brikis98's crossfit journal

[brikis98]

Wednesday, August 6

Workout of the Day

Shoulder Press 3-3-3-3-3 reps

My numbers

Bleh. Waaaaaay too much shoulder work this week. I've been practicing handstands every day for 3 days straight, yesterday I did my 1RM on shoulder press for the CFT, and tomorrow's workout will have a lot of thrusters. I found during the warm-up sets that my traps, triceps and the back of my shoulders were fatigued and decided against it. Instead, I just tooled around with a couple of random exercises at the gym and went home:

Bench press: 135x8, 255x3, 275x3
Power clean: 115x8, 175x3, 185x3
Muscle-ups: 3 more successful ones (not consecutive)

Comments:

* Thanks for all the kind words everyone! Learning all these new exercises for CF has been a lot of fun and it's an awesome feeling when you finally get one. I was able to get 3 more muscle-ups today and had 5 or 6 that were VERY close, but unsuccessful.

* I should not have practiced handstands during work today, but it's such a fun break that I couldn't resist. I was able to hold a handstand for ~7 seconds today, which is a huge improvement. However, my triceps and shoulders were quite burned out after, and it really killed this workout for me. Still, I had some fun benching (although my triceps really held me back) and power cleans were great. I hadn't done power cleans in a long time and my form absolutely sucked, but I felt really strong and was just tossing the weight around. 185lbs ain't much, but it's just 9lbs shy of my BW, which is pretty good for my inefficient technique.

 

[brikis98]

Thursday, August 7

Workout of the Day

For time:
135 lb Thruster, 10 reps
50 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 8 reps
40 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 6 reps
30 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 4 reps
20 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 2 reps
10 Double-unders

My numbers

I'm still learning double-unders and before today, could not do more than 3-4 in a row. To keep the pace fast, I scaled the workout by cutting the number of double-unders in half on the first round and then reduced it by 5 each round after.

For time:
135 lb Thruster, 10 reps
25 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 8 reps
20 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 6 reps
15 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 4 reps
10 Double-unders
135 lb Thruster, 2 reps
5 Double-unders

Time: 14:00

Comments:

* What an amazing workout. Definitely one of my favorites so far. The first set of thrusters and double-unders went poorly as my form on both exercises was very poor. I wasn't getting good extension (good... thrusts) on the thrusters and I wasn't getting more than 1 or 2 double-unders in a row. However, from the 2nd set onwards, I was on fire. My thruster form got much smoother and more explosive and I was pumping out 5-7 (new pr!) double-unders at a time. Moreover, I seemed to get a 2nd wind and felt absolutely awesome and pumped. I can't wait for this workout to come around again so I can crush my current time with a better first set.

* Played around with muscle-ups some more today. I got 7 out of 9, which means I'm getting a lot better. I'm still only getting one elbow over at a time, but it's much quicker now and hopefully I'll even it out soon. I also manged to get 2 in a row today, which is another first for me.

* Lastly, I weighed in at 193.0lbs today. I started cutting back in mid April at 223lbs. That means I've now lost 30lbs! This realization really startled me today and I'm amazed at how well my cutting has been going. I love this weight loss - I just feel so much quicker, lighter, more agile and, for lack of a better word, more streamlined. My endurance is through the roof, I look quite a bit better and I've kept strength loss to a minimum and even improved in some areas. I think I'm going to keep pushing it until I hit 185 and then I'll decide where to go from there.

 

[conorvansmack]

Congratulations on the weight loss! Losing 30 lbs. while maintaining strength is impressive.:thumbsup:

 

[brikis98]

Friday, August 8

Rest day.

Weighed in at 191.5 today... No clue why I dropped another 1.5lbs, but it's probably water weight. Anyways, should be a good day today: some stretching, some relaxing and then beer, wings & poker with the guys. Now that is a rest day. Oh, and thanks conorvansmack

 

[gramboh]

Congrats on that weight loss, that is a lot and really fast too. Reading your log is motivating me to incorporate at least a few WoD's per week. Just trying to decide how much strength training to keep (there are some benchmarks I want to reach before going fully blown CF as I think I am weak for my size).

