Catch Up

Crap. I forgot to post last Friday's workout. I wish I could blame it on work (which has, in fact, exploded recently), but I had all weekend to write. It just slipped my mind -- probably because I was busy teaching the boys to dance Gangnam Style.

Come on -- I know you want to watch it again.


Anyway...

Having been knocked down with a fever and sore throat for a solid week, I was looking forward to getting back in the gym on Friday. We practiced weighted ring dips  before the metcon was announced:

• 15 toes to bar
• 15 hang power cleans (115lbs / 85lbs)
• 15 box jumps (20")
• 12 toes to bar
• 12 hang power cleans (115lbs / 85lbs)
• 12 box jumps (20")
• 9 toes to bar
• 9 hang power cleans (115lbs / 85lbs)
• 9 box jumps (20")
• 6 toes to bar
• 6 hang power cleans (115lbs / 85lbs)
• 6 box jumps (20")
• 3 toes to bar
• 3 hang power cleans (115lbs / 85lbs)
• 3 box jumps (20")

Forty-five reps of toes-to-bar and hang power cleans? My wrists started weeping before the workout began. I decided to stick with the women's RXed weight because: (1) I am weak, and (2) I am not altogether stupid.

Result: 11:05.

This morning, I returned to the gym feeling like myself for the first time in ten days. (My voice still sounds terrible, but I feel fine.) Good thing, too, because I love me some kettlebell snatches. We practiced until my arms felt like they were going to pop off, and then:

"Elizabeth"

• 21 power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 21 ring dips
• 15 power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 15 ring dips
• 9 power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 9 ring dips

Remember how I said I'm not altogether stupid? Well, that means I'm still somewhat stupid -- which explains why I decided to do Elizabeth as RXed today. The last time we did Elizabeth, I used a 115-pound barbell -- a smarter move. Cranking out consecutive reps of 135 pound power cleans is doable for me...for about a dozen reps. After that, I had to eke 'em out in mini-sets of two or three.

(Clearly, my math skills are nonexistent. On Friday, I blanched at the thought of doing 45 reps of 115-pound cleans, and opted for 85 pounds instead. But today, I decided that 45 reps of 135-pound cleans sounded just fine and dandy. I'm an idiot.)

In the second round, I started no-repping. Twice, I failed to get my elbows down and around the bar fast enough, and ended up splashing the bar. Strange sounds started coming out of my throat.

On the plus side? All the ring dip practice we've been doing paid off -- I got through those fairly quickly.

Result: 10:28 as RXed.

Friday's Workout

Today's workout was a reprise of the one we did back on January 4:

• 5 rounds for time (or AMRAP in 20 minutes):
• 15 deadlifts (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 12 hang power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 9 front squats (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 6 jerks (135lbs / 95lbs)

Once again, I decided to go with 95 pounds. It felt a little light at first, and I blazed through the first couple of rounds. Frankly, I probably could have gone a bit heavier -- but by the time I got to the third set of front squats, the barbell felt plenty heavy.

Result: 16:37. Progress!

Barbells make me feel manly -- even when I'm lifting the women's RXed weight.

Wednesday's Workout

It's been a while since I faced a barbell-intensive WOD at the gym, so I was half-hoping we'd get one thrown at us this morning. Note to self: Be careful what you wish for.

5 rounds for time (or AMRAP in 20 minutes):

• 15 deadlifts (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 12 hang power cleans (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 9 front squats (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 6 jerks (135lbs / 95lbs)

There was no way I was going to attempt over 200 lifts at my bodyweight, so I opted for the women's RXed weight. 

As the WOD began, I wondered whether I should've put more weight on the bar; the deadlifts and cleans felt light, and I was getting through the sets unbroken. But a few minutes in, all thoughts of adding weight were banished. Ninety-five pounds was plenty for me, thankyouverymuch -- especially since I couldn't let the barbell come crashing down from overhead. (Our class was once again reminded that we aren't allowed to drop our weights -- our neighbors need their beauty sleep.)

