Thrusters

Have you ever done something that was so damn hard that even after when you are finished you still want to kick it around? Let me set the scene: early morning at the Langley box and the morning shift arrives to see what the mission is. There's mist in the fields and the cold air feels good. I feel so much better than Tuesday and I'm up for anything - even running. Okay, I'm kidding. Running sucks. Coach Clarke grabs a marker and writes 'Thrusters' on the whiteboard. I've never done these before so I don't have the experience to be afraid. "Cool", I think. "I can get some practice in." Five sets of five reps sounds doable.

Here's a link to the exercise. After a 750m row to get the blood flowing, Coach and I set up the barbell with 135lb. We placed a medicine ball behind it to ensure we would get proper depth in the squat.

Strength training is tough. You should not walk away from it with a light sweat, slightly raised heartbeat and a pleasant story to tell around the dinner table. No. You should feel fear when you walk up to the barbell because you know it's going to ask everything you have - and then some. The first round, I did not feel this fear because I was blissfully ignorant of the thruster. But I had some clues because Coach went first and he was working hard. My first set splashed cold water in my face and woke me up. Even punched me in the guts. Holy crap it was heavy!

"The first set is the hardest", Coach remarked. Thank god.

We keep forging on, grunting and swearing through the sets and high-fiving through the rests. Partner workouts do make a difference. We find the groove and keep moving that weight up, time and again. The last couple of reps of each set are spectacularly hard. I'm almost locked out, so I stand there PUSHING with everything I have until I can fully extend my arms to lock out. For a microsecond I stand there, barbell overhead, feeling like Atlas holding the world, and then I drop that damn thing to the floor. It bounces nearly to my waist before settling down. That is the most satisfying feeling I experience in heavy lifting.

"Auf Wiedersehen motherfucker!"

I have now learned to fear thrusters. And that's good, because I'm not happy unless I'm testing my limits. Honestly, I can do without the pleasant dinnertime stories. I want the gut-wrenching, gag-inducing hard as nails workouts that will build me cannonball shoulders and a spine made of iron. There are dues to be paid for that.

Bent-over rows almost feel easy after this. We loaded up to 135lb for a light set, then ramped up to 205lb for the fifth one. I like this exercise. Back work is difficult, like doing leg work, but it pays off in so many ways. And five reps is achievable when doing heavy sets. My mind can wrap around the idea that I only have to do it five times, and I'm sure I can do that. I'm watching my form in the mirror to make sure I'm keeping my back set and not using cheater movements to get the bar moving.

The last exercise is unique and one I've never seen before - Renegade Rows. I like that. Crossfitters are renegades. Essentially, assume the plank position holding a dumbbell in each hand. One at a time, row a dumbbell up and then down. Alternate sides. It's a fun movement and challenging depending on the weight selected. I opt to start with 40lb, then increase by 5lbs per set for 3 sets of 10 reps. After the heavy work sets of the thrusters and bent over rows, 50lb dumbbell rows is plenty heavy. My hands are sore from the knurling and I'm watching them carefully for tears.

I like pushing myself and today was an opportunity to do so. I discovered the keys to my performance a couple of years ago and it's positive peer support - teamwork. I always get the best workouts and results working with a partner and team. Working with my Coach is a treat, and he's so damned strong that it pushes me to extend my game even further.

I'm going to feel this tomorrow.

Thrusters

5 X 135lb
5 X 135lb
5 X 135lb
5 X 135lb
5 X 135lb

Bent Over Rows

5 X 135lb
5 X 185lb
5 X 195lb
5 X 195lb
5 X 205lb

Renegade Rows

10 X 40lb
10 X 45lb
10 X 50lb