Some days I lose sight of the big picture and I have to be reminded of why I’m in the gym in the first place.
WOD for Friday 080312
Front Squat
Establish 1RM
My current 1RM for the front squat is 225# I was certain I was going to best that on Friday. I mean, that was set back on April 30. 3 freakin’ months ago. Certainly, I’m stronger since then, no? In another shining example in the very full drawer of the “what the hell do I know” files, I missed and missed big time.
I did front squats as follows: 115# x 2, 165# x 1, 185 x 1, 205 X 1, 215 x 1. Figuring out the next weight was a challenge. Never tie a PR, right? But 220 didn’t seem wise. Seemed like a lot of energy to expend on a lift that ought to pretty much be a given. 235 just seemed like a good idea at the time. A 10 pound improvment on the 1RM, just sounded cool.
Obviously, I need help figuring out a strategy for managing my jumps better. Need to talk to the coaches more about that at the time I’m lifting.
I actually missed the weight twice! I really focused this day on 1) Not getting so deep that my hamstrings relaxed. That’s a problem I’ve had on other squats. I think I corrected this Friday. 2) Remembering the speed training and the whole basics of the Westside model, I really tried to explode coming out of the bottom of the lift. I honestly think I did ok with that. 3) Keep my back erect. Don’t let the bar pull me forward. This is where I failed. I know this because Coach Ashley pointed it out as soon as I finished cursing at the bar as it lay on the gym floor.
It’s not the fact that I missed the lift that bugs me. It’s the fact that I was really concentrating on correcting a technical aspect of the lift and failed. I was walking away from the bar thinking, “Well, the weight was just too much. At least I’m sure the form was solid.” But not so much. That’s frustrating.
I also need to talk to the coaches about the direction on 1RM days. Generally, the directions say we should be concentrating on form and likely working at weights just under our 1RM. But if we happen to PR, be sure to add it to the PR board. Well, if we’re working to near but under our 1RM, how and when do we decide to push the envelope?I need help understanding and judging that.
METCON
Complete 6 Rounds:
1 minute – 15 KB Swings (70/52)
1 minute – Row max distance
We’ll subhead this section as “Coaches Prerogative.” Coach Ashley decided that 15 swings per minute wasn’t adequate, so we’d do 25. A wise man would have taken that into consideration and scaled back on the weight for the kettle bell. Clearly, we’ve already established here and on any numerous occassions I am not a wise man. I’m a stubborn man. I stayed with the 70# KB.
My sets for KB swings were 25, 25, 14, 13, 13 and 16. I’d be ok with this, if the sets had gone unbroken. The first one did. After that there were too many breaks and too much standing around trying to catch my breath. I did myself a disservice.
I did row 1248 meters, averaging 200 meters per minute. That’s not an awful amount. Not impressive by any standard, but not awful.
I was pretty surly about the WOD coming out of the gym and truthfully, for the better part of the morning. It took a while for the light to come on and realize that while I didn’t hit my goals for the day, I DID get one heck of a workout. I WILL lift that 235# soon. That’s not boasting. I was close to standing it up both times Friday. I’ll fix what’s wrong and get it right. I do still need to work on talking to coaches about how to progress through lifts smartly. I also do still need to check my ego and be willing to scale more readily. Like everything else though, it will come in time.
