Tag Archives: Wod

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2017 Goals

goal-setting

First week of 2017 is done. Ate well with the exception of Friday night. No cocktailing either. Don’t worry, nobody kidnapped Rob, everything is fine.

Goals for 2017:

I set goals each year for personal, professional, physical, and financial. Below are the physical goals for 2017. I hit most of them in 2016 and plan on the same for 2017.

Lift/Movement Current Goal
Back Squat 455 500
Dead Lift 465 500
Strict Press 205 225
Push Press 235 265
Clean 210 235
Front Squat 325 350
Thruster 235 255
500 Meter Row 1:42 1:30
Pull Ups 0 10
Double Unders 0 10

So, how am I going to hit these goals? Darn good question. I’ll have to figure that one out

12-labours

  1. Following the 12 Labours Nutrition Plan courtesy of Emily and Erin. Great time logging everything in MyFitnessPal. Emily and Erin provide everything you need in terms of setting yourself up for success. It is worth the investment, so please take advantage of the service if you have not done so already.
  2. Keeping cocktailing to a minimum. Sadly and frustratingly i have tried for the past so many years to do both and I have come to the realization it just does not work. Either you want to cocktail and not do well in the gym, or you want to do well in the gym. So we will give it an honest shot.
  3. Focus on recovery. We spend a lot of time beating the hell out of ourselves and more than likely not enough time putting ourselves back together. Water, Sleep, good nutrition, supplements, deep tissues massage and yoga. I have been getting a deep tissues once a month for the past few months and the difference has been remarkable.

crossfit-moreland_3

  1. Stretching. By hitting the six am class most folks have to roll out quickly to get ready for work, kids to school, etc. I am focusing on taking five or ten minutes afterwards and rolling out and stretching to reduce soreness/stiffness etc.
  2. Rest. Getting up early means early to bed. I tend to do a lot better if I get 7 or 8 hours of sleep. Go a few days with six or few hours and see how you feel. Probably like junk. I know i do.
  3. Strength program. I finished the 12 Labours Barbell Strength Program last year and definitely noticed a difference. I added weight to squat and deadlift and wound up PR’ng CrossFit Total by about 100 pounds.

 

change

  1. Make opportunities for PR’s. Some boxes do the same WOD’s over and over again which enables members to set PR’s. Ours is a bit different where the WOD’s vary considerably. Two days a week I give myself opportunities to set PR’s. Whether it be a lift, like deadlift or squat, or a 500 meter row. Give yourself the opportunity to put a PR on the board and in Wodify!
  2. Fully warm up. I am sure if any of the coaches are reading this, the thought “he never does the warm up, like never.” is going through their mind. Sadly that is true. I do not do the warm up. In my mind, the first round is the warmup and that is not right and dangerous.
  3. More than just scheduled classes. This goes with number 7. Sticking around after class, taking advantage of open gym, and running/swimming etc. go a long way in helping accomplish your goals.
  4. Yoga. Once a week, every Sunday. Looking to get back into that cycle. Definitely noticed a difference when I was regularly attending.

Those should get me where I want to be.

images

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The Open is Closed.

15.5
 15.5 We all saw it coming. We knew it would be thrusters, and a lot of them, and guess what. Thrusters. Thruck Fusters.  It could be worse. No burpees!!! I  was prepared as I could possibly be. Bullet Proof coffee in the morning.  Followed by a little BSN NO-Xplode…happy hour!  Last night’s IPA’s will have absolutely no effect whatsoever.

15.5 thruster

Going in I was thinking it wouldn’t be bad. I could break up the thrusters in halves since it’s 95lbs,  not super heavy, just a lot of legs. Rowing isn’t bad, just hard pulls to get a calorie a stroke. No worries! Then I watched the 900am class suffer through. I couldn’t leave. People had already seen me. A quick chat with someone who had completed it, and was finally fully functioning, resulted a in a rethink. Cut the thrusters in thirds.

