Forearm Foreplay

Wrong...the title is so WRONG.  Oh well, I thought it was entertaining.  Not too rough of a workout day.  I'm going to continue on my normal schedule and then up the volume 3 weeks out from Sectionals (CrossFit Games), and taper back the week of (March 15th).

Back Squats
115x5
135x3
165x3
185x3
205x3
230x3x5

Clean&Jerks
135x1
155x1
175x1x4

Clean and Jerks felt solid. Enough said.

WOD
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 Double Unders
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 KB Swings, 70lb
4min 42sec

Time to beat was 4:52, so I'm really happy with my time.  Sub-5 on this WOD was hard.  My forearms were on fire...title make sense now???


Ultimate Conditioning - Monday 1/21/2011

Deadlift 5-5-5


Max Reps in 2 min of:
KB Swings, 52/35
Burpees
KB Squat Clean, 52/35
Sit-Ups
DB Bentover Row, 40/25

Rest 30sec between each exercise

Check, check...is this thing on?

It's been a few days since I updated the blog...oops.  I got a little swept up with work last Wednesday and never found the time to sit down and update things.  I went home this past weekend for my dad's birthday and was less than motivated to update then as well.  Oh well, it's back.

some WODs from the past week (off the top of my head):

3 Rounds
10 Deadlift, 275lb
50 Double Unders
5m 17s


21-15-9
Power Snatch, 95lb
Ring Dips
6 something?


AMRAP 15
5 Push Press, 115lb
10 OH W. Lunges, 45lb
15 Box Jump, 24"
9 Rounds + 1 Push Press

Ultimate Conditioning

UPDATE: The Wednesday Mystery Workout has been planned.  I will say that it should be a "good" one, to include: running, deadlifts, push-ups, squats, DB Clean & Jerks, running, Walking Lunges, running...did I mention running!?

Arm Bender...aka Triple WOD

So today starts out with the interesting fact that I forgot to bring a workout t-shirt.  My first bright idea was to check LFF for some Silver Sneaker or gym shirts...no luck.  That's fine, there's a Dollar Tree right next store.  Note to readers, Dollar Tree does not sell t-shirts. I decided to just head to CF Durham and work out in my hoodie when I realized I could just buy a shirt from CF.  I ended up buying an XL which is way too long, but did the necessary job.

On to the exercise!

WOD #1 - "Strength"

Power Snatch
75x3
95x2/2/2

Power C&J
95x3
125x2/2/2

Work up to heavy Front Squat
135x1
165x1
185x1
205x1
225x1


WOD #2 - 30 Muscle-Ups for Time
8min 40sec (40sec PR)

Rest 5min.

WOD #3 - Helen
3 Rounds:
400m run
21 KB Swings, 24kg (52.8lb)
12 Pull-Ups
8min 15sec (3sec PR)

My lats are destroyed.  Now I know how my clients feel when they tell me they can't reach their arms above their heads.  Needles to say, I will not be working out again tonight.

Duck Hunt

Hips were a little tight from the WOD on Saturday.  I really want to do the Thruster/KB Swing WOD from yesterday's Class, but it'll have to wait. 

Strength: 

Back Squat
135x3
165x3
185x3
225x3x5


Clean & Jerk
135x1
165x1x3


On the minute for 15 minutes:
10 Box Jumps, 24"
AMRAP Pullups/Pushups in time remaining each minute (I subbed in 75lb Push Press for pushups)


Pull-Ups - 30/15/15/10/12/12/12/16 (122)
Push Press - 12/11/10/8/10/8/12 (71)
Total Reps - 193


Ultimate Conditioning - Monday 1/24/2011


Deadlift 5-5-5

then:

AMRAP 15min.
5 Push Press (75/45)
10 OH Walking Lunge, (45/25)
15 Box Jump, (24/20)

Lazy Sunday

Rest day today...nothing but laying around and eating/watching TV.

I remade my Chipotle meal from Friday night using Meat House steak tips...AWESOME.  That combined with my shake was a nice 2200 calories.


