2014 in review

What a year.  I don't know where to begin.

I hit some major training goals this year (300lb back squat! 200lb clean and jerk! muscle ups!!) and improved across the board in gymnastics, breathing, skills, mental toughness, etc.  For that, I have to thank Stephen.  Deciding to go with individual programming was the best decision I've ever made (well, second best, the best decision I've ever made was stepping foot into CSC for the first time).  It feels like Christmas every Monday when I'm eagerly awaiting my weekly programming that is specifically designed for me to improve.  And Stephen is so, so good at it.  Really, thank you, Stephen!  I appreciate this more than you know, and I don't thank you enough.  Following the program, putting in the work and trusting the process.  It works, and it's the coolest thing.  I can't wait to see where this goes.

It's been a frustrating year health-wise.  Between issues with both shoulders, bronchitis in the middle of the Open, and now this knee thing, I've had entire chunks of the year functioning at half-capacity.  And yet, the program still works and I'm still getting stronger.  I took almost 5 total months off of upper body work this year and I still PRed with 12 strict pullups, and a 205lb split jerk, and got a muscle up (and another, and another!).  It's still not easy for me to trust that taking time away from certain movements won't affect the big picture - right now, I feel like I'll never squat again.  But, I know that's not true and taking some time to focus on other things can be a good thing, and that there are always so many other things to work on. Like muscle ups. 

Mentally and emotionally, I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been.  A large part of that is truly enjoying my day to day life, and a large part of that is finally letting go a number of unhealthy behaviors. I feel like I have a much more balanced and healthy approach to pretty much everything nowadays, whereas in the past I've had major issues with doing anything in moderation (drinking, eating, shopping, etc).  I'm still paying for that, figuratively and literally.  But I know that weird, horrible, unhealthy chapter of my life is finally closed.  Surrounding yourself with friends who share common goals is key.  Thanks, Chels.  It's been so much fun doing this with you by my side this year.  I love you, buddy!

Of course, a review of the year would be incomplete without thinking of where to go from here.  I have few specific numbers or goals in mind for 2015; I trust that I will continue to improve at everything, and that's going to be so much fun.  I do need to put some weight on my snatch, that's getting embarrassing.  And, I'd love a 100kg clean and jerk, just because that sounds so badass.  But really, I'll be happy to do muscle-ups consistently, to do Fran with butterflied pull-ups, to continue to improve at breathing, and to give my best, even when it's uncomfortable.

2015.  Satisfaction lies in the effort, not the attainment.  Full effort, full victory.

Wednesday

AM
5-7 sets @ Z1:
250m ski erg if they have one, 500m row if not
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
9 unweighted hip extensions, 10X1

PM
A. Clean-grip deadlift, build quickly to a single @ 80-90%
B1. Weighted glute-ham raises, 4 x 4-5, 20X1; :30 rest
B2. 4 ring dips right into :15 ring support (top of dip), 4 x 1; 2:00 rest
+
3 sets @ high effort:
60 double-unders
10 deadlifts, 145
10 burpees
10 deadlifts, 145
10 burpees
3:00 rest
+
10:00 AirDyne w/same feel as last week (bikes can be different so don't go off of cals/hr)

AM

DNS

PM (done in the AM)

A. 275 (88.7%)
B1. +35(5), +45(3), +35(5), +35(5)
B2. complete
+
2:42
3:10
2:58
+
complete on the Assault bike


CGDL felt really light and fast.  All the reps are paying off.

GH raises and ring dips felt fine; +45 was just a little too heavy and no 40lb dumbbells here.

3 sets - merrrrrr.  Breathing was pretty terrible throughout. Double unders weren't bad today; first round tripped at 54, second round was broken at least twice (accounts for a bit of the time difference), and third round was unbroken.  All deadlifts broken 5/5, and the bar felt light but I just couldn't catch my breath and took too long picking up the bar each time.  Burpees were steady on the first 10 and AFAP on the last 10 of each round.

Totally sandbagged the bike piece.  Started off closer to a Z1 pace but picked it up to the 85% aerobic in the last 4-5 minutes.  Should have rested a little longer after the 3 sets before starting.

Wanted to hike this afternoon, but trails are closed from yesterday's rain.  Tomorrow!

