My Steep CrossFit Learning Curve

Milk

After a 6 year break (<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/24304-the-90-day-challenge-milk-log/'>http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/24304-the-90-day-challenge-milk-log/</a>) and an extra 10kgs, It's time to get back on the horse.
 
In July last year I got married and moved to the States and have embraced the lifestyle a little too much. Desperate times call for desperate measures: CrossFit.
 
I did 'onramp' and a few classes back in June but we moved cities so am only just started back up. I have decided to go full paleo for September as a way to try and drop some weight, see how I feel, then decide how I want to proceed.
 
I have no background in Olympic lifting, and have a lot of work to do in technique and even more in terms of flexibility. I am not particularly athletic.
 
After a week my weights have been very low as I try and get the technique right, but I'm absolutely shattered after each class. They are relentless and there is no where to hide. It's what I need though.
 
So, here goes!
 
Starting weight as of last Monday: 86.4kgs
I'm only 5'10" so would like to be closer to 80kgs.

Milk

WOD â€“ Monday 9/9
 
Warmup 
With PVCâ€¦ 
:15 horizontal jump overs 
:15 lateral jump overs 
:15 burpee jump overs
Junkyard dog 
Burgener warmup
 
Strength 
Review the snatch
8 EMOM â€“ Snatch complex 
full power snatch from the ground 
OH squat 
hang squat snatch 
Start with 50% of your 1 RM and work your way up
 
 :sorry: weight... 65pounds. Wasn't hard, but my technique didn't feel even close.
 
WOD 
â€œFruity Cocktailsâ€ 
10 AMRAP 
8 pull-ups 
16 wall balls 
32 sit-ups
 
Achieved 4 rounds doing jumping pull-ups, 14pound wall ball. Those situps seriously eat into the time
 
Challenge 
Mobility â€“ lat smash with PVC or lax ball

JK

Good onya mate. Good to see you here and taking action!

Paekakboyz

Yeah bro, welcome aboard! 
 
Looking forward to hear about your training - Kirwan has made huge progress since starting Xfit. Will be interesting to see how your gym approaches things compared to his.

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Paekakboyz" data-cid="389652" data-time="1378762615">
<div>
Yeah bro, welcome aboard! 
 
Looking forward to hear about your training - Kirwan has made huge progress since starting Xfit. Will be interesting to see how your gym approaches things compared to his.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Thanks.
 
This is the third gym of this type that I've been to. It's been around since 2009 and I think that shows in it feeling the most professional. This is both good and bad. They seem to take themselves the most seriously and the members are more established, have a better knowledge base and are in better shape. The vibe isn't quite as friendly as I'm used to. Maybe they want you to prove yourself first.
Also, the classes are relentless. Even the warmups are kind of serious, as you can see from the WOD I posted.

Paekakboyz

I'm sure they have a lot of tire kickers and see plenty of people come and go. I checked out a local (wellington) Xfit gym and they had limited spaces in the classes and for introduction sessions. Seems you get more 1-1 or small group coaching which explains the higher fees.
 
Not surprised about the intensity - if there is one thing Xfit delivers 110% it is gnarly workouts and warm-ups!

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Paekakboyz" data-cid="389675" data-time="1378772994">
<div>
I'm sure they have a lot of tire kickers and see plenty of people come and go. I checked out a local (wellington) Xfit gym and they had limited spaces in the classes and for introduction sessions. Seems you get more 1-1 or small group coaching which explains the higher fees.
 
Not surprised about the intensity - if there is one thing Xfit delivers 110% it is gnarly workouts and warm-ups!
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Yeah, that's my view on it too. You get a lot of one-on-one attention, but also the energy of a class. I'm more likely to show up for it and put everything into it, so it works for me. I wish I was motivated enough to be able to do it myself - Planet Fitness here costs $10 a month, but I'm not.

Milk

WOD â€“ Tuesday 9/10 
Warmup 
Dynamic Warmup 
Mobility 
Joint mobility with an emphasis on hip mobility. 
Spend some time in the spiderman and pigeon stretches. 
Strength 
Back Squat â€“ warm up and then 1Ã—6 @70%, 1Ã—6 @80%, 1Ã—3 @90%, 1Ã—2 @95%
 
65 pounds up to 95 pounds

WOD 
â€œPirate Flagâ€ 
Ascending Ladder 
1-10 
Cleans (155/115#) 
2-20 
Pushups 
Up by 2 every round
 
13:08 using 65 pounds.
Those push ups got tough. By the end of it I was doing them from my knees... embarrassing!

