Are You Fitter Than a 6th Grader?

9/13/12
Another game day, which means another missed day at the gym. Put my students through a WOD for fitness day so I decided to see how I measured up to their whiteboard.

School WOD
 3 rds for reps:
 1:00 DUs (I had 5 of 140ish students able to do DUs in the WOD, the rest did SUs)
 1:00 Sit Ups
 1:00 Wall Balls (12#..heaviest one we got)
 1:00 REST
= 392
- I took 2nd of the 6 for those who did DUs. I had a 6th grade girl gymnast, who whipped out 30 UB the other day when I introduced DUs in warm ups, beat me by 3 reps. Being a 60# gymnast...her sit ups were much faster than mine :( My DUs struggled in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I got 90 something in the first round, but only managed to get in the 70s the last two. The wall balls are deceiving. The ball is just light enough to keep you moving for a long time and to really bring on that lactic burn. Proud of the effort my kids gave today on this one. Not everyone's technique was perfect, but the effort all around was outstanding! Looking forward to introducing more throughout the rest of the year.


9/14/12
 End of the week is here and I'm excited for the weekend. CF Prevail Anniversary WOD on Saturday and relax for the rest of the 3 day weekend. Need to get some OH maxes at the gym tonight...looking forward to it!

Strength
Press - est. a new 1RM
bar(10)-95(8)-135(3) - 155 - 185 - 205 - 215 - 230 PR
- Always happy with a 5# PR on OH work. Steady progress...I love it!
Push Press - est. a new 1RM
225 - 255 - 275 - 300 PR
- Haven't maxed in this one in over a year. My last PR was at 275, but I've been using 300 as a training max this whole cycle. So I was happy I was able to hit 300#! My buddy J is at 305#, so I gave 310# a shot twice and just couldn't do it...next time!!

1st FAIL @ 310#

WOD 

4 rds FT:

 5 Ring Dips

 10 Ring Rows

 15 HR Push Ups

= 4:33 (Bonus 5th round = 6:29)

- Breezed through until the 4th round. Ring dips started to fail and push ups were rough! Wanted to WOD a little longer so I added one more round. 

Cash Out

2 x 10 T2B 

 - UB on both sets. Had a real nice kip going. Again, extra core work and strict work paying off. 

Tabata Blows!

Took a rest day yesterday from Oly work. Went to the gym to coach, but chose to get back to the fam and keep it a short night. Legs still a little tight, but feeling great overall.

School AM WOD
5 rounds for reps:
1:00 running clock
  200m shuttle run (:42-:50)
  AMRAP T2B (9-6-5-4-4)
1:00 REST
= 28
- Beautiful day out so I decided to work on some running and more bodyweight movements. Kip actually felt pretty good today.

Later that day...

Strength
Front Squat - 5 x 1 @ 80-85-90-95-90% (375 1RM)
bar(10)-135(8)-185(5)-225(3)-255(3) --- 300 - 320 - 340 - 360 - 340
- Posture felt very strong tonight. Legs felt good. Balance was good. Ready to roll for next week. Goal is gonna be 385-90...405 would make me extremely happy...we'll see!

WOD
Tabata
   Ring Push Ups -  14/12/10/10/9/5/4/5
   Wall Balls -  6/9/5/6/7/7/6/7
   DUs - 20/20/20/20/20/20/20/20
   Sit Ups - 11/11/11/10/8/9/9/10
= 4/5/20/8
- I was feeling strong in the push ups and then they were just gone. The first round of WBs killed me. I missed the wall or the short of the target 5-6 times. I had no accuracy at all. Legs were totally fine, arms were just flat gone. had a better 2nd round and then they were gone again in the 3rd. Evened off after that. My rope got all tangled to crap by the fan I think. So it ate up 8-10 seconds of my first round. I was able to whip out a fast 20 to save my score. I just stayed there the rest of the rounds. I was finishing with about 8-10 seconds left per round. Just tried as much as I could to keep moving on the sit ups. Abs were pretty sore from the sit ups and burpees on Tuesday and the T2B earlier in the day didn't help.

Cash Out
Strict GH Raises (w/ 10#) - 3 x 8/6/6

Right Around the Corner

Feeling well rested from the holiday weekend. Ready to get back in the gym and load up before max week. I got a CF competition about a month away so I'm going to steadily try and raise my weekly volume til then to get ready for it, but going to hold a majority of it back until after maxes next week.

School AM WOD
FT:
 50 DUs
 50 Burpees
 50 Sit Ups
 50 DUs
= 7:12
- In an effort to work on my weaknesses...burpees and sit ups seemed like a good place to start! Pushed my pace as best I could on the burpees. Got to the sit ups and my core was on fire from breathing so hard and the work already done. The DUs were basically a warm up for the burpees.

Later that day...

Strength
Back Squat - 5 x 1 @ 95% (460 1RM)
bar(10)-135(8)-185(5)-225(5)-275(5)-315(3)-365(1)-405(1) --- 440
...10 sec. Walkout @ 495#
- Felt very strong tonight! I had a lot of snap out of the bottom. Getting some good bounce and reengaging the hips well. Missed my depth on the first set so I dropped that set. Made sure I hit bottom on all the rest. Really hoping to break 500# next week or at least close the gap quite a bit. Heard about a this walkout trick a while back on lifting forum I troll, then saw Outlaw mention it again so I figured I would give it a try. Loaded 495# and stepped out of the rack and held it for a 10 sec. count and re-racked. Actually very happy with how my body felt under the load. Excited for next week!