Tuesday

AM
shoulder prep
+
30:00 Z1 of choice

PM
A. Muscle-ups, 5-10 attempts only; full recovery between attempts, play around w/slow air squats during rest, just a few at a time
B1. DB bench press w/knees & feet off bench, build to a 5RM in 4 sets, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. DB power row, 4 x 3-4/arm, 20X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
4 sets:
:30 strict pull-ups
:30 hand-release push-ups
:30 abmat sit-ups
:30 AirDyne
2:00 rest

AM
complete
+

only 20:00 complete on the Assault bike 

PM

A. 2 muscle ups!!

B1. 55/hand - easy, not a 5RM

B2. 45(4), 55(4)x3

+
pull-ups: 7, 7, 6, 6
push-ups: 21, 17, 14, 14
sit-ups: 15, 14, 12, 12
Assault bike cals: 7, 9, 8, 11

YESSS! HOORAY! I am so happy and relieved that I got another muscle up, and then another one after that!  They felt so good today.  Missed the first 4 attempts, but they were all extremely close - I had a bit of an audience with some of the coaches here who were doing the "Awwww, COME ON" after each attempt.  Then made #5 (EASY) and #6 (EASY), and tried for #7, caught one side in the bottom but it was a little too deep to save the other side.  Called it there due to time, but really wanted to just keep going.  Really, really excited about this!  The year of the muscle up was successful.

Air squats felt a little better than last week - knee still feels a little off, but doesn't really hurt at all.  I'm still cautious dropping below parallel, but after a few pain-free reps, I started trusting it a little more.

Dumbbell work was very easy again - 55/hand for the DB bench is not a 5RM, probably could have done 7 or 8 reps at least with this weight.  

4 sets were a nice change of pace; this got challenging though...

Awesome day :)

Monday

shoulder prep

+

40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2-3 kipping handstand push-ups

Complete on Assault bike; 3 across 

Anticipated tomorrow's AM session / made up from last week. HSPUs continue to feel better and better. 

Sunday

10:00 muscle-up technique work
+
AMRAP in 10:00:
75m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
15m handstand walk
3 rope climbs
50m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
10m handstand walk
2 rope climbs
25m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
5m handstand walk
1 rope climb
+
8 sets:
:60 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:60 AirDyne @ 50%
+
10:00 focused hip & ankle mobility

Complete 

+

1 round + 75m + 5m

+

Complete on Assault bike 

+

Complete 

Good day. Muscle ups felt really close today, but still have yet to get a second one. This makes me sad. 

AMRAP went well, everything felt good. Forearms were blown up yet again, as expected. Still working on trusting multiple rope climbs and limiting standing around between attempts. Work in progress. 

Saturday

AM (made up from Wednesday)
5-7 sets @ Z1:
250m ski erg if they have one, 500m row if not
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
6 weighted hip extensions, 2021

7 sets complete with row, Assault bike, and +25

PM

a little tennis

+

1:45:00 hike with the fam

It's been incredibly nice and relaxing just to be outside every day... love it.  Discovered a huge wilderness park (4000 acres) less than a mile from my parents' house that we've never explored... it has 23 miles of trails!

Friday

AM
10:00 @ 70% of [250m row + 12 reverse crunches]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [10 AirDyne calories + max freestanding handstand hold]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab + muscle-up play time

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, accumulate 8 solid singles @ 175
B1. Snatch pulls, 4 x 1 @ 165, :60 rest
B2. Ring dips, 4 x 9 as fast as possible; 2:00 rest
+
AMRAP in 5:00:
25 power cleans, 115
25 bar-facing burpees
+
800m walk cool-down immediately at conclusion of AMRAP

AM
complete

PM
A. complete
B1. complete
B2. 8/1, 6/1s, 4/1s, 3/1s
+
1 round + 1 PC
+
complete


Swapped today's swim with tomorrow's training - their gym is packed on Saturdays, and I wouldn't have time or space to be able to finish this in the 1 hour of Open Gym time tomorrow...

Split jerks felt light and crisp today!  It was a nice confidence booster to hit 8 easy singles at a weight most of their competitive chicks can't touch.

Snatch pulls felt good, but ring dips went downhill fast.  The first 3 rounds were still quick even with the singles, but the last round slowed down a lot when I started failing...

AMRAP was surprising, the power cleans felt really tough and back started to get a little tight.  Wanted to do all sets of 5, but ended up doing 5/4/3/3/3/3/2/2.  Finished the PCs at 3:08 and wasn't sure I'd finish the burpees, but the burpees felt surprisingly easy and I was able to keep a nice and steady pace the whole way through and got the one PC at the buzzer.  I think my expectations were kind of high going into the power cleans, but the weight was a little heavier than I've been doing with these pieces, so I guess it's okay.  Still lots of room for improvement with these.

