Rowing Technique Day

Did some rowing technique drills today
x2
Row with arms, 45s, rest 15s
Row with hips opening 45s, rest 15s,
Row from 1/2 stroke, 45s rest 15
Full Stroke 1min

I did one 500M, in 1:54. I did not go all out, just trying to get the technique down.

Here are some websites to check out:
http://www.maxfitusa.com/
http://www.dutchlowy.com/blog/

10 rounds for time of:
10 Pull-ups
10 Ring dips

11:49

Still feeling Linda from yesterday. I did the first 5rounds in 4min, then it got hard. My back, especially lats are sore from Linda. I think Linda is a WOD that should be done very infrequently.

On another note, I have found a new favorite blog. It is Dutch Lowry blog. It is full of his thoughts with some awesome tips. On post was on the cost of doing certain WODs and the effect that recovering from those WODs has on future performance. I thought about Linda yesterday. I wanted to do it, had the time, did with full effort, I know it will probably take a few more days before I am stronger from it. But, I knew I had a few days to recover. Another place I am spending a lot of free time is CrossFit Balboa, and from that maxfitusa.com. If I was going to following another CF program, it would be maxfit.

"Linda"

"Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

1.5x BW Deadlift- 255lbs
1x BW Bench Press- 170lbs
0.75x BW Clean- 125lbs

23:56

Linda is hard!

CF Will County WOD

Went to CF Will County, an affiliate about 10miles from my house. I went with my friend Jason. We did their WOD, then played on the rings and with snatches

WOD:

6 Rnds of Tabata Push-ups
20-20-20-20-20-13:113

3 Rnds for time:
200 Single Jumps
50 Sqt
20 K2E
10:30

Then we did some snatch work. In the end, I split snatched 165, missed 175. Not bad considering it was post WOD. On the rings, we just played with muscle-up to skin the cat, L-sits and levers. Good times.

Row 500Mx3

Row 500M x3

1:56
1:55
1:54

Rested as needed to catch my breathe. Rowing is hard! The lightbulb for this session was to pull less with the arms, more with the back.

CFHQ WOD-Front Squats

Front Squats
3-3-3-3-3
135-185-225-255-275

Here is the 275.


I need to work on keeping my elbows and chest up on the rise. I weighed 172 prelift. I was going to do a FS ME day today and saw it came up.

METCON KB-G

For time:
50 1.5 Pood KB Snatches
10Rnds of Cindy
50 1.5 Pood KB Snatches

13:35

A med duration (10-15min) METCON. I am happy with effort, had to break up the last 30 KB snathes.

Skill Work-Double Unders, MUs

I had a good night last night. A lot of corned beef, beer and good times. I am not in the zone today, so I focused on some skill work

Double unders: about 25min of mixing singles, doubles just trying to get the timing of jumping and spinning down. I need a huge amount of work in these

Muscle-ups: Hung the rings from my attic. I just worked on stringing them together, trying to get elbows in. I did about 20 or so.

M-G Rowing/L-ups HSPU

Did this at work today

Row 500M- 2:07, without foot straps
10-8-6-4-2
L Chin-ups
HSPU
Row 500M- 1:57, used foot straps

I did not keep time, but did move from 1 to the next with about 5-10s between exercises, HSPU and L-chins unbroken.

Good quick WOD at the gym at work.

Rowing/Push-Ups

3 Rounds for time:
Row 500M
50 Push-ups
10:42

My row splits were around 2min/500M. This is a new area for me and I need to work on this skill.

Weighted Chin-ups

Total workout today:
Warm-up
10-15
Hip/Back Extension
Kipping Pull-ups
GHD SIt-ups
Ring Dips

OHS/Stretch-this was from Beyer's blog.

Weighted Chins
+35lbs
+55lbs
+70lbs
+88lbs
+105lbs
+115lbs-chin hit bar
+123lbs-again chin hit bar, I will not count this. My PR is +115 (I think)

These felt good until the last 2. I have not done these in awhile, so I do not know if I should be bummed that I did not hit a PR, or happy I am still at my previous PR. A side note, I did ME bench last month, hit 285lbs. My weight is about 172lbs, so that plus +110-120 range makes me equal in bench and weighted chins.

Not for time:
50 2 Pood KB Snatches broken up: 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 5-5, 8-8
I am happy I was able to snatch the heavier bell. All in all good session, happy with lifts.

