Met up with Tim and Pete at the box today to just practice some movements (HSPU's) and some heavier weights (24kg KB swings).
It was a lot of fun, low key. A nice change of pace.
I practiced my handstand pushups a bit - hands on red plates (5kg) and head down to ab mat (a little more than 60cm off the floor). I then made myself do a set of 10 - it took about 5 minutes even though the first 5 were done in about a minute. Need to work on endurance - I also found that kipping didn't necessarily help as I'd get stuck at the bottom while setting up for the kip. If I can manage to just gt my head to touch and then push right back up it's almost easier (or so it seems).
Coach Match helped Shonelle and I with some muscle up skill work. We can both get about half way up on the pull but both fail on the transition. He had us use a low set of rings and sit on a band to allow us to practice the movement. I still found it tricky but Shonelle rocked it. My bets are on her for the first muscle up.
Was about to call it a day and just do some mobility work when I realized I hadn't gone anywhere near the KB's. Specifically trying to swing the 24kg as it's a standard for the girls for this upcoming weekends WOD Team Championships workouts. Tim had suggested that I do 20 swings at a minimum and so I did. I need 2 half swings to get it overhead fully but then I can easily do 5 swings (probably more) before my hands start to rebel. I did 4 sets of 5 and called it a day. It was however funny to pick up the 16kg KB for one swing afterwards - felt very easy. Ha.
Fun day - low key crossfit - it's a nice change once in a while.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
4/27 - "Clean and Jerks"
Week two of Clean and Jerks. Another good one and I feel like I'm getting better at the movements and stronger as well. The technique is definitely helping with the strength.
4 sets 3x hang clean then 3x OHS (20/25/30/30kg)
4 sets 1x power clean then 3x clean and jerk (20.5/25.5/28/33kg)
3x2 clean pulls (50/55/65kg)
5x2 squat clean and jerk (33/38/40/42.5/45kg)
Hang cleans and OHS - this was good and Luke pointed out that I'm starting too straight in the hang cleans, I need to get my shoulders over the bar before exploding. I think that this will help stop me from jumping backwards as well - the same motion will drive my energy upwards instead of back. The OHS are feeling really good - holding the squat position at the bottom doesn't feel so hard though I need to stay engaged rather than fully sitting my butt down.
Power clean and clean and jerks - another good reiteration of the movements. I tend to lose my high elbows on the power clean so something to focus on - especially getting them high and to the sides (like a scarecrow) instead of pointed behind me. Clean and jerks felt good still just need to practice my 'jump' to get my feet in the right position but definitely feeling stronger.
Clean pulls - did 70kg deadlifts in the noon WOD which made the clean pulls feel a lot easier this go round - the 50kg bar actually felt light - so while Luke is having us do these movements so that the cleans feel lighter the deadlifts worked the same in this instance. I was happy to get up to 65 and probably could have gone heavier with more time. Still definite improvement on this one over the last week - and I feel it too - trying to tear my head off with the shoulder shrug.
Squat clean and jerks - though I sometimes forgot the squat portion or was a little off balance on the clean and jerks, overall this movement was starting to feel better. As Kirst put it - it seems to look stronger watching the person than it feels to the person doing the movement. Truth! I matched my clean and jerk PR on this one (45kg) though last time I didn't actually clean it from the ground. I probably could have gone higher in weight on this one but no need to push it - the movements are feeling better and giving me more confidence on the higher weights.
At one point Luke stopped us to talk about our breathing on the jerk portion of the movement and when I tried to think about it everything else fell apart. It was actually quite amusing. I think that I tend to have the breathing correct I just need to let it happen now. A good reminder though.
I'm really loving these sessions - half way through now and already seeing a remarkable improvement.
Also, a huge thanks to Coach Kirst - I feel like I get a bit more than I give when I partner up on these sessions both because she's got a good eye for all the phases of the movement and can give me instant feedback and also because she's so solid in the movement that there isn't much feedback I can give/ don't have the trained eye to see any areas for improvement so thanks for helping me and I hope my cheering you on is enough in return!
4 sets 3x hang clean then 3x OHS (20/25/30/30kg)
4 sets 1x power clean then 3x clean and jerk (20.5/25.5/28/33kg)
3x2 clean pulls (50/55/65kg)
5x2 squat clean and jerk (33/38/40/42.5/45kg)
Hang cleans and OHS - this was good and Luke pointed out that I'm starting too straight in the hang cleans, I need to get my shoulders over the bar before exploding. I think that this will help stop me from jumping backwards as well - the same motion will drive my energy upwards instead of back. The OHS are feeling really good - holding the squat position at the bottom doesn't feel so hard though I need to stay engaged rather than fully sitting my butt down.
Power clean and clean and jerks - another good reiteration of the movements. I tend to lose my high elbows on the power clean so something to focus on - especially getting them high and to the sides (like a scarecrow) instead of pointed behind me. Clean and jerks felt good still just need to practice my 'jump' to get my feet in the right position but definitely feeling stronger.
Clean pulls - did 70kg deadlifts in the noon WOD which made the clean pulls feel a lot easier this go round - the 50kg bar actually felt light - so while Luke is having us do these movements so that the cleans feel lighter the deadlifts worked the same in this instance. I was happy to get up to 65 and probably could have gone heavier with more time. Still definite improvement on this one over the last week - and I feel it too - trying to tear my head off with the shoulder shrug.
Squat clean and jerks - though I sometimes forgot the squat portion or was a little off balance on the clean and jerks, overall this movement was starting to feel better. As Kirst put it - it seems to look stronger watching the person than it feels to the person doing the movement. Truth! I matched my clean and jerk PR on this one (45kg) though last time I didn't actually clean it from the ground. I probably could have gone higher in weight on this one but no need to push it - the movements are feeling better and giving me more confidence on the higher weights.
At one point Luke stopped us to talk about our breathing on the jerk portion of the movement and when I tried to think about it everything else fell apart. It was actually quite amusing. I think that I tend to have the breathing correct I just need to let it happen now. A good reminder though.
I'm really loving these sessions - half way through now and already seeing a remarkable improvement.
Also, a huge thanks to Coach Kirst - I feel like I get a bit more than I give when I partner up on these sessions both because she's got a good eye for all the phases of the movement and can give me instant feedback and also because she's so solid in the movement that there isn't much feedback I can give/ don't have the trained eye to see any areas for improvement so thanks for helping me and I hope my cheering you on is enough in return!
Friday, April 27, 2012
4/27 - motivating, inspiring...
Went to another noon session today and I realized that the energy is different than the evenings. Not better or worse in any way but just different - there is more testosterone most definitely and the guys are beasts - going hard for the entire WOD but on the flip side they're completely laid back, cheering for everyone right until the end. It's motivating.
I have to start at the end on this one. It was the most inspiring part of the workout today and maybe me really proud to be a crossfitter and also to be associated with this great community that I've found at Cooee. Like I said, the noon bunch is inspiring. We had a 15 minute cut-off on the WOD today but that didn't stop Robin or Susan - they are hardcore. They both pushed on after the buzzer and finished the burpee bar hops (evil). Robin was just finishing her last four and while I cheered her on to 'just finish the burpees' one of the guys corrals the rest of the group and proclaims that we're all running with her for the last 300m (Susan was on the rower but also had people to cheer her through the finish). Robin started out the door and we all ran with her. We were laughing and joking as a group - it's easier to run with a smile on your face - and she finished it up. Nice work Robin and Susan, super impressed. This is what I love and more importantly this is why I crossfit.
Every day we write our weights and times or scores on the board but it's days like today that put it all in perspective. It's not about being the strongest or the fastest but rather just getting better, stronger, everyday. It's the title of this blog and it's a big part of what we do. We push ourselves every time we step into that box and it doesn't matter if you're the strongest or slowest - we are all just there to get better.
Strength
12 minutes to find max TGU
16kg (each arm)
This was fun/funny. I'm not sure which word is more appropriate. It was definitely full of laughs as we all struggled with the many steps to the TGU's. We all worked hard but enjoyed ourselves all the same. Props to the guys who did (or almost did) 32kg. Amazing effort!
The WOD
4 rounds
5 deadlifts (80/120)
15 burpee bar-hops
13:30 - 70kg
Was a good one. I initially loaded the bar with 80kg and barely got it to move off the ground. I knew I didn't have it so I dropped it back which was a good idea. My quads were definitely burning by the end even though I pulled out straight sets of the deadlifts. The burpee bar-hops are evil, not as much as burpee box jumps but they definitely take second. I kept moving throughout (lesson learned from 12.1) but they were slow toward the end - stepping down but still jumping up/over. The runs were okay although I could feel my quads with every step. I think they're still recovering from the last few weeks of burpee box-jumps, beach runs and squats. Yup, most definitely.
I'm glad I jumped in with the nooners again today - not sure I can do this every week (it's hard to escape from work some days) but I do enjoy it on the occasional friday. Thanks guys for being so energetic and inspiring.
I have to start at the end on this one. It was the most inspiring part of the workout today and maybe me really proud to be a crossfitter and also to be associated with this great community that I've found at Cooee. Like I said, the noon bunch is inspiring. We had a 15 minute cut-off on the WOD today but that didn't stop Robin or Susan - they are hardcore. They both pushed on after the buzzer and finished the burpee bar hops (evil). Robin was just finishing her last four and while I cheered her on to 'just finish the burpees' one of the guys corrals the rest of the group and proclaims that we're all running with her for the last 300m (Susan was on the rower but also had people to cheer her through the finish). Robin started out the door and we all ran with her. We were laughing and joking as a group - it's easier to run with a smile on your face - and she finished it up. Nice work Robin and Susan, super impressed. This is what I love and more importantly this is why I crossfit.
Every day we write our weights and times or scores on the board but it's days like today that put it all in perspective. It's not about being the strongest or the fastest but rather just getting better, stronger, everyday. It's the title of this blog and it's a big part of what we do. We push ourselves every time we step into that box and it doesn't matter if you're the strongest or slowest - we are all just there to get better.
Strength
12 minutes to find max TGU
16kg (each arm)
This was fun/funny. I'm not sure which word is more appropriate. It was definitely full of laughs as we all struggled with the many steps to the TGU's. We all worked hard but enjoyed ourselves all the same. Props to the guys who did (or almost did) 32kg. Amazing effort!
The WOD
4 rounds
5 deadlifts (80/120)
15 burpee bar-hops
13:30 - 70kg
Was a good one. I initially loaded the bar with 80kg and barely got it to move off the ground. I knew I didn't have it so I dropped it back which was a good idea. My quads were definitely burning by the end even though I pulled out straight sets of the deadlifts. The burpee bar-hops are evil, not as much as burpee box jumps but they definitely take second. I kept moving throughout (lesson learned from 12.1) but they were slow toward the end - stepping down but still jumping up/over. The runs were okay although I could feel my quads with every step. I think they're still recovering from the last few weeks of burpee box-jumps, beach runs and squats. Yup, most definitely.
