Thursday, January 30, 2014

Fitness 500

2 rounds, not for time, of:

12 HSPU

50 double-unders

10 T2B

Snatch 10 x 1 @ 60-95+% (OT2M)

105, 115, 125, 135, 145(f), 145(f), 145, 155, 165(f), 165

For time:

Row 500 meters

20 front-rack walking lunges (115)

40 C2B

20 front-rack walking lunges

80 double-unders

10.28

Notes:  Decent bounce-back session after doing an Open workout yesterday.  HSPU technique was awful tonight.  Wasn't closing hips enough and kept jamming feet into the wall before locking out.  Tight hips and hamstrings on T2B.  Hit a road-block on snatches at 145.  Kept losing the bar forward.  Hit 155 and 165 with awesome speed, which made no sense.  Enjoyed the conditioning piece very much.  Held a 2.00 pace on the row.  Picked up the bar right away and did 10 lunges across the room.  Dropped it, got some air, and did 10 back in the other direction.  Broke the 40 C2B into sets of 5.  These weren't particularly strong tonight, which is concerning.  Good training rhythm right now.  Back on the rower tomorrow morning before hopefully hitting some quality sessions this weekend.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (Z1) (am)

CrossFit Hyannis (pm)

"CrossFit Games Open Workout 11.4"

AMRAP in 10 minutes of:

60 bar-facing burpees
30 OHS (120)
10 muscle-ups

Score:  90 reps

Notes:  Felt great on the Z1 work this morning.  Aerobic system is feeling powerful right now.  Touched heart rate of 144 toward end of piece.  I think my walks with Sayde are doing more to compliment the aerobic system than anticipated.

Awesome coincidence that CrossFit Hyannis had the same workout programmed for tonight that I had scheduled.  Opted to wear my sneakers on this one.  This helped with burpees, but made the bottom position of OHS much more difficult. I stayed aerobic on the burpees and cruised through without stopping in about 5 minutes.  Bar-facing burpees, if you didn't know, require the athlete to remain perpendicular to the barbell when performing the burpee.  Then, the athlete must jump off of two feet and land on the other side of the barbell with two feet.  I'm not exactly sure why, but this is significantly more difficult than a standard burpee.  Broke the OHS 12/7/6/5, and this was the difference maker tonight.  This needed to be broken into no more than three sets.  Too much time elapses when you drop the barbell.  I finished the OHS with about 1.15 remaining, which left me with a minute to perform muscle-ups.  I failed all three attempts utilizing a non-false-grip style.  This was a great learning experience for me as I will no longer be using these this season.  I did some false-grip ones post-workout and got on top of the rings with no problem.  If this comes up again, I'll need to push harder on the OHS and crank muscle-ups with a false-grip.  95+ reps if feasible for me.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Row 10 (Z1)

47.49.0; 2.23.4 (22) (150)

Notes:  So nice to be back in the aerobic groove.  Provides such a nice rhythm and tempo to your training.  Need to do a better job of carrying this tempo into my gym sessions.  I felt good on today's row and it gave me as sense of "building."  Less than a month until the Open.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Fitness 500

Front squat 5 x 1 @ 95%+ (OT2M)

250 -> 255

For time:

5 G2O (185)
10 G2O (155)
15 G2O (135)
20 G2O (115)

10.38

For time:

Row 500 meters
20 front-rack walking lunges (115)
40 C2B
20 front-rack walking lunges
80 double-unders

DNS

Notes:  Legs were a bit "dead" after yesterday's intense piece (power snatch/T2B/box jump).  I could feel it right away as I was my warm-up sets on front squats.  Ended up coming alive a bit to manage two quality singles at 255.  The G2O segment was challenging, but good training for the Open.  I've never done "one-touch" reps at 185, but I handled the five reps fairly well.  50 G2O reps is quite a lot.  My lower back tightened up a bit at the end, probably from being over-extended while going overhead.  Skipped the final segment because it was just too much.  I'm a little upset because I need to get in more C2B practice and this would've been a nice opportunity.  Biggest things keeping me up at night are muscle-ups and C2B.  Looking back, I should've done the segment with C2B instead of the G2O.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Fitness 500