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: gramboh
Congrats on that weight loss, that is a lot and really fast too. Reading your log is motivating me to incorporate at least a few WoD's per week. Just trying to decide how much strength training to keep (there are some benchmarks I want to reach before going fully blown CF as I think I am weak for my size).

I think the best thing anyone can do when trying to decide whether to do CF or not is to just do a few workouts. Even if you're in good shape, you should definitely scale them the first week, as the intensity is very different than what most people are used to. This may make the transition into CF a bit easier and hopefully also prevent injuries and rhabdo.

Personally, I was hooked almost immediately, and I've only liked it more since. There is a lot behind the scenes that you only appreciate once you start doing it: the awesome community, the constant variety (I still haven't had a single workout repeat!), the new skills/exercises you are encouraged to learn (muscle-up, handstand, double under, planche, l-sit, pistols, etc), a focus on fitness/performance/functional strength rather than looks/size/ego, and the incredible challenges you bust your ass to overcome. I'm still a complete newbie to it, but I've seen and done so many exercise routines in my life, and none compare to this.

 

[brikis98]

Saturday, August 9

Workout of the Day

For time:
135 lb Squat clean, 10 reps
50 GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 8 reps
40 GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 6 reps
30 GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 4 reps
20 GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 2 reps
10 GHD Sit-ups

My numbers

We don't have a GHD machine at my gym, but today we tried to rig up a GHD-like sit-up. We put a balance trainer next to a bench. We put our butts on the balance trainer and our feet under the bench which is a so-so poor man's GHD. I used it for the first two rounds, but I found it uncomfortable for my back and feet after a while and switched to regular decline sit-ups for the last 3 rounds.

For time:
135 lb Squat clean, 10 reps
50 balance trainer GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 8 reps
40 balance trainer GHD Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 6 reps
30 decline Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 4 reps
20 decline Sit-ups
135 lb Squat clean, 2 reps
10 decline Sit-ups

Time: 19:00

 

[brikis98]

Sunday, August 10

Workout of the Day

Hang Power Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

My numbers

I've never done any form of snatch, so I took the time today to start learning the exercise, which obviously means not doing any 1RM. I also practiced a little bit of overhead squat in between sets.

Hang power snatch: 45x5, 65x5, 95x3, 95x3, 105x3, 115x1, 115x1
Overhead squat: 45x8, 95x5, 115x3

Comments:

* My gym doesn't have bumper plates, so I had to keep the weight really low. This was probably good, as it forced me to focus on form, but it would've been nice to be able to do the sets without being very worried about dropping the iron plates.

* After the workout, I practiced some muscle-ups and got 2 in a row a few more times, but just could not get 3 in a row. I also did jump rope as a warm-up and got a new PR 8 double-unders in a row. I'm sure I'll get 10 in the next few days. Only worrying thing was a buddy of mine told me I lean a lot to the side while I do double-unders, so I'll have to watch myself in the mirror and right my form.

Edit ---> Forgot to mention a few important things:

* My overhead squat form felt very good today. I didn't struggle with any of the sets, I had no shoulder pain, and I got great depth. I didn't attempt too much weight (again, no bumper plates), but I think I have finally "learned" to do the lift at a basic level.

* Weighed in at 191.0lbs today. It's nice to be so close to my 190lbs goal for August, although I don't like having dropped ~3 pounds in ~5 days... I've been eating plenty and exercising a ton, so I can't see it being muscle loss. This ~191lbs BW has also been consistent for the last couple of days, so it's probably not water weight. But that much fat loss so quickly? Dunno.

* I was able to hold the "frog stance" of the planche progression for 60 seconds today. I hadn't done it in a while, but found it surprisingly easy today. My leg even slipped at one point, but I held on and recovered w/o touching the floor. Even with that extra strain, I got to 60 seconds just fine and will be trying to move to the "tuck planche".

 

[brikis98]

Monday, August 11

Workout of the Day

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
15 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
45 Squats

My numbers

Total rounds: 5

Comments:

* These Cindy-esque workouts destroy me every time. I definitely felt mr. pukey coming on today, but held it down and instead spent 10 minutes feeling light headed and dizzy. Good stuff.