27 cals went quicker than I thought it would. Set of 9. rest. Set of 9. rest. Set of 9. Back on the rower. 21 cals. Set of 7. Set of 7. Set of…whumph. What just happened! I can’t breathe and my legs don’t want to push back up. Finished the last set and then started 15 and that’s when the fun began. Coach Christa the Fembot in my ear, “you won’t catch your breath, just GO!”. “Back on the bar”. I calculated it would take me between 12 and 15 minutes to finish and it turned out to be 14:43. It’s not a matter of strength, it was a matter of wind. I was chasing something I couldn’t catch. My breath. Need to fix that.

Kicked

Two Natty Boh’s, and a Progenex shake and I was back to normal. I usually opt to go in the second round because, well nobody wants to go first, and I want to get it over with and it provides the opportunity to cheer on those who are still going through it. That’s they key with CrossFit. Something the other gyms won’t get. It’s the community. It’s the support and friendships. After that WOD, there was a potluck happy hour. As you can imagine, carb city. Krispy Kreme, pasta salads, chips,..you name it.

This year’s Open was by far my favorite. The scaled WOD’s were challenging however very doable. 15.4 was my favorite. Hit 100 reps. I happen to like push press and that helped significantly. 15.5 was the most difficult, however I liked it and hope it finds it’s way into the 12Labours rotation. You know it’s a good when you are washing down two Aleve with a a Manhattan a few hours after the WOD. Of course, looking forward to the 12Labours Team heading to Regionals, and then back to the Games. We expect great things!

12Labours

3, 2, 1….

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Five Weeks In….

Sandwich Guy

 

We just finished our fifth week of Whole Life Challenge. We have only cheated a few times, and let’s face it, when Lobster Mac’n Cheese is on the menu, you order it, and then crush it as though you haven’t eaten in days. We had some dessert for Kylie’s birthday, because what’s a birthday without cake? Or in this case, two cinnamon brownies with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, shaved chocolate and caramel sauce. Yes, it was awesome.

SG

All in all my energy level has been pretty good. I had the usual paleo flu the first week, however nothing ridiculous. I do know that i have to eat some rice or something once in a while. A full day or two without any carbs isn’t pretty. Grumpypants. Hit a few PR’s so far. Took two minutes off my Grace time and hit 285 back squat for ten reps. Previous had been 275 for 10. I have been running, scratch that, jogging on the weekends and that has been better. Five miles yesterday and three today. Knee is a little pissed at me, but let’s face it, i haven’t been kind to it. Back to PT next week where I am sure they will tell me to quit CrossFit and I’ll smile and nod.

Has anyone else tried Progenex Cookies and Cream yet? Big win. Mix some with ice and water in the blender and it is the same as a milkshake! Not, but it’s always good to hope. Remember that if you believe it, it must be true. They make the best tasting protein on the market and I think I have tried just about all of them. Maybe it was hydrolyzed and now it’s not or whatever the rumor is however I notice faster recovery times and results when I hit the awesome-sauce. Bottoms up.

progenex

Progenex Force is also a very solid pre-workout supplement. I used to swear by No-Xplode and I like Force better. It makes your face tingle so you know it’s good. I think the Beta Alanine is what gives you the pin prick fresh face feeling. Lactic acid blocking little dickens. I notice I don’t have the crash I used to get from other versions. This tends to last longer. Works great for a quick ten minute AMRAP or a longer run/jog/trudge march. Progenex: http://progenexusa.com/

force-pkg-mockup

 

What other goodies? Xendurance, PurePharma Vitamin packs, and FitAid. So basically, it looks like i just replaced booze and junk food with supplements. Whatevs. We go through this stuff just for the toys, the gear, and the awesome-sauce.

FitAid is a more paleo friendly version of KillCliff. The pre-workout/recovery/whenever you want one drink. Similar packaging with the taller slender can. Thank you Red Bull. It has all the joint friendly additives lick glucosamine, turmeric, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, green tea. You know, all of the good stuff that we never get enough of according to the supplement companies. Link: https://www.drinkfitaid.com/

fitaid

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January is Almost Over….

20130131-054529.jpg

Which means less people in the gym! It was actually empty the past two days which I think was the result of our unseasonably warm streak. People took to the trails and streets for running and biking.

It also means the Whole Life Challenge is right around the corner. I strongly suggest you enter the competition. It’s $45.00 but you will learn a lot about yourself. It is worth it!

