Weightlifting Course

(Sunday 22 September 2013)

Structured practice with 20kg again, again felt some progress towards the end.  Feedback from Coach is good so I'm happy :)

2 rep pause backsquats - 60kg, was really nervous after what happened last week so got Coach to spot from 55kg (!)  ..anyway, had no problem with it.  Did 60kg a few weeks ago for one so Coach encouraged me to get it for 2, which I did easy enough but wasn't tempted to go any heavier! I'm a wuss I know, but I'll build back up to it, there's no rush for now.

P.M.  Evening Sesh in the garage aka Crosspit

warm up - air bike 140 double unders 50 sit ups
Back squats 10@17.5kg 37.5kg 5@47.5kg
Deadlifts 10@ 17.5kg 37..5kg 47.5kg 57.5kg 5@67.5kg (Parsley teaching me to try and use my legs more, lower bum, it does help, but takes a lot of concentration as doesn't feel natural)
Turkish get ups ! (getting up of the floor with a kettlebell in one hand keeping your arm locked. - great fun, scary with 16kg!

Slow Progress -better than NO progress!

(THursday 19 September 2013)

A.M. - OPEN GYM @ Crossfit Teesside

ONce again, muscle up practice.  Once again, not much progress.  Iv'e been chopping and changing which methods to use to practice them, which is probably the main reason Iv'e not made much progress.  However, on the advice of Coach B I am now going to try and stick to the low rings and just practice hanging in the false grip, for a while.

4 unbroken ring dips - PB!

P.M - Crosspit session at home

Standard:

Air bike, 100 double unders, 50 sit ups, 10 press ups

Deadlifts: 10@ 17.5kg, 37.5kg, 47.5kg, 57.5kg and 5@ 67.5kg
Snatch practice
Strict press: 5@17.5kg, 21.5kg, 1@ 27.5kg (not much progress on these, they are sooooooo hard!)

I LOVE Pistols!

(Wednesday 18 September 2013)

@ Crossfit Teesside

15 minute AMRAP

25 unbroken double unders
15 over-the-box jumps
10 alternating pistol squats

7+21 RXD

Pistols are one of my favourite things to do so I loved this wod, but definitely did not enjoy trying to do box jumps with knee sleeves on!  ..I should have known better, they are really good for heavy squats but they cut of your circulation for any cardio type work and restrict your range of motion making explosive box jumps problematic.  THe other problem is once they are on they hard to get off!  I had a very slow and awkward start struggling to do box jumps in heavy weightlifting shoes (also good for pistols but heavy, not good for jumping) and restrictive knee sleeves.  In the end I stopped and pulled them down, which wasn't easily done so I wasted a bit of time faffing about with that.  ..Unbroken double unders, I love it when these come in wods cos I am usually quite good (if I can control my panic!)  but heavy do-wins makes doubles a bit clumsy and I fluffed about 4 sets altogether!! 

..all things considered I was still very pleased with my score :)

Diane

(17 September 2013)

"Diane" @ Crossfit Teesside

A benchmark Wod.  

21-15-9

Deadlifts 70kg/100kg
Handstand Press ups

13:58 (60kg & 1 abmat after 14 reps)

Brilliant wod but very tough, very heavy.  There was no way I was ready to do 70kg in a wod but I gave everything to try and complete all the HSPUs unassisted.  I managed 14 altogether (7 unbroken - PB :) ) before realising after numerous failed reps that it wasn't going to happen.  I struggled to finish them even with an abmat!  ..my arms were so fried!  ..all good practice.  Maybe I'll get her next time she comes around!

I went back in later on for open gym (baba with my mam)I worked on muscle ups but to be honest I didn't feel I was making much progress, I think it is going to take a LOT of continous hard work and practice but I'll keep going.  I added in some ring dips, strict pullups and strict press for good measure ;)

Ouch ! ...and WOLFPACK!!!

A.M.  - Olympic weightlifting Course with Coach B 

Working on the snatch.  I practiced with the empty 15kg bar for most of the session as usual, began to feel very disheartened as just felt I wasn't getting it.  However, right towards the end Coach observed and told me it was looking a lot better, so there is hope for me yet!  Went up to 20kg for the last few reps, the only one in the class to be at that weight still. ...if I thought that was bad, I had yet to do my back squats...

