To feel like a kid again...

9/18: rest day

9/19: rest day

WOD 9/20: apk wod margaret (cindy's ugly cousin!)

As many rounds in 20m of:

• L-pullups x 5
• divebomber pushups x 10
• jump air squats x 15

total rounds completed: 8

good god!!! this wod about killed me! i hadn't done a metcon like this in a long time. the catalyst metcons are similar, but they generally last ~10m. i hit a wall after the 5th round, and so the last 3 rounds were killer! i was literally crawling on the floor in a pool of sweat. i tried to pace myself from the get-go but it didn't work too well :)

the divebomber pushups are no joke! first time i've ever done them, and they slowed me down considerably. i see their direct application to parkour tho so i think they are great. what a gasser all around tho. that margaret...she is evil!!!

9/21: rest day

WOD 9/22: basketball and playing in the park

so liz and i decided that we wanted to do the wod outside today. we headed down to jacob's park in the north side. what a great park! it's ~5 acres so we were able to walk around it to warm up. they also have a pretty nice playground that is covered with canopies so that the children can play w/o dying of heat exhaustion. :)

we ended up playing basketball for ~45m or so. we were mainly shooting, doing layups, and running after the ball. it was fun and we got breathing pretty hard, especially out in the sun. we then played in the playground. i practiced two-handed vaults, jumps, etc. we also tried some dips and L-sits.

time: 1hr30m

9/23: rest day

WOD 9/24: parkour practice

i headed back down to jacob's park for some parkour practice. it was fun to workout in the park. gave me a different perspective.

i warmed up under the shade of a pine tree. it was sort of odd, as there were a couple homeless people on either side of me (~50m or so away). maybe i inspired them? lol. they prolly just thought i was some crazy white boy.

i did pullups, L-sits, dips, etc. i also practiced a lot of jumps off picnic tables, over benches, etc. i finished up with a few two-handed vaults. i also walked around the park a couple times. i basically jumped off anything i could see. :) there were a couple children playing on the swingset beside me as i did some L-sits on top of the monkey bars. it was so funny...they didn't say a word, as if i was just one of them. i expected them to point at me or what not, but they were in their own little world. i felt like a kid again. :)

time: 1hr30m

We create our realities - now do it!

9/16: rest day

WOD 9/17: apk wod

3 rounds (not for time, with 1:30 break btwn rounds) of:

• elevated pushups (60deg) x 5
  
• elevated clap pushups (60deg) x 5
  
• pistols x 10 (5 each leg)
• jumping air squats x 10
  
• L-pullups x 5
  
• clap pullups x 5

this was my first american parkour wod!

i decided to change things up and to start doing a different program.

catalyst had performed it's role well - it significantly increased my overall strength. it also helped to drill the olympic lifts home for me. i am now much more confident in all components of oly lifting.

oly lifting gives you a serious neurological beat down. however, the benefits of said beat down are well worth it. your coordination, agility, balance, full body awareness, etc increases to a level you didn't even know you could attain.

i am also a lot more powerful in general than i had been before i started catalyst. in other words, my power, or ability to transfer a ton of energy extremely effectively, accurately, and quickly onto a focused target has become greater on an exponential level.

but alas! i am glad that i switched my program up. liz and i decided that the climate and the stage in life we reside in has a huge bearing on what type of workout program we choose to do. i'm starting graduate school next semester, so i need a program that doesn't neurologically wipe me out as much as catalyst. i'm hoping that the american parkour wod can be a program that will continue to increase my neurological effectiveness. but we also feel that it will create a stronger sense of well being in both of us (as she is doing it now too! :)).

and, we will be getting out of the gym environment more. a lot of these can be done in a park or on a hiking trail. this will in turn give us a reason to explore the environment - and that in itself can bring benefits not found in the sweaty depths of a gym.

total reps: pushups x 30 + pistols x 30 + squats x 30 + pullups x 30 = 120 total reps

Kirsh = Lurch?

9/14: rest day

WOD 9/15: walking

i woke up on 9/14 completely knotted up. :(

i'm not sure if it was the workout on 9/13 that triggered it, or if it was how i slept. it was pretty bad.

so, i decided to take it easy and liz and i ended up walking around the track at udall park. we first walked around udall park itself. it's a pretty popular place. they have soccer, baseball, etc fields and there were a few different teams playing. there were a lot of ppl walking on the lit track as well. it was one of the most beautiful nights yet, in terms of weather - nice and cool with a slight breeze.

apparently every saturday some crossfitters meet at this park to do the WOD, so maybe if we can get up that early, we'll join them for some torture. :)

time = 1 hr

Gorilla can't get his catalyst in!

9/12: rest day

WOD 9/13:

• L-chinups x 12 reps x 1 set
• weighted incline situps (45deg,15lbs kb) x 15 reps x 3 sets
• L-chinups x 9 reps x 1 set
• kb swing 40lbs x 10 reps x 1 set
• kb swing 50lbs x 10 reps x 1 set - PR!!!
• push press 25lbs kb x 14 reps x 1 set (7 reps right arm, 7 reps left arm)
  
• clap pushups x 20 reps x 1 set
• L-chinups x 7 reps x 1 set
• clap pullups x 6 reps x 2 sets

i couldn't get my usual catalyst workout in, due to the pad being used the entire time i was there. it's ok tho, actually turned out to be a good workout, and it gave me some time with kb's. it also wrecked my core. :)

Spin the wheel of fortune...

9/9: rest day

WOD 9/10: spin class

i took liz's new spin class for the first time and it was fun.
def got my sweat on and lost some water weight...i weighed in at 167lbs this morning!

time: 1 hour

9/11: rest day

Core Values?

WOD 9/8: catalyst wod

• back squat 315lbs x 2 reps x 2 sets; 315lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
• weighted chinups 30lbs vest x 5 reps x 3 sets
  
• (alternated squat/chinup sets - squat,chinup,squat,chinup...)
• snatch pull 155lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
• weighted incline situps (45deg,15lbs kb) x 15 reps x 3 sets
• (alternated snatch pull/situps as above)
• overhead press 115lbs x 4 reps x 4 sets
• russian twists 15lbs kb x 20 reps x 3 sets
• (alternated press/twists as above)

i patterned this workout like the one from a few days ago and it turned out great. i was depleted completely by the end of it. i also made sure to get the core/ab work in...this method makes it a lot easier, time wise, to do that.

