How is it June already.....? (Mon 1 June 2009)

Back to Clean and Jerk assistance exercises today, followed by some hang squat cleans in the conditioning routine. I know it is for time, but remember, form comes first, then intensity; if you need to slow down to perform the exercise correctly then so be it.

In the long run you will see greater gains from doing an exercise correctly from the start than you will by using bad form and relying on brute strength to see you through. In doing so, you are artificially creating a ceiling on what you can accomplish.

A new progression on the buy in this time, muscle-ups and hand stands. Give them both your best shot.

Interesting cash out exercise today; it's not often we are tested on our coordination in a fitness environment, but in the sporting arena it is often one of the most important (and overlooked) facets to fitness. Read the link to see how to do the test then record the result, we will do this again in the near future to see if there is an improvement.

Buy In

10 Negative Muscle-Ups

1 min total handstand (wall assisted if required)

Strength/Skill

Back Squat (High Bar): 5x5

Press: 3x5

Conditioning

5 rounds for time

10 Hang Squat Clean @ 60Kgs

10 Ring Dips

Scale weight as required.

Legionary: 3 rnds for time.

Cash Out

Wall Toss Test - max attempts in 30 seconds.

For every dropped attempt do 5 squats

Post results to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Simulations (Friday 29 May 2009)

In an actual competition, the athlete will have three attempts at each lift to record the best total possible, starting with the Snatch then on to the Clean and Jerk. The time between each lift varies depending on the number of competitors lifting and the weights they are going for. The minimum time between lift attempts will be 2 minutes.

For today's lifting we are going to work under competition conditions just to see how it feels when you have a finite number of lifts to do your best.

Buy in:

Planche progressions

Burgener/BWLA warm-ups

Strength/Skill

5 minutes snatch warm-up

Snatch lift 1

rest 3 minutes

Snatch lift 2

rest 2 minutes

Snatch lift 3

5 minutes Clean and Jerk Warm-up

C&J Lift 1

rest 3 minutes

C&J lift 2

rest 2 minutes

C&J lift 3

Post lift results to comments

Conditioning

Today's workout is a "Fry-Up" and is taken from the good folks down at CrossFit West Sussex. Miles and the crew down there are starting work on their new box, and we wish them all the success in the world. 

"Fry-Up"

5 Rounds of:

3 burpees

6 swings (25Kg)
9 lunges

Optio: 20 Kg Swings

Legionary: 15 Kg/3 Rounds

Cash Out

2 rounds of

Ladder Agility Drills

Ickey-Shuffle (train tracks)

Lateral 2 in/2 out

2 steps forward 1 step back

Post times/results to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

The big three (Wednesday 27 May 2009)

Shorter conditioning routine today but an increased strength component. We will be doing all three of the "core" lifts in one session. You can either do ascending sets (increase weight across each set) or you can use the same weight across each set.

Buy In

Planche Progression

Burgener/BWLA warm-up

Strength/Skill

Squat (High Bar): 3 x 5

Press: 3 x 3

Deadlift: 3 x 3

Conditioning

"Death By Burpee"

Perform 1 burpee, on each subsequent minute do an extra burpee until you cannot finish the round in the minute allocated (so after 1 minute do 2 burpees, then 3, then 4 and so on until you can't do any more).

Cash Out

Football throws through the medium tyre.

25 throws. For every miss do 5 ring dips.

Post weights/times to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

More Assistance exercises (Tuesday 26 May 2009)

Back to it.
This week the assistance exercises are the opposite to last week, so where we did Clean and Jerk work on Tuesday last week, we do the same exercises but with emphasis on the snatch. s such, the warm-up combination should be done with the wider snatch grip too.

It is recommended that you use the hook grip right from the start on the snatch. It will be uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to it and in future will mean you can lift more weight.

Buy in

Planche Progression

Burgener/BWLA warm-up combo

Strength/Skill

Snatch Deadlift (105% Snatch) 3x5

Snatch Pull (95% Snatch) 3x5

Snatch Balance 3x2

Conditioning
Four Rounds for time;
30 Wall-Ball @ 10Kg
15 L-Pull-Up

Optio: 20/10/5Kg Ball
Legionary: 20/5 reps/5Kg Ball

Scale Pull-Ups as required.

Cash Out
Hand Stand - 1 minute
Double Unders x 35

Post weights/times to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Repeat offender (Friday May 22 2009)

Today's conditioning routine is one we have done before so for the first time you have something to compare against to judge your progress (was it really two months ago already?).

Buy In

Skipping - Max skips in 120 seconds

Planche Progressions

Strength/Skill

Back to assistance exercise work today (if you want to lift proper, come along to the Woking Centre of Excellence and join the Weightlifting club. Excellent coaching and a friendly atmosphere.)

