2.28.11 - Rest Day

235.4

Rest Day - not doing anything strenuous today.

Food:
3 eggs
ham
carrots
double americano

2.27.11 - CrossFit PowerLifting Cert Day 2

235.2

Strength:
Speed Bench (with bands)
10 X 3 at 95

Max Effort Bench
#210

Note: started around #155 and moved up to #210 in 3 sets. Also made two attempts at #215 and almost had it. Likely would have gotten it except for the fatigue.

Food:
Pro Shake
Subway Meatball Sandwich
Almonds, Blackberries, and Macadamia Nuts
Carrots
Spicy Teriyaki Chicken (no rice)
Ice Cream

2.26.11 - CrossFit Power Lifting Cert Day 1

235.2

Strength:
Dynamic Effort Box Squats
12 X 2 at 95
1 X 2 at 135
1 X 2 at 185
1 X 2 at 205

Deadlifts
Sumo's went up to ~250 with 2 #20 chains
Standard went up to max of 305 with 2 #20 chains
Then did 11 reps at 225 with 2 #20 chains

Food:
1/2 Pro Shake
2 hamburger patties
Cold Stir Fry - pork, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, red thai curry
Double Americano
2 cheeseburgers
chips
potato salad
2 cookies

Notes:
Interesting day at the power lifting cert. Jesse Ward is a phenomenal coach. I am very, very tempted to start training up there from time to time.

2.25.11 - Active Rest Day - Jessica's B-Day WOD

235.2

Metcon:
Jessica's B-Day WOD
1 minute burpee blasters
1 minute wallballs
1 minute dips
1 minute Push Press (#65)
X3

*must complete 29 reps of each movement. For each rep short, you owe 1 burpee blaster.

I DID NOT do this. I may do it next week. Instead, I came in and stretched and warmed up and went through the movements. Also, I did 40 strict pullups in sets of 5 while everyone else was working out.

Food:
2 hamburger patties
Pro Shake - coconut milk, whey, banana, blueberries, mango
Double Americano with 1/2 and splenda
Blackberries, Macadamia Nuts, and Almonds
Double Americano
Stir Fry - chicken, zuchinni, yellow squash, broccoli, green curry

2.24.11 - Team Row WOD (4 X 500m)

235.2

Metcon:
6K Row (team of 3 - each of us rowed 4 X 500m)

Can't say what my results were exactly but I think I averaged about a 1:50 - 1:55 pace, which is great for me. The first 500 I think came in right around 1:50. After the first 500, I had real trouble maintaining a strong pace for more than 250m. My technique in rowing is actually quite good. What's happening is that right now I just don't have the endurance to maintain a sub-2:00 pace for very long. The number one factor, I believe, that will help me with this is increased back strength, i.e. deadlifts, pullups, bent over rows, etc. Even though rowing isn't very body-weight dependent, dropping more weight will help as well, simply by helping my body move more efficiently. Also, it will help with all my other metcons, which will improve my overall work capacity.

Food:
3 eggs
Tall glass of milk
5 slices of bacon
Double Americano with 1/2 and splenda
Blackberries, Almonds, and Macadamia Nuts
stir fry - chicken breast, zuchini, yellow squash, green curry
Double Decaf Americano with 1/2 and splenda
cheese and sausage
chocolate (too much)

2.23.11 - Active Rest Day

234.6

Rest Day

Note: went in today and just warmed up with the group and did a bunch of OHS with the PVC - 6 X 10. I felt really good afterwards. I think I will do this again on rest days.

Food:
Pro Shake
2 Tacos
Pagliacci Medium Extra Pepperoni Pizza

2.22.11 - Deadlifts

234.6

Strength:
Deadlifts
5-3-3-1+

final round did 5 reps at 285

Food:
Pro Shake - coconut milk, whey, strawberries, blueberries, mango
2 Pork Tacos
Double Americano
Pro Shake - coconut milk, milk, strawberries, banana, whey

2.21.11 - "Murph" Scaled 50%

235.4

Metcon:
"Murph" (scaled to 50%)
800m Run
50 Pullups
100 Pushups
150 Air Squats
800m Run

28:38

Notes: oddly enough, my time is almost identical from when we did this workout back in May of 2010. Link for that post is here. The biggest difference between the two is that this time I did the pullups without bands, whereas before I used the blue band. Actually, that really does make a huge difference now that I think about it.

