Melanie: Tuesday

20 squat workout with 70#

Chris Monday

Back still a little tweeked, so no whole body exercises today.

Bench press - 135x10, 155x10, 155x9, 155x7

Tabata on stationary bike

Some crunches and stretch

Back feels better after the WO. My apologies to anyone that had to be around me and my grumpy back this weekend.

SUNDAY GROUP WO

3 Rounds of:

20 box jumps
*
2x20' rope climb or 20 jumping pull-ups
*
TGUs - 5/side
*
Sled drag - 45lb. load up and down driveway 2x
*
Sledge hammer - 10 R handed, 10 L handed

* Do 10/5 (guys/gals) push ups and 10 full sit ups between each exercise

Melanie: Saturday

Ran 3 miles
Time: 29:40
PR!

Melanie: Friday

One arm 25# kb swings x 50

Rode my bike to work

Will presumably ride my bike home

Sam Thursday

Bench 225x5, 250x5, 275x5, 300x1, 185x12
Another crap-fest but at least this time I have an explanation. Stupid Sam did heavy OHP 2 days ago and TGUs and heavy swings last night. Even in the warmup sets I said to myself "Self, this is not going to go well"

Squat 200x20
Mike comment after this set "Wow, I haven't heard you grunt in a while"

Christine Thursday

DL 145x6, 165x4, 185x2, 205x1 (fail), 205x1
Another PR. Mike called her on a non-lockout on the 1st 205 attempt so she spited up and "showed him what a lockout was" - we explained to her that while holding heavy weights it's not good to look to the side and talk smack.

OHP 65x4, 75x2, 85x1, 90x1 (fail)
Almost! I helped her through the sticking point 1/2way up

Knee raises 2x10

Melanie: Thursday

Yoga class at HealthPlus.

Taking the 'rest day' concept to a new level, I fell asleep during savasana.

Hello Mr. Quadriceps!

Technique WO

Clean & jerk - 135x2, 155x1, 165x1, 165x1, 165x1

Squat cleans - 135x3x3

Work set

Back squat - 45 lb (bar only) x 100 reps

This was no fun at all. Thought about quitting at 50, but realized that would be letting my Sore Corps teamies down.

Extras

Shrugs - 1 set 225x5

Static barbell hold - 315x30 sec., 365x20 sec.

Karen's Wednesday and Thursday

Yesterday I climbed at the climbing gym, and today I worked out with a personal trainer. My right side is a lot stronger than my left side.

Sam Weds.

TGU 62# KB 3 each side squat-style
- squat style are certainly not my favorite anymore

Two armed KB swings 2x10x97
One armed KB swings 2x5x97 (each side)

Melanie: Wednesday

Bench press
55 x 6, 65 x 4, 70 x 2, 75 x 1, 80 x 1

Deadlift
150 x 6, 160 x 4, 175 x 1, 175 x 1 (fail)

Squats
Meant to do 70 x 20 but... couldn't!
70 x 6, 65 x 14 with lots of breaks in that 14

Not sure why I felt weak today on both deadlift and squats, but IDRGAS. Just glad to be lifting something. And pleased with the bench press.

Chris Wednesday

Thought I'd better get some OH squat and bench in before "work your weakness month" is over.

OH squat - 45x8, 65x8, 85x5, 45x8 (going xtra deep)
worked some snatch balance into each OH squat set

Bench press - 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x3, 185x3

Towel pull-ups - 10, 9, 9, 8 reps (had to drop and re-grip for the last 2 or 3 reps in each set)

Finished up with 2 sets of 20 Russian twists in incline sit up board (~45 deg.) w/8lb. medicine ball, and 2 sets of 20 sit ups on the same board w/45lb. plate.

