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.

The Jerk Store Called

I'm all kinds of miserable living in this hotel. The bed is lumpy, the kitchen's the size of a shoebox, and I'm allergic to the industrial perfumes that permeate everything in the place. We've been staying here for almost a month, and we'll be here for at least another month yet.

One of the only times I feel normal? When the alarm goes off at 4:20 a.m. and I throw my stuff into a gym bag and head out to CrossFit Palo Alto.

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (3-3-3-1-1)

I love starting the day with my lifting shoes on. My final rep wasn't pretty, but I managed to successfully lock out with 155 pounds overhead -- a new (non-split-jerk) PR.

Metcon:

• AMRAP in 10 minutes of:
• 20 kettlebell swings (10 with each arm - 24kg / 16kg)
• 10 toes-to-bar
• 20 air squats

I shot out of the gate on this one, blazing through the swings and squats, and did my best to stay in the lead -- but ultimately, my less-than-efficient toes-to-bar technique slowed me down. By the fourth round, my grip strength was gone, and the Terminator shot past me. The guy is relentless, which is why I love the challenge of chasing after him.

Result: 5 rounds + 43 reps as RXed.

Cardi-Oh-No

After five rousing sets of jerks this morning, I was feeling pretty good for someone who hasn't slept more than half a wink per night in a week. (I hate hotel beds. Also: I thought developing an app was tough, but that was a piece of cake compared to actually managing a product launch. Remind me to never, ever do this again. Ever.)

But then came the metcon:

3 rounds:

• In 4 minutes, row 400 meters and then max double-unders. 
• Rest 1 minute. 

Total score = the number of double-unders completed after three rounds.

That's right: ROWING. And DOUBLE-UNDERS. For a split second, I contemplated jumping into my car and speeding off.

On the plus side: During the first round, I managed a stretch of 51 consecutive double-unders. I'd like to think I could've kept going, but when I got over 50, I was so excited that I got myself tangled up in my rope. I'm nothing if not smooth.

When this one was over, I spent a good few minutes flat on my back. I think I hate cardio more than I hate hotel beds.

Result: 242 double-unders as RXed. Not super-shabby, though Mark beat me by a few reps. And by "a few," I mean over a hundred.

Wednesday's Workout

The badger crawls from Monday did a number on my shoulders. I was surprised at how a quick little workout completely wrecked me, and hoped that today's workout wouldn't require much use of my arms. A Tabata squat workout, perhaps? Or box jumps and sit-ups?

No such luck.

3 rounds of:

• 400 meter run
• 21 jerks (95# / 65#)
• 500 meter row
• 12 handstand push-ups

As you know, rowing and running aren't my favorite activities in the world, but at least I got through 'em without stopping. The jerks and HSPUs? Not so much -- especially with fried shoulders.

Result: 23:32 as RXed.

I wonder if the Turkish get-ups on Friday are going to exacerbate or alleviate my shoulder misery.

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.)

Wednesday's Workout: 3 Minutes Is A Long Time

My quads haven’t stopped aching since Murph, so I’ve been squeezing into a pair of compression pants before bedtime for the past few nights. As I’ve written before, multiple studies suggest that this body-hugging gear does appear to help reduce post-exercise trauma and muscle soreness when worn during recovery.

So did I notice a difference? Hard to say. I still woke up with stiff, sore legs. But hey: It’s deadlift day at CrossFit Palo Alto. I wasn't about to let a little achiness get in the way of another chance to work towards a new PR.

Strength Skill:

• Deadlifts (3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 1)

PEE ARRR, baby! My previous best was precisely 2X my bodyweight, but today, I managed to yank 5 additional pounds off the ground. Granted, I didn't exactly set the world on fire, but it still felt pretty friggin' heavy. It took everything I had to stand up with the weight. And just as soon as I hoisted up the bar, I lost my grip on it, and the plates dropped with a resonant KA-CLUNK!

From across the room, Tim admonished me for splashing the weights before getting set. "In a weightlifting meet, you gotta hold it ‘til the white light goes off!”

“Oh, I saw a white light all right,” I responded.

Metcon:

As many reps as possible:

• 3 minutes of strict presses (75lbs/55lbs)
• 3 minutes of rest
• 3 minutes of push presses (75lbs/55lbs)
• 3 minutes of rest
• 3 minutes of jerks (75lbs/55lbs)

There was a nasty twist to this one: During each 3 minutes of activity, the penalty for resting the bar -- either across the shoulders or on the ground -- was 5 burpees. Clearly, the objective was to keep moving for three minutes straight. Still, with 75 pounds on the bar, this didn't sound too hard. After all, what's three minutes?

