Stuff

The Storm

2012-02-09T08:19:00.001-08:00

The Storm
Dedicated to Donny Shankle (no homo.)

He does not need to speak
He but stands
And the room goes quiet
He walks slowly
He is patient
He knows what is rightfully his
And will take it in due time
For he is the Lion
King of this jungle
His jungle
He stands calm
In the wind and rain
Unblinking
Teeth bared
Body tensed
He knows what belongs to him
And will take it in due time
He moves like lightning
His soul roars like thunder
A storm is coming
A storm is coming

Improving the Split Jerk.

2012-02-08T08:25:00.001-08:00

It's no secret that my split jerk sucks. A lot. I mean, with a PR clean of a pretty easy 137, my best competition legal clean & jerk is 118, and my best jerk off blocks is 125. Meanwhile, I have strict pressed 102. Seems legit.

With that said, I have made some effective changes to my jerk, so I figured I'd write a bit about stuff that's helped me improve. It is still a work in progress, so please comment on this post if you have further ideas that may help me/others jerk more and better (heh heh.)

Let's start with the obvious.

Are your positions good?

Before discussing what drills may or may not help improve your split jerk, you need to be sure you're not just doing it wrong. We'll work from the ground up.

Dip Drive:
-Is your weight in your heels? If you dip/drive on your toes, not only are you doing a poor job of engaging musculature (the posterior chain will see little to no involvement if you're off your heels,) you're also allowing the weight to come forward, and a forward lift is a missed lift.

-Are you dipping and driving on both feet (i.e. not favoring either side)? If not, you're not using as much muscle as you could be, and you're creating uneven force against the bar. Obviously not the most effective way to move weight.

-Are you dipping straight down, and driving straight up? Same as the first. Dip forward, drive forward, bar forward, miss forward.

-Are you keeping your shoulders pulled back hard? I bet you're starting to see a pattern here. If the shoulders aren't pulled back hard, your chest will collapse, and guess where the bar goes? Hint: not backwards, and probably not over your head.

-Are you allowing the weight to "sit heavy" on your shoulders (i.e. not trying to hold it in your hands or push against it with your hands to make it feel lighter)? This was a big one for me. I really held the bar in my hands and even though it was in contact with my shoulders, my arms were tensed and I was committed, whether consciously or unconsciously, to making it "feel light." Doesn't work. You WANT the bar to sit heavy across your shoulders, with the arms loose and relaxed. That way the legs can do their job without those pesky shoulders getting involved until it's their turn. Remember, the legs drive the bar up, the arms push you down.

Receiving Position (i.e. the split):

-Are your feet where they need to be? Consider both length of the stance (front to back) and the width of the stance (left to right.) If the stance is too short, you won't get under the bar. Too long (much less common, in my experience) and it's harder to get the hips and knees properly positioned, and it becomes harder to recover the bar. Too narrow, you will lack stability, too wide, and you end up in all kinds of weird positions, usually including the stance being too short. I found recently that my stance didn't need to be as long as I thought (particularly, my rear foot was too far back, making it hard to get my hips under my shoulders,) and it needed to be wider than I thought. Honestly, this is one thing where you very well may need a coach to take a look and tell you what needs fixing - that's what I needed, at least.

-Is your weight distributed correctly across your feet? There should be just slightly more weight in the front foot than in the rear foot.

-Are your heels turned out/hips internally rotated? If your heels are turned in/toes out, the hips will be in external rotation, and you're creating openings for the weight to push you out of position. The heels should be slightly turned out, and the femurs internally rotated, particularly on the rear leg. This will help "lock" you into place.

-Is your front shin slightly behind vertical/knees behind toes? Knee ahead of toes = missed lift. Keeping the shin slightly behind vertical helps ensure that the weight pushes you DOWN instead of forward (because what do we know about forward lifts?)

-Is your rear knee soft and the heel off the ground? If the rear leg is straight, then when the barbell pushes down on you, there's no give. So guess where you go? That's right, to that hateful "bar forward" place. Let that knee be soft. And if the heel is on the ground, it's a) unlikely that your knee is soft enough and b) VERY unlikely that the heel is turned out. Seriously, try it. If you can have your heel on the ground, turned out, and your knee bent to a reasonable degree (you need to have give,) you have some weird flexibility, man.

-Are your hips directly beneath your shoulders? If your hips are behind your shoulders, your torso is probably leaning forward, and there's that terrible word again. It also means that shoulders will probably be behind the bar, and that's no good.

-Are your shoulders directly beneath the bar? If not, the bar is likely forward. THIS IS A TREND IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT YET. Pretty much everything we do in the jerk, is done to ensure that the weight ends up squarely over the shoulders, which are squarely over the hips. The position and angle of the feet directly affects the position of the hips and legs, which affects the position of the torso and shoulders, which affects the position of the bar, which affects whether or not you make the lift, which affects how much you hate yourself at the end of the day.

I think that about covers it. Now onto drills and skills.

Stuff that might help

One thing I should get out of the way right off the bat: the biggest difference maker for me, was switching my grip. I used to jerk with the bar in my hands. This is probably optimal if you can do it, but I couldn't do it. I had the flexibility, but my natural inclination to press would completely take over. I dipped in poor position, didn't drive hard with my legs, and tried to lay back and get behind the bar. No worky. One day I decided to put my elbows higher and move the bar more towards my fingers, and almost immediately saw significant increases in the weights I could consistently jerk with pretty good, and legal, form. Not a chance in hell I would have managed 125 off the blocks with the bar in my hands. I was able to let the bar "sit heavy" more effectively, and stayed loose and relaxed through the arms. Again: for most people, it's probably optimal to have the bar in the hands (as long as you can also have it sitting across your delts,) but if you have a significant "press out" problem, especially one which occurs early (i.e., I would start pressing the bar around forehead level, not just at the top,) then give this a shot.

1) Press, push press, jerk from split. I got this one from Coach Pendlay, who got it from Donny Shankle when he brought it back from the OTC. This is a tremendous way to establish an understanding of what your position should be in the split jerk and how you should feel when receiving the bar. I ALWAYS warm up my jerk or C&J with this drill.

2) Behind the neck jerks. Particularly if you have problems with trying to press the jerk, because it's a whole lot harder to do from BTN. Much like moving the bar into the fingers can do, putting the bar behind your neck disincentivizes pressing because it puts you in a suboptimal position to do so. It can also help teach you to keep your shoulders back, weight on heels, and get a nice, straight dip and drive. I hope you have jerk blocks, because I don't, and let me tell you lowering the bar behind your neck SUCKS.

3) Clean + Jerk + Jerk from split. I don't go too heavy with this, and I never go to a point where my form isn't good. Doing the jerk after a clean is always good, since that's the contested lift, and I find that doing the jerk from split after a normal jerk helps me keep the position. I typically do this as I'm warming up my clean & jerk, and after 80-85, I switch to regular clean & jerk.

4) Timed sets. Light weight (I typically use 85.) Anywhere from 10-20 singles on the minute, preferably off blocks. Ideally your form will get better with each rep. Coach Pendlay said to me "the most important thing you can do for your jerk, is to do a lot more reps with weight you can do correctly." I took that to heart, and unsurprisingly it helped.

5) Mobilize your shoulders and thoracic spine. Seriously, if you're not mobile enough to get into good position in the first place, nothing else you do is going to matter. If you have no idea how to do this, head over to Mobility WOD, start with the very first post, and begin your journey to becoming a Supple Leopoard.

6) Rush it a bit. I know this sounds counter intuitive, but for some reason, if I very quickly begin the jerk after standing up the clean, I do better. Even if the clean felt heavy or I feel like I need more time, I just get onto my heels, pull my shoulders back, take a big breath and GO. This one is probably pretty individual, so give it a shot, and if you suck more than usual, discard it.

7) Focus on the legs. Thank you, Captain Obvious. But hey, it helped. Just really think to yourself "LEGS, LEGS, LEGS." Let your arms be loose and don't even think about them. Just try to send that bar FLYING with your hips and legs and then move your feet.

8) Try a belt. For some reason, the belt helped me a ton. Maybe it's just because jerks tend to make my lower back feel strained, so this may be totally irrelevant for you. But it seems to keep me from laying back and lets me get a more "solid" set-up for my dip and drive.

I think this pretty much covers the stuff that made the biggest changes for me. Post thoughts to comments.

I guess my back is going to get strong.

2012-02-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

Welp, I'm not squatting heavy for the next 4-6 weeks, because it's beating the crap out of my knees, and adding 5kg to my squat isn't going to help my lifts any if my knees are too worn out to snatch and C&J consistently. I'm replacing my 3 days of squatting/week with RDLs on Monday, snatch pulls on Wednesday, and clean pulls on Saturday. Also I'm going to do a lot of pause lifts. Basically here is my training schedule, if you're into that kind of thing.

Monday
Snatch, heavy single
Pause snatch, 3 doubles (both reps from floor)
Clean & Jerk + Jerk from split, moderate single
Clean & Jerk, heavy single
Pause clean, 3 doubles (both reps from floor)
RDL

Tuesday
Drop snatch, heavy singles
Drop clean, heavy singles
Miscallaneous Bullshit

Wednesday
Snatch, heavy single
Pause snatch, heavy single
Clean + Jerk + Jerk from split, moderate single
Clean & Jerk, heavy single
Pause clean, heavy single
Snatch pulls

Friday AM
Snatch heavyish single
C&J heavyish single

Friday PM
Snatch to max
Clean & Jerk to max

Saturday
No Hands/No Feet snatch, heavy singles
Snatch Grip Push Press, heavy singles and possibly drop down for some volume
Clean Pulls
Miscallaneous Bullshit

Basically my back is gonna be real tired all the fucking time.

I guess I'll talk about why I'm doing everything.

Heavy singles in snatch, C&J: I'm not explaining why I'm doing this.

Pause variations: improve strength in the second position, get better at sweeping bar, get better at bringing bar towards hips from second position and getting into/staying in my heels.

Clean & Jerk + Jerk from split: This just seems to make my jerk feel more solid.

Drop snatches/Drop cleans: improve receiving positions for the lifts. I don't think either of these are really good ways to develop speed under the bar (too different from pulling under,) but I'm hoping it will help make me more "rigid" when I catch the bar, and help me get better at catching the bar in the right place (more behind head on snatch, further back on shoulders on clean.)

Snatch pulls, clean pulls, RDLs: Well, I'm not squatting, so I need to do SOMETHING to get stronger.

No Hands/No Feet snatch: because it's fucking awesome. Encourages a smooth pull, hitting the positions correctly, and speed under the bar. I'm starting to feel like this drill is not only great for more experienced lifters, but as a teaching tool as well.

Snatch Grip Push Press: help stability in the receiving position for the snatch.

