Monday's Workout

On Saturday, I hitched a ride with Kevin down to Catalyst Athletics for the gym's drop-in Olympic weightlifting class. (Much to our embarrassment, Michelle had texted Aimee Everett the night before to alert her of our plans to go lift in her gym. It's like telling Michael Jordan that you're going to be shooting hoops in his driveway.)

At Catalyst, we met up with Steph, and proceeded to snatch away for the next hour. There's about five gazillion things I need to work on before I snatch proficiently, but with helpful pointers from my friends and Coach Steve Pan (the King of Fast Food), I definitely felt like I sucked a bit less at the end of the session. Best of all, the drop-in class made me want to lift more. 

Thankfully, back at CrossFit Palo Alto on Monday, we had power cleans on the menu. As with my snatches, I really need to focus on keeping the bar close to my body during the first and second pulls. Tim pointed out that I was initiating the second pull too early, and that I was leaving the bar too far in front of my body. This, in turn, was causing me to muscle up the bar rather than using my legs to help drive it up. Not good.

Once I made these corrections, my cleans felt a lot more...well, clean. I even matched my previous PR -- though I failed to set a new one.

The metcon of the day? "Helen."

3 rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• 21 kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 12 pull-ups

Even with my Achilles tendon feeling much better, my running was pathetically slow. Otherwise, I got through Helen without too much trouble, though I didn't manage to hit my goal of going unbroken on all three rounds of the swings and pull-ups.

Result: 10:14 as RXed. A one-second PR!

Wednesday's Workout

I woke up achy and cranky. After spending two days moving back into our house, I probably should've slept in, but didn't.

Strength Skill:

• Kettlebell Clean & Press (5-5-5-5-5)

Wow. I think I'm in love. From what I can tell, kettlebell cleans and presses -- done correctly -- are incredibly efficient (and effective) at developing power, strength, and coordination. Starting with your feet about hip-width apart and a kettlebell on the floor, you grip the handle with one hand, flexing your hips, knees, and ankles, and then use your legs to drive the kettlebell up to rack position in a straight line. "It's like zipping up your jacket," Tim cued us. With our core and lats engaged and elbows down and in, we were able to quickly and forcefully transfer the kettlebell up to a rack position before pressing it up into the sky.

Twenty-five reps with each arm were enough to get me toasty this morning, but I'd like to work this movement into my home workouts. They were fun, and deliver huge bang for the buck.

Metcon:

3 rounds for time:

• 10 hang power snatches (135lbs / 95lbs)
• 15 chest-to-bar pull-ups
• 20 box jumps (24" / 20")

I scaled today's workout way down, snatching just 75 pounds and -- in light of my problematic left Achilles -- doing step-ups instead of box jumps. I could do the chest-to-bar pull-ups as RXed, but by the tail end of the workout, I had to bust them out one at a time. I can't imagine how long it would've taken me to finish the WOD if I'd gone heavier with the snatches and/or actually did some jumping.

Result: 10:11. 

On another note: As of today, the Nom Nom Paleo app has been available in the App Store for two months -- and it remains one of the top paid Lifestyle iPad apps! As of this moment, it's in the number 10 spot:

You can read more about the app here (and you can download it here), but for those of you who are interested in the backstory, I'm working on a series of blog posts about how Michelle and I created the app, from the inception of the idea and recipe development to working with a team of programmers and all the unexpected post-launch drama. Stay tuned...

Monday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Snatches (3-3-3-1-1) 

Ever have one of those days when you just kind of feel...off? That was me today.

I've been absent quite a bit from the gym lately, so I was excited to return this morning. Plus, I knew it was snatch day, and my snatch technique had been steadily improving since early this year. But for whatever reason, I JUST COULDN'T STOP SUCKING TODAY.

Instead of just emptying my brain and just lifting with aggression, I over-thought EVERY. SINGLE. THING. And as a result, I froze up. My movements were disjointed rather than fluid, and my arms and legs were all over the place. I bungled more reps than I stuck. Thankfully, with some helpful cueing from Tim, I managed a few half-decent reps towards the end, but I didn't come anywhere close to snatching what I know I'm capable of lifting.

I hate starting the day with frustration.

Metcon:

5 rounds for time:

• 10 kettlebell snatches (5 per arm) (24kg / 16kg)
• 10 goblet squats (24kg / 16kg)
• 10 burpees

Lessons from this workout:

1. Goblet squats are no joke.
2. I didn't end up with big, purple bruises on my forearms, so I must have done something right. 
3. Carl Paoli's burpee technique is a lifesaver.

