Westbound CrossFit 6 Week Challenge

Against my better judgement, I signed up for the Westbound CrossFit 6 Week Challenge.  It was an extra $72 and maybe it will be the kickstart to get me going.

Starting Body Composition:

Weight 209.7 pounds

Skeletal and Muscle Mass 85.1 pounds

Body Fat Mass 60.9 pounds

29% Body Fat

Starting Photos:

Point System

Take a class: 1 point/day; max 6 points/week

Routine:  1 point/day; max 6 points/week

Water Consumption:  Drink half gallon per day (0, 5, 6, 7 points)

Nutrition Plan: Follow (0, 5, 6, 7 points)

Walking:  30 minutes outside (0, 5, 6, 7 points)

Alcohol: Don't Drink (0, 5, 6, 7 points)

Sleep:  At least 8 hours (0, 5, 6, 7 points)

Social Media Accountability:  1 point per week

Respond to Check In email:  1 point per week

Ryley will be developing a  Routine for me and I will meet with Loni regarding Nutrition next week Thursday.

Random Equipment

Luke Grant has done it again and has some interesting pieces up for sale.  His stuff is always overpriced, but for hard to find items, I don't mind ponying up.  The OSO Mini Barbell is one such example.  My kids have outgrown it, but I could send it to my nephews.  The Dumbbell handles are interesting and not the worst price point at 55 cents on the dollar (not including tax or shipping).  For comparison, he has a Titan Fitness Trap Bar for sale at $125 and I can get a new one from Titan for $128.

OSO Mini Bar Training Barbell - $35 - Current retail is $115, but this one is pretty beat up.  It will certainly function as intended.  I would really like to buy this for my nephews, but am not sure how to ship it out there.  I decided to pass on this.  The collar spun fine, but I really have no use for it.

Gorilla Strength Fat Grip Loadable Olympic DB Handles - $60 - Retail is $70 for the handles plus $40 for the collars plus shipping.  They are certainly well made and worth the $60.  For comparison, I paid $90 for my set from Nemesis Grips.  I decided to go ahead and pick these up.  They look brand new and are beefier than my handles from Nemesis Grips.

Accessory Movements - Metcon

Thursday, January 10, 2025

Westbound CrossFit (Coach Ryley)

1730 (7 of us)

WARM UP

2x

1:30 bike

:30 burpees

MOVEMENT/MOBILITY - DB's, pull up bar, band

*grab DBs

:30 overhead carry / side

25' single DB Front rack carry / side

25' single DB FR carry on line / side

15' single DB suitcase carry, heel to toe / side

10' forward 10' backward single DB FR carry, heel to toe / side

*heavy band around pull up bar

:20 half kneeling banded lat stretch / side

:20 forward fold

5 sprawls

:20 wide stance forward fold

:20 banded chest stretch / side

8/8 half kneeling band pulldown

STRENGTH

25:00 to Complete

4 Sets

12 DB Chest Flies - 15#

12 Barbell Curls @ Light - 33# reverse curls

----1:30 Rest B/t----

+

4 Sets

10 DB Arnold Press @ Light-Moderate Load - 15#

10 DB Lateral Raises - 10-10/7.5/7.5#

----1:30 Rest B/t----

+

3 Sets

1:00 Plank

15/15 DB Oblique Side Crunch @ 70/50+ - 50#

----1:00 Rest B/t----

METCON (Health)

EMOM x 9 (Alternating)

-15/12 Cal Bike

-Max Single Arm Devil Press (25/15#)

-Rest

I was able to manage 12 calories on the bike every round.  I scaled the SA Devil Press to 15# and got 7-7-6 reps.

Back Squat - Diane (sc)

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Westbound CrossFit (Coach Ryley)

1630 (18 of us)

Warm Up

AMRAP 3

7/5 Cal row

10 BB Front Squats

10 PVC passthroughs

MOVEMENT/MOBILITY - PVC, wall

8 bootstrap squats w/ twist

8 PVC trunk twists Slow

8 PVC good morning trunk twists

8 bottom squat PVC front rack sots press

:20 wall sit

:10 single leg wall sit / side

:20 feet elevated glute bridge march on wall

:20 feet elevated straight leg glute bridge march

:45 couch stretch / side

:20 pike hold w/ feet on wall

:10 wall facing handstand hold as close to wall as possible

10 wall facing handstand shoulder taps

6 handstand shoulder taps, facing away from wall

PRIMER - barbell @ 95/65# +

2 sets of

3 back squats w/ :05 pause in hole + 6 back squats fast + 1 Back squat and bail (practice a failed rep)

STRENGTH

Building to a 1 Rep Max Back Squat

E :90 x 3

6-8 Back Squat @ 50-65%

+

E 2:00 x 6-8

3/3/2/2/1/1/1/1

Back Squat @ 70%+

Back Squat

1 x 1

I worked up from 135, 155, 165, 175, 185 before doing singles at 205, 225, 235 pounds.  I was pleased to get within spitting distance of my recent 245# in the Fall GGC.