AMRAP in 5 minutes of:

3 power snatches (115)
6 T2B
9 box jumps (24)

5 rounds + 3 power snatches

Notes:  Pretty good effort today.  Had some additional stuff programmed, but this zapped all of my energy.  I went unbroken for the most part, but it's amazing how heavy 115# can start to feel when your heart rate is jacked.  Stumbled on a few box jumps and fell backwards before completing the rep.  This was a good chance to test my boundaries a bit.  I'm still not sure what I'm capable of on these types of condition pieces, but I'm starting to learn.  

My goal at the beginning of the week was to get in all five Invictus workouts plus daily aerobic work.  I was only able to manage four due to fatigue, weather (snow day), and a head cold.  I also only did three aerobic sessions.  This is obviously disappointing when you look back on it.  That being said, I did set a few PRs (power clean 5 RM (185) and push jerk 1RM (215)) and had two high-quality conditioning workouts.  I'll see if I can step things up this week.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

CrossFit Hyannis

Push jerk (heavy single in 15 minutes)

215 (pr)

For time:

5 muscle-ups
20 S2O (115)
4 muscle-ups
15 S2O
3 muscle-ups
10 S2O
2 muscle-ups
5 S2O
1 muscle-up

12.45

Squat 1 x 6 @ 70%; 1 x 4 @ 80%; 1 x 2 @ 90%; 1 x AMRAP @ 85% (set terminates if you deviate from "1011" tempo)

220; 250; 285; 4 reps @ 270

Notes:  If you live by the saying "any day when you set a PR is a good day," then today was a good day.  Invictus seems to place a premium on going overhead, and I'm making huge improvements in this area.  This was a 10# PR and it was a very clean rep.  225# is within range.  Unfortunately, my muscle-ups are proving to be a real problem.  The non-false-grip variation is pretty when I'm feeling fresh and explosive.  But, they are proving to be inconsistent.  Did them today in conjunction with S2O and I started failing reps early on in the workout.  It may be time to revert back to the false-grip variation, which is slower, but I know I can crank out singles for a while.  Didn't have a ton of juice in the legs today for squats.  Scored 5 reps at 270 last week; however, this week's working sets were a bit heavier.  Still trying to shake this head cold, too. Looking forward to a solid session with Bobby tomorrow morning.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Rest day.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Fitness 500

3 rounds, not for time, of:

10 HSPU
50 double-unders
Max L-sit hold

Snatch 6 x 1 @ 90-95% (OT2M)

160 -> 165

With a running clock:

For time:
Row 500 meters
10 power snatches (135)
20 T2B

4.30

At the 8-minute mark, for time:
Row 500 meters
20 T2B
30 shoulder-to- overhead (135)

6.10

At the 16-minute mark, for time:
Row 500 meters
25 burpees (lateral jump over erg)

3.40

Notes:  A lot going on tonight.  HSPU were crisp with a tight kip.  Starting to feel much more comfortable with these.  Only successfully completed 3 of the 6 snatch attempts, but my form was spot-on.  I was turbo-fast under the bar with great speed on the bar.  Just a little unsteady in the bottom position.  Some good stuff on the conditioning, as well.  Did the power snatches as singles, but kept a very steady pace.  Broke the T2B 17/3, but I wish I had gone for it!  Broke the T2B 10/5/5 on the second piece, but resorted to "swinging singles" on the last 5 reps.  Very happy with my effort on the S2O.  30 reps is a big number, and there was a time not long ago that I wouldn't have been able to handle 135 for reps.  The row/burpee was a shit-show.  Went for it here, but hit a wall at about rep 18.  Had me spun up for a good while after the workout.  Going to play it by ear tomorrow based on how I recover.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (Z1)

