75%x5
85%x3
95%x1+
Post loads and reps to comments.
compare to 1.12.12
3 Team Partner WOD:
75 Reps Shoulder to Overhead, 165/115
100 Reps Power Clean, 165/115
125 Push-Ups
This workout is done chipper style with only one partner working at a time. The sets can be partitioned out as desired.
Post partners, Rx and time to comments.
Craig C Squats 405×2 For Yesterday’s Rep Out
Dude, Where’s My 1RM?
By Coach Jeremy
Everyone has had the experience: it’s the 2nd attempt of a Crossfit total or your working up to a new 1RM on singles day, you load up the bar with a weight equal to you your existing 1RM, you get psyched up, unrack the bar, go into the hole, and……nothing. It doesn’t come back up. Why? Did you get weaker? Are you doing something wrong? Why can’t you do what you’ve already done?
Think of a 1RM not so much as a measure of strength capacity but as an act of strength performance. Veteran lifters will speak of owning a weight versus hitting a weight. Owning a weight means that you can get under a bar just about anytime you want and move that weight (assuming a proper warm-up and having not done back-to-back hero WOD’s that week). Hitting a weight is a much less reproducible feat. It means that on a day where you felt good, were well rested, timed your eating properly, had your weight belt sitting just right, heavenly bodies were aligned properly, and you managed not to fuck anything up, you were able to squeeze out a higher weight than ever before. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a weight that you have only hit isn’t something that you can just do on command. It’s an act of strength and will; repeating it doesn’t just happen. No sprinter expects to hit a PR every time they run a given distance, not in competition and especially not in training. There is no reason to just assume that every time you get under a barbell you’re going to PR.
We should also consider that not every one’s best event in lifting is the 1RM. Consider again, sprinting. All sprinters are fast, that’s why they are sprinters. However sprinters have different specialties, some are better in a 60m dash, others are better at the quarter mile. If we took a random group of sprinters and tested their best times at a series of distances, say 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m, we would probably find that the rankings would look very similar across the events: the faster runners would tend to do well at all of them. However, you would also expect to see some shuffling of rankings based upon the individual strengths of the sprinters. Some are better at accelerating, some run the turns well, some finish well, etc. To bring this back to lifting, imagine a group of powerlifters from the same weight class. If you tested their 1RM, 3RM, and 5RM squat you would see something very similar: The strongest lifters would tend to be at the the top of each ranking, however you would also see some move up or down the leader board as the reps changed based upon their individual characteristics. This is relevant to us because the better you are at an event, the 3RM versus the 1RM for instance, the more likely you are able to reproduce your best effort. We should test our strength at 3RM’s and 5RM’s for precisely the same reason that Track and Field tests more than just the 100m dash as a measure of speed.
Weighlifting, Powerlifting and Crossfit Total’s are all tests of 1RM. This isn’t because 1RM’s are magical, it’s just that they are easier to quantify, they are the highest weights (and everyone wants to see big weights), so they lend themselves to being tested. All this being said there is certainly nothing wrong with going after 1RM’s and when game day comes, you want to break some records. Set yourself up for success by working hard at a good program, resting up in the days leading to the event and getting your head inside your lift when you get under the bar. Once the day’s lifting is over, let it go. A sprinter isn’t suddenly slow on the day they don’t PR; you’re not weak on the day you don’t either. Allow for the fact that not everyday you try to PR is going to be the perfect day to demonstrate that amount of strength.
Did you play any sports as a kid? Whether you did or did not, how do you think it affected you?
________________
Muscle Spotlight: Psoas CrossFit South Bay
CrossFit, Living the Dream
The 27 Rules of Conquering The Gym Wall Street Journal
Mark Rippetoe, Fixing The Squat: Hip Drive
How to get a better rack CrossFit Invictus
"No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one."
Aaaaahahahahahaha, I love Jason Gay!
I definitely did not play sports as a kid. I was a chubby and uncoordinated kid, always picked last for pretty much everything (except quiz bowl, I was amazing at that). It definitely helps me to appreciate what I can do now, because as a former fat kid there's always, deep down, that feeling of "did I really just do THAT?" when I finish a marathon or hit a new weight in strength cycle.