Run 5k

Run 5k
24 and some change.

I was going well, on pace to set a PR, my PR is 22:30. I was running with my dog, at about 20min, he sat up. I was pulling him, and stopped. He is getting older and I did not think he had a PR in him today, though I am happy with my pace.

Post:
100 Sit-ups: 2:00, unbroken

CFHQ WOD "JT"

"JT"

21-15-9
Handstand Push-ups
Ring Dips
Push-up

9:50

I do not know what my previous times in this were. I did "kipping" ring dips, as taught by Chris Speal in the Boz and Todd Show, but do not tell Jeff Tucker this. Anyone else get what I am talking about?

Clean and Jerk

Clean and Jerk

CFWU
10,15
OHS 45#
Pull-ups
GHD Sit-ups
HSPU

Clean and Jerks
135
155
175
195
205
215 (previous PR)
220-Failed x2

Everything felt fine until 220, I could not get it set for the jerk.

CFHQ WOD 070207 "Jackie"

Wednesday 070207
"Jackie"

For time:
1000 meter Row-Sub'd 100 SHDP with 2 Pood KB
45 pound Thruster, 50 reps
30 Pull-ups

11:30

Everything was broken. I do not know how much sub'ing 100 SDHP with the 2 Pood effected my time. Lately, I have been lacking the ability to turn it and push through the METCONs.

CFHQ WOD 070206

070206
4 rounds for time of:
20 pound Wallball, 25 shots- Sub'd 25 DB Thrusters, 25lbs DB
Walking lunges, 100 feet -40 steps
15 foot Rope climb, 3 ascents- Sub'd 45 Chin-up/rnd

23:20

This took longer then I thought. I should really be adding about 25% to the time I think I will take. This was a tough WOD, worked the metabolic capacity for about 23min, so that was good. The thrusters and walking lunges were unbroken, many breaks on the chins, most done in sets of 5. Still, if anyone told me 2 years ago I would be doing 180 chin-ups in a workout I would not believe them.

As humans we tend to believe stuff we read before what we here or even say or even experience. The written thought tends to be believed. Missionaries knew this, so they were quick to print/write their version of religion and then read it to the pagans/infidels/savages/gentiles/etc. They knew if they read their beliefs it would be excepted as true more then if they just spoke them.

When I was in grad school I had a great physiology professor. He would on sometimes tell us something that was the exact opposite of what was said in our text book. He would say "yeah, I know what Guyton was getting at, I do not believe that line of thought". He was not trying to be egotistical , he just did not believe it. He had a PhD in physiology and said a "PhD" just gives you the right to not necessarily believe what is written in the "books" by other PhD.

Three things happened in my "CrossFit" world last week that got me thinking about this. First, on Steve's blog, he did 1-1-1-1-1 for 1RM deadlift. He did ascending sets hitting 435, then failed at 445. This was a strong effort as very solid PR and I think it was the most weight Steve had ever lifted. Someone commented that he did 1-1-1-1-1 wrong. It was supposed to be the same weight across. Really, why because this someone read it somewhere? Some people may chose to do that, while others do not. That is why we if we read enough we see both the terms "sets across" and "ascending sets". Wow, there are indeed 2 different ways to do 1-1-1-1-1!

Next, on Robb Wolf's blog he wrote about his chicken salad being a zone/paleo meal where CHO blocks were dropped and fat blocks added. His picture of the salad showed cheese. Now someone commented..."cheese, that is not paleo, how could you eat that!" In both of these instances, people were unable to let go of beliefs and see that there is another way to do things.

Finally, Tony B explained CF new fitness model last week. He spoke about how CrossFit is committed to finding the best path to fitness. CF is not necessarily 100% behind randomize, functional movement performed at high intensity or the zone-paleo diet. CrossFit, just believes, at this moment that the best way to achieve fitness is randomized function movement performed at high intensity and the best approach to diet is a paleo diet eaten in Zone portions. Tony B (and Greg Glassman) have both said that if a better system/diet comes along they will abandon their current system and adopt that one. In fact, Tony B said he would like to see the CrossFit games become the "battle ground" of various fitness/diet programs.