Ultimate Conditioning - Sunday 1/23/2011

Warm-Up
Wall Ball, 20/14
Pull-Ups
Burpees
Squats
Sit-Ups
1 min rest
3 Rounds - 45sec. each station

WOD - from Again Faster
8min As Many Rounds As Possible
KB Swing (52/35)
Squat Thruster (75/45)
1 of each, 2 of each, 3 of each, etc. until 8min is over.

Nelly's Birthday WOD

Worked out at CrossFit Durham today!  It was awesome to be back.  Dave led our warm-up, with the focus on the split jerk.  I was hesitant to go heavy due to my back, but decided I'd feel it out.  Foam rolling in between reps seemed to help.

Split Jerk
75x3
95x3
125x1
135x1
155x1
175x1
185x1
205xF
210x1 (PR)


Quarter Life Crisis
250m row
25 Deadlifts, 225lb
250m row
25 Wall Ball, 20lb
250m row
25 Knees-to-elbows
250m row
9m 11s

This WOD completely kicked my ass.  I'm not sure what to attribute how bad I did to...lack of MetCons lately...lack of rowing...not being as awesome as Paul Potorti...who knows.  It took me a good 20min to recover and I thought at one point I might throw up.  Loved it.

Homemade Chipotle...and a "Paleo" Disaster

Decided not to work out today and give my back another full day to rest...and I ended up falling asleep for like 2 hours.  Does over 1 hour even count as a "nap"?  Anyway, I'm alllll alone on a Friday night so I thought I would make something tasty for dinner.  For the record, Chipotle is cheaper but this was worth it (and there was more).

Guacamole
1 Haas avacado
1/2 a lime (the juice)
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno chopped (remove seeds)
salt to taste
dash of EVOO

Remove inside of avacado and put into mixing bowl.  Mash with a fork and mix in other ingredients.

Guacamole goes great on sweet potato chips.

Steak (seasoning)
1lb of steak
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion

Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the steak.  Heat a little bit of EVOO (do you like how technical I am) into a non-stick pan.  Cook red onions for 1 min. and then add the steaks.  Cook until done, only flipping once.  Remove steak and cut into bite size pieces.

Fajita Vegetables
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3/4 red onion
2 bell peppers

Chop up onion and bell peppers into strips.  Heat a small amount of EVOO in a pan and toss in vegetables and seasonings.  Don't cook too long or use too much oil, as you want these veggies to still be crisp when they're done.

You can also make fresh salsa if you'd like.  I just bought some from Harris Teeter, as they have a pretty good one.

mmmm, best thing ever...

Dessert
If you'd like to completely ruin your strict paleo diet you should def. indulge in a glass of Pinot Noir and some Dark Chocolate (80%+).  Even though it is fine for paleo, it has no place in a strict 30 day challenge.  I messed up (unintentionally).  Shout out to Ashley and Jonathan Denton for calling me out!  Thanks guys!

Only cheaters...well, cheat!

Mass (A) Gain...again

When we last left I was happily planning on switching to Mike's Gym workouts to focus more on oly lifting.  Wrong.  I tried to use the program as a base and add too much into it.  Needless to say, my recovery this week has been shitty and I'm left feeling unmotivated and bitter.  New plan.  I had great results following the Mass (A) Gain program for 10 weeks even while missing pretty much all of my snatch sessions, most of my front squat sessions, and most of my Saturday workouts (oly accessory lifts).  I feel like if I buckle down and hit every workout as planned then my oly lifts should improve as well.  I am tweaking the program just a tad, however, because the volume was a tad too high last time (w/ added MetCon's).