Really good training day :)

Thursday

50:00 brisk walk with the fam

Wednesday

AM
5-7 sets @ Z1:
250m ski erg if they have one, 500m row if not
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
6 weighted hip extensions, 2021

PM
A. Clean-grip deadlift, 12 x 2 @ 235, 03X1 (drop from top, :03 rest, pull FAST!, pause @ top); begin a set every :60
B1. Weighted glute-ham raises, 3 x 4-6, 20X1; :30 rest
B2. 5 ring dips right into :20 ring support (top of dip), 3 x 1; 2:00 rest
+
3 sets @ very high effort:
20 double-unders
10 burpees
20 kettlebell swings, 53
10 burpees
20 double-unders
2:00 rest
+
10:00 AirDyne w/same feel as last week (bikes can be different so don't go off of cals/hr)

AM

subbed 30:00 tennis in the PM

PM (done in the AM)
A. complete
B1. +35(5, 6, 6)
B2. complete
+
2:32
2:48
3:35
+
complete on Assault bike

Solid day.  

CGDL felt heavier than last week; continuing to focus on speed, but they felt pretty slow today. 

No issues with the GH raises or ring dips/hold.

3 sets were TOUGH.  All double-unders unbroken.  KBS unbroken on the first 2 rounds, broken 10/10 on the third round (ugh, stupid and wimpy).  Breathing was awful during this - could not catch my breath at all, and burpees felt slow as molasses. Ughhhh this was not pleasant.  It was really difficult to hang on to "high-effort"... 

Took the bike piece a little slower than last week (but still faster than Z1), partly because I was smoked from the 3 sets and partly because Scott came over and we were chatting.  He's a cool dude.  

Also, forgot how much I like tennis. Used to play all the time, don't know why I stopped... Will make up the AM stuff later in the week. 

Tuesday

AM
shoulder prep
+
40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2-3 kipping handstand push-ups

PM
A. Muscle-ups, 4-8 attempts only; full recovery between attempts, play around w/slow air squats during rest, just a few at a time
B1. DB bench press w/knees & feet off bench, 4-4-4-4, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. DB power row, 4 x 3-5/arm, 20X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
5 rounds for time:
10 strict pull-ups
:60 front leaning rest on ground
+
15:00 AirDyne @ Z1

AM

subbed a 50:00 hike in the PM w/ the fam

PM (done in the AM)

A. Complete 

B1. 55s across 

B2. 55(5) across 

+

13:00

+

Complete 

Added in 3 sets of 3 HSPU in my warm up since I wanted the skill work from the AM piece I skipped. Felt good! 

Muscle ups were close today. Just need another inch (that's what she said). 

KNEE FEELS GOOD. It's not 100% perfect, but the sharp stabbing pain is gone, it just feels a little off. I am really surprised... Crossing my fingers that it sticks!! 

Dumbbell work was super easy because I was limited to 55s... 

Pull-up / FLR was a grind. Not fun. The first 4 FLRs were unbroken, took a 0:05 break on the final one.

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon hike in the canyons above Laguna beach with the family. Would have loved to have stayed out longer.  Looking forward to more hiking over the next few weeks!

Monday

AM

30:00 assault bike @ Z1

PM

30:00 swim @ Z1

Lovely 75 degree afternoon for an outdoor swim :)

Sunday

10:00 muscle-up technique work
+
AMRAP in 10:00:
50m Farmer's walk, 100/hand
5m handstand walk
1 rope climb
+
15 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%
+
10:00 focused hip & ankle mobility

Complete 

+

5 rounds with 70/hand and 15' rope 

+

Complete on assault bike 

+

Complete 

Feeling a million times better today, but still not 100%. 

Muscle ups were not close today. Grrrr. 

Took the amrap at ~85%. Had to guess on the distance on the farmers walk and the handstand walk, but they felt pretty close. Nothing heavier than 70lb kettle bells, but they still got heavy in the later rounds. Grip was blown up, as expected. 

Hard to tell if the knee is improving. I've been very careful not to mess with it... 

Saturday

AM
10:00 @ 70% of [250m row + 12 reverse crunches]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [10 AirDyne calories + max freestanding handstand hold]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab + muscle-up play time

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, accumulate 8 solid singles @ 175
B1. Snatch pulls, 4 x 1 @ 165, :60 rest
B2. Ring dips, 4 x 9 as fast as possible; 2:00 rest
+
AMRAP in 5:00:
25 power cleans, 115
25 bar-facing burpees
+
800m walk cool-down immediately at conclusion of AMRAP

DNS 

Subbed:

20:00 assault bike @ Z1

+

20:00 shoulder stuff 

+

20:00 assault bike @ Z1

Still feeling a touch of this nasty headache, being very cautious not to aggravate it. This is the first training day I've ever just skipped and I feel guilty and disappointed. Still felt a bit nauseous even with the easy day.  Should be good to go tomorrow (hopefully!)...

