Wednesday. Gymnastics, emom x 12min: odd 10 hspu, even 10 pistols. Front squat 6x2 @ 110kg. Metcon, 10 deads (100-130kg), 10 box. Time, 6.18.
Got one hour to improve my fitness. There was some good planning so I found a way to sneak three pieces in one session to get more volume. Gymnastics, strength and conditioning.
Gymnastics.
Every minute on the minute x 12 minutes
Odd min, 10 handstand push-ups
Even min, 10 pistol squats
After short warm-up I just threw myself against the wall and went for a set of handstand push-ups, 10 reps per set. I knew hspu's would probably go well but pistols were a mystery. Haven't done those in a while, and I'd say my leg strength is not at its highest level of all times. Left leg was good but right felt a notch weaker. Still, this portion was okay!
Strength.
Front squat 6x2 @ 110kg
110kg is 80% of my 1RM and something I can move nicely for small sets. That's why I did these every 2:00. Recovery was definitely enough. Sets were good all the way. I'm waiting how the game changes as there gonna be bigger sets at this weight.
Metcon. Time, 6.18
10 deadlifts @ 100kg
15 box
10 deadlifts @ 110kg
15 box
10 deadlifts @ 120kg
15 box
10 deadlifts @ 130kg
15 box
Deadlifts and box jumps are quite a combo, you probably know that. Idea was to do 10 deads with ascending weights, and 15 box jumps between deads. Focus was to do both elements unbroken, and I got that. Got to admit I wanted to drop the bar on 120kg and 130kg sets but got through those thoughts and finished with pride.
Got a chance to hit a workout with a bunch of guys at Crossfit Kehä. Toni had pulled some strings and there ended up to be 5 studs working towards the same goal. Improving overall fitness with the boys.
Metcon. Result, 7 rounds + 100m run
30min amrap of:
10 burpees
15 box jumps
20 wall ball shots
Long workout with heavy breathing from quite early on. First round went by without that much blood and tears. Maybe on the second or third round I started to count a little that wait a minute, this is gonna take something like 7 rounds before the 30 minutes are full.
It felt like it's gonna be a long workout as it felt bad already before 10 minutes were full. I'm very happy on being able to maintain my pace throughout the workout, even with that gnarly feeling. I went unbroken on all bodyweight movements. Maybe the transitions from burpees to box jumps, and box jumps to wall balls grew a little towards the end but run was probably pretty much the same and I dropped directly to burpees when I came back in from the run.
Some forecasts said it's the hottest day this summer so it wasn't a surprise it was a bit sticky running outside. It wasn't easy to breath compared to a crispy autumn air. It was kinda intimidating to throw down with a bunch of dudes for the same workout as I have used to do metcons by myself, and against only myself. Especially as I knew there was one masters-aged guy who has been dominating the scene in competitions. However, it was a blast to hit the workout with them!
It was another day as a kid in a candy shop as Toni invited me to train with him at Crossfit Kehä. It's the best crossfit Box I have visited this far. Okay, Crossfit Trykkeri was freaking cool in Copenhagen, Denmark. That's where Annie Thorisdottir seems to throw down every now and then too. Anyway, the point was we hit a great bro-sesh with Toni.
Oly.
Snatch triples @ 40, 45, 50, 55, 60kg
Snatch singles @ 65, f70, f70, 70, 70kg
Emom x 10min: 1 snatch @ 60kg
Couple of snatch balance singles @ 70kg during the process
We had agreed that I'd go for snatch and Toni for overhead squats but that was as far as the plan had went down. I asked him to write me a story to follow. He told me to for for touch'n'go triples and build heavy. Then some singles an see how it feels like.
Don't know why but the snatches felt super good all the way. Hips and shoulders were not tight and there were no restrictions at all. I got all the way up to 60kg for a triple which is definitely the heaviest I have done for a tng set. It gave me a ton of confidence.
From there one I went for singles, 65kg went up nicely. Next stop at 70kg. Didn't have enough courage though, it turned out to be a pathetic snatch pull. Wasn't quite sure what to do as usually it's difficult for me to get a successful lift after a failed one. That's definitely a mental thing. On the other hand we were at Crossfit Kehä and it was not the time to be a wuzzy.
Took another attempt, was able to go under but the barbell stayed in front. It was an important lift as I understood I have what it takes to get it up. Toni said why don't you take that weight as a snatch balance and dominate the weight. That way you would be stronger than the barbell.
I did exactly that, took snatch balance singles for 3 lifts just to make sure who is dominating the bar. Then went back to a regular snatch and took it up either 2 or 3 times, don't remember but the last one was very good. On the first one I had to step front which is not cool. But I ended it with style. Somehow I remember there were 3 successful lifts at this weight.