Here's the plan:

Monday
Back Squat - 5x3
Clean & Jerk - heavy single
MetCon (preferably something with push press in it)

Tuesday AM
Power Snatch - 3x2
Power Clean & Jerk - 3x2
Accessory oly work (snatch balance, rack jerk, etc)

Tuesday PM
Weighted Chin-Ups - 5x3
MetCon (<15min)
Skill Work

Wednesday
Deadlift - 3x3
Press - 5x5
MetCon (preferably something w/pull-ups or muscle-ups)

Thursday
Rest and/or active recovery (skill work and foam rolling/mobility)

Friday
Front Squat - 5x3
Snatch - heavy singles
MetCon (preferably something with bench/ring dips/hspu, or another press exercise)

Saturday
2 position snatch - 4 sets
2 position C&J - 4 sets
Push Jerk + Split Jerk - 4 sets
MetCon

Sunday
Rest or recovery (foam rolling/mobility)

As for today, my back tightened up on my right side last night.  It's not terrible, but I figured I might as well rest today and see how I feel Friday.  I might just do some regular WOD's Friday/Saturday and start my new-old program on Monday.  Happy lifting!

"Recovery Day"

Went in to my workout feeling pretty beat up today.  I was happy to see that Front Squats were NOT on the agenda, although they do show up again tomorrow and Saturday...again.

Today was meant to be a recovery day...so I took it

Deadlift
135x5
225x5
275x3
315x3x3

Power Snatch
95x2
105x2x7

Handstand Practice

Ultimate Conditioning - Wednesday 1/19/2011

 DB Lunges   20-20-20

then:

AMRAP 15 min
10 Power Cleans (95/65) OR 10 KB Squat Cleans (52/35)
15 KB Swings (52/35)
20 Double Unders OR 60 singles

That's all I got...boring blog post day...

Double Day

Holy Front Squats Fatman!  Working up to a heavy front squat every day is going to be tougher than I thought.  My goal is to shoot for 225 each time, but after struggling today I'm not sure how realistic that is for next time.

Morning Session:

Clean&Jerk
95x1
115x1
125x1
135x1
165x1/1/1/1/1

Front Squat
135x1
185x1
205x1
225x1

AMRAP 8min
5 P. Clean, 165lb
10 Ring Dips
5 Rounds + 1 PC

Evening Session:

50-40-30-20-10 Double Unders
10 Burpees
5min 51sec


Weighted Chin-Ups
+20kg x3
+24kg x3
+26kg x3
+32kg x3/3/3

My legs hurt...*whine*.  My eggs cooked in bacon grease seem to have helped a little.  Now it's time for an apple smothered in almond butter and some DVR.

Thus ends the boring blog of the day.

Day 1...or only 1 day

This is going to be short and sweet, mainly because I sucked it up today.  This was the first day following Mike's Gym and focusing more on Oly Lifting.  I'm going to a USAW Level 1 Coaches Cert in Feb AND there's a USAW Olympic Lifting meet the same month...seems like the right time to start.  In any event, I suck at oly lifting.  I need to improve my skill in the next month so I don't embarrass myself.

Here was the WOD today:

1. fs: work up to a heavy single. take about 5 to 6 reps to get there
135/155/185/205/225/240


*Added Back Squats 3x3:
240/230/230

2. snatch: work up to 80%x1x5
worked up to using 115 (should have been 125, but it's been TOO long)

3. sn pull: work up to 100%x2x2
skipped

4. sn deadlift: work up to 100%x2. +10 kg, +15 kg x 1
skipped - doing heavy conventional deadlifts on Wednesday

5. abs
replaced with MetCon

AMRAP 10min
5 Burpees
10 Pull-Ups
20 Double Unders
(w/20lb vest) 

6 rounds + 3 Burpees  (old score was 3+18...in 2008) 

So let's have a quick word about the workout.  I'm going to follow Mike's Gym as closely as possible, HOWEVER, there are other lifts that are still  important to me.  I'm going to throw in heavy Back Squats on Mondays and Deadlifts on Wednesdays.  Luckily I can see the whole week in advance so I know what to expect.  I'm not pleased with today's efforts, but I will push on. 




