Strength Training Tuesday 5/10/11

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I tackle the Strength Training Workout posted by Coach Wes every Tuesday at CrossFit Austin.

This was a heavy workout with sloooooooow tempos. Coach Wes and his tempos!

In case you’re unfamiliar with the tempo thing (I have to look it up in my notes every time), here’s an explanation:

20X0 means…

• 2 seconds on the “down” or eccentric movement
• 0 seconds at the bottom
• X no prescribed speed on the work movement
• 0 seconds at the “top” or isometric hold

Strength WOD – May 10, 2011
3-2-1 press @ 20X0 = 75 – 80 – 85 (F) – 80

6 X 2 squat @ 30X0 = 125# – 130# – 135# – 140# – 140# – 140#
(find comfortable – not failure – 2 rep max)

deadlift clusters
1.1.1.1 @ 75%, rest :30 between reps = 145#
1.1.1.1 @ 85%, rest :75 between reps = 165#
1.1.1.1 @ 90%, rest :90 between reps = 175#

*plus 5 perfect pushups between deadlift reps

Five cool things about this workout:

1. I was the only person in the gym, except for the front desk receptionist, for the first 20 minutes of my workout. It was so much fun to pretend it was my personal strength training box.

2. Close-set. elbows-back, boobies-to-floor pushups are becoming more manageable. If I’m nice and warm – which I was after those back squats! – I can pump out five unbroken at a steady pace.

3. I can see some new lines of muscle in my thighs. No one would ever describe me as ‘ripped,’ but it’s nice to see some changes happening in my quads and… if I’m being kind to myself, which I am… in my shoulders and chest, too.

4. It kind of kicked my ass. I was definitely fatigued at the end, and I had tunnel vision internal focus on my cues. On the back squat, it was “knees” as a reminder to press my knees out, and on the deadlifts it was “tight! chest!” to remind myself to lead with my chest and keep my abs locked down throughout the movement. One seventy-five was no picnic.

5. I ate chicken and blackberries like an animal when I got home: straight out of the fridge, with my hands. Then ate steak and spaghetti squash scrambled with an egg, coconut oil, and Tsardust Memories seasoning as second breakfast at the office. Food tastes SO GOOD after you outrun the saber-tooth tiger!