Pretty exhausted today. Definitely lacking sleep and need to fix that...
Strength: Jerk
53 (3) - 73 (2) - 98(1)-108(1)-118 quit
All I have to say is AHHHHHHH!!!! So damn frustrating! I was looking forward to tackling the jerk 1RM and hoping to get around 145 today. But that hand apparently wasn't dealt to me. I took some time before the wod to do a little extra stretching and mobility with my shoulders, thinking I should warm them up for some heavy lifts overhead. That was apparently the worst thing I could've done to my shoulders. I think I really jinxed myself last week by saying I was finally starting to enjoy the Jerk and felt comfortable with them...fuck. My warm up set at 53 I started to feel pinching in BOTH my shoulders, normally it's the right one, so this was really upsetting. Did a couple at 73, still there. Did my first rep at 98, yep still there. Grabbed the ball and started rolling on it hoping that would help. Did 108....still there. Racked 118, dip slight drive and just dropped it. Felt the pinching and decided it wasn't worth it. I have absolutely no idea where this came from. I haven't had this shoulder issue for MONTHS!!!! The only thing we could think of is that extra stretching and mobility I did beforehand. The last few times where we've done Jerk as the strength at heavy weights, I felt great, no pinching, nothing. Sunday I did a wod with 15 jerks at 95 and did extras after and they felt fine. So I'm convincing myself that I over stretched my shoulders and that I've just been used to them being tighter when I lift, and that's why the pinching started. Fingers crossed, that's all it was...since the Open starts in 23 days, that's definitely not what I need...
WOD:
4 Rounds:
20 jumping lunges
10 Pull-ups
4:28
My quads were still rocked from yesterday so the jumping lunges were rough, especially the third round. Pull-ups felt great, which is awesome considering my shoulder. But if I remember correctly, it's only the Jerk that hurts my shoulder when this happens...Chris said my pull-ups looked great and were the best he's seen me do, so I guess the dead hangs are helping! Overall, good wod, hoping to get more pull-ups strung together again.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Oh Hey Cleans!
I've been distracted from blogging lately. Needless to say, I've been extremely busy. This weekend, inclduing Friday, since I took a sick day, I was home for a total of about 2.5 hours. And during that time included an hour and a half nap on Saturday and showers. So I'm pretty tired these days. School is a lot of time and work, and I need to catch up already. eek. Anyway, I trained Thursday, Friday and Sunday mornings. All felt great, I feel like all the lifts I'm really get the technique down, just need to up the weights!
Monday Strength:
Clean 1(70% of 1RM)-1(77%)-1(85%)-1(93%)-1(100+%)
100-110-122-133-145PR!
I was super excited to get after the cleans today. I feel like the movement is very fluid and I'm dropping under the bar really well. All the sets felt great and then I got to my last rep and was debating how high to go. My previous 1RM from about 2 weeks ago was 143. I was struggling to stand 145 up that night, mainly due to exhaustion. So I decided to get after the 145 and not increase by too much. A PR is a PR! My first two attempts I failed, both of them I was out front and my elbows weren't coming through fast enough. I decided to give it one more go and everything was great. I dropped under the bar quick, my elbows came through and my squat even felt a little stronger. I think I have a little more in me, but I really want to start training my squat because right now I think that's really going to be my limiting factor. Hey DB, let's start that squat therapy! :)
WOD:
Tabata Row for Calories - 58 calories
Tabata Thrusters (45/33) - 87
Total 145
I was pretty excited about the clean PR, so I didn't go too hard on the row. I was trying to keep a hard pull, but somewhat quick pace. I was shooting for around 60 cal, so I'm pretty pleased with that. Thrusters I was trying to keep 12 reps a round, but that lasted the first 3 rounds then it was 10 and 11 for the following rounds. My hip flexors/psoas have been pretty tight the last few weeks with all the squatting, so I really need to add in some more mobility for those!
Monday Strength:
Clean 1(70% of 1RM)-1(77%)-1(85%)-1(93%)-1(100+%)
100-110-122-133-145PR!
I was super excited to get after the cleans today. I feel like the movement is very fluid and I'm dropping under the bar really well. All the sets felt great and then I got to my last rep and was debating how high to go. My previous 1RM from about 2 weeks ago was 143. I was struggling to stand 145 up that night, mainly due to exhaustion. So I decided to get after the 145 and not increase by too much. A PR is a PR! My first two attempts I failed, both of them I was out front and my elbows weren't coming through fast enough. I decided to give it one more go and everything was great. I dropped under the bar quick, my elbows came through and my squat even felt a little stronger. I think I have a little more in me, but I really want to start training my squat because right now I think that's really going to be my limiting factor. Hey DB, let's start that squat therapy! :)
WOD:
Tabata Row for Calories - 58 calories
Tabata Thrusters (45/33) - 87
Total 145
I was pretty excited about the clean PR, so I didn't go too hard on the row. I was trying to keep a hard pull, but somewhat quick pace. I was shooting for around 60 cal, so I'm pretty pleased with that. Thrusters I was trying to keep 12 reps a round, but that lasted the first 3 rounds then it was 10 and 11 for the following rounds. My hip flexors/psoas have been pretty tight the last few weeks with all the squatting, so I really need to add in some more mobility for those!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Catch up
Little behind on the blog. Been crazy busy with school work, work, and the gym. So catching up on Monday and Tuesday’s work at the gym.
Monday Strength
Push Press 3(63% of 1RM)-3(70%)-3(77%)-3(85%)-3(93%) *Current 1RM = 121#
76-85-93-103-113
Haven’t worked on push press as a strength in a long time, so the heavier weights were a little difficult. Up until the fourth set everything felt good. Kept the core and butt tight and everything engaged, small dip and drive. The last two sets were pretty hard. Mainly the last one, definitely had to take a couple breaths in between reps and get situated. Failed on the 3rd and final rep in the last set, so only ended up with 2. I used CT’s wrist straps and they really helped with the heavier sets. I think I’m going to have to invest in a pair of those.
Monday WOD:
21-15-9
Box Jumps (24”/20”) *I used 24”
Pull-ups *I cut the reps in half to 11-7-5 and did dead hangs on the blue band
9:09
Pretty embarrassing. I’m trying to use the 24” box in most WODs, since that’s what HQ has been leading towards for the females in competitions. Pull-ups are a completely different story. Like I said in a post previously, during pull-up wods I’m trying to cut the reps in half and do dead hangs. Trying to work on gaining some more strength in my shoulders, but geez is this pathetic and embarrassing. I think I got 4 on the first set then it was maybe 2 then it was 1’s and I called myself on plenty of no reps, and probably should’ve called myself on even a few more. So I did quite a few of extra pulls in all the sets. I definitely wish I would’ve started this sooner, or have been dedicating the time I need to, and done them before or after class. Regardless, I’m glad I’m doing it, my height on my kipping pull-ups is better and I’m stringing along more, so I’m getting there.
Tuesday Strength
Snatch 3(63% of 1RM)-3(70%)-3(77%)-3(85%)-3(93%) *Current 1RM = 110#
69-77-85-94-102
I have to say, I’m really happy with how my technique has improved over the months on this lift. I feel like I’ve got a pretty solid form down and now just have to get some more weight overhead. Going to have to really train my squat. First 4 sets were great. Tight bar path, everything was coming up together – not my butt first, high pull, and dropping under the bar really quick. The last set my first two attempts I failed. The first one I was forward and caught it on my toes. The second I caught it really far back and fell backwards. Then finally the next 3 were right in between those and perfect lifts. A couple of them I felt a little wobbly at the bottom, so I made sure to steady myself, then stand it. Excited to get after a new PR with this one!