Result: 10:27 as RXed.

Monday's Workout

The boys were up all night crapping their pants. M knew I was still recovering from a cold, so she looked after our sick kids, generously allowing me to sleep through the worst of the ass-explosions so I'd be (relatively) well-rested for the 5 a.m. class at CrossFit Palo Alto. I know I don't say it often enough, but my wife is all kinds of awesome.

Strength Skill:

• Single-Leg Deadlifts (5-3-3-1-1)

I'm tightening my gut and keeping my hips down low. I'm pushing off my heel, and I'm keeping my head in line with my body. But I still suck at one-legged deadlifts -- especially when I do 'em while balancing on my left leg. I'd make a horrible evil one-legged space pirate.

Metcon:

2 rounds for time:

• Run 400 meters
• 20 ground-to-overheads (75# / 55#)
• 15 box jumps
• 10 toes-to-bar

This was reminiscent of this year's Open WOD 12.3 -- you know, the one that murdered me. Thankfully, today's version was a lot more sane, but it was still a kick in the pants.

I'd like to say I held back because I'm not feeling 100 percent, but the truth of the matter is that I simply got my butt handed to me. The ground-to-overheads weren't a problem (I did a mix of snatches and clean & jerks), but the box jumps knocked the wind out of me today.

Result: 10:12 as RXed.

Snatch Snatch Snatch

We all crammed into CrossFit Palo Alto this afternoon to attack the second WOD of the Open:

Proceed through the sequence below, completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

• 30 snatches (75# / 45#)
• 30 snatches (135# / 75#)
• 30 snatches (165# / 100#)
• Max rep snatches (210# / 120#)

Before today, my snatch PR was a measly 95 pounds, so I had a feeling I wouldn't make it past the first round of 30 snatches. I was right -- but happily, I did manage to establish a new PR. After my first 30 snatches were done, I incrementally added weight onto the bar, successfully snatching 95 pounds, 105 pounds, and 115 pounds. With the clock ticking down, I loaded 135 pounds onto the bar, and gave it my fiercest effort -- but couldn't manage to explode under the bar. I tried again. And then again. No go.

But the silver lining? I PRed by 20 pounds, and I didn't wreck myself. Plus, I got to watch my friends absolutely kill this workout. The energy in the room could power a city, and the cheers were deafening.

No wonder the neighbors called the cops about the noise.

Wednesday's Workout

I woke up at 4 this morning to trade emails with the Nom Nom Paleo iPad app development team. We're getting close to the finish line, folks.

After swigging an espresso, I grabbed my gym bag and headed out the door. It was Fun Time.

Strength Skill:

• Weighted Ring Dips (3-3-3-1-1)

Per Tim's recommendation, at the top of my ring dips, I tried to get myself into a properly externally-rotated position. It didn't feel quite natural, but as K-Star points out, "That's the stable position of the joint."



Yet another movement I need to practice!

Metcon:

5 rounds for time:

• 9 deadlifts (135# / 95#)
• 6 hang power snatches (135# / 95#)
• 3 overhead squats (135# / 95#)

"We're going for speed," Tim intoned as we scurried off to grab barbells and plates. None of us were going to overhead squat 135 pounds. And frankly, I knew I wasn't even up for the women's RXed weight. I've never managed to snatch over 95 pounds, so there was no way I was going to speedily get through 30 reps at that weight. Seventy-five, I decided. 

It was a manageable weight -- heavy enough that I had to set down the bar in the middle of my last few rounds of snatches, but light enough to whip through this workout fairly quickly. 

Result: 5:48.

But here's the sad part. One third of this WOD consisted of 30 snatches at 75 pounds. If a workout consisted of just those 30 snatches at that weight, I could crank through them fairly quickly. (Granted, it might look super-ugly, but whatever.)

At 5 p.m. tonight, the second WOD of the 2012 CrossFit Games Open was announced:

As many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

• 30 snatches (75# / 45#)
• 30 snatches (135# / 75#)
• 30 snatches (165# / 100#)
• Max rep snatches (210# / 120#)

I'm not doing this workout until Saturday, but I already know my score: 30. That is, unless I somehow figure out how to add forty pounds to my snatch PR in the next two-and-a-half days.