* Back on July 22, I got 15 rounds for the Cindy workout (as many rounds as possible in 20 mins of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats). This means I got essentially the exact same total number of pull-ups, push-ups and squats today. However, I found these longer sets MUCH MUCH harder, so I think accomplishing the same numbers shows some improvement.

Edit ---> Once again, forgot to mention a few important things:

* Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I'm not going to be able to go tomorrow, so I worked out today and will rest tomorrow instead.

* The muscles involved in pull-ups on my right side have been a bit tender lately. Namely, until they are warmed up, the lats, traps and shoulder on my right side have been sore for the first few pull-ups. I've probably done a few too many muscle-ups lately, so I'll need to give it a bit of a rest. Tomorrow is a rest day and I'll make sure to leave pull-ups out of my warm-up on Wednesday (which is a back squat day).

 

[brikis98]

Tuesday, August 12

Rest day.

 

[brikis98]

Wednesday, August 13

Workout of the Day

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps

My numbers

185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5
265x5

Comments:

* I'm still being fairly conservative with the back squat. My form was a lot more solid than on the Crossfit Total day, but it still needs a lot of work. The bar speed was decent up until the last set, where the last couple of reps were painfully slow. My back felt 100% the entire time, but I had a twinge of pain in my hips on the first set. It went away right after, but it's still a bit worrying.

* I finally got my rings today and can't wait to try them out


UPDATE --->

* Tried out the rings in my basement. The ceilings are low, so I could only do exercises like dips. As expected, they are damn hard, but I was happy to see I could do a few good ring dips straight away, so I guess it could be worse. I'll take them to the gym tomorrow and see if I can find somewhere high enough to hang them to try some pull-ups and even ring muscle-ups.

* Practiced the tuck planche for the second time as described in this article. I can hold it for ~5 seconds with arms straight, but a few seconds more if I let my elbows bend. Anyone know if the arms should be totally straight (locked) or if it's ok to bend them?

 

[brikis98]

Thursday, August 14

Workout of the Day

Five rounds for time of:
135 pound Squat clean, 7 reps
15 Handstand push-ups

My numbers

I'm still learning the HSPU, so I did 7 reps per round instead of 15. I'm also doing more of a headstand push-up: get into a headstand with my back to a wall and then do the push-up into a handstand, using the wall for balance if necessary.

Five rounds for time of:
135 pound Squat clean, 7 reps
"Headstand" push-up, 7 reps

Time: 17:00

Comments:

* My handstand is definitely getting better. I can kick into one in the middle of the floor for 1-2 seconds and take a few steps with my hands before falling. However, for the HSPU's, I would get into a headstand with my back to a wall and then push-up into an actual handstand. Oddly enough, I needed the wall for balance more often for the headstand than the handstand. Once I push-up, my body seems to right itself and I get into a perfect handstand... but only temporarily, as these things are exhausting, and after a brief lock out, I come right back down.

* The explosive portion of my cleans has gotten much, much better. I was absolutely launching the weight today with minimal effort. However, I still suck at the catch & squat. I just don't pull myself under the bar fast enough and my legs will spread out too far for the catch, so it's a really uncomfortable and wide stance front squat. Practice, practice, practice.

 

[yelo333]

Originally posted by: brikis98

* Practiced the tuck planche for the second time as described in this article. I can hold it for ~5 seconds with arms straight, but a few seconds more if I let my elbows bend. Anyone know if the arms should be totally straight (locked) or if it's ok to bend them?

Well, you've already figured it out: elbows straight is a lot harder. If you couldn't hold the straight arm position for any length of time, you could use the elbows bent as a stepping stone to the straight one. But keep elbows straight as the goal. The kid in the pics almost always has his arms locked out.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: yelo333
Well, you've already figured it out: elbows straight is a lot harder. If you couldn't hold the straight arm position for any length of time, you could use the elbows bent as a stepping stone to the straight one. But keep elbows straight as the goal. The kid in the pics almost always has his arms locked out.

