Back Squat
Fitness
3×5 LP
Heavier than last week.
Performance
80% x 3, 80% x Max Reps (more than Week 1)
Warm up, then perform one set of 3 at 80% (of 1RM), followed by a max rep set at the same load. Use a spotters, but aim to end the set 1 rep shy of failure. The goal is no failing.
Post loads to comments.
Exposure 5 of 8
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“Helen”
3 Rounds for Time:
400m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
12 Pull-Ups
The unfortunate key to doing well on this benchmark is to run fast and do everything unbroken with very little transition time. If the runs will take you much more than 2 minutes, scale them to 270m. The Kettlebell Swings are Rx’d as overhead/American and should be medium-heavy for you. If you can’t get the bell overhead in a good position, do Russian swings. It’s okay to break up the Pull-Ups into a few sets per round. Unless you’re a Pull-Up ninja, scale some volume if you’re doing them strict, or to Jumping Pull-Ups/Ring Rows as needed.
How to decide? Jumping Pull-Ups are a great way to keep the intended metabolic stimulus in a workout (such as “Helen”) with a moderate amount of Kipping Pull-Ups, and Ring Rows are great for developing some strict pulling strength in a horizontal plane that can help develop into a Pull-Up. Still not sure? Do the one you haven’t done recently.
Post time and Rx to comments.
Want to Explore the World of the Rings?
Join guest gymnastics Coach Ken Haller as he takes you through 5 weeks of gymnastics strength training! This 1.5 hour long class will incorporate different facets of body weight strength training and movement.
Each class will focus on three to four distinct areas: warm-up and active mobility, rings skill work (Muscle-Ups, Levers, etc.), bodyweight strength conditioning, balance (on hands and feet), and flexibility. Students will be asked to have a goal or intention to focus on over the 5 weeks. Students can then focus on that goal outside of class.
Class Outline:
Rings
Support
Inverted Hangs
Back Levers
Muscle-Ups
Ring Routine
Balance
Headstand
Handstand
Mobility
When: 5 Thursdays from 7:30pm to 9:00pm (9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11 )
Cost: $120 for 5 weeks
Buy-in: Previously attended rings class or 1 Pull-Up for women or 3 for gents
More About Ken
Ken Haller was a nationally competitive gymnast in Newton, MA and at the University of Michigan. After graduating, Ken coached for eight years at Capital Gymnastics in Northern Virginia where he coached regional and national champions. His students have gone on to be NCAA champions and members of Cirque du Soliel. In searching for an activity to replace gymnastics, Ken filled the void with rock climbing and yoga for the past ten years and recently found CrossFit to round out his training.
Sunday’s Schedule
We’ll be running on a modified schedule this Sunday, September 9th as we host the Subway Series. Here’s what’s happening:
8am Short Circuit + 8am CrossFit
9am CrossFit
10am CrossFit
6-8pm Open Gym
Everything else is cancelled! There are still some spots left if you’re thinking about competing (DO IT!). And even if you aren’t you should definitely swing by the gym and cheer for your fellow CFSBKers. It’s a super-fun day full of bangin’ and clangin’!
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Yesterday’s Results Board: Rest Day
Midline Stabilization in the Squat CrossFit Journal (video)
Call to the Wild: This Is Your Brain on Nature National Geographic
Makeup post from last night’s 8:30 class (yes, really; tried to get in for AG at least, but getting out of LGA took foreeeeever).
Press 77.5x5x3. Amazing how much harder this is with only 3 minutes between sets instead of 6-8 like you get in Strength Cycle!
Sumo DL at 235. This is my first time doing sumo in a while so I wasn’t sure where to go with it. I’ll add more next time (although hook grip at heavy weights is murder!)
WOD with matador dips. I got between 7 and 9 per round, and 15 or 16 calories each round on the erg. I don’t cardio too good just yet. Gimme another couple of weeks…
7am w/RoHarpz
HBBS: 155x5x3
Knees OUT. Last set was best. Played around with a wider stance.
Helen: 13:56rx
Happy with this. Runs 2:05-2:20ish, would like to push those more. KB light and unbroken. Pull-ups in sets of 3 with ~15sec in between, until the very last rep which took 3 tries 🙂 It’s time to beat!
7 AM w KHarpz + Ro
Showed up dehydrated—I’m rabidly anti-AC at home and boy did I pay for it last night. Nothing says “you’re a moron” like waking up in a pool of your own sweat.
3×5 at 63.
On the bright side, my mobility was fantastic—forget AR I just have to sleep in a sauna each night.
Barely scraped through Helen, the humidity was suffocating, I had to scale the pull-ups and take it slow to avoid passing out.
Paleo continues. Boo.
