Pseudonym gets fit Vol.2

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by minime

what are squat power cleans? i thought it was one or the other? that is either a squat clean where you catch it low in an atg squat, or a power clean where you catch it higher with less knee bend.

Either way, good work on the cleans and dips. Also, your row time was good. What is your best time for the 500 out of interest?

A Squat Power Clean is an integral part of the 'massive biceps and 12 pack abs in 36.4 seconds' program - I got the tapes off ebay last week to replace my abroller; spent 10 minutes a week on that sucker for nothing!!!

Jokes aside what I'm trying to describe with a 'Squat Power Clean' is cleaning the weight from the floor every rep and catching it in a full ATG squat (to differentiate it for myself from a Hanging Squat Clean).

I can't for the life of me find the article now but on the Corssfit website there was a good explanation of the different names of exercises and it boiled down to this;

2 components of a lift.

1. Where the Weight Starts

'Power' indicates the weight begins on the floor; Hang is from the knees (or thereabouts), Rack from a rack etc..

2. Where the weight finishes/how it got there

'Clean' the weight finishes racked on the shoulders/chest, 'Jerk' it finishes overhead, 'Snatch' same again (overhead) but, obviously, in one movement, 'Squat' obviously finishes in a squat.

I'm sure I've missed some of the subtleties of the piece but that's how I came up with my Power Squat Cleans - Squat cleans that start on the floor, probably not text-book but I'll know what I meant when I look back to chart my progress in the coming months


As for my rowing - thanks for the kind words, I'm improving slowly but I have a long way to go I feel. My best row for the 500m so far is not all that much quicker than I went yesterday: 1:43.8 (and I was absolutely had it, I just about had to walk my bike home from the gym heh heh)

[pierini]

I call that a squat clean from the floor, contrasted with a hang squat clean. Actually, I believe that a clean is generally assumed to be a squat clean from the floor unless otherwise stated.

I know what you mean about a good rack or the lack of it. I struggle with my 3rd pulls and going under the bar once the weight gets super-heavy. My mind does not cooperate and tells my body to hold back on the squat drop.

Have you taped yourself yet doing any of the Oly lifts or auxiliary drills like clean high pulls? Lots of instructional benefit there, just like taping a martial arts workout.

Keep the pedal to the metal!

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by pierini

Actually, I believe that a clean is generally assumed to be a squat clean from the floor unless otherwise stated.

pierini is right on here. that's exactly what a clean is, it is assumed it is squat clean from the ground and noted as hang clean only when you go from the hang position. if it helps you do differentiate (to call it squat power clean) for yourself then go for it!

that third pull is tricky and once again i'm with pierini, taping your lifts will really help. you will see things you never knew you did, both positive and negative. one thing that really helps me is thinking about pulling myself underneath the bar as fast as possible rather then lifting the bar up.

anyway great job on your workout, that's a nice 500m row time! I still cannot get mine under 2min! great job!

[pseudonym]

Thanks for the input guys - I guess if the standard form is Cleaning from the floor unless otherwise noted I'll run with that ... save valuable keystrokes .

WED 14 NOV

4xc.600m intervals w/c. 3min rest
2 laps of the Woody* and 5 mins on the Hangboard**

Ran the intervals around the university AFL oval (there is no standardised size for an AFL field so I'm not sure how far it is around but I paced it at 620m). No stopwatch so rest time is certainly ballpark at best.

* Our climbing club's indoor wall; it really is a magnificent bit of kit, 30 degree wall which joins to a 45+degree wall, 4m high, close to 100 holds I'd say, hours of fun for the whole family. I have a particular circuit I'm working up to being able to climb non-stop for 20 mins; long way to go yet.

** A Hangboard is a featured piece of plastic resin with all kinds of holds built into it (Big jugs, large and small slopers, small edges, deep and shallow pockets). My hangboard routine is to hang off progressively smaller holds (static but with active shoulders) for 8-10 seconds. If I can't stay on a hold for 8 seconds I scale it by putting my feet on a nearby table or chair. When I can do all holds for 10 seconds I'll add weight.

[minime]

that is a good row time, what weight are you? I know smaller people have a harder time with it (that is my excuse haha) My 240lb husband who works out sporadically and is not in as good shape as me managed a 3:33 on the 1k (my time 4:59) which i found quite annoying lol

and yes i call it a 'clean' if it is from the floor even my squat cleans are usually not quite squat though! i haven't taped one but I certainly never felt like I caught it in an atg.