I'm glad I jumped in with the nooners again today - not sure I can do this every week (it's hard to escape from work some days) but I do enjoy it on the occasional friday. Thanks guys for being so energetic and inspiring.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
4/25 - "Wood" - ANZAC Day Hero WOD
CrossFit Hero WOD “Wood”
5 rounds
400m run
10 burpee box jumps (20/24″)
10 SDHP (30/45kg)
10
1 min rest
29:20 (23kg)
Was an extremely early morning at the box (after leaving the night before at 8:30pm). We all arrived just before 6am for our dawn WOD in remembrance of those who have fought for this country.
We did a few warm up runs (outlining the 400m course in the process) then had a moment of silence along with the playing of the last post. A bit more of a warmup, a demonstration of the WOD movements and suddenly we were broken into 4 groups (to start at 1 minute intervals) and the clock was beeping 3-2-1 go. The first group sprinted out the door to the sounds of 'Chariots of Fire' (Coach Match had a good time pulling together his playlist - which also included the star wars theme - and worked really well for the morning's workout).
I started in the last group and ran with Vicky who at 5 months pregnant is still fast - off we went. I never thought there could be anything worse than burpees in a WOD - I was wrong - burpee box jumps are WORSE. I almost face-planted in the last round with only a few reps to go when one foot stayed on the box and the other slipped off. Ugh. Managed to push through though thankfully with no injuries.
The SDHP's were okay though I was only using the 23kg bar (going light still). I managed all rounds unbroken as it was a quick movement. I took a bit of a break before doing the front squats (I substituted these for thrusters as my shoulder is quite unhappy and overhead movements suck right now). Even with the lighter weight I was still struggling on these. I think for most rounds I did two sets of 5 and could feel my quads burning on every reps (I blame Coach Pete for the tabata squats the night before - heh!).
The runs were okay even though not my strongest - it was nice to get onto them after the one minute break since your heart rate had come down from the rest by that point.
Post-WOD we all hung out and Coach Match cooked us up a scrumptious bbq breakfast. There is nothing better than the smell of bacon permeating the air post workout.
Big credit also to Coach Match for facilitating this WOD. There were approximately 40 people starting within 3 minutes of each other and there was very little (if any) waiting for equipment throughout. The room was controlled chaos throughout a beautiful dance of tired bodies gracefully maneuvering amongst the equipment. Coach Kirst also captured the day with beautiful photos of us all in our sleepy sweatiness along with the stunning sunrise that greeted us. It was also great to meet a bunch of fellow Cooee crossfitters that work out at different times of the day and who I'm only familiar with from seeing their names on the board.
It was a good albeit emotional morning. I teared up during the moment of silence while staring at the Australian flag because this day hits a little bit close to home in this moment so it gave me a lot to think about and more importantly a lot of gratitude to the soldiers who choose to fight so that people like me can live safely and almost obliviously to what is happening overseas. To all of those unbelievable badasses, THANK YOU!
Photos below all 'borrowed' from Cooee Crossfit - taken by the lovely Kirst.
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| Showing off our guns post WOD |
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| The sun coming up on the 400m run |
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| Mid WOD (didn't recognize myself in this one at first -oops) |
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| Running hard or having fun? Both! |
4/24 - "Snatch"
Week two of our Olympic Lifting Sessions with Luke. Today I felt grumpy and tired and very sore. It was a struggle.
Warmup
3 minutes skipping
then:
barbell snatch complex (3 rounds of 3 reps):
3x3 hang power snatch (20/25/25kg)
4x3 power snatch from floor (25/28/30.5/30.5kg)
2x4 OHS (30.5/25kg)
4x2 snatches (25/30.5/30.5/33kg)
3x4 snatch balance (25/25/25kg)
3x5 snatch pulls (40/50/60kg)
I will fully admit all of this was rough today. I know I need some quality rest. Lots of it. But I struggled through and listened to my body, dropping the weight when I had to so that I could focus on form.
The beauty with having one coach for one movement is that you get to know each other and more importantly he gets to know what you need to focus on. Again this week Luke called me out on jumping backwards in my explosive phase (this especially happens when I have a heavier weight) and also on locking out my arms fully. I need to practice this because what feels like locked out to me actually isn't and fully locked out in fact hurts my elbows given that I'm not used to being in that position. Good to know! Consistency and repetition are key as is knowing what good technique/movement actually feels like.
As an aside- in last weeks post I'd mentioned that I wanted to Rx Isabelle after these 4 weeks however I've since noticed that the Rx weight for women on Isabelle is only 30kg (even though it's 60kg for men) - so my new goal is to complete Isabelle at 45kg after these sessions - blow Rx out of the water!
Warmup
3 minutes skipping
then:
barbell snatch complex (3 rounds of 3 reps):
- Hang-shrug
- Hang-shrug high pull
- Hang muscle snatch
- Snatch press
- OHS (hold at bottom for 2-3 seconds)
3x3 hang power snatch (20/25/25kg)
4x3 power snatch from floor (25/28/30.5/30.5kg)
2x4 OHS (30.5/25kg)
4x2 snatches (25/30.5/30.5/33kg)
3x4 snatch balance (25/25/25kg)
3x5 snatch pulls (40/50/60kg)
I will fully admit all of this was rough today. I know I need some quality rest. Lots of it. But I struggled through and listened to my body, dropping the weight when I had to so that I could focus on form.
The beauty with having one coach for one movement is that you get to know each other and more importantly he gets to know what you need to focus on. Again this week Luke called me out on jumping backwards in my explosive phase (this especially happens when I have a heavier weight) and also on locking out my arms fully. I need to practice this because what feels like locked out to me actually isn't and fully locked out in fact hurts my elbows given that I'm not used to being in that position. Good to know! Consistency and repetition are key as is knowing what good technique/movement actually feels like.
As an aside- in last weeks post I'd mentioned that I wanted to Rx Isabelle after these 4 weeks however I've since noticed that the Rx weight for women on Isabelle is only 30kg (even though it's 60kg for men) - so my new goal is to complete Isabelle at 45kg after these sessions - blow Rx out of the water!
4/24 - squats
Quick update from Tuesday's WOD... plan was to go "light" again...
Strength
3-3-3 front squats
40-50-55(PR)
Previous PR was 50kg so was quite happy with this improvement though my shoulder was fighting the heavy weight.
WOD
4 rounds -
7 front squats (35/50kg)
14 bar hops
21 sit-ups
6:08 (28kg)
Went lighter on this one (finally) and I think it was good. I did all the sets unbroken as it took more time/energy to drop the bar and get it back up. The bar hops are easier than they have been and I'm getting them pretty consistently now (hopefully the same will happen soon with box jumps). The sit ups were just a steady slog through.
AfterWOD
Tabata squats
140
Coach Pete had us do an afterWOD because he loves us so much (/sarcasm). Of course we did squats as we also had our snatch session that night. I definitely felt this later in the night... more on that in the next post.
Strength
3-3-3 front squats
40-50-55(PR)
Previous PR was 50kg so was quite happy with this improvement though my shoulder was fighting the heavy weight.
WOD
4 rounds -
7 front squats (35/50kg)
14 bar hops
21 sit-ups
6:08 (28kg)
Went lighter on this one (finally) and I think it was good. I did all the sets unbroken as it took more time/energy to drop the bar and get it back up. The bar hops are easier than they have been and I'm getting them pretty consistently now (hopefully the same will happen soon with box jumps). The sit ups were just a steady slog through.
AfterWOD
Tabata squats
140
Coach Pete had us do an afterWOD because he loves us so much (/sarcasm). Of course we did squats as we also had our snatch session that night. I definitely felt this later in the night... more on that in the next post.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
4/23 - PR's and Rx's
Another day at the box... I was planning to go light but you know how that story usually plays out,
Strength:
Deadlift – 12 mins to find your 1 rep max
95kg - PR
We did a deadlift ladder a few months back and I know my PR from that was 90kg and I was happy to get that and then make 95kg today as well. I didn't even try to go beyond that. 95kg felt hard and I didn't want to go and hurt myself somehow (knowing me it'd be easy I'm sure). I'll save the triple digits until next time.
WOD:
15-12-9-6-3 double-unders
3-6-9-12-15 hanging squat cleans (30/45kg)
6:40 Rx
This was fun. I haven't done a WOD with DU's in a while. I still have plans to do "Annie" but it hasn't happened yet. I managed all sets unbroken and they went by quickly. The squat cleans on the other hand were tough. I am getting quite comfortable in the squat position but the clean part was hard on my shoulder - poor grumpy shoulder. Coach Match kept telling me to really get the shrug in my shoulders but my traps were really tight from the Sunday paddle so it was about finding that balance.
Overall a good day but not within my boundaries of going light. It's hard when light is also quite close to 'Rx'.
Strength:
Deadlift – 12 mins to find your 1 rep max
95kg - PR
We did a deadlift ladder a few months back and I know my PR from that was 90kg and I was happy to get that and then make 95kg today as well. I didn't even try to go beyond that. 95kg felt hard and I didn't want to go and hurt myself somehow (knowing me it'd be easy I'm sure). I'll save the triple digits until next time.
WOD:
15-12-9-6-3 double-unders
3-6-9-12-15 hanging squat cleans (30/45kg)
6:40 Rx
This was fun. I haven't done a WOD with DU's in a while. I still have plans to do "Annie" but it hasn't happened yet. I managed all sets unbroken and they went by quickly. The squat cleans on the other hand were tough. I am getting quite comfortable in the squat position but the clean part was hard on my shoulder - poor grumpy shoulder. Coach Match kept telling me to really get the shrug in my shoulders but my traps were really tight from the Sunday paddle so it was about finding that balance.
Overall a good day but not within my boundaries of going light. It's hard when light is also quite close to 'Rx'.
Monday, April 23, 2012
4/22 - Sunday SUP
Sunday SUP session was back in effect today. I got home from a girls breakfast and trip through the market for the weeks supplies and was sitting on my patio with two options before me - a nap or a paddle. It was as if Stimo knew what was going through my head as my phone beeped with a brief text 'thinking of going for a paddle you keen?' and my decision was made.
Twenty minutes later I was out the door and tying my SUP to the roof of my car. It was a great afternoon for it as well, light wind, sunshine, warm.
Met Stimo at Deane St. in Cottesloe and threw my board into the back of his monster of a truck - aptly dubbed "The SUP mobile" and we headed over to Port beach. Quickly launched and had an nice easy warm up in the shadow of the Groyne. The water was unbelievable clear which for me I'm not sure about - sometimes I think it's better not to know what's lurking beneath you.
As we passed the Groyne and started our turn with landmarks noted in the distance I spotted a fin just beyond Stimo - thankfully I quickly say 3 more and realized that a pack/pod (what are a group of dolphins called) of dolphins. It was stunning to see and made me realize how at times the world that we live in is just stunning. Two of us on our boards easily paddling along and being passed by these magical creatures of the water. Paddling with dolphins is still so awe inspiring to me even after years spent so close to the seals of English Bay.
