WOD - 10 Minute EMOM 

2 power clean + 1 push jerk (165 lb.)

This wasn't a hard workout since the weight was light. I focused more on my catch position since I tend to stand straight when the weight is too light. I wasn't too tired by the end, it was a fun workout.

Front Squat - Find Your 3 Rep Max

I haven't tested heavy front squats in awhile. The heaviest was 90% a week or so ago. My previous three rep max was 260 lb. and I wanted to hit a PR this week. After warming up I started at 265 lb. and worked up to 275 lb. reaching a new PR! Now I need to test a new 1RM.

Front Squat - Find a 2 Rep Heavy

The description on the workout was no PR's. I decided to work up to my new 3RM. I was only able to get up to 245 lb. I wasn't feeling it. My form didn't feel great and I had a hard time keeping my elbows up. I stopped since I didn't want to get hurt.

3 Position Power Snatch

The front squats didn't feel the best but I wanted to make it up on the snatch. My heaviest weight for this workout was 125 lb. So I would use that as my weight gauge. I worked up to 135 lb. but it wasn't the best. The ground and hang were good, I moved well but the lift from the power position wasn't great. I didn't get under the bar quick enough, and I pressed out a bit. I hope it was fatigue.

Split Jerk (Behind the Neck) - 5x3 at 75% (165 lb.)

I haven't been practicing split jerks from behind the neck so I decided not to rush the weight. At 135 lb. the weight felt light so I decided to go straight to 165 lb. The lifts were great, the hardest part of the workout was lowering the bar on my back. I wasn't using blocks so I couldn't just drop the weight. It was a fun workout. 

Strict Press - 8x4 at 75% (125 lb.)

This was a grind. I took a few minutes in between sets. I struggled with my form towards the end but I finished eventually. 

Power Snatch - 9 Minute EMOM 

1 Power Snatch at 75% 1RM (115 lb.)

I focused on making each rep, a good rep. The weight was easy to manage and I didn't rush my set up time.

WOD 

FGB Style, 4 Rounds

Row (cal.)

Burpee over Rower

Alternating goblet lunge (54 lb.)

Rest

This was tough. I tried to stay consistant with all movements but I hit a wall in the third round. I was short a few reps for each movement but I was able to pick it back up on the fourth round. My totals for the rounds were 36, 36, 29, 36. 

Strict Press - 10x3 at 80% (135 lb.)

This took me nearly 45 minutes to complete. I had to take a few minutes in between sets to rest. I got it done eventually.

Clean Complex - 3x3 at 70% (160 lb.)

Halting Clean Deadlift + Hang Power Clean + Front Squat

I still need to work on my first pull and my hang cleans. My butt is alittle high on the pull. My hang clean still needs some tweaking. I was beat after this workout so I decided not to do the WOD.

Power Clean and Jerk - Find 1 Rep Heavy

I was able to hit a 215 lb. power clean and jerk. My current clean and jerk is 215 lb. I didn't want to attempt a heavier weight since I wanted to save some energy for the WOD.

Partner WOD 

60 power snatches (75 lb.)

30 synchronized burpees

40 clean and jerks (115 lb.)

20 synchronized burpees

20 thrusters (135 lb.)

10 synchronized burpees

I did this workout with my fiance and it went very well. The work was split evenly and the burpees were done together. We decided on sets of five, since it would give us enough rest. The snatches felt great. I was able to go five straight without much of a problem, and my fiance was just as quick. The burpees were tough but we got through it. We would take a short break every ten reps. The clean and jerks were done in sets of five as well. The weight wasn't too heavy and I was able to get through it quickly. The thrusters were the hardest part. The weight felt a lot heavier but it was probably fatigue. We got through the workout in 18:05.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

As a recovering World of Warcraft player, I love this shirt. The Orc and Human design is subtle and not too "flashy". Definitely going to wear this to the movie. 

This thing is amazing! I wasn't too sure what kind of kitchen item we would be getting in this month but I'm happy it's this. I now have the power to...resist oven temperatures!

Who didn't like watching DBZ as a kid? This Shenron and Dragon Ball plushie is awesome. It also has a clasp if you want to hook it on a bag.

The last two Q-Figs we got were great. The Adam West Batman and Deadpool figures are awesome, and now I get to add a sweet Hulk figure to add to the shelf. This figure is also a Loot Crate exclusive, which is awesome.