Notes:  Very cold in the garage this morning, but this was a nice aerobic session.  Touched a 150 heart rate toward the end.  Combination of a blizzard and feeling a bit under the weather led me to skip the gym this afternoon.  It's very stressful to takes days off with the Open looming, but it's usually the right thing to do.  I'm drinking tons of fluid today along with electrolytes and Vitamin C.  Hoping to be back at full strength tomorrow.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Row 5 x 1K (750 meters Z1; 250 meters 100% effort) (rest 3 minutes)

1.  4.06.7; 2.03.3 (25) (167)
2.  4.09.0; 2.04.5 (25) (168)
3.  4.10.2; 2.05.1 (25) (170)
4.  4.12.0; 2.06.0 (25) (171)
5.  4.11.1; 2.05.5 (25) (170)

Notes:  This was a very different type of "workout."  I use quotes because it was more of a neurological adaptation than a conditioning piece.  And the adaptation was evident during the workout.  I tried 100% on each of the intervals.  Yet, my pace improved dramatically each interval.  For example, I was pulling a 1.43 pace on my first interval.  I was able to pull a 1.33 pace by the final interval.  Had to slow the Z1 portion each interval to keep below a 150 heart rate.  Started out holding a 2.10 pace, but slowed to a 2.15 by the end.  This is all part of the "intensification" portion of training -- teaching the body to work at Open-speed.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Fitness 500 (am)

Front squat 5 x 1 @ 90-95% (OT2M)

240 -> 250

6 x 1 clean + 1 front squat @ 90-95% (OT2M)

195 -> 205

4 x 5 power cleans (touch-&-go) (rest 2 minutes)

155, 165, 175, 185

C2B 3 x 10 (rest 2 minutes)

Bank Street Beach (pm)

60-minute brisk walk with Sayde

Notes:  Leg strength is through the roof right now.  Handled three singles at 250 without a problem.  Pulled nicely under four cleans at 205 with a front squat afterward.  This is great protocol for drilling full cleans.  Absolute beast mode on the power cleans.  Going into the workout, I thought 175 would be a stretch.  Blasting through 185 far exceeded my expectations.  Bobby and I decided it was best to skip the clean/C2B intervals and, instead, drill some C2B with some aerobic work to be performed later in the day.  The Invictus programming calls for a lot of work.  I need to be careful about skipping the conditioning work too often.  For instance, it may have been smarter to have skipped the clean complex today and kept the clean/C2B intervals in place.  Just need to monitor this and ensure that it doesn't become too much of a trend.  The Open is fast approaching and the emphasis should be on conditioning.  

Nice walk with puppy to flush out the legs and get some low-level aerobic work. Actually wore my monitor this afternoon and my heart range ranged from 114 to 134 depending upon the terrain.  It stayed in the mid-120s for the most part.  This is pretty low to even be considered a "workout."  I'd be curious to see how much wearing the weight vest changes things.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Rest day.

Notes:  Decided it was best to rest today before beginning the new week of training tomorrow.  I'm learning the importance of resting a day before the Monday workout (which I sometimes do Tuesday) and Friday workout (which I do Saturday).  Otherwise, it's just too much pounding on the upper body.  I agree that the programming needs to include tons of gymnastics volume -- it's simply a matter of ensuring that there's a rest day at the prescribed time.  

