105 Days until SECTIONALS!

WOD from Friday, December 11, 2009
"Jeremy"
21-15-9
Overhead Squats
Burpees
4:30

Then on Sunday, we (as in our 6am crew) challenged the 6pm crew from a couple weeks back, to a 1RM Overhead Squat Lift off. Best overall average took hoe bragging rights and our lift-o-rama weight lifting belt.

I PRed by another 5# for a final lift of 175#. I tried 180# twice and I maintained my abs of steel but just couldn't get up out of the bottom of the squat. I must have stayed down there for a good 30 seconds trying and trying and trying to stand up with it but it was a no go.

The other team won by the way by a 3# average :(

Something I am really finding odd though are the differences in my weighted squats.

1RM Back Squat - 190#
1RM Overhead Squat - 175#
1RM Front Squat - 150#

How and why is it that I can overhead squat significantly more than I can front squat, and why is it that I can nearly OHS the same weight as I can back squat? If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, it's just bloody frustrating that I could potentially snatch more than I can clean & jerk.

No workouts for me for the next couple of days. Today I woke up feeling like crap. When I say crap though it's probably not that bad compared to other people, but I'm a wuss and rarely get sick so it's a big deal to me. A migrane and a sore throat. Not cool. Hoping I will be good by Friday because I've been looking forward to testing my 500m sprint row again.

109 Days Until Central Canada Sectionals!

It has been announced. All of the sectional and regional information!

Sectionals:
Central Canada (AB, SK, MB) - total of 21 affiliates in this section
March 27-28, 2010 in Lancaster Park, AB
Top 15 males and 15 females qualify to the regional

Regionals:
Canada (4 sectionals, up to 60 males and 60 females competing)
May 29-30, 2010 in Calgary, AB
Top 6 males and 6 females qualify to the GAMES

112 Days Until SECTIONALS!

"Filthy Fifty"
50 Box Jumps (20")
50 Jumping Pullups (wrists at bar height)
50 KB Swings (1 pd)
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to Elbows
50 Push Press (45#)
50 Back Extensions
50 Wall Ball Shots
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders
21:15

Not a PR for me today. Really disappointed about that. Was hoping for an 18-19 min time. I was really flying until knees to elbows. Usually I can bust those out into two sets (35/40 and then 15/10), but today I only managed 10 the first go and then 2s and 3s until the end. My abs are still really sore from "Annie" last week. Hoping it will wear off by the end of the week.

The wall ball shot to burpees at the end is always a killer, but I did manage the burpees unbroken this time which was good. Slow yet steady.

And lets not talk about the double unders. They sucked royally because I was going to pee my pants! I can usually bust out 50 in a row like they are nothing... not today.

113 Days Until SECTIONALS!

Received a very good question from Jason in Eastern Canada yesterday and thought I would answer it in a blog post for everyone to read.

He question was regarding to following a 'hybrid program'. For those of you who follow this blog and my training regularly you have probably noticed I follow a mixture of programming. Some CF Lethbridge WODs, some OPT WODs, and some WODs from my coach and loving boyfriend Chad Brandt.

My programming is based on three primary things... 1) my work schedule, 2) my weaknesses, & 3) my love of training with a team. It's really that simple.

1) Work Schedule
I am a full time competitive gymnastics coach and work a split shift ranging between 35-60 hours per week depending on the time of year. "Off-season" is typically June to December and competitive season is January to May. During the competitive season I am travelling nearly every weekend and working 36 hours in a matter of three days. I try to visit a CrossFit affiliate if there is one where I'm at, but their hours don't aways work with a gymnastics schedule. Most CF gyms aren't open at 6am or 8pm on weekends.

I really make a point of visiting CF Calgary if I am ever in town. Brett Marshall is a great group instructor as is James FitzGerald. Always try to drop into one of their classes if possible for some great cues and a tough workout. The last time I dropped into James' CrossFit class was during a motivational slump... he made a point of letting me know I wasn't working hard enough to reach my goal of games. That was enough for me to hear to get my butt going! James is a great motivator to me. He has become a great family friend and someone who just knows the right thing to say to me.

