brikis98's crossfit journal

[brikis98]

Run: ~3 mile hill run at Arastradero preserve with my girlfriend. Every time she paused to rest, I would do some hill sprints. Good thing she only paused 3 times, as those were exhausting.

Tennis: 30 minutes

Played a little tennis with a buddy of mine. Had to stop early as I pulled something in my groin, perhaps an adductor. Doesn't seem too bad, but only time will tell. I'll be in Vegas for a conference Mon - Weds, so it'll have some rest.

 

[brikis98]

Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 365x2, 405x1, 425x1, 445x1, 455x1, 465x7x1

First day back after a crazy 3 day trip to Vegas. I was sleep deprived and expected to have a crappy workout, but for some reason, I destroyed the deadlift. I've never gotten my quads more into it at the bottom of the lift and as a result, the bar speed on the singles with 465 was excellent.

10 rounds for time of:
2 ring muscle-ups
5 knees to elbows
10 box jumps, ~28" box

Time: 19:00

After flying through the first two rounds with ease, I suddenly lost all ability to do muscle-ups in round 3. Something about my technique got messed up and I was missing tons of reps. It probably took me 35 tries to get the 16 muscle-ups during the last 8 rounds, so my total time sucked. I need to get better at those.

 

[brikis98]

5 rounds for time of:
Run 400m (Ran on a treadmill)
20m farmers walk back with 2x100lb dumbbells
20m squat/broad jumps (do broad jumps forward from a full squat)
20m bear crawl

(20m = 10m in one direction, turn around, 10m back)

Time: 18:30

I expected the farmer's walk would be tough on my grip/traps, but the hardest part was actually doing an extremely deep, somewhat rounded back deadlift to pick up the two big dumbbells from the floor. Once they were up, the distance was short enough that my grip/traps weren't taxed much at all. I also found that the squat jumps have a burpee-like effect on my heart rate, causing it to spike after just a few hops.

 

[brikis98]

Clean: 128x5, 178x3, 198x2, 218x2, 238x1, 258x1, 268x7x1 (8 attempts, 1 miss)
Push press: 128x3, 178x2, 198x2, 218x1, 238x1, 248x1, 248x1, 253xF, 253xF, 253x1 (PR), 258xF, 258xF, 258xF

Good o-lift day. Clean singles were pretty solid, with plenty of height on the bar. On the push press, I set another small PR. I have to focus incredibly hard on (a) staying tight, (b) remaining perfectly vertical/upright and (c) doing the dip & drive very rapidly, with no pause or hesitation. When I do that, the weight soars: the successful 248 and 253 attempts felt incredibly easy.

Row: 5x250m, 1 minute rest between rounds

Round 1: 44.4
Round 1: 45.3
Round 1: 46.9
Round 1: 49.1
Round 1: 50.4

I haven't done much rowing lately. Quads were burning pretty bad.

 

[brikis98]

Run: ~4.1 mile hill run at Arastradero Preserve

Another weekly run with my girlfriend. She's getting better: this is further than we've run before and she only stopped 2 or 3 times, mostly during tough uphills.

 

[brikis98]

Squat: 135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 335x5, 345x2x5
Clean & press: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 185x1, 195x1, 200x4x1 (6 attempts, 2 misses), stopped

Squats went fairly well. I'm getting smoother at timing the bounce out of the hole. Only downside is that sets across are brutally exhausting at heavier weights, so I did 2x5 instead of 3x5. Clean and press was rough today. My traps were still shot from the heavy cleans and push press PR a few days ago. I was supposed to do ~6 singles, but bar speed was getting way too slow, I was missing reps, and my traps were burning too much, so I stopped.

4 rounds for time of:
7 toes to bar
14 push-ups
21 one arm KB swings, 50lb KB
28 double-unders

Time: 8:20

I finally learned how to chain toes-to-bar reps together. It involves a motion identical to kipping pull-ups, although the timing is a bit trickier. Once I got it, toes-to-bar became MUCH easier. I'll need more practice, but the sets of 7 were incredibly easy, and I can finally understand how the athletes get through so many at the CF Games.

 

[brikis98]

Tabata run: 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

Ran on a treadmill in VFFs

Completed all intervals at 8.4 mph, using an incline of 12.

Tuck planche: 4x5s
Floor l-sit: 4x10s

First time doing these gymnastics movements in a looooong time. Shockingly, I still suck at them.