Clean this!

9/5: rest day

WOD 9/6: catalyst wod

• snatch (full,squat) 125lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
• clean (full,squat) 170lbs x 2 reps x 1 set; 180lbs x 1 rep x 1 set; 185lbs x 1 rep x 1 set - PR!!!!!
• knees2elbows x 18 reps

set a PR on the clean!!! whoo, my first since moving to arizona! so stoked about that!

9/7: rest day

One on, One off...

WOD 9/3: catalyst wod

• front squat 195lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• snatch pull 150lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• snatch (full,squat) 95lbs x 1 rep x 3 sets
• push jerk + split jerk + push jerk + split jerk 115lbs x 3 sets

4 rounds for time:

• pullups x 5
• box jumps (hip-level) x 5
• weighted incline situps (45deg,20lbs kb) x 5 reps
  
• kb swing (40lbs) x 5 reps

time to complete: 4m27s
total reps: 80 + 39 = 119 total reps

9/4: rest day

Crossfit a Catalyst?

8/29: rest day

WOD 8/30: catalyst wod

• 3-position snatch - 105lbs x 3 sets
• snatch balance - 90lbs x 1 rep
  
• snatch balance 75lbs x 1 rep x 2 sets
• weighted pullups (48lbs vest) x 7 reps x 1 set; 5 reps x 1 set; 4 reps x 1 set
  
• incline situps (45deg) x 15 reps x 3 sets

good and effective short workout. the weighted vest is really cool. watch out for way more weighted pullups in the future. :)

8/31: rest day

WOD 9/1: catalyst wod

• back squat 305lbs x 2 reps x 2 sets
• weighted pullups (32lbs) x 5 reps
  
• back squat 305lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• weighted pullups (32lbs) x 5 reps
• back squat 305lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• weighted pullups (32lbs) x 5 reps
• back squat 305lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• snatch deadlift 165lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• weighted pullups (32lbs) x 5 reps
• snatch deadlift 165lbs x 2 reps x 2 sets
• weighted incline situps (45 deg w/15lbs kb held to chest) x 10 reps x 3 sets

ok...this was awesome. seriously. i wanted to condense these long sessions and so i got the idea (from the boards) to break the pullups up and insert them between strength sets. i wouldn't do this between sets of push presses or anything specifically involving upper body strength, but it worked like a charm between squat and deadlift sets!

it worked so well that i'm going to try it again. it was almost like i crossfitted a catalyst workout, if that even makes any sense. i still waited between sets (and after the pullup sets as well), so i wasn't being speedy about it. i think it still ended up condensing the time though and during it i felt great - completely in "the zone" and ready to rip something apart.

9/2: rest day

To whom do I owe this honor?

8/25: rest day

WOD 8/26: catalyst wod

• back squat 285lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• clean deadlift 205lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• push press 145lbs x 4 reps x 4 sets
• weighted pullups (26lbs vest) x 20
  
• ghd situps x 7
  

conventional catalyst strength. took me around 1hr45m! great workout.

8/27: rest day

WOD 8/28: catalyst wod

• front squat 185lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• snatch pull 150lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• power clean + push jerk 135lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
• power snatch 105lbs x 1 rep x 1 set

for time:

• kettlebell swing (25lbs) x 20 reps
• box jumps (hip-level) x 10
• kb swing x 15 reps
• box jumps x 5
• kb sdlhp (25lbs) x 50 reps
• box jumps x 5
• kb swing x 15 reps
• box jumps x 10
• kb swing x 20 reps

time to complete: 9m08s
total reps: 150 reps + 31 = 181 total reps

great metcon! got me breathing hard. glad to have snuck it in under 10m!

It's only a little lightning....!!!

WOD 8/22: catalyst wod

• power snatch + 2 snatch balance 90lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
• power snatch + 2 snatch balance 75lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
• overhead squat 115lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
• overhead squat 95lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets

For time:

• pullups x 50
• pushups x 50
• situps (incline ~45 deg) x 50
• squats (air) x 50

time to complete: 12m46s
total reps: 200 + 11 = 214 total reps

WOD 8/23: hiking

liz and i finally had some time to explore the wilderness of our new home! well we live in a desert, but believe it or not, there is some wilderness! and it's only 45m or so away.

we went up to the catalinas. driving up the catalina highway...i was literally at a loss for words. that mountain range is the most amazing natural thing i've ever seen. it topped the adirondacks. we felt as if we were wiley coyote being chased by the roadrunner! this must have inspired the setting for those cartoons, as you wind up canyon upon canyon with drops reminescent of those cartoons.

we ascended to 8000 feet...wow. wow wow wow wow. they say that the ecology going up the 25 mile drive from tucson to the top of mt. lemmon is similar to driving from mexico to canada - but condensed!

we hiked part of the butterfly trail in the mixed conifer forest. this was amazing, again. take western mass forests and multiply by 1000. we turned around about an hour or so in when it started raining. of course we were up on a high peak at this point and got pretty close to a huge lightning strike. we both double-timed it back down the hill! it was actually an incline heading back, so we both got a great workout in as well. i can not wait to go back - and it seems like at every elevation change we have a totally new climate to explore!

time: 2 hours

8/24: rest day

Uhm...what core?

8/19: rest day

8/20: rest day

WOD 8/21: catalyst wod

• front squat 177lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• snatch deadlift 145lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• tall clean + push press + push jerk 95lbs x 2 reps x 4 sets

3 rounds for time:

• kb swing 30lbs x 20 reps
• knees2elbows x 20 (did 10 reps on last set)
  
• box jumps (hip-level) x 5
  

time to complete: 11m51s
total reps: kb swing x 60; k2e x 50; box jumps x 15 = 125 + 32 = 157 total reps

Tis the new season!

