Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Coe

Workout 31 August 2010:

"Coe"
Ten rounds for time of:
65 pound Thruster, 10 reps
10 Ring push-ups

Results: 23'24
Previous best: 25'50 ("Team" Coe, 13 Aug 10)

When I last did this workout two weeks ago, I did it as a team effort with two other people where our goal was to do 300 thrusters and 300 ring push-ups. At that time, I did about 100 of each, give or take a few reps.

Today was my first attempt at a solo Coe. I'm very surprised at my time as I expected to finish closer to 25-30 minutes. I was able to do all 10 sets of thrusters unbroken. I did the first four rounds of push-ups unbroken but then finished the others splitting up into six and four reps. Next time, I'll increase the thruster weight to 70-75lbs with the eventual goal of 95lb thrusters used in a non-scaled Coe.

This workout is in honor of Army Sgt. Keith Adam Coe, 30, who died April 27th, 2010, in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an enemy explosive device.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tabata This

Workout 28 August 2010:

"Tabata This"
Tabata each of the following:
Push-ups
Squats
Sit-ups
Pull-ups

Results: 6+12+9+6=33
Previous best: none

I did today's workout at CrossFit Confluence. Since the scoring for a Tabata workout is based on the fewest number of reps completed in any of the eight Tabata rounds, I held back on the first few rounds so that I wouldn't tire out quickly and end up with a very low rep count on the last round. Overall, my strategy worked, though I could have probably gained another rep on both the push-ups and the pull-ups by saving a rep or two from the first few rounds.

After the workout was over, we then did boys vs girls Tabata team tire flips. The guys flipped a 375lb tire and got a Tabata score of 5. The ladies did 275lb and got 6 reps.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Hopper

Workout 26 August 2010:

Five rounds for time of:
5 Muscle-ups
65 pound Overhead squat, 10 reps
10 Knees to Elbows
20 Sit-ups (Abmat)

Results: 23'39
Previous best: none

New workout today with a variety of skills, each training a different aspect of core strength. The muscle-ups slowed me down a bit, but none of the skills proved to be a significant struggle. I should be able to increase the OHS weight and the number of knees to elbows reps next time. I might also try toes to bar instead of K2Es.

If you can't do muscle-ups, substitute 2-3 each of pull-ups and dips for each muscle-up. The overhead squat weight can easily be scaled to ability, as low as a broomstick handle or long piece of PVC pipe. If you can't do knees to elbows, hang from a pull-up bar and tuck your knees to your chest.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Clean Pull Jump

Workout 25 August 2010:

Rounds in 10 minutes of:
95lb Clean, 6 reps
6 Pull-ups
24 Double-unders

Results: 4 rounds (strict pull-ups)
Previous best: none

My goal for today's workout was to complete 4 rounds which I was able to complete in just a few seconds over 10 minutes. The pull-ups were the skill that slowed me down the most. I lost a bit of strength when I last did Angie and am still working to recover it. The non-scaled version of this workout called for 12 pull-ups per round. In order to keep momentum, I scaled it to 6. The double-unders went very well and I was able to complete three of the four rounds with an unbroken set of 24 double-unders. Next time, I will increase the clean weight (goal is 120lbs) and number of pull-ups.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Split Jerk

Workout 23 August 2010:

Split Jerk 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 125-135-140-140-140lbs
Previous best: none

I'm trying to improve my overhead strength and decided to do a more dynamic move than a simple push press today. Since I'd never done a 5x5 before, I had to guess a bit on the weight. I probably could have gone up to 145, but stayed within a range where I knew I could hit all the reps. Next time I'll either try a straight 140lbs, or try to work up to 145.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Annie

Workout 22 August 2010:

"Annie"
Time for 50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:
Double-unders
Sit-ups (Abmat)

Results: 12'33
Previous best: 13'00 (22 Nov 09)

This is one of the first PRs I've set in a long time. Something clicked with the double-unders and I was able to consistently string 20-40 in a row. The sit-ups went about as well as they have during the past few attempts at this workout and are where I need to improve most at this point in order to continue to bring down my time in this workout.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Hopper