The waves/wind were perfectly sized for a day of figuring things out and that's pretty much all I did. Where to be standing on my board to get the nose going "downhill". How to adjust my stroke to get the full power when the wave was picking me up. How to not paddle so hard in the in-between sections, conserving my energy for the required bursts. All of this - all this theory is so deeply ingrained in my head from years of outrigger surfing but the application of it now on another toy is proving to be a bit more difficult for me. That being said I know it will all just come with more water time.
I managed to get a really sweet ride, I was forward on my board, linked a few waves and had a bunch of speed going but couldn't get to the back of my board fast enough (at all?) before I lost my balance and dumped myself into the warm Indian Ocean. It was good for a laugh as Stimo witnessed it all. Definitely worth it though.
On our way back in I suddenly realized that it'd had been a long week. I was tired, my entire body ached and though tempted with the thought of surfing the small beach break I knew I'd had enough. Eight workouts in 7 days (including one full rest day) had caught up with me. I know this week will be just as crazy so I'll probably dial back the weights I'm using just to get through it. I wouldn't have it any other way though - it's been a fantastic week full of great workouts and even better great people.
Twenty minutes later I was out the door and tying my SUP to the roof of my car. It was a great afternoon for it as well, light wind, sunshine, warm.
Met Stimo at Deane St. in Cottesloe and threw my board into the back of his monster of a truck - aptly dubbed "The SUP mobile" and we headed over to Port beach. Quickly launched and had an nice easy warm up in the shadow of the Groyne. The water was unbelievable clear which for me I'm not sure about - sometimes I think it's better not to know what's lurking beneath you.
As we passed the Groyne and started our turn with landmarks noted in the distance I spotted a fin just beyond Stimo - thankfully I quickly say 3 more and realized that a pack/pod (what are a group of dolphins called) of dolphins. It was stunning to see and made me realize how at times the world that we live in is just stunning. Two of us on our boards easily paddling along and being passed by these magical creatures of the water. Paddling with dolphins is still so awe inspiring to me even after years spent so close to the seals of English Bay.
The waves/wind were perfectly sized for a day of figuring things out and that's pretty much all I did. Where to be standing on my board to get the nose going "downhill". How to adjust my stroke to get the full power when the wave was picking me up. How to not paddle so hard in the in-between sections, conserving my energy for the required bursts. All of this - all this theory is so deeply ingrained in my head from years of outrigger surfing but the application of it now on another toy is proving to be a bit more difficult for me. That being said I know it will all just come with more water time.
I managed to get a really sweet ride, I was forward on my board, linked a few waves and had a bunch of speed going but couldn't get to the back of my board fast enough (at all?) before I lost my balance and dumped myself into the warm Indian Ocean. It was good for a laugh as Stimo witnessed it all. Definitely worth it though.
On our way back in I suddenly realized that it'd had been a long week. I was tired, my entire body ached and though tempted with the thought of surfing the small beach break I knew I'd had enough. Eight workouts in 7 days (including one full rest day) had caught up with me. I know this week will be just as crazy so I'll probably dial back the weights I'm using just to get through it. I wouldn't have it any other way though - it's been a fantastic week full of great workouts and even better great people.
4/21 - Beach Run
Met up with R for a run Saturday morning - it was a 'recovery' run for him and torture for me. Ok, perhaps that's too strong a word. It was however hard. Initially I was thinking nice easy run along the path beside the beach - my version of running along the beach - but no, I'm in Australia now.
We walked down from his place, our feet touched the sand and we were off. Within two steps my quads were revolting, no joke. There was a lot of squatting all week and I definitely felt that. I kept trying to edge closer down to the water where the sand looked firmer but it really wasn't much easier. In fact after the wave would recede I'd sink deeper into the sand which was just as tough.
Halfway down to Swanbourne we had to skirt around some rocks and that was a fun change up - trying to time the incoming waves so as to not get tossed around - I had little energy to try and fight it. The water was surprisingly warm too - in that 'cools you off but doesn't freeze you' way. On the way back it was much the same but knowing we were almost done made it a little easier. Ended up being about 2.5km maybe in total.
I moaned a lot on this run but thankfully R is extremely supportive or just really good at tuning out my voice - or I'm just cute in my sad whinging. He was encouraging and I ran the whole time albeit not very fast at all. The workout was a bit less cardio than I had expected/wanted as my quads burned but definitely something I should continue to do as it'll only make me stronger.
A quick dip in the ocean afterwards was perfect as was the coffee that was my reward. Thanks R.
As a note - R had the advantage with his big feet and longer legs - at least that's what I'm going with (it more likely could be the fact that he's crazy fit and can kick my ass in pretty much anything he wants though- I'm eager to get him on my SUP to see if that is in fact all true! Ha!)
We walked down from his place, our feet touched the sand and we were off. Within two steps my quads were revolting, no joke. There was a lot of squatting all week and I definitely felt that. I kept trying to edge closer down to the water where the sand looked firmer but it really wasn't much easier. In fact after the wave would recede I'd sink deeper into the sand which was just as tough.
Halfway down to Swanbourne we had to skirt around some rocks and that was a fun change up - trying to time the incoming waves so as to not get tossed around - I had little energy to try and fight it. The water was surprisingly warm too - in that 'cools you off but doesn't freeze you' way. On the way back it was much the same but knowing we were almost done made it a little easier. Ended up being about 2.5km maybe in total.
I moaned a lot on this run but thankfully R is extremely supportive or just really good at tuning out my voice - or I'm just cute in my sad whinging. He was encouraging and I ran the whole time albeit not very fast at all. The workout was a bit less cardio than I had expected/wanted as my quads burned but definitely something I should continue to do as it'll only make me stronger.
A quick dip in the ocean afterwards was perfect as was the coffee that was my reward. Thanks R.
As a note - R had the advantage with his big feet and longer legs - at least that's what I'm going with (it more likely could be the fact that he's crazy fit and can kick my ass in pretty much anything he wants though- I'm eager to get him on my SUP to see if that is in fact all true! Ha!)
4/20 - "Clean and Jerks"
First session of clean and jerks (CJ) with Luke. Was another good one.
I partnered up with Coach Kirst and we had fun going at this (even with Fran still haunting our muscles from earlier in the day)
3x3 hang clean to clean press (13/18/18kg)
3x4 front squat to split jerk (18/23/28kg)
4x3 power clean (28/33/38/40kg)
5x2 squat clean and jerk (28/33/38/40/42.5*kg)
3x3 clean pulls (42.5/50/55kg)
*only one rep at 42.5
It was great to go through all the phases, as with the Snatch, it was just as hard mentally in this session as it was physically. Whenever I'd approach the bar I'd have so many different things I was trying to remember/ focus on that I'd have to reset in order to be ready enough to lift.
I struggled a bit initially with the split stance but once Luke came by and made me hold it for what seemed an eternity I started to find my balance and "become comfortable" in it. I also had a bit more practice staying in the squat position as well which is going to help all around.
My previous squat clean PR was 33kg in February so I smashed that in this one - 42.5kg(PR). I think that confidence helps as does not having any pressure to be fast or just get things done. The pacing of these sessions is perfect and working in with a partner gives just enough rest time and also great/ instant feedback on key points.
I need to focus on not jumping backwards on my power cleans. Better efficiency/power in going straight up obviously. I also need to practice my splits as sometimes my back foot ends up where it shouldn't - either toes out/ hip too opened or not enough on my toes. Also, fully locking out on top... definitely practice on this one.
I partnered up with Coach Kirst and we had fun going at this (even with Fran still haunting our muscles from earlier in the day)
3x3 hang clean to clean press (13/18/18kg)
3x4 front squat to split jerk (18/23/28kg)
4x3 power clean (28/33/38/40kg)
5x2 squat clean and jerk (28/33/38/40/42.5*kg)
3x3 clean pulls (42.5/50/55kg)
*only one rep at 42.5
It was great to go through all the phases, as with the Snatch, it was just as hard mentally in this session as it was physically. Whenever I'd approach the bar I'd have so many different things I was trying to remember/ focus on that I'd have to reset in order to be ready enough to lift.
I struggled a bit initially with the split stance but once Luke came by and made me hold it for what seemed an eternity I started to find my balance and "become comfortable" in it. I also had a bit more practice staying in the squat position as well which is going to help all around.
My previous squat clean PR was 33kg in February so I smashed that in this one - 42.5kg(PR). I think that confidence helps as does not having any pressure to be fast or just get things done. The pacing of these sessions is perfect and working in with a partner gives just enough rest time and also great/ instant feedback on key points.
I need to focus on not jumping backwards on my power cleans. Better efficiency/power in going straight up obviously. I also need to practice my splits as sometimes my back foot ends up where it shouldn't - either toes out/ hip too opened or not enough on my toes. Also, fully locking out on top... definitely practice on this one.
Friday, April 20, 2012
4/20 - (running) Fran - Rx!
Had a date with (running) Fran today and kicked her ass... and by kicking her ass I mean I finished in just under 18 minutes but did it all Rx!! I'm quite happy about that last part.
WOD
Running "Fran"
21 Thrusters (30/45)
21 Pull-ups
200m run
15 Thrusters
15 Pull-ups
400m run
9 Thrusters
9 Pull-ups
600m run
17:53 Rx
As Coach Kirst said it on the final half of the last run when I was almost in tears having finished all those pull-ups unassisted... "there's no going back from here"
Back to the beginning - I attended the Friday noon class even though I'm at work all day. As I watched the time tick by on the clock while I worked I knew I needed some food or else I'd never get through the WOD. Problem was I wasn't very hungry, this was a challenge. I managed to eat a couple chicken tenderloins that I'd grilled the other day and squeezed lemon over. I was also focused on hydrating. It was a strange adjustment as normally I have all day to do this.
I snuck out of the office a few minutes before noon and made it over to the box (thankfully only a 5 minute drive) and quickly changed. I caught up to the group on the run and did all the agility drills for warm up while staring down the thought of (running) Fran.
As we were setting up for the thrusters I grabbed the 8kg bar and two 10kg plates and did a rep to test it out. It was then that I realized and Match agreed with - 28kg is almost 30kg (Rx weight) and so I added the extra 2kg for the WOD. I was thinking that the thrusters were going to be the worst portion. I was (kind of) wrong.
I felt strong on the first round of thrusters though didn't get my elbows high enough on the 7th rep and dropped the bar so from there on out I did sets of 5 for the rest of the rounds. This worked well and surprisingly the 30kg didn't feel so heavy - I'm getting stronger (yay!)
The pull-ups were done in sets of 3 and 2. The first 21 I did all but the last 6 in threes and then twos. This worked. When I dropped down I just had to get myself right back on the bar and then solely think of a big kick which got me over the bar each time. The round of 15 and 9 were all done as sets of 2 but I did them. ALL. I have never done so many pull-ups without any other movement in between before and I think in a WOD this would also be the most reps unassisted. I was proud. Also, super happy that there were no tears on my hands - this is a big improvement.
