Tuesday, December 30, 2014

12/30/2014

A. Hang squat snatch 2014 regionals style, 3 attempts for max, 1 attempt every 2:00
B. Front rack walking lunge, 4x4-6; 2:00 rest
C1. DB bench press w/feet & knees raised, build to a 5RM in 3 sets
C2. Pendlay row, 3x6-8, 20x0; :60 rest
+
5:00 airdyne increasing effort every :60 so that last :60 is hard
+
4 sets:
:25 airdyne @97%
3:35 walk rest or airdyne very easy
+
5:00 airdyne @Z1

A. 130-140-150
B. 140-150-160-170(4)
C1. 30-40-45
C2. 105-115-125
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete


Solid day. Hang snatches went really well. I only fell forward on my toes on one rep (140) but I still managed to make the lift. 130 and 150 felt really good and both attempt were pretty easy. It was fun treating it as a regionals style workout! After it was over, Alex and Stephen encouraged me to go for 160 just to see if I could hit a PR. I failed it three times. DAMMIT. The first two attempts were too far out in front, I wasn't getting aggressive punching my arms back. I actually thought I had it on the third attempt, I got under it but my arms started wobbling once I was in the bottom of the squat and I lost it. I'm confident I could hit this if my arms weren't as fatigued. The weight never felt heavy, I think by the third attempt I was just tired. But a 160 hang snatch is coming soon. Alex said once I hit a 160 hang snatch I'll be within 100 pounds of him which means I'll earn my place back in his circle of friends, so I'm using that as motivation. 

Walking lunges were tough today but not terrible, I was hoping to get 170 for 6 but my left leg was not having it, it was really tough to stand up on my left leg on the fourth rep. I'm actually starting to enjoy front rack walking lunges (as long as it's a barbell and not kettlebells). 

DB bench was pretty good, although 45 was definitely a struggle for 5 but I'm happy I was able to hit that. I know I would not have been able to get 50 for 5. No way sir. Pendlay rows were good. 

I think I should have pushed a bit harder on the airdyne sprints, I went balls out on the fourth one and realized I wasn't going that speed for all four of them. They were still fast though. These are definitely not enjoyable nor will they ever be. Overall I was very happy with my training today. 

12/29/2014

60:00 airdyne @Z1, off every 10:00 for 3 dead hang to inverted + :30/side plank

complete

12/28/2014

3 sets @ easy pace:
:60 free standing handstand hold attempts
:60 rest
200m jog
:60 rest
+
For reps:
3:00 strict handstand push ups
3:00 strict pull ups
3:00 farmers walk, 70/hand (25m=1 rep)
+
10 sets:
:60 airdyne @90% aerobic
:60 airdyne @50%

complete
+
14
25
5
+
complete


I really enjoyed the programming today. Freestanding attempts are getting better but not where I would like them to be. I had a few good attempts but for the most part I was kicking up and falling back down right away. Arg. I will master this. 

Strict handstand push ups didn't feel as good as last week, I should have been able to get more than 14 in 3:00. I was doing a lot of resting between sets to make sure I wouldn't fail any. The pull ups definitely got tiring, my grip and shoulders were pretty fatigued. By the time I got to the farmers walk my arms were really tired and it was rough holding on to the kettlebells. This one was a shoulder/arm burner. 

Airdyne was good as per usual. It was a fun day in the gym, more people than usual on a Sunday which was cool! 

12/27/2014

A. Squat snatch, accumulate 7 singles @135, rest as needed
B1. Weighted ring dip, 3x1-2, 20x1; :90 rest
B2. Weighted pronated pull up, 3x1-2, 21x1; :90 rest
+
8:00 @80% of (5 deadlifts @175 + 5 bar muscle ups + 50 double unders)
4:00 rest
8:00 @80% of (250m row + 5 DB manmakers)
+
Not for time:
200m indoor sled drag, moderate from the waist, play w/all directions- forward, backward, sideways

A. complete
B1. 25-30-35
B2. 40-50-65(PR)
+
complete
+
complete with 25# DB
+
complete with 115# on sled


Today was a bit rough, I was sluggish from traveling and not eating a normal diet. Snatches were definitely better than last Saturday, although I did have a few fails. The first few reps felt really good, but I caught a few on my toes. I'm not sure why I'm doing that lately. When I failed a rep I was usually WAY on my toes and the bar just fell forward. I need to get more aggressive punching my arms back. 

I was really happy with the weighted pull up PR! It felt really easy too, I definitely could have done more. 

