Rainy Day Muscle Ups

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

10 rounds for completion:

5 kb snatches each arm (24 kg)

10 second L sit hold

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

The Bear Complex

7 repetitions of:

Squat Clean to overhead + back squat to overhead

Complete 5 rounds adding load each set

Back extensions 10, 10, 10 (20#)

Rope pullups 10, 8, 6 (20#)

WOD 3 – in the evening…

For time:

800 meter run

30 muscle ups

800 meter run

Big Tuesday today. After Saturday and all the car push fun (pictured above), the last few days were easy off. So, I worked the skill component hard this morning, getting good practice at both kettlbell snatches and L sit holds. Honestly feel stronger every time I do the holds even though they make me want to piss myself by the end.

After watching the members at my gym go through the Bear yesterday, I was a little worried that this wasn’t going to go too well for me. I started with 95# on the bar and worked up 20# per set until I reached 155# on my fourth. After that went well I decided to jump to 185# for the last. It took me about 3 minutes to get my 7 reps, but I got em. This complex is valuable for a couple reasons… 1) You get a lot of squats in. 2) You spend a lot of time under tension. 3) It’s grip intensive. Each of these are reason enough in my book. Put them together and you’ve picked yourself a winner Bobby.

For the conditioning WOD today, I tackled a mainsite one from a few days back. 30 muscle ups sandwiched between 800 meter runs. Now, I don’t know why HQ is all over the 800s lately, but I love it. It’s a painful but fast distance… mostly about guts and breathing if you ask me. Pair that type of effort with something that is more about skill and patience (muscle ups) and it’s a recipe for a great WOD. This didn’t disappoint. And the fact that it was raining like it's December made things even better. I felt great throughout--both 800s took around 2:45 and the muscle ups just over 4 minutes. My total time was 9:42.

Last Saturday's Group WOD

Iceland in 7 weeks!

Hope everyone is training hard and getting ready. It's just around the corner!

Workout of the Day

100 yard sled drag (70#)

30 deadlifts (185#)

30 pushups

Rest and repeat

449 Fight Gone Bad

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

5 Pistol Squats each leg

20 hollow rocks

Repeat 4 times

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

DB kneeling strict press 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Barbell walking lunge 10, 10, 10

Toe to bar + chest to bar 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

WOD 3 – in the evening…

“Fight Gone Bad”

3 x 1 minute rounds of

Wall Ball (20#)

Sumo DL high pull (75#)

Box Jumps (20”)

Push Press (75#)

Row

Needless to say, the volume was high today. Technically, the morning session was great practice for me with a skill I’m historically poor at. I’ve found that rolling from my back into the squat is proving the best method developing the ankle flexibility and balance needed to perform this movement. The afternoon WOD marked the return to a move that is sooo under-utilized in CrossFit. The weighted walking lunge is far and away the best developer of glute and high hamstring strength that I have ever found. Grab a barbell, load it up, and do this exercise. Then try to sit down in your desk chair for 3 days. It ain’t happening. I did my sets today at 135#, 155#, and 185#.

Finally, we were doing Fight Gone Bad at the gym today and it felt only appropriate that I throw my hat in the ring for my conditioning session. It’s been 2 years or more since I’ve done this monster, so I didn’t really have high expectations of eclipsing my previous best mark of 425. I gotta say though, it felt much better than anticipated. I didn’t get gassed until halfway through the 3^rd round, and by that time the end was so near that adrenaline was enough to carry me through. I finished at 449, 1 shy of a major milestone. Naturally, the 1 rep I needed to get 450 was left on the table during my last round of wall balls-my only missed target of the WOD. Wish I would’ve video taped it, but such is life.

Expecting major soreness tomorrow so I’ll be heading to the river for some much needed ice water and vitamin D.

Rest Day

Sunset Swim WOD

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

2 Muscle Up to HSPU/minute on the minute

Ring HSPU 4, 4, 4

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Power Clean 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Front Squat 20, 20, 20

Back Extension 10, 10, 10

Rope pullups w/ lateral swing 3 x max

WOD 3 – in the evening…

For Time:

250 yard swim

4 rounds of

100 yard farmers walk (45# db)

20 hand release pushups

Finish with 250 yard swim

I woke up tired today but slowly gained energy throughout the day. My technique and strength on the rings were a step back from last week, but I ironed out a few things and have some ideas about how to improve my form. Body tension is such a difficult thing to maintain when you get tired, but without it you have to work so much harder. Getting from a dip to a handstand smoothly requires body tension, coordination, and some speed.

