Tuesday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :05-:10/side 1-arm passive hang from bar

PM
A. Power snatch clusters, 3 x 1.1.1.1.1 @ 70% 1RM; :10 between singles, 2:30 rest
B. Clean-grip deadlift, 2-2-2, 3131; 2:30 rest
C1. Strict handstand push-ups, 3 x max in :60 steady; :90 rest
C2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 4-8, 21X1 (pause @ top); :90 rest
+
5 sets:
:20 row very hard
3:10 walk rest

AM

complete

PM

A. complete @ 91

B. 205, 225, 245

C1. 8, 8, 8

C2. unweighted, +20, +40(4)

+

107m

108m

106m

105m

103m

Errrrr... 1-arm passive hangs from the bar were comical.  Started rotating as soon as I took my other hand away, and couldn't hold on for more than 0:05 at the most.  Tried once from the fat bar and this was even worse (less than 0:02). 

PM session was great! 

Power snatches all crisp and easy. 

Thumbs were the limiter on the tempo clean-grip deadlifts... 245 is probably about the heaviest I can hold for 0:16. No belt on these, but I have been wearing olys (as usual for clean-grip deadlifts). 

Strict handstand push-ups felt GREAT! All 3 sets were 3 doubles and two singles, no fails. So, so happy with this. 2 months ago I could barely do 1 every 5:00. 

Adding the pause at the top changed the reverse hypers quite a bit. Eeesh. 

Row sprints felt great! Saw 1:28-1:29 on the first 4. Had a bit of a slow start on sets 4 and 5, and power was just a little bit gone by the 5th set, couldn't get under 1:31. 

Good day at work, good day at the gym. Good day all around! 

Monday

Off

Sunday

A. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 10 x 2 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
B1. 1-arm DB thrusters, 3 x 4-5/side; :60 between arms, :60 rest
B2. 1-arm DB rows, 3 x 5-8/side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
5 sets for even times:
10 burpees
7 strict fat bar pull-ups
15 row calories
2:30 walk rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
10-15 moderate/tough reverse hypers
12 glute-ham sit-ups

A. complete with 120 + chains 

B1. 55, 60(4), 60(4)

B2. 55, 60(6), 60(7)

+

2:31

2:30

2:25

2:27

2:27

+

+90 on the RH, 15 across 

complete 

Today is the most gorgeous, perfect day. I love it. 

Box squats were nice and easy. 

Left arm is still the limiter on both dumbbell movements - had to use the right hand to assist the negative on the thruster at 60, otherwise there was some danger of hitting myself in the head. 

Loved the 5 sets, I really enjoy things like this. Rowed right around 1000 cal/h. 

+90 on the RH wasn't tough at all, definitely on the moderate side. I can go up quite a bit and still keep 15 reps I think. 

Got some feedback from Mike Kesthely, I'm really looking forward to dialing in the nutrition. Aiming to hit 155g protein, 245g carb, 90g fat (working up to this over the next couple of weeks, it's 300-600 calories more per day than I'm at now, which kind of makes me nervous but I trust him), and emphasizing consistency and quality. This means I'm spending this fantastic afternoon grilling up a week's worth of meat :)

Saturday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :30 front leaning rest on rings

PM
A. Snatch pull clusters, 3 x 1.1.1 @ 1RM snatch; :10 between pulls, 2:30 rest
B1. Single leg Romanian deadlift, 3 x 4-6/leg, 41X1; :60 between legs, :60 rest
B2. Close-grip bench press, 3 x 4-5, 30X1; :60 rest
C. Sorensen hold, 3 x :40; 1:20 rest
D. Star side plank, 3 x 15/side; :45 between sides
+
5 sets:
:15 AirDyne @ max effort
2:45 rest

AM

complete 

PM

A. complete @ 135

B1. 83, 94, 104

B2. 114, 124, 134 

C. complete 

D. complete 

+

complete 

Errrrr... This was the dullest training day in history. I totally understand the need for all these pieces, but I had to add in a few muscle-ups so there was at least one fun thing. 

Snatch pulls were fine. 