Ultimate Conditioning - Monday 1/17/2011

Deadlift 5-5-5


5 Rounds For Time:
100m Run
15 Squat Thrusters (75/45)
20 Sit-Ups (feet anchored)

Lazy Day

Aside from the hour and a half that I worked today, the only activity my body was interested in was napping.  I did manage to pry myself away from the sheets long enough to go grocery shopping.  This week, unlike others, I decided to buy EVERYTHING that I would need for 1 week (to the best of my ability).

Here's the list:
2 Dozen Eggs
5lb Chicken
2lb Pork Tenderloin
4lb Ground Beef (85/15)
1 Package of Bacon
1 Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini
2 Jars of Organic Pasta Sauce (no sugar added)
Apples
Strawberries
Blueberries
4 Can of Coconut Milk
2 Packages of Guacamole

Fully stocked...

On another food related note, you can always make any restaurant paleo.  Outback is a horrible example because it's SO easy, but that was dinner...

9oz filet - no butter/seasoning
side salad - no cheese or croutons, oil&vinegar as dressing
sweet potato - plain w/ coconut butter (my own item)
3 pieces of grilled shrimp - no sauce

mmmm, coconut butter...

Ultimate Conditioning - Sunday 1/16/2011

In 3 person teams, complete:

900m run
75 Kettlebell Swings (52lb men, 35lb women)
100 Power Snatch or Clean and Jerk (75lb men, 45lb women)
200 Sit-Ups
450 Squats (hip crease below knee)
900m run

Fastest group time was 22:28

Rules:
1) Only 2 people can be moving at a time
2) Everything must be completed in order before moving on
3) Reps do not have to be split evenly

Squats, squats, squats...and CrossFit Clayton

Since I maxed out yesterday and squats, press, and deadlift I was a little hesitant to try and max out again today.  My initial plan was to do front squats, snatch, and clean&jerks....but after taking a little longer to get to LFF than I planned I decided I would just do front squats.  I had no idea how it would go...


Front Squats
135x5
155x2
155x2
185x1
225xFAIL
225x1
240x1 (PR)

Ended up going better than expected.  Legs/lower back were def. feeling my efforts from yesterday, but I managed to pull out a PR.  Immediately following, I headed to CrossFit Clayton for a WOD and to visit my friends Matt and Austin.


CrossFit Clayton WOD:
3 Rounds:
21 Power Snatch, 95lb
50 Squats

10min 44sec

This sucked after all the heavy squatting yesterday and today.  I managed to do all P.Snatches in a row on first set...and then aimed to break them up into 7's on the 2nd and 3rd rounds.  The air squats came in 2's, 3's, 5's....they sucked....but I toughed it out.  All in all it was a great time and I'll def. be back to do some WODS with Matt and Austin.

locking out

CrossFit Totaled

Finally, after a week of boring workout posts, I actually have something worth posting.  I have to admit I was a little nervous about maxing out today.  It's been a long time since I actually tried and I had no idea what I'd be able to do.  Unfortunately, not having a good grasp on where I was at actually held me back from hitting some more impressive PRs...more on that later.


Squat
135x5
155x3
185x2
225x1
240x1
285x1
300x1 (PR)

I've never really been a fan of the back squat since getting my ACL repaired, but I have to say it's beginning to grow on me.  My hamstrings are looser, my hip feels good, and I'm finding the intensity I need to actually get better.  The 300 actually went up pretty fast. Faster than I was expecting actually.  I could have tried another heavier set, but Rippetoe's "don't be greedy" comment from the  CrossFit Journal  (referring to the CF Total) flashed into my head.  I obeyed...

Press
95x5
115x3
125x1
140x1
150xF
145xF

Press is def. my weakest lift.  In fact, most upper body pressing movements are not my forte.  I thought I'd be  able to hit at least 150, but sadly I was mistaken.  My shoulders were a little sore still from the WOD I did 2 days ago (amazing how much plain push-ups kick my ass), but that's still no excuse.

