1/8/08

Session 1

TGU:
5 minutes with 24kg KB

Deadlift:
5-5
305-275

Session 2

Pull-ups:
7x (1,2,3,4,5)

Snatch:
5x5 L/R w/ 24kg KB

Eye level vs. overhead swings

Colin-
Without getting too deep into the discussion of which is "better," here is an article that details the CrossFit position on swinging to overhead. I do not know that one is always better, but I do think there are convincing arguments being made by both camps, so I do both. In particular when I do CrossFit workouts that require swings, I do the overhead variety, because that is the prescribed method for that workout. This allows me to compare times with others and gauge my level of fitness. Hope this helps.

1/6/08

TGU:
5 minutes with the 24kg KB

Deads:
3-3-3
330-310-290

(Approximately 2 hour break, though I did do some heavy labor during this time. I had to go up to my mom's river place and move all the boats because the river is already pretty high and it's going to rain all week.)

Pistols:
5 singles each leg with the 24kg KB

Conditioning:
5 rds for time of-
25 swings (CrossFit style overhead swing w/ 24kg KB)
5 ring muscle-ups

16:46

I actually think I could have gone faster, but I was kind of tired today for various reasons. After the TSC I plan to place a lot more emphasis on conditioning, doing the CrossFit WOD about three days a week, with deadlifts still every day, and squats and presses on the days I don't do CrossFit. I was also thinking of doing some random skill work each day after the deadlifts but before the CrossFit stuff. I might do the old Dan John WoR 2000 idea and roll a die to determine one lift or skill to work on. I have heard this was the way CrossFit was run in the early days, with a bit of strength/skill work followed by a smoker of a conditioning workout.

1/05/08

Colin- you asked about rest between sets. On deadlifts I usually don't time it, but it's around 3 minutes. This is basically true of all my lifts. I sometimes time it, but not all the time. When I did ETK at the beginning of 2007 my C&P would stretch out to almost an hour sometimes, so I know what you mean about that. It was even worse when I was doing pull-ups as well. Today I only timed my rests on the pull-ups (30 seconds between rungs, a full minute between ladders) and HSPU (3 minutes). For the deads and TGU I just winged it. Something I've noticed about myself is that I do better on ladders when I time the rests. It seems like if I enforce a longer rest early on, I do better later in the workout. The new gymboss is especially handy for that because it is so simple to use. I also feel like I need very little rest when doing singles, even heavy ones. On today's deads I felt fresh after just the time it took to change the plates, whereas with sets of 5 I really feel like I need a good break.

Pull-ups:
3x (1,2,3,4,5)

TGU:
5-5
33-28

Deadlift:
1-1-1-1-1
280-320-340-300-340

HSPU:
5-5-5-4-3

Was a little disappointed in the HSPU numbers. I thought for sure I'd get 5x5 today. I think on the next 3 weeks I may go to a ladder style workout on HSPUs and do them 3x weekly in an ETK format. This would mean eliminating other pressing, but I think it would work well, and I'm not really concerned with developing my press right now, since it won't be tested at the TSC.

1/4/08

Deadlift:
5-5
298-273

OHS:
5-5-5-5-4
111-121-131-141-151

Power clean:
10X2 on the minute
199 for all

1/2/08

Deadlift:
5-3-2
275-295-315

Press:
3-3-3-3-3-3-3
135-145-155-140-160-135-150

Front squat:
5-5-5-5-5
140-160-180-200-220

Pull-ups:
1,2,3,4

Another workout cut short by time constraints. I have a big project for my job, so off to do that.

Edit: I tried to cut it short, but the pull-up bar beckoned, and after that the kettlebell was laughing at me...

Pull-ups:
4x (1,2,3,4,5)

Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
- 10 Swings (5L/5R)
- 5 push-ups (alternating fingertips and knuckles)

Got about 5 minutes deep when the phone rang. I had done 7 rounds

One minute break to talk on phone (business, not pleasure)

6 rds plus 7 swings in remaining 5 minutes

13 rds total, plus the extra swings

1/1/08

Was in a bit of a hurry, so I did a stripped down workout. No pull-ups or KB work, just DLs and some nasty conditioning.

Deadlift:
5-5
290-260

Grip work:
- Around the worlds with 2x10# plates
- Sledgehammer lever drills
- Sledgehammer side to side tosses

Tabata front squats:
Used 95# and got "eights" across. I did this a little bit differently than I usually do, and deliberately kept the pace slow on the first rounds in hopes of keeping 8 reps in the last rounds. It worked, and now I just have to up the reps for the earlier rounds. Can't help feeling good about my performance though. The last three rounds or so were ragged edge. I felt like I would die if I had to do even one more set, and after it was over all I could do was lie on the floor. So basically it was the perfect workout. In the article I linked, Dan John talks about some people who have gone as high as 155 and still gotten eights, so there's still plenty of room for improvement here.