Toni was doing his overhead squats so I continued taking singles at 60kg. One lift every minute for 10 minutes. Those were the best 60kg snatches I have done in my life at this weight. No doubt, felt super! Could have continued all day. Toni hasn't gone over 80kg on ohs, and today took a triple @ 90kg. Previous personal record was 97.5kg so little by little he realized there was a chance to smash that one. And he certainly did, first 100kg, easy one, and finally 105kg. That was freaking awesome, congratulations buddy! He also jerked 110kg behind the jerk in the end, shared pr lift.
60kg
Metcon. Result, 171 reps (7 rounds + 3 snatch)
12min amrap of:
6 power snatches @ 50kg
8 pull-ups
10 box jumps
This was created little by little, last pieces written today. It turned out to be quite a piece to handle. We pondered between a 5-rounder and 12-minutes. This required more work, the shorter would have been even more intense. Different natures. This one at least sucked in a great way. Heavy breathing from the first round on.
Had I not done snatches prior to this one, maybe the weight could have felt heavier. Now it felt much lighter. There was a long break between my last snatch and the start of this metcon but body was still ready to hit it.
We agreed on the strategy to do snatches in singles to save forearms. I guess we both could have done bigger sets but then forearms would have destroyed earlier and probably there would have been more elbows leaning to knees. That's because those snatches really sky rocketed breathing. I felt like my technique was on point on these snatches.
There was no other choice on the pull-ups and boxes but to go unbroken. No strategy needed. I believe my pacing on this workout worked nicely and I got the best out of me. It felt bad quite early on but I pushed through still. And Toni was breathing down my neck. On the first round you can see from the video he had that classic boy-like eagerness and was almost running between stations =)
Friday. Ohs 7x3 @ 60kg. Emom x 10min: odd min 5 bar mu, even min 15 box jumps.
Haven't done overhead squats in a while. My wrists usually don't like it that much. It's probably due to the wider grip. It feels difficult to go heavy on this movement because of that. After ohs I worked on some skills and box jumps.
Oly.
Overhead squats 7x3 @ 60kg
Towards the end I narrowed my grip and it felt better and better with each set. Before I haven't found it possible to go this narrow. My shoulder mobility has prevented it. For some reason it was much better today. It felt better in pretty much everywhere to go narrower. Got to try it out in the future as well. Stayed conservative on the weights as I wrote because of the wrists. They are fine normally but this is the only movement which feels awkward in there.
Workout.
Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes
Odd minutes, 5 bar muscle-ups
Even minutes, 15 box jumps (max reps on the last minute: 32 reps)
Muscle-ups needed to be done. There was no doubt about it. Just need to throw something in the mix so it wouldn't be just mu's. Emom wod seemed like a great idea, and it was. Five bar muscle-ups every other minute and then box jumps every other minute. On the last minute I did some more boxes than on the previous rounds.
Week started with bodyweight gymnastics stuff and another metcon consisting of barbell work and rowing. Lots of sweating and breathing.
Metcon.
Every minute on the minute x 15 minutes
1st min: 15 pull-ups
2nd min: 10 handstand push-ups
3rd min: 15 box jumps
These were destined to be unbroken. Pull-ups went very well and didn't have any issues on those. It was surprising that handstand push-ups felt a bit awkward in the beginning. Had couple of no-reps that I had to compensate. Feet came off the wall and I lost my balance. That was not cool. Shoulders took them quite well though. I realized my hand position was a bit off on the first sets. That's why there were some issues. Corrected it and the last sets went nicely. Box jumps kept breathing a notch faster.
Metcon.
10 rounds of:
3 bench press @ 80kg
250m row
Plan was to do heavy power cleans and rowing. Cleans would have probably been at 90kg. However, all three platforms were taken as well as all squat racks. Only one bench station was free so I figured why not. Turned out to be 3 bench at semi-heavy weight and rowing with a faster pace. This was a good wod.
Sunday. Thruster, build up to a heavy single (85kg). Wod, 5rds of: 10 cleans (ascending weights between 60-80kg), 15 box. Time, 9.12. Accessory. Barbell work with kettlebells hanging with rubber bands.
Today we spent the day with family in Espoo. Great day even though the weather ain't that summery at the moment. It's been raining fiercely the past couple of days. In the evening I went to the gym and worked on overhead stuff, good intense metcon and accessory work.
Overhead.
