12-06-30: ECC Throwdown #1

Elm City CrossFit WoD for Saturday, June 30th, 2012

Sums it up nicely. You really don't need to keep reading if you don't want to. Its an epic tale of woe and whining. Mmmm... woe and whining.

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WoD#1: Stacked Double Helen

• Round 1
  • 1200m run 
  • 63 Kettlebell Swings @44# 
  • 36 Pull-ups w/ green band 
• Round 2
  • 800m run
  • 42 KBS
  • 24 PUs
• Round 3
  • 400m run
  • 21 KBS
  • 12 PUs

Writing up the last part of that list was really kind of a waste of time. Despite scaling both the kettlebell swings and the pull-ups, I ended up getting CRUSHED by this one. KEERUSHED. Maybe its because in pretty high heat and humidity I just suck at running, maybe its because 36 pull-ups is just a ridiculous amount for me, no matter how you scale or substitute it. I honestly believe that even going for 36 ring rows, with a major angle involved, still would have destroyed me.

As it was, I struggled through the first round (run, kettlebells, pull-ups) and ran out the door to start the second round, only to find myself completely bonked. Frankly, I had been bonked since reading the workout, but this was a little different. Whereas, before the workout, I was at least resigned to trying to get through it, starting up the 800m run, I just wanted to quit. I struggled to keep running for this interval, and when I failed, struggled to keep my walk at least brisk. I did ensure I made a show of finishing the last bit at a run, for the look of the thing when I came back in sight of the gym.

I remember very clearly the thought I had when I entered the gym and saw the clock on the wall. I don't remember if it was at 24 minutes or 25 minutes elapsed, but the only thought that went through my head was:

That's too much time left.

I just wanted the pain and suckage to end. As soon as possible. However, there was still time to keep chipping away at the mountain of crap left to tackle. I knocked out the kettlebells, I won't say easily, but I don't remember them being *too* bad. However, I spent the final minute or two just getting single reps of pull-ups, chin-ups, whatever. I did the first round with the green band (a quite stout band, stronger than the blues I usually use), and added in a light orange band for this round. Frankly, you could have given me the black band (with which I am unable to even hang under the bar, because the band is SO strong) and I wouldn't have had anything left. I was done. Time ran out, and I was left with a big DNF, 30m, with a full round unstarted, and 19 pull-ups left in the one I was in. But it was over. Finally.

WoD #2
Clean ladder - Squat or power
Every 30 seconds, attempt another bar
95#, 115#, 135#, 155#, 185#, 215#, etc.... (I think)

After waiting to recover a bit from the first WoD, I realized I was out of time, and had family obligations at home. I knew my 1RM clean, squat or power, was more than 155#, so I talked with Coach Wheels about it a bit, and we agreed to pencil me in for 135#. Between the heat and fatigue, there was a good chance I wouldn't be able to successfully lift 155# that day, but 135# should have been in the bag, and I just didn't have time to prove it. So, unofficially, and quite lamely, 135#. Needless to say, further ECC Throwdown events will have me participating for the fun, as I would imagine I'm a little bit out of the running! ;)

12-05-xx:The Big Catch-Up Post!

Over a month's worth of WoDs from Elm City CrossFit

Ok, holy crap, its been over a month since I updated this thing. In rapid order, and with no record of times or accomplishments, are the WoDs I've been a part of since April 27th, my last post.


12-05-01: Running, Chelsea/Cindy, MORE Running!
WoD: For Time

• 800m Run
• *50 Pull-ups
• *100 Push-ups
• *150 Squats
• 800m Run

*done as 10 sets of 5-10-15

If you're CF savvy, you'll spot that this is a variation on either Chelsea or Cindy (both of which involve sets of 5-10-15 pull-ups, push-ups and squats. Only kicker? The bookmarking 800m runs. Needless to say, the pull-ups kicked my ass, the push-ups caught up with me, the squats were easy, and the first run was waaay easier than the second. Second one was actually harder because my arms were too shattered to help me with momentum... ugh. Slowest time of the day... whatever it was.


12-05-02: Kettlebells, Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, and sprints
WoD: 3 x 3 for time:

• 5ea SA KBS
• 10 SLDL @ ½ BW
• Crack Dash

1 minute rest between each round (so after every 3rd crack dash (means sprint to you and me...)

