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

April 22 WOD: Rope climbs

A. Skill

Rope climbs

B. Metcon

4-6 sets of:

3 power cleans (185/135#)
6 ring dips
9 box jumps (24/20")
12 hand release push ups
Rest 2 minutes

I need to work on my rope climbing skillz.


My score: 6 rounds, 17:13 (75#, parallette dips, 20")

April 16 WOD: Plyo Wednesday!

A. Warm up

Ladder drills

B. 4 Station skills/drills

4 sets of:

40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
a. Lateral high knees over hurdles
b. Quick feet on 12" box
c. Balance on 1 leg with eyes closed
d. Plank

C. Metcon

15 minutes AMRAP

16 walking lunges with kettlebell (1 step = 1 rep)
14 weighted sit ups with the same kettlebell
12 jumping goblet squats
* Every 2 minutes, 4 shuttle sprints


My score: 2 rounds + 14 walking lunges (8 kg KB)

April 14 WOD: Annie

A. Strength/Skill

3 sets:

8-12 Barbell Bulgarian split squat
Rest 30 seconds
1 minute handstand hold (unbroken or accumulated)
Rest 3 minutes

B. Metcon

Annie

50-40-30-20-10
Double unders
Sit ups

I used a 35 lb bar for the split squats. They were weird and a little bit hard for someone who's had zero workout for 2 weeks. I did the handstand holds unbroken, since I thought it would be a hassle to come down and then go back up again. As for the metcon, I have yet to do Annie in under 15 minutes.


My score: 20 DUs + 8 sit ups

March 26 WOD: Plyo + running

Summer has definitely arrived and the headache I got from running under the sun is solid proof.

A. Active dynamics (4 laps each)

1. High knees
2. Butt kicks
3. Deons
4. Skips
5. Back pedal
6. Carioca
7. Lunges
8. Burpee broad jumps
9. Forward hops
10. Double leg zigzag forward hops
11. Single leg zigzag forward hops

B. Strength/Skill

Split squats with kettlebells, 3 x 10 each leg

C. WOD

20 minutes running clock

400m run
Max reps jumping squats

At 4 minutes:
400m run
Max reps box jumps

At 8 minutes:
400m run
Max reps V-ups

At 12 minutes:
400m run
Max reps box jumps

At 16 minutes:
400m run
Max reps jumping squats

It took us about 45 minutes to finish all the active dynamics drills so we didn't get a chance to do the split squats and we went straight to the metcon.

In other news, the box is moving to a new location this Saturday and I feel a bit sad. I still remember the very first time I walked through the intimidating red doors of the box. Lots of things have happened, lots of changes have taken place since then. Like Samantha said in SATC, "A lot of shit went down in this place. Attention must be paid."

What may be the last time we get a picture here :(

My score: 38

March 24 WOD: 4 x 7

We warmed up with some handstand holds and Coach Jordan had us practice shifting our weight from hand to hand, as if doing a handstand walk. He also had us practice strict mini-handstand push ups where we were to try to touch the top of our head on a stack of plates. I think I'm getting there.

Metcon

14 minutes AMRAP

7 HSPU
7 burpees
7 ring dips
7 pull ups

I did pike push ups and parallette dips.


My score: 5 + 4 pike push ups

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)

March 20 WOD: Double EMOM

A. BBG

EMOM x 12 minutes: Choice of clean and jerk or thruster

2 reps of chosen barbell movement

Rest exactly 5 minutes, then

B. Metcon

EMOM x 12 minutes

20 double unders
Max reps push ups

I chose to do C&J for the first part of the WOD (I mean, who would choose thrusters, right?). During the metcon I skipped maybe 2 rounds because I couldn't complete the 20 DUs in time.


My score: 2040 (C&J); 68 push ups

March 17 WOD: Cleans

I've been telling some people at the box how burned out I've been feeling lately. I haven't felt that thrill I usually get just before walking through that red door of the box. The bar feels heavy, my body feels slow.... Since I started CF in late 2011 I've never taken a purposeful break longer than 5 or 6 days and when I go on vacation in a couple of weeks I think I'll probably do just that.

A. BBG

5 sets of:

Heavy power clean 1-1-1
Rest 20 seconds
5 tall box jumps

B. Metcon

5 sets of the following every 3 minutes:

6 power clean (75-80% of heavy power clean)
12 hand release push up
300m run

I didn't run 300m the whole 5 sets because after a couple of sets I couldn't complete one set anymore in under 3 minutes. So Coach Jordan allowed me to run only 200m -- and I still DNFed.


My score: 105# (power clean); 24" (tall box jump); 4+12 HRPU (85#)

March 14 WOD: Open 14.3

In a video just before the announcement, Dave Castro said that people will have to "fight for every rep." He really is brilliant when it comes to programming.

Screen grab from the CF Games site

For this Open announcement, it was Alessandra Pichelli and Stacie Tovar who went head to head. And I just want to share my favorite moment of the announcement:

Screen grab from the video announcement

Tovar was wearing workout pants, which I thought was highly unusual for an elite CrossFitter competing in front of a big crowd (coz you know how us CF girls love to show off our quads). Just as Castro called out that there was 10 seconds to go before time starts, she shed her pants. I love it!