 

[brikis98]

Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 365x2, 405x1, 435x1, 455x1, 470x6x1

Woot, another solid deadlift day. Will try, for the first time ever, singles with 475 next time.

3 rounds for time of:
20 burpees
20 steps walking lunge with 45lb plate overhead
20 pull-ups
20 sit-ups

Time: 13:20

 

[brikis98]

6 rounds, each for time, of::
Football sled push, ~300lbs, ~30m
30m sprint out
30m sprint back
Rest 1 minute

The sled looked identical to this one from Rogue, which is 190lbs. My girlfriend stood on it, so all told, it was probably over 300lbs.

Round 1: 30.7
Round 2: 32.1
Round 3: 37.9
Round 4: 37.5
Round 5: 39.6
Round 6: 41.0

Awesome workout. I've never done sled pushes before, but I noticed that the high school near my apartment had football sleds, and I had to try it. The sled pushes got very hard, very quickly and my legs were absolutely smoked by the end. So long as they keep the sled out there, I will definitely be doing these again.

Hill run: 1.5 miles, 3 minute break, 1.5 miles

Another jog with my girlfriend. She's getting in better shape and only took one break this time around. This run was shorter but much hillier than usual. My legs were fatigued from the sled workout 15 minutes earlier, so I didn't complain about the break in the middle.

 

[brikis98]

Clean: 128x5, 178x3, 218x2, 238x1, 258x1, 268x1, 273x7x1 (8 attempts, 1 miss)
Push press: 128x5, 178x3, 198x2, 218x1, 238x1, 248x1, 258xF, 258xF, 258xF, 258xF, 218x3x1

Although I only had one miss on the clean singles, the weight is definitely getting heavy and the room for error is shrinking. The amount of focus and aggressiveness necessary to do the pulls gets fatiguing quickly. On push press, I was VERY close on setting a new PR with 258, but twice got stuck, unable to the weight the last inch or so. I think if I was fresh, I could definitely get it.

Barbara (light)
3 rounds, each for time, of:
* 20 pull-ups
* 30 push-ups
* 40 sit-ups (on an abmat, legs in the butterfly position)
* 50 air squats
Rest 3 minutes between rounds

Round 1: 3:15
Round 2: 3:35
Round 3: 3:34

My quads and shoulders were pretty fatigued from the cleans and push presses, so I cut Barabara down from 5 rounds to 3. Pull-ups and sit-ups went well, but I was slower than usual on the push-ups and air squats.

 

[brikis98]

5 rounds for time of:
Run 400m (ran on a treadmill)
1 DB power snatch, right arm, 95lbs
1 DB power snatch, left arm, 95lbs
15 burpees

Time: 18:45

 

[brikis98]

Missed a few days due to work. Not a big deal, but for some reason, I had some odd cramp-like symptoms (calf, forearm, adductor) briefly appear and disappear during the workout. Maybe I just needed more water or salt or something.

Squat: 135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 335x5, 350x2x5, 315x5
Clean & press: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 185x1, 195x1, 200x6x1

Decent squat session, but once again, I found it a bit too fatiguing to do 3 sets across @ 350, so I just did 2. I imagine I'll have to go back to ascending sets eventually, but for now, I'll keep trying to get in as much volume at heavier weights as I can. The press was very easy and fast for the first 3 reps. It got a lot harder for the last 3, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do a bunch of singles with 205 next time. As 205 is my press PR, this bodes well for a new PR shortly after.

21, 15, 9 reps for time of:
Weighted step-ups, 95lbs, 20" box, alternating legs
Pull-ups

Time: 5:20

I was showing a friend how to do weighted step-ups and since I was doing them anyway, I decided to try to toss them into a metcon. In truth, they were not ideal. The turn-over for a step-up is really slow, so even though I did all sets unbroken, my time was still relatively slow and it never really got my heart rate up (unlike the similar Fran).

 

[brikis98]

"Filthy Fifty"
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

Time: 24:00

So close and yet so far. I really thought I'd set a new PR on this WoD, but the wall-ball and burpee one-two punch slowed me down just enough that I ended up 40 seconds slower than my all-time best (Jan. '10, 23:20). The good news is that this is a good 4 minutes faster than my most recent attempt back in May, so the improved gym consistency the last couple months is definitely paying off. I'm inching closer to a number of PR's... If I can just stay consistent for another month, I'll at least have something to show for 2011.