Miscallaneous Bullshit: Phase 1, do curls. Phase 2, ... Phase 3, PROFIT!

Training 2/6/2012
Snatch, 205#
Pause Snatch, 175#x2x3 (both reps from floor, missed 2nd rep of 3rd set but immediately reset and made it)
Clean & Jerk + Jerk from split, 185# (jerk from split was ugly
Clean & Jerk, 245# (cleaned 255#, no jerk)
Pause Clean, 225#x2x3 (both reps from floor)
RDL, 300#x3x3 (100% of clean)

Notes:
1) Not squatting was a good decision. My knees felt better after training yesterday than they did before, and they still feel good this morning.
2) Fuck my left shoulder and left wrists, srslyuguyz.
3) When pause snatching, an exaggerated focus on pushing the bar back towards me after the 2 mississippi pause at the knee, led to my best lifts - caught ass on ankles with the bar well behind my head.
4) "rushing" into the jerk after standing up from the clean seems to help. Perhaps because I just don't "feel" the weight, or the stabilizing muscles aren't tiring out. Something like that.
5) pause work is hard
6) I hope girls like thick, pythonesque spinal erectors, because if the way I feel this morning is anything to go by, I'm going to be seeing some serious spinal hypertrophy.

This song makes me want to sneer like Johnny Cash at a bar loaded to a PR, snatch the fuck out of it, sit at the bottom and yell "COME AT ME BRO!" before standing it up and slamming it to the floor ala Jon North, and then giving everyone and everything around me a two finger salute.

Thoughts on the Power Variations.

2012-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about power lately. Specifically, the power variations of the lifts, i.e. the power snatch and power clean. This post is going to be a bit stream of consciousness, but I want to get these thoughts down, so forgive me. Or just, you know...don't read it.

First, to define the power variations: a lift is considered a power variation when at the point where the bar is caught – more specifically, the lowest part of the receipt of the bar - the crease of the hip joint is at or above the level of the top of the knee. In other words, if it would get red lighted for depth in a powerlifting meet, it's a power snatch/power clean.

There's a fairly widespread misconception about the Olympic lifts, at least in the U.S., that the primary goal is to get the bar as high as possible, rather than putting the focus on extending the hips and immediately retreating under the bar. "Hips and under, nothing in between," as Coach Pendlay puts it. But I feel like even lifters who understand that the idea is to get under the bar, not to get the bar up, often have trouble carrying this over to the power variations.

Because the lifter is limited in how deep he can receive the bar in the power snatch or power clean, it is ostensibly beneficial to pull the bar as hard and as high as possible. However, I think this is based on the assumption that the limiting factor is the lifters ability to pull the bar up. That's not the case. The limiting factor is the depth at which the lifter can receive the bar, and thus lifters tend to try to pull the bar higher. Seems obvious, I suppose, but thinking about it this way created a shift in thinking about the power variations, at least for me.

The case may be that when executing the power variations, a lifter may be able to use greater loads if they put more emphasis on getting the bar up. But will there be as great a carryover to the Olympic lifts? If so, why? I feel like pulling the bar higher means more time at the top of the pull, and worse timing, and my initial thought is that most lifters would be better off using lighter weights with better timing.

How about in the context of athletic performance?

These are not questions I know the answers to. Would like to hear some thoughts on the subject.

The Importance of Context.

2012-02-02T08:53:00.001-08:00

Pretty regularly, someone will ask me to "write them a few workouts." I used to oblige - after all, a few workouts is only a few minutes of work. But, these days I usually say no.

The problem is, programming without sufficient information about the athletes goals, athletic history, current training plan, injuries, strengths, weaknesses, etc - in a word, context - is weak sauce. It may work for your fat friend who has been on the couch for most of his adult life, because he just needs to get up and move, but for athletes? Not a chance.

When you program out of context, you risk interfering with the athletes planned training, aggravating injuries, failing to address necessary skill development, etc. Now, of course, the athlete can just change the programming you give them to suit their needs - but then what was the point of asking for programming in the first place?

Programming shouldn't be random. Varied, yes, random, no. Even my competitive CrossFitters only have a certain degree of randomness to their training. For most of their preparation period, they have a set structure wherein only the conditioning sessions are "random" (meaning they do not necessarily progress from one to the next.) In their sport specific phase, all their training is varied, but I am still ensure that they have a minimum and maximum frequency for everything they do (for example, an athlete in their sport specific phase for CrossFit competition may not squat heavy on the same day each week, but will certainly squat heavy at least once per week. Same goes for running workouts, snatch, pullup workouts, etc.) It'll be different for each athlete, but there are always general guidelines.

If you want to see some of my programming in action, check out my good friend and athlete Owen Satterley. His blog has good information and he logs his training there as well.
*************************************************************************************

Training has been nothing special. I've pretty much just squatted a bunch and done some clean pulls, GHRs, etc. I'm paying for last Friday. I'm really focusing on improving internal rotation in my left shoulder - I seriously think if I can get it up to par, I will be snatching 110+ very soon. Some mobility stuff I've been using regularly:

LAX ball to anterior shoulder with arm in internal rotation (lie on floor, face down on top of LAX ball, reach arm behind back as if someone was twisting it)
LAX ball to lateral border of scapula, alternate from internal to external rotation
"Pitcher" stretch (See the first stretch in this video)
Thoracic mobilization on double LAX balls

10 Attempts.

2012-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

I live in the spaces between the knurling. Where chalk collects and where my blood dries and flakes and eventually wears away, leaving behind a residue like the rust of my efforts and my spirit. Even with straps, my hands are tired and starting to tear. I probably should have quit by now, but for some reason I couldn't. I was more afraid of quitting than I was of trying again. I guess I took the path of least resistance, if you think about it.

I'm not sure what attempt it was when they started goading me. I wasn't counting. I just knew I hadn't made it yet.

"You're trying again? No way you're going to make this."

I didn't make it.

"He's gonna clark this."

I didn't make it, but I sure as shit didn't clark it.

"Mental intensity, that's what you're lacking! Your problem isn't in your body, it's in between your ears!"

Fuck you, you don't know shit about me. You don't know about what's in between my ears, you don't know the beating it's already taken, you don't hear the rhythm my heart beats.

"Jacob, just call it, you're not gonna fucking make it."

"Why are you still trying?"

"No, just fucking stop. You're not going to make it."

I don't know if they believed what they were saying, or if it was just their way of encouraging me. But in that moment, it didn't matter. I believed that they believed it, and I believe that if you tell me I cannot do something that is within the realm of physical possibility, I am going to do it or die fucking trying.

"You had one shot, and that shot was about three attempts ago. It's not going to happen."

It didn't happen.

I've been yelling back. In Russian and in English. I was getting in their faces, I was ready to fight. I tried again, missed again. My knees hurt way more than they normally do when I snatch. The shoulder that's been giving me trouble is pissed at me, screaming in my ear after every attempt. I ignore it.

"Is he seriously trying again?"

"You've got nothing left in the tank, nothing!"

I'd calmed down. Composed myself. Changed the music. Timed my attempt with it.

I missed.

I waited about thirty seconds, and got back down. I heard someone yell across the gym, "you're a loser!"

That word is familiar. "Loser."

I smiled. Real big. I can't explain it. I knew I had the rep before I even got into my start position. I smiled like I'd been keeping a secret and I was finally able to tell the world. Pull, hit, retreat. Ass-to-grass. Bar in the slot. There was never a chance that I was going to miss that attempt. If predestination is God's will, and in this world there is only me and the barbell, then one of us has to be God, and it wasn't going to be that fucking piece of knurled steel. Not today.

In weightlifting, the bar always wins. No matter what. It's not like other sports. You PRed? Go to a meet. Won the meet? Go to a bigger one. Won Nationals? Go to the Olympics. Take gold? Beat the all time record. Beat the record? Fuck you, add one more kilo, and then another, and then another. The bar always ends up being God, and I'm certainly never going to the Olympics, and I'm never going to win Nationals. But I'll struggle every day like I think I'm going for gold. I will put one more kilo on the bar, and I will miss, and I will miss, and I will miss, and the bar will always win more matches than I do, but I will fucking win when it counts, because to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift (Prefontaine.)

I will be here, leaving the rust of my efforts and my spirit in the spaces between the knurling, where the chalk collects and I lay down to sleep. I'll wake up kicking and screaming, ready to go again, roaring like a bear, yelling in both of my languages, and my soul will bounce off the walls in the echo of the plates hitting the platform.

Can you hear me yet?

Am I loud enough?

The past week of training has been a solid 5 on TIOLI.

2012-01-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

i did a bunch of stuff. None of it notable. On Friday at Cal Strength I went straight from 90 to 100 in the snatch and proceeded to miss it like 10 times. Cleaned 120 twice but missed the jerk, then on the third attempt missed the clean and tweaked my right knee again. Couldn't squat 405# yesterday. I'm going to take a week of squatting, my knees and back could both use a little bit of rest.

Well that's all.

I have nothing funny to say today.

2011-12-27T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have nothing clever or funny to say so instead make fun of this picture. I think that's 270#.

Yesterday I C&J'd 270# for a PR (and 260# WITHOUT A PRESSOUT.) Glad my jerk is finally making progress again. MORE EXCITINGLY for me, I cleaned 300#. And it wasn't very hard. Seriously I went kind of ape shit when I made that lift. Today was crap, I was just beat. Power snatched 165#, power cleaned 225#. Tried to front squat but it wasn't happening. It's okay, I don't hate myself right now because I'm still excited about my 300# clean.

But then again, Donny Shankle snatches more than I front squat.

It's fine.

Nathan has a "Troll Me" sign on his forehead at all times.

2011-12-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

Last night Nathan and I sat down to dinner at Chili's and within 3 seconds our waitress was trolling him. It was real good. She asked if she could get us some drinks, and Nathan said "Could I get a glass of water, please?"

To which she said "Nope."

WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING.

I finished my food a lot faster than Nathan (since I am the fastest eater in the world and Nathan is the slowest eater in the world,) so our waitress (HER NAME WAS KAYLA) asked if I'd like her to bring my dessert. I said no, I'd wait for Nathan, it should be about a half hour.

15 minutes later, she walked by, looked at Nathan's still thoroughly unfinished plate, LAUGHED, and walked away.

I loved every second of this.

P.S. Nathan didn't finish his dessert, he currently weighs 166#, I'm real fucking pissed about this.

Yesterday morning I snatched 80 and C&J'd 90 for some singles. In the afternoon I snatched 95 and C&J'd 121, for a PR. Only by 1kg, but it's 5kg more than I've C&J'd since early September. I'll take it. I think moving the bar into my fingertips for the jerk was a good idea. I see progress forthcoming.

