Spin, Fran and various other stuff

Donna dragged me to her Spin class today. It had been a while and I have to say I actually enjoyed it. Nice to be back on a bike, at least for a little while.

Then it was off to class at BizFit. Donna taught a fractured "Fran" class. Lots of people there so she broke it down into heats. It went really well with Jason and Trish doing it as Rx. Great stuff.

"Fran"

21-15-9

95#/65# Thruster

Pull Ups

"Fractured Fran" same weights but sets are 7-7-7-5-5-5-3-3-3.

After that was done we banged out our PM workout, which included almost a Kettlebell based "Fran".

Muscle snatch - 65% x 3 x 3
Matt: 95# Donna: 55#

Power clean + clean + jerk - 65% (of clean & jerk) x 4 sets

Matt: 135# Donna: 65#

Met Con:

20-15-10 reps of:

KB swings - 35% BW

Matt: 28kg (61.6#)

Donna: 20kg (44#)

Kipping pull-ups

Matt: 3:33 Donna: 7:02

Day 1 Week 3 of PM Strength :-)

Nice to get back on schedule today. I had to split my workout up to fit in instructing two classes at BizFit tonight. Nice work on the presses by everyone.

As for me and Donna it was time to get back on the PM wagon

Back squat - 87% x 2 x 4

Matt: 275# Donna: 150#

Snatch deadlift - 118% (of snatch) x 2 x 3

Matt: 170# Donna: 110#

Push press - 85% x 4 x 5

Matt: 145# Donna: 80#

Bent row - 80% x 6 x 3

Matt: 65# DB Donna: 100#

Hanging leg raise - 3 x 15

Kiwi and Ginger prefer rest days

Rest Day

Kiwi checks out her new wooly hat

We woke to find that nearly all the snow has gone and a nice warm wind was blowing. Almost like being back on the cape.

We spent a quiet day at home catching up on chores and chilling out.

I just finished reading "The Omnivores Dilemma" and Donna has started "The Protein Power LifePlan" both interesting books on nutrition and the choices we make as far as food is concerned.

Next on the list is a book Donna got for Christmas "Good Calories, Bad Calories" that should be an interesting read.

Red Sky at Night..............

Heavy Single Saturday

After a visit to Trader Joe's it was time to head back to the Berkshires, via some very wet and busy highways.

We had a great time on the cape, thanks to Donna's parents for putting us up and baby sitting the pugs while we went to workout.

We stopped by BizFit in Great Barrington to squeeze in our Performance Menu workout.

Snatch - heavy single

Matt 135# Donna 55# (60# Power Snatch)

These felt really good considering how much work we have done in the last few days. Thanks again to Jonny from CrossFit ATM, that coaching paid off

Clean & jerk - heavy single
Matt 165# Donna 85#

Front squat - heavy single
Matt 275# Donna 115#

Ab work of choice

Matt: AbMat WallBall Situps w/20# Ball 3 x 20

Donna: A mix of Knees to Elbows, Skin the Cat, AbMat WallBall Situps w/10# Ball

Boxing Day Met Con

We found a nice outdoor spot to finish our Performance Menu workout. Although it was difficult to find the perfect pull up spot, the playground did offer a lot of options.

3 rounds for time of:

100 m sprint

15 kipping pull-ups

I should have known by now to check before doing these workouts as I usually don't remember them quite correctly. So we did 4 rounds instead of 3. Oops don't tell Donna!

Matt: 5:33

Donna: 5:24 (Jumping Pull Ups)

Then it was time to exercise the pugs and head back for a well deserved nap

Christmas Dinner and Boxing Day at C3 (CrossFit Cape Cod)

After working out last night we came back to Donna's parents place and cooked Christmas dinner.

Donna cooked the ham and mashed sweet potatoes while I sorted out the roasted vegetables - potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, onions, garlic, brussels sprouts, shiitake and portobello mushrooms, thyme and parsley.

Mmmmmmmm Good roast vegetables

This morning we headed back to C3 for another workout. Mark had invited Jonny Kalaher from CrossFit ATM in Texas to come in to coach us in Oly lifting. It was great to have some experienced eyes look over our snatches. I think I will be changing my start position based on the experience this morning.

Jonny also helped us with cues and common faults. It was great to meet him and two of his brothers, Evan and Matthew. This is going to be a CrossFit family to reckon with.

Then as Donna and I completed part of our PM workout (doing heavy single over head squats), Mark and the boys cranked out a nice strength based workout.

3 Rounds for Time

10 Clean and Jerk 135#

15 Strict Pull Ups

20 Wallball situps (situps throwing a medicine ball against the wall with each rep)

Over Head Squats

Matt 155#

Donna 90#

These are both new Personal Records for both of us.