...so heavy squats, I'm good at these right?  Did 70kg last week no problem so this should be easy, yes? ..oh dear.  ...so, its 2 reps this week- I went through the weights really quickly, going up in 10s then 5s.  Got to 65kg  and it was really comfortable, Coach says "get some more on that Angela, that looks way too comfortable!"  I put another 5kg on and go down for 70kg, 1st rep- no problem, 2nd rep...  I don't know if it was over-confidence going down too quick or the fact that I was concentrating more on my breathing than on my posture but I got stuck , really stuck.  Having not been in that much difficulty before with a squat I panicked and instead of ditching I was fighting it.  I must have been trying to use my back because my posture went and the weight took me forwards, I could do nothing except go down with it and try get out of the way.  I landed on my knees with my head under the bar.  It hurt but I imagine it could have been a lot worse.  I was basically okay but a bit upset and massively embaressed as everyone was watching!  Everyone was lovely though and just concerned for me. ..Off home to have a good cry on Parsley and I'm on the mend.   ..shit happens.

P.M. WOLFPACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is Parsley with his Wolfpack Team 'The Old Lions' they are a masters team, so that means age 40+.  There were teams from Newcastle and Durham attending and the atmosphere was electric!  All the teams did really well. The Old Lions were amazing and Parsley was ridiculously fast and strong.  He managed to get a load of hang cleans in the last few seconds, it was brilliant to watch.  I felt nervous just thinking about doing it, don't know how they all cope with the nerves! Awesome awesome awesome... :)

HERO wod

(Saturday 14 September)

HERO Wod @ Crossfit Teesside

(Evie, Steve and Sue Hollis)

Today we paid our respects to a mother/grandmother 'Maur' from a whole family of very well-liked members, the Hollis family.  It was a very emotional experience, the box was rammed and other relatives from the family were there to watch, I felt myself wanting to cry as soon as I walked in!

WOD - designed by Evie

3 rounds

8 power cleans @ 42.5 kg

9 Hand stand press ups

13 box jumps 20"

cash out - 75 burpees

I got there early to do the 11 o'clock class but the 10 o'clock class hadn't even set off and were going in two heats so I just joined in the second heat. I didn't have much time to prepare I literally had to grab someone else's bar from heat 1 and do a few reps before the 10 second countdown started.  I ran over to the wall to do one handstand press up with an abmat and ran back to the bar as Lee (Head Coach/Owner) was shouting 3-2-1!  ...and then I was off! ...and to be honest, it was one of my most focused wods, I think because I just got on with it, no time to think about it!

...I was apprehensive about the hand stand press ups but I managed to get through all of them unassisted - yayyy!!!!!!!!!! 

..I was, however, last to finish but it was great as I had a big crowd around me, everyone shouting and cheering me on and when I finally finished there was hugs all round.  It was amazing atmosphere.  I forgot all about the clock and my time ha ha good job someone noted it for me!! - 17:43 RXD

Jude&Food - TEAM WOD!

(Friday 13 September 2013)

Team Wod at Crossfit Teesside

20 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
10 front squats - 42.5 kg
10 toes to bar

(one runs 200m while the other works)

I worked with my pal Jude and I'm not sure what our score was cos we kinda lost track(!) ..but I know we worked really hard and didn't stop. ..I did the squats RX weight and did 10 reps in the first 3 rounds unbroken, but it was hard work and in 4th round I went down to 7, then 5.  ..Really tough little workout, totally underestimated!

Then me and Jude went for a well-deserved lunch @ Roots farm Shop cafe!  ..a perk to heavy training, guiltless troughing!

Muscle Ups - session 2

Tried again sitting on the band but I couldn't get the positioning right it was so awkward to try and hold the band in place.  I managed one muscle up this way with the purple band but I gave up when I kept hurting my wrists because they weren't in the right position.  ...so, I spent the rest of the time doing loads of ring rows into the the muscle up position and ring dips.  ..I'm not too put out because I have long way to go on developing my strength for the muscle up so doing ring dips was extremely beneficial. I am getting better at them , managed 2 in a row, strict :D

..also, worked on strict pull ups only managed 5 in a row but got half a kilo PB on weighted - 7.5kg, I'll take it!! :D

Parsley says I should just get on the big rings and go for it and that I won't get anywhere until I start fully commiting to it.  I think he's right but I don't feel like I have the confidence yet.  I must try next time.