Workout 21 August 2010:

Time for 21-15-9 reps of:
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, 65lbs
Ring Dips
Double Unders

Results: 9'15
Previous best: none

My goal for this workout was to finish in under 10 minutes. I went reasonably light on the SDHPs to keep a good pace and not have to break them up into several sets. I could probably go up to at least 75lbs next time without much sacrifice in time. The ring dips slowed me down a bit, especially the first round. The double unders went well and I only tripped up on the rope two or three times.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Run and Burpees

Workout 19 August 2010:

Four rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
25 Burpees

Results: 25'30
Previous best: none

This was a challenging workout where I continually had to force myself to keep moving. The first two rounds went reasonably well, but by the time the burpees came up in the third round, I was running out of steam. I took it easy on the final run and was able to finish the final set of burpees by breaking them up into only two sets. My goal for this workout is to finish in under 20 minutes and then once that is achieved, increase from four to six rounds.

This workout can be easily scaled by adjusting the number of burpees per round or the total number of rounds.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Isabel

Workout 17 August 2010:

"Isabel"
For time:
Snatch, 30 reps

Results: 9'55 (75lbs)
Previous best: 9'38, 85lb power snatch (28 Nov 08)

I've done Isabel several times in the past subbing power snatches, but this is the first time I've done the workout with true snatches. I went relatively light (a true "Isabel" calls for 135lbs) since I didn't know how quickly I'd fatigue and potentially lose control of the bar. My smallest bumper plates are 25lbs, so until I feel like I'm strong enough to do a 95lb Isabel, I have to go somewhat light since my metal plates might not survive a drop from up to 6 feet. Fortunately, with a bit more practice, 95lbs might not be too far off.

If you can't do a full snatch, substitute power snatches or even hang power snatches. Scale the weight as needed, even opting for a length of PVC pipe or a broom handle.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Back Squat

Workout 16 August 2010:

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 205-210-215-215-220lbs
Previous best: 185-205-225-235-235lbs (17 Feb 10)

As I mentioned last week, I'm trying to program more back squat workouts over the next several weeks. I went up to the same 220lbs today as I did last week, but I started out my working sets heavier. Next week, I'm probably going to try a straight set of 215 or 220lbs and then try to increase 2.5-5lbs per week as long as I am able.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Coe

Workout 13 August 2010:

Team "Coe"
As a team*, three rounds for time of:
100 Thrusters, 65lbs
100 Ring push-ups

*All 100 thrusters must be completed before moving on to ring push-ups, etc. Only one team member may be working at a time.

Results: 25'50
Previous best: none

Today's workout was done at CrossFit Confluence. My team included Greg and Courtney. Greg and I did 65lb thrusters and ring push-ups, Courtney did 45lb thrusters and regular push-ups. I went strong until halfway into the second round. After that, my shoulders and triceps fatigued quickly partly from yesterday's heavy shoulder press workout. Overall, I probably did around 1/3 of the total reps, give or take a few. Courtney did an amazing job carrying the team on the final round when Greg and I were about out of steam.

A standard "Coe" workout is ten rounds for time of 10 thrusters (95lbs) and 10 ring-push-ups. I might try it by myself soon (probably 60-65lb thrusters), though it will be tougher without the encouragement of everyone at CFC.

This workout is in honor of Army Sgt. Keith Adam Coe, 30, who died April 27th, 2010, in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an enemy explosive device.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Shoulder Press

Workout 12 August 2010:

Shoulder Press 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 105-115-120-120-120lbs
Previous best: 125x5 (6 Jan 09)

As with the back squats, over the next several weeks, I want to gain strength in some of the major lifts, ideally back to my peak of almost a year and a half ago. My shoulder press has definitely declined, but no more than about 5-10%. The last set of 120lbs was a struggle, but with some other shoulder work, I should be able to get a set at 125lbs soon. A straight 125x5 is probably several weeks off at this point, but definitely achievable.

