GPOY, cleans from a couple weeks ago. I was at 235 here.
The stars aligned
Ever have one of those days in the gym that felt like everything was off? 175lbs felt like 275? I have had some of those recently. I try and shake it off and stick to the program.
This morning the stars must have aligned. While the weight didn’t feel light, it didn’t feel heavy either. I worked around 80-85% of my 1RM on the lifts I had on tap this morning and it all just felt good. Back squats were toward the end of the schedule and I normally don’t look forward to working on those for some reason. I had 5 sets of doubles at 80% and 5 sets of doubles at 85% but it all felt so good. Especially when one of the guys came over and said “Uh, Jason… Your bar is bending.”
When you have tough days that you grind through, days like today are just amazing.
Power clean + jerk work at about 75% of my 1RM from the other day. I want to start using some videos to see where I need to improve. I think I am doing well with regards to the bar path. As the weight goes up I seem to have trouble dropping into the split. Not sure if it is my left knee that I am worried about or what. I failed a 245lb jerk a few times and I really believe that if I was more aggressive with the split I could nail it.
“I will still be here. Training away in my corner.”
Oldie but goodie from Jon North.
Weekly Training Log: 130429 - 130505
MONDAY - 130429
And on this day, absolutely nothing was done. Rest day.
TUESDAY - 130430
Woke up with a lot of pain, so rather than push it at CrossFit, I opted to sleep in. Since I can hit the pool pain free, that is what I did at lunch. 10x100m (rest to recover) and I went as hard as I could on the 100s. best time was 1:33 and slowest was 1:39. While I took longer breaks in between 100s than I normally do, and while this kicked my butt, it felt really good and I saw my best times on the 100 yet.
WEDNESDAY - 130501
3 position clean
2 sets @ 70% | 165#
2 sets @ 75% | 175#
Snatch Deadlift
7x2 @ 100% 1RM Snatch | 185#
5x3 @ 100% 1RM Snatch | 185#
Front squat
6x1 @ 65% | 205#
5x1 @ 70% | 215#
5x1 @ 75% | 220#
3x2 @ 80% | 225#
Push press
5x5 @ 135#
Conditioning (Pool): 2x500m @ 70-80% of max effort pace w/2 min rest. Averaged about 10 minutes per 500.
THURSDAY - 130502
Rest day.
FRIDAY - 130503
Back Squat
5 @ 225#
5 @ 275#
5 @ 275#
5 @ 305#
Conditioning: 4RFT of 6 deadlifts (225#), 9 burpee pull-ups, 15 walking lunges with 45# overhead. Despite a back up at the pull-up rig, this went really good for me. Felt the knee in the lunges but everything else was good. I was actually at 235# on deads and didn’t realize it under after the WOD but it didn’t slow me down. 9:54 @ RX+.
Cash-Out: 5 minute partner snatch duel. We used 115# which was a little on the heavy side for my partner. So he did 3 to my 5. 7 rounds total.
SATURDAY - 130504
Snatch Push Press
5x5 @ 75% | 135#
Snatch Pull
5x5 @ 100% | 185#
Clean & Jerk
3 @ 70% | 165#
2 @ 75% | 175#
1 @ 80% | 185#
1 @ 85% | 205#
1 @ 80% | 185#
1 @ 75% | 175#
Jerk (From the high blocks)
2x185, 2x205, 1x215, 1x225, multiple fails at 245. I was frustrated because I thought I was at 235 instead of 245. Took a shot at this about 4 times, with the last time about an inch or two from sticking it. 245 was my max a while back so even though I didn’t hit it, it felt really good to be working close to my 1RM.
Bench Press
4x3 @ 185#
2x2 @ 225#
ME @ 135#: 26 reps, 2-3 min. rest then ME @ 135#: 19 reps
Skill: Practiced DUs. Used my buddies rope and will most likely order one because it was that awesome.