After I'd finished the last 9 pullups and was jumping down I was close to tears. It finally hit me that I did it - Rx! I just had another 600m to go and I was done. Proud.
I wasn't fast on any of the runs but just kept at it, one step at a time. The 600m was a bit daunting as we had to do two laps of 300m which meant getting right back to the door of the box and heading back out again but thankfully Coach Kirst joined me and talked to me along the way and got me through it faster than I would have on my own. Thanks Kirst! She also talked me through the last few pull-ups on the rounds of 15 and 9 for which I was thankful!
I am glad I did this and it really does (finally) show me how far I have come. I remember back in October meeting with a friend R to do a mini-WOD and run and I couldn't do any pull-ups back then unassisted. I did jumping pull-ups that day with him in the park. Tomorrow we're going for a run again and although we're not doing a WOD I know that if we did I could easily toss pull-ups in and rock them. Such big milestones and I love it - it just takes a goal and persistence and dedication to working towards it - for anyone, for whatever you might be striving for (muscle ups and 45kg snatches for me!)
Keep at it! Everyday stronger.
Also - a BIG blog shoutout to Ric as well - I rarely workout at the same time as Ric but it was great to see him today especially since he also RX-ed (running) Fran today too for the first time. Yeah Ric!
WOD
Running "Fran"
21 Thrusters (30/45)
21 Pull-ups
200m run
15 Thrusters
15 Pull-ups
400m run
9 Thrusters
9 Pull-ups
600m run
17:53 Rx
As Coach Kirst said it on the final half of the last run when I was almost in tears having finished all those pull-ups unassisted... "there's no going back from here"
Back to the beginning - I attended the Friday noon class even though I'm at work all day. As I watched the time tick by on the clock while I worked I knew I needed some food or else I'd never get through the WOD. Problem was I wasn't very hungry, this was a challenge. I managed to eat a couple chicken tenderloins that I'd grilled the other day and squeezed lemon over. I was also focused on hydrating. It was a strange adjustment as normally I have all day to do this.
I snuck out of the office a few minutes before noon and made it over to the box (thankfully only a 5 minute drive) and quickly changed. I caught up to the group on the run and did all the agility drills for warm up while staring down the thought of (running) Fran.
As we were setting up for the thrusters I grabbed the 8kg bar and two 10kg plates and did a rep to test it out. It was then that I realized and Match agreed with - 28kg is almost 30kg (Rx weight) and so I added the extra 2kg for the WOD. I was thinking that the thrusters were going to be the worst portion. I was (kind of) wrong.
I felt strong on the first round of thrusters though didn't get my elbows high enough on the 7th rep and dropped the bar so from there on out I did sets of 5 for the rest of the rounds. This worked well and surprisingly the 30kg didn't feel so heavy - I'm getting stronger (yay!)
The pull-ups were done in sets of 3 and 2. The first 21 I did all but the last 6 in threes and then twos. This worked. When I dropped down I just had to get myself right back on the bar and then solely think of a big kick which got me over the bar each time. The round of 15 and 9 were all done as sets of 2 but I did them. ALL. I have never done so many pull-ups without any other movement in between before and I think in a WOD this would also be the most reps unassisted. I was proud. Also, super happy that there were no tears on my hands - this is a big improvement.
After I'd finished the last 9 pullups and was jumping down I was close to tears. It finally hit me that I did it - Rx! I just had another 600m to go and I was done. Proud.
I wasn't fast on any of the runs but just kept at it, one step at a time. The 600m was a bit daunting as we had to do two laps of 300m which meant getting right back to the door of the box and heading back out again but thankfully Coach Kirst joined me and talked to me along the way and got me through it faster than I would have on my own. Thanks Kirst! She also talked me through the last few pull-ups on the rounds of 15 and 9 for which I was thankful!
I am glad I did this and it really does (finally) show me how far I have come. I remember back in October meeting with a friend R to do a mini-WOD and run and I couldn't do any pull-ups back then unassisted. I did jumping pull-ups that day with him in the park. Tomorrow we're going for a run again and although we're not doing a WOD I know that if we did I could easily toss pull-ups in and rock them. Such big milestones and I love it - it just takes a goal and persistence and dedication to working towards it - for anyone, for whatever you might be striving for (muscle ups and 45kg snatches for me!)
Keep at it! Everyday stronger.
Also - a BIG blog shoutout to Ric as well - I rarely workout at the same time as Ric but it was great to see him today especially since he also RX-ed (running) Fran today too for the first time. Yeah Ric!
4/19 - overhead...
Strength:
1-1-1 split jerk
30-40-50(fail)-45
I could have likely gotten the 50kg rep but I lacked the confidence to fully drop under the weight. It was however good to do this movement again before starting the clean and jerk sessions (tonight!) and seeing the progression. I think between both oly lifting sessions we have going on I'll see some big improvements on getting low under the weight which is obviously the key to getting heavier lifts.
WOD
3 rounds
3 clean & jerks (50/80kg)
6 OH bumper lunges (10/20kg)
9 bumper clean & presses
12 OH bumper sit-ups
5:59 (35.5kg bar, 10kg plate)
This was way harder than I was expecting, specifically I thought the sit-ups would be the "rest" portion of the work and I was very, very wrong on this one. My shoulders were the limiting factor on that part, keeping my arms overhead was a challenge on every rep. I think on the last set I did 3 at a time - and at that point 12 seems like a huge number.
The clean and jerks were solid. I probably could have gone heavier on them because I did then unbroken but again, it's the confidence in the movement that is keeping me from going heavier. The lunges went quickly, thankfully. But the arms overhead contributed to the fatigue that slowly built up over the round.
Bumper clean and presses were okay, hurt to lock out overhead with tired arms but got them all in straight sets. Enjoyed the quick session of this WOD but definitely worked my shoulders good.
Finished off the night with some dips. After the WOD I couldn't actually do any unassisted (not surprising) but did a couple where I would lower slowly down to full depth and then push back up as much as I could (not much). I also did 3 sets of 5-3-3 with the yellow band as assistance. Getting stronger and closer to my goal of a muscle up.
1-1-1 split jerk
30-40-50(fail)-45
I could have likely gotten the 50kg rep but I lacked the confidence to fully drop under the weight. It was however good to do this movement again before starting the clean and jerk sessions (tonight!) and seeing the progression. I think between both oly lifting sessions we have going on I'll see some big improvements on getting low under the weight which is obviously the key to getting heavier lifts.
WOD
3 rounds
3 clean & jerks (50/80kg)
6 OH bumper lunges (10/20kg)
9 bumper clean & presses
12 OH bumper sit-ups
5:59 (35.5kg bar, 10kg plate)
This was way harder than I was expecting, specifically I thought the sit-ups would be the "rest" portion of the work and I was very, very wrong on this one. My shoulders were the limiting factor on that part, keeping my arms overhead was a challenge on every rep. I think on the last set I did 3 at a time - and at that point 12 seems like a huge number.
The clean and jerks were solid. I probably could have gone heavier on them because I did then unbroken but again, it's the confidence in the movement that is keeping me from going heavier. The lunges went quickly, thankfully. But the arms overhead contributed to the fatigue that slowly built up over the round.
Bumper clean and presses were okay, hurt to lock out overhead with tired arms but got them all in straight sets. Enjoyed the quick session of this WOD but definitely worked my shoulders good.
Finished off the night with some dips. After the WOD I couldn't actually do any unassisted (not surprising) but did a couple where I would lower slowly down to full depth and then push back up as much as I could (not much). I also did 3 sets of 5-3-3 with the yellow band as assistance. Getting stronger and closer to my goal of a muscle up.
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| I'm wearing pink! - Source |
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
4/17 - "Snatch"
Today was the first of our Olympic Lifting Sessions with Luke - Tuesdays are Snatches (my fave) and Fridays are Clean and Jerks for the next 4 weeks.
Warmup
3 minutes skipping
then:
barbell snatch complex (3 rounds of 3 reps):
3x3 power snatch from high hang, pocket and knee (20/22.5/25kg)
3x3 power snatch from floor (18/23/28kg)
3x4 snatch balance (20/25/27.5kg)
3x5 snatch pulls (40/50/55kg)
It was a great atmosphere to be working out in and learning a ton. We partnered up so one person was lifting while the other was able to give some feedback/ so key triggers. For me I have to work on a few things - first off, getting the smooth pull from ground to about my knees (phase 1) and also not jumping backwards but rather straight up. It started to feel better on the snatch pulls but man they were heavy. In talking with Luke afterwards he said that I can probably get up by 5kg each week for the snatch pulls and be doing almost 70 by the end of the sessions.
MY GOAL... I want to be able to complete Isabelle Rx (30 snatches at 45kg) within an hour the week after we finish these sessions. My current Snatch PR is 35kg so I have a lot of work to do but I'm confident I can get there.
Some key learning that I want to easily reference - the three phases of the Snatch - from Luke:
1) 1st pull – set position, engage bar, hips slightly higher than knees, gorilla chest, tight back
2) 2nd pull – explode upward once above knees, strong extension, aggressive shrug
3) Catch/receive – pull body under bar, speed to lockout arms, active shoulders, gorilla chest, do not let eye’s look down
Warmup
3 minutes skipping
then:
barbell snatch complex (3 rounds of 3 reps):
- Hang-shrug
- Hang-shrug high pull
- Hang muscle snatch
- Snatch press
- OHS (hold at bottom for 2-3 seconds)
3x3 power snatch from high hang, pocket and knee (20/22.5/25kg)
3x3 power snatch from floor (18/23/28kg)
3x4 snatch balance (20/25/27.5kg)
3x5 snatch pulls (40/50/55kg)
It was a great atmosphere to be working out in and learning a ton. We partnered up so one person was lifting while the other was able to give some feedback/ so key triggers. For me I have to work on a few things - first off, getting the smooth pull from ground to about my knees (phase 1) and also not jumping backwards but rather straight up. It started to feel better on the snatch pulls but man they were heavy. In talking with Luke afterwards he said that I can probably get up by 5kg each week for the snatch pulls and be doing almost 70 by the end of the sessions.
MY GOAL... I want to be able to complete Isabelle Rx (30 snatches at 45kg) within an hour the week after we finish these sessions. My current Snatch PR is 35kg so I have a lot of work to do but I'm confident I can get there.
Some key learning that I want to easily reference - the three phases of the Snatch - from Luke:
1) 1st pull – set position, engage bar, hips slightly higher than knees, gorilla chest, tight back
2) 2nd pull – explode upward once above knees, strong extension, aggressive shrug
3) Catch/receive – pull body under bar, speed to lockout arms, active shoulders, gorilla chest, do not let eye’s look down
4/17...