Deadlift
145x5
185x3
225x2
275x1
315x1
335x1
365x1
405x1 (PR)


After a weird shoulder/lat issue popped up last week during deadlifts, I was worried about this max attempt.  Luckily, for whatever reason (maybe due to recent mobility efforts) I didn't have any issue.  365 to 405 seemed like a big jump, but I didn't feel like wasting any time.  This was another one that (surprisingly) flew up.

CF Total Score:  845

All in all, not a bad result.  I'm starting a new routine Monday (Mike's Gym) that will hopefully help with Oly lifting...I'm going to make sure I sprinkle in back squats and deadlifts when I can.  I like the site because Burgener posts the weeks workouts in advance, which makes it easy to figure out when to do Deadlifts and back squats (if they aren't already planned).


Friday night "out"

Someone (Mitch) commented that I post a lot about eating and lifting, but nothing about living. Tonight would apparently qualify as living since I hung out "in a social setting with other people"...Paul was there too.  The night consisted of cooking, eating, and Paul talking shit as usual (and not just to me!).  It ended up being a really fun time though.  Tomorrow might bring even more fun, as we're supposed to check out this new bar/lounge/bowling alley called Sparians.

Dinner:
Burgers (topped with bacon, tomato, and avocado), sauteed spinach, and sweet potato fries.

Spinach cooked in bacon grease...delicious!

Mobility and Potato Chips

Today was a boring off day, so go ahead and stop reading now (Paul).

I did a lot of mobility work to loosen up my entire body.  My hamstrings are MUCH better now and my hip has finally stopped hurting.  I did some work on my upper body as well because I've been having issues with my left shoulder again.

Tomorrow is the CF Total (squat, press, deadlift).  I'm still trying to figure out how to squeeze in front squat or if I should just skip maxing out on it as I've been pretty slack in training it for the past month (due to back issues).

Here's a fun quick recipe if you have a (paleo) hankering for chips...yes, I just said hankering.

1) Get a medium sized sweet potato and slice it as thinly as possible.  I just recently bought a $12 mandolin from Harris Teeter (not the instrument) and it worked great.
2) Toss the chips in olive oil and add whatever seasonings you like.
3) Place on baking sheet (use tin foil) and spread out as much as possible.  Try to avoid any overlapping.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, before flipping and baking for another 10 minutes.
5) Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
6) Bring them to me (optional)

mmmm....bet ya can't eat just one!

*For anyone trying to lose weight, be careful with the amount you make and eat.  Track the calories and/or just have them on a workout day (as close to the workout as possible).

This week seems to be dragging on...it feels like it should be Friday.  Anyway, Happy Thursday everyone!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Still taking it easy blah blah blah.  Tomorrow is completely off to foam roll and work on mobility before my Friday CF Total Session.  I'm still deciding if I'm going to max out on Snatch and C&J (or not).

Lots of mobility to loosen up (shout out to Kelly "Tight Hammies" Thomas for being my guinea pig)

Bench
135x5
155x5
185x2
205x2
225x2

AMRAP 15
250m Row
25 Push-Ups (Chest-to-Floor)
5 Rounds + 250m + 17 Push-Ups

Def. didn't try to kill it on this WOD...didn't want to exhaust my legs/shoulders before Friday, but I felt like I had to do something.


Ultimate Conditioning - Wednesday 1/12/2011

6AM & 6:30PM & 8:45AM

Jack - AMRAP 20
10 Push Press, 50% 1RM
10 KB Swings
10 Box Jump

Snow Day

How sad is that a little ice can cause so many problems.  I didn't end up going to work this morning because my car decided it was impossible to skate across our parking lot.  When I finally made it to the gym I didn't feel like doing much.  I'm not that worried about it because this is an "easy" week as I prepare to max out.

Lots of mobility

Chin-Ups
BWx5/5
+25x3
+45x1
+90x1/1
+115x1
+125xF

125 was almost there, but I just couldn't finish today.  Did 90 twice because I wanted to make sure my left shoulder/lat area was good (having issues again).  Body weight in clothes before this was 178.

