Bench Press
Fitness: 3 x 5 Linear Progression
Add 2.5 – 5 pounds to last week.
Performance: Work up to a Heavy Single (80-90% of 1RM), then Max Reps at 80% of 1RM (capped at 20)
_____________________
Deadlift
Fitness and Performance: 1 x 5
Add 5 – 15 lbs to last week ONLY IF ALL YOUR REPS WENT WELL. No loss of spinal position. No touch and go.
Post loads to comments.
e6/6
_____________________
For Time:
100 Burpees
Work at a sub-max pace and aim to stay consistent. These don’t have to be all strict but don’t fall to slop.
Post time to comments.
Zach H. getting ready to tear it up at Coach Frank’s mock Oly meet yesterday. Congrats to everyone who competed and conquered!
- Coach David wrote a new article on his blog Inside the Affiliate called “Why Are CrossFit Gyms So Expensive?“ Maybe you already know the answer; maybe you don’t. Either way, we’re betting there’s someone in your life who has asked you that question and could use a thoughtful answer. Check it out, and pass it along!
Do You Love Kettlebell Kitchen and the LFPB Challenge?
If you are participating in the 2015 Look Feel Perform Better Challenge (January 8th is the last day to complete all the steps!), then you get a discount with Kettlebell Kitchen. The code will be emailed to you.
Also, KBK will be giving a prize to the winner with the most Kettlebell Kitchen picture tags on Instagram. Snap some pics of your delicious Paleo food and include the hashtags #cfsbkLFPB2015 and #KBK!
CFSBK Olympic Lifting Program Starts In One Week!
What: An 8-week Olympic lifting cycle meeting twice a week with Coach Frank Murray and/or Heather Farmer in addition to 2 Open Gym or group class per week.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am to 12:00pm from 1/13/15-3/5/15 or Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30pm to 10:00pm from 1/12/15-3/4/15. (see full details below)
Price: $300 per 4 weeks, first bill due at sign-up and second bill charged automatically to the card on-file 4 weeks later.
The cycle will wrap up with an Olympic Weightlifting Total on 3/8/15 at 2:30pm.
Each cycle needs a minimum of eight participants and is capped at 10 athletes.
AM Cycle
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30am to 12:00pm from 1/13/15-3/5/15
REGISTER HERE
PM Cycle
Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30pm to 10:00pm from 1/12/15-3/4/15
REGISTER HERE
LEARN MORE HERE.
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And That’s When the Whores Come In: Weightlifting Behavior Catalyst Athletics
The Vice and Vagrants of Old-School Gowanus Narratively
The Daily Routines Of 26 Of History’s Most Creative Minds Fast Company
Stuart Scott Brought Sports Broadcasting Back to Earth The Atlantic
First off – if you're considering Frank's Olympic Lifting class, TAKE IT. It's an amazing way to work on your form, skills, and speed for all of the Olympic lifts. Plus, Frank's a cool dude and an amazing coach.
Make-up post from over the weekend…
Friday OG:
HBBS
325×3
375×3
425×3
4 sets of 5 at 475
This was all kinds of heavy โ the biggest, heaviest set of the cycle and 95% of my 1RM โ but I managed to hit every rep. Yay!
Bench
3×5 at 295
Failed on my very last rep. Actually may have been able to make it, but gave up too quick when it started fighting me. Bench is my goat. Hoping to hit this next week though.
SATURDAY
Came in to to the KB swing/HSPU metcon for a bit of conditioning. Woof, this was frustrating. I blew out the gate doing the first 30 swings at 72lbs unbroken, which was a terrible idea. First round of HSPU was okay, but then my back got lit up on the kip and they completely fell apart. Finished 10 of 15 HSPU in the 10 minute cap. Looking forward to getting my conditioning back up once this squat cycle is done.
Private with Melo the Great yesterday. Worked on scissors kicks and muscle up progressions 101. Its my third session and definitely signs of improvement – but miles to go. I am excited about this project and working with Melo over the next couple of months to slay some dragons. I think this will really help my shoulder mobility which should carry over to so much of what we do here.
