New Year's Resolutions

My CrossFit New Year's Resolutions are:

- first strict pull-up (deadline April, 1)
- first strict push-up (no knees)
- first ring dip
- better core strength to do gymnastics!
- body weight back squat and front squat
- 100 kgs deadlift (now 97,..)

Biggest goals:

- limit my inhaler use during running and wall ball shots!
- finish the intermediate level!

DAY 5: filthy fifty

I slept only 6 hours last night and I could definitely feel it in my muscles. We did 4 x 20 front squats with 50% of our 1 RM and they were very difficult. My 1 RM is actually 135 and I could barely manage the front squats with 65.

Since it was a full house, I had to start the workout with the knees to elbows (knee raises) and it took me too long. My hands just couldn't hold on to the bar and I kept falling off. I took me over 7 minutes to complete the first fifty. Afterwards I tried to pick up the pace and that went well but I couldn't make up for lost time. I finished doing 43 jumping pull-ups and still had to do the kettle bell swings and the walking lunges. Maybe next time...

(I found this picture somewhere online but I forgot where..)

October 17, I like sore butts and I can not lie...

We did a lot of squatting, lunges and tilts today. I will be sore tomorrow, that's for sure!

I did the 10 x 2 with 85 lbs (my 1RM is 135 lbs) because my knee was still sore from wednesday. 

I did the rack lunges with 45 lbs and in the beginning I did the pelvic tilts with 35 lbs. Since they went really easy I went up a kettle bell size every new round.

This WOD after so many squats, lunges and tilts was pretty heavy.  I scaled the cleans/squats to 75 lbs and finished in 9:51.

September 21, Piotr doing a 140 kg bar complex Lowlands Throwdown Qualifier @ CrossFit Antwerpen

On September 21 the Lowlands Throwdown Qualifier took place in CrossFit Antwerpen. 8 members of CrossFit Leuven took a shot at qualifying themselves to go to Apeldoorn on October 4 and 5. 

In WOD #2 every athlete had 6 minutes to find his/her max weight for the following bar complex: 1 hang clean - 1 front squat - 1 shoulder to overhead.

One of the athletes of CrossFit Leuven excelled and finished 1st on WOD #2. Piotr did the bar complex with 140 kgs (310  lbs).

It is definitely impressing to watch!

 

(more photos of the qualifier will be posted soon!)

September 1, new beginning: first WOD

Today's workout started with a general warm-up and continued with 10 x 2 front squats (75% 1RM). I did them with 85. Recently, I've become more focussed on my hip movement and my core. I try really hard to avoid standing up from a squat whilst moving my hips first. And... it's working, I'm getting better at squatting straight up but my lifting weight has come down. But that's ok. First work on technique and then on strength.

After the front squats we did some stiff legged deadlifts. Those are pretty easy for me since I am flexible enough to touch the ground with the bar maintaining straight legs (and a straight back!)

The workout was an AMRAP in 15 minutes of:

24 double unders (scaled to tuck jumps since I can only do double unders one at a time)
8 front squats (135/95)  (scaled to 65)
6 burpees

I did 4 rounds and 7 front squats. I wasn't happy with my performance but it can only be better next time!)

August 8, New PR Front Squat

Today, I added 20 lbs to my previous 1RM front squat PR. 

January 2014: 115 lbs

August 2014: 135 lbs

I tried to do 145 but I hit a mental barrier.

Still, a big yessss !!!

I met FRAN after all.

Although I did a morning WOD, I couldn't resist the temptation of going to the box in the evening.

I started a more intense workout program 4 days ago and my body is handling it fine, except my knees. They start to get a bit 'crunchy', when I squat it feels as if my bones are grinding against each other. So I'll have to watch out for that.

We did some front squats with bands attached to them to get more explosive. I should have done it with 55% of my PR (155 lbs=77,5) but my wrists (especially the one that was unusable two weeks ago) and knees couldn't take so I switched to 65 lbs. We did 9 reps of 5 squats every minute on the minute. Intense!

Then it was time for FRAN:

21-15-9 reps for time of: • Thrusters (95/65lb) • Pull-ups

I scaled to 35 lbs and ring rows and finished in 7:24.