8/10/2016 - Sunny afternoon WOD

Back to the weights today after a few days away.  Still feeling quite sore in the midsection from Ultimate but pushed through anyway.

Modified Saturday's partner WOD from Southern Crossfit.

The weeked WOD was a 20 minute AMRAP with partners alternating every round.  Instead I just did 5 rounds for time.

WOD
5 rounds for time
5 thrusters (30/42.5kg)
7 hang power cleans (30/42.5kg)
10 SDHP (30/42.5kg)
9:25 @25kg

My arms were seriously shaky after this one.

Felt solid in the warm up and plan was to hang on to the bar for each round but that didn't quite happen.  Managed the thrusters and HPC's in the first round fine then put the bar down to adjust my grip and also to try and breathe.  Did the SDHP's in one set for this round but then broke them up every one there after even when I tried to hold on just to finish the last round (but couldn't).

The thrusters were good.  I paused a little at the top to breathe but otherwise rolled through them.  The HPC's (being one of my favorite movements) felt solid.  I actually muscle cleaned a few of them every round just to make them go a little bit quicker.  This probably didn't help with being able to breathe which was exacerbated by the SDHP's which really took my breath away (and not really in a good way).

I finished the first 4 rounds in about 8 minutes or so and knew that I was going to have to push if I wanted to finish under 10 minutes.  Like the 4th round, I made myself pick up the bar right away after adjusting my hands for the SDHP's even if it was only for a few reps - and I surprised myself too (even though I should probably know better by now) that I could still get through half the reps.  Doing this shaved a bunch of time off of my last two rounds I'm sure.

Couldn't quite hang on for the full 10 reps to finish the last round but minimised my rest as much as possible to finish at 9:25 which I felt good about.  It was quite a gassy WOD for me (which it will continue being while I keep the weight low) but that is what I need to work on most at the moment so it's not a bad way to go.

You should try this one too Steph.... it's a good one and not too taxing on the body.
 

28/7/2016 - (Re-)starting is the Hardest Part

It's been a while... over 1000 days apparently, a very long time.  So what happened...

First I just stopped blogging about my workouts - in hindsight it came about for a number of reasons including being a bit discouraged by my words being taken out of context and then because I was just happy being and not documenting every effort.  I think though that as I drifted away from this space over time I also drifted away from my why of training. 

Such a small thing but so important in the grand scheme of it all. 

Documenting my workouts here helped me to relive the fun and enjoyment of it all that I didn't always see in the process of doing.  It allowed me to see progress over time of how far I had come, to celebrate simple achievements and take the pressure off that sometimes comes with being in (what can be) a competitive environment.

Training changed, life changed and I changed some good, some bad and so just off track so here I am, getting back on track, starting again, taking one day at a time and documenting this journey.

Today was Day 1. 

Training in my back yard

Strength
2-2-2-2-2
strict press
25-30-32.5-32.5-32.5

The strict press was solid for all rounds, felt heavy as I haven't picked up a barbell in 6 months or so but still happy with them.  My shoulders were a little creaky but that's just moving out the rust from all this time off.

WOD
3 rounds
10 hang power clean
5 push press
5:09 (35kg)

Initially I was planning on 5 rounds but my wrists had something to say about that so cut it short at 3 - not trying to kill myself just looking to ease my way back in and avoid sustaining any injuries so listening to what my body is telling me.

I broke all the rounds into 9 HPC's, rest, 1 HPC and 5 push press unbroken.  Best efficiency for the work but I think I spent more time staring at the barbell between movements than I did actually moving the bar but as they say - starting is the hardest part.

Day one down, happy I moved my body and am starting back on this track.  Not going to judge myself or finding any fault, just focus on the good and working my way back.  I can't wait to see what this journey brings...

Tomorrow - Day two and also my whys - they have been coming at me from all directions tonight and I'm excited to explore them further.  But now... dinner.

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

3/20 – Wall Balls! Oly!

