CFFB 093013

CSWOD

7RM squat (295)
7RM press (125)

DWOD

10 rounds:
50m sprint row
60s rest

Likely switching to greyskull meet prep programming soon.  Still have to read through it and see what I'm getting into.

2013-09-30 Strength (MB)

Legs felt like they were bruises this morning. Tough to get to full depth. Did the same squat weight as last time.

Squat: 185x3x5

Bench: 155x3x5

Dips: 6,5,4

DCF Sun

Did Saturday's DCF partner WOD

With a partner

40 rounds:

8 Wallballs (20lb)

10 KB Swings (56lb)

120m Row

Partners alternate after each completed round (20 rounds each)

35 minute time cap

16 rounds completed each, both went unbroken on everything, I think the only way you can finish 20 rounds each is by rowing like a 1:30 pace, we were around 1:40-1:45

2013-09-28 Strength (MB)

After a 6 week hiatus, I'm back. Despite starting at these lighter weights, my legs still feel like tender jelly.

Squat: 185x3x5
Press: 105x3x5
750m row
Pull-ups: 5, 4, 3

Practice Safe Exercising, Don't Contract Rhabdo

From The Outlaw Way:

"How to Not Fucking Kill Your Clients"

I tried, I swear, but I simply can't hold my tongue anymore.

I have been a CrossFit affiliate owner for roughly seven years. I'm so O.G. that Greg Glassman called me the day after I affiliated, and talked to me for hours about how to run my affiliate. Google him if you don't know the name, and if you're a coach or affiliate owner—slap the shit out of yourself if you have to. At the time I affiliated I believe we were one of the first fifty affiliates in the world. If you do the math (which I did), we've had clients perform roughly 218,400 workouts since the day we opened (100 people a day, 6 days a week, for 7 years). Yes, this is a very rough estimate, but you get the point. Out of those 200,000ish workouts, we've had exactly ZERO cases of rhabdo. Yes, I'm currently knocking on a very large piece of wood.

I felt compelled to write about this "national controversy" for two reasons: 

1) I hadn't even heard about the "dirty little secret" until yesterday. Now that I have, I'm realizing that people are talking about rhabdo like it's a venereal disease you can catch by doing a "WOD" without protection. 

2) I was alerted to the dangers lurking in my OWN GYM by my dear, sweet seventy-four year old mother. How did she hear about the monstrous affliction that could befall my poor, unsuspecting clients? The fucking Facebook. Thankfully she read Eric Rosenstock's article yesterday, and her fears for her son's safety were assuaged.

When athletes, affiliate owners, and other coaches alert me to something related to our little exercise world, it's no biggie. But when clients from my gym tell me their parents are sending them an article, and begging them to stop before they "catch rhabdo", then we have a problem on our hands. I cannot imagine how many other mommas, just like mine, the evil Mr. Robertson has scared.

I believe enough has been shared about the likelihood of "contracting" rhabdo, and it's side effects. I believe the greater issue—which hasn't really been discussed—and is far more important than anything else related to the debate, is how coaches, as programmers, can take measures to avoid being the next affiliate who gets flambéed by some douche writer. So here it is... My number one suggestion for how you can make sure you don't fucking kill your clients.

STOP PROGRAMMING MOTHER-F**KING HIGH REP WORKOUTS.

You would think that at this point—with eight-billion affiliates around the world, and a million rhabdo articles—that people would pick up on a theme. YOU'RE THE REASON PEOPLE "CATCH RHABDO". It's not coincidence that every story involving every case of rhabdo, has a common theme... Hundreds of pull-ups, or hundreds of push-ups, or hundreds of GHD sit-ups, or hundreds of whatever.
 
If you're writing workouts with no regard for rep range, or taking into account what effect high reps will have on the localized muscle groups which are targeted—it may be time to turn the programming duties for your gym over to someone who has a better understanding of strength and conditioning, like your dog.
 