Milk

WOD â€“ Wednesday 9/11 
Warmup 
400m run 
2 rounds 
10 KBS 
10 slam balls 
10 split squats 
10 OH squats w/PVC 
Mobility 
10 dislocates 
10 good mornings 
Skill 
The bar muscle up. 
WOD 
â€œBar Therapyâ€ 
9 AMRAP 
4 bar muscle ups (8 C2B/ 16 pullups) 
8 T2B 
16 OH lunges w/ BB (65/45#) Three rounds + 4 pull ups. Drastic scale downs - band pull ups, knees to chest and could only do right leg OH lunge because I'm favouring my left thigh. 10* right with 45 pound bar. 
Challenge 
Double Under Challange â€“ How many D.U.â€™s can you get in 2:00?
 
70
 
Hands are tore up like a mofo after those bar exercises. Will probably take a day off tomorrow.

Kirwan

Never be afraid to scale, the point is to maintain the intensity of the workout. So if that means banded pullups, then so be it.
 
Good work on the DUs, they took me ages to get right.

Milk

Thanks. Afterwards I was told I'm not supposed to be bringing my feet forward and up like I do. Might be hard to break habit of a lifetime though.

Kirwan

Here's a good video on them, listening to Spealler sorted mine out;
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

'>

</a>
 
My mental trigger was to jump a bit higher, once I got that I stopped lifting my legs and they got much, much easier.

MN5

Ah yes the double under......got good at those.....then haven't done em for ages. Will pop out in the garden tonight and see if the old magic is still there !

Kirwan

the "gold standard" for DUs in xFit two minutes, so there's a target. That should get you around 180-200ish.

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="390165" data-time="1378943752">
<div>
Here's a good video on them, listening to Spealler sorted mine out;
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

'>

</a>
 
My mental trigger was to jump a bit higher, once I got that I stopped lifting my legs and they got much, much easier.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Thanks. That was helpful. So apparently what I do is called 'piking'. Hopefully the fact that I've already made the mental adjustment to be able to flick the wrist twice, but jump once, that will give me a good base to start re-learning the rest of it. Fingers crossed. 180 - 200 seems unfathomable.

Milk

I took yesterday off after three days on. Just found out I am helping my sister in law move tomorrow, so have taken today off the gym too. 
Hopefully it gives my quads sometime to recover. The split squats and weighted lunges we've done over the last week or two have targeted them like never before, and they are not coping well. It feels like they are right on the edge of being just simple muscle adjustment/recovery, but on the verge of being something more sinister if I push them any more. Also, my hands are a mess after doing all those pull ups in 37 degree heat. Pulls ups and bar exercises are hard on your hands anyway, but I guess the combination of tender hands, sweat and weight ended up me ripping off a square cm piece of skin off each hand. 
That said, disappointed not to be going today. It looked like a fun workout - something called 'Spartan Maker'.

NTA

If you're wrecking your palms, and its a small bar, rotate your wrists around so you're hanging more on your fingers. Though you might not have a choice by the sounds of it Will help your grip strength too.

Milk

Yeah, I think I'll have to. Might take a little getting used to.

Milk

Apparently this week is something called a 'deload week'.
 
Anyway, after 4 days off I'm feeling good and ready to get back into it.
 
Warmup 
2 rounds 
400m run 
10 burpees 
5 dead hang pullups Mobility 
Pigeon stretch 
10 good mornings w/PVC 
2 rounds of duck walks down the gym, lunge back Strength 
Front Squat â€“ warm up and then complete 1Ã—5 @50%, 1Ã—5 @55%, 1Ã—3 @65%, 1Ã—3 @70%, 1Ã—3 @75%
 
65 to 95 pounds WOD 
â€œDianeâ€™s Crewâ€ 
21-15-9 
Deads (no more then 55% 1 RM) 
Box jumps (24/20â€³) 
250m row
 
8:53, 85 pounds, 20"

JK

Good stuff mate. You got in to this all guns blazing. Keep it up!

