Clean and Jerks

Woke up with tight calves. No surprise there. Firday, I did double unders for the first time in awhile. After the circuit, I did some additional sets of 10 DUs to work the groove. Yesterday, I did a 20min run on the roads through the neighborhood in my VFFs. Today, calves are tight. The tightness is definitely DOMS from all the increased activity. I know from experience, that this soreness is trained through. Today, I did C&Js
Movement Prep A 5@
Foam Roll 5@
CFish Warm up 10@
Olift warm-ups 5@

C&J's
135x1
165x1
185x1
200x1
215x1
225x1
235x1
240x1-Slight pressout
250xFx3.

Post Deadhangs:
17-7-4-4-4-4=40
240-250 was a big jump that I thought I could do. In hindsight, after 2 days of training, I should have not taken a 10lb jump or even just stuck to 230x1x4. In fact, as I train more conditioning I think I should drop back to trying to hit a load 4x without a miss. All of these ups and downs cause my training plan to evolve.

Tempo Run

Early morning run
20min in VFF

Post Run:
Movement Prep B 5@
Quick Circuit:
10 Back Extensions
10 GHD Sit-ups
10 1 Pood KB Swing
10 Kipping Pull-ups
10 Push-ups

Conditioning Circuit-Double Unders, C2B

Warm-Up:
200 Single Skips
Movement Prep A 5@
CFish WU:
Samson Stretch 10s@
OHS w/PVC 10x
Back Extensions 10x
GHD Sit-Ups 10x
HeSUP 10x
Swinging Kipping Pull-ups 10x
75 Single Skips

WAAAD: AMAP in 10min
10 Double Unders
3 Chest 2 Bar Pull-ups
10 Rounds

Spring is coming and with the it the desire to get some conditioning back and start training outside. Mark Twight said "training has to affect us to be effective". I agree 100%. Glassman may or may not have developed some effective training concepts, but one thing CrossFit has done is to remind us all to train hard. This circuit is 2 highly effective exercises that really affected me. I could have done 100 singles per round and 10 butterfly kips, moved smoothly through this session very effectively and "scored" the same number of rounds, but the affect and the effect would have been completely different, both pyschological and physiological. On the pysche end, I would have done moves I am comfortable with and reassured myself I am "fit", but I would not have been challenged with the desire to quit (which I was at about round 7). On the physiological, this session ended up being about power exercises, much more stressful. All in all, the dosage was on, the treatment effect was achieved.

Front Squats, Split Jerks

Front Squats
45lbsx3
135x3
225x3
255x3
275x3

Split Jerks
185x1
205x1
225x1

These weights felt heavy today. I stopped here, I had a heavier goal set, but stopped here. First time doing heavy assistance work in about 8 weeks.

KB Snatches

Movement Prep B 5@
KB Warm-up
Deadhang Pull-ups
1-2-3-4

1.5 Pood KB Snatches:
20 L arm
Rest 1min
14 L arm
Rest 1 min
20 R arm
Rest 1 min
14 R arm


Deadhang pull-ups
8-6-4-2
Between sets, I did hip prehab

Foam Roll, Stretching

Foam Roll 30s@

AIS Stretch 10count@

Various additional old school stretches: 10 each

Total time about 15min

Snatch

Movement Prep A: 5@

Olift Warm-Up: 5@

Bergener Warm-Up: 3@

Power Snatch rode to full
65x1
85x1
105x1
125x1
135x1
145x1
155xF
155x1
Power Snatch, as the weight increased I received the bar lower and lower
165x1
170x1
175x1
180x1
185x1
190x1 (by now, I was receiving the bar in a full squat)
195x1
205XF-Just lost it out front in the catch
205xF-Couldn't get under it.

I like the ideal of power snatching it and only dropping low enough to receive it. This feels very natural for me. I tend to rush getting under the bar and doing it this way, I do not even think about pulling myself under the bar, rather, I think about getting the bar overhead. I know subconsciously, I am getting low to get it overhead, but the change in mindset is working for me.

All in all happy with today's effort. Heavy snatches are really the ultimate exercise. Snatching 25lbs more then my BW makes every muscle in my body fire. There is no lift that compares.

