Posts tagged crossfit

Having Bad Days in the Gym? Break the Cycle!Written by Josh Bridges

I was recently talking with CJ about one of his athletes who was having a string of terrible days in the gym. It got me thinking about why it is that we find ourselves in ruts sometimes. Why is it that our bad training days seem to come in cycles? More importantly, how do you break that cycle and get out of your rut?

I have had my fair share of bad training days. There are few things as frustrating as being in one of these “ruts” with your training. You know you can perform better, and you know how to perform better, but sometimes it just doesn’t click. So what do you do?

I think these are the times where we need some confidence boosters, simple reminders that we’re still decent athletes … and more importantly, decent people. That might sound silly, but you’d be amazed at how a bad day in the gym can make you feel like you’re not good at anything – work, relationships, parenting, etc….

Here are a few ideas that might help you break out of your rut … and none of them involve smothering yourself in chocolate or booze.

Do What You Do Best

If you’ve been having a string a bad days, the best way to break that streak is to do something that you KNOW you can do pretty well. You know, the movements or workouts that help you to leave the gym feeling like a rock star. Select two or three of those movements that you really like and excel at and create a little conditioning workout with them. I call these workouts “uppers.” I tend to fall back on man-makers or a “12 Days of Christmas” workout. Those are my favorite. Do these workouts for a few days and before you know it you’ll be back in that positive mindset.

Change Your Mindset

Speaking of mindset…yeah change yours. ☺ Realize that going to the gym should be fun. Most of us aren’t going to the Olympics, and we don’t have professional scouts on our doorstep offering to make us millionaires. So have some fun in the gym! Pick some fun movements or workouts, or just take a couple of days to train without worrying about how much weight you lift or how fast you go. Smile and have a good time; grimacing your way through it isn’t going to make it any better. Find a way to remember that training is supposed to be fun.

Going to the gym is also the best way to relieve some stress. If you have been stressed out in other aspects of your life, don’t worry about your performance in the gym that week. Just think of it as going in to blow off some steam. You know that guy or gal at the office who has really been getting under your skin lately … do a few sets of heavy lifting thinking about his or her antics. Get sweaty, fall over from exhaustion and suddenly you’ll probably realize that stressing out wasn’t worth the negative energy.

Some of my best workouts come from thinking about people that piss me off. I would like to thank them, but then they probably wouldn’t give me any more motivation. So my quiet “thank you” is that 2 extra rounds I got on my AMRAP or those 5 extra pounds I put up on my bench press. That’s right, I’m saying show some emotion in the gym – LET IT OUT. The other day I stood up with a PR snatch and I was screaming at the top of my lungs like a crazy person. You think I cared in that moment who was watching me…? I immediately apologized to the guy in the gym, and all he said was “that was motivating.” It motivates me to see other people do this too … so don’t hold back! When else do you get to let out energy like that? I am sure you’re not screaming with excitement in the office when you finish typing up a report. So do it at the gym where it won’t look quite so weird … and it might even motivate someone else to get fired up.

Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself

Do not walk into a workout feeling sorry for yourself. If you tell yourself a workout is going to suck … well, I bet you’re going to be right. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. You have to break through that mental wall that is holding you back. Your body can handle so much more than your mind thinks it can. The second you start to think you need to take a break, commit to 10 more reps, and then decide what you need when you get there … then tell yourself again that you can get a couple more reps.

If you do need to take a break, I have always found it easier to take just one breath and then start back into it. The longer you sit there thinking about it the more likely you are to start feeling sorry for yourself, questioning your ability and chipping away at your confidence.

You’re only hurting yourself by taking that long break. Trust me, your workout partners are not going home thinking about what you could or should have done differently … but you are. There is nothing worse than leaving a workout with regrets. If you know dam well that you could have pushed harder and performed better it eats you up inside. So take one breath, steel yourself and pick up the barbell … break through that WALL! It’s the only way you’re going to get stronger.

Circle Back

Once you get back into a positive mindset and you’ve made training fun again, circle back and tackle those workouts that were causing you such grief. You will probably find that within just a couple of days you’ve pulled yourself out of that training rut.

This is a great article written by Josh Bridges of Invictus. It basically sums up my training since the open finished. I took some time off then tried to start a new program and just got tired of it and was in a training rut. It also doesn’t help that my internship is coming to an end and I’m interviewing a lot so I just don’t have it when I go to workout. But, after a couple of weeks of just doing some old workouts and beating my previous times I’m feeling better. I’m going to start, from the beginning, doing the Invictus out-of-season competition workouts and hopefully get back on track. 

The second week of the cycle picked up the work during the week. The first part of the workout started out with:

Ten Sets @ 75% of 1RM

3-Back Squat (205lbs)

The second portion was all Snatch progression movements

Two Sets @ 90% of Snatch Max

3-Snatch Pulls (190lbs)

One Set @ 100% of Snatch Max

3-Snatch Deadlift (210lbs)

Three Sets

5-Snatch Push Press

175-185-195

The next days workout was some more snatch work. This weeks workouts seem to follow the pattern of back squat & snatch, snatch, Front Squat & clean, and Clean. 