7am w/ Ro + Katie
LBBS 150×3, 150×10
Helen in 12:54. Rx everything except I did Russian swings because my L shoulder has been bugging me this week. All unbroken. Pull ups mostly in 3s until the last 5–6 or so in the third round, which I did as singles. No knee pain on the runs, woohoo! (Not that it wasn’t generally painful, though. Still building that cardio back up!)
Life achievement unlocked: Today I walked to and rode the subway carrying an ice pack because I started sweating profusely while rowing during AG last night, never really stopped, and Helen put me right back over the Heat Edge this morning. C’MON FALL.
This is hilarious and smart.
10 AM with Brett
continued the 5# per week linear progression:
3x5x155. moving fine.
Helen RX in 13:57.
Runs were fine, first two rounds
of swings 13/8, last round
3/long break for cursing/10/8.
all pull-ups 6/6.
Not many benchmarks that I can RX, so I was happy to do it and pumped for 6/6 on all 3 pull-up rounds.
Nice work on all those Helen scores, guys!! Progress is awesome, esp. when you can measure it 🙂
Speaking of which…
FSQ: 8-6-4-2
(35×5 @ 31×2, 85×5, 115×3, 125×2)
135×8 / 145×6 / 155×4 / 165×2
felt real strong on 165 so decided to go for heavy single…
175 – solid
185 – PR!
WOOHOO! previous best 180#. i’ve failed this weight a couple times, so glad to hit it today — didn’t overthink or overhype, just committed. knew it would be sticky, and it wasssssss. thanks to Jess Fox for cueing my to keep driving my hips through.
okay, technically it was 183# because I used a yellow-taped bar 🙂
RFESS, L side, voodoo band
20-15-15-15-12, :30 rest between
@ 22.5# each hand today!
feels pretty darn good to know I started this at 10# and couldn’t even get through that volume. think the band was on the lighter side today so will repeat the weight, try to add a rep or two, and pull band tighter.
4 rounds, sustainable:
12 cal row
6 burpee – CTB pull-up (strict-ish)
10:00
first couple pull-ups of each round felt solid, then the battery has a hard time recharging. didn’t use an arch forward of the bar to begin the movement, but also didn’t keep it 100% strict. used a little knee or hip pop on some of the sticky reps. rows at about 850-950 (:48-:55)
still have a lot of nasal congestion and some coughing. pretty annoying, but doing my best to ride it out.
“knew it would be sticky, and it wasssssss.”
I am imagining you saying this in a Gollum voice and it just does not jive with my mental image of you 😛
530 group class
HB BSQ: 210x5x3
Heavy Helen
15:09 Rxd + 20lb WTD vest
Shoulder felt very rough on Monday and Tuesday— not sure what from. Coach KHarpz reminded me recovery isn’t linear and the stress from the school year (not to mention staying up late and getting up extra early to make sure my lessons are *fabulous* is probably taking a toll.) Plus I drank more than usual this weekend. Hm.
Anyway, skipped Monday’s workout, and was depressed about it…
Alas, I did 128×3, 128×9. Should have gone for 10 if I would have read the blog first 🙂 This is the second time I’ve been told my last three reps were the best. Hm.
Helen in 10:29 with horizontal ring rows to a 16# box (HARD), 24kg Russian swings. First run was 1:45, second and third were probably around 2:00. Had to break the ring rows up a lot! They were challenging, but no pain or anything like that.
I’m planning on no overhead. Range of motion has returned and I’m thinking I can still compete in the subway series.
Although, Sarah M. is going to die with the synchro calorie row… sorry Sarah. I also might just push press 83 or 88 for my S2O. Not risk it.
No overhead until Saturday, I mean! My bday is Friday and I can’t thibj of a better thing to do on Saturday than to compete in the subway series for fun!!!
Back squat: 140x5x3
Haven’t squatted in two weeks so was not sure how today would go, especially since I’m back at work and not sleeping much. Squats were actually easier than two weeks ago. Maybe I’m getting used to high bar BS. Leading with my hips a little bit but overall maintaining decent form. Switching to high bar is so interesting. If I were doing low bar, I would jump from 95 to 145 when warming up and that is not the case anymore!
Helen Rx’d in 12:35
:49 slower than my PR from almost exactly one year ago. Knew I wouldn’t PR today, but thought I could be within 30s of my PR. Oh well, it was hot today.
Runs: so slow
Swings: unbroken
Pullups: 7-5 the first two rounds then 7-4-1. Argh, couldn’t hold on for that last rep!
Once again back after a time away.
HBBS 45×5 65×5 70×3 75x5x3 – these felt pretty good considering I haven’t squatted recently. I lost tension at the bottom on a few reps. Would high volume box squats help this? I probably just need to squat more.
Helen scaled in 13:45 – did the swings and rows unbroken and never stopped on the run – kept things slow and steady.
So good to see all the smiling and sweaty faces : )