Mister C's log

[Mister_C]

12.9.08
Just me and a pair of 15kg dumbbells this morning for another crack at the "Dumbbell Bear:"
Every minute, on the minute, do:
5 DB deadlifts
5 DB hang cleans
5 DB thrusters
Did all 20 sets unbroken, on the minute.

Notes:
Serious mind tricks needed to keep going here; a real mental challenge. Created a great sweat angel at the end though.

[Mister_C]

13.9.08
Time to give my scaffolding a good going-over, with my second crack at "Barbara:"
20 pullups
30 pushups
40 situps
50 squats
5 rounds, 3 minutes rest between each round.
R1 - 3:40
R2 - 3:53
R3 - 4:10
R4 - 4:21
R5 - 4:12
Total work time - 20:17

Notes:
Total work time is 2:23 faster than last time, fastest (first) round is 21 seconds faster than previous fastest, slowest (fourth) round 47 seconds faster than previous. Average round time was 4:04 as opposed to 4:32 last time. Geeky stats, but all pointing to improvement.
Improvements are mainly due to improvements in pullups (first 2 rounds pullups were unbroken, all other rounds only one break) and situps (feet anchored, kipping like mad). Pushups were a real weakspot, and need more work.
Good way to get the day going before breakfast, although I did feel sick for 20 minutes after that...

[Mister_C]

14.9.08
Rest day - hungover and feeling generally dodgy. Kids were throwing up and think I had an attenuated version of what they had. Blech.


15.9.08
Back to it today. First off, shoulder press:
5 @ 20kg
5 @ 25kg
5 @ 35kg
5 @ 40kg
5 @ 45kg

Then had a go at this little metcon that came out of the Hopper Deck:
50 wall ball shots
40 double-unders
30 KB swings @ 32kg
20 overhead lunge steps with 16kg KB
10 box jumps @ 24"
6:50

Notes:
Good to establish a 5RM for the press - pleasingly, 45kg was my 1RM in mid-July. Think I should have started with a higher weight, then maybe I could have gone a little higher.
Metcon weights were not specified on the card.
Good little routine, that one, and a lovely sunny day.

[Mister_C]

16.9.08
Faniced running some intervals, so had a go at this routine I found at Speal's Crossfit Park City blog:
Run 400m
50 squats
Run 400m
40 situps
Run 400m
30 pushups
Run 400m
20 burpees
10:49

Notes:
Nasty little blighter, putting those burpees at the end. It was smooth sailing until the pushups, then became pretty tough.

[Mister_C]

17.9.08
Started off this morning by trying out my new dipping belt with some weighted pullups:
3 @ 16kg
3 @ 20kg
3 @ 25kg
3 @ 27.5kg
3 @ 32kg

Then:
10 thrusters @ 50kg, 50 double-unders
8 thrusters @ 50kg, 40 double-unders
6 thrusters @ 50kg, 30 double-unders
4 thrusters @ 50kg, 20 double-unders
2 thrusters @ 50kg, 10 double-unders
8:33

Notes:
Pleased with the pullups, belt worked well. Reckon I can get a 3RM of 35 next time.
My time for the thruster/DU routine was a disappointment - DUs included a lot of misses. 2 nights on the trot of sleep frequently broken by vomiting kids has not helped at all. Will try that one again when I feel fresher, and should get under 7 minutes.
Think last week I said I was starting to like thrusters - well scratch that, they suck!

[Mister_C]

19.9.08
Rest day - 3 days hard training combined with 3 nights very broken sleep due to puking kids meant I was shattered. Feel much better for it.


20.9.08
Just me and a beautiful morning for this routine I found on the Crossfit archives (4th July 2003 if you're fussed):
1 muscle-up
1 pistol left leg
1 pistol right leg
30 rounds
10:56
Felt like I had plenty of energy so went for a finisher - 4 minutes Tabata sledgehammer strikes. Not scored or anything, just to give it some.

Notes:
Great little bodyweight routine, that.
Muscle-ups felt really fluid - was concentrating on getting my elbows flipped over at exactly the same time, rather than the lopsided technique I tend to exhibit.
Haven't done pistols in ages, so did these with my standing heel on a 5kg plate. This worked pretty well, so will aim to reduce this until I'm on the floor.
On another note, ooh look!!