On another note, Dave commented yesterday about Primal Blueprint's Primal exercise laws. I have not read that book, but I have found what works best for me (and I bet would work best for most of the guys I know) is to follow the template: lift heavy shit twice a week, sprint twice a weeks, play once a week and walk for awhile a few times a week. The sprint twice a week does not necessarily mean sprinting, but fast intense quick circuits or kettlebell workouts count. Play is so forgotten about. I would bet again, playing soccer, a game of ultimate Frisbee, a game of hoops will give just as much fitness as "Murph", "Eva", or any other CF named WOD that takes over 30min and pacing is necessary. Finally, I have learned that when I do the template 2 lifts, 2 sprints (brief, but intense conditioning circuits) all of those 4 workouts will be "on". When I follow a 3on, 1off or train more then this the quality of the workouts suffers and I find I am randomly "on" and randomly off. Again, I would bet others would find the same results.

Skiing with Jack

Took Jack skiing today. We had a great time at a little hill. I did not push it, but I will probably be feeling it for a few days. Good times.

Highest Order Exercises

Trying to determine the exercises that produce the most bang for he buck.

Strength
Snatch
Clean and Jerk
Thruster
Squats:OHS>BS>FS
Deadlift
Press>Bench Press
Chin-ups

Strength Endurance/Cardiovascular Endurance
KB Snatch
KB Swing
Muscle Up
Double Unders
Sprinting
Wall Ball
Kipping/Swinging C2B Pull-up
Ring Dip
Box Jumps
Burpees
Push-ups
Sit-ups
Squats
Lunges

I need to develop a lot of these. Form, consistency, then introduce them into circuits for conditioning.

I believe in the Pareto's principle applied to training. 80% of results come from 20% of the effort. HIT (I would include CF in this), ME, intervals, are the 20%. Doing these will probably get us 80% of what an elite athlete doing 100% effort. But, that 20% difference is what separates the weekend warrior from the truly elite.

KB Snatch

Movement Prep B 5@

Foam Roll 10@

KB Warm-up

1.5 Pood KB Snatches
23 L arm
Rest 1 min
11 L arm
Rest 1 min
23 R arm
Rest 1min
11 R arm

AIS stretching 10@

Snatch

Movement Prep A 5@

Olift Warm-up 5@

Snatch
65x1
85x1
105x1
125x1
135x1
145x1-Received too far forward, had to step forward
145x1-Again, received too far forward
135x1
140x1
145x1-Solid
145x1-Solid

Total lifts: 11

Need to focus on turning the bar over fast and getting strong and tight when receiving the bar. Snatch balances, hang snatches are the cure.

Kettlebell Snatch

Foam Roll 5min

Movement Prep B 5@

KB Warm-up

1.5 Pood KB Snatch

17 L arm
Rest 1min
17 L arm
Rest 1min
17 R arm
Rest 1min
17 R arm

Prehab: Hips/Shoulders 7@

Snatch

Movement Prep A 5@

PVC Olift warm-up 5@

Snatch
65x1
85x1
105x1
125x1x2
135x1
145x1x5

The first 125 and the last 145 were not solid. Bar received too forward and I had to stand up and take a step forward to save the weight. I am thinking more and more about punching the bar up in the second pull and getting completely open (triple extension), I think I am focusing too much on this and not turning the bar over fast enough, that is the reason for receiving the bar forward.

KB Snatch Training

1.5 Pood KB Snatches:

20 L arm
Rest 1 min
14 L arm
Rest 1 min
20 R arm
Rest 1 min
14 R arm
Done

This is my new SSST training protocol. It is designed to increase the number of snatches I can do with 1 arm. My hands are already feeling the snatches and KB snatches. I have been filing them and using hand cream, but may need to back down.

Snatch

Snatch Session

95x1
95x1
115x1
125x1
135x1-Power, then sat down
135x1
140x1x3-work set 70%

Hit 3 with solid technique. I may need to grip it wider.

Snatch, Sprints

Snatch:
65x1
95x1
115x1
125x1x2
135x1
140x1
145xF
145x1
150x1
155x1
165xF-Missed, right knee hit the ground.
165XF-Power snatched it and could not ride it down.