Angela v Power Cleans

Crossfit Teesside WOD

3 rounds for time

400m run
15 power cleans 42.5kg
20 box jumps 20"

15:42   RXD

THanks to Saturday's clean and jerks I was prepared to tackle the power cleans and managed to do the full weight.  They weren't perfect but they were better than they have ever been.  No failed reps.  I just made myself stay calm, concentrated on not pulling too early (only when reaches hip crease) and it was getting up quite good.  ..The only thing I need to work on now is to not push the bar 'out' and try to get it to go 'up', as Coach C was advising me on Saturday.  I felt the difference when I managed to do this and it felt much more controlled, like picking something up and holding it instead of flinging a barbell at yourself!

Rebounds on the box were good, I only failed once when I stopped to think about it (doh!)

Olympic Weightlifting Course - Week 2

(Sunday 8 September 2013 - continuing work on the Snatch)

Burgenor warm up

Structured practice
..worked up to 20kg, tried 22.5kg but went back down.  Still struggling not to take the bar too far out.  Still feels heavy and am still under confident.  ..so was feeling quite disappointed at how I was doing.  Started to feel better towards the end, same as last time.  THink is going to be something that will 'click' one day and then be fine.  Think I have got too concerned about getting power from the hips so am now smashing it 'out' as much as I can in a rush, rather than up and then utilising the drop down. ..I will get there in the end!!

Back squats (tempo - 3 seconds on way down, explode back up)

PB - 70kg yay, something good!  Felt very comfortable aswell.  The girls were encouraging me to go heavier but I was happy with that and wanted to end on a high. I don't feel the need to go mad trying to get crazy heavy I would much rather just expand my ability to do things securely, rather than risk injury. ..I may well be bordering on over-cautious sometimes but as long as I'm hitting PBs I must be doing something right!

Facing Fears

Every Saturday at Crossfit Teesside is a surprise WOD.  No-one gets to find out what it is before they turn up.  It used to be called 'Surprise Saturday' but now its called "Suicide Saturday" because the workouts are usually very tough.  Hero WODs are usually done on Saturdays.  ..I almost always wuss out of going on a Saturday because I'm worried its going to be ridiculously hard and something I can't do/won't enjoy.  However, as soon as I find out what the WOD was I am always gutted I missed it, it always sounds really good.  I then make a plan to go and when it comes to it I find an excuse not to.  It sounds daft ..and it is.

..obviously, as with anything you avoid, the longer you leave it the more daunting it gets.  However this week my sickness of missing out on good WODs took over my nerves of going.  I managed to override the things I was worried about and commit to going.  Once I had just made up my mind it seemed half the battle over!  ..to cut a long story short, I turned up and really enjoyed it.  It ended up being something I WAS afraid of doing but it was really good for me to be forced to get on and do it.  I felt much better for it.

WOD
20 minute window

Grace - 30 clean and jerks - 42.5 kg
mile run 
AMRAP Cindy - 5 pullups, 10 press ups, 15 squats

score: 1+17 rounds of Cindy

I scaled the weight to 37.5kg, which I was happy with.  I can and have done 42.5 kg in WODs before and I did some warming up but in the past when I've RX'd my technique has not been good enough and its caused me to fail reps and struggle, which really dents my confidence and causes 'the fear'. I wanted to get through the WOD and feel good about it, then work up to RXD next time.  As it turned out I think the weight was right because it was still challenging for me, but I could feel my technique becoming stronger and more consistent.

..bring it on next week! :)

Practice Practice Practice

@ "the Crosspit"/ home gym - not able to make the wod again because my daughter is still poorly, I think she on the mend now though :-)

Tackling weaknesses again:

scared myself trying to do hang cleans with the empty bar - didn't go very well or maybe it was just the first movement and I wasn't fully warmed up.  My first few reps of anything always look and feel ridiculous.  I decided to switch to power cleans and forced myself to slow down and concentrate.

Power cleans
10 @ 27.5 kg
10 @ 30 kg
10 @ 34 kg

felt good, I started to feel some consistency and control in the movement but there were times I lost concentration, began to rush and it instantly went out of control.

Deadlifts
10@ 34kg
10@ 37.5kg
10@ 47.5 kg

felt a lot better, still smashing shins a bit and weight still very light but think there is some improvement - a long way to go!!!

Handstand press ups
10 with abmat
17 without

Definite improvement.  Feel a lot more consistency with movement and less panic.  Still had moments where fluffed it but altogether much much better.  went for a PB twice but didn't manage it ..till next time!!

