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!