Workout 09/09/2013

September 9th, 2013

Crossfit:

Warmup
1 Mile run (this was changed to 800m, but I just did the mile)
squat therapy
couch stretch
samson stretch

Strength
Push Jerk
15 minutes to establish 3 rep max.
I worked up to 175# for a 3-rep max. I might have been able to go a bit more (maybe 180) but ran out of time.

MetCon
400 meter run
5 minutes AMRAP
10 Kb Swings (24kg)
10 Pushups
400 meter run
5 minute AMRAP
10 OH walking lunges, 45#
5 Stone to Shoulder  – I was late picking out my stone, and got stuck with 70# 🙁
400 meter run

My left knee has been exceptionally tight today, after yesterday’s long run.

Core:
6 mins of tabata: 20 sec of frog situps, 10 sec of hollow body position

Workout 09/06/2013

September 6th, 2013

Crossfit:

Warmup:
400 meter run
Squat Therapy 5 minutes
Couch stretch
down dog to cobra 4x thru
pigeon

Strength
Front Squat
7×3, 80%
*first two sets I did 7 reps
7 @ 95#
7 @ 135#
3 @ 135# (Bill Tindall joined in here)
3 @ 155#
3 @ 155#
3 @ 185#
3 @ 185# (This is [was] my 1RM)

MetCon
18 minute EMOM
Odd Minute
– 1 sprint curb and back
Even Minute
– 5 Stone Deads (used 145#)
– 10 Double Unders (I’m getting one every 3 to 4 regulars now. The new ropes Dolph made are a big help)

After:
– 12 mi bike ride (would have gone longer but got a flat tire)

CrossFit Benchmark Workouts and The New Girls

September 5th, 2013

This information is sourced from the crossfit.com library. I’m just placing them here for ease of access.

Note: The first twelve (“The Girls” and “The New Girls”) are now known as The Benchmark Girls. The last six are now known as “The New Girls”, effectively replacing the original “New Girls”

“The Girls” aka “The Benchmark Girls”

Angie

For time:

  1. 100 pull-ups
  2. 100 push-ups
  3. 100 sit-ups
  4. 100 squats

Barbara

5 rounds for time – 3 minutes rest between rounds of:

  1. 20 pull-ups
  2. 30 push-ups
  3. 40 sit-ups
  4. 50 squats

Chelsea

30 Min EMOM of:

  1. 5 pull-ups
  2. 10 push-ups
  3. 15 squats

Diane

21-15-9 reps; 3 rounds for time, of:

  1. 225# deadlift
  2. Handstand push-ups

Elizabeth

21-15-9 reps; 3 rounds for time, of:

  1. Clean 135#
  2. Ring dips

Fran

21-15-9 reps; 3 rounds for time, of:

  1. Thruster 95#
  2. Pull-ups

“The New Girls” aka “The Benchmark Girls”

Isabel

Snatch 135#, 30 reps for time

Jackie

For time:

  1. Row 1,000 meters
  2. Thruster 45#, 50 reps
  3. 30 Pull-ups

Karen

Wall-ball 150 shots

Linda

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2 and 1 rep for time of:

  1. Clean ¾ bodyweight
  2. Bench bodyweight
  3. Deadlift 1½ bodyweight

Mary

AMRAP 20 min of:

  1. 5 Handstand push-ups
  2. 10 1-legged squats, alternating legs
  3. 15 pull-ups

Nancy

Five rounds for time of:

Run 400 meters
Overhead squat 95#, 15 reps

“The New(er) Girls”

Annie

50-40-30-20 and 10 for time of:

  1. Double-unders
  2. Sit-ups

Eva

5 Rounds for time of:

  1. Run 800 meters
  2. 2 pood* KB swing, 30 reps
  3. 30 pull-ups
* 1 pood =36 lbs; 1.5 pood = 54 lbs; 2 pood = 72 lbs.

Kelly

5 Rounds for time of:

  1. Run 400 meters
  2. 30 box jump, 24″ box
  3. 30 wall ball shots, 20# ball

Lynne

5 Rounds for max reps; no time component, of:

  1. Bodyweight bench press
  2. Pull-ups

Nicole

AMRAP 20 mins of:

  1. Run 400 meters
  2. Max rep pull-ups

Amanda

9, 7 and 5 reps for time of:

