KW's OpSLED log.

[Knightwatch]

BENCH PRESS

45 x 5

95 x 4

135 x 3

155 x 2

175 x 5

195 x 3

220 x max (got 8)

PULLUPS

8, 6, 5

So, about pullups: why are so many commercial gyms replacing pullup bars with those godawful station things with the variety of angled grips? And why are they rubberized? Is that supposed to be more comfortable or something? Has anyone who ever installed one ever actually...y'know, done a pullup from them? They're atrocious. It can't be a financial matter, as they're far more expensive than just a plain ol straight bar running the length of a wall.

/rant

DUMBBELL BENCH

75 x 5

80 x 5

85 x 5

ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROW

85 x 8

90 x 8

95 x 6 (grip was failing. weird.)

BARBELL CURL

65 x 8

75 x 8

85 x 5

(I find the simple change of unracking these from shoulder height makes a massive difference in the way your arm engages the movement)

HANG CLEAN, PRESS

45 x 1

65 x 1

85 x 1

95 x 1

105 x 1

115 x 1

125 x 1

135 x 1

145 x 1

155 x 1

165 x 1

175 x 1

I didn't work to my max here, just wanted to work on form some, and practice the transition from the catch position to the press. I catch it way up on the fingers, with the meat of my palm up over the bar, really. Not exactly a bio-mechanically sound position to press from. Hmm, gotta play with this some more.

Then I did 5 or 6 single hang snatches with a blank 45lb bar, focusing on the locked out position. Felt great on the shoulders.

[alr]

BENCH PRESS

So, about pullups: why are so many commercial gyms replacing pullup bars with those godawful station things with the variety of angled grips? And why are they rubberized? Is that supposed to be more comfortable or something? Has anyone who ever installed one ever actually...y'know, done a pullup from them? They're atrocious. It can't be a financial matter, as they're far more expensive than just a plain ol straight bar running the length of a wall.

I think they actually make simple equipment into ridiculous complicated equipment to make people feel like they are getting something for their membership fees. Having a lot of stuff people could easily build at home makes people more likely to just build their own stuff at home, which is bad for business.

The fitness guys at my work (at least the one I discussed this with) also seem to discourage buying the simpler doorway bars, but they are pretty open (at least with me, probably because I work with them and know anyway) about the fact that they are just trying to raise their sales for the day and also that they are totally skeptical about bodyweight conditioning, know nothing about it, and think it's crazy to want a basic pull-up bar in the first place when there are SO MANY NEATO OTHER TOYS.

Sorry about the rant. I just get really upset about fitness oriented businesses that make people feel incompetent so they can make more money off of them. Exercise should be empowering.

I just had to google what a clean was and I am totally impressed.

[Knightwatch]

SQUAT

45 x 8

95 x 8

135 x 5

185 x 3

230 x 5

260 x 3

290 x max (I got a double)

Meh. Kinda as expected, I held back just a tiny bit. After I re-racked and took a quick break, I did another single real quick. So it's likely coulda done another, then, if I had just took a couple breaths in the top position. Oh well, two is still better than one, which was the minimum goal. I'll take it (and will plan to smash that number next time I work with that weight ).

STANDING ONE ARM DUMBBELL PRESS

45 x 8

50 x 8

55 x 6

60 x 6

65 x 5

70 x 5 (push press from this point on, all prior were strict)

75 x 4

80 x 3

85 x 2

90 x 1

95 x 1 (woot!)

This felt pretty good, ramming the heaviest dumbbell in the joint skyward and locking it out overhead. I could really feel the difference in strength between my (dominant) right arm and left tonight, though. I failed once each on the 90s and 95s with my left before nailing it. More than anything else, I felt it in my left wrist and forearm while I had the DB "racked" position at my shoulder. Felt I couldn't get a stable platform from which to launch. I gotta start grip and forearm training again, pronto. Finally, I had trouble with both arms getting a clean...well, clean, from the floor to my shoulder with the highest two DBs. I'd like to improve on that.

"ROLLING" DUMBBELL TRICEP EXTENSIONS (

)

35 x 8

35 x 8

35 x 8

CROSS-BODY CABLE LAT RAISES

20 x 8

20 x 8

20 x 8

CARRIES

* 95lb dumbbell FARMER CARRY down the long corridor to the bubbler (39 steps), drop, drink, and back.

* 45lb plate locked out overhead, there and back twice non-stop.

[Knightwatch]

Light deload/recovery day.

PRESS

75 x 5

95 x 5

115 x 5

DEADLIFT

155 x 5

185 x 5

235 x 5

"CINDY LITE"

Got interupted about 7 minutes in, but I had completed, I believe, 8 rounds of 3 PULLUPS/8 PUSHUPS/12 SQUATS

WEIGHTED DIPS

25 x 6

15 x 6

5 x 6

[Knightwatch]

"MACKENZIE"

(don't ask.)

