Puzzlement..

Tonight was a  bit of a new one, but not all that new. Strict Press/Front Squats 3/3/3.

The Press, I did 85/105/110x2.   Front Squat - 125/145/165x1

Not sure what's going on, but I'm all wonked out.  Presses are stuck, and I should have been able to get the Front squats without too much of a problem, but I couldn't.I seem to be moving almost in a backwards pattern, and I'm not certain why.

Me, being a bit analytical about myself, must try to figure this out, so I've been mulling this over in my mind.    Could it be the fact that the last 6 weeks have been a bit inconsistent for me training wise? Possibly....Hawaii, Omaha had to have thrown a bit of a wrench into it. There is the huge stress, and suppressed emotional experience of layoffs and paycuts that wreaks havoc on you mentally.  The whole thyroid thing?  Perhaps, at least in theory, but I really feel fine, so, I'm not really convinced about that one.  

I know I backed off a bit on the whole competitive thing a couple months ago - that whole scenario was getting to me mentally in a bad way - causing me to like it less, so I recognized it, and backed off, decided to only compete with myself.  Did I back off too much?  Let too much of the "tiger" go?

I dunno - perhaps a combination of it all...or an off day??  I'm just not sure....but I know I wasn't feeling like I was at my best tonight.  I've been off, I just can't pinpoint exactly why, but I don't think I like the backward momentum that I seems to be setting in.

I guess we'll give it a week or two and see if this is just a wonky week.  I'm a bit puzzled about the whole thing.

Now - the good news - we went to dinner tonight at Olive Garden - can you guess how many breadsticks  I had???

If you guessed a big fat zippo, you are correct!! Not a one.    YAY ME!

Monkey ladder

Well, the monkey is still alive and kickin'!  After raising my thyroid prescription to very high levels.....it's still wonky - so now we are entering epic levels.  If this last one doesn't work, it's to an endocrinologist I go.  It's very strange that after 25 years on thyroid meds, they decide to bonk out and fail. Now, my theory is that I have so much muscle mass now that it's messing with the absorption (yeah, I kind of choked on my cookies on that statement too! BAHAHAHA!)  Ah well, I guess we'll see in a month were this sucker lies.  Again, looking at the positive side of life, at least there is a bit of a reason why my butt size isn't shrinking.  Sheesh, can you imagine what it would be doing if I weren't working out and mostly eating good??

Oh - here's the kicker on that one...when the doctor said she was going to raise the dose - she also said to call her immediately if I got any heart palpitations or anything...ZOIKS! - ok - that part did kind of throw me.

Anyway - today was the one-handed Kettlebell ladder.  I finished 8:34.  As much as I've been feeling the 2 handed swings lately, I did NOT feel the one handed swing love.  I seem to be stuck in a perpetual 8-1/2 minute rut on this one.  I was actually hoping to get closer to 6...but nope.  I ended up stopping, and once you stop once, that's all she wrote, the next stops come easier.  I did feel the deterioration in my form pretty significantly tonight as my butt started to cramp and I was trying to catch a breath...threw off the rhythm etc.  Just not my best overall performance.  Not sure if the whole thyroid thing threw me off a bit or what.  It's definitely puzzling to me!

A week's worth of spouting off!

Sheesh, darn tootin' near a full week behind!  Traveling kind of messes with things!

I'll start at the beginning...

Monday: Nicole -  400m run, max rep pullups.  As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

Nicole is not my favorite.  1. I hate running.  2. pullups frustrate me.