Monday's Workout

A good day. After practicing snatches (5-3-3-1-1), we were treated to Fran:

For time:

21-15-9

• Thrusters (95lbs / 65lbs)
• Pull-ups

Last April, I finished Fran in 6:32 (and in August, hampered by a groin injury, I did it in 6:56). We don't encounter Fran very often, so I reallyreallyreally wanted to establish a new personal best.

The first round was awesome. I got through all 21 thrusters without pausing, and despite my forearms catching on fire, I made it through the pull-ups without any problems either. But after a couple of thrusters in the second round, I had to drop the barbell and take a breather. My legs felt like they'd been smashed with a two-by-four.

In the end, Fran wrecked me -- I had trouble getting up off the floor afterwards -- but I PRed by more than half a minute today! Of course, there's plenty of room for improvement: I took too many mid-set breaks, and I'm pissed off that I failed to clear my chin over the bar on my final pull-up of the workout. By forcing myself to re-do the rep, I missed my shot at finishing under 6 minutes. There's always next time, I guess.

Result: 6:00 as RXed.

(Bonus: This afternoon, I dropped by the Firehouse -- Tim's workout space away from CrossFit Palo Alto -- and learned to climb a rope. I've now decided I want need one for my garage.)

Monday's Workout

Happy Monday, y'all.

Strength Skill:

• Snatch (5-5-3-3-3)

I did my best to pick up where I left off a couple of weekends ago at the Catalyst Athletics Oly lifting seminar, but I'm already rusty. Something tells me I need to grease this groove more.

Ideally, I'd like to get the point where snatching's like second nature, but right now, I still find myself running through a lengthy mental checklist before each rep. Hook grip? Check. Feet in pull position? Check. Knees back? Check. Elbows turned up? Check. Back arched? Check. Deep, tight breath? Check. It's a bit exhausting even before the weight leaves the ground.

Metcon:

For time:

• 21 kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 21 burpees
• 21 wallball shots (10' target, 20lbs / 14 lbs)
• 15 kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 15 burpees
• 15 wallball shots (10' target, 20lbs / 14 lbs)
• 9 kettlebell swings (24kg / 16kg)
• 9 burpees
• 9 wallball shots (10' target, 20lbs / 14 lbs)

Ouch. This looked easy enough when Tim wrote it on the whiteboard, but by the start of the final round of burpees, it felt as though someone had poured hot lava in my shorts.

Result: 8:05 as RXed.

Catalyst Athletics Olympic Weightlifting Seminar: Day 1

I’ve been looking forward to the Olympic weightlifting seminar at Catalyst Athletics for months.

It wasn’t until 2010 that I first encountered barbell snatches, cleans, and jerks. When I started working out at CrossFit Palo Alto, I was lucky to have Tim -- an experienced Oly lifter -- patiently coach me through various progressions until I was able to perform these movements safely. But we do a lot more than just Olympic lifting at our 5 a.m. classes, and I was eager to devote an entire weekend to honing my form and getting better at this stuff.

As luck would have it, we live less than 15 minutes away from Catalyst Athletics -- home of Greg and Aimee Everett, two of the most insanely accomplished and knowledgeable Olympic lifters and coaches in the country. 

Greg’s the co-founder of The Performance Menu, and the author of Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches -- THE book to buy if you’re at all interested in learning to lift. I’ve had a copy of it on my nightstand for over a year. (It’s not just that I’m a slow reader; the book is incredibly comprehensive and packed with information.) In addition, Greg is Robb Wolf’s co-host on the Paleo Solution podcast; if you’re a listener, you know he’s one hell of a smart, engaging, and dryly funny guy.

As for Aimee, she’s not just an inexplicably huge fan of Britney Spears and Tori Spelling -- she also happens to be the 2007 U.S. Women's National Weightlifting Champion. M and I have spent entire mornings watching Aimee’s videos on YouTube before picking our jaws back up off the floor. From my recent correspondence with Aimee (I helped design some graphics for her new business), it was clear to me that I’d like her a lot. After all, she has the same (gross) sense of humor and potty mouth as my wife. (Which also explains why M is always doubled over laughing when she’s tweeting back and forth with Aimee.)

A few months back, after listening to Trish’s glowing report about her experiences at the last Catalyst weightlifting seminar, I couldn’t wait to sign up. Ultimately, a dozen of us from CrossFit Palo Alto -- including M and me -- registered for the two-day workshop.

With our kids spending the weekend at their grandparents and a key deadline met for M’s soon-to-be-released Nom Nom Paleo project, we were free to spend a super-romantic weekend lifting barbells. (Did I mention that as of today, M and I have been together for 19 years?)