Time to check the ego and forget about load and just get the technique down. Most of these felt pretty good and were either full snatches or power snatches, immediately rode down to full squats.

Putting 185x1, sounds good, but often for me the 185 was received high, walked out, just not solid. I can get that weight consistently, but it is not pretty. I know I will quickly plateau if I do not change my mindset and get back to trying to maximize technique. The snatch is the greatest lift, when done in it's full form. Power snatches are a great exercise, split snatches are a great exercise, but full snatches are the greatest exercise.

Post Sprints:
Walk2min, run 1min gaining speed first 20s, all out middle 20s, then slowing down the last 20s, did this 5 times in VFF.

KB Snatches

Movement Prep B 5@

PVC Olift stretching 5@

Max KB Snatch 1.5 Pood
L-arm: 28
rest 1min
R-arm: 28
rest 1min
7 KB Snatch L-arm
rest 1 min
7 KB Snatch R-arm

I am going to get specific on the KB snatch training. There are many protocols out there for passing the RKC KB Snatch test (100 1.5 Pood Snatches/5min) and how to hit 200 in the SSST. I picked this one:

http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/559/?c=pbp-198&utm_nooverride=1

Today was about finding how many consecutive KB Snatches I could do with each arm. I stopped at 28 with each because that is when I thought my form was going to pot. I definitely could have "embraced the suck", and knocked out several more, but the form would have been crappy and I probably would have torn my hands. I am now a firm believer that torn hands and crappy form should be avoided. I was very surprised at how much I was pinching my hands with the 1.5 Pood. I can easily handle the 45lbs KB with minimal hand pinching. This is definitely something I need to work on.

15 Snatches

"15 Snatches"

I need to work on my snatch technique. I did this session today. I started light and added weight everytime I did a solid snatch. Most were power snatches, that I rode all the way down. I am doing these to get the most out of the second pull. Here is how the 15 broke down

65x1
75x1
75x1
95x1
115x1
125x1
135x1
145x1
155xF-too slow with the turn over
155xF-again too slow
155x1
160xF
160x1
165x1

I liked this. I plan on doing this again. It requires a little mindset changing to not focus on load, but technique.

Pat's Get "Wiry" Strong Program

Here is my program to get anyone stronger. This is designed to get you stronger, not bigger. I just read Wendler's program and it is very similar to my own. In today fitness market, it is very important to put your program out there, so when other develop a similar program you can claim they stole your program (even though this is not rocket science, and like most things sooner or later people will figure out what actually works and what does not).

This program was first developed while I was in Irag in 2003, further developed in Afghanistan in 2005 and cemented while doing CrossFit WODs from 2007-2008. Note, this is not really from CF, except that this is how I would do a strength WOD (like Press 1-1-1-1-1-1-1). It is influenced by my personal experience, Pavel's Power to the People, Dan John's 1 Lift a Day and Rippetoe's Starting Strength.
First, the program involves only the heavy mainlifts. Squats (choose either back, front, OHS), deadlifts, presses (choose bench or press) and weighted chin-ups.

Next, it is a one lift a day program and even a 1 set a day program. The entire program is summed up as being nothing more than doing 1 lift a day and doing 1 set that is new "PR" at either a 1, 3, 5 rep max (1RM,3RM,5RM). This is the goal set. Every workout has a goal...to set a new "PR".

The athlete does 1 lift a day. They will do more than 1 set, however all set proceeding the main set are meant to build momentum for the final set. They can be thought of as nothing more than warm-up sets. The progression can be based on percentages, or just 5-10 lbs depending on the load. The reps of warm-ups sets can be whatever the athlete wants. Just remember, the only thing that counts is setting a new PR in the final set. So, all warm-up sets should make you stronger for the final set.

Program Week #1- 1 Rep Max Week
Day 1: Squat: Work up to a 1 rep max in the squat
Day 2: Weighted Pull-Ups: Same as above, but for pull-up
Day 3: Press: Same as above, etc
Day 4: Deadlift: Same as above.

