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

Sunday 19.4: Nasty Girls, Row

Sunday. Benchmark workout 'Nasty Girls', 3rds of: 50 squat, 7 mu's, 10 hang power clean (60kg). Time, 13.45. Cool down, 10min easy row.

What a day! This is something I'm very proud of. Having good surroundings, perfect training facilities result in progress. That seems to be inevitable. There was a time when I felt intimidated when I saw rings hanging from the ceiling. Never knew if I'm gonna be able to make a muscle-up or not. Depending on the day. Not anymore. That is in the past. Today's workout was Nasty Girls.

Nasty Girls. Time, 13.45

• 3 rounds of:
• 50 air squat
• 7 ring muscle-ups
• 10 hang power clean, 60kg

The only ring muscle-up related workout I have ever done is Nate. That has been done twice but the first one was with false grip mu's and they probably wouldn't count as reps in a competition with arms bent in the bottom position. It's been a while since I've done false grip mu's and I'm not gonna go back there. That is not the path for me to link muscle-ups together.

Earlier this workout has been very tempting but thinking about the reality of my skills I haven't dared to go after this one. I have thought that once I can complete Nasty Girls and Amanda benchmark workouts rx'd, there is nothing I dream of as a crossfitter. Or let's say I have accomplished everything I have wanted to accomplish. Of course hunger grows on the course of training but these milestones are big time news for me.

So it was air squats to get some burn in hamstrings and quads, then muscle-ups, and the third element was hang power cleans @ 60kg. I did squats unbroken. It was a bit surprising they didn't get to me that bad. I was prepared for a good burn and 2-3 sets to finish it. Noup, this was one set and felt good. Of course it felt in my legs but it was tolerable.

10x60kg

Muscle-ups were absolutely the thing in this workout and the one where I can squeeze some time away the next time I do this because it's all about efficiency on the mu's. My max set is 5 reps so it was obvious I'm not going unbroken on these, yet. It was 3-2-2 on the first set. Second and third set were similar: 2-2-1-1-1. I'm very proud of how I got these through. It's a different thing to do doubles and triples when fresh compared to when doing them in the middle of a metcon.

Cleans were only 60kg so that can not be considered heavy by any means. I rationalized cleans are not gonna be the difference maker so what would I gain by doing them unbroken. That's the reason why they were 6-4 in the first two rounds, and the last one was an easy unbroken set of 10 reps. Didn't want to burn my body by ego-ing them in one set in the first 2 rounds. It's hard to describe how happy I was by completing this workout. Huge thing for me. Amanda is most likely going to be next muscle-up benchmark workout. Maybe not rx'd but a lighter one.

Cool down.

• Row for 10 minutes / 2.500 meters

This was easy pace rowing for some time after Nasty Girls. Purpose was more like to flush the legs. Damper setting was at 8 in the beginning but pretty soon I put it at 5 which is very low for me normally. I just wanted to row easily for a while without thinking anything, just recovering.

Cool down