Today I squatted 405#x2. I wanted the triple, but the second rep was a true grinder, took about 5 seconds from bottom of the hole to top. I'm still happy with it, it's a PR and I've never squatted over 400# for reps before. I also power snatch + snatched from knee 170#x3. I was hoping to do power snatch + power snatch from knee, but I ended up catching the second rep of every set in the hole. I'll take it.

Sunfish are stupid.

2011-12-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Firstly, this:

So, last night, I was at a table full of sunfish. No really. The Sunfish Face is a face originally implemented by Justin of 70's Big. He and Brent were here visiting, and they went to the aquarium. Justin encountered the giant sunfish, determined that it was retarded (it is,) and proceeded to make this face (Brent shown here):

Done properly, the Sunfish Face is accompanied by leaning slowly and aimlessly in one direction, tucking your arms close to your sides, and flicking your hands like useless little flippers.

I use this face whenever someone says something very stupid, obvious, or completely over my head. Since most things fall into one of these categories, I pretty much look like this all the time. Anyway, two of my good friends are in town for the Holidays, and last night we went to a coffeeshop. I told them about the Sunfish Face. We all began making it at different points during the conversation, but then, something so profoundly stupid happened (I don't remember what it was, but we were surrounded by hippies so it probably had to do with Occupying something) that we all made the Sunfish Face AT THE SAME TIME. Please understand, there were four people at this table, and only one of them (me) is retarded. One has a masters degree, one is about to finish his PhD, and one was a mechanical engineering student at Carnegie Melon, but he dropped out because he got fucking bored.

And there we were.

Just four sunfish drifting along in the sea of the world.

Aimless. Helpless

Outnumbered.

Flippers flicking pointlessly against the current.

So anyway yesterday was mostly crap for training, I snatched 185#, snatch high pull + hang snatched 195#, clean & jerked 225# for 3 singles, cleaned 245# and tweaked my knee pretty good. I racked 265# but didn't stand up, it didn't hurt much on the squat but the pull hurt and threw me off. I wrapped up my knees and tried to squat but the knee was feeling "funny" so I called it. I iced it and it's a little tender this morning but doesn't seem too bad. I'm change my jerk grip to less of a grip for a while...I tried it last night and it felt weird but I was definitely not inclined to press the bar, which is a huge problem for me. I'm hoping if I train it out of my fingers for a while it'll become natural and I'll actually be able to do a split jerk like a person who looks like they know how to do a split jerk.

I've been scraping ice off my windshield in the morning even though I live on the California coast.

2011-12-21T08:11:00.001-08:00

Yeah I know it's only cold by Californian standards but get fucked I'm a Californian kthxbai.

Yesterday my friend, who is a bald headed Canadian fuck, trolled me in the most vicious, personalized way I've ever experienced. I'm both real angry and real impressed. First off, let me tell you that he is 5'7", 163, ripped as fuck, deadlifts 655# or something like that, has a really hot wife who deadlifts like 300# and still cooks dinner for him even though she could probably kick his ass. So this dude is trolling me merely by existing.

Anyway.

He owns a gym, and his gym shares the locker room with a really nice hotel. So he gets to use their hot tub and stuff. So he starts telling me that he met this really hot blonde chick about my age in the hot tub. And I'm like, great thanks bro, good to be reminded that I have no social life.

But he keeps going, because he is a fucking asshole.

He tells me he thinks she's my type. I remind him that she is in Canada.

He says she's a track athlete, seriously dedicated, doesn't really drink or party, etc. I remind him that she is in Canada.

He tells me he is probably going to see her again in the hot tub tomorrow. I REMIND HIM THAT SHE IS IN CANADA.

He tells me that he will tell her I'm not interested. At which point my brain goes "wait, is he actually trying to set me up with this girl?"

I remind him that she is in Canada...

Then.

He says.

Oh shit, I thought I told you...she's from the West Coast...Salinas, I think?

DAWN BREAKS IN THE DARK OF MY HEART.

A SOLITARY EMBER GLOWS, READY TO IGNITE AT HER GENTLE BREATH.

For about two fucking seconds. Then I remember that my friend knows where I live, and probably googled towns near it.

I. COULD. NOT. BE. MORE. TROLLED.

I hate Canada.

Anyway, yesterday I power snatched 175# for two singles, but caught the first one in the hole. Power cleaned 225# for a single, and took two attempts at 240# but caught them both in the hole. This is a new problem for me, normally when I power snatch/power clean I don't get under at all. I guess this is what happens when you start to get decent at the lifts, so I won't complain. I also front squatted 360# for a relatively easy 5# PR. I'll take it I guess.

Oh, and my friend the Bald Headed Canadian Fuck (BHCF) is trying to take credit for that PR.

Fuck.

Oh yeah, I have a blog.

2011-12-20T09:07:00.001-08:00

I guess I've been lifting weights and stuff.

I snatched 102kg on Friday, for a 7kg PR, it's alright. I took about 20 maximal or near maximal attempts in total that workout, it's fine I don't need my traps to be functional anyway. Also I took $20 of Jon North's money because he bet me I couldn't make 102. Oh yeah, I train at Cal Strength on Fridays now, so that's pretty cool. It's a pleasant reminder that I am a pretty worthless weightlifter.

The next morning I squatted 400#x3, I'd been trying and failing to do a double for the last few weeks. 15# PR triple while cutting weight okay I guess.

Oh yeah, I'm cutting to 85kg. Only about 10kg more to go.

Did my first meet a few weeks ago, I went 80/112 as a very light 105 (95.3) I suck.

Yesterday I snatch + hang snatched 185# for 3 sets, clean & jerk + jerk 215# for 2 sets, and squatted 400#x1. It's good to know I can now snatch 185# like I used to snatch 175#, i.e. it's my "I will make this every day" weight, and it's good to know I can squat 405# even when I feel like shit and have a tension headache.

In other news, I still have the worst split jerk in the world.

Bite

2011-09-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Bite your lip, baby

I wanna wonder

What you're thinking

Tell me with your fingertips

I do too much cardio.

2011-07-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I am forced to do on a daily basis which I believe are far too similar to cardio.

1. Coaching. Do you know how much walking you have to do in order to effectively coach a large group of people spread out across 2400 square feet? Seriously folks, that's a lot of calories burned. The alternative, of course, is to just sit in the middle of the room and yell, but that takes a lot of air, so it's really not much better.

2. Getting out of bed quickly. My alarm isn't near my bed (so that I don't repeatedly hit the snooze button,) and in order to shut up it's horrendous noise I have to walk across the room. I hate the noise so much that I get of bed pretty damned fast. Definitely cardio-esque.

3. Cleaning. There is a lot of movement involved in sweeping, vacuuming, washing dishes, etc. I'm pretty sure it's catabolic.

4. Dealing with Nathan. Because it requires a LOT of yelling.

5. Eating quickly. Sometimes I have to shovel down a meal between classes. I'm moving that fork FAST, people, and not for just one rep.

6. Giving a fuck. As hard as I try not to, I find myself, at least once a day, giving a fuck about something. This can lead to elevated heartrate, moving quickly, and a distinct lack of getting hypertrophic. I'm taking lessons on Not Giving A Fuck from Brent to help me deal with this.

**********************************************************************************************

Let's talk about something awesome. Specifically, Ben kicking ass at Nationals last weekend. Observe:

NO BIG DEAL JUST SLANGIN' KILOS BRO.

***********************************************************************************************

Training yesterday was meh. Snatched 15x1 on :90 and managed to make 175 3 times, but missed it 4 times. Tried to squat but I'm thrashed. Gonna throttle back this week and come back strong on Monday.

...why is there a pug at the bar?

2011-07-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you some funny things.

Last night Mariah and I went to a bar with a few friends. Mariah and I are cooler than you, so instead of drinking, we decided to eat ice cream, which we brought ourselves. I had Häagen Dazs chocolate chip cookie dough. Mariah had some Ben & Jerry's. The flavor doesn't really matter since Ben & Jerry's is CLEARLY inferior to Häagen Dazs. Also there was a pug at the bar. Mariah was really freaked out by this. We had the following conversation:

Mariah: Why the FUCK is there a pug at the bar?!

Me: Give me three good reasons there shouldn't be a pug at the bar.

Mariah: ONE it's a dog...TWO this is a people bar...THREE this is a vulgar environment...WHAT THE FUCK IS IT DOING HERE?! I think it's drinking beer. Out of a cup. It has foam on it's little snout.

Later Mariah told me "Before you know it, I'll be T. Colin Campbell with a pug at a bar, and I'll be like...feeding it breadsticks."

Mind you, Mariah was sober.

Also, I have some new aviator sunglasses, and they make Nathan very nervous. Seriously. He has trouble looking at me when I wear them. At one point I looked at him with a serious face and said "Sir" and he FREAKED OUT and goes "please...please don't do that Jacob."

Mind you, Nathan was sober.

Anyway, this was a better training week. Managed to snatch 195 yesterday, and C&J 245 and the jerk didn't hurt my knees. Cleaned 265 pretty easy too. Then squatted 385. My lower back was pretty shot and I was tired from snatch and C&J...think I have 405 fresh. I suppose I'll take it rather than leave it.

P.S. Before you ask, we brought the spoons for the ice cream too, from my house.

Per Aspera Ad Astra

2011-07-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

No one tells you about hands.

I suppose it may be mentioned in passing, and it should probably seem obvious that in a sport that requires regularly lifting a roughened steel bar that weighs several hundred pounds, your hands will take a beating. But no one tells an aspiring weightlifter "By the way, there are going to be days when you think your palms are going to rip off like a worn out Band-Aid."

No one talks about how, some days, getting out of bed or into your car will seem like a chore, or about the frustration of missing the same weight, which might be 20kg under your PR, over and over and over again.

You're never going to hear about the days you need to spend 45 minutes warming up just so that your shoulders don't hurt like hell at the bottom of the snatch. You won't hear about being too tired to sleep, or being hungry no matter how much you eat, or how sometimes you don't want to eat at all.

No one will say "the ice doesn't help that much," or "you can only take so much ibuprofen," or "if you want to be good at this, you're going to have to beat yourself into the ground for weeks, months, years on end, and sometimes, when every voice in your body and your brain is telling you 'no, no, no!' you're going to have to listen to the stupid little voice in your stupid stubborn heart saying "YES, GOD DAMMIT, PICK IT UP AGAIN.' "

In short, no one is going to tell you "this is going to fucking hurt."

But you'll find out. I am in the process of doing so. It fucking hurts. In a new and different way than anything I've experienced before.

And it's important in a way nothing I've done before has been. Because I can tell that it's going to work. I can feel myself getting better, even as I seem to get worse. I ache from head to toe, and though some of my lifts aren't at PR level right now, they're still getting better. That's important, because there's a lesson in it.

