WOD: Circuit Saturday

Workout
4 rounds, 40/20

• Sled Push
• Band Hold
• KB Rope Pull
• Tire Flip
• Face Pull
• Sandbag Bear Hug Squat
• Swiss Ball Plank
• Push Up

Results
Great workout!!  I used the big tire the first 2 rounds.  I couldn't flip it in one continuous motion, but I got it up and over.  I think it's about 330lbs, so I was pretty happy with that.  The other tire is a 150lbs and it's pretty easy for me.

I used the 60lb sandbag for the squats and did push ups with my feet on the bench.  Great way to start Saturday!

WOD: Tabata Thursday

Workout
A = 4 min work
B = 20/10 x 8

1A: Rower
1B: Double Ropes (2")

2A: Single arm LCCJ
2B: Rope Jacks

3A: Bike
3B: Alternating Ropes

4A: Turkish Get-ups
4B: Side-to-side ropes

Results
Really liked this one!!  4 minutes at a time, alternating between tabata and 4 minutes of straight work.  We've done a few finishers like this in the past, but this was first full workout I've done like it.  We rested briefly after each 4 minute set.

I used the 20 for the long cycle and an 18 for the tgu's.

Level I Kettlebell Athletics Certification

The certification on Saturday was great!! Jason C Brown definitely knows his stuff...and he knows how to teach it!

The cert seemed to be designed mainly for trainers who are looking to incorporate kettlebells into their programming.  He went over some core kettlebell exercises

• deadlift
• swing
• snatch
• clean 
• press
• windmill
• turkish get-up

I knew most of the exercises, but he spent a lot of time on how to teach them properly and how to correct some common errors.  Things that I would have never thought of but are so simple and effective.  He also emphasized how you clients should progress.  For example, if they can't get the swing down, don't let them move onto the snatch.  And also how some exercises will complement each other when it comes to teaching them, e.g. the windmill may help some clients "get" the tgu and some may have the tgu down, which could help with their windmill.

We also learned some variations on the exercises and which clients would benefit from which variations.  For example, for athletes that require a lot explosive power it might make sense to use the "dead hang" variations of the clean and the snatch.  Maybe for a football player, it makes sense to train 10s on and 45s off, which would simulate their game play.  Again, things I wouldn't have thought of.

And even though I knew a lot of the exercises, he helped me clean up a few of my own mistakes (ones I didn't realize I was making).  For example, there were a couple places in my tgu that needed adjusting, and it feels a lot better now.

Long story short, I really enjoyed.  My hamstrings (EVERYONE'S hamstrings) have been sore since, but I really enjoyed it!!

WOD: Quick One

Workout
10 rounds

• 5 LCCJ 2x24kg

Results
Just a quick since it was thai night.  It was quick, but it was good.  Those 24s are definitely heavy.  It's early yet, but I think I might try to compete with them in November.  I'd probably shoot for reps instead of time, since I don't think I'll be able to last 10 minutes with them...maybe 30 reps.

WOD: Working Overtime

Workout
3 rounds, 40/20:

• Band Pulls
• Med Ball Slams
• Rower
• Farmer Walk
• Swings
• Single Leg Deadlift
• Pull Ups (strict, assisted or just band pull downs)
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Push Ups
• Power Wheel

Finished by doing it all again

Results
Good thing we had 10 stations since we had 10 people in the 5pm class tonight!  On Monday, the 6pm class had 12...I really hope the groupon'ers decide to stick around when they're groupon expires!

But in the 6pm class, there was only one person.  I decided to stick around and work a double keep her company.  I went very light the second time through - pull downs instead of pull up, planks instead of powerwheel, light snatches instead of swings, etc.

I'll probably take tomorrow and Friday off.  On Saturday, Jason C. Brown will be visiting the gym for a certification class.  I think 12 of us signed up...should be a fun day!!

WOD: Double Work

Workout
4 rounds with doubles

• 5 swings, 5 cleans, 5 presses, 5 squats
• 10 single leg deadlifts (5 each side)
• 10 renegade rows (5 each side)
• 10 lunges (5 each side)
• 5 double snatches

Results
Even though Jason is gone, a few of us are going to continue doing muay thai as best we can.  Tonight was thai night.  So we just got this quick workout in first, but it was still a solid workout.  And I love double work, so it was fun too.

I used the 16s for everything, but I probably could have gone heavier on everything except the lunges...those were rough!

WOD: Enter the Agility Ladder

Workout
4 rounds, 40/20

• Agility Ladder
• Swings
• Push Press
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Farmer Walk
• Log Hops
• Inverted Rows
• Kneeling Med Ball Throws

Results

Felt this one!  This was my first time on the agility ladder.  We kept it simple with just running forward, sideways, other sideways, repeat.  I was surprised how much I slowed down toward the end, it doesn't look that hard!  

For the swings and presses I used the 22.  And for the Farmer Walk I used the 24s.  So all green bells for me...Happy St Patty's Day!  I did the log hops nonstop.  I'm not sure if it was because it was just 40s, but they weren't bad at all.  It's always a nice surprise when something that used to be tough is now pretty easy, especially when you don't do it often.  So yeah, another reminder that this shit works.

My forearms were pretty smoked the last couple of rounds so I had to make the rows a little easier.  The rows weren't tough, but holding on was.  And the med ball throws were from a kneeling position - butt to feet, explode up and throw the ball, catch, sit back again, repeat.  I used the 12lb bouncy ball.  They got pretty tough too.

Good times as always! 

