Sunday

AM
30:00-60:00 easy walk or hike

PM
A. 1 power clean + 2 hang power cleans, build quickly to a tough set
B. Double overhand Romanian deadlift w/straps, 4 x 2-3, 3010; 2:30 rest
+
8:00 @ 80% of [10 kipping handstand push-ups + 10 kettlebell swings @ 53 + 40 double-unders]
4:00 rest
8:00 @ 80% of [21 row calories + 12 burpees over the rower]

AM

45:00 @ Ault Park with Emily and Chelsea

PM

A. 165 (video)

B. 225, 235, 245(2), 245(2)

+

3 + 10 KBS 

+

2 + 6 burpees 


Okay, today was a major breakthrough.  After yesterday's power snatches which were supposed to be squat snatches, I wondered if I could fool myself into doing the same thing with power cleans.  I warmed up as if I was going to be doing squat cleans, then started hitting the complex with a "shallow squat" - so clean it as if it was a squat clean, but then just stand up with it as soon as I caught it instead of riding it to the bottom.  AND IT WORKED! Normally my power cleans are so hideous because "just get under it" doesn't mean anything to me if I'm doing a power clean, so I end up getting super wide and leaving the bar in front, and moving completely differently than I would if I were doing a squat clean.  But, if I just consider a clean a clean, form is a million times better.  This is seriously exciting.  Cleaned 175, but it felt like I caught it very low (right at parallel in video), so I didn't try the hang squat cleans.  Yessssssssssss.

Romanian deadlifts are getting very heavy.  Actually, the first "regular" deadlift is the hardest part, once the bar is off the ground the Romanian deadlifts are comparatively much easier. 

Both 8:00 pieces went well; first two sets of HSPUs unbroken, then 5/5, 5/5.  All KBS and DUs unbroken (yes!).  Took my time between movements, didn't really know how else to make this 80%.  First 21 calories at 950 cal/h, second was at 850 cal/h and third was at 900 cal/h.  Burpees felt nice and fast... I felt like I needed to slow these down to keep this at 80%. 

Also, can I just say that I've never felt better than I do right now?  Knock on wood, I hope I didn't just jinx it.  But seriously, I feel awesome.  Nothing hurts, nothing is bugging me, energy is really good and everything is getting better.  Keep rolling.

Monday

AM
shoulder prep
+
20:00 AirDyne @ Z1

PM
A. Back squat, take your time & build to a moderate triple, adjust range of motion to avoid knee pain, cut if needed...
+
3 sets increasing efffort:
30 row calories
20 box jumps or step-up/step-downs OR 20 kettlebell swings @ 53
10 erg-facing burpees
3:00 walk rest
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

AM

complete

PM

A. 235
+
4:39
4:01
3:26
all box jumps, 20"
+
complete

Hooray for back squats!  I really thought I would never see another back squat again.  Once again, bees knees are magic.  Really almost zero pain while using them, but as soon as I pulled them down I could feel it.  Nothing sharp, just a bit achy (normal occurrence pretty much all the time).  Depth was good, videoed a couple to make sure.  Sad to realize how heavy 235 feels these days...

3 sets were good.  Knee tolerated the box jumps just fine, so stuck with those throughout.  Rowed at 700/850/>1000 cal/hr.  Box jumps after rowing were interesting, failed one on the last set (no blood, just an adrenaline rush).  Burpees got nice and fast on the last set.