Took Monday and Tuesday off as rest days as my shoulder was hurting quite a bit after the SUP race.  It’s really awesome living with Cam as well as he makes sure I take care of myself (he wasn’t exactly pleased with me racing when it was hurting on Sunday afternoon – oops)

Was back at the box on Wednesday and was happy to see wall balls knowing that they were going to make an appearance in the Open WODs at some point.

WOD

3 rounds

200m Run

15 Wall Balls 20/16lb

15 Hand Release Push Ups Ring Rows

8:28 (Wall Balls to 10’)

The walls have two actual circular targets on them around the room – one at 8’ and one at 10’.  Coach Scotty mentioned that the boys should do 20lbs to 10’ and the girls 14lbs to 8’.  I asked him if the games standard was going to be the higher 10’ line for girls (at the lighter weight) and he said ‘likely’ so I chose to do this.  It was hard.  I didn’t mind the running but the wall balls were a struggle.  I think I started out at sets of 5 and then near the end was doing 3’s and 2’s.  It was a mental battle as I was chasing another girl the whole way and I’d get in front on the run only to have her pass me on the wall balls/ pushups but I had to remind myself that though the higher target was taking longer it was better for me and to stick with it. I even managed to no rep myself once when I missed the wall.  Overall it was a good one and great practice for what was to come.

Headed over to the other side afterward for some strength/ oly work.

Warm-up

10 x shoulder rolls

10 x hips to roof

10 x lying leg cross

10 x scorpions

2 rounds with bar

5 muscle snatch

5 snatch balance

5 squat snatch

Strength

5 x 3 reps power snatch

30-30-30-30-30

Wanted to go up in weight and tried one rep at 35kg and felt how much it hurt my shoulders so pulled it back.  At one point Coach Hayden said to have more confidence in locking out my arms because I had it and I had to mention that I was favoring my shoulders.  Probably shouldn’t have done oly class but power snatches are my fave.

5 x 2 reps hang squat clean

30-30-30-30-30

Again tried 35kg and immediately knew it was a bad idea so I stayed with 30kg and really focused on technique.  Coach Hayden told me to focus on fast elbows which I think with the lighter weight was a bit more difficult without me taking my head off (hit myself in the throat a few times which really hurt).

3 x max plank hold

3 x max side plank (alt sides)

3 x max hollow body hold

46 seconds – 45 seconds – 45 seconds

Skipped the planks because of the shoulders and was going to skip out on this altogether but then decided to throw some abs in and did the hollow body holds.  Ouch!  They hurt, a lot.  Feeling like I have good form on them though but tough.  Alternated between hands overhead and then by my sides as I was tiring.

2/26 – Shoulders (Ouch!)

Strength 

3-3-3-3-3-3-3 
Strict Press 
30-32.5-32.5-32.5-30-31-32.5 

Kind of all over the place but there were a lot of sets and my arms were tired from the overhead lunges the night before.
 

I loved the set up for this WOD though – everyone was grouped up (in similar weight ranges) on all the racks and we had two minutes to go through everyone before the next set.  At the start of the next two minutes Coach Tara would tell us to go again and we’d all alternate through resting for the remainder of the time once we were done.  




I was in a group with Tarrsha and Ali and it was a lot of fun.  We had to change the weights between us most of the time but it was still pretty fluid and we had a ton of time remaining in each two minute set.  It was nice to have someone controlling the rest time and not feeling rushed to get through all 7 rounds.  A definite good format (and one we’d repeat the following day on back squats).




It was funny on this one – you could do the first two reps and things would feel solid and easy and then the third rep would just be a struggle and almost not happen.  It was amazing how quick it would go from on to off – similar I guess to HSPU’s and bench press.  Interesting for sure.


WOD
 5 rounds



3 box jumps (24/30”)



6 dumbbell hang power clean (15/20kg)



9 dumbbell push press (15/20kg)



5:23 (12.5kg)

I have to say – on paper – this didn’t look to bad.  Low number of reps and only 5 rounds but let me tell you just how much it killed, especially after the strict pressing.  The 3 box jumps were no rest at all and the dumbbells were heavy.  It was nice being partnered for this and having Tarrsha both cheer me on and more importantly count for me – specifically number of rounds.  I’d just finished the third round though was thinking I only had one left when in fact there was two.  It was good to have someone keeping track as I suck at that part. 




