Sluggish legs

25 10 2011

”Specialization is for insects.”

Coach Glassman, in THIS Men’s Health article 

Back in the hill!

11.30am, WOD Part 1

A. 5 Accelerating Hill Sprints 70-95%, rest/walk down in between
Done!

12.55pm, WOD Part 2

WU, from GymnasticsWOD.com:

  • 2 min Middle Split
  • 2 min Pike Stretch
  • 2 min Pancake Split
B. 3 rounds Ring Gymnastics:
L-(ish) MU + Fwd Roll to L-hang + L-skin the Cat + Inverted hang + lowering Front Lever
C. From CCF, 12 min Amrap:
  • 15 Box Jumps, 60cm (fully standing on box)
  • 10 Burpees
  • 5 Chest to RINGS PU
Score: 7 rounds + 5 BJ
Wow, was my legs ever made of syrup, today was that day. Didn’t time the intervals in the hill, just divided each run in three parts which I did at approx 70, 80, 90-95% speed. Never went to max, but each round was taxing me more than the previous.

Felt quite smashed when I got to the gym, took me a good hour before I even could push my self to warm up. Ring series went ok, gymnasticswod stretch before definitely helped my stiff hammies.

Metcon was same feeling as hill sprints all over, no fast gear to put in with any of the exercises. Did like the Ring PU’s though, way harder than regular ones, had to single kip almost every one. Hopefully a light swim session and then two full days of rest will be exactly what I need to feel fast on Saturday’s competition!

Namaste!






Unplanned PBs and another 20 mins of Squats!

24 10 2011

”A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.”

- Mark Twain -


Forgot to put the Push Press PB in here, you just have to take my word for it.. ;)

1pm, WOD

A. In 15 minutes find 1RM of round of the Bear Complex:
Power Clean + Front Squat + Push Press + Back Squat + Heave Press

61/1, 84/1, 93/1, 98/F (Heave Press!?), 103.5/F (Heave Press!?) but PB Push Press! (+1.5kg)

B. Heave Press + unplanned OHS:

102/1 (no OHS), 107kg/1 PB! (+3.5kg) 

C. Death by OTM 1 Back Squat @ 90% of 1RM = 144kg
Done!

Practice for the competition in Durban and since the 1RM Bear is one of the events, I obviously wanted to know where I stand. Couldn’t get why I was failing the behind the neck push presses, especially since everything else was relatively easy. Then, I remembered a detail that changed it all. Reset for the Heave Press alone and all of a sudden the weights was flying up. 107 took a while to balance out, but that also got me thinking about OHS:ing it..
Hadn’t done a single OHS previous in the session so it was a bit of a gamble, but hey it worked!

Back Squats on the minute was almost ridiculously light, which was good because it gave me a lot of reps to work on technique.
Will be fun to try this out this system with Front Squats next week, and I’m actually considering putting in some work for HSPU with the same template.

Rest of the week is going to be light, some kind of tapering for the weekend is needed. Some light running, swimming and maybe some stamina Pull Ups tomorrow.

Oh, sorry guys, ”Fran” has to wait til next week, this was more important and no way I’m trying her after this…

Namaste!





Couple of PB’s, not satisfied..

23 10 2011

”Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.”

- Winston Churchill -

Friday 12.30pm, WOD 1:

A. Snatch Max for Day:
52/1, 57/1, 61/1, 66/1, 70/1, 75/F+F+1…

B. Clean & Jerk, Max for Day:
70/1, 79/1, 88/1, 93/1, 98/1, 102/1, 107/1, 112.5/1 PB! (+1.5kg), 116/F+F+F 

Friday, 3pm, WOD 2

C. 3 RFT, 25 Burpees/500m Row

Time: 11’00 min PB (-1’28min).

New PB in the Clean AND Jerk, have cleaned this once before. Snatch is just completely off. Wont let it get to me right now however, focus is on the UWS Games next weekend, will figure the rest out afterwards..

Burpee/Row obviously dreadful, but I kept a too low pace on the burpees to make it sub the 10 mins I was aiming for. Can prob go about 5s faster per row as well, but that would just cost too much energy.

Saturday we did some team practice for the upcoming competition and I think we have it all down now. If everybody just give it their all we will, besides from having a ton of fun which is the main goal, probably do a pretty good job and perform well enough for a good placing.
Today I joined one of the other teams from our box for a 500ish meter run (without warmup, sucked) and then some work in the pool. Breathing technique is feeling better each time, not claiming to be fast or anything, but pretty sure I will at least survive my portion of the swim..

Namaste!

 





I love Squats! Push Ups, not so much..

