EMOM - HSPU Technique

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

2 rounds of

10 shoulder swimmers
2 plank walk out
10 throw down + pronation/supination rotation
2 Turkish get-up
10 boot strappers
2 tempo HRPU
10 mountain climbers

EMOM

Every minute, on the minute, for 16 minutes (4 sets of each) for Max Reps:
Minute 1 – Parallette Shoot Throughs
Minute 2 – Cossack Squats
Minute 3 – Burpees
Minute 4 – 40 Second Plank Hold

Shoot Throughs - 8
Cossack Squats - 15
Burpees - 7
Plank Hold - 40 seconds

I was shooting for 40 seconds work and 20 seconds transition and was able to hold this rep scheme for all four rounds.

HSPU Technique

This sucked today.
10 second hold
(2) negative to 2 abmats
(1) negative to 1 abmat
(1) negative to base

I could not press up today.  Spent about 10 minutes starting with wrist mobility

Programming for May

With a heavy heart, I placed my Crossfit Golden membership on hold.  I would have liked to continue supporting local business, my box and the training staff at Crossfit Golden, but I also felt the need to hunker down a bit financially.

My original plan was to pick my poison, following CompTrain or Crossfit main site programming.  I also considered just flashing back a year and repeating workouts.  All of these options are free.

Now, I am considering programming for myself and utilizing a steady mix of:

Monday - Olympic lifting (alternate clean or snatch, add accessory such as overhead squat, front squat) and Olympic inspired metcon

Tuesday - Powerlifting (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press) and metcon

Wednesday - Crossfit Skills (hand stand push-ups, double unders, lunges, pull-ups, toes to bar) and mono-structural training

Thursday - Long metcon - 30 minutes of burpees, box jumps, kettlebell swings, hand release push-ups, air squats, ab mats, pull-ups, rope climbs)

Friday - Strongman - Stones, Axle Bar, Sandbag

If I want accountability and tracking, I could try End of Three Fitness and may start the 2 week free trial tomorrow.  After 14 days it is $25/month (or $47/month with coaching).  I would start with the Hard to Kill plan.

Anything I choose will be significantly cheaper than $135/month for Crossfit Golden.  It will also be inferior as it will not be customized, come with video feedback or a weekly check in call.

The cost savings will go towards additional equipment.  If my home training extends into winter, I will likely get a piece of cardio equipment.  Going with a name brand, they should be easy to resell.

• Rogue Echo Bike
• Pro - great full body warm up
• Con - large foot print
• Price - cheaper
• Concept 2 Rower
• Pro - very familiar and stored in small foot print; 
• Con - kind of boring - higher
• Price - higher
• Concept 2 Ski Erg
• Pro - new movement, anterior chain focused, small foot print
• Con - may get old
• Price - similar to rower

Bench Press - Metcon

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Home Gym

1600

Warm Up

3 rounds
10 around the world
10 plank toe touch
10 prone raise
5 burpee to plate

then
triceps stretch
pec stretch
calf stretch

Weightlifting

Every 2 minutes, for 12 minutes (6 sets) of:
Tempo Bench Press x 5 reps @ 21X1
Use the first 3-4 sets to build to the heaviest load you can handle for the final 2-3 sets.

I worked up from 125, 135, 140, 140, 140 (4), 140 (4).  On the last 2 sets, I only managed 4 reps.  Despite having a spotter and spotter arms, I still do not like failing reps at home.

Metcon

Depending on DU – 4 Rounds – nothing short of that but if DU are on – thing 5 rounds 

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
50 Double-Unders (don’t scale reps today) 
20 American Kettlebell Swings
10 Hand Release Push-Ups

Right out of the gate, the DU were not on.  I still finished 3 rounds + 45 reps in 15 minutes and I finished 4 rounds in 16:09.  First round was unbroken KBS, then 10/10.  All rounds were 5/5 on HRPU.

Rogue Fitness

My chalk arrived today!  For $11.99 plus $5.95 shipping and handling + $0.81 tax = $18.75, I am now the proud owner of full size blocks of chalk.  I carefully removed 1 of 8 and placed it in the Tupperware I commandeered from the kitchen.  My wife was not too pleased, but she does not appreciate the satisfaction that a light dusting of chalk onto sweaty hands provides.  As 8 blocks may very well end up being a lifetime supply, I opted for Rogue branded chalk rather than the plethora of off brand magnesium carbonate chalk on the market.

Back Squat - Metcon

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm Up

1 min of the following
couch stretch
90/90 adduction
leg swing
squat hold

then

2 rounds of
jumping jacks
10 bird dogs
10 air squat
10 mtn climber

Back Squat

warmed up with 45, 95, 135, 165

then

5x185 (75%)
3x195
1x205
5x195
3x205
1x215
5x205
3x215
1x225 (95%)

I used 240 for a current 1RM, I am not quite at my 120 kg from earlier this year.

This felt good, but it was heavy.  My quads were a little twitchy so I put on my knee sleeves.

Metcon

Charley Horse

800 m run
50 front squat
30 box jump over

I scaled this to 75# front squats and was able to hold sets of 10.  I originally planned on 115#, but my legs felt wrecked after back squats.  I should have split the difference at 85 or 95#.

I scaled the box jump overs to 20" and this was a good height.

Run - 5:35
Front Squat - 5:45 (11:20)
Box Jump Overs - 3:40 (15:00)

This was a well programmed wod.  I am going to miss CFG programming.

