August 31, 2007 Met Con Day

Started out with some Pre-hab and Warm-up:
GHR Sit-ups 25/25 x 3 sets
Scarecrows 95/10 x 3 sets

Performed the workout that was the video of the day from the Crossfit.com website. Power "Elizabeth" Powercleans with 135 and Ring dips for 21-15-9

Time 8:40

ME tomorrow. Probably heavy squats.

August 30, 2007 Rest Day

Once again, a Rest day turns into a 5K run.
Ran on Treadmill, Time 25:30
Couple of water breaks (sip of water and get right back to run) so not an official time

August 29, 2007 Arthur Jones RIP

Just read that Arthur Jones has passed away at the age of 80. I had the pleasure of going to his "compound" for a seminar in Deland/Ocala back in the early 80's. the Compound had an airstrip with a waiting plane, Gorillas in glass pens, it was like a scene out of a James Bond movie. Sat on the bus next to Wayne Wescott (noted exercise physiologist) and his wife. Ray and Mike Mentzer were there doing a book with Boyer Coe. Ellington Darden showed me the proper way to use the new Nautilus Ab machine. Arthur was doing a study with twins and exercise at the time. You would see one twin girl that had normal musculature, and another twin girl who was fairly muscular- it was a bizarre world, but I was fortunate enough to get a glimspe of it. Rest in peace Mr. Jones.

August 29, 2007 MetCon Day

MetCon Day-
Started with Atomic Sit-ups with a 16lb DBall (Courtesy of GymJones site)
3 x 20 2 minutes rest inbetween

Rest 5 Minutes

10 MB Cleans
10 Burpees
7 rounds for time
Time- 17:37

This workout was the video of the day on the CrossFit.com site. It was done at the Valencia Cert and all reps were to be done with strict form. Sloppy reps were thrown out- as it should be. I am going to the cert in November, so I wanted to see if I could hang....with a 17:37 time, I hung- but by the time I would have finished most participants would have left for lunch!

August 28, 2007 Sad News

Just got an email from USA Weightlifting informing it's members that our executive director Rodger DeGarmo had passed away today. Seems that he was on a business trip and was found in his hotel room and was unable to be revived. I knew Rodger when he was a strength coach for Nebraska and our state USAW director. He was a solid guy, who was passionate about his profession and the sport of WLing, so much so after he left Nebraska a few years later he ends up as the executive director of the USAW. Rodger was a young man. Thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and children.

August 28, 2007 ME Day Power Cleans

Ok, this workout reminds me of something I tell my kids all the time when it comes to sports or life in general...sometimes you are the hammer, and sometimes you are the nail. Today I was a nail. I could tell right away that the weight did not "pop" when it was supposed to. I tried to salvage, yet used what is left of my brain and shut it down. Ended up with this:


PC's from the floor-
45/10 95/5 135/5 155/1 175/1 185/1 205/1 225/X 205/5 215/3

When I missed the 225 twice, I knew something was wrong. I had just PC'd and Front Squatted this as a combo lift for a double. Went back down to 205 and did 5 and felt I could have done many more. 215 felt OK, but still wasn't "there"- Here is where I pulled the plug. MetCon tomorrow, see what happens.

August 27, 2007 MetCon Day 30 Muscle Ups

Did 30 Muscle ups for time today. These muscle ups are scaled via 2 jumpstretch bands and a climbing harness. I will try and post a photo so this makes sense. Time- 15:40
Followed up with another Tabata jump rope session for 16 minutes.
ME tomorrow. Power Cleans in the garage.

August 26, 2007 Rest Day

Felt really beat up today. Tomorrow is my scheduled rest day, but I will rest today and hit a MetCon tomorrow.

August 25, 2007 ME Day

ME Day today.

Standing Overhead press-
95/5 115/5 135/5 155/3 165/3 175/2 180/1 185/1

Then went outside and performed-
Walking lunges with a barbell in the racked position.
45/10 95/5+5 X 5 sets

Still sore from yesterdays Met Con workout. May need a day rest tomorrow.

August 24, MetCon Day CrossFits "Tabata Something Else"

First time for this. 32 Intervals of 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. 8 intervals of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups (abmat), and squats. Tally total number of reps. First performed the tabata protocol using the jumprope as a warm-up. Maybe this was too much, because even though this was my first time doing this workout....I thought my number would have been alittle higher...ended up with a total of 336. Right knee still sore. Tomorrow will be an ME day.

August 23, 2007 Rest Day

Rest day, but still did 40 minutes on the treadmill @ 5mph. No big deal, but I have some right knee pain that I need to keep an eye on. MetCon tomorrow!

August 22, Met Con Day plus

Started with a little ME work....not really Max effort- just used this as a warm-up for the Met Con work to follow. Shoulder felt OK, but still pretty weak. Need to do more weighted chins/pullups- these felt really heavy.

2 Board BP
225/5 235/5 245/5
Weighted pullups
35/5 45/5 55/5

SDHP and Push Jerks
21-15-9
using 75lbs for both
Time: 4:54

This workout was taken from the CrossFit site. It was from a video performed by one of the trainers at Santa Cruz but I scaled it considerably. Original called for reps of 21-18-15-12-9-6...something like that. I wimped out and went with the "Fran" like rep count. Still worked fairly well and good way to work form on the push jerks. Probably do some running on my rest day tomorrow.