Passed on the Oly total because I didn't train over the holidays and psychologically and physically did not feel in the proper space to try and max out. Congrats to all of my classmates who did take part!
I second Matt's comments regarding Oly class and Frank . . . .
Last meathead Monday (sniff, sniff)!
Bench: 135 for single, 120×5. Did not expect to fail the 6th, given that I have done this weight for 3×5 before! But, yesterday was the first day in a solid week that I managed to eat three squares, so I can't beat myself up too much. (I've lost 5# in a week — not good.)
Deadlifts at 235. This is the same weight as I did at my last exposure (2 weeks ago) but it felt three times as heavy. See above.
Burpees in 9:05. Holy crap JB is fast.
6am with NickDowell
Bench Press – 215# for a single and then 12 reps at 175#. The last rep was a struggle.
Deadlift – 300# all five reps and moved well. More room here for sure.
WOD – 100 Burpees at 8:14. Slow and steady the whole way with no stopping. Beautiful little Jackson Pollack splatters of sweat under my face towards the end.
Also…
PR-ed both lifts at the mock oly meet last night. A perfect way to end that cycle.
Snatch – 145 / 165 (PR) / 175 (F)
C&J – 185 / 195 / 215 (PR)
I cant say enough about this Oly Class. If you are struggling to understand the nuances of these lifts, take the class. If you feel you have a pretty good handle on the lifts, take the class. It took the full 8 weeks to break some of my bad habits and I am so thrilled I am starting to move more efficiently.
Thank you to Jake and Melo for judging last night and a huge thank you to Frank.
6am. Bench: 135×5, 205×3, 255×1, 285×1, 245×10. Deadlift: 135×5, 225×5, 315×5, 365×5. Hook gripped all the sets. Unlike last week where hook gripping at 360 felt ok, today the set at 365 was agony. Not sure what changed. Different bar? My thumbs are still numb. Also, the bar felt freakin heavy today. Pretty sure that was the hangover from the deadlifts in yesterday's wod. 100 burpees: 7:56. Dreaded this one and it lived up to my expectations.
7am with Nick and McDowell
Bench:
5×45
5×75
3×95 (with pause)
1×105 (with pause)
1×120 (with pause)
12×95
Deadlift:
5×135
5×185
3×215
5×235
then several at 205 working on getting tighter before I pull. Had Nick watch and even video tape me. I've been thinking about this a lot the past few times I've deadlifted but–for whatever reason–I'm still struggling with it.
Burpees in 5:01. Did the first 25 pretty quickly, middle 50 at a slightly slower pace, and then gradually sped up over the last 25.
I'm also very sad that it's the last Meathead Monday!
Back to 6:30am Strength Cycle…all is well in the world again
I was demoted in weight after a three-week hiatus. Serves me right.
LBBS: 85 5 x 3
Press: 45 5 x 3
Deadlift: 135 x 5
Easy peasy, despite a night of insomnia and not eating dinner last night. But I know I can't pull this off when shit starts getting heavy.
Good to see old and new faces in the C Cycle. And burpees. Those are always good to see ใท
Please talk to me about hook grip and switch grip. I feel like I've gotten conflicting advice (or maybe I am just misinterpreting) and I want a ruling, or at least to better understand what I should be working on.
McD always says to hook grip as long as you can. If I follow this rule I actually don't know where I would stop. I hit my 1RM hook gripping. The only time I have ever lost my grip on the bar was in high-volume heavy deadlifts for time, such as 14.3.
On the other hand, I remember in Strength Cycle hook gripping the whole way through and Jeremy gave me a strange look and said, "You're still hook gripping at that weight?" (This was on a set of 3 in the 245-255 range, I think — so either at my 3RM or close to it.) My husband also thinks that even though I don't fail 1RM attempts because I lose my grip at the top (I never even get that far — if I fail a rep it's because the bar is superglued to the floor), that I might be able to hit higher maxes if I switch gripped. Also, just because I *can* hook grip at my max effort doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like a mofo.
