Archive for 2017

Home Archive for 2017

Friday

Back Squat - 7x5 at 75% (275 lb.)

After not working out the whole week, I start up with back squats. The programming calls for 75% + 10 - 15 lb. increase from the last week. I haven't been squating lately so I stay at my actual 75%. After warm ups I get to the bar and start my first set. I was able to control the weight on the decent but was slow on the ascent. I was trying to be more explosive but I could stand up quick enough. After a few more sets, my legs warmed up and I was able to be quicker. I was only able to finish six out of seven sets at 75% because of time limitations. Great squat day and I'm feeling more confident.

WOD - 10 Minutes

150 Double Unders
-then in remaining time, AMRAP:
15 Wall Balls (20 lb.)
15 Power Cleans (95 lb.)

After the squat session, I knew this workout was going to suck. My legs were going to be working hard for the next 10 minutes. The double unders were going to give me a hard time as well as the wall balls. The power cleans were going to be okay since it's a light weight for me to cycle.

I was able to complete 75 unbroken double unders before my arms started to tire. It was hard to string reps after. I would be able to complete up to 10 reps before I would trip again or I would stop because my arms couldn't keep going. I finished the double under, three minutes into the workout and started on the "hard part" of the workout.

I hate wall balls and they were the first movement after the double unders. My strategy was to break up the wall balls and power cleans into sets of two. The wall balls were slow and steady. I would take a few seconds between each set to catch my breath and try to get back to the movement quickly. The power cleans were the same. After the first round, I could feel the exhaustion catching up to me and would take more rest in between sets. It was tough and I finished with two rounds and 13 wall balls. I was shooting for three rounds but I wasn't able to get there. Fun workout for the week.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

The last few weeks have been busy. I was not going to the gym consistently, and I was able to go five days out of the last three weeks. Now that things have calmed down, I can get back to documenting my CrossFit journey!

Monday

Strict Press - Find your 1RM

After missing the past few weeks, I knew this was going to be tough and my chance of setting a new PR were slim. However, I was going to give it my all and try my best. I loaded up some weight and started the warm up. The coaches suggested some percentages for the warm up that I followed until I reached 85% of my 1RM. 145 lb. felt good and I was able to complete two reps at that weight. I loaded 155 lb. and I was not able to get the bar past my eyes. I took a few minutes rest and tried again but ended up with the same result, no rep. I felt defeated but I know, I need to work more. If I was more consistent, maybe I would have been able to get it. Next time, their is always next time.

WOD 1 - 8 Minute Time Cap

15-9-6

Thrusters (135 lb.)
Chest to bar pull ups

After failing at my strict press PR, I knew I had to redeem myself. I decided not to scale the thrusters and attempt the workout Rx. The chest to bar pull ups were going to be hard but that's to be expected. The first 15 reps of thrusters were not bad. I broke it up into two sets of ten and five making the work manageable. The chest to bars were broken up into sets of five. The last two rounds were a lot harder but I was able to grind through it. I Finished the workout at 7:17.

WOD 2 - 6 Minute AMRAP

10 burpees
50 double unders

We started only a minute after finishing the first WOD. I was exhausted and tried to catch my breath before starting the next workout. What followed was the slowest burpees I've ever done. I would hit the deck, and rest at the bottom for a second before standing up. It was a snails pace but it was the best I could do. The double unders however went a lot better than expected. I finished two rounds unbroken and had to break up the other rounds into three or four sets. It was a great workout but I wish I had more energy for the burpees. I finished the workout with two rounds and three burpees.

Wednesday

Power Clean Complex

1 Power Clean + 3 Push Press

My power cleans have been consistent lately. I've been able to complete some complexes at 205 lb. but the push press would be tough at that weight. My last three rep max attempt was at 200 lb., a new PR. I was hoping I would be able to complete this complex at 205 lb. At the beginning of the workout the clean and push presses felt great. As the weights increased the push press became more difficult but I was able to complete the lifts without any misses. At 205 lb. the clean wasn't hard but the push presses were very heavy. I was able to get one good rep and two "ugly" reps. I was able to lock out my arms and not re dip like a jerk. They were not the nicest looking lifts but I got them done. Complete one complex at 205 lb.

Snatch Pull - 3x3 at 110% (205 lb)

205 lb. was 10 lb. over my 110% but I wanted to try out pulls at this weight. I took the first set to get used to the weight. It was heavier than what I'm used to but I tried to focus on form and completing the pulls. After the first set, the other two went smooth. The weight still felt heavy but I'm sure I will be able to snatch this one day.