SUNDAY - 130505
Warm-up:
Row 5K
Clean Pulls
5x5 @ 205#
Push Press
2x5 push press @ 135#
3x5 push press @ 155#
Back Squat
5 @ 65% | 225#
5 @ 70% | 245#
4 @ 75% | 255#
3x2 @ 80% | 295#
Conditioning: EMOTM for 16 minutes. On odd minutes: 6 KB swings (88#) and on even minutes: 10 burpees. At minute 10 I thought I wanted to stop. Well, not thought. I really wanted to stop. But I also thought that at that point, that was where the real workout was. Only a few more rounds to go and shortening it up to 12 minutes would have bothered me all day. I would have felt like I took the easy way out. Glad I finished it.
Summary
Woke up sore as crap on Monday. Stuff hurt that I didn’t know could hurt. I had a 5” long bruise at the top of my leg from catching the barbell. My hands hurt from focusing on the hook grip. Tuesday was much of the same, but a little better. I slept in to not push things. Wednesday I was still feeling it, but went in and lifted. Everything was extremely heavy when it normally isn’t. The 3 position work is volumes harder than I thought. As the week went on I felt like I could push a little more, though I opted to do a regular WOD with the class rather than the strength cycle work. Probably going to have to do that from time to time. Overall, felt like a good week.
Weekly Training Log: 130422 - 130428
MONDAY - 130422
And on Mondays, we rest. And it was good.
TUESDAY - 130423
Day one of a 12 week oly/strength cycle. I have wanted to try something like this for quite a while now. More than stoked to give it a shot. The overall program will have to be modified to fit time constraints. As much as I want to, I can’t work out 3 hours at a time. I also want to make sure I have conditioning included. The first day is light so it is a good intro into the cycle.
Also, I am planning on logging the entire cycle here to include the percentages dictated by the plan as well as the actual weights that I used right after. I think it will be interesting to see the results.
Power snatch + OHS (Based on 185# 1RM)
2 sets @ 50% | 95#
2 sets @ 65% | 115#
3 sets @ 70% | 135#
Jerk (Based on 215 1RM)
3 sets of 2 @ 70% | 165#
3 sets of 3 @ 75% | 170#
Back Squat (Based on 395 1RM & scaled)
8 @ 60% | 225#
8 @ 65% | 235#
6 @ 70% | 255#
6 @ 75% | 275#
GHD: 3x15
WEDNESDAY - 130424
Skill: 3x10 Sotts press w/PVC.
Hang power clean
1x5 @ 135 warm-up
1x5 @ 165
3x5 @ 185
Hang snatch high pull
4x3 @ 65% of 1RM | 115#
Conditioning: 400m shuttle run, 2 power cleans (155#), 300m shuttle run, 4 power cleans, 200m shuttle run, 6 power cleans, 100m shuttle run, 8 power cleans. I have not tested any running and since I was feeling decent I gave it a shot. I was not fast and it took the first 300m to really get warmed up, but after that I felt good. I kept a decent pace on the run and made up ground on the cleans going unbroken through every round. 7:55 @ RX.
Pool (Lunch): 1000m @ 75% - 80%. Nothing fast, just a paced swim to log the distance. 20:32.
THURSDAY - 130425
Rest day.
FRIDAY - 130426
Clean & Jerk
5x1 @ 80% | 185#
Front Squat
5x2 @ 50% | 165#
5x2 @ 50% | 185#
Emphasis here was speed.
Snatch
5x1 @ 80% | 95#
I did a lot more than just 5 singles. I worked at this weight for at least 20 minutes hitting single after single. Focusing on the setup, hookgrip, hip contact, and speed. The trainer came over and gave me some advice about how wide my grip was that changed my world. Amazing how simple it was but how profound a difference I saw. I felt so much faster and stronger.
SATURDAY - 130427
Muscle/Power Snatch
5x1 | 95# warm-up
5x1 @ 60% | 110#
4x1 @ 65% | 115#
4x2 @ 70% | 135#
3-Position Clean (Hang, knee, floor)
3 sets @ 65% | 165#
3 sets @ 70% | 185#
Working on the full clean was great and something I really needed. Validated by the trainer coming over and saying they looked good.
Snatch Shrug
8x3 @ 105% | 205#
Push Press
5x5 @ 75% | 165#
Conditioning: This was a partner WOD that I didn’t want to do. I had planned a 5K row for conditioning and just as we started getting ready, a buddy asked me to do the WOD with him because his partner bailed. I flat out said I didn’t want to do it. He said, “just do the weights and I will do the other stuff.” It actually worked out pretty well because he cruised through the body weight stuff and I cruised through the barbell movements.