  1. Muscle-ups
  2. Snatches (135#/95#)

Workout 09/05/2013

September 5th, 2013

Crossfit:

Warmup
3 Rounds, not for time (3RNFT)
Cindy:
– 5 pull-ups
– 10 push-ups
– 15 air squats
Pass-throughs, PVC rolls on hamstrings and glutes (hamstrings are on fire today)

Strength
Snatch Balance and Overhead Squats
– Complete the 10 (OHS) immediately after the 10 Snatch Balance
3×10  60%  (95#)
Note: on the second set, I did each OHS after each snatch balance.
Note 2: I failed a few times and dropped the bar. If you’re not failing, you’re not working hard enough.
I used 95# for this workout, which is heavier than 60% of my 1RM snatch. I got through the workout in good time, but it left me a bit fatigued for the WOD. I’m fine with that, as I am employing the “don’t be afraid to finish last” adage more often these days. (see article: http://crossfit-dilworth.com/on-finishing-last/)

MetCon
3 Rounds for time
– Run 400m
– 15 Thrusters (95#)
– 15 chest-to-bar (C2B) Pull-ups

Note to self: I don’t feel I have improved on my pull-ups. Yes, I can do 5-7 dead-hang pull-ups, but I feel I’ve been there for a while. I need to consistently work on these.

Workout 09/04/2013

September 4th, 2013

Crossfit:

Warmup
3RNFT
10 each side, Step Ups, one foot on box
10 Jumping Air Squats
10 KB Swings

Strength
HBBS
3×10 65% one rep max (135# x 10, 145# x 10, 155# x 10)

MetCon
15 Min AMRAP
3 Burpees
5 Power Cleans, 70% 1 rep max (135# but my form degraded so this was a bit too heavy)
10 Double Unders

Workout 09/03/2013

September 3rd, 2013

Crossfit:

Warm-up:
800 meter run
4 Rounds for time: (empty bar)
10 good mornings
10 Romanian dead lifts

Strength:
Dead lift and strict press
3 x 10 60% 1RM
Dead lift: 185 (unbroken)
Strict press: 95 (failed at 8, then 2 more)

METCON:
10 min EMOM
– 7 push-ups
– 7 KB swings
– 7 toes to bar

* Dolph said that if after the first five sets you find that you are not finishing all the reps, decrease to five reps of each exercise.
* He also said, instead of swinging the kettlebell overhead, go heavier and swing to eye-level. So I went with 32kg and did as suggested.

Workout 09/02/2013 Labor Day

September 2nd, 2013

Crossfit:

Warm-up:
Ankle and knee mobility

Partner WOD: Labor with a Friend

Partner up, one partner works while the other rests.
– Deadlifts @ 315#.
– KB at 32kg
– Worked with Craig
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
40 Pullups, switch every 5
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
50 KB swings, switch every 10
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
60 Situps, switch every 10
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
80 Burpees, switch every 10
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
90 Box Jumps, switch every 10
5 Deadlifts, 1 bar both partners lifting at the same time
100 wall ball, line up together on the wall and angle the shot so it hits the target and your partner receives it.

Hot Diggity Dog 10k:

After the CrossFit workout, I made my way to Mercer County Park for the Hot Diggity Dog 10k. It was a great race. You can read more about my race here: http://www.sconzo.com/2013/09/02/hot-diggity-dog-10k-labor-day-2013/

Hot Diggity Dog 10k – Labor Day 2013

September 2nd, 2013

I ran a 10k Trail Race at Mercer County Park at 9:30 today. I was running late and literally registered just as the National Anthem began. I arrived at the start, back of the pack, just as the race kicked off. I had to weave my way through the crowd to get closer to the front, but the leaders were already out of my reach.

I settled into a pace behind another runner wearing an orange Tough Mudder headband. I was on his heels for the first 1.5 to 2 miles, but didn’t try to pass him because of the narrow trails. He must have felt me breathing down his neck, because he stepped to the side and let me pass. I thanked him, but protested a bit, explaining that I was enjoying his pace. He insisted I proceed. This meant I was now navigating the course with no one ahead of me in sight. Fortunately, the Bucks County Speedsters did an awesome job marking the course. They must have labored for a very long time placing all the blue markers along the 6.2 miles of the course. There’s no way I could have gotten lost, even with all the twists and turns.