Back Squat - 3x10 at 65% (245 lb.)

Ten reps is no joke! I was confident going into the workout but as the warm up went on, I started to have doubts. Doing five reps at 225 lb. was a lot harder than what I expected. Ten reps at 245 lb. was going to be terrible.

I psyched myself up and started on my first set. I felt good until the ninth rep where I started to feel tired. I barely made it up on the 10th rep. The next set was just as hard. I barely finished the set, getting stuck on the eighth rep. The last set was the most difficult. I made it to five reps before I had to re rack the bar. I took about 30 seconds of rest and finished the last five reps. It was a very challenging squat workout.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

This is going to be a long post. I worked out for five days straight. I'll try not to bore you and if you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Overhead Squat Complex - Find a Heavy 1 Rep

Behind the neck push jerk + overhead squat

I treated this as an overhead squat max. I usually push jerk to get the weight overhead. My goal for this was to complete at least 200 lb. After warm up, I was able to complete lifts at 185 lb. and 200 lb. The lifts felt good and decided to try 220 lb., five pounds below my current PR. After a minute of rest, I attempted the lift and was able to complete it. I decided to call it a day. I was happy with my lift.

Hang Snatch - 3x3 at 75% (130 lb.)

I was riding my high completing the overhead squat and went directly into the hang snatches. 130 lb. is heavy for me but I used straps to keep my grip in tact. I had one miss in the first set. I took a breath and focused. I was able to complete the next nine reps without a miss. Not bad for snatches.

Strict Press - 3x5 at 65% (110 lb.)

After all the strict press work we have been doing, this was a piece of cake. Had no issues.

Back Squat - 3x5 at 75% (264 lb.)

I didn't need a warm up for this and went into it quickly. I haven't been squatting heavy so this took some effort. It was a tough three rounds but I got through it quickly.

Tuesday

Overhead Squat - Find a 3RM

I was a bit sore from Monday but I was going to try and set a new PR today. I started with 135 lb. and worked up to 185 lb. before thinking of my next few weights. I decided to lift 195 lb. and then jump to 209 lb. to try and set a new PR. I was able to finish three reps but they were a struggle. I was able to PR my overhead squat by four pounds. Not a large number but I'm happy with it.

WOD - Double Under Nancy

5 Rounds

50 double unders

15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

I did this workout three years ago. I scaled to using only the bar which took me 14:26. This time around, I wanted to PR my time as well as the weight. After doing the overhead squat session, I was feeling good. I was confident in my overhead squat but not the double unders. I didn't want to push too hard and gas in the third or fourth round.

The workout started great, I was able to go unbroken on the double unders and the overhead squats for the first two rounds. Round three started to get tough. I was barely able to string 10-20 double unders before messing up. The overhead squats were starting to feel heavy. I was able to get five or six reps before setting the bar back on my back.

It was a grind to finish the fourth round but I almost gave up at the fifth. My legs were on fire and it me a few seconds to catch my breath. Around this time my wife finished her workout and walked over to me to give me some encouragement. I was able to get through the double unders and go unbroken on the overhead squats. The overhead squats were extremely difficult. I had to put all my focus into keeping my arms engaged and break through the pain. I almost lost it around rep seven or eight but I was able to save it. My arms were starting to go numb right when I finished the last rep. My total time was 13:21, 1:05 faster than my last time. Double PR for the day!

Wednesday

Bench Press - 5x2 at 90% (205 lb.)

This was the heaviest I've gone in awhile. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad. I used a spotter but I didn't have to be helped. It felt great.

Partner WOD - AMRAP, 16 Minutes

20 box jumps (24 in.)

15 deadlifts (225 lb.)

Handstand hold (30 sec.)

I did this partner workout with my wife and we scaled it. Instead of the handstand hold it was a 10m handstand walk. The scale was handstand holds which was more than enough to get our shoulders burning. We split the reps down the middle. Our goals for this workout was to complete six rounds.

The first three rounds went smooth but my partner and I were tired out. I under estimated the deadlifts and tired my best to keep up the intensity. We fell short of the six round goal and completed only five rounds.

Thursday

Clean Complex

Clean + Hang Clean + Clean

This was a fun complex but it was also frustrating. I couldn't hold onto the bar during the hang portion of the complex at 215 lb. and decided to finish the workout. I have work on establishing the hook grip after the first clean. That should help with my grip issues. I was able to complete the complex at 205 lb.

Push Press - 4x5 at 65% (145 lb.)

