Gymnastics Skill

Worked on some gymnastics skills. Started out doing some handstand drills, 3 x 20 seconds each. Started with freestanding handstands with help from a spotter and shoulder taps. The shoulder taps were scaled to trying to lift each hand off the ground. I don't have the strength or the balance to do shoulder taps while hand standing. The next set of skills were 3 x 10 seconds each of handstand t's and handstand walks. Handstand t's are entry practice for handstand walks. Next up were actual handstand walks. I'm not able to do many steps on the handstand walks and decided to use the wall for assistance. I would be a few feet from the wall and then try to walk to it. I'm still horrible at it but I'm getting better. 

WOD  

Loredo - 25 minute time cap

6 rounds:

24 air squats

24 push ups

24 walking lunge

400 m run

This was my first time attempting this hero wod. I was worried about the run but it was everything else that killed me. It didn't hit me until the second round how much the air squats and the walking lunges were going to work my legs. The run wasn't too bad, since I kept a constant pace. My legs were on fire after the second round but I tried to stay consistent. It was tough, I had to break up everything. The air squats and lunges were done in tens and the push ups were broken up into sets of five or six. Surprisingly, I didn't walk during the run. I finished the workout with only four rounds completed at time cap.

I was only able to workout one day this week. I did a few hobby stuff with the guys from LFGG and I took some time off during the new year holiday. I hope everyone had an enjoyable new year!

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Sumo Deadlift - 7x5 at 70% (225 lb.)

My main focus was trying to find a better grip and to be more comfortable. The first few sets were good. I was able to maintain good form and the wider grip made it easier to stabilize the weight. The last few sets I tried to focus on doing some touch and go reps. The weight wasn't too heavy and I was able to string two to three reps.

WOD 1

EMOM - 10 minutes

15 wall balls (20 lb.)

This workout is Karen but EMOM. The last time I attempted Karen, I had to scale Karen the last time and it took me around 13 minutes. I was able to keep the 15 wall balls during the first five minutes. after that the reps would drop from 15 to 10 and then to 8 the last round. I could have finished all 150 reps if I had more time. I'm happy with my results.

WOD 2

AMRAP - 7 minutes

7 - chest to bar pull ups
7 - shoulder to overhead (115 lb.)

My biggest worry for this workout was the chest to bar pull ups. I'm still working on my gymnastics skills and my pull up skills are not great. I'm able to do a chest to bar pull up but I get tired fairly quickly. The shoulder to overhead weight was set at 135 lb. for Rx, but I scaled down to 115 lb. I was tired after the deadlifts and the wall balls so scaling seemed like a good idea. The workout started off okay. I was able to string five chest to bars together and finished with two more. I decided to do push jerks instead of a push press. I was able to finish the rounds unbroken. The last two rounds of chest to bars were slow. I had to do singles or at most sets of two. I finished with three rounds.

Tuesday

Strict Press - 7x5 at 65% (115 lb.)

I haven't done strict press in awhile and decided to go a bit lighter. The movement was hard on my wrists but I was able to get through it. I need to work on warming up my wrists a bit more before class. 

WOD

Alternating EMOM - 15 minutes

15 ring push ups

15 box jumps 

150 m run

I liked this workout but I under estimated the ring push ups. I thought I would be able to recover in time for the next rep but I was wrong. The last two rounds of ring push ups I was only able to complete eight reps. The other movements were okay. I was able to complete the box jumps unbroken and the 150 m run wasn't too bad, finishing in about 45 - 50 seconds.

Buyout

Tabata - Burpees

I was exhausted by the time we started the buyout. My triceps were on fire from the ring dips, and my legs were sore from the box jumps and the run. I was only able to do two to five reps each round. I tried to push myself to do more but my body couldn't keep up. At least I pushed as hard as I could.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Taken from the Loot Crate site, "Each month, Loot Crate™ ships a themed mystery box of the best geek, gaming, and pop culture gear to a subscriber base of over 100,000 Looters. We emphasize phenomenal support and content, and include gear from some of the most respected entertainment and consumer product companies in the world." Loot Crate sells for $13.95 a month plus $6.00 shipping and handling. You can save on the costs by subscribing for longer periods as well. If you like this theme check out the link at the bottom to subscribe.

This month's theme was Galaxy with items from Star Wars, Halo and Galaxy Quest. Also included will be a T-shirt and Funko Pop vinyl.