Tuesday’s WOD
500m row then,
3 rounds:
5 ring dips *purple band
10 Toes to Bar
15 Wall Ball Shots (20/14)
Then, 500m row
9:53
My strength took a little while, so I was in the last heat for this one. My main goal was just to get after it. I knew my T2B were going to slow me down, so I had to make sure my dips and wall balls were unbroken, which they were. Toes to bar definitely slowed me down, but I was able to get more of a kip going today than usual. So that was a good thing. The last row Brandon was on my tail and caught up to me even though he started 30 seconds behind me. So I went after the first 300m hard with a 1:50 pace and crashed the last 200m with a 2:05 pace. Ugly. Oh well, I felt pretty good with the time. Just need to get that kip down and one of these days get my unassisted ring dips!
Monday Strength
Push Press 3(63% of 1RM)-3(70%)-3(77%)-3(85%)-3(93%) *Current 1RM = 121#
76-85-93-103-113
Haven’t worked on push press as a strength in a long time, so the heavier weights were a little difficult. Up until the fourth set everything felt good. Kept the core and butt tight and everything engaged, small dip and drive. The last two sets were pretty hard. Mainly the last one, definitely had to take a couple breaths in between reps and get situated. Failed on the 3rd and final rep in the last set, so only ended up with 2. I used CT’s wrist straps and they really helped with the heavier sets. I think I’m going to have to invest in a pair of those.
Monday WOD:
21-15-9
Box Jumps (24”/20”) *I used 24”
Pull-ups *I cut the reps in half to 11-7-5 and did dead hangs on the blue band
9:09
Pretty embarrassing. I’m trying to use the 24” box in most WODs, since that’s what HQ has been leading towards for the females in competitions. Pull-ups are a completely different story. Like I said in a post previously, during pull-up wods I’m trying to cut the reps in half and do dead hangs. Trying to work on gaining some more strength in my shoulders, but geez is this pathetic and embarrassing. I think I got 4 on the first set then it was maybe 2 then it was 1’s and I called myself on plenty of no reps, and probably should’ve called myself on even a few more. So I did quite a few of extra pulls in all the sets. I definitely wish I would’ve started this sooner, or have been dedicating the time I need to, and done them before or after class. Regardless, I’m glad I’m doing it, my height on my kipping pull-ups is better and I’m stringing along more, so I’m getting there.
Tuesday Strength
Snatch 3(63% of 1RM)-3(70%)-3(77%)-3(85%)-3(93%) *Current 1RM = 110#
69-77-85-94-102
I have to say, I’m really happy with how my technique has improved over the months on this lift. I feel like I’ve got a pretty solid form down and now just have to get some more weight overhead. Going to have to really train my squat. First 4 sets were great. Tight bar path, everything was coming up together – not my butt first, high pull, and dropping under the bar really quick. The last set my first two attempts I failed. The first one I was forward and caught it on my toes. The second I caught it really far back and fell backwards. Then finally the next 3 were right in between those and perfect lifts. A couple of them I felt a little wobbly at the bottom, so I made sure to steady myself, then stand it. Excited to get after a new PR with this one!
Tuesday’s WOD
500m row then,
3 rounds:
5 ring dips *purple band
10 Toes to Bar
15 Wall Ball Shots (20/14)
Then, 500m row
9:53
My strength took a little while, so I was in the last heat for this one. My main goal was just to get after it. I knew my T2B were going to slow me down, so I had to make sure my dips and wall balls were unbroken, which they were. Toes to bar definitely slowed me down, but I was able to get more of a kip going today than usual. So that was a good thing. The last row Brandon was on my tail and caught up to me even though he started 30 seconds behind me. So I went after the first 300m hard with a 1:50 pace and crashed the last 200m with a 2:05 pace. Ugly. Oh well, I felt pretty good with the time. Just need to get that kip down and one of these days get my unassisted ring dips!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Pitiful Dead lifts...
Woke up pretty tired today, but sure glad it was Thursday because that's one more day closer to Friday! :)
I went in to the gym a little early to get my back squat strength in from Monday.
Back Squat:
5 @ 102
5 @ 117
5 @ 130
5 @ 142
5 @ 157
My hips and PSOAS were super tight today, so squatting felt kind of off today... Tried stretching it out and rolling on the ball, but I think it's going to take a lot of mobility to loosen them up. The other part that sucks about sitting at a desk all day! Aside from the tightness, the weight felt good. 5th rep on the last set was a bit of a struggle, but overall great.
Strength: Jerk
5 @ 77
5 @ 88
5 @ 98
5 @ 108
5 @ 119
We haven't worked on the Jerk in a long time. In the past this has been my least favorite lift, but today I felt pretty good with it. I felt like I was dropping under the bar really well and I didn't feel the pinching in my right shoulder like I tend to with the jerk. The last two sets were definitely heavy. I failed the 5th rep in the last set, my wrists just gave out. But aside from that rep, they all felt really good.
WOD:
7 rounds of:
7 Deadlifts (225/155)
7 Lateral Bar hops
5:46??
Disappointed is all I can say about this one...My DL's were awful. The first two rounds were touch and go and my back was set and felt great. Third round, I did three and had to drop the bar because I felt my back tense up and I started to get cautious. So I started doing single reps on out. I just felt my back getting tighter and tighter. It wasn't a pain or a pinch, it was just tight. For some reason every time there are heavier deads in a wod, this always happens. I worked with Chris after the wod to figure out what to do, so I'm going to have to practice with my form a little more. My butt tends to come up first, so I'm going to have to work on bringing my knees back. ugh. Super frustrating. Once I got frazzled, I lost track of what round I was on. So I'm not sure if I did 6 or 7 or 8 rounds. I did an extra round after my 5:46 time, focusing on my back. So who knows. Definitely not my best performance and my deads definitely need work!
I went in to the gym a little early to get my back squat strength in from Monday.
Back Squat:
5 @ 102
5 @ 117
5 @ 130
5 @ 142
5 @ 157
My hips and PSOAS were super tight today, so squatting felt kind of off today... Tried stretching it out and rolling on the ball, but I think it's going to take a lot of mobility to loosen them up. The other part that sucks about sitting at a desk all day! Aside from the tightness, the weight felt good. 5th rep on the last set was a bit of a struggle, but overall great.
Strength: Jerk
5 @ 77
5 @ 88
5 @ 98
5 @ 108
5 @ 119
We haven't worked on the Jerk in a long time. In the past this has been my least favorite lift, but today I felt pretty good with it. I felt like I was dropping under the bar really well and I didn't feel the pinching in my right shoulder like I tend to with the jerk. The last two sets were definitely heavy. I failed the 5th rep in the last set, my wrists just gave out. But aside from that rep, they all felt really good.
WOD:
7 rounds of:
7 Deadlifts (225/155)
7 Lateral Bar hops
5:46??
Disappointed is all I can say about this one...My DL's were awful. The first two rounds were touch and go and my back was set and felt great. Third round, I did three and had to drop the bar because I felt my back tense up and I started to get cautious. So I started doing single reps on out. I just felt my back getting tighter and tighter. It wasn't a pain or a pinch, it was just tight. For some reason every time there are heavier deads in a wod, this always happens. I worked with Chris after the wod to figure out what to do, so I'm going to have to practice with my form a little more. My butt tends to come up first, so I'm going to have to work on bringing my knees back. ugh. Super frustrating. Once I got frazzled, I lost track of what round I was on. So I'm not sure if I did 6 or 7 or 8 rounds. I did an extra round after my 5:46 time, focusing on my back. So who knows. Definitely not my best performance and my deads definitely need work!
Best.Update.Ever.
You know when there are days when it feels like it's just going to be a great day? Well, that was yesterday. I went to bed the night before with a positive attitude and woke up feeling great. It was also one of those days where you're anxiously awaiting news and the day is going by ridiculously slow until that point. Yesterday was a BIG day. I started another semester back at school, I'm eager to learn.
