Sunday 28-31.8: Olympic lifts, Conditioning, Bodyweight

Sunday 28.6 - Wednesday 31.8: Olympic lifts, Conditioning, Bodyweight.

Last weekend we needed to prepare our home for the upcoming move. We finally moved this week's Tuesday. So there's been quite a lot of other stuff called life. Luckily those days have counted when I've had the chance to hit the gym. Unfortunately my gym card for Optimal Performance Center is over now, ended this Wednesday. I've bought some iron from Rogue and waiting to receive those this week.

Sunday.

• Every minute x 15 minutes: Clean & jerk
• 5min: 5 reps @ 60kg
• 5min: 3 reps @ 70kg
• 5min: 1 rep @ 80kg
• All sets touch'n'go

No pause at any point, just cycle the barbell. These felt great. There's something cool to move the barbell up and down without breaks.

C&J's emom

• Wod. Time 5.33
• 3 rounds of:
• 10 power clean @ 80kg
• 10 high box jumps

This combo was tough, no doubt. Both elements took my breath away. Power cleans were not light. Especially for so many reps. I did those in quick singles. I'm very happy how well I got this metcon done even though it felt awful quite soon.

Monday.

• Oly, jerk from rack 5x3 @ 80kg

Also touch'n'go style, push jerks. I did these every 2:00 but the recovery was enough. Not light for sure, not the heaviest possible but I needed to concentrate well to get these done. A little shaky on some reps in my opinion but still something I was able to manhandle.

Clean / Box metcon

• Wod. Result, 232 reps (7 rounds + 8 pull-ups)
• 12min amrap of:
• 12 pull-ups
• 20 wall ball shots

Huh, this hurt. Unbroken on the pull-ups for maybe 4-5 rounds. I tried to keep the transitions rather short so that's why I needed to break them in the last rounds. Wall balls were ub for probably 2 rounds, then it was 12-8 for the rest of the way.

Wednesday.

• Every minute on the minute x 15 minutes: 1 snatch @ 60kg

It's been a while since doing snatches so it was 'bout time. Decided to do one rep every minute. That seems to be enough recovery to smash another within the time cap. There are things to be worked on so I didn't go heavier.

Snatch emom

• Gymnastics, 30 bar muscle-ups

This was not a timed workout. Just completed them for quality. It was 6-5-4-4-3-3-3-2. My lats are sore from that 12min amrap of pull-ups and wall balls. Great to be able to do these as well without issues still, even though my volume has been lighter lately.

• Every minute on the minute x 20 minutes:
• Odd min, 15 ghd sit-ups
• Even min, 10 dumbbell snatches @ 25kg, alternating

This was the last day in OPC and I didn't have to hurry as the rest of the family was on the move. I decided to do another workout of core and snatches. It took 25-30 seconds to finish every set on both movements so there was consistency on the board.

Saturday 30.7: C&J, Row, Db snatch, Pistols + Run, Pull-ups

Saturday. AM. Oly complex @ 80kg. Wod, 3rds of: 500m row, 20 db snatch @ 30kg. Time, 10.53. Gymnastics, 50 pistols. PM. Metcon, 5k run and 90 pull-ups. Time, 32.47

Sunday morning's main focus was on moving barbell and improving c&j ability. Then a conditioning piece that left a little bit of my soul at the gym. Finally worked on some skills before heading back home. In the evening I went for a jog that turned out to a metcon.

Oly.

• Every 2:00, for 12 minutes
• Complex of power cleans + push jerks
• 3+1
• 3+1
• 2+2
• 2+2
• 1+3
• 1+3
• Barbell @ 80kg at all times

Felt a bit stiff in the morning so I was a notch hesitant with that 80kg barbell. It was a load that was pre-determined so I decided to not listen the voices in my head and just build up to that. First set felt probably the heaviest but it was doable so I decided to just attack it. And told myself I just did a 80kg Grace with Toni, maybe last week.

These went nicely in my opinion. I got some of them on video. You'll see them on the recap. I reset the barbell on each jerk before completing the next one.

Recap of C&J and snatches

Metcon. Time, 10.53

• 3 rounds of:
• 500m row
• 20 dumbbell snatches @ 30kg, alternating

This turned out to be gnarly huh… Rowing was sub 1:50 at first, then on the last two rounds I went at pretty accurately that 1:50 pace for 500m. It took me about 41 strokes each round to get the distance covered.

Those snatches though. Those ain't light anymore. I've moved around 25kg dumbbell quite a lot outdoors as I own two of those dumbbells. Okay, 30kg db is not a stranger either. But 20 reps in a row (alternating between hands after every rep) brought such overall nasty feeling that it really felt miserable at times =)

Gymnastics.

