Tuesday, November 20, 2012

PR: Back Squat

Today I set a new PR for 3 repetitions of back squat.  This also happened to be a PR for 2 reps and even 1 rep.  The new benchmarks were set using a low-bar or perhaps hybrid low/high-bar technique.  Even so, I think some of that improvement was due to greater strength.  Anyway, the new PRs are as follows:

  • 1 rep:  250 lb.
  • 2 reps:  250 lb.
  • 3 reps:  250 lb.

(I'm listing them all individually to make them easier to refer back to.)

PR: (Power) Elizabeth

On Monday, 2012.11.18, I set a new PR for the benchmark workout called Elizabeth.  Elizabeth consists of 21-, 15-, and 9-rep rounds of cleans (135 lb for men, 95 lb for women).  As originally written, the WOD calls for squat cleans, but CrossFit.com and CrossFit Diesel have been relaxing the standard over the last year or so to allow power cleans instead.  The most high-profile example was in the final of the 2012 CrossFit Games.  For me, and for 135 lb, power cleans are much more efficient than squat cleans, so the new standard probably played a role in my improved performance   Still, my new time, 7:01, was just over 5 minutes faster than my old PR, so I don't think the power cleans explain all the improvement.

Friday, November 09, 2012

PR: Clean

Tonight I set a new personal record for the clean:  212.5 lb.  I believe most or all of that 12.5-lb improvement came from not even attempting any jerks as I ramped up my loads.  I gave up after just missing 215 because it was late and I was tired, so I think 215 or even 220 is possible in the near future.

Monday, November 05, 2012

PR: Nancy

Today I set what I believe is a new personal record for the benchmark workout called Nancy.*  The new time was 16:50, a 40-second improvement.  Like the PR I set for Nasty Girls on Friday, I'm a little disappointed with my performance.  Although I'm happy to have set a PR,  I'm frustrated at my apparent inability to push myself beyond a certain level of suffering.  I need to work on that.

* 5 rounds, for minimum time, of

  • Run 400 m.
  • 15 overhead squats at 95 lb for men, 65 lb for women.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

PR: Nasty Girls

On Friday, I set a new PR for Nasty Girls:  8:58.  I'm a bit ambivalent about this result;  while I'm glad to have set a 38-second PR, I was hoping for more improvement after just over 2 years.  I think that my squats, in particular, felt surprisingly week and slow.

Thursday, November 01, 2012

PR: Nasty Girls

I believe my PR for the workout named Nasty Girls is 9:36, recorded on October 28, 2010.  Next time, I'll aim for 9 minutes even.

PR: Lynn

On Tuesday, I set a new personal record for Lynn*:  88 bench presses + 123 pull-ups = 211 reps total.  That's an improvement of 17 reps.  I was quite happy with the bench presses, since I improved considerably, even though I'm 8.5 lb heavier than the last time I did the workout.  The pull-ups were a struggle, though, and I actually performed fewer of them this time.  Next time, I'll do fewer pull-ups on the first superset and leave a little more in the tank.

* 5 supersets for max reps of bodyweight bench press and pull-up.