Let the Games Begin!

”We who are about to die, salutes you!”

Santa Monica Beach is pure Heaven!

Have barely had time to breath in between all the awesome cloth-fittings, venue-briefings, kind of touristing (read: going all around LA for hours and hours in a sweaty car, yes we have been lost more than once), and trying to get 100% fit from the flu. But, I’m having an awesome time!

Bring on the heat and let us perform well tomorrow and on Saturday and I will be happy whatever the results will be in the end.

Time for nightmares about freaking 200lbs sand bags…

Namaste! 

Have the Pusher become a Puller?

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

- Buddha -

10am, WOD Part 1:

A. In 7 min, Build up to 3RM TNG Squat Snatch:
43kg/3, 52/3, 61/3, 66/3 3 RM PB!, 70/2+F 2RM PB!

B. Power Clean, max for day (one miss = no more lifts):
70kg/3, 84/2, 93/1, 98/1, 102/1, 107/1 PB!, 111/1 PB! (+6kg)

C. Max Weighted PU:
18kg/3, 36/2, 48.5/1, 60/F (1-2 cm?)…

D. MU to Ring HSPU: 2*1 Done!

2h Rest

14.30, WOD Part 2 @ Stellenbosch

E. Bar MU, 2*5, Done!

F. 2 Rounds of ”Barbara+”:

• 20 CTB
• 30 Games Styles PSHU
• 40 Situps
• 50 Squats

Times: 3’08 + 4’08 min

G. 5*5 Low Hurdles, Done!

All in all a good day after my (hopefully quick) flu attack yesterday. Weird how much my OL have improved lately, 3rd rep on 70 only felt like a sloppy miss. Power Cleans was a pleasant surprise, but actually wrote ”aim for 111!” in my note book before the wod. WPU didn’t feel as good as last time, but pretty sure I have both 60 and more in me within soon.

Was sooo tempted to go for the running I planned for the guys in the Team, 400m max effort, 15 min active rest, 200m max effort, 10 min active rest, death by 200m (+15-20% from max effort). But knew I shouldn’t and when I felt completely off with a warm up round, I knew it was right to drop it.
First round of Barbara+ felt really strong with everything unbroken, second one was just a proof that my body isn’t recovering as it should right now, no chock. Had to break the pshu like crazy and this brings me back to the title of this post. Since my shoulder injury in February all of a sudden I have passed my self when it comes to pulling vs pushing! My clean is better than my jerk, my pull ups are kind of better than my push ups etc. Weird…

Leaving for the Games tomorrow, will be interesting to see if we can surprise everybody (and our self the most) and actually give some of the other Teams a fight for the points!

Namaste!

Small steps

“Unity can only be manifested by the Binary. Unity itself and the idea of Unity are already two.”

- Buddha -

11.30am, WOD

A. WU-Series, 2 Snatch Long Pull+ 2 OHS + 2 Sotts
20, 29, 38kg

B. Hang Power Snatch, 5-5-3-3-3:
43kg/5, 52/5, 61/3, 66/1, 52/3
C. Variation Squats: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Weight must increase):

• OHS: 98/1, 103.5kg/1 PB! (+1.5kg), 107/F (1RM Snatch Push Press)
• Front Squat: 111/1, 120/1, 129/1
• Back Squat: 143/1, DNF

D. 30-20-10 KBS@32kg, (60s), DONE!

E. Box Jumps, 4*25 (60s):
32s, 32, 31, 32

 Not feeling worse than yesterday but throat still sore. Slowly testing the body again. Snatches felt super easy, up til 66 when I just got completely off technically.

Set my self up for an OHS-PB and got it, still disappointed since 103.5 wasn’t really heavy, just lost balance in my shoulders on 107. FS, light, BS felt a familiar pinch in my lower back on the first lift, (same as I had when I injured it a year ago). Don’t wanna take any chances right now, if it wasn’t a Team competition coming up I would probably just kept on going but now I gotta think about the other guys as well..

KBS and Box Jumps felt fine, didn’t wanna smoke my grip to hard so took the numbers down to ”easy unbroken range”. Box Jumps felt really good, tripped once on the last round that prob would have been the fastest otherwise.

Hoping to be 100% tomorrow so I can do some real conditioning!

Namaste! 

Unvoluntarily tapering…

”As long as you have some special Zen feeling or some part of your life labeled Zen, you’re missing the point.
When your Zen includes getting up in the morning, getting washed, and urinating, then you understand.”

Never get bored of this view...

Last days of training

Tuesday

A. No False Grip MU’s:
5, 4, 4
B. 4*25 Wall Balls, 20lbs (60s):
52s, 50, 51, 49

Wednesday
A. Flight Simulator, DU 5, 10, 15…45, 50, 45…., 5.
9’54min PB!

