Some Fun CrossFit Things

Oh right! This is still a CrossFit blog! Who knew!

A few weeks ago, our gym moved to a new location that is not only MUCH bigger than our original locale (which was about 1200 sq feet I think), but also MUCH closer to my house! Like really, ridiculously close. About 2 blocks away from my front door. It’s awesome.

With the new gym has come a lot of fun new equipment and a lot more chances for Open Gym. In the past 3 weeks since the move, I have worked with jerk blocks, tires, and sledgehammers for the first time. We also now have bars on our rig for bar muscle-ups, but I’m pretty sure that the bar muscle-up is still pretty far away for me.

But! I have had a few fun new CrossFit things happen lately. First and foremost, I signed up to get my Level 1 CrossFit Certification at the end of November! I don’t know that I will ever quit my job and become a CrossFit coach (although I not-so-secretly want to do just that), but I am really excited to go back to the basics and use the Level 1 course to re-establish my own foundational movements in CrossFit.

I also recently got a brand new jump rope, and my first time using it I PR’d my double unders up to 75! I was using an Rx Jump Ropes rope, which I loved and was perfect to learn on. The Rx ropes are a little bit heavier (they come in varying thicknesses and I had the 2nd lightest version), which is perfect for learning because it helps you feel where the rope is in space. However, as I started to get faster at double unders and wanted to be doing more than just 20 or 30 at a time, the heavier rope was starting to get a little annoying. So I bought a speed rope from Rogue Fitness and it is awesome. It definitely took some getting used to, but I am so happy with it and really excited to maybe even get some triple unders (I got a few the other day… not linked, but still! so fun).

And! I am down to one ab mat for handstand push-ups in WODs, and can even do one kipping HSPU without any ab mats at all! I’m not sure if I can do more than one because I was too nervous to plop my head back down without an ab mat under it, so next time I try I’ll have to set myself up with an ab mat and put my hands on bumper plates.

This week we are re-testing our maxes after a 6-week lifting cycle that included back squat, strict press, snatch, and clean & jerk. My back squat 1RM was 145 going into this, so I’m really hoping to get to 160 when we re-test tonight, but I’d be happy with 150. I have been working a lot on my snatch lately so I don’t think there will be any surprises with my 1RM which is still really being held back by my form. I was snatching 70# (my supposed PR) off the jerk blocks last week, and can do 65# snatches all day, but once I try to put 75# over my head, my brain freaks out and I flail. I know I am strong enough to be getting at least 80, if not 90 pounds on that lift, so I just need to keep working on keeping the bar close and, as always, working on that fast drop under the bar. One of these days my extra work will pay off and it will click! I’m not sure what to expect from my C&J, I have the same issues there as with my snatch in terms of dropping under the bar, and I also am not really sure what to expect with my strict press. I will keep you posted!

What improvements have you been seeing lately? Anything from big PRs to skill work? I want to know!