Push Press
Push Press
5-3-3-2-1-1-1
Work up to a heavy single for the day. Practice cycling the barbell from overhead directly to the front rack/dip and drive in your early sets. Work hard to stay braced, especially on the heavy singles.
Post loads to comments.
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5 Rounds for Reps:
1 Minute Max Push Press at 70% of your heavy single
Rest 1 Minute
1 Minute Max Calories Rowed
Rest 1 Minute
Aim for consistent reps/cals on all rounds.
Post Rx, reps, and cals to comments.
Miami sounds real nice right about now, doesn’t it?
Wodapalooza 2016: A Recap
Last weekend we kept you updated on CFSBK’s exploits at Wodapalooza 2016 in Miami. Among stiff competition, team Steel Magnolias (Coach Melissa, Coach Katie, and Tina D.) finshed tied for 10th place out of 21 teams in the Intermediate Women divsion. We couldn’t be more proud of them! Today we’re thrilled to bring you K Harpz and MeLo’s impressions of the event. Read on, reader!
Katie:
Wodapalooza 2016—what a weekend! Despite the torrential downpour on Day 1 (RIP Nike Metcons), the event was well organized and flooded with CrossFit Games athletes. The positive environment was infectious to say the least. It was an important experience for me in many ways, and I couldn’t have asked for better teammates.
Competitive CrossFit is awesome because it pushes you outside of your comfort zone, and you get a sense of how you perform under pressure. At an event like Wodapalooza, we knew weren’t going to be the most jacked and tan athletes in the arena. But we knew our strengths, and with a little strategy, we were able to clinch a spot in the top 10 of our division! Hurray Steel Magnolias!
I started doing CrossFit 6 years ago, in January 2010, by attending a beginner class at Crossfit NYC. The workout in that beginner class was half “Cindy,” a 10-minute AMRAP of 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups and 15 Squats. I performed the Pull-Ups using the thickest band available and the Push-Ups from my knees. The depth on my Squats was questionable. I quite clearly remember thinking that that was the hardest workout I’d ever done. My arms were too smoked to pick up a coffee cup. I couldn’t wait to do it again.
Fast forward 6 years, and incredibly, last weekend, I was able to throw down with my teammates at a national event and compete amongst the best of the best at Wodapalooza. The weekend highlighted two things I cherish about CrossFit: the continual, measureable progress observed over time; and the supportive, friendly community. The inclusiveness, support, and general good nature of CrossFitters was evident throughout the event, from the elite-level athletes in attendance to the spectators, organizers, and vendors. Arrogance and ego were rare.
The 3-day competition included successes, surprises, and challenges. Here’s a recap of my experience and some of the lessons I learned.
Friday, Day 1: The Storm
The conditions on Day 1 were less than ideal. I expected abundant sunshine and sunscreen. Instead, it was a rainy, muddy mess. However, we didn’t let that kill our competitive spirit. We rallied as a team and started with a workout called “The Little Chipper”: each teammate was to complete 9 Bar-Facing Burpees, 12 Power Snatches (65lbs), 15 Thrusters (65lbs), and 18 calories on the Assult Bike in a relay race to the finish. It was a quick burner, with nowhere to hide and no reason to slow down. Worst part? The bike. If you’ve never spent time on that thing, make it a point to do an 8-round tabata the next time you’re in the gym as a warm-up. (And mention to David that we need a few more bikes.) We finished 10th in the first event.
The second workout was “The Big Chipper,” which included Pistols, GHD Sit-Ups, Overhead Squats (95lbs) and D-Ball Holds and Carries (50lbs). I’ve always struggled with Overhead Squats, and this workout was no exception. While I’ve certainly made progress and have become more comfortable with them, they’re still a goat. I will make them a regular part of my training and will master them by the end of the year. Don’t let me slip on this, friends! Fortunately, Tina is incredible at Overhead Squats and banged out 27 unbroken reps (WHAT!?!?) to earn us a 5th place finish in the event, a strong start to the three-day competition.