One possibility is that I am still recovering from Friday's workout. Actually that makes a ton of sense to me, because I know for sure I was NOT doing the air squats as fast as I could this time around, and lingering stiffness from Friday's workout could be a big reason why.

The game changer for me remains body weight. I'm actually more motivated than ever to stay on this diet and get my weight down further. The other thing, for this WOD and for "Cindy", is to continue to work on my bench press. Getting that lift up another 30 pounds or so would make a huge difference with both of these WODs.

So, maybe revisiting this WOD in 3-4 months is the way to go.

Food:
Pro Shake - coconut milk, strawberries, banana, mango, whey
Double Americano

2.20.11 - Rest Day

235.8

Rest Day

Would love to go work out today, but my body is telling me to rest. Next weekend is the Westside Cert, so I will likely take some extra rest days this week, including Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow is Murph, which is kind of a killer, so I may take Tuesday off altogether.

Goals for the week - Bench press, strict press (deload), deadlifts, and back squats (medium effort).

Food:
Pro Shake - whey, blueberries, coconut milk, strawberries
Spicy Teriyaki chicken (no rice)

2.19.11 - Rest Day

235.2

Rest Day

Food:
Pro Shake - whey, coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, banana

2.18.11 - Front Squats, Bent Over Rows, Thrusters

233.0

Metcon:
15 Front Squats
15 Bent Over Rows
15 Thrusters
X5

24:43 at #55

Note: I subbed bent over rows for strict press since I pressed yesterday.

Food:

2.17.11 - Power Clean, Split Squat, Strict Press, & Ring Dips

233.0

Strength:
Max Effort Power Clean
#185

Note: form is horrible but I could probably go another 10 pounds. At some point, I'm going to need to spend a cycle really focusing on the power clean. It's mostly a technique issue at this point.

Strict Press Week 3
5 reps at 98 (75%)
3 reps at 111 (85%)
4 reps at 124 (95%)
bonus: 1 rep at 135

working weight = 130.5

Ring Dips
5 X 5 (purple band)

Food:
chicken
Pro Shake - whey, coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, mango
15 - 16 almonds
4-5 macadamia nuts

Notes:
Tried Split Squats today and discovered what a weakness this movement truly is. I managed a few reps at #75, but that's it. This is good though because it gives me a target. Also, since I can't really go heavy yet, I can work on these several times a week.

Tomorrow, I think I will work on regular back squats. It's been several weeks since I've gone heavy, so it's probably a good time to do it.

Here are some ideas for a 3-week back squat cycle following my next max effort back squat. Third week of March is a likely time to try this out.

Week 1

Mon
Back Squats 5 X 5 at 155 (light)
Good Mornings 5 X 10 at 105 (light)
Endurance WOD

Tues WK 1
Back Squats 5 X 5 at 215
Deadlifts 3 X 5 at 250
Romanian Deadlifts 3 X 5 at 200

Wednesday
Rest or Endurance

Thursday
Good Mornings 5 X 10 at 115
Box Squats
Press
Ring Dips

Friday
Back Squats 5 X 10 at 230
Deadlifts 1 X 5 at 300

Saturday
Rest or Bench Press & Endurance WOD

Sunday
Rest or Bench Press & Endurance WOD

Week 2

Mon
Back Squats 3 X 5 at 200 (light)
Good Mornings 5 X 10 at 115 (medium)
Barbell Lunges 5 X 10 (light)

Tues
Rest

Wed
Back Squat 3 X 5 at 250 (medium)
Split Squat 5 X 5 (medium)

Thur
Rest

Friday
Back Squat 10 X 3 at 290 (heavy)

Sat
Rest

Sun
Rest

Week 3

Mon
Mobility
Back Squats 3 X 5 (light)
Endurance WOD or Light Metcon

Tues
Mobility
Air Squats
Overhead Squats (light)
Back Squats 3 X 5 (light)

Wednesday
Rest

Thursday
Rest
or
Back Squats Max Effort

Friday
Back Squat Max Effort (if not done on Thursday)