At 65% I was able to finish this workout quickly. I focused on my front rack position and my finishing position

Back Squat + Jerk

3 back squat + behind the neck jerk

This was a difficult one because of the behind the neck jerk. I haven't been practicing it that much and it felt a bit awkward. My limiting factor for this complex was going to be the jerk but I wanted to work up to 225 lb. I started off with a light weight, focusing on form and getting used to the movement. I started getting used to the movement but my form wasn't great. I was able to reach my goal of 225 lb. but it wasn't pretty. I had a slight press on jerk and I had to save it. Slowly getting back into these movements.

Friday

Strict Press - 5x6 at 65% (99 lb.)

I was able to get through this quickly. The last two rounds were tough but not too difficult.

Strict Press - 1x10 at 60% (88 lb.)

This burnout set was difficult. After the thirty reps my arms were tired. I was able to complete about eight reps at a touch and go pace before my arms were tired. I was able to finish the last two reps but they took a bit longer. 88 lb. never felt so heavy!

Partner WOD - AMRAP, 20 Minutes

4 muscle up

8 pistols

12 handstand push ups

Run (200 m)

I did this workout with my wife and we had a great time. I was able to do all the movements Rx but she had to scale. The reps were split in half and the worst part of this workout was the run, no surprise there.

The first few rounds started off great. The movements were challenging but I was able to get through them quickly. We started to slow down after round four. I was able to keep my same pace but my partner had to slow down a bit. I kept an okay pace for the rest of the workout but had to slow down on my partners reps. It was not a problem and my goal was to keep her moving and motivated. We survived the workout and finished with six rounds and a muscle up. Great partner workout!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Monday

Power Clean Complex - Find a 1 Rep Heavy

Power clean + push press

It was a heavy Monday and that doesn't go that well for me. I was still a bit sore from the previous week but I wanted to get some work in. The limiting movement for this complex was going to be the push press. My estimated weight for this complex would be around 205 lb. - 225 lb. The warm up felt okay, my quads were still a little tight but thankfully it was power not squat cleans. I made the lift at 205 lb. and then tried for 215 lb. I missed the 215 lb. lift and decided to stop there.

Snatch Pull - 3x3 at 100% (185 lb.)

I haven't done snatch pulls since the last time I was doing barbell club programming. I warmed up with some light weight and slowly got the feel for the movement. I loaded up my 100% and finished all three sets.

Front Squat - Find a 1 Rep Heavy

The clean complex saved my quads but this front squat session was going to kill them. My previous 1RM was around 305 lb. but I knew I was not going to get that high. I was a bit warm from the power cleans so I loaded about 50% (165 lb.) as my first weight. It felt very heavy and I knew I was going to struggle at anything over 280 lb. I loaded 225 lb. and was able to complete a few reps. I loaded 265 lb. on the bar and I was able to complete one rep. I was having a hard time keeping the bar on my shoulders and keeping my elbows up. I decided to end it there since my form was starting to suffer.

Tuesday

Front Squat - 5x5 at 70% (225 lb.)

If Mondays squats were not enough, today we have 25 more reps! My 70% is about 225 lb. which felt heavy Monday. The warm up felt good and I loaded my 70%. My first two sets were easy to get through. My legs felt great but I could feel my core starting to fatigue. I was trying to keep my torso upright and not dropping my elbows but after the second set, it was going to be a struggle. The following sets were a grind but I was able to get through it. I was able to complete the workout at my actual percentages. I was stoked.

Partner WOD - For Time

Row (90 cals.)

60 toes to bar

300 double unders

70 burpee over partner

This partner workout looked like a lot of fun except for the toes to bar. The toes to bar was going to be my worst movement. The other three were not too bad. We decided to break up the reps in small sets so that we could keep up the intensity.

The row was broken up into sets of 15 cals. This would give each partner about a minute of rest. My partner was a strong rower and he was a lot faster than I was. I pulled at a faster than normal pace and we finished the row fairly quickly. The toes to bar is where we hit a snag. I was not able to string more than three or five reps together. My abs started to cramp up after the first 10 reps. My partner scaled the toes to bar and was able to go unbroken for all his reps leaving me with a short rest time. I took longer than what I would have liked on the toes to bar but I will make it up on the double unders.

We broke up the reps into sets of 30 switching off every 20 seconds or so. This was the fastest portion of the workout for us. The last movement was just as bad as the toes to bar. We broke up the reps into sets of five but we were already running out of breath by then. We pushed till the end and finished the workout at 19:34.

