Long story short, I’m too injured, too fat and too short on time to give it a real run in the 2014 CrossFit Open. So I’ve decided to take the pressure off myself and sit out this coming season. Which makes me excited for 2015. I’ll be in the next masters category of 45-49 so that may be an advantage. Upside is I can concentrate on the growing list of athletes I coach. So should be good for them. Everybody wins. Here’s to 2015.
I’m going to consider this the first real workout I performed for the 2014 CrossFit season. My shoulder still isn’t right. Actually I’m still not 100% (back, hip, wrist). But this is the least amount of pain I’ve been in since before the Open. I guess that’s progress.
I’ve decided to really refocus my training this year to more on developing muscle endurance and cardiovascular endurance. Not that I didn’t before, but just a bit more this year. Anyway…
Olympic
15 minutes to build to a heavy, but not maximal:
1 power snatch + 1 hang power snatch + 1 snatch balanc
result: 185#
rest > 30 minutes
Conditioning
Power Elizabeth
21-15-9
power clean @ 135#
ring dips
result: about 10 minutes. I didn’t try really hard.
Hey you,
I have not really trained in months. Not since before the Open really. Over last summer, I ramped up my training in anticipation HQ might open the Masters division to the 40-44 year old age division and they did. But I over trained and wound up with several overuse injuries.
But after watching the Masters today on the live feed, and seeing what would be my competition at the Games, I’m confident if I’m smart I can compete with those individuals. I just have to be smart about my training, nutrition and my recovery over the training year.
So with that, along with training others to make the Games at Black Star, I’ll be in full training mode to make the Games as well. If you want to follow a program that should prepare an athlete to get through the Open, the Regionals and then on to the Games, follow Black Star or contact me. But I’ll be returning this blog to it’s original purpose – as a journal of my training, diet and recovery. If it helps you on your journey, then we’re both better for it.
I hope you will continue to follow.
Ben
If you competed in Regional Weekend #1 congratulations to you no matter where you finished. It was a great weekend for all the athletes and tomorrow I’ll give a shoutout to a special few.
All Regional Weekend #1 participants, whether you advanced or not. will not begin work until Saturday, May 25th. Take the next few days to recover, reflect and have a little fun. If you’ve advanced to the CrossFit Games in July, your work will be specialized and beyond the scope of the blog. For those of you who did not, your off-season begins. Congratulations again.
Also, over the next few weeks, I will be upgrading the blog (new name new address) and the program. This has moved from a labor of love to something much bigger and I need to provide the appropriate platform. This will (hopefully) come with a series of seminars with some heavy hitters in the game, a podcast, instructional videos, more integrated personal coaching, etc. Stay tuned.
For Regional #2
Strength
front squat: 3×5 @ 50-60%, rest 60 seconds
Accessory
NOT for time:
3 rounds
10 wall balls
10 toes to bar
10 dumbbell snatches @ 70/50# (5 each hand)
10 pistols (5 each leg)
rest > 30 minutes prior to Conditioning B effort below
Regional #3 – 4#
Strength/Conditioning A
deadlift: 1 x 21, as heavy as possible
Olympic
EMOM for 7 minutes
1 snatch + 2 OHS
rest 3 minutes
EMOM for 7 minutes
1 clean (wide-grip) + 1 jerk (any style) + 1 OHS (wide-grip)
rest > 3 minutes
Conditioning B
For time (7 minute cap):
30 burpee muscle-ups
rest > 3 hours
Conditioning C
run:
2 x 100 m/yd sprints,
2 x 80 m/yd sprints,
2 x 60 m/yd sprints,
2 x 40 m/yd sprints,
10 m/yd “fly-in” for each, rest as needed
Olympic
jerk: 1×2 @ 60%, 1×2 @ 70%, 1×2 @ 80%, if not fatigued, then 3×2 @ 85%, rest 2-3 minutes
Strength
front squat: 12-15 minutes to a heavy, but not maximal, single (All except for Regional #2)
rest > 3 hours
Conditioning
For time:
2 rounds
50 double-unders
25 handstand push-ups
