Thursday 9.29.11

Warmup:
-50 sec handstand hold, then 3 rounds of:
-5 Ring Dips
-Max L Sit Hold (7, 7 14 seconds)
-9 Back Extensions

I'm pretty sure the handstand hold was a PR.  I am trying to improve by 5 sec every time I attempt the hold with the hope of getting to 2 min by the end of the year.  Also, this was the first time I have ever been able to do an RX'd L-Sit.  Consider me inspired by watching the CF Games on ESPN2.

SWOD:
-Weighted Pullups: 10x3, 20x3, 30x3, then
45x3, 55x3, 70x3, 80x3, 85x3 (PR)

75x3 was my previous PR coming into today and I beat that number on two different sets.  When I first joined The Compound a little over a year ago, my 1RM was 70#, so to get 3 @ 85 was huge.

CFE Recovery WOD:
3 Rounds for QUALITY of:
-15 Kb swings @ 44#
-15 Pushups
-15 Ring Rows (feet approximately 2 feet below rings)
-15 GHD Situps
-15 Hip Extensions

This WOD was meant to be recovery, but after a pretty full day of gymnastics, this taxed me pretty good.  Hopefully it doesn't ruin my goal of a sub-4 min Fran tomorrow!

Wednesday 9.29.11

Warmup:
Max Height Box Jumps:
30" box, 30" + 1 45# plate, 30" + 2 plates, 30" + 3 plates, 30" + 4 plates (PR)

The last rep equates to about 47" for my box jump. I hadn't really practiced these in months, so I wasn't pleasantly surprised to hit a new PR.  Further proof that CF Football training crosses over into so many different areas.

SWOD:
Bench Press - 95x5, 115x3, 135x3, 175x2, 195x1, then 210x3x5 (PR)

Even though I managed to set a 3x5 PR for the bench, I'm definitely feeling the effects of benching during the CFFB Total two days ago.  My chest was definitely sore today, but it felt great to fight through it.

Metcon:
15:00 AMRAP for QUALITY of:
-3 HSPU
-10 Hollow Rocks
-10 Hip Extensions
-10 Air Squats
-10 Double Unders
6 Rounds + 1 HSPU (first round RX, to one abmat after that)

I worked at a VERY leisurely pace during this workout.  I even stopped a few times to help Melissa and Dani with their CF Total, lol.  My goal was to loosen up a bit in preparation for Fran on Friday, and I felt like it served its purpose.  I focused on more than full range of motion for every movement.  Still managed to break a sweat, although that could have been due to the 98 degree heat.

Saturday 9.24.11

Warmup:
None.  This is setting a bad example and I'm a little ashamed of myself for just hopping right into a WOD.

Metcon:
1 min at each station of:
-Walking Lunges
-Jumping Pullups
-Burpees
-Double Unders
-Ring Dips
-Knees to Elbows
-Kb Swings (44#)
-Situps
-Kb Thrusters (35#)
-Back Extensions
-Wall Balls
-Rope Climbs (15')

322 Reps.  I was exhausted but not taxed...bring on the Total after a rest day tomorrow!

Friday 9.23.11

Warmup:
Deadlifts: 90x5, 125x3, 145x3, 175x2, 205x1

SWOD:
3 Deadlifts on the minute for 10 minutes @ 45% (220#)

I focused strictly on speed and form during this SWOD in preparation for the CFFB Total on Monday. 

DWOD:
From gymnasticswod.com:
30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 min of:
Slide to Hollow

Basically this movement is a pushup, then you slide your feet back while keeping your hands in the same position, trying your best to stay hollow, until your chest touches the ground.  This absolutely torched my core, but was a nice "recovery" type WOD leading up to the total.

Monday 9.26.11

"CrossFit Football Total"
1 Rep Max in each of the following lifts:
-Power Clean
-Back Squat
-Bench Press
-Deadlift

Power Clean: 95x5, 125x3, 165x3, 195x2, then 225x1, 235x1, 245x1 (PR)

Back Squat: 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 265x2, then 305x1, 315x1 (PR), 325x0 (fail)

Bench Press: 95x5, 135x3, 165x3, 200x2, then 245x1 (PR), 255x0 (fail), 250x0 (fail)

Deadlift: 185x5, 245x3, 315x2, 405x1, then 460x1, 478x1 (PR), no third attempt (completely faded!)