This month's pin is a robot from Battleborn. Redeem your code on the LOOT CRATE website to receive some in game items.

I think this month's items were worth it. A lot of quality items without any filler. I don't have a favorite because I loved everything in this one! One of my favorite boxes to date. 

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn't work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Strict Press - 6x6 at 65% (110 lb.)

Starting the week with more barbell club workouts. I was able to get through this quickly without much trouble. The weight felt heavy towards the end but that's about it.

Power Snatch (Low Block) - 4x3 at 75% (115 lb.)

This is the first time I did snatches off of low blocks. It felt great but I need to work on my technique. I need to work my bar path since the bar would swing out.

Pause Power Clean and Jerk - 5x2 at 70% (155 lb.)

This was challenging for the first two sets. I'm not that great at pause lifts but I was able to finish the workout. I got the hang of the movement towards the end of the last round.

Front Squat Pause - 5x3 at 70% (215 lb.)

This was a hard one. In the beginning, it was easier to keep an upright torso and keep my elbows up. Towards the end I had to fight to keep my elbows up. I tried to focus on maintaining a good front rack and being active in the bottom position. I also need to learn how to breathe while holding that pause at the bottom.

WOD - 10 Minute AMRAP

50 double unders
10 back squats (135 lb.)

This was a great workout. I wanted to test my endurance during a high intensity workout. I'm okay at double unders but I tend to tire quickly. The back squats are light enough that I can go unbroken without issue. My goal for this workout was five rounds. I was able to go unbroken on the first two rounds and then I hit a wall on the third. It was difficult for me to string double unders together. I would get to about 5-10 reps and then hit my shoes or stop from fatigue. It took me about a minute or so to get through them. The same goes for round four and the beginning of five. The squats started feeling heavy after round two. I would complete five reps rest for ten seconds and then continue with five more reps. I was only able to complete four rounds plus 35 double unders, a bit short of my five round goal. If I didn't fatigue on the double unders I would have finished five. I have a lot of room for improvement.

Tuesday

3 Position Snatch - Heavy One Rep

I thought this workout was going to be power snatches but it's regular snatches. I wanted to at least get up to 145 lb. since I was able to power snatch that weight from two positions. I was only able to get up to 135 lb. but I did notice a few things on the video I recorded. I need to work on lowering my hips, lifting my elbows towards the ceiling instead of back and working on my catch.

Deficit Power Clean - 5x2 at 80% (185 lb.)

Took some time to get used to the platform. I've been working on deficit dead lifts which are done on plates but the platform has some room for foot movement. I also had to work on stepping off the platform to drop the weight since it might have hit the platform and bounced everywhere.

Back Squat - 4x4 at 70% (265 lb.)

Ended this day with a back squat workout. Nothing too crazy, mainly a maintenance day.

Wednesday

Deadlift - Max Out!

I wasn't able to hit a PR today but I learned a lot. Programming is important. The past few weeks, I haven't been doing the strength portion of the class programming. I've been focused on the oly strength work and haven't been doing heavy deadlifts. I was able to complete my 93% (385 lb.) but I failed at 420 lb. I felt my form break a few inches off the ground and I let it go. I didn't want to fight for it and hurt myself in the process. Need to get back to heavy deadlifts so I can finally PR this lift!

WOD - 14 Minute AMRAP

Run (200 m)
10 Ab mat sit ups
6 deadlifts (225 lb.)

This was a fun workout especially after all the heavy deadlifts. My goal was to complete six rounds completing one round every two minutes or so. The first few rounds went by smoothly. I did all the reps unbroken and was below my two minute per round pace. After round three though, the run started to slow me down. I was jogging at a slow pace and I couldn't speed up. It was like I was in auto pilot. I was able to finish 5 rounds and 50 m.

Thursday

Push Press Complex

3 Snatch Grip Push Press (Behind The Neck) + 1 Snatch Balance 5x1 at 70% (115 lb.)

Haven't done these skills in awhile and I had a good time doing them. Snatch balances are one of my favorite drills now.

Tabata Clean and Jerk (Touch and Go) at 75% Body Weight (155 lb.)

40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest

I would only work for 20 seconds and rest for 40. It was difficult holding onto the bar for that many touch and go reps. I would stop after I let go of the bar. For the first two rounds I was able to do three reps and declined to one rep by the sixth minute. I found a second wind and completed two and then three reps for the last four rounds. I may have to do less reps in the future, since my form wasn't great towards the end.