The first day of the seminar was singularly focused on learning the various progressions to a full snatch. After we warmed up in the morning, Greg took us through a couple of static stretches to help mobilize our ankles and hip flexors.(My favorite: “Russian Baby Makers.” They make my hips hurt so good.) 

We then spent a good portion of the morning on establishing a proper squat position, maintaining even weight distribution across the feet, breathing, and other basics. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to focus on each of these techniques, and to practice them until our muscle memories kicked in. Although we covered a ton of stuff, it all clicked into place like little LEGO pieces, one brick building upon another. 

The importance of the hook grip was drummed into me yet again. Without it, you can’t maintain full control of the barbell during the second pull of the snatch (and clean). Tim has repeatedly reminded me to use the hook grip, but I haven’t consistently done so because, well...it’s uncomfortable. But as Greg pointed out today, it’ll never feel comfortable until and unless I stick with it for a while, so I guess I’m just going to have to  suck it up like a big boy (and ice my hands until they get the hang of this painfully awkward grip).

The rest of the day was a blur as we worked on progression after progression: Overhead squats, snatch balances, muscle snatches, snatch deadlifts. We worked to establish our mid-hang positions, and I learned a number of useful cues from the Catalyst coaches, including my favorite: “J-Lo butt.” (Aimee was telling me to stick my butt out more -- and keep my knees back -- at the start of the second pull.)

At the end of the day, we got some plates on the barbells and practiced snatches from the floor. The name of the game was good, solid form, and although I was beat, I did my best to suck less than usual. I was a bit wobbly and only managed to snatch 40kg, but I ended the day with a big smile on my face and a lot of tips to incorporate into my training. 

I soaked up as much as I could, but I have a feeling I’m not going to retain as much as I’d like. Today was like drinking out of a fire hydrant -- but boy, was I thirsty.

I can't wait 'til tomorrow.

[UPDATED: Day 2 recap is here.]

Friday's Workout: Barbell Tabata

No better way to kick off the weekend than with a good thrashing.

Strength Skill: 

• Strict Weighted Pull-ups (5-3-3-1-1) 

I finished with 40 pounds on the weight vest, but I'm not even remotely close to my previous PR. The groove needs grease!

Metcon:

"A Lotta Tabata":

• 6 rounds of Tabata muscle snatches (45lbs / 35lbs - 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest)
• Rest 1 minute
• 6 rounds of Tabata back squat to push-presses (45lbs / 35lbs - 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest)
• Rest 1 minute
• 6 rounds of Tabata deadlift to bar push-ups (135lbs / 95lbs - 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest)
• Rest 1 minute
• 6 rounds of Tabata split jerks (45lbs / 35lbs - 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest)
• Rest 1 minute

For each of the four movements, count the lowest number of reps achieved in one 20-second set. Add up the four numbers for your score.

Hoo, boy. Who knew lifting an empty bar could be such a punch in the gut?

The muscle snatches weren't so bad. I did ten reps in each of the first few rounds, and I tried my damnedest not to dip below that number. But towards the end, I managed only nine muscle snatches in 20 seconds.

After a too-short one-minute breather, I had the same experience with the back squat to push-presses (which, for all intents and purposes, is just like a behind-the-head barbell thruster). I started with ten reps in each of the early rounds, but dipped down to nine by the end.

Even with exhaustion beginning to set in, I had a great time with the deadlift to bar push-ups (do a deadlift, then set the barbell down and do a push-up with your hands gripping the bar, touching your chest to the barbell). This is an unbelievably awesome full-body movement. It takes a while to do, though, and I managed only four full reps with each round.

Last up: Split jerks. Not having done these before, it took me a while to get accustomed to the movement. My natural inclination was to plant my right (dominant) foot forward and shoot my left leg back, but dorsiflexing my left ankle still makes me wince. After attempting that once, I switched it up, jumping my left leg forward so I could land more flat-footed. Unfortunately, my experimentation cost me a rep, and in my first set, I managed only seven split jerks. I was able to crank out eight in each of the next three rounds, but the extra rep didn't count, so in the final two sets, I decided to stop when I reached seven.

I got tired. Sue me.

Result: 9 + 9 + 4 + 7 = 29 as RXed.

Monday's Workout

A great one today.

