Sunday, January 30, 2011

“Enigma”...

“Enigma”
6 Round for time of:
12 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95)
12 Push Presses (95)

12:59 Rx

Saturday, January 29, 2011

“Barbara”...

“Barbara”

5 Rounds for time of:
20 Pull ups
30 Push ups
40 Sit ups
50 Squats

Rest exactly 3 minutes between rounds.

39:59 Rx

Thursday, January 27, 2011

“Liquid Cocaine”...


“Liquid Cocaine”
5 Rounds for time of:
5 Clean and Jerks (155)
10 C2B Pull ups

12:53 Rx

Last time I did this I finished in 9:47 with 125#.

‎"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done". - Bruce Lee

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Clean & Bench Triples...

1. Clean
5 x 3 reps
Work up to a 3 Rep Max  -155# PR


2. Bench
5 x 3 reps Across - 205#

Finished with One Rep Max Bench - 245# (Not a PR but most in over 3 years!)


"The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds". - Henry Rollins

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

“Charlie Brown”...

“Charlie Brown”
3 Rounds for time of:
15 OHS (115)
30 GHD Sit ups
45 KBS (53)

18:27 not Rx - 135

Monday, January 24, 2011

"THREE WISE MEN"...

"THREE WISE MEN"
3 Rounds for Time:
21 Deadlifts (135)
15 Back Squats (135)
9 Push Press (135)

14:37 Rx

Saturday, January 22, 2011

SEALFIT: "The Beginning"...


"The Beginning"
3 Rounds for Time:
•50 x Squats
•50 x Push-ups
•Row 400M
32:01

400M splits were: 1:51, 1:47 & 1:39

Friday, January 21, 2011

Working Through The Pain ...

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” - Michelangelo

The above quote hits home with me as it relates to my Crossfit Training. As I continute to work on the correct standards of each exercise I also need to focus on the goal - taking my fitness to the next level. It is as much - if not more - mental than it is physical. I found the following blog post from Oakland County Crossfit that talks about that very topic.

"In general if you want to improve your life, then you are going to have to practice personal growth by facing and overcoming challenges. The thrill of Victory is one of the sweetest sensations you can experience, but you'll never feel it if you life your life inside a compact little bubble where nothing ever changes.  This too is true both in Crossfit and in life. It's a classic irony of the human condition that our instincts to drive us to expand and grow, yet at the same time we enjoy comfort, security, and recognizable boundaries.  However, those same comfortable boundaries quickly become a self-imposed prison unless we continue to improve ourselves in some way.  Hence, why we are always pushing our people to become better, reach further, and try harder. Unless you want to life the rest of your days in your safe little box (keeping your life the same, your body the same, your health the same), you are going to have to learn how to push your own limits, thus opening yourself up to experience the growing pains that herald the victories of your future. The first step is to visualize the end results and ONLY the end results.  What do you want your end result to be?  Are you focusing on it?   During each workout, each temptation with food, focus all of your will power on your end result.  What you don't do is think about how hard an exercise is, or about how much you don't want to workout, or about how satisfying that cookie would be right now. Focus on your end result. Anyone who has told you that the "No Pain....No Gain" statement is completely wrong is WRONG themselves.  As athletes we teach yare taught to stop when there is a pain that signals something is not right.  This is ok.  What you are challenged to do is push through the pain of muscle discomfort that accompanies us on most of the workouts.  The "no pain" route involves lots of resting during workouts, which hinders the great neuroendocrine response that CrossFit gives us.  Working through the pain involves you visualizing the end result, telling yourself that you CAN do one more rep, and finding comfort in the muscle burn. The "no pain" route is easy in the moment, and gives a fleeting, instant reward - the opportunity to rest.  The "pain" route involves significant discomfort, and no immediate noticeable results, but the long-term rewards make the pain very much worth working through. What pain are you willing to endure for your end result"?

Snatch & Push Up Ladders...