I am starting to hit the point in Paleo challenge where I'm already thinking about the end of the challenge, both in a short-term way ("my first meal on March 1 is going to be a Shack burger and a custard!") and a long-term way ("I think not snacking on chocolate so often is good, so I'll keep doing that, but I'm going to let myself do XYZ twice a week"). Time to refocus and recognize that there are still six weeks to go. Ack.
THIS IS GONNA' BE A CRAZY WOD!!! Was feeling lazy, but as the WOD came up on my cell, I was JOLTED!
Last night:
squat 225×3
255×3
285×8
Had bad cycle at end of year was out of gym a bit and we've backed off the numbers in search of my old squat. Last set should have been 10, but it's coming back slowly
bench 155×3
180×3
205×10
felt good
3×7 chins
10 sets 5 sandbag burpees on the minute. last time was minute rest, now more like 45 seconds. fun stuff.
Kids sports: I started wrestling at 7yrs old. did it into high school. I ran track, cross country, rowed crew, and boxed. What's interesting to me is that they were all individual sports, yet the crew is arguably the most interdependent sport out there. It was all good I guess, I don't know how it changed me, but I do know that the jesuits have a motto of "sound mind in a sound body." I was educated for 8 years by them, and I do believe in that motto. Be well-rounded, be educated, be athletic.
And beat Gabrus.
In high school I trained in Shotokan karate and ran cross country. My dad was a math teacher, so I was physically intimidated as a freshman. After a few months of karate, I developed (a largely baseless) physical confidence. I felt that if anyone messed with me, I would be able to inflict pain and maybe some damage. The bullying ended abruptly. Since then I have taken that fearless into adult life. I've take some big hairy risks that have somehow paid off. To a large extent, I thank karate.
Cross country running was another thing entirely. I used to achieve these amazing peak mental states while running through forest trails in rural Oregon. Like a junkie, I have always yearned to re-create these early flow experiences. In some weird ways, running brought me to meditation.
Now I do CrossFit and and strength training with Jeremy. Loving it. Thanks for asking.
touche Stella! that was my favorite point too!
hey all,
from last night
I wanted to let the coaches know that showing up 3x a week on a regular basis and following the wendler 5/3/1 has been awesome and i feel im making real progress. The 5pm class was a bonus because i was able to get some excellent tips from Coaches Fox, Margie, and Noah. You guys rock!!
i'm sure that my cleaner eating and the consistency of my workouts has made a big difference. It's either that or my new Innov-8s and pulling my socks up really high.
Greatest part of last night was when everyone paused their WO to watch Jeremy squat a Mini Cooper, rack it, and then flip the bird to the bar. Awesome.
Hey all, thought you'd like to know that some Congressmen have drafted a bill to legalize the sale of raw milk. Check this out for info.
Almost didn't make it to 6am today, very glad I did. Used my AWESOME Wendler iPhone app to figure out my rep scheme. 92×3 for the rep-out. Good stuff. Possibly the first time I've really been fully "tight" for a press–thank you KStar and the pelvic floor MWOD.
Then, partner WOD with the fabulous Steph P at 75#: 12:03. We kinda wussed out on not doing 95# but I appreciated the chance to work hi-rep cleans at a weight I could really easily manage.
I was a crappy athlete in school. I have really poor depth perception without my glasses and didn't figure this out until adulthood. I played soccer & lacrosse, always defensive positions where I could just be tall and stubborn and that would be enough. Then I rowed in college for a year (again the tall and stubborn thing helps there) and got into rock climbing a bit. I wish I'd found capoeira in elementary school…
Great writeup by Jeremy. Helps me feel better about my Titsday performance. (What is up with our gym full of writer/coaches? So rad.)
Well put Jer. I'm tattooing the whole thing on my arm for reference.
Good links this morning, that living the dream video made me want to start my own gym…. that chick looks so stupidly happy!