Single leg Romanian deadlifts were okay, keeping balance was the hardest part. 

Misloaded the bar for cg bench press and didn't realize it until I was stripping the bar (thought I was 10lbs heavier across). Dammit. 

Knee was being an asshole on the Sorenson holds... basically the whole inside half of my knee was a sharp ache (is that a thing?). I don't think the Sorenson holds hurt last week, so I don't know if all the hamstring stuff this week is catching up? I know the MCL is attached to the meniscus, but I don't remember where the hamstring tendons are exactly (it's been a long time since anatomy). This is new, and not cool. And I don't think this is something covered in a normal scope... so this makes me very nervous. 

Star planks were easy. 

Airdyne sprints felt great, but I'm not looking forward to these increasing in length... 

Edited to add: Google tells me the hamstrings do attach to the meniscus... specifically, the semimembranosus attaches to the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (which is where mine is torn/damaged). This makes more sense now... as long as this is all one problem which will be addressed in the scope, I'm not worried...

Friday

30:00-60:00 swim easy

38:15 complete 

Last day swimming for a while... I'm going to miss it. By far, my favorite recovery activity. 

Thursday

AM
5000m row @ Z1, off every 1000m for a few minutes of mobility work of choice

PM
A. Power cleans, 3-3-3-3 touch-and-go all moderate; :90 rest
B. Behind-the-neck shoulder press, 3 x 7-9, 31X1; 2:00 rest
C. Glute-ham raises, 3 x 5-10, 31X1 using stick for assistance; 2:00 rest
+
10:00 @ 80%:
1 rope climb
10 AirDyne calories
3 wall walks
10 AirDyne calories
+
800m walk cool-down

AM

complete

PM

A. 125, 135, 145, 150

B. 53, 58(8), 58(7)

C. 10, 10, 10 - no stick needed 

+

4 rounds even 

+

complete 

Today was awesome! Everything felt good. 

Really enjoyed the change of pace on the AM piece, Demetrius and I have been spending a lot of time together... 

Power cleans felt EXCELLENT. The triple at 145 was probably the 3 crispest "heavy" power cleans I've ever done. 

BTN shoulder press went much better than last week; felt a lot stronger and  my left shoulder didn't complain nearly as much. 

Had no issues holding the tempo on the GH raises, so didn't use a stick. Hamstrings are toasted from this week though... Eeesh. 

Pushed the 10:00 piece a little closer to 90% - this was super fun! 

Wednesday

AM

15:00 AirDyne @ Z1
+
Crossover Symmetry "activation" circuit
+
15:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Glute bridge w/shoulder on ground, 3 x 6-8, 21X2; 3:00 rest
B. CTB pull-ups, 1 x max unbroken
C. Reverse sled drag, 2 x 20-30m very heavy; 2:00 rest
+
For 8:00:
Evens: :30 ski erg @ 90% aerobic
Odds: 5-10 perfect ring push-ups
+
For 8:00:
Evens: 7-10 toes-to-bar
Odds: 30-50 double-unders

AM

complete 

PM

A. 130, 150, 170

B. 14 (PR+2)

C. 25m with 310 on the sled 

+

complete 

8 across 

+

10 across 

50 unbroken across (!)

Today was pretty good. On paper, I wasn't very enthusiastic about today's training but I actually really enjoyed it. 

Glute bridges weren't challenging until 170, but I've never done these before so I wasn't sure where to start. Used the axle and a yoga mat for padding. 

CTBs were horribly out of rhythm with a LOT of just hanging in between reps. I hate this weird limbo of not being able to kip or butterfly consistently. 

Sled drag was HEAVY. Luckily it wasn't too humid today, so the floor wasn't very sticky. Hamstrings were shaky for a few minutes after this. 

I love EMOMs. These were nice. Where did those double-unders come from?!?! Maybe not doing any for 2 months is the secret...

