4/15/2025
Prep work:
3 rounds:
1 min Airdyne
5 prying KB goblet squats
5/5 KB halos
Bar hang
Workout:
100 KB swings; 36 kg KB
50 strict ring dips
50 strict ring rows
Accessories:
100 sit ups
5 x 100ft farmer’s carries; 2 x 22kg KBs
Notes: Another “recovery” day. Preceded the above with a 30 min walk.
4/16 and 4/17
Keeping up the active recovery week. Very similar days, so I’ll post once:
Prep/Warm up
30 min walk
3 x 5 Prying KB goblet squat
3 x 5/5 KB halos
3 x 1:00 Airdyne
Some easy work:
75 KB swings; not heavy
Easy strength:
OHP: 2 x 5 x 85 lbs
FSQ: 2 x 5 x 115 lbs
Farmer’s carries: 2x
Sit ups/ab wheels: 2 sets
Mobility/accessories:
Banded mobility work
Push ups/inverted rows
Notes: Keeping it light and easy. Added in some of Dan John’s Easy Strength approach: 2 x 5 x ~50% of some barbell movements.
It’s actually HARD to not do more. Just enough to feel ready to workout, then shut it down. My hand is healing frustratingly slow. It doesn’t hurt so much that I can’t do basically anything, but it also hurts enough that I want it to actually heal. The swings seem to be great for everything - recovery band also the hand. The wide handles don’t bother it at all.
4/19/2025
9 am, CF gym
5 rounds for time:
20 GHD sit ups
10 box step ups. 20" box; 1x50lb DB
20 American KB swings; 24 kg KB
400m run
Time ~19:00
Notes: First day back in a while. Pretty mellow workout, which was perfect for a Saturday morning.
April 20, 2025
Location: Garage | Start Time: 8:00 AM
Bench Press (531 “Five and Dime” progression):
Superset A2:
Superset B:
12-Minute AMRAP
Rest: 3:00 Minutes
Then: 3 Rounds for Time
Notes:
Great garage session! Followed 5/3/1 “Five and Dime” for bench press. The MetCon was from a WOD I missed at the gym last week.
8 am, garage
AI-generated workout using push ups, assault bike, and KBs.
4 Rounds for Time:
Wearing a 30# weight vest
Rest 1 min between rounds
Notes: Wanted something moderate today, so asked AI to help me out. This, in my mind, is a “ramp up” week after last week’s deload. Went hard but not close to all-out, and no movement was overly taxing.
4/22/2025
Hryox class, 7 am (at my CF gym)
4 zones; 9:00 each; 2:00 between zones
Zone 1:
Partner 1: rows
Partner 2: 5/5 DB discus “throws”; 10 plank DB pass throughs
Continuous work, just switch when partner 2 finishes
Zone 2:
20m sled push
Partner 2 rests will Partner 1 pushes
Zone 3:
Double KB DL’s
Double KB front squats
Partner 2 rests while Partner 1 works
Zone 4:
4/4 DB 1-arm push presses
4/4 DB 1-arm rows
Partner 2 rests while Partner 1 works
Notes: Pretty easy workout. The sled pushes were the toughest, just due to the singly-focused movement for 9 minutes.
4/23/2025
7 am, garage
EMOM 10
3 Weighted ring pull ups; BW+35 lbs
MetCon. For max burpees + push ups
2:00 each round:
Round 1: 8 strict ring pull ups; max burpees
Rest 1:00
Round 2: 8 strict ring pull ups; max burpees
Rest 1:00
Round 3: 20 American KB swings (22 kg KB); max push ups
Rest 1:00
Round 4: 20 American KB swings (22 kg KB); max push ups
Total reps = 140
Conditioning
EMOM 7:
0:30 max effort Airdyne
Notes: Did this one at home rather than going to the CF gym, since it’s actually easier to do it here and I had to be to work at 9 am. My hand is feeling better and better, which makes sense since I’ve been avoiding movements that aggravate it.
4/26/2025
8 am, garage
Strength: 531 Five & Dime rep scheme
Bench Press:
5 x 95
5 x 120
5 x 145
10 x 165
5 x 190
10 x 215 lbs
S/S with 6 x 10 Face Pulls
MetCon
Every 4:00 x 6
1 mile Airdyne
5 Deadlifts @ 275 lbs
Accessory:
Mackenzie Press 2 x 8
Notes: Took the last two days off for training due to one planned day of rest and another just feeling needed. Got back at it with this one. This set up has become my absolute favorite: a strength progression followed by a MetCon. This pair was especially awesome. The MetCon was yesterday’s WOD at my CF gym, and I tacked on the 531 BP in front of it. I find that doing strength training, if chosen correctly, doesn’t negatively impact the effort I put into the MetCon, and in some ways seems to prime me for it.