Muscle Snatch (Heavy Single)

5x75, 3x95, 2x111, 1x126, 1x136, 1x141, 1x146

Three Sets

1-Snatch (125lbs), 1-Snatch (135lbs), 1-Snatch (145lbs)

Split Jerk Max

3x95, 3x135, 2x165, 2x195, 1x215, 1x235, 1x250, 1x265F, 1x265, 1x275F, 1x275

I started out the day not feeling real great but still did some great work. I set a PR in the muscle snatch at 146lbs and then set a PR in the Split Jerk by 5lbs with a 275lbs lift.

I then did a workout but didn’t go at with full intensity, I would say about 85-90%. I think I might have lost a little since I haven’t been doing a lot of pure crossfit workouts.

“Amanda”

9-Muscle Ups; 9-Squat Snatch (135lbs)

7-Muscle Ups; 7-Squat Snatch (135lbs)

5-Muscle Ups; 5-Squat Snatch (135lbs)

I finished in 7:48

So squatting is one of my biggest weakness I decided to start a squatting program. I read through several of Catalyst athletics programs and I really like them so I decided to go with theirs. I really like they do a lot of Oly lifts with all their workouts which is why I mainly chose it. This program is a 9wk cycle, so hopefully after I’m done i’ll be able to squat some what better.

Here are my wokouts for the first week. The first week is suppose to be a lighter week to get you prepared for the next 8 weeks:

5 Sets

Snatch + Hang Power Snatch + Hang Snatch (50-60% 1RM)

125-125-125-125-125

5 Sets

Clean + Hang Power Clean + Jerk (50-60% 1RM)

160-160-160-160-160

3x15-Situps (35lbs)

The second days workouts consisted of:

3 Sets (Medium Weight)

3-Muscle Snatch (105lbs)

5 Sets

1-Power Snatch (125lbs)

5 Sets

1-Power Clean (160lbs)

3 Rounds

10-DB Push Press (55lbs)

5-Box Jumps (36”)

2:02

The third days consisted of:

4 Sets

3 Front Squats (175lbs)

1 Set

3-Clean Pull (225lbs)

3-Clean Deadlift (240lbs)

The fourth day consisted of:

Muscle Snatch (Work up to a medium heavy single)

3x75, 3x90, 2x111, 2x121, 1x131

-Still getting the hang of doing muscle snatches but I thought this was a good place to stop since 131 was a bit harder then the rest

Overhead Squat (medium weight)

2x185, 2x185, 2x185

Stiff Legged Deadlift (Medium Weight)

5x260lbs, 5x260lbs

-After the morning session I decided to do a rowing interval workout

6 Sets

500m-Row

2min-Rest

1:48.9, 1:47.1, 1:47.3, 1:47.0, 1:45.5, 1:44.8

-I’ve been working on my rowing technique lately and I think its finally paying off. I didn’t feel like I was working very hard and was maintaining a 1:46/1:47 pace pretty easily. My goal was to get all under 1:50, which I easily did. Next time I’ll aim for all 1:45s

The last workout for the week was

Snatch

(1x135, 1x150, 1x160) x 3

Clean & Jerk

(1x175, 1x185, 1x200) x 3

-I like this week so far since it has let me concentrate on technique with lighter loads as well as working on the clean and snatch pulls and deadlifts. I think this is going to greatly increase my efficiency with my first 2 pulls for both lifts. I’m also making sure to follow the program exactly. Meaning that unless noted as a power clean I’ll be doing full cleans. I can definitely power clean more weight but I need to learn to full clean and should be able to clean more that way once i get stronger.

Back Squat

1x220, 1x220, 1x220

So I fell really far behind on my logs so I thought I just would skip to how I did in the open. First I’d like to say that the Invictus competition workouts were amazing and really is one of the best programs an athlete preparing for the games and regionals to follow. I was definitely stronger than last year and way more prepared.

Open Workout 12.1

7 Minute AMRAP

Burpees (12” Target)

108 reps

I know that this workout was made for everyone to be able to do, but this was the dumbest workout ever. I might have gotten more but I wasn’t going to try again. I was really disappointed with my score and the workout but whatever you move on to the next one.

Workout 12.2

10 Minutes AMRAP

30-Snatches (75lbs)

30-Snatches (135lbs)

30-Snatches (165lbs)

Max-Snatches (210lbs)

This workout was much better and I loved it. I was hoping for something in the 70s. I moved through the first 75 in 3 sets of 10 and for 135 I did 10 sets of 3 and went with singles with 165. I finished with 67reps I didn’t lock out the 68th rep in the time limit. I’d like to try it again later sometime cause I think I could get in the 70s

Open Workout 12.3

18 Minutes AMRAP

15-Box Jumps (24’)

12-Push Press (115lbs)

9-Toes to Bar

This was another workout I liked and thought I would do pretty good at. My warm up got kinda screwed up so I ended up sitting around for a while before I got to do the workout. I wanted at least 10 rounds but again feel real short. The PP was the limiting factor for me I did all the BJs and T2B unbroken. I only got 9.20rds or 344 reps. Again definitely another workout I think I could do better at.

