Open 16.2 snippets

I was excited about this one because Dan Bailey. 'Nuff said.

Screen cap from the live feed

(Screen cap from this source)

No, that's not chalk you see in the air but steam from Bailey's body. The announcement was made in a garage in North Carolina, which apparently had freezing temps at that time.

(Screen cap from this source)

I have to admit that I'd only recently learned about the Damn Daniel vine/meme going around. I came across this post in my Explore feed when I searched for #danbailey. It's just so apt.

Anyway, I did a scaled version of the workout:

25 TTBs/hanging knee raises
50 DUs
15 squat cleans (65#)

And in the first 4-minute round I only made it to the 10 squat cleans, so my score was 85 reps. Weak.

June 10 WOD: Partner WOD

Partner WOD

2 sets of AMRAP 5 minutes of:
40 kettlebell ground to overhead (clean and jerk or snatch)
40 toes to bar
40 supermans
40 box jumps (24/20")
Rest 5 minutes

Then, immediately after the second 5 minutes:

AMRAP 7 minutes of the following complex:
Power clean + Hang squat clean

Only one person should work at a time. The score for the clean complex is the total weight moved by you and your partner.

The only ones who showed up for the 10 AM class were Pao, Ken, and myself so I got partnered with Pao. I used light weights for the clean complex because of my wrist sprain (or strain, I never know which is which).


Our score: Set 1 - 20 supermans; Set 2 - 40 supermans (16 kg KB); 2805# (clean complex)

May 27 WOD: Glorious cleans!

Yeah, so I haven't been posting my workouts. The WODs during the past couple of months have been uninspiring. We're not allowed to drop heavy weights on the floor anymore, hence the increased frequency of body weight exercises. And I can only take so many wall balls, burpees, pull ups and squats. I still have been working out, only now I go twice a week instead of the usual four times a week. I'm trying to find a way to jumpstart my motivation.

A. BBG

3-position pausing squat clean

Pause 2 seconds at each position.

Position 1 - Knees
Position 2 - Mid-thighs
Position 3 - Pockets

B. Metcon

5 RFT (15 minute cap)

10 power cleans (135/95#)
10 burpees


My score: 85# (squat cleans); 11:45 (65#)

February 27 WOD: Open 11.3

One more day until Open workout 14.1 is announced!

A. BBG/Skill

EMOM x 12 minutes: Clean

Loads per minute by %: 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 80-85, 85, 85-90, 90, 90-95, 95, 95+

B. Metcon

Open 11.3

5 minutes AMRAP
Squat clean (165/110#)
Shoulder to overhead (165/110#)

The squat clean is counted as 1 rep, and the jerk is counted as another rep.

My loads for the skills work: 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 95, 100, 105, 105, 115#


My score: 115# (squat clean); 36 reps (75#)

February 20 WOD: Step ups

First workout in a week! I missed getting DOMS. The day is just not complete when none of your muscles hurt.

A. Skill

6 sets of the following complex:

Power clean + Squat clean

B. Metcon

For time:

60 step ups with front racked barbell (box height: 20/24"; weight: 115/75#)

I was going to scale but Coach Jordan said I might find the WOD too easy if I go light so I did it as prescribed.


My score: 95# (clean complex); 9:17 Rx

January 28 WOD: Leg killer

A. Skill

3 rounds (not for time; focus on technique)

10 box jumps
10 toes to bar
10 alternating pistols (5 per leg)

B. Metcon

4 RFT (10 minute cap)

5 squat cleans (155/105#)
10 chest to bar pull ups
20 double unders

Rest 5 minutes

4 RFT (10 minute cap)

10 dead lifts (155/105#)
20 wall balls (9/7 kg)

You know I rarely lie on the floor after a WOD but this... this had me on my back a good few minutes. It absolutely owned me. The 7 kg ball played a particularly cruel staring game with me.


My score: 3 + 1 pull up (65#); 3 + 3 dead lifts (95#)

Dec 9 WOD: Double the difficulty

Why do they make Monday WODs difficult? They must know we (meaning, I) indulge too much at weekends.