WOD 8/18: catalyst wod

• back squat 265lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• snatch deadlift 155lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
• push press 135lbs x 3 reps x 4 sets
• pullups x 10 reps x 3 sets
• ghd situps x 10 reps x 3 sets
• plank x 2 sets

this wod starts the first day of the new mesocycle (4 months)! i scaled it back because i'm still getting my body back into condition.

this morning i weighed in at 168lbs (let's see what happens). maybe i should see if the new gym has a way to measure bodyfat. it would be interesting to get a baseline.

at the close of my last official catalyst wod (~1 month ago), i weighed in around 172-173lbs and looked different in my musculature (that is, i had more, and less bf i think, despite the fact that i currently weigh 4-5lbs less).

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

8/15: rest day

8/16: rest day

WOD 8/17: catalyst wod

• back squat 245lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets
• push press 145lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets

3 rounds for time:

• clean (medicine ball 20lbs) x 10 reps
• kettlebell swing (30lbs) x 10 reps
• pullups x 10

time to complete: 8m40s
total reps: clean x 30; kb swing x 30; pullups x 30 = 90 + 24 reps = 114 total reps

oh man does it feel nice to write "catalyst wod". it just feels right. but am i using the right color??
either way i'm sore as hell right now but i had to throw myself back into it. the new mesocycle starts tomorrow (whoo!)

muscle knots in the back are still there, but i've only had 1.5 hours of massage put in. my back in general does feel better and looser and more flexible. right now it's sort of roughed up from the workout, but that's ok. got to get into it somehow.

All Knotted Up :(

8/9: rest day

8/10: rest day

WOD 8/11: skill work

more oly lifting practice. c&j'd 135lbs and power snatched 125lbs. practiced dropping the weight as well. also played around with a bunch of stuff. this gym is a playground.

time: 1hr

WOD 8/12:

• jumping lunges x 50
  
• box jumps (upper-thigh) x 30
• ghd situps x 20
• jumping lunges x 35
• box jumps x 20
• ghd situps x 10
• jumping lunges x 20
• box jumps x 10
• clap pushups x 20
  

i started off timing it, but stopped after the 50 lunges. i got really frustrated because i didn't have my usual "snap". my legs were still beat from the walls balls a few days ago.

also, i knotted up my rhomboid/trap area pretty badly yesterday on my last snatch.

this led me to getting my first ever massage. i knew i had years of embedded knots, so i finally threw the towel in. it was an hour of deep tissue massage - let me tell you...this was not the stereotypical "relaxing" massage. i have so many knots in my back it's a wonder i've made any progress at all. after the hour, she had just begun to loosen them up. i still have them everywhere. i'm going in friday as well. i'm pretty sure that i'm a bad case.

so, i'm not working out today. i may take some more days off. i feel really bad because we've taken sooooo many rest days with the trip and everything else, but my body needs it. i really can't progress like i have been with all these knots, and i feel like working out will just screw me up more.

the massage is interesting though. it is a workout all its own because it is stimulating the muscles in a completely different way. she also started working the toxins out, and i have been peeing like a race horse ever since.

8/13: rest day

8/14: rest day

Wall Balls anyone?

WOD 8/5: skill work

even more skill work and getting my body acclimated. worked up to c&j's w/115lbs and snatches w/95lbs again. also messed around with wall balls and such.

time: 1hr

8/6: rest day

8/7: rest day

WOD 8/8: karen

150 wall balls for time w/20lbs medicine ball...throwing to a "target" ~7-8ft in height (to the top of the monkey bars).

felt pretty good doing this one. my first crossfit metcon in a couple months or so? my legs feel like jelly right now. i also left a sweat angel on the floor. yow!

i also fooled around with kb's and tried some kb push presses w/20lbs and 30lbs kb's. awesome! def going to work these in for the future!

completed in: 8m52s

Back and better than ever!

7/30: rest day

7/31: rest day

8/1: rest day

8/2: rest day

WOD 8/3: skill work

worked on all forms of cleans, jerks, presses, squats, snatches, deadlifts etc with the bar only (45lbs). have to get the body back into it.

we found a new gym!!!

this gym is great. it has a specific HIT room that has monkey bars, jump ropes, kettlebells, an actual lifting pad with...bumper plates!, a GHD machine, bands, farmer walk implements, etc etc etc. liz already got a job there so we are in, like flynn, as they might say? i can finally drop the weights and it's fine! they also have chalk! yay! how many times did i complain about that?

plus, we are finding that the higher elevation, in combination with the monsoon season (it is humid!) are making an interesting time of working out. once we get back into shape, we'll see how we take to it...

time: 1hr

WOD 8/4: skill work

more getting my body reacclimated with working out. did the same thing as yesterday, but worked up to c&j's with 115lbs and snatches (squat) with 95lbs.

i also tried a box jump for the first time, and learned how fabulous those are. took the highest box (upper thigh level) and hopped on and off w/no probs.

i used the GHD machine for the first time as well, and that is awesome. that thing just took situps and put them on an entirely new level of pain. whoo!

time: 1hr

Give me your gold! to the west, go i!

WOD 7/12: skill work

worked on snatch balance, muscle snatch, snatch (squat), tall clean, split jerk, etc. with the bar only (45lbs).

time: 1 hour

****moving to Tucson!!!****

I CANCELED MY PF MEMBERSHIP!!!!! YEEEEEEHAH!!!!!!

7/13: rest day

7/14: rest day

7/15: rest day

7/16: rest day

7/17: rest day

7/18: rest day

7/19: rest day

7/20: rest day

7/21: rest day

at jim's in baltimore :)

7/22: rest day

WOD 7/23: hiking

liz and i arrived at the smokey mountains national park in tennessee around 5pm or so. what a drive!!! amazing, to say the least. i could only imagine having a porsche 911 or some type of sport bike for those curves. the fully loaded camry did very well, especially at elevation change. we reached around 3000ft.

the park was beautiful. take the 7 sisters in western mass and multiply it by 100. we hiked to some small waterfalls and beyond a bit. took some pictures. it looked as if some of the mountains were "smoking"...billowing puffs of clouds from their tops...thus the name?

the forest was different from western mass. had a different feel to it. sort of awe-inspiring. these mountains went on forever. this day, for me, marked the start of an eye-opening scenic tour of this continent.

time: 1hr30m

butterflies! too bad the cam isnt great.
i told liz it was me and her ;)

7/24: rest day

this was a baptist church in memphis.
this about sums up the midwest.
really.