It was extremely humid and the course was muddy and slippery in many spots. I navigated my way around the obstacles of mud, looking forward to the finish. At one point, I could hear the crowd at the finish line cheering for runners but when I looked at my GPS I discovered I still had another mile to go. The trail took us further away from the finish before we looped back in that direction. Because I was running late for the race, I never had to chance to change into better running shoes, and did the trail run in my Crossfit Nanos. They have very little tread, and I was slipping and sliding in several parts of the course. I never did fall down, but I did have to stabilize myself over and over. When I noticed I still had one mile remaining, I was a bit dismayed because I could feel throughout the race that my stabilizer muscles were getting quite a workout. But I pressed on and tried to pick up the pace.

My finish time was 53:10, which put me in 17th place. I definitely could have done better if I hadn’t done my CrossFit workout 90 mins before, if I had switched into better running shoes, and if I had shown up on time. But I was very happy to do the race and look forward to running it again next year, if the Speedsters host it again. The results were posted to the website the very same day the race was held – nice!

It was great to see some many of my running friends on the course too. There were over 10 runners from the HATR group, and at least four from the Uptown Gentlefriends group.

Becoming a Better (CrossFit) Athlete

September 1st, 2013

Someone from my crossfit gym posted this link on our facebook page: http://agymlife.com/get-better-at-crossfit/

There are lots of great suggestions there. However, 50 things is a bit too much to focus on. So, I’ve combed through the list and these are the things I am personally going to focus on at this time. Even this list is still large. And if I could get all this stuff done as often as I would like, there would be no time left for the workout of the day.

  1. Work mobility before/during/after MORE.
  2. Practice handstands everyday/often.
  3. Practice double-unders every day.
  4. Strict pull-ups every day.
  5. Progress to one-arm push-ups every day (I can’t even do a single good one right now).
  6. Practice jumping: over, under, top of, sideways, backwards, long, short, high.
  7. Train planks more – 30 seconds after your arms start to shake. I’ve got 4 mins down. Time to increase that, or scale it up somehow.
  8. Progress on pistols once a week.
  9. Hit all major lifts once per week:
    Squat, dead-lift, press, bench, snatch, clean, jerk.
    I’m really loving the Olympic lifts, and this is surprising because have never been a fan of weightlifting.
  10. Shoulder dislocates with every workout.
  11. Do strict dips and negative holds on the rings regularly.
  12. Wake up to 20 push-ups every day.
  13. Do 30 air squats and 20 push-ups after every meal (from Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Body book).
  14. Practice L-sits often, and frog stands.
  15. Practice heavy farmer carries.

Workout 08/30/2013

August 30th, 2013

Crossfit:

Warmup:
Lots of hip openers with bands – take about 20 mins for this.
– lunge forward left leg first, band around left hip: keep the knee back, don’t let it bend past the toes.
– lunge forward right leg first, band around left hip: keep the knee back, don’t let it bend past the toes.
– pigeon with left leg bent, band around left hip, facing away from the pole.
– lay flat on your back with legs straight pointing toward the pole, band wrapped around left ankle pulling your leg out of the hip socket.
Repeat for other leg.

Shoulder mobility – lying on floor, knees bent, hands folded behind in arch of back, lift hips. Have someone push down on shoulders. Hold for 30+secs. Alex said even if you’re injured this stretch won’t hurt you. It felt great. I was able to get my hips all the way to the floor, and that was when I felt the greatest stretch in the front of my shoulders.

WOD:
Isabel and Grace
Grace: 30 clean and jerk, 115# (approx 6 mins)
Half-Isabel: 15 snatches, 95# (this half-Isabel was more for mobility and form, not for time)

Core:
Parallelets (this felt more like a tricep workout than a core workout, because we held the “down/dip” position with elbows bent for the majority of the time)

Bike Ride:
Kingston – 15 miles
I haven’t been out for a bike ride in a while. This was a good switch instead of a morning run in the humidity. I plan to get my run in at lunch.

Lunch:
4 mile run, with quarter-mile sprints at 10.5mph; PVC rolling and stretching

Evening:
Karate – Heian Godan, Bassai Sho, Kanku Dai, Meikyo, Hangetsu
Semi free sparring
Boken training