A Perfect Day to Train??

(Thursday 5 September 2013)

Is there ever a perfect day to train?  Do any of us feel 100% ready before we head out that door?  Every time?  I'm guessing the answer is no.  Life elsewhere takes it tole on your motivation.

This is my gorgeous little girl Gracie with yoghurt round her mouth.  She is 13 months and she has been poorly these last two days, which has meant Parsley and I have had very little sleep. Last night I had to sleep on the floor next to her cot as she couldn't bare to be left in the early hours.  As you can imagine the next morning I was like a cranky zombie - NO TRAIN'.  This was to be the second day of zombified no training.

..However, later on, even though I still felt rubbish Parsley got in early from work and suggested I get myself down to the box (he had forced himself to go in the morning just as wrecked as me).  At first I said no I didn't feel 'in the mood' to which he replied "get in it". ..I thought about it and realised that there is never a perfect time to train. Even when I get up for my regular class after a full night's sleep I'm never bursting with energy, usually groggy and not feeling like I've enough sleep.  ..so I ignored my grogginess and dragged myself over the box for open gym ..and here is what I managed..


2,000 metre row - 9:46
PB - 6 unbroken strict pull ups
muscle up practice - bar\rings
PB - unassisted ring dip (finally!!)
snatch practice
2 16kg pistols

..not too bad for a day that didn't feel meant for training!!

Back at the Box!

WOD @ Crossfit Teesside

15 minute ladder
3 Toes to bar
3 burpee over-box-jumps
6 Toes to bar
6 burpee over-box jumps
9
9 etc etc

Score: 18+11 =pleased ..and breathless!  ..and sore hands!!

Good gassy wod, I found that I was able to go really fast almost unbroken until last five minutes when I felt burnt out.  Continued with few second pause in between reps.  Was worried about going any faster on the box jumps when that fatigued in case i caught my foot and went flying! 

Could I have done better?  ..maybe just by a few reps if I had trusted that I could box jump safely when tired.  Plus when I did push past the fatigue in the last minute I found I could do it. -WOD psychology!


Light session @ Crosspit

100 double unders
50 sit ups
10 press ups
10 deadlifts @ 17.5kg
10 deadlifts @ 27.5kg
10 deadlifts @ 37.5kg
10 Handstand press ups with abmat
5 Handstand press ups without

Still finding the deadlifts hard, must be missing something! .. but I will keep doing them.  Think I have made progress on the HSPUs by finally trusting to go butt against the wall and really explode on the kip without hesitation.  If I can manage 10 next time I am definitely getting there!

BEST NEWS - Jude got her first Toes to Bar!!!!  third wod back after months away and she did it, after all the hours and hours of frustrating fruitless practice months ago! - couldn't be happier! :D

Deadlifts and Pistols

@ the Crosspit

Deadlifts:

10 @ 17.5 kg

10 @ 37.5 kg

5@ 47.5 kg

5@57.5kg

5@60kg

3@64kg

Conclusion=I am still rubbish at deadlifts! Everyone seems to be really good at deadlifts and people who are fairly new to crossfit can lift really heavy but my progress on them has been painfully slow!  My one rep max is only just 80kg and I found these hard, what is wrong with me??  I was last to finish in a deadlift wod recently with 60kg. I hope it is just that I don't do them very often.  ..So from now on I am going to start every session at home with a few deadlifts, maybe just up to 47.5 until I can do them really comfortably and fast.  Then we will see if I improve!

Pistols

10 pistols

10 pistols with 7.5 kg kettlebell

10 pistols with 16kg kettlebell with 3 second pause at the bottom

..very pleased with this - redeemed! ;)

Olympic Lifiting Course

@ Crossfit Teesside with Dave B

Today was the first week of our olympic lifting course.  We will be working only on two movements the snatch and the clean and jerk.  First we are working on the snatch.  Today has been all about learning to squat snatch and get comfortable with the drop and positioning.  We did a lot of tekkers and then practise with very light weights, only from the hang.  Then for 5 minutes did 2 snatches from the hang every 30 seconds.  Then after this we did some heavy back squats with pauses at the bottom as this will help with getting out of the hole in the bottom of a squat snatch.

I hadn't done the squat snatch before, always thought of it as an elite movement but surprisingly I found it okay, a lot better than power snatch! I stuck with the empty 15kg bar, what's the point in upping the weight until you've cracked it??!! ..its ALL about the tekkers!!  