Deadlift - Metcon

Monday, April 27, 2020

Home Gym

1600

Warm Up

1 min of the following
deadlift jumps
down dog + cobra
plank shoulder tap
lunge + hamstring stretch
reverse lunge + knee hug
good mornings

Deadlift

Every 2 minutes for 12 minutes (6 sets)
8x145 (50%)
6x175 (60%)
4x205 (70%)
2x235 (80%)
2x250 (83%, target was 90% of 1RM, but I ran out of weight!)
5x225 (75%)

Metcon

3 rounds for time of:
400 m run
30 walking lunges
15 burpees

I scaled this to 30 reverse lunges (unweighted) and 5 burpees per round.  I finished in 14:10, which was close to the 15 minute guideline.  I should have done 10 burpees per round, but I expected to slow more than I did.  The runs were reasonably consistent at 2:30-2:45.

Home Gym

With a heavy heart, I let my coach know that I would be putting my Crossfit Golden membership on hold, effective April 30th.  I was pleasantly surprised by the remote coaching process.  I would receive custom programming for the week, we would have a 30 minute call every week and I would received video feedback 1-2 times/week depending on what was programmed.  All-in-all, a very good value for $135/month.  However, the spirit of self-sufficiency and the wanting to hunker down a little bit financially outweighed my desire to support the Crossfit community.  I look forward to returning in the fall and am excited to try my hand at programming workouts on my own.

Run

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Home Gym

1200

Afternoon Run

3.5 miles (11:33/mile)

Bench Press and Bike Ride

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Home Gym

1100

Warm Up

2 rounds

1 min plank shoulder tap
5 inch worm scorpion
10 reverse snow angel
10 banded face pull
5 slow hand release push-ups
1 min lunge pulse leg lower

Bench Press

Warm up with 45, 95, 115, 135, 145

5x155
3x165
2x175
failed 185

Bike Ride

Out to US93 and back.  I was riding into the wind on the way out.  Even with the wind at my back, it was still chilly coming back home.  After getting home, I replaced the CR2032 battery on my bike computer and programmed it.  I also removed the GoPro mount as I cannot remember the last time I filmed on my bike.

Cleans

Friday, April 24, 2020

Home Gym

1200

Warm Up

1 min burpees - 11
then 2 rounds of
10 quadruped hip extension
10 banded clamshell
10 mountain climber circles
10 arm circles
10 prone raises
10 scap push-ups

PVC Burgener Warm Up

Barbell warm up and front rack mobility

clean complex at 45, 65, 85#

Weightlifting

Every 90 Seconds, for 12 minutes (8 sets):
Hang Clean + Clean
Build over the course of the 8 sets to today’s heavy complex.

95
105
115 - moved back ~2 inches
120 - video
125 - moved back ~3 inches
125
130
135 - video, moved back ~ 3 inches

These were good loads for me.  Although lighter than the April 8, 2020, I was able to use better mechanics.  I still want to get a smaller diameter barbell.

Metcon

Every 90 seconds, for 15 minutes (5 sets of each):

Station 1 – 5 Hang Squat Cleans I want a mentally challenging load!!!
Station 2 – Go on a 40 second jog

Pick a weight for the squat cleans that will challenge you, but that you will be able to perform with good mechanics throughout the duration of the workout.

Station 1:  115#, felt easy on the first 2 rounds, was brutal, the last 2 rounds
Station 2:  150m run, it was taking about 1 minute to jog

Starting on round 3, I was going 75 seconds for the Hang Squat Cleans and then 105 seconds for the runs.  I was managing the hang squat cleans without letting go of the bar in 30-40 seconds.

Run

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Home Gym

1700

2.57 miles @ 11:45/mile pace

HSPU Practice - Double Under Practice

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Home Gym

1630

Warm Up

Foam roll
Hip adduction
Hamstring sweeps
Down Dog / Cobra
Hollow / Superman rotations
Slow lower calf raises

HSPU technique (15 min)

Kick up and hold
HSPU to 2 abmats - singles, doubles, negatives

Double Under Practice (12 min)

6 sets, about a minute rest between sets

25
29 unbroken
25
25
30 unbroken
25

This was modified from the 30 minute EMOM of

• 50 DU or max in 1 minute
• Work on Handstands
• 20 DB ground to overhead
• Box Jump Overs
• Rest

6 rounds

I felt OK during the WOD, but never really got going.

Overhead Squat - Metcon

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Home Gym

1630

Warm Up

1 min duck walks

then 3 rounds

3 floor slides
10 fast Kang squats
10 quad stretch
10 frog shifts
10 dead bugs

then

2 minutes stretch on own - pass throughs, lat stretch

Strength

Overhead Squat

20 minutes to build to a 3RM @22X1 tempo

I worked up from

35, 45, 55, 60, 65, 70 and finally 75#.  Tempo felt good, I should have stayed down in the hole longer.

65# tempo OHS

70# tempo OHS

Metcon

800m Run

50 Thrusters

800m Run

I was originally planning on 65# for the thrusters, but that felt really heavy during warm ups so I switched to 45#.

Run 1 - 5:00

Thrusters - 5:06 (10:06)

Run 2 - 5:25 (15:31)

I started with a set of 12 thrusters and then 8, then 6 and hovered around there.

Christine - Accessory

Monday, April 20, 2020

Home Gym

1730

Warm Up

1 min high knee/butt kick/jumping jacks
1 min leg swings
1 min left right center hamstring stretch

then 2 rounds
10 star jumps
10 good mornings
10 Jane Fonda's
10 Glute Bridges

Metcon

“Christine”
Three rounds for time:
2 minutes Running
12 Deadlifts (Bodyweight)
21 Box Jumps

I opted for 400 m runs; 135# deadlift and box jumps at 20".  The runs started around 2:15 and slowed to 2:40.  I could do the deadlifts unbroken, the box jumps were paused, but no long breaks.