Friday

30:00 swim @ Z1

DNS.

Taking a full rest day, this weird migraine is still lingering...

Thursday

AM (from yesterday)
5-7 sets @ Z1:
250m ski erg if they have one, 500m row if not
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
6 weighted hip extensions, 2021

PM
10:00 light scap activation
+
A. Push press, build to a max
B. Weighted supinated pull-up, build to a max
+
For 16:00:
Evens: 4-7 CTB pull-ups
Odds: :30 front leaning rest on the ground
+
2 sets:
:70 row @ max effort
6:50 rest

AM

7 sets complete with row, assault bike and +25 

PM

A. 160

B. 217.5

+

Complete; 4 CTBs across (5 on the last one)

+

1:43.2/500m avg; 339m

1:43.2/500m avg; 339m


Weight @ gym (including belt): 172.5

Really enjoying this AM combo!

Push press felt awful; 155 was a struggle, then failed 160 twice before getting it on the third try. I have a life-long struggle with the push press.

Weighted pullups didn't feel as strong as I was expecting, got +45, could barely even start the pull at +50.

Pulling on the CTBs felt strong, but the bars are so slippery that I couldn't keep my grip or rhythm for more than 4 reps.  Tried making tape grips and that may have made things worse, because I stripped them off with one round to go and then got 5 pretty easily on the last round, so I dunno.  FLRs felt very easy.

Went out too hot on the first row sprint - was holding 1:38-1:40, but then faded to 1:46-1:48 in the last 0:15.  Was more consistent on the second one, holding 1:42-1:44 the whole way.

So.  On Wednesday about 10:00 after I finished the Assault bike, I got a horrible, horrible headache, got very nauseous and sensitive to light - was absolutely 100% miserable.  Went home, immediately took a 4h nap, and felt better.  I wasn't going to say anything because I thought it was a one-off from being dehydrated or something.  BUT THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN.  About 10:00 after finishing the row sprints, I felt the same exact headache coming on, and it was so much worse.  I went home and immediately to bed and woke up 12 hours later, and I'm still not feeling right.  I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm legitimately concerned.  This has never happened before.  I used to get migraines, so I'm pretty sure that's what they were, but never after training like this, and haven't had one this severe in years, and now I've had two back to back.  And I ate and drank exactly normally, with an emphasis on tons of water on Thursday, so that's not it.  I'm scared to do anything at this point... can't even describe how awful it was.  And my family is quite concerned, to say the least.  What the hell?  My only thought is that it might be a weird side effect to the cortisone shot??

Wednesday

AM
5-7 sets @ Z1:
250m ski erg if they have one, 500m row if not
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
6 weighted hip extensions, 2021

PM
A. Clean-grip deadlift, 10 x 2 @ 235, 03X1 (drop from top, :03 rest, pull FAST!, pause @ top); begin a set every :60
B1. Weighted glute-ham raises, 3 x 4-8, 20X1; :30 rest
B2. 4 ring dips right into :20 ring support (top of dip), 3 x 1; 2:00 rest
+
4 sets @ increasing effort:
15 double-unders
15 kettlebell swings, 53
15 burpees
15 double-unders
2:30 rest
+
10:00 AirDyne w/same feel as last week (bikes can be different so don't go off of cals/hr)

AM

skipped; will make up tomorrow

PM @ Active
A. complete
B1. +35(6, 7, 5)
B2. complete
+
2:24
1:57
1:42
1:33
+
complete on Assault bike


CGDL felt good; the bar felt light but speed still slowed on the second rep.

Glute-ham raises and ring dips felt fine.

4 sets were really tough - felt like I couldn't catch my breath during the first one, which was alarming, considering I was moving very slowly.  The rest time was plenty to recover, lungs just had a hard time keeping up in the middle of each set.  All double unders and kettlebell swings unbroken.  Happy to improve each round, but it was not easy and the last one hurt.  That was a lot of burpees.

81 calories on the Assault bike, holding ~207 watts, ~20mph, ~53rpm.  Not a pleasant ride.

Tuesday - travel to CA

AM
shoulder prep
+
40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2-3 kipping handstand push-ups

PM
A. Muscle-ups, 3-5 attempts only; full recovery between attempts
B1. DB bench press w/knees & feet off bench, 5-5-4-4, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. Incline DB row, 4 x 3-4 keeping the elbows high @ top, 11X1; 2:00 rest
+
For time:
50 strict pull-ups
+
15:00 AirDyne @ Z1

AM @ CSC

Complete; 3 across 

PM @ CrossFit Active Performance 

A. Complete 

B1. 45(5), 55(5), 55(5), 55(5)

B2. 45(4), 45(4), 45(4), 45(4)

+

7:23

+

Complete on assault bike 

Handstand push-ups felt AWESOME today. Easier and easier. 

