June 30 WOD: Bergeron beep test

A. Strength: Front Squat

5 sets of 2 reps:

Set 1 - 65%
Set 2 - 75%
Set 3 - 85%
Set 4 - 90%
Set 5 - 90%

B. Metcon

Bergeron Beep Test

EMOM as long as possible:

7 thrusters (75/55#)
7 pull ups
7 burpees

We'd already done this last February, and I remember it being super bad. I used the same scale I did last time (35# bar, jumping pull ups) and I did a wee bit better than last time.


My score: 100# (front squat); 2 + 4 burpees (35#; jumping pull ups)

June 23 WOD: Row and thrusters

A. Strength and Skill

4 sets of:

5 front squats (65-80%)
Rest 10 seconds
5 high box jumps (rest 5 seconds between reps)
Rest 3 minutes

B. Metcon (20 minute cap)

1000m row/run, then:

3 rounds:

15 thrusters (95/65#)
30 double unders

It was raining out so we all rowed for the metcon. Coach Jordan wanted us to be done with the row in 5 minutes since we were doing the WOD in 2 heats. I finished in 4+ minutes but it took a couple of minutes before I could stand properly again. Another DNF under my belt!


My score: 85#/26" (FS and BJ); 1+22 DUs (55#)

June 13 WOD: Friday the 13th partner WOD

A. SWOD

Strict press

Set 1 - 5 x 50%
Set 2 - 5 x 60%
Set 3 - 5 x 70%
Sets 4, 5, 6 - 3 x 85-90%
Set 7 - 10 x 55-65%

B. Metcon

Partner WOD
4 RFT:

10 thrusters (95/65#)
5 burpees
10 hang power snatch (95/65#)
5 burpees
10 front squats (95/65#)
5 burpees
10 shoulder to overhead (95/65#)
5 burpees

Partners alternate rounds to complete a total of 8 rounds.

I partnered with Tere for both the SWOD and the metcon. My wrist is still healing (or injured?) so I went light in the strength WOD and we only used 40# in the metcon. Tere was able to complete 3 rounds while I made it to 2 rounds and 7 thrusters.


Our score: 55# (heaviest strict press); 2 + 7 thrusters (40#)

May 5 WOD: Push jerks and a mini-14.5

A. SWOD

4 sets of:

6 push jerks
Rest 2 minutes

B. Metcon

EMOM x 14 minutes

Odd: 5 thrusters (95/65#) + 5 lateral burpees over bar
Even: Rest

Thank goodness for built-in rest periods!


My score: 65# (push jerks); 7 sets (55#)

February 11 WOD: Bergeron Beep Test

One of those WTH workouts they make us do from time to time.

A. Metcon

"Bergeron Beep Test"

EMOM until failure
7 thrusters (75/55#)
7 pull ups
7 burpees

B. BBG

In 12 minutes, work on snatch technique.

I did a super scaled version of the WOD (35# thrusters and jumping pull ups) and it was still hard. Imagine doing all those 21 reps in one minute?! You know you have to sprint it but you also want to pace yourself so you don't burn out too soon. According to the creator of the workout, Ben Bergeron, this is his test for pure conditioning and mental toughness. Kinda reminiscent of 13.5.


My score: 2 + 1 burpee (35#; jumping pull ups); 70# (power snatch)

January 21 WOD: Back squats and a quickie

A. Strength

Back squats

Set 1: 6 x 45-55%
Set 2: 4 x +10%
Set 3: 2 x +10%
Set 4: Max reps x -5% of Set 3

B. Metcon

AMRAP 2 minutes

6 thrusters (115/75#)
6 box jump overs (24/20")
6 hand release push ups

Rest 4 minutes, then repeat.

The strength part of the WOD was exactly the same as last Tuesday's, except that we were supposed to go heavier.

My score: 12 reps (90#); 2 rounds + 3 thrusters; 2 rounds (55#; 18")

January 14 WOD: Another deadly couplet

A. SWOD

Back squats
Set 1: 1 x 6 (45-55%)
Set 2: 1 x 4 (+10%)
Set 3: 1 x 2 (+10%)
Set 4: Max reps (-5% of Set 3)

B. Metcon

For time (12 minute cap):

20 thrusters (95/65#)
10 toes to bar
15 thrusters
8 toes to bar
10 thrusters
6 toes to bar
5 thrusters
4 toes to bar

I shared a bar with Amie for the back squats. We did 65# for Set 1, 75# for Set 2, 90# for Set 3, and 85# for Set 4. As for the metcon, you can probably tell just by looking at it that it was nasty. I did knees to elbows instead of TTB and I'm proud to say that most were legit reps. It was only during the last set of KTE that I wasn't able to make my knees and elbows meet (sorry, Coach!).


