 minute

21-15-9
Thrusters @ 75lb
Kipping pull-ups
Time = 18:01

I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest during the pull-ups in the last routine. When I'd completed the whole workout, my head was spinning, I thought my breakfast was returning, and I collapsed in a puddle of sweat. I know I've worked my ass off when another gym member asks me if I'm okay!

Conditioning

Lucas Parker: The Man. The Beard.

I had no idea what I was going to do today, even when I got to the gym. I didn't even think I'd have time, as this morning I'll be attending the funeral of a friend and neighbour who died suddenly at the weekend. However, I woke up quite early, showered, then cycled to the gym. I warmed up, then made this up on the fly.

5 rft:
10 power snatches @ 75lb
15 push presses @ 75lb
25 sit-ups
40 single skips
Time = 26:52

Legs

Superset - front/back squats
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
145 - 3 & 3
155 - 3 & 3
165 - 2 & 3

I did my warm up front squats - up to 95lb - with the proper grip, but I could feel a bit of straining in my left wrist and I didn't want to risk it, especially as it's so close to complete repair. All of the front squats above were with a crossover grip. From 155lb onward I struggled to keep my elbows up, so that affected my balance and the fluidity of my movement, especially upwards.

Also, my concentration was a bit wayward today, probably because my mind was on our new Stonecroft house, of which we took possession yesterday. Not my best performance by any means; just one of those days.

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Deadlifts
185 x 10
215 x 8
225 x 6
235 x 5
245 x 5

Pulling

Some trainers would be all over Christy Phillips' elbows. Tsk!

Complex: 3 power cleans + 3 hang cleans
85, 95, 105, 115, 125 (2 hang cleans)

As you can see in the video, I dropped the bar straight after I completed the second hang clean at 125lb. This wasn't because my grip failed; I simply knew I didn't have a third rep in me, so I thought "Sod it!" and let the bar go. Both wrists held out okay - my right is almost 100% better, but my left felt a bit sore during the heavier sets of the next exercise.

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

My grip gave out on me - with both hands - rather than failing because of my shoulders and arms.

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Wide grip pull-ups; max reps, strict
10, 7, 6, 5, 5

Pushing

Shana Alverson

Military press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
65, 70, 75, 80 (4), 80 (3)

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Bench press (large bench, 7 holes - small bench was being used) - max reps
95 x 13
115 x 7, 5, 4, 5
95 x 8

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12-10-8-6-4-2 reps for time
Push-press @ 85lb (from rack)
Push ups
Time = 9:35

I had planned on doing the push presses starting with a clean from the ground, but I wanted to protect my left wrist a bit more so I could do cleans during tomorrow's pulling day.

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

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

Upper Body

The first routine is yesterday's main site WOD. I've been focusing on hang cleans recently, but I went with power cleans today - as per the WOD - just to see how I'd cope.

Power cleans 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps
95-115-125-130-135-140-150 (F)

Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks! I think I was doing pretty well with my form and technique, but I got too cocky with the last attempt, jumping from 140lb to 150lb. I'm pretty sure I could have cleaned 145lb, which would have been a 5lb PR anyway, so I didn't need to increase by 10lb. It was just a little bit too heavy for me to get my elbows up quickly enough. The video shows my last three reps.

By the way, I've been wearing a knee brace since yesterday, when it started to hurt while I was out walking. The brace certainly helps, as I didn't feel a thing throughout today's workout, including the next part.

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5 rft:
5 x deadlifts @ 225lb
10 toes to bar
Time = 11:07

This video is of the first and fifth rounds.

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Alternate sets:
Preacher curls @ 65lb - 7, 5, 6
Push-downs - 40lb x 10, 45lb x 7, 8

Legs

Jenny Lebaw

Fifties

50 traveling lunges @ 52s (25 per leg)
Time = 4:08

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50 back squats @ 125lb, a2g
Time = 7:34

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50 trap bar deadlifts @ 185lb
Time = 5:24

Short, but not very sweet, today; lots of reps with fairly light weights. I was also going to do 50 single leg extensions (25 per leg) but ran out of time. In retrospect, I probably should have sandwiched the lunges between the back squats and trap bar deadlifts so that I did a hamstring and glute dominant routine between two quad dominant ones.

As the times show, the back squats were the toughest, and were the routine that required the most rest breaks. I nearly toppled over at the end because I was so dizzy.

Pulling

The Unicorn

Hang cleans
95 x 6
105 x 5
115 x 5
120 x 4
125 x 3

I attempted a fourth rep at 125lb, but couldn't move the bar. This was because of lack of strength, rather than any problem with my wrist.