The box jumps were all unbroken and mostly solid though on tired legs I had to be sure I didn’t eat it.  The hang power cleans were all done as a full set though I wasn’t thinking well and didn’t have a plan going in which meant I did extra reps when I did all six cleans then put the dumbbells down before going into the push presses as I had to clean it for the presses – 7 reps.  Oops, extra work.  Tarrsha got the benefit of learning from this by going second.  I needed this lesson though going into the open.







The push presses just hurt.  The weight was heavy and I put it down more that I should have but managed to get it done which was something at least.  It was a fun WOD, challenging and different and most importantly it made me stronger today.

1/18 - Friday Comp Training

The Friday night sport session at Southern was a blast.  There was a large turnout (about 30 people) and we partnered up to go through some warm ups and the WODs.  It was also a great environment because there were a bunch of people to cheer you on while you were working similar to what a competition would be like.

I was barely conscious after work and passed out for a bit on Cam’s sofa before he drove us over to Southern (I was too sleepy to drive). 

WOD #1

EMOM 10

HSPU’s

5-5-5-5-4-3-3-3-3-3

Set your own number of reps but make it challenging enough that you can be within two reps of where you started by the end.

I chose 5 as did my partner Jaz who went first.  She nailed it getting all 5 of her kipping HSPU’s unbroken every round. 

I started strong with 5 unbroken until round 5 where I struggled to even get 4 within the minute.  It seemed like I was pushing out the top half of each rep so it was really taxing on my shoulders (traps were still hurting from heavy cleans too).  I dropped down to 3 after the 6^th round in order to just finish and that was tough.  Got some awesome feedback from Rich especially about how I’m actually kicking my heels into the wall on the kip rather than upwards and using the momentum to propel me.  Kat also noted that I need to tuck my legs further into my chest before kicking them out. Solid.  It’s good to have more coaching cues in my head when I’m doing these in the future.

WOD #2

6x1

Snatch Pull

2 x hang squat snatches

20-20-22.5-22.5-25-25

We did some warm up work on snatch pulls and squat snatches before loading up the bar to a suitable weight and doing 6 sets of 1 rep on Jono’s call.  We’d switch between partners right away and go through these.  Jaz and I started with 20kg and worked up to 25kg (27.5kg?) by the end.  It actually felt easier with the heavier weight on it.  Lots of focus on keeping heels on the ground and pushing through them on the snatch pulls.  Jono actually came by on one of the warm-up reps and held my feet on the ground as I pulled.  It worked really well to give me the feeling of pushing through my heels rather than coming onto my toes.  Felt good after that. 

WOD #3

5 minute AMRAP

5 x deadlift

3 x hang clean

2 x push jerk

45kg (Rx)

5/8 (5 full rounds plus 5 deadlifts and 3 cleans)

This was hard.  Each person did the 5 minute AMRAP and then switched off.  Jaz and I were using a 15kg bar and when she grabbed the plates for loading to 45kg she grabbed two 15kg’s and therefore there was no turning back once we started to take “a little” weight off the bar.  Early on the second or third set of deadlifts I could feel my forearms start to go.  This made the workout hard quite quickly.  I need to work on my hook grip now that there are the ‘skinnier’ 15kg bars to use.  By the end I was breaking up the round into 4 deadlifts then 1 deadlift and 3 cleans (if I could) then the two push jerks were oddly the ‘rest’ part of the WOD.

Fun night and at the end we broke up into three groups for some stretching with each person leading one stretch.  We were a large mass of sprawling bodies but it was also a great way to meet people and chat at the end of a Friday night workout.

Afterward Cam and I stopped for some Nando’s – chicken totally hit the spot – and then it was bed time.  I really don’t remember much after dinner and getting back to his place.  Was a little tired and then struggled to sleep even as my entire body was relaxed and tingling and my brain though not thinking about actual things was fully aware of what was going on around me.  It was weird and I got grumpy because all I really wanted to do was fall asleep.