Week#2 3 Rep Max Week (Note Goal set should be 90-93% of 1RM)
Day 1: Squat: Building to a final goal set of 3 reps that is 90-93% of the 1RM set in week #1
Day 2: Weighted Chin-Ups: same as above
Day 3: Press, same as above
Day 4: Deadlift, same as above

Week#3 5 Rep Max Week (Note Goal set should be 85-87% of 1RM)
Day 1: Squat, again building up to a 5RM goal set at is 85-87% of weight lifted in week #1
Day 2: Weighted chins, same as above
Day 3: Press, same as above
Day 4 Deadlifts, same as above

Week #4-Rest, many programs tell you to cut the volume and intensity way down. Do whatever just keep it light and easy. Find the balance between taking the time to allow the body to recover and regenerate vs. the body shutting down from inactivity.

Week 5: 5 Rep Max week

Now go off week 3. If goal set was easy, new goal set should be 5-10lbs more. If goal set hard, but got it, goal set is 5lbs more, if on week 3 you failed to get goal set, stay at this weight)

Week 6: 3 Rep max week.

Go off weeks 2. Follow same guidance as week 5.

Week 7: 1 Rep Max week. Train up to a max single each day.

Week 8: Recovery Week.

This is an 8 week cycle that builds volume up, then back down. Every session the goal set is either more weight or more reps than the week before. The sessions can be done on consecutive days or scattered throughout the week. The program is brief, simple and this should allow for 100% compliance. Total training time less than 30min a session, including warm-up.

This whole program is based on the ideal that when you lift more weight than you previously did you are stronger. That is a simple concept, but missed by so many people. I will say it again, to get stronger you have to lift more weight. Too many people think they are advanced and need a highly complex periodization system of multiple sets at various percentages of some old 1 rep max to get stronger. The truth is that 90% of people lifting weights are no where near the levels of the advanced power lifters these programs are designed for. Further more, the central nervous system becomes very fatigued doing these type of complex programs. Keep it simple...this week lift more (either more load or more reps) than you did last week. If your rest/recovery/diet are on track, your strength gains will be too.

Finally, this is the program. Do nothing else. Do not do a mini-metcon afterwards Why? Save nothing...the last set should be 100% of everything you have. You should not have the energy for "Cindy" after truly doing a 1 rep max back squat.

If you can not "not" do a METCON then your goal is not to get stronger...but to be "fitter". Good luck with that!

A variation of this program is to combine squats/pull-up and deadlifts/presses into 1 day, then a brief, intense conditioning session the next day and rest the third day. Another approach would be do a little conditioning 4 hours after the lift. However, all training impacts other training. You want your training to be synergistic to your net workout, not destructive. For the vast majority of us with families, day jobs, life, doing a program of 3 lifts a day, 3x week with some condition sessions thrown in there is just too much volume to recover from.

This program is based on building strength in small jumps by encouraging the CNS to allow more muscle fibers to fire with each lift. Remember, the vast majority of us only use 30-50% of total available muscle fibers when lifting. The reason is our CNS shuts us down. This program, by jumping between 1,3,5 rep maxes encourages the CNS to release the brakes on muscle activation. Remember, this program is designed to take the brakes off your neuro-muscular interaction and allow more muscle fibers to be activated with each session. That is why the jumps are small and the warm-up sets are short and non taxing.

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to allow my strength program to evolve. I am not "a know it all" in strength and conditioning and neither is anyone else.

Disclaimer 2: If there are any deviations from this program, I can not guarantee the results. (This is my favorite line from internet strength programs....because there will always be deviations).

Disclaimer 3: I, of course, do not do this program because no one writing internet programs actually does their own workout (or for that matter, most people running a CF box do not do the workout they program for their clients).

Conditioning Circuit

Conditioning Circuits

4 Circuits
Exercise/Reps per round

1.5 Pood KB Swings L arm/20,15,10,5
1.5 Pood KB Swings R arm/20,15,10,5
Push-ups/40/30/20/10
Bench Sit-ups (aka GHD sit-ups)/20,15,10,5

Did not keep time. Goal was to have solid form on all exercises and do all subsets unbroken. The KB swings are coming along fine. I am really feeling the swing and hip snap, as well as the hike pass. This is a great exercise to build up to the KB snatch. Push-up hurt, my capacity there has gone down. Bench Sit-ups are described by John Jesse in Encyclopedia of Wrestling Conditioning (1974). He also describes about 95% of other "familiar" exercises in this book. Just goes to show, nothing is new, just marketed in a different way.