Tonight was fun with lots going on. Coach Pete has us at his mercy again and because his warmups are always diverse I'll actually go through what we did for it tonight - I swear sometimes his warmups are harder than the WOD...
Warmup
100 single unders
5 15m sprints with partner banded resistance (photo below)
3 rounds of
-10 pushups
-10 deadlifts
100 single unders
Then we went through the movements of the WOD with just a bar.
WOD
4 rounds
5 push press (45/60kg)
6 hang cleans
7 deadlifts
300m run
1 min rest
12:45 - 35.5kg
Went heavier than I expected given the nagging pain in my shoulder with overhead movements but after a few reps it was good. I managed to do all the rounds without resting the bar on the ground except a few times to regrip for the deadlifts. I felt strong on the runs as well which is new for me - not saying I loved it by any means but felt like I could push and still be okay though knowing I had a one minute rest at the end of it helped.
AfterWOD
2 minutes of accumulated squat holds
Ouch. I am not very good at these. Managed to hold for the first 20 seconds but then needed help of the pole to not fall over. This hurt and wasn't the best leading into our first Olympic Lifting Session... "The Snatch". More on that in the next post.
Warmup
100 single unders
5 15m sprints with partner banded resistance (photo below)
3 rounds of
-10 pushups
-10 deadlifts
100 single unders
Then we went through the movements of the WOD with just a bar.
WOD
4 rounds
5 push press (45/60kg)
6 hang cleans
7 deadlifts
300m run
1 min rest
12:45 - 35.5kg
Went heavier than I expected given the nagging pain in my shoulder with overhead movements but after a few reps it was good. I managed to do all the rounds without resting the bar on the ground except a few times to regrip for the deadlifts. I felt strong on the runs as well which is new for me - not saying I loved it by any means but felt like I could push and still be okay though knowing I had a one minute rest at the end of it helped.
AfterWOD
2 minutes of accumulated squat holds
Ouch. I am not very good at these. Managed to hold for the first 20 seconds but then needed help of the pole to not fall over. This hurt and wasn't the best leading into our first Olympic Lifting Session... "The Snatch". More on that in the next post.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
4/16 - KB's
Last week after some hardcore core sessions I asked Coach Match to put some KB crossovers into a WOD sometime as it's been a long time since we've done them. From what I remembered of them they were quite the core workout... well, not this time. Definitely felt them in my lower back. The WOD(s):
Strength:
5-5-5 deadlifts
60-70-80(5RM PR)
It was great to do deadlifts again as it's been a while since I've tried any with heavier weight. I was inspired by Kayla who I was going to work in with when she suggested 60kg as a starting weight - my 1RM PR is 90kg so it was nice to see such big gains though the 80kg for 5 reps was tough.
WOD:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
KB thrusters*
Sit-ups
5:43 (16kg)
—300m jog—
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
KB crossovers*
KB squat cleans*
8:00 (short last 4 cleans)
*One KB for all movements
These were both hard and fun. It was nice to have a strictly KB WOD. The first one hurt a bit in the overhead portion of the thrusters. Definitely tight in my traps and chest after Sunday. It was great though to do the decreasing order which meant it got faster as you went through it. Which leads into the next WOD...
There was an 8 minute cut-off and it took me all of that - plus an additional 20 or so seconds to finish the last 4 reps to get through it. The crossovers as mentioned above were harder than I remember (or perhaps I'm just using a heavier KB). The squat cleans were a combination of not smashing yourself in the face with a KB/not dropping the KB/gong through the movement. Definitely challenging.
I tried to do a few static ring holds when I finished and wasn't that successful, definitely paying the price for Sunday's WOD. Tim has a great post about it here - definitely made me laugh - and yes, rules are rules.
Back at it tonight - start of our 4 week olympic lifting sessions - Snatch technique tonight. Should be great.
Strength:
5-5-5 deadlifts
60-70-80(5RM PR)
It was great to do deadlifts again as it's been a while since I've tried any with heavier weight. I was inspired by Kayla who I was going to work in with when she suggested 60kg as a starting weight - my 1RM PR is 90kg so it was nice to see such big gains though the 80kg for 5 reps was tough.
WOD:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
KB thrusters*
Sit-ups
5:43 (16kg)
—300m jog—
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
KB crossovers*
KB squat cleans*
8:00 (short last 4 cleans)
*One KB for all movements
These were both hard and fun. It was nice to have a strictly KB WOD. The first one hurt a bit in the overhead portion of the thrusters. Definitely tight in my traps and chest after Sunday. It was great though to do the decreasing order which meant it got faster as you went through it. Which leads into the next WOD...
There was an 8 minute cut-off and it took me all of that - plus an additional 20 or so seconds to finish the last 4 reps to get through it. The crossovers as mentioned above were harder than I remember (or perhaps I'm just using a heavier KB). The squat cleans were a combination of not smashing yourself in the face with a KB/not dropping the KB/gong through the movement. Definitely challenging.
I tried to do a few static ring holds when I finished and wasn't that successful, definitely paying the price for Sunday's WOD. Tim has a great post about it here - definitely made me laugh - and yes, rules are rules.
Back at it tonight - start of our 4 week olympic lifting sessions - Snatch technique tonight. Should be great.
Monday, April 16, 2012
4/15 - Sunday WOD...upside down!
After a few days rest (thursday/friday) I was itching for a WOD - I probably would have stopped at the park on my way home from Saturday errands but I wasn't appropriately prepared and once I got home well, it was hard to get motivated again.
What I did do instead was enlist a friend to ensure I got to it on Sunday. I texted Tim and sure enough (as I suspected) he was game to meet up early - 7:30am early - which in this case worked for me as I was without electricity in my house and had to meet the electrician back at home by 9:30.
We met at the park by Cottesloe beach where they have a bunch of structures for working out including pull up bars, dip stations and conveniently - a poster board with instructions that's perfect for hspu's. We played around for a bit on the equipment just having fun, warmed up and then decided it was time to WOD. For the record, however funny, I don't recommend hspu's in the vicinity of a dog that can lick your head when you're upside down. True story.
Initially Tim suggested some crazy hard ladder of hspu's and pull-ups 15-1, 13-3, 11-5, etc... but we negotiated and changed it up:
WOD
6 rounds
5 hspu
5m handstand walk
5 pull-ups (strict for Tim, kipping for me)
15 second L-sit
26:56
This was a challenging WOD and took a lot longer than I expected it would especially as the hspu's seemed to go pretty quickly each time. I wasn't getting full depth but probably a few inches from the ground. The handstand walks quickly got very hard especially coming off of the hspu's. My wrists were feeling it and at times I was only getting 2 or 3 steps before falling over. Tim went the hard way on these - he was going (slightly) uphill which is why I was able to stay in front of him.
Pull-ups were pretty solid. I did sets of 3's and 2's mostly which was good. I just have to think of the movement when I get tired to fully get over the bar, there were a couple where I had to have a second little kick to get above the bar. L-sit holds are getting easier though were a killer on the shoulders here.
It was a lot of fun. I liked the handstand walks because we (for good reasons) never have them at the box. I am also happy that I can now do WODs like this at the park and not need a band for pull-ups or have to resort to just jumping them. I've come a long way from October when I did a WOD with pull-ups with my friend R and had to jump while he did static. Happy. Progress.
Coffee afterwards was extremely enjoyable - a great reward. Will definitely have to do it again - rule is winner buys... haha.
Really hurting today - all across my chest and traps mostly and shoulders. Am hoping that there is no overhead stuff tonight but I'm sure there will be. Need to get there early and do a lot of mobilisation.
Such a great morning, thanks Tim!
What I did do instead was enlist a friend to ensure I got to it on Sunday. I texted Tim and sure enough (as I suspected) he was game to meet up early - 7:30am early - which in this case worked for me as I was without electricity in my house and had to meet the electrician back at home by 9:30.
We met at the park by Cottesloe beach where they have a bunch of structures for working out including pull up bars, dip stations and conveniently - a poster board with instructions that's perfect for hspu's. We played around for a bit on the equipment just having fun, warmed up and then decided it was time to WOD. For the record, however funny, I don't recommend hspu's in the vicinity of a dog that can lick your head when you're upside down. True story.
Initially Tim suggested some crazy hard ladder of hspu's and pull-ups 15-1, 13-3, 11-5, etc... but we negotiated and changed it up:
WOD
6 rounds
5 hspu
5m handstand walk
5 pull-ups (strict for Tim, kipping for me)
15 second L-sit
26:56
This was a challenging WOD and took a lot longer than I expected it would especially as the hspu's seemed to go pretty quickly each time. I wasn't getting full depth but probably a few inches from the ground. The handstand walks quickly got very hard especially coming off of the hspu's. My wrists were feeling it and at times I was only getting 2 or 3 steps before falling over. Tim went the hard way on these - he was going (slightly) uphill which is why I was able to stay in front of him.
Pull-ups were pretty solid. I did sets of 3's and 2's mostly which was good. I just have to think of the movement when I get tired to fully get over the bar, there were a couple where I had to have a second little kick to get above the bar. L-sit holds are getting easier though were a killer on the shoulders here.
It was a lot of fun. I liked the handstand walks because we (for good reasons) never have them at the box. I am also happy that I can now do WODs like this at the park and not need a band for pull-ups or have to resort to just jumping them. I've come a long way from October when I did a WOD with pull-ups with my friend R and had to jump while he did static. Happy. Progress.
Coffee afterwards was extremely enjoyable - a great reward. Will definitely have to do it again - rule is winner buys... haha.
Really hurting today - all across my chest and traps mostly and shoulders. Am hoping that there is no overhead stuff tonight but I'm sure there will be. Need to get there early and do a lot of mobilisation.
Such a great morning, thanks Tim!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
4/11 - taking a(nother) break...
Strength
3-3-3-3 hanging squat cleans
28-38-40.5-40.5(PR!)
New PR! Previous was 30.5kg (hang cleans) or 33kg (squat cleans). These were good. I need to be confident when going to the bar on these - it's the fear of the weight that is limiting me at the moment, not the actual weight - that and my hands (more on that below).
Coach Match helped me realize that I only had to drop the bar slightly from the hang position on the 'dip' portion of the movement and drop under it rather than trying to lift it higher. Was good practice leading into the WOD.
WOD:
21-15-9 (10 minute cut-off)
Cleans (45/60kg)
KB swings (20/32kg)
8:14 (35.5kg barbell, 16kg KB)
Dropped the weight on the KB for this WOD - I know I can do 20kg swings but my shoulder is still acting up and I didn't want to kill it any further - it was a good decision. The cleans were ok but still took me longer than it should have.
I struggled with this WOD, I don't know how to capture the reasoning behind it - it wasn't entirely mental or physical but a bit of both. Perhaps a little burnout? I'm not really sure. I just know that half way through the 21 cleans I just wanted to be done for no other reason than I just didn't want to do it. I got through it and still pushed myself as much as I could but it was a struggle.