Today was the culmination of 5 hard months of CF Football training.  I missed the last total due to an arm injury so today was my first shot at it.  Before I started CFFB training in April, my PR's on these lifts were: Power Clean - 215, Back Squat - 285, Bench Press - 215, Deadlift-405.  The CFFB training obviously shot my numbers through the roof while keeping my weight at about the same level.  The added benefit of all the football training is that I have become much better at metcons as well.  I have always gone back and forth trying to decide if football is too singularly focused to make me a better CrossFitter.  But after tonight, and as long as I keep working my gymnastics in my warmups while PR'ing in my lifts and metcons, I honestly cant see going away from this training while its working.  Best day in CrossFit yet for me....

Thursday 9.22.11

Warmup: 
Short on time and had my daughter with me at the gym tonight, so I just did one set of max-double unders in between each of my bench press warmup sets: 36, 9, 28, 64.

SWOD:
-Bench Press: 95x5, 115x3, 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, then 205x3x5 (PR!). 
My bench press seems to be getting stronger now that I have cut back on the volume a bit since moving away from CF Football.  This is a PR for me and gives me hope of hitting 255# during the CFFB Total on Monday.

DWOD:
Kb swings @ 53#:
-2 min on
-2 min off
-90 sec on
-90 sec off
-1 min on
I scored 111 swings total.  Normally for this workout I would have used the 70# kb, but I'm trying to keep the volume a little light this week with the total coming up on Monday

Wednesday 9.21.11

Warmup:
-45 second handstand hold, then 3 rounds of:
-5 dips
-6 pistols (3 each leg)
-7 Situps

I did the handstand hold facing the wall, and tried to hold the hollow body position as long as possible.  At about 25 seconds I lost it, and just held on as long as I could.  I was finally able to do unassisted pistols with my right leg! I had surgery on that knee years ago, and I have spent the past year doing them assisted.  Something finally clicked tonight.

Metcon: (yep, I mixed it up and did it first tonight!)
20-15-10-5
-Pullups (strict)
-Box Jumps (24")
6:46

I felt strong on the strict pullups tonight.  Definitely more fresh for the metcon when you do the SWOD afterwards.

SWOD:
Power Cleans:
95x5, 115x3,  135x3,  165x2, 185x1, then 200x5x3 (PR!)

I actually had a failed rep at 200 when I first started and thought that it just wasn't my day.  Turns out it was just a mini wake-up call.  It definitely feels good setting a 5x3 PR heading into the CFFB Total next Monday. 

Tuesday 9.20.11

Today turned into an unscheduled off day for me because I needed to watch the girls when I got home from work.  So I made the best of it and did some gymnastic strength and mobility work at home:

-40 second handstand hold
-3:00 of hollow rocks (took me 6:18 to accumulate all 3 minutes)
-5:00 middle split hold
-5:00 pancake split hold

This is a pancake split hold done properly.  My legs were at about 45 degree angles, and I couldn't come remotely close to touching my chest to the ground.  And it still hurt.

Monday 9.19.11

116# Atlas Stone had its way with me!

Warmup:
35 Second Handstand Hold, 500m row, then 3 rounds of:
-Max Butterfly Pullups
-5 Ring Dips
-Max Double Unders

I felt pretty strong on the handstand hold today.  My goal is to work up to 2:00 in five second increments.  Long way off though.  While 3 rounds of max butterfly pullups looks pretty intense for a warmup, keep in mind that my technique has gotten horrible since I have been doing so many strict pullups lately.  I think I got 3, 8, and 6.  Weak.  Max on the double unders was 51...only 36 off my PR.  A sad start to my workout.

SWOD:
Back Squats: 115x5, 155x3, 185x3, 225x2, 250x1, 275x1, 280x1, 285x5x1

The sets up to 250x1 were just my warmup sets.  I did 7 heavy singles in the 275#-285# range.  I felt pretty solid today.  My PR for back squat is 305#, and I'm hoping to hit 315# next Monday during "The Total".  5 singles @ 93% of 1RM gave me some good confidence going in.

Metcon:
-50 Sit-ups
-15 Thrusters @ 105#
-40 Sit-ups
-12 Thrusters @ 120#
-30 Sit-ups
-9 Thrusters @ 135#
-20 Sit-ups

8:49 RX'd.  While anything over 95# for a thruster feels like absolute death, they are getting easier.  This was a definite confidence booster going into Fran next week.  Is sub 4:00 possible?? 