Wednesday

Bench Press - 3x6 at 85% (185 lb.)

Bench pressing is starting to feel good again. My wrist still has a slight pain but nothing too uncomfortable. 185 lb. is lower than my actual 85% but I was happy with the workout. Slowly building up the strength again.

WOD - Fight Gone Bad Style, 4 Rounds

Power cleans (155 lb.)

Shuttle run (200 m)

Chin over bar hold

-Rest-

I planned to do at least seven to eight reps on the power cleans, finish the run and complete at least 40 seconds of chin over bar holds. While it was the plan, it didn't go that well. I was able to get the reps in for the power cleans but not the other two movements. However, I'm not surprised. Gymnastics is still a weak part of my fitness that I'm actively trying to work on. It was a great workout but I under estimated it.

Friday

Strict Press - 3x7 at 60% (100 lb.), 1x2 at 90% (135 lb.), 1x10 at 60% (100 lb.)

My strength is slowly coming back. I was able to finish this workout at weights close to my old percentages. The burn out set was a killer, smoked my shoulders and triceps.

Partner WOD - AMRAP 15 Minutes

Row (200 m)

15 thrusters (45 lb.)

10 push ups

My wife and I had a great time doing this workout. The movements were not heavy or difficult but the large volume would add up towards the end of 15 minutes. The workout was split up with partners alternating movements. The workout started well. The row was quick, less than a minute per person. The thrusters didn't feel heavy until the end of the workout and the push ups felt a lot harder than normal. The strict press did a number on my triceps and I was struggling with the push ups and thrusters by the end of the workout. We finished the workout with 8 rounds, 200m row and nine thrusters.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

If you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Strict Press - Establish a 1RM

My heaviest strict press was around 155 about two years ago, I was able to do two reps. Last year I was able to lift 145 lb. for three. I was hoping to lift at least 145 lb. but I wasn't confident. I loaded 95 lb. on the bar and started to warm up, adding 20 lb. until I reached 135 lb. I added on 10 lb. and attempted the lift. I was able to complete it, but barely. I knew 155 was going to be tough. I attempted the lift but was barely able to get it higher than a few inches off my shoulders. I racked the bar and waited a few minutes. I attempted a second lift and the bar went lower than the first attempt. I called it quits but I was happy with my result. I hope after this strength cycle, I'll be able to lift 165 lb.

WOD - AMRAP 12 Minutes

12 box jumps

9 push press (50 kg.)

6 lateral burpee over bar

After my failed lifts on the strict press, it was time for a short amrap. Plans for the workout, jump for all box jumps, unbroken on push press and survive the burpees over bar. I wanted to finish at least five rounds. My pace for the workout would have to be 2:15 per round.

The first three rounds of the workout went well. I kept up with the pace and finished them under six minutes. The fourth round is where I hit a wall. I was breathing pretty hard at this point and too about 30 seconds to catch my breath. I slipped on one of the box jumps during this round but thankfully I didn't hit my shins on the box. I focused on the movement and took a few deep breaths and continued. The push presses were not bad but my shoulder were wearing out. I had to break up the reps in the fifth round. The burpees were the worst. It was only six reps but they were the hardest six reps. I tried to hold the standard of taking off with two feet and landing with two feet but I would mess up and do a one legged hop over. I was frustrated and exhausted but I trudged on. I met my goal and finished this workout with five rounds and three box jumps, barely.

Tuesday

Snatch Complex - Three Position Snatch: Ground, Above Knee, Hip

I'm still working on the snatch. We did a heave one rep last week but I'm still a little rusty. I started at 40 kg and worked up to 65 kg. I felt pretty good throughout the positions but the hang is the hardest. My grip gives out during the pull. I attempted 70 kg but I missed on the hang.

WOD - For Time (10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1)

Power Snatch (95 lb.)

Overhead Squat (95 lb.)

This was going to be a difficult workout. 55 reps of snatches at 95 lb. was a lot, especially after the snatch complex. I planned to break up the snatch reps in half and go almost unbroken on overhead squats since it's my stronger movement.

The power snatches from rounds 8-10 were broken up into two sets with 15 - 20 seconds in between sets. The overhead squats were done unbroken. By the round of seven, I could feel the fatigue set in. My lower back was starting to get tight and my shoulders were feeling weak. I started breaking the sets into three which took longer but I was able to keep a good pace. I felt like quitting around round five and I almost gave up. My wife and coaches pushed me and I finished the workout in 13:27.

