CrossFit - 27Dec (am)

"Barbara"

Five rounds, each for time of:
- 20 Pull-ups
- 30 Push-ups
- 40 Sit-ups
- 50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round. Wow, this was definately harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but Pukie almost showed his head for the first time at the end of the third round. Great workout though!

Round 1-3:53
Round 2-4:18
Round 3-5:12
Round 4-5:29
Round 5-4:38
5 Round Total: 23:32
Overall Time: 35:32

CrossFit - 26Dec (am)

CrossFit Total
- 1RM Back Squat
- 1RM Shoulder Press
- 1RM Deadlift

I opted to skip my Black Box for this cycle and did today's CFT instead. I felt like it was a good opportunity to determine what kind of gains I've made since starting the Starting Strength program. I'd say has been a DRAMATIC success so far. I'm going to continue to use this format until I am no longer able to make linear gains on a workout-to-workout basis.

Back Squat
- 275 (Tie PR)
- 295 (PR)
- 315 (PR) EASY!
- 335 (60-lbs PR!) I was tapped out here, bar speed was very slow out of the hole.

Shoulder Press (Arch nemesis)
- 135
- 145
- 155 (F)
- 150 (Tie PR)

Deadlift
- 315
- 365
- 405 (F) I really should've just stayed with 385-lbs (my PR), but I thought I was feeling froggy...not so much.

Total Weight: 850-lbs (55-lbs PR!!!!!)

Great Day today, THANK YOU COACH RIPPETOE!!!

Rest Day - 25Dec

Merry Christmas...riiiight.

Coach Glassman gave all us CrossFitters the gift of "The Rest Day." Even though it was scheduled, I'm still going to call it a present. :-D

CrossFit - 24Dec (am)

Complete 3 rounds:

- Row 500 meters
- 30 Bodyweight Bench press (185-lbs)

As always, no rower, so subbed 50 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls, 45-lbs. Broke the bench press into sub-sets of 3's for the first 1.5 sets. The rest of the 2nd set was 5/3/4/3. 3rd set was 4/3/3/4/3/3/5/4/1.

I felt really really great about this workout, even though it took a really long time, but I didn't think I would be able to complete all the reps on the bench at 185, but once again I'm shocked at how well the Starting Strength program is working.

On the bench press, I really focused on making sure the bar was set in the meat of my hand and not farther up. It seemed to really help with the power transfer to the bar.

Total Time: ~53:00 (forgot my watch, used the wall clock)

MEBB - 23Dec

Starting Strength "A" workout:

- Back Squat: 255 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed good)
- Bench Press: 185 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed slow)
- Deadlift: 315 x 1 x 5 (Bar speed OK...back slightly arched)

Felt pretty good today, especially the Squats. I'm adjusting to this program very well, I feel stronger and more confident under the weights.

CrossFit - 22Dec

Ugh, another Hero workout, I really hate seeing this. God speed Staff Sergeant Joshua Whitaker from Long Beach, CA and everyone else that has made the ultimate sacrifice defending our country's freedom.

"Joshie"

Complete three rounds for time of:
- 21 Dumbbell snatches, right arm, 40-lbs
- 21 L Pull-ups
- 21 Dumbbell snatches, left arm, 40-lbs
- 21 L Pull-ups

I may have done an extra round since I was trying to help out some new CrossFitters while I was doing my own workout and possibly lost count. The 1st round only took me 11 minutes and I wasn't gassed at all. It just doesn't add up. Oh well, time still stands.

Total Time: 53:07

Rest Day - 22Dec

Much needed day of rest.

CrossFit - 20Dec

Yesterday's WOD, "Badger" is in memory of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Mark Carter, who was KIA in Iraq last week. Fair winds and following seas brother, HOOYAH!

3 Rounds for time:
- 30 Cleans, 95-lbs
- 30 Pull-ups
- Run 800-meters

I set a pacing goal of 6 Cleans/min and 6 Pull-ups/min to try to not completely drive my body into O2 debt too soon. I stayed on pace until the last round of Cleans...where I fell apart. Everything else was pretty good considering the difficulty of this workout. 800m runs were 3:13, 3:28, and 3:30.