The days when you want to quit, when your hands feel like they're going to fall off, when your knees and your shoulders ache, when the bar just feels too damn heavy from your first warm-up, when you're out of ibuprofen and the ice isn't cold anymore...those days, when you decide to listen to the stupid little voice in your stupid stubborn heart, and pick the bar up one more time, those days are opportunities to decide your fate. Anyone can do it on an easy day. Only those who do it when it hurts can become champions. And I'm not just talking about weightlifting. Every great runner's road has, at some point, felt too long, every writer's ink seems to have run dry, every singer's voice grown hoarse. And yet the Badwater is run every year, and great works of literature are written, and beautiful songs are sung, and heavy bars are lifted. Of course it's not easy. To hell with easy. Easy never got anyone anything other than mediocrity and maybe comfort. But comfort is complacency and I'm not interested in that. I'll take the pain and the exhaustion and the challenge. I'll get up tomorrow and ache and want anything other than to lift that bar again, and I will lift that bar again, and again, and again, and again, until the weights I lift today are warm-ups, and I've got my own fucking Wikipedia entry.

Nothing can stop me.

Per Aspera Ad Astra

**********************************************************************************************

7/12

Cleans - 285 for a 20# PR. 245x2x2

DB press - 80# DBs x3x3

Pullups/Chins: 12, 10, 10, 10 alternating grip each set

7/13

Snatch - 15x1 on :90, up to 175. Missed one rep with 145 and one with 175. No squats, knees hurt pretty bad after the cleans yesterday.

This post has been written a thousand times...

2011-07-11T08:08:00.001-07:00

...but apparently the message isn't getting through, so here we go again.

This morning I dropped Brent off at the airbus station. Obviously I'm going to miss him, because he's hilarious, so I was in the mood to Troll. I went to a coffee shop that I haven't been to in a while, but where the baristas know me. I lucked out: one of my clients had borrowed my copy of "Starting Strength" and, knowing that I go to this place pretty regularly, he left it there for me to pick up as he's leaving the country for a while.

Now, these girls at the coffeeshop are fairly used to my crap, but I was on fire today. As I was leaving, I half jokingly offered to leave "Starting Strength" for them to read. This is pretty standard for me...I regularly try to convince them to come train at my gym. Upon reading the cover of the book, one of the girls said "Basic barbell training? I like looking like a woman, not a man."

Jesus, this again? Really?

Plenty of people who are much smarter than me have written a lot of material on why women should lift weights for health. I'm not going to do that here (but I will remind you that long, slow distance cardio increases the body's efficiency at storing bodyfat.) So instead I'm going to go with this: stick girl is not hot. I am in no way attracted to this:

Sometimes I see a girl who looks like this and I wonder "what are those things sticking out of her acetabulums?" before I realize that those are what she's using in place of legs. How the hell does she get around? Who's going to carry her to safety when the Zombie Apocalypse comes?

Ladies, so we're clear, this is what legs are supposed to look like:

I'm mostly preaching to the choir here. The females who read this blog aren't going to disagree with me, and the males who read this blog aren't reading anymore because they're staring at the above picture (I'm having trouble concentrating on writing now, as a matter of fact.) So if you know someone who needs to hear this, send it to them. Girls should lift. It makes you look better. It makes you more useful. It most certainly does not make you look like a man.

I'll leave you with this thought, ladies: I don't think it's cute or sexy when you need me to carry a fucking case of water from the car because it's just too damn heavy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go coach two ladies who understand the utility of being STRONG.

*************************************************************************************

Snatched 15x1 on :90. 5x135 (missed 3rd rep,) 5x145, 5x155

Squat 345x3x5 (high bar, no belt)

Snatch to max - 165

FYI resting 2 hours between heavy sessions IS NOT ENOUGH.

If I could take a minute to not be an asshole...

2011-07-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

The 70's Big Lifting Workshop is legit. We hosted one at CrossFit Monterey yesterday. Justin has one of the best eyes for movement I've seen, and his cuing is concise, effective, and usually funny. He does a great job of altering the seminar on the spot based on the needs and wants of the participants. It's a steal at $150. If there's one in your area, GO.

***************************************************************************************

I want to talk to you guys about a place that's very important to me. It's where I go when I'm happy or when I'm sad, when I want to celebrate or when I need something to get me through the day, when I need support, inspiration, or the fortitude to get through my second heavy session of the day.

I'm talking, of course, about Papa Chevo's taqueria.

No seriously you guys. I've probably eaten there once a day for the last week. I've gone there twice in a day before. You you can a big delicious burrito for five bucks. My go-to is a carne asada burrito with just cheese and guacamole, and a carne asada quesadilla, just meat and cheese. But of course, once in a while, I go jumbo:

Brent just told me he would not mind eating there again today, even though we've been there every day for the last four days. That's some fucking endorsement coming from a guy who pretty much hates everything.

Listen, seriously, go there okay. It'll make your life better. Ask Nathan.

*************************************************************************************

Gonna start incorporating some timed sets into my training. On double days, I'll snatch timed sets in the AM (light) and go for a max in the PM. When I squat will depend on my schedule that day.

This One's For You

2011-07-09T00:22:00.000-07:00

Two knots

Tangled together

Through twilight

And midnight

Coming undone

***************************************************************************************

Nothing of note except that I managed an 245# clean entirely on rage. I was exhausted, everything hurt, and I felt off as shit. So I turned up Electric Frankenstein really loud and decided that I was just going to rip the bar off the floor. That seemed to work.

Guess I should fucking post something.

2011-07-08T00:29:00.000-07:00

The last week has been shitty as fuck training. Shitty as fuck. But I can't really complain because in the last few weeks I've got some squatting back (365x3 high bar, unbelted,) pressed 200x3 unbelted, and snatched a 20# PR (205#.)

Last week someone told me I couldn't qualify for Nationals in 2012. Fuck that.

Check out this blog it is the best www.ohgodsheslookingatmebetterjuststicktosquatting.wordpress.com

I'm going to stay up late while Justin and Brent play Starcraft 2, and smoke a bunch of cigarettes. I think this will help me lift more tomorrow. It's science.

I have no title for this post.

2011-06-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

Things are pretty awesome. Went to the Midtown Classic weightlifting meet on Saturday. Both of my lifters (Nathan and Shareef) did very well...Shareef snatched a PR but missed on a technicality, and all of Nathan's lifts were meet PRs.

I have a new gym. It is coming together. It is basically the shit.

6/16/2011

Snatch up to 175 for a few singles

6/17/2011

Snatch up to 155 for some singles

Front squat 185x3x2

RDL 135x10x3

6/20/2011

Snatch up to 155 for 2 singles

Squat 245x3x5

Front squats and cleans will come back much more slowly than snatches and squats...the sharp knee angle makes front squats pretty painful. All in due time, I suppose. For now my training plan is to snatch a lot, squat a lot, run hills as soon as possible, and do some other stuff like rows, chins, etc when I feel like it.

I'm back. Kind of.

2011-06-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

Hi. This is my friend Ben, being a FUCKING MAN:

I couldn't bring myself to give a shit about blogging while not training. Now I'm back to training...kind of. I snatched a couple of times last week and things were getting better, so I'm doing a little more this week.

6/13
Snatched up to 3 singles with 165. This has been the best the knees have felt so far, and I did it without knee sleeves. PR?
Dumbbell Rows (standing, pulled from floor) - 190x10x3 (each side)

6/14
Squat 225x3x5. Hurt a little bit during the lift, but between and after were all fine. These were done high bar, again without knee sleeves (I have a new tattoo on my calf and don't want to have the neoprene all up in it's grill.)
RDL 135x10x3

I'm planning on resting tomorrow, snatching and doing some kind of upper body pull again on Thursday, and front squats and RDLs on Friday.

Going to a meet in Sacramento this Saturday. I have two lifters competing, and am looking forward to seeing some friends, Ben included, kick major ass.

Filler.

2011-05-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'll write something later. I feel like I should, but I don't really have anything to write about.

"On" Days

2011-05-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Coaching the (loosely formed but rapidly growing) weightlifting team at CrossFit Monterey is the best and worst thing I do all day.

I am going crazy not training. Coaching and watching the team makes me miss it all that much more. When I'm cheering them on, I literally have this explosive energy running through me...I saw a video of me yelling at Nathan while he was going for a new 3RM squat the other day, and I'm stomping the fucking ground as hard as I can, like it's the only way I can exert some force against a Goddamned barbell. Frustrating doesn't cover it.

But then again, you can have "on" days with coaching just as you can with training, and I think I did today. Bailee hit a PR clean (110#) and Shareef hit a PR snatch (175#.) These didn't have a lot to do with my coaching: Bailee C&J'd 100# the other day and it was clear she had more on the clean, so she came in and crushed it. Shareef is a freak of nature, I don't know what to say about him. I don't know who else just shows up and PRs their snatch by 15#.

Nathan, on the other hand, didn't PR, but in one session we 1) found something we needed to fix, 2) found the cue necessary to fix it (in my experience it usually takes 2-3 sessions after finding the problem to determine a cue that works optimally to correct it,) and 3) developed a new ramp-up protocol that I think is going to get him much more consistent at 90%+ weights. I'm pretty sure the only reason he didn't PR today is because he was tired by the time we got there, but he still hit 5# under his PR snatch, and the rep he did at 10# below was probably the best rep I've ever seen out of him.

Overall, I can't complain.

I still want to lift some fucking weight though.

The Blueprint

2011-05-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

It was a rough couple of days, but I've been listening to HOV all day, and my Swag is on high.

This is what I'm going to be doing as of June 6, whether my knees are better or not.

Monday

Snatch to 1-2 misses, drop to 80% of best and work back up

Clean & jerk heavy single, 10-15 reps of volume with 85-90%

Squat 5x5 high bar

Tuesday

Snatch, whatever I feel like

Press/Push Press, 15ish reps of volume

Barbell Rows, for the Yammage

Thursday

Clean & Jerk heavy single, volume whatever

Front Squat 3x5

Weighted Chins, for the Yokeage

Saturday

Snatch to max

C&J to max

Squat 3RM, 2RM, or 1RM high bar

I will do GPP as well: plyos on Monday and Thursday (before training, probably in the AM,) sprint intervals/hills on Tuesday and Saturday (after training whenever possible.)

4 days a week, three movements a day, HEAVY FUCKING DUTY EVERY DAMN TIME.

Tired.

2011-05-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Slept 3 hours last night. Didn't have time to mobilize today. Too tired to ice or write a poem. Got an adjustment. Shutting down now.

Middleground? Nah.

2011-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

One of the most important aspects of training is that it is one of the few things in life where absolutes exist.

In most things you do, there will never be a true black-and-white answer. I've never found anything outside of a barbell where there was a straight up yes or no.

