8/20 – Lifting Day

WOD

Clean Pull 5-5-5-5-5

60-60-65-65-65

Close Grip Bench Press 5-5-5-5-5

35-35-35-35-35 

*Alternate Between Movements.

Was a good little one today – nice to (mostly) rest the legs after all the squatting yesterday.  I didn’t realize it until well after but I did a solid and strong clean pull on 80kg in the warm-up.  I jumped onto Cam and Sean’s bar (thinking it was 70kg) because I had 60kg on my bar and wanted to see if that would be okay – it was a bit on the heavy side so I stuck with 60kg, I think had I know I might have jumped to 65kg sooner or even 70kg but alas, it was what it was. 

Got some good feedback from Coach Hayden, he said my knees were coming in right from the start so I worked on correcting that and it felt a lot stronger.  Coach Tara also noted that I was pulling back a little (instead of just straight up), great to have the little things to think about.

The bench press was pretty solid throughout – like push-ups it’s hard on my shoulder so I don’t go too heavy on it but managed all the sets quite well.

7/8 – HSPU’s and Backsquats and Oly

I can’t believe three months have passed since we last did these testing WODs.  It feels like it’s more recent than that.  Time flies.  So we had a chance last night to go through them again and see (any) improvement (or not).

WOD

5 Minute AMRAP

Handstand Push Up (to 1 abmat)

44 (previous was 34 reps)

Then

Find your 1RM Back Squat (in 20 minutes)

20kg x 10 reps

50kg x 5 reps

60kg x 3 reps

70kg x 2 reps

then singles at:

75-77.5-81(f) (previous and current 1RM PR is 80kg)

Was really happy with the new PR on the HSPU’s though it felt way harder than last time.  I started out with a set of 9 (came off the wall just before the 10^th which was what I was aiming for) but still happy with that set as I think my previous max was 5 reps.  I didn’t have any set plan for this go – I think last time I was aiming for 5 reps every thirty seconds but this time I just came down, shook it out and went back up.  I tried to really focus on getting a good kip, back on the wall, knees to chest and kicking into the wall.  Coach Claire told me to get my hips into it more than I was, getting that explosiveness similar to a clean.  It helped especially as I started to tire.

No new PR on my backsquat.  There was plenty of time to give 81kg another go but I really wasn’t feeling it.  I remember last time how badly I wanted the 80kg’s but last night I just didn’t have much motivation at all.  I got the 81kg back up but Tara had to help me as I just collapsed forward with the bar, it felt sloppy and I kind of gave up.  Not my finest moment but with the ‘chill’ in the air it was where I was at.

Afterward went over to the barbell room planning to work on some weaknesses with Steph but since it wasn’t open gym time our ring dips and pistols got shunned (managed one set of each though first) by Coach Scotty and we had to do the Oly session instead so…

Barbell Club

Oly

Clean and Jerk

5 x (2+1) – two cleans one jerk

Warm-up 25-35-40

Working 45-45-45-45-45

Clean Pulls

3x3

Working 55-55-55

Last time I did this work was back on May 13^th (again how time flies – what happened to June?).  I did working sets then at 50kg though being at 45kg was better today since I’d already done the backsquats – the second rep of each squat clean was a bit taxing and my shoulders definitely felt the HSPU’s on the jerks.  Managed to get through them and love working with Steph since we’re fairly similar and got a lot of feedback from Coach Scotty.  Needing to be more aggressive and faster on the dip and drive on the jerk and then speeding up sooner on the clean pulls (and if rolling slightly onto your toes is a byproduct of this then that’s okay).  

Was a good session and obviously we skipped the backsquat work.

5/13 – Oly Monday

Decided to skip the all rowing WOD tonight and just focus on Oly as normally I try and squeeze in the 4:30 WOD then oly following which leads to one of two things:

1. I skip Oly because I’m too destroyed from pushing hard in the WOD or

2. I go lighter at Oly because I’m too destroyed from pushing hard in the WOD

So Oly only was the deal for tonight.

