Pushups Tabata- third week

Third Sunday with pushups behind me. This time 23/21/21/20/16/12/12. I'm better at first four sets but after that it is going down dramatically. I suppose if I would slow down a bit at the beginning and try to keep the pace at lets say 20 at the beginning it wouldn't change much. 

Here is an example of what I'm trying to accomplish. But there is one problem- fail of fails... I've been doing SEVEN sets all the time and it is wrong- IT SHOULD BE EIGHT! :-( 

So I have to start all over again. One set more will be a dramatic change...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN4kRtvKrRY

But still I'm getting better than here. The only problem is that we're not improving comparing to weaker performances- it can make us feel better- true, but no way it's gonna help to improve ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppEAbJnFf8

And last but not least- three different level guys. In here you may see it is not a "piece of cake"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wZxMW-3o94

You can see why I'm impressed with the first video? Try it, and you'll understand ;-)

Friday mourning "for time"

20 x side twist with 15kg on the bar
20 x boxjump pushup
60m bear walk
My time: 2:52
The best time was... 1:53... Absolutely impossible for me.

I could go faster with side twists but I'm not sure if I would keep the pace during box jumps. I had crysis at 15-th rep. Bear walk- well, maybe I could go faster last 20 meters, not 10, but there would be not too much difference.

I can see, my everyday burpees make sense. I thought box jumps with pushup will make me feel much worse.

Just another mourning with CCR Poznań :-)

• Kickoff start- 50 shuttle runs with 20kg plate (after each 10 runs- 50 pushups)
• Front squats + ring dips + situps

We've made six rounds of this set. Each time 15 situps but with dips and front squats there was certain variation. We have been doing front squat increasing weight and decreasing number of repetitions from the fourth set, and on the dips number of reps went up after third set. So with squat we've started from three sets of 21 reps with 40kg divided with 8 ring dips and situps, after that 5 squats/ 10 dips; 3 squats/ 12 dips and 2 squats with 15 dips.

On the last two sets of squats we've managed to use 100kg and surprisingly dips were not heavy at the end. They were heavy in first two sets after those pushups we've done during worm-up.

After all that 500 singles with a speed rope- cooldown CCR way :-)

Really nice training session. That was my first time with heavy front squat without "smith machine". It is harder technicly but much more fun- I don't think I'll train with "smith machine" any more- it's a waiste of time and most of all... waist of fun :-)

Push ups Tabata- second week

As I've decided last week, Sunday is my "Tabata day" I stick to it. Yesterday I've repeated exercise. It was better. This time I managed to do 21/20/20/18/15/12/12. That means I improved from 106 reps to 118 reps. There is also radical strength decrease after fourth set but it is better. After Tabata I did 2 x 20 burpees and stretching. I hope, I'll keep it for a few weeks. Than, I'll switch from push ups to air squats. My goal with push ups is to finish with 15- 16 reps in last two sets. I wonder how long it is going to take me to accomplish that :-)

Those results I can beat during wormup :-).... Those on the right .

Test day

We've accomplished several tasks today. I must say that it was really challenging.

1. 500m row- fastest as possible
2. Bench press with body weight (95kg in  my case)- as many reps as possible without break
3. Pull-ups- as many reps as possible without break
4. Box jumps- 20 reps

Exercises 2,3 and 4 in five rounds. I'm very pleased since I managed to row 500m in 1:30. With bench press and pull-ups was not that good. I started with 11/11 in first round, then 9/8, 6/8, 6/8 and 5/8. Box jumps was just a box jumps- just needed to finish them. I was really glad when we've finished. I'm sure that if I work a little more on a strength exercises, I'll be able to improve fast but we usually do more of cardio and technique. Despite of that there is so many thing I'd like to improve, that I don't think I'll have enough time to fix all of them :-)

Dead lift

Today very nice worm-up with rowing machine. 2 min of rowing on average level of 160-180 Watt and then 30 seconds of explosive work on over 400 Watt. Four sets- 10 min.

After that dead lifts- 21 fast 60kg, then weight progress up to 90% of max. Two sets of fives one set of three, one of two and last set- one rep. In between sets "knees to elbows". First two sets I programmed with 110kg but I messed up. We've been using new plates and I put 5kg plates and thought those are 10kg. So 90kg instead of 110kg. Next three reps with 140kg, two reps with 150kg and one rep with 160kg. I felt that 175-180kg is still possible but I didn't want to work on this weight without belt and I must say, my grip also fails with that heavy weight. Even using contrary grip it is difficult to hold the bar without the wrist- straps.

Clean and jerk- first attempts

Yesterday was my first time with clean and jerk. Well... with jerk mostly, because I've done cleans in the past. The issue for me is as always tightness in shoulders which doesn't allow me to push elbows in front the way it should be. Just another thing to fix :-)

I've started with 5 x 40kg to work on technique. I've finished with 5 x 65kg and it was not challenging. Surprisingly I had more trouble with clean than with jerk. I thing I can do clean with about 80-90kg but I'm not sure how my shoulders act in response for that weight. For the jerk I'm sure I can do over 100kg :-) It made my day.

Push ups Tabata

So I've decided to make Sunday my Tabata day since I don't train on Mondays and on Saturdays just from time to time. Yesterday I did Tabata with push ups it was not so bad, but I wanted to keep one pace at least for five sets. Well- I didn't make it, it was too heavy. Started to get weaker fast after third set.

Just to remind Tabata means 20 seconds of explosive work and 10 seconds of rest repeated 7 times.

Sunday (13-th of January- pushups): 19; 19; 18; 16; 12; 11; 11.

After that I decided to start to stretch- I can feel that it is one of my major faults (not enough stretching). Yoga for Crossfitters

Pain & Gain- I've just watched the trailer :-)

Mark Wahlberg and The Rock in a movie based on a true story. It is middle of 90'ies, three bodybuilders are kidnapping a man for money but everything goes wrong. Actually, just look at this, how could it possibly go wright?

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1980209/

They are playing so incredibly dumb guys in there  that it just can't be criminal, it has to be a comedy.

Hope it will be fun, I'd like to see that :-)

Over Head Squat- back in business with CCR Poznań

Yesterday I've refreshed my competence with OHS. Its been 7 or 8 years since I have been doing them. Back then I was able to do few reps with weight about 80-85kg. Now it seems 40kg is challenging. Not because of the weight, but because of the form. It is extremely hard for me to keep entire core of body tight- it allows to stay in line and since I have to struggle with balance there is much more pressure on the shoulders. In fourth set even 40kg starts to be heavy if the form is not appropriate.

But it is a nice start for a New Year- good workout at the beginning of a good year.

It is a bit intimidating since Martyna is making more reps with the same weight that I do at this exercise and she is about 45kg lighter than me but well... I'll have to do something about it and it is one of the goals for 2013 ;-) I can survive, that Marcin is better, but loosing at the strength exercises with girl, even if she is doing great- I just can't leave it like that ;-)