Basically, you had 20 minutes to work. While one partner works the other rests. They listed several exercises on the board and assigned a point value to each movement. You got to pick the movements you wanted to do in the 20 minutes. Team with the most points wins.
My partner did a lot of body weight stuff. The kid is 12 years younger than me and hella strong. I stuck with barbell movements and didn’t want to do anything that was less than 5 points a rep. He absolutely killed the HSPUs (He did 104 of them), sit-ups, air squats, DUs, and snuck in a 400m run as well as 10 power cleans. I ended up doing a total of 119 power cleans, 30 front squats, and a 100m run. I was able to go unbroken on the cleans until about half way through when I had to start breaking them into 5s and then singles because my grip started to give way from the lifting earlier. We finished second overall.
SUNDAY - 130428
Bottom position barbell stretch
2 minutes @ 95#
1 minute @ 135#
Clean & Jerk
3x1 @ 70% | 165#
2x1 @ 75% | 175#
2x2 @ 80% | 185#
1x1 @ 75% | 175#
1x1 @ 80% | 185#
3-Position Power Snatch
2 sets @ 50% | 95#
2 sets @ 65% | 120#
3 sets @ 70% | 130#
Conditioning: 10 min AMRAP of:
3 deadlifts @ 365#
250m row
5 rounds + 71 meters (1:47/500 average)
Summary
Overall, this week kicked my tail. Getting up Sunday, I felt the full weight of the added strength volume, most notably the shrugs and pull practice. My back and traps were extremely tight and sore. Saturday was easily one the highest volume training days I have had in a while. So it shouldn’t have been a shock that Sunday was as hard as it was.
I also did not do as many “conditioning” days as I normally would. Ideally I would have been in the pool 2 more days, but because of some schedule conflicts during lunch and a field trip with my oldest on Friday (which I wouldn’t trade for anything anyway) I didn’t get in the water. The great thing is that despite lifting more and feeling like my conditioning would suffer, whenever I test it I am still able to move so that is a plus.
Nutrition changes have been awesome. What initially I thought might not really do much good has had a positive impact in the gym.
Weekly Training Log: 130408 - 130414
MONDAY - 130408
Rest day. Stretching/mobilization. Consumption of food.
TUESDAY - 130409
Skill: 20 minutes of Clean & Jerk technique work @ no more than 80% of 1RM. Sets were: 2x135, 2x135, 2x165, 2x185, 2x185, 2x205
Conditioning: Row 2k @ 80-85%. Harder than I thought to pace this down a notch. Tried to keep it around a 2:00/500. 7:46.
Cash-Out: 3x10 pull-ups
Pool: 50m warm-up; 1000m @ 80-85%. ~19:30
WEDNESDAY - 130410
Skill: T2B practice
Strength: 3x8 good mornings (8x95, 8x115, 8x135); 60 sec ring plank hold; 40 GHDs
Metcon: 1 minute at each station for reps. Wall balls, box jumps, burpees, KB swings (53lbs), lunges. Rest 1 minute. 3 total rounds. Scores for the rounds were 93, 89, 86. Subbed step ups instead of the box jumps which my knee will thank me for later. Getting old sucks. Otherwise, this felt really good. It sucked, but I felt good about being able to stay around the same score per round.
THURSDAY - 130411
Conditioning: Pool. 50m warm-up untimed but brisk followed by 1000m. On Tuesday I did it in about 19:30. Granted I was not pushing it but I wanted to see if I could beat that. Would be good to work in a few distance swims as well since I rarely do that. Got the 1000m in 18:37. My coach wants me to work on getting my mile around mid to upper 20s so that will be my goal. My next distance swim I will test the mile and see where I am at.
FRIDAY - 130412
Warm-Up: 30 deadlifts (75lbs), 25 air squats, 20 deadlifts, 15 mountain climbers, 10 deadlifts, 5 bar facing burpees.
Strength: Front squat, EMOTM for 10 minutes. First few rounds done at 185, then jumped to 205. Really wished I had gone with 225 now.