Total Time: 38:20

MEBB - 19Dec

Starting Strength "B" Workout

- Back Squat: 245 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed OK - remember to drive from the hips!)
- Shoulder Press: 105 x 3 x 5 (Put on 125 accidentally(no attention to detail) and only got 3 reps on the 1st set, went down to 105 and started over)
- Cleans: 175 x 5 x 3 (Technique OK, need to remember to explode and hit full extention.

Good day overall, still getting linear progression, so keep going up!

CrossFit - 18Dec

I've been waiting for her to show up...

"Fran"
21-15-9
- 95-lbs Thrusters
- Pull-ups

This was our first "legit" Fran since we used a medicine ball to make sure we hit full depth on the thrusters. Obviously, it made a huge difference compared to the bench we used in the past.

Total Time: 5:17

Rest Day - 17Dec

"Civilize the mind but make savage the body."
- Chairman Mao

CrossFit - 16Dec

Today's WOD:

Walking Lunges, 400-meters

This is probably the most cruel workout for the casual observer. It looks extremely easy if you are uninitiated in attempting high-rep lunges, and makes for a VERY painful experience.

Last time I did this, it took me 25-26 minutes (I don't recall the exact time) and couldn't walk right for 3 days afterwards. Hopefully, my recovery is better than last time.

Total Time: 15:47

MEBB - 15Dec

Starting Strength "A" workout

- Back Squat 235 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed slow on last reps)
- Bench Press 3 x 5 (Bar speed good)
- Deadlift 1 x 5 (Bar speed OK)

On the squats I'm really focusing on keeping my knees tracking over my feet and pushing up with my tailbone. It definately feels cleaner than it has in the past even though I'm getting closer to my current 5RM.

The Bench feels good but I still need to focus on keeping my shoulder blades together on the lockout so I don't get loose on the last couple of reps.

I used a parallel grip for my workset and my grip was definately starting to fail towards the end. I'll be sure to bring chalk next time so that I can hopefully avoid using the alternating grip until I get higher in the weights.

CrossFit - 14Dec

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps

115, 125, 135, 145, 150 (Fx3)
150, 155, 160, 170, 185
185, 185, 185, 190, 200 (x3, Fx2)

Rest Day - 13Dec

"We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level
of our training"
- Unknown

CrossFit - 12Dec (am)

"Angie"

- 100 Pull-ups
- 100 Push-ups
- 100 Sit-ups
- Air Squats

Complete each exercise before moving on to the next one.

For the pull-ups, I stayed with sets of 5 and averaged 10 per minute, which overall seemed to work out pretty well. Everything else was broken up "as needed."

Time: 22:48

MEBB - 11Dec (am)

Starting Strength "B" workout:

Today was a good day again. Squats are still feeling solid, shoulder press was a little on the light side, but it's better to start off to light than too heavy - the weight will come with time. The cleans were good, my wrist is still a bit tender, but other than that, no complaints.

Back Squat: 225 x 3 x5 (Bar speed good until the last rep on sets 2 and 3)
Shoulder Press: 105 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed good)
Cleans: 165 x 5 x 3 (Felt fine)

CrossFit - 10Dec (am)

Today's mainpage WOD was Push Jerk 7 x 3; since my MEBB program calls for 2 Metcon workouts, this just wouldn't do, so I had to choose something else.

I went with "Josh" since I don't think that we've done enough Pull-ups recently and I still need to work on my Overhead Squats.

- 21 Overhead Squats
- 42 Pull-ups
- 15 Overhead Squats
- 30 Pull-ups
- 9 Overhead Squats
- 18 Pull-ups

This one was rough but fun. Still working on opening my shoulders fully at the bottom of the pull-ups, so I had to break up the sets more than usual. More ROM is better though, ugh!