Chris Tuesday

Lunch time Kickboxing class
2 rounds of the following:
50 full sit-ups (feet not anchored)
wall ball w/ 8lb. ball
push-ups
kick/punch heavy bag
- The person doing the sit-ups was the timer. Once 50 reps completed, move to the next station. 2 rounds took between 15 and 20 minutes, so averaged about 2 minutes at each station.
Balance of class time spent on drills defending punches from the bottom of mounted position.

PM at the Crish Muscle Box
Practiced throwing technique w/ Christine, Sam and Mike for hammer throw, weight for distance and Braemer stone. Then was cajoled into deadlifts - 135x8, 225x5, 275x5, 315x4

Sam Tuesday

DL 275x2, 315x2, 345x2, 365x1 (Fail), 365x1, 385x1 (Fail)
DLs have been sucking the past 2 weeks or so. I'm regressing!
It's my girlish grip. I start pulling and it comes right of the ground and starts sliding right out of my left hand.

OHP - 135x3, 185x3, 205x1
Whatever.

Pause Chinups (pause at the top) 2x5 alternated with 2x10 hanging leg raises

Towel swings with the 62# KB 3x10
Guess I'd better work on my grip.

Christine Tuesday

Bench
65x2, 75x2, 85x2, 100x1 (Fail), 95x1
Close on the 100.

20-rep squat 80lbs.

Around the World with the Sore Corps?

It occurred to Fiona and I as we were discussing the wife carrying contest and the highland games with a group of innocent civilians recently that we've inadvertently begun an international athletic event series. First Finland, next Scotland. Ideas for countries whose athletic traditions we can pillage, celebrate and bastardize next?

Scottish Highland Games: Save the Date

It's on for 1 p.m. Nov. 8. Location TBD.
More info. here.

Highland games Training?

May I make a suggestion? I think Sam & Chris should add 1 or 2 excercises that approximate particular HG events into the Saturday SC WO. That would allow most people toknow most of the events b4 showing up for the big day? I think that would make it even more fun and competitive

Not sure how this could be done, but maybe 5 sets of 1 for weight throw, increasing weight each time. u could teach form, then have blocks of people fire of a practice one.

Lifting Barmer stone 10X

Stuff like that.

My $0.02
_M_

Karen Tuesday

Puppies:
For time 15, 10, and 5 rep rounds of:
Virtual shoveling
Push-ups (box push ups okay)
With an Olympic bar holding only one plate (men use 45 pound bar, women use 25 pound bar), touch the plate on one side of the barrier then the other for one “rep.” Barrier is 24”

Then 100 KB (25#) swings in response to discovery of 4# KB.

Melanie: Monday and Tuesday

Monday: Active recovery day!
25# KB swings 2 x 50

Tuesday
Clean and press ladder to 5 with 25# KB, 2 rungs
10 floor presses with 25# KB
On both exercises, my left side is much weaker than my right. Had to push press from 3 on the left on the first rung and almost all of them on the second rung.
100 25# KB swings

Article in this morning's Tennessean on ladies and kettlebells... not bad but of course talk of women's concerns about getting 'bulky' and includes the kettlenettics chick! See for yourself.

No!

Kettlebells + dance? Oh no you di'int.

http://buykettlenetics.com/?source=google&custom=kettlebell%20exercise

Karen Sunday and Monday

I went climbing on Sunday and led a climb that really scares me, and that I have backed off of in the past. The climb was easy (5.7) but it has a really big overhang and it is really exposed. Ahhh Zoo View.

Today I did this:
Puppies:
For time:
20 Box jump, 10-15 inch box
20 Jumping pull-ups
20 Kettlebell swings, 12kg
Walking Lunge, 20 steps
20 Ab-Mat Sit-ups
20 Push press, 25-30 pounds
20 Back extensions
20 Wall ball shots, 10-16 pound ball
20 Burpees
20 Standard Jump Rope Jumps

Christine Sunday

DL 155x4, 165x2, 175x1, 185x1, 200x1
OH Press 75x4, 80x2, 85x1
Band-assisted pullups 5 underhand 3 overhand

Sore Corps Sunday

Windmills 2x5

KB Clean and press 2 ladders to 5

Squat 1x20

Farmer's walks with Chris' new implements

Sam Saturday

GTG pullups/chinups (I alternated sets)
10x3

Melanie: Friday

"Grace"
30 clean and jerks with 55# (10, 10, 5, 5)
Time: 8:23

Squats
75# x 20 (1 x 10, 2 x 5)

Chris Friday

This was mostly a technique WO for me.