Using 135lbs, each set occured at the top of the minute, with rest for the remainder of that minute.

Each set started with the bar on the floor, requiring at least a single clean (and in the case of the, well, cleans, obviously more).

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

POWER CLEAN x 3

FRONT SQUAT x 3

PUSH JERK x 3

(50 cleans total, which made for some good practice)

DUMBBELL SHRUG, 2 SECOND HOLD

85 x 10

85 x 10

85 x 10

ALT. DUMBBELL CURLS

50 x 5

55 x 5

60 x 5

MOBILITY WORK/STRETCHING

foam roller

band stretching

roll-into-V thingie.

mountain climbers

groiners

pullup bar hangs

[Knightwatch]

PRESS

45 x 5

95 x 5

110 x 5

130 x 5

145 x max (got 8)

PULLUPS

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4

METCON WORK

ONE ARM SUITCASE DEADLIFTS (165lbs) supersetted with ONE ARM DUMBBELL CLEANS INTO THRUSTERS (65lbs), with minimal rest

5 suitcase deads, right

5 suitcase deads, left

5 clean-thrusters, right

5 clean thrusters, left

4 suitcase deads, right

4 suitcase deads, left

4 clean-thrusters, right

4 clean thrusters, left

3 suitcase deads, right

3 suitcase deads, left

3 clean-thrusters, right

3 clean thrusters, left

2 suitcase deads, right

2 suitcase deads, left

2 clean-thrusters, right

2 clean thrusters, left

1 suitcase dead, right

1 suitcase dead, left

1 clean-thruster, right

1 clean thruster, left

BURPEES

20 of 'em.

[Knightwatch]

DEADLIFT

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 3

265 x 5

305 x 5

345 x max (got 8)

"DIANE" (SCALED)

21, 15, 9 reps, for time of:

185lb DEADLIFTS

PIKE POSITION HANDSTAND PUSHUPS

I got 6:57.

Felt slightly off the whole workout. Still trying to figure out what's been nagging at me, holding me back from really going all-out. Diet? Rest? Sickness? I feel I should have gotten at least 9 on my max set of deads, and, considering it later, I should have tried Diane as Rx'd (225 on the deads, full-on HSPUs, even until failure at which time I could have switched to the pike position).

All in all though, not a bad workout.

[Knightwatch]

DEADLIFT

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 4

275 x 3

315 x 2

375 x 1

415 x 1

METCON

done for time

DEADLIFT, 185 x 15

25 PULLUPS

DEADLIFT, 185 x 12

20 PULLUPS

DEADLIFT, 185 x 9

15 PULLUPS

DEADLIFT, 185 x 6

10 PULLUPS

DEADLIFT, 185 x 3

5 PULLUPS

15:32

[Knightwatch]

BENCH PRESS

45 x 5

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

225 x 1

235 x 1

245 x 1

255 x 1

265 x 1

275 x fail (oh well, still a PR at 265)

"TYLER" (SCALED)

5 rounds for time of:

15 RING DIPS

15 PULLUPS

21 SUMO DEADLIFT HIGHPULLS w/ 75lbs

I got 25:20.

Rx'd was 7 muscle ups on the rings, and 95 pounds on the SDHPs. At the Rx'd level, you could swap in 3 dips and 3 pullups for every one muscle up. Scaled one step down, they went to 15 on the dips and pullups. I used a light band on the ring dips, and unassisted on the pullups.

[Knightwatch]

BENCH PRESS

After a few warmups sets, I just banged out 21 reps of 225lbs, however.

4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1

(Not really representative of max sets or anything, just wanted to try out a couple tweaks on grip and stuff, and really concentrate on form)

POWER CLEAN

Same deal, 21 reps with 145

3, 3, 3, 5, 4, 1, 1, 1

PULLUPS

21, in 7 sets of 3.

3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

DIPS

Y'know the drill.

5, 5, 4, 4, 3

And then I stretched out some.

Pretty easy today, working out some kinks.

[Knightwatch]

POWER CLEAN

45 x 10 (hang cleans on this set)

85 x 3

105 x 3

135 x 3

155 x 3

175 x max (I got 6)

Happy about this. Previous 1RM was 185, I believe. 6 at 175 should translate into a new PR. Crossfit trainer said they looked effortless, so that's a good sign. I know I can get faster and "tighter" though.

DEADLIFT

175 x 5

225 x 5

275 x 5

315 x 5

315 x 5

315 x 5

315 x 5

I had some trouble trying to figure out what I could manage for weight spread out over several straight sets. Haven't done that in a while.

STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFT

135 x 10

135 x 10

135 x 10

135 x 10

135 x 10

Mid-back was smoked at this point, so I took it pretty easy here, really just feeling a good stretch and opening up my hips. Also, tried a hook grip on the last couple sets. My thoughts on that can be summed up with "owwwww".