WOD 7/25: hiking

liz and i arrived at the hot springs national park in arkansas around 3pm or so. we could feel the effects of hurricane dolly. it was extremely humid and hot out. i turned into a human faucet at some point during the walk downtown.

the actual hot springs were neat. a normal looking fountain that shoots out hot water. literally. you could see the steam coming off it and feel the heat within a few feet. there was a row of bathhouses as well...uhm. yea we avoided those. next.

we started the hike at the bottom of the mountain...ie...downtown. because that was what one would do...as a hiker. and so...we did. as we hiked up (both breathing hard enough to notice that this had just become a great workout), a small family passed by us (going down) and the father asked us if we had started from the bottom. after we confirmed, he shook his head and in a moment of dramatic astonishment, wished us good luck up the rest of it.

in other words, it was awesome.

time: 1 hour

7/26: rest day

oklahoma. beautiful. boring. but beautiful.

7/27: rest day

a storm in new mexico. yikes.
somehow we went right around it and completely missed it.
we did that the entire trip!
despite having hurricane dolly on our trail.

7/28: rest day

***arrive in Tucson!!!***

view from our front door.
this place is awesome. seriously.
the picture does not do it justice, at all.
so happy!

7/29: rest day

No more Wing, move on to better thing!

7/10: rest day

WOD 7/11: catalyst wod

• Snatch balance - 90lbs x 1 rep x 1 set - PR!!!
  
• Snatch balance 75lbs x 1 rep x 2 sets
  
• Mid-hang snatch (squat) - 85lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
  
• Pull-ups x 28
  
• Squat jump 135lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets - PR!!!

this was a short and sweet workout. dug it all around. :)

Yowza. Should I do a 4th?

WOD 7/9: catalyst wod

• Snatch pull - 155lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
  
• Rack split jerk - 185lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
  
• Front squat - 190lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets

3 rounds for time:

• clean (hang,squat) 65lbs x 5 reps
  
• push press 65lbs x 7 reps
• snatch (hang,power) 65lbs x 5 reps

time to complete: 4m48s
total reps: 51 + 17 = 68 total reps

Respect.

WOD 7/8: catalyst wod

• Muscle snatch - 130lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
• Muscle snatch - 135lbs x 1 rep x 1 set (PR? form was iffy)
  
• Tall clean - 110lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
  
• Push press + 2 jerk - 135lbs x 4 sets

3 rounds for time:

• pullups x 7
• dips x 10 reps
  
• toes-to-bar x 5 reps

time to complete: 5m26s
total reps: 66 + 20 = 86 total reps

Strength and Purity

WOD 7/7: catalyst wod

• Back squat - 310lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets
  
• Snatch deadlift - 275lbs x 1 rep x 3 sets
  
• Push press - 165lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
  
• Pull-ups x 31
  
• Knees2Elbows x 19 reps
  
• Back Extensions x 50 reps

i only got ~6 hours of sleep, so that certainly was not wise. this morning i'm sort of stiff and lethargic. basically want to go back to bed. meh.

but essentially this workout kicked ass. literally. my legs are dead. it depleted any kind of glycogen i had. 2/3 of the way through it, my eyes were damn near drooping. :)

Holiday = rest time!

7/2: rest day

7/3: rest day

7/4: rest day

WOD 7/5: mountain biking

liz and i went mountain biking up at lake sacandaga in upstate ny at dj's camp. the trail we rode on was close to the adirondack mountains. all the people were ~20 years behind up there. :) i like the area tho. pretty remote. it was a nice thing to do before we take off to tucson.

time: 2 hours

7/6: rest day

Sheet Metal makes it all better...

6/27: rest day

WOD 6/28: catalyst wod

• Front squat - 185lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets
  
• Snatch pull - 135lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• Snatch pull - 145lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• Snatch pull - 150lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
  
• Push jerk - 195lbs x 1 rep x 1 set - PR!!!!!
  
• Push jerk - 175lbs x 1 rep x 2 sets

3 rounds for time of:

• L-pullups x 7
• squats (air) x 15 reps
• k2e x 7
  

time to complete: 4m50s
total reps: 87 + 19 reps = 106 total reps

6/29: rest day

WOD 6/30: catalyst wod

• Overhead squat - 135lbs x 1 rep x 1 set - PR!!!!!
  
• Mid-hang power clean + push jerk + jerk - 115lbs x 4 sets
• Chin-ups x 29

5 rounds for time of:

• sdlhp 45lbs x 20 reps
• deadlift 45lbs x 10 reps

time to complete: 8m31s
total reps: 150 + 42 reps = 192 total reps

WOD 7/1: catalyst wod

• Snatch (full, floor) - 125lbs x 1 rep x 1 set - PR!!!!!
  
• Power Snatch 140lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
  
• Clean & jerk - 175lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
  
• Back squat - 340lbs x 1 rep x 1 set
  
• Stiff-legged deadlift-135lbs x 3 reps x 1 set; 185lbs x 3 reps x 1 set; 225lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets
  

You Fall, I Fall, We all Fall Together

WOD 6/26: catalyst wod

• muscle snatch 85lbs x 1 rep - snatch balance x 1 rep x 2
• muscle snatch 85lbs x 1 rep x 1; 95lbs x 1 rep x 1
• snatch (full,mid-hang) 85lbs x 2 reps x 4 sets
  

8 rounds for time of:

• clap pullups x 2
  
• clap pushups x 5

time to complete: 3m34s
total reps: clap pullups x 16; clap pushups x 40 = 56 reps + 14 reps = 70 total reps

the full snatch is coming together for me (whoo!). i still need a lot of work on shoulder flexibility. that is the limiting factor at the moment. but i stuck some really good, well balanced lands. the metcon kicked my ass. after the 4th round, i had to take a break for 20sec or so...it was like i hit a wall. i really had to churn out the last 4 rounds.

Life is like a huge video game...