WOD
15-12-9-6
 (squat) Cleans (135#) (5/5/3/2- lots of singles the last 3 rounds w/ a rare dbl)
 Pull Ups (UB-4/4/4-3/3/3-3/3)
= 7:23 
- Saw this the night before and thought of bumping to 155# initially, but stayed at regular weight after the back squat session. Little disappointed in this one...I really should have been sub 7 at least. Cleans are difficult for me to keep my hands on in the rack position. The breaks in the first round came from missing my re-grip. I tried a couple of times in the later rounds, but found it easier to just drop. Should have pushed the pace more here. Got off the UB round of 15 pull ups and just couldn't hang on. Fought hard to have the least amount of breaks in the rest of my pull ups. Would like to do this one again someday.

Feeling Heavy...

Back home and still recovering from a great weekend. Legs still pretty sore from Friday's work. On top of that I got about an hour of sleep Saturday night after the wedding before I jumped on an early morning flight back home. Woke up tired on Monday for work and had a tough time shaking that sleepy feeling all day. Grabbed a little cat nap while watching some cartoons with Pip before the hitting the gym, but it didn't help much. Time to get back to my routine though because it's time to squat!


Strength
Back Squat - 4 x 3 @ 80% (460 1RM)
bar(10)-135(8)-185(8)-225(5)-275(3) --- 365
- This is a deload week, but it sure didn't feel like it. Weight felt heavy from the beginning. I could feel my legs getting tired during the warm ups so I cut them a set short. Despite the soreness, my squat felt very comfortable.


WOD
FT:
800m Run (4:20ish)
100 DUs (UB)
400m Run
75 DUs (lots of misses)
200m Run
50 DUs (UB)
= 11:22
- Legs were heavy on the half mile run to start. I was actually trying to push it on the runs, but my legs just didn't want to cooperate. My DUs felt great in the first round. I was able to breath and stay relaxed. Oddly, my quads weren't as bothered by these as they were on the runs. I had plenty of misses on the round of 75 though. I was able to string together another round of UBs to finish up with. I was really hoping for something in the 10s...so I'm not all that happy with this one. My legs were shot by the end of this one.

Cash Out
Strict GH Raises - 2 x 8

Heavy and Fast

Woke up this morning and my back was feeling pretty stiff. No go on the hill runs again today. Heavy squats were on the board for tonight so I wanted to make sure I was fresh for those.

Strength
Back Squats - 5 x 5 @ 80% (460 1RM)
bar(10)-135(8)-185(5)-225(5)-275(5) --- 365
- These were heavy from the beginning! Every set was well earned and good rest periods in between were needed to get through them. Still feeling really loose in my descend and I can't figure out why. I need to get some vids to take a look.

WOD
20-15-10-5
   Box Jumps (24")
   KB Swings (53#)
   DUs
= 4:12
- I was moving well on this one. Heard some horror stories about legs giving out on the 15 box jumps after the heavy squatting. I missed my 2nd jump in the 1st round, but after that I money the rest of the way. Made it through the 15 okay. Swings for some reason continue to aggravate my back. I can hang clean/snatch whatever and not feel a thing, but stabilizing the down swing of the bell just tears my back side apart for some reason. To compensate I typically turn my swing into a hi pull and press out type maneuver. DUs I believe were all UB. Very happy with the pace I was able to keep on this one.

Cash Out
20 Ring Dips - 8, 17

Just Short...

Passed on the the track work again this morning...pretty disappointed with my inconsistency in the morning. Still a little stiff from earlier in the week. Shoulder is getting better and better everyday and doesn't seem to be bothering me that much these last two days.

Strength
Push Press - 5 x 5 @ 70% (195-210 based off of a 275-300# 1RM)
Bar(10)-95(5)-135(5)-165(5)--- 195 - 205 - 205 - 210 - 210
- Very pleased with my work tonight. I know it's pretty light weight, but I didn't have any pain at all and that's a world of difference from last week. This was probably the best PP session I've had in months. I set up on the boxes anticipating a lot of drops, but I think I only lost the 5th rep on two sets. Weight felt light like it should. Bar path felt perfect going up and down. My last max was a year ago on this one, so I used a range of where I was and where I thought I am at.

WOD
15:00 AMRAP
   200m Run
   10 Pull Ups (UB/UB/UB/UB/UB/6-3-1)
   10 V Ups
   30 DUs
= 5 + 216
 - I really wanted 6 rounds on this one. I thought I moved pretty good throughout this one. I had two bad rounds (2nd & 5th) on the rope that cost me the 6th round I believe. Don't know what happen in the 2nd round. In the 5th my stomach started cramping pretty good from the V Ups during the DUs and that made it a bit tough to keep it together. Pull ups were smooth as can be again. I had to break on the 6th round because my hands were too slippery due to sweat. Still a solid effort despite the rope issues though.


Cash Out
Weighted GH Bridges - 3 x 5 @ 205#

Slowly Recovering

 The increased volume and heavy loading leading up to the Deuce took it's toll on my body more than I thought it would. I compacted my wrist the weekend before the comp and the tweak of my shoulder at the comp really needed some R & R so that's what I gave it. I took two days off following the comp and decided to jump in for a light AM Oly session and a PM Back Squat max & WOD. Here's how that went...

