Jun 5 WOD: The Chief

On my third meeting with The Chief today, I finally had the guts to do it as prescribed. The last time I did it was in December last year, and I used 75#.

The Chief

5 cycles of:

3 power cleans (135/95#)
6 push ups
9 squats
Rest 1 minute

I tried to do touch-and-go with the cleans as much as I could -- it really makes a difference in terms of efficiency.


My score: 16 + 3 squats (Rx)

April 24 WOD: Chelsea

Chelsea is one of the mean girls.

EMOM x 30 minutes

5 pull ups

10 push ups

15 squats

I did the first three rounds as prescribed, but after that I scaled my pull ups down to ring rows.

My score: 19

March 13 WOD: Deck of Cards

Metcon

"Deck of Cards" (30 minute cap)

Hearts - Burpees
Diamonds - Kettlebell swings
Spades - Sit ups
Clubs - Squats
Face cards - 10 reps
Aces - 15 reps

You're supposed to go through the whole deck and you do the number of reps on the card that the coach draws. We finished in about 28 minutes.

I guess the WOD programmer didn't want people getting too tired from today's workout because we'll be doing 14.3 tomorrow.

February 4 WOD: BS and Mini Cindy

A. SWOD

Back squats

Set 1: 6 x 60% x 75#
Set 2: 4 x 70% x 85#
Set 3: 2 x 80% x 100#
Set 4: Max reps x 85% x 105#

Rest 3 minutes in between sets.

B. Metcon

Mini Cindy

8 minutes AMRAP:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

You know that brief period of amnesia when your mind is a total blank and you can't remember what the WOD was the day before and why you feel sore? I don't know if it's an age thing or I'm just really forgetful. Sometimes I can't tell anymore which movement made whichever part of my body sore. Or maybe it's just a CrossFit thing.

I feel like my pull ups are finally coming together. But I need to remind myself to keep my feet together the whole time when I'm hanging on to the bar, even when kipping (maybe especially when kipping).


My score: 105# (8 reps back squat); 5 + 8 push ups Rx

January 2 WOD: Tabata Something Else

I'm glad today's workout wasn't as punishing as usual. The duration and intensity was just right for people like me who had been eating and being fat the past two weeks.

Tabata Something Else (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 minutes)

Pull ups
Push ups
Sit ups
Squats

We'd already done this last year and I did ring rows instead of pull ups. Well this time I did semi-real pull ups (semi-real because some of my reps were semi-reps). And now I feel like dozing off.


My score: 255

Dec 6 WOD: Second dance with The Chief

Well hello there, The Chief. We meet again.

We did this workout in January so I knew it was going to be awful.

The Chief

5 cycles of:

3 minutes AMRAP
3 power cleans (135/95#)
6 push ups
9 squats
Rest 1 minute

I remember that the goal was to be able to do at least 20 rounds. I was thinking about doing the WOD as prescribed but Charles recommended scaling down. He said it would be a shame if you do go Rx and complete only 15 rounds.

My score: 20 + 3 power cleans (75#)

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 10 WOD: Snatchy-snatchy

A. Skill: Snatch

12 minutes to establish heavy triple touch and go power snatch, then

EMOM x 5 minutes
3 x 80% of weight in heavy triple

B. Metcon

10 minutes AMRAP
5 power snatch (95/65)
10 box jumps (24/18)
15 air squats

I hadn't done the snatch in a while so I wasn't really looking forward to the workout. It was still good though, and I even got a power snatch PR at 70#.


My score: 70# (heavy triple); 55# (EMOM snatch); 4 + 7 box jumps (55#/20")

Aug 23 WOD: Triple WOD

WOD 1 (10 minutes)

EMOM x 10

2 split jerks (60% - 70%) - focus on technique

WOD 2 (15 minutes)

Find 3RM front squat

WOD 3 (5 minutes)

Mini Cindy

5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Tere, Lala, and I shared a rack for the split jerks and the front squats. Also, I did unassisted pull ups for mini-Cindy!


My score: 75 (split jerks); 105 (3RM front squat); 3 + 6 push ups (mini-Cindy)

Aug 21 WOD: Team WOD

The WOD we did today was different from what was posted on the site (supposedly "Bra-less" Annie). It was a team WOD, and we got to choose our teammates. Naturally, Rhona, Trish, and I teamed up.

Team WOD (30 minute time cap; teams of 3 with only one person working at a time)

150 burpees
200 kettlebell swings (24/16)
250 anchored situps
300 squats

We divided the work among us and decided to do 30 x 5 burpees, 20 x 10 KBS, 16 x 15 + 10 reps anchored situps, and 20 x 15 squats. We decided to use 16 kg for the KBS as prescribed.

It was hard! Especially since I've had no exercise since last Thursday.

Our score: 29+ minutes

Aug 14 WOD: Of kipping pull ups and clapping push ups

I don't usually work out on Wednesdays because those are my rest days, but I made an exception this week since I missed the WOD on Monday. Also, Helen was bringing food to celebrate her pull-up PR (she just recently unlocked the skill).