The dosages for this session were spot on. I thought about using the 2 Pood KB, but knew this would probably be too much, resulting in poor form and I would end up slinging the KB up. I also thought about adding volume to the bench sit-ups, but I have not done those in awhile and I did not want this to become a bench sit-up session with some swings and push-up thrown in.

Foam Roll, Stretching

22min of foam rolling and stretching tonight. I need to put more time into flexibility. As Jesse says..."strength, endurance and flexibility" are the base on which all other athletic elements are built.

Snatch

Movement Prep A 5@
Hip Pre-had 5@
Olift Stretch 5@

Power Snatch (in lbs)
75x1
95x1
115x1
135x1
145x1
155x1
165x1
175x1
180x1x3

Filmed session. I am landing with my feet too narrow. I may be starting the pull with feet too wide and not jumping them apart enough, this leads to a less stable base in the catch. Also, watch the second pull, I need to make sure I punch up with my hips, not up and forward. Cues for next snatch session....jump straight up and land with feet wide. I landed the heavier weights slightly above parallel.

Yoga, Pull-Ups, Get-ups

20min Yoga focus on hips

Pull-Ups Pyramids:
1-2-3-4-5x3
6:40

I am done timing these. No point beyond...observable, measurable..yada. I am doing these to build my pull-up capacity, not do pull-ups as fast as possible. When the clock starts, I can not help by race it, I think we all do. Unfortunately, technique always suffers, it suffers for everyone trying to do something fast. So, I am done timing these. Good pull-ups, never start a subset I can not finish, deadhang, complete stop between reps. That is the standard, not doing 25 in 23secs.

Get-ups: 5min with 45lbs bell.

KB Swings/Jump Rope

Program Minimum #1

For 12min:
Alternate KB Swings
Jump Rope-100

I did around 300 swings with the 45lbs KB. All but the first 100 were 1 arm.

Master's Weightlifting

I had a good time lifting on Saturday. I competed in the master's 77kg class. I was the only lifter in the class, so I competed against myself, which is about right because I really was only competing against myself. Weightlifting is a great sport. That is right, a sport, where one competes in meets. Singlets are optional.

Master's Weightlifting is a interesting thing. First, it is obviously done by old men (over the age 35). 35 is pretty young compared to the 70 year olds lifting and one should still see strength gains until their 40s, so why start it so young? The reason...because the sport of Master's Weightlifting is all about competing against/with people who are at the same point in their lives . What does "at the same point in their lives" mean? It means they have day jobs, families, commitments that prevent them from doing the 20+ hours/week of Bulgarian programing required to compete in the open division. There is no age limit to competing in the open division, that is still an option and for those who can train 20hours a week, it is probably where they should be competing anyway.

The next great thing about master's is everyone is just excited to lift with other people. Since most of us have day jobs, we all tend to train at home either alone or with one other. So, when you get together with others...it is great. Within in the first 30seconds of meeting another master weightlifter you will be asked "what are you opening with?" Note, this has to be declared at weigh-in. Your answer will immediately tell them if you are actual competition. After this moment, the competition is essentially over and the commardarie takes over.

I would like to see more people take up Master's Weightlifting. Weightlifting is the best single thing to do with a barbell. Period. It is by far the hardest thing to do. Why not do it? Why not try your hand at the hardest thing to be done with a barbell. I do not know what I can deadlift, I do not care what I can low bar back squat, bench press, etc. I know I can snatch approximately 8kg more then I weigh...and I can do this on a platform, under the lights, when it counts.

Pull-Ups/Get-Ups

Deadhang Pull-Ups:

1-2-3-4-5x3

Done over about 10min, between subsets and sets, I did dynamic range of motion and PVC olift stretching.

5min Get-Ups with 45lbs KB

Did not feel super strong in these

Deadhang Pull-Ups:

1-2-3-4-5x2

This morning was all right, still recovering a little bit from Saturday. Looking forward to doing more kettlebell work.