[moose]

OK. This is it.
I've decided to put my workouts up online.
Seems everyone's doing it - it also seems like everyone's doing it better!

So, I place myself at the mercy of the FK.UKers.
Here goes.
Keep me honest. But be gentle with me...


Moose

[Franz29]

Nice one. Good luck.

We aren't that bad (well, mostly... ) and usually give constructive comments (but I can't promise to that )

[moose]

Thursday's efforts went like this...

CrossFit WOD
- Hang Cleans (55kg) x 15; Ring Dips x 12; Sit-Ups x 21. AMRAP in 20 mins
(Cop-out section:- Did BrandX's 'Porch' version, dropping the reps for HCs to 12 and Dips to 9. (Conveniently) don't have rings, so did regular dips)

Picked a good workout to post as my first - I can barely do dips, and anything over 5 reps for an ageing (and p***-poor) powerlfiter is asking a bit much....

Did 3 full rounds of everything,
got a 4th round of cleans and dips,
and polished it off with 15 reps of sit-ups.
------------------------------------------------
I really do hate hang cleans!
Felt like death at the end of this - so it must have done me some good

Still managed to have enough juice left for an hours worth of karate...

Having a thought to myself here...
...I think I'm going to rate my efforts - good/bad/excuses - moose/woose/whatever.

Today's rating - Moose of Doom (that's good! )

Post-workout note: It's now Friday. I was hang-cleaning in my sleep. This did not please the cat that was sleeping on my legs (why do they do that? It's not even my cat!!) I can hardly move. It's been a tough week...

[moose]

Franz29, on Jun 12 2009, 10:05 AM, said:

Nice one. Good luck.

We aren't that bad (well, mostly... ) and usually give constructive comments (but I can't promise to that )

Thanks for the welcome!

Loved the Latin in you sig.
When I saw that I thought "At last, all those years learning Latin at school are finally going to pay off"
Turns out I've still got no idea what it say though. Ha Ha.
All I can remember is "Claudia sedet sub arbore" - Claudia sits under the tree.
Very useful.
Don't suppose you know any tree-loving Claudias I can impress with my classical education....

Jeez - I'm laughing at myself now. Somebody hit me...

[Chet]

Nice one mate.

I get the feeling this is going to be a good read!

Good luck and have fun

[Gubernatrix]

moose, on Jun 12 2009, 10:18 AM, said:

All I can remember is "Claudia sedet sub arbore" - Claudia sits under the tree.
Very useful.

Did you use the Caecilius books? There's actually a Facebook group called 'Caecilius est in horto'!

[moose]

Gubernatrix, on Jun 12 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

Did you use the Caecilius books? There's actually a Facebook group called 'Caecilius est in horto'!

'Fraid not. We used "Ecce Romanae"
(Why can I still remember such useless details?!?!)

These Caecilius fellas sound a bit too medical for my liking. I'm sure that's a part of my intenstines...?

[moose]

moose, on Jun 12 2009, 01:16 PM, said:

'Fraid not. We used "Ecce Romanae"

Oops! Already been corrected.
For the purists - "Ecce Romani"

[moose]

Friday June 12th.

OK, so it's offically a CF Rest Day, but I usually have weekends off - so not a rest day for me...

OMG!! Still ache from the rest of the week - legs especially. What am I doing....?

----------------------------------------------------
Kicked off with my powerlifting stuff.
For those who care - this is a fairly standard 3 day/week 'Russian' progression. This workout is the 3rd of Week 1
- Light squat day. Worked up to 2 sets of 6 reps @ 117.5kg (65% of 1RM)
- Bench Press. Worked up to 3 sets of 3 reps @ 87.5kg (80% of 1RM)

Argh! Just that light bar on my shoulders - my traps have never hurt so much.
----------------------------------------------------
CF WOD: Finished off with "Christine."
- 3 Rounds for time of 500m row; 12xbodyweight deadlift (100kg); 21 box jumps

Trying to meet the 'beginner' athletic standards set by CrossFit Seattle (wfs). Aiming for 15mins to meet this standard.

15 mins AND ONE SECOND!!!
One measly second!!!

Still - for me - that was a top workout.
I'm finally learning to keep going, even when I'm gasping for breath and people and staring and pointing...
"Ooh. Look at the red, wheezy man"
That'll be me...