A. Gymnastics WOD

Kipping; kipping pull-ups (20 minutes)

B. Metcon

7 minutes AMRAP

5 clapping push ups
7 kipping pull-ups
9 air squats

I have yet to use the gymnastic grips that we ordered through Smacky. It feels weird. Maybe it will take some breaking in and a lot of getting used to. I practiced kipping and kipping pull-ups with taped hands. And good thing I taped them, too, because I almost tore another callus.

The clapping push ups were new. You push your torso up, clap in front of your chest, then bring your hands down quickly to avoid hitting your chest on the floor.

After the WOD, Rhona and I rested a while before doing sprints with Smacky. He wanted us to do 5 x 200m, with a minute rest in between sets. He also said we must run 200m in under a minute. We were able to do it, but after 3 rounds we were toast.

My score: 3 + 6 squats; 0:45/0:45/0:51 (sprints)

Jul 15 WOD: BBG and a snatch sandwich

I was wondering what BBG meant on the site where the WOD was posted. It wasn't until Coach Jordan explained the SWOD did I find out what it meant. We were doing the hang snatch and it was taking us some time to get it (especially the part when you catch it in a full squat). He said what we were doing were called barbell gymnastics. Ohhh. I get it now.

A. Barbell gymnastics (BBG)

Hang snatch 8 x 2 (65%)

B. Metcon (15 minute cap)

5 rounds of Cindy:

5 pull ups
10 hand-release push ups
15 air squats

Then:

10 hang power snatch (135/95)

Then, 5 rounds again of Cindy:

5 pull ups
10 hand-release push ups
15 air squats

I used 45 lbs for both the SWOD snatch and metcon snatch, and I did ring rows instead of pull ups. For the second 5-round Cindy, I kinda lost count of the number of rounds I had completed -- yes, even with the whiteboard! So just in case I had counted wrong, I did another round.

My score: 45; 13:49

May 3 WOD: Tabata Something Else

Must be one of those benchmark weeks. No biggie. What's so bad about doing a benchmark workout everyday? Absolutely nothing!

Today, we did Tabata Something Else:

Pull ups
Push ups
Sit ups
Squats

Anything tabata is painful and today's WOD was no exception. I did ring rows instead of pull ups and did the others as prescribed. You'd think the ring rows would be easier than band-assisted pull ups, but no. The first set was okay but I started to really feel the burn on my shoulders after several more sets.

My score: 276

After the WOD, we celebrated Coach Jordan's CrossFit Level 1 certification with pancit, pichi-pichi, and chicken lollipops. We have an L1 ninja coach!

Feb 22 WOD: Good sweat + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

3 x 70% = 3 x 40
3 x 80% = 3 x 50
3+ x 90% = 6 x 55

Assistance 1: Good mornings

1 x 10 x 35
1 x 10 x 45
1 x 10 x 55
1 x 10 x 65
1 x 10 x 75

Assistance 2: Sit ups

5 x 10


WOD

We did body weight exercises today - sooo not my favorite!

It was 12 minutes AMRAP:

50 squats
30 push ups
15 pull ups

Rest 8 minutes, then reverse tabata (10 seconds on, 20 seconds off) L-sits.

Coach Matt worked out with us and at the beginning I tried to keep up with him (I know, what was I thinking?!) but he's just so fast. I just did my best to keep moving and not rest so much. Ooh, and I'm so happy I'm able to do a lot of real push ups now. However, I can't help but worm some of the reps, especially towards the end of the workout. Also, instead of doing assisted pull ups I did ring rows.

My score: 2 rounds + 6 pull ups

Oh, and big news: I finally found the guts to sign up for the CFMNL Open. I haven't paid yet though, so I might still be able to back out if I suddenly lose my nerve. Coach Matt said I could sign up for the Baby rx (no weights) initially, and if they think I could handle it they'll move me up to Medium Rx (35# thruster, front squat, overhead squat, push press, 16 kg kettlebell, knees to stomach, jumping pull ups).

I'm scurred.

Feb 7 WOD: Round 2 with Cindy

Still bleary-eyed, I checked the site for today's WOD, and what I saw woke me up good -- we were doing our second dance with Cindy. I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't a benchmark workout. Sneaky coaches!

Cindy is 20 minutes AMRAP:

- 5 pull ups
- 10 push ups
- 15 squats

The first time we did Cindy was in sometime in September. I was able to do 12 rounds + 10 push ups that time so I was looking to beat my previous score. I did a scaled-down version of the pull up using rings. Miggy explained that if we'd been using the pull up bands for a long time and still couldn't do no-band pull ups, it would be better to train other upper body muscles in the meantime. But I made up for that by doing "man" push ups -- finally!

The first few rounds were okay, but I started to slow down by the 6th or 7th round. It was like a slow burn, and I understood why we were told to pace ourselves from the beginning.

My score: 14 rounds + 4 push ups. And I couldn't be happier.