[Knightwatch]

OK, back to a between Challenge interim, so I'll update last night's workout here.

4April2011

PRESS

45 x 5

95 x 5

135 x 5

155 x 3

170 x 1

OK, funny thing here. My press max is about 180-ish. Yesterday's workout was supposed to be, as usual at this stage of the 5/3/1 cycle, 75%x5, 85%x3, and 95%xmax...of your TRAINING 1RM, which is itself 90% of your true 1RM. Somehow, this day, I forgot that point and was basing the load off my true max. No wonder it felt so much heavier than last session!

Ah well, realized what I'd done, so I wasn't gonna push it past the 1 rep "minimum".

METCON WORKOUT

As Many Rounds as Possible in 15 minutes of:

* 5 THRUSTERS

* 7 HANG CLEANS

* 9 SUMO DEADLIFT HIGHPULLS

load: 95 pounds for all

score: 6 rounds + 5 thrusters + 3 hang cleans

Holy crap. This was one of the hardest WODs I've ever done. By the end, I noticed I was bleeding all over the bar due to so much shin-scraping. And the thing that really held me back in the last few minutes was my grip, which several of the people doing it Rx'd reported.

Man.

I considered doing some pullup practice afterwards, buy my forearms were so smoked I literally couldn't even tighten my grip on the bar. Lemme tell you, the drive home was an adventure.

[Knightwatch]

5April2011

OK, first, lemme talk a lil' about our "warmup".

3 rounds of:

* 400 meter runs

* 10 burpee box jumps.

Who felt like that they had just completed an entire workout after getting "warmed up"? This guy. Man. I was all happy, too, because I saw that today's Crossfit workout included all strength and no, um, Crossfit. My kinda WOD! Oh well, they just had to throw that warmup in there and make me want to die a little, didn't they?

Anyway, then we proceeded to the cooldow- er, the workout.

DEADLIFT

135 x 5

185 x 5

225 x 5

275 x 5

315 x 3

365 x max (got 6)

Since my Deads took such a beatdown (actually, more like an unbeatdown, or atrophy) in 2011, I was pretty happy with this. Still a ways to go to get back to where I was, but it's a start.

POWER CLEANS

155 x 3

165 x 3

175 x 3

185 x 3

205 x 3 (actually, it was more like a single, a fail, another single, another fail, and a third single)

Was happy with this. Not that long ago, my 1RM was 185. Clearly far, far stronger at this lift now. I'll take it.

STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFT

135 x 10

145 x 10

155 x 10

165 x 10

175 x 10

Nothing too exciting here. Used it mostly as a cooldown / stretch after hammering myself pretty good on the deads and power cleans (and accursed "warmup")

BACK EXTENSIONS

20 reps

20 reps

Not a lot to report here. Um, some back extensions. 20 of 'em. Twice.

Oh, and for the second straight day, I looked down to find that I was bleeding on the bar. I like how in most gyms, that would likely become some kind of "situation". Here, people (even the ladies) are like, "Oh, cool!", and the trainer points out that it's a sign of proper form. Oh, Crossfit, yousocrazy.

[Knightwatch]

07April2011

Couldn't make Crossfit tonight, so I went to my other commercial gym

Warmed up with a few sets of 3 chinups and 3 plyo pushups.

INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

Worked up to my 5RM

50's x 5

55's x 5

60's x 5

70's x 5

75's x 5

80's x 5

85's x 5

90's x fail

85's were hard, but not earth-shattering. I feel like I should have got the 90's, but they just felt weird once I loaded them to my shoulders, so didn't even got for it.

ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROW (THREE POINT POSITION)

Planned to work to 5RM

60 x 5

65 x 5

70 x 5

75 x 5

80 x 5

85 x 5

90 x 5

95 x 5

Ran out of dumbbells. Hrmph.

CLOSE GRIP PUSHUP, FEET ON PLYO BALL

10 reps

8 reps

8 reps

Man. These are tough.

HAMMER CURL

35's x 8

35's x 8

35's x 8

BURPEES

20 of 'em.

[Knightwatch]

Oh, this was awful.

SQUAT

45 x 10

95 x 5

135 x 5

185 x 3

215 x 5

245 x 3

275 x max (got 2, had some more in the tank, but saved it for what was to come...)

METCON

3 rounds for time, of:

* 50 AIR SQUATS

* 20 HACK SQUATS w/ 135lbs

* 20 BURPEES

time: 20:03

Holy crap. That was just awful. In a good sort of way. When it was over, it looked like a warzone, with people flopped on the floor all over the place.

Hardest part was figuring out how do not mangle my legs on the hack squat. The poundage was fine, but I'd slam my thighs on the way up, and smash my calves on the way back down. It's just an awkward movement to do quickly for high reps.

Man, that hurt. And it still hurts.