Lots of running

So my glutes/hams are already sore from Monday's wod, and then we have this wod with a LOT of running:

10 Pull ups
10 Sledge Strikes
400m run
15 Pull ups
15 Sledge Strikes
600m run
20 Pull ups
20 Sledge strikes
800m run
20 Pull ups
20 Sledge strikes
600m run
15 Pull ups
15 Sledge Strikes
400 m run
10 Pull ups
10 Sledge Strikes

this took me 32:36, def not the shortest time. I don't know about running. I've had moments of glory, only to then burst into flames and crash. This time I felt like I was pushing myself about as hard as I could. I mean, I felt like puking on the last run, but my pace was agonizingly slow. I used to be fast, but then again, I used to weight 40#s less. I am noticing a lot more engagement of my core when running, so my lower back no longer feels tight after long runs. That alone makes me feel good about this performance.

I'm still having some issues finding my cadence for butterfly kipping pullups, but regular pull ups are coming along well. I need to see Danny in action again, that helped last time and I think it'll help it again.

For sledge strikes, I wish we had those circus strikers with a teeter-totter with a weight resting on one side while you hit the other side. That way you could quantify the work being done. I mean, you can half-ass a sledge strike and have a fast time, there's nothing stopping you with that. But if you had to ring a bell, or get the weight up to a certain height, that would be something else. I think they tried to do something like this in the Games last year with hammering a post into the ground, but this exercise would require less skill and place more focus on strength and work performed. Plus, it would be fun.

1 rep OHS PR

Today was my fave lift: the overhead squat.

My one rep PR was 175, so I wanted to hit at least 180. Did 175 so easily that I went for 185. Felt very stable with the shoulders, which is always my weak point. Went down to depth and then stood up easily. Wish I had time to go heavier but no such luck.

There was a second wod of 10 min AMRAP: 15 KB swings and 30 jumping lunges. The lunges sucked but I powered through 6 rounds, which seemed to be above average. Felt good today, real good.

Snatch 1 rep max PR!

So Friday was 1 rep snatch max, and it's been about two months since I've attempted a one rep max. Back then I only tied my pr of 135, so I really wanted to get a new PR. I worked my way up to 135, and then tried 145. It was a total fail. Mellisa commented that I'm not getting very violent with hip extension, which is pretty key. So I lowered the weight to 140, focused on slowing down on the first pull, but exploding on the second/third. This time I almost got it, I partially dove under the bar but just didn't catch it. Diving under the bar is a scary thing for me, I just need to learn to trust myself. OK, so one more time: Slow pull, bar clears the knees, explode, try to pull myself under, and... Catch! Stand up! Celebrate!

It's only a 5# PR, but I'm very happy with this because I also felt like I'm starting to go from power snatching to really snatching the weight overhead. If I can figure this out, I'll start to see some real gains here. Of course, I also need to get my shoulders a lot stronger. My OHS 1 rep max is 175, so I feel like I should be able to snatch at least that once my technique gets better.

The Bear Barbell Complex

This wod was a very interesting one, testing one's mental strength as well as physical:

5 sets of

7 rounds without re-gripping
power clean
front squat
push press
back squat
push press

This was a tough one mentally because it felt like such a marathon. I knew my push press was going to be the limiting factor, but my last set was 115. After each set, I really didn't want to go heavier. I don't know why but I would find my self breathing really hard during each round. I guess these lifts just suck the life out of you.

But each time I knew I had to go heavier, that I would regret not pushing myself.

I had a partner, and I had a lot of fun pushing him. As a coach I did something I really haven't done before. I had the confidence to disagree with someone. My partner was really fatiguing in the third set, and after his 5th front squat/push press he looked me in the eye and said "I can't do any more." To which I responded by looking him in the eye and said, "Oh yes you can!"

I told him that he'd gone too far to quit, that he only had 2 more sets. He finished it out, and was completely spent after that last rep. Later he told me my reasoning really resonated with him. Congratulating him felt awesome. It's an amazing thing when someone does something they thought was impossible.

On a coaching side note. I find that when an exercise is more about endurance, it's more effective to focus on a reasoning of not quitting, of how the pain of disappointment will be greater than the pain the athlete is experiencing at that moment of physical exertion. When it comes to workouts that are more about intensity, I find motivating through "making every second count because you're never getting it back" is a more effective slant on the idea of making one's effort count. When you start to realize how important today's workout is, you really start to push yourself. At least, that's what I find.

MU progressions

The wod Tuesday was 30 muscle ups for time.

I still haven't done a MU since that glorious day over a year ago where I got one and messed up my shoulder.

So I decided to work on progressions. Basically you take a rubber band and put it on a squat rack to lighten yourself. Sitting on the band, you then try to do MU's. I was getting them, but it just felt... unnatural. I want to get them so badly now, I think I really will try to work on them every day this week.

After working on it for a while I did the alternate wod, which was a goodie:

10 pull ups
10 burbees
10 ghd situps

Since I started 14 minutes into the wod I just did 6 rounds. My butterfly kip was rusty, but damnit I'm going to keep working on them. Near the end Danny pointed out that I was trying to rush things, that I needed to slow down. Once I did that, things got a lot more fluid/easier. Did the three rounds in like 16 min.

Damn I want to get muscle ups. Now that I pretty much have the butterfly kip, it's now only the muscle up and a handstand push up that I can't do. Feel like I can get MU's now that my shoulder is a lot better.

Back Squat 1 rep with chains

So Monday was back squat with chains one rep. I managed to get up to 225, witch is about 12#s more than the three rep max. I still have a tendency to go well below parallel with the squats, so I still need to work on that.

I attempted 245 twice, but both times I got it up halfway, and then couldn't finish. The last attempt was interesting in that my form was excellent, hit just below parallel, kept core tension, and was in control the whole time. Halfway on the way up, I simply... stopped. I kept pushing and pushing, but was going nowhere. After what felt like minutes but was probably like 5 seconds, the bar started to drop and so I had help.

This was good because everything went right, I simply wasn't strong enough. My muscles have to have their limits, and on Monday it was at 245. Of course, I now wish I had only bumped it up to 235, but I wasn't thinking 20#s was a small step.

Benchpress Club (Chains)

Got up to 175# with the chains. My chest and tri's were already sore from the dips earlier this week, but I want to improve my bench damnit. Since I already workout out Sun/Mon/Tues I decided to make Wed my rest day (Bench press doesn't count).

I feel like this is really starting to improve my physique even more, love this program. Whenever Jerry drops the program, I'll have to just keep this up at the PTO gym or something. Too bad they don't have bands or chains.