Answer: An eternity, it turns out.

In the first round, I managed only 25 reps, and dropped the bar three times, which meant having to crank out 15 burpees. I expected the strict presses to be the most difficult of the three exercises, so I didn't freak out too much about my crappy performance. Still, I vowed not to drop the weight in the second round.

Didn't happen. In the second round, despite accumulating 31 push presses, I dropped the bar three times again. Another 15 burpees. Crap.

In the final round, I was determined to not only surpass my Round 2 results, but also keep the bar moving. No more burpees! No more burpees! No more burpees! I managed to eke out 32 jerks, but of course, I dropped the bar three times again -- the last time, just A HALF SECOND before time was up, which meant I had five final burpees to complete even after the clock had stopped.

Results:

• Round 1: 25 reps
• Round 2: 31 reps
• Round 3: 32 reps
• Total: 88 reps (and 45 burpees) as RXed.

The best thing about today's workout? I didn't once think about the soreness in my legs. The worst thing about today's workout? I'm going to have to wear a compression shirt to bed tonight.

Friday's Workout: Full of Grace

If nothing else, today's workout offered proof that endorphin-generated exercise-induced euphoria is very, very real.

Strength Skill:

• Weighted Ring Dips (2 sets of 3, 3 sets of 1)

 PR! On my final rep, I stuffed all 50 pounds into the weight vest, jammed a 30-pound dumbbell into my crotch, held my breath, and cranked out a fairly decent ring dip. It felt mighty fine, and for a second, I was tempted to go heavier...but it was time for the metcon.

And it was a doozy.

More after the jump...

Monday's Workout: Flock of Seagulls

To make sure I didn't kick off the week with another set of penalty burpees, I arrived at the gym a few minutes early this morning. But I wasn't the only eager beaver. As I got out of my car, our two favorite CrossFitting Marines pulled into the space next to me. And the Terminator was already inside the box, stretching. All in all, a dozen sleepy souls made it to CrossFit Palo Alto at 5 a.m. to shake off the weekend cobwebs.

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (2 sets of 3, 3 sets of 1)

I maxed out with a jerk just slightly (ten pounds) above my bodyweight. Unfortunately, I still had two more single (max) rep sets to go. Adding more weight didn't seem to do much, though, except bruise my ego and make loud noises when I was forced to dump the bar each time. Still: I hit my goal for this cycle -- and notched a new PR to boot.

After the jump: Monday's metcon, and some barf.

Monday's Workout: Jerking & Jumping

Looks like word is getting out about the pre-dawn class at CrossFit Palo Alto. Even with a handful of regulars missing in action today, 11 of us showed up at the gym before sunrise to get our hustle on. We're blowing up, people! (But not blowing up people. Let's hear it for commas.)

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 1)

I jerked my bodyweight today. (At least, it was my bodyweight the last time I checked. I haven't cared enough to step on a scale in a few months. If I've gotten super-chubby recently, thanks for not making fun of me to my face.) My form wasn't too crappy this time -- and I'm sure I could have gone heavier. Next week.

Then: The metcon. Read about it after the jump...

Monday's Workout: The Jerk Store

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (2 sets of 5, 3 sets of 3)

It's been awhile since our last encounter with jerks at the gym (as part of a strength skill workout, anyway). The movement felt good and smooth today, but I'm sure it's gonna look like crap once I start going heavier. My goal for this 3-week strength cycle is to jerk above my bodyweight (without putting myself in traction with crappy technique).

Metcon:

We did the CrossFit Games Open Workout 11.1 today -- a ten-minute AMRAP of:

• 30 double-unders
• 15 power snatches (75/55)

As a reminder, here's what it's supposed to look like:

 My double-unders did not look like this. At all. Why? 'Cause I'm still so rhythmically-challenged that I have to do a single-under between each double-under. This means, of course, that with every round, I have to jump 60 times instead of 30. In a workout like today's, this is a recipe for: (1) exhaustion, (2) frustration, and (3) a crap score. Today, despite feeling pretty decent about heaving the barbell overhead, I eked out only 3 rounds + 31 reps for a score of 166 (as RXed).

The worst part? My inability to string together my double-unders is all in my head. (I think. I hope.)

I NEED MY FRAKKING DOUBLE-UNDERS. But I'm sufficiently self-aware to know that I'm not going to put in the practice necessary to push past this mental block until/unless I set a deadline for myself. So here's it is: I'm giving myself two weeks to crank out at least 5 consecutive double-unders with zero single-unders in-between. If I can't pull this off, the penalty is 100 burpees and everlasting shame.