The past few weeks I've been going heavier and Rx-ing a lot of workouts where I can. I know I've definitely become stronger in some of my skills but I'm struggling with shoulders that are tight and unhappy and I think I just need to focus on not hurting myself right now. So, I have a massage booked for tonight and will spend the weekend mobilising and taking care of my body which will include getting my eating back on track.
I'm also taking another 4 day break from crossfit. I just think I need it right now - a bit of a refresher to get my head sorted. I'm not sure why this WOD was such a mental struggle but it was different than any other and I need to address it - I LOVE crossfit so it's not that but a little break won't hurt.
Next week I'll come back strong into the WODs and with two additional olympic lifting sessions on the schedule (for the next 4 weeks). I think for me right now it's the right choice to make and what I personally need.
Note - about my hands... I ripped both of my palms during Tuesday's WOD on the bars - I think somehow I was compensating with my grip to avoid ripping my callouses. Anyway, this hurts - feels like I've scrapped my hands on the pavement - that stinging sensation. Need to let them heal - cleans and KB swings didn't help yesterday which might have also been part of my struggle. Anyway... a 4 day break should help.
3-3-3-3 hanging squat cleans
28-38-40.5-40.5(PR!)
New PR! Previous was 30.5kg (hang cleans) or 33kg (squat cleans). These were good. I need to be confident when going to the bar on these - it's the fear of the weight that is limiting me at the moment, not the actual weight - that and my hands (more on that below).
Coach Match helped me realize that I only had to drop the bar slightly from the hang position on the 'dip' portion of the movement and drop under it rather than trying to lift it higher. Was good practice leading into the WOD.
WOD:
21-15-9 (10 minute cut-off)
Cleans (45/60kg)
KB swings (20/32kg)
8:14 (35.5kg barbell, 16kg KB)
Dropped the weight on the KB for this WOD - I know I can do 20kg swings but my shoulder is still acting up and I didn't want to kill it any further - it was a good decision. The cleans were ok but still took me longer than it should have.
I struggled with this WOD, I don't know how to capture the reasoning behind it - it wasn't entirely mental or physical but a bit of both. Perhaps a little burnout? I'm not really sure. I just know that half way through the 21 cleans I just wanted to be done for no other reason than I just didn't want to do it. I got through it and still pushed myself as much as I could but it was a struggle.
The past few weeks I've been going heavier and Rx-ing a lot of workouts where I can. I know I've definitely become stronger in some of my skills but I'm struggling with shoulders that are tight and unhappy and I think I just need to focus on not hurting myself right now. So, I have a massage booked for tonight and will spend the weekend mobilising and taking care of my body which will include getting my eating back on track.
I'm also taking another 4 day break from crossfit. I just think I need it right now - a bit of a refresher to get my head sorted. I'm not sure why this WOD was such a mental struggle but it was different than any other and I need to address it - I LOVE crossfit so it's not that but a little break won't hurt.
Next week I'll come back strong into the WODs and with two additional olympic lifting sessions on the schedule (for the next 4 weeks). I think for me right now it's the right choice to make and what I personally need.
Note - about my hands... I ripped both of my palms during Tuesday's WOD on the bars - I think somehow I was compensating with my grip to avoid ripping my callouses. Anyway, this hurts - feels like I've scrapped my hands on the pavement - that stinging sensation. Need to let them heal - cleans and KB swings didn't help yesterday which might have also been part of my struggle. Anyway... a 4 day break should help.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
A trend?
Photo from yesterday's WOD:
Photo from "Helen" last week:
Notice that green shirt blocking me in both shots? That's Neil. In front of me - in the first one you can barely see my shoe, in the second, my bun. I'm thinking this is a new trend. Haha. Made me laugh either way.
Photos by Coach Kirst... graciously stolen from Cooee Crossfit's Website!
Photo from "Helen" last week:
Notice that green shirt blocking me in both shots? That's Neil. In front of me - in the first one you can barely see my shoe, in the second, my bun. I'm thinking this is a new trend. Haha. Made me laugh either way.
Photos by Coach Kirst... graciously stolen from Cooee Crossfit's Website!
4/11 - it's been a while...
It's been a while since I've had any workout to write about. It was a blissfully relaxed 4 day long weekend where I thought about doing a WOD on Monday but woke up with a foot telling me it'd be better to take another day off than to jump on it and I didn't argue. I needed the break, lots of sleep, lots of sunshine, lots of walking and photo taking and just enjoying life. Oh, and there was popcorn. Too much popcorn. It happens.
Last night was back to crossfit... lingering aches and pains aside my body was feeling alright which was good considering the WOD Coach Match had programmed for us.
WOD
3 rounds
5 front squats (45/60kg)
10 pull-ups
5 deadlifts (45/60kg)
10 toes to bar
5 push jerks (45/60kg)
10 hand release push-ups
14:48 - 33kg bar, Rx pull-ups, Rx t2b
For the month of April our box is not recording weights or scaling on the white board with the intent to encourage us to push ourselves in terms of the weights we choose, etc. rather than relying on a weight that perhaps someone in an earlier group used (I admit, I always do this)... it was interesting though I'm starting to get a better feel for how heavy I can go based on how my body is feeling and how many reps we have to do, etc. My shoulders still aren't happy with the overhead movements (massage Thursday, yay!) so I held back a bit on the weight because I knew the push jerks were going to be challenging.
Once again I had a little pre-WOD chat with Coach Pete who told me last week before "half Cindy" that I'd be better doing less rounds with Rx pull-ups than more overall (paraphrased). This week again I looked to him for that bit of encouragement I knew I'd need for again going with Rx pull-ups given that there were 10 in a round. He said if you can do 5 you can do 10 followed by Coach Match's comment of if you can do 1 you can do 100 and Coach Kirst's comment of 10 only being 2 sets of 5 (or in my case 5 sets of 2). Thanks guys. I was going for it - I didn't even bother setting up a "just in case" assistance band.
I also did the t2b and push-ups Rx which are both two things I couldn't do two months ago (pre-open workouts) which feels like a great accomplishment. Like when I was learning DU's - at some point you just have to tell yourself you're going to do the movements Rx and struggle through no matter how long it takes and you'll get better. I finished last but it didn't even matter.
The lifts were all solid. I think mostly done in sets of 5 though I had to readjust my grip on the bar for the first set of push jerks - we started with an easy group 300m untimed run before jumping into the WOD (we could start at any movement we wanted and I chose the push jerks) and I was a little too eager to get going that I didn't place my hands equally on the bar and was a little off balance. Was nice to run as a group though - easy and chatty.
Managed to unfortunately tear the skin off both of my hands (why does this always happen?!?!?)... I think I was compensating on my grip trying to avoid ripping my callouses. I swear I'd be kick ass on the bar if my hands weren't so dainty... ugh.
After WOD(s)
Sit-up Auction
85 (plus 5) situps
Untimed
1:00 hollow body hold
Not sure how this went but when I got back into the circle there was an auction going on for situps. I think we started with 50 but somehow jumped up to 80. Right before the going three times Coach Match added a "bonus" 5 for 85 total for the group. Ouch! My abs haven't been doing much lately and they definitely knew it with this one. Good thing I didn't do "Annie" on Monday as I was thinking. There was a bonus 5 thrown in as we kept going until the last person finished. Definitely feeling them today - also jumped in with the 6:15 group and did 1:00 of hollow body holds so yes, my abs are going to be made of steel soon (here's hoping!).
Muscle-Up Skill Practice
Dips (on parallel bars) 3 x 3 with yellow band
Static holds on rings
First UNASSISTED DIP on the parallel bars tonight - managed two. It was extremely hard - especially the last bit to lock out but I did it and am super excited about it. Also did 3 sets of 3 with the yellow band - my shoulders are really hurting so the full depth was a little painful and didn't want to push it to 5 reps with the fatigue and tightness.
Had a good chat with Coach Match about things to work on to get the muscle ups. Lots of dips (without kicking), static holds, etc. and a few times a week which I'm trying to keep on. Played around on the rings a bit afterwards too. Coach Pete was helping me - have to work on turning out my hands at the top too to be more solid when I'm locking out. Was good all around and am so determined to get that muscle up... Coach Tim - when are we playing on the rings together?
Last night was back to crossfit... lingering aches and pains aside my body was feeling alright which was good considering the WOD Coach Match had programmed for us.
WOD
3 rounds
5 front squats (45/60kg)
10 pull-ups
5 deadlifts (45/60kg)
10 toes to bar
5 push jerks (45/60kg)
10 hand release push-ups
14:48 - 33kg bar, Rx pull-ups, Rx t2b
For the month of April our box is not recording weights or scaling on the white board with the intent to encourage us to push ourselves in terms of the weights we choose, etc. rather than relying on a weight that perhaps someone in an earlier group used (I admit, I always do this)... it was interesting though I'm starting to get a better feel for how heavy I can go based on how my body is feeling and how many reps we have to do, etc. My shoulders still aren't happy with the overhead movements (massage Thursday, yay!) so I held back a bit on the weight because I knew the push jerks were going to be challenging.
Once again I had a little pre-WOD chat with Coach Pete who told me last week before "half Cindy" that I'd be better doing less rounds with Rx pull-ups than more overall (paraphrased). This week again I looked to him for that bit of encouragement I knew I'd need for again going with Rx pull-ups given that there were 10 in a round. He said if you can do 5 you can do 10 followed by Coach Match's comment of if you can do 1 you can do 100 and Coach Kirst's comment of 10 only being 2 sets of 5 (or in my case 5 sets of 2). Thanks guys. I was going for it - I didn't even bother setting up a "just in case" assistance band.
I also did the t2b and push-ups Rx which are both two things I couldn't do two months ago (pre-open workouts) which feels like a great accomplishment. Like when I was learning DU's - at some point you just have to tell yourself you're going to do the movements Rx and struggle through no matter how long it takes and you'll get better. I finished last but it didn't even matter.
The lifts were all solid. I think mostly done in sets of 5 though I had to readjust my grip on the bar for the first set of push jerks - we started with an easy group 300m untimed run before jumping into the WOD (we could start at any movement we wanted and I chose the push jerks) and I was a little too eager to get going that I didn't place my hands equally on the bar and was a little off balance. Was nice to run as a group though - easy and chatty.
Managed to unfortunately tear the skin off both of my hands (why does this always happen?!?!?)... I think I was compensating on my grip trying to avoid ripping my callouses. I swear I'd be kick ass on the bar if my hands weren't so dainty... ugh.
After WOD(s)
Sit-up Auction
85 (plus 5) situps
Untimed
1:00 hollow body hold
Not sure how this went but when I got back into the circle there was an auction going on for situps. I think we started with 50 but somehow jumped up to 80. Right before the going three times Coach Match added a "bonus" 5 for 85 total for the group. Ouch! My abs haven't been doing much lately and they definitely knew it with this one. Good thing I didn't do "Annie" on Monday as I was thinking. There was a bonus 5 thrown in as we kept going until the last person finished. Definitely feeling them today - also jumped in with the 6:15 group and did 1:00 of hollow body holds so yes, my abs are going to be made of steel soon (here's hoping!).
