Had the privilege of revisiting this gem last week! 

Tuesday
Strength/Skill
Cleans (15 mins to work to heavy pause double)
Superset:
Press 5x5 (worked to 175)
Pull up x10(chest to bar w kip)

Condition
30 Full (squat) cleans for time @ 225#

Tuesday was a bruiser.  As typical of most Tuesdays, I work on my least favorite movement.  The CLEAN!!ahh  It's funny because when it comes to outside the gym, I enjoy clean.lol  I'd consider myself a pretty "clean" guy (whatever that means), but when it comes to lifting there's not much worse than heavy(and it's always heavy for me) cleans....  I'm terrible at them, and have really been trying to make improvements in this area since regionals....

I worked to 265 for a (pause) double before missing on the strength side.....  And after last week's lighter, faster technique work, I felt much better w bar speed and movement under the bar.  Sometimes just working on perfect reps w less resistance can help tremendously. It's just the standing up part that's tough....  I ended my lifting w a few other strength moves..... strict presses and pull ups.  Pressing is a very difficult movement to make huge gains in w out putting on bodyweight.  The more mass one has, the more mass one moves.  It's science.  Don't question.lol....  and I can still do pull ups!  I was getting a little worried, since it has been some time since I did them last..  I'm already nervous about Fran Friday.lol

For conditioning I did an old school tester.  30 cleans for time.  It's a great test of skill, strength, and endurance.  For me, the strength of this lift is where I struggle most, so I just tried to pace myself and shoot for 1 every 10s.  Well, this strategy lasted for about 10s.  Living up to Mike Tyson's motto of "having a plan until getting punched" was exactly what I did.lol.  I think it took me about 7 mins...  I'm really looking forward to retesting this one down the road.

CrossFit is sure to expose weakness.  As previously stated, cleans are a glaring weakness of mine, and if I want to get better I have to work on them.  A big part of improving at something is just doing it.  Thanks Nike....  But whether it's in the gym, workplace, or classroom there are always areas we struggle.  The goal then is to turn that "weakpoint" into a strength.  I can remember spending countless hours dribbling a basketball w my left hand until I was just as good, if not better than my right.  People can get way to boastful w things they're good at.  It takes true character and strength to swallow your pride and confront struggling areas in life.

Loved having Beau & Tyler over

Monday

Strength

Snatch (15mins working to heavy pause triple)

Hatch squat (heavy day today)

Conditioning

10mins alternating prowler push

then

10 mins airdyne (30/30)

I had the absolute privilege of working w 2 great friends from CrossFit Proverb & CrossFit Anderson today.  It always makes training that much better when there're some new faces around....  Although I kept them waiting around a little while, we still managed to get some good work in.  Training w others often provides added intensity and efficiency in work.

We started w some snatches and worked our way into some heavier sets.  I did some pause (below knee) work in triples.  The pause just adds a different stimulus and forces you to really focus on the first pull, as well as fully extending (hips) before dropping under the bar.  It was something new, and something tough.  I worked to 220 before missing. 

After some strength and short auxiliary work we got the prowler out and decided to alternate for 10 mins w some pushes. This thing always eats me alive.....  We were all pretty smoked afterwards, but pushed through w 10 mins of airdyne work.  The airdyne is great because it allows you to get lots of work in w no impact on the joints..... and you have to remember, fitness is a lifetime.  You gotta watch the joints.

One thing that's easy to overlook w CrossFit is longevity.  We are always looking to set personal bests w lifts and workouts....... but there comes a point to question how long will an individual be able to maintain max effort lifts when performing them every week, or for some every day?  Obviously there are HUGE physiological benefits to pushing yourself day in and day out, but as I stated before, fitness is a lifetime.  So it's smart to take a deload week, or only focus on technique w lifts for some time.  One way I do it is by following a program which works off percentages.  This way I don't have to lift super heavy everyday....  I think it's too easy to think one can't make progress w strength if you're not lifting maximal loads each day...This is completely false.  That's why we tell members to do EMOM work w certain percentages, or restart linear progression training.  Of course this would likely be most applicable to an individual training 5+ times a week, but it's something to think about as you train.  Will I be able to lifts like this in 10 years? or 20 years?  Unless you were invited to Cali this weekend, it might be smart to step back and take a different approach to your training.

