2014-03-06 - Craig - Front squat, HPC and press

15-12-9
Front squat to High Box (AT PARALLEL)
Hang power Clean/Press

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Borrowed one from Lynette

http://youtu.be/hoAGdtpftDI

15-12-9
20kg Front squat to 17" Box
20kg Hang power Clean and Press

1. Front squat
   • Just couldn't recapture that solid position I had the other day with the front squats
2. HPC and Press
   • Wrists and forearms killed me.

Overall

• Just a struggle from start to finish, for no good reason.
• I felt crap warming up and hoped it would be one of those days where I felt like I shouldn't train and it would turn out to be a really good session.
  It didn't.
• Nothing was beyond me, just didn't come good on the day.
  It happens.
• Oh and why I put the wooden practise plates on for a workout where in theory, I don't have to put the bar down?
  No frigging idea.

2013-11-04 - Craig - Front squats, Ring rows

9-6-3
Front squat
Ring row
Rest 3:00
Repeat

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http://youtu.be/P-e8LW8n674

9-6-3
20kg Front squat to 20" box
Ring row
Rest 3:00
Repeat

1. Front squat
   
   • Again, box squats not specified so guessed.
   • Too many things wrong to comment on.
   • Stupidly, the reps at the start where I fell backwards actually look better than the rest.
     Probably surprised myself by doing them properly for once.
   • Really not impressed with how curved my spine is.
2. Ring row
   • Not my best work, but not bad.

Overall

• One of those I really have trouble watching, those front squats are just ugly.

Shoulder is really not happy

20 free standing leg swings - front and back, side
T-spine roller work
40 odd dowel HPS
Band pull-apart external rotator series
40 step ups - 4"
30 Air squats

5RNFT
5 Front squats; 20kg, 25kg, 30kg, 30kg, 30kg
40kg Farmers walk around the house

Forgot to post this

21-15-9
20kg front squats
Pull-ups, green band

Front squats and deadlifts

AMRAP10
6 x 20kg front squats
9 x 60kg deadlifts

Weak as bro

AMRAP12
10 x 20kg front squats
10 x unweighted good mornings.
Butt against the house, forehead stretching to touch a pole sitting across the pull-up bar uprights. Stretching long Dan John style.

Well part of this was sensible

5RNFT

1. 9 x 20kg front squat and press.
   It couldn't be called a thruster, there were 2 distinct movements.
2. Knees on box elbow stand to head stand.

The second thing was pointless aside from being good practise at getting my shoulders over my elbows.

The "thrusters" were frustrating. It was easier to press the damn  bar than it was to front squat it. I am just not designed for squatting.

Not sure this wasn't a mistake

AMRAP 12
8 x 25kg front squat
8 x seated press, Louie style.

"Seated" in this case meaning on the ground, feet straight out in front.
I thought it might give me some insight into strict pressing and locking my spine straight, but not really. I thinking standing presses more useful, I spend enough time sitting down the rest of the day, best not intentionally assume that position when training.

Played with these stretches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmBzNtSXRdE&feature=relmfu

I'd really like to get a forearm balance. It looks cool (and that's always a reason to itself) and it will be a true indicator that I have my shoulder tightness sorted out.

Trying some different postural attacks

AMRAP10
5 x 30kg front squat
20 x 10kg plate good mornings

Recently became aware that my scapular stabilisation really sucks (part of why my shoulders get hurt)so working on getting that under control. I didn't expect the front squats to be so easy.
No problems with leg drive, some keeping my elbows up, which is the bit I need to work on, so not really a surprise.
OK, something with more reps at that weight on the FS.
But I musten't discount the effects of the first workout after some serious, serious carb loading.

Front Squats and swings

AMRAP 10
10 x 20kg FS
15 x 20kg T-handle swings

Scapular retractors take a hammering

AMRAP 10
5 x ring rows, feet on a 12" box
5 x 30kg front squat

Both were ridiculously, embarrassingly, hard.

Yet another unimaginitive workout

AMRAP10
6 x 20kg front squat
6 x 20kg press
6 TTB

Runny mainsite

3RFT
200m
10 x 20kg Front squat
3 x beginner rope climbs

9:44

1 3:25
2 3:10
3 3:10

That was cut back a bit far really.