WOD 6/25: hiking
time: ~45m
it was a nice day so i decided to go hiking. headed up to the m&m trail entrance off harris mountain road. i needed a workout, so i headed up long mountain (920'). def got a sweat on. i reached the top and went beyond a bit, then turned around and jogged/ran all the way back.

obviously going down is "easier" cardio wise, but as far as a workout, my quads took a beating. i also used different running techniques. on flat land i was bounding off my heal more - trying to employ the power from my posterior chain. this worked great actually. i found i was faster but with much less strain. i also employed the uphill/downhill running techniques i learned on crossfit, which also worked great. made going uphill much easier and i found i could go further before wearing down.

also, the coordination, agility, balance, etc that comes with downhill running is fantastic. it's like a video game - just real life (i work with too many geeks).

Frog Legs. Eat em up, yum!

6/23: rest day

WOD 6/24: catalyst wod

• back squat 305lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• clean deadlift 315lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets
• push press 155lbs x 4 reps x 5 sets
• chinups x 29
  
• situps x 50

total reps: 120

my legs feel like frog legs. whatever that means? they are destrizzled. destroyed. that was another beat down. i'm def beaten all over, again. lovin it. :) the 315 deadlift wasn't nearly as difficult as i had thought...ie...i think my dl is going up. i think i'm just getting stronger. :)

And the Winner is... ;)

6/20: rest day

6/21: catalyst wod

• snatch (floor,full) 85lbs x 1 rep x 4 sets
• snatch balance 85lbs x 1 rep; 75lbs x 1 rep x 2 sets

5 rounds for time:

• jump squat 65lbs x 15 reps
• clap pushups (elevated 2.5ft) x 10

time to complete: 6m35s
total reps: 125 reps + 7 reps = 132 reps

6/22: catalyst wod

• muscle snatch 145lbs x 1 rep - PR!!!!!
• clean & jerk 180lbs x 1 rep - PR!!!!!
• back squat 355lbs x 1 rep - PR!!!!!

i seriously never thought this was possible. Hit 3 PR's in one session! what?? and broke thru a huge back squat plateau. i went below parallel...not quite ass-to-grass but still. never had that much weight on my back. and i cleaned 180lbs w/o a problem!!! the jerk wasn't quite a full lockout...i just didn't want to fall over in the middle of planet fatness. :) oh btw...i hit all these PR's at a bodyweight of 170lbs even. thank god for this wod. i may even post up on the boards. seriously. this is the fire i needed to get going again. this morning my whole body is exhausted.

Me Joints is Flared Up, Meh

WOD 6/19: catalyst wod

• 2-position clean (full,mid-hang) 105lbs x 1 rep x 3 sets
• push jerk + split jerk 115lbs x 1 rep x 3 sets
• muscle snatch 125lbs 1 rep x 3 sets

3 rounds for time of:

• 10 pistols (alternating)
• 20 elevated pushups (3ft)
• 7 L-pullups

completed in: 6m35s; total reps: pistols x 30; pushups (3ft) x 60; L-pullups x 21 = 111 reps

the strength portion of this workout wasn't bad at all (it was 60% of 1RM of clean/jerk). the 2-position clean and push jerk+jerk made it worth it. the snatch was def the best exercise.

The Roof is on Fire

6/17: rest day

WOD 6/18: catalyst wod

• front squat 170lbs x 2 reps x 5 sets
• snatch pull 135lbs x 2 reps x 2 sets
• snatch pull 145lbs x 2 reps x 1 set
• push press 190lbs x 1 rep - PR!!!!!!!!
• push jerk 165lbs x 1 rep x 2 sets
• 15 pullups
• 30 pushups
• 45 air squats

wow...another great workout by catalyst. liz joined me for this one and it whupped her ass :) she also did a longer metcon and had much less sleep than i. i'm loving these workouts. seriously.

Hands ache?? like whoa.

WOD 6/16: catalyst wod

• back squat 290lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
• snatch-grip deadlift 185lbs x 3 reps; 225 x 2; 275 x 2
• push press 150lbs x 5 reps x 5 sets
• pullups x 30

total reps: bs x 15; dl x 7; push press x 25; pullups x 30 = 77 total reps

oh. my. goodness. i have not trained that hard...on strength...in...ever? this morning...i am...dead. even my hands are feelin it. need more sleep. wow. this was something else. i am...yea.

Power = Better

6/13: rest day

WOD 6/14: catalyst wod

• Snatch - 115lbs x 1 rep x 4 sets
  
• Clean & jerk - 135lbs x 1 x 3
• Back squat - 275lbs x 1; 315 x 1
• K2E - 10 reps x 3 sets

total reps: snatch x 4; c&j x 3; bs x 2; k2e x 30 = 39 total reps

this was my first catalyst athletics WOD. i loved it! getting used to the programming was a bit odd. i mean squat 90% of your 1RM x 1 rep? that is quite odd? and i was thinking...you have to be kidding me...you want me to squat that w/o any warm up squats??? so i threw 275 on there and did that like butter. then i said what the hell. i'll do my true 90% (315lbs) and threw it up like BUTTER. i can't believe that...it goes against all the traditional programming that is drilled in my head. the same went for the snatches and c&j's, but with minimal snatch and c&j warmup, i was able to bust the reps out w/no problem. this is crazy!

i'm really glad i found these WODs. they are programmed for strength, which is exactly what i've been trying to work on. whoo!

WOD 6/15: disc golf

went disc golfing for the first time this year (first time since september). we didn't get all 18 holes because we ran out of day light. was fun tho. went with josh, sheila, matt and liz. it was nice...my power was a lot more than it was last september. i am stronger!

time: ~2-2.5 hrs

You gots to love the Plyo. Period.

WOD 6/12:
As many rounds in 10m of:

• clap pullups x 2 (16 total)
• clap pushups elevated 2ft x 10 (70 total)
  
• squats (air) x 15 reps (105 total)
  

completed 7 rounds and 2 clap pullups.
total reps: clap pullups x 16; clap pushups x 70; squats x 105 = 191 total reps

i got my sweat on with this one. by the 4th-5th round i was breaking the clapping pushups up into sets of 5 reps. those were fun with my feet elevated on the smith rack bar. the bar was only ~2ft up as opposed to my typical ~3ft i use when i do normal elevated pushups. it was also fun when i would finish the pushups because i was hopping off the bar, burpee style, and sticking a two foot landing. hoorah!