The cleans were the most challenging for me; with my hands in a hook grip, I had trouble readjusting my fingers on the bar without lowering the bar (ever-so-gently) to the floor. Also: My forearms were on fire. By the fourth round, I was seriously lagging.

Result: 18:13. 

(But it was fun.)

Monday's Workout: Shin vs. Barbell

This blog is quickly turning into a catalog of my injuries.

For a couple of months now, my body's been in a perpetual state of disrepair. Some of my injuries have been relatively minor (e.g., a bee sting on the bottom of my foot, a gash on the back of my calf, torn hands from Mary), while others have been more of a pain in the ass (e.g., an ankle sprain, a groin pull). Finally, after many slow and frustrating weeks on the mend, I started feeling pretty damned good again. I woke up last Monday with renewed energy, and had a blast tearing through Annie.

But just when I thought I was in the clear, my body decided to revolt once again. A day or two after last Wednesday's session of deadlifts, my lower back stiffened up. I figured the soreness would go away after a couple of days, but even now, the discomfort remains.

Given my decrepitude, I decided to take it easy today. The strength skill today was Turkish Get-Ups, and I chose to stick with the 1-pood kettlebell for all but the final set -- and even then, I went only a few pounds heavier.

And then Tim wrote today's metcon on the board:

"DT" -- 5 rounds for time of:

• 12 deadlifts (155lbs / 115lbs)
• 9 hang power cleans (155lbs / 115lbs)
• 6 push jerks (155lbs / 115lbs)

"Go lighter than normal," Tim instructed. "I don't want any dropped weights." At five a.m., he reminded the class, we need to be quiet as mice, or risk incurring the wrath of the neighbors.

Frankly, I was relieved to have an (additional) excuse to go light today. I'd hoped that my back would loosen up during warm-ups, but the soreness lingered. Ninety-five pounds sounded good to me.

As the workout began, I actually felt fine. I raced through the first round unbroken, and quickly moved on to the deadlifts again. The weight was light -- even numerous reps of power cleans weren't super-difficult at 95 pounds. But I started to flag midway through the workout, and had to put down the bar (quietly) several times for mid-set breathers.

And then, at the end of the fourth round, as I lowered the weight from overhead, I lost my grip on the barbell. To keep it from clanging on the floor, I instinctively stuck out my leg. That's right: MY LEG. TO CATCH A FALLING BARBELL.

Needless to say, the barbell won, and my shin lost. (Wanna see?)

After a brief visit to the Pain Cave in my head, I finished up the final round.

Result: 8:56.

At this rate, I swear I'm going to be in a full-body cast soon unless I invest in a full-body protective suit.

Snazzy!

Wednesday's Workout

For time:

• 50 double-unders
• 21 wall ball shots (20-pound ball, 10-foot-high target)
• 21 hang cleans (95-pound barbell)
• 21 Abmat sit-ups
• 15 wall ball shots (20-pound ball, 10-foot-high target)
• 15 hang cleans (95-pound barbell)
• 15 Abmat sit-ups
• 9 wall ball shots (20-pound ball, 10-foot-high target)
• 9 hang cleans (95-pound barbell)
• 9 Abmat sit-ups
• 50 double-unders

As we let out a collective groan, Tim proudly exclaimed: “It’s like a double-under sandwich!”

I didn’t mind the sandwich filling so much. I no longer suck horribly at wall balls. No air balls this morning -- and I cleared the 10-foot line with every single shot. They feel (slightly) easier, too. The 95-pound hang cleans weren’t that bad, either, despite the angry-looking welts on my collarbone from catching the bar in rack position. As for the Abmat Sit-ups, I kept my butt on the floor and didn’t get an ass-crack rash. And that, my friends, is what I call a win-win situation.

On the minus side? The sandwich bread. (How very Paleo of me!) Seriously: the double-unders were murder. As Carol whipped through all of her double-unders one right after the other (I’m almost certain she moonlights as a professional rope-jumper), I struggled mightily to string mine together. Each of my double-unders were followed by a single-under, so that by the time I completed 50 double-unders, I had jumped close to a hundred times and was ready to pass out. I sucked.