Overall, this was just a weird night all around.  I went to the 530p  class, and it was the strangest atmosphere that I've ever experienced.  The 530 group doesn't normally intimidate me, or throw me off too much, but it is different that the 630.  It's not quite as loud and rambunctious as the later class, more focused, but still an all around friendly atmosphere.  Monday was not the typical 530 group, and for some reason there was a palpable tension in the air with a couple of the other people, creating an added tension with everyone else.  Not sure where this came from, or what caused it, but it did make things very uncomfortable.  So, first lap of the run, I kind of ran along with Patty and told her this was not a typical 530 atmosphere, because she was swearing off ever coming again.  Then we continued on.  Pullups, I tried my new kipping maneuver in the red bands - I didn't exactly stack up the numbers!  I ended up getting in 5 rounds + 200 meters and 20 pullups.  Pullups were far less than last time, but last time I had jumping pullups from the low bar, so although less in number, more effective.

Tuesday: Z's birthday.  His choice.  What does he choose?? Why DeFyght Gone Bad of course! We did it a bit differently this time - it was based on Task Priority:

3 rounds for time of:
- 20 Wallball shots (16 lbs)
- 20 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (55 lbs)
- 20 Box jumps (16")
- 20 Push press (55 lbs)
- 40 Double-unders
- 1 minute rest (self-timed)

I started with the box jumps, and continued through.  There was a 25 minute cutoff on this one.  I failed miserably in getting through all 3 rounds, primarily because of the double unders.  I can get them, but I'm not exactly a speed demon on them.   I got through 2 rounds, saw time was coming to a close, bailed on the last rest minute, and started with my box jumps.  Once I completed those I knew we were within 3 minutes or so of time being called, so I whipped out my push presses and went straight into the high pulls.  I knew I had a better chance of at least finishing what I started before time was called if I went this route rather than going in order.  The DU's were gonna take me forever.  So, I missed on finishing 3 rounds by Wall Ball and DU's.  DRATS!

Wednesday: Back Squats - I was in Omaha - so missed out on heavy squats again! Cripes it's been months since I've done these for weight.  Just bad timing.

Thursday: 3000 lbs overhead anyhow.  This looked like a cool one!  I was still in lovely Omaha so missed it.  Next time though, it will be a really cool way to work/practice snatches!

Friday:  A whole new stations - 3 rounds.  1 minute at each station/1 minute rest in between rounds.

- Split Jumps
- Sandbag cleans (50 lbs)
- Kettlebell swings (16 kg)
- Burpees
- DB goblet squats (25 lbs)

- Pullups

Split jumps are basically jumping lunges.  Round 1, my ankle did not like these so much, but it loosened up a bit after that.  I managed to get an average of about 22 per round on these.  

Sandbag cleans - I believe, overall, I brought my score to around 35 , so 13 -15 per round.  Although on the first round, as I was coming to the end of the minute, I brought the sandbag up, plopped it up, and there was a metal hook or something underneath that landed square on the top of my shoulder!! OWIE!! Yes, I do believe that will be one big nasty bruise when it forms!  Kettlebell swings, overall I cranked these out.   Burpees, blech!  I eeked out a measly 3-5 per round.   The Goblet squats - it depended on the round.  Round 1, I got in quite a few.  By round 3, my thighs were torched, so it was not nearly as many.    Pullups - well, I did them with the fancy kipping move in the red bands, but I really don't have high numbers on these yet.  I can still only manage 3 at a time.  Which equated to about 4-5 per round.  

Overall - I can't remember my score at all - I think it was 89, 78, 67 ish....I know those aren't the numbers at all - overall score was 200 and some odd amount...maybe 220??  Dunno, this one took alot more out of me than I expected.  So in the end, my final number did not register in my brain at all!

Friday night, we went to Joe G's hockey game.  Wow! It was good to be back in the rink, even as a spectator, it made me miss the old roller hockey days.  We may have to have a Genetic Drift reunion!

Saturday:  Power Cleans 5/5/5/5/5

Olympic lifting is not my forte.  When the weight hits a certain level, I lose any form I had completely.   I'm going to work these and a couple other things using the "Kaizen" theory.  That article, I think was the best one that Jonathan has written, primarily because it definitely "spoke to me".   In other words, as I was reading, I saw myself, and recognized the points being made, whether the article was written with me in mind or not.  It's a good reminder for how to better yourself in all kinds of aspects in life.

