Monday - Back Squat 

4 at 60% (225 lb.)

4 at 70% (275 lb.)

4 at 80% (305 lb.)

2 at 85% (325 lb.)

4 at 80% (305 lb.)

2 at 85% (325 lb.)

4 at 80% (305 lb.)

This was one of my favorite strength workouts for the week. I didn't set any PR's but I did reach a milestone. I haven't been confident in my squat since I came back from Europe. It was kind of a bummer but I knew it was going to take a while for my body to get used to the heavy weight again. Thankfully, I can finally see some progress. A few weeks ago, I wasn't able to complete a set of squats at 80%. I needed a spot and was only able to get 2 reps and then 1 rep after a short rest. Now, I'm able to complete 4 reps without a spotter and I was able to get 2 reps at 85%. I wasn't able to complete the last set at 85% because I wasn't feeling it and it was putting a lot of strain on my knees. It's going to take time, but I will get there. 

Friday - Thruster 3 Rep Max

I set a new PR at 195 lb. My previous PR was set more than a year ago at 175 lb. My first attempt was at 185 lb. I was extremely happy and pumped up that I decided to go for 195 lb. My first rep wasn't too bad but the second and third were a challenge. The hardest part of the lifts was the breathing. I had to brace my core while trying to take in big breaths. The last rep was tough and I almost didn't make it. I got stuck for a second on the press and I barely completed the rep. Hopefully with this jump in weight, I'll be able to set a new jerk PR.

WOD

 Thursday - CrossFit Games Open 11.1/14.1 Workout

10 Minute AMRAP

30 double unders
15 power snatches (75 lb.)

This Open workout was programmed about a year ago and I was able to complete four rounds. I was hoping this time around I would be able to finish five rounds. I started the workout at a good pace. I was able to complete the first round of double unders unbroken as well as the first round of power snatches. This took about a minute to complete. I started to fatigue and I was not able to keep up that pace but I was determined to hit a PR. My double unders were not consistent. I would go for a string of 10-15 reps before breaking and in the later rounds maybe 5-10 reps. This was the hardest part of the workout, trying to string together enough double unders quickly. The power snatches were broken up into sets of seven and eight. In the later rounds it would be a fast set of five.

After ten minutes, completed four rounds, thirty double unders and two power snatches, setting a new PR! It wasn't the five rounds that I initially wanted but I'm excited, since it show improvement. With the open coming up soon, I may have to focus more on metcons so I can work on muscle endurance.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

WOD - Every 1:30 for 15 minutes

100 m run with medicine ball (16 lb.)

10 wall balls (16 lb.)

When I read the workout I thought it was alternating movements. I thought it was a piece of cake until the coaches explained the workout. It was a lot of work and since I haven't been doing much cardio, this workout was going to hurt. I decided to use a 16 lb. medicine ball but I should have went lighter. 14 lb. or 8 lb. would have been more manageable. The first few rounds went well. I was getting my run done under 30 seconds and I would finish the wall balls with about 40 seconds of rest. At the half way mark, my performance went downhill. I would finish the run around 40 seconds and only do about five wall balls or less. It was very tough and I wanted to finish but I didn't have it in me.

I learned a few things from this workout. The first lesson was read the workout carefully. My mindset going into it was a lot more relaxed and I should have mentally prepared for it. The second lesson was that I need to do more than just barbell club. I've noticed my lifts have gotten better but my endurance have gotten worse. I need to find a good balance. Lastly, I should have went with my gut and got a lighter ball. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made but I shouldn't have gone that heavy if I couldn't finish all the reps.

Shoulder Taps from High Plank - 3 Minutes

After that brutal workout, this wasn't too bad. I was able to finish 76 reps at the end of three mintues. 

Deadlift - 6x3 at 80% (350 lb.)

I wasn't sure how these deadlifts were going to go. I haven't been doing conventional deadlifts lately and all my pulls are done at lighter weights. I worked up to my 80% and managed to not break my form. I made sure my form wasn't compromised for all sets and it felt great to deadlift relatively heavy again.

Partner WOD - 25 Minute TC

3 km Row

150 sit up with med. ball (4 lb.)