7/11/12
OWOD (AM)
3 Pos. Clean (low to high) - 7 x 1
bar progressions
135-155-185---205 - 225 - 225 - 235 - 245 - 255 - 275
- Any type of OH movement was causing some serious pain so I skipped the jerk work that were supposed to follow the cleans. Externally rotating my right shoulder was tough. Every time I snapped my elbows under the bar I could feel a tight pull on the outside of my shoulder. It wasn't painful, but very tight. Cleans felt strong and fast considering how my upper body felt. I wasn't expecting to get up to 275, but I couldn't resist with how smooth everything was feeling. I failed the hi hang at 275, but picked the bar pack up instantly and nailed it.

Strength (PM)
Back Squat - Find 1RM
bar(10)-135(8)-185(7)-225(5)-275(3)-315(3)-365(1)-405(1)- 425 - 425
- Very disappointed. This is 30#s under my last max. My legs just felt dead. Don't know if it was from the clean work earlier or what, but I was very frustrated. I got under 425 and it felt heavy. It surprised me on the first attempt. I was ready for it on the second try, but I called it a day after that one.

WOD
3 rounds of:
   400m Run
   25 Wall Balls (20#)   [UB/UB/11-9-5]
   10 Pull Ups   (all UB)
= 10:00
  My buddy, Toolz, came to WOD with us tonight. It's always a good time when he comes around. I know he's a got great motor and can push through some serious pain so I know it's going to be a challenge to beat him. He's not running on all cylinders just yet because of a recent knee surgery...so I'm not gonna lie...beating him tonight was bittersweet. Goal was to go UB on the wall balls and beat Toolz. Since he's got a bum wheel our runs were about the same. We stayed neck and neck for the first two rounds for the most part. We got back to the wall balls in the third round and he broke first and I broke a few after him. I was able to stay ahead of him the rest of the way. My buttterfly kip was on point tonight! Wish it was this smooth at the comp last Sunday...I would have definitely got a sub 7 on WOD 2.


I took the family camping for a long weekend up North to Governor Dodge (beautiful place...you should really go if you have the chance and are into camping). We had a lot of fun in the Sun and relaxing with some beers and friends around the campfire at night. I got back to work Monday morning with an AM Oly session...

7/16/12
OWOD (AM)
Hi Hang Snatch (off the blocks) - 7 x 2
bar progressions, Muscle Snatch sets
95-115-135-145-145-145-145-155-155-155(1x)-155
- Kept the load light because my shoulder is still giving me problems. I was constantly working the lacrosse ball on it between sets to get it to loosen up a bit and it helped slightly. Most were power snatches due to shoulder mobility problems. Anytime I received low the pain would bring me right on to my toes. I tried to do a couple of sets power snatching and then lowering into the bottom under more control, but the same thing would happen. I would get about an inch or two above parallel and feel a twinge and go right to my toes. Frustrating for sure so I hope it works out soon. Other than that it was solid work.

Back Squat - 5 x 5 @ 70%
225(5) --- 320
- Adding some more quality volume to this strength cycle coming up and today was the start. This sets actually got easier as the sets moved on. Felt good. Focused on bar speed and engaging the hips throughout.

WOD (PM)
Diane
21-15-9
   Deadlifts (225#)   [all UB]
   HSPU   [18-3/6-2-2-1-1-1-1-1/2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1]
= 12:01
- Arrggg!! I was pumped for this one. I really thought I was gonna have a time around 6ish, but I was way off. I got through my round 21s at 1:30ish and feeling great. I blew through my 21 HSPUs, kipping all of them with only one break because I lost balance on my kip. Felt real good still going into my round of 15 and then BOOM...they were gone. I didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. I was trying to pay attention not to take my shoulders to exhaustion, but I guess I missed it. I think I spent something like 5:00 on the round of 9 HSPUs. It was brutal and frustrating...2:00 slower than my time in October 2011. On the bright side...somehow my shoulder tweak loosened from all the work...I'm not kidding.


Legs were feeling the squats and deads from yesterday so I passed on the hill work this morning. Shoulder again felt a lot better getting out of bed this morning. Crazy considering what I put it through yesterday, but it felt better and better as the day went on.

7/17/12
Strength
Press - 5 x 5 @ 70%
bar(10)-95(5)-115(5) --- 155 x 3 sets, 160 x 2 sets
- Felt strong. No problems from the shoulder at all. Wrist is still tender, but okay once they're strapped up.

WOD
800m Run   (4:00)
150 DUs   (6:18)
800m Run  
= 10:41
- I really wanted a sub 10 on this one. I knew I would have to do something special on the DUs, but just couldn't get it done. I left for the second run thinking I still had a chance, but had to get moving and I thought I was, but according to the clock...I wasn't! Should have been better on the rope. Really having trouble stringing more than 50 together lately.

Just Keep Moving...

Skipped the hill running today so I could keep the legs a little fresher. It was nice to sleep in and get some more rest. Got to WOD with CT & Alex tonight. This is my last WOD for the week so I can be as fresh as possible for the weekend.

Strength
Banded Deadlifts
bar(8)-225(4)
*Doubles with a blue band + weight*
245-255-275-311-345
*Doubles with no band*
380-415
- This was a bit sporadic. I jumped on a bar with the boys. I didn't want to do anything over 85% of my max (425#...that's why the band came off as I got within 50# of it). My focus was to just be fast off the floor and maintain speed as tension increased. Back felt good and lifts felt fast!