So, I went into today with this in mind, I started at a relatively low weight and only went up by 5 lb increments, so I could pinpoint the exact weight that I start pulling too soon on these Oly lifts.  I started at 75, went to 80, 85, 90, 95,    At the 95 lb range, I started to do the usual pull too soon, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was in the past, so I guess we'll see.  Perhaps it was the 5 lb increments that kept me better in line.  I'm not certain.  But I have a plan in my head to get these moves better at higher weights.....we'll see how it works.  Only time will tell.

Went to the Olympic lifting competition afterward.  We only stayed for the snatches.  

All the boys did awesome!  I have to say, this is the first time I've ever seen Rich psych himself out of a lift.   He did what I usually do, which was a bit strange.  Goes to show he truly is human.

Sweetness!

Yippee!!! What a fabulous day!!

We worked on the Functional version of Diane.  Meaning it was deadlifts and handstand pushups but form was everything.    Deadlifts were no problem, we did them at 155.  Handstand pushups  had to be head to the ground, full range of motion.  At first we kind of divided into two groups, "the boys" - who started off working on full handstand pushups, and "the girls" who started with feet on the box, to see if we could get full ROM.

I started off, with feet on a box, these were good.  Next round then we moved to my beloved upside down rubber band contraption - this was the test to see if we could play with the big boys. I believe I started with my hands in a funky position - got through about 3 or 4 then nothin!  Just as I was about to be sent back to the box, Patty pipes up and says that I really can do it.  I surely hoped so!! I really wanted to play in the big bands!   So, I gave the last another shot and although not spectacular, it was good enough to go to the big boy side of life!!

When I did the handstands in the boy position - it was definitely easier, despite being strapped into the same bands.  The bar is about 2 inches higher, and I think that added just enough extra tension in the bands to make me feel light as a feather...HA! ok, perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, but it was definitely alot springier!

Now - the happiest moment of the day......With the new pullup rule, I didn't realize that if you can do 3 deadhang pullups in the bands, you can then start working on kipping - still in the bands.  I thought kipping was denied until you could do 3 unassisted pullups.  I was wrong.  Tried the kipping move last night - not so good. This morning I tried again, and by George I think I got it!!  I have to say, even if I was in the bands, it was the coolest to swing away and then hoist on up, then down, then up (I got about 3 good ones in a row!).  If I was this excited about doing it in the bands, I can't imagine what a freaky nutcase I'll be when and if I ever get them unassisted.

Gotta say, overall, for me, today was the high point of the week.  Even though I was strapped into about 18 different bands, I felt pretty darn-tootin' cool!

Annie, Cindy and a coupla Snatches

Wednesday we hit Annie again -Annie -50-40-30-20-10-rep rounds of: Double Unders and Situps.

I actually had a moment where I strung together, 7 or 8 in a row - and they almost felt natural....normal.  It was strange.  I ended up finishing this one a couple minutes quicker than last time.  Out of the blue, I stopped having to jump 3 times before starting on the DU's.  Before this, I would jump 3 times, land one, single, double, single double (at least if I could string them together!!)  This time, I still have the single in between, but I started off on right away, no warming up into them.   I finished in 16:10, which is 2 minutes faster than my last time, and strangely enough, I probably could have taken more time off.  I stopped and had to retie my shoe a couple of times before giving up and kicking them off!  So - I'm quite pleased with the results on this one!

Thursday:  Snatches 3/3/3/3/3.

Let me start this off by saying, I have been asked a couple of times this week if I'm going to compete in an upcoming Oly lifting meet.  I was a bit surprised, because I didn't recall hearing anything much about it.  Well, after confirming with a couple people - apparently I have selective hearing when it comes to competitions.  I think I put my fingers in my ears and say LALALALALALAL!! ....if not out loud, then definitely mentally.  All I'm gonna say is, I'm not competing in anything anytime soon.  I believe this workout proved without a doubt that I just don't have the technique down once the weight hits a certain point - and that point isn't a heavy weight by any means.  I basically did a whole lotta reps at 60 lbs, and a couple that were not so good at 75 and 80.  I think it's the lifting off the floor part that's throwing me, but I'm not certain what to do about it.  However, I am glad that me thinking I'm not up to speed for competing level is not all in my mind.

