A Fasted Workout

(I like this shirt!)

"Nicole"

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
Run 400 meters (Ran 430m)
Max rep Pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round

24-12-11-10-9-10 + 390m Run

I did this workout at the end of my intermittent fast. I don't know if it was the fasting or just my poor conditioning but things when south pretty fast and I performed poorly. I rested for for three days to heal up my shoulder but it still hurts when I so push-ups and ring dips do I will see my chiropractor tomorrow.

I think it's time I get more serious about training. I am going to incorporate some CrossFit Endurance WOD's periodically and some workouts from "A Day in the Life: Preparing for SOF Conditioning" from the June 2008 CrossFit Journal. Both of these emphasize extra mono structural workouts and the Pre SOF, lots of push-ups, pull-ups and core work. I have done the Pre SOF before and saw good results, I am going to slowly ease into this with only 1 - 2 extra workouts a week. Pending my shoulder, I will continue main page workouts.

This will all be a waste of time if I don't talk about my diet. Lately, I have done a good job of eating Paleo and cutting out: grains, dairy, beans, peanuts and sugar. Other than a few sporadic cheats, the only thing that has really been haunting me is beer. Although I haven't been consuming a lot, I know I have seen my best results when I have cut it out completely. Since I am not ready to go back to strict zone, maybe severely cutting back on the delicious beer will help. Wish me luck with this one.

My Chicago trip coming up in a few weeks is obviously going to involve some cheating but I think listening to Robb Wolf for a day is going to make me want to tighten things up even more. I am really looking forward to this trip!

Remember folks, its not a diet, it's a lifestyle!

Purse problem solved!

(Jeremy, I found a purse to match your gloves buddy. Did you see that CFJ video? I guess you were right, you can still keep those feminine hands and do CrossFit, atleast now you have that purse situation handled.)

CFHQ
4 x 800m runs for time
rest as needed between intervals.

Split / Time
1. 1:16 / 2:55
2. 1:28 / 3:08
3. 1:34 / 3:07
4. 1:34/ 3:07

I shot out of the gate on my first spit and hit a 400m Level IV. I have hit Level IV before (sub 2:50) but today way my first good dose of running in a while. Today wasn't as painful as I thought it would be...maybe I didn't go hard enough? Either way I look forward to getting back to where I was with my running.

On another note, I have a slight shoulder injury which has limited me from doing certain WODs until I see my chiropractor.

Front Squats

CFHQ - Front Squats 3-3-3-3-3
205x3
210x3
215x3
220x3
225x3 (PR)
Felt good today. I was good and deep for all of these. There is no point front squatting any less than as deep as you can go if you want to O lift.

Dear Fox News,

Please watch the video here before reading this post.

Dear Fox News,

FUCK YOU!!!! I like to keep it clean on here because my grandparents may be reading this but you hit below the belt and now its my turn.

Congratulations, you idiots just single handedly kicked the intelligence level of your country down another notch. It's morons like you who contribute to the stereotype that Americans are ignorant to everything outside of the USA. I am not going to be stupid like you and think all Americans are like that, because I like the US and I know that there are lots of citizens that are intelligent and not ignorant to world affairs. So here's a lesson, try to stop eating the paint off the walls and pay attention for a minute...

Why are we pulling out in 2011? Canada has been in Afghanistan since 2001, shortly after you guys went in because we are your allies and friends. We took on a more serious combat role in the south, in 2004/05, when you were searching for WMD's in Iraq. Since the beginning we have lost 115 brave men and women in Afghanistan and you have lost 590. Since your intelligence level is that of a 5th grader let me remind you that the US has 10 times the population of Canada. I would say we have sacrificed a lot considering we are there as your ally and maintain a small force of 2500.

Other than you and the British, we are currently, the only country with a combat role. Not to mention we are in the South which is one of the most volatile areas in Afghanistan because it borders with Pakistan and has been a Taliban stronghold since the beginning. I personally lost friends taking a stronghold that the Russians failed to take back during their occupation....which brings up an interesting point...

We wouldn't even be in this mess if your government didn't give arms, money and assistance to Afghanistan during Russia's occupancy. I understand you had to ensure the evil communists didn't take over the world but if you would have cleaned up after yourselves instead of flying into the sunset like a superhero, the Taliban wouldn't have been able to take over so easily and Osama Bin Laden, (who fought the Russians with American weapons), would have had a more difficult time setting up terrorist camps and planning evil acts.

