Training Log - Wednesday 1/30/13

Nothing special to mention today.  Work was work and now I'm home resting after a good lifting session.

 

Before I go over the workout, I want to share this article on 83 Healthy Recipe Substitutions from Greatist.com. You should really check it out if you care anything about your health and the health of friends and family.

 

Other than the overhead squat, these are the same lifts from Monday's workout.  I did increase reps where I felt like doing a little more.  Body feels less tired, but quads are pretty tight and need a good stretch.

 

5 minute warm-up and another 5 minutes of handstand practice - handstands are improving!

OH Squat - 2 x 55, 70, 85, 95, 105, 110 (2 RM); 2sets x 4reps x 95lbs

Push Press - 3 x 5 x 110lbs

Back Squat - 215lbs x 6, 6, 10

Bent Row - 120lbs x 6, 6, 8

Front and side planks w/ 20lb vest x 2 x 62sec front and 50sec/side

Burpess with 20lb vest - 3 x 10

 

Overall good workout. I didn't eat enough at work today which is not new, but I'm making up for it now, in the comfort of my home; also nothing new! Tomorrow is my last training day until rest day on Friday; we'll see if I stick to that!

 

Do you ever hold off on eating when away from home and just anticipate a bigger meal when finally relaxed?  I'm a self-proclaimed homebody/hermit, so this is a common thing for me. I am getting better at going out though....baby steps, right?

Snatch Grip Strength Needs to Improve

Today was day 2 of week 1 in my new 9 week cycle. It had me working the hang snatch and snatch dead lift.  I usually use mixed grip (over/under hand grip) when doing dead lift, but figure I need to improve my snatch grip to actually improve the snatch (description of the snatch found here on exrx.com).

Great example of the 2 Olympic Lifts...

(source)
The snatch is a highly technical lift and I need to use pretty light weight compared to most in order to keep good form.  Patience will pay off, but it can be hard to not really push it sometimes.

Most of my workouts occur in the evening, after work, which can prove hard to get motivated sometimes.  Probably doesn't help that I have a standing desk and don't sit down almost all day.  This is by my choice, but squats, cleans, dead lifts, and random calisthenics seem harder to get into some days. As I've said before, I believe nutrition will play a role here and will take note on how I feel each day.

Today I still felt a little weak and sore from yesterday's workout, but I finally got in the groove and had a fairly good session.

Tuesday Evening Workout_01/29/13

Warmup with jumping jacks, jump rope, shoulder lock outs, air squats, and running in place
Mid-hang Snatch - 3 x 45, 55, 65, 75, 85 (3RM); 2sets x 3reps x 75lbs

Power Clean - 3sets x 5reps x 115lbs (~70% of 1-RM)

Snatch DL - 5 x 145, 165, 185, 200 (5RM) <--- factor="" grip="" here="" limiting="" strong="" was="">

Straight Leg Dead Lift - 3sets x 5reps x 215lbs

4 Rnds; No Rest:
- Double KB Swing x 25lb/arm x 15 reps
- 25lb KB Topside Half-moon x 10 reps/side

8x ~60m Hill Sprints + 12 Pushups (walk back to recover)

Tomorrow will be more back squats and pressing; better go get some good recover food! Have a great hump day tomorrow.

Tell me - how much do focus on form/technique? Would you sacrifice your form to add more weight?  If so, please don't.....you might end up being able to lift nothing!

A New Training Routine - Strength by Feel Cycle

Do you stress over finding the "right" training routine for you?  It's something I think about many times each day and drives me crazy.  As bad as I want to build strength, it's hard to accept that my conditioning will dwindle at the same time.

 

This is why I'm so drawn to CrossFit; it seems to offer a good balance of both strength and conditioning. I have read many posts on forums and articles on several training programs in search of something that will suit me well.

 

It seems there's always a missing component or too much of something that I just don't want or can't do. One takeaway I do have after reading other's training notes is that you have to try things out and see what works for you. With that in mind, I've decided on a 9 week long cycle...

 

With my allure to Olympic lifts but the need for more base strength, I am starting one of many cycles from Performance Menu, the Strength by Feel Cycle.

Here's my first day:

•Jerk – 4 x 95, 105, 115, 135 (4RM); 2 sets of 4 reps x 120lbs (~90%)

•Push Press – 5 x 100, 115, 125 (5RM); 2 sets of 5 reps x 110lbs (~90%)

•Back Squat – 5 x 205, 225, 235 (5RM); 4 sets of 5 reps x 215lbs (~90%)

•Bent row – 5 x 95, 110, 125, 130 (5RM); 2 sets of 5 reps x 120lbs (~90%)

Then 4 rounds with no rest of:

Lunges holding 45lb plate overhead x 15 reps/leg

20 ball slams with 15lb med ball

My rep-maxes were not my all out efforts as you are to leave some fuel in the tank this week.  Next week I'll be trying to beat these numbers and don't want to hit a wall right off the bat.

 

I am pretty happy with this routine and look forward to the gains over 9 weeks.  I will add conditioning using CrossFit WOD's listed on their mainpage or from one of the affiliate's websites. If I can't find anything, then I'll just make my own!

 

Hope you enjoy following along as lay out my daily training and notes.

 

Felt better than past workouts as far as energy goes, but really need to increase my fuel intake and come ready for an intense session.  Will need to work on this and plan on noting my overall feeling each day.

 

If you have any advice, please let me know what you have or provide any useful links.  I'm a sponge when it comes to exercise and nutrition, so anything is welcome....well, almost. : )

 

Thanks for reading!