Kirwan

I like how your gym quantifies the scaling, that stops people being silly chasing the Rx.

Milk

Unfortunately I've hurt my neck doing dumb bell shoulder presses. Must have been tensing/straining too hard. I'm icing it now and hoping it comes right ASAP
 
Strength 
3x ME HSPU -or- 3x ME DB shoulder press (pick a weight you can do 14 to 18 reps) 
and 
3x ME push up 
3x ME dips 
Complete three max effort sets with no more then :45 rest in between 
For ever rep that you lost from your first set to your third set, complete a negative rep. WOD 
â€œEarn Itâ€ 
5RFT 
45 D.U.â€™s 
15 burpees 
5 clean and jerks (115/75#)
 
9:44, 65 pounds

Milk

Been off for six days while I waited for my neck to start feeling better. Still a bit restricted, especially in the morning. Absolutely shattered after this morning's workout.
 
Warmup 
Dynamic warmup Mobility 
Hip flexor, quad and hamstring mobility coach led Skill 
20 minutes to find your 1RM back squat. 
Warm up to 50-60% then complete a 5x5x3x3x1
 
Got up to 115 pounds. Wouldn't call it a one rep max, but by the time I got there my legs were jelly. 
WOD 
â€œRush Hourâ€ 
5 rounds for time 
400m run 
25 wall balls (20/14#) 14# 
25 push ups Mostly from knees
 
21:20 and totally destroyed

Milk

Another tough workout today. My legs were jelly for the rest of yesterday and pretty sore today
 
Warmup 
3 rounds ofâ€¦. 
250m row 
10 KBS (35/26#) 
5 pullups Mobility 
10 dislocates 
10 behind the neck press 
banded shoulder stretch 
elbow to ear w/band Strength 
1RM your strict press (3x3x1x1x1) 95 pounds 
1 RM your push press (3x3x3x1x1) 110 pounds WOD 
â€œUp Tempoâ€ 
AFAP 
1-10 cleans (155/105#) 65 pounds 
10-1 box jumps (24/20â€³) 20"
 
12:08... slowest in the class :)

Milk

Three weeks in now. Down to 184.6 lbs/ 83.7kg so have lost 6 lbs / 2.7 kgs.
 
I guess that's ok. However, I've barely touched carbs during that whole time so how hoping for more aggressive weight loss. That said, If I can keep up that rate for another few weeks I'll be very happy.
 
My CrossFit is having a 6 week Paleo challenge next month, and I've signed up for that.

Kirwan

Ignore the weight, you'll be gaining muscle remember. Keep track of things like your waist measurement.

Paekakboyz

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="392845" data-time="1379964845">
<div>
Mobility
Hip flexor, quad and hamstring mobility coach led
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Hey Milk, could you tell us a bit more about the work you did on hip flexor mobility? Keen to hear what sort of stretches etc your coach has you doing. Hip flexibility is my focus at the moment - funny how the focus shifts as you get more flexible in other areas! there is always something to work on!

Milk

We mainly do variations of this exercise (pigeon stretch)

Milk

Warmup 
Invisible Fran w/PVC only! No actual pullups!
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='

'>Invictus taking on Invisible Fran</a>
PVC thrusters and PVC â€œpullupsâ€. The bar must be placed on the ground in between each movements and then picked back up.
 
Mobility 
10 squat therapies 
Couch stretch on each leg
 
Strength 
9 min EMOM â€“ 3 position snatch: from the floor, hang, and high hang. The snatch from the floor can be a power snatch, but from the hang and high hang should both be squat snatches. Do not go too heavy, if you fail at a weight more then once, youâ€™re doing something wrong and we need to fix it.
Was beyong useless with these. Am useless on the hang and high hang snatch. Just too much going on at once.
 
WOD 
â€œ13 Coloniesâ€ 
3 rounds for time 
5 pistols (each leg) 
10 pullups 
30 D.U.â€™s 
5 wall climbs 
10 KBS (53/35#) 
30 D.U.â€™s 
Rest 1:00
 
Hard core...
About 16:35 I think

Kirwan

What's a high hang?

Milk

The high hang snatch seems to be the same as the hang snatch, except you don't start with the bar as low down, so you don't have as much time to generate momentum. The key seems to be an explosive start and then aggressively get under the bar.