Coffee shop, farmer’s market, and pizza with friends coming up later today.
4/27/2025
8 am, garage
A1. OHP, 5’s PRO: 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125 lbs
A2. Strict Ring Pull ups: 6 x 5
B1. Sit ups: 3 x 20
B2. Deficit push ups: 3 x 10
C. 4 mile run, easy steady state pace
Notes: First run in a while, with some abbreviated strength work beforehand.
4/28/2025
7 am, CF gym
Strength:
Strict Handstand Push ups:
5 x 4
MetCon, for time:
15 Toes 2 Bar
10 Renegade rows; 40 lbs (1 push ups + 1 R row + 1 L row = 1 rep)
Rest 1:00 between rounds
Notes: The MetCon took about 2:00 per round and wasn’t too bad. Strict handstand push ups are not easy, but I can crank out a few at a time. A typical CF HSPU involves kipping, where you lower your legs as you descend, and spring them up as you push up, kinda like an inverted push press. Those are much easier once you get the technique down.
4/29/2025
7 am, Hyrox class (at CF gym)
Part 1. 2 9:00 AMRAPS; 0:30 break between them.
Zone 1: 7 DB flys, 14 deficit push ups, 7 double DB snatches (light weights, keep moving)
Zone 2: (wearing a 20# vest): 5/5 deficit split squtas, 5 squats, 150m row
Part 2. 4 2:00 zones, repeat 2x through. Rest 0:30 between zones:
Zone 1: Heavy sled push; 50ft
Zone 2: Light double DB rows
Zone 3: Ground to overheads; 35 lb plate
Zone 4: Light DB SLDLs
Notes: I hate writing these out, but doing it is kinda fun. Really a recovery workout for the most part, in that variety of movement and constant motion is the goal.
5/01/2025
7 am, Crossfit
A. Bench Press
5 x 6
S/S with med ball slams
(tweaked back warming up here, pivoted to keep it to a pushing workout)
B. Ring Dips
21 - 15 - 9 rep scheme
C1. DB flys
4 x 12 x 35 lb DBs
C2. Banded tricep push downs
5 x 20
D1. Push ups
4 x 25
Notes: After the strength part of the CF class, I tweaked my back warming up power cleans for the MetCon. After some mobility and rest, got in the rest in a way that didn’t require my lower back to work at all. It’s not feeling too bad, but I’ll definitely give it a bit of a rest.
5/02/2025
7:30 am, home
30 min walk
MetCon, 10 rounds for time:
15 calories assault bike
7 pull ups
11 deficit push ups
Time = ~19:00
Accessories, 3 rounds:
10 DB curls
10 DB lat raises
20 KB shrugs
Notes: My back is still slightly tweaky, so I avoided any heavy lower body work or dynamic movements. I adjusted today’s CF WOD to this MetCon and it worked well. I wasn’t going all-out at all on the MetCon, but did keep a reasonable clip. I’m hoping to get back to Hyrox tomorrow if my back continues to feel better.
5/03/2025
8 am, garage
A1. OHP; 5’s PRO
5x65
5x85
5x95
5x105
5x115
5x125 lbs
A2. Face pulls
6 x 10 x banded
B1. Seated DB presses
4 x 12 x 45lb DBs
B2. Reverse Curls
4 x 12 x empty barbell
C1. Front plate raises
4 x 12 x 35 lb plate
C2. Seated DB hammer curls
4 x 12 x 25 lb DBs
1 mile weight vest walk
Notes: Still working around a slightly sore back and healing hand.
5/05/2025
7 am, Crossfit gym
Strength:
Front Squats 5 x 5 x 50% (I used 135 lbs)
MetCon
EMOM5 x 2; rest 1 min between
25 single unders jump rope
3 Sumo DL’s, 185 lbs
Accessory:
Reverse hypers: 3 x 20
Notes: This was perhaps the most toned-down CF workout in recent memory. It was doable by design and not because I was dogging it. I appreciate these forced “deload” style workouts, especially as I’m being a bit cautious with my lower back after tweaking it on Thursday. Felt fine, though.
5/06/2025
7 am, Crossfit gym (hyrox class)
Part 1. 11 min AMRAP:
100 crossbody mountain climbers
50 single arm KB swings; 35 lb KB
20 pull ups
50 split goblet squats; 35 lb KB
(made it almost 2x through)
Part 2. 2:00 rounds; 0:30 sec rest between rounds.
