From OPT Blog, Day 29/45

Training:
Power Snatch/OHS/Snatch Balance - 1.2.3
(start where you wish, take only 45 sec after each set, add no more or no less than 5# per set; how far can you go?)
+
Split Jerk - 3,3,3,3,3; rest as needed b/t sets
(moderate effort; work on landing)
+
"Annie"
50,40,30,20,10 rep rounds for time;
- Double Unders
- Anchored Sit Ups

Power Snatch/OHS/Snatch Balance-1.2.3
95/100/105/110/115#

Split Jerk 135x3x5
(still need to work on going lower in split)

Annie - 15:39 (11 minute+ PR!!!)

From OPT Blog - Training (28/45):

3 sets: 12 SDLHP - 60% BWT
Row 90 sec @ 2K row race pace
rest 2 min
+
3 sets: 12 thrusters - 50% BWT
60 sec double unders
2 min rest
+
3 sets: 15 chin ups unbroken
20 box jumps - 20/14" unbroken
rest 30 sec

Notes:
No rower, so subbed running for 90 sec. SDLHP felt pretty good. Did those unbroken for the most part. Thrusters were really hard today. Last couplet very difficult to get through. Subbed 11-12 unbroken chins(then made up difference later). Blewout after 1st round (box jumps unbroken that round and did a 60 second rest. Chins unbroken the rest of the rounds, box jumps broken.

From OPT Blog

Training 26/45

part 1:
A1. 3 position power clean - 1.1.1 x 5; rest 120 sec
notes - high hang, knee cap, floor
A2. Close Grip Bench Press @ 30X0; 2-3 x 5; rest 120 sec
notes - concentric is explosive; 14" grip
B1. Dead Lift Cluster - 1.1.1.1.1 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes - 10 sec count b/t reps
B2. Ring Dips - 15 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes - unweighted, work on speed

A1. 155, 185, 185, 185, 185 (very hard on the last 2 sets, particularly the high hang)

A2. 195 x 5 205 x 5, 210 x 5, 215 x 3, 225 x 3

B1. 315, 345, 365, 365 (felt pretty good, last set comfortably heavy)

B2. suck at ring dips. did 3 sets of 5 using a leg on a bench at the bottom to steady myself, then I fast set of bar dips (which are pretty easy)

rest 8+ hours

part 2:
Row 3000 m @ damper 7
Score = ave watts over 3000m divided by your body weight in lbs
(ex. 340 watt ave/170 lbs = score of 2.0; high score wins)

Hard! 225 avg watt/235 lbs. = .96

From OPT Blog

Training 25/45 (completed 10/27)

part 1:
A1. OHS @ 32X1; 4-6 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes - ass to grass
A2. Mixed Grip Chin Ups @ 41X1; 3-5 x 4; rest 120 sec
notes - switch grips per set, one hand supinated, one pronated
B1. BB Forward Lunges @ 10X0; 4-5/leg alternating x 3; rest 90 sec
notes - push through heel to get up, alt legs/rep
B2. 1 arm KB Power Row @ 4022; amrap with 1.5/1pd x 3; rest 90 sec
notes - elbows high at top, one hand on bench/support, body in tripod position

A1. 95 x 5, 105 x 5, 110 x 5, 115 x 6 (should have warmed up and started higher)
A2. 25 x 5, 30 x 5, 32.5 x 5, 35 x 4
B1. 95 x5, 5 x 105, 115 x 5 (should have gone heavier)
B3. 5, 6, 5

part 2:
light jog - 30 sec, then 90% high effort run - 30 sec, then walk - 30 sec
repeat 10 times
maintain same high output speed for run for middle 30 sec

I did this wrong. I just switched back and forth between light jog and 90% effort and skipped the 30 walk.

Lots of running. Not sure I like that.

Training (From OPT blog)
1 min interval runs
(1st 20 sec increasing speed to top speed by 20 sec; 2nd 20 sec maintenance at top speed; 3rd 20 sec decreasing speed from 40-60 sec)
rest/walk 3 min; repeat 8 times

These runs are increasing efforts from 0-20s (80....100%), very high effort from 20-40s (100%) and decreasing effort from 40-60s (100...80%); goal is to understand different speeds to enable to shift gears as needed when needed; each 20-40 sec set should feel like its the same speed.