I'm planning on working out again tonight after work.  Not sure what I'm doing yet...

UPDATE: Tuesday PM

Decided to do a light WOD to end the end

21-15-9
Squat Snatch, 75lb
Wall Ball, 20lb
7min 31sec

Take it easy

This is it, the week I will test my new one rep maxes.  This also means that today through Wednesday workouts will be seemingly easy and extremely low volume.  I've also decided to ditch the MetCon's and give myself the best shot at being 100% prepared to max out.

Max out schedule looks like this:

Monday - none
Tuesday - Bench Press, Weighted Chin-Up
Wednesday - none
Thursday - none
Friday - CF Total (Squat, Press, Deadlift)
Saturday - C&J, Snatch, Push Press

Still not sure what routine I'll jump into after this week, but I definitely feel like I need to start adding more MetCons in and just sticking with the core lifts (Squat/Front Squat, Press, Deadlift, Snatch, C&J).  I've thought about starting to follow Mike's Gym, but I feel it will lead to similar issues as the current program I'm on (too much strict lifting, not enough metcon - unless I go over on time).

Today

Squat
95x5
115x5
145x5
165x3
195x3
245x1x2

C&J
95x1
115x1
145x1
165x1
185x1x2

Still sore from my double on Saturday which lead to my decision to ditch MetCons until Saturday (CF Clayton visit!).  Nothing else to report.


Ultimate Conditioning - Monday 1/10/2011


6AM & 6:30PM
"Rankel" modified (AMRAP 20)
6 Deadlifts
7 Burpees
10 KB Swings
200m run

8:45AM
AMRAP 10
4 Deadlifts
5 Burpees
8 KB Swings
200m run

UltiCon WOD

Today is a much needed rest day from training.  I plan on relaxing for the majority of the day and taking in a movie (Tron 3D).  Happy Sunday everyone!



Ultimate Conditioning - Sunday 1/9/2011

"Rankel" modified
6 Deadlifts
7 Burpees
10 KB Swings
200m run

Deadlifts - Use a weight that you could only perform 7-8 times or about 50% of 1RM
Burpees - Chest and thighs touching floor, perpendicular to ground at top of jump, clap overhead
KB Swings - These should be hard. American Swings - KB Overhead at top position.



Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" w/ Meat Sauce 


Incredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash 
1lb Ground Beef
Pasta Sauce (Organic, no sugar added)
garlic, garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt (optional)

Directions:
Poke holes in squash and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  Cut it in half and scoop out seeds.  Using a fork, scrape the insides out into a bowl and shred (should look like angel hair pasta when finished).
Brown the ground beef in a pan (you can add veggies if you'd like as well).  Add sauce and simmer on low/moderate heat.
Put "noodles" down on plate and cover with meat sauce.

Enjoy!

CrossFit Raleigh

I decided to go to CrossFit Raleigh today with Mitch, since this is where he normally works out.  We decided to just do mobility stuff during the 9:30 WOD and work out at 10:30 with the Coaches and some surprise guests (the Dentons and some other rock-star CrossFitters).  The WOD ended up being Jack...a hero workout.

Jack (AMRAP 20)
10 Push Press, 115
10 KB Swings, 24kg
10 Box Jumps, 24"
9 rounds + 3 push press (might have been 10+3...but since I'm not sure, I'll go with lower)

Push Press was def. the limiting factor on this WOD.  The swings were effortless and I managed to do all of those unbroken.  Box Jumps are still a struggle since I'm so fat (there ya go Paul).  Overall, it was a good effort...def. should have pushed for at least one more round.  My shoulders were still a little tired from strict press, snatches, burpees, and wall ball yesterday...(excuses, excuses)

I give CrossFit Raleigh double thumbs up...and they have snazzy t-shirts.


Possibly another hero WOD later....we'll see.