I wasn't really an 'athlete' as a kid, generally, at school I was the nerdy artsy red head freckle faced girl… not very popular and pretty heavily bullied 🙁 Outside of school though, I did a lot of dance classes & gymnastics, then I got REALLY into roller skating (figure skating, then speed skating, then making out with boys at the skating rink). In high school I just got really into listening to Korn and being bad ass.
In college I got into the sport of "Architecture School", which is extremely similar to CrossFit, except… not a sport at all. It is a highly competitive program where we all suffered together through the most miserable situations ever and pushed each other to kick everyone else's (and other schools) asses. We worked really fucking hard, to the point when you didn't think your brain or body could take it anymore. Sound Familiar? This definitely helped me be able to deal with getting my brain in the mindset that it's good to be uncomfortable (and it will all be over soon).
Today's WOD rocked! I had a great time with Kristen and Marian – we finished in 13:31. I really like partner WODs, also WODs where you get a rest period. I did 45# and I should have gone higher I think.
Also want to second Robert F's points about how good he feels this cycle. I have been feeling like I am on a ROLL lately! Loving the box and loving everything! Also thinking I will probably just stay Paleo forever…. been loving that too. #highonendorphins
congrats on the PR, coach.
I lived in a tiny town and as any able bodied person in a tiny town I was expected to play sports – but I used to pray the coach would take me out in Basketball and was glad when I broke my finger and could not play volleyball anymore. So it was the biggest shock to me that I liked CrossFit and how much it helps get over some of those – eeskk everyone is watching moments – of course Double Unders take me right back to being 10 🙂
For the WOD the squat is feeling a bit better after a janky start back after being off for a month so just have to be patient and worry about my depth and then build back up. Big thanks to the coaches who worked out a sub plan while my shoulder is on the mend looking forward to those work outs!
Woke up tired an puny AGAIN. I'm really sick of this lingering bronchitis. Looks like tomorrow will be squats AND presses. If I can drag it out of bed.
Well, if Stella was picked last for team sports, I was picked last for the other team. For most of my life I was the next to smallest kid in my class. The smallest kid, you ask? Her name was Susan. And she wasn't THAT much smaller. I think by the time I got to adolescence I figured I wasn't any good at sports and just didn't try that hard. In my late teens and early twenties I found distance cycling and running. That changed the game for me. I'm not fast, but I'll out run you for sure.
Like Lana, college was the sport of "Design School". I didn't go through the Architecture program, but they were basically all the same. No sleep. No sleep. and No sleep. Coupled with intense competition. And this was in the 80's when there weren't any computers.
I've always hated lifting. It's always been intimidating, I've often felt like a poseur, and I've rarely been as strong as the next guy (of course, at CFSBK I'm often not as strong as the next woman, but whatever). Now, I just don't give a damn how strong I am relative to someone else. CF is helping me realize that all I really need to do is be better than MY last time. To pick up a heavier weight this week than I did last week and maybe to go a little faster. If I leave the box feeling like I worked hard, then that's really all that matters to me.
I had a fun time doing the WOD this morning with Joy- we used 48#, and did our pushups with a blue band, and finished in 11:38, if memory serves.
I played all the sports in elementary school- community soccer, basketball, swim team, softball. I was pretty good at them, but I didn't catch on that at a certain I would have to practice to keep up with the really good athletes. I also was ridiculously short tempered and was tossed out of many a game. In high school I took up flat water kayak racing, but again hit a point where I needed to work hard to get better and got frustrated. Crossfit would have really helped at that point.
Sports taught me to love using my body. Part of the reason I like crossfit and have continued is that it combines the community aspect of team sports with the day in, day out maintenance and improvement of physical self.
Squats yesterday, worked up to 260×5 for my rep out. Had a funky bar with no center knurling that was sliding all over my back and kept putting me in bad positions, somewhat frustrating. Still, a good work set, speed etc. felt pretty solid.
I played a bunch of sports as a young kid, but my town was pretty soccer crazed, and I showed a modicum of ability and was thus pushed in that direction. Played at a fairly competitive level through high school, really wish I had played football and baseball, two sports I actually love, instead of just the one I was "best" at when I was 11.
