2014-06-09 - Craig, Row, Hanging Leg rises, Sit-ups, Plank

WOD
500 M row or 400 M shamble
3 rounds
10 Hanging leg raises
10 sit ups
30 seconds accumulated in a plank
500 M row or 400 M shamble

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Recycled an old one


I wanted to tape the hanging leg raises to see what my shoulders did. Forgot to start the camera again for the second round.
http://youtu.be/5MLYFTSk6_U


500 M row
3 rounds
10 Hanging leg raises
10 abmat frog sit ups
30 seconds plank
500 M row

1. Rows
• Technique was off and a bit slow.
2. Hanging leg raises
• I was quite worried about doing these.
• Recently they've been very hard and I've powered the movement by closing  my shoulder, which exacerbated the rounding and just plain hurt.
• The video shows my shoulder blades staying in a pretty good position throughout. Acceptable although I'd like to be able to keep them retracted a bit more as my torso tips back. If I could pull that off I'd know that I had that problem licked.
• Reduced ROM because of having  to use the rafter, raining outside, but those were as good as any I've ever done.
• And my shoulders didn't round too badly the next day. A little, as I said, scapular position needs work, but definite improvement.
3. Sit-ups
• Acceptable.
4. Plank
• Shoulders weren't locked in external rotation, but they are at least not rotating internally as badly as before.

Overall

• That went much better than I was scared it would.
• Those band pull-aparts are absolutely essential to getting my shoulders functioning correctly. Assuming you read this far Jeff, I can't thank you enough for getting me to revisit them and stating the bloody obvious things I should have gotten right the first time I used them.

2014-05-30 - Craig - Row, Squat, Plate hold

3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

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Recycling an old one.

http://youtu.be/j7lARwO4aVg

3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to 20" box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

1. Row
• Nothing special
2. Squat
• OK. Getting  a bit untidy, but OK.
3. Plate hold
• No better, no worse.

Overall

• Lacked oomph, but better overall than before I think

2014-03-26 - Craig - Row, Squats

3 Rounds
Row 500m
10 Air box squats
2:00 rest

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Re-used an old one

http://youtu.be/cMP5zWYSNzE

3 Rounds
Row 500m
10 x 20" Air box squats
2:00 rest

1. Row
   • Not sure if that was better or worse than usual.
   • The instructions said to go all out on the row, not sure I achieved that
2. Squats
   • The instructions also said to use perfect form on the squats. Definitely didn't achieve that.
     Some were good.
   • A little disappointed as I went into this thinking that my air squats were feeling pretty solid lately, ignoring the facts that I hadn't videoed them and hadn't been puffed when I was practising them.
   • Not as bad as they have been, not as good as I want them to be.

Overall

• A good workout, executed adequately.

2014-02-03 Craig, Row, Squats

WOD
3 rds
500 M row
10 squats to a box or chair

Box or chair should be at height to which you can maintain perfect mechanics.  If that means you barely bend your knees, fine.
Cadence
Kill the row, squats slow to medium speed, rest 2:00 between rds

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Repeating an old one

No video and I can't remember why, a bit tired right now.

3RNFT
500 M row
10 air  box squats 20" box
Rest 2 minutes

1. Row
• Managed to hold under 2min/500m.
2. Squats
• OK.

Overall

• Still fairly average.

2013-09-02 Press, Push-ups, Row

3 rds
10 Sh Press
10 Press ups
500 m row

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3RNFT
10 x 20kg Press
10 Snaking Push ups
500 m row

1. Press
• Kind of gave up trying to track elbows and rotate shoulders and whatever and concentrated on starting with my elbows in front of the bar and finishing in full extension.
• Predictably, that felt better.
• I really do over-think things.
2. Push-ups
• Very similar here.
  Couldn't get elbows to cooperate, shoulders were set wrong.
• Last round I relaxed and enjoyed myself, as much of a struggle as it was, and everything felt much better. Haven't watched to see what that looked like yet.
3. Row
• Yesterday's good groove escaped me, first two rounds were over 2 minutes/500m.
• Last round things got better and I held under 2min/500m.
  Not much under, but under, which is what I'd like to do at least.
• When I get it right I can keep that up for as long as I've ever rowed, when I get it wrong I can't get that pace no matter how hard I push.

Overall

• Tried hard not to rush and keep things smooth and steady as you said.
  Definitely a work in progress.
• Really don't like those hanging leg raise workouts you prescribe.
  They really bloody hurt the next day.
  More please.

Row, Squat, Plate hold - Repeat

3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

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3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to 20" box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

1. Row
• Not as tidy as last time.
2. Squat
• Yuck.
• Very sorry Jeff, I'll work on them, again, still
3. Plate hold
• Poor spot to do them for videoing, sorry.
• Shoulder position was a bit better though, honestly.

Overall

• Needed to do something and that's about all I achieved.