Kirwan

Cool thanks, that will be pretty tough to generate the power through the hips. Have to have good technique to get that working.

Milk

Yep, you've got to be pretty aggressive. My issue is the coordination of getting into the squat position. It gets pretty messy.

Kirwan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="393419" data-time="1380220500">
<div>
Yep, you've got to be pretty aggressive. My issue is the coordination of getting into the squat position. It gets pretty messy.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Does your gym do the snatch balance drill? That helped alot for the speed in getting to the bottom.
 
(Start standing with a PVC pipe/bar on your shoulders behind the head, then drop as fast you you can in the bottom of an overhead squat position. I hate it, it's hard...)

Milk

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="393456" data-time="1380234736">
<div>
Does your gym do the snatch balance drill? That helped alot for the speed in getting to the bottom.
 
(Start standing with a PVC pipe/bar on your shoulders behind the head, then drop as fast you you can in the bottom of an overhead squat position. I hate it, it's hard...)
</div>
</blockquote>
 
No, I haven't done that yet. Sounds good though - will give it a try.
 
We did do this weird one the other day where you stand facing as close to a wall as you can (maybe toes a few inches away), with your hands above your head, palms on the wall - then go into a squat. Supposed to improve your posture during the squat.

Kirwan

Yeah, we have doing that in the warmup lately. Tough to get super close to the wall.

Milk

Warmup 
Dynamic warm up with coach led joint mobility Strength 
s1. Bench Press â€“ 5Ã—5 Went up to 110# but couldn't get past a couple. 
s2. Complete 30 T2B WOD 
â€œBridge the Gapâ€ 
5-4-3-2-1 
Bear Complex 
Muscle Ups 
-OR- 
5-4-3-2-1 
Bear Complex 
15-12-9-6-3 
Pullups 
Dips
 
One rep of the bear complex is a power clean, front squat, push press to behind the neck, back squat, and a locked out push press.
 
14:44, 60# with band pull ups and band dips. Need to remember to try not using the band next time for the dips.

Milk

6 Week Challenge (in pairs) starts today - get a point for working out, lose a point for not eating paleo.
 
Warmup 
800m group run Mobility 
Joint mobility with special attention to hips, quads and hamstrings Strength 
Front Squat â€“ with your new 1 RM from last week, complete the following rep scheme. 
1Ã—8 @60% 
2Ã—8 @65% 
1Ã—5 @70% 
2Ã—2 @75% 
1 @80% - 90# WOD 
10 min AMRAP 
â€œTiger Knotsâ€ 
200m sprint 
15 power snatches (95/75#)
 
I was painfully slow on this. 15 was just way too many and took too long. I focused heavily on form throughout. 2 rounds + 6 (3 runs + extra 6 power snatches) 65# Challenge 
Unbroken, no rest, pushup challenge - 22

Milk

Today was a benchmark workout, coinciding with the start of the 6 week challenge. Pretty brutal. I'm knackered now.
 
Warmup 
Dynamic warmup Mobility 
Full coach led joint mobility w/ focus on core stretching Strength 
8 rounds- :20 work/:10 rest 
Superman 
Hollow rocks WOD 
â€œThe Park Benchâ€ 
Benchmark Workout #1 
5 min AMRAP 
600m run 
10 wall balls (20/14#) 
max pullups 
-no rest 
4 min AMRAP 
400m run 
10 wall balls (20/14#) 
max pushups 
-no rest 
3 min AMRAP 
200m run 
10 wall balls (20/14#) 
max situps
 
Total Score: 78
Scaling: 14# wall ball and biggest available band for pull ups.

Milk

Warmup 
â€œBring Sally Upâ€ 
With a PVC, empty bar, or a very, very light weight follow the instructions of the song. You can move until told so, when they say down you go to the bottom of your squat, when they say up, you stand all the way up. - This was tough! Mobility 
Hip, quad and glute stretch as a group Strength 
Muscle up progression 
If you have your muscle up is perfect, then complete 30. If you donâ€™t have your muscle up, work on the progressions and complete 30 dips through out the skill work. WOD 
â€œBread and Butterâ€ 
21-15-9-6-3 
Deadlift (225/155#) 
Box Jumps w/ a step down (30/24â€³) 
Burpees
 
13:48, 95#, Step Ups 24"

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