8:00 pieces both felt pretty shitty, I was dragging through these. Bar muscle ups were slow in the first round but got better as the workout progressed, I probably just wasn't warmed up enough for these when I started. The man makers sucked real bad. I used 25# for these. I was pretty tired at this point and just wanted it to be over.

Sled drag was fine, dragging it sideways is definitely harder than I thought. 

Overall today was not the best, I never like having to disrupt my normal schedule and training after sitting in the car is never fun. Oh well, happy I at least put in the work!

12/26/2014

5-7 rounds @easy pace
:60 airdyne
20m/side 1-arm Farmers walk, 70
:60 row
2/side turkish get ups
:60 FLR on ground

5 rounds complete 

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

12/24/2014

AM
3 sets:
300m ski erg @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
400m run @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
500m row @90% aerobic
2:00 rest

PM
A. Split jerk cluster from blocks, 3x1.1.1, :10 rest between singles; 2:00 rest
B. Power clean, build to a max for the day
C. Power clean, 12x1 @90% of B, begin a rep every :30
+
3 rounds for even times:
75 double unders
10 KB swings, 53
15 burpees
10 KB swings, 53
15 airdyne calories
3:00 rest
+
10:00 airdyne easy

AM
complete

PM
A. 155-175-190
B. 195 (205 F)
C. complete @175
+
3:42
3:37
3:36
+
complete


Solid day. Split jerks were feeling a bit heavy today but form is definitely much better, I'm punching underneath more and it's definitely making a difference, I didn't press out any reps. I was happy to get 190 for 3.

For some reason my power clean is stuck at 195. I have ended up at 195 for the past three weeks. It was extremely easy, last week I caught it pretty low but today I was catching it much higher. I went for 205 and barely got it past my thighs. What the heck. I power cleaned 210 at one point! I can't believe I'm saying this but I would much rather squat clean. WHO AM I. The cleans at 175 were easy. 

The three rounder was a real DOOZ. The double unders were unbroken the first two rounds. During the third round I tripped up on the 50th rep. EFF. That was annoying. KB swings were all unbroken and burpees were steady, although they felt really slow during the second round. I was pushing pretty hard on the airdyne, especially on the third round. I was breathing pretty hard throughout the whole thing but never felt like I was dying. Recovery was good between sets. I'm definitely getting tougher mentally during workouts like this. I don't stand around and rest anymore. I tell myself as soon as I touch the kettlebell I have to pick it up. On the burpees I just kept reaching towards the ground so I wouldn't rest at the top. My transitions all felt really solid on this. I'm very happy I was able to keep my times consistent. 

12/23/2014

A. Hang squat snatch from just above knees, build quickly to a heavy single
B. Front rack walking lunge, 3x6-8 steps; 2:00 rest
C1. DB bench press w/feet and knees raised, 4-4-4-4, 20x1; :60 rest
C2. Axle pendlau row, 4x1-2, 20x0; :60 rest
+
5:00 airdyne increasing effort every :60 so that last :60 is hard
+
4 sets:
:20 airdyne sprint
3:10 walk rest or airdyne very easy
+
5:00 airdyne @Z1

A. 145 (155 Fx2)
B. 135-145-155
C1. 30-40-45-50(2)
C2. 130-140-150-155(1)
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete


Snatches were MUCH better than they were on Saturday. I pushed my terrible lifting session from the weekend out of my head. I worked up to an easy 145, it felt great. I got under 155 pretty easily but at the last second I fell forward, DAMMIT. I really thought I had it. It would have been nice to hit that because that's my current hang snatch PR. I tried again and it wasn't even close the second time. I'm happy that 145 was so easy though. I also realized I can't wear my knee sleeves when I'm snatching from just above the knees. As I was moving the bar down into position, I realized I was very aware of the bar moving over my knee sleeves and it was distracting. I pulled them down and was able to snatch just fine without them, so that's good. Maybe I don't have to rely on them as much as I thought. 

Walking lunges went really well, those are actually pretty enjoyable. I got 155 for 8, the last few steps were tough but it never felt horrible. 

DB bench wasn't as good as last week, I was only able to get 2 on the last set. I always really struggle with the first rep on DB bench. Pendlay row was tough simply because my hands are small and it's hard for me to grip the axle once the weight gets really heavy, I'm basically just doing what I can on that. 