Pause Front Squat -  5x3 at 70% (215 lb.)

These front squats were very difficult. It could have been because of all the clean and jerks from the previous workout. I was able to upright but my elbows would drop. I hung in there and was able to complete all the reps. I hope they program the squats at the beginning next time.

WOD 1 - 10 Minutes

Alternating EMOM

15 cal. row

15 handstand push ups

I was able to complete the row but not the hand stand push ups. My reps ranged from 5-15. I might have been fatigued from all the press movements but I pushed as hard as I could to finish. It was rough.

WOD 2 

25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)

10 supine ring rows

Row (500 m)

10 supine ring rows

25 Russian kettlebell swing (53 lb.)

I rested for about five minutes before I joined this class workout. It looked like a lot of fun so I decided to join. The ring rows were the hardest part of this workout. The first set was good. I was able to complete 10 unbroken. I had to break the second round into two sets of five. My forearms started to go during the second set of KB swings. I was able to hold on and finish the set unbroken. My final time was 5:58.

Friday

I learned a lot in this workout. I had one of my coaches watching my reps and he corrected a bunch of issues with my lift. I worked on my catch and foot work. I feel a lot more confident in this lift but I still have a lot of work to do.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Power Snatch - EMOM For 9 Minutes at 75% (115 lb.)

After a few days of rest and recovery, I was ready to start the week strong. I did some warm up drills and some mobility before I started this EMOM. The workout as a whole wasn't too bad. The weight wasn't too heavy and helped me focus on form.  It was only nine reps which wasn't too bad. 

Strict Press - 8x4 at 70% (115 lb.) 

Coming straight off the snatches, I started on the strict press. Thankfully the sets were short with only four reps. The workout didn't last too long however. I would take a max of two minutes in between. I worked on my lock out and re racking the bar on my shoulders before the next rep. 

Back Squat - Find A Heavy Two Rep

Same workout as last week without a percentage to guide us. I wanted to lift a heavier weight than last week (315 lb.), it would depend on how I feel during the warm up. The warm up went well and I worked my way up to 305 lb. before deciding on a weight. 

Partner WOD - AMRAP 20 Minutes

15 burpees

20 overhead squats (115 lb.)

30 ab-mat sit ups

Run 100 m

This workout looks like a lot of fun. The overhead squats would be an issue but I'm sure I'll be able to power through it. Each person must run 100 m which I hope wouldn't be an issue. We decided to break up the workout evenly. The burpees would be done in fives and then the next round we would switch the order. The overhead squats were split into fives and the ab-mat sit ups were split in half.

The burpees started out great, breaking them up into fives helped recovery. The overhead squats were easier than I though. It took me two rounds to warm up. During the breaks I would rest the bar on my back instead of dropping it. This way I wouldn't have to power snatch it again. I had a difficult time during the last round since the bar and my hands were a bit moist from sweat. I didn't want to run and chalk up so I gripped it a bit harder and held on. The sit ups were not too bad and the run was quick and short. We finished with six rounds completed.

Tuesday

Deadlift - 5 at 55%, 5 at 60%, 3 at 65%, 5 at 75%, 5 at 85%

I haven't done deadlifts in a few weeks so I was eager to see how well I would perform. The lifts started to feel heavy around 75%.  I was able to finish the reps but it was challenging. At 85% I had to break up the reps into 2-1-2. I would take 30 seconds in between reps. I need to do more deadlifts.

WOD - AMRAP 7 Minutes

15 power cleans (95 lb.)

30 double unders 

After a few days of heavy power cleans, I was confident I could finish a lot of rounds in this workout. I didn't think I would have problems with the double unders either. The first round was quick. I did 10 reps of cleans and finished with five reps. The 30 double unders were done unbroken. The following rounds were a lot slower. I over estimated my ability to handle the cleans. I had to break up the reps into sets of five. I was messing up the double unders, only finishing 10-15 reps at a time. After the second round I was drained. I managed to finish a third round but barely. My total rounds for this workout were 3 + 5 cleans.

Thursday

Strict Press - 10x3 at 75% (125 lb.)

This took awhile. I didn't want to rush the rest so I took a minute or two between sets. The weight was heavy but I was able to get through the reps. 125 lb. used to feel a lot heavier, that must mean I'm getting stronger!

Clean Complex - 3x3 at 70% (155 lb.)