Tuesday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 1 dead hang to inverted + 3 toes-through-rings

PM
A. Power snatch, build to a max for the day
B. Clean-grip deadlift, 3-3-3, 3131; 2:30 rest
C. Reverse hypers, 3 x 3-5, 21X0 - note the tempo, these are tough, may be unweighted; :90 rest
+
For time:
50 handstand push-ups
+
5 sets:
:15 row very hard
2:15 walk rest

AM

complete 

PM

A. 120, 125Fx3

B. 125, 155, 185

C. unweighted, +20, +40

+

7:07 (25 in 2:33) - took me 17:28 last year 

+

complete; saw 1:30-1:31/500m on all


Today was pretty great - partially due to completing my dissertation, partially due to finally having a test that I could PR, and partially due to the fact that I bumped up my carbs back to where they were (175ish).  Still waiting on a response from the Dynamic Nutrition people... but in the meantime, if I'm not losing weight on 125g carbs or 175g carbs, I'm going back to 175g where I felt much better.

Added in a few muscle-ups to my warm up... it makes me nervous to go a whole week without doing any.  Used the skinny rings for a change of pace, and confirmed my preference for these.  Hit a couple of singles and one double.  I catch the dip so much higher on these rings, it's crazy.

I hate power snatching.  Caught 115 pretty wide, caught 120 with bent arms, and missed 125 three times.  Stephen suggested just thinking it of a snatch, and don't distinguish between power and squat, but for today it was too late, my brain thinks of them as two different movements.  But maybe in the future that will work for me...

Tempo CGDL were fine, definitely could have started at something closer to 185.

Tempo reverse hypers were also fine, but +40 got to be challenging.  I kept wanting to also pause at the top, it felt very strange not to hold it for a second...

SO HAPPY about the handstand push-up improvement! Did 5s until 25, 3s until 40, 2s until 48 and two singles to finish.  These are feeling excellent, the kip is greatly improved, and I don't stand around staring at the wall nearly as much.  Great success!

I really enjoy short sprints.  Got it down to 1:30-1:31 within a few pulls, then hovered around 1:32 to finish each of these.  Plenty of time to recover.

Monday

90:00 massage

Finished the 260 page draft of my dissertation today! 

Sunday

A. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 8 x 2 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
B1. 1-arm DB thrusters, 2 x 5-7/side; :60 between arms, :60 rest
B2. 1-arm DB rows, 2 x 7-10/side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
3 sets for even times:
9 strict fat bar pull-ups
15 burpees
21 row calories
3:00 walk rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
15 light reverse hypers
10 glute-ham sit-ups

A. complete with 120 + chains 

B1. 45(7), 55(5)

B2. 55(10), 60(7)

+

2:53

2:52

2:57

+

complete 

+50 on the RH


Man, it feels good to be back to just regular training, none of this testing BS.  

Box squats were super easy, so I tried to really emphasize speed on the way up.  Set up the biggest block + the rubber top + a competition 25lb plate, which put me just a hair above parallel.  

Dumbbell stuff felt good, started both moves on the left side and just matched with the right - the right side was probably good for 1-2 more reps on both moves at the heavier weight than the left.

Loved the combination of movements in the even times piece - although pull-ups and burpees slowed down a bit in the 3rd round, so I had to make up for it on the erg (950-1000 cal/h on the first two rounds, 1100 cal/h on the 3rd).

Saturday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :30 front leaning rest on ground

PM
A. Deadlift, build to max for the day
B. Close-grip bench press, 3 x 5-8, 30X1; 2:30 rest
+
5 sets:
:10 AirDyne @ max effort
2:20 rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
:30/side plank
:30 Sorensen hold

AM

complete

PM

A. 295, 310F, 305F

B. 115(8), 125(6), 125(6)

+

complete 

+

complete 

Deadlifts were shockingly heavy - 295 felt very slow. Barely broke 310 and 305 off the ground.  Stephen tried to talk me off the ledge afterward, asking whether I'd rather do 5 unbroken muscle-ups or deadlift 340 - and the clear answer is the muscle-ups.  Logically, I understand that some things need to be sacrificed to make improvements in others, and I'm so, so happy with the gymnastics and aerobic improvements over the last year.  It's just hard to not even come close to matching something I did 2+ years ago. I've always felt confident knowing how strong I was, until now - I agree that I don't need to get stronger, but I don't really want to get weaker... 