After about a 10 min. warm up,
Burgener warm up
Power snatch - a few each at 75, 95, and 115 lb.
Snatch balance - about 6 at 65lb. and maybe 5 at 75@

Farmers walks: 2 sets of approx. 50 yds. w/2x100lb. DBs
(still feeling these an hour later....ugh)

Ab work: Russian twist/sit ups on slant board w/ 25 lb. plate, some full sit-ups w/ feet anchored, and one set of KTE

Sam Thursday

First workout in Captain Crish's Muscle Box. Worked out pretty well.

Bench 225x5, 250x5, 275x5, 300x3
Squat 185x20

I dare anyone to drink what I drank last night (not to mention those damn cigarettes) and try the 20 rep squat workout. I double dog dare you!

Melanie: Thursday

Went to yoga at HealthPlus. This particular class is kind of challenging, and I hadn't been to any yoga class of any sort in about three months. Lots of plank and a couple of other cuckoo poses I hadn't done before. I definitely noticed I was much stronger and had more endurance than I used to... Wait for it.... Namaste, CrossFit!

Chris Thursday

Today's WO - "Grace" - 30 reps of 135 lb. clean & jerk for time

(for Sam) - I broke the reps up starting w/ 5s then to 4s, and 3s for the last 10.

Being the first time trying this WO, I wasn't really trying to rock the time. Took me about 8 1/2 minutes to complete.

Finished with 3 rounds of:

10 TGUs (5/side) w/25 lb. DB

10 box jumps onto a 24" bench

Christine Wednesday

After a few glasses of wine

Bench Press - 65x6, 75x4, 85x2, 95x1
Squat 77.5x19
Yes! She attempted #20 but got pinned. I'm so proud.

Melanie: Wednesday

Ran 3 miles.
33:43

Not quite a Tartan

...but thought the change in colors might generate some excitement for the upcoming Sore Corps Highland Games.

(no one fessed up to changing the colors to the official Chinese Red Army Vehicle Interior Color Scheme yesterday)

Christine Tuesday

C+P ladders to 5 20# KB, 2 rungs
(I think the rungs should be the "rep" part (5) and the ladders the number of "sets" (2) but that's the way they do it - stupid commies)

62# KB swing 2x10

Sam Tuesday P.M.

62# KB C+P ladder to 5

Pullups 3x3

97# KB swings 2x10

150# Sandbag shoulder and squat 2x1 each side
These sucked. This is the worst thing we've made so far. I had to lift it continental-style; lifting it to my hips/abdomen and then taking it to the shoulder. Plus it's coarse cloth so I'm a little abraded.

Melanie: Tuesday

I let Chris and Sam suggest my workout today, and did a combination of their ideas. "Thanks" guys. I developed a splitting headache in the middle of it and thought I might be having an aneurysm. (I'm editing this post from yesterday - I did the correct number of reps, not too few as I thought when posted yesterday).

Lil' Fran
Thrusters with 45#, Pull ups displacing all but 15# of body weight
21 thrusters
21 pull ups
12 thrusters
12 pull ups
9 thrusters
9 pull ups
Time: 9:30

Bench press
65 x 6; 65 x 4; 70 x 2; 75 x 1

Chris Tuesday

Only one person showed up for kickboxing class today (and he was late...), so, I decided we'd do 4 rounds of the following:
While one person does 25 back extensions and 25 sit ups, the other hits the heavy bag.