To Eat or not to Eat?

WOD 6/11: deadlifts

• 275lbs x 3 reps
  
• 295 x 3
• 315 x 3
• 325 x 2
• 275 x 3

wasn't too bad. was happy to pull 325 again. i've been completely stuck on a deadlift and back squat plateau for a while now. a long time acually. that is part of the reason why i've been cycling in a lot more strength workouts lately. i want to to bust through these plateaus! i also don't want to do it through a lot of additional calories. we'll see how that goes.

Woods > Planet Fatness

6/9: rest day

WOD 6/10: hiking

i headed down to the m&m trail on amherst st, down by moody bridge rd. i ran from there to where the trail intersects moody bridge rd. i turned around and ran/walked back to the car. legs are feeling a bit stiff this morning.

time: ~25m.

Humidity is not cool, mmkay?

6/6: rest day

WOD 6/7: c&j/clean/push jerk

• clean&jerk 135lbs x 3
• jerk (push) 145lbs x 7
• clean (full squat) 145lbs x 7
• jerk (push) 145lbs x 7

total reps: 24.

did the push jerk, clean and push jerk in a bit less than 5m. got irritated because it was so humid and hot that i couldn't keep a grip on the bar w/the cleans, so had to stop the workout. blah!

i so need another gym.

WOD 6/8: weighted pullups

• 65lbs x 3 reps
• 65 x 3
• 65 x 3
• 65 x 2.5 - made it 3 tho
• 65 x 2
• 65 x 1

total reps: 15

these felt decent, but not spectacular. good to get a real strength workout in. the 3rd rep of each set was tough to get. i changed my hand positions for each set as well.

Can you please open your iliacus?

WOD 6/5: sumo-deadlift high pulls (sdlhp)

• 95lbs x 5 reps
• 105 x 5
• 135 x 4
• 135 x 4
• 125 x 5
  
• 115 x 5

total reps: 28

i hadn't done these in quite a while, so i decided to throw them in. This exercise really shows what a powerful opening of the hips can really do in terms of power.

A+ comes around yet again....

5/30: rest day

WOD 5/31:

• thruster 135lbs x 10 reps
• squat jump 45lbs x 50 reps
• thruster x 8
• squat jump x 40
• thruster x 6
• squat jump x 30
• thruster x 4
• squat jump x 20
• thruster x 2
• squat jump x 10

completed in: 24m
total reps: thruster x 30; squat jump x 150 = 180 total

the thrusters were easy. the squat jumps...DESTROYED...me. my legs are still beat and it's like 4 days later!!! the entire workout killed me. i drank the previous night...bad idea. it was a mission just to survive this workout...never mind get through it. wow.

WOD 6/1:

• clean (squat) 135lbs x 10 reps
• push press 45lbs x 50 reps
• clean x 8
• push press x 40
• clean x 6
• push press x 30
• clean x 4
• push press x 20
• clean x 2
• push press x 10

completed in: 18m44s
total reps: clean x 30; push press x 150 = 180 total

this one kicked my ars, but not as bad as the other one. liz joined me for this beat down and we both had fun. she did clean 45lbs x 30 reps and overhead squat 45lbs x 150 reps. her legs are destroyed!

6/2: rest day

6/3: rest day - studin for 2nd part of A+

6/4: rest day - studyin for 2nd part of A+

Just one of those days....

5/28: rest day

WOD 5/29: overhead squats

• 95lbs x 5 reps
• 105 x 5
• 115 x 3
• 115 x 4
• 120 x 2

well it wasn't my day in the gym, but these things happen. also, i havent done heavy oh's in well over two months...or more. i noticed that i was shaky even on 95lbs, so my body just wasn't havin it. oh well, i still somewhat pushed thru (w/o dropping the bar in the globogym :)) and called it a day.

Get em up there?

5/27: split jerks

• 135lbs x 5 reps
• 145 x 5
• 155 x 5
• 165 x 5
• 175 x 5
• 185 x 2

this was a fitting end to a a nice 3-day set. all the reps felt decent. form was a bit sloppy tho. should have worked on it a bit more with just the bar prior to starting the work sets.

To Grandmother's house we go...

WOD 5/23:

For time:
21 L-pull-ups
20 One legged squats, alternating legs
18 L-pull-ups
16 One legged squats, alternating legs
15 L-pull-ups
12 One legged squats, alternating legs
12 L-pull-ups
8 One legged squats, alternating legs

completed in: 15m35s
total reps: L-pullups x 66; pistols x 56 reps = 122 total reps

whoo, this was fun. i was busting the l-pullups out in singles by the time the 3rd set came around. my right weaker leg was fun as well on the pistols, but i only lost my balance maybe 3 times...a big improvement over my last attempt at them.

5/24: rest day

WOD 5/25: hiked for 3 hours on m&m from the north leverett coop to i'd estimate about mid-way into the wendell state forest. didn't make it to ruggles pond but we had to have hiked about 4-5 miles in. all in all we hiked ~8-9 miles.

WOD 5/26: snatches (power)

• 95lbs x 5 reps
• 105 x 5
• 115 x 5
• 120 x 5
• 125 x 5
• 135 x 1
• 140 x 1 - PR!!!!!

i taught liz the snatch and she loves it. it's a great thing to have someone validate your opinion on an exercise. felt strong enough to tie the PR, and then break it.

Why do i do this stuff?

WOD 5/22:

• deadlift 275lbs x 3 reps
• pushups elevated (3ft) x 40 reps
• deadlift 275 x 3
  
• pushups elevated x 35
• deadlift 275 x 3
• pushups elevated x 30
• deadlift 275 x 3
• pushups elevated x 25
• deadlift 275 x 3
• pushups elevated x 20

total reps: deadlift x 15; pushups elevated x 150 = 165 total reps

the workout wasn't timed. i took a 1:30-2m break between rounds (dl and pushups were 1 round). this was a nasty duet. i went from deads right to pushups. what a contract. by the 4th round i was completely dreading the dead. it just wiped me the hell out. wowzers.

Technique, Young Jedi

5/20: rest day

WOD 5/21: front squats

• 135lbs x 6 reps
• 185 x 4
• 225 x 5 - PR!!!
  