19 10 2011

”Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

- Yoda-

1.30pm WOD

WU: 2 Clean Long Pull+2 FS+2 Clean Sotts, 4 sets @ 20kg

A. Clean Segment Pull + Clean Pull, (1+1) * 3, 3, 2, 1
93kg/3, 102/3, 111/2, 120/1

B. Clean & Jerk, 1, 1, 1 + 3 at 75% (80kg)
1, 1, 1, 3 (PC+PJ) 

C. Blair’s Death by Back Squat On the Minute, 3 Squats @ 80% of 1 RM/128kg, (20min cap):
20 rounds!

D. 100 Hand Release Push Ups: 

Time: 5’46 min 

Back is handling the clean pulls better now, still iffy in the SI-joint, but definitely improvement. C&J felt ok. 80kg is quite heavy to TnG for me.

Back Squats, well today was the first day I didn’t have to hold on to the railing, due to massive doms, when walking down from my loft bed in the morning. In other words, perfect time to smash the legs once again!
Honestly, this felt way easier than last week. Maybe because the total workload only was 7.7 tons today, hehe, but also mentally since I now know I can do 20 rounds.

Games styles push ups is something I threw in there since I think my body weight pressing strength has gone down lately, also now I really know I shouldn’t do the PshU’s at the competition next week. This was slow to say the least. Started with 20 reps, then 12, 10, 8, 5, 5… 2, 2..

Active rest in the shape of outdoor swimming tomorrow morning, let’s hope the universe provides a heck of a lot more sunshine than the last time. I’m still trying to find my balls.

Namaste!





Pull it til you drop!

18 10 2011

”Much to learn, you still have.”

- Yoda -

2pm WOD

WU – 3 Sets: 1 MU + 1 Fwd Roll + 1 Skin The Cat + 1 Inverted Hang to descending Front Lever

A. WCTB, 3-3-3-3:
18kg/3, 23/3, 28/3 PB, 36/1+F
B. MU, No false grip, 3*Max (-1):
5, 3, 4

C. From OPT, For Time:

  • 30 CTB Unbroken
  • 400m Run
  • 25 CTB UB
  • 400m Run
  • 20 CTB UB* (12/8)
  • 400m Run
  • 15 CTB UB* (12/3)

Time: 11’04 min

Ouch, metcon hurt. Maybe partly because of all the pulling I did before. What is it that makes WCTB so hard, just can’t figure them out. 28kg felt so easy, second rep on 36 wasn’t even close. My MU’s aren’t really good either right now. Too stiff for a nice transition so I told my self the rules was that as soon as I didn’t get both elbows moving simultaneously, that was the last rep of any set. Need to work on my shoulder mobility.

OPT-metcon was as said, quite rough. Set a sub 10 min goal, but clearly missed it. Running indoors on a 33m-”track”, slows you down a bit but what really messed me up was obviously the unbroken-rule. First set done continuously in about 35s, good speed! Second set I had to do the last 7 as single kips, without coming off the bar, not so fast…
That obviously killed my grip and made it ”impossible” for me to hang on for the 20-round. Chickened out from redoing that round and gave my self permission to one break each for the last two rounds. What annoys me with this is that if I would have managed the 20-set, I would never have broken the 15 in the end. Which leads me to a conclusion: I need to stop using failure as an excuse for more failure. Need to treat every round, set and rep of any wod as a separate moment where I give it all I have. That, and that alone, will make me as good as I can and want to be…

On a funny note: I can still feel the doms in my legs from last weeks 11 tons of Squat, and tomorrow it’s time for round 2, with heavier weights. Good times!

Namaste!





Is this a PB Dave?

17 10 2011

”Do or do not… there is no try.”

- Yoda -

1pm, WOD Part 1

A. Power Snatch+OHS+Snatch (2s hold in bottom of each): 5 sets @ 75%, 52kg B. Push Press+Behind the neck Jerk+Split Jerk (5s hold in split): 5 sets @ 85%, 90kg C. Front Squats, 3-3-3: 102/3, 111/3, 125/3 PB! (+5kg)  ok this is getting ridiculous. Done 125 before…

2h rest

D. 100 Russian KB-Swings for time, 32kg: 3’38min (50/20/15/15 reps)

Every time I post a PB, Dave corrects me. So, now I’m asking, this must surely be a PB? ;)
Think I need to hire Dave as my PB list…

Body pretty damn sore (still) from the Back Squats last Wednesday and also because me and Rika did the first 4 events from the Swedish Nationals Friday & Saturday morning. Not so happy with my numbers there (see end of post), but considering how beat up I was coming into them and that I am in no way peaking right now, I guess it’s ok.

Actually still feel my quads being sore from the damn squats, worst doms ever! Pretty happy to feel this strong with the Front Squat again considering this, it was a full 6 month old PB however.

Was planning to do an OPT-metcon in the afternoon, but just didn’t have it in me. Shoulders stiff and sore, so chose to do my part of one of the events in the USW at the end of the month. Light and easy, got the heart rate up a bit, but honestly think I’m gonna go for 100 unbroken on competition day.