Did Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and some MMA in college long before the rise of the UFC when we all basically clueless and learning together. It was fun, but hard to balance with my very irresponsible collegiate lifestyle (cutting weight for a fight and drinking 5 nights a week is a strange experience.)
I really wish I had a sport to play now, I miss it. My brother plays on a few soccer teams, but he's never invited me to play cause he's a punk.
Nice squats Craig! Looking great.
Thanks for posting your actual workout JR.
Glad to see raw milk legislation gaining ground. I just go my illegal batch yesterday…
—-
I grew up in the water and competed in swimming from 7-9 and 14-16. I played tennis obsessively (and competed) in-between those years and also backyard touch football. I also ran cross country as a HS freshman (not bad at it), played baseball in junior high (couldn't hit to save my life) and studied kung fu for a year when I was 16.
Oh and started skateboarding when I was 9 and continued into college. I learned to skate half-pipes and in pools in HS and was mediocre at it, but loved it.
I've always been fairly cerebral, so I think sports helped me land in my body more and put me in tune with the pleasure and intelligence of our physicality. I'm a much more balanced person because of all that activity.
I forgot the incredible Big Wheel races from age 6-8. Big Wheels ruled!
Hey Fox, I see what I did wrong… I did not do 90% of my 90% I just did 90% of my estimated max
Which I will guess should be much higher than I think it is. I think I need to drink coffee before class so I am more awake. =p
As a kid 7-11 I played Baseball, did Karate at the same time doing that until I was 16.
I did gymnastics in High School for 3 years.
After 11 I started skateboarding and never looked back. I skated until I was 24.
I also started snowboarding when I was 12 and still do that today.
I practiced Wing Chun kung-fu for 8 years, from 19 to 27
In college I also I went out for the University's Lacross team and got in. I did that for 2 years.
I have always been an active person and enjoyed physical activities but most were not team focused.
Played soccer and baseball in grade school. Catcher in baseball and fullback in soccer. Wasn't very good at either sport. Too tiny and uncoordinated. Stopped as soon as my parents would let me. Was pretty physically engaged though with Rollerblading and paintball through end of HS. Did no sports in college.
I don't know if anyone else had this experience but I got suddenly tremendously more coordinated at about 15 when I finally grew a little.
@Rob: Enough about the swimming already!
FYI (because I now feel the urge to inform my gym members of all my major life events) I JUST QUIT MY JOB!!! and I'm officially working for myself starting in two weeks!
If you need an architect/designer hit me up!
SO EXCITED!
Also mentally prepare too see me at the noon class more often 😉
Last night's squats:
finished with 190×5
A little bit disappointed with that — was hoping 190 would have felt a lot lighter for a few more reps. Though, I don't feel like I had a ton in the tank just generally last night, and I stopped with a solid 1 or 2 more reps in me. C'est la vie.
FSQ+Pullups WOD was nice. I'm so close to doing real pullups (err *a* real pullup (To date, in my entire life, I've done I think 2 pullups, so this is progress!)) — still using the big-green band, but I can knock out 10-12 pretty solidly .
Never been very athletic, aside from enjoying running as a kid. Pretty sure running was one of my first mind altering experiences 😉 I ran cross country in middle school in Tucson. I flippin' loved it. I was never very fast, but I could keep a pace for a long damn time. One of my favorite memories is finally stumbling across the finish line of a Sonoran desert course in above-100F weather and puking/dry heaving. Ahh memories!
Samir, I was a swimmer too… But I think I hated it less than Rob!
Now, all I wanna do is ski, ski, ski. I like to ski, if that was at all unclear.
I dabbled in gymnastics, swimming and tennis when I was under 12, but was pretty underwhelming at them all. Especially swimming. I remember my father picking me up after swim practice one day and engaging me in a long discussion about whether and why I liked swimming so much. Years later, I reminded him of the conversation and asked why he was so interested. As he put it, "Well, ummmm…. you weren't very good, so I wanted to make sure you didn't feel pressured to continue."
I was a lot more gifted at the theater, which was my primary pursuit until my mid-twenties.