Why, IN THE FUCK, is it necessary to write a workout with hundreds of anything? Are 400 push-ups going to help your clients reach the general fitness, and overall well-being they crave? Massive amounts of pull-ups (especially with a pronounced slowing of the negative, which is usually a result of fatigue), and push-ups, target the extensors and contractors of the arms. These extensors and contractors are tiny in comparison to the primary movers of the lower body, and due to the ability to recruit the hips (I.E. Kipping), these relatively tiny muscle groups can be pushed well beyond their fatigue threshold.
 
Here's another thing you may have never thought of... Extremely high rep workouts lead to massive amounts of DOMS. When people are really sore, they don't want to work out. Also, DOMS generally leads to diminished performance. So, again, why are these workouts necessary?

At Outlaw HQ we very rarely go over 25 reps on any movement. If we do it is generally something like Double-Unders, or Burpees (which do utilize the arm extensors, but are a full body movement, with much longer rest intervals between each "push-up" rep). Also, we have a time cap on every workout, every day. It's always twenty minutes, and every workout stops at that point. We do this to increase overall intensity, and to make sure that people who are not ready to do massive amounts of reps, simply don't.

Here's a good rule of thumb: assume everyone will get rhabdo, and assume that you are going to give it to them. Why? Because they are stupid and so are you. They are stupid because they will listen to coaches who tell them to do a ridiculous amount of push-ups. You are stupid because you think 500 push-ups will make someone "fitter".
 
Good news: the "dirty secret" article got CF a lot of press.
Bad news: the press was bad, especially for affiliate owners like me.

At least it's an easy fix... Stop writing stupid workouts—stop giving people rhabdo. If not for the good of mankind, then do it for the poor mothers of the world. Haven't we made them worry enough?

Photo courtesy of Russ Greene (he's "the Russ" that wasn't on TV).

---

WOD 130928:

BBG

1) 15 minutes to establish a 1RM Snatch

2) 15 minutes to establish a 1RM Clean & Jerk

Strength

15 minutes to establish a 3RM Front Squat

Conditioning

3 rounds for time of:

250 Push-ups
Run 400m
8 Bar Muscle-Ups
16 OHS 135/95#

*Note: The strike through on the 250 push-ups denotes a joke. DO NOT do them.

OL Fri

BBG 3X3 Snatch from Blocks @ top of knee - use a heavy "working" weight, rest as needed. 60kg (132lb) 3X2 Clean & Jerk from Blocks @ top of knee  - use a heavy "working" weight, rest as needed. 90kg (198lb) - 1 and 2 felt heavy today Strength 1) HBBS: 1X5@60%, 1X5@65%, 1X5@70%, 1X5@75% – rest exactly 2:00. Completed off 300lb 2a) Front Squat: 1X5@60%, 1X5@65%, 2X5@70% – rest 60 sec. Completed off 280lb 2b) 4X5 Tempo Close Grip Bench Press (3 counts down, pause 3 counts at bottom, fast back up – hands 12″ apart) – heavier than last week, rest 60 sec. 135lb-135-135-145 Notes: There are four sets of both FS and BP, these should be performed alternating (as usual with A/B work). 3a) 3X8 Strict Weighted Pullups – rest 60 sec. 3x35lb 3b) 3X8 Tempo Strict GH Raise (3 counts down, 3 counts up) – rest 60 sec. (no swing, start from a position parallel to the floor) DEMO VIDEO 3x0lb (didn't have much left in the tank by the time I got to the pull ups and GHR)

CFFB 092613

Strength

3x5 squat @ 295
5xME bench press @ BW (170; 7-6-5-4-4)

DWOD
Sprint 100 yds every minute on the minute for as many minutes as possible up to 12.  Going to row this at home later probably.  I'm now in PL meet prep mode mentally and this shit don't seem to matter after going hard under a barbell.  :(

DCF Weds

3 Position Power Clean (high hang, knees, floor)

\\ Started with maxing out my power clean then worked on 3 position power cleans afterwards. Got up to 235# on the power clean, happy with that since I maxed out at 240# last week. Played around with 3 position power cleans and 3 touch and go power cleans at 175# afterwards

4 Rounds:

3 min AMRAP

3 Power Cleans

6 Push Ups

12 Calorie Row

2 min Rest

\\ Power Cleans at 165#, 2 + 12, 2 + 11, 2 + 10, 2 + 11

CFFB 092413

CSWOD

3RM deadlift (465; fail: 2)
1xME @ 80% of 3RM (365; 7)

Maybe should not have gone for a 10 lb 3RM PR...