Did you make the lift? Yes or no?

Yesterday one of my athletes, a weightlifter who does no conditioning, agreed to do a Prowler workout. He told me I couldn't make him puke. Silly boy. Less than halfway through, he was ready to give up. He looked at me and said "You win, okay? You beat me."

I got in his face and told him it wasn't about beating him. I told him that whether this was his sport or not, quitting was quitting. If he quit on the Prowler, he would quit when it counted – on the barbell.

He finished what he started.

Afterwards he told me he was mad at himself. At first I thought it was because he expected his conditioning to be better (he was a wrestler and football player in high school.) He told me it wasn't that – he was mad because he almost quit.

He almost quit.

Welcome to black-and-white. Welcome to a complete lack of middleground. Welcome to there-is-no-such-thing-as-almost.

He may have almost quit. But he didn't quit. It's a yes or no question.

He didn't puke, either.

Tattoo Girl

2011-05-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hey there tattoo girl

Innocence and ink

I like the way you sink

Into my skin

Fill me with color

And sound

The blues and belief

Fire and cool relief

From the bite marks

You left on me

But don't worry

Tattoo girl

I like the way

Your needle stings

*************************************************************************************

Mobility

Had an adjustment from Dr.Aaron Gaily at Gonstead Family Chiropractic in Monterey. I am highly skeptical of chiropractors in general – Doc Gaily is the real deal. Check him out.

Got a "massage" from People-Mechanic Rob Fontecchio. Rob is the best People-Mechanic there is, but he sucks at "technology," and so doesn't have a "website," so I can't "link" him.

How is it only Tuesday?

2011-05-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Fuck. I am tired.

Mobility

Rolled TFL, quads, glutes for 3 minutes each, gastrocs for 2 minutes each, back + thoracic extensions for 3 minutes, lats for 2 minutes each. Couch stretch PNF 6 sets, hamstring PNF on box 6 sets, glute grind with distraction 2 minutes per side, Pigeon on 30" high box 2 minutes per side. Stretching my pecs and lats doesn't seem to get anywhere...need to figure that out. Am now icing knees.

No poem today. Too much work to do.

Day 1

2011-05-09T09:52:00.001-07:00

When your spirit sings

My ears perk up

Straining to catch

Every note

Of your ringing laughter

A song to remind me

To never settle

For less

Than exactly what

I once believed

What I now know

*************************************************************************************

Why train?

For the last 8 years, training – be it CrossFit, lifting, or martial arts – has been the glue that has held my life together. Depressed? Train. Angry? Train. Stuck in a rut? Train. Heartbroken? Train. Hard training is an atmosphere of potential failure, but those failures were always so much less consequential than failures outside of the gym, and so much more controllable, that they seemed like a break. I wasn't too worried about the last girl to hurt my little feelings when I had a heavy bar on my back, or a nasty hill in front of me.

So, now what? Four weeks without glue. A month without controllable failure to distract me from the potential consequences of serious failures, real life failures. Scared? Shitless. But let's not forget what fear is.

I'm not completely sure I believe that everything happens for a reason. But if it does, I think my body has broken down like this to tell me a few things:

1) I'm young enough to recover from this if I start now. START NOW.

2) It's been a few years since I've been competitive. And the fact is, if you're not a little bit competitive, you're probably never going to realize your full potential. It's pretty Goddamned unlikely that I'm ever going to the Olympics, but if I don't try, then I'm just being a pussy. The fire has been relit. No one is safe. I WANNA BEAT 'EM.

If this time off doesn't work...well shit, I don't know. I'm okay with hurting all the time, but only if it's the "I'm training like a mother fucker to be the Goddamned best at something" kind of hurt. Not the "I'm an old man" kind of hurt. So keep your damn fingers crossed, will ya?

*************************************************************************************

Mobility

Underestimated how much time I'd need to get through everything. I rolled everything but my pecs – I remembered today why I don't do it often...it's because I get nothing out of it. Will have to figure something out here. PNFed hip flexors/quads, hamstrings, and did elevated Pigeon stretch for 2:00 per side. I will ensure that I give myself more time tomorrow.

Oh look, a poem.

2011-05-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

There are nights

When my heart howls

And my soul catches fire

Licked by flames

The sun left behind

And nothing can quiet me

Save water offered from palms

Cupped to form half a world

And I, with half a sky

On my shoulders

Take a drink

And wait

*************************************************************************************

Putting out fires.

2011-05-08T01:26:00.001-07:00

Alright, it's time to admit it: my body fucking hurts.

Every time I press my left shoulder flares up, and it's gotten to the point where I can't really mobilize it properly because it causes weird pain throughout the lateral shoulder capsule. If I try to squat, Olympic lift, push press, or walk up fucking stairs my knees scream. Sometimes they hurt like hell when I get out of my car. My back aches every morning when I wake up.

I'm twenty-two. Somethings not right.

I've tried a lot of different things in a lot of different combinations. Mobility has been a constant. I've tried icing, resting, doing only certain movement variations, etc...all of them work, to a point, but nothing seems permanent. I think it's time to do something that really, really scares me. Something I haven't done in a long time.

I'm going to rest. Completely. For a month.

Until June 6th 2011, I am not going to train.

I am terrified. I'm scared of losing all my strength. I'm scared of getting fat. I'm scared of not doing the thing which has been the glue holding my life together for the past 8 years. But I'm going to do it. At the time which I would normally train, this is what will be going down.

Myofascial Release

1. Tensor Fasciae Latae, 2-3 minutes per side

2. Quads, 2-3 minutes per side

3. Glute/high hamstrings, 2-3 minutes per side

4. Gastrocs, 2-3 minutes per side

5. Spinal erectors/rhomboids/all that other stuff in there/thoracic extensions, 3 minutes

6. Lats, 2 minutes per side

7. Pecs, 2 minutes per side

Stretching

1. Hip flexor PNF, 6 sets per side of 5 second contraction/10 second stretch

2. Hamstring PNF, 6 sets per side of 5 second contraction/10 second stretch

3. Glute grind with distraction, 2-3 minutes per side

4. Elevated Pigeon stretch 2-3 minutes per side

5. Overhead lat stretch PNF, 6 sets per side of 5 second contraction/10 second stretch

6. Pitcher stretch PNF, 6 sets per side of 5 second contraction/10 second stretch

Mobility WOD

2 per day, one upper body, one lower body

Icing

Yes.

If this doesn't work, then I don't know what comes next. Sometime in this month I'm going to try and get a PT appointment with Kelly up at San Francisco CrossFit. It's worth my time and money.

Oh, and since I won't be able to use training as an outlet: I'm going to write. A lot. About training, about life. I'll even write poetry.

Yeah, I fucking write poetry. I'm pretty good at it sometimes. Big deal, wanna fight about it?

Look, it's late. Here's a poem I wrote a while back. Goodnight.

Once

I believed in answers

Now even questions elude me

And you have nothing to say

Words slip through my lips

Like water through clenched fists

Tight as I may grip

They're gone

And there is nothing you or I can do to save them

So I bare my bones to the fire

Having long since learned

That the heat may burn me

But it will never return me

To the ashes from whence we came

I am no phoenix

To be reborn in glory

I am it's shadow

To be forgotten in the brightness

Of my own blinding light

Hoping and Knowing.

2011-05-07T16:39:00.001-07:00

You have two choices: you can hope, or you can know. I knew the weight was going up, and I wasn't letting the universe tell me otherwise.

In the wise words of Ben Claridad: Boom.

Training

Obviously I pressed 225x1.

Things worth spending money on.

2011-05-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Some things are worth spending money on. Like these Rehband sleeves. SERIOUSLY, they are, to quote my friend, "amazeballs." I got mine today and trained in them for the first time. It was like training with a tube of magic and awesomeness around my thigh.

Another thing worth spending money on is "The Texas Method E-Book," by my good friend Justin Lascek of 70's Big (a website you should be reading if you're not already.) Justin does a great job of detailing proper variation of volume and intensity for optimal strength programming, and the reader will gain (I think more importantly) the ability to think more clearly and organically about programming. Buy it, for serious.

Training

Snatch - worked up to some singles with 145

Power clean & jerk - worked up to singles with 185

YES: these weights are ludicrously light. But it was as far as I was willing to go with the knee. I experienced some residual pain (I think from the jerk more than the snatch,) but it was fairly minor. I can't complain too much...things might be getting better. Now icing like hell and about to eat a lot of steak and cauliflower.

Lastly: this.

Fear.

2011-05-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have the words "No Guts, No Glory" tattooed on my right forearm. Cheesy, I know. But cliches are only cliche because they're so often true.

I've lived with fear forever. I'm not unique. To a large degree, fear is a deciding factor in most of our lives. And like with most things, I think a lot of things about fear are misunderstood.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." –Ambrose Redmoon

For a long time I have talked about facing fears down, but I recently realized something important. It's not about looking fear in the eye and beating it down. What you need to do is take fear by the hand, and embrace it as an indicator of value. Understand this: if you're not scared, it's probably not important. Ask yourself this: if I'm not scared of this, is it worth my time and effort?

If you're not a little bit scared to train, are you training hard enough? If you're not a little bit scared to compete, do you care enough? If you're not a little bit scared of how much you love someone, do you really love them as much as you think?

Are you scared?

Good.

Swag.

2011-05-03T17:22:00.001-07:00

My friend Ben recently put up a post in which he talked about lifting with Swag. Swag is important in lifting and in life, so I want to talk about it.

First of all, what is Swag? I define Swag as being both very confident and very positive. You've got to be aware and proud of your capabilities, without being a dick about it, and also be supportive and encouraging of those around you, whether they are Olympians or noobs.

Example of Swag:

Bro 1: Sweet lift, Bromosabe.

Bro 2: Thanks Brofessor! You're looking pretty swole yourself today.

Bro 1: Thanks Bro Pecci! It's awesome catchin' a pump with you!

Confident, positive, encouraging. Swagadocious.

Example of NOT Swag:

Bro 1: Sweet lift, Bromosabe.

Bro 2: Yeah, I know. I'm the fucking shit and everyone should know it.

Arrogant does not = confident, and there is no positivity from Bro 1 towards Bro 2. No Swag going on here.

Another example of NOT Swag:

Bro 1: Sweet lift, Bromosabe.

Bro 2: No it wasn't, I suck at lifting and life. I should be executed by firing squad.

In this scenario, Bro 2 is either fishing for compliments or refusing to be confident. And when you're not confident about yourself, no one takes you seriously when you're confident about them. Definitely a Swagless situation.

Training

Bench Press

225x3

230x3

235x3x3

This was EZPZ. Bench is definitely my weakest lift though. A bit strange since press is probably my strongest lift. I bench with a fairly narrow grip.

