Saturday 05/16/09

Location: CHS
Time: 4:30 p.m.

Front Squat
5-5-5-3-3-3

Compare to 02/11/09.

Rest several minutes.

"Grace"
For time:
30 Clean and Jerk, 135#/95#

The cleans may be power cleans (this is recommended), and the jerks can be done as either push or split jerks. The bottom line is to get it overhead (but not using the snatch - that is another WOD: Isabel).
Posted by Phil

9 comments:

Kathy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
May 15, 2009 at 9:10 AM
corzine said...

I did this. Then played soccer. Today I did the 4 800 meter runs. Now I can't walk. That's either a badge of honor or ... the other.

At any rate, my time was 11:02. Maybe I shouldn't post that.

May 16, 2009 at 10:15 AM
corzine said...

Wait a minute. I'm not doing the front squats until tomorrow. You guys are nuts.

May 16, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Kiley said...

I'm just glad you are posting! It's more fun when other people play along!

I have a friend who's pretty new to CF and she's going back to Afghanistan here shortly...she asked me to help her get some of the wod's together for her that she could do there w/o real equipment...reminded me of you in Rome etc. =)

I haven't done Grace in a looong time so I have no idea what my time will be...or my weight.

May 16, 2009 at 12:33 PM
Kiley said...

65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 110(big, fat fail)

Grace was 85# time was 5:37. I think. Watch is in the car and I'm very lazy.

May 16, 2009 at 8:44 PM
Phil said...

12:45 PMPower Cleans, 5-5-5-3-3-3:
165-5
175-5
185-5 (5 rep PR, I think)
195-3 (ties 3 rep pwr clean PR)
200-3 (3 rep PR, any type of clean)
205-2

I was ticked about missing the last attempt, so I stomped around the weightroom once like an idiot and then came right back and successfully got that 3rd rep. It doesn't count, but I felt better.

Also, these power cleans were actually scheduled for Thursday (05/14/09), but I felt like doing OHS that day.

4:00 PMFront Squat, 5-5-5-3-3-3:
225-5
235-5
245-5
250-3 (ties 3 rep PR)
255-2
255-1

Grace
3:41
(1:02 faster than 04/17/08)

So . . . doing power cleans on the same day as front squats/Grace does not constitute intelligent training. I assume my Grace time could have been better had I not done that (and of course front squats don't help either). That said, the M.E. work was more important to me than the Grace time was . . . and perhaps more importantly, I simply felt like doing it (plus, I'm still pretty darn happy with that Grace time).

Last thing - this is the 2nd time within 6 months that I've jacked myself in the chin on a jerk (Grace). No chipped tooth this time.

May 16, 2009 at 11:30 PM
Phil said...

Jacob -

Regarding the front squat work in the same session as Grace, it has to do with a slightly modified take on CrossFit called the Max Effort Black Box. This was created by Coach Mike Rutherford (Coach Rut) down at CrossFit Kansas City (the link's on Hop a Fence).

In short, he noticed that a lot of CrossFitters can't do the workouts as prescribed, and of the people who can, many of them would post better times if their overall strength were higher. In response to this, he created the MEBB, which essentially has more strength days (called M.E. days - max effort) tossed in along with the "typical" CrossFit metcons ("mixed-mode training") on the other days.

His original template went with the 3-on-1-off and was as follows:
CF-ME-CF-rest-CF-ME-CF-rest, etc. There are other ways to use the MEBB as well - we followed the original schedule for a while (since about January) and are now following this type of schedule:
ME-CF-ME-rest-CF-ME-CF-rest, etc. Essentially, the workout days simply alternate between CF and ME.

Progress has been very solid - I'll try to get you some more information on it if you'd like. I'm sure I'll start bumping up against some ceilings soon, but I've definitely been PR-ing fairly regularly for the last few months, and I know Kiley has as well. I'm pretty sure Chris Bartels (you may not know him) has been PR-ing like crazy too - he usually works out with us a few times per week but also does CF on his own. I don't know if he's been following the ME template, but he and I have at least talked about it - Chris, perhaps you can comment here?

Last comment - in keeping with Coach Rut's programming, most ME days have some type of short metcon following the ME work - usually 5-10 minutes - no more. I also read the blogs of Dutch Lowy and Ricky Frausto fairly regularly and have seen similar programming and/or comments on their sites. Ricky runs CrossFit Omaha, and both he and Dutch placed very high at last year's games (6th for Ricky, I think - not sure for Dutch). All this to say - I trust their programming.

Ok - longest comment ever.

May 16, 2009 at 11:48 PM
corzine said...

Makes sense. I do have the problem that I can't do some of the workouts -- like the pull-up work out that was up last week, or still pretty much anything that calls for handstand pushups. Of course, every time I get close, I move and take 2 months off, but ..

So I was going to do the squats today, but my calves hurt like heck. I'm seriously limping all over the place. So I'm going to the sauna instead.

I might think about starting to follow what you've got here then, though. We'll see though. One thing I like about the cf workouts a lot of the time is that they're quick. I can get in and out alot of times in half an hour. so we'll see -- I might have to decide sometime just how important the workout is, but ...

anyhow, I don't want to take your longest post ever ribbon, so I'm stopping here.

May 17, 2009 at 9:06 AM
chris said...

Front Squat:
195 - 5
205 - 5
215 - 5
225 - 3
235 - 3
245 - 3 (new 3 rep PR)

Grace:
6:55

Coincidentally I did the Grace workout just 8 days ago on my own. Today's time was over 2 minutes faster.
I didn't get dramatically faster or stronger in those 8 days. This result has to be testament to the value of doing CF in a group. -I'm mentally stronger and can push myself harder when there's someone next to me pushing him/herself just as hard.

With regards to the dialog on MEBB:

I'm torn.

I'm pretty religious about following the main site workouts and have seen significant PRs in both weight and time. I've also taken WODs that I can't do as prescribed and worked up to "as prescribed" levels. The only time I do the MEBB routine is when I work out with Phil & co.

My general feeling on the MEBB is that it's a next logical step for those that have improved their fitness to the point where they are "comfortable" with the standard WODs. For others, it's a great way to target and address weaknesses.

In my case, I've had rotator cuff problems in both shoulders. As a result, I struggle with all of the overhead lifts and my shoulders are generally weak.
I've been trying to add shoulder presses, overhead squats, etc to WODs in order to strengthen my shoulders. Not really the same thing as MEBB, but it has been helping.

I don't know if I think that MEBB applies as well to a random guy/gal just starting CF. Unless that person has a good level of fitness and a good understanding of weightlifting techniques to start with, they are going to struggle enough with the base CF stuff for a while.

I'm no expert. That's just what I think.

That's also my entry in the longest post contest.

May 18, 2009 at 7:27 AM

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