• 50 pistol squats

This was rather quick accessory gymnastics work to work on some skills. One-legged squats in sets of 10 reps, alternating the performing leg after each rep.

Metcon. Time, 32.47 (total of 5.000m run & 90 pull-ups)

• Run
• 30 pull-ups
• Run
• 30 pull-ups
• Run
• 30 pull-ups
• Run

We spent the day in Helsinki, walking around as the weather has been awesome the past weeks as I have enjoyed my paternity leave. It's been the time of my life spending it with my loved ones. Next week I'll be heading back to work so let's see how the routines turn out to. We'll be moving later in the fall (plus one temporary move in the process as well), and I've been planning a home gym in the new house. So that's probably where most of my training will take place, starting from late fall.

Anyway, this workout was created during the first kilometer. Plan was to just go for a jog for about 5k but during the first leg of the run it came up to my mind that I'll head to one familiar pull-up station. They have monkey bars there. Complete 30 pull-ups and run to another pull-up station within 500-1.000m distance, and complete another set of 30 pull-ups. Run a loop and return to the first station, complete 30 pull-ups and then head back home.

I'm very happy on the pull-ups. I did some strict ones today in the morning but those sucked so I got my revenge. First set of pull-ups went unbroken, all 30 of them. I was pumped up and could have linked more together if needed even though it started to feel awful. Thought that might have destroyed my lats but I got 20 unbroken reps at the second station too. Finished it with quick recoveries, then 5-5 to reach a total of 30 reps. Same thing at the last time I jumped on the pull-up bar.

I'm very pleased on that performance. Running taxed my legs so that my quads were cramping big time as I finished. It was difficult to stand. Every time I came back from a squat, quads cramped immediately. Maybe it was lack of fluids in my body. There is a possibility I had not drank enough during the day. It was one heck of a training day!

Monday 4.7: Sandbag, Snatch + Run, Pull-ups, Push-ups, Squats

Monday. AM. Metcon, 10rds of: sandbag carry (80-100m), 12 db snatch @ 25kg. PM. Metcon, 3k run, 10rds of Cindy, 3k run.

Metcon.

• 10 rounds of:
• Sandbag carry for 80-100m
• 6/6 dumbbell snatches @ 25kg

Those dumbbells that I bought couple of months ago have really paid off. The benefits have been huge. Working outdoors is easy when you have those little bastards with you. On Monday morning I combined sandbag and dumbbells for a 10-rounder.

Sandy is probably only somewhere at 20 kilos so lifting it ground-to-shoulder wouldn't be that bad but running with it is nasty for sure. I grabbed the bag, went down the road and back. Distance was somewhere around 40-50m, some decline on the way down and incline on the way back.

Those burned my legs and put breathing go heavy. I had a strategy of dropping the bag, walking to the dumbbell and start snatching. Once I reached the db, I was forced to take the first rep right away. Six reps at right hand, then change. Focus on all the metcons the last couple of days has been on keeping myself moving.

Metcon.

• 3k run
• 10 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats)
• 3k run

Because of our little newborn, the warm-up and cool-down parts have been quite short the past days =) On this one I figured running on the first round would work as a warm-up. Took it easy in the very beginning, then sped up especially on the latter run portion.

It was surprising how difficult the pull-ups turned out to be. Went strict with them. Also squats were a good battle. Breathing was heavy almost all the time.

Saturday 25.6: Sprint intervals + Dumbbells

Saturday. AM: 7 sets of 10 db snatch @ 25kg and uphill sprint. Rest as needed between sets. PM: Metcon, 10rds of: 20m farmer's walk @ 2x25kg db's, 7 double db jerk @ 2x25kg, 30 air squats.

Went outdoors with Kari to hit a session at Tornimäki hill. Dumbbell snatches and sprints up the hill. Hurt legs nicely.

Intervals.

• 7 sets of:
• 10 snatches @ 2x25kg dumbbells
• Uphill sprint
• Rest as needed between sets

Awesome training session at Tornimäki with Kari!

Metcon.

• 10 rounds of:
• 20m farmer's walk @ 2x25kg dumbbells
• 7 push jerks @ 2x25kg dumbbells
• 30 air squats

Hurt my legs big time. Air squats were the worst.

Here's a video of the first session of the day.

Tuesday 7.6: Cleans, Jerks, Box, Lunges

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.

Oly.

• Squat clean singles (80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 112kg)
• 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.