 

[brikis98]

Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 365x2, 405x1, 435x1, 455x1, stopped (too sore)
OH squat: 95x5, 135x5, 155x3, 175x3, 185x2, 195x1, 205x1, 215x1, 225x1, 135xhold , 135xhold

I was supposed to do deadlift singles with 475 but was way too sore from the heavy squats, step-ups, and filthy fifty the last couple days. By the time I got to 455, my back was rounding and the whole lift felt wrong, so I decided not to push it. I think I'll try again Tuesday. Instead, I focused on OH squat, which I've been slacking on lately. It was a bit rough - my shoulders always get tight when I stop OH squatting - but as I gradually ramped up the weight, it got better, and I was able to get up to 225. I then did a few singles with 135 where I just sat in the bottom of the squat for a few seconds to get an even deeper stretch.

Row: 8 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off

Round 1: 200m
Round 2: 197m
Round 3: 194m
Round 4: 189m
Round 5: 191m
Round 6: 187m
Round 7: 188m
Round 8: 181m

 

[brikis98]

Fifty Fifty
With two 50lb DB's, do 10 rounds for time of:
5 push-ups on DB's
5 DB plank rows
5 thrusters
5 sit-ups (one DB on chest)
5 steps walking lunge

Time: 24:01

Had a late night at the office, so I used the office gym, grabbed a pair of the 50lb DB's and pretty much made up this weird workout as I went. Carrying around the DB's, even in a front squat position, was amazingly taxing on the grip and shoulders.

 

[brikis98]

Clean: 128x5, 178x3, 218x2, 238x1, 258x1, 268x1, 278x6x1 (9 attempts total, 3 misses), 218x8 (power clean)
Split jerk: 128x3, 178x2, 198x2, 218x1, 238x1, 248x1, 258x1, 268x1 (PR), 278x1 (PR), 288xF
Strict pull-ups: 18, 10, 10, 10

On cleans, the first 3 singles were very solid and fast. The last 3 were much tougher, including 3 misses. I then moved onto the split jerk, where I set a 20lb PR! The practice on the push press has clearly paid off. My jerk is now only 10lbs behind my clean; once it catches up, I'll have to start doing them together. I finished up with some pull-ups, including a max-out in the first set. 18 is 3 short of my all time PR, but I'm also 10-15lbs heavier than I was back then, so I think my pull-up strength has remained relatively unchanged.

 

[brikis98]

Run:
3x800m, 3 minutes rest between rounds
4x400m, 1 minute rest between rounds

Result: ran all intervals on a treadmill at 10mph

I've been slacking on running, and it shows. Running 800m at 10mph felt much harder today than it used to. Must do more running.

 

[brikis98]

Squat: 135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, stopped (back tightness)
Barbell glute bridge: 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5, 245x5, 265x5, 275x5, 295x5
Clean & press: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 185x2, 195x1, 205x1, 210x1 (PR), 215xF, 215xF, 215xF, 205x2x1, 205xF

I was supposed to do squats today, but for some reason, my lower back felt very tight and stiff. I was afraid I'd injure myself if I went any heavier, so I had to stop. No clue what caused it, but hopefully it's a fluke. I instead decided to try out some barbell glute bridges for the first time. They definitely hit the glutes & hamstrings effectively, but not much else, and I'm not sure I'm sold on the relatively short ROM. Moreover, at 295, the barbell started to feel crappy on my lower abdomen. Not sure if that's something you adapt to, similar to the barbell on the back when squatting.

I then moved on to presses and set a 5lb PR at 210. Unfortunately, 215 was a no go. I dropped back to 205, but was gassed and could only squeeze out two more singles.

Thank a Veteran
11 rounds for time of:
* 3 broad jumps, minimum 6'
* 5 pull-ups
* 7 push-ups
* 9 overhead squats, 95lbs

Time: 15:20

I stole this workout from the Veterans Day workout the CF class did the day before. 99 OH squats were pretty tough, but I think they actually loosened up my back a bit.