WOD
3 rounds of:
   200m Run
   15 Hang Power Cleans (115#)   (UB/UB/11-4)
   30 DUs   (UB/UB/21-9)
= 5:55
- This would have been a great WOD to add a few bonus rounds on or bump the weight to 135#. Forearms were pretty scorched once I finished. Fell behind in the runs so I had to hustle to the bar to pull back ahead. Rope was moving great tonight. Little bummed about having to put the bar down in the 3rd, but I lost the hook and just couldn't stop the bar at the hip to reset.

Cash Out
Strict T2B - 3 x 10

Breakin' a Sweat!

Yesterday's squats did a number on me so I didn't make it to the track and instead got some rest my body was craving. Felt stiff and sore, but very energetic today. Spent some time playing the water withe kids today...and man did it feel good! I was having flashbacks of my Summers in Southern California today. Caught the last class of the day at Prevail this evening. I was drenched by the end! Gotta love a good sweat!

Strength
BTN Snatch Grip Push Press - doubles 5:00 EMOM; heavy as possible
bar(10)-95(5)-135(5)-185(3)-225(3) --- 245 - 265 - 265 - 265 - 275 - 275
- Modified normal PP a bit to work on some stuff for Oly. I'm glad I raised it up for the last two sets...they were well earned. Good work on the shoulders tonight.

WOD
Tabata D, D, S (DUs, Ring Dips, & Sit Ups)
DUs = 40 - 35 - 26 - 34 - 30 - 27 - 30 - 35
Ring Dips = 10 - 9 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 6
Sit Ups (anchored w/ 20# slam ball on my chest) =10 - 9 - 9 - 10 - 10 - 10 - 10 - 10
- This was a good little number. I was a little disappointed in the DUs. I was hoping to maintain at least a 30. On both rounds when I dropped below I had one miss, but the rope got tangled on top of the miss. I had misses in the two 30 rounds too, but the rope was easy to get started again.
  Moving to the dips was interesting. I was expecting to somewhat fresh, but my shoulders were starting to fatigue fast. I used every bit of kip I could muster to get those rounds of 6.
  I added the anchor and weight because I wanted a little more than just regular old sit ups. GHD is out of the question. Every time I try and add it into my training it tweaks my back just enough to let me know it's not a good movement for me. The added weight had me burning up the last 4-5 sets. The anchor allowed me to use my hip flexors similar to a GHD.
  I looked like I jumped into a pool afterwards. It always feels good to be drenched in your own sweat after a workout.

Cash Out
ME DH Pull Ups  x 3 - 13 - 11 - 9 (done at home earlier in the day)
GH Raises - 3 x 10
- Felt good about both of these. Numbers are going up on the pull ups and I'm feeling stronger and stronger on the GHRs. My first set of 10 was great. My last set was well earned.

Rough Morning

Been feeling a little tight, but good energy wise. I got some running work in yesterday and woke up early for an Oly session today. Getting my body moving early in the morning is proving to be pretty difficult.

6.21.12
Endurance WOD
200m x 10 (:90 REST)
*keep splits within 2-3 seconds
Runs 1-5 = :39-:42
Runs 6-10 = :40-:41
- This started off as a mess. I really wanted to get on a track to do this WOD so I wouldn't have to deal with any sharp turns or down and back business., but it didn't work out that way. I took a tour of 3 local high schools and arrived at each one to find the PE classes or football programs using them or it was under construction. After all that, I ran at home. Recovered well between runs. Solid effort.


6.22.12

OWOD
Snatch - 20:00 to establish a 1RM
bar progressions
115(3)-135(3)-155-175-185- 195 - 195 - 195 - 195
 5:00 REST
Power Clean & Push Jerk - 20:00 establish a 1RM
135 - 185 - 225 - 245 - 275
- Late night at the drive in made for a rough morning. Visited my buddy down at TIU for this session. I remember the equipment being in slightly better shape and I'll leave it at that. It was different and that was probably good. I've gotten pretty comfortable lifting at Prevail and using the same equipment all the time.  I think it was good mentally just to adapt to a different place and equipment. I had a poor attitude from the beginning and that carried over into my lifting. Cashed in my chips early.


 WOD
50 DUs   [UB]
10 Cleans (135#)   [UB]  
40 DUs   [1 MISS]
8 Cleans (145#)   [5-3]
30 DUs   [3 MISSES]
6 Cleans (155#)   [3-3]
20 DUs   [1 MISS]
4 Cleans (165#)   [UB]
10 DUs    [UB]
2 Cleans (175#)   [UB]
 = 6:35
- Frustrated about this morning's Oly session I snuck in to Prevail this afternoon to do yesterday's WOD. Heard some times from friend's and wanted to see what I could do with it. The clean ladder was supposed to start at 115# and end at 155#, but I felt that was too light for me, plus I'd rather just start with a plate on the bar.
  Transitions were fast. I used clips for the round of 10 only. Lost my grip on the bar in the round of 8. Dropped the bar in the round of 6...legs were starting to burn!! Had some misses on the rope, but it never took me long to get it together again and start swinging. I was pretty winded after the first two rounds. Happy with this one. Definitely allowed me to get some frustration out!

Cash Out
GH Raise - 3 x 8
Hip Exten. - 3 x 10 (25#)

Quick Game of Catch Up

The last two weeks of school have been hectic. Been pretty busy shutting down shop around the school and cleaning things up for the Summer. This is just gonna be a quick run down of what has transpired since my last post...