Everything else was fine.  Nice casual afternoon in the gym :)

Friday

30:00-60:00 swim easy

35:45 complete

Thursday

AM
10 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%
+
20:00 mobility work of choice
+
10 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%

PM
A. Muscle-ups, 9 x 1; begin a rep every :60
B. Front rack walking lunges, 2 x 16-20 steps; 2:00 rest
+
4 sets, each for max calories:
:30 row @ 100%
:30 rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
10-12 light reverse hypers
5-10m handstand walk
:30 passive hang from bar

AM

complete

PM

A. 7 complete, missed 8 and 9 

B. 123(20), 133(16)

+

13 calories / 156m

11 calories / 147m

11 calories / 142m

10 calories / 137m

+

complete-ish

+50 on the RH (12)

10m handstand walk easy

skipped passive hang

Muscle-ups were rough today - caught all of these EXTREMELY low. Actually surprised myself to save 2 of them, they were that bad. Re-ripped open 3 spots from Tuesday on the 7th rep and wasn't able to get as big of a kip after that (hence the fails). 

Lunges got hard at about 12 steps - mostly due to holding the front rack, legs never struggled with this weight. 

Row sprints SUCKED. Had to grip the handle just by the fingertips, which didn't help. Fell off badly (obviously) - hamstrings were really tight and breathing was horrible. Pretty sure this is significantly worse than the last time I did these. Blahhhhhh. 

No issues with the reverse hyper or handstand walk, but decided to skip the hanging from the bar due to the poor shape of my hands. Ouch :(

Wednesday

AM
15:00 AirDyne @ Z1
+
Crossover Symmetry "activation" circuit
+
15:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Power clean, build to a max
B. Behind-the-neck shoulder press, 3 x 7-10, 31X1; 2:00 rest
+
21-15-9 for time:
Deadlifts, 155
Box jumps, 20
Burpees
+
10:00 AirDyne @ Z1

AM

complete 

PM

A. 170 

B. 44(10), 54(10), 59(6)

+

8:48

+

complete 

Another rough day :/ Came into the gym with a pretty significant headache, which never went away.  Not sure if I can continue to blame these mediocre days on the humidity, or maybe it's the change in diet? 

Power cleans were AWFUL. 165 was sloppy and caught it really forward. Failed 175 twice, then failed 170 twice before finally getting it on the 3rd attempt. I really hate power cleans.  I was pulling it PLENTY high enough, just super hesitant to get under it. 

BTN shoulder press was really hard!  Also, it was a little uncomfortable on my left shoulder (the one that gave me the most problems last year). Felt like my left shoulder was never in the right position, and it felt kind of unstable. It's not painful or giving me any other problems (other than a little instability on the max side plank), so I don't know what that's about.

Felt slow and sluggish on the deadlift/box jump/ burpee piece. Just couldn't get my act together, and couldn't control my breathing. Lots of standing around being a little bitch.

Also, all week I've been questioning whether I'm doing the right thing by letting Tim fix my knee, asking myself whether it's really THAT bad.  But then today - for the first time - it locked on me (in between the BTN shoulder press and the FT piece, I just turned kind of funny while I was checking my phone), and I couldn't extend it all the way.  I panicked for a few minutes, because this hasn't happened before, but then somehow it went away... this was the weirdest feeling. Sooo... now I'm feeling more confident that it actually needs to be fixed.

Tuesday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2 toes-to-bar + 1 dead hang to inverted

PM
A. Back squat, build to a max for the day
B. Back squat, 1 x max reps @ 85% of A, 30X0
+
20 sets for time:
5 unbroken CTB pull-ups
+
10 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%

AM
complete with toes-through-rings 

PM
A. 285, 295Fx1

B. 3 @ 242

+

DNF 

10 sets done in 5:00

15 sets done in 14:30

total of 5 rips 

+

complete 


Merrrrr today wasn't the greatest.