Saturday, Day 2: The Sunshine
Conditions on Day 2 were everything we could have hoped for, and it was another successful day for the Steel Magnolias. The first workout was the Snatch Medley: 3 Rep Max Snatch, 3000m Row, 5 RM Snatch, 400 Double-Unders, 7 RM Snatch, and 70 Bar Muscle-Ups. While we didn’t move as much weight as the other teams on the Snatch, our teamwork was on point, and we were all able to contribute at each stage of the workout. Personally, I’ve been inconsistent with Bar Muscle-Ups and was nervous about whether I’d be able to contribute to my team. I’ve always been more of a team player rather than an individual competitor, and I hated the thought of letting my team down. With the energy of the crowd and the encouragement of my teammates, I was miraculously able to perform numerous Bar Muscle-Ups, contributing to our 49 reps total. Definitely a high point of the weekend!
The second event of Day 2 was the SWIM: 3 rounds of 40 Deadlifts (135lbs), 50m Swim, 40 Handstand Push-Ups, 50m Swim with two people working at a time. And OMG, we finished 2nd in that event! Who knew 3 girls from Brooklyn could swim so well? Yes, I automatically defaulted to the sidestroke, and no, we did not practice in the Gowanus.
Sunday, Day 3: A Struggle with Synchronicity
Event 1 on Day 3 involved D-Ball Tosses (80lbs), synchronized Toes-to-Bars, and synchronized Pull-Ups. We didn’t have an opportunity to practice synchronization prior to the event, and it showed. We definitely lost time trying to get our rhythm together. On the positive side, our communication as a team was solid, and we managed to place 10th. We happen to have an 80lb D-Ball at the gym. Toss it over your shoulder a few times. It’s a great way to let out some aggression!
Event 2, Day 3: two short chippers, the first was legless rope climbs, Squat Cleans (155lbs), and Dumbbell Squat Snatches (60lbs); the second was 100 Clean and Jerks for time (65lbs). None of us had spent a lot of time practicing legless climbs. Turns out they’re pretty hard, especially when you have to do 7 of them. Harper stepped up and took on that challenge for us, and she did an incredible job. You better believe that you’ll see all of us practicing that skill more often. We placed 15th and 13th respectively on those last two events.
We ended up 10th overall out of 21 Intermediate Women teams, a finish that I’m definitely happy with. I look forward to bringing more CSFBK teams down next year to represent.
The Bottom Line:
Competing gives you perspective. Training in the same environment with the same people can make you complacent. It’s easy to lose track of the bigger picture. Getting out of your comfort zone can make you realize that what you thought was impossible is indeed attainable. For example, several women in our division were Touch-and-Go Power Snatching 135-145lbs. I need to get on that. Competitions can be stressful, nerve-wracking and, at times, disappointing. But they are also quite memorable, incredibly gratifying, and can be excellent learning opportunities. My team was incredible, and CSFBK’s support over the weekend was humbling. Thank you to our CFSBK family for supporting us from afar and to Alex and Marcos for being our entourage.
If anyone is interested in competing, seeing where you’re at, and having fun in the process, The Open is a great way to get your feet wet. Sign up. Challenge yourself. Surprise yourself. Talk to me if you’re at all hesitant.
The Return of the Monthly Egg CSA!
If you love the incredibly delicious farm-fresh eggs we occasionally get from Herondale Farm, our meat and egg CSA provider, this is your lucky day.
Herondale is bringing back their very popular monthly egg share program. It works just like our other CSAs. You sign up for a monthly delivery and get 1 to 4 dozen (your choice!) eggs every month. And they’ve lowered the price to $5.50 a dozen!
Pickup will be the first Wednesday of every month from 6 to 8:30pm at the gym. If you want eggs in February, please return this form by Thursday, January 28th.
Questions? E-mail Michele at mignyc [at] gmail [dot] com.
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Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Clean | Deadlifts, Hang Power Cleans, Burpees, Kettlebell Swings, Toes-to-Bars
Anatomy of a Protein Shake Breaking Muscle
Fixing the Dip in the Push Press YouTube
The Selling of Ancient Egypt The Awl
1) Melissa!!! Drop the mic. Nice write up!
2) One of my favorite moments was gasping for air midswim only to see Melissa side stroking to the finish line mere paces ahead. (If I wasn't choking on seawater and in the competitive spirit I would have laughed out loud.)