That's why I decided to try and get comfortable with switch grip this cycle — I realize it feels normal and natural to most people, but it really didn't to me, at least not at first!
Anyway…*should* I stick with hook grip until I simply cannot hold the bar any longer?
6am. 3x5x150 on the bench press. This is a PR for me and it feels like I could still increase the weight somewhat. I worked up to 245×5 on the deadlifts, which is also a PR. These were heavy, but they moved without having to fight and I'm pretty sure I maintained spinal position. I used a switch grip on my heavy set, which may have helped somewhat, though I think a double overhand (non-hook) grip is most comfortable for me. I did get much more comfortable with the hook grip over this cycle, so mission accomplished there.
I hit 96 burpees in the 10 minute time cap. I was doing them in sets of 10 and moving fairly consistently until I hit about 50, which is when I started to slow considerably and I noticed the time getting away from me. I think I could do way better with a slightly tweaked plan.
6am with Nick and McD
Really enjoyed Meathead Monday's this cycle. Ended this exposure in PR's for both bench and deadlifts.
Bench, linear progression, 200x3x5. All reps moved very well.
Deadlift, linear progression, 245x1x5. Kept the hook grip in, thought my thumbs might break. Received some helpful cues from McD.
Wod: 100 burpees in 9:09. I just tried to pace myself the whole time. Probably should have moved a little quicker during the last 3rd.
some make up posts:
Last Monday at a Gold's in Seattle(?): squat 295×5, 295×5, 315×5. I am an idiot and miscoutned the bar at first. Felt so good figured i'd more up to 315 for the last one. Moved well. DL: 295×1, 315×1, 325×1, 345×1. I had no chalk and a bar with weak knurling and some sweaty hands. Decided to work up to a heavy but not terrible single. Moved well. Will, depending on feel, pull 320/325 for 5 tomorrow hopefully. Bench: 185x5x3. This felt great. I really don't remember the last time bench felt so smooth as it has this cycle.
Wednesday front squat new year's eve with JB and 2 others: 275x3x3. These felt pretty good, though I decided to belt them, as it is about 85% of my 1RM, which is right about where I start feeling like I want a belt. Did the performance wod with muscleup transitions which were tough. Only got through the round of 4 power snatches at 95.
Saturday AR: One of my favorite and most necessary AR classes ever. Loved all the spine/rotation work and the banded split.
Sunday OG: LBBS 315x5x3. Felt a little grindy but they all went up pretty smoothly. I have been happy with my strength gain/recovery this cycle and perhaps even benefitted from some detraining stimulus.
Oly Meet yesterday
No matter how low-key you make it, it's intimidating to do a competition, and especially an Olympic Lifting meet, for me given the mental aspect of it.
I am so glad I didn't back out! Frank did a great job explaining how it works, organizing our lifting order, reviewing our warm-ups and openers, figuring out the timing, judging, changing weights… and smiling the whole time. And huge thanks to Melo and Jake for stepping up to help judge and change weights and to everyone who came out to show support and contribute the "meet feel" so we could all get a sense of what competing is like. I believe this is an important part of the cycle.
This was my 2nd cycle, but I jumped in halfway through. I messed up my warm-ups so my openers were a little off, but this is part of the learning process. I felt great about my form and the fact that I wasn't completely flipping out, but I wasn't thrilled with my numbers or my level of commitment to the lifts.
Snatch —
40 – good
42 – failed, soft at the bottom and bailed forward
42 – good
These felt solid. I was most scared about snatch so I opened at a very conservative weight — did not want to fail the first lift. But they felt dialed in. Really weird to look up to take your breath and see people in front of you. Made me take a few breaths which was different from my usual set up.
My best is 45, so I'd hoped to get 42 and try 45 or something… anyway, felt fine with this and kind of relieved moving on to C&J
C&J
Normally I'm not too worried about cleans, but my jerks have been off for months. A friend helped me work on this on Friday a bit and it seemed to work.
