7:45 at park: 4 rounds, with a 30# vest:
220 yard farmer’s carry, pair of 22kg bells and weight vest
0.5 mile weight vest walk
10 am
1 hour vinyasa yoga class
Notes: Okay, so this was a repeat of my last Sunday, but it’s hard to argue against this combo making for a perfect Sunday morning. The only negative I can find it that my shoes get kinda muddy walking through the wet grass and dirt around the perimeter of the park. The yoga class is pretty subdued, which is perfect. Slow movements and stretches and balances.
Tomorrow will mark the completion of the first half the BTM, and I’m gonna switch things up a bit. For the last three weeks I’ve been doing this:
BTM: 3x a week
Crossfit: 2x a week
Yoga: 1x a week
Loaded carries: 1x a week
I’m thinking of finishing it up this way:
BTM: 2x a week
Crossfit: 3x a week
Yoga: 2x a week
Loaded carries: 1x a week
It will extent completing BTM out about 10 days or so, but I’m not racing to finish it. After that, I’ll be heading to Hawaii for 10 days which will serve as a reset and reassess. (Although, I must admit, I’ve already scoped out a crossfit gym within walking distance of the hotel).
Warm up:
1 mile walk, overhead famer’s walks, face rows.
Front squat: , 5’s PRO: 75, 95, 115, 145, 165, 185 lbs
Front Squat 21’s @55%: 7 bottom half, 7 top half, 7 full FSQ. (105 lbs)
S/S these with 100 pull aparts and 15 vertical jumps.
Trap bar OHP : 10x5x100 lbs Weighted Pull Ups: 5x5x +22 kg Barbell Shrug/Row hybrid: 5x20x150 lbs
(done as a 5 round circuit of: 5 OHP, 5 WPU’s, 5 OHP, 20 shrug/rows)
Notes: Gonna be hot here today, so needed to get this ASAP. Finally slept a lot last night, about 9 hours. I had been dragging and just not getting enough sleep lately. Probably averaging 6.5-7 hours the last few nights, and could tell I just needed more but I’d just be up at 5 am and not able to fall back asleep.
I wanted to get the 20 rep squat using front squats. I read about a variation of the 21’s, and gave that a go at the prescribed % based on the BTM. I may pivot to double KB front squats for that widowmaker in the future. Heading up the SF today, and it’ll be cooler up that way. Also on the docket is fixing up a bike and a coffee shop hangout.
Notes: That WOD absolutely kicked my ass. It looks not-so-hard, but this is where technique comes in. Each movement really gets tough as the reps pile up, and I just don’t use my legs as much as I need to for the snatches. But it’s really those box step overs that will crush your soul. Lunge up onto the box, the step down on the other side. I started with the 50 lb DB on my shoulder, but then took some advice and started swinging it with the alternate arm from the leg that was stepping up, if that makes sense. Either way sucked. I’m getting better at the Crossfit technique of wall ball throws, but still need to sink deeper into the squat as the reps pile up.
Oh well, it’s done. It’s going to be hot as hell here today, and I may take a drive the beach where it’s literally 30 degrees cooler and work from there. About a 35 minute drive to Santa Cruz from here, and I’m thinking it’ll be worth it.
Row 1000m
Run 1000m
Row 1500m
Run 400m
Row 1000m
Run 1000m
(took 90s rest between rounds)
For time, with a 30# vest:
25 deficit push ups
100 ft Farmer’s carry, 50 lb DBs
20 deficit push ups
100 ft Farmer’s carry, 50 lb DBs
15 deficit push ups
100 ft Farmer’s carry, 50 lb DBs
10 deficit push ups
100 ft Farmer’s carry, 50 lb DBs Time = 3:26
Notes: Fairly easy day, which was just right. It’s supposed to top 100 degrees again here, but I’ll be biking a fair bit around town/to work. Will be starting Week 4 of BtM tomorrow, making a bit of adjustments to keep it interesting for me.
Notes: Wow, that was a killer. I kinda regretted wearing the vest halfway through but stuck with it. Those 100 weighted pull ups sure make a difference. Also, the presses with the vest were tougher, with the fatigue building up. I even broke up the weight-vested push ups, which are usually my strongest movement, but by the end of the workout it was tough to keep things crisp.
Off to work. I’ll get some mobility and maybe some neck work in later today.
Partner workout. Only one person works at a time. We divided it up in increments of 5 reps, switch. We got 6 rounds + 12 box jumps. Not bad.
4 rounds, for quality:
10 hammer curls, 35 lb DBs
10 supinated front DB raises, 15 lb DBs
10 KB halos, 16 kg bell
Notes: Fun workout. Crossfit out here in Silicon Valley is strange. Everyone is either a professor or a doctor. My partner today was a doctor at Stanford. We can intellectualize our deficiencies at a high level.