Build up to a heavy single thruster (40, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85kg)
This was something different. Usually when I do thrusters, it's most likely going to be part of a conditioning piece. Today the focus was on strength. I did couple of reps at 40-50-60 to get used to the movement. From then on I took purely singles. My forearms and biceps are sore as hell from yesterday's hero workout. Also calves and hamstrings are sore so it was a good way to start the training session.
Mut because my arms were sensitive I started to feel the burn in those areas at some stage of building the weights up. It's cool that I've been able to put weights overhead lately and that is seen in my overhead strength too. Completing 85kg thruster rather easily was freaking great!
Thrusters
Metcon. Time, 9.12
10 power cleans @ 60kg
15 box jumps
10 power cleans @ 65kg
15 box jumps
10 power cleans @ 70kg
15 box jumps
10 power cleans @ 75kg
15 box jumps
10 power cleans @ 80kg
15 box jumps
This got nasty pretty soon. Breathing was heavy early on. 10 power cleans and 15 box jumps, that was the name of the game each round. I just added 5kg after each round on the barbell, ranging from 60kg to 80kg.
Strategy was to go all singles from the very get-go. Tried to keep the bar moving continuously though. Lift, drop and repeat. Only at 75kg I needed to take the first short mental break. And at 80kg I needed a break after 6 reps. It got so heavy that it felt difficult to get the barbell high enough. I don't wanna lift it with gross technique.
Box jumps were unbroken. Tried to minimize all the transitions on this one, still having some sanity on the pacing. After cleans I walked easily to the box and started jumping. After box jumps I walked to change the weights, step back, inhale and approach the barbell for another set of 10 singles. This worked well in my opinion and I'm very satisfied on the pace kept on this metcon.
Metcon
Accessory.
Stablity work with barbell and kettlebells
This was some sort of trend at some point. I tied some kettlebells on a barbell with the help of rubber bands. At first I did overhead walk and then overhead squats. This must be a great accessory tool for snatches and overhead stability in general.
Accessory work
It would definitely be beneficial to do bench with the help of this as well. Some people do overhead squats, that might be quite challenging. This was the first time I've ever done this kind of stuff so it was just something to get used to. As you can see, my training partner Lauri is showing some sick mobility in the video, good job mister!
Tuesday. Clean singles, build up (result 112kg). Every 15sec, for 5min: 1 clean @ 90kg. Emom x 18min. 1st: 15 db press @ 2x20kg, 2nd: 30 lunges, 3rd: 15 box.
Went to the gym today with a plan to hit some olympic lifts in the form of cleans. Pulling strength and explosiveness were on the agenda. Some variation with the cleans. Had to change my plans on the fly as I had Barbara on my mind. Had some nagging issues in the body so I modified the metcon in the end totally.
Every 15 seconds, for 5 minutes (20 reps), perform 1 squat clean @ 90kg
Studied some stories I heard Rich Froning tell about some of his lifting sessions with the guys. First go heavy, then do a notch lighter load for higher reps, for time. First I built up to a heavy single which I haven't done in a while. Took multiple fast singles at 60, 70, 80kg's before starting to do just one single per weight.
The game changed pretty soon probably somewhere at 105kg. Before that I felt quick and explosive, especially out of the hole. On the way up the bar felt easy, smooth and light. That's not a surprise to anyone that there's a lot of mental game in olympic lifts, as well as in pretty much every aspect of fitness. Let it be crossfit or something else.
Anyway, I realized on the video that there's plenty of space and time to go under the barbell also on the heavier cleans. The bar traveled much higher than it is needed in order for me to get a chance to drop under the bar. Still, that 112kg bar was the heaviest I was able to clean today. It gets mental at some point. There is no logical reason for not putting more weight on the bar. Something prevents from going under the bar though =)
95kg + 110kg
Conditioning.
Every minute on the minute x 18 minutes
1st minute: 15 push presses with 2x20kg dumbbells
2nd minute: 30 walking lunges
3rd minute: 15 box jumps
This was a good finisher. The combination of lunges and box jumps got to my lower body quite nicely. Went up and down the green matt for 30 lunges. That took me something like 40 seconds I'd guess. Left me some recovery to walk back to the box, shake my legs couple of times and then start jumping around.
The third element in this one was push presses with dumbbells in both hands at the same time. Got through with 20kg db's. On the first round I completed 12 reps as I figured that would be cool number of reps. However, on the second round I jumped to 15 reps and finished with that. Plus did the 3 extra reps that were missing on the first round. These presses were physically the most demanding part of the workout. Shoulders were gone but I still got them unbroken every round. Stopped on top and locked elbows correctly before getting another rep done.
