clean and jerk

Today's workout had a lot of lifting, which I've decided is the kind of workout that I prefer. Not that I can lift a ton, but I'm getting better at the technique and I want to build up muscle. It's supposed to help your metabolism, though I don't see any signs of that working.

We started with squat cleans, every minute on the minute for 10 minute. For the first 5 minutes you did 3 lifts, and for the second 5 minutes you did 2. I got up to 70 pounds. I tried to do 75, but failed. IDK what my deal was with 75, I think I kind of freaked out. I went back down to 70 and couldn't do it, but one of the coaches reminded me how, and I got it!  I did do 70 pounds like 6 times, so that's something.

WOD:
10 clean and jerk (I lifted 50 pounds)
200 jumps on the jumprope
8 clean and jerk
160 jumps
6 clean and jerk
120 jumps
4 clean and jerk
80 jumps
2 clean and jerk
40 jumps
my time 12 min 22 sec

I like clean and jerks. I probably should have lifted a little more, though that's actually a lot of lifts. They're cool be cause you lift, get under the bar and lift some more. Double knee bending.

This weekend is a long weekend!  I'm planning to start my big paper for class. Exciting, I know how to live.

Lots 'o squats

We started the workout today with 4 sets of 5 back squats. That's a lot of squats! I did 80 pound. I could have done more for the first three, but not for the last one. 20 squats at 80 pounds is pretty impressive!

WOD: 6 rounds
5 snatches (I lifted 35 pounds)
7 overhead squats
9 box jumps (there weren't any soft boxes, so I stepped)
my time:11:11

It was actually an easier workout today. We did some tabata warm ups. All the squats, and then the shortish wod.  I was wishing for a soft box so I could jump. I gotta get over the fear of jumping.

We had another snow storm on Sunday into Monday. Sadly, it ended early enough that we were still able to go to work, just a delayed opening at 10 am. This is the difficult time of year, with the first deadlines. Plus, I have a ton to do with my classes. I'm a little cranky. I know I'll be glad I did two classes come April, but now it kind of sucks.

First Snow of the Season

We finally had a real snow storm. Apparently it was officially a blizzard. What was nice about it was that it started right at the morning commute and went all day, so they had to give us a snow day!  Yay!  I spent most of it working and doing work for my class, which wasn't that exciting, but at least I got to do it in my jams.  I did snow shoe around the block, about 2/3 mile, which was fun, and really hard work! Glad I didn't try to break a trail up Cannon! They're talking about maybe another storm this weekend too.

I was such a bad crossfitter this week. I brought my gym bag in to work Monday-Wednesday, but I just didn't feel like hitting the gym. Today I knew I had to go, we'll see if I can motivate for tomorrow as well.  We started with front squats, in sets of 5. I got up to 75 pounds with pretty good form for two rounds and then did 80 pounds for one round with so-so form.

WOD: 5 rounds
15 calories rowing (this take about 1 min 15 sec for me)
12 deadlifts (I lifted 35 pounds)
9 hang squat cleans
6 thrusters
my time: unknown

I think it took me about 3 and a half minutes per round, so like 18 and change for the whole thing. I was beat at the end, it was a tough one, and I just forgot what time it was when I looked at the clock! I wound up on a rower between two guys who were literally rowing twice as fast as me. Wow.

Back to Rowing

Today had a ton of rowing, which I was glad about when I read the WOD, and a little less so when actually rowing. I probably rowed for about 18 minutes. A bunch of that time I imagined I was in Head of the Charles Regatta, and my boat was winning. :)  We warmed up with 500 meters of rowing and some stretches.

WOD:
1000 meters rowing
20 overhead squats (I lifted 35 pounds)
30 kettlebell swings (I used the smallest one)
10 burpee box jumps (no foam boxes, so I stepped)
1000 meters rowing
10 burpee box jumps
30 kettlebell swings
20 overhead squats
1000 meters rowing
my time: 27 min 22 sec

That was a long workout!

I got my paper back from my research class, I had put a ton of work into it because it can be the start of my dissertation if it's done well. My instructor found one typo, and other than that she just gave me a 100. I'm pretty sure it's not actually that good, but whatever, I'll take it. As long as whoever is my advisor also accepts the thing.

Demo'ed for the Class!

This was a first, coach needed a lift demo'ed and came over to me - I thought she wanted to use my barbel, but she actually wanted me to demonstrate!  I was nervous and kind of pleased all at once :)  We were doing squat cleans. I squatted and then had to hang out there for kind of a long time. Fortunately it was only with a 15 pound barbell. Another first for me!