DWOD
3 rounds for time:
20 yd walking lunges with 1.5 pd in each hand (scaled to 35 lb DBs)
15 strict pullups

8:26

Bonus

8x25 pushups throughout the day
Neck bridge work tonight

odds and ends

Saturday I PR'd press: 3x5 @ 135.  Today I was supposed to get 10RM squat and press and kinda copped out into a 3x5 squat @ 275.  Pressed 115 for 10, tried for 120 and got 7 only.  Probably could have gotten 120 if I was fresh and not in a hurry.

Doing another USAPL meet with the kleinster in 2 months.  Just going to generally stay the course with CFFB and see how that goes.

OL Mon

BBG 1) 15 minutes to establish a 2RM Pause (3 counts @ bottom of knee) Clean & Jerk. \\ 50kg-70-90-95 (210lb), felt pretty good, should have 100kg next time 2) Pause (3 counts @ bottom of knee) Clean & Jerk: 1X1@90%, 1X@95%, 1X1@100% of 2RM from #1 \\ 85kg-90-95 Strength 1) Back Squat: 1X5@60, 1X5@65, 1X5@70, 1X5@75 - rest exactly 90 seconds (all sets should be fast and without a pause). \\ Completed off 300lb 2) Front Squat: 1X5@60, 1X5@65, 2X5@70 - rest 2 minutes. \\ Completed off 280lb Conditioning 1:00 ME Strict HSPU (regionals standard) 5:00 ME KB Snatch 24/16kg (apportion reps anyhow, but try to keep reps even) 1:00 ME Strict HSPU 3:00 ME KB Snatch 24/16kg (apportion reps anyhow, but try to keep reps even) 1:00 ME Strict HSPU \\ Subbed kipping HSPU with no deficit (strict HSPU hurt my right shoulder still, and deficit HSPU? ha, good one). HSPU - 14-14-12; KB Snatches 60-30

CFFB 092013

CSWOD

On the minute, for 12 minutes:
2 power cleans @ 75% (165)

DWOD

AMRAP, 12 min:
5 towel pullups
10 ball slams (subbed 8 GHD situps)

9 + 4

Extra credit grip work
Plate flips: worked up to 3x5 @ 35
3xME plate pinch @ 35 (33s-30s-25s; left hand giving out ~5s early on last two sets)

I'd like to offer up a prayer of thanks to our Lord and Savior, Mark Rippetoe, for giving me the will to not say anything cunty to these silly hoes that insist on using extremely limited range of motion with barbell movements.  Hallelujah/amen, Praise Rip.

Squat Video

Is it just me or does he not get below parallel on any of these? Is that not a requirement?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHt296tlNB4

CFFB 091913

CSWOD

5 rounds:
3 press (as heavy as possible: 145-135-135-135-135)
ME pullups (14-11-10-10-8)

DWOD

Did some sprint rows, was not feeling it today.  Should not have strayed from the prescribed WOD of squats and sprints, my gym is just not set up for it and I had already been dominating the rack excessively during PT hours when soldiers have priority.

Bonus:

Neck bridge progression
2x10 Front bridge forward and back with hands on floor
2x10 Front bridge side to side with hands on floor

I'm going to start working these neck bridge exercises into my training.  I think it can only contribute to me being even harder to kill and more of a badass in general.

In the spirit of a fully documented training journey, I suppose it's noteworthy to mention that I've upgraded my mobility stretch band to the main compartment of my gym bag.  No longer relegated to the accessory pocket, the band has made it to the big show, joining the ranks of necessities such as my lifting belt and shoes.  Kudos, mobility band!