Lets face it Fox News, you're a joke of a network and you give your citizens a bad name. Canada has done its fair share in Afghanistan and is stepping back to allow other NATO countries to step up to the plate. This was your mess, we have done more than our fair share and you should be a little more grateful. Being the founders of peacekeeping, we might even look to places like Sudan to deploy our forces because there is a serious genocide going on. Maybe if Iraq's oil doesn't pan out we will see you there? That's if you can push China out, or maybe it would be easier to invade Iran, they have lots of oil...

Which brings me to my final point, US invasion of Canada and oil. You may have been joking about invasion but it is happening as we speak but with corporate assistance not military. The US and Canada have been pursuing deeper integration and I won't be surprised if we are involved in some sort of a customs union in the next 8 years. Maybe there will be labor mobility involved? In that case I won't be surprised if Americans start coming to live and work in Canada where our mounties can ride around on horses wearing red tunics, and not armored cars with bullet proof vests because we are not killing each other every day. That is if they can stand the "frigid" winters and igloos we live in.

In conclusion, FUCK YOU Fox News! Next time do your research before bashing such a good friend and ally. There are a lot of pissed of Canadians today because of the ego and ignorance of your news station decided to take a joke a little too far.

***************************************
I emailed this to the show, if you would like to email them here is the address - redeye@foxnews.com

My First Time with Lynne

(Hey Jeremy, good job on the workout, but as Mark Rippetoe says, "If your going to wear gloves make sure they match your purse!")

"Lynne"

Five rounds for max reps of:
Body weight bench press (scaled to 155#)
Pull-ups

9/23, 8/20, 6/18, 5/14, 5/16 = 124

I can't believe I have been CrossFitting this long and I have never done Lynne. It is a great workout, maybe if I had bench pressed more I wouldn't suck at it as much and be able to do my bodyweight. 155lbs was a good weight for me, I was disappointed in the pullups but grip was definitely a factor.

I need to get over this mental block that my peformance level is below what it was and start hitting workouts with more intensity and mental fortitude.

Deadlifts and Running

CFHQ 090321

For time:
225 pound Deadlift, 21 reps
Run 800 meters
225 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
Run 800 meters
225 pound Deadlift, 9 reps
Run 800 meters

19:26

These running and Deadlift WOD's are tough. Runs were over 800m, maybe 840, 850ish. Doesn't make a huge difference, my running today was Mike Murphy slow.

Comparable results

CFHQ 090319

Ten rounds for time of:
3 Weighted Pull-ups, 45 pounds
5 Strict Pull-ups
7 Kipping Pull-up

For weighted pull-ups place a 45 pound dumbbell between the legs above crossed ankles and jettison the dumbbell after third rep and continue with strict pull-ups and then the kipping pull-ups. Coming off the bar or going to ground constitutes termination of a set.

Post time and number of sets to completion.

Scaled to 25#

32:42 (71 Sets)

Last time I did this WOD can be read here. I did it in less time, (21:03), but I used a belt for the weight. I don't think the belt made a big difference, my strict pullups were definately better back then. I didn't count the rounds but it was probably less. Strict pullups, like ring dips, are something you have to stay on top of. I let them slide for 6 weeks and gained weight, and now I'm paying for it. The results don't lie.

Active Rest/Technique

I warmed up for the WOD today which was 7 sets of 1, Split Jerk. My mind wanted to put heavy weight overhead today but my body just wasn't having it. Instead of going heavy I kept the weight light and just worked on technique.

The main page programming is excellent, I can see why people who do main page for a while turn into such fire breathers. It is intense and effective programming. Part of the main page is being prepared for anything to come up, that means being well rested, fed and mentally prepared. Today I was lacking in those areas but the added rest today was much needed.

In Honour of Lt Murphy

(Nothing like honoring a great hero with my best friend Johnny who fought next to me in Afghanistan - good job today Johnny)

"Murph"

For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

"In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.

