"Isabel"
For time:
Snatch13585 pounds, 30 reps
Use 95 pounds, 65 pounds or broomstick as needed. Miranda Oldroyd 2:13 (95lbs), Christopher Stowe 2:44, Rebecca Voigt 2:46 (95lbs), Mary Lampas 3:26 (95lbs), Kristan Clever 18:51 (135lbs). Post time and load to comments.
Note that both links in the exercise description go to two different videos of two different unbelievable athletes just STORMING through this workout, Dave Lipson and Josh Everett. Oh look, there's those links again!
Still being unsure of my Olympic lifts, having never (yet) been coached at them, I decided on a bit of scaling for this one. I wanted a fast time for a benchmark, which I could then shoot to maintain as weight gets added over time. So, I decided to just work with 85# on the barbell. Seemed like it would be a bit of work...
After cranking up the Amon Amarth track "Fate of Norns," I made sure I finished before the song was over. I started banging out power snatches (no squats, no splits) with 85# on the bar. Did 15 reps unbroken, and then did 3 sets of 5 with short breaks in between, usually two deep breaths and whatever time it took me to get my grip reset.
Total Time: 2:30
Not gonna lie, I was really stoked by that time. Is it 90 seconds slower than Lipson's time above, or Everett's sub-minute record (not shown in the video above, unfortunately)? You bet your sweet bippy it is, but its also way better than the 5 minutes I was terrified of getting with such scaled weights. We're talking about me throwing less than half my body-weight overhead. For Lipson and Everett, they did this with around 60-70% bodyweight, and you'd better believe that's a big difference!
The funny thing about such a short, intense effort is the way you start drowning in sweat about a minute after you're done! So, I climbed on the exercise bike, with its magical built-in fan, and pedaled for 7 minutes just to get the blood moving. Realizing that I had maybe scaled the weights too much, I eyed that 85# bar. And thought back to yet another video from the CrossFit demo page... John Warnek doing this workout...one handed. I eyed the bar again...then I walked over and addressed the bar.
About our bar: it's a true piece of crap. 35#. Maybe. (Standard bars are 45#, with options for lighter weight if needed/wanted. In this case, the 10# is neither needed nor wanted.) It's about 5 feet long. Standard bars are usually 7'. This not only spreads the weight out further, it allows for wider grips, especially on things like snatches. You know, what I did... today. In addition to the short grip area, the knurling (ie, the etched-in grip on the bar itself) was apparently done with a chainsaw. If this thing *touches* your leg on a snatch, clean or deadlift, you'll be bleeding. Guaranteed. However, the shorter area in which to put the knurling means they left the center knurl-less. Yup, my great idea was about to get harder...no grip on the bar in the middle. Yay!
So, I'm addressing our Dollar Tree bar, and I reach down with my right-hand, and grasp the middle of it. I set my stance as well as I know how, and I fire that bar overhead, and find its REALLY hard to balance a barbell overhead one-handed, but I lock it out, and complete my first 85# one-armed power snatch. Personal record and all!
Well, I decided that 5 per arm would make a nice cap to Isabel. So, that's what I did. I actually failed out 3 times on my third left arm attempt (left was waaaaay harder than the right...probably mostly a mental thing, or a grip thing, or something...), but otherwise, completed the other 9 lifts. Now that was an impressive workout! (Man, I hope I can use my arms tomorrow...this may have murdered my shoulders!)
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| I'm aiming to be the next Tony Terlazzo. Or something... |
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