I got confused in my warm ups and went from 45 to 58kg and failed the jerk. Eeek. So I moved back down to 53 and didn't have time to build up any further, so I opened too light to get to where I'd have liked to be.
55 – easy
60 – solid
67 – failed at the bottom of the clean, elbows were down, and in retrospect I really didn't brace like hell for this as I should have. My best is 66 so I went for 67. My best clean is actually 70, so I kind of thought I'd fail on the jerk if anything.. Maybe it was just too big a jump
ANYWAY, I know it wasn't a real meet or a big deal, but this has been a goal of mine for a long time as well as a mental hurdle. I really appreciate everyone who helped me plan for this in some way and wished me good luck ๐
Great job everyone. Congrats to Michelle on her PR, and Charlie and Dee, we missed you!
Also Kate R, great pix ๐
Also, this might be obvious, but I didn't participate in the meet after the first cycle, so this was my first meet.
Back to 7am,
Bench @165x5x3, failed last rep, this felt great and Im happy with a 5×3 -1 PR.
DL @270x5x1 Back started arching, will have to consider lifting without a belt.
LFPB challenge following the lifts, this felt gross, RR and kneed PUs, I was just too tired by that time, hit 7 rounds and 2 RR.
The erg test felt terrible, I still havent recovered from my 6k test on saturday, only managed 52cals. Im not sure why this wod felt so bad, I honestly hated every second of it.
6am
Bench 190x5x3
DL 300×5
100 Burpees in 5:45
Did 20 in the first minute, then settled into a steady pace of around 16/minute and finally sprinted all out on the last 15. Were I to do this again I'd start my sprint a little earlier, with 25 to go.
6am.
Bench: 200x5x3 with a fail on that very last rep. Pretty happy where I ended up here considering I started this cycle with an injury.
Deadlift: 275x5x1. Hook grip. Felt good. Plenty of room here.
WOD: 8:20. I look over at Brad and for half a second though "he's not moving _that_ fast" but then he finished in 5-something and I was like "oh, crap. ok. I hope I least finish." Pretty amazed at the speed of him and Alex on these burpees!
6am
Bench: 195×1, 200×1, 205×1 then 165×9. Just couldn't get the 10th rep.
Deadlift: 275x5x1, just couldn't move 315. I contribute that directly to the 60 deadliest yesterday.
Metcon: 5:33
Brad, I read your post and thought, "The 60 deadliest what?" and then I realized you're a victim of Autocorrect not knowing meathead terms ๐
OLY Meet and Class Recap
I highly recommend this class for all of the reasons stated above! Frank is awesome to work with. He has so many good cues that really worked for me. Before this class, I really did not feel comfortable at all with the snatch. C&J I liked better but still felt it needed a lot of improvement. My mechanics were so off, I felt that I was just not coordinated to do these lifts. Well it turns out, with enough practice, I am! So…
Snatch (in lbs): Opened at 66, then went to 73, both felt good so went for 80 (PR)!!
C&J (In lbs): Opened at 95, then 105, then 115 (PR)! This was far from perfect, but I know what I need to keep working on!
Thanks to all who came out to cheer, judge and photograph us!
I would sign up for the next cycle but I just moved to Long Island over Christmas. My 1 year in Brooklyn was significantly better because of CFSBK! Thank you! This gym is seriously awesome. From the thoughtful programming, to the awesome coaches, to the friendly dedicated members, to the excellent blog, it all just adds up to a great experience!
But I do live only 45 minutes away so I will see you at the Iron Maiden and hopefully other events in the future!
1pm lifts
Bench
185×5
205×3
230x1x3 (10 second rest between singles)
Press
125x10x2
125×9
125×10
125×9
Bummed to miss any reps but glad that it happened on the last week of the cycle. I felt like one of those blow in the wind things you see at car dealerships on these
Snatch EMOM 15
75% -145
80% – 155
85% – 165
Didn't feel that great. 2 misses each at 145 and 155.