I knew I couldn't expect much on the back squat, considering I haven't squatted anything heavy since October.  275 felt better than I thought it would, 285 got pretty slow on the way up.  Really, I had no business even trying 295, should have just called it at 285 for today.  The max reps at 85% were stupid.  Was extremely faithful on tempo, and when I stood up the 3rd I knew I needed to rest at the top it I was going to get a 4th rep, but that's not allowed, so I just racked it.  Hard to believe that I squatted 245 for 10 last year.  Sigh.  Knee feels like shit, but I kind of just want to run it into the ground over the next month... why not? 

I was looking forward to seeing the improvement on the CTB test, and I did... last year it took me over 9:00 to get 10 sets.  I'm in a weird place now where I'm not yet proficient at butterfly but I've kind of lost the regular kipping rhythm, so these weren't great but I had no problems hitting 5 unbroken reps for the first 10 sets even if I had to reset the kip.  Ripped once on the second set, then again on the 6th set, then accumulated 3 more bloody rips between sets 10-15.  Also had 3 failed sets within the last few minutes where I just did 2-3 reps and dropped off, my hands were just fucking done.  I don't think I've ever ripped this badly, I definitely have never had to clean blood off a bar before today.  I don't think I'll be washing my hair today.

Monday

off

Sunday

A. Good morning, build to a tough but perfect triple, 32X1
B. DB external rotation, 1 x AMRAP up to 8/side @ 10% of tested CGBP, 30X0
C. Powell raise, 1 x AMRAP up to 8/side @ 10% of tested CGBP, 30X0
D. Trap 3, 1 x AMRAP up to 8 @ 10% of tested CGBP, 30X0
E. Side plank, 1 x max hold/side up to :90
F. Sorensen hold, 1 x max hold up to 2:00
+
Not for time:
1200m moderate sled drag outdoors

A. 125

B. 8/8 @ 15

C. 8/8 @ 15

D. 8 @ 15/hand with questionable height 

E. 0:90/0:90

F. 1:28

+

complete with 70 on the sled 

EVERYTHING HURTS. I am so freaking sore... 

Have very limited experience with good mornings, so I'm not sure if 125 was lame orrrrr.... The tempo got tricky on the 3rd, so I called it there.  

No issues with the external rotation or the Powell raise, but I couldn't even do one trap 3 to an acceptable height with 15/hand. I don't know if I had the incline bench to the wrong level (first notch on the black one)? I know I've gotten much stronger with the scap stuff over the past year, so there's something fishy going on. 

0:90 side plank was an absolute max on both sides, barely made it and was pretty shaky for the last 0:20. Limiter on the right was wrist discomfort and shoulder stability on the left. 

Sorensen hold was tough - I think I've only done this once right when I started. Low back got super tight and hamstrings started cramping. I know for sure that this score is embarrassing...    

Saturday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :20/side star plank

PM
A. DB rear foot elevated split squat, 1 x max reps/side up to 8 @ .33 bwt/hand, 30X0
B. Close-grip bench press, build to a max for the day
C. CTB pull-ups, 4 x 7-10 unbroken; rest as needed
+
3 sets for even times:
24 AirDyne calories
3 rope climbs
12 burpees
3:00 walk rest
+
10:00 AirDyne @ Z1

AM

complete

PM
A. 8/8 @ 55/hand 

B. 155, 165Fx1, 160Fx1

C. 10, 10, 10, 7

+

4:41

4:43

4:48

+

complete 

Ugh it was SO HOT today, everything felt sluggish and gross. Better get used to it... 

Split squats weren't really challenging, but my knee really hates these (even with knee sleeves on) when it's the elevated leg and the knee is maximally flexed at the bottom. Hopefully this was just for testing, I really don't want to do these again until my knee is fixed. 

155 bench was EASY. Perhaps made too big of a jump to 165, it wasn't even close. Maybe could have gotten 160 if I tried that first, almost had it but Cody helped. 

Started each set of CTBs with a max set of butterfly, then reset as needed without dropping off. 5ish is getting to be fairly consistent. Hit 7 in rhythm on the 3rd set! But then the last set was a disaster with no rhythm at all. I think I forgot how to kip normally, butterfly is feeling much more natural. 