Barbell Club

Oly

Clean and Jerk

5 x (2+1) – two cleans one jerk

Warm-up 35-40-45

Working 50-50-50(fx 2 cleans)-50-50-50

Clean Pulls

3x3

Working 55-55-55

Back Squats

3x5

Warmup 10x20kg-5x 40kg

Working – 55-55-55

First day using my new knee sleeves and love them.  I’m not sure if it’s because my knees are toasty warm, if they remind me that my knees are there and need to be kept strong and from collapsing in, if it’s because they add some support or a combination of all of the above.  Regardless, it’s love.

The cleans and jerks felt really good.  It was nice to be a bit heavier on them.  I wanted to go up closer to my 1RM but it’s been a while since I’ve been up there and wanted to get some solid reps in so didn’t push it too much.  The only comment Coach Claire gave was that I wasn’t being solid on my jerk which reflects what Coach Jono said to me a while back about just having confidence in the jerk, just going for it so something to focus on.  In the third set I spectacularly failed both cleans.  Claire had told me to focus on keeping my knees out and I think I was doing this to the detriment of every other part of the movement and the first one I collapsed forward and the second over compensated and ended up on my ass.  Oops.  I shook it off then got back to good reps.

The clean pulls were good.  I probably should have gone heavier but my lower back was feeling a little sore so instead of pushing the weight I focused on the movement.

Struggled through the back squats, not necessarily because they were hard but because I just didn’t really want to do them/ don’t love them.  Felt solid though throughout.   Again, should have gone heavier but honestly I was being quite lazy.  Time to step it up though, primal isn’t too far off.

Glad to have the solid focus on Oly though.  Love it.

4/8 – HSPU’s and PR’s

WOD

5 Minute AMRAP

Handstand Push Up (to 1 abmat)

34

Then

Find your 1RM Back Squat (in 20 minutes)

20 x 10 reps

40kg x 5 reps

50kg x 4 reps

60kg x 3 reps

then singles at:

65-70-72.5-75-77.5-80kg (PR)

We started a week of testing this week and I’m sure it’ll be a good one if this WOD was any indication.  HSPU’s and only HSPU’s for 5 minutes? Well okay, if you say so. 

It started well.  I managed 4 sets of 5, completing 15 reps in the first minute and 20 before 1:30 had elapsed and then it went downhill fast as it tends to do.  I did a set of 3 and then singles the rest of the way trying to make sure every rep I went for counted – I missed one halfway up and another I just dropped to my head and came out as there wasn’t enough there to get back up.  In talking with Coach Scotty after he mentioned that pacing maybe needed to be better but I’m not sure that would have helped as the sets of 5 felt strong.  I think it’s more like a bench press – you’re good until you’re not, like on then off, instant.  Who knows.  What I do know is that I’m quite happy with how it went.   I also know it’s quite amusing (though hard to HSPU if you’re laughing) to have someone directly across the room from you also doing HSPU’s (hey Luke), especially when they are directly in your (upside down) line of site.  Ha!

The back squats were good.  Going into them I felt tired and given how long it’s been since I’ve both gone heavy in my squats and set any kind of PR I didn’t think I’d get even close to 77.5kg (previous PR).  I figured I’d be happy with 65kg or 70kg.  No pressure.  I worked with Cheyanne and we moved through the warm-up sets pretty quickly.  I think I’d already done 2 or 3 of the single reps when we reached the half way mark of the allotted time (20 minutes).  This helped me have enough rest between lifts and time to work up to giving 80kg a go.  I won’t say that either the 77.5kg or 80kg lifts were strong technique wise but I got them up.  I think my technique is definitely getting better (using my posterior chain and keeping my knees out) even with my poor mobility in my calves/ ankles so I’m able to move a heavier weight.  If I can work on my mobility then hopefully I can manage even more.