Monday 30.5: C&J, Wall ball, Snatch

Monday. Emom x 10min: 2 c&j @ 80kg. Metcon, 4rds of: 25 wb, 10 db snatch @ 25kg

Starting the week with clean and jerk action, in the form of heavier emom. Then a metcon that shot my shoulders. In the evening we went to Kaivopuisto. What a beautiful day it was! It was quality time to say the least strolling around the coast in south of Helsinki.

Oly.

• Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes
• 2 clean and jerk @ 80kg

This was freaking great! I'm very proud of myself being able to complete this stuff. The big thing was to do these c&j's without resetting the barbell in front rack position. I'm not sure have I been able to do this kind of clean and jerks before at this weight. This got me sky high emotionally.

I was looking to go for 5 minutes but instead smashed it right into double the time. I've been trying to work on those fast transitions from front rack to overhead. It's nice to see 80kg is moving with the same bar path as 60-70kg bars.

Recap of clean and jerks

Metcon.

• 4 rounds of:
• 25 unbroken wall ball shots
• 10 dumbbell snatches @ 25kg, alternating

The purpose of this one was to do the wall balls unbroken. After those I moved right into snatches. Changed the hand after each rep. Tried to keep the transitions as short as possible from snatches to wall balls, with the thought in my head that I can't drop the ball once I lift it up. This definitely hurt my shoulders nicely.

Wednesday 4.5: Cleans, Front squats, Row, Pull-ups, Thrusters

Wednesday. Oly, power clean triples (up to 90kg), hang squat cleans (up to 100kg). Front squat 3-3-3-2-2-2-1-1-1 (up to 130kg). Metcon, 5rds of: 21 cal row, 15 pull-ups, 9 thrusters (2x20kg db's).

This time there was no rush at all so I took a good bunch of volume after work day before heading home to eat and recover. It was a whole lot of fun to throw down at the gym with some friends.

Oly.

• A - Power clean triples (80, 83, 86, 88, 90kg)
• B - Hang squat clean doubles (80, 85, 90, 95, 100kg)

The thing was to hold on to the bar and go for touch'n'go reps on the cleans. No dropping in-between but hold that grip and complete the triples and doubles. Consecutive power cleans at these weights are something I haven't been practicing that much so this was beneficial for sure. I built up to 90 kilos and walk home with some pride in my shirt.

Second part of cleans was hang squat cleans. These are closer to my forte as I can utilize my legs more. Thus, I was able to go to 100kg. Cleans felt pretty good. On the last one I had to adjust my grip before completing the latter rep of the heaviest load.

Recap

Strength.

• Front squats 3-3-3-2-2-2-1-1-1 (110, 110, 110, 120, 120, 120, 130, 125, 125kg)

More barbell work. These were supposed to be done yesterday but I simply forgot to do them. Who does that? =) At home it came to my mind so I postponed it for today. Couple of triples, doubles and singles, with increasing load. The 130kg was heavy and took me a good time to bring it up so I dropped down to 125kg for the last two singles.

Metcon. Time, 15 minutes

• 5 rounds of:
• 21 cal row
• 15 pull-ups
• 9 thrusters @ 2x20kg dumbbells

After working with the barbell for some time my body felt like the session is about ready. Had to sell the idea of this metcon to myself more than normally. This was stolen from Ben Bergeron, just modified it a little. Original version was c2b pull-ups and thrusters were clusters. I figured it would be a better conditioning piece this way. No need to lean my elbows on my knees that much.

It worked very well for the purpose I was looking for. No idea what the pace was on the rower, just tried to get that Concept2 moving right away as I sat down. Pull-ups were unbroken on the first round, and then 10-5 from then on. Yes they were pain in the ass (okay, in the lats) but somehow I felt more comfortable on those compared to how I imagined they might feel like. There was 75 total reps anyway. Comfortable is probably not the right word, they were nasty. But I was able to keep moving which was the main goal here.

Thrusters kept heart rate up for sure, as did each of the elements in this workout. Went unbroken with the dumbbells. Shoulders got smashed on these though. Legs felt fine on the thrusters but really needed to focus to get the path good on the dumbbells.

Friday 22.4: Snatch, Squat, Pistols, Row, Intervals

Friday. Emom x 10min: snatch (up to 60kg). Every 90sec: front squat triple (up to 120kg). Metcon, 60 pistols, 60 db snatch (22.5kg), 1.000m row. Time, 11.38. Intervals, every 3:00 x 8 sets: 10m front rack lunges (50kg), 8 bar-facing burpees.

This Friday I spent a good 2+ hours at the gym and didn't have to rush anywhere. It was great after the busy days we've had a lot lately. Olympic lifting, strength and couple of conditioning pieces.

Oly.

• Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes
• 2x50kg
• 2x50kg
• 2x50kg
• 2x50kg
• 2x50kg
• 2x55kg
• 1x55kg
• 1x55kg
• 1x60kg
• 1x60kg

Body felt a bit stiff in the hips and shoulders but still these lifts were still okay, after couple of lifts. Had one miss in the 60kg's but corrected that one on the next attempt.

Strength.

• Every 90 seconds, perform front squat triples (60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120kg)

It's been ages since front squatting. I've been having that barbell on my back in the past weeks more often but today I simply wanted to have the fronts now. These felt heavy, even though I climbed up just to 120 kilos.

Metcon. Time, 11.38

• 60 pistol squats
• 60 dumbbell snatches @ 22.5kg (alternating hands every 5 reps)
• 1.000m row

This was fun! Maybe that is not the right word to describe the feelings but it was one heck of a time to do such a good bunch of reps of one movement without throwing anything else in between. I did the pistols in sets of 10 reps. Towards the end my hammies and quads were shot and felt almost numb.

Db snatches needed to be 5 reps with right hand, then 5 snatches with left hand. You can see the entire wod except the rowing in the video below

Intervals.

• Every 3:00, for 8 sets:
• 10m front rack lunges @ 50kg
• 8 bar-facing burpees

This far there had been a good amount of work so I needed to recover for a while and get my protein shakes inside this body. After some time it felt pretty good to hit it again and the green matt was free so I decided to go for one more piece in the workout session with interval work. Lunges and burpees. Not sure but I'd guess it took something like 45 seconds per set?

Friday 8.4: Two metcons and cleans

Friday. Wod, 10min amrap of: 20 squats, 15 ghd, 12 jerks (2x15kg db's). Result, 273 reps. Cleans up to 100kg. Wod, 4rds of: 12 kb swing (32kg), 25 lunges, 250m row. Wear a 10kg vest. Time, 11.25.

Today was somewhat an easier day. It wasn't supposed to be but I didn't come up with a perfect plan so this is what it turned out to =) The latter metcon beat my legs though. Cleans in the middle were lighter ones.

Metcon. Result, 273 reps (5 rounds + 3 jerks)

• 10min amrap of:
• 20 air squats
• 15 ghd sit-ups
• 12 shoulder-to-overhead, 2x15kg dumbbells

First piece was basically no warm-up needed type of wod. Bodyweight plus some lighter dumbbells. Focus was on keeping my body moving constantly, and not stop to breathe. Still, this didn't get me gassed that bad. Legs got their share on the workout. I did the s2o's as push jerks all the way so those got to lower body nicely too.

Cleans.

• Singles 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 100kg

These were light ones. I was spotting one guy on the bench occasionally and didn't have a timer running so this turned out to be a little sloppy piece but I'm happy the lifts were good anyway. Below is the last one at 100kg's

Metcon. Time, 11.25

• 4 rounds of:
• 12 kettlebell swings, 32kg
• 25 walking lunges
• 250m row
• Wear a 10kg weight vest

After the last round was completed I realized the set-up sucked quite a bit of my time. It took me 15+ seconds to walk from rower to the kettlebell. Yes I know, sounds like I should have brought the bell next to the rower. The idea didn't even cross my mind :) On the other hand, maybe that was a good thing so I got my legs recovered a bit on the walks.

Having that vest on also on the kb swings and rowing definitely had its effect. Swings felt kind of funny, and I'm still wondering if I was wearing it the right way or should the front side be on my back. Anyway, lunges were nasty. Definitely liked those in some twisted way.

Monday 29.2: Clean and Jerks, Squats, Run, Snatch

Monday. Unbroken sets of clean and jerks 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 @ 60kg. Front squats 7x3 @ 110kg. Wod, 6min amrap of 10m shuttle run and db snatches @ 30kg.

It was great to get some barbell cycling completed in the form of clean and jerks. Then squats after a small break on them. The last piece was stolen from competitorstraining.com, that is Ben Bergeron's site.

Barbell cycling.

• Unbroken sets 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of:
• Clean and jerks @ 60kg
• Rest as needed between sets

This was fun. Having the skills to cycle a barbell are advantageous in this sport. Longer sets are a bit more gnarly but definitely useful. The point was to go unbroken on each set, and maintain good form no matter how many reps needed to be completed.

I believe I succeeded in this regard pretty well. Some reps were a bit off but the majority of them were okay. The more tired I got the bar tended to stay lower on the thighs. It landed nicely on the front rack each time. I walked around the gym for a while between sets. This was not a timed workout, and I didn't have the clock running at all on this one. The last four sets I took with basically just minimized rest periods.