Halting clean deadlift + hang power clean + front squat

This was a fun complex. The last time I did pause cleans was back at the old gym which was more than five months ago. I took a long warm up to get used to the pause and make sure I had correct form. The complex was different, it was fun and I would want to do it again.

Three Position Power Snatch - Find A 1 Rep Heavy

My snatch still needs some work but this wasn't too bad. I hit a PR with a power snatch at 145 lb. but I wasn't able to hit all three positions. I was able to get the ground and the hang snatch at 145 lb. but not the power position.

Friday

Push Press/Overhead Squat - 5x1 at 70% (145 lb.)

5 behind the neck push press + 3 overhead squats

I used my overhead squat 1RM instead of my snatch 1RM. I was wondering why this was so heavy! The hardest part of this workout was lowering the bar onto my back after the third rep. I had to be extremely careful since I didn't want it to land on my spine. Surprisingly, the overhead squats were not too bad. The weight was okay but it irritated my writs a bit. The wrist wrap did help to stabilize but it wasn't enough to take the pain away. 

Jerk - Find A 1 Rep Heavy

I haven't maxed my jerk in awhile mainly because my clean hasn't gone up by much. It was also my first time doing jerks from the blocks. It took a few reps to get used to the blocks and trusting my feet to not hit them. I was able to PR my jerk by 1 lb. and 5 lb. I missed at 226 lb. but I'm okay with it. My PR is not a huge leap but I'll take it. I would like to hit a 225 lb. clean and jerk soon. I think I'm on the right track. I posted a video below of my jerk PR's and my miss.

Back Squat - Find A 2 Rep Heavy

My main goal for this was to at least hit 90% like last week. Surprisingly, my 90% wasn't that bad. I didn't need a spot and I was able to get out of the bottom fairly quickly. I might want to max my squat soon. I was able to lift 325 lb. for two reps.

Death By - Burpee Box Jump

This was an interesting one. I don't like burpees, I'm slow at box jumps but I was excited to do this workout. The first seven minutes went well and I was keeping a good pace but then I hit a wall at the eighth minute. I was barely able to complete the eight reps under a minute and I was only able to finish seven in the ninth round. I did better than what I thought I was going to do. It was a small victory for me.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Labyrinth was one of my earliest fantasy movies that I watched growing up. My favorite character was Sir Didymus the fox knight. As much as I loved the movie, I don't really like this shirt. My mom saw me opening the box and she loved it. She's a fan of the movie and she loves Bowie. This month is also when Guam holds the annual Relay For Life event. It's an event and fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The colors for Relay For Life is purple and she'll will wear this to the event.

The Harry Potter item is a pair of socks. On the socks are Voldemort's horcruxes. I decided to give these to my little sister. She would wear this more than I would.

Skol! If you watched Vikings, you will hear that word every time they pick up a drinking horn. Now I have my very own.

Next up is a Nathan Drake poster from the Uncharted series. I haven't played any of the Uncharted games and it's a shame. Shame on me! Not sure if this will push me to buy the game but if someone wants to let me borrow it, I will not decline. This game releases on May 10th. 

One of my favorite items in this box is a D20 ice mold. I've been seeing the Death Star mold online and I've been wanting something similar. Thankfully, the universe has obliged. Combined with the Avengers ice mold my drinks will be a lot more nerdier in the future. 

This pin is a shield with a d20 in the middle. It's my favorite pin so far this month. They also made alternate pins that were all gold. A friend of mine received a gold pin but I do not have a picture. You can also pick up a Gelatinous Cube companion if you play the Dungeon and Dragons MMO Neverwinter. I might look into this game now since it's free to play.

Final Thoughts

This month's box was great, even though I received two items I wouldn't normally use. Since I could give them to family members, it was definitely worth it. The d20 ice mold and the Vikings drinking horn are my favorite items.

If you want to sign up use this LINK, also use the promo code BOX5 to save $5 off your first subscription. If that code doesn't work you can use SAVE3 for $3 off any subscription. I also get credit towards more Loot Crates if you use the link.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Back Squat - 3x5 at 60% (225 lb.)

Short back squat workout for Monday. The first few reps were a bit rough but after warming up I felt a lot better. 

Strict Press - 6x6 at 60% (105 lb.)

I had some trouble with this workout towards the end. The last two sets I had to break up. My shoulders and triceps were on fire. 

Power Snatch - 3x4 at 70% (115 lb.) 