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Wide cable rows
70 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10
115 x 8

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Weighted chin-ups; max reps @ 35lb
5, 5, 4, 4, 4

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12-10-8-6-4-2 rft
Hang power snatches @ 70lb
Dumbbell swings @ 55lb
Time = 10:47

At the end of the 6-rep round, I dropped the bar on my head instead of in front of me. Ouch!  

142lb of bulked up manliness

Pushing

Greatly underrated director. RIP Tony Scott.

I felt really sluggish from the moment I woke up this morning, even though I thought I got a decent night's sleep. While walking to the gym I really wasn't in the mood for training, but this was a PT session so there was no way I could slack off! Even during my warm up and stretches I felt meh. However - as is often the case - once I got going, I felt more energized as the adrenaline kicked in. Also, the dynamic of having someone watching over you as you train causes the ego to take over, so minimum effort and failure aren't viable options. It's an hour after I finished training, and I feel more awake now than two hours ago.

Bench press
95 x 8
115 x 5
125 x 5
135 x 4(a)
135 x 3

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Dumbbell seated shoulder press
30 x 10, 35s x 5, 37s x 5, 5, 5

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21-15-9 rft
Push press @ 85lb (from the floor)
Dips
Time = 12:25

Couldn't find my old time to compare.

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Dumbbell skull crushers
22s x 8
20s x 6
20s x 6

Pretty light on the skull crushers, but the last time I did them I hadn't punished my arms as much beforehand.

Upper body

Alternate sets

Bench press:
95 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 8
125 x 4
130 x 3

Cable row:
100 x 10
110 x 10
115 x 10
120 x 10
125 x 8

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Hang power snatch 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
65, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95

This is the main site WOD from a couple of months ago. I videoed all the sets - shown below - and some of them are repeated in slow motion to show how my form changes as the weight increases. 

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Supersets: Military press/push press, max reps @75lb
4/7, 4/6, 2/4, 2/4

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Amrap 5 - single skips
Score = 289

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Barbell curls
55 x 10, 60 x 6, 4, 3

Upper body and snatch technique practice

Christmas

I felt exhausted this morning because I woke up at 3:00am and couldn't get back to sleep. Consequently, I didn't have much energy and my concentration was practically non-existent. Bollocks.

Military presses
65 x 5
75 x 5
80 x 3, 3, 3

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The photo on Tuesday's blog post was taken from a Facebook Olympic lifting group, hookgrip. They have some amazing sequential photos that demonstrate accomplished athletes in various stages of a lift. The ones of Zhang Wanqiong snatching 90kg shows that the bar travels in a perfectly straight vertical line from the floor to above her head, with her body leaning back slightly as the bar passes her hips. That means her arms remain straight and she doesn't push the bar above her. I tried my best to practice this technique at very light weights - broom handle, empty 45lb bar, then a 10lb bumper on each end - and I think I did ok by getting plenty of speed and power, until I tried to increase the weight. I simply couldn't maintain decent technique and started to press out. I then did a short routine, using light snatches that enabled me to continue to focus on decent form.

5 rft:
5 x hang power snatches @ 70lb
10 x dips
Time = 10:11

No spectacular results today, but I definitely feel I benefited from the snatch practice.

Legs

Front squats to parallel (crossover grip)
135 x 3
155 x 3
160 x 3
165 x 3
170 x 2

Felt a bit meh this morning, which might account for failing the third rep at 170lb. My PR for three reps is 175lb, but my leg just didn't have enough strength this morning. When I failed, I dropped the barbell onto the safeties. Of course, it wasn't the best preparation to cycle to the gym really hard; just over five minutes from door to door. 

I tried the proper front squat grip and while there wasn't any pain in my wrist, I did feel some stress and stretching (probably due to the hang cleans yesterday). I decided to use a crossover grip instead, just to be cautious.

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Sumo deadlifts
225 x 3
255 x 3
275 x 3
285 x 3
295 x 3
310 x 1

Rubbed a lot of skin off my right shin, and left some DNA on the barbell. I think I managed to clean it all off.

Pulling

18 year old Zhang Wanqiong (-53kg, China) snatching 90kg at the 2012 Junior Worlds.

Because my wrist felt pretty good after yesterday's pushing routine, I decided to test it with some cleans, which I haven't done for several weeks. I spent some time ensuring my wrist and shoulders were warmed up and flexible before starting the routine. Also, I didn't go quite as heavy as usual, but did considerably better than I expected.

Hang cleans
95 x 6
105 x 5
115 x 5
120 x 4
125 x 3

On all the reps I caught the bar cleanly on my clavicle. I didn't use just two fingers to keep it in place, but I was able to hold it there with my whole grip and bend my wrist back without any discomfort. Consequently, my elbows were well up and my forearms were parallel to the ground. With the last two sets, I could feel my grip starting to strain a bit, but other than that I felt good. Again, not my heaviest cleans, but I'm very happy with the results given the context.