Pauliina had girls gathering at our house so I needed to get out of the house for the evening. I had no troubles figuring out where to go. It was a crossfit session to come for sure. For some reason I had no plans whatsoever for this session at all, just went on by feeling. Turned out to be snatches, amrap, accessory and cool down.
Oly.
Every minute on the minute x 18 minutes
Snatch
1-3min: 50kg
4-6min: 55kg
7-9min: 58kg
10-12min: 60kg
13-15min: 63kg
16-18min: 65kg
I took the warm-up easily, didn't rush at all, just kept pounding 40kg barbell up and down for a while. Then turned on the clock and completed one rep per minute. It was great to be able to climb up to 65kg again. Had no desire to build up to max of the day. Just needed to work on my technique. And there is something to be worked on for sure. But the lifts are getting better anyway. The bar is not going all over the place anymore. The lifts are starting to look more similar compared to each other.
Metcon. Result, 222 reps. 7 rounds + 7 db jerks
12min amrap of:
5 deadlift @ 100kg
10 shoulder-to-overhead @ 2x20kg dumbbells
15 box jump
Good metcon! Deadlifts have been away from my thoughts lately but it suited very well for this metcon. It could have been heavier but my palms were a bit sore so it didn't feel that good to hold a barbell. Deads were the easiest part of this workout.
Workout's idea was to keep moving constantly. The longest break was between deadlifts and dumbbells as I needed to complete those s2o's unbroken. No point in dropping the db's as it would be a waste of time picking them up from the floor again. Box jumps put breathing high as they regularly seem to do.
Accessory.
5 rounds of:
12 reverse hypers
8 bicep curls
Reverse hypers have been in the back of my head for a long time. Occasionally I get to do them and enjoy every time. Okay, I could do them more often but it's more of a time issue. Accessory portions are for days when there's no rush at all. This was good accessory piece. After all the work I rowed for 3k for cool down purpose.
It was a recreational day at work. Together with Toni we arranged so that a good bunch of my colleagues got a chance to get a first taste of crossfit in their life. It was a 90-minute class of introducing crossfit as a sport and hobby, then warm-up, metcon and cool down. Great way to close the work week.
Metcon. Time, 228 reps (7 rounds + 10 burpees)
12min amrap of:
8 wall balls
10 burpees
12 box jumps
Got to be proud of these guys! It was a blast throwing down with good people. And Toni did a good job hosting our team this Friday. The metcon itself was a lot more brutal than I anticipated. It looks so deceptively easy. I'll tell you, it wasn't.
Bodyweight movements all the way. No need to stop at any point. That made it mentally challenging. There were no excuses. I kept moving and got through almost 8 rounds. Those burpees sucked butt. Really nasty. That seemed to be the general opinion. It was great to see these guys attack it from the very first 3-2-1-go command! There was a lot of eagerness in the air, and they went all in right away.
It was very difficult for me to come up with pleasing training plans. Exceptionally there were not a plan when entering the gym and it had to be created on the spot. Had tons of ideas which finally turned out to be the following.
Metcon. Result, 399 reps
20min amrap of:
7 handstand push-ups
7 push jerks @ 50kg
21 box jumps
21 walking lunges
In the beginning this felt like okay, I'm gonna dominate this. Pretty soon I realized that was too cocky. The movements were paired intentionally so that two shoulder-demolishers needed to be completed together and the lower body smashes also right after the other.
It worked just like I thought. Shoulders got fired up on the hspu/jerk combo. Jerks also gave pressure to legs so doing box / lunges right after really got tricky. It was a great workout and kept my breathing high and sweating like a pig.
Conditioning.
For 30 total minutes:
1st min: 10 unbroken ring dips
2nd min: bike
3rd min: bike
Needed to get my head around again after recovering for a while I wrote this one. It meant there were 10 ring dips that needed to be completed unbroken. At least that was the initial plan. At some point I wondered how many rounds I could do without having to drop down from the rings. I'm very happy all 10 rounds got through as planned as this is not my best strength. The next two rounds were written to build engine and endurance on the bike. It worked perfectly as a combo.
Friday. Snatch balance 5x3 (50-60kg). Karhureiret. Time, 14.35. Conditioning, 7rds of: 2min row, 2min bike.
It was a notch longer workout session today. Tried some snatch balances in the beginning to get a feeling of those after a long break. Then some old school stuff from Finland's championships some years ago. That sucked. Then conditioning piece in the end.
Oly.
Snatch balance 5x5 (50, 50, 60, 60, 60kg)
These have been rare in the past months. I had that wrist issue earlier in the year and that caused I haven't done either these nor overhead squats with proper weights at all. It still felt kind of funny even though I have no problems in my wrists and haven't had in a long time.
