May 7 WOD: Plyo Wednesday

A. 4 square drills, Tabata style

2 sets of 8 different drills

B. Banded sprints x 10

C. Metcon

5 RFT (20 minute cap)

200m medicine ball run
15 wall balls (9/7 kg)
15 medicine ball burpees

I used a 5 kg ball for the metcon, and for the MB burpees, I did a burpee first before getting the ball and finishing with it overhead.


My score: 3 rounds + 150m run (5 kg)

March 21 WOD: Open 14.4

I almost flaked again after watching the Open workout announcement.

Josh Bridges and Scott Panchik faced off for the fourth Open workout. You know, I never realized how cute (and hot) Josh Bridges was until I watched the video introducing him.

There were only two rowers left at the box, and we let the ones registered in the Open use them. For the non-competitors, Coach Jordan let us choose between an 800m run and 60 burpees. And of course I chose the run. Lesser of two evils. I finished the run in about 4 minutes but it took me forever to get those 50 TTBs, and when I'd finished them there was only about 1 1/2 minutes left, during which I was able to do 14 wall balls.


My score: 124 (7 kg MB)

February 26 WOD: Plyo Wednesday!

Since I'm so bad at body weight movements, I don't go to the box on Wednesdays because they're plyo day. I usually pick Wednesday as my rest day but I didn't work out yesterday so I had to come in today.

A. Resistance band sprints

B. Plyometrics: 4-square drill

C. Metcon

3 rounds, FGB style

1 minute max reps of:

Wall balls (9/7 kg)
Box jumps (24/18")
Kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
Burpees
V-ups
1 minute rest

D. Core work: partner Russian twists with med ball

The plyo part wasn't bad, it was the metcon that sucked. Ideally, you should rest only during the 1 minute rest period but I love to rest so my score wasn't that good. We weren't able to do core work anymore though because there was no more time.


My score: 195 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#)

January 23 WOD: Another why-do-I-do-this-to-myself WOD

A. BBG

In 10 minutes, work up to a heavy hang clean and jerk (85-90%)

B. Metcon

6 RFT (20 minutes cap)

20 double unders
15 wall balls (9/7 kg)
10 pull ups
Rest 1 minute

Coach Jordan had us do 1 set of hang clean and jerk every 2 minutes. I started with 65#, then 75#, then 85#, then 95# for the last 2 sets.

Wall balls are mean. You feel good the first round but you die in the second round. On the bright side, I did my first set of DUs unbroken today!


My score: 95# (hang clean and jerk); DNF - 5 rounds (19:43)

January 16 WOD: Clean complex and an EMOM WOD

A. BBG

5 sets of the following complex:
Halting clean dead lift + Hang clean + Power clean + Jerk

* What is a halting clean dead lift, you ask? According to the site, this is what you're supposed to do: Pull barbell from floor to just above the knees, pause 2 seconds, stand tall, then clean from the high hang position.

B. Metcon

EMOM x 10 minutes

Odd: 12-15 wall balls (9/7 kg)
Even: 6-10 chest to bar pull ups

I did a combination of 12 wall balls and 9 kipping pull ups.

And I'm leaving you now with this.

Dmitry Klokov's best lifts
(source)

Something to aspire for (???).


My score: 95# (clean complex)

December 19 WOD: My third 12.4

Throwback WOD time! A lot of people at the box seem to be preparing for the 2014 Open and I think today's workout served as sort of a gauge for their progress.

The first time we did this was in March 2012, and again in March this year.

12 minutes AMRAP

150 wall balls (9/7 kg)
90 double unders
30 muscle ups

The real time cap is 12 minutes but Coach Jordan set the clock at 20 minutes. I know. Ugh, right? Actually, when the 12 minutes expired I sat down for a bit and contemplated on whether or not I was going to continue until the end of the 20 minutes. Not hard to guess what I did. But man, those wall balls were never ending. I think I got a stiff neck because I was always looking up.


My score: End of 12 minutes - 126 Rx; end of 20 minutes - 150 wall balls + 46 DUs Rx

Oct 21 WOD: A whole lot of leg work

A. SWOD

Front squats (15 minutes)
Work up to a heavy single

B. Metcon

Part 1: 7 minute cap
20 Russian kettlebell swings (32/24 kg)
10 box jumps (30/24")

Rest, then at the start of the 12th minute:

Part 2: 4 sets
60 seconds max reps wall balls
60 seconds rest

Mondays are always hard. Midway through the warm up I always find myself wishing I hadn't gone to the box.


My score: 115 (front squat); Part 1 - 4:38 (16 kg/24"); Part 2 - 60 reps

Oct 10 WOD: That heart attack feeling

A. BBG

5 x 3 hang clean (rest 2 minutes after each set)

B. Metcon

12 minutes AMRAP

15 kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
10 wall balls (9/7 kg)
100m run

The KBS-wall ball-run combo was nasty. At one point towards the end, I felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs and I was bent over with my hands on my knees. I hadn't felt that in a while. It was one of those workouts that, as Gigay said, makes you feel so alive!


