FRAN
Fran is a notoriously difficult CrossFit benchmark workout. It combines core movements of the squat, push press and pull-up, and works all major muscle groups. The workout consists of:
21 Thrusters 65#
21 Pull-ups
15 Thrusters 65#
15 Pull-ups
9 Thrusters 65#
9 Pull-ups
Completed in as short as time possible.
My first time doing Fran was at my CrossFit Certification in 2009. I started with 65# and trainer Jolie Gentry (Winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games) had to come strip my bar (and consequently my pride) down to 55#. I did jumping pull-ups and completed a modified Fran in 7:03. Three months later I moved up to 65# with jumping pull-ups and did it in 5:55.
The last time we tested Fran (July 1, 2011), I did it as prescribed (Rx'd) for the first time! I had finally gotten my kipping pull-ups down and had a 9:30 Fran.
This time, I'm happy to say that I shaved off just short of 1 minute.
Fran: 8:31 Rx'd PR!
Before Fran, we worked up to a heavy single, or 1RM of the Thruster. The Thruster is one of the most draining exercises as it combines a front squat with a push press, taxing the entire body.
My previous Thruster 1RM was 105. I was feeling a competitive spirit as the heaviest lift for a girl that day was 115. That's what I wanted to beat. I worked up to 110 and then went for 115. I hit it and put 1 pound plates on each side and got 117! Then I decided to just go for 120. I hit 120 no problem and decided to stop there because I wanted to save some energy for Fran.
When I started Fran, a 65 lb. thruster felt like nothing, compared to the 120 I had just lifted. This was the beauty in the programming for the day. By lifting a heavy single thruster, my Fran weight seemed light, making it psychologically "easier".
This is the concept that Brad has explained this phenomenon as post-activation potentiation, "which is lifting or supporting a larger load than you intend to train with right before your work sets, causing your work sets to seem lighter than they are. Post (meaning after, as in after the really heavy set) activation (as in you are activating otherwise dormant motor units within the working muscle groups) potentiation refers to an effect that last for several minutes. You're tricking your nervous system into lifting more weight".
And guess what? It worked!
Thruster 1RM: 120 PR!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
9.29.11
Another benchmark we test on is the 5K, which is equivalent to 3.1 miles.
I have a fondness for 5Ks because a 5K was the first race I ever ran. Years ago when I first started running recreationally, I had a dream that one day I would run in a real race...a 5K.
And now for a walk down memory lane...
My very first race was the Vacaville "Run the Lagoon" 5K, back in April of 2000. My time was 27:37. I loved it so much that 3 months later I ran another 5K, and another one 3 months after that. I was hooked! After that I ran more 5Ks than I can count and moved on to 10Ks, half-marathons, a full marathon and triathlons.
I love 5Ks because they are fast and short. The fastest 5K time I have recorded was 24:10 at Loop the Lagoon three years ago. I even won a great Fleet Feet hat for placing in my age group! I know I'm not a speed demon, but I love the possibility of placing in my age group in smaller races and the challenge of trying to beat my previous 5K times.
Ever since I started doing CrossFit, I pretty much stopped running. I went from running 15-20 miles a week (up to 30-40 miles when training for a race) to just running whatever was programmed in the metcons.
I'm trying to start up running a bit more and for the last few weeks I've been running once a week - mostly speed work. Coming off a disappointing CrossFit Total experience, I was hoping to at least have a decent 5K time.
The morning I was planning to run, I woke up at 5:51 am, and did not feel good at all. I had a headache and my stomach hurt, but I had no choice but to get my run in that day.
Pretty much throughout my whole run, I felt like I was going to throw up. Not a good feeling. However, when I finished running I was happy to have ran a 24:40 5K!
I was only 30 seconds slower than my best ever 5K, and that was with minimal running training, and feeling like I was going to have to find a bush to hurl in the whole time I was running. I fully attribute that to CrossFit training (my decent 5K time, not the hurling part). CrossFit works! :)
I have a fondness for 5Ks because a 5K was the first race I ever ran. Years ago when I first started running recreationally, I had a dream that one day I would run in a real race...a 5K.
And now for a walk down memory lane...