[tim_mcf]

cleaning the weight from the floor every rep and catching it in a full ATG squat

lol...yeah, that's called a "clean".

Glad I could inspire you. Good work, climbing wall sounds fun.

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by minime

that is a good row time, what weight are you?

Thanks minime; I weigh in at a hefty 73kg (160 odd lb in your measure I think) so I'm not exactly 'built' but I'm a taller fellow I spose (a shade over 6 foot) which may help things?

And I guess the Power Squat Clean issue is settled, I am officially just Cleaning .

Last exam(s) of the year today so I'm tipping the next few days will be a good old fashioned bender; see ya'll after the weekend

[pseudonym]

TUES 20 NOV

W/U
5mins on the rower
5x Bar snatches
5x Bar Front Squats
5x Bar Cleans

Cleans (5x50kg) x3
Dips (5xBW+10kg) x3

Row Effort: 1k in 3.5x (1019m in 4.01 so a smidge under 4 mins for the 1k I say)

Been too celebratory/hungover for exercise since last Thursday; good to be back in the gym and to see my performance has not suffered too much (row time was pretty slow though).

On a side note: My local Crossfit affiliate is also a state level olympic lifter and has talked a bit about the local oly lifting centre in our area that he trains at; it's about a 20min drive from my place and I went and checked it out yesterday. I've arranged to go back for an introductory session on Thursday with the mens coach and I have a strong feeling I will be training there regularly in the not too distant future (the facility has a great vibe - heaps of gear, top rate coaches and at 5 bucks a go the price is just right).

3 Xfit and 2 Oly sessions a week I rekon should keep me nice and balanced.

[pseudonym]

I'm on a course with work at the moment so I don't get to come home every night or stick to my old training schedule. All is not lost though; the army does its best to keep ya fit; here's the week in review.

TUES 27 NOV
Circuit Work
2 x (30 seconds on 30 off for continuous reps):
Situps
Pushups
Roundhouse kicks (alternating legs)
Punches
Burpees
10kg Plate Press or Tricep Extension
20m Sprints
Chinups

Spent the day with an intro to personnel control & restraint (think of it as a light kickboxing/grappling session for 4 hours)

WED 28 NOV
2.4km Run in 10:08

Pushed for time so we just did a short run (I had intended for the boys to run further but we didn't manage it; lucky)

Spent the day doing advanced personnel control & restraint in full kit (body-armour and webbing) - think of it as a heavy kickboxing/grappling session lasting for about 4 hours (heavy enough to put 2 soldiers in hospital and about 5 more in the Aid Post ... I'm still having trouble bending my wrist fully hahaha).

Rested Thursday

FRI 30 NOV
Rope Work
2 x 6 chinups on rope (grip a single rope with 2 hands above your head and pull until your head is above your hands)
2 x 6 Knees to Elbows on Rope (see above but this time bring your knees to your elbows instead of going a pullup)

1 min bridge and side planks.

misc pushups and ab work (situps/throwdowns)

run c. 2km.

I've got tonight off and it's a later start tomorrow so I'm off to watch the soccer and chill.

[pseudonym]

Course is all finished as of this afternoon so it's back into the training schedule proper; ended up with a few impromptu days in the bush last week so I only got to train last night for the first time since my last entry.

FRI 07 DEC
Run
4km in 18.03

Been a bit of a cardio bunny these last few weeks - I'm super keen to get back into some meaty CF abuse.

[pseudonym]

MON 10 DEC 07
Jackie

For Time;
1000m Row
50 Thrusters (20kg)
30 Pullups

12 mins flat.

Ouch about sums this little beast up I rekon; definitely one of those 'looks alright on paper' workouts that turns downright nasty when you actually do it.

[tim_mcf]

Wow, good one.

[minime]

that is a nice Jackie time! good job.

[pseudonym]

Thanks guys, I've not been around Crossfit long enough to really get a feel for what is and isn't a 'good time' for the WOD's, I think a sub 10 min Jackie is not out of the question for me next time though - I learned a lot this time out.

paid for it today; abysmal showing.

TUE 11 DEC 07
Tabata Special

Tabata circuit consisting of;
Squat
Pushup
Situp
Push Press (10kg Db's)
Double Under
Ring Row

For max total reps.

rest 1 minute between rounds

398

sigh - just not fit enough to back up to 2 hard Metcon efforts in a row I guess, felt like shyte the whole way through ... can't wait to do this one again and smash that score.

[minime]

looks like a tough one pseudonym! I find Tabata Something Else to be killer, and that is like TSE and then some! great job.