Here we stand exactly six weeks out from the first Open workout.  My understanding is that the intensity is about to increase.  This should be a good week in terms of scheduling as I'll be in Barnstable all week and should be able to do my aerobic work in the mornings.  My palm is to use this week to try to handle all of the programming.  If it proves to be too much, then I'll adjust next week.  Let's go!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

CrossFit Hyannis (am)

3 rounds, not for time, of:

3 muscle-ups (f)
Max L-sit hold
40 double-unders

Push press (heavy single in 10 minutes)

195

Push jerk (heavy single in 8 minutes)

205

Jerk (heavy single in 6 minutes)

215

Squat 1 x 6 @ 65%; 1 x 4 @ 75%; 1 x 2 @ 85%; 1 x AMRAP @ 85% (set terminates if you deviate from "1011" tempo)

205; 235; 270; 5 reps @ 270

Bank Street Beach (pm)

60-minute brisk walk with Mary Catherine & Sayde (20# vest)

Notes:  Very odd training session.  Muscle-ups were terrible today.  Couldn't complete a triple.  No "pop" and felt very sluggish.  Began fearing that I was overtraining.  However, as it turns out, it was simply a matter of having no pulling strength left after yesterday's C2B, heavy KBS, and deadlifts.  Legs were turbo-charged on squats today.  The set of 5 at 270 was legit -- never deviated from tempo.  This program is meant to be a ramp-up to the Open, but it's having a profound impact on my strength levels.  I feel stronger than ever squatting and going overhead.  Even felt good on the overhead work today despite going to failure last night on HSPU.  Push jerk continues to improve.  

Cold, windy day, but we had a nice walk on the beach.  I enjoyed wearing the weight vest.  It didn't really change much other than forcing me to use better posture throughout.  

Friday, January 17, 2014

Fitness 500

3 rounds, each for time, of:

12 C2B
12 HSPU
12 KBS (70)

1.27, 1.54, 4.22

Deadlift 1 x 10 @ 50%; 1 x 10 @ 60%; 1 x 10 @ 65%; 1 x 8 @ 70%; 1 x 6 @ 75%

185; 220; 235; 255; 275

2 x 8 "Is," "Ys," & "Ts" (5# DBS)

Notes:  Good session tonight.  First two rounds of the conditioning work were almost perfect.  Went unbroken on the first round and then broke the HSPU 11/1 in the second round.  HSPU went to shit in the third round, however.  This was both a strength issue and a technique issue.  I was happy with my C2B, though, and very surprised by my swings tonight.  Deadlifts were better this week.  Went a little lighter and it was more appropriate.  Used a belt on only the last two sets.  Used a "clean" grip on all but the last set.  Back at it tomorrow with some muscle-ups, heavy overhead work, and squatting.  Hopefully an afternoon walk, too, with my puppy.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (Z1)

Notes:  Nice to get in some morning aerobic work.  Felt really good today.  Commuting to Martha's Vineyard and Falmouth this week has made it more difficult to squeeze in the morning session.  Things are really jiving nicely right now.  I feel ready to hit some workouts hard this weekend.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Fitness 500

3 rounds, not for time, of:

10 HSPU
40 double-unders
10 C2B

Snatch 12 x 1 @ 85% (OTM)

150

With a running clock:

For time:
Row 500 meters
25 burpees (lateral jump over erg)

3.20

At the 6-minute mark, complete 2 rounds, for time, of:
12 push presses (115)
12 T2B

3.20

At the 12-minute mark, complete 2 rounds, for time, of:
20 front-rack lunges (115)
10 box jumps (30)

5.06

Notes:  HSPU weren't as clean as lady week.  Was hitting the wall too soon.  C2B were okay, but not where I want them to be.  Snatches were solid again tonight.  Good speed under the bar.  Failed only one rep when I lost focus as somebody walked in my line of vision.  I'm bummed about my performance on the conditioning pieces.  Dominated the row/burpee with unbroken burpees.  Should've kept the push press/T2B as 3 rounds.  Also, shouldn't have quit and skipped the final row/burpee piece.  My calves were cramping pretty bad, though, so I called it off.  It's not a huge deal, but I had good juice tonight and wish I had gone for it a little more.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Garage

Front squat 6 x 1 @ 85-95% (OT2M)

225 -> 250

12 x 1 hang clean + 1 jerk @ 85-90% (OTM)

185

For time:

10 ground-to-overhead (175)
Rest 2 minutes
10 ground-to-overhead (155)
Rest 2 minutes
10 ground-to-overhead (135)

3.11, 1.30, .57

Notes:  Strong legs today on front squats.  225 felt easy, so worked up to some solid singles at 250.  The program is really an "intensification" phase right now; however, I feel as though I'm actually still building some strength.  My split jerks were poor today.  Haven't done them much lately and it showed.  Stayed at 185 to prevent things from getting sloppy.  Rest periods went by quickly.  Felt awesome on the G2Os.  3.11 may look like a long time for 10 reps, but I've never moved weight like this before.  I was able to one-touch it overhead, i.e., no reset at the shoulders.  155 was solid and 135 felt very light.  Good cardio throughout -- leg fatigue was limiting factor.  Back at Fitness 500 tomorrow night for some gymnastics, snatches, and conditioning intervals.

Monday, January 13, 2014

Row 7K (Z1)

33.06.5; 2.21.8 (22) (149)

Notes:  Random distance, but it seemed about the right amount for today.  Heard on an OPT podcast that you can expect to suffer a bit aerobically as you work your way back into the "middle zone" as the season approaches.  It's easy to get strong and aerobically powerful during the off-season.  However, once you starting hammering CrossFit-type workouts with intensity, then the strength and aerobic power will suffer a bit at the edges.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

CrossFit Hyannis (am)

Muscle-ups 6 x 2 (every 90 seconds)

2 x AMRAP in 2 minutes of:

4 power snatches (135)
20 double unders

Rest 3 minutes between AMRAPs

2 rounds + 4 power snatches, 2 rounds + 2 power snatches

2 x AMRAP in 2 minutes of:

4 front squats (155)
8 T2B

Rest 3 minutes between AMRAPs

2 rounds + 4 front squats & 3 T2B, 2 rounds + 4 front squats

Harwich Cranberry Bog Trail (pm)

60-minute brisk walk with Mary Catherine and Sayde

Notes:  Mojo is back on the muscle-ups.  These were super crisp and required less effort.  Emphasis was on tucking the chin, keeping the feet glued together, and "finding my toes."  Ring dip portion was also stronger than usual today.  These 2-minute AMRAPs are awesome training pieces.  Went unbroken (touch-and-go) on the first rounds of power snatches.  I've never been able to do that before.  Things really broke down, however, in the third rounds of power snatches.  I had to resort to ugly footwork to maneuver the bar overhead.  Leg strength reserves weren't quite there, but have certainly improved a lot.  T2B held up nicely on the first AMRAP, but broke down on he second one.  Felt comfortable working at 155 and used a squat clean into 3 front squats.  Belt kept popping off, though, so I think it's time for a new one!  The Invictus training program combined with some coaching from Bobby is really working well for me right now.

Beautiful sunny January day for an afternoon walk with my favorite ladies.  Very restorative and I hope it will keep my aerobic system sharp as I move back into some Z1 work on the Airdyne and rower this week.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Fitness 500 (am)

Push press + push jerk (heavy as possible in 15 minutes)

205(pr)

Squat 1 x 6 @ 65%; 1 x 4 @ 75%; 1 x 2 @ 85%; 1 x AMRAP @ 83% (set terminates if you deviate from "1011" tempo)

205; 235; 270; 6 reps @ 260

2 x AMRAP in 2 minutes of:

6 thrusters (115)
6 over-the-box jumps (24)
6 push-ups (hand-release)

Rest 4 minutes between AMRAPs

2 rounds + 3 thrusters, 2 rounds + 2 thrusters

Bank Street Beach (pm)

60-minute brisk walk with Sayde

Notes:  "A" training session this morning with Bobby.  Previous best push press was 195 -- same with push jerk.  Incredible for me to do a 1 + 1 with 205.  Had to chase the push jerk in front of me a bit, but I got it!  Squats were solid today, too.  The set of 6 at 260 was one of my better squat sets ever.  Never deviated from tempo and the sixth rep was a marathon grinder.  The overhead work and squatting obviously taxed me quite a bit heading into the AMRAPs, but I pulled it together nicely.  Should've gotten through the thrusters on the third rounds -- would've been an "A+" training session.  You wouldn't think it, but the push-ups were actually a real issue in this workout.  They are tough on the core (essentially a plank hold) and burn out the triceps.  This leaves you with only hips on the thrusters.  Really enjoyed having Bobby coach me through this one.