Airdyne sprints were rough as usual, I went really hard on these. Legs were hurtin real good.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

12/22/2014

60:00 airdyne @Z1, off every 10:00 for 3 dead hang to inverted + 3 wall walks + :30/side plank

complete

12/21/2014

8 sets:
200m run @90% aerobic
:60 rest
+
AMRAP in 10:00
50m farmers walk, 100/hand
5 strict handstand push ups
5 bar muscle ups
+
8 sets:
:60 airdyne @90% aerobic
:60 airdyne @50%

complete (with Megan!)
+
3 rounds + 25m farmers carry (Cody joined me on this!)
+
complete


Thankfully today was much better than yesterday. Seeing Megan at the gym really lifted my spirits. She offered to run with me and it was awesome, it made the runs more fun and she also pushed the pace which was good. Runs felt great today.

I'm pretty pleased with the AMRAP. The farmers carry with the 100/hand is getting easier and easier. My strict HSPU were also the best they have been so far, I did 4 in a row! The next two rounds were 3/2, already an improvement from last Sunday. Bar MUs were alright, first round was 4/1 then 3/2 for the other two rounds. My grip was pretty shot from the heavy farmers carry so it was tough to hang on to the bar for more than 3 reps. Cody offered to do this one with me and that was cool, it's always nice getting to work out with him! 

Airdyne was good. Today was a lot better. 

12/20/2014

AM
5-7 rounds @ easy pace
:60 airdyne
20m/side 1-arm farmers walk, 70
:60 row
3/side KB windmill
:60 FLR on ground

PM
A. Squat snatch, accumulate 5 singles @145 or higher; rest as needed
B1. Weighted ring dip, 2x2-3, 20x1; :90 rest
B2. Weighted pronated pull up, 2x2-3, 21x0; :90 rest
+
8:00 @80% of (5 unbroken toes-to-bar + 5 unbroken deadlift @165 + 5 bar facing burpees)
4:00 rest
8:00 @80% of (15 hip extensions + 15 box jump/step down, 20 + 15 airdyne calories)
+
Not for time:
400m sled drag, moderate load allowing for minimal rest

AM
5 rounds complete

PM
A. Errrr..... 1 rep complete @145 and 1 rep complete @125. This didn't go well. Dropped the bar on my back while warming up and things just went downhill from there.
B1. 20-25
B2. 35-40
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete with 90# on sled


Today was rough man. Real rough. While I was warming up for the snatches I could tell I didn't have a lot of energy. I was supposed to 5 singles at 145 or higher, and I knew it would take me awhile to even get to 145. I hit 105, 125, then went for 135. When I snatched 135, the bar went too far behind me and I lost control of it. I usually fail out in front but this time it went behind and I didn't get out of the way in time, the bar dropped on my lower back. It hurt. It also really freaked me out. I tried to shake it off and went up to 145. I caught it completely on my toes, I'm not even sure how I managed to stand it up. I tried again and failed. Then I failed three more times. I could tell I was afraid to actually drop under the bar and punch it above my head because I was scared I would drop it behind me again. Stephen told me to keep trying because I need to learn how to regain my confidence in situations like this. I failed two more times and each rep was getting worse and worse. The bar was way out in front because I just didn't want to actually land on my heels. It was all mental. I legitimately almost burst into tears right on the platform. I was extremely frustrated and I couldn't shake the fear of dropping the bar behind me. It was so dumb. Stephen told me to take tens off each side and go down to 125. I managed to hit one rep and then called it. This was probably one of the worst snatching sessions I have ever had, and I was mad because I felt like I had completely wasted a lifting session. 

Weighted dips and pull ups felt good today, I think a weighted pull up PR might be in the near future.

The 8:00 pieces were good, although I was pretty drained by this point. Not sure why my energy was so lacking today. My TTB are getting really fast and easy. Deadlifts were easy. I wore the wrong pants to do box jumps. 

I used 90# on the sled, I only stopped a few times to change directions. I was moving pretty well. 

Overall, not a great day, but bad training days make me appreciate the good ones. 






12/19/2014

30:00 row @Z1

Friday, December 19, 2014

12/18/2014

For reps (GRID 1):
:80 muscle ups
+
For reps (GRID 2):
20 thrusters, 95
+
For 16:00
evens: 15 wall balls
odds: 7 unbroken toes to bar
+
3 sets:
:40 row @97%
4:50 rest

12
+
:47
+
complete
+
199m
199
199


Very happy with both of my Grid scores. Going into the muscle ups, my goal was 12. Last week I only got 11 in :90 and I wanted to beat that. Before I started Stephen told me to try and do 4 reps every :30. That worked really well, I knocked out 4 right away, had about :15 rest, then hit another 4. I didn't have as much rest after the second set and I was only able to get 3 before I had to drop off the rings. Stephen told me I had time for one more so I was able to hop up and get in one more rep right at the buzzer. I'm really happy with this, especially since my muscle ups felt pretty bad last week. First grid score in the books!