Wednesday

Bench Press - Find a 1RM

The last time I did heavy bench presses was last year. It's not a huge part of the programming at the box and I haven't been doing it on my own. My last 1RM was 240 lb. and I didn't know how well I was going to do that day. I did a typical warm up. Starting at 95 lb. and working up with 30 - 50 lb. increments. I maxed my bench press at 205 lb. which is 40 lb. lower than my previous max. I have to work back up to that number over the next few weeks.

WOD - Elizabeth, Time Cap - 10 Minutes

21-15-9

Clean (135 lb.)
Ring dips

This was going to be a tough workout. The last time I attempted this workout, I almost passed out. I haven't been working on my dips but I wanted to do this Rx. I would push until I had to scale the ring dips. I decided to break up the reps into three sets of seven. The first round of 21 cleans went well. I was able to do the sets unbroken. The ring dips were a different story. I was able to complete seven reps but I was moving too slow. Given enough time, I would have been able to complete this workout Rx but I wanted to keep moving and finish most of the reps under time cap. Even the scaled ring dips were taking a toll on my arms. My arms were shot but I was able to finish 15 scaled dips when time cap was called. If I had another three minutes I would have been able to finish this workout. Need to work on my dips.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

If you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Tuesday

Back Squat - Find a Heavy Set of 5

My goal for this back squat session was to beat my numbers from last week. I lifted 120 kg. for five, so today I was shooting for 125 kg. I warmed up to 100 kg and added 10 kg each set. My form felt off but I focused and was able to do a few reps that felt better. I was able to lift 120 kg without much trouble but I did stick around the fifth rep. I added 5 kg and started my lifts. I was able to complete the first two reps without issue. The weight felt heavy at rep four and five but I was able to stand them up. I wasn't confident enough to add more weight and stopped at 125 kg. I was able to reach my goal but I didn't feel 100%.

WOD - Fight Gone Bad Style

5 Rounds, 1 Minute Per Station

Box Jumps

Wall Balls

Row (Cals.)

Rest 1 Minute

After the heavy squats we had a killer leg workout. I knew the box jumps and wall balls were going to be the hardest movements to keep consistent. I didn't want to scale the box jumps either. I wanted to make sure I jump and not step up.

I finished the first round with 16 box jumps, 17 wall balls, and 14 calories on the wall balls. I was shooting for a total of 50 reps. I came up short and it was tough to reach those numbers. I decided to lower my reps on the wall balls and box jumps and try to increase the calories on the rower. The next three rounds were 40, 34 and 38 reps. I couldn't maintain the reps on the wall balls and box jumps. I would do a few and then rest for five seconds. My legs were on fire and I couldn't push through it like I wanted to. After the third round I was dissatisfied with my score. I had to increase my intensity but I was already getting more tired. I was able to increase my reps on the fourth round and in the fifth round I was able to complete 40 reps. I was exhausted but I was able to come back from giving up and finish the workout.

Wednesday

Snatch - Find a 1 Rep Heavy

I haven't done heavy snatches in a while and my wrist was not 100%. My last heavy snatch and PR was at 171 lb. but I knew I wasn't going to hit a number that close. My focus was to maintain good form and go as heavy as I could.

I started out at 40 kg and worked up to 60 kg. At 60 kg, I could feel the strain on my right wrist. I completed the lift and added 5 kg. I completed the lift but I had to struggle to save it. I was able to stand it up but I could still feel the pain in my wrist. I loaded another 5 kg on the bar and attempted a rep and failed. I wasn't moving as quickly as I should have and it showed. I wasn't able to get under the bar but I set up for another attempt. The next attempt was the same, a miss. I was dissappointed but I understood. I haven't been doing heavy snatches and I'm not used to them. It's going to take some time but I'll be lifting at my previous weights.

Clean and Jerk Complex - 5x1 at 85% (90 kg)

2 Power Cleans + 1 Split Jerk

The percentage was taken from my power clean 1RM at about 104 kg. The power cleans were heavier than expected. I was able to complete the first rep quickly but the second rep took a lot more effort. The jerk felt awkward at first but by the third or fourth set, I was able to smooth out the lift.

Overall, my clean and jerks were better than my snatches. I'm not surprised, we have been doing more cleans and not a lot of snatch work. The barbell club programming is a lot of fun and will try and incorporate some of the lifting sessions with the classes.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Thursday

3 Position Power Clean - Find a 1 Rep Heavy

I haven't done heavy power cleans in awhile, especially a three position clean. The last time was about two months ago with a final weight of 85 kg (187 lb.). My max has been 215 lb., about a year ago. I wasn't super confident about the weight so I decided to focus more on technique.