200 air squats

100 kb swings

This was fun and I partnered with my fiance. I wanted to split the row into 500 m sets but she advised against it saying 250 m would be a better distance. We used a light medicine ball (4 lb.) for the sit ups. *Spoiler Alert* we did not make it to the kb swings so the weights are not important.

The row started off great. 500 m sets would have sucked and thankfully she had enough foresight to only go 250 m. I was able to catch my breath between sets and it wasn't too bad. The sit ups were more difficult than the row. My abs started to cramp up around rep 80 or so. I would need to take a short rest before resuming. The air squats is where we stopped at the time cap. We made it through 160 air squats at time. We had to take short breaks since the rest between sets were not enough. I'm happy with our score since we pushed eachother to work hard. 

Push Press - 6x3 at 80% (165 lb.)

Heavy push press session was great. I'm still learning some techniques but it felt great. It was heavy but I managed to get through all the reps.

Back Squat - 6x3 at 80% (305 lb.)

I remember when 305 lb. was around 95% of my 1RM now I'm doing them for three. The last half of the set I had some sticking points but I was able to get through them. My legs felt great. 

Snatch Pull - 3x3 at 85% (135 lb.)

Ended the day with some heavy pull work. I started working without straps since I wanted to get used to holding the weight again.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Overhead Squat - Find a 3 rep heavy

I haven't done heavy overhead squats in awhile. With my grip and shoulder issues, I've been staying away from the movement. After doing a lot more mobility before class and at home, my grip and shoulder issues have improved. My 3RM is 195 lb. and I wanted to come close to that weight. 

Started out light to warm up. Lately, behind the neck push presses were hard to do. It would put a lot of strain on my shoulders and I would barely complete the lift. It wasn't too bad however. After a few reps, I felt normal again. I loaded up the bar to 185 lb. and completed three reps. I decided to stop since we had to get ready for the workout. We only had four minutes left in the session. Surprisingly, the weight wasn't too bad. The first rep was easy and quick. The next two were not too bad either. I could feel my grip slipping a bit but that's probably because I didn't have chalk. I didn't finish at my 3RM but I came within 95%, which I'm happy with.

Partner WOD - 12 Minute AMRAP

50 kb swings (Russian, 54 lb.)

100 double unders

50 overhead squats (95 lb.)

This was a fun partner workout. My goal for this workout was at least two rounds. My biggest issue would be the overhead squats. The work was split equally. The kb swings were not too bad. The reps were broken up into sets of 10. The double unders went well. I was able to complete 40 reps before breaking. The overhead squats were broken up into sets of 10. I had to break it up into sets of five during the last two sets.

The second round did not go as well. I was gassed by this point and I wasn't moving very well. I was able to keep up with the kb swings but I lost it at the double unders. I would do around 5-10 reps before tripping. I was exhausted and my timing was horrible. I think we could have finished more reps if I didn't mess up this section. The overhead squats were not as bad as the double unders but we started running out of time. We finished 1 round and 192 reps at time. We were so close to two rounds!

Wednesday

Snatch - 1x2 at 60% (95 lb.), 1x2 at 70% (110 lb.), 1x2 at 80% (125 lb.) x2

My snatches are starting to feel better. I had to adjust my pulls at the lighter weight because I was catching the bar high. As the weight became heavier, it was easier. The second round felt better than the first. It was probably because I was warmed up. Most of the reps felt really great and I didn't make huge mistakes or any misses.

Clean and Jerk Complex - Every 1:30 for 9:00 Minutes

2 clean + 1 jerk at 75% (165 lb.)

This workout was rough since I tried to keep the reps under 30 seconds. This way, I would have enough time to rest. The first few rounds, the cleans were not too bad but became harder as time went on. The jerks were the easiest part and I decided to focus mostly on form. I was able to get in good reps even though I was tiring out from the cleans. I'm still having some issues with grip but hopefully the stretches alleviate the discomfort. I may want to try and lower the bar on the first clean instead of dropping it before the second clean. This way I can also work on grip strength as I lower the bar.  

Clean High Pull - 4x3 at 85% (185 lb.)

Did these reps quickly without resting too long. I took about a minute between sets.