It was cool to get these done. I'm looking forward to doing more of these accessory stuff for snatch in the future. I'm certain these will build up the confidence for the actual snatch too.
The video is unedited for couple of min
Karhureiret. Time, 14.35. Compare to 15.5.2013
10 back squats @ 100kg
50 kettlebell swings @ 32kg
20 front squats @ 80kg
40 box jumps
30 overhead squats @ 50kg
30 toest-to-bar's
The reason is unknown but I was done already on the swings. Literally I was trying to create excuses not to finish this workout. Luckily didn't but for some reason my body refused to work ideally, even though I had lots of passion to attack this workout.
Yes I got through this faster than before with heavier weights but I can't be satisfied of the effort fully. Especially the kettlebell swings and box jumps stayed to haunt in my head. Had to break both of them. Kettlebell swings more than once. No reason for that. And this was probably the first time ever pausing on the box jumps. Body was just completely in shut down mode. Somehow I got through this and maybe the last two elements went better than I assumed at that point of the workout. Back squats were unbroken, front squats were 5's and overhead squats were 10-8-7-5 reps.
Conditioning. Total of 28 minutes
7 rounds of:
2min row
2min bike
Damned I was over and out after that metcon. Yesterday my gym turned 1 year old so they had a birthday party. There was some leftover cake at the lobby. Once I saw it after the metcon I felt weak in my body and needed to fuel up. That felt like a perfect idea =) Huh, it was delicious!
After some recovery I jumped on the rower and bike combo, 2 minutes each with a running clock for 28 minutes total. That was a good end to the session!
Thursday. Emom x 15min: Cleans (up to 100kg). Front squat 7x5 @ 100kg. Metcon, 15min amrap of: 10 hang power clean (40kg), 12 box, 14 ghd. Result, 293 reps.
Today I'm having a day off from work so I got a chance to hit it early in the morning. I had some studying waiting me up to do so that's the reason the session took place even earlier than normally on free days. Took some clean and jerks in the beginning but shoulders felt tired so I changed it to cleans on the fly and then some lighter front squats. And metabolic conditioning in the end. Good session.
Oly.
Every minute on the minute x 15 minutes
1-5 minutes: 3 cleans @ 80kg
6-10 minutes: 2 cleans @ 90kg
11-15 minutes: 1 clean @ 100kg
These were all squat cleans. Decided to go by feeling on these. Even though I warmed up longer than normally my body felt stiff and maybe it was still asleep =) That's the reason why the upcoming front squats turned out to be a notch lighter as well.
Three parts, each section took 5 minutes. 3x80, 2x90, 1x100kg emoms. At first I almost game myself too much slack and thought about going at 80 kilos all the way. Luckily I didn't. These felt pretty good despite the stiffness.
Strength.
Front squat 7x5 @ 100kg
It was fun to get some front rack squats done after a while. The load was moderate, something that needs to be moving smoothly under any circumstances any day. I focused on proper bar path and having a good control through the middle on both ascend and descend parts.
Metcon. Result, 293 reps (8 rounds + 5 cleans)
As many reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
10 hang power clean @ 40kg
12 box jumps
14 ghd sit-ups
This seemed like a lot of fun and definitely was so. Cleans and box jumps were completed right next to each other so there was no time-waste there. Ghd's need to be completed at the other side of the space and you can't do cleans there so this needed to be completed at two spots. That took some transition so I played it in my head before starting the workout.
I figured the walk is compulsory between stations so my strategy needs to be so that once I get to the ghd's I gotta jump right into those and start moving. Same thing when returning from there. Grab the barbell right away (after marking the time of each round). Did all these unbroken for sure. I wrote this so that there are no excuses to stop. Round times varied by just seconds, they were quite sharp around 1:50.
Thursday. Back squat, singles up to 140kg. Chipper, 30 hang power clean (60kg), 30 box, 30 front squat (60kg), 30 pull-ups, 30 jerk (60kg), 30 burpees. Intervals, 30sec on, 30sec off, for 10min: row.
Nice! It was great to get back to the gym. Had to take two days off of training. One day would have been okay but there have been so much things to be taken care of lately that I simply don't have time to hit the gym. I leave home early in the morning and come back late in the evening and go to bed. This has also taken some of my energy, and it showed today.
Strength.
Back squat
5x60, 90kg
3x110kg
1x120, 130, 140kg
There was no chance in going heavy today. It felt tough from the very beginning. Body wasn't very receptive to big loads on my back. But these weights were okay anyway. I'll take these for now.
