2010-04-19

Warm up: run 800m, ME

warm up WOD:
1 min max rep burpees, 1 min static plank hold, 1 min max rep burpees, 1 min static squat hold, 1 min burpees, 1 min static hang.
Score: 29 burpees

WOD:
5 rounds:

12 Deadlift 95/65
9 Hang Clean 95/65
6 Push-Jerk 95/65
*subbed 53#

16:08
2:25; 3:36; 3:12; 3:07; 3:45

Judging by my time, and by my internal gauge of how hard I worked, i think this was the right weight. I took slightly longer breaks than i usually would, but it was my goal to get a complete set of movements done before i put the bar down, and I needed a little extra rest to accomplish that. my attempts were mostly successful except in the last round. And in general, my jerks were more jerk-like and less press-like than they've been historically - though there were still reps with press-out for the last few inches. I also really have to consciously work to keep weight on both feet. I found myself almost exclusively on my left foot a lot of the time.

I seem to have rediscovered the will and the ability to work hard in my workouts. It's nice.

Someday, I will figure out this damn squat.

Sleep:
11:30 - 8:00 - only got up once, i think. very restful night.

Kitchen Calisthenics:Heating Lunch - 1:30
45 seconds hands together counter pushups: 23
45 seconds hands apart counter pushups: 25

Warmup:
ME, 30 air squats, 30 situps, adductor stretch (not enough, but I was afraid I'd lose my squat rack)

Back Squat:
10 x 45# bar - really struggled with form - probably due to not being warmed up enough.
?? (10?) x 15# - needed to sort out some form issues with minimal weight
5 x 35#
5 x 50#
5 x 60#(f rep 4)
5 x 60#
21 x 45#

Bench Press:
10 x 45
5 x 50
5 x 55
5 x 65
21 x 50

Cash Out:
1 minute static hang w/active shoulders x 2
some right legged step ups to a 14" (or so) box
a few weak attempts at L sit practice in the captain's chair - but my shoulders were too tired to hold myself up.
10 minutes or so of stretching

Comments:
Daniel assures me that my squat is better than it used to be. And if I take a step outside myself and look at it objectively, I can see that is true, but better isn't Good - it's just less bad. It is frustrating to have been working on this movement for so long and to have come such a short distance towards consistently good form.

I am hoping that if I commit to working on stretching out my ridiculously tight hips and adductors thereby allowing freer ROM in them, that will help my fix some of my problems with the squat. The other piece of it is the weakness of my right side and its unwillingness to bear weight. I'm hoping to address that more quickly by adding right-legged step ups as a cash out at the end of all my workouts.

My bench press is satisfyingly strong. At least, I do not have the same funky form issues with it as with the squat. My right arm really is the weak link here, too, though - particularly in the set of 21. I think that it's going to be great work towards helping it catch up.

Just on a whim while I was waiting for Daniel to get out of the locker room, I set the pull down machine for 120 pounds to see if I could pull it down, and I couldn't but it confirmed the problem that I've been having with my pullups. My left arm was ok, but my right arm just couldn't go from straight to bent against that kind of weight. I tried 110# and my right arm still couldn't 'convert it', but if I 'kipped' the weight down to a point where my arms were bent, I could pull it the rest of the way down. Just further proof that my right arm is the limiting factor in a deadhang pullup for me. (Like I needed any more).

I'm pretty gratified that I was able to do full 1 minute static holds with active shoulders, and the first 40-45 seconds felt pretty easy. Several months ago - after we discovered the Crossfit Fitness Level standards, the Level 1 30 second hold was one of the first things I tried. I thought - just hang for 30 seconds? That's EASY. And I got it, but only just barely. And I feel certain that my shoulders were anything but active. So that's progress I can see, anyway.

Food:
8:45 - 3 egg cheesy scramble, 2 pieces veggie bacon, 12oz coffee 2/3 cup whole milk
3:20 - cottage cheese, almonds & cinnamon
3:50 - 1 multiv, 2 glucosamine, 4 omega-3
4:30 - 1 serving chicken Marsala - YUM
5:00 - 20oz water, .5 oz spiced almonds
7:20 - 16oz milk
8:00 - chille verde Burrito w/ guacamole from Las Palamas Taqueria & 16oz milk