Got some flu feeling in my body. ”Funny” enough it’s the first time in a very long time I feel sick at all, (yes, I believe Paleo makes you healthy), and even funnier than that, I actually think i might be because I have been back on my sugar free Red Bull addiction lately. Coincidence? Maybe, but I decided that there will be no more of those super delicious bastards from now on…

Meant to do some heavy sessions this week, guess it wont really hurt me to take the volume down a bit this close to competition anyway. Wallballs is a goat, but actually felt quite ok yesterday. Flight Sim was to kind of check my body, no elevated heart rate, more than usual that is, and I felt fine afterwards. PB but still a bit annoyed. Missed halfway through 45 both on the way up and down, and then when I speeded towards the finish line, I messed up 3(!) times on 15…

Will see how I’m feeling tomorrow, throat is a bit sore but not overly bad and lower back has been a mess (hopefully due to the ugly kid Joe deadlifts and Sunday’s perfect Pipe Track Hike), and hopefully I can squeeze in a couple of lifting sessions before we go!

Namaste! 

Spoiled with PB’s…

“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.”

- Buddha -

Warning, sensitive viewers be advised!

11.30am, WOD Part 1, Strength

A. WU-series, 2 Long Clean Pulls + 2 Push Press + 2 Behind the neck Jerks + 2 Split Jerks (hold 5s in split).
38kg, 43, 48
B. Deadlift, 5-5-3-1-1-1:
143kg/5, 166/5, 175/3, 184/1, 193/1, 202/1 PB! (+4,5kg) - (finally over 200!)
C. Press, 1-1-1:
79kg/1, 84/F, 84/1 PB! (+1,5kg), 86/F
D. Push Press, 1-1-1:
93kg/1, 102/1 PB! (+2kg), 107/F+F

Feeling just a little bit off. Throat is a bit sore, better not get sick right now. These PB’s I should have had a long time ago, still they didn’t feel really convincing. Deadlift was ugly and heavy already from 184, think it might be time to put them back in my programming more often again. (In combination with Pendlay and ring rows!).
First miss at 84kg press, the wrist band fell off again, don’t wanna risk my weak wrists so just let it be. Second felt ok, but I’m way to wobbly. Need to work more on mid line stability for sure.

Conditioning tonight will be a workout with the Team, time is definitely due to make us work better together and I think the WOD I have in mind will be perfect!

EDIT: And it worked out just like I wanted to. We got to work on our communication, everybody did hard work and I actually think we performed pretty damn well! Times aren’t really important but this is what we did (stolen and modified from a 2010 Regional):

A. In order, 125 reps of each:

• Ground to Shoulder, 135/95lbs
• Box Jumps, 24/20″
• CTB Pull Ups
• Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, 95/65lbs
• Burpees

B. At the same time, team is to complete a 4k row.

Made some ”funny” rules to make it more tactical. No one could row more than 500m in one stretch and of our 5 members each one had to have one ”no rep” exercise where they couldn’t contribute. Worked out fine I think!
(Row done in 16’31min, could have gone for 5k. 125′s finished in 21’23mins). 

Namaste!

More PB’s

”By insisting on mindfulness, Zen tries to help us end our confusion and live simply and effectively.”

- Robert Allen, Zen Reflections -

No music today, hope you all survive…

11am, WOD 

A. Over Head Squats, build to 3RM:
60kg/3, 70/3, 79/3, 88/3, 93/3 PB! (+8kg!), 98/F  - 

B. 50,  20m Hand Stand Walk for Time:
ca 2 min

C. Row Intervals, 1 min on/1 off – aim sub 1’38/500m average:
Done! Total: Average 1’37.5min/500m & 1538m

15 min rest, then from OPT: 30 s on of each, rest 30/60/90/30/60/90/30/60s between Rounds:

• Amrap Burpees @ 95% (sure): 17, 14, 14
• Double Unders: 50 (2 misses), 60, 59 (1)
• Ab-mat Sit Ups: 25, 24, 23

Almost a one year old PB for the 3RM OHS, still felt very strong. Wrists is the biggest issue for me with multiple reps actually. Forgot to stabilize on 98kg and lost it on the way up. Honestly think I can get 100 for 3 quite easily.
Shoulders was VERY stiff and sore from the last days. (HSPU’s in Mary yesterday didn’t help). Started out the Hand Stand Walk, stolen from Mackie, unbroken first round of 10m in about 20s, then I completely died. Think I did the second 10m in 15 attempts, starting over again and again, just wasn’t the right day I guess.

Row actually not as sucky as usually! Not fun, but felt my recovery is getting better. Sprint conditioning from OPT was fun and probably good for speed.

I like the approach of ticking of old PB’s or doing wod’s I haven’t done before for easy such. I do not like my performance during Mary yesterday however. Did just over my shame level at 10 rounds + 5 HSPU + 6 Pistols. Pull Ups took all the time after 4 unbroken rounds, (everything else unbroken all the way), and I can definitely feel the 150 I did in arms and lats, should get quite a few more rounds though.
But hey, a PB is a PB, and Dave of course I can count it as a such, it is per definition the ”Personal Best” score I have ever done, right?

Namaste!

