Morgan's Grip Log

[maidenfan]

02/01/13

"Gwen" was the goal. C&J 15reps, 12reps, 9reps. Once you start ea set its touch and go only at the floor, no reset of the hands. If you rest, the bar has to be off the ground. As much rest as you want in between sets. The girl on the Crossfit site demo'd at 145lbs - I figured I had to do more than that, so I picked 175lbs.

Here's how it went: 8 reps - 40sec break - 3 reps - 45sec - 4 reps (done with first 15 in 3:45). 5 reps - 30sec - 3 reps - 40sec - 4 reps (done w/12 at 8:58). 4 reps - 30 sec - 2 reps - 20sec - 3 reps (finished in 12:48)

The combo of too much weight and/or not enough rest in between and my crappy c&j form made it not go as planned - but I did work hard.

[lifesnotfair]

No problem Morgan. It's my own personal observation that many people just associate watching TV with eating something. Perhaps the habit started with the movie theater? I know people who say they just can't go to the movies and not eat popcorn and a soda pop. I have always been a huge movie fan since a very young age, and let me tell you I have absolutely no problem going to the movies with my wife and never eating anything. I do try not to go while very hungry but that's beside the point. My point is, when one watches a movie, for example, one should consider that to be an activity in itself. Compare it to reading a book: do people eat popcorn while reading a book?? No, people just read their book normally and if they ate through a 600 page book they'd be very fat if they are passionate about reading, hehe.

I confess in recent years I almost don't watch "tv" as in shows and series, mostly films, good films if possible, and I just never eat while doing so, I focus on the story, or in the activity I am doing at the moment which is NOT having a meal. Even people who try to eat "healthy snacks" while watching TV are going to overdo it: think grabbing a huge bowl of mixed nuts and eating them one by one... the thing is, over just 1 hour you can easily go through a whole pound of the stuff: no good. It should also be noted that most of what people eat while watching TV is crap food, with very few exceptions, but still not great.

So that's just my take on it, one should not eat in front of any screen of any kind. I understand completely about the Pavlovian response... it seems that once are you used to it, every time you sit in front a TV you feel the need to chew on something! LOL. But believe me, the habit can be broken. It might be tough at first, but it can be done, and getting rid of this habit is a pretty good step forward IMO.

Funnily enough, and as a side note, I also drink red wine almost daily and some beer with less frequency - my two favourite alcoholic beverages!

[maidenfan]

02/02/13

Worked all day and night - no time or energy to workout

02/03/13

C2 Rowing - did some sprint intervals, cut short due to feeling like crap. 5 x 200m w/30 sec rest in between

Avg 1:22 for 1st rd and 1:25 for the 5th. Hit a 1:17 peak avg in the first round.

Felt sick, quit.

02/04/13

Sick, flu or something.

I purchased Bill Piche's nutritional e-book as I wanted to read it and I havent supported the board in a while. I'm quite positive the program would get very good results for anybody if they had the discipline to eat like that.

[maidenfan]

02/05/13

BW - 250.8

Did the Crossfit WOD

205 Front Squat x 20
30" Box Jump x 30
53lb KB Swings x 40
20lb Wall Ball Shots (10' target) x 50

Only thing I changed was I had to run down four flights of stairs w/the 20lb med ball and do the wall ball shots there. Time stopped when I got back upstairs (w/the ball).

Squats done at 2:35
Box jumps at 4:51
KB swings at 7:12
Wall Ball shots at 11:56

Tough workout - legs are smoked.

[maidenfan]

02/06/13

Crossfit Wod: 800m run x 3 sets (2 mins rest between sets)

3:15, 3:15, 3:16

About an hour of running/walking the dogs w/the wife after.

Havent done any running on a track in a while - forgot how nice it is.

[maidenfan]

02/07/13

Swimming - picked up a garmin swim watch for indoor pools - works great.

Tonights swim - http://connect.garmin.com/activity/270820386

Also, I'm going to start following Bill's nutritional plan a bit tighter (not all the way) and see where it takes me.

Here's where I'm at now: 6'2" and 250 flat the last two days. I'd guess I'm probably right around 15% bodyfat right now. Goal is to get under 10%

[maidenfan]

02/08/13

Rest Day

02/09/13

Was planning on "Grace", which is 30 reps C&J - usually a weight heavy enough that its dropped and a few seconds is taken. It ends up being a "20 rep squat" type effort. Who really knows as this is the first time I've tried it. Didnt really workout this time due to a number of factors. I messed around with doing some C&J and ugly snatches. Was angry at myself for wasting a workout so I did this to make myself feel better:

Max reps in 15 mins of: double unders, kipping pull-ups, abmat situps and toes to bar.

I got:

300 DU's, 50 kp-ups, 50 abmat s-ups and 10 toes to bar (these are tuff for me). Worked hard and got a good sweat - all that matters.

Had one of my bosses film a C&J.

Here's what I "think" I'm doing wrong:

- For some reason I recover the back foot first vs. the front - Maybe I just need to split a bit further and deeper, which would force a front foot recovery first, right?
- Looks like a dip forward some vs straight up and down? Hard to really tell from video. Need to change angle after clean and before the jerk.
- Weight was good for me, but not a max. I could feel my elbows not wanting to stay locked. Maybe a wider grip would help with this?
- Hips look extended, but maybe not quite all the way?
- Maybe pulled with the arms a bit - hard to tell with the video quality.

Thanks for any feedback.

[honk]

You look way leaner now Morgan!

Sorry but I can't help you with your oly lifting, maybe ask Chris Rice.

[maidenfan]

You look way leaner now Morgan!

Sorry but I can't help you with your oly lifting, maybe ask Chris Rice.