I celebrated by having a paleo lunch of ampalaya with eggs and homemade chorizo burgers.

Jan 21 WOD: The Chief

Another day, another benchmark WOD. And today, it was The Chief. It looked like this:

5 rounds of 3 minutes AMRAP with 1 minute rest in between rounds:
- 3 power cleans (135/95)
- 6 push ups
- 9 squats

Coach Jordan said that if we weren't able to do a complete round at the end of 3 minutes, we could pick up where we left off at the start of the next round. Then Coach Pau said that if we're slow at one exercise, we should make up for it with the next one. And he said that we should aim to do 4 rounds during the 3 minutes. While he was talking I kept nodding yes, but inside I was like, "WHUT." Anyway, I used 65 lbs for the power cleans and did "girl" push ups. My score: 20 rounds. I did it!

Nov 14 WOD: Body weight AMRAP + Wendler

Strength: Back squats

Today ends Week 2 of Cycle 3, and I'm kinda nervous about the heaviest week, which is starting next week.

Warm up: 3 x 45; 3 x 65; 3 x 80

3 x 80% = 3 x 90
3 x 85% = 3 x 100
3+ x 90% = 4 x 115

One thing I really need to work on is being more fearless when lifting weights, especially when it comes to back squats. I still cringe whenever I remember that failed rep where I let the bar roll on my back. Ouch.


WOD

It was 15 minutes AMRAP of:

- 10 box jumps (Rx: 24")
- 20 air squats
- 30 double unders
- 10-second hanging L-hold

I did everything except the L-hold as prescribed because I couldn't, for the life of me, lift my feet higher (Coach Jordan said the feet should be on level with the hips).

My score: 4 rounds + 4 squats.

Sep 19 WOD: Cindy + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

I finally was able to push the laziness aside and continue with the Wendler. My sets:

65% x 5 = 5 x 35
75% x 5 = 5 x 40
85% x 5+ = 10 x 45

WOD

We've done the "Mini-Cindy" and "I wish it was just Cindy" in the past, and today I met the real Cindy. It's 20 mins AMRAP of:

- 5 pull ups
- 10 hand release push ups
- 15 squats

I used the ever-reliable blue band for the pull ups. I was able to do man push ups for the first 4 sets or so, and after that my arms started getting fatigued so I did girl push ups... and in the last set I started worming it.

My score: 12 + 10 HRPU.

In other news, I signed up for the Brave Mudders trail run on Oct 21 at Nuvali. Gulp, and double gulp!

(source)

I haven't run for the longest time. For the longest time! The only time I run is when the WOD calls for it. So signing up for this was kind of a big deal for me. One of the biggest issues I have is the shoes I'm going to wear!

It was announced that we'll be divided into different teams. I only hope I won't let my team down!

Jul 18 WOD: Mini-Cindy and a surprise

True to the CrossFit philosophy of preparing people for the "unknown and the unknowable," the coaches had a pleasant surprise for us today. On the site it says we're doing 8 mins AMRAP of:

- 5 pull ups
- 10 push ups
- 15 squats

So, that's like an 8-minute Cindy (because Cindy is 20 mins AMRAP), right? But wait, that's not all.

After the 8-minute WOD, we were given 2 mins to rest, then the surprise was revealed: we do the same thing, but depending on how many rounds you got in the first workout, the reps are multiplied by 5. This time, the workout will be done for time.

I was able to do 6 rounds, so that meant I needed to do:

- 30 pull ups
- 60 push ups
- 90 squats

It was fun but doing 30 pull ups using the blue band is no joke. My time: 10:55.

Jun 6 WOD: Partner Angie + Throwdown fever!

I'd been dreading the workout ever since I heard from Tricia and Tere that we were doing Angie today (another benchmark girl). We had to do the following for time:

- 100 pull ups

- 100 hand release push ups

- 100 sit ups

- 100 squats

Turns out that it wasn't so bad because they made it a partner WOD. I was paired with Tere, and only one partner at a time could do the exercise.

My weaknesses are push ups and sit ups so I made sure I did good on the pull ups (using the green band, of course). Our strategy was we did as many as we could, and when we felt like we couldn't do any more the other one would take over. I don't think it worked as well as we hoped it would because of the 3 teams, we finished last. Our time: 11:14.

When we were done, it was the throwdown athletes' turn to workout. First pair up was Jobett and Joanna (who did really well), and after them came Gerard and Hansel, then Ann and Yoshi.

A lot of girls came out to show support for Gerard, who was dying of nervousness from the immense pressure of having to do pull ups with no band. In the end, he was able to do 3 and Hansel did the rest.
Gerard went from using the beginners' black band to using none -- how amazing is that?!

All smiles as we wait for the show (photo grabbed from Tin F.)

We were fairly confident that Ann and Yoshi would do great, and of course, they did. While they were at it, all of us were going wild cheering them on. They absolutely crushed Angie to bits. It was like watching an exciting game up close. This is, after all, the sport of fitness.