Strength Skill:

• Snatches (3 sets of 3, 2 sets of 1)

I've been re-reading Greg Everett's book on Olympic lifting, and the chapter on snatches has been incredibly helpful. (I got his new DVD, too, but haven't had a chance to watch it.) The book's detailed instructions and Tim's in-class coaching/cueing have helped a lot with my snatch technique; I'm nowhere near proficient yet (especially with heavier weights), but at the very least, I feel like I'm no longer awful at snatches.

This morning's snatches felt good and smooth from the floor, with a solid first and second pull. It's the third pull -- getting under the bar explosively -- that gets a little awkward for me once I start loading more weight onto the barbell. Homework!

Metcon:

• 21 pull-ups
• 21 knockdowns
• 15 pull-ups
• 15 knockdowns
• 9 pull-ups
• 9 knockdowns

Bodyweight WODs are my favorite, and this one was especially enjoyable. The pull-ups flew by quickly. And although knockdowns (a.k.a. deck squats) are new to me, they're fun: You start flat on your back with your knees tucked up near your chest, and then explosively drive your feet to the floor, rolling up into the bottom of a squat position and standing up -- all without using your hands to push off the floor. (It looks like this.)

Result: 3:47 as RXed.

Monday's Workout: Get Off The Floor

With M at work and no available babysitters, I wasn't able join the rest of the 5 a.m. crew at the gym this morning. (I suppose I could've snuck out of the house and left the kids unattended for an hour. So long as they remained asleep in bed, no one would have been the wiser! But I'm not that bad of a dad.)

Our garage has no room for cars.

I hate missing class. My garage is stocked with just about everything I need (except maybe a 2-pood kettlebell) to tackle a WOD, and I don't mind working out in my PJ-pants, but it's just not the same as kick-starting the week alongside the other early-morning nutjobs at CrossFit Palo Alto.

As soon as I realized I was going to be stuck at home on Monday morning, I sighed and shot Tim a text message asking what he had in mind for today's WOD. 

He responded last night via Twitter. "Ready?" he asked.

"Always," I responded, eager to find out what was in store for the morning.

"Row 2K."

I stared at the words on my iPhone screen, slack-jawed. Rowing is -- to put it mildly -- not my favorite thing in the world. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard; I couldn't think of an appropriate response that didn't include foul language.

"Get off the floor," Tim wrote a minute later. I'm not on the floor, I thought. Not yet.

But hey: I asked for it. So I hustled off to bed, determined to rest up for the morning shenanigans in my garage.

Strength Skill:

• Snatch to Overhead Squats (2 sets of 5, 3 sets of 3)

My three-year-old cried out at 4:20 this morning, frantic because he couldn't find his stuffed cat. I located his fuzzy toy (it was right next to him) and tucked him back in bed, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Might as well get up and exercise at the same time as my 5 a.m. compatriots, if not in the same place.

After warming up, I eased into my snatches and overhead squats. It's been a few months since I last practiced snatches as a strength skill, and my first few awkward reps showed me just how rusty I'd gotten. Without the benefit of Tim coaching and cues, I took a short break to re-read skim the snatch chapter in Greg Everett's book and study a few videos on YouTube before continuing.



Resisting the temptation to go heavy, I managed to get into a groove after a couple of sets. Most of my reps felt solid (with the exception of a couple towards the end, when I failed to keep my chest up and ended up stumbling). I suspect I was distracted by the knowledge that it was almost time to mount the erg.

Metcon:

• Row 2K

I have bad news and good news about today's workout. (Yes, believe it or not, there's actually some good news.)

The bad news first: My goal was to finish sub-8 minutes, but I finished in 8:07 -- 3 seconds slower than the last time I attempted this workout (and 22 seconds slower than the first time I pulled 2K). By this objective measure, I'm moving in the entirely wrong direction. Plus, immediately post-WOD, I was flat on the floor for a good few minutes, panting and leaking fluids. (From my pores, people. My pores.)

I know exactly why I didn't beat my previous times. For the first 1000 meters, I deliberately kept a slower-than-usual pace in an attempt to conserve energy for the back half -- and it was a spectacularly dumb idea. At the 1K mark, I'd already let 3:57 slip by, and yet dialing back my speed hadn't stopped my legs from burning like crazy. At the midpoint of the workout, I realized my plan to save some gas in the tank had backfired. Try as I might to speed up and make up some time in the last 1000 meters, I couldn't. Live and learn.

But here's the good news: This time, after completing the 2K, I did not topple off the erg and curl up into a fetal position. My thighs did not clench up so hard that I had to pound on my quads to make them release. I did not roll around on the floor with my face contorted in a rictus of agony. My butt cheeks were Charley-horse-free. And I did not feel like barfing all over myself.

