7/30 – Snatches and Squats

WOD

5 x ( 1+1+5 )

Power Snatch + Snatch + Back Squat

35-37.5-37.5(f)-35-35

Today’s WOD was a fun one but for some reason my snatch is actually regressing rather than progressing even though it’s one of my favorite crossfit movements.  But the thing is, it isn’t the weight that’s getting to me it’s my head.  My mental game is going backward.  I am becoming afraid of throwing (and catching) the barbell over my head even when I have already proved to myself that I could.

I solidly did the first round of the complex at 35kg.  Great.  I increased only slightly and managed to successfully do the complex again at 37.5kg but it was a little shaky.  No worries.  I’ll do it again, better.  But there was a fear even as I addressed the bar.  A distraction.  I stepped away.  Big breath, talking myself up, reminding myself that I’d just done it.  What happens on the power snatch – fail.  Ok, perhaps I’m just more comfortable now dropping into the squat – it’s what I’m more used to now, my instinct rather than power snatching (which was my fall back – and heavier than my squat snatch – for such a long time).  Try the full squat snatch at 37.5kg – again, failed even though the bar high enough, over my head but I just feared dropping under it fully – commiting to it and locking out my arms (I tried to fight it to the point of almost dropping it on my head before letting go).

I’m not sure if it is a lack of trust in my shoulders being able to catch the weight but I know something has got to change.  I love snatching and I hate that I’m fearing it, that my mind is getting on my case.  I managed to get the bar up on the third try (it was ugly and more about just getting the squats done rather than any technique) and finished the squats then dropped the weight back to 35kg which I did (again) with no problem.  WTF.  On the last set I again went to 37.5kg and failed the first rep, dropped back the weight and finished the complex feeling slightly defeated.  Gah, another thing to add to the weakness list. 

Sports extra was pretty easy tonight in the sense that it was over quickly.  Quite liking that this week. Moving on to a strength focus though so I’m sure that’s going to change.  Spent more time on mobility though which was good and necessary.  My legs (quads specifically) felt heavy, not sore just fatigued.

7/24 - Pull-ups and planks

WOD

3-3-3-3-3-3-3

Weighted Pull-ups

Use the heaviest weight you can for each set

Rest as needed between sets

Body weight for all

Then

4 x 1 minute plank holds

All unbroken

Partnered up with Lewis for this one – really only helped him to get the weight between his feet when needed.  I did all my sets at body weight and felt strong in the first two pull-ups but somehow struggled (mostly) on the third.   A few times I switched to a mixed grip before the last rep but even that didn’t make much difference.  I’d get almost to the top and then have to fight for the last little bit.  Finished all the sets though which made me quite happy given that my current max set of strict pull-ups is 4. 

The planks were hard (as usual) but fun in that we were chatting and talking about who would be the winners at the Crossfit Games this weekend.  Helped to pass the time (a little) more quickly.  Going into it Coach Scotty said that anyone doing the ‘extra’ work had to do the 4 sets but everyone else could stop after 3.  I was more than impressed that the entire class stayed for all 4 rounds – was afraid initially that I’d be doing the last one on my own while everyone packed up – thankfully not the case.

Finished up with the extra work.

7/23 – DU’s and running, mostly running…

WOD

300 DU’s

Every time you trip run 200m

10 minute cap

165

Well, this was one cardio WOD though I had fun with it even as my DU’s left me behind.  I started strong with close to 50 reps and then after that was mostly stuck to 20-30 each set.  Thankfully I had no sets where I tripped only a few reps in as that would have sucked even worse.  It was funny how quickly this became mental rather than a physical task – I found a few times where I was so focused on counting or getting to a ‘certain’ number that I’d forget to jump or my timing would be off so that was an issue – lack of concentration of all things.

I didn’t kill the runs knowing that I wanted to have some breath to get into the DU’s fairly quickly.  I did an extra speedy 200m at the end hoping I’d make it back in before time ran out so I could get maybe another 10 DU’s (really wanted 175) but that wasn’t the case, I got back from that run and it was 10:18 on the clock (10 minute time cap) so no luck.  Happy to have done it though and maybe one day I’ll be as hardcore as Shash and get 300 reps unbroken – rockstar!

7/22 – Bear Complex

WOD

Bear Complex

5 x 5reps

New complex set begins every 4mins

35/35/35/35/37.5

Wasn’t sure how this was gonna go having never done it before and having Coach Scotty emphasise repeatedly that it sneaks up on you.  Basically you go through the complex 5 times without putting the bar down (it must be unbroken) and then you get to rest for the remaining time in that 4 minute period.  The complex consists of a deadlift, hang power clean, front squat, shoulder to over head (I was push jerking), back squat, shoulder to overhead – that would be one rep.  We did this 5 times per round for a total of 5 rounds (25 reps in all). 

I started at 35kg thinking it might be heavy and though it wasn’t too bad I did start to feel it in my shoulders in the last few reps even though I was quite focused on my shoulder to overhead technique.  I quite liked this workout for that reason overall – you had time and the requirement to focus on good technique throughout, you could rest in the rack or back squat or anywhere else really with the bar off the ground and since it wasn’t a race against the clock it went well.  I bumped up to 37.5kg for the last round and though I managed to get through it there was no way I would have been able to hold that for more than just the one round. 