5 Rounds for times
10 Wall Ball
6 C2B Pull Ups
25 Double Unders
Rest 1 minute between rounds
1:01
:56
:56
:56
:56
Fun little gasser. Expect to see some version of this in group class.
Michele W, so sad! Didn't know you were moving! You'll be missed but you're not so far away we won't expect you every now and again!
Stella,
My recommendation is to hook grip as long as you can, until and IF it becomes the limiting factor in picking up the weight. Truth be told this cycle is the first time Ive EVER deadlifted with a hook grip and I LOVE it. The only draw back to switch grip is that it asymmetrically loads your shoulders which for some folks might be problematic, others not.
4:30 PM Group Class with NoRo medicine Show
3 Rounds NFT:
5 pull-ups
10e Rev Lunges
15 KB Swings 20kg
Bench Press
(45×5, 115×5, 135×5, 155×3, 166×1)
170x5x3
Deadlift
(135×5, 225×5, 275×2, 315×1)
325×5
This felt easy!! I've loved Meathead Mondays and regained my confidence on Bench Press which I often have stability issues on as well as came out feeling a lot stronger on my DL. I consistently get the best sleep Sunday going into Monday which I think always helps!
100 Burpees for time:
6:27
Thought of this as 4 sets of 25. The first 50 I just stayed at a consistent pace and kept my heart rate slightly elevated, then the 50-75 I cranked up the pace a couple notches then tried to blast out the last 25. I think I could have started at a slightly harder pace and got this under 6:10.
๐
4:30
Bench: 80# 3×5
Everything felt smooth. Moderately-heavy weight. Need to learn to push through my feet to
Get more power.
Deadlift: 255#x5
Same weight as last week. Last week was a little rocky, stayed here to ensure that I had good spinal position. Every rep was solid except I was a little rounded on my 5th.
100 burpees in 5:58
Pretty even pace throughout. Busted out the last ten pretty quick. This was exactly what I needed today!
5:30 group
warm up: 3 rounds
5 T2B (small kip)
10ea rvrs lunge (5ea pistol last round)
10 band pull aparts (red)
Bench: 45×5, 75×5, 95×3, 107×1
112.5x5x3
PR for sets across.
-Was nervous about this. Definitely at the edge; not all reps were pretty, but they went up.
-4th rep I tend to get a bit out of sorts. Last set I paused and took extra breaths before 4th rep (I always do before 5th rep), and that helped.
-keep tension at bottom, drive heels
DL: 135×5, 165×3
190×5
Fine. 1 set of 5 reps on DL is really so much harder for me to maintain than 3×3. I felt stronger and maintained better position with 200x3x3 than I did today… hmm.
WOD: made up saturday's WOD in favor of working more OH
3 RFT
30 russian swings (20kg)
15 db push press (20#)
Time: 7:20 (i think?)
Cash Out: 3 press handstands with head on the wall. SO HARD!
4:30 class.
Bench 3×5 @100#. I was worried about this weight but most of the reps felt great!
Deadlift 5 reps @185#. I went down 10# because I was rounding my back last week. These felt good but had to use switch grip. Stella it is insanely awesome that you can hook grip at such a high weight!
100 burpees in 8:11. I was dreading these all day. I paced myself at 12 burpees per minute. This was really slow in the beginning, but was great bc I kept an even pace and didn't feel winded until about the 65th rep. I will shoot for a pace of 13 per minute the next time I do this. A lot of the burpees times were insane and you are all my burpee heroes!
5:30 class
Bench: 135×5, 165×3, 180x5x3, happy to get through all 3 sets at this weight after failing last two weeks. Hopefully I'm stronger. But I also warmed up less, which I think helped.
DL: 320×5, I thought this was 5 pounds heavier than last week but it was the same. Should have checked more carefully. Felt pretty solid.
Burpees in 7:23, was stressing this one beforehand. But was actually kinda fun. Should have gone a little faster.