My score: 100# (hang clean); 4 + 15 KBS (Rx)

Oct 4 WOD: Clean and jerk plus a partner WOD

I <3 the clean and jerk. It makes me happy.

A. BBG

EMOM x 12 minutes
1 x 45% x 50#
1 x 55% x 60#
1 x 65% x 70#
1 x 65% x 70#
1 x 70-75% x 80#
1 x 70-75% x 80#
1 x 75-80% x 85#
1 x 75-80% x 85#
1 x 80-85% x 90#
1 x 80-85% x 90#
1 x 85-90% x 95#
1 x 85-90% x 95#

B. Metcon

PWOD - Partners alternate to complete:

4 RFT
15 wall balls (9/7 kg)
10 toes to bar
5 burpee box jump over (24/20")

I partnered with Helen and on the first round, I went first with the wall balls, then she did TTB, then i did the burpee box jump overs. On the second round, we switched, and continued on until the end of 4 rounds. Mercifully, we finished within the time cap.


Our score: 6:43 (7 kg; knees to chest; 18")

Sep 12 WOD: Throwdown jitters

A. SWOD

Front squat
5 x 60% = 75
5 x 70% = 85
5 x 70% = 85
5 x 75% = 95

B. Metcon

5 RFT (15 minute time cap)
20 walking lunges
15 kettlebell swings (32/24)
10 wall balls (20/14)

The throwdown is 2 days away and I'm totally consumed by it. I'm just glad that I'm doing it with friends. Otherwise, I'd probably psych myself out and chicken out. I shall just look forward to our beach trip post-throwdown. That should be good.


My scores: 95# (front squat); 10:55 (16 kg/14#)

Aug 1 WOD: Wall ball ladder and another birthday celebration

It's Dong's birthday tomorrow, and since feeding your boxmates has become somewhat of a tradition at the box (or at least in our class), he brought food today. Actually, he hired a caterer to bring food. Yes, he's that nice.

A. SWOD

1 1/4 front squats 5 x 3 (80% - 90%)

B. Metcon

12 minute ladder:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... ring muscle ups
10, 20, 30, 40, 50... wall balls

Lala and I shared a bar for the front squats, which at first felt weird. I mean, why bounce? But then I realized it's supposed to train us on how to get out of the hole. Nobody likes getting stuck in the hole. For the metcon, I did kneeling muscle ups and used a 7 kg ball for the wall balls. It was terrible!

After the WOD I worked on my kips and my kipping pull up. I let all the tips from Smacky, Rhona, and Lala sink in. Several tries later, I was eventually able to do several legit pull ups. Finally, finally, FINALLY!!! I felt like dancing. I'm so glad my grips are arriving soon so I can continue practicing!

My score: 85 (front squats); 4 + 5 kneeling muscle ups (7 kg)

Jul 26 WOD: Partner WOD

Well, I never thought I'd find older men attractive but I changed my mind when I saw all those fit masters athletes in the CrossFit Games. I watched a footage of a woman in her late 50s doing a clean and jerk with 135 lbs. Just. Wow. I hope I'll still be setting PRs when I'm in my 50s!

A. SWOD

Split jerk 5 x 2 (70%)

B. Metcon

PWOD

50 hand stand push ups
60 kettlebell swings (32/24)
70 toes to bar
80 wall balls (20/14)

We had to clean the bar off the ground for the split jerks so I didn't go too heavy.

I partnered with Helen and for the first time since I did Open workout 13.3, I used a 7 kg ball. It turns out that using a rubber ball instead of the big, soft ones makes a difference. Rhona and I had already practiced doing wall balls using those 7 kg balls so today's WOD didn't seem too daunting. I just had a hard time with the knees to elbow (since I was scaling).

My score: 75 (split jerk); 14:04 (16 kg/14 kg)

Jul 20: Kapitolyo vs. Libis mini-throwdown

Coach Matt sent some of the Libis people a last-minute invite to come to the Kapitolyo box for a friendly mini-throwdown, supposedly to give the other box a feel of how a throwdown feels like. At first I thought it was going to be all fun and games, and then I started feeling the stress when we arrived early. The aircon was busted and since there aren't any windows at the box, at some point it became too hard to breathe (or was it just the stress?).

The WOD was a 3-person team relay (30 minute time cap):

Grace
30 clean and jerks (95/65 lbs)

Helen
3 rounds
400m run
21 kettlebell swings (16/12 kg)
12 pull ups

Karen
150 wall balls (7/5 kg)

I was teamed up with Macky and Albright and among the three of us, we decided that I'll do Grace, Macky will do Helen, and Albright will do Karen. Since the box was small, the teams were divided into two heats, and our team was part of the first heat. Just before we started, I realized that I was the only girl doing Grace! But I'll take Grace any time over Helen or Karen. Those are just eewww.