Alright, I'll get to the other BIG news from yesterday. Jeremy had his first check-up at the doctor since November. He went into it positive and knowing he was done with the cancer. He felt great. He looked great. Seriously, in the last few weeks, he looks like a completely different person, he's got a little extra pep in his step. And what happened?? He went into that hospital and owned that doctor's appointment. He proved them all wrong! And he is currently still cancer free. And he's going to stay cancer free. January 18, 2012, was the start of Jeremy's new life. Which is awesome and near ironic as it is almost 2 years to the exact date of his initial diagnosis. He's back at school, he's got a part time job, he's not turning back. He's going to work harder than ever to keep that shit away!
So with that said, thank you, Team Jeremy, which is all of you reading this and more who have supported him along the way. Thank you for all your prayers, kind words, guidance, etc. Jeremy quiet possibly the strongest person I know and you all helped him fight this battle. So here's to Jeremy's new life and thank you everyone for your love and support!
Also, it was a great day because we had another little one added to our family. Happy Birthday Nikolas Andrew Flores, we can't wait to meet you! :)
Alright, I'll get to the other BIG news from yesterday. Jeremy had his first check-up at the doctor since November. He went into it positive and knowing he was done with the cancer. He felt great. He looked great. Seriously, in the last few weeks, he looks like a completely different person, he's got a little extra pep in his step. And what happened?? He went into that hospital and owned that doctor's appointment. He proved them all wrong! And he is currently still cancer free. And he's going to stay cancer free. January 18, 2012, was the start of Jeremy's new life. Which is awesome and near ironic as it is almost 2 years to the exact date of his initial diagnosis. He's back at school, he's got a part time job, he's not turning back. He's going to work harder than ever to keep that shit away!
So with that said, thank you, Team Jeremy, which is all of you reading this and more who have supported him along the way. Thank you for all your prayers, kind words, guidance, etc. Jeremy quiet possibly the strongest person I know and you all helped him fight this battle. So here's to Jeremy's new life and thank you everyone for your love and support!
Also, it was a great day because we had another little one added to our family. Happy Birthday Nikolas Andrew Flores, we can't wait to meet you! :)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Calm Before the Storm
After taking a rest day Monday, I was ready to get back in the gym last night. My legs for sure needed the rest, so I enjoyed a night of being lazy. It was like the calm before the storm since classes start tonight! Even though it’s going to be a busy 16 weeks until May, I’m excited. I’m ready to get further along in this process and getting closer to exiting this job!
I got in a little wod before going to the gym by shoveling the top half of our driveway for 40 minutes. So I didn’t need much of a warm up when I got there…When I got to the gym, I didn’t realize how heavy our strength was until I started calculating my numbers. While it was intimidating, I’m excited to get after this strength cycle and see what kind of progress I can make.
Strength: Cleans 5(55%)-5(63%)-5(70%)-5(77%)-5(85%)
79-90-100-110-122
I was sad I missed Monday with back squat, so I’ll have to make that up another day this week. But I was ready to get after the cleans. The first 2 sets I did touch and go reps, making sure to keep my back tight. I was hoping to do touch and go with 100, but did the first 2 and decided to go a little slower with it to ensure proper form. The fourth set definitely felt heavy after the first 15 reps, and the final set was for sure hard. I failed on the fourth rep because I bottomed out and my legs were gassed and I couldn’t get out of it. So I took a quick breath and reset and did two more reps. They were a little bit of a struggle to stand up, but got through them. While doing so many reps and some heavier numbers are a challenge, I’m excited about it. I want to get stronger, I need to get stronger!
WOD:
8:00 AMRAP
5 Handstand Push-ups (green and blue band)
7 Hang Power Cleans (115/75#)
10 Box Jumps (24/20”) I used 24”
5 full rounds
My main goal going into this WOD was to pace it and make sure all reps were FROM. I was happy with the HSPU, as I was touching my head to the ground each rep and all sets were unbroken. Going to go to blue/blue next time there are HSPU in a wod. Cleans felt good and fast. Box Jumps, I decided to use a 24” box, since it seems like that’s what HQ is leading towards for the women’s standard in competitions. I just made sure to do a quick pause at the top to open my hips, come down, reset, and jump back up. Overall, I was really happy with 5 rounds. It takes some time to get in and out of the bands, so I need to get to that wall sooner than later. I’ve also noticed after wods with HSPU that my lower back gets a little tight, so I’ll have to make sure to stretch that out more often.
I got in a little wod before going to the gym by shoveling the top half of our driveway for 40 minutes. So I didn’t need much of a warm up when I got there…When I got to the gym, I didn’t realize how heavy our strength was until I started calculating my numbers. While it was intimidating, I’m excited to get after this strength cycle and see what kind of progress I can make.
Strength: Cleans 5(55%)-5(63%)-5(70%)-5(77%)-5(85%)
79-90-100-110-122
I was sad I missed Monday with back squat, so I’ll have to make that up another day this week. But I was ready to get after the cleans. The first 2 sets I did touch and go reps, making sure to keep my back tight. I was hoping to do touch and go with 100, but did the first 2 and decided to go a little slower with it to ensure proper form. The fourth set definitely felt heavy after the first 15 reps, and the final set was for sure hard. I failed on the fourth rep because I bottomed out and my legs were gassed and I couldn’t get out of it. So I took a quick breath and reset and did two more reps. They were a little bit of a struggle to stand up, but got through them. While doing so many reps and some heavier numbers are a challenge, I’m excited about it. I want to get stronger, I need to get stronger!
WOD:
8:00 AMRAP
5 Handstand Push-ups (green and blue band)
7 Hang Power Cleans (115/75#)
10 Box Jumps (24/20”) I used 24”
5 full rounds
My main goal going into this WOD was to pace it and make sure all reps were FROM. I was happy with the HSPU, as I was touching my head to the ground each rep and all sets were unbroken. Going to go to blue/blue next time there are HSPU in a wod. Cleans felt good and fast. Box Jumps, I decided to use a 24” box, since it seems like that’s what HQ is leading towards for the women’s standard in competitions. I just made sure to do a quick pause at the top to open my hips, come down, reset, and jump back up. Overall, I was really happy with 5 rounds. It takes some time to get in and out of the bands, so I need to get to that wall sooner than later. I’ve also noticed after wods with HSPU that my lower back gets a little tight, so I’ll have to make sure to stretch that out more often.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Rowing and A Trip to SAA!
Sunday morning I woke up feeling pretty sore. It was hard to get out of bed and definitely contemplated not going to the gym. However, I promised Alicia I would go in and do another rowing wod with her before I headed over to SAA for some lifting.
I tackled the steady distance of 8-15k rowing wod.
I chose to do:
8000m
Time – 37:50
Average 500m – 2:21
Average S/M – 22
Definitely wasn’t feeling rowing today, but knew it was needed. So I just took it easy and really paced it, wasn’t an all out effort by any means. And I wanted to save myself for lifting later.
Around 1PM a group of us met up at Superior Athletic Advantage in Barrington to practice some Olympic lifts. I was so sore from the last week of training that I knew going into it I wasn’t going to go after any PRs. I purely wanted to work on technique and see if the SAA guys could give me any tips. I went there last February with Tommy Mo for a clinic put on by Jianping Ma. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year! But it was nice to be back!
Steph, Maddie and I shared a bar and we started off with the Snatch. Even though my body was pretty tired I felt like my form was pretty good. I could tell once I was getting to the heavier weights and after working on the snatch for too long that my arms were starting to fatigue. During the first few warm up sets, Tim reminded me to get the bar to pop off my hip to drive it up. When I first started doing this after going last February, I tended to pop it too much and the bar would be way out in front, so I stayed away from it. But yesterday as I was doing it through my lifts, it felt really smooth and the bar was staying in pretty close. I was able to get my current SRM up, even with my fatigued arms and legs, so there’s hope for more the next time I get after it.