This afternoon I trained at CF East Sac with Justin, working up to a new 3RM power clean at 265#. Not having done these in a while, I am way pumped to hit that number. Makes me think I might be able to get 285# for a single. Following a heavy explosive set with 3 x 20 front squats is a nice bit of contrast for those of you wanting to be powerful and have strength endurance. I hit 155#, 175#, and 185# for these with plenty of rest between. Pretty well jellied after that.

Finally, I got back out to the lake for this evening’s conditioning. I was smoked after the strength session so getting in the water proved just what the doctor ordered. The water temperature has increased dramatically over the past 2 weeks, hovering somewhere around 70 now. It felt like a swimming pool at sunset. The farmers walks and pushups were less psychologically rewarding, but I battled my way through them just the same. All told, this WOD took me 18:16 to complete. Happily, my respiratory conditioning felt great… no hyperventilation in the water, no sucking gas on the farmers walks. The only thing I was fighting was muscle fatigue and some minor quad cramping from the front squats J. Check the video clip below.

Stairs and Double Unders

Workout of the Day

For time:

10 story stair climb

100 double unders

rest 5 minutes, complete 5 rounds

Finish with bear crawls down 10 stories.

Headed to downtown Sacramento and met up with some buddies to run the 14^th and H parking deck. It’s the tallest such structure in the area and has thus become something of a training ground for local outdoor fitness enthusiasts. The idea behind the WOD was to pair an all out effort (stair sprint) with a skill movement (double unders). We were working on the ability to perform the skill while in oxygen debt and with pumped out legs… mission accomplished. My first split was 1:54, my second 1:52, the third 2:07, the fourth 2:07, and the last 2:04. By the 3^rd round my legs were giving way by the seventh floor, making the rest of the way and the doubles really uncomfortable. Overall, this really taxed me and tested my body’s bounce-back recovery, something that becomes really important in the middle of a workout. Best part about this is that all you need is a jump rope, a stopwatch, and some stairs.

Interval Deadlifts

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

4 rounds of

max HSPU, 20 pullups

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Deadlift

5 @ 315# on the minute for 20 minutes

WOD 3 – in the evening…

1.8 mile hill run for time

100 hollow rocks

Solid day today, ramped the intensity back up for the end of the week and felt strong doing so. Hopefully everyone out there is training hard and pushing their boundaries. Tomorrow I'm heading to downtown Sacramento to run stairs and do double unders atop the city. Literally can't wait. Stay tuned for updates later this weekend.

New Style KB Snatch

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

KB Snatch

50 each side

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

10 rounds for time:

5 floor press (225#)

18 foot legless rope climb

then…

2 minutes accumulated L sit on parrallettes

WOD 3 – in the evening…

2000 meter row for time

Today’s intensity level wasn’t the same as Monday’s, but some of that was by design. Fluctuating the volume, load, and intensity of a given training day is important to allow the body room to adapt and improve. The same level or style too consistently will lead to burnout or boredom.

This morning’s session was all about skill. Kettlebell snatches are a great movement that I’ve needed to address technically for awhile, and thanks to my friend Zvi in Israel I now have. Using a YouTube tutorial he sent me awhile back I’ve completely adjusted and improved this movement. The weight feels lighter, smoother, and, most importantly, I’m not banging the shit out of my wrists anymore. If you want to check it out, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qajlDsLFyk

WOD 2 was more muscular endurance, and 3 was obviously conditioning. The presses went unbroken until the 7^th round, then got pretty rough through the end. The rope climbs were never in question, and the whole thing took me 16:18 to finish. My 2k was much easier than anticipated, so I probably didn't go hard enough. Finished in 6:57 but my stroke rate was down at 22 for most of the middle 1000.

Hoping to log some good rest tomorrow and come hard on Friday/Saturday.