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Rita Benavidez

Dumbbell snatches for time; 5 per arm, alternating
40lb = 25 seconds
45lb = 28
50lb = 30
55lb = 51
60lb = 2:03

The last time I did this I went too light, but this time it felt more of a challenge. The first time I took a break during a set was at 55lb, after the third rep for my right (second) arm. I really slowed down in the final set, failing with the third rep on my right side. After that, I took what I thought were short rests after each rep, but I was still surprised at the slow time for the 60lb set.

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Underhand lateral pull-downs @ 100lb
12, 10, 9, 8

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Horizontal leg raises (on the dip rack)
14, 13, 11

Pushing

For some reason - and it seems so bloody obvious now, I don't know why I didn't think of it before - I haven't been doing any exercises to improve the condition of my wrist. On Friday, I did a search for "tendonitis" and found some simple stretches for the ligaments in my wrist and thumb. I've been doing them throughout the day ever since, and the improvement has been remarkable. I'm not completely pain free, but because I did plenty of wrist stretching before and during today's workout, I had virtually no discomfort.

Military press - 5, 5, 3, 3, 2
65, 75, 80, 80, 85

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Dumbbell bench press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
42s, 47, 50s, 55s, 60s (3)

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Push press
85 x 3
95 x 3
100 x 3
105 x 3
110 x 3

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Dips, relative max reps
10, 8, 6, 5, 5

Pulling

Christy Phillips

I did some leg work on Thursday and was going to do some upper body training yesterday, but my shoulders still felt a bit dodgy, so I rested instead. I felt much better this morning, albeit a bit sluggish, so I tried some pulling movements, but nothing too taxing.

Hang power snatches
65 x 3
75 x3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
95 x 0

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Dumbbell high pulls 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
25s, 30s, 35, 37s, 40s

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Death by pull-ups
Score = 9 + 8 reps

That's a big improvement on last time - 7 + 6 reps - so I'm well pleased with that to end this morning's session.

Legs

Canada scores in the 92nd minute to beat France in the bronze medal game, London 2012

Today was my first time back in the gym since Saturday. This morning's routine depended on what healed first: my hip flexor and Achilles tendon; my shoulders; or my wrist. In the end, it was my legs. The shoulders aren't too bad now, but I'm still fucked off with the masseur on Friday for screwing them up. Do I sound pissed? That's because I'm pissed.

Back squats a2g
115 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
180 x 5
190 x 3 (PR)

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Deadlifts
165 x 6
185 x 4
235 x 1
260 x 1
285 x 1
305 x 1
315 x 1
325 x 0
325 x 0

Ouch

North Korea's Yun Chol Om lifting three times his bodyweight. Son of a bitch.

I was supposed to have a pushing workout this morning, but my right wrist has been quite painful since yesterday afternoon. No idea why it should flare up, because I didn't do anything to make things worse. Anyway, that would have made any heavy overhead movements difficult.

Both my shoulders are still hurting after my massage on Friday evening, so that ruled out any extensive vertical pulling motion.

My left hip flexor started hurting after Saturday's workout, specifically the sit-ups. Even a gentle bike ride this morning caused some pain.

So: no pushing, no pulling, no squatting. That pretty much put the kibosh on any type of exercise for today. It's unusual for me to have injuries in three different areas of my body, but there was no way I could safely work through any of these without causing further damage. I was tempted to try, but that would have been pretty stupid. I felt so restless this morning as this meant an unplanned change to my usual Monday routine. I hope I'm capable of at least something on Tuesday.

Upper body

You're welcome.

Personal training with Paul

Supersets

Incline bench press - 40s x 10, 45s x 9, 8, 6
Incline bench press - 25s x 10, 6, 6, 6

Neutral grip pull-ups - 10, 8, 6, 7
Wide pull-downs @ 80lb - 10, 7, 6, 6

Military press @ 25s - 10, 10, 9
Push press @ 25s - 10, 10 ,10

Cable row @ 100lb - 10, 10, 10
Chest supported row @ 100 - 10, 7, 6

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30-25-20 rft
Sit-ups, bicycle crunches (per side), leg raises
Time = 9:39

Upper body

Most of today's workout was made up on the spot, depending on what I felt like.

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

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Military press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
25s, 27s, 30s, 32s, 35s (4)

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Supersets, max reps @ 25s
Incline flies - 10, 11, 9, 9, 9
Incline bench presses - 10, 9, 6, 7, 7

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Barbell curls
45 (17), 55 (10), 60 (7), 60 (6), 60 (6)

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Decline sit-ups x 30 (not timed)

Legs

British divers Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield.
Their strength and conditioning coach, Richard Husseiny, used to be my sports masseur.