• 240 x 2 - PR!!!
• 225 x 3
  

felt pretty good to set a couple PR's. now that i have finally figured the rack position out, it is so nice to front squat. i've been missing out for a long time. this is another great exercise when performed correctly.

I wanna make a virus...

5/9: rest day - lil sis grad

5/10: rest day - lil sis grad

5/11: rest day - lil sis grad

5/12: rest day - sick w/stomach flu :(

5/13: rest day - sick w/stomach flu :(

5/14: rest day - sick w/stomach flu :(

5/15: rest day - sick w/stomach flu :(

5/16: rest day - sick w/stomach flu :(

WOD 5/17: push press

• 135lbs x 5 reps
• 145 x 3
  
• 155 x 2
  

finished with a bunch of clap pullups.
this was my first workout back from being sick. i lost about 5lbs and was basically malnourished/dehydrated all week so i didn't have the strength to keep going. i basically just wanted to get my body back into workout mode.

***started taking fish oil again***

WOD 5/18: clean&jerk

• 135lbs x 4 reps
• 145 x 3
• 155 x 2
• 135 x 4
  

i was still getting the sickness out of my body. sweating a lot more than normal - also harder to catch my breath. i had the strength to clean the 155, but i was sweating so much i was losing faith in my grip on the bar, so i called it a day. either way, feeling better.

WOD 5/19:

For time:

• pushups x 75
  
• sdlhp 95lbs x 35 reps
• dips x 50
• pullups x 25
• pushups (elevated 2.5ft) x 25

time to complete: 21m51s
total reps: 210

definitely feeling better. still not 100% but a lot better than the previous couple days. i've been eating normally so i'm re-nourishing my body. i need to start getting more sleep tho...it's really been taking a toll on my performance. bah. i don't know how ppl work full time, have kids, and still find time to crossfit. hats off to them.

Spin = Deadlifts?

5/7: rest day

WOD 5/8: diane (mod'd)

• deadlift 205lbs x 21 reps
• elevated pushups (3ft) x 42
• deadlift x 15
• elevated pushups x 30
• deadlift x 9
• elevated pushups x 18

time to complete: 7m (exactly on my stopwatch)

total reps: 135 (deadlift x 45 reps; elevated pushups x 90)

happy about my performance. i could have been able to push a bit harder i think. but still happy. also of note: *did 21 consecutive deadlifts of 205lbs. whooooo! i think spin class has been helping?

Sweaty Palms Drop Sweaty Bars

WOD 5/6: elizabeth (2/3 done)

• clean (hang,power/squat) 135lbs x 21 reps
• elevated pushups x 63
• clean x 7
• elevated pushups x 35

time to complete: 13m15s

bah!!! i got so sweaty that i lost confidence in my ability to not drop the bar. i wasn't fatigued either, which makes this that much more frustrating. it took me a minute to come to this realization, so technically i got this done in under 13m. which still is nothing to even remotely brag about. the 135lbs was tough...i was breaking it into sets of 2-3, which consumed a lot of time.

man. man. i was supposed to have left planet fitness last year. i am seriously overextending my tolerance for this gym. these ppl are so ridiculas that go there. i applaud them (i guess ha) for working out in the first place, but come on. i feel like i'm one of the last remaining serious gym-goers that hasn't jumped the ship on planet fitness. give me a break ppl. workout or gtfo!

Hormonal Rage. whoo?

WOD 5/5: back squats

• 225lbs x 5 reps
• 275 x 5
• 265 x 5
• 255 x 5
• 245 x 5

this felt good. the last rep on the 275 was tough to push up but i got it. was happy with that. i also walked the robert frost from bay rd in btown to hulst rd. this was maybe 1/2 mile total...i ended it when i realized where it connected. this means i've done the rft from the notch to amherst woods (patching everything in along the way). now i need to finish the section from amherst woods to amherst st at the big entrance.

Snatchy Athletically

4/30: rest day

5/1: rest day

WOD 5/2: As many rounds in 20m of:

• clap pushups x 10
• clap pullups x 3

performed 13 rounds.
(clap pullups x 39 and clap pushups x 130 = 169 total reps)

good god am i sore!!! it is now monday 5/5 and i am still sore! my chest/shoulders/upper back/triceps/forearms. all sore. to the touch.

WOD 5/3: snatch (hang, power)

• 85lbs x 4 reps
• 95 x 4
• 105 x 3
• 115 x 3
• 120 x 2
• 125 x 2
• 130 x 1
• 135 x 1 - PR!!!!!!!
  

felt great after i snatched the bar with a 45lb plate on each side. that was difficult and took some balls to do in a globo gym. i'll give myself props :) i am ~170-172lbs at this point tho. but hey. i'm still happy. the heavy snatch takes a helluva lot of power to perform. :)

5/4: rest day

I Love the Rack

WOD 4/28: thrusters

• 135lbs x 5 reps
• 145 x 3
• 155 x 3
• 160 x 3
• 165 x 2
• 170 x 1 - PR!!!
  

WOD 4/29: front squats

• 135lbs x 8
• 155 x 5
• 170 x 4
• 185 x 4
• 205 x 3
  
• 225 x 3 - PR!!!
  

i ...finallly... figured out the rack position! i ended up placing my hands a bit wider than i would normally grip, and things sort of snapped in place. that and my shoulder flexibility must have increased. i have a couple small bruises from laying the bar on my upper chest/shoulders, but hey, a small price to pay.

i love front squats now, and i never thought i'd say that, because i could never do them. now that i have the rack position figured out, i can see how beneficial front squats can be! the balance, coordination, agility and athleticism required to correctly perform them is awesome. thank ya!

Spin, Spin, Spin the t-bird away...

4/25: rest day - meant to go but fell asleep after work and gym closes at 9p on fridays

WOD 4/26: spin class w/liz :)

once again we spent a lot of time in the 8-10 resistance zone, but this time for longer duration periods. next time i need to bring the seat up 1 more notch. my knee did not fully extend so it put undue stress on my quads...but oh well. lesson learned. felt pretty good afterwards. thanks liz for making this session more anaerobic. ;)

time: 1 hr

4/27: rest day - planned on going yet again but didn't happen

Flowers are blooming...