Just found out from the wife I have to go straight home to watch Kamau today. A little disappointed I can't do it today. Is anyone who is coming to Open Gym tomorrow interested in doing the partner WOD with me? i should be there right at 5:30.
Anyhow sports: growing up I played basketball, football, soccer, swimming, tennis, baseball and pretty much anything I could. I was never that great at any of the sports but I think part of the reason I love Crossfit is because it drives my competitive spirit and love of team. Again Im not the best athlete, but am at least competent with a lot of athletic movements.
Amazing squats, Craig. I'm all kinds of impressed.
….I'm also impressed by these folks: a Canadian box that did Pizza Helen. It's Helen, but you eat a slice of pizza before each round.
Anyone up for this after the paleo challenge?
Pizza Helen sounds alright, but if you really want to puke, why not Hard boiled egg Helen…or Cupcake Cindy? Anyway, I'm in.
er — forgot to include the link
http://www.sweatrxmag.com/2011/11/02/pizza-helen-at-crossfit-select/
Youth sports… Lots of county recreation stuff – soccer, floor hockey, etc. Then in middle school wrestling (hated it), and little league Pee Wee through Seniors (always first base). Pop Warner football Midgets then through JV in HS, tennis for all four years in high school. My interest in all of it really fell apart around freshman & sophmore year when I discovered Black Flag and Bad Brains, then I moved to NYC and it all went downhill – fitness-wise – from there.
Strength 2.2
Press: 102.5x5x1, 102.5x4x1 (F), 102.5x6x1
I don't do to well pressing first, or at least I have not found the right warm-ups.
DL: 285x5x1
These felt fine. No news is good news here.
DB Bench: 45x10x2, 45x12x1
Ring rows
Press
125×5
140×3
157.5×5
WOD Rx'd at 165 w/the formidable Marcos M
12:14
Macos definitely did at least 15 more reps than I did through the jerks and cleans. I may have picked up a rep or 2 on the push ups. Those jerks sucked. A 3 top would have made this a very different workout, what with the increased rest and freshness. Fun nonetheless!
Played a lot of pick up basketball, baseball, street hockey, football, volleyball, etc but main sport as a kid was trying to convince adults to cop booze for us. In high school gym me and a few other kids would spend the hour shuffling between loading a bar as heavy as possible on the floor and trying to get it overhead, and smoking cigarettes outside.
Press
Warmup: 45×5 75×5 95×3
Work: 100×3 110×3 125×5
Deadlift
Warmup: 135×5 185×3
Work: 210×3 240×3 270×7
Squat Assistance: 45×5 95×5 125x10x5
Close Grip Bench: 45×5 110x10x5
Everything felt lighter today, especially the squat assistance.
walked right out of the gym to the bodega and proceeded to stuff myself with chocolate covered coconut macaroons.
paleo? faileo.
I wish there were a "like" button on here for other people's comments so I could "like" the comments of Stella, Corbett and Lana…and also the clip of Craig's squats.
I played softball from the ages of about 7-14. I have wonderful memories of going to the batting cages and practicing with my Dad after school at the nearby soccer field where I honed my skills batting, catching, throwing, sliding and running bases. I played catcher and third base. I even made it to the All-Star team a few years in a row where we would travel and play other teams from the L.A.-San Diego area of CA. But all that kind of stopped in high school when I pretty much stayed the same size (and hit puberty and makeup and boys) and the other girls kept getting bigger and scarier, lol. I think the "team player" aspect has definitely helped me as an adult in the workplace. It also taught me a lot of discipline and the realization that success usually comes from unseen hours and hours of practice, practice, practice…
Press
135×5
155×3
180×1
200×1
175×7
Hit a few heavy-ish singles before the rep out. Rep out felt good could have fought for 8
DL
325×5
370×5
415×1
425×1
475x Epic Fail
Couldn't even budge 475, right hip got a little tweaky. Might have
been yesterday's squats or not really warming up the lower body before
pressing today. Still sucks on a handle-able weight.
Growing up, wrestling was my first love. Competed from 3rd grade through high school. Tremendous sport. Taught me all kinds of stuff about controlling and harnessing my aggression, discipline, diet, physical and mental toughness. All that and a socially accepted way to hurt people.