[Mister_C]

20.9.08
Gorgeous, crisp morning for my second go at "Nancy" (Brand X pack scaling):
Run 400m
15 overhead squats @ 30kg
5 rounds
12:52

Finished with Tabata situps: 14/14/14/14/13/14/13/14 = 110

Notes:
Thoroughly enjoyed that "Nancy" - time is 21 seconds slower than last time, but O/H squats were 10kg heavier this time. Pleasingly I did all sets of the squats unbroken apart from, oddly, the third one.
Situps total is a PB
Not sure my legs are going to be talking to me tomorrow morning after these last 2 days...

[Mister_C]

21.9.08
Kept it simple this morning:
30 Renegade Man-Makers for time @ 15kg DBs
6:04

Finisher - "Air Fran:"
21-15-9
Thrusters @ broomstick
Jumping pullups
1:49

Notes:
Was shooting for sub-6 for the RM-Ms, gutted! Especially since I did the first 10 in 1:20...
Wow, Speal can do full Fran a mere 15 seconds slower than my Air Fran time!

[Mister_C]

22.9.08
Rest day - dodgy stomach and all sorts.

23.9.08
Back to CF Reading this evening - did the CF main site workout:
30-25-20-15-10-5
Virtual shovelling - used weight as RX'd
Pushups
14:43

Notes:
That was hideous - grip and lower back took a pasting, and I've never looked forward to pushups so much in my life! Good to be back at CF Reading.

[Mister_C]

24.9.08
Up early this morning to Christen my new rower with a bash at "Jackie:"
Row 1000m
50 thrusters @ 20kg
30 pullups
9:40

Notes:
That time's a PB, but should have been a lot better.
My rower's distance monitor is wierdly calibrated - I rowed for 3:50 which apparently was a distance of 2.8. So, I decided to row for a time just outside my PB time for 1k (which is 3:45, done the last time I did Jackie) and then do the rest as RX'd.
Thrusters had to be broken up a lot, since my lower back was screaming trying to support me and the bar.
In all, a very poor choice of workout 12 hours after all that shovelling. Meh, you live and learn.

[tick88]

congrats on the new rower mate, this is the major one on my wish list...

hope the two of you have many happy years together

[Mister_C]

Cheers Dr. Thong - nice to finally get one. I'm sure it'll be a long love/hate relationship.


25.9.08
Rest day - back still wrecked from shovelling, and that Jackie was a really sh1te idea.


26.9.08
Back still tight, but had to get to it today, with some hang squat cleans:
3 @ 40kg
3 @ 45kg
3 @ 50kg
3 @ 55kg
3 @ 55kg

Notes:
Good session for technique, didn't go quite as heavy as I might - back was still complaining at having to do some work.

[Mister_C]

27.9.08
Back is still a bit tight, but I wanted to run intervals this morning, so Crossfit's WOD for today was perfect:
Run 400m
50 squats
4 rounds
9:49

Notes:
That was 15 seconds off my PB, but on a slightly longer (more like 400m) course. Think I could have shaved those 15 seconds off if it weren't for dog walkers and f*cking stupid old men reversing out of their driveway and stopping right in from of me.

[Mister_C]

28.9.08
Legs have taken the brunt of it for the last 2 days, so it was the upper body's turn this morning:
30 muscle-ups
7:17

Notes:
Ar$e - way off PB (5:43) for the second time on the trot, although 30 seconds quicker than last time. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if that 5:43 is a figment of my imagination.
The splits I recorded here tell quite a tale:
10 - 0:45
20 - 3:13
30 - 7:17
Went off like a rocket, then 11-13 were hard, a miss on 14 and my head went to sh1te, and as a result so did my technique - kip practically disappeared. All I could focus on was "my time's going to pot." And of course the (many) misses hurt much moer than the successes.
Definitely learned something here - to focus on what I'm doing not the clock. You'd think I'd know that by now...

[Mister_C]

29.9.08
Up early this morning to have a go at something else I found in the Crossfit archives (24th January 2004):
10 O/H squats @ 35kg
20 situps
AMRAP in 20m
11 rounds plus 10 O/H squats & 16 situps (finished off the 20 outside the time anyway)

Notes:
No weight was specified for the squats, so went for 50%BW which was about right for me - a good challenge. Shoulders are feeling it now.
Like that routine.