R1 - 4:45
R2 - 5:15 (10:00)
R3 - 5:24 (15:24)

Accessory

Three sets of:
Posted Single-Leg Deadlifts x 8-10 reps each @ 3011
Rest 60 seconds
Barbell Glute Bridges x 6-8 reps @ 20X1
Rest 60 seconds
Side Plank x 45 seconds each side
Rest 60 seconds

I used a 10# dumbbell for the deadlifts, 135# for the glute bridges, and 30 seconds each side for the side plank.  I was able to maintain good form and tempo.

Support Your Local Box - WOD 3

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

Hip Hammy
Thoracic Flow
Foam Roller
Jumping Jacks

Support Your Local Box WOD 3

For Time:

50 Dumbbell Deadlfit
50 Ab-mat sit-ups
50 Box Step Ups
50 Single Arm Dumbbell Thrusters

20 minute time cap
Men use 50# Dumbbell and a 24" box

This WOD was going great, until the thrusters ruined everything.
Deadlift - 13/7/7/7/7/5/4 (3:35)
Sit-ups - 20/10/10/6/4 (2:50)
Step-ups - unbroken (4:20)
SA DB Thrusters (L/R) 6/4-5/5-5/5-5/5-5/5 (6:50)

Overall, I finished in 17:35, below the cap, which was my only real goal.  It was a good test for me and I need to continue to work with the 50# dumbbell.  I was pleasantly surprised that the dumbbells were not coming loose as frequently as they were on WOD 1.

DB 1 - (4) 10# + (1) 5# + (1) 3# + Handle 2#
DB 2 - (2) 10# + (5) 5# + (1) 3# + Handle 2#

Leftover, I have (3) 5# and (1) 3# after building the 2 dumbbells.  I will hold on to these, but do want to invest in rubber hex head dumbbells.

Support Your Local Box Retrospective

WOD 1 - 10 min AMRAP - 10 squats, 9 DB snatch (right arm), 10 push-ups, 9 DB snatch (left arm); men use 50# DB == 3 rounds + 10 squats + 9 DB snatch right arm +  3 push-ups (26,727 / 42,258

WOD 2 - 100 DU, 21 burpees, 75 DU, 15 burpees, 50 DU, 9 burpees; 15 minute cap == 14:22 (23,887 / 32,698)

WOD 3 - 50 DB deadlift, 50 sit-ups,  50 box step-ups, 50 single arm DB thruster; 20 minute cap, men use 50# DB and 24" box == 17:35 (15,915 / 24,611)

Overall 23,345 / 42,824

These were all good tests for me.  The 50# DB is not one that I play with in training too much.  My double unders were better than I expected and I was thrilled to finish under the cap.  I am glad I did them all Rx.  Week 1 may have been a better test at 35# as my DB snatches were really slow.

The more important part is that I had fun, raised some money for West Metro Crossfit (while maintaining my membership at Crossfit Golden) and got to measure myself against athletes worldwide.  I also got comfortable with WOD Proof and will continue to use it to film my workouts.

Metcon - Accessory

Friday, April 17, 2020

Home Gym

1200

Warm Up

4 minutes hip/hammy

then

1 minute each of
jumping jacks
Jane Fonda's
butt kicks
dead bug

Metcon

Three rounds for time of
15 deadlift (115#)
30 double unders

I finished in 5:53.  The deadlifts were all unbroken and I felt like I could have gone heavier.  The double unders were as messy as usual, but I could knock out 30 reps each round in under 90 seconds.  I was much more consistent than 14 months ago when we did this workout (designed to be a 5:00 minute workout).

This was a repeat of 2-7-2019 when I went 7:10.  That time I started at 135# and dropped to 115# on the second round and 95# on the third round.  The rope skips were just as bad, I did single unders and went 150/100/100.

Accessory Work

Three sets of:
Single-Leg Deadlift x 6-8 reps each leg @ 4011
Rest 60 seconds
Barbell Glute Bridges x 6-8 reps @ 20X1
Rest 60 seconds

I used a 35# kettlebell for the single leg deadlifts and 115# for the glute bridges

Snatch - E3OM

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Home Gym

1900

Warm Up

Thoracic Flow

LCR plank rotations
quad + lunge (left leg)
quad + lunge (right leg)
scap push up + push up

Squat Therapy

Snatch Complex

Every 2 minutes, for 16 minutes (8 sets):
Snatch from Mid-Patella + Snatch
(pause 2 seconds at mid-patella, then snatch, drop, reset and snatch from the floor)

I started with

45

55 - video

65

70

75 - video, my feet jumped back on the paused snatch, but was ok from the ground

80

80

75

I surprised myself by missing 80# and then going lighter and missing 75#.

E3OM

This was originally designed as

Every 4 minutes, for 20 minutes (5 sets) for total load:

One Minute of Axel Bar Zercher carry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld6kVG26gfk

10 Shoulder to Overhead – Using Axel Bar

10 Pullups 

I modified it to skip the carry (as it was cold outside and standing there holding it for a minute sounded awful).  I went with 10 shoulder to overhead and put 15's on the Axel bar.  Should have been around 60#, but felt light.  I went with 5 pull-ups.  The plan was 5 strict, but I ended up going 1 strict and 4 kipping with a slow negative.

I did 3 rounds every 3 minutes.  I was finishing in 60 to 75 seconds and had 2 minutes of rest between rounds.  Overall, it was good to play with the axel bar and do some pull-ups.

Home Gym - Starting from Scratch

Most folks who are starting from scratch have typically trained in globo gyms or boutique gyms and have a spattering of personal equipment such as shoes, jump rope, weight belt, yoga mat and maybe a roll of tape.