Really, really, really hard. Difficult to hold a 100% effort for the middle portion the last 4 rounds. Very much wanted to quit but did not.

Training:

part 1:
Press - build quickly to a 1RM
+
Split Jerk - build with as much time as needed to a 1RM
+
Dead Lift - 60% 1RM; 8 sets of 2; rest 45 sec b/t sets - focus on explosive concentric, these are not touch and go reps, reset at bottom each time

rest 4+ hours

part 2:
5 sets;
20 unbroken chest to bar chin ups with speed
10 sec rest
AMRAP Burpees in 30 sec - DO NOT pace these
rest 90 sec

post % of loads for press compared to split jerk (i.e. 160/265 = 60%) as well as total burpees completed in 5 sets as score for part 2

part 1:
Press - 170# X 1
Split Jerk - 185# X 1

170/185 = 91%

Dead Lift - 60% of RM (255); 8 sets of 2

part 2:

Did 10-12 unbroken C2B pull-ups

AMRAP Burpees in 30 sec - 12/10/11/10/9 = 52

Felt really weak both in my shoulders and in hips, about 10# lower than PR in both Press and Jerk. Deadlifts felt relatively good, but little 'pop' there either.

Burpees felt relatively easy, Scaled C2B pull-ups 10-12 each round to keep up with speed/unbroken. Did another 50 after in multiple sets of 5 after WOD complete.

OPT blog Day 21/45

Training:
A. Snatch - 2-3 x 5; rest 180 sec
B. Snatch Hi Pull to nipples- 2-3 x 5; rest 180 sec
C. Power Snatch - 2-3 x 5; rest 180 sec

post loads to comments
take extra time at set up, all should look the same

A. Snatch - 3 X 95#, 3X105, 3X115, 3X120, 3X120

- felt stiff on full snatches and focused more on form than setting a PR on the last 2 sets. Probably should have warmed up with the move more. Still, 120 might be a PR for a full Snatch. I have not maxed out in this lift for a while. I usually do not so much as execute the 3rd pull as just try get under the bar. Today I was really feeling like I was naturally going into the 3rd pull more
B. Snatch Hi Pull to nipples- 2-3 x 5; rest 180 sec

120#X3, 135X3, 165X3, 185X3, 195X3

These felt great. They really seemed to 'grease the rails' for the Power Snatch.
C. Power Snatch - 2-3 x 5; rest 180 sec

125#X3, 135X3, 155X2, 155X2, 155X2

Wow! 155X2 for Power Snatch is a PR. 135 was my max up until now, mainly due to poor form. Form still sucks, but felt much better today. Following posts will catch me up for results from prior WODs I completed last week and early this week from OPTs blog.

From OPT Blog, Day 19/45

Training:
WOD 3:
5 rounds for time;
40 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken chin ups

rest 6+ hours

WOD 4:
"Karren" 150 wall balls - 20#/14# to 11ft

WOD 3: 33:22

WOD 4: 11:50

Total Time for all 4 WODs: 1:59:11

From OPT Blog, Day 18/45

Training:(4 workouts for total time in 2 days)
WOD 1
for time:50 reps - split jerk - 165#/105# - from rack
(when you fraction reps, i.e. rack bar on rack or drop to gound you have to perform 10 toes to bar)

rest 8+ hours

WOD 2:
"Tyler"5 rounds for time;
- 7 muscle ups
- 21 SDLHP - 95#/65#

WOD 1: 41:45

WOD 2: 32:14

From OPT Blog, Day 16/45

Training:
3 sets:
1.25 X BWT Dead Lift x 15 reps
20 Box Jumps - 20"
90 sec rest

+

3 sets:
15 KBS - 2/1.5 pd
25 double unders
90 sec rest

+

3 sets:
15 GHD back extensions
15 GHD sit ups
90 sec rest


Deadlifts & Box jumps, both broken

KB swings unbroken, DUs broken

GHD Back extensions & GHD sit-ups, both unbroken

From OPT Blog, Day 15/45

Training:
A1. Bench Press @ 30X0; 6,6,4,4,2,2; rest 120 sec
A2. Supinated Chin Ups @ 41X1; 2-3 x 6; rest 120 sec
B1. Strict Ring Dips @ 22X0; amrap x 3; rest 90 sec
B2. Dead Hang to Inverted on Rings @ 2121; 10 x 3; rest 90 sec