Gotcha, thanks. I'm just happy to be able to do the tuck planche at all now (before, I'd just collapse immediately), so I'll keep plugging away until I can do it for 60 seconds with straight elbows.

 

[brikis98]

Friday, August 15

Rest day.

Got 11 consecutive double-unders today during a break from work. Sweet.

 

[brikis98]

Saturday, August 16

Workout of the Day

Ten rounds for time of:
12 Burpees
12 Pull-ups

My numbers

Time: 28:05

Comments:

* WOW. I cannot believe I finished this one. A month ago, there is no way I would've gotten through even half of the 120 pull-ups and 120 burpees. Today, I got it all done and in a decent time. I love crossfit

* I was finally able to chain multiple kipping pull-ups together effectively. I was getting 5-10 in a row and really felt like I was "cycling" through them. It made the pull-up component of this workout MUCH easier & smoother and felt fantastic. Burpees, on the other hand, were brutal. My heart felt like it was going to bust out of my chest every time I did them. They are crazy hard.

* Just before leaving the gym, a guy asked me to spot him while he squatted. I didn't really want to (you shouldn't really spot the squat), but felt awkward saying no and agreed to. He was doing 355lbs, which was too much for him and he was not going to parallel. On the last rep, he went too far back on his heals and started falling backwards. With that much weight, I couldn't do anything to help and he fell and the weight hit the ground... but not before scraping down my right shin. With that much weight, I suppose it could've been much worse, but in the end, he was more or less ok and I was left with a nasty cut all the way down my leg. It's a gross combination of bruise and cut and will probably become yet another addition to the collection of scars on my shins (from hockey, deadlifts, and soccer). My biggest regret? I have deadlifts coming up next week and I'm not sure if I'll be able to do them

 

[brikis98]

Sunday, August 17

Workout of the Day

"Griff"
For time:
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards

My numbers

Run 800 meters: 3:37
Run 400 meters backwards: 2:42
Run 800 meters: 4:30
Run 400 meters backwards: 3:09

Total: 13:58

Comments:

* Running backwards is hard. It completely obliterated my quads and calves as can be seen by how much worse my times were after the first backwards run. Not knowing exactly how to pace myself, I took it easy on my first 800 and initially found running backwards pretty easy. However, I soon found that I couldn't find a good pace backwards - I was either running way too fast or too slow, and couldn't hit that in between stride that would let me go 400m w/o burning myself out. I definitely want to practice it some more - it's definitely a useful skill for many sports, such as playing defense in football, basketball, soccer, etc.

* After the run, I hung up my rings on a soccer goal. It wasn't quite as tall as I liked, but I was still able to do a lot of fun stuff on them. I did some ring pull-ups, dips, inverted hang, reverse lever, l-sit, and some combinations (inverted hang into reverse lever). I also got my first ring muscle-up! My head ended up hitting the soccer net a bit and I found the false grip very uncomfortable, but I somehow worked it out. Fun stuff

 

[brikis98]

Monday, August 18

Workout of the Day

Overhead squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Front squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Back squat 1-1-1-1-1 reps

My numbers

Overhead squat: 115x1, 125x1, 135x1, 145x1 (PR), 150x1 (PR)
Front squat: 205x1, 225x1, 235x1, 245x1, 250x1
Back squat: 245x1, 265x1, 275x1, 285x1, 295xmissed

Comments:

* Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I'm not going to be able to make it tomorrow, so I did a workout today.

* I got a new PR on the overhead squat, but w/o bumper plates, it's getting a bit scary. I was shaking pretty hard with the 150 and it would not have been fun if I had missed - that's a lot of iron that would've come crashing down.

* Front squat felt fantastic. I could really feel my abs working very hard and the weight went up very easily. I probably had more in the tank for it, but I've never done a 1RM for front squat, so I was a little bit conservative.

* By the time I reached back squat, I was pretty gassed. 275 went up pretty well, but 285 was very very slow. 295 wasn't even close - I went straight down, hit the bottom and couldn't budge the weight at all.

 

[brikis98]

Tuesday, August 19

Rest day.