With gyms shut down due to Covid-19, fitness retailers back ordered for months and the second hand market losing its ever loving mind, the question becomes, how do I keep training?

Just do body weight calisthenics.  Do a youtube search for prisoner workouts.  Finally, go old school and get creative with finding weight solutions (army surplus water cans, ammo cans, sand bags).  I have seen videos of people training with a mace that is fabricated from an iron pipe and concrete.

If you want a long term solution and the familiarity of your Crossfit Box or Globo Gym, you will have to shell out some money and be patient.

GET NOW

You will need some flooring and weight at a minimum.

• ROMWOD Swole & Flexy Mats are available for $90
• Dynamax has 20# Med Ball through Amazon for $125 (it is worth paying for a Dynamax, they rock)

If you are a DIY person, start building some stuff

• Slosh Pipe - 3 or 4" PVC, end caps, glue
• Pull-up Bar - Black iron pipe, flanges, lag screws, 2x6 piece of lumber
• Jump Box - Nice piece of plywood, glue, wood screws
• Inspiration - Throw a coat of paint in your fitness space and put up some artwork

Strongman stuff is easier to come by anytime.  If one is so inclined I suggest

• Heavy Tire for flips
• Car Tire to use as a DIY sled
• Natural Stones (or Atlas Stones if you can find somebody with molds)
• Axel Bar - DIY
• 5 Gallon buckets filled  with water, sand, steel shot (depending on how strong you are)

WAIT FOR AVAILABILITY ( OR SECONDARY MARKET)

The next items I would recommend are a barbell and some bumper plates.  However, these are crazy hard to find right now.  Retail a good bar will cost between $200 and $400 and bumper plates are between $1.50/lb (Hi-Temp, etc) and $4.00/lb (Competition).  If you are a power lifter, iron plates are in a similar price range depending on accuracy.  

Whether you are a Crossfitter or a Powerlifter, you still want to train squats and bench press.  A Crossfitter can get away with homemade squats stands with 5 gallon buckets, concrete and 2x4's.  A Powerlifter will want to get a power rack for safety and stability.  A powerlifter should construct a DIY deadlift platform.  An Olympic lifter should construct a DIY Olympic platform.  You will of course need a bench as well.  I would recommend stall mats for flooring.

If you live in a cold climate get some cardio equipment such as a bike erg, treadmill, ski erg or rower.  Purchase better brands they are easier to resell (Concept 2, Assault, Rogue).  Pick your poison.  Otherwise go hard and fast outdoors.

Everything else is just gravy and should be pieced together based on space and wants (you do not need anything else for a good workout).

• Resistance Bands
• Kettlebells
• Gymnastics Rings
• Abmats
• Sandbag
• Dumbbells
• Parallettes
• Gym timer/clock

If you have the money and the space, there are a few larger pieces that compliment the above nicely.

• Glute Ham Developer
• Lat Pull Down/Low Row - Plate Loaded or Weight Stack
• Dip Station

WHAT'LL IT COST MAN????

Cost in order of acquisition:

Mat and Med Ball - $200

DIY slosh pipe, pull-up bar, jump box, paint - $100

Strongman stuff - $100

Bar and Plates - $1000

Power rack - $1000 ($100 for DIY squat stands)

Platform - $100

Bench - $100

Flooring - $300

Cardio Equipment - $1,000

Misc Crossfit - $600 (you can go crazy with dumbbells and a full set to 5# to 100# will cost $2,520)

GHD - $700

Lat Pull Down/Low Row - $3000 (Rogue/Sorinex) or $1500 (Titan Fitness)

Dip Station - $150

--

Total $8,350 (about 3 years of a Crossfit Membership or 30 years of a globo gym membership).  

Total $3,600 (w/o larger pieces; about 1.5 years of a Crossfit Memberhip or 15 years of a globo gym membership)

SUMMARY

Start small and figure out if you really will train from home (Mat and Med Ball = $200).  

If you can't wait to get back to the gym, get some basics that will compliment your gym training (Cardio or Bar/Plates = $1,000).  These do not take up much room and are easy to sell if you stick to high end brands like Concept 2 or Rogue.  Cheap stuff is hard to resell.

If you are done with people, have the space and want to go all in start buying stuff as your programming dictates.  A good home set up will not cost more than $10,000 unless you happen to have a 3000 sq ft training space that you want to outfit.  If that is the case, I am sure you can find better advice than this blog entry.

Active Recovery

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Home Gym

1730

Went for a 2.5 mile run (11:38 pace)

Push-ups

EMOM (10 minutes)
6 push-ups

Legs and abs were sore after the back squats and metcon (with 100 sit-ups) yesterday.

Back Squat - Metcon

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Home Gym

1730

Warm Up

1 min couch stretch
1 min hold bottom of squat

then

3 rounds of
5 over and under the fence
5 around the world
5 knee to chest and reverse lunge
5 down dog and cobra

Back Squat

*Set 1 – 5 reps @ 65-70%
*Set 2 – 3 reps @ 75-80%
*Set 3 – 1 rep @ 85-90%
*Set 4 – 6 reps @ 80%
*Set 5 – 6 reps @ 80%
*Set 6 – 6 rep @ 80%
Rest 2-3 minutes between sets.

I warmed up with an empty barbell, 95# and 135#.  I based my working sets on a 240# 1RM

5x155
3x185
1x205
6x185
6x185
0x0 - abandoned the last set, felt the left hammy twitching when I was un-racking the bar??

Metcon

For time:
50 Sit-Ups
50 Weighted Box Step ups 50/35#
50 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches 50/35#
50 Goblet Squats 50/35#
50 Sit-Ups

I was not feeling this workout at all.  I think it was primarily due to a long work day and disrupted sleep last night.