My very first race was the Vacaville "Run the Lagoon" 5K, back in April of 2000. My time was 27:37. I loved it so much that 3 months later I ran another 5K, and another one 3 months after that. I was hooked! After that I ran more 5Ks than I can count and moved on to 10Ks, half-marathons, a full marathon and triathlons.
I love 5Ks because they are fast and short. The fastest 5K time I have recorded was 24:10 at Loop the Lagoon three years ago. I even won a great Fleet Feet hat for placing in my age group! I know I'm not a speed demon, but I love the possibility of placing in my age group in smaller races and the challenge of trying to beat my previous 5K times.
Ever since I started doing CrossFit, I pretty much stopped running. I went from running 15-20 miles a week (up to 30-40 miles when training for a race) to just running whatever was programmed in the metcons.
I'm trying to start up running a bit more and for the last few weeks I've been running once a week - mostly speed work. Coming off a disappointing CrossFit Total experience, I was hoping to at least have a decent 5K time.
The morning I was planning to run, I woke up at 5:51 am, and did not feel good at all. I had a headache and my stomach hurt, but I had no choice but to get my run in that day.
Pretty much throughout my whole run, I felt like I was going to throw up. Not a good feeling. However, when I finished running I was happy to have ran a 24:40 5K!
I was only 30 seconds slower than my best ever 5K, and that was with minimal running training, and feeling like I was going to have to find a bush to hurl in the whole time I was running. I fully attribute that to CrossFit training (my decent 5K time, not the hurling part). CrossFit works! :)
9.27.11
CROSSFIT TOTAL
As with most things, you have good days and bad days and...well today was definitely a bad CrossFit day for me.
As a measure of progress, every three months we test benchmarks for our 1 Rep Max in 1) Back Squat, 2) Standing Overhead Press (Shoulder Press), and 3) Deadlift. We are allowed 3 attempts to lift the most weight possible in each lift. The highest weight of each lift is added together to come up with what is called: The CrossFit Total.
My last Total was: 1) Back Squat = 195, 2) Shoulder Press = 80, 3) Deadlift = 230 TOTAL= 505
I came into this Total feeling unprepared because I haven't been training or lifting very heavy for the last few months. I slacked off over the summer and then injured my knee when I started back, so my training has been spotty.
I wanted to employ some strategy and decided that I would warm up for each attempt with low reps and a fairly low weight. Then I would attempt a PR on my first lift. This way I wouldn't tire myself out with warm-ups and attempts. I would go straight for a PR and then if I failed, I would drop it down to just over my previous 1RM which would feel lighter than my first attempt.
This worked great for my Back Squat. I warmed up to 165 and then took my first attempt at 200. I was so close, but failed. I tried again for 200 and I hit it! I was so stoked! I already had a PR in my pocket and one more attempt left so I went for 210 and failed. But that was OK because I already hit a PR. Success!
On to Shoulder Press, ugh. My Achilles' heel. This is my weakest lift because it's pure muscle strength - my upper body strength is my weakness. I warmed up with 55, then 65, and then 1 Jerk at 105. To PR, I went for 85. Fail. Dropped to 82. Fail. Yikes, had only one attempt left and felt like I needed to at least tie my last 1RM. Went for 80. FAIL. I failed all three attempts!!!!
Deadlift. I had it in my head that I wanted to hit 240. So I warmed up to 195 and went for 240. Big fail. I could not budge it at all. Now I was worried so I dropped it down to 230 so I would at least tie my previous 1 RM. Failed. Wow, now I only had one attempt left, and I was too prideful to go any lower so I attempted 230 again. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL!
Needless to say at this point I felt like, well, a F-A-I-L-U-R-E!
Now my elation over getting a back squat PR turned into a major deflation of my ego. Not exactly what I had hoped for going into this.
What now? After taking a day or two to lick my wounds, I analyzed what went wrong and came up with some thoughts:
So I now have 3 months to work hard and try to redeem myself. Let's hope that my next CrossFit Total ends up being a good day :)
As with most things, you have good days and bad days and...well today was definitely a bad CrossFit day for me.
As a measure of progress, every three months we test benchmarks for our 1 Rep Max in 1) Back Squat, 2) Standing Overhead Press (Shoulder Press), and 3) Deadlift. We are allowed 3 attempts to lift the most weight possible in each lift. The highest weight of each lift is added together to come up with what is called: The CrossFit Total.