2.16.11 - Rest Day

233.2

Rest Day

Food:
Chicken
Pro Shake - whey, strawberries, blueberries, banana, coconut milk, macadamia nuts, carrots
handful of almonds
Popcorn
Steak Nachos
1 drink

2.15.11 - OHS & Situps + Endurance WOD (C2)

234.8

Metcon:
21-15-9
OHS (#65)
Abmat Situps

4:48

Endurance:
30:20 X 12 (C2)

*30 seconds on, 20 seconds rest

Food:
Pro Shake
Two Pork Tacos
Double Americano
Rotisserie Chicken
Chocolate

2.14.11 - 500m Row, 400m Run, 20 Pushups X 4

236.8

Metcon:
4 rounds of:
500m row
400m run
20 Pushups

*Only row times are tracked

1:51, 2:03, 2:03, 1:49

Note: on the last round, I gave myself some extra rest time - a minute or so. I also started out strong - basically max effort the first 250m and then tried to not fall apart in the second half.

Food:
Pro Shake - coconut milk, mango, strawberries, bananas, whey
double americano
two pork tacos
5 slices of ham
almonds
macadamia nuts
baby carrots
two beef patties with cheese

2.13.11 - Rest Day

237.2

Rest Day

Food:
Pro Shake - Coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, whey
Spicy Teriyaki Chicken (no rice)

2.12.11 - Bench Press 10 X 3 at 180

235.4

Strength:
Good Mornings
5 X 10 at 95

Bench Press
10 X 3 at 180

Food:
Pro Shake - coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, carrots, macadamia nuts, whey
Double Americano
3 slices of pizza

2.11.11 - "Kelly" & "Friday Gone Bad"

236.2

Metcon:
"Kelly"
400m Run
30 Wall Ball Shots (#16)
30 Box Jumps (mostly step-ups on the big tire, approximately 18 inches)
X5

32:34

Friday Gone Bad
1 min Box Jumps (step-ups)
1 min Hang Clean (#95)
1 min Push Press (#65)
1 min Row (for calories)
X4

255

Food:
3 slices of ham
handful of almonds
Pro Shake - coconut milk, milk, strawberries, blueberries, macadamia nuts, whey
Pro Shake - coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, whey
4 slices of ham
handful of almonds
nuts & dried fruit

2.10.11 - Good Mornings, Strict Press, & Ring Dips

235.6

Strength:
Good Mornings
5 reps at 155
3 reps at 175
3 reps at 185
3 reps at 195
3 Reps at 205

Strict Press:
3 reps at 91.5
3 reps at 105
6 reps at 116.5
1 rep at 126.5

Ring Dips:
5 X 10 (Red Band)

Food:
Pro Shake
3-4 pieces of dried fruit
5 slices of ham
2 small slices of cheese
2 Pork Tacos
15 spicy wings w/ranch

2.9.11 - Rest Day

235.8

Rest Day

Food:
3 eggs
4 slices of bacon
Pro Shake
Almonds
Salmon Burger
Fries
Peanut Butter Shake

2.8.11 - Deadlifts

234.8

Strength:
Deadlifts
5 X 7 (#250)

#250 may be too much for this number of reps.

Food:
2 Tacos
2 small oranges
2 Tacos
Double Americano

Notes:
Yesterday's metcon hit my glutes hard - which makes me think I need to do some heavy lunges more often. In fact, every time we have a metcon with a bunch of lunges in it - I know I'm going to be pulling up the rear. So, again, I need to make this more of a priority going forward. Also, it WILL help me squat more, so it fits in just fine with the current program. An interesting aspect of the lunge is all the different options for load placement - overhead, behind the shoulders, in front of the shoulders - and then of course all the various dumbell or kettlebell placements. Bottom line: I need to start doing more weighted lunges on the regular.

2.7.11 - Back Squat + OH Lunges, Knees to Elbows, and KB Swings

235.6

Strength:
Back Squat
3 reps at 95
3 reps at 135
3 reps at 155
3 reps at 175

Note: These were done with a 3-3-1 tempo, i.e. 3 seconds down, hold for 3 seconds, then 1 second back up. Hence, the smaller loads.