Strength.

• Every 3:00, for 21min
• Front squat triples @ 110kg

It was great to get some squats done finally! Okay, the weight wasn't huge but after a break this was just on the spot. Got to put more effort on going below parallel in the near future. Hopefully my back allows it. At least today it was alright. Focus on these was to keep the torso as upright as possible and finish the triples with only one inhale on top of each rep.

Metcon. Result, 14 shuttle runs

• 6min amrap
• 2-2, 4-4, 6-6… of:
• 10m shuttle run
• Dumbbell snatches @ 30kg

This was something different as there isn't much possibilities to run at the gym. We don't have straight access outdoors so it's out of question to go run in the streets. Luckily this workout caught my attention in Bergeron's site so I had to take it right away. I ran back and forth a 10 meter distance at the grass matt.

First round was once back and forth, then doubling it on the next round and so forth. Same with the dumbbell snatches. Starting with 2 reps (1 each hand), then 4 reps, alternating hands after each rep. Snatches were the tougher part of this workout. I went unbroken on the snatches, no pauses at any point of the wod. Plus I grabbed the dumbbell right after finishing every shuttle run. So there was simply no rest period at any stage of the workout. After the wod, I realized I could have ran faster in the beginning. This was an efficient wod. Definitely worth running inside for shuttle runs.

Thursday 25.2: Burpees, Snatch, Ghd, Press

Thursday. 4min amraps of burpees and snatches with ascending weights. Metcon, 20 to 2, down by 2's ghd's. 10 db press between ghd's.

Another long day at work. This thing called crossfit is a perfect way to zero my thoughts and get back to life. It was a productive day indeed but energy levels start to come down at some point. Then it's time to gear up and go to work, to the gym though. By the way, the Crossfit Open is upon us! They will publish the first event, 16.1 on the upcoming night. It's gonna be spectacular to kickoff the crossfit season. I love to watch and follow the pros doing their job to find the fittest on earth.

Intervals.

• 4min: 30 burpees + amrap of snatches @ 35kg (result, 32 reps)
• 4min rest
• 4min: 20 burpees + amrap of snatches @ 50kg (result, 25 reps)
• 4min rest
• 4min: 10 burpees + amrap of snatches @ 60kg (result, 13 reps)

My camera's battery went dead on the first amrap so I couldn't relive the moments but fact is that on the first round I went unbroken on the burpees. Actually every round. That was the easy part. Then came the snatches. First round was 10-10-5-7 reps to finish it with 32 reps.

Second set was with slightly heavier weights at 50kg. First 20 burpees, then use the rest of the remaining time of 4 minutes to complete as many snatches as possible. It was triples all the way until the last set where I took one extra rep.

Third amrap was at 60 kilos which meant it's gonna be singles from the very first lift. This was a good strategy, and I don't know how many fails there would have been had I tried to do doubles. In the beginning I was a bit too ambitious and tried to do fast singles. This led to one failed rep. Other than that it was okay. Definitely not the best snatches I've had but the barbell came up.

Metcon.

• 20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2 of ghd sit-ups
• 10 dumbbell presses @ 2x15kg

This was created on the fly. Just started moving and came up with this during the first set of ghd's. That was a good time pressure to think what to do after the 20 reps are done. Walked right onto dumbbell rack and picked up two pieces of 15kg db's, and went for 10 reps. That was easy in the beginning.

During these 10 rounds they got tougher towards the last rounds. Core got also stiff in the metcon and both movements brought pressure there. Went unbroken still, and refused to take any rest between elements. Walked over to the dumbbells, picked them up right away and put them overhead. Same with the ghd's.

Sunday 21.2: Run, Db snatch

Sunday. Wod, 5rds of: 400m run, 20 db snatch (25kg).

The workout took my breath away. It was time to continue working outdoors with dumbbells. It had snowed A LOT during the night. We had just shoveled huge piles of snow away from the terrace and front yard and the same process was waiting there in the morning. But first it was time to get gassed in the form of crossfit. The streets were also naturally full of snow so my ankles were full of snow.

Metcon.

• 5 rounds of:
• 400m run
• 20 dumbbell snatch @ 25kg

The pace was probably steady each round, that was my gut feeling. Snatches were 10 in a row with right hand, then changed to 10 reps with left hand. Dumbbell snatches seem to take my breath away every time. Running felt like that was the most disgusting part of the wod.

Last lap of running is about to begin

Saturday 20.2: Nasty Girls + Db's

Saturday. AM. Nasty Girls. Time, 13.16 (PR). Cashout, 3rds of: 1min row, 1min bike. PM. 5rds of: 12 lunges (2x25kg db's), 10 front squat (2x25kg db's). Accessory, 4x15 bent over row (2x25kg db's).