50 sit ups - 20/10/5/5/5/5

50 box step ups - did these unweighted

50 alt db snatch - skipped

50 goblet squats - did air squats

50 sit ups - 25-10-5-5-5

I finished in 11:52, remarkably close to the approximate 3 minutes per movement.

Home Gym Update

I cleaned and lubricated by barbell.  It spins surprisingly well, but doesn't look much better.  I followed Brandon Campbell Diamond's instructions on Youtube, but used significantly less oil.  

Rogue Beater Bar

I finally took a close look at my barbell and concur that it is a Rogue Beater Bar.  I measured the shaft at 31.8 mm (to the specs below).  It has pinned ends.  It has no center knurl and powerlifting knurl marks at 810 mm.

For comparison, my technique bar is 27.8 mm and has dual knurl marks at 810 mm and 910 mm.

The description below is from Crossfit Discussion Board thread dated 4-18-2010

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We put a bar comparison on our site so that you can make an educated choice on these bars. Here are some determining factors:

1) Steel Type - Most bars are 125K-205K PSI Tensile strength, we will just use that since it is published more often than Yield

1.1 125K PSI steel bars are the 1500LB static test bars normally, that tests means zero because you are going to put a dynamic load on the bar. I would only buy a bar with that grade steel in the 31MM + diameter if you don't want to deal with a possible bent bar.

1.2 155K PSI steel - This is an excellent steel hence the wide spread use by Rogue, Pendlay etc. We have seen a few bent bars out of many, they were replaced in 24 hours.

1.3 185-205K PSI Steel - This steel is used in many of the Olift and Powerlift bars out there to include Rogue and York. This steel is no joke, very strong but a bit stiff normally. With the 28MM it has some good action but once it is 29MM it tends to be pretty stiff.

2) Diameter - 25-32MM

2.1 25MM - Junior and Female 5-10-15KG Bars - Our 10-15KG bars are made with the 155K PSI steel

2.2 27MM - Deadlift Bars are made at this diameter - This is a single use bar made to bend substantially before the plates leaves the ground - Called Okie Bar many times - 155K PSI Steel

2.3 28MM - Standard Olift Diameter - All of our Olift 28MM bars are 185-205K PSI steel. Per a few other comments on this thread as the bars near 200K PSI steel they tend to be a more stiff. The Eleiko bars have found a very unique mix of toughness and flex while still returning to straight. Many other manufacturers simply have strong olift bars at the 200K mark but they don't have quite as much action.

2.4 28.5MM - Rogue Bar, Burner Bar, Castro Bar, Pendlay HD, Texas Power Bar - All of these bars are using this diameter steel shaft. I have yet to cut and test a Texas Power Bar but I am told it is 185K PSI steel. All the others are 155K PSI steel and are guaranteed for life against bending.

2.5 29MM - The Burg & Rip bar is 29MM and is made with 205K PSI steel, very stiff and we have yet to see one bent. West Side has been using one of these bars for a year now and it is still straight.

2.6 30-32MM - Most of these bars are 125K PSI steel hence the large diameter. Increasing the diameter of the bar is the other way to make the bar strong, simply by adding more of a cross section. The Beater bar is 31MM and some change, we have yet to have one bent. We called it the Beater bar because it is exactly that, like the old truck that always gets it done.

3) Bushing/Bearing/None - This is the medium between the sleeve and the steel shaft

3.1 Bronze & Other Bushing - This is an excellent way to achieve good spin assuming the machining is done properly. Normally two bushings per sleeve

3.2 Needle Bearing - Normally 5 needle bearing per sleeve. We tested Japanese and German types, we are using German in the new Burgener bar

3.3 Sleeve to shaft - Basically the sleeve sits right on the shaft so there is no bushing to act as the wear and tear medium

4) End Cap Design - Snap Ring, Pinned or End Cap - This function keeps the sleeve from coming off the steel shaft

4.1 Snap Ring - Rogue, Pendlay, Eleiko, Ivanko all use snap ring designs with their own signature implementation. These will vary from 1-4 snap rings/sleeve with machined snap ring grooves in the bar and sleeve.

4.2 Pinned End - This is the cheapest way to secure the sleeve, basically drill a hole through the sleeve and pound a cold rolled pin through. This is on the Beater bar and Texas Power Bar. The Texas Power Bar has parallel pins, either option is a strong connection but doesn't make for the best spin of the sleeve. There is a machined groove in the shaft that the pin is driven beside, hence it is a tangent to the diameter of the shaft.

4.3 Pinned Cap - York has gone to this on all the bars we have seen that are made in Canada. A cap that has the same outer diameter as the sleeve is put onto the end of the bar and pinned on center. This is a robust way to secure the sleeve but I prefer the snap ring designs

5) Coating - Raw steel, Zinc, Oxide, Chrome, Powder

5.1 Bare Steel - Old school naked bar that allows oxidization, this an awesome bar to have in your arsenal. There will be maintenance on this bar if you want to keep it pristine.

5.2 Zinc - Bright, Black, Olive Drab or Yellow - Those are the heavy hitters in the zinc plating world. This is a plating process to protect the steel. All bars have bright zinc on them then you dip the steel in one of the other colors. The Black Zinc is preferred for all the Rogue Bars as it wears well and has an excellent feel. Pendlay uses Bright Zinc

We will soon have OD Green Zinc on a few of our bars, that will be pretty cool!