I was a little disappointed that I paused so much on the last few thrusters. The first 10 were pretty fast but it got tough around rep 13. I lost my balance on rep 16 and had to pause so I didn't fall forward. I also had to rest the bar on my shoulders for a second on reps 18-20 and that wasted some time, but there was no way I was going to put the bar down so I guess resting it on my shoulders was better than dropping the bar. While I was doing the thrusters, I noticed my grip was really wide and I'm not sure why. I couldn't really do anything about it because I didn't want to stop but it was just uncomfortable. After I was done I asked Stephen if my time was okay and he said the fastest time anyone would be able to get would be :40 so in the end I'm okay with :47, I just wish I didn't have to pause on the last few reps. Second grip score done!

The EMOM went well today, breathing was good. I had to drop the wall ball on one or two sets because the ball didn't hit the wall so it just fell to the ground. Other than that, the rest of the sets were unbroken. Toes to bar are getting faster and easier. 

Rowing was consistent again this week, 199 meters for all three and 1:40 pace. I would have liked to get the pace a little faster but my legs were pretty tired from the thrusters and wall balls. 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

12/17/2014

AM
3 sets:
300m ski erg @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
400m run @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
500m row @90% aerobic
2:00 rest

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, 10:00 tech/speed work @heavy loads
B. Power clean, 1-1-1-1 building; begin a rep every 2:00
C. Power clean, 16x1 @90% of best load in B; begin a rep every :20
+
4 sets @increasing effort:
30 double unders
15 KB swings, 53
15 burpees
30 double unders
+
10:00 airdyne easy

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
B. 155-175-185-195
C. complete @175
+
2:26
2:16
2:01
2:00
+
complete


Very solid day. AM session went really well, I enjoyed starting with the ski erg and doing the run second.

I worked up to 175 on the split jerk, focused on aggressive punch underneath/through. Jerks felt really good today, although the weight seemed heavier than normal when it was sitting on my shoulders.

Power cleans were WAY better this week. I tried to make sure I was properly warmed up for this because I didn't want to feel stiff going into heavy cleans like I did last week. Everything was much easier and form was a lot better today. I worked up to an easy 185. I asked Stephen if he thought jumping to 200 would be too much and he said it would be better to go to 195. Definitely a good decision. 195 felt good but I caught it with my feet a bit wide. The cleans at 90% were also much better than last week. Breathing was a lot better and form was good on each rep. Very happy with this!

The DU/KB/burpee piece went well, I might have started out too fast. All KB swings were unbroken, those were definitely holding me back since there's really no way to speed those up. I had control over the double under speed, burpee speed, and transitions. On the first two rounds, transitions were slower and double unders were at a relaxed pace. Third round was faster and then I went all out on the last set. I flew through the double unders, got through the KB swings, and tried to keep a quick pace on the burpees. I was on pace to shed about :10 off my previous time but I tripped up on the double unders on rep 23. EFF. So I ended up only going :01 faster than the third set. I'm not sure if the numbers are supposed to be increasing more drastically than this? I felt as though I went pretty hard on the third and fourth set. This is tough because the time is supposed to get faster but at the same time I'm also getting more fatigued. Recovery was good between sets. All double unders were unbroken except for the very last set. I was breathing pretty hard throughout, especially on the burpees, but I tried to picture the last set as if I was at the end of an open workout. I think mentally I'm getting much better at pushing myself through pain/heavy breathing.

I think overall today was really good, I felt great on everything.


12/16/2014

A. Hang squat snatch from just above knees, build quickly to a heavy double
B. Front rack walking lunge, 3x8-10 steps; 2:00 rest
C1. DB bench press w/ feet and knees raised, 5-5-5-5, 20x1; :60 rest
C2. Axle pendlay row, 4x2-3, 20x0; :60 rest
+
5:00 airdyne increasing effort every :60 so that last :60 is hard
+
4 sets:
:18 airdyne sprint
2:42 walk rest or airdyne very easy
+
5:00 airdyne @Z1

A. 125
B. 115-125-135
C1. 25-35-40-45
C2. 120-130-140-150(2)
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete


Blehhhh. Snatches were off today. 125 was very easy and definitely not heavy but it went downhill after that. I got 1 rep at 135 but failed the 2nd rep, I fell forward on my toes. I tried again but the same thing happened. I decided to just go to 140 because there's no reason I should be failing reps at 135. I hit the first rep at 140 but as soon as I returned it to the hang I dropped it because my grip was fatigued by this point. This was very frustrating, especially because I hit 140 for a double a few weeks ago. I don't think I warmed up enough for this. The first rep never felt hard, I just kept landing on my toes for the second rep. That was frustrating. Just an off day. 