After spending too much time on the Snatch, we decided to move onto our cleans. Which was more of a struggle because by this time I was super fatigued. My legs from all the squatting weren’t having it. I did a few warm up sets and Tim and Will said my form was looking really good. I think I made my way up to 55 kg and called it quits. It was a little tough standing that up, so I ended it there. After just setting a PR on Friday, I wasn’t in the condition to go any higher.
I felt great leaving SAA. Will and Tim said my form was really fluid and consistent and looks great since the last time I was there. So that was nice to know that they think I’ve improved. Just have to get my squat stronger and I’ll be pulling some heavier numbers. I hope some of us can make it back there again sometime soon, when my body is fresh so I can get after some PRs! :)
I tackled the steady distance of 8-15k rowing wod.
I chose to do:
8000m
Time – 37:50
Average 500m – 2:21
Average S/M – 22
Definitely wasn’t feeling rowing today, but knew it was needed. So I just took it easy and really paced it, wasn’t an all out effort by any means. And I wanted to save myself for lifting later.
Around 1PM a group of us met up at Superior Athletic Advantage in Barrington to practice some Olympic lifts. I was so sore from the last week of training that I knew going into it I wasn’t going to go after any PRs. I purely wanted to work on technique and see if the SAA guys could give me any tips. I went there last February with Tommy Mo for a clinic put on by Jianping Ma. I can’t believe it’s almost been a year! But it was nice to be back!
Steph, Maddie and I shared a bar and we started off with the Snatch. Even though my body was pretty tired I felt like my form was pretty good. I could tell once I was getting to the heavier weights and after working on the snatch for too long that my arms were starting to fatigue. During the first few warm up sets, Tim reminded me to get the bar to pop off my hip to drive it up. When I first started doing this after going last February, I tended to pop it too much and the bar would be way out in front, so I stayed away from it. But yesterday as I was doing it through my lifts, it felt really smooth and the bar was staying in pretty close. I was able to get my current SRM up, even with my fatigued arms and legs, so there’s hope for more the next time I get after it.
After spending too much time on the Snatch, we decided to move onto our cleans. Which was more of a struggle because by this time I was super fatigued. My legs from all the squatting weren’t having it. I did a few warm up sets and Tim and Will said my form was looking really good. I think I made my way up to 55 kg and called it quits. It was a little tough standing that up, so I ended it there. After just setting a PR on Friday, I wasn’t in the condition to go any higher.
I felt great leaving SAA. Will and Tim said my form was really fluid and consistent and looks great since the last time I was there. So that was nice to know that they think I’ve improved. Just have to get my squat stronger and I’ll be pulling some heavier numbers. I hope some of us can make it back there again sometime soon, when my body is fresh so I can get after some PRs! :)
I Heart Cleans
Friday was a great way to end the week at the gym. I had been struggling with some mental battles of not seeing the progress I have made because my PRs have been so little. But a PR is a PR. So I walked into the gym telling myself to forget about the rest of the week and my struggles and get after those cleans. It’s a new day and a new lift. Granted, this was hard for me to do because I had been struggling with my clean for months, I wasn’t even coming close to being comfortable at my old SRM. So this one was a total mental battle for me.
Strength: Clean 1-1-1-1-1
83(x5) – 103-115-125-138PR-143PR
Warmed up at a little heavier set just to get the blood flowing and my back loose. Then I started to get after it with some singles. A few months back I was struggling with 125 and Friday it went up like nothing. Felt smooth and the squat was light. My old SRM was 135, so I decided the next rep would go over that to go for a PR. Pull was smooth and the front squat part felt good too. I actually screamed “PR!!!!” half way up in the squat. HA! I was THAT excited because of the last few months! My next rep I decided to try 145, made 3 attempts at that and every time the pull was perfect but then I got 85% of the way up on the squat and couldn’t finish it. I was determined to get it, but decided to take 2 pounds off and go for 143. The pulls felt great once again and the squat was a liiiiitle bit of a struggle because I was starting to fatigue, but I got it up and ended with an 8 pound PR. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me and I was happy I got past that mental block! Can’t wait to work my cleans some more.
WOD:
50 Calorie Row
2 Rounds:
10 pull-ups
20 Thrusters (65/65)
30 ball slams (30/20)
10:24
This one was a breather! Really got that heart rate going and kept ya moving. I finished the 50 calorie row around 2:55, which was a pretty good pace. This WOD, Brandon and I decided to just use the kip for the pull-ups instead of a band and do dead hangs. They weren’t the greatest because we haven’t done many pull-ups lately to begin with, but my shoulders didn’t feel warm yet, that was destined to change soon…I broke the first round of thrusters to 10-10, and the ball slams were straight through. I LOVE ball slams, but holy crap did 30 seem like forever! I took a couple breaths then went back up on the bar, I think it was broken 4-2-2-2, thrusters were 10-5-5 and ball slams were 20-10 for the last round. The second set of thrusters felt REALLY heavy, like they were never going to end. Crazy how much the ball slams had an effect on them! Overall a great wod and really got me breathing. I found that to be the most difficult part, was trying to catch my breath!
Saturday morning I went in for Open hour to help Alicia with her squats. I took it as an opportunity to help a friend and myself. I decided to stack some plates to make a 12 inch box that we could squat to. This way I could give her a breaking point just below parallel where she doesn’t butt wink and lose all engagement which causes her to hinge forward. It’s amazing how we all have a similar problem of squatting ass to ankles and when we squat to just below parallel we feel like we aren’t anywhere near deep enough! I think if both her and I stick to training like this for awhile, she’s going to see some major improvement with all of her squats. If I learned one thing from this week, it’s that I NEED TO SQUAT MORE!! The fact that I could get 85% of the way up on my front squat, back squat, and clean and then fail, sucks. So the solution is more squatting. I’m going to try and squeeze in some extra squat therapy and training throughout the week to see what kind of improvements I can make.
After that, Alicia and I did a rowing wod:
8 x 500m with 3:30 rest in between.
Time – 15:55.9
Average 500m – 1:59.4
Average S/M – 28
I would pace myself to be around a 1:58-2:00 500m with about 24-26 s/m for the first 350m of every row. Then I would increase the pace for 50m and sprint the last 100m. It felt great, and I feel like my endurance is coming back.
Strength: Clean 1-1-1-1-1
83(x5) – 103-115-125-138PR-143PR
Warmed up at a little heavier set just to get the blood flowing and my back loose. Then I started to get after it with some singles. A few months back I was struggling with 125 and Friday it went up like nothing. Felt smooth and the squat was light. My old SRM was 135, so I decided the next rep would go over that to go for a PR. Pull was smooth and the front squat part felt good too. I actually screamed “PR!!!!” half way up in the squat. HA! I was THAT excited because of the last few months! My next rep I decided to try 145, made 3 attempts at that and every time the pull was perfect but then I got 85% of the way up on the squat and couldn’t finish it. I was determined to get it, but decided to take 2 pounds off and go for 143. The pulls felt great once again and the squat was a liiiiitle bit of a struggle because I was starting to fatigue, but I got it up and ended with an 8 pound PR. This was a HUGE accomplishment for me and I was happy I got past that mental block! Can’t wait to work my cleans some more.
WOD:
50 Calorie Row
2 Rounds:
10 pull-ups
20 Thrusters (65/65)
30 ball slams (30/20)
10:24
This one was a breather! Really got that heart rate going and kept ya moving. I finished the 50 calorie row around 2:55, which was a pretty good pace. This WOD, Brandon and I decided to just use the kip for the pull-ups instead of a band and do dead hangs. They weren’t the greatest because we haven’t done many pull-ups lately to begin with, but my shoulders didn’t feel warm yet, that was destined to change soon…I broke the first round of thrusters to 10-10, and the ball slams were straight through. I LOVE ball slams, but holy crap did 30 seem like forever! I took a couple breaths then went back up on the bar, I think it was broken 4-2-2-2, thrusters were 10-5-5 and ball slams were 20-10 for the last round. The second set of thrusters felt REALLY heavy, like they were never going to end. Crazy how much the ball slams had an effect on them! Overall a great wod and really got me breathing. I found that to be the most difficult part, was trying to catch my breath!
