Elizabeth

Workout 28 February 2009:

Elizabeth*
21-15-9 reps of:
Clean 115lbs
Ring dips

Results: 18'10
Previous best: 23'12, 110lb cleans (20 Dec 07)

While a five-minute improvement is great, I have to take into account that I did a different kind of dip from last time. Previously, I did a standard ring dip. Today, I switched over to doing kipping ring-dips since they allow you to do the same amount of work in a fast time, thereby increasing power output. When doing kipping dips, you use your hip flexors and extensors to explode upwards in addition to just your chest, triceps, and lats. This obviously played a big role in decreasing my time on the workout, but I doubt it accounts for more than a 1-2 minute gain. We'll see what kind of improvement I have next time; I plan to use 120lbs for the cleans.

*A true Elizabeth is done with a clean weight of 135lbs; I'm working up to that.

And now, a new feature:
The Mark Rippetoe Quote of the Day

"The less strength you have, the more important it is to have more."

Squats

Workout 27 February 2009:

Back Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps, 220lbs

Previous best: 5x5 at 215lbs (18 Jan 09)

All the squats went well today and although they felt heavy, I was able to push the final rep on each set without too much fear of failure. I probably could have done sets of 225lbs but was working out at home without the benefit of a squat cage. Although I do know how to properly bail from a failed squat attempt, I don't want to risk breaking my weights by dropping them from more than a foot or two off the ground, so I did a weight that I was pretty sure I could do without any failures. Next time, I will go for 225lbs, cage or not.

Again, these are full-depth squats where the goal is to touch your butt to the back of your ankles. No partial-depth cheating!

Muay Thai

Workout 26 February 2009:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

Lots of kicks and knees today made the class relatively intense. However, my hip flexibility didn't feel like cooperating today, so my body kicks were not solid. Still have a long way to go, but there is definite, albeit slow, improvement.

Thrusters and Core

Workout 24 February 2009:

Barbell thrusters, seven sets of one rep

Then after five minutes rest

Five rounds for time of:
22 Glute-ham developer sit-ups
25 Back extensions

Results:

Thrusters: 145-150-155-160-165-170-175
Previous best: 145-150-155-160-165-170 (6 sets, 23 Nov 08)

GHDSU & BE: 15'28
Previous best: 15'16 (20 GHDSU per round, 19 Apr 08)

I originally planned to just do the thruster workout. However, I felt pretty good afterwards and decided to do what I originally planned for Thursday since I am now unable to get to the gym that day.

The thrusters went well and I'm happy with a 5lb gain. I probably could have put up 180lbs on an eighth set, but there were several people waiting to use the squat rack, so I stopped. I'm hoping for 185 next time.

The GHD sit-up and back extension workout was a bit painful especially since the thrusters have a decent core demand. Although the time was a few seconds slower than last time, I did two extra sit-ups per round (I'm working up to a goal of 30 per round) and just came off the first workout, so I won't complain.

Definitely not looking forward to being extremely sore tomorrow, just in time for kickboxing!

Muay Thai

Workout 22 February 2009:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

My flexibility is slowly improving to the point where I can almost hit the proper height for a body kick. As few as a couple of months ago, I was nowhere near this point. I still have quite a ways to go, but today was the first time I was able to almost kick at 90 degrees.

Barbara

Workout 21 February 2009:

Barbara (4 rounds)
Four rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Rest 3 minutes between each round

Results: 5'39 / 5'58 / 6'19 7'25
Previous Best: 5'06 / 5'29 / 6'39 / 6'07 (21 Jan 08)

Even from the beginning, something did not feel right today; I wasn't in any pain, it just felt like there was no gas in the tank. I'm not sure if it's because I was drained from yesterday's effort or if I didn't eat or drink enough before going to the gym. It actually got to the point where I almost quit after the third round. I'm glad now that I pushed myself for the final round, but I was uncomfortable the whole time. Definitely not my best performance.

Addendum 12:30am on 22 Feb 09:
I set a new PR for one-rep max of bench press tonight, 200lb, while screwing around with some fraternity brothers. Apparently, beer really does give you muscles!