Front rack lunges are getting easier every week, 135 didn't feel hard. I should probably start heavier next week.

DB bench press wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, last time I did a DB bench cycle I really struggled. It was also cool doing bench with my feet and knees raised, that was different. Got 45 for 5 on the last set but the last rep was tough. Pendlay rows were fine, it's just hard for me to keep a good grip on the bar once the weight starts getting heavy. 

Airdyne sprints were tough but I was going all out, felt a little pukey after the fourth one. Besides the snatching fails, today was good. 

Monday, December 15, 2014

12/15/2014

60:00 airdyne @Z1, off every 10:00 for 1 rope climb + 3 wall walks + :30 sorensen hold

complete

12/14/2014

10 sets:
150m run @90% aerobic
:40 rest
+
AMRAP in 10:00
1 rope climb
Farmers walk to opposite wall, 70/hand
3 strict handstand push ups
Farmers walk back to rope
+
15 sets:
:30 airdyne @90% aerobic
:30 airdyne @50%

complete
+
5 rounds + 1 Farmers walk 
+
complete


Solid day. I really enjoy Sundays. Running felt good today, the first few sets were a little slower than usual, I think I was still getting warm but the pace was good overall. 

I really enjoyed the AMRAP, rope climbs are getting much better! Strict handstand push ups are effing hard man. I was getting a bit frustrated on these. I did 2/1 the first two rounds then they were all singles. Strict HSPU are so frustrating because you have to rest until you know you can do another one. It's not like burpees or box jumps where you can just keep plugging away because you know you'll never fail a rep. On strict handstand push ups (and kipping as well) you HAVE to rest. I don't like that. But these are different and I enjoy doing new things in my training. Also, I need to be able to do these if they show up in a competition. So, keep them coming because I want to get better at these. Transitions were fast between movements and breathing was very good on this. 

Airdyne was solid as usual. I am really enjoying the format of my Sunday workouts. 

12/13/2014

Opex Winter Challenge

A. Establish a max load in the following complex, unlimited attempts:
12 deadlifts
9 hang power cleans
6 shoulder to overhead

B. For time:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 unbroken CTB pull ups
10:00 time cap

C. For time:
40 back squats (75/45)
40 row calories
30 front squats
30 row calories
20 overhead squats
20 row calories

AM session (did this after the winter challenge)

5-7 rounds @ easy pace
:60 airdyne
20m/side 1-arm Farmers walk, 70
:60 row
3/side KB windmill
:60 FLR on ground

Opex Winter Challenge

A. 125 (started at 145 and failed with 2 STO to go)
B. 4:40
C. 11:47

AM
5 rounds complete


Fun morning in the gym. The first workout did not go as I expected. Originally I was going to go for 155 on the complex (ARE YOU INSANE) but the more I heard people talking about it, the less confident I became. I decided to start at 145. It felt horrible. I made it through the deadlifts pretty easily but the hang cleans got very rough. By the time I had to do shoulder to overhead, my grip was just so fatigued I was barely able to squeak out 4 shoulder to overhead before I had to drop the bar. Every jerk was shaky and the return to the shoulders felt like 1000 pounds. I have never felt like that on a jerk before, my arms had nothing left and they were extremely wobbly. It was the weirdest feeling, I felt like I was losing control of my arms. I had to drop the bar with two reps to go. DAMMIT. There's no way I would have been able to get it overhead 2 more times. I was pretty disappointed. I took 20 pounds off and went again. This time I made it through the whole complex but it was still pretty difficult because my grip was still very fatigued from the first attempt. Looking back, I wish I would have started at 135 and just done it once.

The CTB pull ups went better than I expected. Going into this I was pretty nervous because my grip and forearms were blown up from the complex. I knocked out sets 1-5 pretty quickly, they were all kipping CTB. I switched to butterfly for sets 6-10 because it was faster and I didn't have to hang on to the bar as long. I made sure I was resting long enough between sets so I wouldn't fail any pull ups. I probably could have gone a little faster, but not by much. It was fun doing this with Michael, we pushed each other on the rest and it was nice to do this with a buddy. I thought my time was relatively solid on this, although I think I could have smashed this if I went in completely fresh with no prior grip fatigue.

I actually really enjoyed the last workout. I took the back squats at a steady pace and tried to push it on the rows. I sped up on the front squats but my legs were burning at this point. The only hard part was the overhead squats, my lower back was really tired and the last 5 reps were pretty shaky. My breathing was great on this and I thought I kept transitions relatively short between movements. I was able to really kick it up on the last row and finish under 12:00.