This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". From here on it will be referred to as "Murph" in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is"

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

56:49 with 20lb vest. - I was hoping for a better time. My previous time without a vest was 38 min. This really shows how much my MetCon has suffered. Although, this is a tough WOD and it kicked my butt. I almost puked a few times but it wasn't hard to dig deep and motivate myself.

I love the Hero WOD's but this is my favorite one because of the story behind it. Read it here, you will be amazed at his heroism! There is also a book out written by the sole survivor of the event. The story, and the man really motivate me to do my best every time I do this workout.

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone!

Not Scaling for Mental Toughness

(Today's workout is in honor of Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA who was killed in Afghanistan in June 2005.)

CFHQ Hero WOD
J.T.
21-15-9
Handstand Push-ups
Ring Dips
Push-ups
32:18

Yesterday I scaled to maximize my power output but today I did not scale to increase my mental toughness. This workout creates muscle failure in the arms really fast and it does not take much for me right now as compared to 8 weeks ago. Why didn't I scale it?

1) "Constantly varied" means mix things up. It wouldn't be true to CrossFit if I scaled every workout I thought would be hard and take me a long time.

2) Mental toughness - I had to fight for just about every rep in this workout. My arms were smoked out early. Doing this will help me in other workouts to push on when I hit muscle failure.

3) I suck at Handstand Push-ups - sometimes a good way to get better at something is to just do it. In this case I pushed myself to failure and found ways to keep going.

And most importantly:

4) It's a Hero Workout - Hero workouts are designed to be tough because they honor soldiers who were killed in combat. I have had a taste of combat and I know it's never easy; the hero's we honor in these workouts are generally members of the special forces and have seen more combat than most. They are some of the best, and know how to fight hard and come out on top during impossible situations. The least I can do is dig deep in a workout to honor the fallen. Losing a comrade in battle is a terrible experience and I don't wish it upon anyone. I love CrossFit for setting up these hero workouts as a constant reminder of the brave men who fight in foreign lands every day.

Scaling for Power Output

(Jeremy doing a good job with 155# squat cleans)

CFHQ WOD 090314 (Scaled)

5 rounds for time:
135# Hang Squat Clean 9 reps
18 ring pullups

19:01

This was an effective scale. 135 was heavy enough for me that I could rep them out in sets of 3 after the first round and not die. I feel a lot stronger and I found the limiting factor to be my lungs in this one. Although, the Rx'd weight of 155 would have been tough. Good job to Murph and Jeremy who were able to lift it. Murph put up an impressive time of 3 minutes faster than mine at 155.

I don't like the CFHQ scale for rope climbs of 15 towl pullups per one rope climb. That would be 225 towel pullups and turn this WOD into an epic 40 minute battle. I am glad we did this the way we did, it left me laid out pretty good. The MetCon pain is still really bad but I forsee it getting better soon.

Continued Gains

(Results from the other days WOD - Good job guys!)

CFHQ 090313
Back Squat 3-3-3-3-3
280 x 3
285 x 3
290 x 3
290 x 3
290 x 3

I had to fight hard for the last rep of 290. It was a good weight for me and a continued progression. I am loving the strength days, for obvious reasons.

Does GOMAD work?

(As promised the before and after pictures, I hope everyone enjoys the hilarity I tried to display. Hint: a larege amount of the fitness industry is a joke - there is more to exercising than aesthetics. Does anyone else find before and after pictures hilarious?)

Well I can't exactly speak for the GOMAD process in general but this post is designed to outline my 5 week experience with GOMAD or Gallon or Milk a Day combined with Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Program.

What did I do?

I started GOMAD on Monday February 2nd and weighed in at 179lbs. I was very strict drinking 3.7L a day and only missing 3 days. I drank 2% for roughly 2 weeks and the switched to Homo milk which was 3.25%. While drinking the milk I strictly followed Starting Strength 3 days a week with no other CrossFit WOD's mixed in. I ate mainly paleo but did not worry about portions and ate more "bad" carbs than I would have if I was on my normal diet. The reason for this is because Rip encourages eating as much as possible while doing GOMAD, thus I didn't worry too much about eating bad food, as long I was eating a lot of food. Mainly, I ate clean about 80 percent of the time.

Did it work for me?

