Cindy getting stronger

Well, this was another metcon, but in the unusual AMRAP format:

20 min AMRAP
3 weighted chin (I did 26#)
5 front squat (a measly 135)
7 clapping push ups

To be totally honest, I'm not sure if I did 7 or 8, but at the time I was leaning towards 8. Coming into this workout, all I could think about was my hip MRI scheduled for the next day. I've noticed a dull throbbing pain in my right hip since last week, and I really want to find out what causing the pain.

Nevertheless, after changing into my workout clothes I did a pretty good job of pushing all of that stuff out of my head. The group warm up helped tremendously. We covered muscle cleans, which lack any re-bend. The purpose of this exercise is to focus on the elbow whip. I was still re-bending when Jerry told me flexing my glutes would help lock down the core and prevent re-bend, and it worked like a charm.

Back to the wod. When I was done with the workout I was puzzled by my low score. I only stopped for a quick drink of water once, which took all of 30 seconds. Other then that, I never really stopped moving. I guess it was the pull ups, as they were the only exercise I had to regurarly break up. I never had to break up the squats, and I only had to break up the push ups for the last two sets. You heard right: I did not have a problem with the clapping pushups.

But back to my puzzlement over my low score. I never really stopped moving, but my low score tells me I was never moving quickly enough. Perhaps I lack intensity? I think when I'm working out I focus on the form and the exercise at hand. Too many times have I lost focus and hurt myself, such as straining my back during deadlift or tearing my rotator cuff with push press.

Regardless of the reason, I think my focus on form prevents me on focusing on intensity, and that is why I do so poorly with met-cons. I don't know if I should slack on my standards or not for met-con. Obviously, I don't want form to deteriate to the point where injuries will occur, but is there really a benefit from lowering my standards on pushups when I workout? I don't feel like there is, except for the sake of raising the intensity of the workout at hand.

Perhaps there is some mindest I need, some game plan that will help me push to not only never stop, but to increase in speed. ...I just feel very slow, if tomorrow is a met con I will try to focus on doing the movements quickly and correctly.

On a brighter note, I think the cleans came very easily to me, and I felt like I did a great job of keeping core tension throughout the squat, and as I pointed out earlier, clapping push ups were not a problem for me.