Sunday 9.18.11

Today was a well-deserved rest day.  I didn't really deserve to pig out on In N Out, tortilla chips, and banana pudding...but hey, I was depressed after my Jaguars got absolutely thrashed by the Jets 32-3.  My back was hurting big time today after "Strongman Day" yesterday, so my mobility WOD consisted of my daughter walking on my back for 10 minutes.  I also stretched my stomach with the massive amount of food I ate.  The beauty of CrossFit though, is that it allows me to not feel badly for having a cheat day every now and then.  Back to meat and veggies tomorrow.

Saturday 9.17.11

"Strongman Day"

Warmup:
A few zercher walks with the empty yoke.

SWOD:
Max 50 foot zercher yoke walks with 1.5x bodyweight (275#) in 2 minutes. Rest 10 minutes and repeat.
-5 lengths + 9 feet first attempt, 5 lengths + 12 feet second attempt

A zercher walk is basically carrying the crossbar of the yoke across your forearms and biceps while you walk with it.  It absolutely fried my lower and middle back.  The amount of force it places on your core is unreal.  I focused on trying to stay tight as best as I could, but I hit failure more than a few times.

Metcon:
5-4-3-2-1
Atlas Stone to Shoulder w/ 116#, with one 20 foot rope climb in between each set.
7:52

I had to do a shortened WOD in order to finish in time to coach class, but this one still smoked my grip.  My rope climbs have improved dramatically.  This was the first time I have ever used them in an actual WOD.  Even though I only did 11:52 of actual work today, this was easily the heaviest day of the week for me.  Officially smoked.

Friday 9.16.11

Warmup:
-30 Second Handstand Hold then 2 rounds of:
-10 PVC Passthru's
-10 PVC Good Mornings
-10 PVC OHS
-5 Pullups

SWOD:
Deadlift 5RM
155x5, 215x3, 255x3, 315x2, 355x1, then 390x5
I stalled out 395x5 about 2 months ago and I've slowly been working my way back to bust through this plateau.  Getting closer! Felt really strong today.

Metcon:
7 rounds for time of:
-5 DL's @ 60% 1RM (275#)
-200m run
-15 Pushups

12:42 RX'd.  I felt surprisingly good during the metcon.  I was able to do all the DL's unbroken, and they didn't affect my runs too much.  I was able to do the first 3 rounds of pushups unbroken, which is huge for me as this is a major weakness of mine.  Divided the last 4 into 10/5. "Strongman" tomorrow! Or as I call it: "Kindastrongmanformysize".

Thursday 9.15.11

Warmup:
-25 Second Handstand Hold, then 2 rounds of:
-1 Rope Climb
-5 Sots Press w/ PVC
-10 Ring Pushups
-15 Secs of L-Hang (broken up)

SWOD:
"Jerk Complex"
3 Strict Press 1 Push Press 1 Split Jerk @ 95#
2 Strict Press 1 Push Press 1 Split Jerk @ 131#
1 Strict Press (PR!) 1 Push Press 1 Split Jerk @ 146#
1 Push Press (Fail) 1 Split Jerk @ 180#
1 Split Jerk @ 210# (Fail 3x for third week in a row!)

Metcon:
4 Rounds for Reps (Push Press) of:
Max Reps Push Press @ 80% 5RM Strict Press (105#)
Match w/ same number of box jumps @ 30"

21,20,15,19 = 75 total reps.  My shoulders are FADED.  I doubt I'll be able to reach above my head into the cupboard for a Pop Tart tonight.  So there's one blessing in disguise.  I'm really upset about missing 210# on the jerk AGAIN.  I will be doing Olympic Lifting class every Tuesday night from now on in hopes of correcting this problem.  My max clean is #245...my jerk needs to catch up.

Wednesday 9.14.11

Off day.

I cant believe how unbelievably sore I am today from "Karen" last Thursday.  I feel like it's my first week of CrossFit.  What gives?

Tuesday 9.13.11

Warmup:
-20 sec handstand hold, then 2 rounds of:
-10 30" box jumps (focusing on speed and solid landing in "power" position)
-10 rings dips with proper head positioning
-10 toes to bar (both sets unbroken)

SWOD:
Power Cleans: 75x5, 105x3, 135x3, 155x2, 175x1, then 5x3 @ 195# (PR).