Overall, this was a really fun day. I wish I had done a bit better on the complex, but that's the tough part about complexes, you really just don't know where you will end up. I'm extremely happy with how much my CTB pull ups are improving and also very pleased with my breathing. It was really awesome getting to do these workouts with Duprie, Old Man McCarty, Michael, and Brandie. It's cool getting to work out with the gang every now and then.





Friday, December 12, 2014

12/12/2014

35:00 airdyne @Z1

12/11/2014

A. Thruster, build to a max
B. Muscle ups, 2x max in :90, 4:30 rest
+
For 14:00
evens: 14 wall ball
odds: 7 unbroken toes-to-bar
+
3 sets:
:35 row @97%
4:25 rest

A. 165 (PR+15)
B. 11, 10
+
complete
+
176m
176
176


I was really happy hit hit a new thruster PR! I don't think I could have gone higher than 165, it was fast coming out of the hole but the press was tough. 165 is my max push press so I don't think I could have pressed 170. Very happy with this.

Muscle ups were kind of a mess today. On the first set I hit 5 in a row, then 3/2/1. I decided not to go for a max set this week because it totally wasted me last time but for some reason I was just taking a really long time between sets. MUs definitely did not feel as good as they did last week, I wasn't breathing hard but my arms were pretty tired. I was disappointed to only get 11, I got that same number last week and the time limit was :75. I had 15 extra seconds this week, I should have at least gotten 13. For the second set, I decided to try just jumping to the rings from the ground because I thought I wasted too much time stepping up on the box during the first set. It turns out jumping from the ground was a mistake and probably cost me some muscle ups. My plan going in was to just hit sets of 3 with very little rest. I got 3 right away but the rings were swinging all over the place. I got another set of 3, then 2/2. I shouldn't have gone from the ground, I'm not used to it and it ended up hurting me more than helping me. I guess it was good to at least try but I'm going to just go off the box from now on and just try to keep rest time shorter. Bleh. Disappointed with this. I would like another try next week if possible. 

EMOM was much better this week, breathing felt great throughout the entire thing. This is probably because I wasn't as tired from muscle ups like last week so I didn't waste as much energy but I was still pretty happy with how I felt on this. Wall balls were very easy and toes to bar were fast. 

Row sprints were good, consistent on every set, pace was 1:39 for each. Solid day. 


Thursday, December 11, 2014

12/10/2014

AM
3 sets:
400m run @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
500m row @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
300m ski erg @90% aerobic
2:00 rest

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, 10:00 tech/speed work, you pick the weights
B. Power clean, build very quickly to a heavy single for the day
C. Power clean, 15x1 @90% of B, begin a rep every :20
+
3 sets:
30 double unders
10 KB swings, 53
10 burpees
3:00 rest
+
10:00 airdyne increasing effort every 2:00 so that last 2:00 is 85-90% 

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
B. 195
C. complete @175
+
2 rounds
2
2
+
complete


AM session went well, breathing was a little harder on the run this week so I slowed the pace down a bit. Breathing on rowing and ski erg felt better than last week, but I still feel very awkward when I'm on the ski erg. But then again, is it the ski erg that's awkward? 

Split jerks were good today, worked up to an easy 165. I focused on punching under the bar and just being more aggressive on the lift in general. 

I feel like my power cleans are getting worse. I definitely do not have the same confidence on these as I used to, I'm not sure why. Everything up to 175 was very easy, then I caught 185 VERY low on my chest, that hardly ever happens. I went up to 195 and caught it much higher on the chest but caught it right at parallel. I don't think I have ever had to receive a power clean that low before. I'm not really sure what's going on, the pull off the ground on 185 and 195 felt extremely heavy. The cleans at 175 were shockingly heavy, it was actually bumming me out. 175 is usually nothing, I can do that touch and go 5 times! Today it felt very heavy and I just wasn't being aggressive on the pull off my thighs. Some reps were good, some were bad. I can't believe I actually prefer squatting to power cleaning now. I'm hoping this is just a weird rut, I just need to get more aggressive on these. 

The 3:00 piece went well, I got 2 rounds each time. My transition probably could have been faster between double unders and KB. I tripped up once on double unders during the first set but then they were all unbroken after that. I was breathing pretty hard on this. Burpees felt a bit slow today but tried to just stay moving. When I do these types of workouts I try to imagine it as an open workout. 

Airdyne was good, I think I'm getting better at mentally pushing myself on this.