This started easy and got AWFUL really fast. Definitely a pain in the butt a day after a full body burner. Ugh.

12-05-04: Pull-Ups and Bear Crawls
WoD: For Time 75 Pull-ups *unbroken
*every break equal one bear crawl loop


Sheer awfulness. Used a nice heavy band, and still ultimately lost count of how many bear crawls I did. Enough that I could barely bear crawl OR do pull-ups by the end. The only band stiff enough to get me up and over the bar with ANY sort of form is the black band, which is so taut I can't actually hit full extension while standing in it: Not an option. I'm more likely to spike myself into the ceiling like a rivet with that thing!

12-05-08: Cleans and sprints
WoD: 7x 90sec to complete:

• 3 Cleans
• Crack Dash

Not a bad workout. I don't remember my clean weight, but it was heavy, but not undoable. The problem with waiting a month to actually write it up (yes, it IS in a notebook... at the gym!)

12-05-09: Rope Climbs and Double-Unders 
WoD: 15min AMRAP

• 1 Rope Climb
• 20 Double Unders

Thank god for the knotted rope. Made a bunch of ascents (maybe 8?) before having a panicky moment near the top when it felt like my grip was really giving out. Transferred over to doing 10 ring rows for the final two rounds, which was where it  became obvious that my grip WAS completely gone, as I could barely do a rep or two before sliding off the rings, just no grip left. Most of the jumping was single-unders, but I mixed in as many double-unders as I could. Might have gotten more rounds with just single-unders, but that would have reduced my rest time between climbs, so that just would have been me hitting the grip wall even faster. Likely amounts to about the same.

10 rounds, x extra ring rows


12-05-14: Front Squats, Overhead Squats and Snatches
WoD: 3x7
Front Squat @ 75%
Followed by: Heavy Singles of overhead squat or snatch

Completed every round of front squats unbroken, only had grip issues on the first set (finishing it with the silly California front squat grip I so hate and rely on sometimes). After banging those out, I opted to work on my overhead squats. After getting in several heavy singles on them, I also started to mix in the occasional snatch, but was having trouble getting fully under the bar in a full squat, so went back to the overhead squats to help myself get more comfortable in all ranges of the motion with the bar overhead.

12-05-16: Skill/Max day!
5 attempts each:

• Max Weight Dead-hang Pull-Up (no-kip)
• Max Height Box Jump
• Row 500m

This was a fun day (other than Coach Kimmie racking herself on a box jump and ending up with awful lumps on her shins. Fortunately they were merely superficial!)  Managed a deadhang pull-up with a 35# kettlebell attached. Made a few attempts to best that with the 44# 'bell and just couldn't manage it. Next time. Box jumps were another story. 24"? Easy. 30"? Easy. 36"? Easy. 40"? NOT easy... but I made it. Tried to make it to 44" but just couldn't get over the fear factor. Every attempt at that height was pathetic, with my feet not even making it over the seam of the bottom box (two boxes on their sides, one 45# plate on top), so its not like I was just missing. I was completely psyching myself out.

Rowed an ok first attempt on the 500m, and was more or less happy to leave it there. However, after the crappy attempts at the box jump, I decided to crank out another 500m, and shaved a good 10s off my time.


12-05-18: Jerks and skills
WoD: 20 Singles:
 - Jerk (front and/or back) @ 80%
Sellout: Skill work

Jerks out of a weight rack are so much more fun than off the floor... though, to mix things up, I did do a few reps as clean and jerks, just to mix it up. Jerking from behind the neck is so much infinitely easier (you don't need to move the head out of the way of the bar path, so its a simpler movement overall). Weight?

12-05-21: Wallballs, mountain climbers and crab walks
WoD: 2x 6min on: 3min off

• 3 Wallballs(20#, 10' target)
• 10 Mountain Climbers (1to1)
• 1 loop Crab Walk 

I don't remember how many rounds I completed... all I remember is that the wallballs were easy, the mountain climbers were fast, and the crab walks devastated me.


12-05-23: Bench presses and max-rep push-ups
WoD: Rounds of 5-4-3 reps, then 3s till failure (If you miss a 3, you're done!)