Muscle-Up Skill Practice
Dips (on parallel bars) 3 x 3 with yellow band
Static holds on rings
First UNASSISTED DIP on the parallel bars tonight - managed two. It was extremely hard - especially the last bit to lock out but I did it and am super excited about it. Also did 3 sets of 3 with the yellow band - my shoulders are really hurting so the full depth was a little painful and didn't want to push it to 5 reps with the fatigue and tightness.
Had a good chat with Coach Match about things to work on to get the muscle ups. Lots of dips (without kicking), static holds, etc. and a few times a week which I'm trying to keep on. Played around on the rings a bit afterwards too. Coach Pete was helping me - have to work on turning out my hands at the top too to be more solid when I'm locking out. Was good all around and am so determined to get that muscle up... Coach Tim - when are we playing on the rings together?
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
4/4...
It's the start of a 4 day weekend here (yay Easter!) so today was more like a friday in the office and as such I was able to sneak out early (and still be the second to last one to leave). I got to the box about 4:30, changed and started doing a bit of mobility as my shoulders are TIGHT. I mean they haven't felt this tight since I was paddling hard 5-6 days a week so ya... lesson of the day - it's time to do more stretching and mobility especially with my increase in weights. Noted.
Coach Match was putting a guy through fundamentals #3 and when it came time for the WOD he asked me if I wanted to jump in. Of course I said yes even though I hadn't warmed up. I figured I'd go light and wouldn't worry about how fast I pushed through.
WOD #1 (pre-WOD?)
AMRAP 10
10 push presses
10 thrusters
10 stick jumps (over barbell)
6/2
I started with 18kg on the bar - "light" - but after two rounds dropped it to 13kg as my shoulders weren't happy with anything over head. Tight and tired was pretty much it but I kept at it. It was good to get more coaching with there only being two of us and Coach Match told me to focus more on form than speed. I really need to keep my knees out when I squat - I know this and as much as I try and focus it just hasn't clicked in to actual doing yet. Practice, practice, practice. Also, breathing.
WOD #2
100 KB swings
everytime the bar stops swinging rotate through:
15m bear crawl
15m walking lunges (arms locked out overhead)
15m crab walk
10:47 20kg
I didn't do the crab walks as this always messes up my shoulder (the rotation of it isn't good for me) so I just rotated through the bear crawl and walking lunges. I put the KB down 6 times which was one more than I had to the last go round (I looked it up - a bonus of this blog). Last go round I did 30-20-20-13-17 and was aiming this time for at least the 30-20-20 but didn't even get the first 20. I got 30 straight off which was solid but then on the 13th rep of the next set I swung it over my head. Ooops. I did the lunges. After that I was only managing sets of 12 at most. 30-12-12-12-12-12-10. Not what I would have liked but I got it done at 20kg and my shoulders are still functioning. I finished last but the bonus of that was that I didn't have to hold plank until the last person finished like everyone else did. Sorry guys!
WOD #3
tabata hollow body
I think Coach Match has been spending too much time with Neil (who owns Revolution Pilates) as he had us doing all kinds of extra hard things on the last four rounds. Abs of steel are coming! Heh.
WOD #4
5 rounds
10 bumper plate clean and presses
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups
6:12 (10kg plate, knee push-ups)
I did the push-ups on my knees as my shoulders were telling me I should. Was solid through out even though the clean and presses hurt, a lot being overhead and all.
Afterward I (painfully) did some more mobility work and then played on the rings a bit doing some assisted muscle-ups - basically had the rings low enough that my feet were on the ground but that I could still go through the motion of pulling up into the dip and then I'd do a bit of a jumping push through to locking out. It was good to focus on the transition and the hand rotation through the movement being on the rings. Practice, practice, practice.
And with those (4!) WODs out of the way for today I've earned 4 days of rest - actually Coach Match prescribed it and who am I to argue with it. Myshoulders body needs it. I might get out on the surfski or SUP but given that both of those are big shoulder workouts even going easy I'll play it by ear. It won't happen until at least Sunday. I'm so looking forward to sleep ins the next two days.
Happy Easter everyone! Enjoy the long weekend.
Coach Match was putting a guy through fundamentals #3 and when it came time for the WOD he asked me if I wanted to jump in. Of course I said yes even though I hadn't warmed up. I figured I'd go light and wouldn't worry about how fast I pushed through.
WOD #1 (pre-WOD?)
AMRAP 10
10 push presses
10 thrusters
10 stick jumps (over barbell)
6/2
I started with 18kg on the bar - "light" - but after two rounds dropped it to 13kg as my shoulders weren't happy with anything over head. Tight and tired was pretty much it but I kept at it. It was good to get more coaching with there only being two of us and Coach Match told me to focus more on form than speed. I really need to keep my knees out when I squat - I know this and as much as I try and focus it just hasn't clicked in to actual doing yet. Practice, practice, practice. Also, breathing.
WOD #2
100 KB swings
everytime the bar stops swinging rotate through:
15m bear crawl
15m walking lunges (arms locked out overhead)
15m crab walk
10:47 20kg
I didn't do the crab walks as this always messes up my shoulder (the rotation of it isn't good for me) so I just rotated through the bear crawl and walking lunges. I put the KB down 6 times which was one more than I had to the last go round (I looked it up - a bonus of this blog). Last go round I did 30-20-20-13-17 and was aiming this time for at least the 30-20-20 but didn't even get the first 20. I got 30 straight off which was solid but then on the 13th rep of the next set I swung it over my head. Ooops. I did the lunges. After that I was only managing sets of 12 at most. 30-12-12-12-12-12-10. Not what I would have liked but I got it done at 20kg and my shoulders are still functioning. I finished last but the bonus of that was that I didn't have to hold plank until the last person finished like everyone else did. Sorry guys!
WOD #3
tabata hollow body
I think Coach Match has been spending too much time with Neil (who owns Revolution Pilates) as he had us doing all kinds of extra hard things on the last four rounds. Abs of steel are coming! Heh.
WOD #4
5 rounds
10 bumper plate clean and presses
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups
6:12 (10kg plate, knee push-ups)
I did the push-ups on my knees as my shoulders were telling me I should. Was solid through out even though the clean and presses hurt, a lot being overhead and all.
Afterward I (painfully) did some more mobility work and then played on the rings a bit doing some assisted muscle-ups - basically had the rings low enough that my feet were on the ground but that I could still go through the motion of pulling up into the dip and then I'd do a bit of a jumping push through to locking out. It was good to focus on the transition and the hand rotation through the movement being on the rings. Practice, practice, practice.
And with those (4!) WODs out of the way for today I've earned 4 days of rest - actually Coach Match prescribed it and who am I to argue with it. My
Happy Easter everyone! Enjoy the long weekend.
 |
| Crossfit appropriate |
Future WOD
My box - Cooee Crossfit - did a really fun looking WOD yesterday (my rest day). I'm adding it here as a future WOD I'd like to do - perhaps this weekend on my four days off or maybe even tonight depending on what today's WOD looks like.
WOD:
3 rounds
20 pull-ups
40 double-unders
Goal of under 10 minutes - the gals I'm chasing (Kirst, Kayla) came in about 7:30 but with this many pull-ups (Rx!) I might take a bit longer but I'm eager to give it a go!
WOD:
3 rounds
20 pull-ups
40 double-unders
Goal of under 10 minutes - the gals I'm chasing (Kirst, Kayla) came in about 7:30 but with this many pull-ups (Rx!) I might take a bit longer but I'm eager to give it a go!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
4/3 - Pull-ups!!! Rx-ed!!! (half) "Cindy"!!!
Gymnastic skills:
5 x 10 beat kicks
5 x 10 dips
5 x 10 L-holds
This was fun. The L-holds are getting easier it seems and the beat kicks are fun (except the part where they hurt my hands). Was fun to do more dips (muscle up practice) but I used a heavier band (orange) because I was SO SORE (caps required) from Monday's WOD.
WOD: “Half Cindy”
10 min AMRAP
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats
6/1 Rx!!
This was a ton of fun mostly because I did it Rx and didn't die. I was quite happy to be able to do unassisted pullups through out even if they were in sets of 2's and 1's (occasionally 3's). This was the first time I've fully Rx-ed pullups throughout a WOD - usually it'd just be a few reps each round or whatnot so I was super stoked. Like Coach Pete said... (paraphrased)... you'll get better doing less rounds unassisted than more rounds scaled. So I did. I was hoping for 5 so was quite pleased with the 6.
The push-ups (Rx!) were super tough after the pullups, I think because there were 10 to struggle through while the pullups with only being 5 were done quicker. The squats were fine, steady all the way through.
I liked this. Still glad today is a rest day since my chest and upper back (traps/lats) are tight from Monday. I need a massage unfortunately not happening this week due to easter.
5 x 10 beat kicks
5 x 10 dips
5 x 10 L-holds
This was fun. The L-holds are getting easier it seems and the beat kicks are fun (except the part where they hurt my hands). Was fun to do more dips (muscle up practice) but I used a heavier band (orange) because I was SO SORE (caps required) from Monday's WOD.
WOD: “Half Cindy”
10 min AMRAP
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats
6/1 Rx!!
This was a ton of fun mostly because I did it Rx and didn't die. I was quite happy to be able to do unassisted pullups through out even if they were in sets of 2's and 1's (occasionally 3's). This was the first time I've fully Rx-ed pullups throughout a WOD - usually it'd just be a few reps each round or whatnot so I was super stoked. Like Coach Pete said... (paraphrased)... you'll get better doing less rounds unassisted than more rounds scaled. So I did. I was hoping for 5 so was quite pleased with the 6.
The push-ups (Rx!) were super tough after the pullups, I think because there were 10 to struggle through while the pullups with only being 5 were done quicker. The squats were fine, steady all the way through.
I liked this. Still glad today is a rest day since my chest and upper back (traps/lats) are tight from Monday. I need a massage unfortunately not happening this week due to easter.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Recipe: Slow Cooker Stewed Tomatoes
Slow Cooker Stewed Tomatoes
Was inspired to make these by the fact that bags of tomatoes are so cheap at the market and a friend who had mentioned the concept.
Recipe:
Bag of ripe tomatoes
Basil
Onions
Cut out stems from tomatoes and briefly soak in boiling water (I just tossed the tomatoes into a big bowl and poured the boiled kettle water onto them)
Pull the skin off of the tomatoes (really easy after the quick soak in the hot water)
Toss in slow cooker
Add coarsely chopped up onion (optional)
Add basil (or other herbs you prefer)
Slow cook overnight
Mush up chunks with a fork and enjoy
I ate these over chicken and they were delicious. You could also use as the base of other sauces but you must try it. So easy and super tasty. I can't recommend this enough.