CrossFit Total

Back squat, 1 rep
Shoulder Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

345# Squat + 175# Press + 420# dead lift = 940 lbs

"Elizabeth"

21-15-9 reps of:
- Clean 135 pounds
- Ring dips

My time: 11:46
(subbed dips for ring dips)

"Fran"

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
- 95 pound Thruster
- Pull-ups

My time 7:10, PR!!

Pretty close to a sub 7 minute Fran. Probably could have pushed pull-ups a bit and made it.

OPT Blog, Day 10/45

Training:
part 1:
on a 2 minute timer sprint run 400m and immediately perform AMRAP chin ups with the time you have left in the 2 minutes; rest 3 min, repeat 5 times

rest 8+ hours

part 2:
25 reps for time;
175# squat clean and jerk

Part 1: 15 (5+3+2+1+4 ) I am so slow

Part 2: 13:36

From OPT blog, Day 8/45

"Press, Push, Swing"
1. Press 1RM in 4 minutes
2. Tabata Push Ups - low score
3. AMRAP KBS (1.5/1 pd) in 4 minutes

SP 1RM in 4 min in Kg + Tabata PshUps, low # rnd score, + 4 min. KBS 1.5pd.

=185 Lb./84kg+8+50 = 142

Staring down 40

I had let myself totally go between the age of 34 to 38 years old. During that period of time I maybe worked out about 1-2 times a month, and then just totally fell out of the habit of working out at all. There was a period of about 6 months when I did not work out once that coincided with me being away from my wife and kids for 4 months for work. During which time I was on per diem through work and generally ate steak and potatoes 4-5 days a week and drank about 4-6 beers a night 7 days a week. All while working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. Good times. By the time I got back home I was up to about a 280 lb body weight. I stayed at that weight for about a year. Then, about 2-3 months before my 38 birthday, I decided that I needed to drastically change my life if I was not going to live to see 50.

Started working out again, but I was no longer young and nimble enough to work with the heavy weights I did when I was in my 20s and get the same training effect. Also, just plain too out of shape. I started doing simple circuit training workouts and then stumbled upon CrossFit. Between the dieting and CrossFit, I went down from 280 lbs. - 235 (at 6'2") from January 2008 to July 2008. I have stayed between 235 - 240 lbs. ever since.

I absolutely love CrossFit, after the first 1-2 workouts (which absolutely and totally destroyed me) I was pretty much hooked. When I ran a 5k and finished it without dying about 4 months after starting, without every having run more than 400-800 meters in a round of a WOD, I was sold for life (I hate running, getting better at long distance running without long distance training is practically like stealing).

I have been mainly following the mainsite (Crossfit.com) until recently. I have not gone up in strength much, although met-cons times have improved, for a long time (9 months?) and decided to switch things up a bit. I decided to deviate from the mainsite programming. The first place I looked to for programming was OPT/Calgary CrossFit. I figured if OPT and so many of his athletes from Calgary Crossfit can achieve such amazing results at the CrossFit Games, OPT must have some really high speed programing going on. I found his blog and loved the look of the WODs. Some of the workouts are incredibly challenging and I will have to scale them where needed to get the right training effect (my opinion), so I may have to be careful to do that as I follow along.

I still think the mainsite CrossFit is awesome and definitely will go back there from time to time. I think the more variable .com WODs still have much value and for most are perfectly fine. At this time, I just feel that I might benefit from more of a focus on strength and power work in the WODs in order to keep moving forward.

Following OPT's blog(http://www.optimumperformancetraining.blogspot.com) a few days behind. Just easier to allow for planning out when and how to complete WODs.