My last Total was: 1) Back Squat = 195, 2) Shoulder Press = 80, 3) Deadlift = 230 TOTAL= 505
I came into this Total feeling unprepared because I haven't been training or lifting very heavy for the last few months. I slacked off over the summer and then injured my knee when I started back, so my training has been spotty.
I wanted to employ some strategy and decided that I would warm up for each attempt with low reps and a fairly low weight. Then I would attempt a PR on my first lift. This way I wouldn't tire myself out with warm-ups and attempts. I would go straight for a PR and then if I failed, I would drop it down to just over my previous 1RM which would feel lighter than my first attempt.
This worked great for my Back Squat. I warmed up to 165 and then took my first attempt at 200. I was so close, but failed. I tried again for 200 and I hit it! I was so stoked! I already had a PR in my pocket and one more attempt left so I went for 210 and failed. But that was OK because I already hit a PR. Success!
On to Shoulder Press, ugh. My Achilles' heel. This is my weakest lift because it's pure muscle strength - my upper body strength is my weakness. I warmed up with 55, then 65, and then 1 Jerk at 105. To PR, I went for 85. Fail. Dropped to 82. Fail. Yikes, had only one attempt left and felt like I needed to at least tie my last 1RM. Went for 80. FAIL. I failed all three attempts!!!!
Deadlift. I had it in my head that I wanted to hit 240. So I warmed up to 195 and went for 240. Big fail. I could not budge it at all. Now I was worried so I dropped it down to 230 so I would at least tie my previous 1 RM. Failed. Wow, now I only had one attempt left, and I was too prideful to go any lower so I attempted 230 again. FAIL, FAIL, FAIL!
Needless to say at this point I felt like, well, a F-A-I-L-U-R-E!
Now my elation over getting a back squat PR turned into a major deflation of my ego. Not exactly what I had hoped for going into this.
What now? After taking a day or two to lick my wounds, I analyzed what went wrong and came up with some thoughts:
- Recommitment. If you want results, you have to work hard for them. I obviously haven't been working hard enough. I decided to recommit to setting goals and working towards them.
- Strategy. A blanket strategy did not work for all 3 lifts. What worked great for my back squat, let me down on my other two. I decided that with shoulder press being my weaker lift, I needed more warm-up sets than I allowed myself. And dead-lift? Definitely need to warm up to it. My strategy needs to be tailored to my strengths and weaknesses.
- Humility. This goes hand in hand with recommitment and then strategy. Did I really think I could walk into this unprepared and hit PRs? I should have been more realistic and worked up to hitting my previous 1RM and then worried about a PR. My ego dictated my strategy and cost me in the end.
So I now have 3 months to work hard and try to redeem myself. Let's hope that my next CrossFit Total ends up being a good day :)
9.24.11
This Metcon took 24 minutes to complete 313 total reps. I think I could have done more reps but because I knew that after after 2 minutes, I would be done with the exercise, I didn't push myself as hard. I was being lazy!
Metcon: Move from each station after 2 minute:
-Walking Lunges
-Jumping Pull Ups
-Burpees
-Double unders
-Ring Dips
-Knees to Elbows
-Kettlebell Swings, 44/ 26#
-Sit Ups
-Thrusters, 35/18#
-Back Extensions
-Wall Ball, 20 lbs to 10'
-Rope Climb Ascents, 15 ft
I didn't keep track of reps of each exercise, but I do know I completed 2 Rope Climb Ascents which I'm happy about! I practically jumped off the rope on my descent from the 2nd climb in order to make the 2 minutes.
Metcon: Move from each station after 2 minute:
-Walking Lunges
-Jumping Pull Ups
-Burpees
-Double unders
-Ring Dips
-Knees to Elbows
-Kettlebell Swings, 44/ 26#
-Sit Ups
-Thrusters, 35/18#
-Back Extensions
-Wall Ball, 20 lbs to 10'
-Rope Climb Ascents, 15 ft
I didn't keep track of reps of each exercise, but I do know I completed 2 Rope Climb Ascents which I'm happy about! I practically jumped off the rope on my descent from the 2nd climb in order to make the 2 minutes.
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