What's in the Box?

This month's shirt is an "Ugly Christmas sweater". The people at Loot Crate made a space exploration 8-bit design to commemorate all the achievements from NASA this year. My inner astronomer is happy.

Next up is a cool Halo 5 tin and a dlc pack. I haven't played the recent Halo games with my last game being Halo 2. This is because I can't afford both consoles and I don't think I'll give up my Play Station any time soon. I like containers since I always need boxes to store my hobby stuff. This ammo box tin will be put to good use. It did come with a few dents in it but it's not a big deal. As for the dlc code, I'll give it to whoever wants it. First person to comment at the bottom will get it. 

Also included were some sweet BB-8 socks and a Galaxy Quest patch. I've liked all the socks that were included in past crates. These BB-8 socks will go well with my others Star War apparel. The Galaxy Quest patch is a prop replica from the movie and is also a Loot Crate exclusive. I can probably add it to my Wargaming bag.

The exclusive Funko Pop this month is Han Solo! This is from the Force Awakens line which means this is older Han. I do not own a Star War Funko bobble head, and I'm glad this is my first one. This is definitely going on my desk. 

The box turns into a "Cryo Capsule" with a QR code at the bottom. The link leads to a sliding puzzle game that you can play. If you complete the puzzles you get a downloadable poster of the ship you repaired.

Loot Crate did a great job with this month's crate. They had great items with the Han Solo bobble head, BB-8 socks and the ugly sweater space shirt being my favorites. In the magazine Loot Crate announced that they are including shirts in every 2016 crate. I liked most of the shirts this year and I'm excited for next year.

Sumo Deadlift - 6x6 at 65% (225 lb)

Started off Tuesday with some sumo deadlifts. I don't feel like I have control of the bar which is why I'm still not comfortable with the movement. I'm only able to do about two reps touch and go until I have to reset. The weight doesn't feel to heavy which is great since I'm trying to focus more on form.

WOD - 15 minute time cap

50-40-30-20-10

Double unders
Russian Kettlebell swing (54 lb.)

Kettlebell swing Annie. I'm not fast during regular Annie, so I doubt this one will be any better. The kettlebell swings were going to be tough especially after doing double unders. The first round started off well. I went through both the double unders and kettlebell swings unbroken. During the second round is when things started to slow down. I was able to get trough the 40 reps unbroken but the kettlebell swings were broken up into two sets of 20. I started messing up my double unders during the rest of the workout with only the last round of 10 being unbroken. The kettlebell swings were broken up, every few reps. I finished the workout at 13:46.

Wednesday

Bench Press - 5x7 65% of 1RM (155 lb.)

The strength for Wednesday was bench press. I had a hard time in the last set finishing the last two reps. It was an easy day.

WOD 1 - For Time

7 Rounds - 7 minute time cap

7 thrusters (95 lb.)

7 ring push ups

I had to scale this workout. The original weight was 115 lb. and I know I wouldn't have been able to finish the workout under seven minutes at that weight. The hardest part of this workout was the ring push ups. It was harder to do after all the bench presses. I started to slow down around the third round. I had to take breaks between all the push ups. I was only able to finish five rounds before the time cap ended. 

WOD 2 -

5 x 300 meters

Rest 30 secoonds

I hate running but I know it's a great skill to have. I managed to finish each interval under two minutes which is a great pace for me. The last two intervals were trough. The intervals felt like forever and I wanted to quit. I managed to keep jogging, albeit slowly. The total time was around 9:30 for all five intervals. 

Snatch Complex

Power snatch + snatch balance + 2 overhead squats - 1 at 50%, 2 at 60%, 2 at 65%, 1 at 70%

Started with a snatch warm up that lasted about 15 minutes before starting this snatch complex. The weights were based off our snatch 1RM. As the weight increased I noticed issues in my form. I didn't lock out on my power snatch, and I had a small push to lock out. I need to work on dropping into a lower squat on my catch. Other than that, I felt great.

WOD

21 - 15 - 9

Box jumps, 24 in,
Power snatch (75 lb.)
Chest to bar pull ups.

My goal for this workout was to finish under 15 minutes. I scaled the weight for the power snatch from 95 lb. to 75 lb. Hopefully the weight drop would be enough. I planned on doing chest to bar pull ups but would probably have to scale later in the workout. The beginning of the workout was good. I went through the box jumps at a good pace and then I reached the power snatches. I was able to break up the snatches into two sets. I could definitely feel the snatch complex catching up to me. The chest to bar pull ups were not great. I broke up all the reps into fives which took a lot of time. I decided to switch to pull ups for the remainder of the workout.