Rest Day

Training for the Games... Day 1

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

1 muscle up to handstand pushup on the minute until 20 minutes

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Front Squat

7, 7, 7, 7, 7

Toes to Bar x 50

Good Mornings x 50 (45#)

WOD 3 – in the evening…

400 meter tire drag for time (95#)

It was my first full day back training since regionals, so apologies for the recent absence of posts. In the spirit of returning to form, however, I really got after it today. I’ve been wanting to practice this morning’s skill for a while and doing single repetitions on the minute allowed me to practice a lot of technique while moderately fatigued. I was able to get all 20 minutes without a miss, but there’s definitely still some work to be done to make the transition more efficient.

The idea behind the front squats was to pick a rep range that I hardly ever work at. 7 seemed a nice balance between pure strength and some muscular endurance, and it turned out to be a great challenge. I completed sets at 225, 235, 245, 255, and failed after 6 reps at 265. All around solid lifting though.

Finally, I took my newly fashioned and eye bolted semi tire out to the lake this evening for some lower body domination. 400 meters of asphalt, no turns. The rules I gave myself were that the elbows couldn’t bend and the tire had to remain on the ground. Other than that, it was simply move the thing to the end of the stretch as fast as possible. I was running, walking, back peddling, side peddling, bear crawling… any which way I could lean to give the muscles most recently in pain a break I was willing to try. It took me 7:34 to complete the distance and I was spent. 95# of rubber doesn’t slide too well on dry asphalt; not like a metal sled does at least. This was all kinds of uncomfortable and challenging, and really not that difficult or expensive to manufacture. Those of you out there looking for a new wrinkle in your outdoor repertoire, get yourself a tire, an eye bolt, a washer and 3 nuts, and a tow rope. It’ll be worth the 50 bucks I promise.

Storyline Video Winner

With the CrossFit Games Regionals last weekend I feel a little behind with things here, including the announcement of the winner for the most recent video challenge. In what amounted to a pretty substantial landslide, the guys from Northern California took home the top prize with "The Great Escape." Congratulations to Ben and Logan for one of the coolest locations and workouts I've seen in a long time. They will each be receiving an Anywherefit shirt and a spot aboard the Sharlaun Family Tours Catamaran for its trip along the Eastern seaboard. If you missed their video, here it is one more time...

Reebok Profile

Big thanks to Reebok for their support.

Shelter Cove Weekend

I spent the holiday weekend in Shelter Cove, CA- a small fishing town just south of Arcata. It’s remote, beautiful, and home to only a few hundred residents, two of which happen to be my good friend Kevin’s parents. It features jagged coastline, black sand beaches, and hills upon hills for the would-be incline runner. In all, the weekend offered me respite from the mental drain of routine life in Sacramento and ample opportunity to train hard in an unknown environment.

I trained twice on Saturday (videos below), bouldered and surfed on Sunday, and ran a 2 mile, 1600 ft mountain before driving home on Monday. I can’t think of a better weekend leading into the NorCal regional competition this coming Friday. I feel re-charged and psychologically motivated in a very healthy way. I may iron out some technical issues before the event, but intend mostly to rest up and get fresh before heading down Thursday night. Check out the videos below for a glimpse of the Cove.

Rest Week

This is the 4th week in my training cycle, so it's devoted to low intensity, mostly skill based training sessions. I'm trying to allow the tendons and connective tissues time to heal before ramping back up for the regionals. Even though it's a difficult thing to convince yourself of, everyone needs regular breaks from training. Regardless of your short term goals, whether they be the upcoming summer months or a competition in a few weeks, it's important to remember that the mileage adds up over the long haul. Everything is a work in progress. Small breaks every so often will not keep you from attaining your short term goals, but they will prevent injury and debilitation over time. Don't neglect yourselves.

Regional WODs 1 & 2

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

1000 meter run

30 HSPU

1000 meter row

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

1 thruster every :30

Begin at 155 lb and add 10 lb per set until failure

Today was my last day training before a rest week, so I took the opportunity to try WODs 1 and 2 from the upcoming regionals. Nothing too unexpected here other than that the first one is all about the handstand pushups. You might think that the running and rowing would balance things out for taller folks a bit, but that’s not the case. If you smash HSPUs you will smash this workout. A group of us did this in Old Sacramento on the boardwalk amidst passing tourists, and Justin from East Sac took home the best time at 8:09. I was next at 8:54.