Today was my first day doing snatch & push up ladders since New Years Eve. I was looking forward to it after my sub-par Crossfit performance this week.

I did snatch and push up ladders with the 16kg bell . I did 5 ladders with 5 rungs on each ladder.

Snatch - L & R then same # of Push Ups
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps

I did the above 5 times.

There were 15 reps each ladder for a total of:

75 Snatch reps left
75 Snatch reps right
150 total snatch reps

75 total Push Ups

It took me 10:19 for 5 rounds compared to 11:12 last week. Almost a ONE MINUTE PR....Sweet!
 
I need to find the next level and stay there.
 
Snatch total - 56,442

Thursday, January 20, 2011

“Alabama Slammah”...

“Alabama Slammah”
AMRAP 12 of:
12 Wall Balls (20)
12 Slam Balls (20)
12 Calorie Row

4 Rounds + 3 reps Rx

That sucked.
I hate wall balls.....
and my performance this week has been terrible.


Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Understanding “Prescribed or Rx”...

The term prescribed when it comes to workouts has become a badge of honor and a way of validating a person’s performance. The weights prescribed are geared toward having a high power output and a theoretical “maximum” cyclic rate. If Fran is thought of as 45 thrusters at #95 and 45 pull ups and let’s say the “best” time is 2:00 (120 seconds) which results in each rep in 1.33 seconds per with no time loss for transition. Add transition time between stations and then the cyclic rate is faster. We seem to hold performances like this as the standard. It is far from it. How many people can do a 2:00 Fran? Very very few. A 2:00 minute Fran is a mixture of genetic potential, training and a god like tolerance for discomfort. How many people can really move that fast?


People often frame their success in terms of the extreme. The all or none relationship between, train for the 2:00 Fran or Boston Marathon or be top 10 in the CrossFit Games or Hawaii Ironman or make it to the platform in the Olympics or why bother?. All of these are worthy goals and attainable by about the same percentage of people who have 2:00 Frans. Success and failure is often measured by people in terms of how close they are to the super elite performances and not on an accurate assessment of their current and true abilities. Your ultimate success depends on being there and getting better all the time.

Should a person feel “bad” about their performance doing Fran in 7:00 with #45 and jumping pull ups. Depends. If the last time the individual did Fran was with a #15 training bar in 12:00 then no – it is an absolute success. If the person is coming off of a car accident and inconsistent training as a results, they should have a lot of pride for toughing it out. If your last time you did Fran was 5:00 and your slow down is from a drinking and taco bell bender then you might want to rethink your life. Ultimately framing your performance in terms of you of yesterday is better than comparing to elite performers. (Though comparing to the best out there is cool from time to time.)


Prescribed weights are guidelines. Guidelines dependent on several factors. Everyone who attends a CrossFit level 1 hears the mantra: Mechanics, Consistency, Intensity. Poor mechanics are a recipe for bad things. People who cannot have good mechanics in a movement needs to devote time to scaling the load and practicing the movements. Consistent training is the pathway to intensity. Training often enough to make good movement a habit and taking time develop the strength base to handle higher levels of intensity is essential to good training. Intensity is where all the good things come in. Working toward high levels of work capacity decreases body fat, increases lean muscle mass and tend to move health measurements in the right direction. Intensity without mechanics and consistency is like giving a 4 year old loaded gun.

The “right” prescription for each individual. First check your ego at the door. Second, take time to learn how before you blast off. Your ego boost should come from doing it right, then doing it fast. Understand fast is relative. Fast relative to Graham Holmberg or fast relative to what you did the last time? You know the answer. Enjoy the journey: Being better all the time is the quest. A life long journey of good health and quality of life does not happen in 2 months. It happens from a commitment to being better all the time. Consistently better all the time.


Your prescribed weight makes you better. Your prescribed is what you need to pull you along the journey of excellence. Your prescribed weight is what is right for you!

Orignally posted on http://www.hyperfitusa.com/

“Adrenaline Shot”...