There was a running clock and I finished doing Grace in 3:40; Macky finished Helen in 18:04; and Albright finished Karen in 29:11.

Sadly, Libis lost. Three Kapitolyo teams won and only two Libis teams won. Cry. We just consoled ourselves at the box party in the evening.

Jul 11 WOD: Open test

In our group, rumors of the next day's WOD spread like wild fire. It's not that we want to know so we could avoid doing it if we thought it was going to be hard, but it's more of wanting to be mentally prepared for what's going to happen. Right. As if it's ever possible to be mentally prepared for WODs. Anyway, yesterday Gigay told us that Coach Pau warned her to prepare for today's workout because "it's going to be a killer." And when Coach Pau says that, you better believe it.

So, this was what was waiting for us today...

For time (20 minute time cap):

50 wall balls (20/14)
50 double unders
40 box jumps (24/20)
40 toes to bar
30 burpees
30 chest to bar pull ups
20 power cleans
20 jerks
10 snatch
10 muscle ups

They said this is going to be used as a benchmark, and Charles even said that they're going to make us do this again later this year. Ewww. It has all the classic CrossFit movements in one WOD. I knew (was it that I knew, or did I simply decide?) that I wouldn't make it to the cleans so I didn't even bother setting up a bar.

My score: 13 CTB (6 kg for wall balls/20" for box jumps/blue band for CTB)

May 20 WOD: Max reps + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

75% x 5 = 5 x 50
85% x 3 = 3 x 55
95% x 1+ = 3 x 60

And deload week starts next week!


WOD

Another partner WOD (which I actually haven't done in a while).

3 RFT

1 minute max reps wall balls (20/14)
1 minute rest
1 minute max reps push ups
1 minute rest
1 minute max reps box jumps (24/18")
1 minute rest
1 minute max reps push press (75/55)
1 minute rest
1 minute max reps sit ups
1 minute rest

During the "rest," we were supposed to hold in the plank or bridge position, and the score is the partners' total number of reps.

I did the workout as Rx'd and my partner Noemi and I scored a total of 539. The wall balls got me again!

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 17 WOD: PWOD

It was one of those partner WOD days again at CFMNL.

12 minutes AMRAP

12 wall balls (20/14)
12 burpees

Partners do alternate rounds, so one person does 1 round while the other rests. Then the other partner works while the other one rests. I got paired with Rae, who's really good with burpees. She credited that to all the burpees they'd had to do at bootcamp. Blechhh! Anyway, I used a 14 lb ball and together, Rae and I did 8 rounds and 10 wall balls.

In other news, the CFMNL Open Finals is going to be held this Saturday at the Army Soccer Field in Taguig. Anton and Jerwin from the midday/lunch crew qualified to compete in the Men's Medium Rx category so some of us are planning to go and cheer. Another friend who qualified is a co-parent who owns a garage gym. It's gonna be wild! Fun and wild!

Mar 21 WOD: Open 13.3

I watched the live announcement on the CF Games website again this morning. I feel like such a CrossFit dork for setting my alarm to make sure I didn't miss it. Then again, I'm sure millions of CrossFitters around the world did the same. Well, maybe not millions, but, you know... a lot.

Grabbed from the CF Games site

So it turns out that 13.3 is 12.4. I remember doing this last year. I used a 10 lb ball for the wall balls and I only made it through those. For the CFMNL Open, this was the scale they gave:

Grabbed from the CFMNL site

I've never used a 14 lb ball for wall balls before and of all the days to do it, it had to be today. I told Miggy about it and he said, "Good!" with a big, happy smile. Well, when push comes to shove, there's no other way to do it but to just do it.

My score: 120 (sucks that I wasn't even able to do the double unders with my nifty new Rogue SR-1 rope!)

Mar 13 WOD: Running and wall balls + Wendler

Strength: Back squat

So it turns out this Wendler thing works. Because I checked my log and saw that what I could only do 5 reps of last month, I was able to do 7 reps of today.

65% x 5 = 5 x 80
75% x 5 = 5 x 95
85% x 5+ = 7 x 105

Assistance 1: Walking lunges (15 lb plate)

5 x 10

Assistance 2: Overhead squats

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

The heat was suffocating! I really felt those beads of sweat dripping off my nose in that last set. Summer has truly arrived.


WOD

I sucked at the WOD! We had to do 3 rounds of the following against a 3 minute running clock:

- 400m run
- Max reps wall balls
- Rest 3 minutes

That means you'll have to finish the run faster so you can do a lot of wall balls. I was able to finish the runs in 2 minutes or so, but I always had to take a breather before going at the wall balls. Hence, my very poor score: 35.

In other news, Open workout 13.2 will be announced tomorrow! I'm excited about it because I can't wait to see how my boxmates do, but at the same time I dread it because I know it's not going to be a walk in the park. Either way, there's no escaping 13.2.

Um, actually, 13.1 crushed me. But whatever.
One down, 4 to go!