Metcon:

Every 2 minutes for a total of 5 sets (10 minutes)
5 clusters (135/95#)
10 toes to bar

Rest 5 minutes

Every 2 minutes for a total of 5 sets (10 minutes)
5 ground to overhead (135/95#)
10 box jumps (30/24")

Clusters are squat clean to thruster, which means they really take a toll on the legs because you need to clean the bar every darn time before pressing it up. For the second WOD I reduced the weight to 55# because Tere had the brilliant idea of snatching it instead of doing a clean and jerk.

Another nasty WOD done and dusted.


My score: 5 rds (65#); 5 rds (55#, 24")

Nov 25 WOD: Cindy's mistress

As a way of celebrating CFMNL's third year of spreading the CrossFit love in the Philippines, we did a throwback WOD that first appeared in September 2011.

60 burpee to squat clean (95/65)
Every 2 minutes do 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats (1 round of Cindy)

I did pull ups the first 3 or 4 rounds but had to scale down to ring rows when my pull ups started looking pathetic. I also used only 55# for the squat cleans. I know... sandbaggerrrr. And I still DNFed! Who scales and still DNFs? Me, that's who.


My score: 43 (55#)

Sep 5 WOD: Squat cleans

A. SWOD

Front squats

5 x 60%

5 x 65%

5 x 65%

5 x 70%

B. Metcon

9-7-5

Squat cleans (135/95)

Ring muscle ups

Rache, Rhona, and I shared a bar and rack for the front squats. For the metcon I let myself get needled into doing a heavier weight (what's new?). Didn't regret it though. I'm thinking maybe I should've gone a bit heavier, even.


My score: 95# (front squats); 6:00 (80#/ring rows and parallette dips)

Aug 29 WOD: Cleans and abs

I'm not feeling 100% today due to a cough and a dull headache (sugar headache from all the cake I've been stuffing my face with probably).

A. BBG

5 minutes EMOM
2 cycles of two-point power clean to front squat (60-70%; pause below the knee and above the knee)

5 minutes EMOM
2 cycles of two-point squat clean

Then 10 minutes to find 1RM squat clean

B. Metcon

Tabata abs
4 rounds candlestick rollup
4 rounds bicycle
4 rounds hollow rocks
4 rounds plank hold

I attempted 115 lbs while trying to find my 1RM squat clean, and while I was able to rack it I couldn't stand up.


My score: 75 (two-point cleans); 105 (1RM squat clean)

Aug 13 WOD: Hang squat clean couplet

It was a rainy long weekend, which I spent reviewing my son for his first quarterly exams. I ate nothing but junk (think fluffy, glutenous pancakes and waffles, hot chocolate, and cookies) so it's no wonder I was feeling sluggish this morning. I wanted to workout yesterday but since classes were suspended due to the typhoon, I stayed home and reviewed my son some more. So, today is the start of my "eat clean, train mean" month.

A. SWOD

High bar back squat 3 x 5 (70%)

B. Metcon

21-15-9

Hang squat clean (135/95)
Burpees

I shared a bar with Rhona for the back squats. I felt like such a sissy because I kept complaining that the bar hurt the back of my neck. Coach Jordan let me wrap a towel around the bar to cushion the area. Can't help it if I have a bony neck!

As with any WOD with a 21-15-9 rep scheme, the metcon sucked. I used a 65 lb bar and divided my sets. And I may have rested too much. But can I just say how much I love the hook grip? I believe it saved my forearm from fatiguing too soon. I wonder when I'll feel confident enough to use Rx'd weights though.

After the WOD, Rhona and I practiced doing sprints, which apparently isn't as easy it looks. Coach Jordan taught us how to move our legs and we practiced doing that for 2 laps (400m).

My score: 105 (HBBS); 10:59 (65)

(Again, one of the many Ryan Gosling
CrossFit memes floating around on Pinterest)

Jul 25 WOD: Throwback Thursday

I was in the box area super early but I decided to while away the time in the office. It was only then that I checked the WOD and saw that we were doing Open workout 12.1 again. As if doing it once in your life isn't enough.