“Adrenaline Shot”
21-15-9 Reps for time of:
Dumbbell Hang Squat Cleans (40)
Burpees
8:36 Rx

I Hate DB Squat Cleans

Monday, January 17, 2011

"Helen no Running" ...

1. "Helen no Running"
3 Rounds for time of:
21 KB Swings (53)
12 Pull ups
3:46 - BRUTAL!

On pace for a sub 10 minute Helen if I can keep the above pace with three 400M runs added back in...That is a big "if" for me. I HATE RUNNING!
Finished with: 100 kettlebell Snatches (35)
 
Snatch total: 56,192 + 100 = 56,292
 

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Snatch Ladders, L-Sit Pull Ups & "Death by Burpee Pull-Ups"...

I did snatch and push up ladders with the 16kg bell . I did 5 ladders with 5 rungs on each ladder. I also did 5 L-Sit Pull Ups per ladder.
Snatch - L & R
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps then 5 L-Sit Pull Ups
I did the above 5 times.

There were 15 reps each ladder for a total of:
75 Snatch reps left
75 Snatch reps right
150 total snatch reps

25 total L-Sit Pull Ups

Snatch total:  = 56,042 + 150 = 56,192
 
I finished with: Death by Burpe Pull Ups
On the first minute complete 1 Burpee Pull Up. On the second minute complete 2 Burpess Pull Ups. Continue to add one BPU every minute for as long as you are able to complete the prescribed reps within the minute.

Death By BPU - 9 rounds (45 reps)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Snatch Ladders & Dips...

I did snatch and push up ladders with the 16kg bell . I did 5 ladders with 5 rungs on each ladder. I also did 10 dips per ladder.

Snatch - L & R
1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 3 3 reps then 5 dips
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps then 5 dips

I did the above 5 times.

There were 15 reps each ladder for a total of:
75 Snatch reps left
75 Snatch reps right
150 total snatch reps

50 total Dips

Snatch total: 55,892 + 150 = 56,042

Friday, January 14, 2011

"Goatherd"...

"Goatherd"
AMRAP 15
20 GHD Sit Ups
30 Back Extensions
40 Air Squats
 
4 Rounds + 15 GHDs
 
“Goats” are weaknesses or movements that give you trouble.  Next to training with Intensity, there is no faster way to improve your overall fitness (GPP) than fixing chinks in your armour.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Kettlebell Snatch Ladders...

I was a bit beat up this morning after "Angie" yesterday but decided to man-up and do some KB snatch ladders in the basement with the 16kg bell (35).

My training looked like this:

Snatch - L & R
1 x 3 3 reps

1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps

I did the above 15 times.

There were 15 reps each ladder for a total of:

225 Snatch reps left
225 Snatch reps right
450 total snatch reps

450 reps today + 55,442 = 55,892 total to date

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

“Angie”...

“Angie”
For time:
100 Pull ups
100 Push ups
100 Abmat Sit ups
100 Squats

21:53 Rx

Angie is one of the CrossFit benchmark "Girl" WODs (because of the name, not because they are designed for women). It first appeared on the CrossFit website on August 18, 2003, though it had not yet been named. The workout did not appear in its current version until 26 July, 2004.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Viking Warrior Conditioning - Snatches: 25 sets of 8...

I did timed snatches with the 16kg bell today. I did sets of 8 with each arm with approximately 15 second rest between hand switch. I did 25 sets of 8 in 12 minutes and 15 seconds.
Snatch - 16kg bell - 70 sets of 8 - 200 reps

I planned on doing at least 30 minutes (50 sets of 8) but it was my first time doing high rep snatches since August 21, 2010 and my hands are not ready for it. After about 5 minutes a callous on my right hand started to tear.