Working up to a heavy set felt good and muscle memory took over. At 205 lb. the hardest lift was the hang power clean because of grip issues. The power and high hang positions were relatively easy. I failed the hang clean about twice before completing one. I was able to do the high hang clean easy which means I need to work on more grip and more hang cleans.

WOD

Chipper - For Time

25 wall balls (20 lb.)

10 hang power cleans (95 lb.)

25 wall balls (20 lb.)

10 power cleans (95 lb.)

25 wall balls (20 lb.)

10 squat cleans (95 lb.)

25 wall balls (20 lb.)

I hate wall balls! Which is why I should be working on them more. 100 reps is going to suck but like all workouts, I'll just have to power through. The cleans looked easy but the wall balls were going to make them miserable.

I wasn't sure how I was going to break up the reps for the wall balls. I was thinking, 15 reps and then 10. If I start to die out, I will switch to three sets of five with a minimal rest. At the start of the workout, I was able to hit my wall ball sets. The hang power cleans were fast, under 20 seconds. The second and subsequent sets of wall balls were much more difficult. I had to break them up and took much longer breaks in between. My legs and shoulder were on fire which made the cleans that much harder. It was tough and I didn't do as well as I wanted. I was looking at eight to nine minutes but I finished in 11:18.

Friday

Back Squat - Find a 5 Rep Heavy

The coaches advised me to work up to 75% of my 1RM which would be around 275 lb. I haven't done much squatting in the past few months and I knew I was going to be rusty. I started to warm up and worked up to 240 lb. I felt different during my squats. My form and movement felt off. I focused on keeping perfect form which helped. I was hoping it was rust and I could shake it off with the next lift. I added 265 lb. to the bar and started my set. It was a lot heavier than I thought but thankfully I had a lifting partner giving me encouragement. I finished the last rep and decided to stop there. Hopefully, my strength comes back in the coming months.

Partner WOD - AMRAP 25 Minutes

25 sit ups

3 rope climbs

Run (400 m)

This workout was going to be tough on the legs. 400 m is not a long distance but it was going to hurt after that squat session. We decided to split the reps in alternating rounds. Sets of five for the sit ups and alternating reps on the rope climbs. One round, one person would do five more sit ups and rope climbs and then alternate between partners. I decided to do the rope climbs while my wife decided to scale.

Our goal for the workout was to finish at least five rounds, A pace of five minutes per round was achievable but we would have to push the run. The first round went well, we zipped through the movements fairly easily. The second round went the same but we started having trouble on the the third round. The sit-ups were quick but I had to take a break on the rope climbs. I have a slight fear of heights and I had to catch my breath and calm myself before attempting the reps. We also took more time on the run, taking a break after 200 m. We would walk for about 10-15 seconds before finishing the run portion.

This continued into the fourth round as well. We started our fifth round at four minutes to time cap. Finishing the round was going to be hard, but we were going to try our best. We breezed through the sit ups but I had to take a minute before the rope climbs. We finished our reps and started the run with about a minute left. We were exhausted and tried our best but we were short of our five round goal. We hit the time with only 100 m finished. It was a great workout but that run killed us.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Wednesday

Hero WOD - Manion

"First Lieutenant Travis Manion, 26, of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, assigned to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Camp Pendleton, California, was killed by sniper fire on April 29, 2007 while fighting against an enemy ambush in Anbar Province, Iraq. He is survived by his father, Colonel Tom Manion, mother Janet Manion, and sister Ryan Borek." - Source: CrossFit.com

7 Rounds For Time

Run (400m)
29 back squat (135 lb.)

I knew I would not be able to do this workout Rx. 135 lb. back squats are not too heavy but 203 reps is a lot. I talked to my coach and he suggested scaling to 115 lb. After doing a short warm up, I was ready to start this workout. My goal was to keep a steady pace and finish each round under five minutes.

During the workout, the run was consistent. I was able to keep a steady pace, even into the later rounds. It wasn't the run that was giving me issues, it was the back squats. I started to first round at 115 lb. and broke up the sets into 10, 10 and 9. This worked well for the first two rounds but by the third, I had to take off 20 lb. I was able to sustain this for two more rounds until I dropped the weight altogether and did air squats. The time cap was coming up and I had to scale in order to finish. At this point I was breaking up the air squats into sets of 10, 10 and 9 and I kept up this pace until the end of the workout. I finished the workout at 44:00.