UPDATE (3+ hours after Jack)

Hero WOD #2

Rankel (AMRAP 20)
6 Deadlifts, 225
7 Burpee Pull-Ups
10 KB Swings, 32kg
200m Run
6 Rounds + 6 DL + 4 Burpee Pull-Ups

Blueberry Pancakes:
1) Mix 2 ripe bananas, 1 egg, and 1-2 TBsp on almond butter in a bowl.
2) Add blueberries to the mixture.
3) Pour batter onto griddle/non-stick pan and cook (about 2 min. each side)

Note: Be careful when flipping them as they tend to be a little more delicate than regular pancakes.  If you want a nice "syrup", try blending 2 pineapple chuncks, a few strawberries, and some blueberries.

Paleo Blueberry Pancakes and Bacon...mmmmm

Friday = Distraction Day

I just don't know what it is about Friday, but I never seem to want to work out.  This is completely unacceptable, especially since Thursday is a rest day.  It's also hard to lift at LFF because there are so many people to talk to and things going on (work-related...and not work-related [added hyphens for Paul]).  Nonetheless, the weights won't move themselves...

Started with some mobility

Snatches
lots of work at 75/95/115
singles at 135

Front Squat
135x3
165x3
185x3
195x3x3


Press
115x3
120x3x4
120x4

then:

5 Rounds
10 Wall Ball, 20lb
20 Squats
10 Burpees
9min 42sec

I made my clients do a similar version of the WOD (5/10/5) and they all seemed to hate me for it...after trying this doubled version I can see why....my.legs.would.not.move.

Not a bad day...hip/inner thigh hurts a little so I'll be icing and foam rolling later...it's also the reason I've reduced the volume of my squats (I just can't make myself skip them!).

Paleo is still going strong...I made it through last weekend and I'm hoping to do the same this week.  I really am not craving anything...I think the key is apples and almond butter...mmmmmmmm (use sparingly).

I'd Rather be Totaling...

Benchmark WOD Week continues at CF Durham...

Today's workout was the CF Total...max efforts of Back Squat, Press, and Deadlift.  As I'm still a week away from maxing out myself, I had to pass (and I really didn't want to).

Mobility

Deadlift
145x5
205x3
255x3
295x3
335x1
345x3
360x3
365x3

Bench Press
135x5
155x5
185x5
205x5x3

I had a quick Paleo lunch at Chipotle before my meeting at LFF....soooo good.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Ultimate Conditioning Class WOD:

Deadlifts 3-3-3-3-3

Tabata Everything Else

KB Swings, 52/35
Burpees
Body Row
Push Press, 75/45

Perform 20sec of KB Swings, rest 10 sec, perform 20sec of Burpees, rest 10 sec....Continue this pattern (20 on, 10 off) until you've gone through every exercise 8 times.  Record Total Reps.

Double Dose

After yesterday's beat-down with Fran, I've decided I need to make sure that I continue to find time to get some MetCon's in during the week to avoid losing my ability.

Power Snatch
75/85/95 x 2
115/125 x 2
140x2x3

Power C&J
140x1/1
150x2x3

Chin-Up
+16kg (35lb) x 3
+24kg (53lb) x 3
+ 32kg (70lb) x3x6

AMRAP 10
2 Handstand Push-Ups
4 Burpees
8 Kettlebell Snatches, 24kg
Total:  7 Rounds

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PM Session

When I was in Charlotte over Christmas, I had some conversations with CF Charlotte owner Andy Hendel.  He mentioned how all of his athletes do sprints on a treadmill (15% grade) and pair it with an exercise.  This is a good way to build up the ability to do the exercise under stress and work in hills.

With that knowledge, I created this...

5 Rounds
.05mile @ 15% grade (treadmill)
50 Double Unders
9min 15sec

Diet was good today...ended around 3500 calories.  I'm not eating less than before, I've merely changed the quality to paleo.  I'm expecting, like last time, that I'll start leaning out around week 2 or 3.

My glutes and hammies are screaming right now....deadlifts tomorrow....yay

Let's kick it off w/ Fran!?