I know that by the end of this WOD I felt about 2 inches shorter.  The compression from landing on my head so many times in the HSPU’s (ouch) and the heavy bar on my back during the squats definitely shrunk me.  I actually had Cam crack my back (it was a good one) before I started lifting in the Oly session as I was all kinds of off.  Good fun though.

Oly Lifting

C&J

5x(3+1)

35-40-45-45-45

Clean Pulls

4 x 4

55-55-55-55

There were also back squats in the oly workout but since we’d done them in the WOD I skipped them.  I also counted my two warm-up C&J sets as working sets as I was feeling tired.  Still, I wasn’t planning to do any of this when I went next door – I just went to chat with Cam but then I sat there and thought about my goals (getting stronger for primal throwdown) and decided that a bit of lifting would help me get closer to it.  Glad I did it but as it was it was definitely enough. 

Now that the open is over I’m excited to do more of the oly/ strength sessions.  With the open it’s been a bit off, mostly only Mondays but now I’m going to try for two if not three days in there a week after the metcon.  Hopefully my body holds up.  More mobility please.

3/11 - Barbell Club

Following Monday’s run time trial and I wandered over to the other side to see what was programmed for the Barbell Club – both oly and strength.

Initially I wasn’t going to jump into it feeling as tired as I was and having promised myself during the run that I could just relax the rest of the evening but I saw the board and figured I’d give it a go.

Warm-up

2 rounds / 5 reps with 15kg bar

200m  row

Deadlift

Hang cleans

Front squats

Jerk

Strength

Clean and Jerk 5x(3+1)

Clean Pull 4x3

Back Squat 5x5

Worked in with Cam on this one which was fun and we both had our own bars which worked well.   I really enjoyed it.  Oh, and Coach Jono was coaching us and it’s amazing – no matter where in the room he was you knew he could see you. 

Clean and Jerk

5x(3+1) – three cleans (full squat) plus one (split) jerk

45-45-45-45-45

I warmed up with 35 and 40kg before going with 45kg for a working weight. It felt solid especially in the squat cleans where my hip flexors/quads were still screaming from the Friday night burpees.

It was good overall – some good movement, some not so good.  It was funny in a matter of two reps I got a ‘very good’ and then a ‘that was average’ which made me laugh, mostly because I also could tell.  Sometimes I just think too much.

Got some awesome coaching on the jerks too from Coach Jono.  He told me to drop my elbows a bit more before the jerk (keeping the bar up on my shoulders still) so that I could get more explosion.  It made it feel easier and then after I as doing that he told me to have confidence in it which I apparently seemed to be lacking.  Definitely will help as I continue to go heavier.

Clean Pull

4x3

55-55-55-55

Warmed up at 45kg as it was already on my bar then did working sets at 55kg which felt good.  After the first one Cam reminded me to keep my heels on the ground which is a good cue for me – push through the heels.  These went quick which I was thankful for as I was starting to feel really tired by this point.

Back Squat

53x5

40-50-50

I started with 40kg presuming this would be a warm-up weight for me but my hip flexors were really unhappy with me.  I did the 5 reps and thought about staying at that weight for the rest but Coach Tara pointed out (when I asked) that back squatting less than I was cleaning and jerking was most definitely not a good thing so I bumped it up (a little).  It hurt.  Every rep of every set.  I called it after three as Tara was talking about doing handstands and when I suggested handstand walking and she was in I ditched it.

Skill (bonus)

3 x 10m handstand walks

This was a ton of fun – for all three I was within a meter of finishing before falling over.  The first two Tara fell first (near the end) and gave a bit of a squeal which immediately caused me to fall over too.  The last one I fell first which caused her to fall at the same time.  It really was quite funny – like we were synchronized walking and subsequently falling.  Felt good though – I haven’t spent much time handstand walking lately and it’s really cool to have someone who can go just as well as I can.  Definitely a fun ending to a long night.  And most definitely worth bailing on the last two sets of back squats.