9/12 - Crossfit Total

Spoiler Alert: I increased my CFT score today by 7.5kg!!! Carry on…

As I posted yesterday afternoon – it was CFT* day at Cooee and I was excited.  I had been gearing up for it all day (obviously) and was ready.  I was a little worried about only having 10 minutes to do each lift but I was focused on hitting 75kg for my backsquat.  Game time!

* it wasn’t *true* CFT in that we did press/squat/deadlift rather than squat/press/deadlift per Mark Rippetoe’s Rules and there wasn’t any hard rule that only 3 tries at your 1RM was legit but still, it was good to give it a go again.

Benchmark WOD – CrossFit Total
1 RM Strict Press
1 RM Back Squat
1 RM Deadlift
Score = the total of all 3 lifts 

35+77.5+102.5 = 215!! PR!!

I was really happy with this.

Strict Press

5x20kg

3x30kg

1x35kg

1x37.5kg(f)

1x36kg(f)

Going in I just wanted to match my previous CFT attempt (and current PR) of 35kg and I did.  Easily.  Suprisingly easy (and I was worried about not being able to, hmmm).  So I jumped the weight to 37.5 because 35 was easy.  I can’t convey just how easy it went up.  Shocker – 37.5kg would not budge, I got it about 2 inches (5cm) from the start position and it just stopped, would not move.  It was like I was pushing against a wall.  Fail.  I dropped the weight down to 36kg, just trying to set a new PR and I thought it should have been doable (again, 35kg was ridiculously easy) but nope.  Same situation, I got the bar a bit higher but just couldn’t get it past that sweet spot (around my ear height).  Stuck again and that bar was going nowhere.  Fail.  I gave it a good go and was still happy with matching on the 35kg so I was off to the start that I wanted. 

I realized too though that I need to work on my full range of motion for handstand push-ups as well since it’s about that same point that I get ‘stuck’ in the movement.  I can do HSPU’s to an ab-mat height but when I go to the bottom there’s that point just beyond the start on the way up that I also get ‘stuck’.  Good thought.

Backsquat

3x60kg

3x65kg

2x70kg

1x75kg

1x77.5kg (PR)

1x80kg(f)

Game time.  This was the movement that I was waiting for all day.  I believed it was my best chance at improving my score.  I was hoping for a 2.5kg gain but when I did two reps (easy enough) at 70kg I jumped right to 75kg knowing full well I could get it.  Although my legs were hurting a bit I focused on good technique (knees out is the biggest cue for me) and staying engaged at the bottom of the squat (I sometimes go too low and lose that power position by collapsing).  I nailed it and it felt really good.  I didn’t stop to focus on it much though as there was still about 5 minutes left and I knew I could get to more solid attempts in.  I didn’t want the jumps to be too big so I went up by 2.5kg and with Jaimie ready to spot me and more importantly – his voice in my ear pushing me along I got 77.5kg.  So stoked.  One more try at 80kg coming my way.  I took a long break knowing it was my last shot, waiting until there was a minute or so left on the clock and got ready.  Once again Jaimie was right there pushing me on (if you know Jaimie, you know that ‘cheering’ isn’t the right word, it’s more intense than that, more powerful and rough). 

As I approached the bar I remembered my struggle just to get the bar on my back at 77.5kg.  I stumbled a little as the weight seemed to crush me straight through my spine and knew that I needed solid focus while picking up the 80kg.  I managed it (without the stumble this time) but it literally felt like someone was squeezing every vertebrae in my spine together and that I was shortening in height by inches from the weight alone.  Breath in, core tight, focus, knees out, lower, hit the bottom (not too low) and start to push back up, knees out and I fell a bit too far forward, rolled onto my toes a bit and was rescued by Jaimie pulling me back in line and helping me up.  I missed it.  I know, fully on, that I can lift 80kg and will get it next time without a doubt it just wasn’t my day for it.  A momentary slip of focus and I lost it.  But I was still pretty happy (and jumping around) at having bested my previous PR by 5kg!!  Twice what I was aiming for going in.

Deadlift

5x60kg

3x80kg

2x90kg

1x100kg

1x102.5kg (PR)

1x105kg(f)

I remember the last time doing CFT and how hard 100kg was for me to lift.  I also remember recently reading the article on 3 Tips to Help you Set a Deadlift PR and was ready to give it a go.  I was confident I’d get 100kg again but anything beyond that I wasn’t so sure about.  I knew I wanted to get at least 102.5 though the pressure was reduced after the 5kg PR on the backsquat (over the 2.5kg I was aiming for).  I got 100 and although hard it wasn’t impossible – I did however know I only had one rep at this weight, no more.  I loaded up another 2.5kg and distracted myself a bit knowing I needed to rest a bit more between lifts.  There were still about 5 minutes left until class was over.  Jaimie was sidelined now and in between his cursing and whimpering (he pulled/tore something pretty badly in his quad while doing his heavy backsquats – I heard(!) it) he was urging me on.  I can’t remember the exact nickname he’d come up with but it was something along the lines of shortling or shortie or short-something and I actually didn’t mind it – coming from him… I think that makes a huge difference.  Anyway, it was awesome having his push.  I stared back at the bar loaded to 105kg.  I had just over minute to go and I approached the bar – knees out – once again my foucs, engage my legs, heels into the floor, don’t round my back.  Go.   I pulled and pulled and pulled a bit more and the bar did not even budge.  There’s a point in the article above about pulling for longer than you think, just keep pulling and still, nothing.  I was going to give it one more go.  Once again Jaimie pointed out that when I start the pull my knees tend to collapse in.  Focus.  One more try.  Again, nothing.  PR was set at 102.5kg and I’m okay with that.  I do however realize how much work my deadlift requires.  It’s stuck and I want to get stronger.  Add it to the list.

Overall I was very pleased with my CFT score from today.  I visualized it all day, really wanted a 75kg backsquat and to increase my total by 5kg so to exceed them both is awesome.  I’ll take it.  I think it had to do with the outfit.