I have not been getting to the pool in the afternoon so the cardio has been lacking. I plan on going his afternoon. As usual, the goal is not to drown, and not to drink more than a gallon of pool water. I don’t remember swimming being so difficult or so tiring.

Tuesday’s WOD:

Rep Count: 7, 5, 3, 3, 1

Shoulder Press

Weight: 135, 145, 155, 165, 175

Three Rounds:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Wednesday:

Rep Count:
10, 7, 5, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Weight: 135, 185, 225, 225, 225, 245, 245

Three Rounds:
5 pull ups
10 dips
15 sit ups

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Last Week of October

Trick or Treat…no candy for you because you thought it would be a good idea to do Whole Life Challenge!

It isn’t that bad. I don’t like candy, however if they were handing out IPA’s with corn dogs, we’d have a problem! Two weeks to go in the challenge. We did break down Saturday night and have a few cocktails. That will be it until the end of the challenge.

WOD’s:

Monday:

Workout of the Day
Max Snatch(Full) in 20 min

then
7 Min AMRAP
7 Overhead Squat 95/65
7 Burpee over Bar

Three rounds and a few OHS

then

5 min AMRAP
20 Unbroken Wall Ball Shots

2 rounds and a lot of ten wall ball rounds

Tuesday:

4 sets
10 (CTB) Pull Ups
10 Deadlift 225
Run 400m
rest 4 min

Thursday:

5 sets
60 Sec Row for Cal 22, 20, 22, 23, 19
60 Sec Singles 87, 63, 79, 85, 62
rest 2 min

Friday: 

Max Power Clean in 20 min

185lbs.

then

Press 3,2,1,3,2,1; rest 30 sec

135, 155, 175 (f) 155, 165, 175(f)

Unbroken Kb Swings 20 reps 2 pood

rest 2 min

Saturday:

for time:
1000m Row
30 Db Front Squats 45/30
30 T2B

Tuesday: 

20 Min AMRAP
Row 500m
15 GHD Sit Ups
AMRAP Strict Ring Pull Ups

5 rounds, 12 pull ups

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The Ten CrossfitRook Commandments

Below are ten  tips I have learned during my CrossFit experience. I don’t always follow them, however when I do, I usually have better results. Please feel free to comment and add your tips.

10) Show up Mentally and Emotionally Prepared

It is an hour of your day. Be ready to go when you get to the box. Leave family and work stress at the door. This is your time. If your head isn’t right, the WOD won’t be right either.

9) Drink the Kool-Aid

Is CrossFit kind of like a cult? Sure is. We wear funny looking shoes, have our own language, and we talk about it all of the time. Get a few of us together and others will look at us like we have two heads. It is O.K. It is a good cult. We want everyone to be healthy and to succeed. Now, if your trainer shows up wearing a white robe, and asks you to drink the actual Kool-Aid, turn around and run.

8) Compete Against Yourself

CrossFit is definitely moving into the mainstream. ESPN 2 now regularly shows the Games. It is easy to fall into a trap of comparing yourself to the professional athletes, or the elite athletes at your local box. Try not too. Track your times and weights for the WOD’s. You will notice that you are getting stronger and faster, keep competing against yourself or against other team members who are similar.

7) Don’t Scale Only to be Faster

I often fall into this trap. I am worried about time so I sub ring rows for pull-ups    because I can do them faster. Guess what? I am good at ring rows and still suck at pull ups. Not quite what I wanted. Check with your trainer and ask their opinion. If it is a WOD that is supposed to be fast, it might be OK to sub. The only way you get better at the movements is to practice,…a lot.

6) YES YOU CAN!

One of the beauties of CrossFit is that any WOD can be scaled. There are substitutes if you have not yet mastered HSPUS or DU’s; however don’t talk yourself out of it if you haven’t even tried it! Give it an honest effort and then sub if needed.

5) Do the Whole Warm-Up

O.K., so the three legged dog looks dumb as hell and I hate baby elephant, but guess what, you have to warm up the muscles and stretch to reduce the chance of injury. Don’t, and you’ll be out of action for a while.