And then did 3 sets of 2 unbroken muscle-ups :)

Saturday

AM
10:00 @ 70% of [200m jog + 5 renegade rows @ 20/hand + 35 single-unders]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [15 row calories + 5 burpees over the erg]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab

PM
A. Muscle snatch, build quickly to a tough but perfect single
B. Segmented snatch-grip deadlift clusters (pause just off ground, just below knees, & mid-thigh), 4 x .1.1 heavy; :20 between singles, 2:30 rest
C. Ring push-ups, 3 x 12, 3030; 2:00 rest
+
For time:
12 deadlifts, 145
6 wall walks
8 power cleans, 145
4 wall walks
4 hang power cleans, 145
2 wall walks
+
3 sets:
400m row @ 97%
7:00 rest

AM

complete

PM

A. 85
B. 195, 205, 205, 205
C. UB, 7/5, 7/3/2 - tempo is a bitch
+
7:19
+
1:24.2; 1:45.2/500m avg
1:25.5; 1:46.8/500m avg
1:28.4; 1:50.5/500m avg

This was one of the worst training days I've ever had.  Woke up exhausted and sore all over, and everything seemed to take twice as much effort as usual.  It's not normal to feel like this after a recovery day... perhaps I'm coming down with something?

Barely missed the lock-out on the second rep at 205 on the 2nd and 4th sets of the segmented snatch-grip deadlifts.  Also, in previous weeks I've been dropping every rep from the top - today was the first time that I also lowered the reps (with the same pauses).

Deadlifts unbroken (clean grip); power cleans all  (not so quick) singles; hang power cleans all (very slow) singles.  Tried to go for a double after the first hang power clean and failed; dumped it, re-set, and failed again, so then took my time accumulating the last 3.

Had absolutely zero leg drive on the rower today - faded badly on every set, and faded earlier and earlier as the second and third sets.  I think I was at 1:50 or even over that with 200m left on the last one.  Disgusting.  What a terrible day.  I feel like such a disappointment.

Saturday

AM
10:00 @ 70% of [200m jog + 3 strict pull-up + 50 single-unders]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [20 row calories + 5 burpees over the erg]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab

PM
A. Muscle snatch, build quickly to a tough but perfect single
B. Segmented snatch-grip deadlift (pause just off ground, just below knees, & mid-thigh), 5 x 1 heavy; 2:30 rest
C. Ring push-ups, 4 x 10, 3030; 2:00 rest
+
For time:
7 power cleans, 125
6 wall walks
5 power cleans, 135
4 wall walks
3 power cleans, 145
2 wall walks
+
3 sets:
:70 row @ 97%
6:00 rest

AM

complete

PM
A. 90
B. 195, 205, 210, 215, 215
C. complete
+
4:52
+
344m; 1:41.7/500m avg
341m; 1:42.6/500m avg
329m; 1:46.3/500m avg

I really like the new AM piece on Saturdays.  I feel like I'm working a little harder than the old 60:00 z1, mainly because I'm not wasting time in slow transitions or stopping for water.  Run pace and row pace were the same, just less moseying about.

Muscle snatch was the same story as last week - 85 was tough and perfect, 90 was tough but not perfect.  I don't really know what to do differently here...

Snatch-grip deadlifts felt pretty good; grip slipped a little at mid-thigh on the first rep at 215, but the second rep was solid.

Tempo on the ring push-ups is still challenging; all sets unbroken, but lost the tempo on the last 2-3 of the last set (paused at the top and a faster ascent).

Power clean / wall walk thing was super fun!  Power cleans all quick singles.  Could have made up a few seconds on the first two rounds of wall walks (pausing on the ground), but happy with effort and time.

And then, the fucking row sprints.  Had been dreading this all week after how much last week hurt, and just didn't want to go there again.  First set was great.  Second set hurt a bit.  Third set - never got below 1:44, and faded to 1:52 by the end.  Legs felt like concrete, but didn't have the same disoriented / messed up feeling as last week.