This gym is so clean, it's weird. I miss CSC already. But grateful to have a place to train. 

Muscle up attempts felt pretty good. Maybe I will get one out here! Not today though. 

Dumbbell and kettle bell selection is super limited - heaviest dumbbells are 45s or 55s, nothing heavier and no 50s. They have 70lb kettle bells - probably gonna have to use those for the farmer walk later in the week... (Nothing heavier). Also the ceilings are low, may have to do 2 rope climbs instead of one. 

Had to jerry-rig (jury-rig?) an incline bench, but it worked. These two movements felt fine, dumbbell bench was easy at that weight, which is why I did sets of 5 instead 5-5-4-4. Really focused on high elbows on the rows. 

These pull up bars are SLIPPERY. Shit. Opened with a set of 8, then 5, then 3s and 1s and 2s. Was at 35 at 5:00 exactly. Had 2 fails somewhere in there. Definitely have gotten used to using our taped bar for these, and it makes a huge difference. 

No airdynes, but they have a beautiful fleet of assault bikes. No idea on how to convert airdyne cals to assault bike cals, which didn't matter for today but will have to play with later in the week. 

Knee is close to where it was pre-cortisone shot, still a little more swollen than normal but the terribleness of yesterday is gone. 

Then I watched Kellie do Christine - it was fun to see her being challenged :)  

Monday

rest day

MRI shows intrameniscal signal (fraying) and inflammation of the medial meniscus, but no tear.  Got a cortisone shot.  And now I'm limping and am wearing permanent grimace of pain.  This is awful, and getting worse...

***

Ok, it's been a few hours and it's much better now.  Sorry for being dramatic. 

Sunday

10:00 muscle-up technique work, hips-to-rings + turn-over work from the ground + actual attempts
+
AMRAP in 10:00:
1 rope climb
Farmer's walk to opposite wall, 70/hand
3 wall walks
Farmer's walk back to rope
+
15 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%
+
10:00 focused hip & ankle mobility

Complete 

+

6 rounds 

+

Complete 

+

Complete 

Chill day. 

Muscle up attempts weren't as good today as they were yesterday, traps and dippers are really sore. 

AMRAP went well, was thinking 5 rounds would be reasonable, so I was happy to get 6. Grip was completely blown up, eeesh. Still spent too long looking at the rope before jumping up, but it's much better than it used to be (never more than 0:15). Once I jumped, the climbs were fast and easy. 

Never thought I would say this, but I miss the rows. I like the mental challenge. 

Saturday

AM
10:00 @ 70% of [250m row + 10m handstand walk]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [15 AirDyne calories + 10 reverse crunches]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab + muscle-up play time

PM
A. Split jerk from blocks, accumulate 6 solid singles @ 175-185
B1. Snatch pull, 4 x 1 starting @ 110% 1RM snatch and adding a bit, :60 rest
B2. Ring dips, 4 x max in :30; 2:00 rest
+
9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time:
Power cleans, 95
Bar facing burpees
+
Not for time:
400m sled drag, moderate load allowing for minimal rest

AM

complete; did the shoulder stuff first

PM
A. 175, 180, 185x4
B1. 145, 155, 165, 170
B2. 12, 9, 7, 7
+
7:31
+
complete with 90 on the sled

AM stuff felt great, handstand walking was on point today.  A little disappointed I have yet to repeat the muscle up, but I'm consistently closer than I used to be.  Perhaps tomorrow!

Split jerks felt much better/crisper than last week, with the exception of the very last rep (totally pressed out).  No misses.  The one at 180 was damn near perfect, or at least it felt that way!  It's weird how sometimes you can tell you just did something correctly, the bar felt weightless.  If only I knew what I did...

Snatch pulls felt good at 145 and 155, but 165 and 170 didn't get very high (can't ever imagine snatching that, ever).  Opened the first set of ring dips with 10 (PR +2).  On each of these sets, opened with a max set (maybe minus 1) then did quick doubles or singles.  Feeling better and better with these.

Did MUCH better on the PC/burpee piece than last week.  All power cleans unbroken.  Still moved pretty slowly on the burpees and transitions could have been quicker, but stayed in it mentally this week.  Success!

Sled drag was same as last week - no breaks, only stopped long enough to alternate forwards/backwards.  Done in under 10:00.