August 21, 2007 ME Day

Prehab and Warm-up for pulls:
Scare Crows 60/10 70/10 80/10 90/10
Power Snatch from Blocks 45/10 95/5 115/5 135/5

Clean grip DL- 3 sets of 5 last workout so...
245/3 295/3 325/3 345/3 365/3

Good lifts. I have got to maintain that lordotic curve or else. Temptation is there to just "pull away"but must lift within limits of keeping that back position or I will aggrevate my lower back. Good lesson to all. If you are not sure about your DL form...ask a coach to take a look at what you are doing. Tomorrow back to a MetCon.

August 20, 2007 MetCon Day "CrossFit" Santa Cruz WOD

Kids are off to school today! Celebrated by picking a WOD off the web. Thank you to CrossFit Santa Cruz for the following.

How many rounds in 20 minutes?
5 Ring Dips
5 HSPU's
5 single leg squats or "pistol's" (right and left)

Did 13 rounds and started with an 800m run (6:51) and ended with another 800m run (4:24). Nice workout to start out the week. Looks like I will do a ME day tomorrow and try and get back on track!

August 19, 2007 Rest Day

Today became an unscheduled rest day. School starts tomorrow and I had to make sure that the kids had everything they needed before starting the big day. This year is unique, because my wife and I will have a child in each level of the public school system (elementary, middle, and high school). This should be a wild year! Our kids put in some hard workouts this summer, just like their dad- doing a mix of metabolic conditioning workouts and maxiumum effort strength work. I will elaborate more on their training in an upcoming post- as well as how it will evolve now that they are "in-season".

August 18, 2007 ME Day HPC+FS+PJ and CrossFit's "Grace"

ME Day and went with a workout inspired by Coach Rut's Dumbell Moves III DVD.
3 Hang Power Cleans
3 Front Squats
3 Push Jerks

45,95,115,135,165,185

Then dropped down to:

2 Hang Power Cleans
2 Front Squats

205,215,225

Finished off with CrossFit's "Grace" C&J with 135lbs for 30 reps
Time- 6:05.....Happy with this, old time was 7:50
First 20 were sloppy, cleaned it up for the final 10.

August 17, 2007 CrossFit's WOD "Michael"

800M Run
50 Back Extensions
50 Situps
For 3 rounds

As RX'd with the exception that I use an AbMat with the situps, time was 22:43. This is not too bad since I was forced to perform it late at night. Next time I will push the first 2 800's as hard as I did on the last one. ME tomorrow, probably go to the garage and hit some Cleans/Snatches. This should be possible since the temp is finally below 100 for a change.

August 16, 2007 Rest Day

Once again, a dreaded day of rest.

August 15, 2007 Runs and Dumbs!

How many rounds in 20 minutes of a 400m run and Max rep DB benches....Sound familar CrossFitters?? A barbell bench just kills my shoulders so I choose to use the DB's.

400M Run
DB BP (85's) x 13,11,10,7,6

5 Rounds in 20 minutes. This was a blast....try it.

August 14, 2007 ME Day

Squats and Scaled Muscle ups!! My scaled muscle ups consist of going thru the motions starting with the feet on the floor and transitioning into a ring dip....someday I will be able to do one of these things. Squats felt good. Stopped a 3 reps on 365 because form was breaking a little....have got to stay healthy. Did the squats and followed with the MU's. Rest 2 minutes between each round.

Squats 45/10 95/10 135/10 225/5 275/5 325/5 365/3
Scaled Muscle ups x 5 reps each

August 13, 2007 CrossFit's Helen

400M Run
21 KB Swings w 50lbs
12 Pull ups

Time: 12:30

Though still no record breaker, I did shave over 2 minutes off this from the last time I performed it.

August 12, 2007 Rest day/Lifecycle

Did 44 minutes on the Lifecycle stationary bike. Hill setting at a level 6. This feels good on my knees and is actually very theraputic (sp?) for them (non loading exercise).

August 11, 2007 "300" workout

By now everyone knows about this one. Scaled it for my wife, I performed it as RX'd.

25 chin-ups
50 DL's 135lb
50 push-ups
50 Box jumps (24" box)
50 Floor Wipers 135lbs
50 Clean and press 45lbs
25 chin-ups
Time: 22:14

The box jumps killed me. Was a fun workout to do though.

August 10, 2007 ME Day

Warm up" KB snatch 70/1 x 3
AbMat situp 40/10 x 3

CrossFit WOD (scaled...actually I forgot the rep ranges)
Press 95/5 115/5 135/5 155/5 160/4
Push Press 175/3 180/3 185/3 190/3
Push Jerk 195/1 200/1 205/1
Gasssssed after this! ALOT of OH movements...and this was scaled!
Clean Grip DL 245/5 295/5 345/5
This are feeling better. Have got to maintain as vertical a back position as possible (ala McGill) to keep gaining strength back in this movement.

August 9, 2007 Rest Day!

Although I do not like these, sometimes you have no choice.

August 8, 2007 Rest Day 5K Run

What was supposed to be my day of rest turned into a 5k run on the treadmill. Time was 28:24 Will work on bringing this time down without sacrificing too much strength. This is definitely a weakness and aren't we here to address those???