Wednesday 22 January

3 sets, not for time:
0:45 nose-to-wall hold
50 double unders
0:60 L-sit accumulation
+
A. Squat snatch, 6 x 1 @ 105; begin a set every 2:00
+
5:00 of [500m row + 10 power snatch @ 105 + AMRAP TTB]
3:00 rest
5:00 of [500m row + 10 strict pullups + AMRAP S2O @ 105]
3:00 rest
5:00 of [500m row + 20 K2E + AMRAP HSPU]
3:00 rest
5:00 of [500m row + 25 burpees over the erg + AMRAP ring dips]

complete, including one set of 49 UB double-unders!; L-sits in sets of 0:08-0:12
+
A. complete; missed #5
+
row 2:05.5 + 5 power snatches
row 2:03.9 + 7 strict pull-ups
row 2:03.9 + 10 K2E
row 2:02.9 + 25 burpees + 1 ring dip
(tried to keep the row consistent but took the rest of the shoulder-intensive stuff at a super-easy pace)

Squat snatches felt great today, but the power snatches at the same weight after the row felt TERRIBLE.  The first one was the ugliest press-out snatch I've done in a long time.  Felt extremely weak on the strict pullups and the 1 ring dip - I had over a minute for the ring dips but did one and it was an extreme struggle to lock it out, so called it there.  The kipping K2E was the worst part - felt a little pinching in the front of my shoulder on the kip, so I did 3 small sets and called it with about a minute left.  Hopefully my shoulder still feels good tomorrow, and I didn't overdo it today.

Wednesday 15 January

10:00 double-under practice
+
A. snatch-grip deadlift, 12 x 1 @ 85% 1RM snatch; begin a set every 0:60
+
on a running clock:
@ 0:00: 500m row + 25 burpees over the erg
@ 6:00: 3 rounds of [20 front-rack walking lunge steps, 95 + 10 box jumps, 24"]
@ 12:00: 500m row + 25 burpees over the erg
+
4:00 AMRAP of push-ups

complete – got 5 sets of 30+
+
A. complete @ 105
+
3:48 (row 2:09)
2 rounds + 8 walking lunge steps
4:25 (row 2:19)
+
36 – it seems I have lost all upper body strength.

The row/burpee combo wasn't as bad as I was expecting - stepped over the erg instead of jumping and just never stopped.  I totally pussed out on the walking lunge/box jump portion - could have easily finished if I didn't make the slowest transitions on the planet.  Took a water break in the middle and dumped the bar early to get back to the erg by 12:00.  Mental weakness.  Oh, and my push-ups are pathetic.  Opened with a set of 7 (7!) and then did 3's every 0:20 or so.  Literally almost failed a few push-ups.  Wtf.  This is not cool.

Went to Airrosti this morning.  Starting tomorrow, I'm cleared to snatch and press overhead (light weights) - yay!  No kipping (pull-ups, toes to bar, HSPU or ring dips) for a little longer.  Need to work on activating lats on things like pullups and Oly lifts - did 25 strict CTB with the green band while focusing on activating my lats instead of pulling with my arms.  Also tried to focus on activating lats at the start position of the snatch-grip deadlift - it's weird to think about.  Continuing to foam-roll the shit out of everything.  It's feeling a little tired and sore, but a million times better than last week!

Wednesday 27 November

AM:
30:00 row @ z1

PM:
3 rounds, not for time:
4 strict pullups + 4 MU transitions (black band) + 4 ring dips
3x 0:10 L-sit
5/leg weighted pistols with 10lb KB
+
A. Jerk balance, 3×3, rest as needed
B. Power clean + split jerk, 6×1, rest 2:00
+
3 sets, goal is same time for each set:
row 500m
15 burpees over the erg
2:00 rest

complete.  left leg pistols still hit or miss, but right leg is pretty consistent.  
+
A. 83, 103, 113
B. 155×4, 160×2 - this is probably the best that power cleaning has ever felt at this weight.  still not my favorite though.
+
3:28
3:39
3:27

Felt like I had ZERO power on the rower.  Was rowing around 2:05 and that felt like it was nearly impossible to maintain.  Slowed considerably (2:11) on the second row.  Just kept moving on the burpees - started off jumping over the erg, but I could feel my feet skimming the erg and I was terrified I would eat it, so switched to stepping over on the last round (and that was the fastest one!).