5.29.12
Strength
Floor Press - no 1RM on this one so I just tinkered with some weight. FPs have been causing some weird elbow twinge/pain so I'll probably be laying off of these from now on.
bar(12)-135(12)-175(10)---225(8)-245(8)-265(5)

DH Pull Ups + ME Kip (in between sets of Floor Press) --- 8+5 - 6+5 - 4+7

Back Squats ---
   bar(10)-135(10)-225(10) --- Banded Squats - 225 + reds (6) - 225 + blues(6) [both were too light]
   Squats w/ hanging KBs --- 3 x 5 @ 225 + 24k bell
-Pretty tight from the Stars and Stripes WOD the day before. Deload week so I was playing with some ideas for the squats. I really like banded squats so I was playing with them a bit, but we just don't have the right equipment to keep the proper tension on the bar to make it worth while. Hopefully, we can get some chains in the gym this Summer.

TGU - 3 x 3 @ 24k


5.31.12
Strength
Push Press - supposed to be deload, but my gym appearance has been sporadic so I went heavier
bar(10)-95(8)-135(5)-155(5) --- 165(5) - 175(5) - 185(5)

WOD
5 rounds of:
   40 DUs (UB, 1 miss per round after that)
   10 Push Press (95#) (all UB)
= 3:59

5:00 REST

2 BONUS rounds
= 11:40
- We did this one a while back, but the movements were in reverse order. I was pumped...I PR'd by :13 seconds. I was a lot calmer with the rope despite the miss each of the last 4 rounds. I was only gonna take a 4:00 minute rest at first, but something happen and I lost track of time. I had planned on doing 3 rounds, but my shoulders were burnt out. I had 6-7 misses on the rope in the second bonus round so I called it.

6.2.12
OWOD
Snatch - 8 x 2 @ 80%
bar progressions - 95(3POS. x 2) - 135(2) - 155(2) - 165(1x1) - 175(x11) ---
80%=185# (1.1 - 1.x - 1.1 - 1.1 - 1.1 - 1.x - 1.1 - 1.1)
- Two misses were out in front. I had several sloppy stand-ups in between the misses, usually on the second rep. Last set of the day felt fantastic...solid pause at the bottom, stable. Good work all together. It took me a while to remember some of the things I changed during my PR night, but once I did everything fell right into the groove.

BTN Sn. Grip PP - 4 x 3 (heaviest possible)
185 - 205 --- 225 - 235 - 245 - 255
- Next time I should start at 245 and ladder up from there.


6.4.12
Andy's Bday WOD
3:00 AMRAP KB swings (24k)   (70)
   3:00 REST
3:00 AMRAP Row for Cals *damper@10 (60)
   3:00 REST
3:00 AMRAP 20m Prowler Push (95#)   (8)
   3:00 REST
3:00 AMRAP Hang Power Cleans (60k)   (28)
= 166
- My wife and I WOD'd with my bro in law tonight for his birthday at his place. It's nice because he has a ton of equipment. It was tough. This WOD put me on my butt when I finished. My traps were sore for a few days afterwards. Always a good to time though WODing with family.


6.5.12
Strength
Back Squat - 5-5-5+@65-75-85%
bar(10)-135(10)-185(10)-225(8) --- 275 - 320 - 365(12)
- Squats felt solid. On the 12th rep my back started to fatigue. I felt like I was in good posture until the end, but I was told otherwise once I put the bar down. My legs felt these for a while to come. Reps felt good though. I was originally shooting for 8ish, but I POC was firing real good and my speed was about the same start to finish.

WOD
4 rounds of:
1:00 AMRAP Power Snatches (75#)   [15-15-15-13]
1:00 AMRAP Box Jumps (24")   [20-20-15-24]
= 137
- I got to class late and was in a rush from the beginning. I had to do the WOD on my own after everyone else finished. I didn't realize this was "Hope" practice til after the 1st round. My original plan was to just go and burn out, but after back squatting...pacing became a better option. I had some goals going in and just tried to stay with them through out.


6.6.12
OWOD
Clean & Jerk - ladder up to a heavy single
bar progressions
135(3)-185(3)-205(2)-225-235-245-255-265(x.1)-275-285
2 x 2 @ 255 (90% of 285)
- My back was pretty fatigued from the start after yesterday's back squat work and my legs were real stiff from the work as well. Felt uncomfortable in my jerk tonight. Right wrist was sliding into place and it was causing some discomfort as weight got heavier. 285 was a good stop tonight. Added some doubles of my heavy single at the end for a bit more volume.

Clean Pulls
4 x 3 @ 315

School Work

Legs are feeling pretty stiff from the squats and rowing. I'm not able to roll over to Prevail the next few days so I put in some lunch time work.

Tuesday May 8th
WOD (CF Foothill)
3 rounds FT:
 50 DUs
 75 Squats
= 10:57
- This should have been in the 9s maybe even high 8s. My rope at school is cut a little short and it's kinked up pretty good since I haven't used it in a while. I finished the first 50 DUs at :35 in. I had 1, maybe 2 misses. The second set of DUs...WOW...my legs felt really heavy after just 75 of the 225 squats and I felt it on the first DU. I had plenty of misses during rounds 2 & 3 on the DUs. Some were because of fatigue and some were the ropes fault, but either way...it wasn't pretty. The squats were brutal. I stayed in sets of 10-15 for the most part. I had at least one 20-25 rep burst in each round.
Different rope and a partner to push me, this WOD should have been well under 10:00.