Beautiful restorative walk with Sayde right along the water line.  Waves were crashing right next to us.  Nice to clear my head, flush out the legs, get some low-level aerobic work, and spend some quality time with my puppy!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (Z1) (am)

Fitness 500 (pm)

Farmers' walks 4 x around weight room (65# DBs)

Single-arm DB rows 4 x 8 @ 65 (3011 tempo)

2 x 8 "Is," "Ys," and "Ts" (5# DBs)

Notes:  Nice and steady on the Z1 work.  Heart rate touched 147 toward the end.

Bobby helped me with some supplemental pulling and grip exercises.  We found some serious weak spots in my rhomboids and shoulders.  The "Is," "Ys," and "Ts" were some of the hardest sets I can remember.  I was in agony toward the end.  I'm clearly lacking the structural support needed to safely perform high-rep gymnastics movement.  I'll be looking to incorporate more of these movements into my routine over the next few weeks.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Garage (am)

Row 2K (Z1)

8.57.5; 2.14.3 (22) (151)

Then, 12 x 35 double-unders (OTM)

Row 2K (Z1)

8.57.6; 2.14.4 (23) (151)

Garage (pm)

5 rounds, each for time, of:

Row 250 meters
12 pistols (alternating)
12 ball slams (40)

Rest 90 seconds between rounds

2.30, 2.50, 2.40, 2.33, 2.37

DL 1 x 10 @ 50%; 1 x 10 @ 60%; 1 x 10 @ 65%; 1 x 8 @ 75%; 1 x 6 @ 80%

185; 220; 235; 275(f); 290 (DNS)

Notes:  Mixed things up slightly this morning by incorporating some double-unders.  I didn't like it much, though.  Double-unders were terrible this morning.  No explosive jumping power in the legs that early.  Second 2K was awesome and I fell into a perfect aerobic rhythm.

These intervals was a nice challenge.  Variability in time was due to some failed rep on pistols.  Otherwise, I maintained a sub-1.50 pace on the rower and cycled through the ball slams nicely.  This was the most pistols I've ever done and probably the best, particularly on my right leg.  Deadlifts proved to simply be too heavy.  C.J. prescribes them as full reset on each rep -- no touch-and-go.  This is absolutely brutal for high-rep sets.  I only managed 5 reps at 275 and called it quits.  I was starting to lose positioning badly and didn't want to derail my training.  I will continue his deadlift progression, but will continue to use my judgment as to when I've had too much.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Fitness 500

3 rounds, not for time, of:

10 HSPU
40 double-unders
Max L-sit hold

12 x 1 snatch + 1 OHS @ 75-80% (OTM)

135 -> 140

5 rounds, each for time, of:

4 C2B
4 shoulder-to-overhead (115)
8 burpees (lateral jump over barbell)
4 shoulder-to-overhead
4 C2B

Rest 1 minute between rounds

1.13, 1.12, 1.14, 1.19, 1.31

Notes:  Unbelievable session from a movement standpoint.  Haven't done HSPUs in months, yet they were the best they've ever been.  Kip was super tight and I could feel my hips opening up explosively.  Key is extending your legs fully before the feet touch the wall.  I tend to touch the wall before I fully open and it jams up the kip.  Snatches were gorgeous tonight.  Great pull into the bottom position and bottom position was very open and stable.  OHS was effortless.  Last week's 3-second pause in the hole was helpful.  Having to perform an OHS after your snatch forces you to use proper footwork, too.  Metcon was good.  Programmed as 10 rounds, but I stopped after 5 because it was starting to get sloppy.  The S2Os after the burpees were brutal!  They were so effortless before the burpees, but then my legs were zapped.  Same thing with the last 4 C2Bs of each round.  Had no hip power.  Looking forward to working with BSP on Friday on some supplemental pulling and grip strength movements.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (Z1)