My snatch workout was fun. I didn't do touch and go snatches and instead opted for quick singles. I had a second or two of rest after dropping the weight. 

Clean Pull - 4x3 at 85% (195 lb.) 

I haven't done clean pulls in awhile so I worked up to my 85% slowly. After warming up I was able to finish them quickly.

Partner WOD - 16 Minute AMRAP

Run, (100 m)

10 front squats (135 lb.)

10 floor press (135 lb.)

Initially I didn't want to do this workout Rx but my partner for this workout pushed me to attempt it. For the first few rounds I was able to keep up. The floor press was the hardest movement. I had to break them up my last two rounds. I would fail around five reps and would need to rest my arms for a few seconds. With the help of my partner I was able to finish my reps and finish the workout. We managed to finish 12 rounds plus 100 m run and 10 front squats.

I like doing partner workouts with people who are more fit than me. They push me to go faster and harder and keep me moving when I would otherwise stop. If you want to be better you train with better people.

Tuesday

Front Squat - 4x3 at 60% (175 lb.)

Did some light front squats on Tuesday. The weight was manageable and I did them without any issues. I haven't been working on front squats but the light weight made it easier to focus on form. I focused on keeping my core tight, elbows up and pushing through my mid foot.

Power Snatch - 4x2 at 80% (125 lb.)

I focused on quality reps and took my time to rest in between sets. The weight isn't too heavy but I'm weak on technique. Still need to work on bringing my elbows up instead of back. 

Power Clean - 4x2 at 80% (185 lb.)

This was easier than the snatches since I've done a lot of cleans at this weight. Was able to get through this without an issue. 

Back Squat - 2 reps at 85%-90% 1RM (315 lb.)

I was dreading this workout but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I was scared by the percentages and the weight. I was a bit warmed up from the front squats so I didn't take as long warming up as I usually do. I was able to do two reps at 315 lb. which is about 86% of my 1RM. I wanted to add 10 lb. to make it ~90% but I decided against it. I didn't want to risk it since my legs were not fresh. I'm proud of my lift however.

WOD

AMRAP 7 Minutes

30 double unders
15 hang power cleans
10 toes to bar

This workout was more challenging than anticipated. I was weary of the toes to bar but I was confident I would be able to get through it quickly. During the workout it became evident that the toes to bar were going to be the hardest movement. I had to break up the hang cleans during the second and third round but I didn't have a long rest. The toes to bar were harder to string together. I was only able to to complete three or so before I had to rest. I finished two rounds, 30 double unders and 15 hang power cleans.

Thursday

Push Press - 3x3 at 70% (155 lb.)

I was able to complete this workout without much trouble. The last set was the hardest and I was a bit slower doing the reps. One of the coaches was saying I should test my 1RM since it looked too easy.

Power Snatch

Every Two Minutes for Ten Minutes

2 power snatch at 85% (135 lb.)

This workout was not as bad as I had envisioned it. Since I have a light snatch, the weight was manageable. I had enough time to recover between sets. I hope this means I can try and PR my snatch soon.

Clean and Jerk

Every Two Minutes for Ten Minutes

2 power cleans plus jerk at 85% (185 lb.)

I thought this workout was going to be tough and it was. The first two rounds were good. I was able to clean the weight without much trouble but my jerk needed help. I'm still not comfortable doing my jerk and it showed during the workout. I need to do more reps to get the hang of it. I was making sure my form was good and my coach said I was doing a great job. The last round was the hardest. At this time I was barely able to power clean the weight and it took the last bit of strength to complete the jerk. I was drained at the end but I managed to complete the workout.

Front Squat

4x4 at 75% (215 lb.)

I really didn't want to do this squat workout. I was drained after the clean and jerk workout that I wanted to just walk away. A few members didn't finish this part since they ran out of time but I was determined to end the week on a high note. After warming up my front squat I decided to get right into it. The first set wasn't good. I felt my elbows dropping and I was struggling to stay upright. I took a few minutes to regroup and catch my breath and started on my next set. My form improved and the reps felt better, I was feeling a lot more warmed up. All I needed was a few minutes to regroup. The last two sets were great. I kept telling myself that it was almost over and that was enough to push me to finish.

I wanted to do the WOD but I was too tired. I was drained and I would have done horribly in that workout. It looked like lots of fun but my body didn't want to cooperate. Sometimes, it's best to just take a break and hit it hard the next time.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!