(Note: These posts were initially written in our members’ group during the week, reposted here)
Hey Team!
I wrote up the lessons learnt during each of this week’s metcons, so I’ll share them here with you during the week. Every workout we have is an opportunity to learn and develop, as well as get a wicked sweat on.
Monday
“Hurricane”
3 Rounds
800m Run
21 Power Cleans 70/47Kg
That’s a lot of cleans. I’ve been working on my Touch N Go so what could I reasonably sustain, and what’s ambitious. I spoke with Sam and my idea was 7-7-7, 5-7-9, 9-12. Sam suggested that I don’t use the unbroken sets as an excuse to rest too much, so 20-25 seconds rest was put in place.
First round was good, then the run was sloooooowwww. Second round I hit the 5 and 7, then allowed doubt to creep in on the 9. I also allowed myself to get distracted by my sunglasses falling off my head! Anyway, out to the run again. Despite my best intentions, I couldn’t find a pace. It took me 5:30, whereas normally I’d run an 800m in a metcon at a 3:40-4:00 pace. . Last round 5/3/1, then the 12 unbroken.
Lessons learnt/Opportunities for growth – I struggle when I have to brace for a long time and then move quickly. I could have done all singles to push harder on the runs, but I don’t always have that opportunity, so I need to work on relaxing while bracing, and moving fast afterwards. 17.2 asked for a lot of movement, and you couldn’t put the dumbbells down or rest too long on the TTB/BMU.
Tuesday
7 Rounds
9 Power Snatches 43/29Kg
15 Wall Balls
21 Double Unders
Full disclosure, I did this Saturday morning, so out of sequence.
Repeat from January, where checking my notes I saw Power Snatches were unbroken, and Double Unders unbroken apart from one round. But the Wall Ball sets broke down ‘majorly’ after round 3.
So with less warm up than I’d normally like, I decided on a 5/4 split on Power Snatches with 15 seconds max rest. 3-5 breaths as I walk to the Wall Balls. 9 and 6 here with 15 seconds in between, then straight to Double Unders.
This worked for me, there was a tendency to try rush at the start, and on rounds 6 and 7, when I became conscious of the clock and my previous time. But I reminded myself it’s training, which took the pressure off trying to beat my score from January.
I finished 65 seconds faster than January, so the strategy worked for me. I was a bit concerned I wasn’t pushing hard enough but given my lungs felt like acid for about 45 minutes after so I definitely kept the right intensity.
This gave me a good chance to work on my breathing throughout movement and it’s a good test of that for me. I stayed as relaxed as I could on the power snatches. A faster cycle time and maybe going unbroken on the first two and last two rounds would be the next step.
Wednesday
5-10-15-20-25
Toes to bar
Handstand Push Ups
Deceptive little one, and hard to call a time it would take to completion.
You get through the first two rounds and it’s easy to think you’re flying it, then you realise you’re 15 reps into a 75 rep workout! So my plan was 5s with 10-12 seconds rest each time, with a chalk break just before the TTB each round.
On Toes to Bar this worked well. The Hollow/Arch work with the abmat is paying off I feel. Just need to build the volume on these (and shave my calluses!)
HSPU I noticed I try to be too smooth (to avoid falling) and this means more time under tension and more fatigue. So on the 20s and 25s I worked on speed. I think if this focus keeps up I could do bigger sets. I also could have kept my rest stricter in this workout. Could have gotten me sub 10, which just sounds nicer!
Thursday
9 Muscle Ups
21 Deadlifts 102/70Kg
7 Muscle Ups
15 Deadlifts 102/70Kg
5 Muscle Ups
9 Deadlifts 102/70Kg
Normally when we think of deadlifts we think of strength. And usually they’re heavy deadlifts that slow you down. For me this weight represented more of a sprint. Not so light that I could switch off, not so heavy I need long rest. And that indeed was the point.
I warmed up with Abmat Hollow/Arches on the rings, and focusing on a tight set up for the Deadlift. Then I moved on to Touch N Go reps and built up past the working weight for the metcon, 120Kg x 3. Much like The Open, I performed three rounds of 30 seconds bike/30 second row before doing 1 muscle up (with an abmat) and 3 TnG deadlifts as a warm up.
The aim was unbroken MU and short rest on the Deadlifts, 12 and 9, then 9 and 6. I chalked up between rounds, and writing this I realise I use chalk a lot as a break, despite there being a bunch on my hands and the equipment!
The Muscle Up pull/transition was good, my dip needs efficiency work, as it began to fatigue and disrupt my rhythm on the MU. Easy in that hypoxic (out of breath AF) state to convince yourself you need more rest than you do on the deads. Realising that I don’t need my breath 100% under my control to lift or perform the next set will help me going forward. Lovely after effect from that workout.
Friday
“Fran”
21-15-9
Thrusters
Pull Ups
“I get to do Fran! I get to do Fran! I get to do Fran!” Easy to avoid this workout as we know the effect it can have on you, so it’s important you build up and approach with a favourable mindset.
Warming up I spent time on my shoulders to open them up, as the more flexion I have the less energy it is to hold a bar overhead and go into an arch on the pull up. 21 PVC pipe thrusters was useful for dialling in my breathing with no fatigue.
Abmat Hollow/Arches were used again, having something between your legs really helps you stay tight! 3-6-9 of Unbroken Thrusters and Pull Ups to dial in the movement and get the heart rate going, then 9-6-3 Assault Bike/Rower followed by another 9 and 9, 5 minutes rest and go.
The goal was sub 3 and everything unbroken, but I broke the butterfly pull ups at 13, a decision I made on the bar. I hadn’t planned on breaking the 15 Thrusters up but dropped after 10. Pull ups were 9 and 6, and then it was a big mental battle to not break up the 9 Thrusters. Overhead mobility means it takes more energy to get the bar back into a fully locked out position. Plus my inidividual thruster speed needs to improve. I’m a bit too slow in the service of technique that keeps me under tension too long.
On the pull ups, I’m not reaching full flexion of my shoulder, so this makes the kip less smooth than ideally, again costing energy.
Lessons learnt, continue on the overhead mobility, increase cycle time and remember for a sub 5 workout you don’t really need chalk!