Yes, I have a hard time putting on weight, when I zone strict I lean out fast. The milk was an easy and cheap way for me to put on, and keep on, weight while strength training. I topped out at 196lbs while doing GOMAD. My body composition did not change a great deal; meaning I never looked "fat" at any point. My pants did get a bit tighter but I think the majority of my weight gain was muscle. I'll find out in the next few weeks by how much weight I lose. GOMAD did its job, I gained weight and made weight gains in my lifts. I had a very bad lift day and it was following a 2 day break from GOMAD. Was this a coincidence? I am not sure but diet is definitely linked to performance.

Would I recommend GOMAD?

I have had a few posts that have had good discussion in comments about the pros and cons of GOMAD (discussion 1 and discussion 2). Overall, if you are skinny and have a hard time putting on weight AND want to focus on strength training, I would recommend it. I would not recommend it for more than 8 weeks and I would recommend something to help digest the milk if you are having problems. I had no issues with slamming 3 bags of milk a day but other people may. Try and mix it up by mixing a cup of berries and peanut butter in a blender or a few teaspoons of vanilla whey protein powder for flavor.

Yes, there are other healthier options to consume alot of calories. Although, I found GOMAD to be an easy, cheap and effective way to aid strength training by adding more daily calories. I saw good results and progress while doing SS, I definitely got stronger and I look forward to seeing those results translate into my CrossFit WODs.

Bottom line

My previous programming left my strength lacking and I was looking for a quick fix to bring things up to acceptable levels. There are going to trade offs from my strength specific training; my MetCon is going to be painful and I don't foresee PR's occurring anytime soon. BUT now that I plan on following main page, as best as possible, my strength should continue to increase along with the other 9 general physical skills of balance, agility, coordination, accuracy, power, speed, cardio-resperoatory endurance, stamina and flexibility.

There is no substitute for the general physical preparedness offered by CrossFit; there is a CrossFit Strength Biased program not out that helps to increase strength while maintaining a good level of GPP. I would recommend GOMAD if you are just doing Starting Strength. I personally think that if you are drinking that much milk while doing Metcos it could be ugly.

After 3 days back into CrossFit main page WODs I can definitely tell a huge dip in the other 9 general physical skills. I am not performing where I was pre GOMAD and SS. Although, I put up numbers in the CrossFit Total I never thought I would be capable of in such a short period of time. So yes I am stronger now, but I will have to work hard to get back to the level of GPP I was at.

The 4 Horseman

(Owners of The 4 Horsemen gym. Stand up guys and excellent athletes. Anyone interested in hitting a workout with us or wants some personal training from myself just drop me a line.)

CFHQ WOD 090311

Complete AMRAP in 30 min of:
5 pullups
5 ring dips
15 situps (ab mat)

22 rounds (scaled the ring dips at 11 minutes in)

There is nothing like a WOD completely crushing me to make me want to tighten up my diet. Again, it felt like I was wearing a 20lb vest, I was simply crushed on the ring dips. I was capable of busting out all the pullups and situps unbroken. I should have scaled the dips from the start, but even with a slow start it was still a high intensity workout.

I finally got around to reading a bunch of Robb Wolf's stuff from Perforamce menu. I am going to implement intermitent fasting tomorrow and completely cut out grains and dairy. I will soon do a post on both topics and why I am doing so.

Ben, (pictures on the right), put a a stellar performance today with 27 rounds + 5 pullups + 1 ring dip Rx...maybe the rest of the horseman can post their rounds?

CrossFit Total!!!!!

(Coming out of the hole with 320, I missed it by leaning forward slightly. Can you tell in the picture?)

So I emailed CFHQ and told them I had just finished 6 weeks of SS and was now on main page workouts. I asked them for a CFT and voila...I got it! .... I'm just kidding but it really was a meatballs dream today getting a total after doing strength training. For those who you that do not know what a CrossFit Total is: CFT is 3 attempts at your one rep max in backsquat, strict press and deadlift. You can warm up however you want and as long as you want. It is the way we measure functional strength and is a damn good way to do so.

CrossFit Total - Body weight pre-workout - 192lbs

Back Squat - 305 - 315 - 320 x
Press - 125 - 130 - 135 x
Deadlift - 400 - 410 - 420

Total - 315 + 130 + 420 = 865

I am very happy with this, it puts me right in between an intermediate and advanced lifter according to the CrossFit strength charts. In the individual lifts I should be pressing more to be an Intermediate lifter and with the deadlift I am closer to the top end of Intermediate nearing Advanced. Finally, with the Squat I am almost dead smack in the middle between Intermediate and the beginning number for an advanced lifter. This is all according to my current BW, I think I will cut down to 180 - 185.