Thanks again to Mark for the great hospitality and Jonny for the coaching. It is a great CrossFit community wherever we go :-)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!

Our thoughts are with friends and family wherever you are in the world.

A special thanks to those serving in harms way. Take Care, Stay Safe.

Tonight Donna and I headed to CrossFit Cape Cod. Thanks to Mark for hosting us so well and on Christmas Day no less. He ran a Back Squat 1 Rep Max session. Both Donna and I hit new PR's for High bar Back Squats.

Donna: 175# (Now she can Squat and Deadlift me)

Matt: 315#

We intend to head back there tomorrow for our workout.

Sometimes the Christmas excitement is too much!

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Teddy Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910

Christmas Eve workout

Donna and I headed to the Pittsfield YMCA to train some of her clients, then we stayed to get in out PM workout.

Front squat - 75% x 3, 81% x 1, 77% x 3, 80% x 1, 79% x 3

Matt: 205#/225#/215#/220#/210# Donna: 95#/100#/95#/100#/95

Snatch pull - 103% (of snatch) x 3 x 3

Matt: 155# Donna: 110#

Rack jerk - heavy single; 90% x 1, 85% x 1 x 2

Matt: 185# 165#/155# Donna: 100#/90#/85#

MetCon - 3 rounds for time of: Matt: 2:28 Donna: 2:24

10 sand bag halfmoons - 25% Body Weight

No sandbag - so I used a 45# plate and Donna used a 28# Kettlebell

10 clapping push-ups

Donna also finished her 100k row, right on time. Thanks to Concept 2 rowers for putting the challenge out there.

Happy Holidays :-)

Big Blue Balls!

Mid-hang muscle snatch - 62% x 3 x 3 Matt: 95# Donna: 45#
2-position snatch (floor, mid-thigh) - 60% x 4 sets Matt 95# Donna: 40#

MetCon - 4 rounds for time of - Matt: 7:47 Donna: 9:07

250 m row

7 sand bag power clean + push press - 35% Body Weight. No sandbag so we both used Kettlebells. Matt 2 x 16kg, Donna 2 x 12kg (Big Blue Balls)

Enough with this snow shoveling, lets go lift some heavy sh*t

Catalyst Workout for today. Another day in the dungeon that is the Pittsfield YMCA weight room.

Back squat - 85% x 3 x 5 - Matt: 225# Donna: 125#
Clean deadlift - 115% x 3 x 3 - Matt: 225# Donna: 165#
Push press - 83% x 5 x 5 - Matt: 140# Donna: 77#
Bent row - test max; 77% x 8 x 3 - Matt: 80#/60# Donna: 3 x10 30#
Weighted GHD sit-ups - 3 x 6 - Matt: 40# Donna: None

Donna and I made sugar cookies last night.

However Donna can't resist them so....................

Kiwi and I are trying to eat them as fast as we can :-)

Mmmmmmmmmmmm I feel a sugar coma coming on zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Snow day/Rest day

More snow today resulted in the Beast of the North East in Albany getting postponed. So no workout today, which is probably a good thing, rest is just as important as working out.

Last night we went to the play "The Bourgeoisie Gentleman" that Trish is doing the lighting for at Riggs in Stockbridge. A very funny performance, just the right thing for a cold wintry evening. Thanks to Trish for getting us great seats :-)

Below is a excerpt from CrossFit Sydney in Australia that I thought was worth sharing.

How to do CrossFit?

Learn the mechanics of fundamental movements; establish a consistent pattern of practicing these same movements, and, only then, ratchet up the intensity of workouts incorporating these movements. "Mechanics," then "Consistency," and then "Intensity" - this is the key to effective implementation of CrossFit programming.

Incremental progressive improvement is the goal of CrossFit Conditioning. The goal is not "winning a WO", nor having the best "Time" or being the best at CrossFit but to continuously improve your skill and conditioning levels. Creating a preparation base of diverse skills and high level of conditioning that is efficient and effective in application for whatever endeavour you choose.

Snow, Oly lifting and more snow...

After last nights dump of snow we woke to around 6 inches everywhere.

I taught an Olympic Lifting Skills session at BizFit. A good intro for Danielle and a PR on Beth's Split Jerk.

Then Donna headed to Simons Rock to train some clients and I headed back to pick up the girls and then back to the gym for our Performance Menu workout.

Both Donna and I had to make up for what we missed yesterday.