CrossFit Total

Workout 20 February 2009:

CrossFit Total
Sum of one rep max of each:
Back Squat
Shoulder Press
Deadlift

Results:
Squat 275
Press 155
Dead 345
Total 775lbs

Previous Best:
Squat 285
Press 145
Dead 330
Total 760lbs (17 Feb 08)

This is my benchmark workout for pure strength. My previous best total came about a year ago, as above. Between then and now, I did this workout two other times with poor results: 730 (Jul 08) and 705lbs (Nov 08). I was particularly disappointed with the November effort since that result was a loss of around 10% of my peak strength. Since then, I have been incorporating or adding in more strength-based workouts. This effort definitely paid off as shown by my new CFT personal best. As indicated in my New Year Resolutions post, my goal for the CFT is 800lbs and with today's effort, I am now only 25lbs away.

I encourage everyone to use this workout as his or her own benchmark for strength. All the exercises can be safely done alone (note that a bench press is NOT included). Here's how to actually do the workout.

First, go for your one-rep max for the back squat. Warm up with a few sets of three reps of the back squat, increasing the weight each time. Then do a couple of sets of two reps, again with increasing weight. Finally, do one or two sets of one rep at a weight somewhat close to what you think your max might be. Once you've sufficiently warmed up, then you have three chances to go for the highest weight for one rep. If you fail a rep, it counts as one of your three "attempts" but you can't actually count it for your score. As I've talked before about squats, for the rep to count, you must drop to a depth such that your hips are below parallel with your knees. No cheating with partial depth squats. Rest as much as you need between sets. I typically rest 1-2 minutes between warm-up sets and then 3-4 minutes between the three one-rep max attempts.

Next, move on to the shoulder press. Do the same warm-up scheme as for the squats. Then, do your three attempts at the one-rep max. Rest as needed. For the rep to count, you must reach full extension in your arms and lock out the weight overhead.

Finally, do the deadlifts. Same warm-up then three max attempts and rest as needed. For the rep to count, the barbell must start and end on the floor in a controlled manner. No dropping the weight at the top of the lift.

Add up the maximum weight for each exercise, and you have your Total.

For a detailed explanation of the workout, click here.

Muay Thai

Workout 18 February 2009:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

Hang Power Cleans

Workout 17 February 2009:

Hang Power Clean: 7 sets of 1 rep

Results: 135-145-155-160-165-170-175lbs
Previous best: 115-125-135-145-155-165-170lbs (1 Feb 09)

Today's 5lb improvement compared to two weeks ago was right on target where I wanted to be with today's workout. I also increased the initial weight so that I wasn't jumping 10lbs between each rep.

A flaw I tried to work on a bit today is a "muted hip." From the hang position, you dip slightly to gain momentum for the pull. A muted hip is when you do not allow your pelvis to turn over during the dip but instead just drop straight down without changing the angle between your back and pelvis. This causes you to essentially only use your quads, "muting" the hamstrings, when driving back up. You lose a lot of potential power doing this. Try this exercise to see what an "active" hip feels like.

Stand straight up with feet about shoulder width apart. Put your hands on the sides of your hip with your thumb pointing back and the rest of your fingers pointing towards your groin. Using your fingers (not your thumbs), press your hips back, keeping your back straight and your legs relaxed. You should feel your pelvis turn over as if you were beginning to sit back into a chair and your fingers should be pointing more towards the ground than when they started. This is an "active" hip and when you stand straight back up, it allows you to add the power generated by the hamstrings.

Handstand Push-ups and L-Pull-ups

Workout 16 February 2009:

Time for:
13 HSPUs - 03 L-Pull-ups
11 HSPUs - 05 L-Pull-ups
09 HSPUs - 07 L-Pull-ups
07 HSPUs - 09 L-Pull-ups
05 HSPUs - 11 L-Pull-ups
03 HSPUs - 13 L-Pull-ups

Results: 18'40
Previous Best: 23'50 (4 Aug 08)

Today's workout went a lot better than expected. I was not expecting a 5-minute improvement especially since I forced myself to do full range of motion on the pull-ups. In the past when doing L-Pull-ups, I generally did not lock my elbows out at the bottom position. In other words, I was cheating, and I forced myself to stop today. The improvement is due to general increased upper-body strength and also better proficiency with dead-hang ("normal") pull-ups. Starting a month or two ago, I included dead-hang pull-ups in my warm-up instead of just kipping pull-ups. I think this played a big role in me feeling more comfortable with a full range of motion on the L-pull-ups.