It gets pretty tough to get my workouts in come competitive season for work. Just to get my work in I may have to train 4 days straight to take three off, or throw in some double and triple days depending on what volume I need to get done prior to the weekends.

2) My Weaknesses
Usually I thow in some extra work on skills pre or post workout depending on how I am feeling. Just some extra strength work to build up my ability to attack the metcons. Lots of times I don't post this stuff and just have fun with it... I've been really working on my front & back levers, handstand pushups on paralettes, iron cross, bench press, and snatch grip deadlift lately.

3) Team Training
If I had the motivation to attack workouts everyday by myself I would strictly follow James' programming. I've tried that twice before and I personally wasn't getting the results I was hoping for. James is an amazing programmer, trainer, nutritionist, you name it and he's most likely one of the best at it. Following his site solely wasn't working for me because I can't handle training by myself. I can handle a week at a time before I'm lonely and bored. I like having the music blaring, training side by side with other crazy athletes and fighting for that finish line. Hearing other people scream and fight through the same pain I'm going through works wonders on my brain.

I'm incredibly lucky though in that the crew I usually train with at 6am is full of top dogs. There are usually 3 or 4 guys that really push me. Plus, I like kicking the pants off the boys! I don't just want to be the best girl in the gym...

Do I think there are better and more scientific programs out there... oh ya! But I've found what is working for me. I check James' blog everyday to see what he's programming and what he feels is important to develop a top athlete. I usually put these elements in my warm ups or skill practice time, but in the past there has been alot of my strengths (which just so happen to be alot of people's weaknesses).

I have been recording ALOT of PRs in metcons as well as max rep lifts in these past couple of months since the 2009 Games. Whatever maddness I am doing it seems like it is working for me.

I hope this sort of answered your question, Jason. But I also hope that this opened up alot of new questions from other readers. Please post your comments and questions. I am always listening.

114 Days Until SECTIONALS!

I'll keep it short and sweet...

1-1-1-1-1
Overhead squat

125-135-155-165-170#

F&^$ YAH!!

115 Days Until SECTIONALS!

Took yesterday off. I needed it!

CrossFit Lethbridge Spin the Bottle
(each person that shows up for the class gets to spin the bottle in order to randomly select the exercises, our coach then determines the rounds and reps)
6am - Team Donkey Punch
30 Spidermans
30 Deadlifts (95#)
30 Push Press (45#)
30 HSPU
30 Thrusters (45#)
30 Power Lunges on each leg
30 Box Jumps
30 Thrusters (45#)
30 KB Swings (1pd)
30 Thrusters (45#)
30 Press (45#)
20:07

I had to modify this one. My abs are so ridiculously sore from Annie the other day I couldn't stay upright on the KBS. Did one and fell right over. I thought that I just was off balance so I tried another... same result. Did 3 more and my abs hurt way too much so I skipped those and the last sets of thrusters and just finished off with the 30 presses. Annie does that to me every time. Last time, my abs were sore for 2 weeks! Hoping this doesn't last quite so long.

Since I'm so heavily involved in gymnastics I thought this article was interesting, and is starting to become common place in Canada. Essentially a company named SOCAL is seeking to charge gymnastics clubs in Nova Scotia a fee for playing floor music or any kind of music in their gym. The fitness industry is facing the same sort of ordeal with the proposed NRCC Tariff. If this goes through gyms like CrossFit would be charged $3 per group exercise class PLUS 5% of gross revenues for the month. For CrossFit Lethbridge, that would total $384 per month PLUS 5% of gross sales just to play music! OUCH!

I say we have JMac record us a bunch of songs to play at the gym!

117 Days Until SECTIONALS!

"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10:
Double Unders
Situps
5:18

About 40 seconds slower than my last time. I attribute that to three things... 1) we had to use an abmat for situps today and last time we didn't; 2) my mid-line is already toast from the heavy squat clean & jerks yesterday; and 3) I forgot my shoes at home and had to do it in bare feet.

A 5:18 is pretty good, but I would be lying if I didn't say I'm pissed for not even making it under 5.