Pool Swim - 1000 Yards

Friday, March 20, 2026

Carmody Rec Center

0945

Pool Swim

1x500 FR

1x150 BR

1x150 BA

1x200 FR

--

1000 yards total (31 minutes)

Ivanko Chrome Dumbbells

These dumbbells are being offered by Grant Suggs in Centennial, Colorado for the amazing price of $500.  It includes the following pairs with either contoured (heavier) or straight (lighter) handles.

• 3 pound
• 5 pound
• 8 pound
• 10 pound
• 12 pound
• 15 pound
• 20 pound
• 25 pound
• 35 pound
• 45 pound
• 50 pound 

My math puts that at 456 pounds at just $1.10 per pound.  The 50's can retail for $500 alone.  ebay has several pairs listed at $3/pound.  For the lighter ones, the sold price on eBay is even stronger.

While I do not need these, I am tempted to pick them up.

USAWA Q1 Postal

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

CDOT Fitness Center

1230

Run - Bodybuilding

After a 2 mile run

Incline DB Bench Press - 8x35-40-45

Alt DB Biceps Curl - 20-25-30

DB Lateral Raises - 10-15

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

Home Gym

1800

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Sled Push-Pull (tested new strap)

USAWA Q1 Postal

Snatch - One Hand - Right - 33-43-53-59

Bench Press - Reverse Grip - 45-65-75-85-95

Deadlift - 2 Bars - 270-290

Mopped the gym, another sled push-pull, labeled circus dumbbell

Ergs

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Basement Gym

1200

Ergs

Row Erg - 2,000 meters - 10:33

Bike Erg - 4,000 meters - 10:05

Injury Update

Day 1 post injury is OK.  Aware of injury.  Active recovery seems like a good plan.

EMOM - Groin Tweak

Monday, March 16, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Brin

1630 - 15 of us

Warm Up

Cone game

Box step over

Inch worm

Burpees

Jumping lunges

Pull-up warm-up

Clean warm-up

Conditioning

Every minute on the minute x 24 minutes

1 - 3 Squat Clean

2 - 15 Pull Up

3 - 12 Burpee Box Jump Over (24/20')

4 - REST

This was going fine until it wasn't.  I started with squat cleans (95 pounds), 15 ring rows, 6 burpee box jump overs per round.  In the second round I tweaked my right groin and abandoned substituting in 12 air squats.  I kept up with the ring rows.  I dropped to 4 burpee box jumps and favored my right leg.

Injury Update

The tweak is minor and did not affect my gate, but I will likely be laying off of dynamic movements for a few days.

2025 CrossFit Open - Retrospective

I just realized that I never did a 2025 Retrospective Post.  It was my 10th season doing the open workouts.

25.1 - Burpee - DB C&J - Lunges - Rx 50 pound dumbbell - 5570/7298

25.2=22.3 - Pull-up - DU - Thruster - Rx 95 pound initial barbell - 4176/6602

25.3 - Wall Walk - Row-DL-CL-SN - Scale to avoid full wall walks - 6214/6385

Overall - 5496/7465 - 27th percentile!

2026 CrossFit Open - Retrospective

Another games season in the books, this marks my 11th season competing from 2016-2026.

26.1 - Wall Ball Shots - Box Jump Overs - 12 min - 157 reps

26.2 - Walking Lunges - Dumbbell Snatch - Pull-ups - 15 min - 82 reps

26.3 - Burpees - Cleans - Thrusters - 16 min - 120 reps

Men 55-59

26.1 - 3186/4776

26.2 - 2992/4485

26.3 - 3372/4322

Overall - 3231/4931 (35th percentile)

Moving up to 55+, the weights got lighter and the movements easier.  26.1 allowed for box step overs.  26.2 used a 35 rather than 50 pound dumbbell.  26.3 used a 75 pound rather than 95 pound opening barbell.

As far as being accessible and creating separation for the quarterfinals, the programming was excellent.  As far as the spirit of the open in terms of exposing holes in athlete's training, challenging athletes with uncommon movements and retesting workouts to demonstrate fitness over time, it was a bit of disappointment.  I had a great time and will continue to do the CrossFit Open when I can.

What would it take to get to quarterfinals?  1232nd achieved 254 reps + 112 reps + 148 reps

100th place achieved 252 reps + 118 reps + 199 reps

Anything passed 112 on 26.2 got at least 1 muscle up (644 of 4931 athletes)

Torque Tank Straps

 

Torque Tank V-Strap Black ($55)

Keeper 1" x 10' Lift Slings ($10)

Deka.Fit Sled Pull.  I want to get a set of straps for the sled pull, but am struggling to pay the $55 for the Torque Tank Straps.  Especially when a $10 alternative exists.  I will probably just buy the $10 straps and if they are really not working out, I will buy the Torque branded straps which come with a carabiner and more comfortable handles and it seems like a longer length.