Front squats (a2g with pause) 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
95, 105, 120, 130, 140, 150, 155, 160, 170

I used a crossover grip today because of my injured wrist. Other than that, I still tried to keep good form and technique: my head was back, with my chest and elbows up, which helped with my balance with the heavier weights. I've sometimes had problems with my heel coming up, too, but today I found that if I turned my toes in a little bit, it was easier to keep my weight back.

It's been a long time since I did this routine - November 2011 - and back then I got one rep at 160lb. After I managed two with that weight today I was going to add jut 5lb, but I went a little heavier as it was my last set.

Here are my last two sets.

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3 rft:
20 deadlifts @ 155lb
20 trap bar deadlifts @ 185lb
Time = 11:52

I had planned on doing dumbbell hang squat cleans with the deadlifts, but while I was warming up I could feel a slight pain in my left shoulder when I swung the weight up. It wasn't too bad - and doesn't hurt now - but I think this might be because of the 150 pull-ups I did yesterday.

Pulling

Britain's Zoe Smith at London 2012, showing how it should be done.

Hang power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 3
95 x 1

I was really pleased with the first three sets because I felt I had very good form and technique, using lots of speed and power to get the bar overhead. I'd done quite a bit of warming up, plus I didn't rush myself between individual reps. From 85lb onwards there was a little pressing out, but not as much as usual. One rep at 95lb might not seem like a massive accomplishment, but it felt like a definite improvement.

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This was Sunday's main site WOD.

10 rft:
3 weighted pull-ups @ 22lb (45lb rx)
5 strict pull-ups
7 kipping pull-ups
Time = 30:33

Bloody hell, this was a damn sight tougher than I expected. I knew I wouldn't be able to cope with the RXed weight of a 45lb dumbbell, but I was unsure if I'd gone too light with half that weight. Definitely not! According to the demo video, you aren't allowed to let go of the bar during a set - i.e. from the first weighted pull-up of an individual set until completion of the final kipping pull-up - otherwise, the whole of that set would be a "no rep". There was no way I could maintain that. In fact, only the first set was completely unbroken. I had a good long rest after that, but when I got to the second round of weighted pull-ups, I really struggled. At that point, I had two options: (1) Quit, because I couldn't do the routine like the demo, or (2) Keep going, but break up sets when I needed to. I went with #2 because I figured it would still be a damn tough workout. I failed a couple of kips in the latter rounds, but other than that I did okay. My family doctor was in the gym at the same time as me, and I could see him looking over with a "WTF is he doing?" look on his face.

Nasty pull-ups gave me a boo-boo.
Left hand doesn't look too good, either.

During the ninth set I noticed that I'd ripped some skin on my right palm, but thankfully it didn't start to hurt until I'd finished. That was a fun challenge, but I won't be repeating it in a hurry. 150 pull-ups!

Good, satisfying workout today.

Pushing

Jessica Ennis

Not much energy today, as a result of getting to bed late, then waking up early. 

Push press
85 x 3
95 x 3
100 x 3
105 x 3
110 x 2 (got the bar up, then came down pretty quickly)
110 x 1 (one good rep, then up and down)

I don't know if it made a difference, but the bar I used felt thicker than my usual one which might have affected my grip. Meh.

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Dumbbell bench press - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
42s, 47s, 50s, 52, 55s

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Supersets
Lateral raises @ 25s - 5, 5, 4, 3
Military press @ 65 - 6, 4, 3, 2

Full body

Personal training with Paul

5 rft:
1 deadlift @ 285 (90% of 1rm)
10 military presses @ 65
40 single skips
Time = 13:08

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For time:
50 dips
50 push-ups (close-ish hand position)
Time = 12:56

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For time:
50 kipping pull-ups
Time = 5:53

Cindy

Well, I finally broke my Cindy hoodoo.

Cindy - amrap 20:
5 kipping pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 air squats
Score = 16 rounds + 3 pull-ups

Last weekend, after discussing workout strategies with Paul, I searched for a new approach to Cindy, as my scores had dropped drastically the past couple of times I did this routine. I found an article from 2010 called "To Game or not to Game", which describes a kind of "Death by Cindy" approach. I started off by completing a round, then resting for the remainder of that minute, before starting the next round. Unfortunately, this wasn't effective for too long. Each of the first five rounds were under a minute, but as soon as I started to get out of breath, the whole strategy fell apart. I got to a point where I took a couple of pretty long breaks - around 30 seconds each - just so I could take much shorter rests during each round. The pull-ups were unbroken until the last three rounds, while the push-ups tended to be 4-3-3, with really short breaks, just to take a couple of breaths. The squats were almost all unbroken, but much slower than usual because of a distracting, niggling pain in my right knee. (Perhaps this is because of all the box back squats I did yesterday. I usually race through the air squat portion of Cindy, but not today.) 

