Back Squats

got a bit sore after yesterday…especially in my traps from the DL. Lower-back and hips feel a little stiff, too.

today:

row 500m = 2:03
20 OHS
10 pull-ups (dead-hang)

Back Squat:
10 x 45
5 x 95
5 x 95
5 x 115
5 x 115
5 x 135
5 x 135
10 x 115
10 x 115

finished with some “pistol” practice…rolling from back into 1-legged-squat. 5/side.

Shoulder Press / Back Squat

We hiked up Sugarbush this afternoon as a team. The resort has just started blowing snow up high on the mountain!

Shoulder Press:
8 x 45
8 x 45
5 x 65
3 x 75
3 x 85
2 x 95
1 x 105 * ties PR
1 x 110 * PR (questionable technique)
1 x 110 * PR (good techinque)
5 x 95
3 x 100
3 x 95

Back Squat
8x 45
8 x 65
5 x 95
5 x 115
3 x 135
2 x 155
1 x 170 * ties PR
1 x 180 * new PR
fail x 185
5 x 150
5 x 135
5 x 135

Back Squat / Muscle-Ups (with VIDEO!)

Crossfit WOD: Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

My Workout: bar muscle-up practice, followed by back squat.

MU: 2-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-3-1-1 = 24 total

Most of the MU’s were done with a smooth, 2-arm transition. About 5 were the awkward, 1-arm at a time, didn’t-pull-myself-up-high-enough transition (if you’ve ever done a MU, you know exactly what I’m talking about!).

BS: 5-5-5-5-5-5-5
65 / 95 / 95 / 95 / 115 / 115 / 135

Good form on squats, well below parallel.

Deadlift / Back Squat / Shoulder Press

First time lifting heavy weights in 2 weeks. Didn’t feel very good.

warmup: 500m row = 2:01

Back squat:
8 x 45
6 x 95
5 x 115
5 x 135
5 x 135
3 x 135
10 x 95

Deadlift:
8 x 95
6 x 115
8 x 135
15 x 155
15 x 155
5  x 175

Shoulder press:
8 x 45
8 x 45
5 x 65
5 x 80
3 x 95
2 x 100
1 x 105* ties PR
fail x 110
1 x 100
1 x 95
4 x 95

Overhead Squat / Back Squat

I friggin’ killed it today. 35:00 of barefoot running on trail that included some rough patches (to toughen up my feet). Then I did a squat workout:

OHS:
5 x 45
5 x 55
5 x 65
5 x 77
5 x 82* pr
5 x 87* pr
5 x 92* pr
2 x 95* pr

BS:
5 x 65
10 x 95
5 x 115
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 150
5 x 135
5 x 135

Back Squats / Shoulder Press

I’ve got the afternoon off to go watch the Norwich/Middlebury Soccer game. Go Wick!

BS:

5 x 45
5 x 65
8 x 95
8 x 115
8 x 135
5 x 145
4 x 155
1 x 165
5 x 155
5 x 155 leaning
5 x 155 leaning
5 x 135
10 x 95
10 x 95

Shoulder Press:

8 x 45
8 x 45
8 x 45
5 x 65

3-3-3-3-3-4-3
all @ 95 #’s

….Shoulders are clearly getting stronger. I have lots of work to do on squats.

OHS / BS / German class / Spanish Club

One of the cool aspects of working at a ski school: the weekly schedule has 18-20 hours of training built into it, including double-sessions M-Tu-Th-F. We (nordo’s) can’t use all that that time on a weekly basis, so inevitably there are times when we finish practice way-early. Like Tuesday PM, we finished our strength training almost an hour before supper, so I hit up my 2nd or 3rd workout of the day: OHS practice, and back squats just to totally pwn myself:

OHS:
5 x 55
5 x 65
5 x 75
8 x 65 (fail on #9)
7 x 65 (fail on #8)

BS:
30 x 75

I overdid it on Tuesday, and I was feeling pretty shot yesterday. In fact, my chest and shoulders are still pretty sore. As for today, the jury is still out on whether I’ll have enough time/energy to do anything.