• Bench @ 85%
• max rep push-up

Round of 5 was easy, 4 was ok, first round of 3 totally sucked, but at that point, the push-ups really tapered off, and stopped being such a drain on the bench press. Managed 4 rounds of 3, failing on the final rep of that fourth round. I almost made it too... right up until the bar changed directions and had to be caught by the spotter (Thanks Vin!)


12-05-25: Interval kettlebell swings and box-jumps
WoD: 4x

• 1min Kettlebell Swings
• 1min Box Jumps (step down only)
• 1min Rest

My only goal was to try to maintain reps from one round to the next (count was total number of reps across both exercises each round), which I managed. I don't remember now which version of the swing I did... though it was probably the traditional/Russian swing out in front, rather than overhead. I believe about this time I read an article discussing the differences, and have started going overhead. This workout may makr the last time I did traditional swings. Ah well.


12-05-28: Memorial Day Team WoD!
WoD: For time (entire team)

• 400m weighted run 35#
• 50 squats
• 25 pull-ups
• 100m run
• 50 burpees
• 25 weighted sit-ups 35#
• 800m run 

Six 3-person teams squared off to tackle this beast of a workout, dreamed up on the spot by Coaches Vin, Bobby and Kimmie (mostly Vin and Bobby...bastards).  Every member had to to do every rep, and move from movement to movement together as a team. However, 1 person from each time could move ahead and complete the entire workout on their own, then swing back to help a struggling teammate with whatever they were chipping away at.  My team was Woody, Azaria, and myself: clearly Woody was going to be the sprinter on this one, and indeed he was. There were two things that made me excited about this one: it was my first team WoD, and it was also the first time Jen and Emma had come out to meet the crew and watch me compete. Nerves!!!

Long story short, we came in last, mostly because I got mud-stomped by the pull-ups, and Z got mud-stomped by the burpees. Woody came back around during the burpee phase, helping Z out with her final reps while I went on to sit-ups. As I struggled through them (its really hard to breath during sit-ups with a 35# plate on your chest... I felt bad for those who did it with the Rx'd 45#!), Bobby offered me the option of scaling the run to 400m, just 2x around the parking lot. I declined, and struggled through the full 800m, but was determined to complete the WoD as written (other than using a band on the pull-ups. I think I forgot to mention that... Meh.) Awesome day, and a great time was had by all!

12-05-30: Chipper Disasterpiece
WoD: For Time:

• 15 Pull-ups
• 30 Push-ups
• 45 Squats
• 2min Rest
• 9 Deadlifts @ 225#
• 9 Hand-stand Push-Ups
• 2min Rest
• 400m Run
• 15 Overhead squat 95# 
• 2min Rest
• 50 Double-Unders 150 single-unders
• 50 Sit-ups

Holy crap did this one suck. Especially two days after the Memorial Day chipper, to hit another epic full body disaster really kind of hurt! The only thing that kept it interesting was knowing that each couple/triplet was a round of one of the named workouts, so that was fun. The workout was HARD. One big upshot was doing all the weights as Rx'd easily, and even though I subbed out single for double-unders, I completed all 150 jumps unbroken. So, that was kind of awesome.

11-12-19: 1RM Cleans and Front Squats

Elm City CrossFit WoD for Monday, December 19th, 2011

The clean. Floor to shoulders, using just about every muscle in the body EXCEPT the arms (other than just for control). If you're using your arms a lot, you're doing it wrong.Note pictures 2-3... the weight hasn't moved much, only the lifter has. And his arms are STRAIGHT in the 2nd pic.

Brett Marshall (AFT) demos awesome front squat form. The weight is out of the hands and riding on the delts. Knees are out, feet are flat on the floor. Perfection. (crossfit.com)

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Strength: 1 Rep Max

• Clean
• Front Squat

Pretty simple prescription: Work up to 1 rep maxes on the clean, then on the front squat (ie, NOT in the same move; a full clean (which includes catching the bar in a full squat) does NOT count as the front squat attempt.) After a good amount of warm-up and review with empty bars, we set to work. Despite all of my recent complaining and whining about my own shortcomings and goats, especially the olympic lifts, including cleans, today felt really good. I felt like I was really popping the bar up to my shoulders using mostly the triple extension of hips, knees and ankles, and I was having some pretty good success dropping under the bar, rather than just relying on firing up to full standing height in a power clean. So that was all good.  As I climbed up in weight, I just trying to keep my head fully in the moment, only worrying about the deadlift "yellow light" portion of the lift, then the explosive pop, then the catch, and not getting all flustered by dealing with everything at the same time. 