Metcon:
20 Overhead Lunges (#45)
10 Knees to Elbows
20 KB Swings (#53)
X3

11:38

Food:
2 eggs
Blackberries
Almonds
2 sausages
Asparagus
10 chicken wings w/blue cheese
1/2 chocolate bar

2.6.11 - Bench Press, Dips, & Inverse Rows

236.8

Strength:
Bench Press
5 X 5 at 175

Inverse Rows
5 X 8

Dips
5 X 5 (#90 Counterweight)

Food:
2 sausages
Blackberries
Almonds
Double Americano
1/2 Ribeye Steak
Veggies
1 Sausage

2.5.11 - Deadlifts

237.0

Strength:
Deadlifts
1 rep at 285

Worked up to this with sets of 5 until 185 or so, then made 20 pound jumps up to 285. Had to quit because I needed to get to Costco before it closed. Also, did some good mornings and RDLs for warm up.

I thought about this and I think the issue with the Deadlift is that I need to work back up with some higher volume. The problem right now seems like more of a muscle memory issue in that my body simply isn't working the lift in the right way. Last week, for instance, I did a whole bunch of reps at 225 as part of a main site WOD. So, this week, I should try and do some similar amount of reps at 250. Then maybe go up 15 pounds for the next two weeks after that.

This is what it could look like:

Week 1 (2/6): 5 X 7 at 250
Week 2 (2/13): 5 X 6 at 265
Week 3 (2/20): 5 X 5 at 280
Week 4 (2/27): 5 X 3 at 295
Week 5 (3/6): 5-5-3-3-1-1-1
Week 6 (3/13): No Deadlifts
Week 7 (3/20): 5 X 3 at 305
Week 8 (3/27): 1 X 5 at 310
Week 9 (4/3): 1 X 5 at 320
Week 10 (4/10): 1 X 5 at 330

Depending on what happens in week 5, targets for the following weeks can go either up or down. However, I suspect these numbers are pretty solid. I think the high volume work for the next few weeks is just what I need to build my strength back up in this lift. Also, in weeks 7, 8, 9, I could change the approach and go higher volume/lower weight. Week 10 should be 2nd week of April. If I follow this plan, my 1RM should hit 400 sometime in May. It is also possible that this is a very conservative estimate and that I could actually get there much earlier.

If I follow this plan, 500 is doable by the end of the year - but probably just barely.

Food:
Pro Shake
Double Americano
Steak
Almonds
Blackberries
5 or 6 drinks
Double Cheeseburger
Curly Fries

2.4.11 - Nicole

236.8

Metcon:
"Nicole"
AMRAP 20 Minutes
400m Run
Max Pullups

Food:

2.3.11 - Good Mornings & Strict Press

235.6

Strength:
Good Mornings:
5 X 10 at 145

Strict Press:
5 reps at 85
5 reps at 95
8 reps at 110

Working Weight = 130.5

Ring Dips
5 X 10 (blue band for the first 4 sets, then the red band for the last one)

Note: I was surprised how much easier the ring dips were this time around. Blue band is done. Red band only next time and maybe even the purple.

Food:
3 eggs
Pro Shake - coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, whey, almonds, macadamia nuts
Pro Shake - coconut milk, blueberries, banana, strawberries, whey
3 Pork Tacos
Veggies w/cheese
chocolate bar

Note: For tomorrow, I'm thinking heavy deadlifts and heavy thrusters. Thrusters are showing up in the Metcons every week now, so I KNOW Fran is coming up soon.

2.2.11 - Rest Day

236.8

Rest Day

Food:
2 eggs
4 slices of bacon
2 mini-oranges
Pro Shake - coconut milk, blueberries, strawberries, macadamia nuts, almonds, whey
3 Pork Tacos
chocolate
cheese
summer sausage

2.1.11 - Deadlifts & 400m Run

234.8

Metcon:
21 Deadlifts (#225)
400m Run
18 Deadlifts (#225)
400m Run
15 Deadlifts (#225)
400m Run
12 Deadlifts (#225)
400m Run

20:20

Note: This was yesterday's main site WOD.

Food:
2 eggs, scrambled
Pro Shake - Coconut milk, real milk (very small amount), strawberries, blueberries, banana, whey, macadamia nuts
Orange
Pro Shake - Coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, 2 baby carrots, walnuts, macadamia nuts, whey