5:30 class:
When attending a crossfit gym at home last week, the weightlifting component was consistently 5 rounds of 2 reps, resting 2 min. between rounds. I was able to PR on every movement last week because of the few reps and resting in between. This made me a little overly ambitious today and I wasn't able to get the weight I intended. Ended up doing 105 deadlift, and 70 for the bench press.
Kate, Freddy, and I were discussing that we'd like to know how to calculate the # of reps/weight we should do for a warm-up. I know you gradually ease off reps before you get to work weight…but I'm not sure if there's a precise calculation? It would be helpful to know ๐
The people who got 100 burpees in 5-6 minutes are amazing. Great job jessie– haha, I bet you did do the first 25 "pretty" quickly…you're too modest!
Lil JBs burpee times always remind me how out of shape I am lol. You go girl ๐
Accidentally messed up my BP weight and thought I was doing 85#.. turns out it was 95# and …no wonder I failed after 2 reps. After I finally figured it out, 83# went up pretty easily. At least I kind of know my 1RM now, haha!
Did the DL 1×5 at 160#. My last 1RM was 173# so that's definitely improved. My back wasn't as tight as it should be and Barb reminded me I'm not using my hamstrings as much as I should be- it was a duh moment.
100 burpees in 7:55. Please don't make me do this ever again. ๐
Couple notes on those links: I didn't love Foreman's decision to use the word "whore," but it's a good article. And I didn't love the fact that less than 1/5 of history's so-called "greatest minds" are women, but the infographic is cool. Article of the day is David's on ITA though. Check it out if you haven't already!
4:30 class.
Bench: 45×8, 75×4, 95×2, 115×1, 125×1, then 110×6. Oof, that got heavy. My 80% should have been 108, but close enough. Loved this programming style this cycle.
Deadlift: 95×5, 135×4, 165×3, 185×5, 165×5. Same weight as my last two Mondays. I probably could have done more but I still feel stuck here. Working on it.
WOD: 7 min flat, which I was happy with. I play funny mind games when it's a rep countdown. With this one, I reset my counting for each set of 25 and then tried to convince myself I just started. I also tend to talk to WODs and tell them who's boss. Often it ends up not being me.
But I've actually been stoked about this WOD since I saw what it was yesterday. Another day of leaving the gym (and after recovering from feeling pretty messed up) getting that endorphin-jacked reminder of how much I love this shit.
5.30pm with Noah and Arturo.
Bench Press 112.5 x 5 x 3 (PR) Felt good.
Deadlift 265 x 5 (PR for 5) So happy! This was really heavy but I had failed the last rep at this weight two weeks ago so it was a big mental hurdle.
100 burpees. 8:57.
I knew that my time would be no bueno on this so I went in not caring about that and instead took it as an opportunity (100 chances) to actually figure out how to land on my feet. Matt Katz told me before class to try putting my feet wider and it really helped! So happy! I think I landed on my feet for the majority of them. It definitely took a long time but I'm ok with that.
The cash-out was long.
Congrats to all of my Oly Cycle friends. Wish I could have been there yesterday. Michele- you will be missed.
I just signed up for the next cycle and I am very excited about it! Yay!
Awesome job to all those who competed yesterday! I had a great time watching/judging.
Lifts at OG.
Snatch+Hang snatch
220(1+1)x3
231
242(1+1)x3
253
264
Clean+Power Jerk
220
264
286
297
308
Front squat w/pause at the bottom
352x2x3
Clean Pulls: 396x3x3
Today….
Little bit a bench
225
275
325
350PR
225×17
PSOAS mashing (I think thats what i was on). whatever injury type deal im dealing with might be that..
Bench Press: 165#, felt good.
Dead Lift: 250#, same as last week, but felt very good. double overhand for the first three, then hook grip for the last two, no mixed grip reps.
Burpee time: 5:56. Tried to catch Lil JB's time, but knew it would be futile. Mixed sets of 15, 10, 5.