 

[brikis98]

Wednesday, August 20

Workout of the Day

"Michael"

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Sit-ups

My numbers

Ran on a treadmill, did back 45 degree back extensions and decline sit-ups.
Time: 28:00

Comments:

* This is the first CF workout I've ever had repeat. Up to this point, it has been 1.5 months of 5 days/week of unique workouts - the variety of CF is fantastic

* My previous time on this workout was 30:07 on July 23, so this was a 2:07 improvement, not bad for just under a month. I ran the first 800 at 10mph, the second at 9mph and the third at 8.5mph. The sit-ups were a lot easier this time around, but back extensions were still very tough.

 

[brikis98]

Thursday, August 21

Workout of the Day

Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 reps

My numbers

225x3
275x3
295x3
315x3
335x2xinjured (f@#k!!!!)

Comments:

* God f#$@ing dammit. 1.5 months of stretching, rehab exercises, going light on exercises and BAM, despite all that, my lower back is re-injured. I had done 335 on deadlift just a couple weeks ago and the weight went up smoothly, quickly & pain free. It did the same today on the first rep. But on the second, something went wrong, and I immediately felt it. It was a horrible and sharp stretch/pull kind of feeling on both sides of my lower back, close to the spine, almost exactly where the letter "d" is in this diagram (in between the red & yellow muscle). This was the clearest I've ever felt this injury and it definitely seemed to be very isolated to a small area (just a few inches in diameter) on each side of the back. I'm not sure if it's the erector spinae (probably is), some other muscle, or whether it's a tear, hyperextension or something else. My back had a dull ache and was stiff the rest of the night.

* I'm really discouraged by this. My back and hip pain was 99% gone, my back had been feeling very strong, I had made great gains in flexibility and I was doing my best to keep proper form. I was nowhere near my max load and I honestly don't know what went wrong - it just happened so quickly and suddenly I was in a lot of pain.

* In part, I must say this was due to my own stupidity. Yesterday's workout included 150 back extensions so my lower back & hamstrings were already sore before I started this workout. I thought I could handle it - lifting while sore is something I'm used to during CF - but I guess I was wrong.

 

[HN]

aw damn man, sorry to hear that. i hope you have some loafers because it's not gonna be easy tying your shoes tomorrow

get well soon and come back strong.

 

[BeauJangles]

Brikis,

I've been following your progress and I'm sorry you took such an annoying (and probably painful) injury. I know that in my limited experience with Crossfit, there is a fine line between pushing through soreness to keep going and resting because of potential injury. Were you aware of any back rounding on your last lift? Or did the muscles give out despite solid form?

Get better soon

 

[brikis98]

Friday, August 22

Rest day.

Thanks for the kind words guys. My back was very stiff this morning, so my mobility is a bit limited, but the pain is no more than just a dull ache. I'm gonna warm-up and gently stretch today and am hoping to feel better tomorrow. Back injuries and reduced mobility make me feel like an old man

BeauJangles - it happened so damn quick, I don't know if my form broke down or my back rounded. One second I'm bringing the weight up and everything feels tight & strong, the next second I get that very sharp pain in the lower back, and the second after that I'm quickly dropping the weight back down. I wish I knew what I did wrong, but I'm honestly not sure.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: brikis98
Friday, August 22

Rest day.

Thanks for the kind words guys. My back was very stiff this morning, so my mobility is a bit limited, but the pain is no more than just a dull ache. I'm gonna warm-up and gently stretch today and am hoping to feel better tomorrow. Back injuries and reduced mobility make me feel like an old man

BeauJangles - it happened so damn quick, I don't know if my form broke down or my back rounded. One second I'm bringing the weight up and everything feels tight & strong, the next second I get that very sharp pain in the lower back, and the second after that I'm quickly dropping the weight back down. I wish I knew what I did wrong, but I'm honestly not sure.

That's tough, man. Give it a few days, see how you feel. When you do start deadlifting again, I'd recommend getting a cheap digital camera with a video function and recording yourself. That way, you can really double-check your form and if, god forbid, you do get hurt again, you can see whether it was because of form or something else.