A. SWOD

Clean complex EMOM x 10

Dead lift
Power clean
Front squat
Squat clean

B. Metcon

7 minutes AMRAP burpees

These were my sets for the clean complex: 75 x 3; 85 x 5; 95 x 2. The score is the total weight multiplied by the number of successful sets you did. Lucky me, I was able to complete all 10 sets. For the metcon I aimed to do 10 burpees per minute so I could at least get 70. When I did this last year I only got 54, and we had to touch an overhead target that was 6" away from our fingertips. This time there was no target but we still had to bring our hands together to complete one rep.

Just so you know

My score: 840 (clean complex); 76

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)

Jul 9 WOD: Maximum effort

It was the squat cleans that made a comeback today. We couldn't help but speculate that these are the kinds of WODs we'll see at the throwdown.

A. SWOD

Squat clean 8 x 2 (75%+ of 1RM)

B. Metcon

5 rounds

30 seconds max effort burpees
30 seconds rest
30 seconds kettlebell swings (32/24 kg)
30 seconds rest
30 seconds sit ups
30 seconds rest

I was going to use 85 lbs for the squat cleans but then Coach Jordan saw me warming up, and he remarked that I'd be able to do 95 lbs so I took his advice. The thing about the squat clean is you need to be able to front squat the weight you're going to clean. Which is why I prefer the power clean.

For the metcon I used the 24 kg kettlebell for the first time. Good thing we were asked to do Russian swings (swing up to eye level) instead of overhead swings. I kept getting off balance the first few reps of the first set, but I finally found my groove in the succeeding sets. I also tried doing burpees the way Trish does it, which is to finish by touching the tips of the fingers behind the head instead of clapping. Maybe it was just my imagination but it felt more efficient.

My score: 95 lbs (squat clean); 194 total reps Rx

May 17 WOD: Double chipper

Every once in a while, a WOD comes along and makes you wish you had stayed at home and had a decent breakfast instead. Today is one of those days.

2 RFT (rounds for time), 12 minute time cap:

30 wall balls (20/14)
25 chest to bar pull ups
20 pistol squats
15 kettlebell swings (32/24 kg)

Rest 5 minutes, then

EMOM (every minute on the minute) x 5 minutes:

4 squat cleans (225/135)

Since I am not a WODkilla but a WODscala, I used a 10 lb ball for the wall balls, did ring rows instead of CTB, and used 16 kg for the KBS. Being positioned right beside one of the CFMNL beasts Ken helped a ton in pacing. The last minute was such a struggle, though, and the heat only made it worse.

The 5 minute rest in between the 2 workouts didn't seem to be enough. My legs were still wobbly and my arms were a little numb, and I really didn't want to do squat cleans after 2 rounds of that chipper but I did them anyway. I am a CrossFit sucker like that. I used 65 lbs for the squat cleans and managed to do all 5 sets unbroken. That felt good.

My score: 11:47 / 65 lbs

How cool are these tops?!

Tank top by Life as RX

Tank top by DNF Apparel

Apr 22 WOD: 2 AMRAPs and a run

Last Saturday's CFMNL Open Finals was fun! The heat was unforgiving and a lot of people ripped their hands doing toes to bar on the rig that was set up in the field, but it was an unforgettable first in the history of CrossFit in the Philippines. CrossFitters from as far away as Bacolod and Pampanga came to compete and it was just an awesome display of strength and skills... and abs. There were abs everywhere you looked. At the end of the day, you'd think that people who didn't have their abs on display were the exception and not the norm.

See what I mean?
(photo from Gigay G.'s instagram)

The only one from CFMNL who won in one of the categories was Michelle, who was in the female big Rx category. Another person I know who won was my co-parent and Ang Tibay coach Russell, who was in the male medium Rx category.

Who woulda thunk 2 years ago that CrossFit would get so big in the Philippines that there would be such an event like this? Of course, it wasn't a super big event, but it's a start.