Chipper.
30 hang power cleans @ 60kg
30 box jumps
30 front squats @ 60kg
30 pull-ups
30 push jerks @ 60kg
30 burpees
This was a great workout, c'mon! Alternating between barbell and bodyweight for six different elements in a chipper style for time. I went 10-7-7-6 on the hang cleans and was able to maintain a solid breathing. Box jumps unbroken, then squats were 12-10-8. My front squats with light weights are at okay level. I can maintain a good form on those, they just burn legs a lot.
Pull-ups were 10 reps at first, then 5's to the end. At this point I started to feel like a car had driven over me. Jerks were not cool at all. At this stage of the workout those felt heavy. I went 8-6-6-5-5 on those but had to take longer breaks than I hoped for. There were elements of mental breakdown =) Once those were done the burpees felt like an eternity. Rarely have those felt so miserable but somehow I crawled to the finish line. Damned it was heavy. For sure my preparation was not on point leading up to this day but this probably would have been bad wod in any case.
Intervals.
30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 minutes:
Row
After recovering for a while and trying to get myself back in the game I did a short interval work. Rowing pace was at 1:40 on average. Something between 1:38 and 1:41. Felt bad on my legs.
Thursday was a busy day all the way from morning to midnight but somehow I found a slot to hit the gym. This week's been running back and forth all the time so I practically don't have time to right that much about the training.
Oly.
Every minute on the minute x 14 minutes
Odd min, power clean + hang squat clean @ 90kg
Even min, squat clean + 2 front squat @ 90kg
Different type of complex of cleans. Felt pretty good on these. Barbell was heavy'ish though.
Metcon.
Every minute on the minute x 15 minutes
1st min, 7 power clean @ 60kg
2nd min, 10 handstand push-ups
3rd min, 15 box jumps
Most difficult part of this piece was the end of hspu's. Maybe another set could have been nailed but then it might have gone more challenging. Cleans got my breathing heavy, so were the box jumps. In the beginning no big deal but after some rounds it was a different game.
Accessory.
Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes
Odd min, 5 bench press @ 70kg
Even min, 12 reverse hypers @ 50kg
Easy end to this session. Main focus on the reverse hypers. Should have probably gone heavier. It's just kind of a new movement so I didn't dare to.
Tuesday. Metcon, 5rds of: 4 power clean (80kg), 8 hspu, 12 box. Time, 8.16. Intervals, every 3:00, for 24min: 400m row.
My legs have felt tired in the past week or so. Since I put up with that 4 emom workout in Tallinn, Estonia, these trunks have felt sore the entire time =) It's been kind of funny but I have still put more pressure on those on a daily basis. I'm very happy on the way I have still been able to perform. Tomorrow's most likely gonna be a recovery day as there are some things to be taken care of.
Metcon. Time, 8.16
5 rounds of:
4 power cleans @ 80kg
8 handstand push-ups
12 box jumps
Main goal for today was the rowing intervals. This one got added as an extra piece before those sprints. It was a good conditioning piece for sure. Cleans were quick singles from the first round on. Those started to burn my lower back somewhere in the middle of the workout.
Handstand push-ups felt great all the way. Those were unbroken each round. Last round was tougher but still manageable. Could have still continued for some 1-2 rounds unbroken I'd anticipate. Box jumps felt surprisingly tough on the legs. Felt a good fire in my thighs.
Intervals. Time, 1:15 - 1:20 per set
Every 3:00, for 24 minutes (8 sets)
400m row
These unilateral workouts with just rowing included are challenging. Both lungs and lower body are taking a good hit during this type of wods. My pace remained consistent which was one of the main objectives of the workout. It was something like 1:17 or 1:18 most of the time. Fastest time was 1:15 and the slowest was 1:19 or 1:20. That means to say the pace was somewhere around 1:40/500m.
Holding on to this pace meant the work / rest ratio was something like 1.20 / 1.40. In the beginning it felt abundant but after mid-workout recovery started to play a role. Still, the pace stayed where it needed to be so I'll take this with pleasure.
Friday. Metcon, 21-15-9 of: power snatch @ 40kg, box jumps, pull-ups. Cashout lunges @ 60kg. Time, 9.40. Gymnastics, every 3:00, perform 20 t2b.
Great session at Crossfit Kehä. Both of the owners threw down with me. We created this one with Toni on our way to the gym. It was supposed to be pretty much about lungs. And it was. Intense workout with bodyweight stuff and some barbell action.