4) Celebrate the Wins

Don’t always focus on the weights you didn’t do, focus on the records you set. Every box has a bell for PR’s, ring it! You are going to get stronger and faster. You will accomplish things that you previously thought weren’t possible. Be happy!

3) ]Don’t Stop, you are not Going to Catch your Breath

It may sound odd, however it happens to me quite often. I am in the middle of doing a WOD and I feel like if I just got ten or fifteen seconds, I could catch my breath and then finish out. It doesn’t happen and instead my time is a lot longer. Just keep going, try not to stop.

2) Nutrition is Just as More Important than Exercise

Proper Nutrition is the Foundation

The image above shows that nutrition is the foundation. GIGO. Garbage In, Garbage Out. Changes to your diet such as following Paleo will result in quicker and bigger gains. You are asking your body to do more so don’t you need better fuel?

1) Listen to Your Trainer

Your trainer wasn’t born knowing all of the movements and lifts. They made mistakes and learned the correct form. Listen to them. They want to make sure you get a quality workout and are not injured.

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Back from Vacation and Back on Whole Life Challenge

We are back from our week long celebration of my brother in law’s wedding, and the ridiculous amount of eating and drinking that went along with the celebration. I think we did pretty well. We had a lot of fun and didn’t go too overboard. We did still work out while we were away. We are both back on the clean eating wagon and are both very thankful for it!

This week’s WOD’s were challenging after being away. I did set a PR on my front squat with 270 lbs which is nice.  I didn’t follow on my advice from “Cleans and Snatches”, https://crossfitrook.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/197/ yesterday though. I didn’t get under the bar and paid the price in regards to the amount of time it took to complete the WOD.

I did notice a difference this week when I ate something before the WOD. I ate hard boiled eggs, fruit, almonds…not all at once on the same day. It helped quite a bit and I noticed I had more energy.

Week’s WOD’s:

Monday:

PC 8×3 reps OTM (65%) 115lbs

then
3 sets
10 Pistols Alternating (use the video in continuing education to scale)
10 Pull Ups (Bands)
10 OH Squats 95/65

Tuesday:

5 sets
1 min AMRAP Db Push Press 40/30
1 min AMRAP Box Jumps 24/20
1 min AMRAP Burpees

204 total reps
Wednesday:

A1. Front Squat@30×1 3,2,1,1, 205. 225. 245. 270
A2. Strict Pull Ups 8-10 reps; add weight if necessary

then
B1. Kettlebell Swings 3 sets x 15 reps; rest 30 sec 2 pood
B2. GHD Sit Ups 15 reps x 3 sets; rest 30 sec

Thursday:

20 Ring Push Ups
10 Deadlfit 245
20 HSPU
10 Clean 155/105
20 Ring Dips
10 Snatch 95/65

Friday:

3 five minute sets for reps(including double unders)
Airdyne (cal) 45 sec
Slam Ball 45 sec
50 Double Unders
rest remaining time

then
Tabata Sit Ups

then
Tabata Kipping Pull Ups…

I’ll be taking Saturday off!

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August is Over….

August is over and so is Summer. Flew by this year to say the least. It seems like it was the middle of June and then all of a sudden, it is Labor Day. It is fine because Fall is my favorite time of year. No humidity and football is on.

So, what did I learn during the last two weeks?

I did six days in a row with no rest. Paid the price on Sunday. I was beat. I won’t be doing that again.

I did better at Cindy. For some reason that one seems like it won’t be bad and then after three rounds you realize it just got real.

I was happy with the 145lb stone work. That was the heaviest I had done.

We are now getting ready for the Whole Life Challenge which starts in two weeks. So you know what that means! A little unhealthy living. Nothing too crazy. Chipotle….corn chips and rice. Look out!

https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/

56 Days of fish, meat, chicken, vegetables, avocados, a little fruit, some nuts….and that’s about it.

None of this…

None of this:

Five Guys Burger and Fries

WOD’s:

1)

12 min AMRAP
2 EROM HSPU* (used 45lb plates to get lower)
4 TGU Right 16/12kg
4 TGU Left 16/12kg

2)

5 sets
3 Heavy Bench Press; rest 10 sec (225 -275lb)
30 Russian Kb Swings; rest 5 min (1.5 pood)

then
5 sets
5 Hang Power Clean; rest 10 sec (135lb)
30 Push Ups; rest 5min

3)

Two Rounds:

Teams of 4 – 2 guys, 2 girls ..One guy and one girl may work at a time.