Conditioning: 25 min AMRAP of 10 front squats (75lbs), 10 push presses (75lbs), 10 GHDs. 10 rounds + 8 GHDs. This was a really hard morning at the gym. Good hard, but tough. I left absolutely soaked in sweat.
SATURDAY - 130413
We were at CrossFit Cumming as they held the grand opening for their box. After being gone all day and not getting anything close to a warm-up, I had to wrap up the Whole Life Challenge fitness benchmark that we did which was 7 minutes of burpees. With my wife manning the timer and counting, I managed 92 reps. This was a 6 rep improvement from February and a 20 rep improvement over last year’s Open.
SUNDAY - 130414
Strength:
- 15 minutes to find 1RM power clean. 5x135 (C&J), 2x185 (C&J), 1x225, 1x235 (Matched PR),
1x245,1x240. - Snatch grip halting deadlifts: 5x275, 5x295, 5x315, 5x325, 5x345
- Snatch push press: 5x95, 5x115, 5x135, 5x155
Conditioning: 5 sets of 3x135 power snatch; Rest 5 minutes, then 8 minute AMRAP of 8 OHS @ 95lbs & 8 pull-ups. My knee had started to bother me during the cleans and probably should have backed off. I felt slow during the OHS and for the first WOD in my life I felt like I was catching my breath during pull-ups. Moved slow through this a few reps short of 8 rounds.
Cash-Out: 3x20 GHDs
Overall, I felt like it was another good week. My knee is still giving me issues and I hate having to work around it. I worked heavy on some things and matched a PR in areas where I felt like I would normally not have done that. With the WLC over, I am going to start making some nutrition changes as an experiment and see how that goes.
Inov-8 Oly shoes
I had heard some rumors about this and it took me a minute to dig up some details, but I finally found something worth sharing.
Inov-8 shoes are already pretty popular in CrossFit. I am now on my second pair and will most likely purchase a 3rd. I like them that much. So it was really no shock to learn that Inov-8 would be dropping some lifting shoes. Makes sense, right? They are already in the door with CrossFitters, and CrossFit has helped put some new interest into lifting, why not make a shoe for it?
The performance sports brand Inov-8 is setting a new standard in weightlifting footwear with their first weightlifting shoe for Autumn/Winter 2013 - the Crosslift 335 for men and the Crosslift 315 for women.
Also of interest from the media kit I found:
Given the rigid nature of weightlifting shoes, there is often a need to change shoes to complete workouts beyond weightlifting. The Crosslift utilizes Inov-8s Meta-Flex system to enhance flexibility and comfort, and features sticky rubber with indentations for added grip, while coming in at lightest product of its kind. With the new Crosslift, athletes can finish a WOD without switching footwear.
This shoe will most likely compete with the likes of the Reebok Oly and be designed to do more than just lift.
Personally, I like the look of them and hope that they will also offer these in some of the bright and vivid colors that are coming with their new line.
Clean sequence… From a few weekends back when we were working cleans from just below the knee. I think what I found most amazing, and also helpful, was that by working this lift in this fashion, how I immediately became aware of any flaw in technique. We worked at a relatively light weight rep after rep, focusing on really helping each other with form. Extremely helpful.
Weekly Training Log - 1/7/13
MONDAY - 1/7/13
Rest.
TUESDAY - 1/8/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
WOD - For time: 12 burpees, 12 thrusters (115#), 12 burpees, 12 snatches (115#), 12 burpees, 12 push-jerks (115#), 12 burpees, 12 hang squat cleans (115#), 12 burpees, 12 overhead squats (115#), 12 burpees, 12 thrusters (115#), 12 burpees, 12 snatches (115#), 12 burpees, 12 push-jerks (115#), 12 burpees, 12 hang squat cleans (115#), 12 burpees, 12 overhead squats (115#). Time Was 27:57. Wonderfully tough WOD.
WEDNESDAY - 1/9/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
Partner WOD: One works while the other rests. Complete 120 wall balls, 100 v-ups, 80 med ball situps, 60 burpees, 40 C2B pull-ups, 100m run together. Felt good about this. Had a great partner that pushed the pace and didn’t let me slow up. My C2B were more like regular pull-ups but I am working on it.