Here's some advice and explanations for those of you who might try this workout.
Handstand push-ups are just like they sound. Do a handstand, lower your chin to the floor, then push back up until your elbows are locked out. Do this against a wall for safety and support. If you're not quite strong enough to touch your chin, touch the top of your head instead. If you can't do these at all, elevate your feet as much as possible and do "traditional" push-ups.
An L-pull-up is done much like a normal pull-up except you raise your straightened legs so they're at 90 degrees to your torso. You will look like an "L" from the side. Keep your legs at 90 degrees for the full pull-up.

Turkish Get Ups

Workout 15 February 2009:

As many turkish get ups (16kg kettlebell) as possible in 20 minutes, alternating arms

Results: 32
Previous Best: 25 (2 Jan 09)

Today's workout went very well since I had a 30% improvement since last time. Part of the improvement is due to better technique, and part was due to improved core and shoulder strength. Since I am now able to do more than 30 TGUs at this weight, next time I will use a 24kg kettlebell.

Running

Workout 14 February 2009:

Run 4.5 miles

Results: 38'02 (treadmill with 1% incline)
Previous Best: None

It has been well over a year since I last ran more than 5K (approx 3.1 miles). I had initially planned to run 10K today (approx 6.2 miles). However, I cut it short for two reasons. First, since I was running on a treadmill, I needed some entertainment. However, the TV show I was streaming decided to stop about 30 minutes in and I didn't want to have to mess around and restart while running. Second, I started running too fast and lost too much energy within the first 3 miles. When I next attempt a 10K, I'll pace myself better. Overall, I'm not too happy with the run, but it was a decent workout regardless.

Additional Skill Work
Back Lever: 5-second hold x 5

Thai Training

Workout 11 February 2009:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

No new students were in class tonight, so we stepped up the intensity a bit. Good stuff.

Overhead Squats

Workout 10 February 2009:

Overhead Squats 5 sets of 3 reps

Results: 65-75-85-95-105lb
Previous Best: No prior 3x5

The overhead squat is probably the most difficult type of squat. It is also one of the most beneficial since it works essentially every muscle in the body and demands significant core strength and stability. If you have a weak muscle group, this exercise will find it and if you do enough reps at a heavy enough weight, muscles will be sore the next day that you didn't know you had.

However, there are a couple of major drawbacks to this extremely beneficial exercise.

First, it requires a significant amount of shoulder, hamstring, and ankle flexibility. This is the main reason I haven't done many in the past. Only recently, with a lot of effort, have I gained enough flexibility to attempt more than a few reps at a very light weight. My form is not good: my stance is too wide, my knees don't track over my feet (they turn inward), and my torso is not fully upright. However, the only way to get better is to do lots of them, so I plan to incorporate more into my workouts even if it's just some skill training at the end of a workout.

Second, in order to go heavy, you need to be able to safely bail. My current setup does not permit throwing down my barbell (unless I want to break something). To do this properly, I would want to use rubber bumper plates (designed to be dropped) on a lifting platform (designed to have heavy things dropped on it). Until I have regular access to both, I will need to work with a weight that I know that I am able to fully control. For now, this is fine, since it's safer that I not do extremely heavy OHS without improving form first.

Cleans and Rings

Workout 9 February 2009:

For time:
115 pound Power clean 15 reps
30 Ring dips
115 pound Power clean 12 reps
24 Ring dips
115 pound Power clean 9 reps
18 Ring dips
115 pound Power clean 6 reps
12 Ring dips
115 pound Power clean 3 reps
6 Ring dips

Results: 16'52
Previous Best: none

This is a new workout, so I didn't have any goal time. The next time I do it, I will increase the clean weight to at least 125lb since 115lb felt a little too light and I never needed to break up the cleans into more than 2 sets. The ring dips ended up being the most challenging part. As with just about any bodyweight exercise, doing dips on rings is significantly more challenging than on a set of parallel bars since more muscles must be utilized for stabilization.

Check out Elite Rings for more information about training with rings.

Additional Skill Work:
Back Lever- 5-second hold x 3
Skin-the-Cat x 10

Despite being pretty well worn out from the main workout, I decided to do some light skill work while I had the rings up. My back lever is definitely getting stronger. I can drop into it will a lot more control and am able to hold it for at least 5 seconds. The skin-the-cats are great not only for building shoulder strength, but also improving shoulder flexibility.

Bench and Thai Training

Workout 8 February 2009:

Bench Press 5 sets of 5 reps at 170lbs

Results: All reps completed without failure
Previous best: 5x5 at 165lbs (20 Jan 09)

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 60 minutes

The bench press went well. Again, I probably could have gone heavier, but I benched without a spotter so I needed to do a weight I was completely sure I could handle. Going for 175lbs next time.