Saturday morning I went in for Open hour to help Alicia with her squats. I took it as an opportunity to help a friend and myself. I decided to stack some plates to make a 12 inch box that we could squat to. This way I could give her a breaking point just below parallel where she doesn’t butt wink and lose all engagement which causes her to hinge forward. It’s amazing how we all have a similar problem of squatting ass to ankles and when we squat to just below parallel we feel like we aren’t anywhere near deep enough! I think if both her and I stick to training like this for awhile, she’s going to see some major improvement with all of her squats. If I learned one thing from this week, it’s that I NEED TO SQUAT MORE!! The fact that I could get 85% of the way up on my front squat, back squat, and clean and then fail, sucks. So the solution is more squatting. I’m going to try and squeeze in some extra squat therapy and training throughout the week to see what kind of improvements I can make.
After that, Alicia and I did a rowing wod:
8 x 500m with 3:30 rest in between.
Time – 15:55.9
Average 500m – 1:59.4
Average S/M – 28
I would pace myself to be around a 1:58-2:00 500m with about 24-26 s/m for the first 350m of every row. Then I would increase the pace for 50m and sprint the last 100m. It felt great, and I feel like my endurance is coming back.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Snow and deadlifts!
Anyone else as excited for snow as I am?! LOVE it! The first snow fall is so pretty and relaxing! Just hope everyone is safe out there!
Strength: Deadlift 1-1-1-1-1
173-193-213-233PR-243PR (12#)
This week has been a bit of a roller coaster at the gym. I've been able to make small PR's, which is I guess is to be expected since I'm still at that year and a half mark. So I won't be making HUGE gains. I was a little nervous for setting a SRM today on the deadlift. Given that I've had a few back issues this year and haven't gone for a heavy single since January last year. But nonetheless, I was ready to tackle it but be cautious at the same time.
Mom and I shared a bar. I love watching mom lift, it's so great to see how far she's come in the gym and that she's not afraid to lift heavy weights. I believe she finished at 233# which was like a 30+ lb PR! So proud of her!
I warmed up with a few light sets just to get my back settled in and loose and ready to go. My first heavy single was at 173 and I slowly went up from there. 231 was my old SRM so I wanted to make sure that my fourth heavy single was over my old PR. 233 felt great going up, so I went up to 243. My lower back felt great through all the reps, which is where I've been having my problems. However, at 243, my upper back kind of rounded. It didn't feel terrible, but I know it wasn't the best. I decided to try and add 10 more pounds. I set up and went to pull, but could tell my upper back was going to start rounding again and decided not to follow through with the lift and just leave the bar happy with my 243 PR. I'm ready to tackle it again in the future. Maybe one day I'll make 300 :-P
WOD:
10:00 Amrap of:
10 Power cleans (115/75#)
20 wall ball sit ups (20/14#)
30 Double Unders
4 rounds +40 reps
I loved this wod! I was ready to get after this one since it was all movements I really like. My rounds of cleans were unbroken, unbroken, 9-1, 6-4, 6-4. These felt a lot better than the ones on Sunday during the hero wod. I think the additional 10# helped me keep better form. All wall ball sit ups were unbroken, and sheesh I forgot how much of a shoulder burner these are! My double unders went unbroken, 29-1 ugh!!, unbroken, 22-5-3, 10. I'm pretty sure that is the absolute most frustrating thing when you trip up on the last rep. ugh. I was shooting to beat 4 rounds and was ideally hoping I could stretch it to 5 full rounds, but fell just short of that. If I didn't trip up on the du's, I probably could've gotten all 5 rounds.
I finished off with 4 rounds of box dips to work on my triceps and keeping my arms close to my body, so I can get those ring dips. I did 4 rounds of 8 reps.
Overall, great day in the gym. Can't wait to get after the cleans tomorrow!
Strength: Deadlift 1-1-1-1-1
173-193-213-233PR-243PR (12#)
This week has been a bit of a roller coaster at the gym. I've been able to make small PR's, which is I guess is to be expected since I'm still at that year and a half mark. So I won't be making HUGE gains. I was a little nervous for setting a SRM today on the deadlift. Given that I've had a few back issues this year and haven't gone for a heavy single since January last year. But nonetheless, I was ready to tackle it but be cautious at the same time.
Mom and I shared a bar. I love watching mom lift, it's so great to see how far she's come in the gym and that she's not afraid to lift heavy weights. I believe she finished at 233# which was like a 30+ lb PR! So proud of her!
I warmed up with a few light sets just to get my back settled in and loose and ready to go. My first heavy single was at 173 and I slowly went up from there. 231 was my old SRM so I wanted to make sure that my fourth heavy single was over my old PR. 233 felt great going up, so I went up to 243. My lower back felt great through all the reps, which is where I've been having my problems. However, at 243, my upper back kind of rounded. It didn't feel terrible, but I know it wasn't the best. I decided to try and add 10 more pounds. I set up and went to pull, but could tell my upper back was going to start rounding again and decided not to follow through with the lift and just leave the bar happy with my 243 PR. I'm ready to tackle it again in the future. Maybe one day I'll make 300 :-P
WOD:
10:00 Amrap of:
10 Power cleans (115/75#)
20 wall ball sit ups (20/14#)
30 Double Unders
4 rounds +40 reps
I loved this wod! I was ready to get after this one since it was all movements I really like. My rounds of cleans were unbroken, unbroken, 9-1, 6-4, 6-4. These felt a lot better than the ones on Sunday during the hero wod. I think the additional 10# helped me keep better form. All wall ball sit ups were unbroken, and sheesh I forgot how much of a shoulder burner these are! My double unders went unbroken, 29-1 ugh!!, unbroken, 22-5-3, 10. I'm pretty sure that is the absolute most frustrating thing when you trip up on the last rep. ugh. I was shooting to beat 4 rounds and was ideally hoping I could stretch it to 5 full rounds, but fell just short of that. If I didn't trip up on the du's, I probably could've gotten all 5 rounds.
I finished off with 4 rounds of box dips to work on my triceps and keeping my arms close to my body, so I can get those ring dips. I did 4 rounds of 8 reps.
Overall, great day in the gym. Can't wait to get after the cleans tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Some days...
Some days you have it....and some days you don't. This single rep max week has been a hard pill to swallow. While I've made a few gains, I'm still wishing for that extra bit. But there's not much I can do now, just have to push past this and train hard.
Since I didn't get the chance to go to the gym yesterday, due to taking a 3 hour standardized test, I went in today to take care of my Press and Back Squat SRM.
Back Squat 1-1-1-1-1
125-145-165-185 PR- 195 fail
We worked on srm back squat back in October before we started this Wendler cycle. At that time I was struggling with this lift by not keeping my chest up and raising my butt first. Just like my front squat on Monday, I got the 195 up 3/4+ of the way and couldn't get that last little bit. I do not understand how I can get it that far, but can't get it the rest of the way! I'm RIGHT THERE!!!! ugh, so frustrating. But I know I have it, I tried it 3 times and got closer every time, just not all the way. I've got it next time... Some positives to take away: I'm not dropping my chest like I used to. I've placed the bar a little lower on my back to prevent myself from "taco-ing", which allows my butt and chest to raise at the same time. I'm getting better at not bottoming out and finding that just below parallel spot.
So, I probably shouldn't have even attempted the Press srm after that since I was a little defeated. But I figured I would give it a shot....not a good idea. I'm going to have to redo this one.
Press 1-1-1-1-1
55-65-75-85-96 Fail
While I know this is going to be the hardest of the lifts to PR on, I still feel like I could've done better. 85 felt hard to get up. At that point I should've just called it quits and waited for another day. Instead I attempted to put up 96# three different times. Each time I barely got it to my nose. My old srm is 95#, so I wanted to just get it by at least a pound. But I don't even know if I could've put up 95 today. I'm definitely going to have to tackle this another day when my head is in the right spot...