USAWA Tony & Allison's 60th Birthday Party and Record Day

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Garage Gym

1300

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper

Crossover Symmetry

Hip Hammy Flow

Competition Lifts

Jefferson Lift - 305, 325, 355

C&J, DB, OH, Left - 82, 92

V Bar 1 Bar, 1", Right - 106, 131, 156

Anderson Press - 135, 145

Peoples Deadlift - 390, 410

It is fortunately rare for me to miss that many attempts, but it was still fun to compete.  Kim and Josh joined the fun.  Nisha officiated for me.

CrossFit Open 26.3 - Burpees - Cleans - Thrusters

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Open throwdown

0730 - multiple heats all morning

Warm Up

Jumping Jacks

Wrist warm-up

Front rack warm-up

Burpees

CrossFit Open 26.3

For time:

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 1

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 1

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 2

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 2

2 rounds of:

12 burpees over the bar

12 cleans, weight 3

12 burpees over the bar

12 thrusters, weight 3

Time cap: 16 minutes

♀ 55, 65, 75 lb (25, 29, 34 kg)

♂ 75, 95, 115 lb (34, 43, 52 kg)

I paced much better for this workout, finishing the first two rounds and starting the third for a total of 120 repetitions.  The burpees were steady.  Cleans were two sets of 6.  Thrusters were a little slower at 5/4/3 reps.  75 pounds felt good, cleans at 95 was fine, but thrusters would have been heavy.

Really thrilled to Rx all workouts as an age grouper.  I would have struggled with the open weights.

Quick HIIT

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Basement Gym

1900 (with Diya)

HIIT

Every 2 minutes

Station 1 - 1 minute bike erg (Diya) / ski erg (Sanjiv)

Station 2 - 8 back squats (Diya) / 10 push-ups (Sanjiv)

This was a great rep scheme that allowed us to get four rounds in and some reasonable volume.  Diya wanted to squat and I just wanted to move a little bit.  I did 5 push-ups the first round and then 5+5 the next four rounds.  I was around 190 meters in 1 minute on the ski erg.

Conditioning

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Asher

1200 - 6 of us (including Diya)

Warm Up

Row

Bike

Inch Worms

Shoulder Taps

Toe Taps

Banded Shoulders

Lunge technique

Kipping/Pulling warm-up

Conditioning

20:00 AMRAP

50ft. S.A. OH Walking lunge (50/35lb.)

15 Toes to bar

50ft. DB Front Rack lunge (2x DB's)

5 Bar muscle ups

50ft. DB Farmer Lunge (2x DB's)

15 Pull up

1:00 Rest after each round

Goal: 4+ rounds. 

I scaled to 10 pound dumbbells; 15 kipping legs to target, kipping pull-ups, ring rows.  I finished 2 rounds plus 25 (2+15+2+5+1) reps ending after 25 feet of DB Farmer's Lunge.  I was moving well and could not have gone much faster even if I scaled more aggressively.  Not sure how athletes would manage 4+ rounds.

Deadlift - Metcon

Monday, March 9, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Loni

1200 - 4 of us

Warm Up

Rope skips

Wrist mobility

Hang Clean Prep

Inversion Prep

Strength

Every 2:00 x 7 sets execute 3 Deadstop deadlifts + 1 triple touch and go broad jump.  

The deadlifts should not be dropped, they should be lowered to the ground then picked up again without being touch and go. 

I was moving well on these, but 2 minutes is a fast interval.  I started with 225 and 255 and did the last 5 sets at 275 pounds.  The triple touch and go broad jump was basically a soft landing and take off without a reset.  I was ending up around 16-17 feet.  The other guys were getting well over 20 feet.

Conditioning

3 hang clean (165/115lb.)

5 Handstand push up

15 Double Under

10 rounds for time.

Goal: Sub 11

Cap: 14:00

Intermediate:

3 hang clean (95/65lb.)

5 Handstand push up +Abmat

15 Single Under

10 rounds for time.

I scaled this pretty aggressively to 3 hang clean (65 lb.), 1 HSPU to 3 abmat, 15 single unders.  I was moving well and finished in 10:05.  I rushed the second round and instead of a HSPU, I did two kick-up attempts.  I did an extra HSPU after time was called to make it back up.