After burning things out on the rower, I really didn’t feel much like doing max effort clean/thrusters, but the thruster ladder turned out to be pretty fun. 1 rep every 30 seconds isn’t too fast a pace and the early lifts give you enough of a warm up to be prepared for the heavier loads later on. I wound up hitting 255# and missing 265# for my last attempt. I think this is doable when it comes time for the real deal in 2 weeks.

Resting up this week before the final push, hope everyone out there is starting to enjoy their summers. Keep voting for the storyline videos, only a week left until a winner is announced.

Weight Vests Under the Bridge

Workout of the Day

20 minute AMRAP wearing a 20 lb vest:

140 yard farmers walk w/5 gallon water buckets (70 uphill/70 downhill)

70 yard run

3 muscle ups

70 yard run

I’m still incredibly sore from Tuesday’s sessions so today the smart play was to keep it to a single workout. Justin and Travis from CF East Sac invited me down to the levee along the American River to do the above workout and it turned out to be just the right kind of effort. Unique, varied, and travelling wods have a way of easing you towards your work threshold in a manageable way that I really needed today. No part of this workout was a sprint. No part of it was acutely painful. It was, however, grueling and satisfying. I felt great afterwards, albeit still sore.

Also noticed that the WODs have been announced for the regionals. 6 cool events over 3 days will be a big test… looking forward to some rest next week in preparation.

Rest Day

75% Back Squat

Workout of the Day

WOD 1 – in the morning…

7 minutes max muscle ups (no false grip)

WOD 2 – in the afternoon…

Every minute on the minute until failure to complete:

5 back squats @ 75% 1RM (315#)

20 minute cap

WOD 3 – in the evening…

10 rounds for time:

10 abmat situps

18 foot rope climb

Major taxation today. 3 very difficult but intriguing WODs that really take it out of you… Especially the squat intervals. The soreness and fatigue I anticipate tomorrow makes me want to go to bed as I write this.

The 7 minutes of muscle ups actually weren’t too bad. Pacing yourself early is the key; no point in blowing out your max set on the first go if you have 6:30 left on the clock and nothing left to give. I started out doing sets of 5 and resting 20-30 seconds between. By the time I got to 20 I was doing 2’s and 3’s. I hit 30 at 4:49 and did doubles from there on out to finish with 40 exactly. If I try this again I might try doing sets of 3 from the get-go and try to maintain a 6 or 7 per minute pace.

5 x 75% back squats is a DESTROYER. Expect major nervous system drainage afterwards if you do a true 75%. The first set feels heavy, which isn’t exactly psychologically encouraging. But from there until 6-7 things were about the same degree of difficulty. After that point I was yelling my way through reps 3, 4, and 5. The 5^th rep on round 12 was an all out effort, putting me on the floor afterwards. Decided this was a good time to stop. Here’s a quick geek out for workload… (Force x Distance). 12 rounds x 5 reps = 60 squats. 60 reps x 315 lb = 18,900 total lbs. Each squat required about 3 feet of motion. That’s 56,700 ft lbs of work done in under 12 minutes. Equals icebath tomorrow.

The conditioning WOD tonight is all about core strength. If you’re climbing ropes right you should be able to get up and down using mostly your abs and legs. The grip will wear out eventually, but most of the motions should come from your sternum down. This workout targets that technique by fatiguing your stomach muscles during the situps and really forcing you to be fast and efficient on the rope. My time was 6:20.

Keep voting for the storyline WOD finalists and sign up for Iceland!!!

Pool Time

Workout of the Day

5 rounds for time:

50 meter swim

10 wall muscle ups from submersion

20 single arm KB swings (24 kg)

10 goblet squats (24 kg)

GREAT Saturday workout today at the pool. Charlie Zamora and co. from Warriorz Fitness came up to Folsom to join the weekly outdoor class I've been offering through CF Anywhere. In total, there were 10 of us out there swimming, swinging, and squatting for the better part of the morning. We were definitely making a scene amidst the recreational divers and scuba squads, but I think we held our own.

The workout itself was a tester. The swims got slower and slower, and getting in and out of the pool for the muscle ups is kind of like water-boarding yourself. My arms and shoulders were so pumped out by the last round that getting onto the deck was even a challenge. My time for the WOD was 14:07.