Power snatch - 75% x 2 x 3 Donna: 55#
Snatch balance - heavy single; 80% x 2 x 2 Matt: 115#/95# Donna: 55#/45#

Snatch - heavy single; Matt: 130# Donna: 55#

Clean & jerk - heavy single; Matt: 160# Donna: 80# New PR :-)

Tomorrow we owe back squats and some ab work. For today it was back home to shovel the dog yard and rake the roof. The snow continues to fall........

Snow, Cookies, Fudge, Rowing, Pull Ups and Snatches

No Christmas workout at Watertown :-(. It started to snow around 11am and it is still coming down at 7pm. Driving in this just wasn't an option.

So instead we made cookies and fudge.

Then I took on the PM workout for today as best I could.

MetCon - 5 rounds for time:

8 kipping pull-ups

200 m row

Time: 8:00 an added bonus to this workout was running up and down the stairs to the basement to do the pull ups :-)

Strength -

Power snatch - 75% x 2 x 3 115#
Snatch balance - heavy single; 80% x 2 x 2 I had to skip these as the cheap home gym bar I have is too narrow for a good snatch grip at the bottom of the overhead squat. I will add them in tomorrow.

Rest Day :-)

Rest day today. It was Donna's last day at school for the year:-) She taught Spin at the Y in Pittsfield, then the 5:30 class at BizFit. Me and the girls tagged along. I worked on my gymnastics skills while the girls hung out.

Tomorrow we head to CrossFit Watertown for a Christmas WOD. Hope the snow doesn't come too early but if it does we will just stay there and do the 5am workout as well :-)

Checkout this pic from the recent ice storm. It was taken somewhat north of us, glad our place doesn't look like this.

Wednesday at the Y

Donna and I managed to get together at the YMCA in Pittsfield to squeeze in our Performance Menu workout. I am still trying to stay light on the weights. But want to work hard on the MetCon part of the workout.

Front squat - (70% x 3, 75% x 2, 80% x 1) x 3

Matt: 205-205-225/135-175-205 x 2 Donna: 85-90-100

Snatch pull - 100% (of snatch) x 3 x 3
Matt: 135 Donna: 65

Rack jerk - start with 1 push jerk + 1 split jerk until you can't push jerk anymore; then drop to split jerk only to a heavy single

Matt: 115-135-155-175 Donna: 75-85-95-100

MetCon-

3 rounds for time of: 15 KB deadlift high pull - 30% BW 20 KB 1-arm snatch - 25% BW

Matt: 60#/45# 4:01 Donna: 45#/20# 4:52

Both of us are feeling the effects of heavy lifting this week but it is a rest day tomorrow so we will get some quality recovery in.

Performance Menu Day Two

Donna and I did the same skills work but mixed up the metabolic condition (MetCon) part of the workout.

Mid-hang muscle snatch - 60% x 3 x 3 Matt:85# Donna:50#

2-position clean (floor, mid-thigh) + 2 jerk - 60% x 4 sets Matt: 115# Donna:50#

I am still going light just to see how my back handles the strain

MetCon - Matt

10-16-20 reps for time:

Kettlebell swings - 24kg

KB clean + 2 push press (each side) - 24kg

26:42 - This sucked badly, swings and cleans were all good but the push presses were a killer

I just checked the Catalyst site and I should have split the Cleans and Push Press reps up between each arm. Damn, thought it was too horrible to be true.

- Donna

Five rounds for time of:

155 pound Deadlift, 5 reps

10 Burpees

6:24

Back on the Performance Menu

Day 1 of the Performance Menu WOD

Back squat - 83% x 3 x 5 Matt 255# (too heavy)-205# x 4 Donna 125#

Snatch deadlift - 110% (of snatch) x 3 x 3 Matt 135# Donna 75#












Push press - 80% x 5 x 5 Matt 135# Donna 70#

Pull-ups - (6, 8, 10 reps) x 2



Weighted sit-ups - 3 x 10 Matt 16k KB, Donna 8k KB

Nutrition Seminar

I was at Crossfit Boston for a nutrition seminar given by the beautiful, strong, disciplined Eva Claire. We learned about insulin response, glucagon and our bodies response to certain foods. The basics are 'Cut the Crap'. No processed foods. Just eat meats, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. So I am on a quest to find a Zone/Paleo balance that works for me. Starting slowly, adding in some cheat days (hello...holidays), cutting out processed foods and sugar, and keeping a log of what I eat. This is a life change, not short term. It takes commitment and understanding how your body works. I went to the seminar looking for motivation and to have some questions answered. EC helped with both.

EC from CrossFit Boston

Thanks to James for giving us a place to crash and playing taxi, Thanks to EC for sharing her knowledge and experience and Thanks to Jason for the good company. It was a blast!