5.3 Oxide - This is a treatment, we don't use it on any of our bars but York uses it on many of their low end bars.

5.4 Chrome - This is used on many Olift bars but there are many grades of chrome and how well the process was done. Some would say it feels slick compared to Zinc but it has been used for some time by Eleiko and on many of the York bars

You could write a hundred page book on the differences between these bars and the features. More subjective attributes are knurl pattern etc. The best way to tell which bar is best is to set all the bars out and see which bars people gravitate towards, we would like to think we have that covered!

I personally like the raw steel bars and black zinc bars but using an Eleiko comp bar will make anyone envious! The next question is which one fits your budget, may be the Beater today then the Eleiko comp in a year.

--------------

Answer to HD question - Pendlay HD bars are made at a different location than the old style. The Rogue Bar has seen about 10 modifications over the past year, all of which were improvements as we are always fine tuning the bar.

Answer to Burner Question - Same steel, no coating, no lifetime warranty, single knurl mark. Awesome bar, great feel but will require some maintenance. We made this bar to bridge the gap between Beater $135 and The Rogue Bar $255. Our price on the Rogue Bar is still about $50 less than others using that same grade steel. They are made in the US and if you only want to spend your money once then I would suggest doing it right the first time!

You guys can always call us and discuss bars 614.358.6190

Thanks,

Bill

UPDATE 4/25/2023 - I have owned this bar for just over 8 years and it was my primary barbell until December 2021.  It has held up well and is easy to maintain.  I have added 3 in 1 oil a couple of times and the spin returns instantly.  The knurling is passive.  There is no center knurl.  But it is straight and absolutely does the job.  I often prefer the 31 mm for bench press, but have only used it when performing 2 bar lifts for online competitions.

Home Gym Prices in a time of Covid

I feel the need to weigh in on the state of gym equipment.  As gyms are closed and people are looking to maintain their fitness routines, the demand for gym equipment is at an all time high.  Rogue, Rep Fitness, Raptor Fitness Supply and Titan Fitness are out of stock on nearly everything and are staffing up to meet demand.  The secondary market (Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace) has prices at 2X retail.  Today, I saw Ethos Bumper Plates (160#) and a Barbell (45#) (Dicks Sporting Goods house brand) for $750.  This retails for $430 and I would not buy it at that price.  For comparison, I bought my Hi Temp Bumpers (190#) and Beater Bar (45#) for $365 during normal second hand times.  My dream set is Rep Black  Bumpers (250#) for $339 and a Matt Chan Cerakote Barbell for $395.  The total price is $734 without shipping.  Squat racks are equally non-sense.

That being said, for those fortunate few individuals who purchased weightlifting equipment and never use it, go ahead and cash in.  For those who want to upgrade and can get by with body weight stuff in the near term, go ahead and cash in and buy back later.

One of the really cool benefits is a resurgence of "old school" CrossFit.

• DIY squat racks made from 2x4's, 5 gallon buckets and concrete
• DIY parallettes from PVC
• DIY medball from a sandbag and duct tape
• DIY plyometric boxes
• DIY pull-up bars made from 1" galvanized pipe
• DIY slosh pipes made from 4" pvc
• DIY peg boards
• Sand bag and other Odd Object Training
• Flipping loader tires

As I have trained for the past four weeks in my home gym (27) sessions, I have used nearly all of my equipment (with the exception of my Axel Bar and Climbing Rope).  I have also got a wish list started that includes a gym timer, rubber hex head dumbbells (35 & 50# pairs) and a Concept 2 rower.  Oddly, I had wanted these for a while, but could not justify dropping another $1,000 on gym equipment when I train nearly exclusively at an affiliate.  Even if I went to a globo gym, those items are readily available.

UDPATE: 4/28/2020 (31 bids) 45# pair of Rogue Color Echo Bumper plates on Ebay for $260 + $200 shipping (retail $145)

EMOM - Metcon

Monday, April 13, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

Thoracic Flow

Cobra+Down Dog, Bear+Crab rotations, Squat rotations, Shoulder Swimmers, Alternating Swimmers

Tabata (12 rounds)

1. High Knees + Butt Kicks
2. PU slow, hold top and bottom
3. Bootstrapprs
4. Plank + Toe Reach

Stretch

1 min face down scorpion
1 min puppy dog + triceps variation
1 min leg hugs

HSPU EMOM

5 rounds

I managed, 2, 2, 1, 0, 0 reps to 2 abmats.  The zero rounds were just the negatives.

Metcon

For Time:

Five Rounds of:
100m Run
10 Single Arm DB Push Press (Ea.)
15 Burpees Over Dumbbell
10 Hanging Knee Raises

I scaled this to 30 rope skips with beaded rope, barbell push press (65#), 10 Burpees over the Bar, 10 Hanging Knee Raise.  Finished in 17:14.

Stone EMOM

5 rounds Stone to Shoulder

I could not shoulder the 95# stone.  I did 2 reps every minute, first 2 rounds were deadlift, last 3 rounds were to chest.

Bench Press

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Home Gym

1600

Practice

Scales - front / back
L-sit

Bench Press

45
95
115
135
155
165
175x1
185x1
195 failed
190x1

Nice to have Diya spotting me.

Home Gym Improvements

I got mending plates at the advice of Alan Thrall and they seem to really keep the stall mats from sliding around.

After going back and forth on elaborate bar storage, I went with bicycle hooks to store my Technique Bar and Axle Bar getting both of the floor and improving the aesthetic.  My 20kg bar is too long for the wall mount technique so it still lives on the floor.

Bike Ride

I took the Gios out for a quick trip out to US 93 and back.  15.3 miles total.