Weighted Chins

52.5x3x4

52.5x4

Think I had an extra rep there, gave up on it mentally.

Weighted Dips

80x3x4

80x6

A little harder than expected, I haven't done these in a while.

Overall, caught a sweet pump.

Fire.

2011-05-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm angry and I like it.

Today I failed my last deadlift set, 475x2. I missed the lockout on the second rep by about 2 inches. And I got mad. I was muttering under my breath. I wanted to kick the bar. I wanted to stomp back like a pissed off pitbull and rip that mother fucker off the ground for THREE, right then and there.

I haven't got angry about missing a lift like that in a long time. The fire is coming back. I got through my workout way faster than normal today. I had trouble making myself rest as much as I needed to between sets, to the point where I actually had to use my watch to make sure I took enough time.

I was also smart. A few years ago, when I got angry like this, I would have attempted the set again and again and again until I couldn't even make the single, or I got hurt. Today that didn't even occur to me. I just thought about what I could do next week to make sure I get it (incidentally, I will soon write a post about how to make small changes in programming to lengthen the success of a progression.)

But I'm mad about that miss, and I like it.

Training

Deadlift

435x2

455x2

475x1, missed 2nd rep at very end of lockout

Barbell Rows (strict)

250x5x5

Overhead Weighted Situps

45x12x4

Between sets of situps, I spent one minute in my Paleo Chair.

Stuck.

2011-04-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

I'm stuck. It's driving me crazy.

Over the last few months, I haven't been training. I've been working out. I've been doing whatever my body can handle. No real goals because I couldn't reasonably set them. I couldn't do some of my favorite things: squat, clean, power snatch, running (the really short, really fast kind.)

In a way it's good, because it's reignited a spark. I was okay with just working out, until it got to the point where I really couldn't do that anymore. Now I want to TRAIN. I want to COMPETE. I want to bring a little fire. I'd like to try my hand at seriously training the Olympic lifts, and competing. But who knows when the knees will be better? I'm trying. Keep your fingers crossed.

Training

Unfortunately, didn't make it to Midtown today. But I have been eating a whole lot, so at least I've got that going for me.

This again?

2011-04-29T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am tremendously good at ignoring this blog for upwards of a year at a time.

This time, I have been told to put it to use, by my friend Ben Claridad. Ben is large and menacing, so I figured I should do it.

Right now, I'm in Davis, CA, visiting for the weekend. This is what's going on in my life that is relevant:

1) My knees hurt. They have hurt for quite a while. Months. Squatting is the worst. I've tried taking time off from it, box squatting and mobilizing like crazy...everything works, but only a little. My next plan is to deadlift and do upperbody work and no conditioning, while doing very light box squats and mobilizing a lot. If I'm not good to go by May 15th, it's MRI time, and then it may be surgery time. I sure hope not.

Actually, that's pretty much all that's relevant right now. I can't decide what to do with my training until I know what's going on with my knees. For now, I'm just spinning my wheels. Tomorrow I'm going to go to Midtown Strength & Conditioning in Sacramento, take some Vitamin I, and hit the lifts - snatch and clean & jerk. This is a stupid idea, but I want to. Time off starts Sunday.

Training

At CrossFit Davis

Press

200x3x4

200x5

I was feeling good and after the third rep of my last set, I decided to keep going. 5 is a rep PR by one. I'll take that, since I did 4x3 first.

Weighted Chins

50x3

60x3

50x3x3

Whatever.

4/12/2010

2010-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Power Clean
45x5x3
95x3x2
135x2
185x1
215x1x5

Soft back, and an early arm pull causing an early jump. My whole set up is too far forward and my knees are coming in during the first pull. But my rack position is good, which is new, and I wasn't catching in an obscenely wide stance (though still a bit wider than I'd like.) The linked video is the last set.

Press
45x5x3
95x5
115x3
135x1
155x5x3

These were hard...there may be a reset coming in the near future.

Chins
14, 12, 11

Weak today.

No conditioning - I tried but I was just beat to hell.

4/6/2010

2010-04-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Squat

45x5x3

135x5

185x3

205x1

225x5x3

Low bar squatted for the first time in a long time, and it felt good for the first time ever. I'm letting go of my hamstrings at the bottom, but feeling optimistic about this. Will go +10lbs on Friday.

Deadlift

RDL 45x10x2

RDL 135x5

225x5

245x3

275x1

315x5

All double overhand until the last 2 reps at 315lbs. Very minimal back/rib pain.

Rows

135x31, 22, 21

Going to 155lbs next week.

3 x max double unders - 98, 80, 33

CLEARLY out of practice.

4/5/2010

2010-04-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ace bandages are my friend. I wrapped up to hold my rib in and it seems to have worked.

Power snatch

45x5x3

95x2x2

115x1

125x1

135x1x5

Speed is decent, I need to delay the jump more and work on the landing.

Press

45x5x2

95x5

115x3

135x1

150x5x3

Pullups

17 (PR by 1,) 16, 14

Stoked on these.

3x25' prowler push at +135lbs

:20 rest between efforts

:6, :7, :9

4x50m prowler push at +90lbs

1:00 rest between efforts

:17, :34, 1:17, 1:52

I think a big part of what makes the prowler so miserable is the rapid rate of deterioration.

4/2/2010

2010-04-03T00:41:00.000-07:00

Squat

PVC x 15 x 3

45x10x3

Heavy as hell, clearly...

6x200m run, resting 30 seconds between.

:40

:44

:45

:48

:43

Polished that WOD off with a quart of whole milk, then a few hours later headed to Central Texan BBQ in Castroville for a meal of truly EPIC proportions. Ready for the weekend.

4/1/2010

2010-04-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Joanna, one of my private training clients, goes out for a Prowl. Joanna is 57 years old, 127lbs, recently squatted 85x5x3, deadlifted 105x5, pressed 55x5x3, benched 70x5x3, and power cleaned 50x3x5 (like it was a joke.) She trains with me twice a week and along with the heavy stuff she does band assisted chins and pullups, and hard conditioning workouts (mostly 10 minutes and down because she does a lot of longer, lower intensity stuff on her own.)

Skipped cleans today because of my rib. I'm going back to power cleans and power snatches, the split and squat bother my rib too much and I'm tired of not training.

Bench Press

45x10

135x5

155x3

185x5x3

Pullups

45lbs x 5, 5, 3

Push prowler +60lbs as far as possible in 10 minutes

50m turnaround

Wearing 20lb vest

~385m

Miserable. Fucking miserable. But I felt like a warrior. I polished this workout off with a quart of organic whole milk - the ultimate post workout "shake."

3/30/2010

2010-03-30T13:49:00.001-07:00

Whole milk and sausage. Embassy Suites complimentary breakfast is pretty awesome.

Rib popped out again this morning...stupid as fuck. I reached my arms over my head to stretch, and ouch. Pretty crappy.

Squat

PVCx15x3

Deadlift

45x5x3

135x5x3

185x5

225x5

Barbell Row, 135lbs x 3 sets to failure

20, 16, 14

6x50m prowler push, +90lbs

:24, :30, :41, :29, :38, :33

The significant differences in time were down to a) resting too much on some efforts and not enough on others and b) having to deal with potholes, ruts, etc that stopped me on a few of the efforts. First time with the prowler, so some trial and error is to be expected. One of my landlords (both of whom are welders and own a machine shop together) suggested I get some 1/4" angle iron for the skids and offered to bolt it on, so I'm going to see if I can find any at OSH or a local iron shop.

3/29/2010

2010-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Newest toy: Prowler.

Clean

45x5x2

95x3x2

135x2

185x1

205x1

225x1x3

Went back to squat cleans - I don't have the time or energy to dedicate to learning the split clean right now, and I'm already pretty good at squat cleans. I could have done a couple more singles today, but I'm feeling a bit beat - hamstring and back were unhappy - so decided to back off a bit.

Press

45x5x2

95x5

115x3

125x2

145x5x3

Harder than it should have been today.

Chins

16, 14, 14

Didn't PR, but got more total work done on than last time (16, 12, 13.)

3/26/2010

2010-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

@ Embassy Suites in Santa Clara

5 x max clean & press, 50lb dumbbells: 14, 11, 12, 12, 12

Hotel gym, the dumbbells were the only useful thing in there apart from the water cooler, and 50lbs was as heavy as they went. The limiting factor on this was mostly mental: On every set except maybe the last one I could have pressed one more rep. Going to failure on high power movements like this is a great psychological test.

3/25/2010

2010-03-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

3xAustin Avenue sprint (200mish)

:31/:31/:30

I should really do more volume in my running and conditioning. I don't know if I'm lazy or apathetic or what. I know I care about it, but I don't like doing it. I like going heavy. I guess I'll keep the volume down while motivation is down, unless I start feeling like crap.

3/24/2010

2010-03-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

Recovery day

Snatch

45x5x3

95x2x2

115x2

135x2x6

Actually got a pretty decent split with no press out on the last few sets.

Press

45x5x2

95x5

115x5x2

Squat

45x5x2

95x5

135x5

185x5x2

Workout Of The Day 3/23/2010

2010-03-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

2x800m run

3:34 (over 800m)

3:51

I don't want to talk about it.

3/22/2010

2010-03-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Clean

45x5x3

95x3x2

135x3

155x2

185x1

215x3x6

My. Split. Sucks.

Press

45x5x2

95x5

115x3

125x1

140x5x5

Squat

45x5x3

95x5

135x5

185x3

215x5x3

Didn't go ass-to-grass but stayed well below parallel. No problems with rib/back, so I think this will be my default depth.

Pullups

14, 14, 13

5 rounds:

10 swings, 1.5 pood kettlebell

1 sandbag suicide, 50lb sandbag

1:00 rest

:45, :46, :45, :47, :45

3/19/2010

2010-03-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Clean

45x5x3

95x3x2

135x2x2

155x1x2

185x1

205x1

215x1x2

230x1x2

225x1

My split cleans are really more like spl cleans.

Press

45x5x2

95x3x2

135x1

165x1x5

Squat

45x5x2

95x5

135x5

185x1

205x5x3

Chins

16, 12, 13

3/18/2010

2010-03-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Burgers & Brew in Davis is kind of my happy place.

@ CrossFit Davis

4x400m, full recovery

1:28

1:23

1:29

1:30

Holy crap I actually got my heart rate up!

3/17/2010

2010-03-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

Two CrossFit Monterey athletes get some heavy cleans.

Skill/recovery day

Split snatch

45x5x3

95x2x3

105x2x2

115x2

Press

45x5x2

65x5

95x5

115x5x2

Squat

45x5x3

95x5

135x5

155x5

185x5x2

All squats were ass-to-grass. The rib is okay if I really focus on keeping my back in extension.