DCF Weds

1 RM Power Snatch

75lb-95-135-155-165-175-185(PR)

I have 190 in me, shoulders are still in a gross position when I catch the bar around parallel. And with the height I'm getting on the bar I should theoretically be able to snatch 200+ but I need to work on my shoulder mobility.

5 rounds:

2 min AMRAP
200m run buy-in
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats
2 min rest

2 + 17, 2 + 9, 2 + 15, 2 + 10, 2 + 18 

(entire class almost tackled a guy on the sidewalk in round two as we started the sprint out the door so that slowed everyone down a bit)

OL Tues

BBG 1) 15 minutes to find a 3 Position Clean + Jerk (Floor, Hang, Hip, then Jerk). 95kg/210lb (PR) 2) 3×1 @ 90-95% of Max from above – rest 90 plus seconds. 85kg Strength 1) HBBS: 1X5@60%, 1X3@70, 1X2@80%, 1X2@90%, 1X1@95%– rest as needed. Completed off 300lb 2) Front squat: 1X5@65%, 1X4@75%, 1X4@80%, 1X4@85% – rest as needed. Completed off 280lb Conditioning 3 rounds for reps and distance of: 1:00 ME C2B Pull-ups 3:00 Max Trips Sled Pull 100' - heavy *Sled pulls should be performed in 50' down and back sections. Face forward for 50', then face backwards to return. C2B: 10-10-5; 10-10-5; 12-7 600' (200' per 3:00) @ 100lb - backwards pulls smoked the quads

CFFB 091713

CSWOD

1RM hang power clean (175; sketchy)
3x3 @ 85% (155)
3x60s planks @ +45

DWOD

6 rounds (60s rest):
100m sprint row

Couldn't do the RX'd DWOD due to lack of space for farmer's walk / DB snatches...sprint rows are my go to conditioning cop out, so I'm going to start tacking another round on every time I take this route.  At least that way I'm progressing a bit.

CFFB 091613

CSWOD

2RM front squat (265; PR)
1xME front squat @ 80% of 2RM (225; got 6)
5-5-5-5-5 bench (155-165-175-180-180)

DWOD

Death by pullups: 1 pullup in the first minute, 2 in the second, ad infinitum!

Got 8 rounds + 5.  PR is 12, though that was at least a year ago and I had been chinning and pullupping on the reg then.  I should get back on my game.  Then again, so should someone else that is a member of this blog....ahem ahem

DCF Sun

"Hotshots 19"

6 rounds for time

30 air squats

19 power cleans 135#

7 strict pullups

400m run

27:25 - 4 rounds + 30 air squats + 19 power cleans + 7 pullups

Started later than I wanted to, didn't get a chance to finish, probably would have been 35-36:00

--2.5 hrs rest (coaching)--

Needed to kill time while coaching open gym so did some power clean singles:

95#-145-175-195-205-215-225-235(PR)-240(PR)

Ironically 225, 235, and 240 were smoother than the lighter sets

OL Fri

I met James "OPT" Fitzgerald today at the gym. CrossFit OG and 2007 CrossFit Games Champion. One of the best coaches out there, DCF programming is based on his methodology in addition to the programming our head coach has used to qualify athletes for the CrossFit games. This guy knows his stuff. And he was so mf-ing nice. He's hosting a cert this weekend at our gym which runs $1,300-1500, I told him I couldn't make it and he said to hang out for a little bit if I was around during the weekend, "just say James said it was ok." WTF? That would NEVER happen at a CrossFit cert. Dudes the man.