Open Workout 12.4

12 Minute AMRAP

150-Wallballs (20lbs)

90-Double Unders

30-Muscle Ups

Again another great workout! I thought the wall balls were going to be really tough, but after all the wallballs we had done in training it wasn’t bad at all. The double unders were a bit tougher though. I started off trying to get my muscle ups in 3s and then had to move to 2s. I failed at my first attempt at my 11th muscle up and then I got it on the second attempt but I couldn’t get another one. So I ended up with 251 reps. I wasn’t too sure how i would do in this one but i think i could do a bit better.

Open Workout 12.5

7 Minutes AMRAP

3-Thrusters (100lbs)

3-C2B Pull Ups

(n+3)-Thrusters (100lbs)

(n+3)-C2B Pull Ups 

I never did this workout last year so I didn’t know what to expect. I was hoping to get through the set of 12 unbroken, the problem was I only mentally prepared to do that and afterwards I just fell apart and only got 100reps. I was really pissed at my effort on this workout, so later that day I did it again. I had a much better mind set but legs were just too shot to do a lot better but I did get a few more reps with 103 reps. I think with a fresh start and the mind set I took into the workout the second time around I could get into the 110s. 

Overall I did ok not where I wanted to be but still ok. Our open workouts were programmed to be done once a week and not to repeat them. Really if you have to do the workouts more than once then you’re not going to be a real threat in regionals. At best I would like to join an affiliate team and try to make it to regionals that way. I don’t have a desire to ever go as an individual. I don’t think I’m anywhere near strong enough to do so.

Which is my next point that I need to get stronger. My biggest weakness was my leg strength during my training. I’m going to move on to a strength cycle now that i’m moving into my off season cycle. I’m going to follow catalyst athletics leg strength cycle. They have a lot of great programs and also add the Oly lifts to all their program cycles too.

I’ve been really slacking on updating my workouts. So I’ll try to just post the workout and my results to try to get back up to date. The first days workout was:

A.
Three sets for speed and efficiency, rest as needed between movements:
Butterfly Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups x 10-12 reps (10,10,10)
Burpees x 10-12 reps (10,10, 10)
Handstand Push-Ups x 6-12 reps (12,12,12)

B.
Four sets of:
Front Squat x 3 reps
Rest 20 seconds
30 seconds of Pull-Ups (for max reps)
Rest 3 minutes

3x210/31, 3x225/30, 2x235/30, 2x235/28

C.
Six sets of:
30 seconds of 155/105 lb. Thrusters (for max reps)
Rest 90 seconds

8-6-7-7-8-7=43reps

The second days workouts were:

A.
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
60 Double-Unders
30 Hand-Release Push-Ups
15 Toes to Bar

3.84rds or 399reps

B.
Row 1000 Meters @ 70%
Rest 5 minutes
Row 2000 Meters
(choose your pace based on how you felt during the 1000 meters – if you feel good, aim for a new PR; if you feel slow and tired, give it a good 85-90% effort with good mechanics)

1K-4:26.0 and 2K-7:22.1PR

The third workout for the week was:

A.
Three sets of:
Deadlift x 5 reps
(work heavy, but not max effort)
Rest 10 seconds
Tall Box Jump x 1.1.1.1.1
(rest 5-10 seconds between jumps – goal is height)
Rest 3 minutes

Used 315 and 36” Box since it was the tallest one available

B.
Take 10-12 minutes to build to 85-90% of your 1-RM Clean & Jerk.

135-155-175-195-215-230lbs

C.
Complete as many reps as possible in 3 minutes of:
155/105 lb Clean & Jerk
(treat these as ground to overhead anyhow – power clean and jerk is fine)

25reps

D.
Three attempts at:
Handstand Walk x Max Distance

8yds-8yds-10yds-12yds

The fourth workout for the week was:

A.
Snatch
Build to a heavy single in 15-20 minutes.

2x95, 2x135, 1x155, 1x175, 1x195, 1x205, 1x215F

B.
Four sets of:
Snatch Balance + 2 Overhead Squats
Rest as needed.

175-185-200-210

C.
Five sets of:
Back Squat x 2 reps
Rest as needed.

225-245-255-265-280F

The last workout for this week was:

A.
Three sets for times of:
20 Pull-Ups
Rest 60 seconds

20sec, 19sec, 19sec

B.
Four sets for times of:
800 Meter Run
30 Double-Unders
Rest exactly 3 minutes

3:55 and 3:52 I stopped after that, I was feeling sick and my cough wasn’t helping.