Support Your Local Box WOD 2 - OHS

Friday, April 10, 2020

Home Gym

1430

Stretch

1 min half kneeling groin shift
1 min bottom of squat hold
1 min calf stretch

Warm Up

jumping jacks/speed skater
mtn climber circle
banded glute bridge
jump rope drills, single unders

Support Your Local Box WOD 2

For time:
100 double-unders
21 burpees
75 double-unders
15 burpees
50 double-unders
9 burpees

Time cap: 15 minutes

I finished this in 14:22, despite the countdown timer not working.  My double unders were hit and miss, sometimes I was cruising, other times, I could not string two together.  I was thrilled to finish under the time cap.

Upon video review

102 double unders in 3:46 (1 every 2.25 seconds)

21 burpees at 6:15 (1 every 7.10 seconds)

75 double unders at 9:40 (1 every 2.73 seconds)

15 burpees at 11:41 (1 every 8.07 seconds)

51 double unders at 13:25 (1 every 2.04 seconds)

9 burpees at 14:22 (1 every 6.33 seconds)

If not for the better luck with double unders on the round of 50, I would not have finished under the time cap.

Overhead Squat

Every 2 minutes for 16 minutes (8 sets)

2 OHS at 30X1 tempo

45# Overhead Squat

65# Overhead Squat

80# Overhead Squat

Deadlift - Box Jump - Metcon

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Home Gym

1200

Warm Up

Stretching:
4 Minutes of Hip and Hammy Flow

Warm up:
3 Rounds
45 second jumping jacks
20 hamstring sweeps
5 Lunge Matrix – Ea. Leg
10 Bird Dogs (5 ea.)
10 Dead Bugs (5 Ea.)

Weightlifting

Four sets of:
Deadlift x 4-6 reps @ 30X1
Rest 20 seconds
Box Jumps x 10 reps @24"
Rest 3 minutes

This was pretty good.  I did 6 reps every time at 165# and kept good tempo.

Metcon


Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
30 Double-Unders or Penguin Taps
10 Deadlifts (chose a weight you feel comfortable with your back with) 2 sets
10 Burpees Over the Barbell

Target was 5 rounds, I ended up with 2 rounds + 44 reps.  This was tough.  I did the deadlifts at 165# and could manage 2 sets consistently.
R1 ~ 3 minutes, sailed through double unders in 2 sets, burpees were slow, but steady
R2 ~ 4 minutes, the DU were tougher, but the burpees really slowed me down
R3 ~ 3 minutes, finished DU in 4-5 sets, finished deadlifts and was mid-air for the 5 burpee when time was called.  I took another minute to finish the last 5 burpees over the bar.

Hang Clean - Metcon

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Home Gym

1330

Warm-up

Stretching:
1 Minute Pigeon Stretch
1 Minute Quad Stretch + Leg Hug
1 Minute Mountain Climber Thoracic Twists

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
5 Drop Squats
10 Straight arm pronation/supination
15 Plank Pulls
20 Quadruped Kickbacks

Hang Power Clean

Build to heavy

45, 55, 65, 75 95, 105, 115 (V), 125, 135, 145 (V), 155, 165 (V)

Video review from Coach Lacey.  Despite knowing that most failed lifts start with the feet, I never would have noticed it.  Honestly the best delivery of technique feedback I have ever received.

Metcon

800m Run
25 Hang Power Clean (95#)
50 Pull-ups/Bent Over Row

800m run was good at 4:29
Hang Power Clean, I scaled to 75# and still had to break it up into sets of 5 (8:23)
Pull-ups/Bent Over Row sucked.  I was planning on 2-3 pull-ups then 7-8 BOR for 5 sets.  Instead I did 2 pull-ups, then 15 bent over row; 1 pull-up then 12 bent over row, then I could even do pull-ups and did 2 sets of 10 bent over row.  I used a 50# sandbag for the bent over rows.  Total Metcon 11:48.

Home Gym

New pictures with some decorations up.

Metcon - Accessory

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm-up

Stretching:

1 Minute Floor Slides
1 Minute Shoulder Stretch
1 Minute Tricep Stretch

Warm Up:

1 minute – Quick Feet – every 10 seconds do a burpee
1 minute – Bear Crawls
1 minute – Arm Circles
1 minute – Cuban Press
1 minute – Quick Feet – every 10 seconds do a burpee
1 minute – Table Top stretch
1 minute – Standing Single Arm Shoulder Swimmer
1 Minute – Push Up + Pike Push Up

Metcon

Metcon (Time)

"Strict JT"

Complete rounds of 21, 15 and 9 reps for time of:
Strict Handstand Push-Ups
      (or Seated Strict Press/Pike Push Ups)
Strict Box Dips
Strict Push-Ups

I scaled this to 15-9-6 box HSPU
I scaled this to 9-6-3 ring dips
I did the push-ups Rx

Round 1 - 4:16
Round 2 - 8:30 (4:14)
Round 3 - 11:10 (2:40)

Accessory Work

Three sets of:
Reverse Snow Angels (10 Reps )
20 Sec Rest
Shoulder Pendulums (10 Reps)
(5 each direction – 10 each arm)
20 Sec Rest
Prone Y Raise  (10 Sec)
20 Sec Rest 

Bench Press - Metcon

Monday, April 6, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

8 minutes:
60 seconds – No Push Burpees 
60 seconds – Field Goal Post Face Down Scorpion
60 seconds – Scap Push Ups
60 seconds – Wrist/forearm stretching
60 seconds – Mountain Climbers
60 seconds – Slow Hand Release push ups
60 seconds – Straight Leg Sit Ups 
60 seconds – Own Stretching

Weightlifting

Every 90 seconds, for 12 minutes (8 sets):
Bench Press x 2 reps @ 21X1 at 80%

I used 140# and maintained good tempo

Metcon

“CrossFit Games Open Event 18.1” – Home Version

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:

8 V-Ups
10 Stone to Shoulder
14 No Push Burpees (Burpee without the pushup)

I scaled to 8 tuck-ups, 5 stone to shoulder (70#) and jogged for about a minute instead of the no push burpees.  I finished 9 Rounds + 6 Reps in 20 minutes and took another couple of minutes to finish the round. 