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

12/9/2014

A. Hang squat snatch from just above knees, build quickly to a heavy triple
B. Front rack walking lunge, 3x10-12 steps; 2:00 rest
C1. Close-grip bench press, 1-1-1-1 building to a max, 20x1; :60 rest
C2. Axle pendlay row, 4x3-4, 20x0; :60 rest
+
5:00 airdyne increasing effort :60 so that last :60 is hard
+
6 sets:
:15 airdyne sprint
2:15 walk rest or airdyne spin very easy
+
5:00 airdyne @Z1

A. 125
B. 105-115-125
C1. 125-135-145-150(FAIL x2)
C2. 110-120-130-140
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete


Snatches are continuing to improve. The bar never felt heavy today. 125 was extremely easy and fast for the first two reps (I got a compliment from George so I know it was legit) but on the third rep I lost my grip a little bit returning the bar to the hang, which caused me to rush my set up. I still made the lift but I took a few steps forward with it so I called it. The weight never felt heavy, the return to the hang is definitely the limiting factor on this. It just takes so much energy. I wish I had stronger thumbs. I'm noticing that lately every rep is feeling the same, which is what I want. I'm very happy my snatches are starting to get better, hopefully it stays this way for awhile. 

Front rack walking lunge was much easier than last week. 

As far as bench press goes, I have just accepted the fact that I will be stuck at a 145 bench press until the day I die. This is starting to get discouraging. I was very confident today that I would hit 150. 145 was easy. I tried for 150 and thought I had it but it got stuck halfway up. DAMMIT. I rested a few minutes and tried again but the second attempt was worse than the first one. I'm not sure if this is a mental block or just pure weak sauce on my end. I think I need to load the weight differently next time. I was talking to Heather afterwards and she made a good point, she said I should try jumping from 140 to 150 next time instead of going from 145 to 150. I always forget that powerlifting is a bit different than olympic weightlifting. On olympic lifts, the jumps get smaller once you start getting close to your max but on back squat/bench press/deadlift the jumps can be a little bigger. Heather said "I wouldn't back squat 295 and then go for 300, that would be a waste of energy". So I think next week (if I have this again next week) I'm going to go 120-130-140-150. If I STILL can't hit 150 after that then I'll know I'm cursed to be bad at bench press forever. 

Airdyne felt good today. Even with the bench press fail, today was a good day. My training sessions lately have been very solid overall. 



Monday, December 8, 2014

12/8/2014

60:00 airdyne @Z1, off every 12:00 for 1 rope climb + 3 wall walks + :30/side plank

complete

Sunday, December 7, 2014

12/7/2014

15 sets:
:30 airdynde @90% aerobic
:30 airdyne @50%  
+
AMRAP in 10:00
3 strict handstand push ups
3 bar muscle ups
50m Farmers walk, 70/hand
+
8 sets:
200m run @90% aerobic
:60 rest

complete
+
4 rounds + 2 HSPU
+
complete


I wasn't sure how the strict HSPU were going to go, I have never done those before. They actually weren't too bad at first, but after two rounds they got pretty tough. The first round was unbroken, then 2/1, then all singles after that. I definitely need to keep practicing these. Bar muscle ups were all unbroken until the fourth round. These felt really tough today, my hands kept slipping off the bar and I couldn't get a solid grip. I kept catching myself really low and had to press out at the top more than usual, not sure what was going on. 

200 meters seemed a lot farther than 150 today, but breathing was good throughout all 8 sets. 




Saturday, December 6, 2014

12/6/2014

AM
5-7 rounds @ easy pace
:60 airdyne 
20m/side 1-arm farmers walk, 70
:60 row
3/side KB windmill
:60 FLR on ground

PM
A. 1 squat snatch + 1 overhead squat, build to a tough set
B1. Weighted dip, 2x3-5, 20x1; :90 rest
B2. Weighted pronated pull up, 2x3-5, 21x0; :90 rest
+
8:00 @80%
8 CTB pull ups
8 deadlifts @155
8 bar facing burpees
+
4:00 rest
+
8:00 @80%
:20 L-sit accumulation 
16 alternating box step up/step down @20
12 airdyne cal
+
Not for time:
400m sled drag, moderate load allowing for minimal rest

AM
5 rounds complete

PM
A. 155, then hit 165 for a snatch PR
B1. 10-15
B2. 20-25
+
complete
+
complete
+
complete with 90# on sled


Really excellent day! Snatches felt great today. I started at 125 and added 10 each time. Every rep felt exactly the same, a patient pull off the ground and fast under the bar.  I was keeping the weight back on my heels and didn't fail any reps. The overhead squats were also much better than last week. This was the best my snatching has been in quite awhile. Stephen told me to just go for a 165 PR. I failed it twice, I wasn't getting aggressive punching my arms back in the bottom of the squat so I was falling forward. I went for it one more time and got it! It felt great, it was very easy to stand it up. I think I could definitely hit 170 in the next month or two. Very excited about this PR, especially since I have been trying hit 165 for the past three months. Progress! 