I stopped and did one ladder with the 20kg bell:

Snatch - L &R
1 x 3 3 reps

1 x 3 3 reps
1 x 4 4 reps
1 x 5 5 reps

15 reps each side - 30 total reps

230 reps today plus 55,212 = 55,442 total snatches to date

Saturday, January 8, 2011

100,000 Kettlebell Snatches?

At the end of October 2008 I decided to start snatching more and counting my snatches on a daily basis. I found a website that makes my job easier in a effort to reach 50,000 snatches.


It is - Snatch Race

According to the website: "We have added Snatch Challenge to the menu. This is a ...temporary add-on feature supporting a current 50,000 snatch challenge. The feature will display a list of all participants complete with their total number of snatches and total number of points. In addition, you will be able to view details for each daily entry (what date, how many snatches, which kettlebell and notes)."

I hit 50,000 in January of 2010 and am currently at 55,000. I am making 75,000 a Kettlebell specific goal for 2011 with 100,000 my ultimate goal!

.

2011 Training Goals...."Everybody Needs Them"!

The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them" - Jim Rohn


Here are my goals for 2011:
"Angie" - Sub 20 Minutes - 21:53 now
“Murph” – Sub 40 Minutes – @ 42.5 now
“Nicole” – 100+ Pull Ups – @ 98 now
“Helen” – Under 10 Minutes – @ 11:30 now
21 Consecutive HSPUs – @ 10 now
405# Back Squat – @ 350# now
175# Shoulder Press – 155# now
450# Deadlift – 415# now
205# Clean - 185# now
225# OHS - 225# now
975# CF total – 845# now
40+ Consecutive Pull Ups – @ 33 now
400 Meter Run – 1 Minute Flat – @ 1:09 now
50 Burpees – Under 2 Minute – @ 2:19 now
50 Consecutive Double Unders – @ 5 now (long way to go!) - My 12 year old son is at 20...FML!
Sub 6 Minute Mile – @ 6:59 now
75,000 Kettlebell Snatches - 55,000 now

2010 Goals Completed:
405# Deadlift – 11/5/10
OH Squat – 155# (Bodyweight) – 12/3/10
5 Consecutive Muscle Ups – 12/22/10
305# Back Squat – 1/7/11 (goal moved to 350# now)

These goals WHEN achieved with move me toward my main objective - to become as fit as I have ever been in my life.....at the age of 42.

“Rankel”...

“Rankel”
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
6 Deadlifts (225)
7 Burpee pull-ups
10 Kettlebell swings (70)
Run 200 meters

5 Rounds plus 6 DL & 7 BPU - Rx

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant John Rankel, 23, of Speedway, Indiana, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, California, was killed on June 7, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He is survived by mother and stepfather Don and Trisha Stockhoff; father and stepmother, Kevin and Kim Rankel; and brothers Nathan Stockhoff and Tyler Rankel.

Friday, January 7, 2011

"Crossfit Total"...




CrossFit Total
Back Squat, 1-rep max - 305# (10# PR)
Shoulder Press, 1-rep max - 155# (tied PR)
Deadlift, 1-rep max - 385# (20# less than PR...ouch!)
Total: 845# @ 160lbs BW


Pumped about the Back Squat PR! First time over 300# and a major goal achieved! I will also take the 30# PR on the total frm 815 to 845.


The CrossFit Total reflects an athlete's functional strength capacity more accurately than any other test, writes Mark Rippetoe, author of Starting Strength and owner of The Wichita Falls Athletic Club/CrossFit Wichita Falls.

The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best of three attempts at the squat, the press, and the deadlift. All three lifts are done while standing on the floor. They require minimal and inexpensive equipment. They are not technique- dependent to the extent of the Olympic lifts, yet they require technical proficiency beyond mere passing familiarity. They are safe when performed correctly, since they can all be performed without spotters—alone in a garage if necessary.

There is no time limit for each lift or for the length of the session in which they are all performed, but they must all be performed during one session—i.e., you cannot leave the area to rest or perform other activities between the three lifts.