Some of us PRing our sunburn!!

Monday 7/15/13

Strength/Skill
Hatch squat
Snatch (EMOM)

Condition
Airdyne

This past weekend was a great time!  The Greenville Games was a huge success! It was awesome to see everyone safely push themselves to their limits under the pressure of competition.  I am so proud of everyone in the Southern Moon Family, as well as those I know from other local affiliates.

To recap parts of the team competition....
Jarvis and I started things off bright and early w a max clean attempt followed by an 800m sprint (400 each).  We both PR'd in the clean department!  I hit a PR on my power clean (legs were just too dead to do full), and Jarvis hit a PR for a double full clean.  Unfortunately for the scoring, Jarvis hit his PR double in the warm up area. Goshdangit! lol Nevertheless, we both survived the early heavy lifting(my worst lift) and were ready to make up any ground lost.

After doing well in the skills division, workout number 2 entailed KB swings & burpees.  I absolutely love this workout for the rx individual division.  It's so simplistic, yet will make any grown man completely collapse in a matter of minutes.lol  Jarvis and I did really well on this one and finished just 3 reps short of 10 full rounds.

15 hours later lol we started workout #3.  This one was right in Jarvis's wheelhouse and I think we both felt pretty confident we could make up some ground going in...  We flew through everything unbroken w decent speed and ended up winning the workout!  Overall, we finished 2nd!  Not that it really matters, but I do think we get some shoes or something.  So that'll be nice!  And luckily for us, the boys from up North had to drop out after workout one.  Otherwise, that long day could have been just a little longer.lol

One thing that is clearly evident after this weekend is that CrossFit is for everyone!  As I glanced around, I noticed people from all walks of life.  No matter the ability, goal, age, race, athletic background, wristwrap size lol
, etc. it doesn't matter in CrossFit.  It's for anyone willing to push themselves and work hard.....  and it's very encouraging for me to see all these people "let go" and put forth all they have in an event like this.
 
A huge thanks to Brandon Chapin and CrossFit Reaction for putting on such a great event!!!

Wednesday

Box squat

Mechanics 101 @ 11pm on a school night

5x3

1k row for time (3:10)
rest 3 mins
100 wall balls unbroken (finished just over 3 mins)

It has been a few weeks since my last entry.  Lots of good time has been put into training and hanging out w those I love.

The upstate affiliate league is now underway! & the first Saturday was a blast.  I think it's great for all the local affiliates to get together and compete.  There's nothing like it.  NOT for the sake of winning (it's an upstate affiliate league, lets be real), but for the chance to prove to yourself and to others that you're willing to lay your training on the line and possibly become a little vulnerable.  There's no substitute for competition.  No matter the sport.  However, CrossFit is different in that there's great progress regardless of the result.  If you're basing your performance on whether you win or lose a competition then you're there for the wrong reason.  W CrossFit anyway....  In any other (high level) sports there are no moral victories.  If you win, you've won.  If you lose, you've lost... It's simple.lol

Also, the Greenville Games is this weekend!!  It should be another awesome event for the CrossFit community in the upstate.  I'm looking forward to competing w Jarvis in the team competition.  I think if we can get a little uncomfortable on the clean/sprint workout, we may be able to do well together.  A PR for us both is right around the corner!!  We also have lots of people from our gym competing.  I'm excited for them to experience what a fun, well-run competition is like..

Training for me has been going fairly well.  Lately, I've really backed away from lots of crazy volume (mainly due to lack of time), and put forth a little more effort towards just barbell work.  This is the time of year for me to get a little stronger and put on some weight.  Which I have (put on weight at least).  I've added some more "faster absorbing" carbs to my diet and I've put on a solid 5-10lbs!  Which is cool and all until I do muscle ups.lol

This weekend's gonna be a blast!!!