Workout tonight was great, the 3 partner chipper style was an interesting change of pace. Also, I managed 34 consecutive double unders after class (two weeks ago I could do 2).
I'm trying to not overload as I'm new to these big lifts and I have an injured shoulder (left labral tear) but I'm starting to wonder if I should scale up a bit. For the WOD tonight I worked at 85lbs. and managed to do my third of the reps in unbroken sets (25 push press, 33 clean hangs) with some energy left in the tank at the end.
In elementary I played soccer (Manhattan Kickers anyone??). In sixth grade I took up Kung-fu through most of high school. 10th grade I took a break from that to join the wrestling team. Being 1 of 2 smokers on the team, being boxed out of varsity by captains in the same and bordering weight classes and the never ending hunt for weed and female anatomy prevented me from doing a second season.
I got back into Kung-fu a few years ago and it's been great. Aside from the physical, the mental aspect and discipline have definitely bled into other aspects of my life and helped me to accomplish a lot- including feeling very comfortable with this Paleo Challenge (PS making that pumpkin chili you all won't shut up about this weekend; excited!).
Fun workout out tonight. I really like the partner chipper. As one of my partners, Noah B. mentioned, interesting change of pace.
My athletics were kind of misfocused as a youngster. As Fox may attest, growing up in BKlyn/Queens in the late 70's/early 80's was either Basketkball, Baseball, or drinking. Don't even ask how we played WhiffleBall, Stoopball, Boxball, or Stickball on streets with traffic.
Those were my "sports". Thank God CrossFit showed up in my early 40's
God, I'd forgotten about stoopball…I LOVED stoop ball. And, we'd have spring-summer-fall long wiffleball tourneys that consumed my every thought throughout school.
Thanks, Rob!
Tonight was good!
5pm class-partnered with Margie throughout which was great!
Press:
(45×5, 55×5)
62×5
70×3
80×5
-good stuff.
2 partner WOD so:
50 Shoulder to Overhead
65 Power Cleans
80 pushups
-14:47?
-I did the rx'd weight at 115 which got really heavy really fast. Also didn't have much time to rest because Margie was FLYING through her sets! We decided to break everything up in sets of 5. She ended up doing about 10-14 more S2O reps than I did and I may have picked up the extra 5 cleans? As I tend to do with high rep cleans, I resorted to split cleaning the weight. I hate this about myself and want to fix it but for some reason it comes soooo naturally to me. David probably would have said no rep.
Overall fun class! I've really loved hitting this Wendler cycle. I just realized that I've worked out for alot of days straight and I feel so good. Maybe it's the paleo or maybe it's that everything has seemed pretty balanced. Not sure, but I will definitely enjoy my day off tomorrow and be ready to hit deads on Saturday! God, I love deadlifts.
Oh, and to answer the question…
I started out playing tball, then did one year with the boys baseball team, before the girls softball team was established. Softball is my passion. I joined the Prospect Park women's softball league a couple of years ago and while it might not be the most competitive league, I really enjoy getting out on the diamond. I love being the one that is the fastest on the team…though that might not say much about my team. 😉 Crossfit has definitely helped me become a stronger hitter and a faster runner. Seriously.
In junior high I picked up basketball and played that throughout high school. Not quite starter material (uh, I'm 5'4") but I could nail some 3's. Then in late junior high my best friend got me to play soccer which I was pretty good at. Made the varsity team early and one of my favorite goals was off of a header as a sophomore.
Sports were my life growing up. I was not one of those kids watching tv or playing video games for hours. I wanted to spend every minute outside with friends. You don't know how much I wish I would have had crossfit when I was in High school! Too bad I had to wait till I was 30 to find this shit. At least I can look forward to the Crossfit Masters division soon. 😉
115x3x3
heavy but was able to push through. Did the partner WOD with BAZ at 115
Shoulders to OH were easy,
Cleans were pretty easy
gassed myself out on pushups…had to do singles. That shouldnt happen.
I think it took us about 13 minutes