And yes, I am back in high-school: as of Monday, I’m taking German 2. Since my motivation seems to come and go with manic proportions, I’ve also got a few new Spanish books, as I hope to start a Spanish club. My idea is that if I can have a successful Spanish club this year, that maybe I can teach Spanish 1/2/3 in the future. “Spanish Verb Tenses” and “Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions” and “Deutsch heute”, here I come!

DP / OHS & BS / “T&A”

Wednesday: Double pole.

Thursday: OHS and BS

5 x 15 push ups

OHS: 5-5-5-5-5-5-3-8-7
45 / 45 / 45 / 55 / 65 / 75 / 85 / 75 / 75

BS: 5-5-7-5-6-3-2
95 / 115 / 115 / 135 / 135 / 145 / 155

Friday: “T&A”

I first did this workout on 7/27, which just happens to be my sister’s birthday. Her name is Tracy. That day is also my brother-in-law’s birthday. His name is Austin. So, named after those to, it is “Tracy and Austin”, or “T&A”.

AMRAP in 15:00

1. 10 wall balls
2. 10 GHD Situps
3. 10 Back extensions

Last time it was 6 rounds in 13:14 and I was cashed.

Today: 8 rounds in 15:01.

Right ankle is hurting again; I think it is related to the sprain on July 1. Not good.

R & R

Today was meant to be a rest day, and I took it almost entirely off. I did about 20-30′ worth of technique and skill practice on a couple of lifts. I have been reviewing information in the book, “Starting Strength,” and I spent a bit of time today focused on DL, OHS, and FS.

In the deadlift, I have to work on using more quad at the beginning of the pull, and not relying too much on ham/glute activation early in the pull. When I pull a heavy weight, my hips go up pretty high before the bar raises off the floor.  This means I am pulling with my upper-body at a very low angle (near parallel to the floor), leading to a pretty large amount of torque through my lower back. So, more quads at the beginning to straighten the knee, and then afterwards ham/glutes to extend the hip.

FS / OHS are pretty new to me, so I’m not sure how good or bad I’m doing them. I dig the OHS, and I was able to do a couple of sets of 5 x 65# in that move.

Tomorrow I have a bunch of meetings, but I think I’ll be able to get in a workout. I’m still thinking some GHD situps and back-extensions will serve me well. We’ll see what the main site has to say!

Aug 24, Monday

I was tired this AM so I put my new French Press to use. I got a good buzz going, since I rarely drink coffee.

My back and abs were noticeably tight when I woke up. This made me a little worried, since my goal was to do a CrossFit Total workout today. This workout is a benchmark for max strength, and involves finding 1RM (1 rep max) weight in the deadlift (DL) back squat (BS), and shoulder press (SP). It is not a workout to take lightly, especially considering I have little experience in these lifts, and I do not have a spotter for squats.

After a warmup, I was feeling pretty good, and decided to go for it. My records going into today were: 215 # DL, 135 # BS, and 100 # SP. The 135 for the BS was not a true max, because I have such limited experience doing squats (not to mention I’ve had a bum knee for the past 6 years), so I have been conservative in squatting heavy loads.

Here is how today shook out:

Warmup:
Row 5′
SkiErg 5′

WOD: CFT
DL
10 x 65
10 x 95
5 x 125
5 x 155
5 x 175
1 x 205
1 x 225 (pr) overhand grip
1 x 235 (pr) mixed grip

SP
8 x 45
5 x 65
2 x 85
1 x 95
0 x 105 (fail)
1 x 100 (ties pr)
1 x 105 (not great form, but I made it; new pr)

BS
8 x 45
5 x 65
5 x 95
5 x 115
2 x 135
1 x 145 (pr)
1 x 155 (pr)
1 x 165 (pr)
1 x 170 (pr)
5 x 145

cash out:
15 dips
15 oblique-raises (each side)
handstand practice: 21″, 15″, 23″

All in all, it was a really good day. My long-term goals include achieving a 300# DL, 225# BS, and 125# SP. Also, I’d like to get to the point where I can hold a handstand, unassisted, for a while.

GOAL for TOMORROW:
After 4-straight days, my goal is to stay away from the gym tomorrow. A round of golf would be nice!