Burgener/BWLA warm-up

Snatch Balance 3 x 3

(see this link at Performance menu for a description and video - link is safe for work)

Kettlebell/dumbell swings 3 x 10 @ 24 Kg

Scale weights to ability

Conditioning

21-15-9

Thrusters

Box Jump

for time

Aquilifer: 40Kg/30 inch box

Centurion: 40Kg/30 inch box

Optio: 30Kg/24 inch box

Legionary: 20 Kg/20 inch box 15-12-9

Compare to 240309

Cash Out

Basketball Free Throws x 30

For every missed shot do 5 burpees

For those coming to the Woking Centre of Excellence for the regular weightlifting class, the second workout is;

Snatch (work up to max then 2 @ 80%)

Clean and Jerk (work up to max then 2 @ 80%)

Weighted Pull-Up - sets of 5 to max

Weighted Dip - Sets of 5 to max

Flyes - 2x15

Bench sit-ups - 2x15

Post results to comments or your FK.UK log

Vires et Honestas

TGIARD (Thursday 21 May 2009)

Finally a mid-week Rest Day so make the most of it. Go out and work on a gymnastic skill or ride a bike, do something fun.

Oh, and then come to sprint and agility training at the Varsity - 19:00 start as always.

Vires et Honestas

Got Snatch? (Wednesday 20 May 2009)

Well, it's time to put the skills learned in the assistance and tech sessions to good use and actually do some Olympic lifting. The plan is to start with the snatch and do singles rep efforts; work up as far as you can go, then do 2 more at 80% of that weight. After that, repeat with the Clean and Jerk. Remember, good form begets good lifts - don't sacrifice the correct technique to try for bigger numbers, it never works!

If you have an idea of your max lifts, tailor your first lifts accordingly, if not, start with the bar (or even PVC) and work up.

Buy in

Planche Progression

Burgener/BWLA warm-up combo

Strength/Skill

Snatch

Clean and Jerk

Conditioning

"Diane"

21-15-9

102.5 KG Deadlift

Hand Stand Push ups

Scale deadlifts as needed and substitute the HSPU's with assisted HSPU's/box HSPU's/elevated push-ups/push-ups as needed.

Legionary: 15-12-9 rep scheme

Cash Out

Pull-Up: 3 x max deadhang

Post results to comments/FK.UK. Have fun.

Vires et Honestas

Assistance (Tuesday 19 May 2009)

More Olympic lift assistance exercises today in the build up to Wednesday's O-lift proper; this time looking at the first and second pulls in the clean and then a brief push-press session to get the shoulders active again.

The conditioning routine is a staple of the CrossFit.com main site and, as usual, is much more devious than it looks.

Buy in

Planche Progression

Burgener/BWLA warm-up combo

Strength/Skill

Clean Deadlift (105% Clean) 3x5

Clean Pull (95% Clean) 3x5

Push Press (85% Jerk) 3x2

Conditioning

"Cindy"

AMRAP 20 Minutes

5 Pull-Up

10 Push Up

15 Squat

Use Jumping Pull-Ups/Knee Press ups as required.

Cash Out

35 Double Unders.

Post weights/Rounds to comments or your FK.UK log

Vires et Honestas

Olympic bias... (Mon 18 May 2009)

So today we finally start our bias towards the Olympic lifts for our strength component with..... SQUATS!

Yup, squats are an integral part of the Olympic lifts. We will be doing them slightly differently to the low bar squats we have been looking at and instead will have a high bar placement and work on driving the him in and up on the way up from the bottom to simulate the way we will recover from the clean and snatch lifts. Tomorrow we will be looking at the correct technique, so don't expect to be setting any records! Don't worry, we will be getting to the lifts proper as the week progresses.

We also start our new buy in phase, taking a break from the L-sit to work on Planche progressions. For these we start with the frog stand, move on to the straight arm frog and then the tuck. I don't expect any of us to progress past these stages in this phase so we can look at the more advanced forms at a later date.

Buy in
Planche progression

Strength/Skill
Squat (high bar): 3x5

Conditioning
For time:
21 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (SDHP) @ 40 Kilos
21 Burpees
Run 400m
15 SDHP @ 40 Kilos
15 Burpees
Run 200m
9 SDHP
9 Burpees
Run 100m

Optio: 20 Kilo SDHP
Legionary: 15 Kg Bar, 15-12-9 rep scheme

Cash Out
Max pull-ups x 3

Post weight/times to comments or your FK.UK log

Vires et Honestas

Clean up, Aisle 6... (Friday 15 May 2009)

Cleans today. We looked at the Jerk portion of the lift yesterday so now we are working backwards to the start. All the recent front squat and deadlift work will be put to good use in cleaning the bar to the shoulders and you will see a real transfer of the skills come in to play.

Buy in

L-Sit progression (Last day - Yaay!)

