Training for Tuesday, May 23

I died at approximately 5:25 p.m. today.

I've always wanted to write a lede like that. Really hooks the reader.

I didn't die but it felt like I did. After about 10-11 days away, I made my triumphant return to Prairie CrossFit this afternoon. It's funny how quickly fitness fades. For me, my endurance and legs seem to leave me real fast. My twigs felt like wet noodles -- and that was after the warm-up.

Anyway, I was WRITHING in agony when it was all done. Haven't done that in awhile. Other than the almost two-weeks away thing, I had a pretty well-rounded training day before the WOD, and my carbs the past week have been low due to non-training. This was all a recipe for me having my ass beaten to a pulp. 

Today's training:

Cycle to and from U of M: 10 km

Lunch hour

University of Manitoba Active Living Centre

Bench press (4-5 sets, 5-8 reps, 135 lbs); superset with 3-6 pull-ups
Core work (the core workout I always do)
Run 1.5 m on the track

CrossFit

A1. Front Squat Drop set; 4.8 x 4 sets; 2 min rest
A2. C2B Cluster; 4.4.4 x 4 sets; 2 min rest

15 – 12 – 9 reps of
Power Clean (40/30kg)
Bar Facing Burpees

rest 5 min

12 – 9 – 6 reps of
Box Jumps (24/20″)
S2OH (40/30kg)
Front Rack Lunges per leg (40/30kg)
*For lunges its 12 per leg then 9 per let the 6 per leg 

Again, I was rolling around in pure pain when this SOB was finished. I had no shame. This shit legit hurt. The burpees really did me in (a little sore for the healing boys).

I expect my legs to resemble swollen frankfurters, so we'll see how cycling goes tomorrow. 

Training for Thursday, May 11

I'm just going to cut to it: I had a small/more-painful-than-I-expected surgery on Friday morning (see what I did there?).

I won't be doing any training for about a week while I recover. 

I'll probably write a post about the surgery one day (don't worry, it was nothing even remotely life-threatening). I haven't told many people about it yet. Even though no one reads my blog, it would be wrong to share more about it here first. 

Thursday's training was pretty great, though. I've been killing the CrossFit game lately. I'm not totally where I want to be: I still can't do a muscle-up and I haven't really tried handstand push-ups. I actually had a dream last night where I was completing multiple MUs. It was glorious.

My elbow seems to be finally getting better. As you'll see below, I was able to snatch without it feeling like my elbow was going to burst out of my arm.

Thursday training:

Cycle and to U of M and back: 10 km

Lunch hour:

University of Manitoba Active Living Centre

1.5 mile run on track
I'm definitely still running the Manitoba half, but I'm not going to focus tons on training for it. It's just too time consuming and a bit boring. I'm going to aim to run between 3-10 miles a week. 

WOD prep: shoulder press complex (combo of snatch pulls, snatches, presses, push presses)

More shoulder work: 4 sets of 7 KB cleans, push presses, swings

CrossFit


A. Snatch Pull. Power Snatch, build to a max single (worked up to 65 kg ... I'll take that as PR)

30 – 20 – 10 reps of:

Shuttle Run

BJ overs (24/20″)

Toes 2 bar
Hand Release Push-ups
 
I finished the metcon at 15:49. Not bad. The box jumps and T2B were killers. Running and push-ups are my bread and butter.

Again, I won't be training this week ... which sucks but I have to recover. Renaissance Periodization is going to be a merciless beast the next seven days. As I've written before, no training = no food. It'll be a good challenge though.

I'm also having trouble accurately measuring my weight. I tend to do official weigh-ins on Wednesday. I tipped the scale at precisely 181 lbs. I was hoping to be below that. I weighed myself the next day and the reading was 178 lbs. I weighed myself at the doctor's office Friday and it was 183 lbs. Weird, I guess?

Anyway, I'm going to stay at cut 1 this week and then move to cut 2 regardless. I know weight isn't an accurate measurement for me (and how could be it be based on those fluctuations).  But I still want to adhere to the RP cutting principles of moving cuts when weight loss has plateaued.

 

Training for Thursday, May 4

I took an unexpected day off from training (and RP, somewhat) Thursday. I was tired, had the day off from work (which sorta destroys my routine ... and as a Libra, I thrive/I'm dependent on order), things got in the way, etc., etc. It's all good though. I think my body needed the rest. And I didn't veer too far off my diet. If anything, I didn't get enough of my macros in.

Thursday was an excellent training day. Maybe my best one in recent memory. I really have no idea why (maybe it was the day off?).

20 km bike to and from U of M

Lunch:

Every 90 seconds, 4 rounds: 

• 6 Around the world with plate above head (15kg, 3ea) 
• 20 Russian Twists and then hold the Hollow Rock position for 20-30sec 
• *Goal is to maximize the amount of time spent in the hollow rock position.