Spectators baking under the sun
(photo from Gigay G.'s instagram)

Anyway... It's back to reality and back to the box today. The WOD had 3 parts:

4 minutes AMRAP

5 hang squat cleans as heavy as possible (not exceeding 165/115)
5 burpees

Rest 3 minutes, then 6 minutes AMRAP

4 overhead squats as heavy as possible (not exceeding 135/95)
8 ring dips

Rest 3 minutes, then maximum distance run in 8 minutes

For the first part, I used 75 lbs; my score: 3 rounds + 1 HSC. For the second part, I used 45 lbs and did jumping ring dips; my score: 4 + 1 OHS. For the run, I was able to run 1 mile -- my first time to run an 8-minute mile!

Apr 19 WOD: OTM Squat cleans

I'd forgotten to post last Friday's workout so here it is.

OTM x 16 minutes

Odd: 5 squat cleans (135/95)
Even: 6-8 ring dips

I used 65 lbs for the squat cleans and did band-assisted ring dips. I felt dizzy after the WOD and it turns out I wasn't the only one. It must be the heat. Even with the air conditioning, the inside of the box felt so stuffy and made it difficult to breathe. I made it through the 16 minutes though, thank goodness.

Mar 5 WOD: Cleans

The first 15 minutes we did a clean complex similar to the snatch complex we did yesterday. We worked up to a heavy set of power clean + squat clean (touch and go). I shared a bar with Isabelle and Rach and we were able to work our way up to 95 lbs.

The metcon was similar to yesterday's as well. OTM x 10:

- 5 hang squat clean
- 15 box jumps (30/24")

Rach and I shared a 65 lb bar and used the prescribed 24" box. It was so hard on the legsss. I was panting like you wouldn't believe. Coach Jordan said that the recent WODs were geared to help us get ready for the Open (both the CFMNL Open and the Reebok CrossFit Open). That informational tidbit and the thought of having someone count your reps while you're working out makes me want to hyperventilate. (Note to self: It's just another WOD. It's just another WOD. It's just another freakin' WOD.)

I'm excited to see who among my boxmates will make it to Regionals. CFMNL is ready!

Feb 15 WOD: Double metcon + Wendler

I like going to the 10 am class because the box is usually empty when I arrive and there's a bigger chance that I'll be able to do the Wendler. No rush. No worries.


Strength: Back squat

I'm saving the dead lift for Monday since we'd already done it yesterday.

3 x 70% = 3 x 85 (it was supposed to be only 80 but I realized later that I didn't use the correct plates because I wasn't paying attention when I was loading the bar - oops)
3 x 80% = 3 x 95
3+ x 90% = 5 x 105

Assistance 1: Good mornings

1 x 10 x 35
1 x 10 x 45
1 x 10 x 55
2 x 10 x 65

Assistance 2: Overhead squats

1 x 10 x 35
1 x 10 x 45
3 x 10 x 55


WOD

A. 5 minute AMRAP squat clean to overhead (thruster or jerk - Rx: 165/110)

B. 4 RFT:

- 15 medicine ball sit-ups
- 15 kettlebell swings
- 30 double unders

For Metcon 1, I used 65 lbs and was able to crank out 16 reps (split jerk). For Metcon 2, I used a 10 lb ball and a 12 kg kettlebell and did the sets unbroken (except for the DUs). I DNFed and was able to do only 2 rounds + 11 double unders. I don't feel that bad about it though. I just made up for the DNF by doing the assistance lifts.

Jan 31 WOD: More cleaning

I think I'm prioritizing CrossFit too much. I make sure that my mornings are free because I don't want to run the risk of missing the WOD. How sick is that? Must. Get. A. Life.

I don't know what it is with the workouts this week, but most involve the clean. It's one of my favorite exercises but I always end up with slightly bruised shoulders. Today's WOD was 15 minutes AMRAP:

- 1 chest to bar pull up + 1 toes to bar
- 10 hang squat cleans (95/65)
- 1 chest to bar pull up + 1 toes to bar
- 10 ring dips

I used 55 lbs for the hang squat cleans and parallettes for the ring dips. For the CTB, I used the blue band. I'm so jealous that Amie can do no-band pull ups already!

My score: 4 rounds + 6 hang squat cleans