My score: 15 reps (85#); 9:27 (55#)

January 6 WOD: Burn

A. Skill

Work up to a heavy full snatch (12 minutes)

B. Metcon

3 RFT (25 minute cap)

10 lateral jumps
15 thrusters (95/65#)
20 knees to elbows

Plate overhead hold (45/35#) after each round -- duration must be the same as the time it took to finish the preceding round. There is a 3-burpee penalty every time the OH hold is broken.

The plate OH hold was pure agony. Sweat was streaming down my face and I was just holding the darn plate up. My shoulders were very much burnt after that -- literally hot to the touch. To think they're still achy from last Friday's WOD. I finished the 3 rounds but I still had a 2 minute OH hold to do when the time expired.


My score: 55# (full snatch); 3 rounds + 2 minute OH hold (55# thrusters; 15# plate)

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 5 WOD: Deja puke

The feeling I got after finishing today's WOD was eerily reminiscent of how I felt after that infamous workout we did last February. You know it's going to be bad when there's no strength or skill work before the metcon and there's a 30 minute time cap.

5 RFT (30 minute cap)

6 handstand push ups
12 thrusters (135/95#)
18 burpees over barbell
24 pull ups

I scaled everything but the burpees. I did pike push ups on the box for the HSPU and ring rows instead of pull ups. It was such a mental game to keep going (a game I lost again and again), especially when transitioning from the thrusters to the burpees. I divided the reps into sets of 6 at the outset to pace myself.


My score: 3 + 18 ring rows (55#)

Oct 24 WOD: Running Jackie

A. BBG

8 x 2 snatch

* No touch and go; rest 10 seconds between reps. Rest 2 minutes after each set.
* Sets 1-4: Build up; sets 5-8: Work within 80-80% of 1RM

B. Metcon

Running Jackie
1000m run
50 thrusters (45/45#)
30 pull ups

I finished the thrusters with about 2 minutes remaining and I sooo very badly wanted to quit because of a sidestitch. I just wanted the time to expire and not be forced to do pull ups anymore. I did manage to get in 3 barely good pull ups before the 15 minutes were up. Cry, cry, cry.


My score: 70# (snatch); DNF - 3 pull ups, Rx

Oct 17 WOD: Max rep thrusters and box jump overs

A. Core

3 rounds
20 odd objects walking lunges
Rest 1 minute
Max reps strict pull ups
Rest 1 minute

B. Metcon

6 rounds
30 seconds max reps thrusters (95/65#)
Rest 30 seconds
30 seconds max reps box jump overs (24/20")
Rest 30 seconds

The first part wasn't timed but we did have to keep track of the number of pull ups we'd been able to do. The second part was not fun. Like, at all. I had initially planned to sandbag but when I saw Greg going Rx, I kinda felt that I had to go Rx too. During the fifth round of box jump overs I almost felt like puking. Ugh, ugh, ugh!


My score: 38 pull ups (green band); 89 (34 thrusters + 55 box jump overs)

Sep 17 WOD: Another Fran hybrid

A. BBG

10 minutes to establish a heavy complex of:
1 clean pull + 1 squat clean + 1 jerk

Then: Every 90 seconds x 3 sets:
1 complex at 80% of heaviest weight used in previous exercise

B. Metcon

10 minutes EMOM

5 thrusters (115#/75#)
10 pull ups

First workout after the throwdown so I allowed myself to take it easy. The stress of the throwdown is still vivid in my mind so I just wanted to workout without thinking if I should try going Rx. We told Coach Jordan that we were declaring a "petiks" month, and he said, why a whole month?? Why not? My original goal when I started CrossFit was simply to get fit. Now that I have gotten reasonably fit, should  aim to get strong? And if I do aim to get strong, at what point should I stop? Hmm. Post-throwdown thoughts to ponder.


My score: 100# (heavy complex); 7 rounds (55#; ring rows)

Jul 30 WOD: Chipper sandwich

Why am I seeing more and more of these chippers?!

For time (30 minute cap):

Buy in: 50 double unders

50 front squats (Rx: 95/65; Elite: 115/85)
40 push press (Rx: 95/65; Elite: 115/85)
30 back squat (Rx: 95/65; Elite: 115/85)
20 strict press (Rx: 95/65; Elite: 115/85)
10 thrusters (Rx: 95/65; Elite: 115/85)

Cash out: 50 double unders

I think the buy in and cash out of DUs are the coaches' way of telling us to practice them consistently. Something that I know I must but don't do. Which makes me all the more nervous about the throwdown.

I'm teamed up with Ian and Jerwin, who I might mention are total beasts. Like they could go Big Rx if they wanted to. And I don't like the pressure that being teamed with really strong guys puts on the lone girl member of each team! I get anxiety attacks every time I see a facebook post or a tweet by CFMNL about the throwdown.

Gulp!!!
(Image credit: @CFMNL on twitter)

Anyway. My score for the WOD: 23.21 (55 lbs)

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 4 WOD: Mini chipper

My butt is still a little sore from last Tuesday's WOD. I'm sure it was the lunges that did it.