I'd been looking forward to tackling Cindy since last weekend when I read the aforementioned article. However, from the moment I woke up this morning, I felt some apprehension in case my score dropped even lower. I went from feeling really positive earlier in the week, to almost talking myself into failing. That being said, today's score was a reasonable improvement, if not spectacular. My last PR of 15 rounds plus 5 push-ups and two push-ups was set way back in November 2011. I definitely gave it everything today, and I was completely exhausted at the end. I've felt more worn out at the end of other workouts, but not this bad after Cindy. I had to rest about seven minutes before finishing off today with a couple of pretty easy routines.

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Barbell curls @ 45lb; max reps - 10, 8, 7, 5

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Tricep push-downs @ 30lb - 12, 10, 9

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.

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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.

Pulling

Chin-ups (weighted)
25 x 3
35 x 3
40 x 3
45 x 3
50 x 3
55 x 3
60 x 2

I think the last time I did weighted chin-ups was back in February, when I got up to 3 reps with a 50lb dumbbell. That was as part of an alternating sets routine - along with push presses - so I'm not sure what this weight increase tells me. Still, I'm reasonably pleased with 60lb for two reps, although I need to figure out how to hang the weight off that belt/chain contraption because holding a heavy barbell between my feet was a bit uncomfortable. Because I hadn't done this type of workout for several months, I simply copied the same weight as last time, then kept going until I failed a rep.

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Hang power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 2

I tried doing split snatches to start with, and they felt pretty comfortable in the first two sets. However, my co-ordination fell apart from 80lb onwards and I went back to doing straightforward hang power snatches without splits. This is a technique I'd like to master, as I felt it was much easier for me to get under the bar a bit, then stand up straight.

I know it look like I'm not making too much progress with my snatches, but I want to be patient and just keep practicing until I've perfected my technique.

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This is one of those metcons I make up on the spot, then halfway through the first set I realise it's a damn stupid idea, and I feel like quitting.

12-10-8-6-4-2 rft:
Kipping pull-ups
Inverted rows on parallettes
Time = 8:58

Pushing

Holy shit, the weather was brutal this morning. The heat definitely made me a bit sluggish at the beginning of my workout.

Bench press - small bench, 6 holes
105 x 3
115 x 3
125 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 1
140 x 1

Meh.

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Death by military press @ 65lb
Score = 7 rounds + 7 reps

Well, that's a damn sight better than last time.

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Alternate sets:
Lateral raises @ 20s - 10, 10, 10, 9
Push-downs @ 45 - 10, 10, 10, 8

The reason I didn't increase my reps per round, nor the weight used, is because the last two reps in each set were a struggle, and I barely managed to complete my prescribed reps. However, it wasn't until the fourth round of each move that I actually failed.

I was going to finish off with some ab work, but I put so much into engaging my core for the push-downs that I felt like I'd done enough. My lower abs were burning during the second half of each set.

Full body: 50s

Fooshay!

Take as many sets and rest as needed to complete 50 reps of the following.

Traveling lunges @ 52s
22-10-10-8

Dips
11-9-8-7-7-8

No pain in my left shoulder, so it looks like it's complete healed.

Kipping pull-ups
12-7-8-7-7-7-2

Deadlifts @ 185lb
14-11-10-11-4

I would have been able to complete the last 15 reps in one set, if my grip hadn't given out on me. Bugger!

As I walked to Scott Park to watch Madi play soccer, I could feel my quads starting to seize up. WTF?! I thought doms were supposed to be, you know, delayed!

It's flexin' day!

Conditioning

3-2-1...

After watching some of the CrossFit Games at the weekend, I wanted to revisit one of the girl WODs, Fran: 21-15-9 reps of 95lb thrusters and kipping pull-ups. As the thrusters start from a clean, I started to warm up with some light reps - only 65lb - and that caused me some wrist discomfort, even though I wasn't trying to get my elbows up. It wasn't too painful, but bad enough to know that the full weight reps could cause some damage. I started with one of the other girls, instead.

Isabel
30 power snatches @ 65lb
Time = 2:56

I could have gone heavier with these - probably no more than 85lb - but I wanted this routine to be a sprint. Sub-3 minutes is what I was aiming for. I think I did okay with getting power from my hips and not bending my arms too soon, but from reviewing the video it looks like my legs didn't go straight for every rep.