Notes:  Had actually planned for a rest day and had set my alarm for later.  However, I woke up early and was raring to go.  Today's workout was a good "flush" and aerobic builder.  Should be ready to attack a tough training day on Wednesday.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Row 10K (Z1) (am)

47.57.8; 2.23.8 (22) (151)

Garage (pm)

Front squat 8 x 2 @ 80% (OTM)

210

5 x 1 halting clean deadlift + 1 hang clean + 1 clean + 1 push jerk @ 80-90%

170, 170, 175, 175, 175

5 sets for max reps of:

45 seconds of ground-to-overhead (155) 
Rest 45 seconds

5, 5, 5, 5, 6

Notes:  Heart rate a bit higher than desired for this slow of a pace.  Should be able to hold sub-2.20 without crossing threshold.  Perhaps some overtraining going on.

Didn't have great legs for tonight's session, but I was in a good place mentally.  Maintained good positioning on the front squats.  Once again, I loved transitioning from the front squats to the clean complex.  Bar feels light in the rack position and I felt explosive out of the hole.  Unfortunately, I had no legs left after a deadlift and two cleans to drive the bar overhead.  Couldn't progress past 175 without sacrificing form.  I'm a bit disappointed with myself for not pushing a bit harder on the G2O work.  I feel as though I could've held 6s across.  I just didn't have any explosiveness going overhead tonight, though.  So, I played it conservatively.  Goal for this week is to push the limits a bit, though, so I'm a little disappointed.  

Sunday, January 5, 2014

CrossFit Hyannis (am)

3 rounds, not for time, of:

3 muscle-ups
10 hollow rocks
12 box jumps (24)

3 rounds, each for time, of:

5 power cleans (165)
10 C2B

.46, 1.11, 1.22

3 rounds, each for time, of:

Row 250 meters
5 power snatches (115)

1.25, 1.25, 1.28

Airdyne 60 minutes (Z1) (pm)

Notes:  Decent muscle-ups today.  Strung together some triples, but failed the third rep of the last set.  Did an extra rep after the segment just for fun.  Hollow rocks burned like a mother.  Usually a sign that you need to do more of them.  Worked touch-and-go on the power cleans.  This fatigued the grip and made C2Bs incredibly difficult after the first round.  Had to resort to singles by the end of round 2.  Similar issue on the row/power snatch.  Grip and pulling strength was just zapped.  These double grip couplets destroy me.  Need to sneak in some supplemental pulling and grip work throughout the week.

Definitely back in the aerobic groove.  Felt great on the Airdyne today and capped off a good week back from being sick.  Time to open things up this week and start to "go for it."  It's time to see what I've got.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Row 5K (Z1) (am)

23.10.7; 2.19.0 (22) (151)

Fitness 500 (pm)

Press (build to a heavy single in 10 minutes)

135

Push press (build to a heavy single in 10 minutes)

195 (1 failed attempt at 205)

Squat 1 x 6 @ 65%; 1 x 4 @ 75%; 1 x 2 @ 85%; 1 x AMRAP @ 80% (set terminates if you deviate from "1011" tempo)

205; 235; 270; 6 reps @ 250

For time:

15 thrusters (100)
12 T2B
10 thrusters 
9 T2B
5 thrusters
6 T2B

3.17

Notes:  A bit of a different format for my rowing now that we are "in season."  From here on out, rowing will be steady-state work set at varying distances.  In all cases, however, the heart rate must stay below 150.  This is to ensure that these rowing workouts do not detract from standard CrossFit training, which is now the focal point with the Open less than two months away.  Came out a bit hot on this morning's row.  Had to slow splits from ~2.17 to ~2.21 to stay below cap (and actually crossed briefly with around 2K remaining).  Spent a lot of time in the high-140s.  Used low damper setting of 110 to keep things "easy."