Knee was being shitty today, I don't know why.  I wonder if it doesn't like swimming, because it's generally worse on Saturdays than any other day of the week.  It doesn't bother me at all while I'm swimming, though...maybe I'll take a break from swimming while in CA, just to see?  The suspense continues to kill me; very, very anxious for Monday.

Friday

30:00 swim @ Z1

1250 yards in 30:14; alternated 75 free / 25 breaststroke; no breaks

Thursday

10:00 light scap activation
+
A. Push press, 3-2-1; 2:00 rest
B. Weighted supinated pull-up, 3 x 1-2, 21X0; 2:00 rest
+
For 14:00:
Evens: 4-7 CTB pull-ups
Odds: 10 box jump w/step-down, 20 - if the jump/land aggravates you knee switch it back to 14 alt step-up/step-downs
+
2 sets:
:60 row @ max effort
6:00 rest

Complete 

+

A. 155(3), 160F, 160F, 160(1)

B. +35(2), +40(2), +45(1)

+

Complete with step ups; 7 CTBs across 

+

298m, 1:40.6/500m avg

299m, 1:40.3/500m avg

AM weight @ home: 167.4

PM weight @ gym: 173 (including belt) 

Mostly great day! Everything was awesome except for the stupid push presses. 155 felt really good, got the 3 pretty easily (PR). Then failed 160 twice before finally getting one, and it was a struggle. What the hell? I could not tell you what I did differently...

Same deal as last week with the supinated pull-ups.  Felt awkward hanging, but very strong pulling. 

CTBs were the best they have ever been, hands down. All sets of 7 in rhythm (regular kip) and super easy to connect with the bar. Very, very happy with this. Tried one box jump, but that was a no-go.  Grrrrrr. So over this shit...

Um, the rows felt amazing. Shocked that I was able to hold that pace for a whole minute without dropping off. Very appreciative that it was only 2; don't think I could have hung on to that pace for a third. Breathing felt great! Hooray! 

Wednesday

AM
5-7 sets @ Z1:
500m row
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
8 weighted hip extensions, 2021

PM
A. Clean-grip deadlift, 8 x 2 @ 235, 03X1 (drop from top, :03 rest, pull FAST!, pause @ top); begin a set every :60
B1. Weighted glute-ham raises, 3 x 4-6, 20X1; :30 rest
B2. 3 ring dips right into :20 ring support (top of dip), 3 x 1; 2:00 rest
+
5 sets @ increasing effort:
12 kettlebell swings, 53
9 burpees
35 double-unders
:90 rest
+
10:00 AirDyne, just a touch faster than last week

AM
7 sets complete; +20 on the hip extensions

PM
A. complete
B1. +40(4, 5, 5)
B2. complete
+
2:11
1:48
1:32
1:18
1:05
+
134 calories; 750-800 cal/hr

AM session felt super easy this morning.

First rep of each CGDL was fast, but the speed of the second one was never quite as good, although the intent was there.

No issues with the GH raises or ring work.

5 sets felt excellent.  I'm really pleased with how much I improved each round, although the first round felt laughably slow.  KBS all unbroken.  Double unders broken purposefully 20/15 for the first 4 sets and unbroken on the 5th set - which was very surprising, considering how off they've been for the past couple of weeks.  Again, managed effort by transition time and burpee pace.  Very happy with breathing throughout! And VERY happy I clarified that this was not, in fact, 19 burpees per round.  That would have sucked. 

AirDyne also felt excellent.  First minute was over 1000 cal/h, then settled in at 775-800 cal/h for the remainder.  Never dropped below 750.  Legs were just on the edge of getting tired, but breathing was totally fine.  Big thumbs up.

Tuesday

AM
shoulder prep
+
40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2-3 kipping handstand push-ups

PM
A. 1 muscle snatch + 1 hang muscle snatches, 4 x 1; :90 rest
B1. DB bench press w/knees & feet off bench, 5-5-5-5, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. Incline DB row, 4 x 4-5, 11X1; 2:00 rest
+
For time:
40 strict pull-ups, 20m heavy yoke carry every time you come off the bar
+
12 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%

AM

complete; 3 across

PM

A. 73, 83, 88, 88

B1. 35, 40, 45, 50

B2. 40, 45, 50, 50

+

10:03 with 200 on the yoke; 12/6/6/4/4/4/4 (120m)

+

Complete 

Good day!

Muscle snatches felt a little more natural today. 

Started way too light on the dumbbell bench, even the 50s were pretty easy for 5. Incline rows felt a little harder than last week; elbows didn't get very high with the 50s so I didn't go up even though I got 5 reps. 