Cash-Out: 7x5 pull-ups
Lunch - Pool: 20x50m w/30 sec rest in between each lap.
THURSDAY - 1/10/13
Lunch - Pool: 10x100m w/1 min rest in between each lap.
FRIDAY - 1/11/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
WOD - 4RFT: 10 C&J (135lbs), 15 pull-ups, 350m row. I was actually looking forward to pull-ups. For the first time ever I did not cringe when I saw a WOD with pull-ups. I have been working on them and this would be a great test. RX on the C&J was 115 but I bumped it to 135 and did singles as quickly as I could. The row was decent and was able to breathe better than I thought. The first 2 rounds I did 10 pull-ups unbroken, then a set of 5. That was a big accomplishment for me. Working on form and making sure I get my chin over the bar. I really don’t care what my time was compared to everyone else because I felt accomplished on the pull-ups. Time was 21:45 @ RX+.
Cash-Out: 5x10 GHD situps.
Afternoon - Swimming: Was at a pool with our family and brought my swimming gear. Got about 10 25m laps in with varied rest. Wasn’t really going all out, just trying to swim a bit.
SATURDAY - 1/12/13
Rest.
SUNDAY - 1/13/13
Rest.
Shrug! Off the floor we go…
Weekly Training Log - 12/31/12
MONDAY - 12/31/12
Rest.
TUESDAY - 1/1/13
Rest.
WEDNESDAY - 1/2/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
Warm-up: 1000m row (3:45)
WOD “2013” - 2RFT: 20 clean & jerks (135lbs), 13 wall balls, 20 burpees, 13 pistols, 20 DB thrusters (35lbs), 13 GHD situps, 20 K2E, 13 HSPUs. This was a grinder WOD for sure. The trainer gave us some great modifications for the pistols and HSPUs that I used. Nice to work on modifying them and still doing a similar movement instead of subbing all together. I thought the sticking point would be the clean & jerks, but instead, it was the burpees and DB thrusters where I spent most of my time. Happy with the WOD, though, finishing 24 and change.
Cash-Out: 4x3 hang power cleans @ 165lbs.
Lunch - Swimming: 8x100 w/1 minute rest between each.
THURSDAY - 1/3/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
Warm-up: 24 rounds of tabata abs
WOD: At the top of every minute, do 4 bodyweight deadlifts, 4 medicine ball cleans, and then burpees with the remainder of the time. For me, a bodyweight deadlift is 245lbs, so that got heavy quick. The med ball cleans made my quads want to lock up half way through and there were a few rounds where I got no burpees at all. Final score was an even 40. Wanted. To. Die.
Post: 2x1000m row (4:06, 3:50); 10x5 pull-ups. Felt good to have a trainer and another member tell me my pull-ups were looking strong.
FRIDAY - 1/4/13
CrossFit (5:00 a.m.)
WOD: For time - 30 back squats, 30 dips, 30 lunges, 30 box jump overs, 10, back squats, 10 dips, 10 lunges, 10 box jump overs.Went with 135 on the weight and tried to move as fast as I could. Somewhere around 11 and a half minutes. Not bad, especially when I thought it was going to take about 20.
Cash-Out: 50 hand release push-ups; 10x10 GHD situps.
SATURDAY - 1/5/13
CrossFit (7:00 a.m.)
WOD: Grace - 30 clean & jerks (135lbs). I was really planning on just doing strength, but my friend Randal is trying to prepare for the World Wide WOD, where Grace is one of the WODs he will do, and wanted to do Grace. He didn’t want to do it alone, and rarely has any takers on doing WODs with him. I did a few warm-up reps and then we started the clock. A few reps in I asked a buddy to count me and just tried to limit rest as much as possible. Nailed a huge PR (for me) by doing this in 2:43. Totally shocked but more than happy.
Strength: 8 rounds of supersets of 3 banded deadlifts (245 w/green band) and pull-ups (5 reps).
SUNDAY - 1/6/13
Gold’s Gym (7:00 a.m.)
Had planned on a rest day, but joined up with some buddies. Worked on double unders and was able to start stringing a few together here and there. Making progress.