3) Those so called "med ball tosses" are actually ground over shoulder. For the average population it took a great deal of effort. Melissa kind of just levitated it up over her shoulder like it was some sort of magic trick. (Classic Melissa)
4) About those legless ropeclimbs: that was easily one of the biggest Crossfit fails I've ever experienced. I got through 4 out of 7. By the 5th rep, I lost my grip strength, fell from the top, and nearly rolled my ankle. I continued fall on my ass in front of about 150 people about 6 more times, pretty humiliating. But it was also an extremely important lesson. I beat myself up about it for awhile. But honestly, I knew that I gave my best effort. Now I have something to work towards. All of that shoulda, woulda, coulda and other negative self-talk is no good. All I can be thankful for is that Melissa and Tina were so supportive while I was on the verge of tears at the very end. That's how you know that team work makes the dream work!
Thanks for listening guys!
Congrats guys!
Melissa, Katie (and Tina!) – you are seriously inspiring ladies! Thank you for this write-up. Love you guys- so proud!!
Congrats! Thanks for the write-up!
6am
Push press – 135×5, 165×3, 185×3, 195×2, 215×1, 225 (f)
Ran out of time. 215 flew up. On the 225 attempt I just dipped forward and pushed it out front to where I couldn't pull it back to finish.
Metcon – Tried to keep it consistent by going a little easy on the first round
14/24 15/24 15/24 15/24 13/25
Totals were 72/121
Congrats, ladies- astounded by your physical and mental strength.
Love reading about experiences like these! Hearing that MeLo once struggled with depth on air squats and did pull-ups from a band is so unbelievably motivating!
Also, Katie's comment makes me think about how much perspective plays a part of crossfit and life. I'm astounded Katie could do 1, let alone 4 legless rope climbs, but she was clearly extremely frustrated not being able to do all 7. And this is with already having done a bunch of insane workouts prior with the best crossfitters in the country. I bet a lot of us who crossfit negative self-talk and put pressure on ourselves like that all the time.
Next time I get mad at myself because I "should've gone heavier" or feel like berating myself because I have to scale the weight so much during a WOD–just gotta keep the perspective of how far I've come and have fun.
Thanks so much for sharing! Can't wait to workout this week now– so inspired!
KHarpz, that's still 4 more legless rope climbs than 99% of us at SBK will ever do in our lives! You ladies are amazing.
Strength cycle: I felt warmed up by the time I got to 608, due to slogging through the giant piles of snow at every intersection.
Squat 192.5x5x3. I was relieved to see only a 2.5# jump on the board this morning. I kinda spent all weekend stressing about 195. (Maybe I wouldn't have if I'd looked up my numbers from my last SC, in which case I would have realized that I've done 205x5x3 before.) This was by no means easy, but it felt good enough that my confidence is restored and I'm not scared to do 195 on Wednesday.
Bench 120x5x3. NBD.
Deadlift 235×5. Heavy!
Flying to Dallas this afternoon and back tomorrow night. My hip flexors are gonna love that.
What a great write up. Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing it.
6am with Jess and Nick
Push Press
I was surprised that I didn't have a 1RM noted anywhere but I figured I would be somewhere in the 185# range.
95×5, 135×3, 145×3, 155×3, 165×2, 185×1, 195F, 195×1
WOD at 135#
Push Press – 12, 12, 12, 10, 10 Really had to grind out the last couple reps.
Row – 17, 17, 17, 17, 20 Might have sandbagged these a bit.
Awesome write up! Thanks for sharing.
6am with Jess and Nick
Push Press
95×5, 135×3, 145×3, 155×2, 175×1, 185×1, 195×1
Might have been able to go heavier, but the real takeaway is how awkward cycling felt. The wod gave me opportunity to practice.
WOD at 135#
Push Press – 10, 10, 10, 10, 12 – 2 sets of 6/4 for the first 4 rounds, added a double for the last round. Maybe should have tried 3 sets for each round.
Row – 20, 18, 18, 19, 24 – Probably should have gone a bit harder in the middle.
Congrats Steel Mags.
6am.
Push Press: 135×5, 155×3, 165×3, 175×2, 185 (f), 185×1
Ran out of time, probably didn't need a warm up set before starting with the 5's. 185 flew up, so I felt confident that 195 was very possible. Next time.
Metcon: Push press: 46 reps @ 135 & 100 cal.
This got heavy for me, just chipped away with 3's and 4's. Hit 20 cals on all rows, used last weeks 20 cal in 1 min as a barometer for today.