3/16/2010

2010-03-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I went to Trader Joes today. This is all I bought.

35 lb strict pullup, 3 max sets - 6, 5, 5

I was supposed to do some conditioning today, but I get really apathetic when I'm injured. The back was hurting real bad this morning and afternoon, but it's starting to ease up a bit now. I'm supposed to snatch and do some light presses and back squats tomorrow...we'll see how much of that actually happens.

3/15/2010

2010-03-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't pay any attention to this blog. Sometimes I do.

Anyway.

These days, I want to get stronger, more powerful, focus on my running speed particularly 1 mile and down, and work on my short time domain (8 minutes tops) conditioning.

As any of you who know me are aware, I have notorious training ADD, so we'll see how long this lasts. For the last few months I've been doing more straight up CrossFit, and eating a strict measured Zone Paleo plan laid out by Steve at Primitive Foods. I'm going to cut the carbs down but not worry too much about how much protein and fat I'm eating (that is, I won't worry about eating too much.) Still eating mostly Paleo during the week, on the weekends I'm a little lax.

I'm just coming off a rest week, and this is how my training schedule is supposed to look for now:

Monday: clean triples, press 5s, back squat 5s, running or conditioning

Tuesday: max sets of strict weighted pullups with 35lbs, running or conditioning

Wednesday: snatch doubles, press light 5s, back squat light 5s

Thursday: running or conditioning

Friday: clean singles, press singles, back squat 5s

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest

Back squats are very light. I'm starting a linear progression at 225 and working my way up in 10lb increments each workout. This is because I have a rib that tends to pop out of place, and back squats exacerbate it. I've never taken time to work my way back up to heavy weights, because I am stupid. I am doing so now. The rib just popped out of place on Friday (3/12) and is still hurting.

Cleans are split cleans, snatches are split snatches, squats are high bar. Weights are in pounds (duh.)

Warmed up with 3 sets of 5 cleans/5 presses/5 back squats with the empty bar, just to see how all the exercises felt on my back (I should mention that the rib injury manifests itself as some nasty mid left back pain.) Everything felt okay.

Clean

95x3x2

135x3

155x2

185x1

210x3x6

Back started tightening up on sets 5-6 but nothing unmanageable.

Press

45x5

95x5

115x3

135x5x5

When I tried to warm up my squats with just an empty bar, my back hurt a lot just drawing breath at the top. Oh well. At least I got the cleans & presses in.

Here is a picture of some food which is now in my belly. The guys at 70's Big like to post pictures of things which they put in their bellies, and they seem to know a thing or two about getting strong, so I figured I'd follow suit.

Chicken apple snausages and sweet potaters.

Training 9/1/2009

2009-09-01T09:00:00.002-07:00

1 RM snatch - 175#. 5# off my PR even though I wasn't feeling it. I'm happy about that.

"Elizabeth"

21-15-9

Squat Clean 135#

Ring Dips

7:22 (previous PR 9:49)

Stoked.

Rest Day 8/31/2009

2009-09-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

Rest hard.

8/30/2009

2009-08-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

1 RM press - 175# (PR is 185#.) A bit out of the groove. Can definitely press 190#-195# with a bit of practice.

Max muscle-ups in 10 minutes, 10# vest - 21. Very happy about this, since a few weeks ago I did the same workout without a vest and got 26. Sometime soon I'll try 30 for time.

8/29/2009

2009-08-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

1.92 mile run - 15:25.

21 second PR on this course. Pretty happy with it considering the state of my legs.

Followed the run with jumping headfirst into the water. That was a good decision.

8/28/2009

2009-08-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

"Fran" - 3:57

This is a PR by 56 seconds (I haven't done "Fran" since May of 2008.) I was supposed to do heavy split jerks but wasn't feeling it. Tried a couple of thrusters at 95#. It felt easy, so I strapped the Chucks on and got after it. I'm happy with the time, especially since my legs were beat up, but I'm even happier with how I dealt with it mentally: there was no internal dialogue. Every time I told myself "pick the bar up and do 5 more reps," I did it. This is a big shift: a sub 3 "Fran" used to seem like an abstract, i.e. I knew on an intellectual level that I could do it, but now I actually FEEL it. And I am more confident than ever that I will qualify for the Games in 2010.

Shit is about to get dangerous.

Training 8/26/2009

2009-08-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

3 max sets of handstand pushups with 20# vest: 6, 5, 4

L-Pullup ladder. After completing each round of L-Pullups, perform 15 squats holding a medicine ball (16#.) How far can you get in 25 minutes? 11 full rounds + 11 L-Pullups of the 12th round.

Training 8/25/2009

2009-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Quote of the day: "Have you seen Jacob run? It looks really weird, because, he's so massive, but, he's moving really fast. "

Well, maybe not really fast.

6x400m run, leaving every 5 minutes. First effort was a PR attempt.

1:15 (PR by 3 seconds)

1:23

1:30

1:35

1:41

1:31

Happy about the PR, but stamina is clearly an issue.

Training 8/24/2009

2009-08-24T20:18:00.002-07:00

Snatch 5x1 - 160#, 165#, 170#, 175# (PR), 180# (PR)

For time:

10 push press, 95#

20 burpees

30 situps

40 squats

2:18

Rest Day 8/23/2009

2009-08-24T20:18:00.001-07:00

Didn't manage to finish the rest day rant. Soon.

Training 8/22/2009

2009-08-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Pacific Grove High School track...the site of some of my more unpleasant training endeavours.

Took an extra rest day today. Back, shoulder, and elbow were all hurting, and I may be getting a bit sick. I've got to get better at not being angry at myself when this happen. I've always said the only genetic gift I've been given is my high level of motivation and will-not-quititude. The downside of this is that sometimes, when my brain and body know I shouldn't train, my heart tells me I'm being a pussy. I'll get better.

Rest day rant tomorrow.

Training 8/21/2009

2009-08-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

This is Mariah. She does not train at Curves.

Muscle-Ups, 3 max sets: 7, 7, 6

Reverse Tabata L Hold (L Hold for 10 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, repeat until you cannot maintain the L hold for 10 seconds): 7 rounds + 5 seconds

With a running clock, do one 155# push press the first minute, two the second minute, three the third minute, etc, until you can no longer keep up with the clock: 8 minutes + 6 reps.

Training 8/20/2009

2009-08-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

The CrossFit Monterey warm-up, designed to "increase body temperature and heart rate, provide some stretching, stimulate the entire body and major biomechanical functions, provide practice for basic movements, and finally, prepare for rigorous athletic training." (Greg Glassman, "A Better Warm Up," CrossFit Journal Issue 08 - April 2003.)

Ran 5k at Garland Ranch - 39:01. My PR is 38:09, but my legs were TRASHED. I wanted to quit 200m in, so I am pretty happy with this.

Rest Day Rant 8/19/2009

2009-08-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

The unlucky subject of todays rest day rant.

Today's topic is, in short: fuck you, Curves.

I go to the local high school for my track workouts.. Unfortunately, school has started, and that means that on occasion, I will bear witness to the depressing spectacle that is high school physical education. This past Tuesday was such an occasion.

Man, it was bad.

No one was wearing athletic gear. The kids clearly didn't want to be there. The teacher obviously didn't know what she was doing.

But the inspiration for todays topic didn't come until attendance had been taken and the "exercise" started. The teacher told the boys to run a lap. She waited about a minute, and then told the girls they could start walking.

Walking.

What the fuck?

This pissed me the fuck off. We live in a society that supposedly stresses gender equality, yet we hold females to a lower standard. What message are we sending?

I want someone to explain to me how segregation is equality. I'm pretty sure Brown v. Board of Education took care of that notion. How are we empowering women by telling them they need their own place to work out? What are we telling our girls when we say they can't play with the boys?

At CrossFit Monterey, the girls play with the boys. They lift heavy shit off the ground, they do handstand pushups, and they tear their hands open on the pullup bar. They aren't expected to lift the same weight as the guys, but they're sure as hell expected to work every bit as hard. They don't worry what people think of them mid-workout, because they're too worried about getting the damned workout done.

They sure as hell don't walk.

Training 8/18/2009

2009-08-18T16:19:00.001-07:00

Cheat Meal: You're doing it right. #27 (chicken, bacon, avocado) from Campagno's Deli, the best sandwich shop on the planet.

I was supposed to go heavy today (hang power clean 5x1.) But my hands just weren't having it. Once I got past 155# I couldn't hang on to the bar through the 2nd pull. Tried to push jerk, but shoulders and core were too fried. Just went with a quick (not-so-quick) circuit.

4 rounds for time:

50 double unders

15 swings (55#)

Completed in 6:03

Slow. Shoulders were fried and I didn't have my jump rope...not ideal circumstances. Rest tomorrow and hopefully I'll be ready to hit it hard on Thursday.

Training 8/17/2009

2009-08-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

Some of my athletes from CrossFit Monterey goofing off at a coffee shop after the WOD.

4 x 800m run, full recovery between efforts. First one is max effort, and the goal is to stay within 20 seconds of the first effort for the second, third, and fourth.

3:08 (PR by 7 seconds)

3:18

3:30

3:34

Not bad...didn't stay within 20 on all of them, but pretty solid. I'm happy with this.

1x15 overhead squat - 155# (11.) Could get 15 fresh, my hip flexors were already wrecked by the time I came to this.

In other news, I now know what my rant for the next rest day will be...

Training 8/16/2009

2009-08-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

That guy's been ready to go for a while. I am trying to take good care of it...my tears never heal fast. Hopefully with enough first aid it won't stick around long enough to sideline me.

4 rounds:

Max set of handstand pushups on dumbbells

Max set of pistols, right leg

Max set of pistols, left leg

This was untimed. I rested between the handstand pushups and pistols, but not between the right and left leg on the pistols.

HSPU: 3, 2, 3, 3. Primarily an issue of body position right now.

Pistols (left leg with support): 14 right/12 left, 10 right/12 left, 6 right/6 left, 5 right/6 left. I surprised myself with the right leg. My PR was 8 and I haven't practiced in a good 6 months.

4 max L-sits on dumbbells - :21, :20, :18, :15. Clearly need work.

AMRAP in 10 minutes:

10 push press (85#)

10 pullups

8+10+1, with 20# vest

Back After A Not So Short Absence.

2009-08-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget this blog exists until I get bored logging my WODs on a textedit document. Apparently it took over a year this time. I'm going to start posting my training again, and on rest days I will probably rant about something that bothers me. Today I'm starting a slightly more mono modal focus with my training, in order to allow me to better focus on weaknesses, primarily Olympic weightlifting, running, and advanced gymnastics. Here's the lay down.

Weightlifting Goals:

Clean & Jerk - 280#. Currently 235#, but a 245# clean and 255# jerk seperately. I feel like I can get this with some dedicated practice, it's just a technique issue.

