xfitchick’s BodyBlog

Tuesday’s Workout

Shoulder press 1-1-1-1-1 reps
Push press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Push Jerk 5-5-5-5-5 reps

I really wanted to do a strength workout today.  My shoulders were tired from my handstand pushup/weighted pullup experience yesterday so I wasn’t sure how this workout would go.  It’s been months since I maxed out on shoulder press and I was unsure of where I was strength wise.  I started with 85# and worked my way up.  For my 5th rep I worked up to 125# and got a solid lift.  I’m pretty sure I could have gotten 130# today, maybe even 135# soon.  On to the push press.  For my last set I worked up to a max of 155# x3 my previous push press 1 rep max!  I started the push jerk with 115#, but my shoulder was feeling a bit shaky so rather than tempt the fates I stuck with 115#.

Results:
Shoulder Press: 85#, 95#, 105#, 115#, 125# (a 10# PR)
Push Press: 95#, 115#, 125#, 135#, 155# (my previous 1 rep max and my current bodyweight)
Push Jerk: 115#, 115#, 115#, 115#, 115#

Monday’s Workout
21 handstand pushups
Run 400m (on the track upstairs in the gym)
12 weighted pullups
15 handstand pushups
Run 400m
15 weighted pullups
9 handstand pushups
Run 400m
9 weighted pullups

We had a solid crossfit crew for this challenging workout.  I started off strong on the handstand pushups and was able to do the first 18 in a row.  My first run went relatively well also and apart from the grueling stair ascent I had decent speed.  I’ve never done so many weighted pullups in a workout and I used a 15# dumbbell between my legs for this one.  The pullups were definitely hard.  I ended up doing them in a sqaut cage that wasn’t anchored to the floor so it was a constant struggle not to tip it over.  Also, I found it was a lot more challenging to keep a good kip rhythm going with a dumbbell between my legs.  I was able to do 5 pullups in a row towards the beginning of the workout but ended up doing singles by the end.  My handstand pushups were strong throughout the workout but my last 400m was a struggle and I really had to push to prevent my pace from slowing to a pathetic shuffle.  

Time:
23:45

AMRAP in 20 minutes
25 burpees
15 bodyweight back squats (155#)

Holy ****, this was not a good workout for me. I was in trouble from the beginning on the squats. The bar felt absurdly heavy and my legs felt ridiculously tired. The burpees were difficult today as well and my pace was way too slow. I was not happy with my performance, my legs frustrate me.

Rounds
3 rounds + 14 burpees

5 rounds for time
50 double unders
10 manmakers (25# dumbbells)
15 knees to elbows

This was a killer triplet and a great Friday workout. The manmakers destroyed me, the squat clean to thruster part was brutal and from the beginning I had to break them up into multiple sets. The knees to elbows were manageable but my grip became an issue midway through the workout. My legs got incredibly tired this workout, still working on leg strength and endurance, sigh. On a positive note, my double unders are faster and more efficient than ever.

Time:
40:00

Wednesday’s Workout

5 rounds for time
10 Overhead Squats (75#)
10 Burpees
10 Sumo deadlift high pull (75#)

Rough day for me in the gym. This workout was definitely a soul-sucker or maybe it just finished me off post Fran.  My shoulders felt relatively strong and stable on the OHS but generalized muscle fatigue was a problem from the beginning.  My burpees were slow and the SDHP felt heavy.  I ended up breaking up up the last two rounds of OHS into two sets.  By the end of the workout I was soaked in sweat and just happy to just finish.  I think my electrolytes were a bit off, my gatorade tasted like chemicals.

Time
21:12

Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters (95#/65#)
Pullups

Ah, the infamous Fran. I absolutely hate this workout, I’ve been avoiding it for months but I decided it was finally time to suck it up. I always have to mentally prepare myself for Fran and the sheer amount of mental toughness and intensity required to complete it is always intimidating. The workout started well, I got through the first round of thrusters and pullups unbroken. Between the first two rounds amazingly the bar got super heavy but I pushed through the second round of thrusters unbroken as well. My forearms started getting tired and the second round of pullups was tough and I broke them into 2 sets. By the round of 9 I was breathing hard and had a good sweat going, the bar felt unbearably heavy. My legs and arms felt weak and I broke the last set of thrusters into 2 sets. On to the final round of pullups, my forearms were done but I was racing against the clock. I did three pullups and fell off the bar, I switched up my grip and got four more before falling off. My arms felt useless and I thought my chest was going to explode but I cranked out the last 2 pullups before collapsing to the floor. I definitely spent a solid 5 minutes post workout writhing around in pain on the floor and wheezing like a fat kid with asthma, quality. On a positive note, my legs felt relatively strong this workout, maybe they’re finally getting a bit less spindly.

Times:
Me: 3:59 (a new PR by 10s)

Mr. Joshua
5 rounds for time
Run 400m
30 GHD situps (we did unanchored situps)
15 deadlifts (185#/250#)

Lessons learned from Mr. Joshua
1. Deadlifting is actually quite difficult after running
2. My posterior chain is perhaps not as strong as I imagined

This was a tough workout. We did this workout in the East Campus gym and had to climb several flights of stairs and cross a basketball court to get to the track upstairs. The run really tired out my legs and the deadlifts were tough beginning with the first round. The situps were a welcome rest. By round 4 my lower back and hamstrings were super tight, not pleasant.

Time
25:48

The 21 Workout
21 burpees
21 kb swings (35# dumbbell)
21 pullups
21 situps
21 pullups
21 kb swings
21 burpees

This was my second go at this workout which is short yet brutal. I flew through the first burpees and kb swings and I did the first round of pullups unbroken. The situps were fine but while doing them I kept thinking about how much the second round of pullups would suck. My forearms were not happy and I had to break up the second round of pullups into several sets. I felt stronger on my second round of dumbbell swings this time with the workout. Ever since I did the AMRAP triplet workout with the 55# kb, 35# swings have felt much more manageable. The last burpees were tough and my pace slowed considerably but I really tried to push hard through the finish. This was a good workout for me and definitely refreshing after my less than spectacular day in the gym on Thursday.

Time
5:43 (about a 10s PR)

The 2 minute defense

5 rounds
1 power clean (95#)
3 hang squat cleans (95#)
2 jerks (95#)
Sprint 200ft (sub 50 double unders)
Rest 2 minutes. Repeat.

Not a great day for me in the gym. My legs were incredibly tired from the beginning. It seems like it’s a constant battle for me trying to build up leg (particularly quad) strength and endurance. This was my first workout attempting double unders with weightlifting shoes so I had to make a bit of an adjustment. By the end of the workout I wasn’t exactly gassed but my legs definitely felt weak and wobbly.

Time
22:12

5k Run
I started off with some form work on the clean and snatch. I worked up a nice sweat and did a great job of tiring out my legs before the run. The run was miserable, I did it on the track outside. It has def. been about a year since I’ve run a track 5k so I was a bit unsure of proper pacing. My legs were really tired throughout the entire run, but wind wasn’t a huge issue. I definitely need more distance running practice.

Time:
29:34