The second round wasn't any better. I kept a good pace through the box jumps but the snatch and pull ups were slow. At this point I was extremely tired. I split the snatches into fives and the pull ups into threes. I tried to string more together but I couldn't find a rhythm. The last round was a grind. I was able to make it through the box jumps and went very slow through everything else. I was able to finish the workout in 15:36, short of my goal.

Wednesday

Snatch Balance + 3 Overhead Squats - 40%, 50%, 60%, 65%, 2 x 70%

Worked off my snatch 1RM. Weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. Worked on form since the weight was relatively light. I need to work on moving my feet during my snatch balance since my feet do not move wide enough. My overhead squat work was good, I focused on my form and keeping active shoulders and controlling my decent.

WOD

Nancy - 20 minute time cap

5 rounds

Run, 400 m
15 overhead squats (95 lb.)

 My last attempt at Nancy was 22:34 with the bar at 75 lb. I was going to scale the weight but decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish under 20 minutes but I was going to do my best. My overhead squats have improved and my total weight has gone up the past few months. I was confident I would finish.

My 400 m run was fine but the overhead squats were a bit difficult. I had to break the overhead squats into two sets. The rest of the workout however I was able to do all the reps unbroken. The run gave me the most trouble. My legs felt like jello and I couldn't keep a quick pace. On the last round, I was barely jogging, it was rough. I managed to finish under time cap with a time of 19:46, a new PR! I was almost three minutes faster and it was done Rx. Even though I came in close to last, I was proud of myself and the progress I made. I did some mobility and called it a day.

Tuesday

The original weight for the kettlebell swings was 2 pood but I knew my grip wouldn't last that long. I scaled down to 1.5 pood which is more manageable. My goal for this workout was to go unbroken all five rounds. With the scaled kettlebell swings, it would be achievable. Also, I didn't want to run. I took a good amount of rest in between rounds to regain my grip and to catch my breath. The last round was the biggest challenge. I was barely able to finish the toes to bar and the kettlebell swings because my body was fatigued. I could barely lift my legs on the last toes to bar but I finished. My grip was starting to go around rep 15 on the kettlebell swings, but I pushed through it and finished it unbroken as well. I was very tired but I managed to reach my goal of going unbroken throughout all rounds. I finished the workout in 9:26, next time I hope to do it with a 2 pood kettlebell. 

Skill Work

I worked on four movements: double unders, ring dips, pistol squats and hand stand push ups. I have most of these movements down except for pistol squats. I'm able to do them but I still need to work on my left leg. I used a 15 lb. plate as a counter weight to get into a better position on my pistols which worked. It's a good thing we worked on this skill since our workout included all these.

WOD

Tabata

Double unders

Ring dips

Pistol squats (alternating)

hand stand push ups

I did a lot of reps during the skill work and it showed during the workout. My goal for this workout was to at least do one rep every round. Especially for the ring dips and hand stand push ups. I started out the rounds doing well. During the double unders I would get around 20 - 25 reps but as the rounds went on, I barely made it to 18 reps. I started out the ring dips with four and by the end I was only at one rep. During the beginning rounds of pistols I was able to maintain six to eight reps but that went down to only two. The hand stand push ups were the same as the pistols. I started high and ended up low, finishing with two reps as well. 

Snatch Complex

1 Power Snatch + 3 Snatch Balance - 35%, 40%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%

Worked off our 1RM for percentages. The weights ranged from 45 lb. to 115 lb. The lifts felt good during the entire complex. I didn't miss any of the reps. I worked on my form for the power snatches and the snatch balance. I need to work on it more during open gym times.

WOD

12-9-6-3

Power snatch (75 lb.)

Burpee

Before the workout, the coaches said the workout should be under five minutes. The Rx weight was 95 lb. for the snatches, so I decided to scale. My goals for this workout were to finish under five minutes and to be consistent during the burpees. I was able to be consistent on the snatches and the burpees. I had to break up the power snatches during the round of six but I was able to recover and finish everything unbroken. The burpees were not too bad. They were difficult but I pushed my way through it and finished 3:46. I want to redo this workout at 95 lb. to see how long it would take me. I finished the day with 15 minutes of mobility.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!