We spent the weekend in the countryside so I didn't have possibility to write about Saturday's training sessions. It was a two-a-day. In the morning we hit it with Pauliina. There was a benchmark workout called Nasty Girls. In the evening we went outside with Kari for another session. Awesome Saturday!

Nasty Girls. Time, 13.16 (PR)

• 3 rounds of:
• 50 air squats
• 7 ring muscle-ups
• 10 hang power cleans @ 60kg

This was the second time I've done this benchmark workout. These muscle-up wods are always a bit horrifying in advance. Those are not my strength and they tore my palms big time each and every time. There probably hasn't been even one session without rips. Okay that may be exaggeration but it's close anyway.

But the fact is that today's muscle-ups rocked my world. I was proud of myself in the middle of the workout. On the first round my plan was to go 4-3 reps which was a bit optimistic. However, as I started to do them my focus was on keeping a hollow body, tightly together, with a good back swing and lots of patience on the front swing before pulling myself up and over the rings. These must have been one of the best (if not even the best) muscle-ups I have performed. It's a pity I don't have video material as I'd really like to analyze that.

So first round was 4-3 even though it felt like I had something in me to go even unbroken. That would have been a pr so that would have probably been the most stupid thing to do in a workout like this =) Once mu's are gone, it's difficult to get them back. Second round was 3-2-2 and the last one maybe a double or two and then singles. Still the technique was good on these ones all the way.

Air squats were unbroken on the first round, and then I kept a short pause after 30 reps on latter rounds. Cleans were unbroken each round, those were the easiest part of this workout.

Cashout.

• 3 rounds of:
• 1min row
• 1min bike

This might be quite an awesome workout to continue for 20-40 minutes. At least something similar. Don't have a SkiErg which would make it even better. This time there was no time to work more on this couplet.

Legs.

• 5 rounds of:
• 12 walking lunges @ 2x25 dumbbells
• 10 front squats @ 2x25kg dumbbells

I had bought 25kg dumbbells from Germany and this was the first time I got my hands on them. Those little babies were great! And the weather was perfect too so the combination was simply just too good not to hit another session. This focused purely on those db's.

My legs were on fire. Doing this on snow made it interesting as I slipped every now and then as the snow started to pack and turn firm. That made it slippery as ice. This was not a timed wod.

Accessory.

• 4 x 15 bent over row @ 2x25kg dumbbells

Just needed to get something else done with these guys. Bent over rows don't appear very often in my training but it's still a good movement. Today I decided to give it a shot as Pauliina suggested it =) Had to take them for 15 reps as the weight was not heavy for that purpose. I did these with two dumbbells at the same time

Monday 23.11: Clean and jerk, Squat, Snatch, Burpee

Monday. Clean and jerk 1+3 (up to 93kg). Front squat 4x4 (up to 118kg). Metcon, 6min amrap of: 10 db snatch (30kg), 10 burpee. Result, 86 reps.

This was a great session. It was mind blowing to do heavy clean and jerk complex, then front squats to accompany that barbell work. In the end I was in a rush but had time to get in a good intense workout in the form of short amrap.

Oly.

• Clean and jerk 1+3
• Sets at 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 93kg

Pressing and jerking is something I'd like to do on a daily basis if there wasn't anything else to be taken into consideration. But for a long time I've had issues with my elbows. Lately those have been very good, and it's been pain-free zone. Luckily so!

This was almost a dream come true to being able to put heavy object over my head. After warm-up I started working these sets at 60kg. Okay that was light weight, same with the 70kg. It felt surprisingly easy also at 80kg, and I went touch'n'go on that set too.

Next set at 85kg I stopped on the front rack position after each rep. Damned it felt great all the time. Technically they were pretty much the same up to 90kg, at least the first rep. From then on there were some shakiness but not too serious. I'm happy I was able to press the bar directly upwards, instead of pushing it in front. The last rep at 93kg was a save. That one I almost lost in front but was able to stabilize it in couple of seconds of static hold.

Recap

Strength.

• Front squat 4x4 (110, 113, 115, 118kg)

Front squats work well after cleans. Cleans today were light, those were quite routine type of pulls. But they prepared legs for these squats. I took them four by four, climbing after each set, reaching a total of 118kg. Form stayed there pretty well, and I got to say I'll take these squats with pleasure.