Anyone in a position to attempt a legitimate CrossFit Total should be familiar enough with their capabilities on the lifts to have a fairly good idea of just what might be possible for a one-rep max (1RM). This number is what you warm up intending to do. A meet situation will involve three attempts, and this is a good way to determine a true 1RM.

The first attempt would be a weight you know you can do for a heavy set of three. The second attempt would be a weight you know without any doubt that you could do for a single, having just done the first attempt. And the third attempt is the weight you want to do, based on your performance on the previous two attempts.



Monday, January 3, 2011

SEALFIT - "HALF of CP Smith"...

I did 1/2 of "CP Smith" today.
3 Rounds for Time:
10 x Bench Press (175#)
10 x Clapping Push-up
10 x Knees to Elbow
Run 400M

20:57 compared to 49:57 for 6 rounds.
My goal is to get all six rounds done in under 40:00 and then up the reps to 15x per exercise.





SEALFIT is an integral training program developed by retired Navy Commander, competetive athlete and martial artist Mark Divine. SEALFIT combines training for elite fitness, mental toughness, and "kokoro spirit" into a single program delivered through daily workouts, an immersion academy, a renowned 50 hour "Kokoro" camp, and a growing number of certified coaches delivering SEALFIT at CrossFit gyms around the country.

SEALFIT picks up where other elite training programs leave off. Focusing on the whole person, we train to a set of powerful values, and focus as much training on the "inner" emotional and spiritual person as we do the "outer" physical person. Our innovative system integrates best practices from CrossFit programming, strength development, austere environmental training, team and leadership development, cutting edge sports psychology and ancient warrior development techniques.

SEALFIT is a graduate level program scalable to beginners and intermediate trainees via our Online Training program, our Academies and through our expert Physical Training Coaches at Partner Gyms. Our clients include Professionals, CrossFit and serious athletes, special operations candidates and others who seek serious mental toughness training and to learn to operate at peak capacity for long periods of time

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Do Not Be A "Clock Whore"!

What is a "Clock Whore" you ask?

According to Hyperfit USA:

“Definition of a Clock Whore: Person who is so obsessed with beating the clock/others that they will prostitute themselves and sacrifice important and vital components of training such as range of motion, repetitions or other performance metrics for a “better” time.“


“These people actually miss the whole point of the training. The point of physical fitness training, from my perspective, is to improve oneself both physically and mentally, not necessarily in that order. The people who have taken the time clock or score beyond the extreme and compromised range of motion, number of repetitions, etcetera are doing so at the expense of the utility of the training. If someone judges their performance solely based on their status relative to others it reflects a distinct lack of self esteem. The idea of the style training is to develop self-esteem to increase capacities in many, many different modalities. A person who compromises training in order to beat others harms their self esteem. People know inherently when they are doing something wrong and there is a price to pay when they go against what they know is right.“

Read the whole post.

Today was a good test of working the movement (push press) instead of being a "Clock Whore".

The WOD was:

“Jack”
AMRAP 20 of:
10 Push Presses (115)
10 KB Swings (53)
10 Box Jumps, 24″

It was my first WOD in a week after time off and a vaction in Mexico with my family where I did not train AND did not eat clean. Mentally I wanted to have a good performance but needed to stay focused on what my motivation for training is in the first place..."to get more fit and efficient; not just have a better time"!

The PPs could have morphed into Push Jerks or worse but I need to remember "form and standards" before "time and total rounds"!

Just a good reminder that I will revisit from time to time.

“Jack”...

“Jack”
AMRAP 20 of:
10 Push Presses (115)
10 KB Swings (53)
10 Box Jumps, 24″

6 Rounds plus 10 PP & 8 KBS - Rx

Saturday, January 1, 2011

"New Years Day"...

My training looked like this:

50 Kettlebell Swings (53)
50 Clubbell Hammer Swings (25)
50 Clubbell Hammer Throws (25)
50 Strict Pull Ups
50 Dips