Today - mini Cindy -  5 pullups/10 pushups/15 squats - as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes, 5 minute rest, then do it again.  This time the focus was definitely on working harder, not faster.  So pullups were dead hang - meaning before you start pulling your feet were off the ground, not a chance of pushing off if you wanted to.  I did them in the red bands.  Regular pushups and Squat as usual.  The pullups, I tried to get 5 good ones, where  I was over the bar.  Round 1 - I think I accomplished that.  By the end I think I probably averaged about 3 good ones a round, 1 -eh, otherwise known as not exceptionally fabulous by any means, and 1 that ended up being a whole lotta pulling, with bar at eye level.

The first set, I only got in 3 round, plus the pullups and 3 pushups.

The second set, I managed to eeek out...a whopping 3 rounds.

So - like I said - definitely not going for speed and the regular jumping pullups.  These were much slower. Do the first 2 or 3, then rest.......for a while - until you're pretty sure you won't be pulling for nothing.  Overall, I'm ok with it, because thinking about it - I just did 35 dead hangers in the red bands. - ok - so maybe only 24 (random number!) were of exceptional quality (heehee!), but it works.  Ironically, I have suddenly become more comfortable in the overhand grip - not so sure about the thumb around the bar though. I know it's a mental thing, but it was funky! Oh yeah - and it was even better since I imbibed a bit too much on the tequila last night!! OY!

Hey, get this - I met a girl, who goes to some gym downtown - I'm not entirely sure if it's crossfit or not...but this is the workout she did that day - talk about a freaking nightmare!!  It was Step ups (not sure how high the box was) and Burpees.  Doesn't seem so bad, huh?......until you hear they did it Annie style...50/40/30/20/10!!!! JINKIES BATMAN!! That's 150 burpees!!  I think it would take me a good hour and a half - and by about #75 I'd be laying on the floor twitching.  So, next time I see something wretched come up - including the plate drags, bear, KB hell, etc....I'm gonna have to remind myself that it could be much, much, much, much, much ..........much.....worse!

First of all - I must throw out how disconcerted I am about this whole new rule thing on pullups!!

Fresh off the gymnastics cert, Jonathan suddenly gets it in his head that no one can do kipping pullups until they can get at least 3 dead hangs.   Not that I can do kipping pullups either, but I at least feel like I'm closer.    I think there is an evil plot against me on this one - Destiny apparently doesn't want me actually succeeding and really doing a workout that includes pullups, the way it's supposed to be done, until about the year 2015.  ARGH!  Have I mentioned that I'm really starting to HATE pullups...and the aggravation they cause me??

Onto better subjects.....

Bench Press - 3/3/3/3/3 - with 2 second pause.  The point of this one was not to go to failure.  Like last Friday, this has been a week - ok, so it's only Tuesday so far, but it's been a miserable week.  I'm mentally and emotionally depleted.  I've been stress eating on crap like there is no tomorrow, which has caused me to feel like ca-ca the last couple of days - basically it's almost like having a food hangover.  So - I wasn't expecting a whole lot on this one.

The 2 second pause wasn't just a 1, 2 count - it was "one.....one......thouuuusand.......two........one......thouuuuusand"  

I ended up doing 115, 125, 135, 145 x2 (I failed miserably on the "don't go to failure" rule), 135.

The weird thing, is these didn't really feel bad - even the 145 - I did the second one, and I thought I could do the third.  I think during the long pause I took a bit of a nap though, and recovering from that was apparently just not gonna happen!  So, I got a tiny bit of a reprimand for that!  I think this is the first time I've done 2 at 145 with a really long pause though!