With a slight exception to the deadlift, technique on a one rep max has to be tight. I am kicking myself for missing 320 on the squat but it's hard to fight a small shift in movement with all that weight on your back!

Now I just have to worry about muscular endurance! Here is a quote straight from the CrossFit Total article, "We have talked many times about the fact that people who come to CrossFit from a strength-training background tend to perform better in the key aspects of the program. When you’re stronger, metabolic conditioning is easier and endurance stuff (i.e., 5k or 10k runs) is about the same—and workouts like “Diane” (three rounds, at 21-15-9 reps, of 225-pound deadlifts and handstand push-ups) are just not possible without a considerable amount of strength. In essence, it is easier for a lifter to improve his or her time on “Diane” than it is for a runner to develop the ability even to finish the workout without scaling it back to a very light weight." - Mark Rippetoe.

Pat has a really good post today check it out!

Vacation from Metcon is Over!

(No more GOMAD and big mac's, Paleo for now. When I get time to read the Robb Wolf articles from Performance menu I will be trying out some new things, more to come on this)

Today was my first time doing something other than lifting heavy weights in over 5 weeks. It was not a surprise that I was defeated...it felt like I was wearing a 20lb vest.

CFHQ WOD 090309
Complete As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 L Pull-ups
15 Steps Walking Lunge

6 rounds + 5 HSPU + 3 L Pull-ups

Not a stellar performance but in time I will start posting better numbers. I was prepared for this and I am willing to fight through the added pain. Everyone knows Cardio-respiratory pain is the worst!

GOMAD post coming soon!

The Results Are In

Program A
Back Squat-------Press------Dead
WU
45x5x2---------45x5x2-----45x5x2
135x5-----------50x5-------155x5
195x3-----------75x3-------235x3
255x2----------100x2-------310x2
Work set
285x5-----------117x4------345x5
285x5-----------117x4
285x4-----------117x4
This was my last Starting Strength workout. After 6 weeks here are my improvements:

Back Squat - 40 lbs - but increased depth and better technique
Bench Press - 17 lbs - Still needs lots of work
Deadlift - 15 lbs - lots left, had to level off because of lack of weight
Press - 11 lbs - Needs LOTS of work still, my press is very weak and I'm not sure why.
Power Clean - 40 lbs - lots left here too, I am curious how far I can take this

What I have learned:
a) Start light and work up slowly - I should have started all my lifts at a significantly lower weight. I think part of the reason I stalled out so fast on my press and bench press is because I didn't start light.
b) Solid technique - I learned a lot about squatting and my back squat improved 100 percent. But I think if I would have worked more on my flexibility in the beginning with a lighter weight I would have made better gains because I would not have had to go backwards.
c) It is easier not to get stuck than to get unstuck - again hammering the point home that I should have checked my ego a bit more at the beginning and started lighter.
d) Full Range of Motion - I am so happy with my squat depth, not only am I stronger but my technique is better because I learned how to get right into that hole.

I did not hit my goals set out in a previous post but the time has come to move on. The guys at The 4 Horsemen are officially launching their gym soon and we are going to start Main Page workouts as best we can. Main page is by far the best programing and I am confident by following the main page I will not lose much strength because of the emphasis they put on heavy lifts. I am excited about getting back into the Metcons and dropping back down to my normal weight. I am also excited about getting the chance to train some new people. Anyone interested in stopping by for a workout just drop me a line.

Sometime this weekend I will do a post on my GOMAD experience.

What's with Organic?

(My business feasibility group and instructor - I learned a lot drawing up a business plan and looking at building a survivable business. We wanted to open a rehearsal studio in Montreal in which bands come to our soundproof, well equipped rooms and rock out.)

During the past few days of feasibility presentations there have been a few groups proposing "healthy restaurants" or "organic snacks". Due to time constraints I was unable to pose my questions but here is what I gathered from the presentations:
a) the nutritional information obtained was from the Canada food guide
b) Calories were the end all, be all of a meal
c) The word Organic meant Healthy
d) Saturated Fat and Cholesterol are SO BAD!