Ticking the box

3 I think RNFT
5 x 30kg hang power snatch
5 x 30kg front squat

The power snatches were messy and got better
The FS were a surprise, quite easy. Alright, they should be with that weight, but FS are normally a crappy awkward movement for me with any weight.

Intermittent kid chasing

5 x 40kg front squats
5 x shoulder to overhead anyhow
200m

9:31

Chased the kids down to the corner on their bikes and roller blades for one round. Much faster.
Logistical errors with helmets taken off and me accidentally being in front (provoked fits of sulking) torpedoed the other rounds

!@#$%&* skipping

3RFT
50 rope jumps
5 x 40kg front squat
30 x 12kg dbell power snatches, 15 each arm

15:44

The skipping killed my time. The first round was broken, the second I couldn't get going at all.
I wasn't really trying as it turned out, I'm used to going "I'm puffed, this is hard," and dragging my feet. With skipping that dun't work, you have to jump to get the numbers, you can't just go through the motions. With some focus and tightening up things came together.
A good exercise to remember to keep that.
Front squats better than I expected when I remembered to get my hips under me on the ascent.
Dbbell snatches were too light. I programmed them because my chest is incredibly tight after yesterday and I wanted to do something that would loosen that up and get my shoulder rolling back. Did the ticket nicely. Getting a bit to light though. Need to pop another couple of kilos on there.

Demonstration of stupidity

Deadlift
1 x 140kg
12 x 110kg

12-9-6
40kg front squat
Ring push-ups

8:59

Stupidity?
I jumped 60-100-140 in my deadlifts. The temptation to keep sliding on 20kg plates was too great.
I know to chuck a couple of smaller jumps in there next time.

Metcon was stupid because I should be able to front squat a weight I can (just) curl more easily than that. And my shoulder was not too solid during the ring push-ups, which I had to do on my knees.

It's been a long couple of days though and I've spent more than usual of them sitting at my desk. Overall it was good to be moving again.

Back Squats, front squats, presses

3 x 92.5kg PR
20 x 50kg

Wrist bad.
Shoulder bad.
Squats ugly, Ok the second rep not so ugly, at least I sat back for it.
The stupid thing is, every time I sat back, the rep was less awkward. Still hard, but not awkward.

One day back at work and I'm struggling again. Oh yay!

Then
3RFT
5 x 50kg front squat
30 x 15kg press

11:50

1 3:14
2 3:54
3 4:40

What effing idiot programmed presses and front squats?
2nd and third rounds I couldn't press correctly and couldn't keep my shoulders up in the front squats/
First round, in fact all rounds, I couldn't stop my back rounding.

I think I should cancel today and try another Monday tomorrow

Benching and a Fran variant

Tried some bench presses, got up to a few sets of 5 x 40kg. Working more on keeping my shoulders back than maxing out.

Then:
3RFT
400m
15 x 30kg front squats
15 pull-ups - green iron woody band assist

Watch got messed up, about 20 minutes.

Runs were a trot.
Front squats were slow and still fighting for correct bar position.
Pull-ups were a bit too easy. Round 2 was a real struggle to get my foot in the band and lost a lot of time there.

Back Squats and mainsite metcon

5 x 80kg
15 x 50kg

Experimented last night with pulling my neck back hard instead of letting it crane forward as it naturally does. I got the feeling I think, so this morning I tried it out. I paid minimal attention hips and knees and focussed on keeping my chin back and using that push against the bat to start my ascent. I think it's the way to go.
I had to focus on leading my deadlift with my shoulders for a while to get that sorted out, same thing applies I think.
Stretched my shoulder between rounds. It was better under the bar today, but still too tight and loading my wrists and elbows.

Then:
7RFT
3 x 50kg front squat
7 tuck pull-ups

11:47

1 2:06
2 1:37
3 1:46
4 1:48
5 1:35
6 1:19
7 1:33

50kg as a front squat is much easier after back squatting 80. The bar doesn't feel heavy. Not that it is of course. Worked hard on the same neck pulling back thing there and it paid off much more in the front squats than it did in the back.

Pull-ups were bad and degenerated into jumping tuck-pull-ups. Pull-ups will get some attention in the new year.