Happy that my times were pretty even on the rope climb piece, normally I drop off really badly with that many rope climbs. Only the very last climb got dicey, I hung out 1' from the top for a really long time...

Friday

30:00-60:00 swim easy

34:30 complete, long course

Definitely a much stronger swimmer than the last time I swam long course... and now I think I prefer it!  

Knee started acting up last week (almost exactly 8 weeks after the cortisone shot), and it's just getting worse each day (intermittent swelling and sharp pain with flexion), so I bit the bullet and booked the date with Tim McConnell for July 22.  Hopefully it's a super easy fix, and a super easy (and quick!) recovery... 

Thursday

AM
A. Shoulder press, build to a max
+
AMRAP in 15:00:
Muscle-ups

PM
A. Squat clean, build to a max
+
For time:
30 squat cleans, 155

AM

A. 105, 110Fx2

+

20

PM

A. 185, 195Fx2, 190Fx1

+

7:41

Shoulder press felt really heavy today - disappointed with this. I kind of thought with all the strict handstand push-ups this would have translated over a little, but apparently not. I've hit 110 for 2 before, so this was stupid. 

Muscle-ups, on the other hand, were fantastic!! All singles, no misses. Wanted to hit 20 and I did! Only had one low catch, and the dip is getting much better overall. Tried to just go as soon as I felt confident I could get one without watching the clock, but I know I slowed down a bit in the middle and rushed the last 3 in under 0:90 because I really wanted to hit 20. Pretty cool. Time to start stringing some together consistently. 

Squat cleans felt terrible today - kept catching them really soft, even when warming up with light weight. Nothing felt crisp. The 185 was one of the uglier 185s I've ever made. Almost every single rep of the 30 at 155 was super ugly, with low elbows, soft catch, and rounded back when standing up the squat. Beat last year's time by just a couple of seconds, but last year was at 145, so I guess I should consider this a win. It just didn't feel good or look pretty. 

Wednesday

AM
15:00 AirDyne @ Z1
+
Crossover Symmetry "activation" circuit
+
15:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. DB snatch, build to a 10RM/side - controlled touch-and-go
+
For time:
2000m row OR "300FY" - your call...

AM
complete

PM
A. 55

+

8:08.7 (PR by 0:14.1)

LOVE the crossover symmetry - today was my first time using it. Planning on including this in my warm-up most every day, unless there's some reason I shouldn't? 

DB snatch was fine; grip was a little shaky on the last 3 reps on the left arm, but the right was solid. 

Super pleased with the row PR - ended up exactly where I was hoping (sub-8:10). Went out at 2:01-2:02, but couldn't hold that in the middle, and drifted to 2:04-2:07 for a couple hundred meters (like 1000-1500ish). Back under 2:05 by 1500, but didn't really kick it in until 1650-1700. Held 1:55ish for a bit and finally down to 1:49 in the final 50 meters. This was a great effort for me for today, not much else I could have done. Huge improvement since October.  Legs got pretty heavy by the end, but grip was fine and felt really good aerobically. Would eventually love to get under 8:00, but I think the easiest way to do that would be to grow 6". 

Tuesday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 2 dead hang to inverted

PM
A. Paused front squat, build to a max, 22X1
B. Weighted pronated CTB pull-up (include body weight in score), build to a 1RM, 21X0
C. Wall balls, 1 x max unbroken @ 14 to 9
+
2000m row @ Z1

AM
complete

PM

A. 235

B. 186

C. 54
+

complete 

AM weight @ home: 165.7

What an underwhelming first day of testing.  

Front squats felt really tough with the extended pause.  Can't believe I front squatted 260 last year (and with a pause! only 0:01, but still).

I've never done weighted CTB pull-ups, so I didn't know what to expect here.  Failed to connect twice with an added 2.5.  Score of 186 is total scale-weight of me, Oly shoes, belt, and 15lbs of plates.