Pull-ups in between rounds

Ran 3 miles (1.5 on treadmill, 1.5 on the track)

Out of safety concerns, I've begrudgingly decided to switch from the full-marathon to the half. I started my training late in the game and I haven't had/made enough time to even get into a routine. I've ran about 12 miles since I signed up for the full. Ultimately, I don't want to be an invalid for the week following the race. Will I go after the full next year? We'll see. 

CrossFit:

AMRAP in 20 min


500m Row


12 Toes 2 Bar


12 Thrusters (30/20kg)

rest 10 min

AMRAP in 20 min


Run 400m


6 Muscle-ups
 (did a combo of 6 1 pull-ups/2 push-ups instead)

12 Clean and Jerk (40/30kg)

I SLAYED this. Probably my best workout at Prairie CF yet. I felt stronger as I progressed through the AMPAPs. I've never really felt that before. I don't know if I've gotten stronger since I joined Prairie, but my work capacity has gone through the roof. And I think RP has helped a lot with this. 

I'm posting this a day late (it's Friday today). I'm slated to go back to Prairie CrossFit today for another beast:

Press @ 31X1, 3-5 x 6; 3 mins

For 12 min

100 m Run

12 Hang Power Cleans

8 Front Squats

4 Push Press

rest 1 min

*Choose a weight you can do barbell movements unbroken

REST 1 min

For 12 min

100 m Run

12 Alternating DB Snatch

8 DB Goblet Squats

4/arm DB Single Arm Jerk

rest 1 min

I should really take it easy with those DB snatches. Literally the only movement that causes my forearm to flare up. I'll keep you all posted. 

Training for Wednesday, April 26

Today’s training:

Lunch hour:

5 mile run on track
(deliberately slow four miles followed by fast paced last mile)

CrossFit (4:30 p.m.):

Press @ 31X1, 4-6 x 6; 3 mins

With a 25 min time cap complete for time
100 Dumbbell Snatches
80 Cal Row
60 Burpees over DB
40 Muscle-Ups or do (1 Pull-up + 2 Push-ups ) x 40 reps

I’m 33 and injured all the time. After the age of 30, bodies start to kind of suck. I’ve been dealing with a bout of tennis elbow in my upper right forearm. It only bugs me when I’m doing snatches. For the CF training session above, I used a 50 lb dumbbell for my left arm and a 15 lb for my right. I probably could have used a 20 pounder but I didn’t want to push my luck. My injury is slowing getting better, though. It would probably be healed right now if I didn’t train at all. But that’s not happening. Just gotta make sure to ice it and stretch it.

Anyway, the CF wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I probably would have finished the entire workout if my calves and feet hadn’t started cramping during the burpees. This probably happened because I ran earlier in the day and didn’t drink enough water.

New direction

Good day.

I’ve decided to embark on something new. Well, it’s not really that new. I’m starting a fitness, eating, and whatever else (more on the whatever else later on) account/ online identity. I’ve been a solid 8/10 physically active and about a 6/10 healthful eater for pretty much the last decade. I’ve found a lot of inspiration, tips, and guidance on those topics through social media. I think it’s time I join the foray.

So, instead of plugging up my real life feeds with photos and posts* of me measuring my macros, lifting barbells + kettlebells over my head, and top-10 lists of my favourite characters from The Office (re: whatever else), I’m going to plug up a brand new feed. I’m hoping to connect and learn from like-minded people who are inspired by positivity and hard work as it relates to fitness and healthful eating.

Positivity and hard work are going to be central themes to my media.

I consider myself good at those two things. I’m not the strongest, and my form on most lifts suck. But I’ll out-work and out-smart the strongest and fastest of the bunch.

A little more about me:

• I’ve been doing website CrossFit off-and-on (mostly on, though) for the last 10 years. I’ve recently joined a legit CrossFit gym (I refuse to call it a ‘box’ … I actually hate most CF terminology) in March 2017. My membership to this gym was completely inspired by the Netflix doc ‘Fittest on Earth’. I haven’t told anyone that before. So, you’re the first to know. Looking back on it (based on the GAINZ and fun I’ve had) I wish I had joined a CF gym a long time ago.


• I’ve ran a handful of half-marathons and I’m embarking to do something I’ve promised myself I’d never do: I’m going after the full beast this June. I’m 33 and I figure I’ll have my knees for only about 3-5 more years. So it’s now or never.


• I’ve dabbled in Paleo, Whole-30, and Healing Diets in the past with varying success. I’m currently on Renaissance Periodization (and currently on Cut 1, as they call it). I won’t give away too much now (gotta save it for the show, as they say in the biz), but it’s been great, easy to follow, and has given me more energy than anything ever has.


• I’m a communications professional at the University of Manitoba. “Communications, what exactly is that?” is a question I get pretty much everytime I tell someone what I do for work. In a nutshell: I share information for a living.


• And that’s all you get for now. More about me will no doubt bubble over in other posts and such as we go.

You can follow me on Instagram at Crentist_ for even more content.

Peace,

Garrick

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*Most of the posts from my real life revolve around my two kids (ages 4.5 and 6 months), my wife, and things around my city.