Thanks for the terrific recap, Katie and Melissa! Such a pleasure to read. Still laughing at the idea of Steel Magnolias practicing in the Gowanus.
Congrats Steel Magnolias and really great write-up! Inspiring and helps put it all in perspective.
6am with Jess and Nick
Push Press – 115 x 5, 135 x 3, 155 x 3, 165 x 2, 175 x 1, 185 x 1
Don't think I have ever tested out my 1rm in the push press so had no idea what to expect. 185 went up, bit of a grind and a double clutch but locked it out without re-dipping my knees.
WOD – 58 pp @ 125# and 120 cal – 13/26, 13/25, 12/24, 11/23, 9/22
My collarbone hurts. Also wearing the amount of clothing you do to bike to the gym while running is a bad idea. Sweat city.
Super inspirational, great write up!
Worked in kg's this morning with Jill.
Push Press: 35kg x 5, 40 x 3, 45 x 2, 50 x 1, 55 x 1, 57 x 1
This tops out a 125#, a big PR for push press.
WOD – 66 PP @ 86# and 92 cal – 14/16, 14/20, 14/19, 12/18, 12/19
Thank you bad-ass ladies for that great story. All of you are very inspiring. Respect.
May I toot my own horn today? I got a press PR for reps this morning, almost two years after I busted my shoulder during the 2014 Open. That summer, I couldn't even get the bar overhead. Today I did 120 for sets across (and just to show off, did a 6th rep on the 3rd set.) My previous best was 117.5 during a strength cycle back in 2012. Just be patient; it will all happen. (I started with the bar on my recovery lifting and just kept going up slowly. Crossover Symmetry helped a great deal too.)
Then:
Deadlift: 270×5
Lunges: 115x16x3
Rows: 115x16x3
Steel Mags! Glad you guys had a ton of fun while kicking ass. Sometimes the competitive aspect of CF can get in the way of actually enjoying it. It sounds like there were sunny vibes in Miami, despite the Seattle weather.
—
Squat
295x8x3
Front Squat
240x6x3
Wore a belt for all work sets today. Happy to make these and feel balanced throughout. Last week's front squats ended after one rep at 240 when my back spasmed pretty bad. A week (that included some great body work and a few muscle relaxers) later and I feel good. Travel next week will provide a timely rest/deload week.
Incredible write up ladies! So happy to have had both of you at my side for this weekend-learned lots and enjoyed myself immensely!
Congrats Steel Magnolias!! And thanks for sharing the recap with us! It's really inspiring to hear about how you guys crushed it!
I love that we have so many strong ladies at CFSBK to look up to!
Bench Press
45 x 5, 65 x 4, 75 x 3, 95 x 2, 105 x 1, 115 x 5 x 6
12pm with Fox and Nick
3RNFT
7 x push press @ 45#
5 x pull- ups ( first round kipping, then strict. My hands are sore)
15 x hollow rocks
Push press with Cage.
75 x 5, 95 x 3, 100 x 3, (PR) 110 x 2, 120 x 1, 125 x 1, 130 x 1.
Well that's the most weight I've ever had over my head. Pretty sure I had more too 🙂
WOD
62 x push press @ 93#
86 cals
I was not very consistent and did not pace myself very well. The first round I felt great but I should have broken up the push presses into smaller sets from the beginning. This was a tough workout but I definitely made it tougher for myself by not doing that.
Cash out
3RNFT
15 x GHD sit-ups
10 x abwheel roll outs
530 class
Push Press with Asha
63 x 5, 73 x 3, 83 x 3, 93 x 2, 98 x 1, 103 x 1, 108 x 1
Really think I could have nailed 113 but ran out of time – rib cage braced is key!
PP @ 73#
Row: 15 – 14 – 15 – 14 – 15 (73)
PP: 17 – 17- 17 – 15 – 16 (82)
Considering my cardio capacity has been my limiting factor lately, I'm really glad to have stayed consistent here. Probably could have come out the gate with another cal on the row and 2 more PP in the beginning, but I'm happy with the hand I played. Yay for consistency.
Awesome write up Steel Magnolias, making us proud!!!
Push Press:
65×5
75×3
85×3
95×2
105×1
110×1 (PR)
112×1 (9# PR)
Once Ro showed me how to correct my bar path (bar was way out in front on the 110), the bar FLEW up! 112 was much easier than the 110 so I def have more in me. Have to remember to push my head through, too.
