Overhead Squat PR

Today: OHS 1-1-1-1-1-1-1. After a good warm-up, my progression was 1 x 5 @ 155lb, 1 x 3 @ 185lb, 1 x 3 @ 205lb, 1 x 3 @ 225lb, 235lb, 245lb, 269lb-fail (we were using kg plates as well as lb plates), 255lb, 265lb, 270lb PR, 275lb-fail (got it overhead- but I couldn't keep it locked out during the squat descent).

There was a great energy in the box all day today. Brian, Grant, and Melissa hit PRs on this WOD as well- which was very cool (see video below). Afterwards, we did the CFS advanced WOD which was 21-15-9 of: 115/75lb OHS & Chest to Bar Pull Ups. My time was 5:34. 115lb OHS felt like absolutely nothing after the heavy lift.

Whereas I used to lift heavy once or at most twice a week, my S.E.M rotation (strength, endurance, metcon) has forced me into doing strength WODs 3-5 times per week- contingent on how many 2-a-days I program for myself. I've had a few people recently ask me why all of the sudden I've PR'd on alot of the major lifts. The answer is quite simple: Right now, I'm practicing them with greater frequency and purposefully increasing my heavy lift exposure time. I heard a great quote while attending the CrossFit Football Certification that went something like, "Don't expect your 1RM to increase on any given lift when you're doing WODs like 'Murph' 5 days a week." Now, hey, if your conditioning sucks and if you're not hurting in the 1RM department- by all means- practice your metcons and chippers like crazy. I, for one, just happen to not have ever been the greatest 5-3-1 lift guy. It's all about learning to be a balanced athlete-hence, CrossFit...But being a balanced athlete requires you to use discretion; it requires you to evaluate your training volume; it requires you to face your weaknesses.

With regard to my training, one of the biggest things that has erk'd me- about me- over my last year of CrossFitting has been my tendency to just hap-hazardly do random WODs with total disregard for what I'd trained prior to, or would be training in the near future. A few times, this lack of direction has led me to frustration and injury.