Since I didn't get the chance to go to the gym yesterday, due to taking a 3 hour standardized test, I went in today to take care of my Press and Back Squat SRM.
Back Squat 1-1-1-1-1
125-145-165-185 PR- 195 fail
We worked on srm back squat back in October before we started this Wendler cycle. At that time I was struggling with this lift by not keeping my chest up and raising my butt first. Just like my front squat on Monday, I got the 195 up 3/4+ of the way and couldn't get that last little bit. I do not understand how I can get it that far, but can't get it the rest of the way! I'm RIGHT THERE!!!! ugh, so frustrating. But I know I have it, I tried it 3 times and got closer every time, just not all the way. I've got it next time... Some positives to take away: I'm not dropping my chest like I used to. I've placed the bar a little lower on my back to prevent myself from "taco-ing", which allows my butt and chest to raise at the same time. I'm getting better at not bottoming out and finding that just below parallel spot.
So, I probably shouldn't have even attempted the Press srm after that since I was a little defeated. But I figured I would give it a shot....not a good idea. I'm going to have to redo this one.
Press 1-1-1-1-1
55-65-75-85-96 Fail
While I know this is going to be the hardest of the lifts to PR on, I still feel like I could've done better. 85 felt hard to get up. At that point I should've just called it quits and waited for another day. Instead I attempted to put up 96# three different times. Each time I barely got it to my nose. My old srm is 95#, so I wanted to just get it by at least a pound. But I don't even know if I could've put up 95 today. I'm definitely going to have to tackle this another day when my head is in the right spot...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Small PR
Yesterday I decided to start the Leangains approach to eating to see if this has any success to my hopes of leaning out. Basically it's intermittent fasting. So I'll fast for 14-16 hours every day with the majority being at night and then have an 8-10 hour eating window. My first meal every day will be between 11 and noon and I will end my eating at 9. So yesterday I ate a small meal at 11 and 2:45 and my largest meal after my workout. The actual program says to eat an hour and a half to two hours before you workout, but with my commute to work, that's hard to do. I'm going to take this approach for a few week and see what kind of progress I make...
It's Single Rep Max Week! Cheers to getting over my plataues!
Strength: Front Squat 1-1-1-1-1
5 @ 65#
3 @ 83 #
1 @ 105#
1 @ 125#
1 @ 150# (unevenly loaded bar)PR
1@ 155# PR
1 @ 165# fail (about 6 attempts?)
I'm really excited to get after the lifts this week to see how much progress I've made. But I won't lie, I'm a little nervous too. My old SRM for my Front Squat was last May at 147#. I was really shooting to get 165, but just didn't have it in me last night. 155 went up pretty easily so I figured I'd jump up to 165 and give it a go. Each attemp I would get up to a point, probably 45 degrees and couldn't go any further. I couldn't get those last few inches. SO incredibly frustrating. By the end I just tired myself out. I KNOW I have 165, I'll have to attempt it again sometime soon...
WOD:
500m Row - 1:52
4 Rounds of:
5 Burpees
10 Jerks (115/75#)
20 Double Unders
8:31
I had a few goals for this:
-hard and fast row - pretty good, only a few seconds of my personal best 500m
-fast burpees - kind of slowed down on the third round
-unbroken Jerks - first round unbroke, last 3 were 5-5
-unbroken Double Unders - unbroken, 16-4, 13-7, unbroken
Overall this WOD went pretty well and fast. Took a few too many breaths to start the double unders each round which would've shortened my time. Jerks just got heavy. Again, need to get stronger upper body. Skill work hopefully will kick in soon with that!
It's Single Rep Max Week! Cheers to getting over my plataues!
Strength: Front Squat 1-1-1-1-1
5 @ 65#
3 @ 83 #
1 @ 105#
1 @ 125#
1 @ 150# (unevenly loaded bar)PR
1@ 155# PR
1 @ 165# fail (about 6 attempts?)
I'm really excited to get after the lifts this week to see how much progress I've made. But I won't lie, I'm a little nervous too. My old SRM for my Front Squat was last May at 147#. I was really shooting to get 165, but just didn't have it in me last night. 155 went up pretty easily so I figured I'd jump up to 165 and give it a go. Each attemp I would get up to a point, probably 45 degrees and couldn't go any further. I couldn't get those last few inches. SO incredibly frustrating. By the end I just tired myself out. I KNOW I have 165, I'll have to attempt it again sometime soon...
WOD:
500m Row - 1:52
4 Rounds of:
5 Burpees
10 Jerks (115/75#)
20 Double Unders
8:31
I had a few goals for this:
-hard and fast row - pretty good, only a few seconds of my personal best 500m
-fast burpees - kind of slowed down on the third round
-unbroken Jerks - first round unbroke, last 3 were 5-5
-unbroken Double Unders - unbroken, 16-4, 13-7, unbroken
Overall this WOD went pretty well and fast. Took a few too many breaths to start the double unders each round which would've shortened my time. Jerks just got heavy. Again, need to get stronger upper body. Skill work hopefully will kick in soon with that!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Hero WOD
The weekend came and went all too fast. But overall it was a relaxing one indeed. Mom and I decided that this year we are going to take more time for ourselves and be a little selfish. Her and I are one in the same, in that we feel like we have a lot on our plate and stress a lot. Which is also why we feel like we are having a hard time losing more weight. So in order to help release some stress every month we are going to do something for ourselves. This past Saturday we decided to go get pedicures and went to dinner. It was exactly what I needed. I love spending quality time with mom and the last few months, that has been very hard to do. I look forward to being more selfish with her this year! J
I also for once had a weekend full of sleep. I decided to take a rest day Saturday morning and sleep in, probably got around 10 hours. Then Saturday, Jer went out with the boys, and I was in bed by 11 or so. Probably got around another 9+ hours of sleep. And Sunday I went to bed around 9:45. It was definitely necessary to get all this sleep this weekend. I felt a little more refreshed. And with school starting next Wednesday and my schedule being even more crazy than it already is, I’m going to try and get all the sleep I can now.
Sunday I went to the gym to partake in a Hero WOD with a bunch of friends from other CF boxes in the area. I love that we do this every 90 days or so, that way we can all keep in touch and see each other more.
Hero WOD “Wittman”
7 rounds of:
15 KB Swings (35#)
15 Power Cleans (65#)
15 Box Jumps (20”)
20:03
Going into this WOD, I wasn't planning on going all out. I wanted to really pace myself. My number one goal was to get all rounds of KB swings unbroken, which I accomplished. For the power cleans, I wanted to do these obviously in as few sets as possible. My rounds were something like this 10-5, 5-5-5, 3-2-3-2-3-2, 3-3-3-1-1-3, 3-3-3-3-3, etc. something like that. I felt my lower back start to tighten up around the fourth round, so I really tried to focus on form instead of speed. I took lots of breaths during those sets too, so my rest time added up quickly. My box jumps are another story. Currently I've had this fear of rebounding and box jumps, don't want an achilles injury. So I literally jump up, either stand it up or jump up and down to ensure my hips are open, then land, reset, then jump up again. If I went through all 7 rounds rebounding my jumps, that would've saved me a lot of time. My last round I did about 8 that I rebounded, then went back to restting. So, I obviously could've saved time on the box jumps and getting larger sets on the Power cleans. But I was ok with my time. I wasn't out to prove anything, just wanted to get a good workout in.
I also for once had a weekend full of sleep. I decided to take a rest day Saturday morning and sleep in, probably got around 10 hours. Then Saturday, Jer went out with the boys, and I was in bed by 11 or so. Probably got around another 9+ hours of sleep. And Sunday I went to bed around 9:45. It was definitely necessary to get all this sleep this weekend. I felt a little more refreshed. And with school starting next Wednesday and my schedule being even more crazy than it already is, I’m going to try and get all the sleep I can now.