Friday

Alternating EMOM: 6 Minutes

15 wall balls (20 lb.)
15 burpees

This was a fun warm up. I was able to finish all reps under 45 seconds and get 15 seconds of rest. Started to get very difficult around the last two rounds.

WOD - For Time

5K Row

This was my first time rowing a 5K. The longest I've done in one sitting was a 2K and I didn't know how it was going to go. I started off slow, keeping a pace of 2:10/500m. The first 1000m was not bad and I was able to finish it under 4:20. As I moved closer to 2,500m I could feel my legs start to fatigue. I eased up my pace to about 2:20/500m and tried to keep my pulls consistent. At 4,000m I could feel the energy slowly drain away. I tried to stay focused and keep steady pulls as I watched the monitor increase. I was able to hold on and finished at 22:28. Now I have a goal to shoot for in the next rowing session.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

After writing about highlights for the week, I decided to go back to writing about each workout. I wanted to read about a previous workout but I didn't write about it. This has inspired me to document all the workouts like my previous posts. I'm going to skip over the previous weeks since I only went once. If you want to see my workout week, check out my Beyond the Whiteboard profile.

Monday

Overhead Squat - 6x2 at 80% (185 lb.)

Lately, my hips have been feeling really tight. I haven't been doing much mobility at home or after class and I think it is catching up to me. I took a long time warming up my legs and hips but I felt a lot better after. 135 lb. and 155 lb. felt heavy but at least my legs were holding up. I was able to keep a good form. At 185 lb. it started to get tough. My first set was not strong. After finishing two reps, I wanted to drop the weight to 175 lb. but I decided against it. I did a few quick mobility drills and did my second set. This set felt a lot better than the first and I went through it quickly with good form. I felt a bit shaky but it was not too bad. I was only able to complete four sets before time ran out.

WOD

CFG Open 11.4 - AMRAP 10 Minutes

60 burpees over bar
30 overhead squats (120 lb.)
10 muscle ups

This was my first time doing this workout. Immediately, I knew the burpess were going to be difficult. I'm still slow when it comes to burpees. The 120 lb. overhead squat would not have been too heavy but I was not that confident. I was predicting maybe two to five muscle ups.

The workout started and I tried to find a rhythm. It was smooth for the first thirty reps but I started to feel winded. I started slowing down on each rep but I kept going and pushed through. I was exhausted but I was able to start the overhead squats. I snatched the weight and started to do five reps. In hindsight, I should have cleaned and set up for the overhead squat from the back. My wrist was giving me problems and I could only do a few reps at a time. At time cap, I only finished 20 reps.

Friday

Partner WOD - AMRAP, 16 Miniutes

20 handstand push ups
30 box jumps
400 m row

I walked into the box at 1645 and decided to start some mobility drills as I waited for the 1730 class to start. While warming up, my father calls me over to his overhead squat stations and asks me to be his partner for the workout. Working out with my dad is always fun so I agreed and started warming up for the workout. I would do the overhead squats at the beginning of the next class.

We decided to split the reps in half. 10 handstand push ups, 15 box jumps and 200m on the rower. Our goal for this workout was to finish four rounds. Dad was a little skeptical that we would finish and I wasn't sure if I could keep the pace. Regardless, I was going to do my best.

Not doing the overhead squats helped me get through this workout. My shoulders and legs were not tired going into it. I was able to do the handstand push ups and box jumps unbroken. Also, I was able to keep a 1:40 /500m pace on the rower. My dad was also able to go unbroken on his reps. We pushed hard and finished 4 + 25 reps at the time cap.

After the workout, I did not have the energy to complete the overhead squats. Also, my hips were a bit tight so I decided to take a rest.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Japan 2017: Osaka

Visiting Japan during cherry blossom season was one of our vacation goals. We have traveled to Tokyo and wanted to visit another part of Japan with Osaka at the top of the list. Osaka is also close to other cities we wanted to visit, Kyoto and Nara. We stayed in Osaka for six days but we could have easily stayed another week.

Cell Phones

I purchased a SIM for my wife's phone at the arrivals terminal of Kansai Airport. Look for a large sign that says SIM on it or ask the information desk. The SIM card was ¥5,000 for 2GB of data and unlimited local calls. It was a bit expensive but we needed a way to contact our AirBnb host in the event we needed something. Thankfully, our AirBnb booking came with a portable WiFi.