My partner was confused and the first round of ext./situps he did fifty (making for a very looong round on the bag for me), so I did 50 my second round to make up.

The whole thing took between 20 and 25 minutes. I name this WO "Pete" in honor of my training partner, and all around nice guy, Pete Napatalung.

Helllooooo KB, Meet Karen

This was my first time using a KB.
I did 100 kb swings with 25# in sets of 20.

Also this:

"The Chief"

Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
50 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats

Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

Sam Tuesday

DL - 275x5, 315x5, 335x5, 365x2
OH Press - 135x5, 185x2, 205x1

Melanie: Monday

Squats: 65 x 20

Push press: 65 x 2 x 5; 70 x 1

Deadlifts: 115 x 5; 135 x 5; 165 x 3 x 3

50 twists in boat pose with 5 lbs.

50 crunches on balance ball

Cap'n Crish's Muscle Box

We will receive the Squat Rack today for the new carport gym, to be referred to as the title of this post indicates. You will all receive muscles as a result.

Chris Monday

Fran - 3 rounds for time of:
21 thrusters
21 pull-ups
12 thrusters
12 pull-ups
9 thrusters
9 pull-ups

I started getting nervous right after checking the crossfit website this AM. This WO illicits a feeling of dread for me. My previous time for this was 11:30. Decided to shoot for sub 10 min. Today's time 9:40 - a PR!

After lying on the ground for while, decided to finish up with DLs:
3 sets of 8 at 225 lb.

Melanie: Sunday

Ran 3 miles
Time: 31:11

Sore Corps Saturday

At the Morans':

3 rounds of:
20 1 arm kettlebell swings per side
5 clean and squat per side with gravel bag
1 lap slosh pipe walks
Agility jumps from rocks to balance beam while waiting
10 knees to elbows

Fun, fun, fun!

Melanie: Friday

Cooked for six hours straight. Cooked food, that is. That counts for something, right?

Rest day

Though my body is resting (stretch only today at the Y), my mind is still busy thinking about feats of strength....

Sam Thursday

Did the Randy WOD
7:33 (15, 15, 15, 10, 12, 8)

That was tougher than I thought it would be.

Christine Thursday

20-rep Squat workout

72.5x20

38

For my birthday. All numbers are totals (19 per side where applicable).

38 box jumps
38 burpees
38 walking lunges
38 air squats
38 push ups
38 sit ups
38 Turkish get ups with mix of 10 and 5lbs.

Time: 29:55

Hero workouts

The Crossfit site WOD for today is your pick of workouts honoring servicemen killed in the line of duty (see http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/faq.html#WOD1). Some of these looked really brutal. I decided to combine 2 WOs that I could complete and not be crippled tomorrow.

Randy - In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed February 6 in the line of duty.
75# power snatch - 75 reps for time
- since no bumper plates at the Y, I did these from the low hang position - with the bar about the same height off the ground it would be with full size plates.

Michael - In honor of Navy Lieutenant Michael McGreevy, 30, of Portville, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan June 28 2005.
3 rounds for time of:
Run 800m (I subbed C2 rower)
50 back extensions
50 sit ups

I split up the power snatches because Jason was doing another "Hero WO" (Daniel) and needed the bar for thrusters. So, I did 50 reps, then "Michael" and then finished up with the last 25.

Happy birthday Melanie!

In Mel's honor, I did 100 one-arm swings with the 18# kettle-bell last night. Only 18# you say? Well try 50 in a row with no break and we'll talk more about the 18#er. Did 10 straight, solid, excellent form deep push-ups too. Its amazing how much padded carpet improves the push-experience.

My quads are becoming pillars of justice. I'm worried my arms are becoming spindly and weak with all this leg work. The swings are felt mostly in the hindquarters and pillars. Sam says i'm crazy but so is he.

Melanie: Wednesday

After a night out at Bosco's:
1 arm swings with 25lb KB: 50 each arm
100 air squats: 30, 30, 40

Chris Wednesday

Did today's Crossfit WOD
Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench pressPull-upsBody weight back squat
My body weight = 175 lb.