Sunday I went to the gym to partake in a Hero WOD with a bunch of friends from other CF boxes in the area. I love that we do this every 90 days or so, that way we can all keep in touch and see each other more.
Hero WOD “Wittman”
7 rounds of:
15 KB Swings (35#)
15 Power Cleans (65#)
15 Box Jumps (20”)
20:03
Going into this WOD, I wasn't planning on going all out. I wanted to really pace myself. My number one goal was to get all rounds of KB swings unbroken, which I accomplished. For the power cleans, I wanted to do these obviously in as few sets as possible. My rounds were something like this 10-5, 5-5-5, 3-2-3-2-3-2, 3-3-3-1-1-3, 3-3-3-3-3, etc. something like that. I felt my lower back start to tighten up around the fourth round, so I really tried to focus on form instead of speed. I took lots of breaths during those sets too, so my rest time added up quickly. My box jumps are another story. Currently I've had this fear of rebounding and box jumps, don't want an achilles injury. So I literally jump up, either stand it up or jump up and down to ensure my hips are open, then land, reset, then jump up again. If I went through all 7 rounds rebounding my jumps, that would've saved me a lot of time. My last round I did about 8 that I rebounded, then went back to restting. So, I obviously could've saved time on the box jumps and getting larger sets on the Power cleans. But I was ok with my time. I wasn't out to prove anything, just wanted to get a good workout in.
Sister of Fran
Friday was a somewhat long day at work. Again, for it being only a 4 day week, it seemed like a long one. But it was a better day than the one prior, so I can't complain. I was really looking forward to getting to the gym and spending the evening with great people.
Strength:
Cleans 5-5-5
53#(40%) - 65#(50%) - 83#(60% well more than that)
The cleans felt really light, as they should, but I really wanted to focus on my form for my back. So I went up a little bit on the last set. I wanted these to be mainly touch and go at a heavier load, but I think it ended up being 2-1-1-1. Chris said my 4th rep, my back gave a little, so I refocused on the last one and that felt the best!
WOD:
21-15-9
11 foot Wall Ball shots (20/14#)
Pull-ups
My version:
21-15-9 11' Wall Ball shots 14#
11-8-5 dead hang pull-ups with blue band
7:05
Strength:
Cleans 5-5-5
53#(40%) - 65#(50%) - 83#(60% well more than that)
The cleans felt really light, as they should, but I really wanted to focus on my form for my back. So I went up a little bit on the last set. I wanted these to be mainly touch and go at a heavier load, but I think it ended up being 2-1-1-1. Chris said my 4th rep, my back gave a little, so I refocused on the last one and that felt the best!
WOD:
21-15-9
11 foot Wall Ball shots (20/14#)
Pull-ups
My version:
21-15-9 11' Wall Ball shots 14#
11-8-5 dead hang pull-ups with blue band
7:05
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my training and after talking to my brother about it, I decided to switch things up a little bit. Whenever we have pull-ups in a WOD, I'm going to try and scale back the reps and do dead hangs with the bands. I want to be able to get that unassisted dead hang, efficient chest-to-bar pull-ups, and be able to string together more kipping pull-ups. The only way this is going to happen is if I get stronger, and kipping pull-ups don't really build the strength in my shoulders that I need to get stronger. So I'm also going to work on these dead hangs as skill work other days during the week. This will go on for a few weeks and we will see how I progress, hopefully it helps!
Anyway, the 11' wall balls were actually pretty hard. They pretty much turned into jumping wall balls. The first set was horrendous, I dropped the ball about every 2 shots. Second round was a little better and the thrid was unbroken. Definitely something I think is good for training and strengthening the shoulders even more.
The dead hangs were also disappointingly hard. I got 6 unbroken the first round then it was 2's and 1's. It's amazing how much more difficult those are compared to kipping. The second round I did 2-1-1 sadly added the purple band then 2-2. Final set I believe was 2-1-1-1. It was definitely an eye opener to do my pull-ups this way. I knew I didn't have much OH strength, but sheesh those got hard fast. It is for sure something I want to continue doing and see what kind of progress I make.
Finished the evening with a rowing WOD, some dip practice, skin the cats, ab work and hanging out with friends at the gym!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Tell Me Your Goals
First mental/emotional breakdown of the year because of this job, check! Ugh. It’s hard for me to stomach the thought of being at this place for another year. I can only pray that something comes along before then, because I really don’t think it’s good for me. I’m trying so hard to remind myself that it’s only a year, but it seems like so far away. I know it’s only short term, but gosh this feeling sucks.
Deadlift 5-5-5 88(40% of TM)-109(50%)-130(60%) TM=217#
De-load week, taking it easy. Main focus was on form, keeping that back tight and butt down. This video by K-Star really helped me with my form today. Looking into getting a weightlifting belt. Anybody have any thoughts or suggestions?
WOD
3 Rounds:
10 Thrusters (105/70)
15 walking lunges
20 sit-ups
4:10
Goal with this WOD was just to keep moving and do everything unbroken. Thrusters felt alright today, still felt a little tightness in my shoulders and need to drive with the hips more. Pretty satisfied overall. Afterwards, I worked on my ring dip again, I get to the bottom and get stuck. One of these days I'll get them. I also attempted some rope climbs, gotta get the technique down and I think I'll be up that rope in no time. Skill practice every day and I'll make these goals.
Food Log:
Breakfast: 3 eggs with bacon bits, palm full of almonds and an apple. Water. Lunch: 3 oz chicken and some asparagus and 2 squares dark chocolate. Water. Snack: 2 squares dark chocolate. PWO: 6oz protein shake. Dinner: salad with bacon, tomato, and hard boiled egg. 2 squares dark chocolate. Arnold Palmer.
So I’m hoping to get a little more interaction with my blog this time around. I’m hoping to see more comments and discussions either on here or when I post it to FB. So today I’m going to start with goals, inside and outside the gym. Here’s a list of some of them, not really quantifiable and kind of broad, but it’s just giving you an idea:
1. Get a new job.
2. Become a better coach.
3. Be a supportive daughter, girlfriend, friend, coach.
4. Get into the low 150’s high 140’s and maintain it.
5. Work hard at school and get A’s in my classes.
So my questions to you guys are: How can you help me with these goals? Do you have any advice? But more importantly, what are YOUR goals and how can I help you achieve your goals? Whether I’m family, a friend, your coach, or a stranger, I’m here for you, tell me how I can support you!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Neglect
Blog. Only one word describes this blog and it's neglect. I haven't done a thing with it since October and before that I was barely posting. Life happened, I suppose. But at the same time I remember feeling better when I posted regularly. It's going to be hard to post on a daily basis once school starts, but hopefully I can manage a few times a week.
Work. One word...sucks. I had nearly two weeks off of work and it was the best two weeks I've had in a long time. I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I didn't have to go to bed every night, dreading waking up in the morning. I had nights where I got 12 hours of sleep, twelve! I was able to do things for me, spend more time with my family, spend more time with Jer, spend more time at the gym. I felt like me again. And now, now I'm back to feeling like crap. It's disgusting how quickly this job affects me. If it wasn't for the pay check, I wouldn't be there. I hope something comes up closer to home, sooner than later. If not, I have to stick this out until the end of the year. I just hope I can keep my sanity until then...
School. The end of last semester was stressful, but I finished with an A in Bio and a B in psychology. I shouldn't have taken a half semester for psychology and I probably would've gotten an A. This semester, one word...rough. I'm going to have class Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and Saturday mornings. I'll be taking A&P and the CNA course. I'm not going to have a social life. It's going to be hard to balance work, school, the gym, family, and boyfriend. But it's only 16 weeks. 16 weeks compared to the rest of my life being miserable. In the long run, it's worth it.