METCON

Diane, Scaled

21-15-9

Deadlifts, 165# / 115#

Seated DB Shoulder Press, 35# / 25#

In the past I had done this with 135#, but did a 15-9-6 rep scheme of box HSPU finishing in 6:53 and 7:41 in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

I scaled this even further to 135# and 25# dumbbells finishing in 5:49.  I moved well and it was the right weight for me.  Any heavier would have slowed me down or risked injury.

First Purchases of 2025

After a quiet December 2024, I am back on the spending bandwagon.

General Fitness

Cable attachment for $0.  I acquired this along with some standard weight plates for free.

USAWA Equipment

I decided to give Arm Assassin Strength Shop (AASS) a try and purchased their Heavy Lift Bar ($140) and Hand & Thigh Bar ($70).  This price point is basically a no brainer and will allow me to give Kim her equipment back.  I think her set up will certainly be stronger, but for my lifting (under 1000 pounds) these should be fine.

Grip Equipment

While ordering from AASS, I purchased the 1-5/8" thumb blaster for King Kong 2025.  It was a reasonable $40.

Vintage Equipment

I found a sweet pair of 25 pound RADHA INDIA weight plates.  I overpaid at $1/pound, but still a very nice addition.

Bench Press - 2K Row

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Westbound CrossFit (Coach Bryn)

1200 (12 of us)

WARM UP

500m row (2:45)

:30 rest

300m row @ faster (2:30)

:30 rest

100m row @ faster (2:20)

:30 rest

200m row @ same (2:20)

MOVEMENT/MOBILITY

*grab foam roller and barbell

:30 t-spine extension + flexions

:30 t-spine opener w/ arms overhead

:30 book t-spine opener / side

8 supermans

8 prone snow angels

8 push ups

:20 push up iso hold

STRENGTH

Building to a 1 Rep Max Bench Press

E :90 x 3

6-8 Bench Press @ 50-65%

+

E 2:00 x 6-8 - 95/105/115

3/3/2/2/1/1/1/1 - 125/135/145/165/180/190/200

Bench Press @ 70%+

Bench press

1 x 1

I was thrilled with my bench today and 190 pounds felt so smooth.  I got greedy with the 10 pound jump, but still think it was the right attempt.

METCON

2k Row

Max Effort 2k Row

I finished this in 9:46 and felt good about the effort.  I came out a little hot, but settled into a 2:30 pace for the last 1000 meters.

The programming this week is all about Benchmarks:

Day 1 - 1RM C&J and Fran (thrusters and PU)

Day 2 - 1RM Bench Press and 2K Row

Day 3 - 1RM Back Squat and Diane (deadlift and HSPU)

Day 4 - The West Special (Echo bike, BMU, BBJO)

Day 5 - 5K Run

Clean & Jerk - Fran

Monday, January 6, 2025

Westbound CrossFit (Coach Bryn)

1630 (14 of us)

Benchmark Week!!

Benchmark week is going to be a repeatable week of workouts that we can use to track our athletic improvement and increase in fitness. We will retest these workouts periodically throughout the year, and they will serve as our measuring stick for your improvement as an individual, and our improvement as a gym!

Please be sure to record your scores on the papers provided at the front of the gym and specify which version you completed. Add any relevant notes as well!

WARM UP

2x

200m run

8-10 light DB thrusters

MOVEMENT/MOBILITY - PVC, pull up bar

:30 wide lunge stretch w/ rotation / side

:30 stagger stance hamstring stretch / side

*grab PVC

6 PVC good mornings

6 deadlift to thigh

6 clean pull jump shrug

6 front squats

6 dip holds

6 push press w/ pause in dip and overhead

6 dip, jump, punch w/ nothing in hands

6 push jerks

6 dip, jump, punch to split

6 split jerks

4 squat C&J's

:15 dead hang, active shoulders + :15, passive

6 short kip swings, active shoulders w/ band if need

6 long kip swings relaxed

PRIMER - barbell @ first warm up weight

5x

1 squat jump as high as possible + 1 clean and jerk as snappy as possible

STRENGTH

Building to a 1 Rep Max Clean and Jerk

EMOM x 3

2 Clean and Jerks @ 50-60% - 75/85/85

E :90 x 3

1 Clean and Jerk @ 70-85% - 95/105/105

E 2:00 x 3-5

1 Clean and Jerk @ 85%+ - 135/145/155/165

Clean and Jerk

1 x 1

165 was an exciting and unrealized at the time PR over my previous best of 160# on 2/25/2020.  I did walk it a bit and the jerk was certainly not textbook.

METCON

Fran

21-15-9

Thrusters, 95# / 65#

Pull-ups

Fran, Scaled Thrusters

21-15-9

Thrusters, 75# / 55#

Pull-ups

Fran, Scaled Pull Ups

21-15-9

Thrusters, 95# / 65#

Banded Kipping Pull-ups (Purple Band)

Fran, Scaled

21-15-9

Thrusters, 75# / 55#

Banded Kipping Pull-ups (Purple Band)

I last did Fran on 12/27/2021 with 45# thrusters and ring rows finishing in 5:31.  5:25 represents a small improvement that I was pretty excited about.  I would like to bump up the weight to 55# on my next attempt.