GymRadar.com

https://gymradar.com/gym/teamgupta-s-gym

Gym Radar is a pretty cool site developed by Massenomics to build community in the home gym space.  Free version allows posting pictures, reviews and equipment listing.  The equipment list is pretty extensive for what it is and users can request new listings.  In addition to being able to compare gym location and equipment, there are also reviews which are slowly being populated.

USAWA Club Build Out - UPDATE 2026.03.09

High Country Vigour (HCV)

HCV has made a very good start, but is about $2,000 (and 400 square feet) away from being capable of hosting all lifts.

• Basic Equipment - YES - May need some thin iron plates for heavy bar lifts
• Fulton Bar - YES - Generic
• Ring for Finger Lifts - YES - Michael Black
• Heavy Bar Lifts - 
• Heavy Lift Bar - YES - Arm Assassin
• Hip Belt - Hip Lift, Carter Lift, Phumchaona Lift - YES - homemade
• Hand & Thigh - Hand & Thigh, Deanna Lift - YES - Arm Assassin
• Harness/Handrails - Harness Lift - YES - homemade
• Neck Harness - Neck Lift - YES - Ironmind
• Travis Lift Attachment - Travis Lift - YES - homemade
• Vertical Bar Lifts - YES - 2" and 1" FBBC v-bars
• Roman Chair - YES - custom fabricated
• Back Extension - NO - I do not have space for this
• Dumbbells - 
• 1.9 inch Fulton - YES - Nemesis
• 2.5 inch Inch - YES - Nemesis
• 3.5 inch - YES - Arm Assassin Strength Shop
• Weaver Stick - YES - homemade
• Saxon Plank - NO - DIY
• Commercial Vertical Leg Press - NO - I do not have the space for this
• 3" Barbell - YES - Titan Fitness
• Trap Bar - YES - Gerard
• Dinnie Handles - YES - Cerberus
• Custom Short Bar for Rim Lift - YES - Works with stubby axle bar, Dino Gym has 20" spacing on an axle

Progression

• As it stands, HCV could contest 215/219 
• Saxon Snatch Plank ($50) 216/219
• Back Extension ($250) 217/219
• Vertical Leg Press ($2000) would add Foot Press and Back Lift 219/219

Purchasing a Back Extension would not be difficult, but they do take up a large footprint as the most reasonable solution is a modern glute ham device. $$*

Making a Saxon Plank will be difficult requiring a 3" wood plank, plate holders and a means of securing them. Reviewing the Clark's Gym set up:  Double Thick 2x6 ($10) with flanges ($7 each) for 1 inch pipe and 1 inch pipes ($13 each) for loading pin.  $, *** Jarrod made one of these and brought it over.

Back Lift/Foot Press apparatus are not likely for a completely different reason, space..  These could be fashioned from a commercial vertical leg press, but they take up a lot of real estate, especially in a home gym. $$$$**

A Custom Short Bar I CAN CONTEST THIS LIFT ON A STUBBY AXLE BAR. I could also fabricate a bar with 18" collar to collar distance and 12" of loadable sleeve (42" total length) $**

$ - low cost, $$ - mid, $$$ - high, $$$$ prohibitive

* - buy easily, **fabricate easily, ***fabricate hard, ****fabricate prohibitive

Deka.Fit Conditioning

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Home Gym

1230

Deka.Fit Conditioning

200 meter run/walks along with the stations

• Alt Rev Lunge - 44 lb ram
• Row - 500 m
• Box step over - 20x24 inch
• Med Ball - 25 x 20 lb to 4.5' target
• Ski - 500 m
• Farmer Carry - 43 lb per hand x 100 meters
• Bike - 25 cal
• Deadball - 20x55 lb
• Torque Sled - 100 m push/pull
• Burpee - 44 lb ram

I was not ready for this, but did chip my way through it in 57:55.  I was moving well until the med balls.  Then it was slow going and I would walk some or all of the runs, but could work through the stations.  I need to spend more time on med ball sit-ups, dead balls, torque sled and burpees.

• Alt Rev Lunge - 44 lb ram - GOOD
• Row - 500 m - GOOD
• Box step over - 20x24 inch - GOOD
• Med Ball - 25 x 20 lb to 4.5' target - CHALLENGE, NEED TO WORK ON THES
• Ski - 500 m - GOOD
• Farmer Carry - 43 lb per hand x 100 meters - GOOD
• Bike - 25 cal - GOOD
• Deadball - 20x55 lb - SLOW BUT FINE
• Torque Sled - 100 m push/pull - CHALLENGE
• Burpee - 44 lb ram - CHALLENGE

Just setting everything up and putting everything away was a bit of a workout.

