Practicing Olympic Lifts on the Road

When traveling halfway across the world most hotels are lucky to have a treadmill and a stationary bike. I tried asking for barbells but, well, you get the idea… It’s also hard to take a long PVC pipe on the planes for your weightlifting form practice…
In China I found my answer. They sell these collapsing broomsticks (no joke) that are perfect to practice snatches, cleans and other lifts. They fit in the suitcase perfectly when closed and set you back maybe 3 dollars… No more excuses not to do my daily Burgener warmup…

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Hong Kong Dinosaur

There is a lot of lifting at CrossFit Asphodel in Hong Kong. Part of the reason is that it is on the 11th floor and it is quite hard to just go outside for a run…
After I came to terms with my new pet dinosaur that my hotel graciously provided in my room (no joke, see below) I found out it is actually a valuable piece of art.

Strength
Overhead Squat
5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5  (65lbs) and an ongoing challenge with no shoulder flexibility…

Metcon:
4 times 3 mins on a timer:
– 10 Hang Squat Clean (65lbs)
– 15 Bar Pushups
– as many reps as possible ground to overhead (65lbs) in remaining time for your score.

SCORE: 22/14/11/11 = 58
I love cleans ! This was fun!

Dinosaur in the hotel room


CrossFit Asphodel Gym Rules

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Absentee WOD from Beijing

Every time I come to Beijing it takes a whole day to get used to the thick smog and the heavy air. Typically it also makes it an extra spicy workout the following morning as if running underwater with a broken snorkel. This morning I decided to go for my home club’s (CF KOP) WOD.

My Daily Warmup
– 30 Burgeners
– 5min double unders
– 10 butterfly pullups
– 50 overhead squats
– 5 handstand pushups

KOP WOD
3 rounds for time:
– 400m run
– 50 situps
– 50 deadlifts (95lb = 43kg)
TIME: 21:58 Rx

Amazingly the JW Marriott had a workable set of barbells. Not olympic but let’s be real…

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Dawn at CrossFit Hong Kong

Since I was up at 4am this morning I went for a journey to find the CF Hong Kong gym. It was ‘right behind’ our hotel but as luck would have it so was a small mountain… With the help of Hong Kong’s great underground system I found the club at one of the subway exits…
CrossFit Asphodel is a great gym on the 11th floor of an old warehouse building. Great athletes, cool views and all the barbell we ever need…

Strength
2-2-2-2-2 Shoulder Press   (122.5 lbs)

As many reps as possible in 60 seconds:
– 220lb dead stop deadlifts
SCORE: 19

Partner WOD
As many reps as possible in 10 minutes:
– 200m row
– one arm dumbbell thrusters (33lbs)
SCORE: 197    — Col and I came in first 🙂

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Butterfly Pullup

I found a great pullup bar in the East Hotel in Hong Kong so I decided to use this week to practice the butterfly pullup. It is the best looking and fastest movement in Crossfit… Who better to learn from than Chris Spealler…

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