Strict pull-up/ yoke walk was tough. Happy to open with 12 unbroken (PR +2), but was hoping to hit slightly bigger sets after that. Spent a fair bit of time looking at the bar between sets, hoping to recover a little more to hit a bigger number. Can't complain though, pretty happy I didn't end up making any extra yoke walks with a missed rep at the end. 

Airdyne felt excellent. 90% was 1000-1100 cal/h. 

Monday

mobility.

Saw Tim McConnell. MRI scheduled for Thursday with follow-up next Monday.  This sucks.  A lot.

Sunday

(upper gymnastics tech + row aerobic power intervals + mobility)

10:00 muscle-up technique work, hips-to-rings + turn-over work from the ground + actual attempts
+
10 sets:
500m row @ 2:00.0/500m - terminate session if you drop by more than :01
3:00 rest (6:00 after set 5)
+
10:00 focused hip & ankle mobility

Complete 

+

1:59.8

1:59.6

1:59.5

1:59.5

1:59.6

1:59.6

1:59.2

1:59.6

1:59.4

1:59.6

+

Complete 

No muscle up today, but my attempts were consistently closer than they used to be. I'd like to get another one this week, just to prove that yesterday wasn't a fluke. 

Felt really strong aerobically on the rows, but grip was getting super fatigued. Also, rowing hurts so I've been favoring my bad knee which is starting to affect the opposite hip. I could really feel it on the later sets. Shit. I've deleted and retyped that sentence multiple times because I don't want to be restricted from rowing... 

Seeing Tim McConnell tomorrow... Anxious. 

Saturday: THE DAY OF THE MUSCLE UP

AM (10:00 mixed MAPs + scap work)
10:00 @ 70% of [250m row + 3-5 kipping handstand push-ups]
5:00 rest
10:00 @ 70% of [20 AirDyne calories + 10 reverse crunches]
+
20:00 shoulder mobility + scap pre/re-hab

PM (jerk ME + snatch pull/support + dip ME/support/volume + CP/aer tester or increasing effort intervals + sled)
A. Split jerk from blocks, accumulate 5 solid singles @ 175-185
B1. Snatch pull clusters, 4 x 1.1 starting @ 110% 1RM snatch and adding a bit; :15 between reps, :60 rest
B2. Ring dips, 4 x max unbroken; 2:00 rest
+
7 rounds for time:
7 power cleans, 85
7 bar facing burpees
+
Not for time:
400m sled drag, moderate load allowing for minimal rest

AM
complete, did the shoulder stuff first
+
MUSCLE UP! (video)

PM
A. 175, 180, 185x3

B1. 145, 155, 165, 175

B2. 8, 6, 6, 4

+

8:50

+

Complete with 90 on the sled 

TODAY WAS THE DAY.  I literally can't stop smiling.  I also can't stop watching the video.  Not gonna lie, I was getting a little discouraged.  So, so happy.  It actually felt relatively easy, I'm really hoping that now that I've done one, the mental barrier is gone and they will come with some consistency. 

The rest of the training day was just mediocre. 

Handstand push-ups did not feel awesome this morning; got two sets of 5 but they weren't smooth or easy.  That's still an improvement, I have to remember that. 

Jerks were not very crisp, but no fails. 

Snatch pulls felt heavy.  8 ring dips is a PR+3. 

The 7 rounder was TOUGH. I was not prepared for that.  Went out a little hot on the first round (0:40) and struggled in the middle.  All power cleans unbroken, but definitely took way too long before picking up the bar.  I don't even know what the limiting factor was, breathing was high but not unmanageable.  Back got tight in the 6th/7th rounds of PCs, but it wasn't horrible.  I was just feeling sorry for myself in the middle of this for some reason, and didn't push the pace.  I really don't feel ready (mentally) for the Open... 

No breaks on the sled drag; only stopped long enough to alternate forwards/backwards.

Now... let's see if I can do another muscle up tomorrow... eeeeeeek!

Friday

30:00 swim @ Z1

1250 yards in 30:04; alternated 75 free / 25 breaststroke; no breaks

Thursday

(scap prep + upper vertical push/pull ME + EMOM SL/upper pull + AnLP->E row)

10:00 light scap activation
+
A. Push press, 3-3-2 adding each set; 2:00 rest
B. Weighted supinated pull-up, 3 x 2-3, 21X0; 2:00 rest
+
For 12:00:
Evens: 4-7 CTB pull-ups
Odds: 14 fast alternating box step-up/step-downs, 20
+
3 sets:
:50 row @ max effort
5:40 rest

Complete

+

A. 135(3), 150(3), 155(2)

B. +20(3), +30(3), +35(2)

+

Complete; 7 CTB across 

+

250m; 1:40.0/500m avg

250m; 1:40.0/500m avg

250m; 1:40.0/500m avg

AM weight @ home: 167.5

PM weight @ gym (including belt): 172

Solid day.  Push press felt great; 150 is a PR +5 for a triple and 155 is a PR +5 for a double.  155 felt much easier than 150 for some reason... but happy to hit heavier weights relatively easily two weeks in a row.