Wall Squat x 10

Samson Stretch

Strength

Clean 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Conditioning

Taken directly from the CrossFit.com main site workout of the day.

Five rounds for time of:

30 Glute-ham sit-ups
25 Back extensions

Optio: 20/15

Legionary: As optio for three rounds

Cash Out

Burgener warm-up

Double Unders x 30

I will be posting the SPARQ ratings for those players that tested on Thursday once I have your weight.

Have fun with the workout.

Post results to comments/FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Jerks! (Thursday 14 May 2009)

Shoulder work again today, this week - the Jerk. As we are starting to look more at the Olympic lifts next week it will be good to get a baseline on what we are capable of. Tomorrow we may even look at the squat clean to get a reading on both components of the Clean and Jerk exercise.

Buy In

L-Sit Progression

25 double unders

Strength

Split Jerk: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Work up to your one rep max. You can start from a squat rack or you can clean the weight up to the shoulders.

Optio and Legionary - 5x3

Conditioning

5 rounds for time

15 Kb Swings (24Kg Men/12Kg Women)

15 Burpees

15 GHD sit-ups

Optio: 20/8 Kg Swings. 5 rounds of 10 reps

Legionary: As Optio but 3 rounds for time.

Cash Out

Burgener Warm-up

Yes, I know it's a warm-up routine, but it's also a great introduction to some of the movements for the Olympic lifting that we will be looking at next week.

Post weights/times to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Supersets (Wed May 13 2009)

We are looking at supersets today. Normally we are either doing as many rounds as possible in a set time (time oriented) or a set number of rounds in as short time as possible (rep oriented). The superset is slightly different - the number of rounds is set, as is the total time  so the orientation shifts to the task itself rather than a rep/time modality.

With a Superset you have two minutes to perform each round. If you complete the round in less than two minutes you may rest until the start of the next round. If you do not complete the round in two minutes you must carry on with no rest. If you cannot catch up and do not finish the subsequent round before the next set starts the workout is over.

The idea here is to allow you to decide how to approach the work for yourself - do you blast through for maximum rest, or take it at a steady pace and try to fit the work in to the time allowed but risk ending early? Ideally you will go as hard as possible to garner the best metabolic response but it will be interesting to see how you game this one; both ways have advantages and drawbacks, and go a long way to showing how you approach your workouts.

The Superset in the workout today is bodyweight only, but pretty much any exercise can be used. In fact the Deadlifts/Power Clean/Thrusters/press/SDHP superset is a combination that just may show up in the near future - you have been warned!

Buy in

L-Sit progression

400m Run

Conditioning

Supersets x 15 rounds (30 minutes work)

10 Push-Up

10 Pull-Up

10 Squat

10 Sit-Up

10 Ring Dip

Optio: 10 rounds

Legionary: 10 rounds/7 reps per exercise

Cash Out

400m run

Post thoughts to comments.

Vires et Honestas

There and back again.... (Tuesday 12 May 2009)

As for yesterday; omit the strength work if you are feeling run down. This is a back off week and you will be getting plenty of exercise with just the conditioning routine.

Buy in

L-Sit progression

Strength

Deadlift 3 x 5

Conditioning

4 x 400m shuttles

Mark out a 25 metre distance with a cone. From the starting point sprint to the cone and back a total of 8 times (there and back counts as 1 time) making a total of 400 metres. Rest for the same time as it took to complete the shuttle. Repeat for a total of 4 shuttles (1600m).

Optio: 4 x 300m shuttles

Legionary: 4 x 200m shuttle

Record time for each leg and total time.

Cash Out

Basketball free throws x 25. For every missed shot do 5 squats.

Record weights, times and missed shots to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas 

Decisions, decisions (Monday 11 May 2009)

Choices this week; you can either continue on with the strength routine as posted or you can take a back off week and just do the conditioning routine (and buy ins etc) if you are feeling a little burned out. Either way, give it your best efforts.

If you are feeling really burned out you can take a week off entirely but don't do it just because you can't be bothered to work out this week!

Buy in

L sit progression.

Week 2 so hopefully you should either be moving up a progression or making good progress at the level you are currently at.

Strength

Back Squat: 5 x 3

Conditioning

If you have access to the tyre (i.e. you are working out at the gym);

4 rounds for time of

Tyre flips x 10 (with in/out/around)

Tyre sledge x 20

Tyre flips x 10 (with in/out/around)

Tyre box jumps x 20

Tyre flips x 10 (with in/out/around)

Tyre side sit-ups x 20

Note: Use the small tyre

Optio: 16 tyre flips/8 exercises

Legionary: 5 tyre flips/10 exercises

If you don't have access to the tyre;

4 rounds for time

Burpees (Gold Standard) x 20

Dumbell woodchoppers x 20 (14 kg db)

Burpees (Gold Standard) x 20

Box Jumps x 20 (24 inch/60 cm)

Burpees (Gold Standard) x 20

Sit-ups x 30

Optio: 16 burpees/16 woodchoppers/box jumps/ 20 sit-ups

Legionary: 10 burpees/10 woodchoppers/box jumps/ 15 sit-ups

Cash Out

Wall Squat x 25

Make them good ones - chest up, nice deep squat back on your heels.