20 toes-to-bar
15 shoulder to overhead with axle @ 160/100#
50′ walking lunge with axle in front rack @ 160/100#
rest 3 minutes
Olympic A (All Regionals except #2)
1) snatch: 20 minutes to max for the day
2) clean and jerk: 20 minutes to max for the day
Olympic B (Regional #2)
1) snatch: 1×2 @ 60%, 1×2 @ 70%, 1×2 @ 80%, if not fatigued, then 3×2 @ 85%, rest 2-3 minutes
2) clean and jerk: 1×2+1 @ 60%, 1×2+1 @ 70%, 1×2+1 @ 80%, if not fatigued, then 3×2+1 @ 85%, rest 2-3 minutes
Conditioning (All Regionals except #2)
For time:
row 500 meters
20 pullups
30 overhead squats @ 45# (men & women)
row 500 meters
15 pullups
25 overhead squats @ 45#
row 500 meters
10 pullups
20 overheads squats @ 45#
Rest > 3 hours
Conditioning B (Regional #2, Optional for all other Regionals)
Perform @ 80-85% RPE:
4 rounds:
5 burpee muscle-ups
run 100′
rest 3 minutes
4 rounds:
5 handstand pushups
10 toes to bar
15 box jumps @ 30/24″
Rest > 30 minutes
Conditioning C (All Regionals)
run: 3 x 800 meter, rest 2 minute, @ >85% RPE
All Regionals except #1
Olympic
1) 5 x 1, 1-stop clean (above knee) + 1 clean pull + 1 hang clean (above knee), moderate/heavy, rest 2-3 minutes
2) snatch grip jerk (split or power): 5×1, as heavy as possible, rest as needed
Regional #2
Strength
3) deadlift: 3 x 5 @ 345/230#
Regional #3 & #4
Strength
3) front squat: 1 x 20 @ as heavy as possible
rest > 3 hours
All Regionals except #1
Conditioning
For time:
3 rounds
60 double unders
run 100′
4 rope climbs @ 15′
run 100′
20 calorie row
run 100′
rest 30 minutes
Accessory/Strength
4) 4 x 10 weighted GHD sit-up, rest 3 minutes
5) 4 x 10 weighted glute-ham raise, rest 3 minutes
Regional #1
Note: All of the following work for Regional #1 should be done with very little intensity. It is all “NOT for time”.
Strength/Olympic
Warm up to and practice starting weight for 3-RM OHS, make sure you can get this weight cleanly.
rest > 1 hour
Accessory
Perform at a relaxed pace over the period of about a half hour to an hour, just work technique:
2 rounds
5-10 chest to bar
6-10 handstand push-ups
rest > 3 hours
Accessory
Perform at a relaxed pace over the period of about a half hour to an hour, just work technique:
2 rounds
3-5 fat bar push presses @ 160/100#
3-5 burpee muscle ups
rest > 1 hour
Conditioning
Practice “Jackie”:
row: 3 x 200 meter at Jackie pace, with 15 second rests
25 unbroken thrusters with PVC
Regional #2, #3 & #4
Olympic
1) 5 x 1, 1-stop snatch (above knee) + 1 snatch pull + 1 hang snatch (above knee), heavy as possible, rest 2-3 minutes
2) snatch: 5×1 @ > 85%, rest as needed
Strength
3a) 3 x 5 push press @ 160/100#, immediately to,
3b) 3 x 10 alternating stationary lunges @ 160/100#, rest 3 minutes
rest > 3 hours
Conditioning A
For time:
10 squat cleans @ 225/135#
then,
3 rounds
20 wall balls @ 20/14# to 10′
20 toes to bar
then,
10 squat cleans @ 225/135#
rest > 1 hour
Regional #3 & 4#
Conditioning B
run: 4 x 400 meters @ > 95%, rest as needed
For Regional #1
Strength
front squat: 3×5 @ 50-60%, rest 60 seconds
Accessory
NOT for time:
3 rounds
20 double unders
10 dumbbell snatches @ 70/50# (5 each hand)
10 pistols (5 each leg)
rest > 30 minutes prior to Conditioning A effort below
Regional #2 – 4#
Strength
front squat: 3×3 @ 87%, rest 2-3 minutes
Olympic
EMOM for 7 minutes
1 snatch + 1 hang snatch (mid-shin)
20 double unders
rest 3 minutes
EMOM for 7 minutes
1 clean + 1 hang clean (mid-shin)
20 double unders
rest > 30 minutes
Conditioning A
For time:
21-15-9
deadlift @ 315/205#
box jump @ 30/24″
rest > 3 hours
Conditioning B
run:
2 x 40 m/yd sprints,
2 x 60 m/yd sprints,
2 x 80 m/yd sprints,
2 x 100 m/yd sprints,
10 m/yd “fly-in” for each, rest as needed
Olympic
jerk: 1×2 @ 60%, 1×2 @ 70%, 1×2 @ 80%, if not fatigued, then 3×2 @ 85%, rest 2-3 minutes
snatch balance: 12-15 minutes to a heavy, but not maximal, single
Strength
pause front squat: 1×2 @ 60%, 1×2 @ 70%, 1×2 @ 80%, 2×2 @ 85%, 3 seconds in the hole, rest 3 minutes
rest > 3 hours
Conditioning
For time:
100 double-unders
50 handstand push-ups
40 toes-to-bar
30 shoulder to overhead with axle @ 160/100#
90′ walking lunge with axle in front rack @ 160/100#
