Beware Barbara

A big thanks to all those who joined Team CFNYC for FGB6 yesterday! We are now 98 strong, in 8th place worldwide, having raised $6,970 thus far–who’s going to tip us into triple digits on team size for the first time ever?

Thursday 110818

A: 21 Unbroken Cleans, 15 Unbroken Cleans, 9 Unbroken Cleans

B: “Barbara” (Compare to 101102)

5 Rounds For Time (Post Elements: 3 Rounds):

20 Pull-Ups
30 Push-Ups
40 Situps
50 Squats
Rest precisely three minutes between each round. (Bring a watch to time your rest periods.)

Post times to comments.

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Photographic proof that the fittest woman in the universe dropped in at the Black Box last night. (Stay tuned for video of her accepting a handstand-walk challenge from Coach Jeff.)

Connecticut Open Review by member Adam R.:

On Sunday August 7, I participated in the Connecticut Open Olympic weightlifting competition, in Stamford, CT. I’ve been lifting since the beginning of this year, I took a bunch of lessons with Coach Kevin P, spent about two months just lifting the bar to work on my technique. Since then, I’ve been lifting three days per week – focused on the snatch, clean+jerk, variations, and squatting. I’d watched a couple of Olympic lifting meets, but the CT Open was my first meet as a lifter.

The basic format of the competition is that each lifter gets three chances at the snatch, and three at the clean+jerk. The highest lift of each counts, the two are added together, and “the total” is the final score. It is paramount to at least make one lift in each of the snatch and clean+jerk – nobody wants to miss three in a row, that’s called “bombing out” and results in a total of zero.

As such, it’s important to be smart in picking the weights – once you choose a weight, you can go up or keep it the same, but you can’t go down – i.e. if you miss, you can’t reduce the weight, you have to try that same weight (or more). Meets are obviously a lot different from training: everyone wears a singlet, weights are measured in kilograms (1 kg = 2.2 lbs.), three judges enforce the rules (e.g. no pressouts), there is a clock (once you step on the platform you have 60 seconds to start the lift), and of course, everyone is watching you.

The meet was well attended: over twenty female lifters and forty males. The women’s session was first, it started at 9am. I weighed in at 10am, in the 62kg category (136 lbs.) – that’s the second lightest class (after 56kg), and there was only one other person in my class. I figured that I’d start lifting around noon, so I killed some time watching the women lift before starting to warm up. One of the challenges was avoiding warming up too early and getting tired. Kevin and Nicole helped me plan my warm up, we went over the specific weights and rest times in between reps. Nonetheless, I probably still warmed up too early (even though Brian D had warned me). After doing some basic stretching, I did some sets with the bar, then singles at 40, 45, and 50.

I had planned my opening snatch at 55 (121 lbs.) – I was 90-95% confident I could do it, since it was my first meet I wanted to be conservative and get one lift in the books. Thankfully, I made it. My next attempt was at 60, I got that one too – I was happy since I usually only make this weight 30-40% of the time in training. Third attempt was 63, that would have been a 1kg personal record, unfortunately I missed it. I didn’t have much rest between the 60 and 63 (I followed myself), perhaps if I had an extra minute or two, I might have made it.

Since I was one of the early lifters, I waited for all the other men to do their snatches, before I got to my clean+jerks. That was about an hour – I watched Kevin and Brian snatch, they both did really well, with sharp technique and blazing speed. Coach Mike K made heavy weights look light. After about 45 minutes, I started warming up again. I hit my three clean+jerks: 65, 70, 75. Cleans were a little sloppy but I was aggressive on my jerks (with some encouragement from Kevin).

All in all, I was pleased with how the meet went. I went 5 for 6, my total was 135kg. For a sense of perspective, the world record is 342.5 kg (I weigh the same as Naim Süleymanoğlu – he clean+jerked 418 lbs in 1988!). I was happy to post a total and the experience will provide me with insight for the next meet and more motivation to train.

I also enjoyed lifting with my fellow Black Boxers, and appreciated all the support from other Crossfitters. I encourage everyone to enter some kind of competition in order to challenge, focus, and motivate yourself.

* * * * *
Here is a preview of Friday’s WOD:

A: Overhead Squat Practice

B: WOD (Compare to 030830)

Three Rounds for Time:
20 Bodyweight Back Squats (Post Elements use 50% to 60% of Bodyweight)
Run 800 Meters