Running tomorrow, please let the damn legs feel like those of a runner and not like those of a 90 year old man…

My scores for the four events:

#1 Deadlift & Burpee Box Jumps: 6 rounds + 8 Deads + 2 BBJ Not happy, legs smoked instantly.

#2 Shuttle Runs, DU, Max GTO: 44sr, 93du, 107kg Only one I am happy with, know for a fact I had even more in me on the first two.

#3: Hang Clean Thrusters & Toes To Bar: 8’40 min Doesn’t really count this one, didn’t know of the full extension for each rep at hang rule so obviously did a lighter version.

#4: Snatch, Broad Jumps, CTB, KBS, Carry: 14 min cap and still KBS and carry left Finished at 17’20 I think, another showing of how bad I am at squat snatches in metcons.. 

 

Namaste!





11.1 Tons of Back Squats, check!

12 10 2011

”Nowness-awareness is the secret of enlightenment and self-realization: the Buddha within.”

- Lama Surya Das, Buddha Standard Time -


Don’t worry, it’s only the two last of the rounds… ;)

12.15pm, WOD Part 1

A. 5 sets: Power Clean + Front Squat + Clean + Jerk (hold 5s in split) @ 70%, 75kg (n every 2nd min):
Done!
B. Hang Snatch High Pull (Flat Footed), 4*4 @ 60%, 43kg (otm):
Done! 

C. Blair Morrison’s Death By Back Squats, 5 Reps on the Minute @ 70% of 1 RM (20min cap):
20 Rounds!

Rest 2 hours

D. Death By HSPU:
Score: 9+4 HSPU

OL felt ok today, right thumb tendon is giving me some issues but trying to keep it out of the loop.

Weird how different the Squats was this time compared to three weeks ago when I got 10 rounds and wanted to die! Not saying this was easy, and I still had problems walking down the stairs later this night, but I got through it the whole way unbroken and quite explosive. Honestly think my mindset was the biggest difference, had decided already from the start to aim for 20 rounds and right now I am finding my motivation to push through again, world watch out!

Didn’t really know what to do for my second session, actually contemplated skipping it and foam roll even more instead, but then I remembered that I’m not really happy with my HSPU stamina atm. Got through 8 rounds unbroken, had to break down 9th and then I was smoked. Goal was +10 so not satisfied. Definitely what I need though, pressing body weight exercises is turning into a weakness for me and that is not acceptable.

Swimming in the outdoor pool tomorrow morning, which probably will be both cold and not so beautiful. But, I need it. Also it might work a little as a recovery wod for my legs, they will be out of order for a couple of days most likely..

Namaste!





Low volume Tuesday

11 10 2011

”This is the secret essence of inner freedom and autonomy:
Letting be.
Be still.
All is right here;

Don’t stray elsewhere.”

- Lama Surya Das,  Buddha Standard Time -

2pm, WOD

A. WCTB, 3-3-1-1-1:
18/3, 23/3, 28/1, 36/1 PB!, 41/F 

B. Ring Dips to L-sit hold 3 sec, 3*5 reps:
5, 5, 5

C. CTB Butterfly for speed, 3*20 (60s):
22s PB!
(ub), 23s (ub), 1’02min (13/4/3)

D. GHD Sit Ups for speed, 3*20 (60s):
36s, 37, 35s PB!

Felt good that I had planned a low volume day after yesterday. Changed my plan and moved running from today til Saturday to be more fresh for tomorrow. WCTB is a joke, how hard can it be? Anyway, guess it is a goat officially now so will work hard to get better at them. Regular CTB on the other hand felt really good with my wider grip! Fast and ub first two rounds, then I think my mind played me a game and I just dropped from the bar and started doubting my self. GHD’s I just put in there since it was quite a long time ago, and I felt that I couldn’t have too little volume after all..

Will be doing the first 4 events from ”SM” (Swedish Nationals in CrossFit) on Friday & Saturday. As much as I wish that I could be there, I am one of the few that has done the two previous years after all, I must say I’m a bit disappointed in the events them self. Quite boring and without any imagination when it comes to testing the athletes in areas they usually don’t do in their regular training, if you ask me. Which is what I personally think a CF competition at this level should do?

However, I know the guys running the show, and they will not disappoint anyone when it comes to throwing a great weekend together. The atmosphere when the community comes together is what I will miss the most. But as said, will do the events ”for fun” and even though I haven’t been training for this weekend in particular it will be fun to see how far behind I am from the top guys, and of course how close I can get to my friends that are competing. In fact, I both hope and expect that to be the same guys this year knowing how good they are at the moment.

Best of luck boys, you know who you are!

Namaste!

 










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