For me personally, what I want the most is to to be able to do the movement CONSISTENTLY, to achieve muscle memory, which is going to mean a lot of drilling!  At the moment I feel like I do lifts different every time I do it.  I panic and focus on different things each time, which is making me nervous of certain wods and as a result I having been feeling like I getting worse instead of better.  Its a vicious circle!  This course should sort me out! :D

..things I need to work on; 

- not letting the bar go out
- not leaning over the bar (bad habit)
- not going too wide into squat stance
- stop lurching to the right to compensate for weaker left side

Brilliant class, relaxed, focused, expert advice and detailed instruction :)

Strength and Tekkers - Handstand Press Ups! (HSPU)

@ home - aka The Crosspit! aka The garage

Warm up
1.2 mile run (7.39 average per mile)
Stretching and mobilising (bar passes and presses to get arms and shoulders warmed up)
10 press ups/50 sit ups

HSPU tekkers
approx 3 minutes doing HSPUs with an abmat
 (good managed quite a lot, but still fairly tough, arms felt weak, wrists hurt)
approx 3 minutes doing HSPUs hands on plates either side of the abmat
(same)
approx 3 minutes doing HSPUs with just a flat jigsaw mat
(managed about 5, very tough but feel posture improving, keeping core tight helps)

Strength
Strict press     5-5-5: 17.5kg-20kg-21.5kg       1@27.5kg
Plate sit ups   20@10kg

TEAM WOD!

Friday 30.08.13



Team Wod with Jude, one of my favourite training partners!  Here she is working on toes to bar.  She thinks she will never get them but I know its just a matter of time!

TEAM WOD

In pairs in 20 minutes:

Row 2,000 metres
AMRAP
30 KB swings 16kg/24kg
30 box jumps 20"/24"

4+53 (scaled)



Kettlebell swings were strong and fast but posture not as good as usual as found was going too far over head and rocking a bit on my feet. Need to keep weight on heels!  Re-bound box jumps were getting faster but thats probably why was failing a few not getting weight solid on the box and toppling backwards a few times. Rowing technique much improved, as confirmed by Parsley!

Loved it, great fun! :)

Wicked Wednesday

Wod at Crossfit Teesside - Coach Brutal on top form!

7 rounds

7 Front Squats 50kg
7 Chest to bar pull ups
7 burpees

(20 minute time cap)

19:50 - 42.5 kg

50kg is my max weight on a power clean and squat clean.  I think I could have managed the squats quite well but I was nervous of trying to clean that much in a wod, especially with chest to bar after and a time cap!  As usual, cleans were a bit rubbish because I feel a panic when I start to lift the bar and rush the movement.. but chest to bar getting good, getting quite high, starting to really feel the force of the momentum created by the kip and that moment of weightlessness allowing me to think and pull my chest up to the bar :)

..a way to go!

Convinced to start a blog

bank holiday Monday 26.08.13

So my husband, Marvin 'Parsley' convinced me it was a good idea to start a blog.  First I thought I'm nowhere near good enough to be blogging about training, who's going to read that?! ..but then I thought progression is the most important aspect of training whatever level you're at so it would be good to document me getting a bit less crap at some things ..at least I hope that is what will happen!


FIRST PROPER STRENGTH SESSION (as instructed by Parsley)@Crossfit Teesside

500m row  - concentrate on tekkers and try not to fall off

Dynamic stretching/mobilising

FRONT SQUATS

3 x 5 reps with empty bar

5-5-5 sets: 38kg-44kg-50kg 
(began to panic starting these,scared of the weight, even though have done more than this previously! ..wanted to stop, actually convincing myself of reasons why it might not be a good day to do it - I would probably would have stopped without a set programme, plus I knew Parsley would have been mad if I didn't get it done)

1-1-1-1: 55kg-60kg-65kg-66kgPB - yay!
(by the time I got to these sets I was feeling confident and the weight felt fine) 

WEIGHTED STRICT PULL UPS

5-3-1-1: 3kg-4kg-5kg-7kgPB yess!

END WOD - fran with empty bar - didn't have time, box closing - shouldn't have spent so long putting various lifting paraphernalia on!  However, did find the knee sleeves good support on the squats

Altogether - good sesh!


..check this out,I am totally inspired by this footage:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=537402699647738