Today's rating - I'm still a Moose of Doom. (cool!)

My knees hate me. They are weeping.

[moose]

Mon Jun 15th

CrossFit WOD: Run 5k
Road route in 27:01

Not bad time for me, and it was hot, hot hot today....

Today's rating - not quite a Moose today, but still a large beast of some sort. Perhaps a gnu!

[Gubernatrix]

moose, on Jun 12 2009, 08:26 PM, said:

For those who care - this is a fairly standard 3 day/week 'Russian' progression.

What's that exactly?

[moose]

Gubernatrix, on Jun 15 2009, 09:05 PM, said:

What's that exactly?

Hi.

I'm fairly sure this program is common across the powerlifting world - it's maybe just the name that's different...
It's a 3-day-a-week program, lasting for (usually) about 8 weeks.
It has a volume phase, followed by a strength phase. It's all based on percentages of your 1RM.

For example, my current prog goes like this:
- Squat heavy Monday (expect I do mine on Tues), light on Friday.
- Bench is the opposite of this - heavy Friday, light Monday
- Deadlift is once a week on Wednesdays.
For the first four weeks, the weight stays the same (about 60% on light days, 80% on heavy days), but sets or reps increase to ramp up the volume. At the end of this phase for squat, for example, I'd be doing 6 sets of 6 sets at 80% 1RM. I hate this part of the prog!!
For the following 4 weeks, the percentages go steadily up (to 90-95% 1RM), and the sets and reps drop (5x5, 4x4, 3x3 etc...).
In theory this tapers nicely into an event or comp.
I rarely compete, but regular competitors I know have been using this routine, or variants, for years and are still making strength gains.
I'm not convinced it's the most effective routine for me - but my power training is less than consistent (though I believe I've made better increases using other programs).

Hope that makes sense, and is of some help.
Moose

[moose]

Wed 17th June

Arghh!! Missed Monday, then Tuesday too!
These pesky "boss" people at work keep expecting me to do stuff for money...
----------------------------------------------------
So today's strength workout should have been done on Monday
- Squat. Worked up to 3 sets of 4 reps @ 145kg (80% of 1RM)
- Light Bench Press. Worked up to 4 sets of 6 reps @ 80kg (72% of 1RM)

Squat felt awful. Sore and weak. Form was pretty poor too. This weight and reps is normally a breeze.
Thinking about reasons for this - I've been on the sugar for the last couple of days (you may call me "weak" and "worthless").
Does eating cr** for a couple of days really have this effect?

Bench also revealed my shoulder hasn't quite come through its recent problems (physio has been going well though, my physiotherapist may not thank me for today's efforts...).
I'll need to watch this. Should I bin bench presses altogether? I don't know if I can live without them
----------------------------------------------------
CF WOD:
- Hang power snatches. 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Never done these before (or for at least 15 years!) so began with bar only.
Bar alone seemed easy peasy, so I eagerly pushed it up to 30kg, then 40.
Managed 4 decent reps at 40, so tried a few at 45kg.
At 45kg, my form began to fall away completely, but I persevered.
Have you ever seen an idiot persist in doing something they really can't do...?
That'll be me.
People were watching.
Then people were looking away, embarassed to look me in the eye.
Planning to go to CF London's iCourse soon. Maybe they can "fix" me...

Decided to finish off with a WOD I'd been planning to do yesterday. Took it from CrossFit Fuel's 'Travel Workouts' section (wfs). Picked it because...er...mmm... it looked easy.
- 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 burpess / sit-ups

Not as easy as I'd hoped, but a nice WOD. Did it in 11:08.

Today's rating = pixie (not even a real animal !!). Only saving grace was final (travel) WOD

[Gubernatrix]

moose, on Jun 16 2009, 06:34 AM, said:

Hope that makes sense, and is of some help.
Moose

Thanks for posting that explanation. It's not a routine I've come across so far but I only got into powerlifting seriously in the last year. Programmes move in and out of fashion very quickly.

Crossfit iCourse is good - you should enjoy it!

[moose]

Gubernatrix, on Jun 17 2009, 10:01 PM, said:

Thanks for posting that explanation. It's not a routine I've come across so far but I only got into powerlifting seriously in the last year. Programmes move in and out of fashion very quickly.

Crossfit iCourse is good - you should enjoy it!