Front Squat - 5x2 at 80% (245 lb.)

This was a fight. 245 lb. felt a lo heavier than 80%. The first two sets were great. My breathing was on point and I manage to keep my elbows up and back straight. The third set on was a struggle. I couldn't keep a full grip on the bar and it would eventually go on my finger tips. My breathing was a bit harder to control and I felt like I was collapsing in the bottom position. It wasn't too bad but I know where my weaknesses are in the squat. Not sure how I strengthen it either, hopefully doing more squats and midline work will make it easier.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

I didn't have enough time to complete all the Barbell Club workouts so I did the class instead. 

WOD - AMRAP 9 Minutes

Row 30 cals.
-then-
5 burpees
10 pull-ups
15 kettlebell swings, Russian (54 lb.)


This was a difficult workout for me and I didn't do as well as I hoped. The row wasn't too bad. I kept a good pace and was off in good amount of time. The burpees and kettlebell swings were not too bad as well but I struggled with the pull ups. Since starting the Barbell Club, my gymnastics movements have deteriorated. I need to incorporate more strict movements into my training maybe doing more strict pull ups and handstand push ups. Other than my pull ups feeling horrible, the workout was great. I completed three rounds. 

Wednesday

Snatch - 2x2 at 60% (95 lb.), 2x2 at 70% (110 lb.), 2x2 at 80% (125 lb.)

Same as last Wednesday and same issues. I was able to adjust quicker this time around. Surprisingly, the set at 80% went a lot better than the 60%. It could be because of the heavier weight or I'm getting better at snatches. I hope its the latter. 

Jerk - 1 Rep Heavy

After the snatches I worked on my jerk. Previously, I was able to hit 100 kg. on my jerk and today I wanted to work up to that number. Started out around 60 kg, and worked up in 10 kg sets. I started having trouble at 95 kg. I missed this weight twice and finally was able to complete it on the third try. I need to use shorter jerk blocks since I felt the weights hit the block on my second to last attempt. I lost focus once I felt the weight hit the block and tried to attempt the lift. I should have just stopped and rested. I decided to end it there since I wanted to move on to the next workout and I didn't want to tire myself out trying to get to 100 kg. I didn't hit my goal weight but I will try again next time. 

Clean High Pull - 4x3 at 85% (185 lb.)

We have been doing a lot of snatch high pulls and not a lot of clean high pulls. I had to ask one of the coaches to help me but I eventually got it down. 

Back Squat - 3x3 at 75% (285 lb.)

Haven't done heavy squats this week so naturally, we have two programmed. Back squat and the front squat at the end. 285 lb. is heavy but it's only three reps which isn't too much. I focused on form and was able to finish quickly. 

Power Snatch (Low Block) - 4x3 at 80% (125 lb.)

Starting to feel better doing snatches from the blocks as my form gets better. The bar loops out a bit but I'm working on bringing in the bar closer on the pull and turnover. 

Clean Complex - Every 1:30 for 9 Minutes at 75% (165 lb.)

Power Clean + Hang Clean + Front Squat + Jerk

I had fun doing this complex. It's a lot of work but I had fun with it. Thankfully, it was every 1:30 instead of every minute. I did spot some issues on the power clean and hang clean that I need to work on. I was able to finish all the reps without going over time. 

Front Squat - 3x3 at 80% (245 lb.)

Final workout of the day and it had to be front squats! After that clean and jerk complex I didn't feel like doing more front squats. I need to put in the work if I want to get stronger. I loaded up the bar and started doing some squats. My legs were warm by this point so the warm up wasn't too long. The weight felt a lot heavier than what I remember but I managed to get through it. Thankfully it was only three reps. I worked on my usual weaknesses. Keeping my elbows up and straightening my back. 

Lift Heavy and Level Up! 

Strict Press - 8x4 at 78% (130 lb.)

A lot of sets but I was able to finish quickly. I rested about two minutes between each set. 

Snatch Complex - Every 1:30 for 9 Minutes. 

1 Halting Snatch Deadlift + Hang Power Snatch + Squat Snatch at 70% (105 lb.)

This was a fun complex. The weight wasn't too heavy, and I worked on form.

