In Which Jonathan Finds His Inner Dad Strength

[jwagner]

21 February 2017

Crossfit Flashbacks

Deadlift
425x1 @8
350x8 @8.5
335x8 @7.5
335x8 @8

2ct Pause Bench Press
225x1 @8.5
195x6 @9
185x6 @7.5
185x6 @8.5

Lunges
95x9 @8
95x9 @9.5
85x6 @10
Overshot RPE by a bunch, ran out of gas. These sucked. Was supposed to be x9 @6, x9 @7, x9 @8, 3 down sets (repeat). First jump from the empty bar to 95 surprised me. Figured I would just do 5 repeats dropping as necessary, but I was completely wiped out by the third set. Not just quads and conditioning, but upper back from holding the bar was fatigued too.

[jwagner]

23 February 2017 - C1W3D3

2ct Pause Squat
335x1 @8
300x6 @9
285x6 @8
285x6 @8
These were done beltless since Mike said to try to do most work beltless unless specified (i.e., competition lifts).

Touch & Go Bench
245x1 @8
205x4 @6
205x4 @6.5
205x4 @6.5
205x4 @7
205x4 @7
205x4 @7.5
205x4 @7.5

Wide Grip Bench Press
165x9 @6.5
175x9 @7.5
185x9 @9
175x9 @9
165x9 @8.5
165x9 @10
Index fingers on the rings. This was weird, first four or five reps always moved really fast even on the @9 and @10 sets. Was pretty fatigued for the last 3 sets of bench, but then, I've never done more than six working sets of anything before today, much less 14.

[jwagner]

24 February 2017 - C1W3D4

2ct Paused Deadlft
335x1 @8
285x6 @9
275x6 @8
275x6 @8
Ability to hold the pause was the primary driver of RPE. These were done beltless and paused just off the floor.

Chest Level Pin Press
225x1 @8
195x6 @9
185x6 @8
185x6 @8
Pretty fatigued from the 14 working sets yesterday. Expected these to be a little higher.

Pendlay Row
185x9 @6
195x9 @7
205x9 @8.5
205x9 @8.5
205x9 @9.5
195x9 @8.5
Completely demotivated on these. Just wanted to go inside and eat dinner.

Not a bad week so far. Definitely more volume than I'm used to, but I seem to be recovering ok from it. I'm excited to see what tripling frequency and quadrupling my number of lifts (NL) will do for my bench.

[jwagner]

27 February 2017 - C1W4D1

Jonathan and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Squat w/ belt
405x1 @8
350x6 @10
Was supposed to be x7 @9 then 3 load drop sets, but felt a twinge in my hamstring on the sixth rep at 350. Called it and went inside.

This really was a terrible day. My daughter got sick at day care and my wife had to take her home. I had to work late, and then, by the time I got home, my wife was sick. So, I had to take daughter duty while also fixing dinner and doing laundry and dishes so that my wife could rest. Then, when I finally got to go out to the garage at 9pm, the space heater decided to crap out and it was a bit cold in the garage. Things started looking up while working up to the single @8 when I got to 405, putting my e1rm only 10 lbs behind my tested max from a few weeks ago. Then I stripped the bar down to 350 for my first backoff set and on the sixth rep felt almost an unzipping—for lack of better description—accompanied with pain in my hamstring. I racked the bar and limp/hobbled around stripping it down and putting things away.

I'm pretty sure it's a pull of the semitendinosus muscle, not a partial or full tear, as there's no bleeding/bruising or swelling to speak of. The pain peaked probably an hour after it happened and now 16 hours later has become dull and more like a severe case of DOMS except relegated to just the left hamstring area. I'm not really sure whether the Starr Rehab Protocol is warranted on such a minor injury or if it's better to just autoregulate the intensities and continue the program as is. I'm definitely going to rest the hamstrings for another day while I see how things go. If the pain is completely gone including during warmups by tomorrow, then I may just continue as planned. Otherwise, I'll go through the rehab protocol. I might anyway just to be on the safe side.

[jwagner]

1 March 2017 - C1W4D1v2 + Starr Rehab D1

Squat
45x25
45x25
45x25
The first set really sucked, the second less so, and the third set actually started feeling good.

Competition Bench
245x1 @8.5
205x6 @9
195x6 @8
195x6 @8
195x6 @8.5
This was fine.

Decided to take it safe and do the rehab. After all, what is a couple weeks in the grand scheme of things. Was supposed to do Push Press but didn't want to do that and chance aggravate the hamstring. Could have done regular press, but honestly adding another seven sets of press probably wasn't what Bill Starr had in mind when he said not to do any other excercises but the rehab.

[jwagner]

2 March 2017 - C1W4D2 + Starr Rehab D2

Squat
45x25
45x25
55x25
These were fine. Not as painful as yesterday.

2ct Paused Bench
225x1 @8
200x5 @9
190x5 @8.5
190x5 @9
180x5 @8

Doing the work. Missing deadlifts, not missing the lunges that were also programmed. At least the workouts are shorter.

[jwagner]

3 March 2017 - Starr Rehab D3

Squat
45x25
55x25
65x25

I may increase the rate of increase. In Rip's original post about the Starr protocol he says to take the increases that you can tolerate and I think I can tolerate higher increases for now. .

[jwagner]

4 March 2017 - Starr Rehab D4

Squat
45x25
65x25
85x25
Fine. Going to keep the 20lb jumps for a while.

[jwagner]

5 March 2017 - Starr Rehab D5

Squat
65x25
85x25
105x25
This was fine.

[jwagner]

6 March 2017 - C1W5D1 + Starr Rehab D6

Squat
85x25
105x25
125x25
Cardio.

Competition Bench
245x1 @8.5
200x7 @9
190x7 @8
190x7 @8
Fine.

Skipped the push presses again. Should have done regular presses instead, but honestly, I'm feeling pretty demotivated lately. Maybe I'll do them tomorrow if I feel up for it.