Box Squattin'

Box Squat 3-3-1-1-1

PushPress 3-3-3-3-1

Yesterday was my second Box Squat workout. Cullen at Crossfit Flagstaff has coached me into a good position - feet wide, butt back, shins vertical. The key to box squatting seems to be exploding out of the bottom position. Even though I was moving slow at heavy weights, the goal is maximum force production. Think about jumping the weight through the roof as soon as your butt touches the box. I hit a 1RM of 235# in the Box Squat, and 160# in the Push Press.

Split Jerk PR!

The day after moving to Flagstaff was time for a solid crossfit workout. I dropped in on CrossFit Flagstaff, where Audrey has been working out for the past few weeks. We attempted to find our one-rep maxes on four lifts: Press, Push Press, Push Jerk, and Split Jerk.

Trainers Cullen and Lisa were giving me very helpful cues and analysis. They're both excellent coaches. Thanks to their influence, I was able to lift a new personal record on the split jerk - 190#!

Jan 19 2010 - Run, run as fast as you can...

Snatch Drills
Following Greg Everett's progression for learning the snatch
Overhead Squat 15kg x 5 reps x 2 sets
Snatch-grip Deadlift 25kg x 5 reps x 5 sets
Mid-Hang Snatch jump 25kg x3 reps x 8 sets
M-H Snatch Jump + DL 25 kg x 1 rep x 5 sets
Working on developing better form.

2 hours Rest

GB WOD
100 Double-Unders
Press 80# x 5 reps, 90# x 3 reps, 100# x 10 reps
AMRAP 15 minites:
. 380m Run
. 15 Push-Press (95#)

Completed 5 rounds of the conditioning workout. The run felt good. I worked on a couple of running drills before we started. I was definitely working hard, but felt smooth and was passing people pretty regularly. I had to break the push-press up in to two or three sets each round. One of the other crossfitters was finishing the push-press way ahead of me each time, then I'd pass him on the run. Upper body strength is still a relative limitation for me.

NOV 26 2009 - Sluggish Turkey Day

I lacked motivation. The squats went well, but the split jerks and conditioning were less than my best.

Squat 3 sets of 5 reps (81kg)
Split Jerk 5 sets of 3 reps (55kg)
Rest
As Many Rounds As Possible in 15 minutes:
5 Pullups
7 Push-Press (45kg)
9 Knees-to-elbows

I managed 7 rounds, plus one pullup.

NOV 09 2009 - How To Trick Yourself Into Lifting More

Had you asked me yesterday if I could push-press 45kg (99#) 55 times and do 55 strict pullups in 15 minutes, I'd have said "No." But it's amazing what one can do by breaking things down into smaller sets.


Today's Workout:

Squat 3 sets of 5 reps at 69kg (on 2 min rest)
Press 3 sets of 5 reps at 39 kg (on 2 min rest)
Rest 5 min
As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes:
1 Round = [1 Push-Press, 1 Pullup, 3Push-Press, 3 Pullup, 5 Push Press, 5 Pullup]


For the Push-Presses I used a 45kg bar. I was able to get 6 full rounds completed, plus 1 more push-press and one pullup. Very tricky.

Here's a short vid - the last 2 reps of my press at 39kg. I tried to keep my head more in line with my spine. I'm pretty happy with this, I have no doubt that I'm locking out overhead. If anyone has feedback, I'd like to hear it in the comments section.