No Feet Power Cleans - 5x3 reps at 70% (165 lb.)

I haven't done this drill in awhile. I had to do a few reps just to make sure I wasn't moving my feet. After getting used to it, I was able to finish the workout with out issue.

Thursday

Had to use straps for this workout. It was easier to focus on form since I wasn't worried about my grip.

Friday

Strict Press - 10x3 at 80% (135 lb.)

More strict press work. I took two minutes after every set to rest. Was able to finish this workout under thirty minutes which was a good pace. The last two sets were the hardest. My form wasn't that great but I managed to finish it.

Pause Back Squat - 5x2 at 70% (260 lb.)

3 second decent, 10 second pause

Like the pause front squat workout, this one sucked. However, it showed me a weaknesses in my squat. I had a difficult time breathing under the weight. I tried to keep my torso upright but I would collapse a bit after the 8th second. I was able to do both reps without rest for three sets. During the last two sets, I would rest a bit after the first rep. I was worried I would pass out and took the time to catch my breath.

Partner WOD - Partner Nate

AMRAP 20 Minutes

2 muscle up

4 handstand push ups

8 kettlebell swings, American (72 lb.)

The did this workout a year ago and I had to scale it. Instead of muscle ups I would do four chest to bar pull ups and two ring dips. I also used a lighter kettlebell for the swings. This time, I was able to do it mostly Rx with the exception of the muscle up which I scaled to bar.

The workout went great and I didn't have too much trouble. I didn't miss a rep on the muscle ups which I'm stoked about. Like most workouts, fatigue was an issue. The kettlebell swings were the hardest movement. I had to reset my feet a few times because I would lose control. It wasn't too bad, just a step or two forward every few reps. I was able to hold on, and complete the set unbroken. We were able to complete 19 rounds plus two muscle ups and two handstand push ups.

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

Strict Press - 6x6 at 70% (115 lb.)

My strict press feels stronger. All the reps are starting to add up

Power Snatch

EMOM for 9 minutes

1 power snatch at 80% (125 lb.)

I mainly focused on foot movement and a good first and second pull. I didn't feel great during a few reps but I corrected it. 

Clean Complex - 5x1 at 80% (185 lb.)

3 power cleans + 2 front squats 

The power cleans felt great, better than the snatches. Was able to get through these without any issues.

Pause Front Squat - 5x3 at 70% (220 lb.)

3 second decent, 10 second pause at bottom

I really hate pause front squats after this session. The 10 second hold was hard to handle. I couldn't do the reps in quick succession. I would do one rep and then rest a minute or so. I had a hard time keeping my elbows up after five seconds. I was also trying to control my breathing. It was a lot harder than I thought.

Split Jerk (Behind the Neck) - 5x3 at 75% (175 lb.)

We did this workout last week but this time we had to add 5-10 pounds. Even with the heavier weight, the jerks were not too bad and I felt my form was good.

Thursday

Strict Press - 7x5 at 75% (125 lb.)

Heavier than Monday's session. It took a bit longer to complete but I got through it. 

Snatch Complex  - 5x2 at 80% (125 lb.)

Halting snatch deadlift + snatch high pull + snatch

This was a great complex but I need to work on my snatches. It would have been easier if it was power snatches but it did point out my weakness. I need to practice more squat snatches.

Yolk Carry 

AMReps in 5 Minutes at (375 lb.)

This was the first time I used a yolk in a workout. I've done short yolk carries but they were done at a lighter weight. I was excited to see how far I could get in five minutes. We have a 50 m course set up in the gym but I decided to do intervals of 25 m. The first minute and a half, I was able to complete 50 m. The yolk might have been a bit tall and I should have adjusted it. The path wasn't exactly straight all the time. Members from a class would be doing double unders near the path and I would have to shift a bit to avoid the ropes. The shifts would also cause the weight to become unwieldy. After 75 m, I could feel my legs buckling under the weight. I would be taking slightly shaky steps but I was able to make it over the 25 m interval. It was a fun workout and I hope I get to do more in the future. I was able to walk 150 m in five minutes. 

Lift Heavy and Level Up!

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!

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!

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!