I was ridiculously slow getting my hands/elbows around the bar today.  Not sure what it was.  Focused on that the last set and it was much easier than the first two.  Probably because I was being a sissy on the first two sets, but I'll blame it on my lack of speed for now.

Metcon:
12:00 AMRAP:
-3 Power Cleans @ 85% of todays 3rep
-5 Pullups
-10 Pushups
-15 Air Squats

7 Rounds + 1 Pushup Rx'd @ 170# with strict pullups.

The calculations show that 170 is actually 87% of today's sets, which means I kept with my goal of scaling up (even though I only did that weight because it was easier to load than 166#, but that's neither here nor there.)  I went with strict pullups each round, and tried to get my pushups (major weakness) unbroken each round....I got 10,10,10,10, then 6+4 the last 3 rounds.  I'm wiped today.  I'm sure it had something to do with the massive cheat meal on Sunday that involved both Murrillo's and Red Robin, and was finished off with chocolate cake.  "Karen" is still lingering from last Thursday.  Rest day tomorrow.  Don't bother me.

Monday 9.12.11

Warmup:
2 Rounds of:
10 Ring Dips
10 PVC Passthru's
20 GHD Situps
40 Double-Unders

SWOD:
Box Squat: 115x5, 155x3, 185x3, 225x2, 255x1 (PR)
Back Squat: 255x3, 230x5, 205x11

My legs are still absolutely torched from "Karen" 4 days ago...that's right, 4 days!  I was WAY off what my 3RM should have been for back squats.  Not sure how I PR'd on box squats though.

Metcon:
15:00 on the minute:
-15 sec handstand hold
-3 burpees
-8 kb swings

I completed 3 rounds Rx'd with the 70#kb.  After that I got progressively worse in a hurry.  By round 4 I couldnt hold my handstand for 15 seconds, by round 8 I dropped to the 53# kb.  I did full six-point burpees every round, but I was a mess.  I don't even know how to score myself on this WOD.  I just know I pushed myself as hard as I could for as long as I could.  I will be focusing on handstand holds in my warmup going forward.  They are pathetic.

Saturday 9.10.11

Today should typically be a "Strongman" day for me, but my legs are so smoked from "Karen" on Thursday that I had to limit my workout to strictly upper body, so....

Warmup:
Bench Press: 95x5, 135x3, 165x3, 195x2, 220x1

Metcon:
"Volkswagen"
21-15-9 of:
Bodyweight Bench Press
Pullups
15:47 Rx'd.

I had never been able to finish this wod Rx'd until today.  Apparently not doing bench press since I quit doing CrossFit Football isn't hurting me all that much.

Friday 9.9.11

I didnt do a damn thing today...and I feel good about that.

I woke up this morning with my daughter's cold, and legs that could barely move thanks to "Karen" yesterday.  It's tough to admit you need a day off, especially when I just had a scheduled day on Wednesday, but I took it anyway.  I even ate some Taco Bell tacos.  Gotta live right? Back at it tomorrow...

Thursday 9.8.11

Mobility WOD:
6x15 seconds (each arm)  behind neck stretch with red band.

My focus on my mobility wod's right now is to help with my overhead flexibility for snatches, presses, etc.  I did one set in between each set of my warmup.

Warmup:
Jerk Complex:
3 Press, 1 Push Press, 1 Split Jerk @ 95#
2 Press, 1 Push Press, 1 Split Jerk @ 130#
1 Press (PR), 1 Push Press, 1 Split Jerk @ 145#
1 Push Press, 1 Split Jerk @ 177#
1 Split Jerk @ 210# (2x fail)

The first SJ @ 210# my chest dipped too much on the dip, and the bar was too far out in front of me.  On my second attempt, I drove the bar straight up and caught it in full lockout, but my landing was completely out of control and unstable.  I was so focused on driving the bar up, that I didnt even think about body control on the landing.

SWOD:
3x5 Strict Press @ 125#

I only got 4, 4, and 3 reps.  My previous PR for this SWOD was @ 122#.  I will have to give this another shot before I reset.  I could have been a little burnt out from the jerk complex too. 
Metcon:
"Karen"
7:57 RX'd.

This was 49 seconds off my PR.  I need to re-evaluate my training.  A time this far off a PR is cause for some concern.  I'm eating right, training right, and doing mobility.  I need to do some serious work on sleep now I think.  6 hours a night is just not cutting it for me.