4/23: went hiking for 1hr 15m on m&m trail in holyoke - started at rt.141 entrance and headed south for a couple miles. they relocated a big section of the trail so liz and i spent a while trying to find exactly where the relocated section started. we eventually gave up because the sun was going down and the bugs were relentless!!!

4/24: did a quick hike (~40m) on the blue/red trail off rt.47 (past skinner state park). took the blue trail to the red trail and hiked to where it intersected the paved road in skinner state park. then ran back down the mountain and ended up rolling my ankle. whoo. not too bad tho. it happened when i got distracted. otherwise def got a workout - legs feel worked in a different way...different but good (except for my ankle!)

A+ comin up....

4/18: rest day - had to help move furniture for lil sis

WOD 4/19: 2-a-day:

shoulder press:

• 135lbs x 3 reps
• 145 x 3
• 150 x 3
• 155 x 1;135 x 2
• 135 x 3

ehhhh, ok performance. i ended up knotting a muscle up in my right trap/rhomboid. i wasn't warmed up enough. i wanted to get outside!

hiked for 1 hour and 30m on m&m trail in north leverett. started down the street from the n.leverett coop and hiked into the wendell state forest. ended up at the same spot i ended up last year - the tree in the middle of the woods w/multiple ppl's names carved into it. was a beautiful day all around.

4/20: rest day

4/21: rest day - had to study for A+ cert exam on 4/23

4/22: rest day - studyin for A+ exam

Stiff quads make lethargic boy

4/16: hiked for 30m on the robert frost from puffers pond north for a couple miles towards leverett

WOD 4/17: nancy (mod'd)
5 rounds for time of:

• overhead squat 65lbs x 15 reps
• lunges x 40
  

time to complete: ~19min (forgot watch)
total reps: 275
uhh yea. didn't have metcon in me last night.
def wiped me out - my legs are feeling nice and stiff. in particular my quads.
have i plateaued again??? bah!

Post #50 - whoo!

4/13: rest day

4/14: rest day

WOD 4/15: With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

got to 9 rounds and 8 pullups. came soooo close to 10 rounds. all pullups were strict.

total: pullups x 52

Feeling run down...awwww. Now get up and go.

WOD 4/11: weighted pullups

• 55lbs x 3 reps
• 55lbs x 2 reps
• 55lbs x 3 reps
  
• 55lbs x 2 reps
• 55lbs x 2 reps

i was a bit disappointed with the low amount of reps. i feel like i should have been able to bust out more then 2-3 reps per set, but it didn't happen. i was exceptionally tired so perhaps that was it. it's also been a month since my last break, and i haven't taken a half volume week. part of that is because ive been taking more rest days than i had in the past. i purposely fell off the 3/1 schedule because i've been focusing more on strength and have been taking longer to recover. i may go easy this week tho. maybe focus more on metcons because doing strength workouts at half volume seems sort of pointless.

WOD 4/12:
As many rounds in 20min of:

• deadlift 65lbs x 10 reps
  
• clean (hang, squat) 65lbs x 8 reps
• push press 65lbs x 6 reps

rounds completed: 7
total reps: 168

i wasn't impressed with myself over this workout either. i think i've been a bit run down (see above). well this is what happens...welcome to the game, as they say.

Elite Crossfitters are no joke!

4/9: rest day

WOD 4/10: 5 rounds for time of:

• clean (squat, hang) 95lbs x 7 reps
  
• slapping pushups (hands slap chest) x 7

time to complete: ~11m (forgot my watch again!)
total reps: clean x 35 reps; slap pushups x 35 - 70 reps total
i mimicked a workout on the xfit site...def kicked my ass.
and also re-checked the ego - the xfit elite are no joke.

Push and push until you can't no more...

4/6: rest day

4/7: rest day

WOD 4/8:

shoulder press (standing):

• 135lbs x 1 rep
• 145 x 1
• 155 x 1
• 165 x 1
  
• 175 x 1 - PR!!!

push press:

• 135 x 3
• 145 x 3
• 155 x 3
• 165 x 3
  
• 175 x 3

push jerk:

• 135 x 5
• 145 x 5
• 155 x 5
• 160 x 5
• 165 x 5

felt good to set a new PR. i've been focusing on strength lately...i have yet to test my squat/dead 1-3 rep yet. we'll see. back up to 170lbs bw again as well. was 165 a few weeks ago.

The Yes Spin Zone

WOD 4/4: gwen (mod'd):

• clean&jerk (hang, power)(95lbs) x 15 reps
• c&j x 12
• c&j x 9

forgot to time - mainly because i had my head wrapped around trying to get myself into go mode to do this wod. the idea is that you do all reps continuously w/o taking your hands off the bar. to do so is considered a foul. well, 95lbs was too much because after rep 8 on the 1st set i had to set the bar down. oh well. it still completely rocked me...whole body soreness!

total reps: 36

WOD 4/5: spin class w/liz :)

i voluntarily tortured myself again. kidding liz!
her spin class fits so well into the crossfit methodology - you just push and push and push.
this particular class was rough because there was a lot of hill work. extended amounts of time at your "8-10" (out of 1-10 scale) resistance.
this of course is great for me as i'm looking to develop power. it blew thru my anaerobic threshold. felt great afterwards w/crazy endorphin rush.

time: 1 hour

This is to all the Metcons out there...

WOD 4/3: 5 rounds for time of: (made this one up)

• deadlift (135lbs) x 15 reps
• elevated pushups (3ft) x 15
  
• alternated between squats (air) and lunges (15 reps a piece)

time to complete: 10m56s
total: deadlift (135lbs) x 75; pushups x 75; squats x 45; lunges x 30
total: 225 reps

Life keeps getting in the away / end excuse

3/30: rest day

3/31: had to take the day off because matt needed help moving into his new apt, so sort of got exercise.

WOD 4/1: 5 rounds for time of: (made this one up)

• 5 tuck pullups
• 10 pushups
• 15 squats (air)

time to complete: ~4m30s (i forgot to bring my stopwatch - duh!)
total: pullups (tuck) x 25; pushups x 50; squats x 75 - total reps: 150

4/2: rest day (fell asleep and didn't make it to gym, doh!)