WOD: Bodyweight Thursday

Workout
4 rounds, 40/20

• Overhead Med Ball Toss
• Inchworm to Pull ups
• Lizard Crawl
• Dips
• Prisoner Lunges
• Ropes (clapping)
• Monkey Crawl
• Step Up + Knee Up

Results
Loved it!  The med ball toss was done like a throw-in and against the wall.  Inchworms are when you walk out with hands, walk in with feet and repeat.  When you get to the end of the aisle, do pull ups for the remaining time.  I don't think I can explain the lizard crawl well enough and can't find a good video (of the way we did it anyway).

I did "real" dips as long as I could each round and then went to bench dips.  I got between 7-10 real ones and 1-3 on the bench...not bad.  Prisoner lunges and rope clapping are always fun.

The monkey crawl was a new one....that I think Justin just made up.  It was essentially a bear crawl....except on a bench.  Actually the two benches were put next to each to make one long "beam" for crawling.  It was interesting.  I'm just glad I didn't bite it!

I do love me some bodyweight work...good stuff!

WOD: Summer Swing

Workout
Medley of bell work including swings, presses, squats, rows and farmer/rack/overhead walks.

Results
Too nice outside today to workout inside, so we took this one to the sidewalk...farmer walks were around the building.  Felt good to sweat out in the sun!!

WOD: Circuit

Workout
4 rounds, 40/20

• Horse Stance
• Med Ball Slams
• Get Ups
• One Arm Push Press
• Step Ups
• Pull ups
• Rope Pulls

Result
This one felt pretty good, I was able to go pretty hard....but horse stances still suck.  The med ball slams were a little different - an overhead slam followed by a wall throw (switching sides each throw).  I used a 20 for the push presses and get-ups.  The step-ups were with a farmer hold, I used 16s.

I think I had another couple rounds in me, but that's easy to say now from the couch.

WOD: Thirsty Thursday (3.8.12)

Workout
4 rounds, 50/20

• Elevated Push Up
• Bike Sprint
• One-arm Farmer Walk
• Ropes, side-to-side
• Good Morning
• Inverted Row
• Lateral Band Walk

Results
Forgot to post this one for some reason.  It was a pretty good one.  For the push ups, my feet were just eleavated on the second stair of the old boxing ring steps.  The bike is "new" and will take a while to get used it.  I'm not quite sure how to slow down when I start going to fast!

I used a 20 for the farmer walk and a 16 for the good morning.   The lateral band walks weren't bad.  Just place one band around both legs and then walk laterally back and forth - supposed to be a good exercise for your glutes.

I pushed myself pretty hard on the ropes, since it was an 'easier' rope movement...but it wasn't so easy come the last round!

WOD: A Very Saks Saturday

Workout
4 rounds, 45/25:

• Rower
• Double Jerks
• Sprints
• Sandbag Walk/Squat
• Swings
• Renegade Rows
• Tire Flip/Carry
• Wall Balls

Results

Justin is off at a kettlebell sport competition this weekend, so Saks was running things (I helped).  This was his workout and it was pretty tough.  

I used 20s for the jerks and ren rows, they felt about right.  For the walk/squat, I threw the 60lb sand bag on my back, walk back and forth doing a squat before turning around.  Those weren't bad, so I started doing more squats and less walking.  I used a 24kg for the swings, a little easy but my grip was going toward the end of each round.  

All in all, a great workout today!

WOD: Monday Medley

Workout
Medley of stuff today - swings, rows, presses, lunges etc.

Finished with a tabata of 4 med ball exercises, so 2 rounds of 20/10 - slams, squats, presses, thrusters

Results
The medley was 3 rounds of the same exercises.  Not my favorite wod, but it will do.  I liked the finisher though!

WOD: Meat Head Day (3.3.12)

Workout
3 rounds

• 8 dumbbell bench press (heavy)
• 15 dumbbell bench press (lighter)
• Clapping pushups on bench
• Med ball throws (from back)

4 rounds of incline bench press

3 rounds of close grip bench press

3 rounds of each with the cables (I have no idea what these are actually called)

• "hulk" pose
• "hug a tree"
• "wolverine"

I finished up with some one-arm long cycle work

Results

Decided to go with the girls to the Y for a chest day.  I haven't done a "traditional" workout in a while...figured it was time.  I really had no idea what weight to use, so I pretty much just used what they used.

For the heavy dumbbell presses I used 40lb.  For the light ones I used 25.  On the incline, I used 95lb the first round then maybe 105 or 115 for the rest of them. The last round of these were negatives (5 count on the way down).  Those weights were pretty light for me.

I used 45lb (just the bar) for the close grip presses the first round and then 65 for the rest.  But these were done with someone standing over you with their hands maybe a foot off of your chest.  You press up into their hands and they provide resistance and push back down again.  

I didn't know what the names of the cable exercises were.  One was done like you're normal hulk hogan flex  The second was similar but the arms/elbows were higher like you were hugging a tree.  And the last was with the hands/forearms facing up and driving them forward.  

All in all, not a bad time.  My chest is sore today, so it got the job done.  I still don't think I could do these type of workouts week in and week out, but it's not bad to toss them in every now and again.

WOD: Laddering Around

Workout
Reps of 4, 6, 8, 10, 8, 6, 4 of this single-bell circuit

• Swings
• Cleans
• Squats
• Press
• Half Snatch
• (Repeat with other hand)
• Push ups

Results
This was pretty rough, took me about 35 minutes.  I went unbroken on the way up - no rest between exercises and no rest before hand switch (some rest between rounds).  Then I was all sorts of broken on the way down.  That second round of 8 was pretty defeating :)

The bell got real slippery real quick so I had to switch to do half snatches instead of snatches, so I didn't throw the bell all around this hotel room (half snatch means dropping the bell to the rack before snatching again).

Good start to the Arnold weekend!