3 x through - 30:00 total:
Zone 1: 5 Arnold press thrusters + 5 Devil’s presses; 15 lb DBs
Zone 2: 1-arm push press, max reps; 35 lb KB
Zone 3: 10 calories ski erg + 10 push ups
Zone 4: 1-arm KB rows, max reps; 35 lb KBs
(For Zones 1 and 3, made it 2x through. For Zones 2 and 4 got 40 reps total)
Notes: Good workout. The structure worked well. First time using a ski erg as part of a training circuit, and it was fun. I like how you just stand there and slam those handles down and back. Played around with the technique until I could get it up to 1,000+ calories/hour for the duration of the 10 calorie segments.
5/07/2025
7 am, Crossfit gym
Strength. 12 min time cap, rest at least 1:00 between sets.
Back Squats: 8 x 2 @40% (155 lbs for me)
S/S with 4 band-resisted broad jumps
MetCon. For time:
21 - 15 - 9
Power Cleans; 115 lbs (21), 135 lbs (15), 155 lbs (9)
Box jumps; 30" box
Me = 8:02
Notes: It feels too light to do back squats at 40%, but I know that’s the point. The standard was a slow descent, explode up, then immediately do the band-resisted broad jumps. Those were fun!
I was actually impressed I did the 30" box jumps across the entire MetCon. It always feels too high at first, but once I got going it wasn’t too bad. Being on the shorter side, I do have to reset and ready myself for each jump, while the taller (and, okay, younger) guys rep them out without much thought.
Word has gotten out at my CF gym that I’m doing to do a Hyrox race. What’s funny is the owner/head coach is very supportive, but warns that I’m both a bit fragile and mobility-challenged. That seems so strange to me because in real life, I don’t know anyone anywhere close to my age that has my mobility or overall lack of injuries. Sure, I get dinged up or get a tweak from time to time, but I don’t have chronic knee or back problems that plague so many as they get close to 50. And I can do full range of motion nearly everything, with the exception of heavy overhead squats/snatches and some of the more challenging gymnastic movements. But, it does give me some goals to continue to work on.
5/08/2025
7 am, CF gym
MetCon
22 min partner AMRAP
22 hand-release push ups
22 GHD sit ups
22 calories ski erg
(Us = 8 rounds)
So I did:
88 HR push ups
88 GHD sit ups
88 calories ski erg
Accessories:
3 x 20 Shoulder Airplanes
3 x 6/6 Polliquin step ups
Notes: A pretty mild chipper of an I-go-you-go workout. Still, really started to feel the GHP sit ups as the rounds piled up, and went really hard on the ski erg to get to the 11 calories.
5/09/2025
7 am, CF gym
MetCon
AMRAP 8
15 calories ski erg
10 American KB swings
Me = 5 rounds
Strength, Back squats
Work up to heavy single: 1 x 305 lbs
Then some back off sets, 3 x 5 x 225
10 min bike cool down on bike
Notes: Was feeling fine today, but the 305 lbs squat was heavy enough for the day, so dropped it down to get some reps at 225. The MetCon was fun, quick, and fast.
I’ll be in Napa this weekend, and taking the next two days off. See y’all on Monday.
5/12/2025
7 am, garage
Warm up:
25 min walk, then 2 rounds of:
1:00 Airdyne
10 plate hops
10 plate-to-overheads
5 wide stance air squats
5 narrow stance air squats
5 regular stance air squats
5 scap pull ups
5 push ups
A few light barbell Dan John Complexes to warm up pulling, pressing, and squatting
EMOM 10
5 American KB swings (28 kg KB) + 10 deficit push ups
Strength, 10 rounds, go ever 2:00:
5 strict press; 100 lbs
S/S with 10 goblet squats; 60 lb DB (odd rounds)
S/S with 10 hanging leg raise (even rounds
Notes: Had a great weekend in Napa and ended it with a Mother’s Day dinner with the family. Lots of food and great wine. Took both Saturday and Sunday off from any training, and felt a bit sluggish today. In reality, the actual amount of wine that is consumed on tastings (even with visiting three vineyards) is not that much, but the cumulative effect of wine and food over so many hours is exhausting. First world problems, for sure. “Wah, this expensive pinot noir and artisanal crackers are making me tired.”
Anyway, the workout felt good once I got going. The prescribed CF workout was heavy thrusters and box jumps, and I wasn’t quite up to that to pivoted to this.