I could mail you an excel version of it if you want. Might give you something different to try...
Don't get your expectations up though - I'm no expert, just a bit of an anorak! I cobbled it together from decades-old scraps of programs my (now retired) coach gave us. I just got tired scribbling on scraps of paper and trying to decipher what I'd written.
Pop in your current 1RMs for the 3 lifts and it (should) work out everything else. Simples.

[moose]

Thursday 19th June

CrossFit WOD
- Wall balls ×,50 Pull-Ups × 50; Wall-balls × 35, Pull-Ups × 35; Wall-balls × 20, Pull-Ups × 20
Did the 'Puppy' version of this a la BrandX.
Subbed Wall balls with DB Thrusters @ 10kg.
Subbed Pull-Ups with resistance-band-assisted pull-ups (I'm still really struggling with pull-ups!)
- DB Thrusters ×25, Pull-Ups × 25; DB Thrusters ×20, Pull-Ups × 20; DB Thrusters × 15, Pull-Ups × 15

Casual observers may have mistaken my pull-ups (even though they were assisted) for an unusual airborne dance routine. But I assure you, they were meant to be pull-ups. I thought people at the gym I go to had become accustomed to my 'unusual' training habits by now, but I did get a lot of funny looks and highly amusing comments (include sarcasm to taste) with my giant rubber band strapped to the pull up bar. Didn't see any of them trying it though...
Am I the only person out there who can't do thousands of pull-ups...?
These poor attempts did kind of ruin the flow of this WOD. But I figure, if I don't at least attempt stuff like this (even if it is assisted), I'll never do it!
Did it in 15:16

Today's Rating - Mongoose (for having the nerve to use rubber band), and non-descript furry mammal (for performance)

[moose]

Friday 19th June
----------------------------------------------------
Strength workout:
- Deadlift: Worked up to 4 sets of 4 reps @ 150kg (80% of 1RM)

----------------------------------------------------
CF WOD:
AMRAP in 20mins
- Handstand push-ups 5 reps; Bench press 60kg (135lb) 10 reps; Push press 45kg (95lb) 15 reps; Dips 20 reps
Can't do HSPUs, so subbed for a HSPU progression (bridged on my feet with butt in the air).
Can't do that many dips either, so subbed for bench dips.

Apart from the subbed stuff, I thought this would be a breeze. The weights are light, and reps scheme not too high. No problem?
OMG!
Four hours later and my arms are still wibbling!!

Managed 4 full rounds, 5 rounds of scaled HSPUs, 5 rounds of Bench Press, and 11 push presses.

What a workout! I'm shattered, humbled but thoroughly pleased with myself.

Today's rating = mongoose (not a big beast, but feisty!)

[Gubernatrix]

Sounds epic! Good work

[moose]

Monday 22nd June
----------------------------------------------------
Karate:
- including a whole hour of solid kicks!!
----------------------------------------------------
CF WOD:
3 rounds for time
- Run 400m; 21× KB swings @ 1½ pood; 12 × HSPUs
Can't do HSPUs, so subbed for piked HSPUs (bridged on my feet with butt in the air).
I only have a 1 pood KB, so had to do the WOD with that instead of 1½.

Managed to rope No.1 son into this WOD as well (he's 12), using a small vinyl DB.
Too easy for him - he coasted it.
Thinking about it, I think I took the runs a little bit too easy too...but I'm going for physio on an achilles injury today (good excuse )
I'll up the ante next time!

Finished in 10:03

Today's rating = still a mongoose (up for it!)

[moose]

Wednesday 24th June
----------------------------------------------------
Strength workout:
- Squat & Bench: No idea what's wrong with me today.
Only managed 1 rep of my work sset on squats (should have been 5×5), and couldn't complete bench warm up!!
Have resolved to give myself a break, come back later and do something else.
----------------------------------------------------
CF WOD:
- Front Squat 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Haven't done a front squat for about 10 years. This should be fun...
Warmed up with: 20kg×8, 40×5, 60×5
Work sets: 70kg×3, 80×3, 85×3, 85×3, 87½×3 (right on the edge with this last one...)

Quite chuffed with that (especially after my squats/bench earlier!). Thought my wrists were going to blow up though....

Did a whole bunch of press-ups and air squats to make up for my so-called workout earlier. Feel much happier now, but still not sure why I was so poor?

Today's rating = pixie!