This is one painful workout. I did it as prescribed, thinking that it's "only" 8 minutes long, but how wrong I was. Since the weights are ascending, you have to have the plates ready on both ends of the bar so you can easily add them. And you're the only one who's supposed to add the plates so you have to move as quickly as you can.


My score: 90 Rx

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.

March 12 WOD: Plyo day and team WOD

Every time I come to plyo day I tell myself, "You neeeeeddddd this." Coz you know, my metcons always suck.

A. Ladder drills

B. Station skills and drills

4 rounds (45 seconds on, 15 seconds off):
- Lateral hops over hurdles
- Quick feet on 12" box
- One leg balancing with eyes closed

C. Metcon

Team WOD (teams of 3)

15 minutes AMRAP
Person 1 - 200m run (pacer)
Person 2 - goblet jump squats (16/12 kg)
Person 3 - kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)

The score is the total number of reps of goblet jump squats and KBS. I got teamed with Helen and Rae and I got the lowest score among the three of us. I used the prescribed weights for the kettlebell movements so can I use that as an excuse? Sorry, girls!


Our score: 415 reps

March 10 WOD: Dissecting D.T.

A. Skill/SWOD

3 sets of:

6-8 dead lifts
Rest 90 seconds
12-15 ring dips
Rest 90 seconds

B. Metcon

3 sets of:

2 minutes AMRAP:

12 dead lift (155/105#)
9 hang power clean (155/105#)
6 jerk (155/105#)
Rest 2 minutes

I kinda like having these rest periods built in because I can go all out and know that there is an end in sight. I scaled in the skill/SWOD and did parallette dips instead of doing ring dips.


My score: 145# (dead lifts); 3+2 HPC (75#)

March 7 WOD: Open 14.2 and bootcamp

For 14.2, it was Talayna Fortunato and CLB who went head-to-head. It wasn't as fun as 14.1.

I already did OHS yesterday using the same weight, and since I wasn't signed up for the throwdown anyway, Coach Jordan let me scale. I still can't do chest to bar pull ups anyway. It was a super short workout since I only made it to the rounds of 12 so I decided -- for what may be the 2nd time in my CF career -- to do the bootcamp WOD. It sucked (translation: I sucked), and I got a big, fat DNF.

This is what we did for bootcamp:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 (25 minute cap)

Medicine ball clean (9/7 kg)
Double unders
Kettlebell dead lift (32/24 kg)
Box jumps
10m bear crawl


My score: 70 reps (45#; green band)

March 6 WOD: OHS couplet

A. SWOD

In 5 working sets, work up to a 3RM overhead squat. Rest 2 minutes in between sets.

B. Metcon

7 RFT (18 minute cap)

7 OHS (95/65#)
7 burpees

It's been a long time since I last did OHS. I forgot how challenging they were. I started with 45# and ended with 75# for the SWOD. I was going to sandbag the metcon but Coach Jordan convinced me to do it as prescribed so I said I'd try. I did a snatch every time I had to get the bar up, so you can be sure I wanted to put it down as seldom as possible. On the last rep of the very last set, I failed the OHS three times I think and I really wanted to cheat and not do it anymore. But I finally nailed it and was able to finish within the time cap.


My score: 75#; 17:17 Rx

March 4 WOD: Double AMRAP

A. Skill/SWOD

4 sets of:

2-3 Strict pull ups/chest to bar pull ups/ring rows

Rest 90 seconds

Front squat + jerk

B. Metcon

5 minutes AMRAP

10 pull ups

10 pistol squats (5 per leg) or goblet squats

Rest 5 minutes, then:

5 minutes AMRAP

10 toes to bar

20 double unders

I can't do strict pull ups yet so I did 3 weighted ring rows (10# plate on the chest). Now I know how it feels to be 10 lbs heavier. For the front squat + jerk combo, Coach Jordan emphasized that these must be done as 2 separate movements. For the metcon I chose to do pistol squats since I really need to work on them.

My score: 95# (front squat + jerk); 3 rounds; 2 rounds + 10 DUs

March 3 WOD: Snatch couplet

A. SWOD

5 sets of:

Strict press 5-3-3-2-2
Rest 90 seconds
Snatch technique 1-1-1
Rest 90 seconds

B. Metcon

3 RFT

10 hang power snatch (115/75#)
15 ring dips

I did parallette dips instead of ring dips.


My score: 5:51 (55#)

February 28 WOD: Open 14.1

The Open is upon us! After the live announcement by Dave Castro, Garrett Fisher and Marcus Hendren went head to head to do this:

Screen grab from the CrossFit Games site

So 14.1 turns out to be another repeat as it was the first Open workout last 2011, the first year Rich Froning won. He got a score of 448 that year, and surprisingly, neither Fisher nor Hendren was able to beat Froning 2011. That just shows how crazy good he already was at that time.

Anyway, the 10 am class was the first to do the workout at the box. Since I'm not registered for the Manila Throwdown, I scaled and used 45# instead of the prescribed 55#.


My score: 3 rounds + 16 DUs, or 151 reps (45#)

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 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