[UPDATED: Got 'em!]

Friday's Workout

Another good one today.

Strength Skill:

• Muscle-Up Progressions

My goal was to pull off another dead-hang muscle-up by the end of today's class (to add to my grand total of one muscle-up from all of last year), but since I managed to crank out a few of them at home earlier in the week, the pressure was off.

Still, I got a chance to practice some more at the gym this morning -- and also add to my lifetime total (which remains in the single digits -- for now).

Metcon:

For time:

• 21 jerks (135#/95#)
• 400-meter run
• 42 box jumps (24"/20")
• 400-meter run
• 21 sumo deadlift high pulls (135#/95#)
• 400-meter run

This one made me smile when Tim wrote it up on the board. Forty-two box jumps with a 24-inch box? Fun, fun, fun.

Four Fridays ago, we suffered through a similar workout involving -- among other things -- 21 jerks and 21 SDHPs. I was wrecked from using a 95-pound barbell that day, so even though I was tempted to try the RXed weight of 135 for this morning's WOD, I ultimately stuck with 95. It can be difficult to keep oneself from making stupid, ego-driven decisions, though; I kept having to remind myself that this is supposed to be a training session -- not a balls-out competition to see who can get injured the fastest.

Verdict? It was challenging, but so much more pleasant than a swift kick in the nuts. I actually enjoyed the jerks. And while my running form could use some work and my SDHPs were all over the place, I noticed that during the last 400-meter sprint, I had a big grin plastered on my face.

Result: 10:52.

Friday's Workout

Ten people in class this morning -- a 1000% increase in just eight months!

All of us took turns messing around with skin-the-cats on the Olympic rings and L-sits and pass-throughs on the parallettes, and then it was time to say Grace. Literally.



Metcon:

• "Grace" - 30 clean & jerks for time.

The RX'ed weight for men is 135 pounds, but the last time I did this, I opted for the ladies' RX'ed weight of 95. Today, after some goading and peer pressure, I decided to go heavier -- by a whopping 10 pounds.

Yep, I'm a wimp. I finished Grace in 4:06 today -- more than a half-minute faster than the last go-round -- so in hindsight, I could (and should) have gone with at least 115 pounds.

Nonetheless, even with just 105 pounds on the bar, Grace is no walk in the park. After the first half-dozen cleans and jerks, I was no longer able to string 'em together, and resorted to dumping the weight from overhead rather than controlling the bar all the way down. (I'm sure the good folks at Planet Fitness would not be happy with me.) Grace may look simple on paper, but it's brutal.

On the plus side: Grace is also really, really fun. There's something incredibly primal and satisfying about picking something heavy off the ground, thrusting it over your head, and sending it crashing back down -- over and over again. (HULK SMASH!!!)

Besides, unlike a lot of other CrossFit WODs, it's over so quickly that you don't even have time to break a sweat.

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

I'm still sore from slogging through Whitten on Friday, but it still felt good to get back in the gym this morning. After all the holiday festivities (plus our three-year-old's birthday party) this weekend, I needed to work off the rust.

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (2 sets of 3, 3 sets of 1)

I'm jerking above my bodyweight, but it sure ain't pretty.

Metcon:

Today, we did the December 8 main site WOD:

3 rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• 15 pull-ups
• 50 squats
• 15 pull-ups

Looks easy enough. I'm a fan of bodyweight-oriented WODs. And frankly, in the aftermath of Friday's metcon, this wasn't bad at all.

Result: 13:41.

Monday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 1)

I was feeling pretty good this morning, but jerks are not my forte. Lighter weights (~115 on the barbell) aren't a problem, but I start to struggle a bit when jerking above my bodyweight. The problem: I don't explode under the bar fast enough, and end up short of fully extending my arms in the catch position, which forces me to muscle up the bar.

I felt like the Jerk Store called, and they're running out of me.

Metcon:

AMRAP in 10 minutes:

• 7 barbell cleans from the floor (105 pounds)
• 8 jumping lunges (just like Mary Katherines from Plyo X)
• 9 hanging knees-to-elbows

Knees-to-elbows have always been a piece of cake for me. It's just a matter of keeping my grip strong and chin tucked in. The rest is just momentum.

Surprisingly, the cleans were kind of fun, too. My technique could use still some additional refinement, but all in all, I think my form's as good as this dude's (and so what if he's just nine years old?).

But doing jumping lunges immediately after a bunch of cleans? Less than enjoyable. My quads were on fire.