Time: 13:15

Rest Day - 9Dec

"Without Knowledge, Skill cannot be focused. Without Skill, Strength cannot be brought to bear and without Strength, Knowledge may not be applied."
- Alexander the Great's Chief Physician

CrossFit - 8Dec (am)

With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

Total: 12 sets + 10

Not a PR, but I was making a conscious effort to open my shoulders at the bottom.

MEBB - 7Dec (am)

Today was Day #2 of the Starting Strength BB. I got a little too excited and failed to pay attention to detail and didn't do the "B" workout.

It was supposed to be Squats, Shoulder Press, Cleans (5 x 3), but I did the "A" workout: the same workout I did last week. I'm pretty sure the world isn't going to end, and at any rate, today felt great. My legs were pretty tight and sore from yesterday, but once I got going, I felt fine.

Back Squat: 215 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed good)
Bench Press: 165 x 3 x 5 (Bar speed OK)
Deadlift: 285 x 1 x 5 (Bar speed good)

CrossFit - 6Dec (am)

Five rounds for time of:
- Run 400 meters
- 75-lbs Sumo deadlift high-pull, 21 reps
- 75-lbs Thruster, 21 reps

Ugh, simply terrible. I REALLY need to work on my breathing during SDHPs and Thrusters, this completely decimated me. What else is new.

Oh, and WHY OH WHY do they put the Stop button on the left side of watches???? Every time I do thrusters my stupid stopwatch hits the back of my hand and stops. Ken kept his watch running after he was finished, so at least I got my time.

Time: 35:10

Rest Day - 5Dec

Ahhh, the joys of rest days.

CrossFit - 4Dec (am)

Did yesterday's WOD, "Michael"

3 Rounds
- Run 800m
- 50 Back Extensions
- 50 Sit-ups

I tried to pace my first run down a bit to minimize the O2 debt later on, but my first 800m was 3:02, and that felt really easy. I did the first set of Back Ext. straight through, and all the sit-ups straight through. Second and third sets were both: run in 3:09, Back Ext split 30/20, and the sit-ups straight through. It feels good to be back to normal; I just need to try NOT to go overboard so much this time around and take more rest days.

Time: 19:19 (PR)

Soccer - 3Dec (pm)

Played another game between the sticks today, definately my best one yet. Helped to secure a 1-0 victory. I've still got some cobwebs to knock loose, but my form is returning pretty quickly. I fielded several shots and handled nearly every cross. The main thing I need to focus on right now is goal kicks. I need to focus and think about what I'm trying to do instead of rushing it.

MEBB - 3Dec (am)

After a lot of reading these last few days, I've decided to modify my original MEBB program to a Starting Strength type workout which seems to be more well rounded and should help me meet my strength goals sooner.

Totals:
Back Squat: 3 x 5 @ 205-lbs (Bar speed good)
Bench Press: 1 x 5 @ 175 (Bar speed slow); 2 x 5 @ 155 (Bar speed good)
Deadlift: 3 x 5 @ 275 (Bar speed good)

I like this alot more than doing 5 x 5 of one exercise. Obviously, there's more volume, which is a better mental boost for me than just doing 25 reps of one exercise - regardless of the difficultly of the workout.

CrossFit - 2Dec (pm)

5 minutes of Double unders
5 minutes of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk
3 minutes of Double unders
3 mintutes of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk
1 minute of Double unders
1 minute of 95 lb Clean and Push jerk

I tried to pace myself out, especially on the 5 minute segment of C&J, I would say that it worked pretty well - except I didn't push hard enough the first round. Which is fine though, since this was my first day back.

This was a killer workout, something I don't hope to see come up again for a LONG time!

Total Reps:
68 DU / 26 CJ
42 DU / 18 CJ
11 DU / 7 CJ

CrossFit - 29Nov (pm)

I've decided to take a few days completely off to give my body a break. I think the inability to sleep and the slight headcold that I've come down with tell me that I'm overtrained. We'll see how I feel in a few days.