Today was a strength day on my current program.  Pretty boring stuff, but I'll post it nonetheless.  Back squats are probably my least favorite of all the compound lifts...

mobility warm-up

Back Squats
warm-up w/ 135, 155, 185, 225
240x3x5

Clean&Jerk
135x1
165x1
175x1/1/1

Push Press
135x5
145x5x5

CrossFit Durham is doing a Benchmark WOD week...and I cannot resist.  I plan on doing Fran tonight, so we'll see how it goes.

UPDATE:

Awful. Terrible. Slow. Grinding. All words used to describe the "effort" put forth during my Fran today...

4:45 RX..probably the worst display I've had in awhile.  Head just wasn't in it...

2010 Reflection and Goals for 2011

2010 saw me accomplish a lot of things in every aspect of my life.  The biggest mistake, however, is that I did not set any year long goals last year in which to measure my success.  This year I plan to hit it harder than ever and I am more determined than ever to reach every goal I set.

First a recap on some 2010 stuff:
I became a Level 1 Certified CrossFit Trainer and have fallen 100% in love with CrossFit.
I tried my first strict paleo challenge and will now try to do 3 a year as a "cleanse".
I became more involved within the CrossFit community.
I am slowly bringing more and more of the CrossFit world into the globo gym scene.

WOD PRs
4:04 Fran
8:18 Helen
7:12 Jackie
2:52 Grace


Looking ahead
My 2011 goals are simple.  I want to destroy all of my personal records from 2010. 

A few in particular:

C&J 250lb (40lbs away)
Snatch 185lb+ (25lb away)
Front Squat 275lb+ (40lbs away)
Deadlift 450lb+ (45lbs away)
sub 4 min Fran
sub 8 min Helen
sub 7 min Jackie
2 min Grace

We'll see how far off I am for real, as I plan to max on everything in the next 2 weeks.

Diet today has been on point, nothing particularly interesting so I won't bore you with the paleoish details

Ultimate Conditioning
Today's class WODs:

mobilty warm-up, then:

AMRAP 5 min
3 Kettlebell Squat Cleans (52/35)
6 Hand Release Push-Ups
9 Squats

rest 2-3 min.

AMRAP 4 min
12 Shoulder-to-Overhead (95/65)
12 Burpees

rest 2-3 min.

100 Sit-Ups for time

rest 3 min.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
KB Swings (52/35)
Sprint 80m

Monday's morning and night class will do the same, although I may have to sub in jump rope or something different for the sprints due to space.

A New Year.  A New You.  Get after it people.

A New Year

Today marks the beginning of 2011 and the start of a 30 Day Paleo Challenge.  For the next 30 days, this blog will keep track of what I eat, what I lift, and whatever else I'd like to share.  I can do whatever I want.

Today's WOD was a partner workout @ CrossFit Durham.  I teamed with Paul to complete the following:

1200m run
50 Power Cleans, 135lb
100 Pull-Ups
200 Abmat Sit-Ups
1200m run

Total time: 20min 31sec

Paul and I discussed our strategy before starting the WOD.  He ran the entire first 1200m and then I completed all 50 Power Cleans.  After the Cleans we split the pull-ups and sit-ups between the two of us (he did way more sit-ups).  Paul ran 800m and then "let me" run the last 400m.  It actually took me a second to recover from this one....I haven't felt like throwing up after a WOD in a long time.

Post Workout Meal: (YES I'm doing sweet potatoes and protein powder)

Meal 1
Shake w/ coconut milk, pineapple, strawberries, and protein powder
pork tenderloin w/ some guac
mashed sweet potato

Meal 2
6 eggs w/ salsa and guac
spoonful of almond butter

Meal 3
Tribecca restaurant for dinner...
probably a bun-less grass-fed burger and a side salad

Current obsession of the day...Jersey Shore...and yes, I realize I'm like 2 years late to the party.

Tomorrow I'll post my 2011 goals and the WODs that I make my Ultimate Conditioning class do.