 

26.2 - Walking Lunges - DB Snatch - Pull-ups

Friday, March 6, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Ryley

0900 - 8 of us

Warm Up

Cossack squats

Pass throughs

Round the worlds

Walk with DB overhead

Lunge with DB overhead

Snatch warm-up

Pull-up prep

CrossFit Open 26.2

For time:

80-foot dumbbell overhead walking lunge

20 alternating dumbbell snatches

20 pull-ups

80-foot dumbbell overhead walking lunge

20 alternating dumbbell snatches

20 chest-to-bar pull-ups

80-foot dumbbell overhead walking lunge

20 alternating dumbbell snatches

20 muscle-ups

Time cap: 15 minutes

♀ 20-lb (10-kg) dumbbell

♂ 35-lb (15-kg) dumbbell

This was harder than I expected.  The 55+ used a 35 pound dumbbell rather than a 50 pound dumbbell.  The 35 pound dumbbell felt reasonable, but I do need to do some testing with the 50.

I got through the first 80 feet and snatches in 3:23 (right on track, I was guessing 2 minutes plus 1 minute).  The pull-ups were steady and I think took me a few minutes.

The second 80 feet and snatches were slower and my second tie break was 11:15.  Getting back on teh pull-up bar with 4 minutes was great, but I did catch a couple of no reps.  I ended up with 14 C2B pull-ups.

82 reps total

Front Squat - Conditioning

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Asher

0900 - 10 of us

Warm Up

Echo Bike

Row

Twists

Front Rack Mobility

Hip Mobility

Strength

Front Squat

Every 2:00 x 5 sets 

Execute 

10-8-6-4-2

*start at approximately at 55% 1rm or RPE, building to a heavy double. 

I had every intention of crushing this, but 10x95 pounds felt horrible.  I ended up ramping up very slowly.

10x95

8x95

6x105

4x115

2x125

Conditioning

60/50 cal bike or row 

60 Front squat (95/65lb.)

60/ 50 cal row or bike 

For time 

Goal: Sub 11:00

Cap: 14:00 

Intermediate 

50/40 cal bike or row 

60 Front squat (75/55lb.)

50/40 cal row or bike 

For time 

Conditioning did not go much better.  I was targeting 50-50-50.  I started on the Echo Bike and 50 calories took me just under 5 minutes.  The Front Squats went better with sets of 10-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5, but still took me over 4 minutes.  With transitions, I knew the cap would be tough, but I set out anyway completing 41 of 50 calories at 14 minutes.  I like this rep scheme and would repeat it the same way.

Couch stretch for a cool down.

Circus Dumbbell and Power Bar

TR Manthe has been liquidating some amazing items ahead of a move.

Bumper plates and Iron plates.  Cerberus bar listed as a deadlift bar, but was actually a power bar, axle bar, slam balls, med balls, parallettes, platform, reverse hyper, GHD, Dumbbell Set and chrome Ivanko Pro Style dumbbells 55-100

The dumbbells were amazing.  Originally listed at around $2/lb at $3000 and dropped to $2300.

The circus dumbbell was listed as "Used for Strongman training! The empty bell weighs #65, you can add normal size small plates, and normal size collars will keep the weight on!" and for $50 I had to take a look.  The barbells were not as good a deal, but at $250 for the pair worth checking out.

At $50, the circus dumbbell was a great deal and "completes" my strongman equipment.  They usually run $200 new and $100-$150 on the used market.

The power bar has great knurling and was well worth the $130 she accepted.  These currently sell for $350 and most name brand barbells sell for between $100 and $200 on the secondary markets.  The axle bar was bent, so I had to pass on that.  I like Cerberus stuff and will certainly own this bar for a long time.

Snatch Complex - Isabel

Monday, March 2, 2026

Westbound CrossFit - Coach Loni

0900 - 8 of us

Warm Up

Dynamic stretching

Wrist rotations - elbows together

Arm spreading big then crossing

Arms up and down in unison

Arms up and down opposite directions

Knee rotations

Hip Rotations

Snatch warm up

Segmented, etc.

Strength

Every minute on the minute x 8 minutes 

1 snatch pull

1 power snatch 

Building to a heavy power snatch through the minutes 

65-75-85-85-85-95-95-95

Conditioning

“Isabel”

30 snatch for time 

135/95lb. 

Intermediate 

95/65lb. 

I scaled to 65# and finished in 3:43!  I thought this was a PR, but had a 3:26 effort in 2020.

Cool Down

Build to a heavy Turkish Get Up (each arm) in 10 minutes

26 pound KB

33 pound barbell