Metcon. Time, 9.40
21-15-9 of:
Power snatches @ 40kg
Box jumps
Pull-ups
Right into lunges @ 60kg
Doing a workout as a competition is something I'm not used to as I've been training by myself the past three years. The first year we did most of our workouts together with Toni. So today's composition was a bit nerve racking prior to the 3-2-1-go command =) And once the barbells started to cling and clang on the floor it felt like I need to keep my arms on the bar, and at least not drop the bar first.
On the other hand, you should play your own game and not get confused by stuff that happens next to you. But then again, in competition you need to know where you are at and know if you got to step up your game. On this one we finished the first snatches with Toni about the same time (I went 12-5-4). Second round was 3x5 and last one 5-4 reps.
Box jumps were my active recovery piece on this wod. Of course they kept my breathing high and legs burning but somehow I'm able to go through them without having to break them down. Maybe they are rather efficient. They were unbroken each round.
On the pull-ups I had my mind on the game. Decided to break them down in order not to shoot my forearms on the snatch / pull-up combo. First round was 10-7-4, second was 11-4 and last one unbroken.
The grande finale on this workout was lunges with a barbell on back rack position. We didn't measure the distance but I'd guess it's somewhere about 10 meters back and forth, that is a total of 20 meters. Had to change the plates on the bar after the 21-15-9 so that took some time but I tried to get my hands on the barbell right after that and start moving.
This went pretty smoothly even though I haven't done 60kg lunges like ever. It stayed there nicely and legs took the burden well. Yes, my legs hurt after it was all done and felt greatly relieved as I was able to drop the bar away. Awesome workout to say the least. My lungs hurt hours after this one!
Gymnastics.
Every 3:00:
20 toes-to-bar
Toni had written this one in his head for accessory kind of work for core. It was a good one and these were surprisingly challenging. Went unbroken for 2 rounds but then the last one was a big battle. Had to break it after 10 reps. Grip, hip flexors and core were the issue. It was odd that both of ours lungs started hurting on the first round like we were still doing the metcon =)
Tuesday. Emom x 10min: 3 push jerk @ 70kg. Back squat 7x5 @ 125kg. Wod, 15-10-5 of: hspu, kb swing @ 32kg, box. Time, 3.40.
Had plans of going to train at my regular gym after a rest day. Yesterday was a compulsory recovery as I went to work early and came home late in the evening. Our lives have been busy lately with Pauliina with lots of errands to run so that's why there have been couple of rest days I would not probably normally take. Toni threw me a message in the morning of coming to throw down at Crossfit Kehä. Didn't have to think even for a second.
Overhead.
Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes
3 push jerk @ 70kg
It was awesome to finally get some weight overhead. I can tell it's been some time since doing jerks as the timing felt a bit off at times. However, the weight was definitely doable. Not too heavy. There was practically not much warm-up before I tapped the clock on. I also dropped the bar on my back rack kind of awkwardly couple of times. I'm still happy on the way this 70kg bar moved up and down during these 10 minutes.
Strength.
Back squat 7x5 @ 125kg
Lately I've added volume on the back squats and completed sets of 5 reps for a good bunch. It's been either 7, 5, 3 or 1 set of 5 reps, and the weights have been adjusted accordingly. This week I jumped 5kg up from the previous 7x5's. Took the sets every 3:00 minutes so that left recovery rather short. Last rep of the last sets were quite heavy.
Metcon. Time, 3.40
15-10-5 of:
Handstand push-ups
Kettlebell swings @ 32kg
Box jumps
The co-owner of Crossfit Kehä - Miku - had completed this workout and left a teaser on the whiteboard and he had also talked Toni over to fight this metcon. I figured this must be a very intense one, and the goal should be unbroken.
My hspu's are strong enough to go through them without breaks. Okay, kb swings were a bit of a mystery how they might affect my shoulders but I was pretty sure for not letting them disturb my focus. Kb swings were okay too. My legs were jello after the strength piece so it was a bit exotic to do swings and boxes with as much intensity as this one. This workout was definitely worth doing it. Short and intense. Lungs were burning.
Monday. Cleans (up to 110kg). Front squats (up to 130kg). Pair wod, 100 box, 150 burpees (emom 3 hang power clean @ 60kg).
Uuh, what a training day! As I have written earlier, Toni is about to open his own Box in April with his pal in Varisto, Vantaa. It's called Crossfit Kehä. He invited me to go and test the gym today so it was a no brainer. I was all in right away!
Oly.