Remember to keep your core tight during full extension overhead. Fully engaged abs are necessary to fight your natural tendency to lean backwards slightly. Go heavy enough, and you'll realize a shoulder press challenges your core almost as much as your upper body.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Back Squat

Workout 10 August 2010:

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

Results: 185-195-205-215-220lbs
Previous best: 185-205-225-235-235lbs (17 Feb 10)

My biceps and brachialis muscles are still very angry from Saturday's workout and they're not quite ready to fully straighten out on their own yet. Hopefully they'll cool down in another day or two. More important, I hope I didn't sustain mild muscle breakdown/loss as I have in the past with Angie. Eventually I'll remember to go easy on the kipping pull-ups after a relative abstinence.

I picked out today's workout since it has minimal arm involvement. I knew I wasn't going to make any PRs today, but at least I nearly matched the weights I used back in March. I probably could have done 225lbs on the last set, but stayed safe by going for 220.

Since the back squat used to be one of my favorite and strongest exercises (prior to my back injury) and now that my back has been behaving for awhile, I'm going to program several of these 5x5 squat workouts into the next two months with the goal of being able to do a 5x5 at 235lbs.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Angie

Workout 7 August 2010:

"Angie"
For time:
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

Results: 29'17 (modified push-ups, sit-ups with Abmat)
Previous best: 27'30 (24 Jan 09)

I did today's workout at CrossFit Confluence and so was able to do Angie with kipping pull-ups for the first time in over six months. However, since I just did a tough shoulder press workout, I chose to do modified push-ups so I could keep a decent pace. I probably could have done standard push-ups, but it would have added considerable time to the workout and put me at risk for overuse. As it stands, I know my biceps and lats will be toast for several days since I'm no longer used to such high-volume pull-ups.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Shoulder Press

Workout 5 August 2010:

Shoulder Press 1-10-1-20-1-30 reps

Results: 145-92.5-147.5-75-140-55lbs (Total 655lbs)
Previous best: 140-90-145-75-147.5-60lbs (Total 657.5lbs, 26 Jan 10)

I started this workout strong, but fatigued quickly during the 20- and 30-rep sets. Unlike last time where I was able to get through the higher reps sets without setting the bar down (though I did shoulder-rack it), I had to set the bar down twice for the 20-rep set and 3 times for the 30-rep set. At least I was able to match my previous 1RM on the shoulder press, 147.5lbs. In the future, before going up any significant weight, I'll first try to match the weights I used back in January.

For a discussion how to scale this workout, and especially on how to pick out weights for the 10, 20, and 30 rep sets, see this previous post.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Amanda

Workout 4 August 2010:

"Amanda"
Time for 9-7-5 reps of:
Muscle-up
65lb Snatch

Results: 13'28
Previous best: none

I haven't snatched in awhile and since this workout had a moderate rep-count, I went light with the snatch weight. A true Amanda uses 135lb for the snatch. The muscle-ups went well, though I broke them up into sets of 3-4 reps. The snatches went very well and I probably went a bit too light. Next time, I'll up the weight to 75-85lbs and aim for about the same time. This turned out to be an interesting couplet and I'd like to do it again soon.

If you can't do a muscle-up, or don't have rings, substitute 3-4 pull-ups and dips each for each muscle-up. If you're not familiar with the snatch, either go light (use a PVC pipe or broomstick) or do a light clean and jerk instead.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Burpees

Workout 2 August 2010:

For time:
100 Burpees

Results: 11'51
Previous best: 13'50, 125 burpees (20 Jan 08)

I am still sore from Saturday's workout and got home from work later than usual, so I wanted to do a relatively quick workout that wasn't going to be excessively demanding. My goal was to finish in under 10 minutes, but I fatigued more quickly than I was expecting. Regardless, it was a good workout, and even towards the end, I was able to do sets of 6-7 reps. Overall, the time was just a bit slower than my previous best (average 7.1 vs 6.6 seconds per burpee), so I should be able to beat it soon.