Row, Leg raise, Sit-ups, Plank, Row

WOD
500 M row or 400 M shamble
3 rounds
10 Hanging leg raises
10 sit ups
30 seconds accumulated in a plank
500 M row or 400 M shamble

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500 M row
3 rounds
10 Hanging leg raises
10 abmat frog sit ups
30 seconds plank
500 M row

1. Rows
• Not good, not bad.
• The first row was a lot easier than the second.
• I had to row, my achilles are very bad right now and I'm working up to being able to walk correctly. Today was much better than they have been for a while. Rocktape really does work.
2. Hanging leg raises
• They got sloppy fast.
• And my grip failed.
3. Sit-ups
• Kid of hit the wall on those after round one.
• Abs were almost cramping, which is new.
4. Plank
• Ok.
• There were full length mirrors on the wardrobe door of a hotel we stayed in  recently and I played with push-up hand position.
  I'd had my hands way too far forward and they still are a bit in this.
• Overall much more comfortable on the shoulders, but still work to do.

Overall

• Bloody security light.
  It was installed last week and I need to tweak the settings.
• Traumatised by the scathing criticism of my sweatpants I didn't video the rows.
  Also didn't wear the headband. May need to get some sunglasses to hold keep my hair out of my eyes.

Row, Squat

WOD
3 rds
500 M row
10 squats to a box or chair

Box or chair should be at height to which you can maintain perfect mechanics.  If that means you barely bend your knees, fine.
Cadence
Kill the row, squats slow to medium speed, rest 2:00 between rds

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3RNFT
500 M row
10 air  box squats 12" box + 20kg bumper. About 16"
Rest 2 minutes

1. Row
• "Kill". Hah!
• Not my best work.
• I couldn't get my shoulders back the way I'd like and my arms aare bending too early.
• Managed to hold under 2min/500m thank goodness, so that's something.
2. Squats
• Sat down too hard, sorry.
• Rather unhappy with those.

Overall

• Fairly average.

Row, Squat, Plate hold

3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

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3 rds
500 m row
10 air squats to 16" box
30 second x 10kg plate hold overhead

1. Row
• I remembered how to do it in the 2nd round, yay!
• Haven't been able to hold a sub 2 500m pace for ages and definitely not able to finish 500m in less than 2 minutes.
• Today the technique clicked.
  Probably still sucky, I haven't watched the video of the last 2 rounds yet.
• Aside from that, got a bit puffed.
2. Squat
• My hips felt a bit better than the last WOD, more even.
• Still loose and sloppy.
3. Plate hold
• Confession time, I haven't been doing as much shoulder stretching as I normally would and definitely not enough after the planks.
  And, I spent a lot of yesterday sitting, driving out of town, movies (Man of Steel, highly recommend it), driving back.
  And today, too come to think of it, craft work on a project for Lynette.
• Which shows in the struggles I had getting my shoulders in position. Shoulder blades wouldn't sit back because my thoracic spine was hunched too, or rather they were back, but the spine was bent so they didn't engage properly.
  Should have seen that coming.
  Dumbass!
• Didn't keep my butt turned on and abs engaged as much as I should have either.
  Which is related to the tight shoulders and curved thoracic.

Overall

• Didn't hold together too well when I got puffed. There's a surprise!

Row and bench

Inspired by the mainsite WOD the other day (http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/008369.html)
5RNFT
Row 500m
15 x 20kg bench press

Wobble bench or home-made bandbell

5RNFT
Row 500m
10-15 (I lost count some times) x 20kg-ish bandbell (http://bandbell.com/) benches

The bandbell emulator was satisfactorily wobbly. I can see I need something to locate the bands securely the same distance from the ends and markings o  the dowel to mock-up knurlings.

The humidity was phenomenal and I'm sweating like a cold beer.
Now there's an idea!

Row and back squats

AMRAP12
500m row
5 x 30kg back squats

Wore a wrap on my right wrist and it didn't bother me at all. My right elbow was still grizzling a bit so my shoulder is still rolled forward.
With the wrist not screaming at me the weight didn't feel as heavy and I could easily have added 10-15kg. Still not quite powering out of the hole with my hamstrings consistently though so I must be patient. Getting several reps in each round where I am though and that is much much better than I've ever done before. Lots more air squat practise.
Abductor flexibility was an issue for a while. Me. Tight abductors. Me!
Boy I'm getting old.

Variation on a theme

4RFT
500m row - At least sub 2 minutes
10 push-ups with a doubled up band as an improvised slingshot
10 KTE

15:59

1 3:43?
2 4:01
3 4:04
4 4:10


I looked at my watch after the first round and found it on 11 something, I hadn't reset it after the last WOD.
Times above are best guesstimates

Playing around

4RNFT
500m row
15 push-ups with a doubled up band as an improvised slingshot
10 KTE

Aimed for sub 2 minutes on all rows and that was hard. I feel like my nice friendly Model B just turned around and bit me.
Push-ups were fun bouncing up and down on the band. My shoulders felt good and it really does keep them in position. I think it has potential, I'll try it out benching.
KTE were more KT the general vicinity of the elbows. I'm OK with that for this time.