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Supersets, relative max reps
Flies @ 25s: 12, 10, 9, 9, 8
Dips: 7, 5, 4, 3, 3

I was surprised at how quickly the number of dips dropped.

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100 burpees
Time = 9:52

Well, I just had to give this a go! When I usually do burpees as part of a metcon, I try to go as fast as I can from the start. Of course, I normally run out of breath pretty quickly. Today, I wanted to try and maintain a steady pace for a long as possible, so I didn't go H.A.M. straight out of the gate. I think this definitely worked. As expected, I felt tired about a quarter of the way through, but not as bad as usual. Around rep #23, I thought, "This was a fucking mistake!" However, at that point Paul was training a client nearby and I thought he'd probably figured out what I was doing, so there was no way I was going to quit! During my first rest break - I can't recall where that was; somewhere in the mid-20s - I set myself a rule: No more breaks unless I've completed a rep that ends in "0"; i.e. 30, 40, 50, etc. I managed to keep to that for the rest of the routine.

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Push-ups/squat thrusts on Swiss ball, max reps
7, 5, 5

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.

Pulling

Nate Schrader and Graham Holmberg

Hang power snatches
65 x 3
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 3
90 x 2

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Wide cable rows
70 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 10
105 x 10
110 x 7

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5 rft:
8 x hang power cleans @ 95
8 x bent over rows @ 95
Time = 10:05

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Kipping pull-ups, relative max: 9, 7, 5, 5, 5

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75 x sit-ups
Time = 3:33

Pushing

Training to be a doctor, yet still finds time to train at this level.
Compared to Julie Foucher, no one has a valid excuse for not exercising.

Push press
85 x 5
90 x 5
95 x5
100 x 5
105 x 2

I got the bar overhead for a third rep at 105, but it was slightly in front of me and didn't stay up for too long. 

I need to remember to warm up enough before I train, especially for pushing workouts. The first two sets felt tougher than they should, while the first rep at 100lb pretty much flew off my shoulders straight up, because I managed to get so much power for that first lift. That was only possible because I was obviously warmed up by that stage.

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Bench press (machine)
95 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5
135 x 5
140 x 3

I don't know why, but I decided to use the machine for bench presses today, mainly because I hadn't done so for years. I'm not sure it accomplished anything, but oh well. It makes a change from my small bench/six holes set up.

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8 rft:
10 x military presses @ 25s
10 x push-ups
Time = 15:17

I just made this up on the spot, so I've nothing to compare it to. Not sure if it's a decent time, but it definitely burned my shoulders.

Pushing, pulling and conditioning

Two of my favourite athletes battling it out.

Weighted pull-ups, max reps @ 25lb: 7, 5, 5, 5, 5

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Piston bench press, max reps @ 45lb (per arm): 10, 7, 7, 6, 5

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21-15-9 rft:
Hang snatches @ 65lb
Push presses @ 65lb
Time = 9:05

Near the end I got that stabbing pain at the base of my skull again, and I thought I was going to puke. Not a good feeling.

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10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 rft:
Burpees
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Time = 11:32

People came up to me for a chat during both my metcons this morning. WTF! Don't I look like I'm busy?

Conditioning

Not how I want to train.

Personal training with Paul

I woke up today, still sore from all my previous workouts this week. Quads, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders and abs were all hurting like a bee-atch. Plus, my right wrist and grip still feel somewhat stiff, but not too bad. So, of course, today's training session pressed all those pain buttons.

For time:
Row 1km
30 power cleans @ 115lb
50 burpees
Time = 15:14

The rowing, while far from being easy, was the most comfortable part of this routine. I started at a reasonable pace that I tried to maintain throughout the 1km, although I'm sure I must have slowed down as I became more fatigued. However, I quickened my reps in the last 100m. The cleans were tough just because of the number of reps at a medium weight, and the burpees kicked my ass due to the number of reps I had to do after everything else.

This workout is part of the 2012 CrossFit Games in the Masters Category, using the clean weight for age 55+. Shit, I didn't even make it through the 15 minute time cap!

Update: Here are the times for the Masters Games for the athletes who used the same clean weight as me. The quickest time was 5 minutes faster than me! Even 18th place was over a minute quicker. Bloody hell.

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12-10-8-6-4-2 rft
C2B pull-ups
Dumbbell push press @ 37s
Front squats @ 95lb (from ground)
Time = 19:10

C2Bs weren't too bad, although I failed on a few reps (my chest was about an inch from the bar). The push presses were the easiest, although they took my breath away. The front squats were tough as hell, mainly because of my wrist flexibility. I could feel the strain from the very first rep and that's why I dropped the bar on more than one occasion. To be honest, my performance with the cleans is due as much to my mental approach as the physical challenge. I talked myself into failing because I knew they would be the hardest part of this workout. In the early rounds, I was only capable of triples and doubles, but something clicked in the last three sets, and I was able to get through them unbroken.