WOD - 7 rounds: 5 push presses (185lbs) and 2 laps around the track upstairs (guessing 400m). Did not have a running clock going, but guessing this was around 20 minutes. I had wanted to do 10 rounds but in the last 2 sets of push presses I had failed a rep and started to do more of a jerk as it got heavy so I called it off at 7.
This is my friend Tiffany competing in the Reindeer Games this past weekend in Augusta, Georgia. This WOD was 5 minutes to establish a 1RM Bear Complex. Bear Complex is a clean, front squat, overhead, back squat, back overhead without dropping the bar. I love this photo as it catches her right in the middle of the jerk to overhead.
Weekly Training Log - 12/2/12
SUNDAY - 12/02/12
Warm-up: 10 minute run
WOD - 4RFT: 300m run, 5 KB swings (88lbs), 4 stadium stairs, 12 push-ups, finish with a 300m run. Rest 2 minutes, then ME KB swings (88lbs). Time was 27 minutes and change. These type of WODs are tough for me but help my cardio improve as it is more about staying moving than strength. Was pleased to get 20 unbroken swings at the end after all of that. The heavy KB work is paying off. Want to manage 30 unbroken swings by the next month or two.
MONDAY
Rest Day
TUESDAY - 12/04/12
CrossFit (5:00a.m.)
Warm-up with mobility and a 1 mile run (9:11).
WOD: 50-40-30-20-10 of double unders, KB swings, and air squats. Went with the 70lb KB instead of the 53lb RX weight and came to regret the choice after the first round but was too stubborn to change. Broke each round into 2 sets until I got to the round of 20 and then went unbroken. Strung together the double unders better than I have but was too tired in the last 2 rounds to try so I went with singles. Time was 20:51.
Lunch - Pool: 20x50m laps w/30 seconds rest in between each. Maintained an average of 40 seconds per 50m.
WEDNESDAY - 12/05/12
CrossFit (5:00a.m.)
Strength - Snatch: (5x135, 2x155, 1x165, 1x170, 1x175, 180, 180). Matched my PR @ 175lbs with a power snatch.
WOD - Isabel: 30 snatches @ 135lbs for time. 3:53 @ RX. Did not feel like I had a great rhythm and I am pretty sure I could knock some time off of this.
Cash-Out: Subbed 4x15 GHD situps for the 150 ab mat situps.
THURSDAY - 12/06/12
Rest day.
FRIDAY - 12/07/12
CrossFit (5:00a.m.)
Strength - Thrusters: (5x115, 4x135, 3x165, 1x185, 1x205, 225, 220). My PR is 215 and I really wanted to go heavier, but couldn’t hit it.
WOD: 21-15-9 of thrusters (105lbs), hand release push-ups, and box jumps (24”). Lung burner for sure. Coming off the thrusters into push-ups was a tough test on shoulders and chest. Then from box jumps (which I suck at) into thrusters again smoked my legs. Time was 9:13 @ RX.
Cash-Out: 5x5 hang power snatch @ 105lbs; 2x5 hang power snatch @ 125lbs.
Lunch - Pool: 50m warm-up; 3x100 w/30 seconds rest; 5 minutes of 25m partner sprints.
SATURDAY - 12/08/12
Globo Gym (6:00a.m.)
Strength - Deficit deadlifts (10x185, 8x225, 8x275, 8x315, 5x365, 2x375, 8x275, 8x275, 8x275, 10x225, 10x225) while working in push presses while my buddy lifts (5x135, 5x135, 5x135, 3x155, 3x155, 3x155, 3x175, 3x185, 3x185, 1x195)
Swimming: 3x50m w/u followed by a 10 minute 25m partner sprint (8x50m); 200m cool down.
I have never done this WOD so I was not really sure what to expect going in. Perhaps an off day, but this just felt really heavy, really fast. I would like to try a different warm-up (We actually did strength and worked up to a 1RM on snatches prior to this) and see how it goes with a better rhythm. On my way home I was beating myself up because I did not do as well as I wanted. But you know what? Screw that. Regardless of what I did, I got better. Earlier this year during the open I couldn’t do 30 snatches at 135 without feeling crushed. Today was marked progress and improvement.
Time was 3:53 @ RX.