BBG Compare 1&2 to 130809. Snatch Double from Blocks @ top of knee + 1 Rep from floor: Take 10 minutes to work up to a heavy double + 1 rep from the floor (no misses), then repeat for three sets – rest as needed. 60kg (132lb) - 2 from hang (top of kn) + 1 from floor Clean & Jerk Double from Blocks @ top of knee + 1 Rep from floor: Take 10 minutes to work up to a heavy double + 1 rep from the floor (no misses), then repeat for three sets – rest as needed. 80kg (176lb) - 2 from hang (top of kn) + 1 from floor, more taxing than expected Strength 1) HBBS: 2X5@65%, 3X5@70% - rest exactly 90 seconds. Completed off 300lb 2a) Front Squat: 4X5@60% – rest 60 sec. Completed off 280lb 2b) 4X5 Tempo Close Grip Bench Press (3 counts down, pause 3 counts at bottom, fast back up - hands 12″ apart) – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec. Notes: There are four sets of both FS and BP, these should be performed alternating (as usual with A/B work). 115lb-125(PR)-135(PR)-145(PR) 3a) 3X8 Weighted Strict Pullups – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec. 31lb-36(PR)-38.5(PR) 3b) 3X8 Weighted Strict GH Raise – heaviest possible, rest 60 sec. (no swing, start from a position parallel to the floor) DEMO VIDEO 10lb-15(PR tie)-15

CFFB 091213

CSWOD

3x3 deadlift @ 80% (405), 85% (425), 90% (445; fail: 2 reps)
3RM press: 145 (PR)

Extra credit: 2xME press @ 115 (9-7)

DWOD

Couldn't remember what it was and I'm out of data on my phone (fuck your data caps, Verizon) and I'm too much of a cheap skate to pay $10 for a gb that I will surely only use 100mb of...so I just rowed briskly for like 5 min.  It's a cop-out, yes, but I suspect the only person that would call me out on such a cop-out would be Bronak, and, like, does he even lift?

OL Mon

BBG

Compare #1 to 130806.

1) 15 minutes to find a 2RM Hang Clean & Jerk (top of knee) – the BB
may be dropped after the first Jerk.

\\ 100kg (220lb), same weight as 120806 - failed second rep at 105kg
(232lb), goal is 105 next time

2) 3×2 @ 95% of Max from above – rest 90 plus seconds.

\\ 3x2 at 95kg


Strength

1) HBBS: 1X5@65%, 1X5@70, 1X5@75%, 1X5@80% – rest 2 minutes.

\\ Completed off 300lb

2) Front squat: 1X5 @ 60%, 3X5@65% – rest 2 minutes.

\\ Completed off 280lb - separate but somewhat related, attempted a
3RM front squat last week, failed the third rep at 125kg (275lb),
hoping my 1RM is 290+


Conditioning

4 rounds for total working time of:

Run 400m
20 Burpee Box Jumps 20"

Rest 1:1

\\ Didn't do this because the workout wasn't posted in time, I'll
probably do it Friday. Did conditioning from last week:

5x500m row, rest 30s between rounds, goal was +/- 5 seconds across
rounds, I was more like +/- 7 seconds at 1:52. Need to get better at
rowing.

CFFB 091013

CSWOD

8x3 power cleans @ 175

Conditioning

5x 100m sprint row (1:00 rest)

Dear diary,
Spin class instructor girl was being a bitch about the noise I was making with the weights during PCs.  She was making jokes to her class about how I'm a "cool dude".  So I start slamming the plates pretty good.  She bitches to the front desk about it.  Front desk calls manager.  Manager is going to call the instructors company.  I think she's going to get in trouble.  Sigh...the guilt weighs heavy on me.  She was a bitch, but I still hope she doesn't lose her job.
<3 Mike
PS: I think I have a crush on Judy from Chemistry.  TEEHEE

Last Week's Training (9-2-13)

Monday (skipped because I was out of town)
    - H Mu Sn (Kn) - 62% x 3 x 3

    - 2-position snatch (fl,kn) - 60% x 4 sets  

           
--------------------------
Tuesday
 

    - B Sq - 85% x 3 x 5 (395lbs)

    - Cl Dl - 115% x 3 x 3 (145kg)

    - P P - 83% x 5 x 5 (72kg)

    - Bent row - max; 77% x 8 x 3 (80kg)

    - Weighted GHD sit-ups - 3 x 6 (10lbs added)

           
--------------------------
Wednesday
 

    - P Cl - 75% x 2 x 3 (95kg)

    - OH Sq - heavy single - 80% x 2 x 2 (90kg), (72kg x 2 x 2)

           
--------------------------
Thursday

    - F Sq - 85% 3 x 5 (305lbs)