It's days like this that make me realise how lucky I am. Perhaps I could have done better during today's training session, but I felt good about getting through it. This was hard work and even though I could have been mentally tougher in some parts, I still managed to tough it out. Today's workout isn't something I would have thought of on my own, and that's why I'm lucky to have a great trainer who knows how to push me. Without a trainer like Paul in a gym like ABsolute Training, I'd probably spend much more time on a treadmill and stationary bike. That's great if you're training to be a hamster, but not if you want to be fitter, stronger and healthier.

Legs

Let the games begin...

Bit of a so-so workout today. I didn't sleep too well - I had trouble falling asleep, then I woke up early - so my head was all over the place. I have a busy day with work, so I cycled to McDonald's for breakfast - scrambled eggs, oatmeal and a large black coffee. I went from there to the gym for an early workout, which is about a 2.5km ride straight before a leg workout! It's safe to say my legs were warmed up by this point.

Back squats (a2g)
115 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
175 x 5
185 x 5

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Front squats, resting when necessary (number of sets in brackets)
115 x 25 (4)
105 x 25 (4)
95 x 25 (3)

My right hand wasn't hurting today, but my wrist was quite stiff with limited flexibility. It felt like it was straining when I bent my grip back to keep the bar in position, so I couldn't get my elbows up as high as I should. That affected my balance and also my ability to hold the bar for more than 10 reps at a time at any weight. Also, halfway through the last set I got a stabbing pain at the base of my skull that had me doubled over when I racked the bar. It's fine now, but that was probably a combination of lack of sleep and the blood rushing to my head during the squats.

I was planning on doing some Bulgarian split squats, but I simply had no more gas in the tank at this stage.

Pulling

It's been a long time since I did a pure pulling day. This felt good.

Hang power snatches 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
65, 70, 75, 80, 80 (4)

In the fourth set, I resorted to pressing out a bit with reps 4 and 5, and I'm really trying not to rely on that at all when getting the weight overhead. My last set was much better, but I dropped a rep. I used the 25lb straight curl bar, rather than my usual 45lb longer bar (of course, making up the weight with plates). I think that definitely helped with my stability, and there wasn't so much staggering around when I got the weight up, which I think was due to the width of the bar and weight outside my grip.

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

I haven't done dumbbell rows since November 2011, at which time I PRed at 85lb. No twisting around in order to move the weight, though; just good rowing movement.

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Purple resistance band chin-ups, max reps
4, 4, 3, 3, 3

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12-10-8-6-4-2 reps for time:
Hang cleans @ 95lb
Inverted rows
Time = 9:07

Pushing

That looks a bit more than 65lb.

Trifecta: military press, push press, split jerk, all @ 65lb
Do each move to failure, then move onto the next one
Set #1: 5, 6, 2
Set #2: 5, 7, 2
Set #3: 4, 5, 2
Set #4: 4, 4, 2
Set #5: 4, 5, 2

This is based on a Greg Glassman CrossFit video I found on my laptop at the weekend. I'd downloaded it ages ago, but didn't get round to watching it until Saturday. When I planned this morning's workout, I thought I'd warm up with 65lb, but do this routine with 80lb. However, it felt challenging enough with 65lb, so that's what I stuck with throughout. I'm not sure of the benefits of this type of workout, but at least it allowed me to get three types of press into a pretty short routine.

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Superset:
Incline dumbbell flies - 25s x 10, 30s x 7, 25s x 10, 8, 9
Incline dumbbell bench presses - 25s x 10, 30s x 3, 25s x 4, 5, 5

My pecs were still really sore from Saturday's bench presses, and that caused me some problems with this superset, especially the db presses. I failed pretty early with the 30s for both the movements - compared to last time - so I dropped down to 25s again, just so I could keep doing the workout. To (kind of) compensate, I added an extra set to increase the total number of reps.

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Bearing in mind how sore my chest felt, perhaps this wasn't a great idea.

Superset:
Dips - 9, 6, 4, 5, 4
Hand-release push-ups - 5, 4, 4, 3, 3

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Weighted decline sit-ups:
10lb x 22, 15lb x 10, 7

Full body

Lots of different moves today. My wrist was hurting this morning and I was a bit concerned it might affect my workout, but other than at the beginning of the session, it didn't cause any problems.