Wednesday 9.7.11

OFF DAY.

Mobility WOD:
5x10 Passthru's in Overhead Squat Position.

I had a hard time keeping my hands @ the same width grip as I did yesterday when I did the passthru's standing up.  Just need to work the progression more.

Tuesday 9.6.11

Warmup:
2 Rounds of:
1 Rope Climb
6 Pistols
8 Butterfly Pullups
10 GHD Situps

SWOD:
1RM Squat Snatch
65x5, 75x3, 100x2, 115x1, 125x1 (3x fail first), 135x1 (fail 3x)

Metcon:
12 min AMRAP:
3 Power Snatches @ 70% today's 1RM
6 Broad Jumps @ 6'
9 Pullups

7 Rounds @ 115#.

Mobility WOD:
5x10 PVC Passthrus @ closest grip possible (42.5")

88# would have been my RX'd weight for the metcon based on my SWOD #'s, but I scaled up the weight.  I wasnt able to string more than 1 at a time, and I had one missed rep.  I missed an opportunity to scale up my pullups.  I did kipping pullups and I should have done strict or even weighted.  My goal is to scale up whenever possible except for benchmark WOD's, so I will be looking out for this in the future.

My snatch is by far my weakest lift.  The weight is not my limiting factor, but rather my ability to catch the bar based on limited shoulder flexibility.  This will be a huge focus for me in my mobility WOD's going forward.  Additionally, I will be attending barbell class every Tuesday from now on.

Monday 9.5.11

Warmup:
10:00 AMRAP
1 Rope Climb
2 Muscle-Ups
3 HSPU
40 Double-Unders

SWOD:
Front Squat 5,5,5,5,5
155, 175, 200, 220, 245 (PR)

Metcon:
"Burpee Ladder"
10 Rds + 9 Burpees (20# vest, 6-point burpees terminating with 6 inch jump)

Sunday 9.4.11

Warmup:
10 min of:
1 Rope Climb
3 Pistols (each leg)
3 HSPU
5 Back Extensions

SWOD:
1RM 50' yoke carries
175#, 355#, 455#, 495#, 535# (failed at 38')

Metcon:
"McKenna"
15-12-9
Atlas Stone Squat Clean and Press @ 93#
Chest to Bar Pullups
18:27 RX

Cooldown:
5x3 full range bar dips with proper head position (Mobility WOD)

The yoke carries were much tougher than I thought they would be.  Having to stabilize that much weight while walking really engaged my core and crushed my legs.  The metcon was the first work I have done with atlas stones (although I plan on incorporating them much more), and lets just say that it left me on the brink of passing out.

What to Expect in my Training Log

I am currently coming off a cycle in which I did strictly CF Football training for 4 months, with the express goal of increasing my strength numbers across the board.  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.  My CF Total increased 68# over the course of four months, with numerous PR's in other lifts.  However, because of a change in my work schedule, I will be working out more during class times and doing our gym WOD's most days.  One interesting side effect from my CFFB training was that my metcon times were getting dramatically better even though most of my focus had been on strength, and not endurance.  So, my plan for the gym WOD's will be to scale up every movement to the hardest version possible, and to scale up the prescribed weight whenever possible as well.

My next immediate goal is to be in the top 10% of athletes in terms of overall scores in Northern California during next year's CF Open.  I plan to focus heavy on strength and mass gains, gymnastics, mobility, and diet in preparation.  My training schedule will look something like this:

Monday: Gym SWOD, Metcon and Mobility WOD
Tuesday: Olympic Lifting Class @ CF Solano and Mobility WOD
Wednesday: Training - OFF, Mobility WOD
Thursday: Gym SWOD, Metcon and Mobility WOD
Friday: Gym SWOD, Metcon and Mobility WOD
Saturday: Strongman SWOD, Strongman Metcon, and Mobility WOD
Sunday: Training - OFF, Mobility WOD

Saturday 9.3.11

With the gym closed, I improvised and did Friday's gym WOD at home...

Warmup:
Daily Mobility WOD + 50 backward leg swings, each leg

SWOD:

Weighted Pullups 3,3,3,3,3,3
25,35,45,55,65,75

Metcon:
12 min AMRAP:
10 SDHP @ 95#
10 Pushups

I'm placing a strength bias on my training, so you will see me scaling up in most WODs for now.  In this WOD, I went with 115# SDHP.

7 Rounds + 6 SHDP