Was inspired to make these by the fact that bags of tomatoes are so cheap at the market and a friend who had mentioned the concept.
Recipe:
Bag of ripe tomatoes
Basil
Onions
Cut out stems from tomatoes and briefly soak in boiling water (I just tossed the tomatoes into a big bowl and poured the boiled kettle water onto them)
Pull the skin off of the tomatoes (really easy after the quick soak in the hot water)
Toss in slow cooker
Add coarsely chopped up onion (optional)
Add basil (or other herbs you prefer)
Slow cook overnight
Mush up chunks with a fork and enjoy
I ate these over chicken and they were delicious. You could also use as the base of other sauces but you must try it. So easy and super tasty. I can't recommend this enough.
4/2 - Mondays hurt...
I really shouldn't write these blog posts the morning after my wods as it gives my body too much time to realize just how hard it actually worked and how sore I am. If I'd written this last night (and I probably couldn't have typed with my shaky arms anyway) - I would have said I'm tired, that it was hard and that my arms were still shaking/ I couldn't hold them up. This morning - it's simply OUCH! Well, actually there were a few more curse words attached to that but...
Strength:
60 sec bench press (20/30kg)
40 reps
Target for this WOD was 60 reps in 60 seconds so I'm 2/3rd's of the way there. I don't know how to put this wod into words. It was easy straight off, quick reps, non-stop and then suddenly - suddenly it got HEAVY. It was almost instantaneous and I'm sure it had something to do with lactic acid and whatnot but I don't know about all that stuff... all I really know is that it felt like the weight of the bar had doubled. Managed to do sets of one and two in the last 20-30 seconds. Interesting. Definitely felt this in my shoulders too - probably still tired from the SUPing on Saturday as well.
WOD
15 minute cut-off
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Clean & press (30/45kg)
Burpee bar hops
15:00 - Rx (finished 4 cleans on the round of 9)
Knew this was going to be a challenge when looking at the times from earlier in the day and seeing that no one had actually managed to finish the WOD. I was still going to Rx on the clean and presses though because I knew after the open that I could. My inability to count in this WOD really got to me mentally. In the round of 18 I did 3-5 CP's and then was thinking I had 7 left - so 4-3. Did those and then realized I in fact also had 3 more since I was actually doing 18 and not 15 like I had thought. Ooops. Also, finishing up the burpees on the round of 15 I was thinking that I only had 3 sets of 3 reps on the CP's coming up when Coach Match came by and said into the round of 12's or something to that effect and I realized in fact this was true. Guess I was trying to be hopeful that it would end sooner? Mind games mentally for sure.
With the CP's I think I did 11-5-5 in the first round which wasn't so bad but then after that I was mostly doing sets of 3 and 4 reps depending. A few times I managed to bust out 5 and they felt relatively easy and I'm not sure why. I was using a bit of what I'd learned from the open WODs though - that once I was done the burpees to just pick up the bar and do some CP's as soon as I could then put the bar down and rest and it went fairly well though the rest on these were definitely what slowed me down. Happy to keep getting the 30kgs overhead though. I think it might have been (slightly) easier without the bench pressing.
The burpees were consistent - just.keep.moving - 12.1 mentality for sure. I tried to use Coach Tim's burpee technique of flopping onto the ground (gravity is your friend) but sometimes my arms wouldn't quite catch me enough which then made getting up even harder.
Today my traps hurt the most and my shoulders too. I did some dips after the WOD with the yellow band again. They were hard as I was so tired but managed 5-3-3 reps. Coach Match told me to get as deep as I could on them as well as this would help with the muscle ups so I'll focus more on that too. Progress... slowly.
Back at it tonight but definitely looking forward to having tomorrow as a rest day and then a 4 day weekend where I'll take it easy overall - probably just some easy "recovery" paddling.
Also: signed up for a 4 week oly lifting session that Cooee is hosting… one night for clean and jerks and one night for snatches… should be good, can't wait... definitely need this.
Strength:
60 sec bench press (20/30kg)
40 reps
Target for this WOD was 60 reps in 60 seconds so I'm 2/3rd's of the way there. I don't know how to put this wod into words. It was easy straight off, quick reps, non-stop and then suddenly - suddenly it got HEAVY. It was almost instantaneous and I'm sure it had something to do with lactic acid and whatnot but I don't know about all that stuff... all I really know is that it felt like the weight of the bar had doubled. Managed to do sets of one and two in the last 20-30 seconds. Interesting. Definitely felt this in my shoulders too - probably still tired from the SUPing on Saturday as well.
WOD
15 minute cut-off
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Clean & press (30/45kg)
Burpee bar hops
15:00 - Rx (finished 4 cleans on the round of 9)
Knew this was going to be a challenge when looking at the times from earlier in the day and seeing that no one had actually managed to finish the WOD. I was still going to Rx on the clean and presses though because I knew after the open that I could. My inability to count in this WOD really got to me mentally. In the round of 18 I did 3-5 CP's and then was thinking I had 7 left - so 4-3. Did those and then realized I in fact also had 3 more since I was actually doing 18 and not 15 like I had thought. Ooops. Also, finishing up the burpees on the round of 15 I was thinking that I only had 3 sets of 3 reps on the CP's coming up when Coach Match came by and said into the round of 12's or something to that effect and I realized in fact this was true. Guess I was trying to be hopeful that it would end sooner? Mind games mentally for sure.
With the CP's I think I did 11-5-5 in the first round which wasn't so bad but then after that I was mostly doing sets of 3 and 4 reps depending. A few times I managed to bust out 5 and they felt relatively easy and I'm not sure why. I was using a bit of what I'd learned from the open WODs though - that once I was done the burpees to just pick up the bar and do some CP's as soon as I could then put the bar down and rest and it went fairly well though the rest on these were definitely what slowed me down. Happy to keep getting the 30kgs overhead though. I think it might have been (slightly) easier without the bench pressing.
The burpees were consistent - just.keep.moving - 12.1 mentality for sure. I tried to use Coach Tim's burpee technique of flopping onto the ground (gravity is your friend) but sometimes my arms wouldn't quite catch me enough which then made getting up even harder.
Today my traps hurt the most and my shoulders too. I did some dips after the WOD with the yellow band again. They were hard as I was so tired but managed 5-3-3 reps. Coach Match told me to get as deep as I could on them as well as this would help with the muscle ups so I'll focus more on that too. Progress... slowly.
Back at it tonight but definitely looking forward to having tomorrow as a rest day and then a 4 day weekend where I'll take it easy overall - probably just some easy "recovery" paddling.
Also: signed up for a 4 week oly lifting session that Cooee is hosting… one night for clean and jerks and one night for snatches… should be good, can't wait... definitely need this.
Monday, April 2, 2012
3/31 - SUP Saturday...
Met Stimo and some other SUP-ers (new paddle friends - yay!) far too early on Saturday morning for a "5km" time trial on the river.
Disclaimer - I am *not* a morning person, I love my bed far too much and it's hard to get me out of it, probably only one thing always will and that is paddling. And once you make it onto the water there is nothing more tranquil. So, as my alarm sounded and I could see the blackness outside my window I got up, realized it was freaking cold (approx. 10C) and dressed accordingly (note that it was great to curl up into my Lululemon Scuba hoody)
Met up with everyone at about 6:30 in east Freo (thankfully close to home) and got on the water. Plan was to "warm-up" to the spit and then start the time trial from there to the Stirling Hwy Bridge (map below). My "warm-up" wasn't exactly easy as the boys took off in front of me and I didn't want them to be waiting too long at the other end for me so I was paddling fairly hard - I haven't quite figured out how to translate all my power into speed on my board but I'll get there. One plus however is that my cardio is in decent shape from crossfit so I am not struggling for breath. As long as I practice and think about my outrigger cues for better technique I'll get there soon enough.
Once at the spit and caught up to the boys I had a chance to remove a layer of clothing before we were off - about 2 minutes or so of "rest". I mentioned that I'd probably not do the full 5km and pull up somewhere around the cars which I did (this was a great idea and we now have the "short course"). I officially did 3.75km on the TT (approx. 38 minutes of paddling) though adding in the "warm-up" it was closer to 7.5km with a two minute rest in the middle. I'm happy with that.
Need to focus on burying the blade fully before the pull (same old, same old) and then pulling with my lats engaged (arms straight) rather than with my arms. It was actually good to be in the back without any pressure to keep up, etc. and go hard while focusing on technique. My balance is rock solid which helps.
Got the best comment as I was paddling easy back to the cars - saw some surfskiers and said good morning to them and as I got a bit further away I hear a girl on the beach "accuse" them of 'checking out the paddler' to which they replied 'nah, we were looking at the board'... made me laugh. Good way to end the paddle. Ha!
We finished it off with some coffee at the finish and enjoyed the world waking up. It was nice actually to have finished a workout on a saturday morning all before 9am.
Disclaimer - I am *not* a morning person, I love my bed far too much and it's hard to get me out of it, probably only one thing always will and that is paddling. And once you make it onto the water there is nothing more tranquil. So, as my alarm sounded and I could see the blackness outside my window I got up, realized it was freaking cold (approx. 10C) and dressed accordingly (note that it was great to curl up into my Lululemon Scuba hoody)
Met up with everyone at about 6:30 in east Freo (thankfully close to home) and got on the water. Plan was to "warm-up" to the spit and then start the time trial from there to the Stirling Hwy Bridge (map below). My "warm-up" wasn't exactly easy as the boys took off in front of me and I didn't want them to be waiting too long at the other end for me so I was paddling fairly hard - I haven't quite figured out how to translate all my power into speed on my board but I'll get there. One plus however is that my cardio is in decent shape from crossfit so I am not struggling for breath. As long as I practice and think about my outrigger cues for better technique I'll get there soon enough.
Once at the spit and caught up to the boys I had a chance to remove a layer of clothing before we were off - about 2 minutes or so of "rest". I mentioned that I'd probably not do the full 5km and pull up somewhere around the cars which I did (this was a great idea and we now have the "short course"). I officially did 3.75km on the TT (approx. 38 minutes of paddling) though adding in the "warm-up" it was closer to 7.5km with a two minute rest in the middle. I'm happy with that.
Need to focus on burying the blade fully before the pull (same old, same old) and then pulling with my lats engaged (arms straight) rather than with my arms. It was actually good to be in the back without any pressure to keep up, etc. and go hard while focusing on technique. My balance is rock solid which helps.
Got the best comment as I was paddling easy back to the cars - saw some surfskiers and said good morning to them and as I got a bit further away I hear a girl on the beach "accuse" them of 'checking out the paddler' to which they replied 'nah, we were looking at the board'... made me laugh. Good way to end the paddle. Ha!
We finished it off with some coffee at the finish and enjoyed the world waking up. It was nice actually to have finished a workout on a saturday morning all before 9am.
 |
| 5km route (start at top) - I finished 3.75km just past the middle yellow dot |
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