Hang squat clean and thruster
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 4 (failed the fifth thruster when I leaned forward during the squat)
95 x 5
95 x 5

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Amrap 15
5 bench press @ 110
5 toes to bar
5 over the bench jumps @ 20" (per side)
Score = 7 rounds + 4 bench presses

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Russian kettlebell swings
16kg x 15
20kg x 15
24kg x 15
24kg x 15
24kg x 15

Conditioning

Sweat angel

And the award for "Dumbest Workout To Do Outdoors In the Blazing Heat" goes to...

"Tumilson"
8 rft:
Run 200 yards
11 dumbbell burpee deadlifts @ 50s
Time = 26:12

This was yesterday's main site hero WOD, but scaled from 60lb dumbbells to 50lb. The run is supposed to be 200 metres, but I ran from one end of the parking lot to the other, then back again, which is a total of about 200 yards. I say "ran", but the last three rounds were barely a jog. Bloody hell, I don't think I've ever sweat so much! I would have prefered to do this an hour or so earlier when it wouldn't have been as humid or hot.

I couldn't figure out why the sets and reps were such an odd number - 8 rounds, 11 burpees - until I realised the soldier after whom this workout was named died in August 2011 (8/11).

In the seventh round, I started to get a pain in my right thumb while holding onto the dumbbell and doing the burpees. This felt worse in the eighth round, but not bad enough to make me stop. However, it does feel quite painful now. I hope it clears up before Saturday.

Here's the WOD demo video. I held the dumbbell the whole time, but I just realised that I started the first rep with the weights on the ground, not in the hang position.

Legs

Jenny LaBaw

Deadlifts (touch and go-ish)
140 x 10
185 x 5
210 x 5
230 x 5
255 x 5
280 x 3

I've said "touch and go-ish" because I didn't allow the plates to bounce, which they sometimes do with quick t&gs. I let the bar touch the ground under control, then did the next lift. This allowed me to keep good form and lift with my legs before I straightened up. I finished 5lb lighter than my previous go with this routine, but my form wasn't as good then as it was today. Shame I didn't video myself today, just to be sure.

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Superset - front squats/back squats
115 - 3 & 3
135 - 3 & 3
150 - 3 & 3
160 - 3 & 3
165 - 3 & 3
170 - F

I completely lost control of the bar with my first front squat at 170lb, and the bar dropped to the ground with a very loud clang. Should have used bumpers! I think my front squat technique was pretty good; I balanced the bar on my clavicle and kept it in place with just two fingers of each hand, plus my elbows were as high as I could get them. Again, a video would have been useful for assessment.

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Single leg extensions @ 50lb - 12, 12, 10 per leg

Upper body: Pulling

I need to get my grip as relaxed as this.

Plenty of practicing and warming up with the first two exercises.

Hang power snatches
Warmed up for about 10 minutes with a broom handle, 25lb bar and a 45lb bar.
65 x 4*
70 x 4*
65 x 4, 4, 4*
70 x 4*

Even though I did lots of practice snatches, I felt like the first set at 70lb required a bit too much pressing out, so I dropped the weight back 5lb for a few sets. When I tried 70lb again, the first few reps were decent, but the fourth had a little bit of pressing. The sets with asterisks (*) are the ones in the video.

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

My form started to suffer in the last set, so even though I felt I had the strength to add more weight, I decided to call it quits.

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Wide cable rows
70 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 6

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Incline curls @ 25s
9, 5, 4

Full body (mostly upper)

Jessica Zelinka, who recently qualified to represent Canada in the 100 metres hurdles at London 2012.
Why do all these women have better arms and shoulders than me?!

Dumbbell snatches for time (5 per arm, alternating)
30lb = 24s
35lb = 24s
40lb = 27s
45lb = 37s
50lb = 1:17

I should probably have used a heavier weight in the later sets. My time with 50lb in the final set might make it look as if I was approaching a more challenging weight, but I inadvertently did 6 reps per arm instead of 5. A I was halfway up with my left (first) arm I thought, "Oh crap - that's #6!", but I decided to balance it out with a 6th rep with my right arm. I didn't video this routine, but I think I managed to maintain decent form without resorting to pushing out the bar overhead.

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Bear complex x 3 (1 power clean, 1 front squat, 1 push press, 1 back squat, 1 rack jerk)
65, 85, 85 (failed the second rack jerk), 85, 85

The last time I did this - with Paul - I aimed for a touch and go between sets. I couldn't manage that today as I had to reset quickly after the rack jerk in order to get the correct grip for the power clean. I couldn't figure out why I had a problem with this until I realised that my grip for the back squats and jerks was too wide for the clean. In the last set, I kept my grip the same width - just wider than my shoulders - and that seemed to help.

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Alternate sets:
Dumbbell military press @ 25s - 12, 11, 10, 8, 9
Chin-ups - 12, 9, 7, 7, 6