Today was the bear:
5 rounds of 7 "reps" of the sequence:
- Power clean
- Front squat
- Push press
- Back squat
- Push Press
Evil, evil bear.  Again - I'm feeling like a whipped puppy, so I didn't hold out much hope for doing well.  I kind of surprised myself.  Not that what I did was necessarily pretty, and it was really, super hard.  Actually - I think the hardest part of the Bear is the fact that you cannot set the bar down until the 7 reps are done - that is just painful.   I ended up doing 85/85/90/90/85 for a total score of 435.  Shocked myself!...although, again, I can't say that it was necessarily a pretty thing.  

10 stations....1 drained chicka!

Today was a tough day....I went to the gym but I was just tired.  Completely mentally and emotionally drained.  I learned about a friend that suffered a tragedy last night, and it was just an all around tough day at work.  So, going to the gym, I was drained.  Just not really feeling spunky and full of gusto.  Tonight was Filthy 50 done stations style.  2 rounds. We got there and it was just Patty and I.  Uh oh, that's never a good thing with stations.  To make matters a tiny bit worse, Rich was going to stay and help coach. Oh crap! That means one on one training for a stations workout.  This is gonna hurt.  

1. Box Jumps 20' - I started on these, and it actually wasn't so bad - although with the one on one situation, I had to land square in the middle of the box.

2. Knee to Elbow - These are starting to be like pullups - slow and deliberate.  Oh - coaching correction on this one was tip my hips up more on the lift.

3. Walking Lunges - I must say, I nailed these - wait - no not quite, had to keep my weight on the heel.  Almost forgot that one!!

4. Jumping pullups - Again, slow and deliberate.  Apparently I  jump in one position, land in another and have to reset, rather than just jumping again.  I tried it that way, just landing and jumping,  and it was wonky! So, I'm assuming when I do these, something is awry causing me to land funky.

5. Wall Ball - 16# - HEY! - I think these were all good.  I don't recall any corrections.  Woo hoo!

6. Kettlebell swings - 12kg - I think these were fine too - I've been feeling the swing groove of these lately, not sure why, but when I do them, I'm going higher and standing taller in the top position -at least I feel like I am.

7. Double Unders - no love here.   I don't think I landed a single one.  I have to be the right amount of tired to do these, and I think my lack of oxygen killed my coordination.

8. Push Press -35# - Again, my biggest issue with these is lack of oxygen, and they are so light, that I tend to try to just overhead press them rather than push press. 

9.  Back Extensions - got through alot of them then...HELLO CRAMPAGE!! ZOWIE!  Overall, no real corrections, except towards the end - then I had to do "full range".

10. Burpees - Yeah - sucky way to end.  I had to make sure my position on the pushup was correct.

By the time I hit push press in round 2 - I was almost wondering if I might be on the verge of vomit, I was lacking so much oxygen.  Now, that didn't happen, I think in reality I would probably pass out before going that route, (BLECH, not a fan of the vomit comet, haven't visited that one in years, and soberly....probably decades!).

I'm kind of surprised that the lunges didn't bother me - my right knee has been a bit funky the last couple of days.  If I had to guess, I think when I tried to run the other night when my back was getting all knotted up,  I must have had a funky gait.  I can't quite pinpoint when it hurts, sometimes it's when it's bent....and yet squatting, not a problem. So...it's a funky thing.

Round 1 - I got 157, Round 2 - 150 for a total of 307. About 50 higher than last time. I'm happy with that, especially with my energy level coming in.

Now - after my little pullup hissy fit yesterday, I've tasked both Rich and Jonathan with their sole mission for the weekend.....find out why the hell I can't get over the silly bar!!  Their goal - get me my pullup by next week.  No small feat there!!  HA!   Oh well, I think I'm about to get desperate on this front.  Stress, makes pullups essential to my well being.  The more stressed I am during the day, at work, etc, the more vital it is for me to actually be able to do these.

I think I'm a bit of a nutcase.