I am not an expert in nutrition but from my experience I have noticed certain things that work for me, my friends and my family. I have also done reading in areas that deal with nutrition that enhances performance such as the Zone and the Paleo diet. I'll address the four points I have noticed come up.

a) I consider the Canada food guide a joke in that they receive funding from General Mills (I can't confirm this) so they recommend a ridiculous amount of grain products as part of your daily intake. As stated before grain has a high glycemic index and spikes insulin levels which contributes to a major problem of hyperinsulemia. I would like to discuss grains in a whole seperate post.

b) Countring calroies is not required and there is such a thing as good calories and bad calories. Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds some fruit little starch and not sugar. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store and get some exercise.

c) The word organic means Healthy. I don't know much about this organic thing but the people presenting said that their product would have a shelf life of 9 months. 9 months!!! How can something be healthy that lasts that long on a shelf? The Paleo diet is sometimes refered to as a caveman diet because you eat as a caveman would have. If you can't kill it, pick it or grow it, you don't eat it. Maybe if people worried more about what they ate instead of how it was grown, they might be healthier.

d) Finally,  saturated fat and Cholesterol are not evil. If I was on a strict zone diet and I had to chose between a baggle, apple and orange juice and a McDonalds quarter pounder; I would pick the quarter pounder. Why? It would fit more into my daily block intake and I would not be overloading on carbs and getting a crash afterwards. This isn't an option that should be taken all the time but if you are in a bind its a better choice. I was once criticized for eating 4 eggs every day. To think my cholesterol would be high because of that is total BS, because I don't eat other crap food and I exercise. So whats my point? Saturated Fat and Cholesterol are not all that bad if a proper diet is followed and exercise is implemented.  Plus the majority of stuff you think that is probably saturated like meat, eggs, bacon, lard, etc. is almost 70 percent polyunsaturated.  I will post more on the cholesterol con in a separate post.

Now this is my view on things and there may be some holes in my arguments so a discussion of this is encouraged. I am constantly trying to improve my knowledge on this topic. Although it is basic right now, that is all I would need if I just wanted to increase performance and be healthy. That is the beuty of what we do, it is simple and easy to understand.

Power Cleans break more than PR

(I broke a 2.5lb plate on my 2nd rep at 200 in the Power Cleans, I upped it to 205 and hit it for 3 without a problem)

Program B
Back Squat-----Bench Press-----Power Cleans
WU
45x5x2----------45x5x2--------45x5x2
135x5------------80x5-----------95x5
195x3-----------115x3---------135x3
255x2-----------150x2---------170x2
Work set
280x5-----------172x4---------200x3
280x5-----------172x4---------200x3
280x4-----------172x3---------200x3
------------------------------200x2
------------------------------205x3
I am very happy I hit 280 for 14 today. It was much easier to lift than on Monday. Ben says my squat depth is "night and day" from the last time I hit 280. I am very happy with my flexibility improvements and strength improvements. Happy enough that things might change come Monday. This is my 6th week of SS, I weighed in at 195lbs today. I will outline my plan of attack on Friday.

Poor Nutrition = Poor Performance

Program A
Back Squat-------Press------Dead
WU
45x5x2---------45x5x2-----45x5x2
125x5-----------50x5-------155x5
185x3-----------75x3-------225x3
275x2----------100x2-------300x2
Work set
280x4-----------117x4------335x5
280x3-----------117x4
280x3-----------117x4
Today I hit a wall, I have squatted 280 before for 15 at a depth that would pass. This time because my flexibility has improved so much I was getting really deep and struggled with it coming out of the hole. I don't know what to think, 275 wasn't that hard and after a weekend of rest I never thought I would suck so much at 280. My poor sleep and nutritional decisions over the weekend must have been a factor today. Either way I failed to hit atleast 13 in both the press and the squat. I have one more shot at the press before I have to drop 10 percent.

Everyone has a bad day now and again and I can't expect to keep making 5lb gains on my squat forever. I still have 3 -4 weeks of scheduled SS training. This is lots of time for me to reach my goals. Strength is measured in years, I have come to accept that my press will take a long time to get better. I will stick this out as long as I do not fail in any other lifts.