Conditioning sounds like such a pleasant and gentle word. It's neither.

Virtual Shoveling

Workout 6 February 2009:

Time for 30-25-20-15-10-5 reps of:
Virtual Shoveling*, 30lbs
Push-ups

*Load 30lb on one end of a standard Olympic barbell then hold like a shovel. Touch the weighted end on each side of a 24 inch barrier to count as one rep. Switch hands as needed. Video Demo

Results: 17'45
Previous Best: 16'10 with 25lb on bar (12 Oct 08)

This is a killer workout for your back and arms. I was a bit disappointed with my time since despite adding more weight to the bar, I hoped to finish faster. I underestimated just how much more difficult adding 5lbs would be to the shoveling. My back fatigued quickly and I had to break up the shoveling reps more than I hoped. If you want to get some crazy looks from people at the gym, definitely give this one a try.

Front Squat 5x5

Workout 5 February 2009:

Front Squat 5 sets of 5 reps

Results: 170-175-180-185-190 lbs.
Previous Best: 145-155-165-175-180 lbs. (29 Dec 07)

It's been over a year since my last 5x5 front squat workout, though I have done other variations. Since it had been awhile, my goal was to not necessarily beat the last max weight by any significant amount, but rather, to lift more weight total by starting at a heavier weight. With that in mind, after a warm up, I went from 165 to 185 lbs. in 5 lb. increments. However, I felt like I still had some gas in the tank at the end, and was able to get 190 lbs. Within a few months, I should be able to hit 200lbs.


A few people have asked me why my squat numbers seem relatively light compared to what they've seen in the gym. Aside from someone simply being stronger than me, the biggest factor likely has to do with range of motion.

I do full-depth (below parallel) squats. This means I drop down to the point at which my hip joint is BELOW my knee. Often, I'll even do full A2A (ass to ankle) squats where I drop as low as possible, essentially touching my ankles with my butt.

Most people only do partial squats either because they're easier or they've been told that squatting deep is bad for your knees. As long as your form is decent, the latter is false. You're actually at greater risk by regularly only doing partial depth squats since you develop a muscle imbalance around the knee. Your knee is protected in large part by the quads on the front of your leg and by the hamstrings on the back. If either of those two muscle groups becomes considerably stronger than the other, your knee is not able to stay ideally aligned.

Partial depth squats primarily work only the quadriceps. Only when you approach (and exceed) parallel do the hamstrings come into play. Therefore, doing only partial depth squats will lead to a quad-dominant leg and therefore increase your risk of knee injury. An additional benefit of doing full depth squats is that you will quickly improve hamstring flexibility, a problem that plagues most Americans.

With rare exception, anyone who claims to have a (back) squat of 350+ lbs is likely doing a pretty shallow squat. As you might imagine, it's possible to "squat" a much greater weight if you're moving the weight a much shorter distance.

Muay Thai

Workout 4 February 2009:

Muay Thai training and sparring, 35 minutes

Still trying to shake a cold that's been around for a couple of weeks. That aside, good session today.

Pull-Ups

Workout 2 February 2009

10 round for time of:
3 Weighted pull-ups, 25lb dumbbell held in ankles
7 Kipping pull-ups

Results: 21'55
Previous Best: none

This was a new workout and I've never done anything similar, so I had no goal time. Initially, all pull-ups were with an overhand grip. From round four onward, I used an underhand grip (chin-up) for the weighted pull-ups. For the first 3 rounds, I was able to do all 10 pull-ups in one set, without coming off the bar and just dropping the weight after the first three reps. After the third round, I partitioned the pull-ups so that I did the three weighted, then rested, then did the 7 kipping. Next time, I might add in a few strict (normal) pull-ups between the weighted and kipping.

Hang Power Cleans

Workout 1 February 2009:

Hang Power Clean: 7 sets of 1 rep

Results: 115-125-135-145-155-165-170lbs
Previous best: 95-110-125-145-155-160-165(F*) (1 May 08)
*F indicates failed rep

It's been awhile since I've done any form of clean, so I started light to make sure my form was passable. I'm happy with the 10lb improvement since last time, but next time I should start at a higher weight and then go up in 5lb increments instead of 10lb. In between sets, I also added a little extra deadlift skill work since the weight was light (for a deadlift).