Instead, after a minute or two, I picked myself off the floor, walked into the kitchen, and ate a sweet potato.

Progress!

I dropped by the gym in the afternoon and watched Tim and Paul row 2K. This was the aftermath.

Monday's Workout

For the first time in over a week, I woke up feeling halfway decent. My throat is still scratchy and I'm not yet 100 percent, but my energy levels are good, and I'm not dripping mucous all over the place. No reason not to hit the gym.

Strength Skill:

• Snatches (2 sets of 3, 3 sets of 1)

I'm finally putting some decent weight on the bar, but my form is subpar. I keep having to remind myself to be aggressive with this lift, and to get under the bar quickly. Of the Olympic lifts I've practiced, this is clearly the one that needs the most work (along with overhead squats).

Metcon:

"Annie" - for time:

• 50 double-unders
• 50 Abmat sit-ups
• 40 double-unders
• 40 Abmat sit-ups
• 30 double-unders
• 30 Abmat sit-ups
• 20 double-unders
• 20 Abmat sit-ups
• 10 double-unders
• 10 Abmat sit-ups

Chris Spealler can do Annie in four and half minutes. Sadly, I can't.

My double-unders are the rate-limiting step. I'm still adding single-unders between each double-under, which: (1) slows me down significantly (it's essentially doubling the number of jumps I have to do), and (2) exhausts me.

I found the sit-ups to be more challenging than usual today. I'm not sure if it was because the double-unders (and single-unders) had winded me, or if it was because I kept coughing up a lung. Either way, my abs hurt. And my butt, too. I hope I didn't give myself an Abmat ass-crack rash.

Result: 12:30 as RXed. My gut tells me I can reduce this by a good chunk of time once I figure out how to eliminate all the unnecessary single-unders from my double-under sets. Okay -- new goal: String together 10 double-unders without doing any single-unders in-between. I'm giving myself until the end of April to achieve this.

My calves are going to hate me.

Monday's Workout

Strength Skill:

• Snatches (2 sets of 5, 3 sets of 3)

It's been half a year since we last practiced snatches in class -- and though the movement feels less foreign this time around, I'm rusty.

On paper, snatches don't seem that difficult: Just grab a barbell with a wide grip and fling it overhead in one fluid motion. In practice, though, even hang power snatches -- where you start with the weight suspended above the ground and end with your thighs above parallel -- pose a significant challenge to the coordination-impaired (like me).



Oddly enough, though, the thing that bugged me the most today was the hook grip, a method that calls for wrapping one's fingers around both the thumb and the bar like this:

Over the past few months, I've gotten used to using a hook grip when practicing barbell cleans, but the wide grip required for snatches put more pressure on the inside part of my thumbs. I didn't enjoy the discomfort, but with practice, I'm sure I'll get accustomed to snatching with a hook grip sooner or later.

Metcon:

• Run 400 meters
• 15 dumbbell power cleans
• Run 400 meters
• 15 dumbbell squat cleans
• Run 400 meters
• 15 dumbbell squat clean-thrusters

The best (read: most difficult) movement was saved for last -- when everyone's legs and arms were already on fire. The RXed weight for men? A pair of 45-pound dumbbells. So did I go RXed? Oh, hell to the no.

Result: 10:04.

Wednesday's Workout

Strength Skill:

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

I love deadlifts (f.k.a. "Health Lifts") even though I'm still a few pounds shy of lifting 2X my bodyweight. And I love this tip on proper deadlift form.

Oddly enough, I struggled less with my final set than I did on my penultimate one -- despite having added more weight. The last set was almost easy, while the second-to-last made my right knee shake and buckle. Weird.

Metcon:

• 50 double-unders
• 5 rounds of:
  
  • 10 barbell snatches
  • 10 toes-to-bar
• 50 double-unders

After checking my workout log at the gym, I was surprised to see that in the eight months since I joined CrossFit Palo Alto, I'd never practiced snatches before. (It showed, too.)

On the plus side, I'm stringing together increasing numbers of double-unders. (Current PR, established today: 23 before getting tangled up in my rope.) Unfortunately, I'm still doing single-unders between each double-under, which is slowing me down significantly. I finished today's workout in 9:48, but Tim thinks I could have cut at least another 30 seconds off my time if I'd managed to eliminate the unnecessary single-unders. I agree -- but I have a feeling it's going to take a long while (and a ton of practice) before my double-unders even begin to look like this:

"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)