Press at 135 was solid -- had more in the tank.  Push press at 195 was solid, too.  However, 205 felt very heavy and I bailed fairly early.  First time using my Rehband sleeves on squats.  I didn't notice any help in terms of a rebound at the bottom, but note that my knees felt very stable.  Double at 270 was solid.  I stayed on cadence through 6 reps on the AMRAP.  This was an interesting rule.  I liked it, though, because AMRAP squat sets often turn into marathons where you're just waiting with the bar on your back.  Metcon was a bit of a wake-up call and a reminder that the season is here.  Stormed through the thrusters with an emphasis on breathing.  Went to the well on the round of 9 T2B, which forced me to resort to "swinging singles" on the round of 6.  Transitions were a bit slow, but I was cautious having not done a hard workout since being sick.  Came away from this one feeling quite good.  

Friday, January 3, 2014

Airdyne 45 minutes (aerobic restoration)

Notes:  Odd heart rate data this morning.  Shot up to ~140 within the first 10 minutes, but then leveled off until touching 149 toward the very end.  When my aerobic system is sharp, I generally will stay sub-130 for the first 15 minutes, sub-140 for the middle 15 minutes, and then sub-150 for the final 15 minutes.  Only fix for this is simply putting in the time.  It takes patience and consistency. But, it's so worth it.  I yearn to get back to that feeling of being aerobically powerful.  With the amount of training volume coming, it'll be important to ensure that the aerobic system governs all of the training.  

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Garage

3 rounds, not for time, of:

8 KB snatches/arm (53)
Handstand hold (nose-to-wall), 45 seconds
40 double-unders

Snatch (3-second pause in bottom position) 12 x 1 @ 75% (OTM)

135

4 rounds of:

30 seconds of rowing
Rest 30 seconds
30 seconds of press (75)
Rest 30 seconds
30 seconds of double-unders
Rest 30 seconds
30 seconds of push-ups (hand-release)
Rest 30 seconds

Notes:  Finally found a bit of a rhythm on the snatches.  All 12 reps were super crisp and bottom position was upright.  Got trashed in the metcon by my pressing endurance.  I knew I'd reach failure eventually, but was surprised how it early it happened.  Aerobic system is out of whack right now, too.  Need to get back into a better training groove.  Also, used my new Reheband knee sleeves for the first time today.  It's amazing how warm they keep your knees.  I don't intend to use them for snatches regularly, but will use them for squatting, cleans, and competition-type squatting movements (thrusters and wall ball shots).  Interestingly, they feel really good if you wear them around your calves.  I think I'll do this whenever I'm not using them on my knees.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Garage

Front squat 8 x 2 @ 75% (OTM)

200

5 x 3-position clean @ 70-80% (rest 2 minutes)

150, 155, 160, 165, 170

4 x AMRAP power cleans (135) in 30 seconds (rest 90 seconds)

9, 9, 9, 8

Notes:  Strange combination of fresh legs combined with a body that hasn't been able to stomach any food for almost 5 days.  I think I'm finally in the clear now and can fully resume training.  First time ever squatting before performing one of the Olympic lifts.  The front squats, themselves, weren't that great.  However, my clean complexes felt amazing.  The weight felt light in the bottom (since I had just did heavier squats) and I was bouncing out of the hole with speed and confidence.  Positions were high-hang, mid-thigh, and 2 inches below the knee.  Focused on getting the feet stationary on the power clean piece.  This actually helped with hip extension.  Unfortunately, grip became the limiting factor toward the end and I had to break 7/2 and 5/1/1/1 on the last two sets.