Bike Ride - SLIPS - Bench Press

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Home Gym

Bike Ride

15.3 miles out and back to US 93 (Pinarello)

SLIPS

Scales - Front/Back
L-sit - Sitting a few seconds at a time
Inversions - Negatives, free standing head stand hold
Plank - Challenge with the family, we went for 80 seconds
Stretching - forearms, shoulders, hip rock

Bench Press

8x45
8x95
8x115
6x135
3x155
2x165
1x175
failed 185# (Diya was able to spot me back up to the J-hooks)

Home Gym

I hung up a chalk board today as a PR board.  It has a nice old school feel and is a hat tip to Westside Barbell.  It has my current PR's of:

Squat - 264#
Bench - 195#
Deadlift - 300#

Support Your Local Box WOD 1

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Home Gym

1100

Warm Up

Hip Hammy
Forearm mobility
a few air squats, push-ups

WOD 1

10 min AMRAP
10 air squat
9 dumbbell snatch (Right arm)
10 push-up
9 dumbbell snatch (Left arm)

50/35#

I did the Rx weight and managed 3 rounds + 22 reps = 136 reps.  The snatches were heavy for me.  This was also the first time I worked with WODproof.  In the future I will have somebody start the app and also set a timer for me so that I can see my clock.  I was using an iPhone for my clock and could not see the WODproof app.  I started about 10 seconds late and finished about 5 seconds late.  No big deal, but a learning experience.  Also my iPhone was set for auto lock after 1 minute which sucked.  I will switch this to never in the future.

I registered to give my contribution to West Metro CrossFit instead of CrossFit Golden.  I did this in part to support local boxes that might have fewer members.  Also I know that West Metro hosts events for the community like the King Kong Grip Contest.

Track Workout

Afterwards, I rode my bike to the track about 10 minutes away.  I elected to do 4 rounds of max effort quarter mile every four minutes.  I was finishing in just under 2 minutes and had 2 minutes rest.

Round 1 - 1:54
Round 2 - 1:47
Round 3 - 1:48
Round 4 - 1:49

Bike Ride

Cleaned up the Gios and went for a short road ride ~12 miles in around an hour.

Home Gym

I ordered the Three Leaf Garage Light 6000 Lm Deformable LED Garage Ceiling Lights 60W CRI 80 Led Workshop Lights for Garage Adjustable Panels Tribriht Led Garage Lighting Basement Garage Lights (I think the ridiculous name is for the Amazon search engine) for $28.99 and I must say it is a tremendous difference over the fluorescent bulb that I previously had installed.  Being in the center of the garage, it is not as good as strip led lights would be, but certainly cool considering no wiring required.  The light is easily 2-3X what it was before and brightens up otherwise gloomy sessions in the garage.

Core - Accessory

Friday, April 3, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Stretching:

1 Minute ½ Kneeling Groin Shifts
1 Minute Bird Dogs
1 Minute Slow Jefferson Curls

Warm up:

30 Seconds Each – 2 Rounds
1. Burpees
2. Dead Bugs
3. Jumping Split Lunges
4. Star Plank Hold – 15 Ea.
5. Good Morning + Back Bends
6. Ankle Circles – 15 Ea.

EMOMS

Every minute, on the minute, for 16 minutes (4 sets of each):
Minute 1 – Weighted Lateral Lunges
Minute 2 – Plank Push Ups
Minute 3 – Alternating Dumbbell Snatches
Minute 4 – Bicycle Crunches
*Accumulate as many reps as possible. There is not built in rest so rest as needed between minutes.

I worked for about 30 seconds.  I used a 10# plate, then 15# plate for the lateral lunges.  I used an ~20# dumbbell for the snatches.

Every minute, on the minute, for 15 minutes (3 sets of each):
Minute 1 – Bent Over Rows x 10 reps @ 2111
Minute 2 – Side Plank (Left) x 40 seconds
Minute 3 – Side Plank (Right) x 40 seconds
Minute 4 – Reverse Snow Angels x 10 reps (slow & controlled)
Minute 5 – Hollow Rocks or Hold x 30 seconds

I worked for about 30 seconds.  I used 75# for the bent over rows.

Metcon - Accessory

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Home Gym

1230 with Ratna

Warm Up

1 min face down scorpion
1 min face up scorpion
1 min leg hug
1 min quad stretch

then

4 rounds of
5 lunge hamstring
4 single leg jumps
3 slow push-up
2 down dog / up dog
1 turkish get-up each arm

Metcon

12 minute AMRAP

3 burpees
6 hang power cleans
12 alternating reverse lunges

I scaled to burpees instead of devil's press, used 65# for hang power cleans and a 14# med ball for the lunges.  I managed 7 rounds plus 1 rep.

Accessory

Every 60 seconds, for 12 minutes (4 sets of each):
Station 1 – Romanian Deadlifts x 10 reps @ 3011
Station 2 – Loaded Hip Thrusts/Glute Bridges x 15 reps @ 20X1
Station 3 – Prone Trap Raise x 20 reps

I did 3 sets of each with 65# load and good tempo.

5K Run

In lieu of the metcon and accessory work scheduled for today, I did a "5K" run.

I used the loop route I used to run frequently back in the day.

It measured out to 3.78 miles and took me 42:10 total time.  I stopped at a couple of intersections and walked one stretch.  Average pace was 11:04/mile.