Result: 12:35. It would have taken me even longer to finish had it not been for the fact that miraculously, I managed to crank out 27 consecutive double-unders at the start of the final round.

Final note: I will pay cash money to anyone who will sell me their ability to crank out 50 double-unders in a row.

Monday's Workout

Here in the U.S., it's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And on holidays, our CrossFit gym rolls out Hero WODs to honor the fallen. Today, we did the "DT" workout, named in memory of Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy Davis, who was killed in Afghanistan in February of 2009.

5 rounds for time:

• 12 deadlifts
• 9 hang cleans
• 6 jerks

We last did this workout during last year's Independence Day weekend, shortly after I first started CrossFit. This time around, I added 20 more pounds to the bar  -- though in retrospect, I should have gone even heavier. The deadlifts were easy, and the jerks weren't that tough, either. But the rate-limiting step are the hang cleans. During the warm-up, when I had 115 pounds on the bar, I struggled to string a bunch of 'em together; fearing that I wouldn't be able to complete the WOD, I decided to take some weight off the bar. Too much. Yes, the workout was still an ass-kicker, and I still had to set the barbell down for more than a few mid-set breaks. But I could have -- and should have -- made it harder for myself.

Result: 9:08.

Monday's Workout

Miss me? Don't worry: Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean I'm not going to squeeze in my regular workout (and blog about it).

During last year's visit to Maui, my exercise routine consisted of some self-customized P90X-esque chipper workouts, and I started running in earnest in my FiveFingers.

This time, before leaving California, I'd arranged to drop into a local CrossFit affiliate. The island has several CrossFit gyms, and the one closest to where we're staying is one of the newest; it's not yet fully stocked with equipment, and most members are brand-new to CrossFit (even more so than me). But the owner/coach is open and friendly, and the programming seems solid.

Warm-Up:

Unlike my gym back home, where each of us gets loose and ready however we like, the warm-ups here are directed by the coach. Today, we were instructed to warm up with a little taste of Cindy: Instead of 20 minutes of pull-ups, push-ups and squats, though, we did just three rounds. In the sticky morning heat, it was enough to get me sweating.

It also reminded me of a CrossFit saying (that I've always disliked for its braggadocio, but with which I agree): "My warm-up is your workout."

And so, after the mini-Cindy, the workout began in earnest.

Strength Skills:

• Barbell Hang Cleans (5 sets of 3)
• Dumbbell Floor Presses (5 sets of 5 per side)

The hang cleans weren't difficult, but the floor presses were new to me -- at least in a CrossFit setting. (I'd been introduced to them before as part of my Turbulence Training routine from earlier in the year, but I often subbed in bench presses instead.) I like new things, so I had fun with them.

The best part: Practicing a compound motion requiring full-body neuromuscular coordination (hang cleans) and then throwing in some pure strength work (floor presses) for good measure.

Metcon:

CrossFit isn't CrossFit without a metcon, right?

For time:

• 10 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 9 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 8 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 7 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 6 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 5 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 4 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 3 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 2 overhead kettlebell swings
• Run 100 meters
• 1 overhead kettlebell swing
• Run 100 meters

I've done this one twice before. But it's one thing to do a crazy metcon in the pre-dawn chill of northern California. It's another thing entirely to do one in the mid-morning humidity of Maui. I still managed to fly through this one, finishing in 7:37 (7 seconds faster than my previous effort), but I'm pretty sure I've never before perspired that much in just seven-and-a-half minutes.

Wednesday's Workout

Strength Skill:

Zercher Squats

Today was my first encounter with Zercher Squats -- an old strongman exercise -- but it was love at first sight. These barbell squat variations are much kinder to my spine, and allow me to pile on the weight. They're also kinder to my wrists than front squats.

Zerchers are known to murder the skin in the crook of your elbows, but thankfully, our gym has fat bars, which helped my puny, sensitive arms stay scratch-free.