 

[brikis98]

10 rounds, each for time, of:
Football sled push, ~190lbs, 10m
Sprint ~50m around the soccer net
Football sled push, ~190lbs, 10m
Sprint ~20m
Rest 1 minute

Round 1: 34.7
Round 2: 33.7
Round 3: 32.8
Round 4: 31.0
Round 5: 28.7
Round 6: 29.2
Round 7: 31.5
Round 8: 31.0
Round 9: 30.9
Round 10: 33.1

Went to the football field and did another fun workout with the sleds. My girlfriend was doing her own workout, so this time, I had no one to stand on the sled, which made for a higher speed workout. However, it also meant I had to time myself, so the each of the times above includes a random factor of how long it took me to hit the 'lap' button my touchscreen phone with my shaky/sweaty hands. At any rate, it was still a great workout, which once again demolished my legs. I did get slightly more efficient at pushing the sled, which explains the decreasing times in the first few rounds; however, I eventually fatigued, and the times went back up.

Run: 2 miles on a track

Easy, untimed run with my girlfriend immediately after the tough workout above.

 

[brikis98]

Deadlift: 128x5, 218x5, 308x5, 358x2, 398x1, 418x1, 438x1, 448x1, 458x1, 468x1, 473x1, 478x2x1

After the weird back tightness at the squat session on Saturday, I wasn't sure how my back would feel on deadlifts, and gradually ramped my way up. It turns out that it felt just fine. I worked up to a couple singles with 478, which is the heaviest I've ever gone without a belt. Will go for 6-7 singles at 475 next time.

8 rounds for time of:
* 6 GHD sit-ups
* 9 back extensions
* 12 pull-ups
* 15 squats

Time: 14:15

 

[brikis98]

Run: 20 minute time trial (Ran on a treadmill)

Distance covered: 2.70 miles

 

[brikis98]

Clean: 128x5, 178x3, 218x2, 238x1, 258x1, 268x1, 278xF, 278x1, 283xF, 283x1, 283xF, 283xF, 283xF
Power clean: 218x3, 238x1, 248x1, 258x1
Split jerk: 128x3, 178x3, 218x1, 238x1, 258x1, 268xF, 268x1, 278xF, 278xF

A bit of an off day. All my lifts felt ~10lbs weaker than last week. Will try to repeat the same weights next time.

Heavy half-grace
For time: 15 reps of 218lb clean & jerk

Time: 5:00

Interesting combo of a large cardiovascular load with the need to be very focused and explosive on each rep.

 

[brikis98]

Jumping
Did a bunch of broad jumps and high jumps. Didn't have any sort of measuring device, so not sure of the distances. I should do these more often: they are fun, functional, and would help me not suck so bad at jumping.

Row: 3x500m, 1 minute rest between rounds

Round 1: 1:43
Round 2: 1:46
Round 3: 1:50

Not sure if it's all the clean & jerks from yesterday or the lack of practice with rowing, but my legs were burning much more than usual today.

 

[brikis98]

Run: 3x1 mile, 3 minutes rest between rounds. (ran on a treadmill)

Round 1: 8.5mph
Round 2: 8.7mph
Round 3: 9.0mph, stopped after 0.25 miles, side stitch

I am plagued by side stitches. After an easy first mile, I got a nasty stitch in my right side halfway through the second mile and was in a lot of pain by the time I finished it. I thought it would go away after the 3 minute break, but 0.25 miles into the third mile I was in pain again, and had to stop. Instead, I finished my workout on a stationary bike.

Tabata biking: 8 rounds of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

Biked at resistance level 10, maintaining 22-24mph during the "on" periods.

 

[brikis98]

I was up in Sonoma the last week for Thanksgiving. I did some biking, hiking, and a couple quick metcons (some tabata bodyweight exercises and some hill sprints) but didn't write anything down, so I forget the exact details. Other than that, I did nothing but eat huge quantities of food and drink lots of wine.

Squat: BWx10, 45x5, stopped. Knee pain.
Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 365x2, 405x1, 435x1
Clean & press: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 185x1, 195x1
Good morning: 45x3x10
Pull-ups: 3x10

After some time off, the plan was to do a quick strength workout with lighter weights and low volume to get things rolling again and avoid too much soreness. Unfortunately, the whole workout was a mess:

* Right from the get go, I couldn't do back squats due to bizzarre pain in my right knee. It felt fine during air squats, but as soon as I had a bar on my back - even a broom stick - something would change about my technique and I couldn't get to full depth without pain. I've been squatting for years without issues, so I have no clue what this is all about. I don't bike often, so maybe I tweaked something bike riding this past week?

* My back felt slightly tight on deadlifts. Not sure why, but I kept it light and did good mornings after to stretch.

* My neck hurt after the OH press. No clue what that was all about either.

So... I miss a week and my body reacts as if I've been out of lifting for 5 years. WTF.