I only counted strict reps w/ proper form, and I really did not rest much between exercises or rounds (never got close to resting heart rate) and finished in about 20 minutes.
The rounds went like this:
5-12-12
5-13-12
5-11-12
5-11-12
4-11-10 (just let me be done PLEASE!)

My observations - bench about like expected, pull-ups a little below expectations, squat significantly below expectations. Really, I did not get anywhere close to failure with the squat sets, I just felt like "sh*t, I gotta put this thing down..."

Sam Tuesday

70 one armed swings with 62# KB
(Sets of 5 each arm)

Christine Tuesday

20-rep squat workout

70x20


Also, I forgot to post Monday for Christine
200 One armed 18# KB swings (100 each arm in 2 sets of 50 each arm)

Melanie: Tuesday

Went to Health+ after work and it was veeery crowded. Some guy was hogging the squat rack, foiling my plans.

So. I improvised using trap bar and a barbell they had on its own.

Trap bar dead lifts
115lb x 5; 135lb x 2 (3, 2)

Bench press
65lb x 10; 75lb x 2 (2, 3)

Squat
45lb x 20

OH Press
45 x 3 (5, 5, 3)

50 GH Situps
50 GH Extensions

I felt as weak as a kitten.

Inspired by Melanie

Exercise makes me feel better. I guess I'd better keep it up. I still haven't done a kb swing, but I do own a 25# kb. Isn't that worth something?

I did Saturday's WOD with modified weights and reps:

10-9-8-7-6 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 8o#
Bench press: 60#
Clean and press: 50#

Some guy helped me with my form on Deadlifts. Apparently, I was overusing my lower back. Now that he told me, I think my lower back hurts.

Dr. Stronglove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bell

Many of you have heard me say, in an evangelical, informercially way, that I had chronic hip pain for the past two years and that it went away once I started Sore Corpsing it. I said it. And I believed it. But did I know the workouts were the real cure? Frankly, no.

Until these past two weeks. Many of you know this month has been Sucktember for me so far. And as part of that, I hardly worked out. And guess what? My darn hip started aching again!! No kidding.

That's it, I said today. Enough! I rushed home and did 100 kettlebell swings (25lb) in a row. Because I think the kettlebell swing is the perfect exercise AND the reason why my hip was healed, and the recent lack of swinging is why it started hurting. I said it before, but now I know it really is true. Thanks, crazy Russians!!

Rest of today's WOD:
25 situps
Bottoms up presses with Mac's red 15 lb kb, 5 each side. These are so delightfully difficult.
Ran 2.25 miles. I Posed it for the first two miles and then couldn't keep it up after mile 2. My legs started going numb and I decided to just go home, but with my head held high, damnit. My head held high.

Karen's Monday

I did yesterday's wod:

Three rounds of:
Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (I used a 10# ball - about 25/minute,)
Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (I used 50#, 15/minute)
Box Jump, 20" box (I used 4 step risers, 20/minute - I know that is lame - but it was hard.)
Push-press, 75 pounds (I used 50#, 15/minute, last round only 9)
Row (Calories) (who knows.)

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of "rotate", the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

I'm back to trying to do this every day.

Karen

Sore Core Sunday

KB clean-and-press ladder to 5

OH KB throws x5

Walking lunges 25 each leg

Chris Monday

5 rounds for time:

of 10-7-7-5-5 reps of 115 lb. hang-cleans supersetted with L-pull ups

Time was right at 10 min.

Then played with OH squats and snatch balance (bar only).
Finished w/ 3 sets (5-6-7 reps) of 60 lb. DB bench press and 2 rounds of seated medicine ball twists/full sit-ups w/ medicine ball.

While doing my WO, I watched Jason do Fran and was glad it wasn't me. Yet, I realize I must visit Fran again soon in hopes of a lower time.