Metcon:

3 rounds for time:

• 200 meter sandbag sprint (i.e., run while carrying a 50-pound sandbag on your shoulders)

• 10 sandbag hang cleans & overheads (i.e., clean the sandbag to your chest, and then press it over your head -- that's one rep)

Result: 6:24 (plus some sand in my eyes and a few bloody knuckles).

I love this stuff.

Friday's Workout

Strength Skill:

Weighted Ring Dips - I managed to do 'em with 70 pounds strapped to me in various places.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 10 minutes:

• 5 deadlifts
• 5 hang power cleans
• 5 thrusters

Result: 10 rounds plus 10 reps.

I should have paced myself better -- I flew through my first few rounds, but after 5 or 6 rounds, I slowed down substantially, and had to repeatedly set down my weights to catch my breath. Also, in hindsight, I should have taken my breaks between the deadlifts and hang power cleans, but instead, I took them between the hang power cleans and thrusters, and as a result, I ended up doing an extra clean each round in order to heave the weights back up before starting my thrusters.

Saturday's Workout

Chipper time! I'm going to call this one "2010":

• Pull-Ups: 20 reps
• Barbell Thrusters: 10 reps
• Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings: 20 reps
• Ring Dips: 10 reps
• Ring Rows: 20 reps
• Medicine Ball Cleans: 20 pounds, 10 reps
• Plyo Box Jumps: 24" box, 20 reps
• Barbell Hang Clean & Press: 10 reps
• Push-Ups: 20 reps
• Renegade Rows: 10 reps per arm
• Sit-Ups: 20 reps
• Hanging Knees-to-Elbows: 10 reps
• Row: 500 meters

I was going to make it a 2000-meter row, but I think I would have collapsed and expired. And even with just a 500-meter row, this workout took me a whopping 17:45 to finish. 

Thursday's Workout

I wanted to put my CrossFit toys to good use (without killing myself in advance of tomorrow's workout), so I did a little bit of everything I could think of, and put together this mini-Chipper:

• Jump Rope: 3 minutes
• Kettlebell Snatches: 1 pood, 10 reps per arm
• Jumping Muscle-Ups: 3 reps
• Ring Dips: 10 reps
• Medicine Ball Cleans: 20 pounds, 10 reps
• Dead Hang Pull-Ups: 5 reps
• Wallball Throws: 20 pounds, 8-foot-high target, 10 reps
• Barbell Thrusters: 10 reps
• Plyo Box Jumps: 24" box, 10 reps
• Push-Ups: 20 reps
• Ring Rows: 20 reps
• Air Squats: 50 reps
• Kipping Pull-Ups: 10 reps
• Abmat Sit-Ups: 30 reps
• Barbell Hang Clean & Press: 10 reps
• Renegade Rows: 10 reps per arm
• Hanging Knees-to-Elbows: 10 reps
• Row: 500 meters

Monday's Workout

I had a day off from work, but CrossFit takes no holiday. We practiced kettlebell snatches today (which made my torn-up hands unhappy), and then moved right into the "DT" hero workout.

"Hero" workouts are named after CrossFitters who died in the line of duty as soldiers, police officers or firefighters. From what I can tell, these workouts are tougher than the typical WODs. Or maybe it's just because I totally and completely sucked at today's workout.

The "DT" workout consists of five endless-seeming rounds -- done for time -- of the following:

• 12 deadlifts
• 9 hang cleans
• 6 jerks

It didn't help that this was the first time I'd ever attempted a hang clean or a jerk using an Olympic bar.

If you're trying to do "DT" to the letter (or, in CrossFit parlance, "as RX'ed"), you're supposed to use a barbell loaded with 155 pounds. I ended up only using 115 pounds, which I initially thought was way too easy (especially the deadlifts), but as the rounds progressed and my jerks started to wobble around, I was dying to lose some of the plates I'd put on. It took me about nine-and-a-half minutes to complete today's metcon.

Tired. Must...sleep...now...