Jul 17 WOD: Tabata style

The site said that today's WOD was Hope, but when I got there the WOD on the board was different. And Nickey said it was worse than Hope!

Tabata style:

Thrusters (65/45)
Tuck jumps
Hang squat clean (65/45)
Sumo dead lift high pull (65/45)
Snatch balance (65/45)

When you do a tabata workout, you do each movement for 8 sets of 20 seconds working/10 seconds rest, so that's a total of 4 minutes each movement. Since there were 5 movements the workout was 20 minutes long. That's 20 freakin' minutes of intensity, because you don't really get to rest during the 10 seconds in between. You're still catching your breath when the coach yells, "Next round! Get ready!" And you're like, what??

I used the prescribed 45 lb weight. Tuck jumps almost killed me. This is one of those WODs where a pinprick of self-doubt creeps in while you're doing something that hurts, and it makes you want to throw in the towel. But I found out that those voices could be silenced by picking up the bar and just going back to work.

Thanks to Rhona for the photo

Post-WOD, we rewarded ourselves with the shepherd's pie I'd brought and the assorted cheesecakes that Greg brought. He's the guy behind Cheesecakes by Guy and he brought chocolate, blueberry, and layered apple spice cheesecake. He had us road test the blueberry and apple spice cheesecake he'll be introducing soon, and we were his happy guinea pigs.

My score: 234 total reps (Rx)

May 24 WOD: Oly

I like that Olympic lifts are fondly called "Oly." Sounds cute, no? Like the name of a guy. Also, it makes the snatch and clean and jerk sound less intimidating. We worked on those today. And how fitting that I'd just read Chad Vaughn's CrossFit Journal piece on getting better at Oly.

A. Oly lifts

In 12 minutes and in 7 attempts (successful or failed), work up to 80% of 1RM snatch.

In 12 minutes and in 7 attempts (successful or failed), work up to 80% of 1RM clean and jerk.

B. Metcon

3 RFT (5 minute time cap)

30 sumo deadlift high pull (45/35)
15 mountain climbers
8 toes to bar

For the snatch, I worked up to 60 lbs. I attempted to snatch 65 lbs twice but wasn't successful. The clean and jerk went better and I was able to work up to 100 lbs. For the metcon, I used a 35 lb bar and I did 12 situps instead of 8 TTB because I didn't want to aggravate my ripped calluses. It was supposed to be an all-out sprint since it's only 5 minutes but I still DNFed. Pfft.

My scores: 60 (snatch); 100 (C&J); 2 rounds + 4 SDHP

Mar 26 WOD: Triplet + Wendler

Strength: Back squat

70% x 3 = 3 x 90
80% x 3 = 3 x 100
90% x 3+ = 5 x 115

I did this before the 12:30 pm class so I didn't have time to do assistance lifts post-WOD.


WOD

5 RFT:

20 burpees
15 hang power cleans (135/95)
40 sumo deadlift high pull (24/16 kg)

I used a 55 lb bar and a 12 kg kettlebell (I know, I know! Sandbagger!). All that sandbagging didn't help, though. I still DNFed. I think I rested too often and too much.

My score: 3 rounds + 11 hang power cleans

Jun 15 WOD: Tabata FGB

What do you get when you mash up 2 challenging workouts? Twenty minutes of torture.

We did a combination of the Tabata and Fight Gone Bad (FGB), and it was 8 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off of the following:

- Wall balls
- Sumo dead lift high pulls
- Box jumps
- Push presses
- Double unders

I did the workout as Rx'd except for the double unders (darn them). For those who did singles, the score is divided by 5. The final score is computed by adding the total number of reps you did for each exercise.

The breakdown

It was SO hard (but then, don't I say that every time?). A lot of CrossFit movements hinge on what they call "explosive hips," which basically means having powerful hip extension. The coaches keep saying that we get power from the hips, which makes sense when you hear it but is more difficult when you try to apply it. Now I know that I have to start being aware of these hips when I perform movements.

Anyway. My score: 277.

Postmortem of today's WOD

We did Collin today, which was 6 rounds of the following (with a 45-minute cap):

- 400m carry (20 lbs)
- 12 push presses (35 lbs)
- 12 box jumps (12")
- 12 sumo deadlift high pulls (35 lbs)

I think it was at the start of the 5th round when I started feeling light-headed but I chugged along and it eventually passed. And once, while doing the carry the coach shouted, "Laya! Stop daydreaming!" I would have laughed if I weren't so winded.

When I started the 6th round around 40 minutes had already passed, and I was thinking that I will DNF (did not finish) again. But no. When I came in the others were still at it even though the 45 minutes had already elapsed, and I felt a sense of dread as I mentally prepped myself to push through. I finished with a time of 48:48.

Oh, and I finally signed up, too! I'm having my first Foundations Class this Sunday. As Mo Twister would say: Good times.