Supinated pull-ups are weird, I've gotten so used to always doing pronated.  I feel like my wrists/elbows don't rotate all the way around, so it's fairly uncomfortable to hang from the bar.  The actual pulling felt really strong though.  Pretty sure those are some PRs for a triple and a double as well.

CTBs done with a regular kip.  Again, first two sets were a little rough but got into a nice groove as the sets went on. 

Felt like energy was fading by the time I got to the row sprints, but happy with consistency across all sets here.  Was holding 1:38 for the majority, which was definitely max effort for today.  

Wednesday

AM (mixed Z1 or rtw + MU tech)
5-7 sets @ Z1:
500m row
15 AirDyne calories
3 deadhang-to-inverted
10 hip extensions, 2021

PM (DL DE -> clean support + dip support + hamstring accessory + increasing effort mixed breathing + 10:00 breathing)
A. Clean-grip deadlift w/chains, build to a heavy single
B1. Weighted glute-ham raises, 3 x 4-8, 20X1; :30 rest
B2. Ring support (top of dip), 3 x max hold; 2:00 rest
+
4 sets @ increasing effort:
15 kettlebell swings, 53
10 burpees
45 double-unders
2:00 rest
+
10:00 AirDyne @ 85% - last week's description was perfect, high breathing not much if any burn

AM
6 sets complete

PM
A. 265
B1. +35(8), +40(5), +40(4)
B2. 0:36, 0:28, 0:29
+
2:22
2:03
1:44
1:42
+
128 calories; 700-800 cal/hr


Another mixed day.  Another hectic day at work.  I'm sensing a trend, and I don't like it.

CGDL got really heavy, really fast.  Did 225, 245, 265 - and really struggled with the 265.  Felt my grip slipping and it was pretty grindy in the middle, but stood it up.  Meh.

Funny how adding 5lbs makes such a difference on the GH raises.  Ring supports felt better than last week.

4 sets were definitely at increasing effort, mostly by controlling transition time and burpee speed.  All KBS unbroken.  Double unders were a disaster today.  Was on track to smash the time on the 4th set until my double unders did not cooperate.  Effort was there though.  

AirDyne was the best part of the day.  Felt really good, easier to hold the pace I wanted than last week.

Tuesday

AM (Z1 w/upper gym tech)
shoulder prep
+
40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2 kipping handstand push-ups

PM (snatch tech + upper horizontal push/pull ME + upper vertical pull grinder + 10:00 breathing MAP)
A. 1 muscle snatch + 2 hang muscle snatches, 3 x 1; :90 rest
B1. Close-grip bench press, 1-1-1, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. Incline DB row, 3 x 5-7, 11X1; 2:00 rest
+
3 rounds for time:
10 strict pull-ups
40m tough yoke carry
+
10 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%

AM

complete

PM

A. 75, 85, 85

B1. 160, 165, 165F

B2. 25(7), 30(7), 35(7)

+

9:04 with 200 on the yoke

+

complete

Mixed day.  Tough couple of days at work, which never helps.  Really makes me appreciate that my day to day is usually pretty relaxed.

Hang muscle snatches took a bit of time to get the hang of.  The last set at 85 was nice.

Bench press felt very heavy today.  Hit 155 while warming up and it was a struggle.  Didn't get much better from there.  I'm always a victim to thinking that if there are singles programmed, I'm going to PR.  Which obviously isn't true, but still can't help feeling disappointed when the bar feels heavy that day.  Kind of liked the incline DB rows, though!  Started a little too light.

First set of 10 pull-ups easily unbroken (PR +4), and could have gotten another couple of reps.  Can't believe how far these have come.  Sets 2 and 3 were pretty broken, ending in singles.  Yoke was heavy.  Went from the rig to the edge of the mats by the door, considered that to be close enough to 20m.  Each 20m trip was unbroken, but definitely took my time picking it up each time.  And now I'm 3" shorter.  Thanks.

AD felt good.  90% was around 1000 cal/h.  Breathing has been steadily improving over the past few weeks.  Almost like that's the plan.

Monday

mobility.  My dippers are sore!

Knee has been behaving yesterday and today... not sure what was going on Saturday.  It's still sharp with kneeling/flexion, but otherwise almost not noticeable, and the weird swelling is gone.  Still icing anyway.