Result: In 10 minutes, I made it through 5 rounds + 6 cleans.

Monday's Workout

Dead tired this morning. But I dutifully hauled my lazy ass out of bed and to my 5 a.m. class.

Strength Skill:

• Jerks (2 sets of 5, 3 sets of 1)

I'm better at barbell jerks than I was six months ago, when I first started CrossFit, but that doesn't mean I'm good at 'em yet. Every few reps, I'll manage one with perfectly clean form -- explosive hip drive, tight gut, elbows locked out, good punch-out at the top, satisfying thwack! of heels against floor. But for every rep that puts a smile on my face, I screw up two. Either my feet land a bit too far apart, or I don't get under the bar fast enough (which forces me to muscle the bar up rather than using my legs to fully drive it overhead).

A work in progress.

Metcon:

A classic.

5 rounds for time:

• 5 deadlifts (205 pounds for me -- RXed is 275, but at that weight, it's unlikely I'd get more than a few reps off the ground)
• 10 burpees

The last time I encountered this WOD back in August, I finished it in 5:33. Not exactly blazing speed -- Chris Spealler did it in half that time:



In fact, the last time I did this workout, I was beaten by 2 seconds by the one other person in class that day. And she's a small Asian girl.

With another four months of CrossFit under my belt, I figured I'd easily beat my old time (though I wasn't certain I could beat Small Asian Girl -- she's surprisingly strong/fast). When the clock started, I exploded out of the gate, quickly building a lead in front of my four classmates. I took a few breaks here and there -- my burning thighs made the burpees particularly uncomfortable -- but felt like I was speeding along. And I was the first to complete all five founds, with Small Asian Girl just a few seconds behind me. My other three classmates took another minute or so to finish. Even the Terminator. I felt good.

But then I looked over at the clock. 6:18. Forty-five seconds slower than my previous time.

Not good. I should have taken fewer and/or shorter breaks. I should have done all the deadlift sets uninterrupted. This wasn't a long workout; I didn't need breathers. I should have treated this WOD like Fran -- a race to the finish. Perhaps I should have re-watched the Spealler video for inspiration before diving in.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

Next time I do this? No breaks.

Friday's Workout

Strength Skill:

Strict Presses (3 sets of 3, then 3 sets of 1, working up to a 1-rep max)

I'm kind of terrible at these. Sadly, this movement doesn't allow for any lower body movement; with my legs straight and knees locked, I can't use my hips to help drive the barbell above my head. My one-rep max? A measly 115 pounds. Let the mocking laughter commence.

Metcon:

You'd think that after a max effort press workout, our metcon would focus on something other than hoisting and pressing barbells. But then you'd be wrong.

For time:

"Air Force WOD"

• 20 Thrusters
• 20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
• 20 Push Jerks
• 20 Overhead Squats
• 20 Front Squats
• Plus: Every minute, on the minute: Drop whatever you're doing and do 4 burpees.

It looks like this:



I decided to do it RXed with a full 95 pounds on the barbell, but it took me forever and a half (15 minutes and 27 seconds, to be exact) to get through this hell. (Point of comparison: Some guys can finish this workout in less than 4 minutes.)

The overhead squats sucked big time, which didn't come as a total surprise, given that I'd never done overhead squats before. But the worst were the front squats. I usually have no trouble with 'em, but after doing 80 reps of various O-lifts and God-knows-how-many burpees, I thought my wrists were going to snap off during the final round.

Plus? Even though they're not listed, you end up doing a ton of cleans, because after each round of burpees, you gotta get the bar up off the ground.

Note to self: Next time, blaze through this workout as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the extra burpees and cleans'll kill you.

"You're Cleaning? You're Dating a Jerk?"

The Washington Post just posted a write-up about CrossFit's role in the resurgence of Olympic weightlifting -- a "total-body technique that's pretty much guaranteed to make you run faster, jump higher and get stronger."

Sadly, over the past few decades, "America's fitness industry has virtually abandoned [O-lifting] in favor of new equipment, fads and methods. 'It is almost a forgotten way to train. People just want to bounce around,' says Greg Haff, vice president of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and an assistant professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine." (Zumba, anyone?)

Why has chronic cardio and high-rep, low-resistance "weight training" eclipsed O-lifting as the exercise approach of choice? There are plenty of reasons to choose from:

• If you view exercise as a necessary evil, it's a hell of a lot easier to just hop on an elliptical trainer, crank up your iPod and start flipping through the latest issue of US Weekly on the machine's conveniently-mounted magazine tray. As Haff points out in the Post article, Olympic lifting is "a lot of work." And ironically, most gym-goers would prefer to stick with what's familiar and easy. (Like machines.)