Today's WOD was pretty much all lifting. I almost didn't go because it was snowing, and I was all "the roads will be bad!" But they were tiny flakes, and not sticking, and I couldn't wimp out. Plus, there's another protest on Saturday, and Friday I'm at home because I bought a new mattress!  So, I dragged my lazy butt there.

We started with 10 minutes of clean and jerks, every minute on the minute. I got up to 70 pounds.

WOD: 9 minutes AMRAP
15 toes to bar
10 dead lifts (I started at 55 pounds)
5 snatches (I did one at 55 pounds and then went down to 35 pounds.)
3 rounds, 15 toes to bar, 10 dead lifts, 1 snatch

Then, max lift on clean and jerk. I lifted 80 pounds.

I was thinking that I might be able to do 55 pounds for the snatches, I did a test one and it was fine, but after the damn toes to bar, I couldn't lift the stupid thing! So, I went down to 35 pounds for the rest of the workout.  I did get some good toes to bar rhythm going. Tipping your head backwards and looking back helps. Who knew?

Sunday there was another rally in Copley Square, against the Immigration Ban. It lasted for 2 hours, I just went for an hour because for some reason I didn't realize that 25,000 people would show up, so it took longer than expected to get there. I think I'm just going to add protesting to my weekend activities. Work on paper, buy food, protest, go to crossfit....  I'm kinda into the flower child thing.

Came in First in a WOD!

OK, it was a group WOD, with large groups, and there were only 2 groups in class today. So, my group was faster than the other group. But, that equals first. Two first for me this week!  They got a bunch of new toys, ski erg machines. It's like cross country skiing, the kind where you have your feet together and are using your polls to push (not the kind where you skate ski). Of course, I don't know how to cross country ski, I've only tried it once. But the machine was fine. Better than the burpees.

We started with squat snatches. I did something to my knee and it was hurting when I bent it too much or jumped on it (while holding weights), so I did regular snatches. They had some complicated formula where you were supposed to lift some percent of your weight for some number of times. Well, I got up to 55 pounds 3 times. And that was that.

WOD: 3 rounds in groups of 4 (we had 4 in our group)
6 cal ski erg
10 burpees
10 toes to bar
12 snatches (I lifted 35 pounds)
6 cal bike
Our time: 15 min

Everybody worked at once, and when you finished your activity you took a knee and waited until the entire group was done. So, you got a little rest time on the activities that took less time like toes to bar and less after the biking and such.  I did level 1, and everyone else did higher levels, so I wasn't the one holding us up usually.

My hiking crampons arrived, no excuses now for not winter hiking.

Amazing March AND 21 Box Jumps!

The last two days were significantly better because #1 The Women's March was awesome and #2 I actually did 21 real box jumps today!  Usually I would be all over the fact that I did 21 box jumps, but I think I'm more excited about the march. They are saying that there were about 200,000 people there. I can believe it, it was crazy mobbed. I met my friend Karen and her boyfriend Adam there - we were supposed to meet at 10:30, but when they got to the T in Newton it was so busy there was no way that they could get on a train. So, they wound up driving. They got there around 11:30 ish. Being in the crowd was amazing, so many people, all this positive energy, and the speakers that they had were really good. After the speakers we waited for like an hour to get off the common, but there were too many of us, and a bottleneck at the gate, and finally we went in a different direction, away from the marching. By that time I was so hungry, and I was a little dehydrated and worried that if I didn't get fluids I would get sick. So, we didn't actually wind up marching in our march. That was a little disappointing, but whatever, all in all a good day.  A beginning, not an ending.

Today's WOD was more rowing and no burpees. I was kind of excited to get one done on Sunday.  Also, there were box jumps, and I was in the main box, where they have the giant foam boxes that don't hurt if you fall jumping on them.  I thought I could actually do some real box jumps if I used the foam box, and I did! In the warm up we were supposed to do 5.  I did 3. Later we were supposed to do another round of 5, and I did 3 again.

WOD: 3 rounds
500 meter row
21 kettlebell swings (I used the second smallest)
21 box jumps (each round I did 5 actual jumps and 16 steps)
my time:16 min 22 sec

The last round I actually did 5 in a row. By that time we were getting to the end, it was just me and one other woman still going. People were standing around cheering for us. Nice of them, but also super embarrassing, so I wanted to get finished.

Before we  did the WOD we did 5 rounds of 2 push jerks. I got up to 85 pounds!  On my second at 85 pounds, I was a little split jerky, but the first wasn't bad. I did 80 pounds pretty clean for two.  All and all, a good crossfit day for me.  At the end there was a "cashout" with all these ab exercises, but I was like "I did 21 box jumps, I'm good."