Cash Out (very uninspired)
Muscle Ups
2-2-1

Skin the Cat
2 x 3

Wednesday May 9th
Ring Work

Muscle Ups
2-2-1

FG Pull Ups
7-5-5

Ring Dips
12-10

Frying the Forearms

Gotta a good night's rest, but I'm still pretty stiff from Monday's WODs. Shoulders and back are stiff and sore. Didn't really know what I was gonna do til I got to the gym. I usually OWOD on Wednesdays, but I won't be in the gym much this week due to track so I was thinking of doing Tuesday's WOD or Wednesday's WOD with everyone else. Once I arrived, Hannah helped me decide...regularly scheduled WOD it was!

Strength
Press --- 5@65%, 5@65%, 5@70%, 5@75%
bar(10)-95(8) --- 145 - 145 - 160 - 170
- Strength was pretty straight forward tonight. Everything felt good. Focused on keeping a tight bar path and elbows in front, not pushing from the outside. Last two sets I struggled a little bit due to soreness in the shoulders, but didn't miss any reps. Good work.

WOD
15:00 AMRAP
 5 Pull Ups (all UB)
 10 Hang Power Cleans (135#)
 30 DUs
= 8+14 (I actually wrote down 8+9 on the board...forgot I didn't add my pull ups in on my way home)
- I bumped the weight up for the cleans. I knew I could keep moving pretty good with 135# plus I felt up to the challenge since I didn't WOD yesterday. I was cruising pretty good. I had 4 rounds in during the first 4 minutes. Right about half way in I hit a wall. My forearms started to cramp up real good and my lungs started to go. I needed a good one like this. Pull ups felt great through all rounds. I haven't been working much of them lately so my butter jerk is really really off. HPCs were strong, but broken. First & second rounds were UB. After that it was either 4-4-2, 6-4, 6-2-2, or 5-5. My last round was 6-2-1...I missed the last rep as time ran out. My forearms just blew out. DUs were tricky tonight. I was UB the first round. My rope got kinked up and I struggled through the 2nd round. Had one or two misses in the 3rd. Through the 4th-6th rounds my right forearm was cramping, which I figured out was because I had my wrist wrap too tight. My last two rounds were 1 miss and UB.
I was happy with my effort. There were a couple times I wanted to let go of cleans, but fought through it to get a few more reps and fewer drops. I should have definitely got 9 rounds had it not been for the rope issues in the 2nd round...that ate up a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on. I took some "wind sucking" breaks here and there. If this one comes up again...upper 9s, maybe even 10 would be my goal for sure.

Cash Out
400m Run ME
= 1:33
- I should have bet Charlie burpees on this one. He wanted to race me for the cash out. I wasn't quite sure how fast his legs could push him so I kept my mouth shut. I ran this one pretty cautiously.  I let him lead out for the first 200, we hit the turn around and I took off. He stayed right behind me. I only beat him by 2 seconds, but a win is a win!

Double PR!

4/22/12

WOD
3 rds FT:
 500m Row
 50 DUs
= 8:27


Woke Tuesday morning with nothing, but squatting on mind! Wasn't sure what to expect as far as PRing goes, but I knew I had improved. I PR'd 2-3 weeks in to the cycle. If you look back I tried to change to those numbers and that didn't work out well so I've been working off of a lower max this entire cycle. I know my back has gotten stronger and my form has gotten better so I was pretty sure I was gonna PR again tonight.

Strength
Find new Back Squat 1RM
bar(10)-135(10)-185(8)-225(5)-275(3)-315(2) --- 365 - 405 - 430 - 460 PR - 475
- Kept my hoodie on the entire time so I would stay warm and keep a good sweat going. I felt really solid. Trying to eat clean these days and I think that may have hurt me just a bit. On the way to the gym, my energy was dropping so I slammed a few protein bars for a boost. Got under the weight and I didn't have that "pop" I've had for the last few weeks. Bar felt heavy at 365 :( Made it to 430 and felt good. Went to 460 and it put up a pretty good fight. I knew I might have one more good push in me so I made the jump to 475 and started out of the hole and bailed because I just slowed down too much. The goal was to close the 500 gap as much as possible. Chipped away at it a little more today and I'm happy with that. It'll come!

Back Squat 460#

5:00 REST

Find new Press 1RM
bar(10)-95(10)-135(5) --- 165 - 185 - 205 - 225 PR - 230
- Had to pull double duty because I was a day behind in maxes. I knew I blew through a lot of energy in squats so I just wanted to get this one done. I knew from the past few weeks of the cycle where I was gonna end up at anyway. I haven't PRd in press since last June so I was well over due here! I used a false grip and drove it straight through. Went up so easy I was convinced I may have another 5#...hahaha...I was wrong! Extremely happy with the start of the week...2 PRs...solid!!

WOD
15 Snatch (125#)
15 Ring Push Ups
12 Snatch (145#)
12 Ring Push Ups
9 Snatch (165#)
9 Ring Push Ups
= 6:51
- I was pumped for this WOD when I saw it on the schedule. I enjoy ladders. If I would do this one again I would change the weights to 135, 155, 175 just for the sake of the weight change. Having to deal with the 5# plate became a pain chasing around. Really focused on being as fast as I could while keeping my technique as sound as possible. It worked well. I made sure my set up was square every time and it paid off. I didn't miss any reps the entire ladder. I caught a few early ones on my toes rushing through a little faster than I should have. The ring push ups were cake all were UB. The only thing I noticed the push ups do was burn up my thighs and core from staying in the plank.

Great night at Prevail!!