Thanks and Chris has been helping.

02/10/13

Wod off Crossfit site:

Hang Squat Clean - 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 (doubles, working up to a two rep max - no time or rest limit).

205, 205, 225, 225, 225, 225, 235

I must have a weak core and/or legs as it seems easy to get under the bar at this weight, but more difficult to keep the bar close to my neck (that forward tilt as Chris mentioned) and squat it up. More front squats I guess.

02/11/13

Rest day

[maidenfan]

02/12/13

Swam longer intervals for about an hour. 2700 yards total at an avg pace of 1:32 per 100y. Got a PR 500 yard pull of 7:42. Lots of rest though as actual swim time was only 38:08

Good workout as I feel tired this afternoon.

[maidenfan]

02/13/13

Power clean + front squat - worked up to 245

Front squat fm rack - up to 275

Front squat/back squat combo (2front/3back) - 225

Overhead squat - up to 205

False grip ring pull-ups

Running with the wife and dogs

I was happy with the OHS - need to do more as the BTN jerk will help with my elbow lockout problem. The Kipling MU is going to be hard as its hard for me to keep the false grip in the rings (even harder when I try kipping).

[maidenfan]

02/15/13

Crossfit wod:

7 rounds for time of:
155lb push jerk, 7reps
7 chest to bar pull-up
7 burpees

I got through four rounds in 8:38 - gassed. The chest to bar pull-ups were ugly - only about 1/4 were legit - rest were pull-ups (all kipping). Crappy workout - tried some snatch practice w/a bar and a bit more.

Got home and ran to the park (5 min away) then ran 5 rounds of my park circuit, then ran home:

5 dips on the corner of the fence
run to monkey bars - 5 pull-ups
run to stairs - sprint up, two stairs at a time
run to bathroom - one hspu on wall
run back to monkey bars - 5 x knees to elbows
run back to fence, start over w/dips

Worked up a good sweat - finished with a trip to my favorite English pub and ate some sirloin with a walking man IPA.

[maidenfan]

02/16/13

750 double unders and 200 abmat situps (not timing, but about 32 mins). Worked up a good sweat.

[maidenfan]

02/17/13

As many rounds as possible in 15 mins of:

10 x 32kg KB swings
10 x 24" box jumps
10 x ring dips (kipping for me)

Got 7 rounds + 10 swings + 10 box jumps

Good workout for me.

[Jedd Johnson]

Hey bud, didn't you put up a video a few years back curling the Blob very strictly? Or am I thinking of the wrong person?

[maidenfan]

Hey bud, didn't you put up a video a few years back curling the Blob very strictly? Or am I thinking of the wrong person?

Yeah, six years ago (lol)

Edited February 19, 2013 by maidenfan

[maidenfan]

02/19/13

Messed around w/hspu and some muscle-up/false grip ring pull-ups then swam a 1000 yards. Felt tired, not a good workout.

[maidenfan]

02/21/13

Front squat - worked up to a 275 x 2 (current PR)

OHS - worked up to a 225 x miss, then an easy 205 x 2

Power snatch - easys at 135, 155 x 1, 185 x big fail

Front squat - 225 x 5, 275 x 1

500 double unders in 13:33

30 mins of walking w/the dogs

The strength seems to be coming back pretty good, the skill not so fast. Keep at it. I picked up a new Spud 3 ply lifting belt which I really like. Its sort of like a 4" fire hose made into a belt - supportive, but pliable. They're definately made by large people for large people - I'm usually an XL and I ordered a Large (33"-38") and I its at the 33" setting when tight. Its been a long time since I could wear a medium on the waist. Moral of the story is their sizing is a bit off. Sweet belt though.

[maidenfan]

02/23/13

There were five of us today, one of whom is an Airforce PJ, so we did a long, circuit-style workout:

5 stations:

1 - C2 Row
2 - 16KG KB swing
3 - Ab Mat sit-ups
4 - 24" Box jump
5 - Run down four flights of stairs, push a 200lb sled 50', 10 tire strikes w/a sledge, push sled back 50', back up four flights of stairs.

Everybody rotated on the stair station - pretty brutal - just over 20 mins of solid work.

After a few mins of rest, a few of us finished with another circuit of:

5 x 40lb slam ball burpees then up and down four flights of stairs x 4 rounds.

Lots of work tonight.

[maidenfan]

02/26/13

Park circuit - ~1/4 mile loop w/5 pull-ups, ~75' of double-step stair running, 1 wall HSPU, 5 knees to elbows and 5 dips

10 loops in 40 mins flat

30 mins of walking w/the dogs.

[maidenfan]

03/04/13

Push a 255lb prowler 240 yards in 11 mins and change (asphalt, slight uphill one way). A few more mins of pushing afterwards.

Brutal workout - conditioning, strength, pretty much everything. I think I forget on purpose that I own one of these things.


03/05/13

Swimming - 1500 yard pull in 25:30

[maidenfan]

03/06/13

~ 40 mins on a spin bike then stretched the hips out really good afterwards.

[maidenfan]

03/07/13

26 miles on the mtb bike

[maidenfan]

03/08/13

5 rounds of:

1 x 6' hands only rope climb
5 x ring dips
run 200m
5 x strict pull-ups
1 x wall walk + hspu
run 200m

18:20

[maidenfan]

03/11/13

Worked out with a work crew today

Every even min - 15 push-ups

Every odd min - clean 135 + 3 front squats

Continue for 20 mins

I increased 1 pu ea round - stopped at 19 or 20 - got too hard

Worked my way up to the last set of clean + FS at 225

Went home and did 85 strict pull-ups at the park (sets of 5, alt chins, pull, neutral and mixed grips)