150 DUs or 300 Singles

80 Pushups

60 DL- 135, 95

40- Ring Rows

10 – Sled Pushes-30 m – 2 people must push sled

4)

5 rds for time
10 CTB Pull Ups
30 Air Squat
Row 300/250m

5)

3 sets
90 sec Tire Flips(Heavy Enough to get 2-3 flips) partner 700lb tire
90 sec Box Jumps On Tire
rest 3 min

then
3 sets
60 sec Viper Press 95lbs 7-10 reps per round
60 sec Burpees
rest 2 min

7)

A1. Back Squat@30×1; 3 reps x 5 sets; rest 10 sec (265lb)
A2. Weighted Pull Ups@21×1; 5 reps x 5 sets; rest 10
A3. Jumping AirSquats x 15 reps; rest 2 min

then
B1. Double Unders 30 reps x 3 sets; rest 20 sec
B2. Ab Mat Sit Ups 15 reps x 3 sets; rest 20 sec

8)

10 sets
Row or AirDyne
30 sec @100%
30 sec Easy(50%)

185 calories on the AirDyne

9)

15 Axel Deadlift 205 pounds
9 HSPU
12 Axel Deadlift 205 pounds
15 HSPU
9 Axel Deadlift 205 pounds
21 HSPU

used a switch grip and probably should have done double overhand….

10)

4 Rounds

3 Hang Squat Cleans
7 Strict T2B
10 Kb Goblet Squats 2 Pood
Run 200m
Rest 1:1

11)

Workout of the Day
Power Snatch
2-2-2-2-2; rest 2 min (135-145lb)

then
5 sets
PP 3 reps; rest 20 sec (185)
Kb Swings Unbroken 12 reps; rest 60 sec (2 pood)

then
Prowler Suicide

12)

Cindy
20 min AMRAP
5 Pull Ups
10 Push Ups
15 Air Squats

10 full rounds. PR.

13)

Stone to Shoulder – Technique

20 Min Amrap

10 Partner Stone to Shoulder-Alternating Partners 145lb stone

50 Feet Bear Crawl….not bear claws which would have tasted much better…..

 

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First Week of April

It has been a good week. Lots of fun WOD’s to say the least. The toughest one of the week was:

75 KB Swings 1.5

150 Double Unders

75 Overhead squats 95#

I did 450 singles because I am still unable to string together double unders. The OHS were at 65# because for some reason I can’t hold 95lbs over my damn head.

Fun WOD:

5 sets
Farmers Carry 300ft 45 on each side
250m Sprint(M: 1:45 and under, W: 2:00 under pace)
rest:work equal

My shoulders are still sore from the farmer’s carry.

I did a hit new PR by dead lifting 405 for two. I could have gone a little heavier, and next time I will.

Pretty clean food week as well. A burger and a couple of beers Wednesday night. Sue me. My wife was out of town and I was bachin’ it up. Really crazy, right? Victorias…wow!

I picked up some new protein and will be having a shake right after my workout  based on the suggestion from one of the trainers.

Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex: It was a little pricey however based on the description, it should be pretty good.

Uniting Whey Protein Isolates, Egg Albumen, and Hydrolyzed Proteins, and key Free Form Amino Acids, we’ve created a protein with varied digestion rates and an amino acid profile that’s off the charts. Each serving of Pro Complex APS is packed with 60 grams of the highest quality proteins commercially available. Simply put, it’s formulated to take you to the next level. 8 Premium Protein Sources Over 14,000 mg of BCAAs 10,500 mg of Glutamine. BOOM!

Time for a new pair of shoes, and I am going to let you pick.

or 

Look forward to 1) seeing how many people follow my blog and 2) which shoe gets picked.

Following is a link to a blog I have been reading. It’s funny as hell and has great pictures:

http://www.liftbigeatbig.com