Publish weights/times/options to comments or start a log over on FK.UK.

Vires et Honestas

Better than fish.... (Friday 08 May 2009

Ah Friday once again. Nice short workout today because I know some of you have exams to revise for. Interestingly, studies have proven that a bout of hard exercise shortly before any academic endeavour boosts brain power, increases information retention and results in better grades. There you see, I am doing this for your educational as well as physical well being!

 

Buy in

L-Sit Progression

Strength

Press: 5x3

Conditioning

AMRAP 15 minutes of:

30 Squat

20 Push-Up

10 Pull-Up

Optio: 25/15/5

Legionary: 20/10/10 ring pulls

Use bands as required. Kipping is allowed.

Cash Out

50 double unders (optio/Legionary - 25 double unders)

Post weights and rounds to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Putting in the Leg Work (Thursday 7 May 2009)

Throwing in a basic olympic lift in to the conditioning routine today. Don't worry, we have looked at them before and will have another look at them before we start to make sure people are tight in their form.

Olympic lifts are the most efficient way of moving an object from the floor to over hear, either in one quick movement (the snatch) or in two stages (clean and jerk). In the coming weeks we will be looking at these in detail so we can include them in our workouts more often.

Buy in: L-Sit progressions - 1 minute cumulative at your progression level

Strength

Front Squat: 5 x 3

Back Squat x 20

Conditioning

As many rounds in 15 minutes of:

400m run

15 squat clean @ 40Kg

Optio: 20 Kg

Legionary: 15 Kg

Cash Out

Wall Hand Stand 1 minute total

Sprint training tonight will be the first SPARQ evaluations looking at 40 yard dash, 10 yard shuttle, power throw and vertical leap. Details will be provided when we start so you all know what to do.

Post weights and rounds to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Another Hero (Wednesday 06 May 2009)

Another "Hero" WOD from the CrossFit main site; this one in commemoration of US Marine Staff Sgt Daniel Hansen who died February 14th in Afghanistan. 

Buy in: L-Sit progressions

Workout

"Hansen"

Centurion: Five rounds for time of:

2 pood Kettlebell swing, 30 reps
30 Burpees
30 Glute-ham sit-ups

As we don't actually have a 2 pood (32 Kg) kettlebell we will sub 25 Kg plate swings.

Optio: 3 rounds as Centurion

Legionary: Three rounds for time of:

20 Kg Plate swing, 20 reps
20 Burpees
20 Glute-ham sit-ups

The thing about the Hero WODs is that people will say you should give the workout everything you have, which is great in principle but you do that every workout, right? Right? OK, now is your chance to leave it all on the floor when you are done but let's not forget our form for the sake of intensity.

Cash Out

Agility ladder

3 x Ickey Shuffle

3 x 2in/2 out shuffle

Post time to comments of your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas

Tuesday May 5 2009

So because of the holiday you were spared the Star Wars "May the Fourth" puns and skipped right over to May 5th! Consider yourself lucky, I got a tonne of 'em  ;)

Buy in - L sit progressions. 

Starting this week we are going to concentrate our buy in exercises on specific gymnastic exercises, starting with the L-sit. The L-sit is a basic static hold and is one of the best exercises to work the abdominal region. 

Depending on ability we will aim for a solid 1 minute hold of;

Bent leg P-bar hold

Straight leg below horizontal P-bar hold

P-Bar L-sit

Ring L-sit

Starting at the basic level, hold for a long as you can and build up over the sessions until you can hold for 1 minute unbroken. Once you have one minute, move on to the next progression. Now you aren't expected to 'graduate to the ring L-sit in a week, this can take a lifetime of work and even then you may not get it so we will look at these for two weeks before moving on to something else. By doing so, we make sure we work the fitness areas not worked so often in the daily workouts (flexibility, balance, coordination).

Strength

Squat 3x5

Conditioning

Five rounds of 30 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest of:

Deadlift 30 Kg/20Kg (M/F)

Squat

Ring-dip

Sit-up

Push Press 30 Kg/20Kg (M/F)

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds and move to the next during the "rest" period. Count reps and total for each exercise and total all at the end

Optio: Weight at 20 Kilos/15 Kilos (M/F)

Legionary: 3 rounds at Optio weight. Use jumping/supported/assisted dips as required.

Cash Out

25 Double Unders

Post weights/reps/totals to comments or your FK.UK log.

Vires et Honestas