Metcon. Result, 86 reps (4 rounds + 6 snatch)

• 6min amrap of:
• 10 dumbbell snatch, 30kg, alternating after each rep
• 10 burpee

As I wrote, there was not that much time and something quick needed to be done. There were db snatches and double unders in my notes but I'd like to warm-up for those du's, and there simply was no time for that. This was something close to perfection considering the conditioning piece. This kind of shorter metcons are worth evaluating whether there should be more of these.

No plan whatsoever, just go. I tapped the timer on, and started moving. Alternating the snatches after each rep. Damn it was one heavy dumbbell. It started to burn my legs big time. I tried to keep the dumbbell or my body moving constantly. Very good workout, I suggest this one for you guys!

Monday 19.10: Bench, Dips, Dumbbells

Monday. Bench emom x 10min: 3 reps @ 80kg. Workout, 5rds of: 10 ring dip + 10 light tall clean (2x12.5kg db's). Workout, 5rds of: 10 bent over row (25-30kg db's) + 10 strict press (2x17.5kg db's).

It sucks to have my leg out of order. I have to ignore lower body work for a while. No squats for a week I anticipate. Hopefully just a week, not month(s). Time will tell but I ain't looking for a month of just bench and presses. Today this was exactly the game plan. It was okay for a change but this is not something I'd do on a daily basis =)

Strength.

• Bench press, 10x60, 5x70, 5x80, 5x85, 4x90kg, then:
• Every minute on the minute x 10 minutes:
• 3 reps @ 80kg

Started the session with benching for couple of sets. It was a bit difficult to get a good warm-up and sweat on with being cautious of lower body all the time. Bench is a pretty good movement, I've realized it lately but it doesn't bring an old school sweat easily. After taking couple of sets I decided to drop down a bit and add the intensity to by making it an emom workout.

This weight was quite good for this type of emom. Actually it might have been the first time doing bench on the minute style. Worked well.

Workout.

• 5 rounds not for time of:
• 10 ring dip
• 10 tall clean, 2 x 12.5kg dumbbells

Ring dips were a no-brainer. What to couplet it with was a more difficult question. It turned out to be very light cleans with dumbbells. Heavy db's would have been preferred but at this point you probably know why that didn't happen. Ring dips were the beef on this wod. Went unbroken on them, and focused on full range of motion, and continuous movement and rhythm. Dips felt very good.

Workout.

• 5 rounds not for time of:
• 10 bent over row, 25-30kg dumbbell
• 10 strict press, 2 x 17.5kg dumbbells

Rows are something I do like never. I have overlooked this movement a lot. After trying it out today, I can see there is a point why it might be a good accessory element in fitness. Not replacing anything but at the end of a good training session some bent over rows with dumbbells or barbell are probably not a bad idea if there's plenty of time to play around.

So this was the first time doing these and the weights were moderate. Maybe I'll give it another shot some day. Today I took a short pause on top of the movement, and focused on good control both ways, up and down. Strict presses were the partner for rows. Counter movement. Shoulder press / Strict press for 10 reps at the same dumbbells. These started to get heavy towards the end of each set. Still, they were manageable.

Monday 28.9: Snatch, Pair wod

Monday. Emom x 10min: snatch (up to 55kg). Pair wod, 3rds of: 50 burpee, 120 du, 60 jerk (2x15kg db's).

Monday means some sort olympic lifting. Squats should also be part of this day and I like the idea big time. My lower back has been sore as hell for the past week. It doesn't bother me in real life and in most of the movements. But every time I lift something from the floor or go below parallel. That's why I'll take the squats some other day.

Oly.

• Every minute on the minute x 10min
• 1 snatch
• 1-3min: 50kg
• 4-6min: 53kg
• 7-10min: 55kg

Two things I'm concentrating nowadays every time I pick the barbell from the floor. Shins are as vertical as possible. Secondly, I'll keep my eyes pointed forward, not downwards. Actually there is a third point also. I'll focus on bringing the bar over my knees as slow as possible. It's a basic mistake of mine that I'll be too hasty with the first pull, and thus the bar tends to fly wherever it pleases.

These lifts were a bit shaky on the legs as I look at them afterwards. Could have been slower at the first pull but the starting position seems better than before. That's the takeaway from this session. That back pain disturbed me the later I went in the emom. I was supposed to go for 15 minutes of heavier snatches but that was not possible today.

Pair wod.

• 3 rounds of:
• 50 burpee
• 120 double under
• 60 shoulder-to-overhead, 2x15kg dumbbells

It was awesome to throw down together with Pauliina. This is couple's quality time at its best! =) This was "you go I go" style workout. We were working towards the same mutual goal as a pair. We did 50 burpees, alternating after every 5 reps. Double unders were done in sets of 20 reps. Got to say I'm extremely proud of how fantastic Pauliina dominates the doubles nowadays! Third element was dumbbell jerks.