Transportation

We purchased two ICOCA and Haruka bundles from the JR office in the airport. The total cost was ¥8,400. The ICOCA cards come pre-loaded with ¥1500 with a ¥500 deposit. These are the tap and go cards for the subway and JR rail stations. The Haruka ticket was a round trip ticket to the city. You can stop at Tennoji station or Shin-Osaka station. If you have an ICOCA card, you can buy the Haruka pass into the city for ¥2,200. We only used the rail systems while in the city.

Accomodations

We stayed in Ashihara at this AirBnB. I was a bit disappointed with the location since it was outside of the "blue circle" on the neighborhood section of AirBnB. We wanted to stay closer to the subway or closer to Namba station. We didn't want to cancel, so we made it work. We definitely got our steps in.

The Fun Stuff

I did not take a lot of pictures because I was using my GoPro. A lot of video was shot using the GoPro and will be compiled into a video at a later date.

Osaka Aquarium

The Osaka aquarium was amazing. It houses many different animals ranging from dolphins, penguins, whale sharks, otters and other aquatic animals. The aquarium is laid out like a screw. An escalator takes you to the entrance, a few floors up and you walk down looking at exhibits. The outer walls have various exhibits from different parts of the world while the center exhibit houses the main tank. The main tank houses a few species of sharks including whale sharks, a few species of rays, and a few species of fish. This was the first time I've seen whale sharks in person and they were amazing to behold. Overall, this is one of the best aquariums I have visited.

Kemasakuranomiya Park

My wife suggested this park for our cherry blossom viewing. She read about it in a few blogs and heard about it from friends who have visited previously. The park was huge and we walked about 1.5 kilometers taking pictures and videos along the way. It was overcast but the trees looked beautiful.

Shrines

Osaka has a lot of shrines and temples. It seems like every few blocks we would see one. We observed a few rituals, especially the flinging of water on Buddhist statues.

Food

Japanese cuisine, awesome. Japanese pancakes, awesome. Japanese versions of western food, awesome. I didn't have a bad meal in Osaka.

Favorites

Ramen - Hanamaruken
Sushi - Harukoma
Breakfast - Eggs 'n Things

CrossFit and Game Stores

We checked out CrossFit Hommachi A+ and CrossFit Minami while in Osaka. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures while inside A+ and CF Minami was closed for a private class. A+ has a few rules if you want to drop it. All tattoos must be covered or they will not let you workout. It's a Japanese custom since tattoos are associated with the Yakuza (Japanese crime group/gang). Also, dropping weights are not allowed. The coach at CF Minami however said dropping weights is allowed in his gym. We didn't get to drop in but we did purchase a few shirts.

Iconoclasm was on my list of stores to visit in Nipponbashi Denden Town, the anime/toy district. The front of the building has a small Warhammer 40k diorama which was a great eye catcher. The shop is not large but it is packed full of wargaming stuff. The main games featured were Warhammer 40k and Warmachine/Hordes.

Universal Studios Japan

My wife and I love visiting theme parks, especially American ones in foreign countries. We look for different foods in concession stands and if rides have changed. The main draw for us was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The lines were not too long and each ride was worth it. This was another great Japanese theme park experience.

Nishinomaru Garden

Nishinomaru Garden is located west of Osaka castle. Entrance into this garden is not free, we payed ¥350 per person. The garden has a large lawn, a large number of cherry blossom trees and great views of Osaka castle. We did not explore most of the north end of the garden but we did stay until evening. At night, the garden lights up with some spotlights on the cherry blossom trees and other lights lining the paths. If you're willing to pay the entrance fee, this is a great spot to hang out and enjoy the cherry blossoms.

Thoughts on Osaka

Japan is a great country to visit. The people are friendly and polite, the streets are clean and the food is delicious. Walking through the different alleys and busy streets, I noticed a difference between Osaka and Tokyo, the vibe. It's not as fast paced and people are not rushing. Everyone is relaxed, laid back and enjoying life. I can see the appeal of visiting during cherry blossom season. Enjoying the outdoors and appreciating nature is not something most of us do, it's refreshing.

We did a lot more stuff in Nara and Kyoto but that's for a different post. I was not able to list everything we did but we had a great time. We met up with a few friends and enjoyed the city together. I'm not sure where we are going to next, maybe the Philippines or Korea. Look out for the video.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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Reckoner, Heavy Warjack by Privateer Press

Yu Jing: Ninja with Tactical Bow (Finished)

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Japan 2017: Osaka

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Deliverer Sunburst Crew (Finished)

Limitless Fails Gaming Group at EpixCon 2017

Japan 2017: Osaka

The Fun Stuff

Thoughts on Osaka