After a few warm-ups at 95#, I started moving up in weight. I had two good lifts at 115# and 135#, then matched my previous PR at 155#. That felt so good with my improved form, I shot to 175# and nailed it, setting a 20# PR. After taking a few minutes, I tried for a final attempt at 185#, but didn't quite get under the bar properly, causing it to "stack up" on my left wrist wrong. Though I was able to shake it out in time for the front squats, it definitely made me bring my clean attempts to an end!

For the front squat, I picked right up at 185#, banging out two reps easily. I again started climbing, this time gunning for my previous PR of 215#. After a rep at 205#, I went to 225# and nailed it. I tried a rep at 235# and nailed it, putting me at a 20# PR on front squats, too. After nearly deciding to quit (it was time for the next class to come in), I opted for one more lift, this time at 245#. I nailed it, inking in a 30# PR on front squats for the day. Not a bad start to the week, and a welcome change from my usual bitching and moaning, at least in recent posts. Progress. Getting stronger. THIS is why we do this. No, its NOT always fun, but on days like this (or when I got to the top of the climbing rope, or broke 300# on my deadlift), its totally worth it!

One other thing I thought of later: I had NO problems with my grip on this workout. Granted, I didn't do any high reps on the front squats, so there wasn't a lot of time for fingers to slip out.  I also did some triceps work during the warm-up, which I think definitely paid off. Interesting. 

11-12-09: Clean and Jerk complex

Elm City CrossFit WoD for December 9th, 2011


The inspiration for today's workout. Damn, this guy is strong!

Natalie Burgener clean and jerks. She's kind of awesome. Comes with being a Burgener, I guess. ;)

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WoD:

• 1 Clean*
• 2 Front Squats
• 1 Jerk

Repeat until failure
*Start @ 70% Max C&J and increase by 5% each cycle. End @ 90%

First time back to the gym in over two weeks (holidays, a death in the family, work overload, capped off with a fun case of food poisoning... cue my 'world's saddest violins,' please!), and crap, was it a rough re-entry. Not just a day requiring strength... but a day requiring a great deal of skill, too, and NOT skills that I had locked in before. While I wasn't cleaning at weights that were too much of a stretch, it also never felt that great. I realized fairly far into the workout that I was power cleaning (not on purpose) so much, I was catching the bar without having moved my legs out, and with my knees straight. As high up as I possibly could, in other words. Doofus.

The front squats were easy as pie, again not being anywhere near my max weights, and the grip wasn't too much of a problem... until it came time to transition into the jerk. My grip/forearms aren't flexible enough to keep all my fingers under the bar... and as the pinky and ring finger slipped out, I was completely screwed trying to prep for the jerk. The only weight I was successful at was my starting weight of 115#. After a few reps of that in my first work set, I moved up another 5% towards my C&J max of 155# (set on another day when I was struggling with the exact same grip issues), to 125#. After several failed attempts, all at the jerk, and all because of trying to get my grip re-situated, I dropped back to 155# to at least get some work done going overhead. For the final few minutes of the workout, I made a few more attempts at 125#. Failed all of them at the jerk. Effin' grip.

So, I clearly need to work on the transition, and on my forearm/grip flexibility. It's no good having work that you can do, strength-wise, be completely undermined by something "small" like that. Of course, that's not entirely true, as most olympic lifts and their variations are equally dependent on strength as technique... but still...

The one "upshot" is thatI got my re-entry out of the way early. Had this workout gone fairly smoothly, like I hadn't missed a beat, only to have a train-wreck the next time... bah. Best to have it out of the way now. I guess. Dammit.

11-09-12: Back squats, clean-pull-up-run triplet

Elm City CrossFit WoD for Monday, September 12, 2011

No pics today. Sorry!