    - Sn Pu - 103% (of snatch) x 3 x 3 (105kg)

    - Rack J - heavy single; 90% x 1, 85% x 1 x 2 (100kg, 90kg, 85kg)

            
--------------------------
Friday
 

    REST  
           
--------------------------
Saturday
 

    - Sn - heavy single (100kg, failed 105kg)

    - C & J - heavy single (120kg, failed 130kg)

    - F Sq - heavy single (465lbs highbar squat, very happy with this because it's a PR tie with high bar plus it was after 2 hours of pretty heavy lifting already)

    - Ab work of choice   (3x10 ab wheel)

           
--------------------------
Sunday
Rest

CFFB 090713

DWOD

3 rounds:
45s at the top of a pullup
15s rest
45s GHD situps
15s rest
45s walking lunges with 35lb plate overhead
15s rest
45s to run 100m or 200m
15s to rest

Scoring was 1 point for a successful 100m run, 2 points for 200m run.  My rounds were 2-1-1.  This one was brutal.  My situps were the most consistent, pullups went from a solid 40 second hold in the first round down to 10 s tops in the last round.  It's really hard to do when you're huffing and puffing.  Trying to run at any kind of clip after lunges was a bitch.

Extra credit:
3x8 bench @ 135 for explosiveness; short rest, maybe 2 min
1xME bench @ 185 with sling shot (got 7)

DCF Fri

Deload week at the Outlaw Way so I worked out with the DCF class today

A.

3 Rounds:

10-12 Strict Press (95lb-97.5-97.5)

1:00 rest

15-20 Face Pulls (Blue band, blue band, two orange bands)

1:00 rest

8-10 Chinups (26lb-31-28.5)

1:00 rest

B.

5 rounds:

10 CtB Pullups

10 Unbroken Squat Cleans

2:20 Rest

40s-45-41-46-41 @85lb, C2B unbroken, it was suggested that the cleans be air squat speed. Good little burner.

CFFB 090613

ASWOD (snatching is a no go since no bumpers, so subbed out the CSWOD)

5x3 power clean @ 185 (PR)

DWOD

AMRAP, 8 min:
5 strict pullups
10 pushups
5 squats @ BW (170)

Got 7 rounds even.  Collapsed in a heap on the floor.  Had a spirit vision of me and biggie and pac chillin n burnin' trees in thug mansion.  This one was surprisingly strenuous.

CFFB 090513

CSWOD

1RM high bar back squat (345; PR)
3x3 HBBS @ 85% (290)
5RM floor press (subbed bench press: 190; PR)

DWOD

Didn't have time to do the rx'd conditioning work (5 rds: 8 sandbag power cleans, 8 strict pullups), so I hopped on the rower for 5x 100m sprints (90s rest).  Best time was 16.9s (PR I think).

OL Tues

BBG

1) 15 minutes to establish a 1RM Snatch

80kg (176lb) -85x-85x-85x

Dumbass shoulders still internally rotated in the catch which is the
only reason I'm missing any snatch, I'm getting 85kg high enough to
power snatch

2) 15 minutes to establish a 1RM Clean & Jerk

100kg (220lb) -110x (Need to hit 105 before jumping to 110)

Shit lifting day considering I can do hangs at 100kg like NBD

Strength

15 minutes to establish a 3RM Front Squat

125kg x3 (275lb) (PR 2RM)

Conditioning

3 rounds for time of:

10 Deadlifts 275/185#
50 Double-Unders

4:14ish - deadlifts unbroken

Assorted CFFB

Did a little extra since I skipped yesterday:

CSWOD 090213

3 rounds:
ME HSPU (7(PR)-6-4)
ME supine row (16-14-10)

CSWOD 090313

3RM power clean (failed 200, fucking hate not having bumpers, I think I could have got this, would have been a 5 lb PR)

3RM weighted chin ups (+40, PR)

DWOD 090313

8 rounds:
2 front squats @ 90% (225)
5 box jumps @ 36" (subbed 30, but jumped higher than I needed to)
Rest 3 min