I also wasn't sure what to expect on the max wall balls - I've never done more than 25.  Going into this, I was pretty confident I could hit 50, but wasn't sure where I'd end up beyond that.  These felt great through 35 then started to get a little rough.  In the upper 40's I was really struggling, and reps 53 and 54 BARELY hit the target.  My shoulders were just smoked; I tried jumping with my legs more so that my arms wouldn't have to work so hard, but then accuracy of hitting the target was off.  The ball never felt heavy, I think it was just the repetitive motion without a break that got to be fatiguing.  I also thought 50 would have been a reasonably good score, but apparently not... dammit.

Here's hoping the rest of testing is a little more exciting.

PS - I've been eating super strict lower carb paleo for 12 days and my weight has. not. budged.  This is why I gave up dieting.  

Monday

off

mobility sprinkled in throughout the day as dissertation-writing breaks

Sunday

A. Power clean, build quickly to 80-90% 1RM
B. Halting snatch-grip deadlift (pause just below knees on the way up & down), 5 x 1 starting @ 125 & adding 5-10/set; begin a set every :90
+
3 rounds easy pace:
:60 handstand push-ups
:60 rest
:60 strict fat bar toes-to-bar
:60 rest
:60 row
:60 rest

A. 165 (89%)

B. 125, 135, 145, 155, 165

+

complete 

(including an easy set of 10 kipping handstand push-ups!)

Power cleans felt okay, really tried to get lower instead of wider at the heavier weights (moderate success). 

Snatch grip deadlifts were fine. 

Ummmm kipping handstand push-ups were so fast and easy after the months of strict only!! Opened with 10 on the first set (PR), and opened with 8 on the second and third sets. Holy crap. This was neat! 

Saturday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :15/side star plank

PM
10:00 muscle-ups practice - no more than 5 total reps
+
A1. Back squat, 3-2-1 all @ 70-80% effort - nothing heavy here, 20X1; 2:00 rest
A2. Strict pull-up, 3 x 5-10, 21X0; 2:00 rest
+
For 10:00:
Evens: 1 rope climb
Odds: 10m/side heavy DB overhead carry
+
4 sets:
:10 AirDyne @ 100%
2:20 walk rest

AM

complete

PM

complete 

+

A1. 165(3), 185(2), 205(1)

A2. 7 across 

+

complete 

70x1, 75x4

+

complete 


Muscle-ups felt great again today! Caught one of them kind of low, but the other 4 reps may have been among my best muscle-ups ever, at least on the fat rings.  Kipping the dip is getting a little better.

Back squats were silly, these were so light.

Strict pull-ups also felt great, all pronated.  Messed up the tempo on the first set of strict pull-ups (paused at the top as well as the bottom).

Rope climbs were all fast and easy.  DB was super awkward to get overhead, but the actual carry wasn't too tough.

0:10 sprints are quite enjoyable! I know that's going to change though... 

Friday

30:00-60:00 swim easy

31:00 complete

Thursday

10:00 muscle-up technique work
+

3 sets:
25m/side 1-arm DB overhead carry, tough
:60 rest
25m/side 1-arm Farmer's walk, tough
:60 rest
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 90% aerobic
2:00 walk rest

complete, worked on kipping the dip

+

60, 65, 70

100, 100, 100

+

2:09.3

2:09.3

2:09.3

2:09.3

2:08.2

Muscle-ups felt great! Did 6. I think today I had maybe an 83% kip, which is a major improvement. 

Could have started heavier on the overhead carry.

Rows felt so relaxing and luxurious going a full 0:10 slower!  I assumed 90% aerobic on the erg means the same as on the AirDyne - high breathing but no burn.  

Wednesday

Not for time:
20 alternating Turkish get-ups, moderate
+
1600m light sled drag outdoors

complete with 35lbs

+

complete with 45lbs

Tuesday

3 rounds not for time:
10 hand-release push-ups
10 ring rows
+
10:00 @ very easy pace:
15 row calories
20m unweighted walking lunges
10 burpees
+
10 sets:
:30 AirDyne @ 90% aerobic
:30 AirDyne @ 50%

complete 

Training break

Off Thursday - took a long nap

Off Friday - got a massage

Off Saturday - wrote 96 pages of my dissertation

Off Sunday - cleaned my apartment and went to the zoo

Off Monday - getting pretty antsy; ready to get back in the gym!