Hang snatches, 3x1
Snatches, 3x1
Behind the neck jerks, 2x5
Cleans and jerks, 4x1
Back Squats, 4x3x225 lbs
Plank holds, 3x
Notes: I didn’t list weights on the OLY lifts because: 1) they’re non-impressive, and 2) I am concerned with the amount on the bar. The squat snatches, which involves an overhead squat, are getting a bit better. Nice to see the improvement.
4 rounds, for quality:
10 hollow rocks
20 mountain climbers
max effort pike-up hold
Notes: Rowing takes technique. I’ve done it plenty but never really timed for meters. The first round was my slowed, at 1:57 to complete 500m. My next two were just slightly faster. The fasted dudes, though, were in the 1:45ish range. What was I doing wrong, because I wasn’t overly winded and knew I should be able to keep up with them. The answer was really the balance between strokes and pulling power. The next two rounds I dropped by stroke rate just a tad but pulled HARD. The result was a 10+ second faster time. Cool!
Thanks for explaining this. I’ve always liked rowing but never improved at it much. Now I have something specific to work on next time I’m able to get to a machine.
Yeah, same here. It wasn’t until I was rowing a distance for time, and comparing myself to others, that I realized my technique was limiting me. Kinda fun, actually, as it makes it more of a sport than just a boring way to get exercise.
10 min EMOM, alternating between:
3 power cleans, 115 lbs
1x(2 hang cleans + 2 front squats), 115 lbs
WOD, 12 min AMRAP:
6 power cleans, 115 lbs
6L/6R single DB box step ups (50 lb DB, 24" box)
96 single under jump ropes Result: 5 rounds + 6 reps
3 rounds, for quality:
8L/8R DB bulgarian split squats, holding pair of 25 lb DBs
15 weighted bridges
Notes: I should have tried to Rx the workout (which would have meant 135 lb power cleans). The cleans weren’t the hard part, the step ups were. Still, a great workout that was much needed.
My lower back was really sore earlier this week, which was unexpected. I did back squats on Sunday as part of my OLY lifting workout, but it was only 4x3x225 lbs. And I did trap bar deads the next day, working up to 3x5x325 lbs. Somehow their cumulative effect was more than I thought it would be, and Tuesday I was really stiff and still so on Wednesday. Feeling better today, but still notice it. I need to be better of accounting for my crossfit workload when running a 531 program and not be afraid to just substitute a movement if needed.
7 min ARMAP:
10 barbell wrist curls, 115 lbs
10 sit ups
100 foot Farmer’s walk, 22 kg bells (finished 5 rounds + 15 reps)
Notes: This is an amalgamation of today crossfit workout (had I gone to the class) with the assistance work of 531 bodybuilding. I was supposed to do a Building the Monolith workout, but to be honest I’m just not able to recover from the squat- and deadlift- heavy workouts while also doing crossfit 3-4 times a week. So I’m pausing that for now and will continue to gauge how to balance a 531-ish barbell program with crossfit.
Partner workout:
90 calories Airdyne
1600m run
90 pull ups
60 calories Airdyne
1200m run
60 pull ups
30 calories Airdyne
800m run
30 pull ups
3 rounds, for quality:
10 SLDL, 24kg bells
Wall sit with med ball, 30s
Notes: For the partner workout, I work will my partner rests, and vice versa. Not too bad at all. Just gonna get some mobility work in later and call it a day.
Notes: I had planned on an OLY lifting class today, but really needed an easy day and to get some dedicated mobility work in. I plan to hit a Crossfit class tomorrow morning and want to be fresh, unless it’s a heavy DL day. In that case I’ll pivot and get some work in on my own. My lower back wasn’t a fan of my workload last week. Nothing hurt or tweaky, just stiff and sore but gradually feeling back to normal. Know what’s really hard that came up a couple times last week? Single DB box step ups. They don’t seem bad, but as part of a WOD where you’re already fatigued, stepping up and down on a 24" box with a 50 lb DB tough.
There was one really annoying dude in my yoga class this morning. I never judge anyone based on their ability to perform a given flow or hold (I would have no right to), but this fella strolls in late, looks like he’s not even trying to follow along with the instructor, and even pulls out his phone at one point. It’s a small class (about 5 people and the instructor), making it even worse. The instructor’s approach was simply to never really acknowledge him, while she made a point to address the rest of us and give feedback as needed. Why even bother coming? I mean, save your money and spend your Sunday morning elsewhere.
Front squat: , 5’s PRO: 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 185 lbs. 1x20x100 lbs
S/S these with 100 pull aparts and 15 vertical jumps.
OHP : 10x5x95 lbs Weighted Pull Ups: 5x5x +22 kg TB Barbell Shrug: 5x20x210 lbs
(done as a 5 round circuit of: 5 OHP, 5 WPU’s, 5 OHP, 20 shrug/rows)
Notes: Did this instead of CF today. Their workout was heavy back squats, and I won’t to avoid those for at least another few days or so. This felt good once I got going. Will get in some mobility work and some isolation stuff later today.