Cash Out
30 GHD Back Ext. (25#) (20-10)
30 GHD Rev. Hypers

Gotta Love Competition

Got plenty of energy today! Track meet got canceled due to weather so I'm glad I got to make it in tonight to WOD. Solid group at the gym. Got to WOD with Charlie & CT & Hannah!

Strength
Press - 90% x 4 x 5
bar(10)-95(8)-125(5)-145(5) --- 175 - 175 - 175 - 175 - 175
- Reps felt solid tonight. No need to go to the false grip and really gained some confidence from these sets. Tonight really has me looking forward to a possible PR next week on press. I'm long over due!

WOD
5 rds FT:
 10 Push Press (95#) (all UB)
 40 DUs (UB/UB/UB/3-3 to 4 broken sets to 17-23/19-21)
= 4:12
5:00 REST
*Bonus Rounds*
2 rds FT:
 10 Push Press (95#) (all UB)
 40 DUs (UB/1 miss)
= 1:57
- This WOD was right up my alley. I was trying to stay as far ahead of CT as I could, but didn't even notice Hannah sneak in and beat me by about 15 seconds or so. It was a fairly quick one and I felt really good still at the end of it. So I waited 5:00 and took another stab at 2 more rounds. Gonna try and do this more and more on shorter WODs just to sneak in some extra work under the radar.

Cash Out Competition
L-sits --- 5 x ME UB
= 1:24 (:20, ??????)
T2B --- 3 x ME UB
= 33 (15-13-5)
- Alex decided to join Charlie, CT, and I for a little competition. This made for a fun way to push through some extra mid-line work, that is much needed. I took second behind Alex on the L-sits, who just killed me in the 4th and 5th rounds. I took 3rd by one rep behind Charlie and CT (Alex didn't partake in this one). I just couldn't hold on to the bar anymore. Good times!

Holy Soreness

Holy cow! I woke up feeling extremely sore Wednesday from my back squats on Tuesday. When I woke up on today it wasn't any better. I had to go to DP this morning and I knew it was gonna be a tough go getting loose this morning. My glutes, hamstrings, and calves were the main culprits.

Strength
Front Squats --- 5@65%, 4@75%, 4@80%, 4@85%
bar(10) - 135(8) - 185(8) --- 240 - 275 - 297 - 310
- These were a ever tougher than I thought they would be. I did everything I could to get loose and I was still tight. It was pretty difficult just to keep my heels on the ground during the first 2 warm up sets. During my sets, I felt some slight twinges in my lower back on all four sets right at the bottom. I'm pretty sure my back was surrendered at the bottom because my hamstrings were so tight. I paid for this as the day went on.

WOD
400m Row
 21 Box Jumps (24")
400m Row
 15 Box Jumps
400m Row
 9 Box Jumps
= 7:15
- I did a lot better in this WOD than I thought I was going too. With how stiff and sore my legs were I thought the box jumps were gonna be brutal on my quads. I took the rows somewhat easy, maintained a 1:55ish/500 pace for all three rounds. I left the box downstairs and had to travel up and down between rounds. Off the rower the first round I ran down the stairs and started jumping. The 21s were rough. They were steady, but slow. I just couldn't find a solid groove to stay in and keep rebounding. Ran back up the stairs for round two. Was a little slower heading down for the 15s. The 15s felt better. Towards the end I really got going and finished the set strong. I didn't run up the stairs this time, but I did take em two at a time and was still surprised at how good my legs were holding up. Arms started to die in the pull on the last row. Ran downstairs for the 9s and found my groove on the first rebound and a few seconds later I was done.

Cash Out
ME UB DUs x 5
91- X<10
- My back shut it down! I got 91 the first go and then I had nothing. My CNS was just misfiring left and right. I tried 4-5 more times to get moving and I just couldn't get everything to fall in place again. My back was starting to tighten as I was cooling down and every jump I could feel a little tender spot getting worse. My quads had enough at this point as well. Solid morning in my book.

Spring Break WOD 12.3

Juls & I got away with Pip for a running WOD at a local elementary school this morning. Took yesterday off and just relaxed. I enjoyed a nice evening at Downtown Disney with my two lovely ladies. They danced their butts off with the live DJ and had I blast watching em!

Spring Break WOD 12.3
4 rounds FT:
 450ishM run
 5 Strict HSPUs (all UB)
 25 squats (UB/UB/11-14/5-20)
 50 DUs (UB/??/??/9-41)
= 20:54
-This was a good one for me. The runs were a little tougher than I thought they would be. The first one felt great. The second was probably my longest because I zoned out and that round was pretty much a blur. My butt started to tighten up pretty good by the third. The fourth I started moving a little faster just because I wanted to be done already.
- The HSPUs were cake. I should have raised the reps to 8-10.
- The squats got tough in the 3rd and 4th rounds. I wanted to push through that lactic threshold as best I could. I was hoping to go UB on all 4 sets, but I needed to shake em out once in the last 2 rounds.
- DUs were good except for the 2nd and 3rd round. My 1st and 4th were no problem, but those middle rounds gave me all kinds of problems. The 2nd round I know I had 4 or more misses. The 3rd I struggled from 1-30ish and I remember ripping a 10 or more to finish the set. Legs were dead in the middle rounds, but came back to me in the 4th.

Got my 3rd WOD while on vacation so I'm pumped about that. I plan on getting one more in on Friday and then it's back home Saturday morning. Looking forward to getting under a barbell soon.

Missed One

Some how I forgot to add this workout in last week. Here it is...