I have some nice bruises this morning on both my chest (and from c2b pull-ups – more below) and the back of my neck from receiving the bar a little too heavily when bringing it down.  Oops.  Had about two minutes rest each round which was good overall.

New Skill

Another reason as I’ve noted above for the bruising on my chest is that I finally figured out c2b pull-ups last night.  I have done c2b before but never fluently, often I’d require a second kip in the middle to get high enough.  Last night Coach Tara was helping me, giving me some tips as I was getting ‘oh-so-very-close-but-not-quite’ and then I jumped up to try again and flew to the bar, I felt like I got super high and managed to link two together right away.  Tara saw this too and it was really awesome, out of nowhere.  Stoked.  I managed to get three in a row too throughout the extra work we were doing.  So happy, and… FINALLY!

Interesting Article

Also, found this article this morning... definitely interesting to think that overtraining could actually be cutting into our sex drives rather than enhancing it as you would normally think...

http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/get-your-sexy-back-how-your-workouts-are-crushing-your-libido

7/20 - Saturday Sports Class

Friday night was another long one with Tarrsha and I being mostly motivated by thoughts of Nando’s chicken to get the work done.  We didn’t leave Southern til almost 7pm, grabbed some food and then it felt like bed time.  We wondered what the rest of the world’s Friday night looks like – we weren’t alone though – the box was pretty busy with everyone trying to get the extra stuff done – the energy was awesome.

We were back at it the next morning though we thankfully had a bit of a sleep in with no mandated SXF WOD.  Sports class only starting at 10am.  Sweet.

Partner Warm-up (practice for team stuff)

200m buddy carry (each)

10 bootstraps

10 scorpions

10 lying leg cross

10 inchworms

Then

100m farmer carry with 2x16kg KB (each)

Handstand hold while partner does 10 pull-ups

5 x synchronized barbell complex (deadlift, power clean, front squat, press, ohs = 1 rep)

WOD

EMOM10

2 power cleans @ 70-75% 1RM

45.5kg

Then

2 x 6 minute AMRAP

15 ring dips

15 front squats (42.5/60kg)

30 unbroken double unders

2+18 then 2+10 (Rx squats and du’s, orange band on ring dips)

Partnered up with Steph2 on the warmup which was fun.  Realised after at breakkie that we weigh the same amount too which made the buddy carry that much easier.  It wasn’t too bad though I could feel the tiredness in my glutes and hammies from all the squatting during the week.  We had the option of breaking them up if we wanted but we didn’t bother, just went the entire distance without stopping.  I could tell this was a Coach Scotty warm-up because he throws fun (and different) stuff into them (like the sled push and overhead plate carries the week before).  The entire group was having a good time with it, laughing and being silly with some ass slapping (giddy up horsey) and hip checks happening.  Laughter to wake us up.  Moved through the rest of the warm up pretty easily though the mirroring on the BB complex was funny too, just another little challenge to be in sync with someone else/ work on timing.

For the EMOM WOD I partnered with Ali, that was good.  Going into it I was planning 45kg (71% of my 1RM power clean of 63kg) so that extra 0.5kg wasn’t a big deal.  They felt solid throughout, which became funny after in the second WOD when power cleaning 42.5kg felt heavy.  Um.  Ya.  Coach Scotty told us to focus on technique and to put the bar down and reset for each rep rather than going touch and go which I so wanted to do out of instinct.  It was good though.

The second WOD was another challenge – having a break in the middle then having to fight through it all over again is another aspect that takes more mental power than physical.  You know it’s going to hurt, you know how you performed in the previous go and though you’re more tired you’re pushing for that same score.  I (thankfully) used the orange bands for the ring dips which ware by far a huge weakness for me – even then by the end it was quite tough.  Throughout Ali was busting out the 15 reps without any bands faster than I was doing them assisted.  Definitely need to work on those.

The front squats were a huge struggle.  As I mentioned above cleaning the 42.5kg bar was tough which meant not wanting to put it down but with 15 reps I had no choice.  I think I tried to do 8 or 9 and then 7 or 6 for each round, breaking it up only once.  I’m not sure if it is because of a lack of front squatting lately or the tiredness of a week doing the Smolov intro but my legs weren’t too happy. 

The DU’s though felt good and I managed them all unbroken on the first go even though at times the last couple of reps were a bit of a struggle.  Being solid at these really did help me on this WOD as I could breeze through them and get moving onto the next round even though I’d have to break up the dips and squats.  An asset to have for sure. 

Yesterday (Sunday) was a rest day and was greatly needed.  The weekend overall helped my spirit as well, breakfast (lunch) with the girls after Sports Class was fun as was catching up with Kelly and Pat for coffee in Freo then relaxing over an early dinner with Sharon.  Then yesterday I went to my normal coffee house and instead of writing I had the most beautiful conversation with a lady that has just moved over to Perth at the age of 66 for no reason other than it felt like the place she needed to be.  The world is fun of inspiring people and I’m taking all the time I can lately to connect with them which is buoying me up and I truly feel happiness radiating from within me.  I like it.  Take time for these things, they matter just as much as the hard training.