Cleans
3x60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 100, 105kg
1x110kg
We started with cleans, then continued with squats and finished with a partner workout. Those usually rock big time. Today was no exception in this sense. Cleans felt great all the way! Maybe it was the atmosphere of this affiliate or something but it was just freaking great. These guys have made a good job with the layout. There's plenty of space for metcons, awesome pull-up / squat rig, and the equipment is right on point. I give 10/10 points for this Box.
On the cleans I built up by feeling. Started with triples without thinking about it that much. I kept adding stuff on the bar up to 105kg for a triple. Felt smooth on those too. Unfortunately didn't get that on tape but 100kg triple is there. On the 110kg I wasn't fully satisfied on that rep as I had to re-bounce on the bottom but it was alright anyway.
Strength.
Front squat
5x60kg
3x90, 100, 110, 120kg
2x125kg
1x130kg
It was a natural choice to continue with front squats after squat cleans as legs are already warmed up. Sets at 60kg and 90kg felt awkwardly stiff on my knees for no reason but then as I kept going heavier they felt better and better. And in the end I'm very happy on getting a rather easy 130kg single up.
Pair wod. Time, 12-13min
As a team of two:
100 box jumps
150 burpees
On top of every minute: both complete 3 hang power cleans @ 60kg
This was brutal in its own way. Those cleans started to wear me down at some level. Yes, this definitely was a good metabolic conditioning piece and I'm proud that we were able to have either of us moving constantly. No resting on knees at times. That was no option. It was good to have a partner to push you mentally further. It was a big thing.
We completed both box jumps and burpees in sets of 5 reps pretty much all the time. Some minor deviations from this plan but quite accurately we stuck to the plan. Got to say that every time you put something on top of every minute - this time it was cleans, usually it's burpees - it gives the workout a twisted turn. It doesn't help to rest as the clock doesn't ease the pain. The reps are coming there on top of every minute anyway =)
Wednesday. Metcon, 6rds of: 5 power clean @ 80kg, 10 hspu, 15 ball slam, 15 box, 500m row. Time, 34.39.
Huh, it was a busy day. Luckily I got a chance to let some steam off at the gym after work day. It was a long workout with easier pace. More like basic conditioning I would say. Still it burned my legs at times, and it can't be characterized as easy one for sure.
Metcon. Time, 34.39
6 rounds of:
5 power clean @ 80kg
10 handstand push-ups
15 ball slams, 9kg
15 box jumps
500m row
Plan from the beginning was to take this with slower pace. Not to gas out and look for the best possible time. More like keeping a steady rhythm in all of the movements. Took the cleans in singles, dropped between every rep but picking it up right away.
It's been some time since doing handstand push-ups so this felt awesome to get some completed under my belt! Ball slams were much more pain in the ass than I had anticipated / remembered. Even though the ball is only at 9 kilos, that movement still puts breathing heavy and legs feel the pressure nicely.
Box jumps are always a pleasure and I went after those with a smile on my face. Okay that's a bit of exaggeration but those are something I look forward to every time I see them in a workout. On the first round I had to jump on to a stationary bike because both Concept2's were taken. That wasn't too bad of a choice as it burned my legs more than the rower. Anyway this part of the metcon was a pure conditioning piece.
Today's program was created only at the spot. Didn't practically have strict plans except for squatting. The form of squats and everything else took place little by little. I'm very satisfied to this session!
Time at 4.05
Oly.
Complex, every 2:00, for 10 minutes:
3 squat clean + 1 split jerk @ 80kg
Took warm-up sets at 60, 70, and 75kg's. Then 5 sets @ 80kg. Cleans were cool, no problems whatsoever. Felt a little nagging elbow pain on the jerks so I stayed at 80kg. Felt solid on the jerks though. Recovery was definitely enough to give my best on each set.
Strength.
Pause squat triples
5 sets @ 120kg
This was a good reminder that pause squats are the king. Dead pause in the bottom, no bounce, just strict upraise from the hole. Built up through sets at 60, 90, and 110kg 5's and triples. Took these also with about 2 min recoveries. Last reps were good battles at times. Still, there was no doubt of hitting the sets as planned.
Wod. Time, 4.05
5 rounds of:
10 kettlebell swing @ 32kg
10 box jumps
Short and intense. Holy posterior chain. Would have been awful to go for longer time domain. Breathing was heavy for sure too. Lower back started to feel it in the last 2 rounds. It got very tight towards the end but after it got released after the wod, it eased quickly. Round times were quite equal each round, about 50 seconds per round.
Cashout.
50 burpees
I felt like I had done my share but had still something in the tank so I just threw down and started working. Didn't watch at the clock at all but the main focus was to go unbroken. No pauses, no leaning elbows on knees in between. Just go and do the work.