I am aware that many people will not challenge the written word. They read it, believe it, that settles it. These are the people who do not get that it does not matter whether you do ascending sets or sets across. They can not accept that they may be wrong or that others may not share their view. They make a crusade out of it. I see this as having a weak foundation of knowledge and understanding. If the ideal that Robb Wolf eats cheese is that alarming to you, well my friend I just do not think you get it.

Lastly, in medicine there is the ideal half of what you believe today will be thought of as absolutely wrong in 7 years. The half life of medical knowledge is 7 years. Think about what kind of training you were doing 7 years ago? Even look at CF programming from 7 years ago. Some is the same, some is different. Everything is in a current state of evolution. 7 years ago I am sure we all thought what were doing was the best way, but do you believe that now? Are you so 100% committed to your current beliefs that you can not accept that they maybe wrong? Well, you do not need a PhD to question something, just question it, challenge it, who knows you might be right...or wrong, but you never know until you challenge it.

Tony B empowered us all to challenge CrossFit for the good of CrossFit. He said...do kettlebells, if it works great. Do paleo or do zone or do whatever. What I like best about CrossFit is it is not dogmatic. It is a community of free thinking exercise enthusiasts, that is why it is referred to as an open source model.

I really enjoy everyone's blogs. It is the best way to both challenge and document the effectiveness of CrossFit/SS/CA/KBs, what ever. I would like to see "free thinking" less preaching.

CFHQ WOD 070205 Back Squats

070205
Back squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps

135x5
225x5
255x5
275x5
295x5 (belt)
315x4, 5 rep I did not touch pad

All squats were arse to 11" pad, except final rep of 315. This 315x4 is a PR. Pendlay HD bar used.

Post Cookie
30-20-10
2 Pood KB Swings (unbroken)
Rings Dips (many breaks)
6:30

CFHQ WOD 070203 30 MUs

Saturday 070203
30 Muscle-ups for time

Post time to comments.

9:40

A few seconds slower then my PR. This was done from my pull-up bar, rings hanging about 14" from bar, about 5' off the ground.

CFHQ WOD 070208

070202
For time:
225 pound Deadlift, 21 reps
Run 800 meters
225 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
Run 800 meters
225 pound Deadlift, 9 reps
Run 800 meters

15:07

For the record, I did not do this one "as Rx'd". I ran then lifted. I think I would have been a little faster if I would have read the directions. Oh well

Ran on treadmill 1% incline. This was harder then I thought. All deads were unbroken, but the runs sucked. I gassed hard after the second set of deads, I was just under 9min, I had to drop the treadmill speed to 6mph and catch my breathe.

KB Snatches, Pull-ups

21-15-9

1.5 Pood Kettlebell Snatch L arm
1.5 Pood Kettlebell Snatch R arm
Pull-ups

7:53

There are a few videos of Greg A doing this just under 5min. I saw him do and it was a goal of mine to do. Now, it is to do it faster. This crushed my grip. I did it just under 6min but it was with the 35lb bell.

Snatch

I did a snatch workout today with my new HD bar. The bar felt nice, the snatches all right.

First, I did some snatch balance, landing in a split position.
115-135-155-175(missed)

Then I did some split snatches,

115-135-155 missed.

I video these, then switched to squat snatches.

135x4
145x4
155x3
165-missed

I video all these and noticed a few things I need to work on. First, not rounding my back, I am doing that in all of them. Next, hitting the double knee bend and keeping my arms straight. I am pulling with my arms and not maximizing my hip strength to elevate the bar up. I am receiving the bar behind me, this I need to work big time on. All in all, I have a lot of "homework" for my snatch.

Yesterday's FGB was an eye opener. I need to work on several things. First, WODs over 10min. My first round was fine, I just gassed hard in the second and third. Sure, some was the flu, but I am selecting WODs that fit into my schedule (less then 10min). I excel at the short intense WODs and heavy singles. My weakness is the longer WOD, FGB and Filthy 50. I need to consider this when programing.

I finally built a box for jumps. It is about 20" high, so I can now work on those. My plan is to follow my own program for the next few weeks. I will be looking to ths archives for ideals. I plan on subing wall ball for 1.5 pood KB snatches and rows for KB swings. I also have a few METCONs using the bells that I want to try. I will do some remedial work on my snatch too. Nothing too heavy, less then 145lbs for now. I am also open to suggestions to improve my FGB score.