Family. One word...love. I couldn't be happier. I constantly get asked, "how can you still be living at home with your parents?" Honestly, I love it. I love the relationship I have with my parents. They're some of the most important people in my life, and it's honestly going to be hard the day I move out. My brother and sister-in-law were home for a week and it was great. It's never long enough though. This year was the most I've seen of them, but I feel like that wasn't even a lot. But I've got a good feeling we will see more of each other (hopefully), since they gave us a great Christmas present! :)
Boyfriend. One word...fighter. Jer continues to amaze me on a daily basis. He's really taking his health in his own hands. He's not letting his dad control as much. He's been blessed with lots of people more than willing to help. He's made so much progress in the gym in the last two months. He's starting to eat better. He's making progress with Dr. Tony. He's determined the cancer will not come back. He's my biggest supporter. No matter how many stupid petty fights we get in, he still loves me. And I can't thank him enough. This cancer will not come back. He is moving forward with his health, school, a job and more. 2012 is his year!
Friends. One word...supportive. I was afraid when I moved back home from college that I wasn't going to make any friends, I was going to be lonely, it was going to be hard. But now, I have some of the most supportive and amazing friends I've ever had. They're constantly with me 100%. Not only do they want me to succeed at the gym, but in every aspect of my life. They have been some of the biggest supporters of my career change and going back to school. Without them, life would be pretty difficult. My other friends that I don't see nearly as often or don't communicate with as much as I wish, I miss you. It sucks how easily life catches up to us and before you know it months have passed before we've talked or seen each other. I hope I can do a better job at keeping in touch with you guys this year.
CrossFit. One word...rollercoaster. It's been a crazy ride the last 5 or so months. I made one of the hardest decisions, I've had to make in a long time. I risked hurting people's feelings and losing some relationships, but in the end, it was the right decision. It's hard to see so much petty stuff going on, instead of everyone being supportive. I pray that one day we can all be friends, but it's hard to see at this point. When it comes to training, there have been plenty of ups and downs. There's days where I crush it and then there's plenty of days where I don't know why I even stepped foot into the gym. But I can learn just as much if not more from those days, than from the good days. I've accomplished some of my goals and I feel like I'm getting stronger. But boy do I want to get stronger! I'm going to tweak my training some to see if it helps me get stronger, so I will be sure to keep you updated. The Open starts in 5 weeks and I wish I was more advanced than I am. It's my fault because of how busy my life is and I know this. I have a lot of progress to make, but I'm excited to see how I do in the Open. Hopefully I can help Prevail get a team to regionals!
Kirsten. One word...motivated. In the next year or so there's going to be a lot of changes. Mainly with school and work. I'm not sure how everything is going to play out, but all I know is I am beyond determined to get out of the position I'm in right now. There's no way I can live like this, it just isn't me! I'm determined to achieve a lot of goals in the gym. It's going to be hard the next few months with not being able to train as much, but maybe that will be good for my body...I'm determined to stay healthy, to eat better, to get more sleep, and to take care of myself. If I don't care for myself, I'm not going to provide for everyone else the way I should. I'm determined to make my relationship stronger. I'm determined to be supportive in every way I can. I'm determined to not stress as much. I'm determined to live life to the fullest.
2012. One word...epic. So I'm holding this year to high expectations. But for real, it's going to be a good year. Jer is going to be healthy, I'm going to be steps closer to starting a new career, I'm going to make progress in the gym, I'm going to strengthen my relationships with family and friends, and so much more. Epic.
Work. One word...sucks. I had nearly two weeks off of work and it was the best two weeks I've had in a long time. I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I didn't have to go to bed every night, dreading waking up in the morning. I had nights where I got 12 hours of sleep, twelve! I was able to do things for me, spend more time with my family, spend more time with Jer, spend more time at the gym. I felt like me again. And now, now I'm back to feeling like crap. It's disgusting how quickly this job affects me. If it wasn't for the pay check, I wouldn't be there. I hope something comes up closer to home, sooner than later. If not, I have to stick this out until the end of the year. I just hope I can keep my sanity until then...
School. The end of last semester was stressful, but I finished with an A in Bio and a B in psychology. I shouldn't have taken a half semester for psychology and I probably would've gotten an A. This semester, one word...rough. I'm going to have class Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and Saturday mornings. I'll be taking A&P and the CNA course. I'm not going to have a social life. It's going to be hard to balance work, school, the gym, family, and boyfriend. But it's only 16 weeks. 16 weeks compared to the rest of my life being miserable. In the long run, it's worth it.
Family. One word...love. I couldn't be happier. I constantly get asked, "how can you still be living at home with your parents?" Honestly, I love it. I love the relationship I have with my parents. They're some of the most important people in my life, and it's honestly going to be hard the day I move out. My brother and sister-in-law were home for a week and it was great. It's never long enough though. This year was the most I've seen of them, but I feel like that wasn't even a lot. But I've got a good feeling we will see more of each other (hopefully), since they gave us a great Christmas present! :)
Boyfriend. One word...fighter. Jer continues to amaze me on a daily basis. He's really taking his health in his own hands. He's not letting his dad control as much. He's been blessed with lots of people more than willing to help. He's made so much progress in the gym in the last two months. He's starting to eat better. He's making progress with Dr. Tony. He's determined the cancer will not come back. He's my biggest supporter. No matter how many stupid petty fights we get in, he still loves me. And I can't thank him enough. This cancer will not come back. He is moving forward with his health, school, a job and more. 2012 is his year!
Friends. One word...supportive. I was afraid when I moved back home from college that I wasn't going to make any friends, I was going to be lonely, it was going to be hard. But now, I have some of the most supportive and amazing friends I've ever had. They're constantly with me 100%. Not only do they want me to succeed at the gym, but in every aspect of my life. They have been some of the biggest supporters of my career change and going back to school. Without them, life would be pretty difficult. My other friends that I don't see nearly as often or don't communicate with as much as I wish, I miss you. It sucks how easily life catches up to us and before you know it months have passed before we've talked or seen each other. I hope I can do a better job at keeping in touch with you guys this year.
CrossFit. One word...rollercoaster. It's been a crazy ride the last 5 or so months. I made one of the hardest decisions, I've had to make in a long time. I risked hurting people's feelings and losing some relationships, but in the end, it was the right decision. It's hard to see so much petty stuff going on, instead of everyone being supportive. I pray that one day we can all be friends, but it's hard to see at this point. When it comes to training, there have been plenty of ups and downs. There's days where I crush it and then there's plenty of days where I don't know why I even stepped foot into the gym. But I can learn just as much if not more from those days, than from the good days. I've accomplished some of my goals and I feel like I'm getting stronger. But boy do I want to get stronger! I'm going to tweak my training some to see if it helps me get stronger, so I will be sure to keep you updated. The Open starts in 5 weeks and I wish I was more advanced than I am. It's my fault because of how busy my life is and I know this. I have a lot of progress to make, but I'm excited to see how I do in the Open. Hopefully I can help Prevail get a team to regionals!
Kirsten. One word...motivated. In the next year or so there's going to be a lot of changes. Mainly with school and work. I'm not sure how everything is going to play out, but all I know is I am beyond determined to get out of the position I'm in right now. There's no way I can live like this, it just isn't me! I'm determined to achieve a lot of goals in the gym. It's going to be hard the next few months with not being able to train as much, but maybe that will be good for my body...I'm determined to stay healthy, to eat better, to get more sleep, and to take care of myself. If I don't care for myself, I'm not going to provide for everyone else the way I should. I'm determined to make my relationship stronger. I'm determined to be supportive in every way I can. I'm determined to not stress as much. I'm determined to live life to the fullest.
2012. One word...epic. So I'm holding this year to high expectations. But for real, it's going to be a good year. Jer is going to be healthy, I'm going to be steps closer to starting a new career, I'm going to make progress in the gym, I'm going to strengthen my relationships with family and friends, and so much more. Epic.
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