Sam Saturday

Power Clean 3x3 185, 195, 205(2)
Squat snatch 3x2x135

Christine Saturday

20-rep squat workout
67.5#

Now we're getting somewhere.

Sam Friday

DL 4x5 (225, 275, 315, 345) 225x10
OH press - 140x3, 190x1, 210x1
Hanging leg raises/situps 2x10

Yea Deadlifts!!

Chris' deadlift WOD:
warm up w/135, then 3-rep sets with the following loads -
225-275-305-305-305

"The deadlift ... it’s very hard to imagine a more useful application of strength than picking heavy shit up off the ground."
Mark Rippetoe

Upcoming Event

We have tentatively scheduled the First Annual Sore Corps Highland Games for Saturday, November 8, 2008. Time and location TBD. Events will likely include reasonable approximations of traditional Highland games:

Stone put

Hammer throw

Caber toss

Cumberland wrestling

Tug of war (team event)

Chris Wednesday

Trying to catch up on the Crossfit WODs, so I did push jerks at lunch time:
5 sets of 135lb x 3 reps. A little sore from benching yesterday, so went a little lighter than 3-rep max weight.
Followed with neck work - lie on bench, 25lb. plate held to head, 4 directions;
and ab work:
10 hanging straight leg raises
10 second static L-sit on dip bar
10 L-sit raises on the dip bar, which led to tricep failure and a controlled crash (yikes!)
20 KTEs
Then a couple sets of medicine ball full sit ups alternated with static handstand against the wall

Late afternoon:
Back Squats - warm up w/ 135, then
225 x 3, 4 sets of 275 x 3

Sam Tuesday

KB Floor press 2x5x97

Snatch Grip DL 185x5, 235x3, 255x2, 275x1

Rack hold (Clean the bar to shoulder and hold) 185x30 count
This started to hurt but not too bad. Used more of a press grip but I think gradually narrowing the grip will be the way to go. Also need to stopwatch it, probably sped up there at the end :o

Dips 2x20

Was going to front squat and pistol but my knee is a little banged up from some spectacular fall I took recently so I'm not going to do much of any kind of squatting for a few days.

Christine Tuesday

20 rep squat workout

70# - had to split into 10 and 10. Worked on a new technique beforehand and with the lower bar position she couldn't rest standing. Will fix for next time.

Work Your Weakness Month - Part 1

Chris decided to work a couple of his weaknesses before teaching kickboxing class:
OH squat - 45lbx10, 65lbx8 x3 sets
Bench - 135x8, 175x3x 4 sets

Class warm-up: 3 min. jump rope and 20 TGU w/ 15 DB

Balance of class time spent on single-stick Kali technique, rather than kickboxing.

Sam Monday

Ugh, hungover so decided to do the Russian hangover cure - KBs and Pickle juice - minus the pickle juice.
Spread out over a few hours:

62# KB - On Clean and press (C+P) ladder to 5 (1 right, 1 left, 2 right, 2 left...)

62# KB - Four C+P ladders to 3 with pullups (1 C+P right, 1 C+P left, 1 pullup, 2 C+P right...)

97# KB press 5x1 each side/ 3 pullups/chinups

Double hand swings with 62# 4x25

Labor Day: Chris and Melanie

Went to the Vanderbilt track to work on tempo and pose running, and also for me, Melanie, to see what is like to run a faster mile than I do on the 3-mile runs. So we did it and imagine my delight when the stop watch clocked us in at 9:01! Our goal was to get in under 10:00. I now know how fast I have to run if I want to meet my goal of running a 5K in 27 minutes by then end of the calendar year. 30 minutes might be more realistic.

FYI - I like the pose running, and think I'm getting it, but it works your calves like crazy. I was hobbling around for a good while afterwards.

Chris then did four 100 m sprints barefoot on the grass while I sat and watched.

We then both spent a couple of minutes on handstand and I practiced headstand too.