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Strength: Back squat - 5RM: 15min limit
WoD: 3 Rounds For Time

• 3 (Squat) Cleans 115#
• 7 Pull-ups (Band assist)
• 200m Run

Noooo sleep going into this one, but I was determined to make a good show on the squats. After a few warm-up sets, I slowly climbed to a new 5RM of 245#. If I had had a minute or two longer, I would have shot for 250# or 255#, but since the pace of two guys alternating on the squat rack with a little time to adjust the weights in between didn't leave too much in the tank for recovery, I kind of think that would have led to a failure on the set... but we'll never know, and I would NOT have approached it as "I'm going to fail." I'm desperate to get my heavy lift numbers up, and squatting barely more than bodyweight is something I'd really like to fix. 

Ignoring Coach Vin's redundant sarcasm (Every clean is a "squat" clean, unless clearly specified. You don't need to modify "clean" to make it a "squat clean"), we were allowed to "pseudo-squat clean," meaning that after what amounts to a power clean, THEN we would complete the motion with a front squat. I started out the first round doing the pseudo version, but then started to really work on getting the real version down. The weight was light enough (determined by an ever improving feeling in my wrists and forearms), that I didn't need to focus *too much* on the other parts of the lift, letting me focus on one of my biggest goats, the fear that if I try to catch the bar in a squat, I'll fail. Clearly, the rest of the chain is worthless if I can't go after the bar aggressively, so I tried to make that the focus of the cleans for the remainder of the workout.

My first round of pull-ups was done unassisted, as I failed to get myself a pull-ups station (too busy changing out weights once I determined that 145# would be too heavy for my wrists), so I ended up bouncing down 3 stations until I almost ran out of pull-up bars, grabbed one, and banged out 4 chin-ups, then 3 pull-ups. After that, I was able to work in on another set-up, as the other person sharing it and I were fairly well 180 degrees apart on the tasks at that point.

Running was running. The nice thing is this: Its starting to feel like the rest/recharge of workouts like this, implying its no longer the hardest, worst thing in the world. THAT'S a definite improvement in my book.

Total time: unknown (to be updated soon)

10-06-17: "Elizabeth" Cleans and Dips

CrossFit WoD for Sunday, June 13, 2010


Active stretching/warmup

"Elizabeth"

21-15-9 reps of:

• Clean 135#
• Ring dips

Time: 10:32 (with a little rest time due to shared equipment)

Interesting note: Not having official weight-lifting shoes, I opted to do the workout in just socks (like I'm going barefoot on *that* floor!), which I've done before for workouts where the weight is moving in a fairly vertical path, and therefore fairly unlikely to move laterally enough to kill toes or anything.  This worked perfectly, and is actually a fairly enjoyable way to workout.

The funny part was when I changed back into work clothes, including my newish Avia 207s, which I bought probably a week or two before reading Chris McDougall's "Born to Run."  I really noticed the feeling of muting all the senses and feedback from my feet, and walking back to the office felt like I was walking with two numb feet. Not as enjoyable as the workout at ALL. When these thing wear out, I am so looking for minimal footwear to wear at work.

10-05-06: AMRAP 7: 95# Squat Cleans x10, Sit-Ups x20

CrossFit WoD for May 6, 2010:
Complete as many rounds in seven minutes as you can of:

• 95 pound Squat clean, 10 reps
• 20 Sit-ups

The standard for the sit-up is feet anchored, back of the hands touch the ground above your head on the bottom, and hands touch the anchor at the top. No Abmat.

4 rounds (I was shooting for 3+, so this actually made me VERY happy.)

Warmed up with a little rowing, and about 7 minutes of bike, just to loosen up the old knees, etc.
Active stretching.

Hit the timer and started cranking through the workout.  Managed to get the first two rounds done without having to stop to suck wind...but MAN did I ever want to! :S  After that, there were intermittent breaks, usually for no more than 3 deep breaths before continuing on.  Used the bar as my anchor for the sit-ups, and did the whole thing in socks.  I am LOVING the feel of olympic lifting without wearing running shoes...there is a definite increase in control when your shoes aren't trying to cushion you.  Imagine lifting weights standing on pillows, and you'll get a pretty good idea of why running shoes make lousy lifting shoes!  If only we had a real platform to lift on (instead of a rubberized floor...see the grumbles about shoes), that would be awesome.  Of course, with iron plates, that platform would have to be a beast to not be destroyed instantly...but since the floor underneath the rubberized matting is crumbling, it still might be a good (read: SAFE) idea to get something like that.  I guess after we manage to talk them into getting their cheezy Nautlilus-style machines out of the way...