A. SWOD

Hang power snatch 8 x 2 (50% of 1RM)

B. Metcon

For time (12 minute time cap)

20 thrusters (95/45)
20 pull ups
10 thrusters (115/75)
10 power snatch (115/75)
5 thrusters (135/95)
5 power clean (135/95)

For the SWOD I used 45 lbs for the first set then increased it to 55 lbs for the remaining sets. I like strength workouts like this because there is no pressure and it allows us to focus on our form. For the metcon I used 45 lbs for the first set of thrusters, 55 lbs for the second set, and 65 lbs for the third set. Also, I did ring rows instead of pull ups. And I love that the WOD involved lotsa barbell work.

My score: 55 (hang power snatch); 8:46 (45/55/65)

Jun 7 WOD: Upside-down fun

We did another SWOD before the metcon, and today it was the strict press.

A. SWOD: Shoulder press

4 x 12 (40 - 50% of 1RM)

B. Metcon

12 minutes AMRAP

3 thrusters (135/95)
6 handstand push ups
9 toes to bar

Helen and I shared a bar for the SWOD, and for the first 3 sets we used 35 lbs; for the last set we used 40 lbs. There must be something special about those 12 reps. By the time you get to the 10th rep, the last 2 reps is all about getting through the mental difficulty of knowing you're not yet done. For the metcon I used 55 lbs for the thrusters (it felt heavier than that, especially after SWOD), did 10-second handstand holds instead of HSPUs, and did knee tucks on the rings.

My score: 40 (shoulder press); 6 + 10-sec hold

May 30 WOD: Upper body stuff + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

40% x 5 = 5 x 25
50% x 5 = 5 x 30
60% x 5+ = 10 x 40

I was supposed to do back squats today but the WOD already includes those so I did presses instead.


WOD

A. Strength: Back squat

In 20 minutes, work up to a 3RM.

B. Metcon

3 RFT

8 thrusters (135/95)
6 muscle ups

Coach Jordan wanted us to focus on the timing of our squats. He said we should start by bending our hips and then slowly going down, and then just before breaking parallel we should go faster and bounce to help with coming up. Trish and I shared a bar for the back squats and we worked our way up to 120 lbs. Well, it was actually 122.5 because she'd mistakenly put a 2.5 lb plate on one end of the bar. Tee hee.

For the metcon, I used 55 lbs for the thrusters, and instead of 6 muscle ups, I did 12 seated muscle ups.

My score: 120 (3RM back squat); 10:03 (metcon)

After the workout, most of us stayed around. I tried working on my pull ups, which are still a fail. But I have to admit that I'm often too lazy to practice. It's just so much more fun to hang around and talk with boxmates! Anyway, I did get around to working on my handstand. It turns out, you're supposed to let your left leg lead, and after that it's like taking a leap of faith that your feet will find the wall. Coach Jordan spotted me and I was able to do handstand holds in order to get comfortable with the upside-down position.

Thanks to Smacky and Dingdong for the photo

And here's what most of the 10 am class looks like upside down (that's me in the lower left corner!).

Apr 5 WOD: Open 13.5

I tried my hand at the last Open workout and you might think it's *just* 4 minutes, but the Fran-ish misery it brings will make you think twice. You wanna do well but you don't know if you wanna do well enough to get a bonus time of 4 minutes and prolong the agony. Dave Castro is an evil genius.

For the CFMNL Open competitors, this was the scale:

I'm glad I looked at the standards for the jumping pull ups. Most important points: the distance from the bar and the head has to be at least 6", and the rep starts from a dead hang position with the arms locked out. Turns out, they're not so easy to do! I finally settled on a double underhand grip, which made it easier to make my chest touch the bar.

My score: 50

And that concludes the Open season for me. I'm sad that there aren't anymore live announcements to look forward to, or articles and videos giving tips on how to go about the workouts.

Mar 25 WOD: Thruster couplet

I think I'm finally getting the hang of the thruster. I realized that fully extending the hips before pressing the bar up does make the movement easier. It was like having an "a-ha!" moment.

20 minutes AMRAP:

10 thrusters (95/65)

10 chest to bar pull ups OR 10 toes to bar

I have to be honest -- I really wanted to use just 45 lbs for the thrusters. Is it strategizing or sandbagging when you want to use a lighter weight so you can survive 20 minutes of thruster agony? But Tricia convinced me to do 55 lbs (a PR!), and we'd agreed that we'd aim for at least 6 rounds. For the other movement, Coach Jordan recommended that we work on our pull ups. I was reunited yet again with the blue band, and Coach suggested that I use a double underhand grip instead. I found that it did make pull ups easier, and I could also do chest-to-bar more easily.

My score: 7 rounds + 6 thrusters