I probably should have gone heavier on both the dips and weighted pull ups, haven't done those in quite awhile so I wasn't really sure where to start. 

The two 8:00 pieces went well, CTB pull ups are getting very easy and fast. My cycle time on those is getting much quicker. I broke the deadlifts up 4/4, I'm not sure why. Looking back, I didn't need to do that. L-sits were done in sets of :10. 

Sled drag was tough but not nearly as terrible as last week. 

Friday, December 5, 2014

12/5/2014

35:00 airdyne @Z1

12/4/2014

A. Thrusters, 3-3-2-2; 2:00 rest
B. Muscle ups, 2x max in :75; 3:45 rest
+
For 12:00
evens: 15 wall ball
odds: 8 toes-to-bar
+
3 sets:
:30 row @97%
4:00 rest

A. 125-135-140-145
B. 11, 9
hit a PR of 8 in a row on the first set, that was neat
+
complete
+
151m
151m
150m


WHAT A DAY. 

Thrusters were very easy, I should have gone heavier. I definitely could have hit 150 for 2. I was pausing slightly on the shoulders after the first rep for one second, I would like to move away from doing that just so the reps are more fluid but Stephen said it's okay for now if it's going to help me get heavier weight. I'll test it out next time and see if I can do it without pausing. Really happy with this though because I'm pretty sure my 1RM thruster is 150.

Muscle ups were great today. I started the first set and hit 8 in a row, that's a PR. YAY. They felt really good too, I might have been able to squeeze out one more but I didn't want to totally wreck myself for the rest of the time. I came off the rings and I was pretty winded. I hit 2 more then a single before time ran out. The second set wasn't as good, the first five felt really easy but then my forearms started blowing up a bit, plus I was still sort of winded from the first set. I hit 5, then 2, then 2. I'm not sure why muscle ups make me breathe so hard, after the first set I felt like I had just sprinted 100 meters. I think I just need to try and relax while I'm doing them and focus on my breathing more. I'm really happy with the PR. Progress! 

The EMOM is basically when the training session started going downhill. I was so winded throughout the entire thing. All the wall balls were UB and so were TTB. It was completely opposite from last week, the wall balls were tough but the TTB were easy and fast. I don't think I should have been breathing that hard during this EMOM. I might have still been tired from the MUs? Not sure. Did not have a lot of energy for this. 

The row sprints were pretty terrible and at this point I was really drained. I am not sure why I was so low on energy all of a sudden because at the beginning of the training session I felt great. I'm happy all my sprints were consistent. The day ended a bit rough but overall very happy. 

12/3/2014

AM
3 sets:
400m run @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
500m row @90% aerobic
2:00 rest
300m ski erg @90% aerobic
2:00 rest

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, 10:00 tech/speed work, you pick the weights
B. Power clean, build very quickly to a heavy single for the day
+
AMRAP in 3:00
Power cleans, 90% of B
+
5 sets @ increasing effort
35 double unders
10 KB swings, 53
10 burpees
:90 rest
+
10:00 airdyne @85%-high effort w/no burn

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
B. 195
+
12 @175
+
1:42
1:32
1:25
1:20
1:15
+
complete


AM session went much better than last week, I changed up what I ate for dinner the night before and felt much lighter going into the AM session. I'm really happy with how much my running is improving, my pace is getting quicker but I'm still able to maintain my breathing at 90%. Recovery between movements was overall a lot better than last week. 

Split jerk tech work was solid, I never went above 145. When I worked with Chelsea a few weeks ago, she told me I do this weird thing before I jerk where I lock and unlock my knees a bunch, so I worked on not doing that. I also worked on dropping lower underneath the bar. 

Power cleans felt real heavy today. REALLLLLL HEAVY. I worked up to 195 but caught it pretty low so I called it there. I was really disappointed with the 3:00 AMRAP, I only got 12 cleans @ 175. What the heck. Usually 175 is not heavy for me at all, I'm not sure what was going on but I definitely should have gotten more than 12 cleans in 3 minutes. My muscle were never fatigued but I was breathing really had on this just like I was last week. 

The 5 sets at increasing effort went well, although I'm not sure if my fifth time should be a lot faster than my first time? There's only a :27 difference between the first set and last set so I'm not sure if maybe I went either too fast on the first set or didn't pick up the pace enough on the last set. Double unders were all unbroken. 

Airdyne was good, breathing on this is definitely improving. 

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