It wouldn’t be Friday unless I hit a new PB!

“He is able who thinks he is able”

- Buddha -

10.30am, WOD Part 1, OL max lifts

A. Power Snatch, Max for Day, ”60% + 3-5% til last good lift.”
43kg/3, 52/2, 67/1, 61/1, 66/1, 70/1, 75/1 (same as PB), 77/F - (Wouldn’t call the last two ”good lifts”..).

B. Clean & Jerk, Aim for 1RM!
70/1, 79/1, 84/1, 89/1, 93/1, 97/1, 102/1, 107/1, 112.5kg/1 PB (+1,5kg), 116/F+F+F - (A PB is a PB..).

Weird, shoulders felt stiff and leg sluggish. Snatches was ok, but with after press on the last lifts.

Felt like I was cleaning in slowmo up til 107, didn’t really expect to hit more but when I did I wanted more. Bad excuse but, the wristband gave up in the Clean on 112.5 and I got scared. Really think I’ll hit 116 next time!

Gonna give my self a free PB later on when I’m doing ”Mary” for the first time in a couple of hours…

Namaste!

Grip?

“To conquer oneself is a greater task than conquering others”\

- Buddha -

1 video…

A. WU-series, 2 Snatch Long Pulls+2 OHS+2 Sotts:
29kg, 38, 43
B. Mid Hang Snatch, 5-5-3-3-3:
29/5, 38/5, 43/3, 48/3, 52/3 (cones are awesome too avoid my wide landings!).
C. 30-25-20 KBS@32kg, (60s b/t rounds):
30, 25, 12+8 (Wanted it unbroken but shoulders died during last round).
D. 3*10 Toes To Bar, (30s) (hey grip, where did u go?).

4h rest

E. Elizabeth, 21-15-9 of:
Shame Level: 10 min, Goal: <7’30, Dream: <6 min

• Squat Cleans @ 135lbs/61kg 
• Ring Dips

Time: 8’00 min PB! (-2’55 min).

And a 2nd video!

Legs tired but dips felt easy. Still think I should be at least a minute faster, but things are going in the right direction…

Namaste! 

More Pulling

”The water of Zen is within you and without you and is you. Can you separate the fish from water? Well, you could, but then you’d have a dead fish.”

- Zen Reflections -

11.30 am, WOD

A. 5*5 @ 18kg Strict Weighted Pull Ups (Supinated), 1X21-tempo:
3*5 CTB, 2*5 COVP (Couldn’t pull my self all the way up on the last reps 4th & 5th).
B.  3*5 Muscle Up Transitions (No Dip):
5, 5, 5 (Felt a need to work on my false grip again).

C. For Time, Aim All Out:

• 30 CTB (unbr.)
• 60 DU (2 br.)
• 20 CTB (8/5/4/3)
• 40 DU (ub)
• 10 CTB (4/2/2/2)
• 20 DU (ub)

Time: 6’01 min

Funny feeling, pumped grip and muscle fatigue yes, but I’m not getting max taxed.  Had the same feeling yesterday, is my conditioning getting better?
Should however be doable a lot faster, but since I forced my self to hang on as long as possible to the bar every round, that wasn’t really the goal.

Namaste!

The PB-Hunter…

”The standards that Zen people expect of themselves are rigorous ones. The difference is, from a Zen point of view, the evil is not something that people are, it’s something they acquire.”

- Zen Reflections - 

11am, WOD Part 1

A. WU-Series, 3 sets: 2 Hang Power Clean, 2 Push Press, 2 Jerk Behind, 2 Press Behind in Split pos.
3*43kg
B. Hang Power Clean, 3-3-3:
61kg/3, 70/3, 79/3
C. On the minute, 1 Hang Power Clean until Failure:
84kg/1, 89/1, 93/1, 98/1 PB!, 102/F
(Landing wide with heavy weights).
D. Push Press, 5-5-3-3-3:
79/5, 86/5 PB! (+2kg), 89/3, 93/3 PB!, 98/3 PB! (+9kg)
(Use leg drive more! Think my 1rm at 100 shouldn’t be safe for long).

E1. 3 * 15 Power Cleans @ 135lbs (30s to E2):
15 (39s), 15 (42s), 10/5 (53s)
E2. 3 * Max (-1) Clapping PSHU’s, consecutive, (2min to E1):
30, 14, 11

4.15pm, Part 2, Conditioning:

5 Rounds:

• 200m Row
• 10 GHD’s
• 10 Back Squats at BW
  3 min rest 

1’49min, 2’01, 1’54, 1’55, 2’10 (Org. plan was 20 on GHD & Squats, glad I went for the sprint version..).

PS. Did 23 Rounds on ”Cindy” Friday (PB by 1 round). Should be a +25 guy, just kept moving the whole time at 85-90% and didn’t sprint until the end. PSHU’s broken from round 12, rest unbroken and easy. With this pace, +1 round per year, I’ll have a good score of 40 rounds when I’m what, 46..?

Namaste!