WOD @78#
PP: 15s (75)
Row: 17, 16, 16, 16, 17 (82)
Tried SO hard to get 16 on the last round of PPs, but failed 15th rep and had to redo that one with a few seconds to go. Rowing is tough for me so I was proud of myself although I probably could've squeezed another calorie out on each set. Another fun one!
Great write-up, ladies! Super inspiring!
Great write-up!! Thanks for sharing, ladies.
MeLo and KHarpz consistently inspire and encourage me in so many aspects of this CrossFit life — training, performance, attitude, spirit, and ridiculousness. Badass women, inside and out.
This afternoon… some of the comp crew banded together for a mean lil WOD.
Warm up:
-hip mobility, pec smash, quad smash
-band steps 10side/side, 10front/back x3 sets
-exactly 1 round of 5 pull-ups, 10 air squats, and 15 hollow rocks
FILTHY FIFTY (kinda?):
50 Box Jumps, 24/20
50 Jumping Pull-Ups
50 Kettlebell Swings, 35/25
50 Walking Lunge Steps
50 Toes to Bar
50 Push Press, 45/35
50 Deadlifts 115/75
50 Wallballs, 20/14
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders
Time: 24:28 RX.
woof. hit the wall when I got to wallballs… no pun intended. things went a bit dark, started to get a little dizzy/nauseous. you know that feeling when you did too many somersaults in the pool as a kid and then you bring your head back above water and you feel like you're on another planet that's moving sideways? yeah… that.
BJ: all bounding, pretty quick. feeling good.
JPU: had to break up more than expected! maybe 4-5 sets?
KBS: unbroken
Lunges: took one quick break to reset
TTB: blech. 5-5-5-5-5, then 3's for a bit, 2's, and eventually quick singles for the last 10-12.
PP: 20-15-15
DL: 20-15-15
WB: 10-8-7-5-5-5-5-5… with so much rest in between :-/
Burpees: finally caught up a bit here and kept a solid pace. closed my eyes and just didn't stop moving.
DU: one trip after 8 reps, then unbroken to the finish
Cash Out:
CTB Butterfly practice… did maybe 5 sets of 4 unbroken, which is solid progress! stay tighter when falling through (legs are coming apart/breaking a bit too much)
Also just to be a brat about it: all the women finished before the fellas did on this one. Girls rule, boys drool 😉
4:30 appt with Dr.Fidler: Diagnosed with "significant mobility dysfunctions at your thoracic spine in rotation and at your left ankle in dorsiflexion. You are most likely using your left knee to compensate for this range of motion and it has manifested into the beginning of a tendonitis." So with that said, I will be an active member of yoga and AR. Also have to back my squat weight way down to focus on keeping my spine angle the same throughout the movement to fix my clamshell chest.
5:30 with Fox and Ro: 1st thing first, I can't believe Dan has never seen nor heard of Short Circuit two!!!
Push Press: 5×95, 3×115, 3×125, 2×135, 1×145, 1×155, 1×175 – Got some good ques from Ro that really helped 175 is a PR
WOD @125#
PP: 9,9,9,8,1 – totally lost form and shit the bed on the last round
Row: 21,21,21,16,23 – After crapping out on the last PP set, tried to have my best row which I was able to do
Great write-up and congratulations again to Melissa, Katie and Tina. You guys are incredible.
7:30 Class tonight with David
Nice shoulder mobility before the warm-up which I will be sure to repeat.
3 Rnds
3 Handstand attempts — first one was solid, the rest not so much
3 Strict pull ups unbroken — first chest to bar, progressively lower
15 Air squats
Push Press 5-3-3-2-1-1-1 at the following weights:
83#, 93, 98, 108, 113, 118, 123f — bar path was a little forward, lost position and bailed it forward.
Nice to partner with Snisky who hit 123 NBD
Push press @83# — 14-13-8-11-11
Row — 15-15-14-14-13
7:30 with David
Push Press
75×5, 95×3, 115×3, 125×2, 145×1, 155×1, 165×1
WOD
41@115 – 10,10,7,7,7
123 total cals rowing – 22,30,25,24,22 (was late getting into the erg on the first round so lost some time, was spent toward the end of the last round).