Strength
RDLs --- 5 x 5
225-275-275-275-275
Static Ring Holds
1:00 - :45 - :45 - :45 - :45
- Solid work on the low back and hamstrings today. I felt these for days after. If you read the latest Talk To Me Johnnie blog, he talks about Louie Simmons belief in weak hamstrings and low back problems. Love to use as prevention and recovery.
- Static holds added a change of pace to work on some stability and strength on the rings. Goal here is to find your hollow and rotate externally for more efficient hold. Being able to externally rotate was extremely difficult for most.

WOD
2 rounds FT:
400m Row
 10 Box Jumps (24")
 20 KB Swings (24k)
 30 DUs
400m Run
= 12:15
- Wanted to get a WOD in that I could keep pushing the pace, but wouldn't damage me for 12.4. This was a good one to do it. I just kept moving trying to build the engine as much as I could. Jumps and swings were all UB. Can't remember exactly about DUs. Again I felt very comfortable on the rower and the run was decent. All in all a good WOD.

Car Wreck

Once again I missed the DP :( I woke up this morning and felt terrible. My neck and traps feel like the morning after the first day of pads in Fall football camp. My calves are tight as heck. I got up out of bed to get dressed and knew it just wasn't gonna happen today. Plus knowing that my wife is okay with me going at night,  really takes the motivation away needed to wake up that early.

Headed into the 530p class. It was a good group. I got to WOD with Tara, Kristy, CT, and John. I was happy to see CT show up. Usually we are chasing each other on the board and rarely get to WOD together anymore.

Strength
Back Squat --- 8@65%, 6@75%, 4@85%, 4@90%
bar(8)-135(8)-185(5)-225(8)---277 - 320 - 365 - 385
- I was so happy to see the reps finally come down! I was very pleased with bar speed out of the hole on every set, even the last. The last set was heavy, but felt a ton easier than some of the other sets in recent weeks. My hinge is getting a lot better, at least it feels and seems that way. I'm not driving past my toes as much and am sitting back a ton more. I haven't had any problems with my back since making the change a few weeks back, which tells me it was the right decision. Gaining more and more confidence every time I get under the bar again. Feels good!

385 x 4

WOD

10:00 AMRAP

  15 Wall Balls (20#)

  10 Burpees

   5 Clean & Jerk (135#)

= 4 + 17

- WOWZER!!! That sucked! I probably no repped an entire round of extra wall balls because I hit too low or stinking missed the wall altogether...just terrible. My arms were shot after the first round. I came back to the wall balls and my shoulders were on fire and they didn't stop burning til a few minutes after the WOD was over. 

- CT and I came off the wall balls and burpees at the same time the first round. I pulled away at the C&J. He caught up and passed me on the wall balls and I caught back up on the C&J again in the second. We repeated this back and forth on the 3rd and 4th rounds as well. It made the WOD fun and I'm sure it's the only reason I did as well as I did. Gotta love friendly competition!

Cash Out

DUs --- 3 x 1:00 ME w/ 1:00 REST b/n rounds

80 something, 60 something, 70 something

- Tara, CT, and I had a little competition to see who could get the most DUs every round. Just a fun little game to pick up the intensity a little bit. Loved it! The work was awesome! My legs were hurting by that 3rd round. Love the work!

After yesterday and today...tomorrow is definitely gonna be a rest day!!

Hanging In There

Got some good rest yesterday. Got my meals cooked for the week. Spent some quality time with the kiddos to recharge the battery a bit. Feeling good about this week. My throat and voice are still on the mend, but it'll pass soon enough. Really want to get some solid WODs in early this week and continue to work on skills and weaknesses at school.

Was in a pretty deep sleep when alarm went of this morning and hit snooze a few times. God gave me the nudge I needed to start off on the right track since my alarm wasn't cutting it. Sawyer started waking up because his noonie fell out of the crib at 5a. Just enough time to go get him and sent him back to bed and get up and out the door to the gym.

Strength
Back Squat --- 10@60%-10@65%-8@70%-8@75%
bar(10)-135(10)-185(10)-225(10)---275-295-320-342
- Today was rough. Back was a little tender from all the burpees yesterday and the heavy load didn't help any. Back was pretty tight and tender afterwards for a few hours. This is a mean cycle, but I'm definitely getting stronger. It's challenging for sure.

WOD
8:00 AMRAP
5 Ring Dips (all UB)
10 Ball Slams (30#)  (all UB, but some were slower than others)
30 DUs (couple UB, couple one miss, one multiple miss)
= 7 + 26
- Good WOD to start the week. Goal was to get 8+ and I just missed it. Slightly disappointed for making it to 8, but it wasn't for breaking down so I'm ok with that. I had one terrible round (2 or 3) on the rope where I missed 3-4 times. The others were UB or one miss. I blazed through the dips and I slowed on the slams, but not terribly I think. Throat gets pretty dry pretty fast right now. That makes it somewhat hard to breath after a few minutes in. Once I heal up, I expect to get a little bit of conditioning back.

School Work
Rehab work on back
- Like I said earlier...back was pretty tender. Did some rehab drills and it felt a lot better. Need to ice more frequently at night and be more diligent about doing my drills to keep my back strong.

4 HSPUs OTM for 10:00
5-4-4-4-4 (strict)/4-4-4-4-4(kip)
- Haven't done these in a few weeks so I wanted to get some work in early in the week. Felt strong on all the strict ones. The last set of kips got tough to lock out, but no misses. Happy with the work.