Snatch - 195#. Currently 170#, again technique.

Deadlift - 440#x5, currently 460#x1.

Squat - 350#x3, currently 350#x1.

Gymnastics Goals:

Muscle Ups - 12 from full extension, turnout not required. Currently about 8.

L-Pullups - 15 with no dropping of feet at bottom. Currently 11 with some drop.

Handstand Pushups - 20. Currently 11.

Pistols - 20 per leg. Currently 8 on right and 2 on left.

Running Goals:

400m - Under 1:10. Currently 1:18.

800m - Under 2:55. Currently 3:15.

Garland Ranch 5k - Under 34 minutes. Currently 38:09.

Training will be on a 3 on/1 off schedule, but there will be 3 "set" days which rotate with each cycle in order to allow me to hit all of my focuses with equal intensity. Each day has a primary focus and one or two secondary focuses. The secondary focuses can be switched to different primary days, to keep it varied. Here's how it looks.

Primary 1: heavy Olympic lifting

Primary 2: running (distance or sprints)

Primary 3: advanced gymnastics

Secondary 1: 1 heavy, low rep set of a slow lift

Secondary 2: 1 timed or high rep set of a slow lift

Secondary 3: 1 timed or high rep set of an Olympic lift

Secondary 4: metcon circuit

First WOD will be in about an hour and a half. Will post results and thoughts later.

Training 6/29/2008

2008-06-29T16:11:00.001-07:00

4 rounds for time:
15 pullups
10 thrusters (115#)
Completed - 6:51

Ow.

Training 6/28/2008

2008-06-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
Got my first Pistols today! Only managed one on my left leg, but got a couple of doubles on my right.

WOD
3 rounds for time:
15 deadlifts (245#)
15 ring dips
Run 400m
Completed - 10:53

Felt strong today.

Training 6/27/2008

2008-06-27T16:31:00.001-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
Snatches and HSPU
7 pullups/14 pushups/21 squats x3

WOD
Front Squat 3-3-3-3-3 reps
235-225-225-230-230

7 rounds for time:
7 box jumps (24")
7 knees-to-elbows
7 burpees
Completed - 9:00

I was really slow on the circuit...then I realized that I hadn't eaten in 5.5 hours. Blergh.

Training 6/25/2008

2008-06-25T18:31:00.001-07:00

Row 5k: 20:29.6

Slightly "uphill."

Training 6/24/2008

2008-06-24T17:21:00.001-07:00

6/24
Warm-Up/Skills
2 x 400m run (easy)

WOD
Worked up to 175#x2 push jerk (shoulders feeling weak)

For time:
25 pullups
30 thrusters (65#)
25 pullups
30 walking lunge steps (15 per side)
25 pullups
Run 400m
25 pullups
30 dumbbell push press (45#)
13:40

Training 6/23/2008

2008-06-24T03:38:00.000-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
HSPU & handstand practice
Squat clean practice (95x3, 115x3, 135x3, super light)
3 sets of 1/2 max pullups (most I've ever done is 30, but it was with a 20# vest on, so I did 3 sets of 18)

WOD
25 box jumps (24")
10 deadlifts (315#)
25 ring pushups
20 box jumps
7 deadlifts
20 ring pushups
15 box jumps
5 deadlifts
15 ring pushups
10:08

Wish I'd got sub 10. Deadlifts were the killer.

Training 6/21/2008

2008-06-21T06:40:00.001-07:00

5 rounds for time:
50 double unders
7 push jerks (135#)
8:40

Traps were fucked, traps are now more fucked.

Training 6/20/2008

2008-06-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

Warm-Up
Row 750m

WOD
"Cindy"
Max rounds in 20 minutes:
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats
Completed: 17 rounds + 5 pullups + 10 pushups + 3 squats

My PR is 19+5+4. I am extremely angry about this.

Training 6/19/2008

2008-06-20T02:53:00.001-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
Row 1k
3 rounds of "Cindy"

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1
95-105-115-125-125-135(F)-135(PR)-140(PR)

2 rounds for time:
50 wall ball (20#)
50 kettlebell swings (1.5 pood)
11:13

Training 6/17/2008

2008-06-18T04:54:00.001-07:00

5 rounds for time:
25 pullups
15 ring dips
Run 400m
29:30

Training 6/16/2008

2008-06-17T06:07:00.001-07:00

Warm-up/skills
Worked on pullups and snatches

WOD

Clean & Jerk 25 reps @ 155#: 5:25

Once I got the technique down it was pretty smooth. I'd like to do 30 reps in sub-5.

Training 6/14/2008

2008-06-16T04:06:00.000-07:00

At CrossFit North Santa Cruz

Warm-up
Row 1000m
3 rounds of "Cindy"

WOD
For time:
Squat Clean 155#
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps
Jumping Muscle-Ups
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps

Alternating

Time: 26:07

They were supposed to be real muscle-ups, but I suck at them too much. I made up for it, though, by accidentally using the 55# plates and doing the cleans at 155# instead of 135#.

Training 6/12/2008

2008-06-12T13:42:00.001-07:00

Warm-up/skills
HSPU and Pistol practice

3 rounds, rest as needed in between:
5 OHS
2 minutes back extensions

5 OHS @ 135/111 back extensions
5 OHS @ 135/122 back extensions
5 OHS @ 135/107 back extensions

All back extensions done with 20# vest.

Later on
Row 6 minutes easy for form

1 mile run (mild hills and some rough terrain): 8:41

I suck at running. I am, however, the mother fucking KING of back extensions.

Training 6/11/2008

2008-06-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
HSPU and Pistol practice

WOD
"Russ Doesn't Like Me Anymore"
Five rounds for total reps:
30 seconds box jumps (24")
15 seconds rest
30 seconds pullups
15 seconds rest
30 seconds squats
15 seconds rest
30 seconds push press (95#)
15 seconds rest

Box Jump: 21/15/13/12/12
Pullup: 16/13/12/13/13
Squat: 33/30/27/28/30
Push Press: 15/12/13/13/17
Total: 358

Training 6/9/2008

2008-06-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Warm-Up/Skills
POSE drills
Handstand work

WOD
For time:
10 burpees
20 deadlifts (225#)
30 push press (30# dumbbells)
4 rope climbs (15 feet)
50 double unders
60 back extensions
70 calorie row
800m run
Time: 21:49

Training 6/8/2008

2008-06-08T12:44:00.001-07:00

Warm-up/skills
4 rounds:
15 pushups
10 overhead squats (65#)

All sets unbroken. Pushups chin/chest/thighs to floor, full extension. OHS ass-to-grass.

WOD
3-2-1-1-1 Clean & Jerk
155-175-185-195 (made clean, failed jerk)-195

Tabata Squat
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Row

Multiply squat score (20) by row score (6) = 120

Training 6/7/2008

2008-06-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

3 rounds:
Run 400m
Max reps bench press (155#)
Max reps pullups

Time only the 400m run. Rest as needed between rounds.

1:41/11/23
2:11/10/22
2:43/9/24

I suck at bench, but I suck even more at running. Fucking humidity.

Training 6/4/2008 & 6/5/2008

2008-06-05T17:02:00.001-07:00

6/4
Max rounds in 20 minutes:
10 ring dips
10 pullups
Run 200m

7 rounds + 8 ring dips

6/5
7 rounds for time:
20 wall ball (20#)
20 box jumps (20")
Time - 12:32

Training 6/3/2008

2008-06-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Warm up/skills
POSE work
4 rounds of 6 pullups, 12 pushups, 18 squats

WOD
3 rounds, individually timed:
3 front squats @ 215#
Row 500m
20 dumbbell hang clean & jerk @ 50# per dumbbell
Rest 3 minutes

6:17, 7:12, 7:55

Limiting factor was core...my abs are still fried from those GHD situps. Lower back is pretty tight as well, since I'm an idiot and decided to just do the GHD situps even though it was already tweaked. Hopefully it'll loosen up soon.

Training 5/31/2008 and 6/1/2008

2008-06-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD 5/31/2008
10 thrusters, 135#
50 double unders
8 thrusters
40 double unders
6 thrusters
30 double unders
4 thrusters
20 double unders
2 thrusters
10 double unders
As rx'd - 8:02

CrossFit.com WOD 6/1/2008
10 cleans, 135#
50 GHD situps
8 cleans
40 GHD situps
6 cleans
30 GHD situps
4 cleans
20 GHD situps
2 cleans
10 GHD situps

Extreme lower back discomfort during GHD situps due to tweak on very last thruster on 5/31. Could have done much better.

Starting 6/3 2008 I will be off the main site WOD, following programming laid out by Coach Russ Greene.

Training 5/20/2008

2008-05-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD
"CrossFit Total"
Back Squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

BS - 275
SP - 150
DL - 365

These are all terrible. I feel like a pathetic weakling. On the upside, I got 30 pullups with a 20# vest.

Training 5/28/2008

2008-05-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD
Shoulder Press 3-3-3-3-3 reps
135-135-135-135-135

Ugh. I used to not suck at overhead lifting.

Tabata Jumping Pullups: 20

Training 5/27/2008

2008-05-27T16:54:00.001-07:00

1 mile run
2 minutes of each:
Row (calories)
30# dumbbell thrusters
20# medicine ball squat cleans
Double Unders
Pullups

As rx'd
Run - 11:37
Row - 27
Thrusters - 23
Med Ball Cleans - 22
Double Unders - 60
Pullups - 36
Total - 168 (Time - 21:37)

Lackluster at best. Legs smoked from yesterday. I think I could break 200 fresh.

Training 5/26/2008

2008-05-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Back after an off cycle.

CrossFit.com WOD
"Jason"
For time:
100 squats
5 muscle-ups
75 squats
10 muscle ups
50 squats
15 muscle-ups
25 squats
20 muscle-ups

Not as rx'd (jumping muscle-ups): 16:53

I hate not being able to do workouts with muscle-ups and handstand pushups as rx'd. Fucking frustrating.

Training 5/20/2008

2008-05-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD
For time:
75 pushups
50 sumo deadlift high pulls, 95#
50 ring dips
30 weighted pullups, 45#
25 handstand pushups

Not as rx'd (20#, HSPU negatives): 29:41

This was some silly shit.

Training 5/19/2008

2008-05-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
95# Clean & Jerk, 15 reps
Run 400m
As rx'd - 5 rounds even. Crossed the finish line as the beeper went off. Didn't make it inside to collapse.

Training 5/16/2008

2008-05-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

CrossFit.com WOD
"Michael"
3 rounds for time:
Run 800m
50 back extensions
50 situps
As rx'd - 22:14

All back extensions unbroken, last set of situps unbroken. Could have gone harder on first 2 runs and first 2 sets of situps.