• Some guys might gravitate towards it, but women tend to run for ze hills due to myths about how O-lifting'll break their backs, bulk them up and turn them into she-hulks like Nicole Bass.

• And it's not easy getting started; proper technique is critical and difficult to learn without coaching or instruction (or at least a good book or two).

• Last but not least, barbells and bumper plates aren't available at most gyms. (This, though, is kind of a chicken-and-egg problem: People don't ask for barbells and plates, so gyms don't stock 'em, which means people aren't exposed to O-lifting, and so they don't ask for barbells and plates. Thankfully, you can just buy your own.) 

 As a result, O-lifting's been dying a slow death in the U.S. Thankfully, CrossFit's come to the rescue:

To stage a comeback, weightlifting needed an army of advocates who not only didn't mind the challenge, but relished it. And it seems to have found that through CrossFit, a 15-year-old methodology for producing well-rounded athletes that's found huge success among law enforcement, the military and, these days, the general population... 

Every single one of [CrossFit's devotees] sweats the two "O lifts": the snatch (a single, continuous motion that requires lifting the barbell from the ground and forcing yourself under it so that you're standing with your arms locked in extension above you) and the clean and jerk (start by pulling the weight from the ground to your shoulders, then dip and drive the bar overhead, splitting your legs into a half lunge to get the power to extend your arms upward).

If you've never heard of the moves, you're like most of Allison Jetton's friends. The 28-year-old Arlington resident has had trouble explaining exactly what she has been doing during CrossFit classes and personal training sessions the past few months at Balance Gym in Thomas Circle: "People are like, 'You're cleaning? You're dating a jerk?' " But she has fallen for the feeling of raising a hefty barbell over her head -- and how it has made her clothes fit.

"Women are usually lined up on treadmills with a magazine aerobicizing themselves to oblivion," she says. "I tried that. I didn't find it effective."

 Sounds like the understatement of the year.

(Source: Washington Post)

Wednesday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Single-Leg Deadlifts

Before this morning, we hadn't practiced single-leg deadlifts since July. Not surprisingly, I have not managed to develop cat-like agility in the intervening months. In other words, I still kind of suck at trying to balance on one leg while repeatedly lifting a heavy-ass barbell off the ground.

Metcon:

A doozy of a WOD. For time:

• Run 400 meters
• 21 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95 pound barbell)
• Run 400 meters
• 21 Push Jerks (95 pound barbell)
• Run 400 meters
• 21 Thrusters (95 pound barbell)

Result: A perfectly respectable 12:39 -- but I was the last in my class to finish today. I'm not making excuses, but my fellow 5 a.m. classmates are frickin' INTENSE. (Okay, maybe I am making excuses.)

The worst part: The thrusters. This isn't the first time I've cranked out a set of 21 thrusters at 95 pounds, but that was at the start of Fran. Trying to do 'em at the end of a hard workout is another matter entirely. I could barely string three thrusters together at a time.

As I packed up my gym bag at the end of class, though, it suddenly occurred to me that I no longer spend hours racked with nerves on nights before my CrossFit workouts. The anxiety that used to unsettle my stomach as I headed to bed? Gone! Weirdly enough, I don't know when I stopped freaking out about the next day's WOD. I still get butterflies, but they don't appear until the WOD gets written on the whiteboard moments before our coach yells "3-2-1-GO!" The workouts are more fun than terrifying now, which is a good thing.

(One exception: Rowing. I hate, hate, HATE it.)

Monday's Workout

I'm a little under the weather, but not enough to justify scuttling my workout.

After some warm-up (I did 2 double-unders!), we practiced power jerks again -- and I think I tried to go too heavy. On my last rep, I attempted to heave a barbell loaded with more weight than my own bodyweight, and ended up awkwardly throwing it to the floor. I hope I didn't tweak my lower back.

As usual, the metcon was an ass-kicker:

AMRAP in 10 minutes:

• 10 Hanging Toes-to-Bar
• 20 Dumbbell Snatches (25% of bodyweight)
• 10 Push-Ups

I did 4 rounds and 12 reps before time ran out.

After I got home, I threw in my Tony Horton Killer Abs DVD for good measure, which was probably a mistake. Not only was my midsection wrecked from the toes-to-bars, I haven't attempted any kind of workout that isolates the core like this in a while. I used to whip through this workout with no problems, but by the end of today's session, I was wiped out.