Shoulders got shot in this one after all the work was done and over. Actually on the second round of s2o's made the shoulders burn big time. There was a lot of people at the gym so it was a bit difficult to find a spot where we could conquer our space for double unders but we found it. I was trying to convince Pauliina to skip the du's and sub it to something else but luckily she forced us to practice on those. Good partner drill in general this entire workout!

Saturday 19.8: Thruster, Burpee, Row

Saturday. Metcon, 3rds of: 1min db thrusters (2x15kg's), 1min burpees, 1min row for calories, 1min rest. Result, 170 reps

Exceptionally, I had a work day today and then we had some family gathering in the evening so there was just a short time window that needed to be utilized. There was not time for lots of action. More like short warm-up, 3-2-1 and go!

Metcon. Result, 170 reps

• 3 rounds of:
• 1min thrusters, 2x15kg dumbbells (22, 20, 20 reps)
• 1min burpees (18, 18, 16 reps)
• 1min row for calories (18, 18, 20 calories)

Pretty much a perfect workout. Didn't need lots of warm-ups to get ready for this one. On the other hand it would have probably been wise to focus on increasing heart rate before starting this workout. This included lots of heavy breathing, and it was a good shock to my system in the first round.

At least this was consistent work all the way. It was tough. On the thrusters my shoulders were burning big time. Knocked 22 reps on the first try, then 20 got me in trouble on the second round, and third was pure agony. I almost dropped the dumbbell on my left hand because I just couldn't hold on to it anymore. But somehow I managed to push through the last couple of reps to reach 20 reps.

Burpees were much heavier than normally after tiring my shoulders first on the thrusters. I still managed to match the pace on the second round but then couldn't hold on to this same pace on the last one. Dropped the result by two reps on the third.

Rowing was the nicest part of this one. Or let's say the least ugly of the three elements. It got to my entire body for sure every time. On the last round I was able to step the game up a little to get 2 more calories on the Concept2. Very intense action, good one for this Saturday!

Friday 7.8: Squats, Partner workout

Friday. Back squat 7x5 (125kg). Partner workout, 3rds of: 20 dead (100kg), 60 push-up, 40 db snatch (25kg), 20 burpee box, 20 hspu, 40m lunges (2x25kg db's). Time, 31.30.

It was a blast to have my main man Toni take a surprise visit to my gym. He was supposed to go to his own but I talked him over, and then went to his place to spend the Friday evening. It was back squats again - no surprise there - and then a long ass workout with a partner.

Smolov.

• Back squat 7x5 (125kg)

Huh, every day there is a bigger load on my back and it always feels how much more can this body take. But every time up to this point I have walked away victoriously. It sure feels good to complete these sets without problems. There's a lot of mental game in the play as well.

It took me about half an hour to finish the sets so it was about a set every 4 minutes. Recovery was abundant, and my legs got enough rest between sets. All sets were pretty much similar in my head. Quite heavy from the first to last set but still something I was able to manage well.

Squats and start of the wod

Partner workout. Time, 31.30

• As a team, complete the following for 3 rounds for time of:
• 20 deadlift, 100kg
• 60 push-up
• 40 dumbbell snatch, 25kg
• 20 burpee box jump
• 20 handstand push-up
• 40m walking lunges, 2x25kg

At first we just brainstormed over the elements we want to have as part of the workout. Pushing, pulling, jumping, lunging, that's pretty much it. Worked well. It turned out to be something like a chipper, consisting anyway of 3 rounds. We had planned on doing certain sets, and we followed the plan for the first round, then improvised on the second and third round to make the movements as fast as possible. That means the sets were a bit shorter so either of us was constantly moving body or weight.

Deadlifts were the easiest part. Easy weight, and just couple of reps. Toni had just done heavy deads for strength and I had Smolov so we decided to keep the weight light. On the push-ups I did 15's at first, and then 10's towards the end.

Db snatches we agreed to do 10 reps in a row, then change. I did 5 on the right hand, then switched to left hand, and completed the reps from hang position at 25 kilos. Both snatches and burpee box jumps brought the heart rate up.

I had thought about doing these strict and did so in the beginning. That would have killed the pace on this workout and so I changed to kipping versions. Toni also had some issues on the hspu's so I completed majority of the reps. Burned shoulders very well.

Lunges with 2x25kg dumbbells was probably the most unpleasant element in this workout. There was no doubt we would go unbroken on those 10 meter walks up and down the green matt. But it felt disgusting at the end of rounds two and three. Good workout for a partner wod for sure. And it was great to throw down with Toni.