Its the first day of my last year at ODU, time for a new 3RM shoulder press.
EDIT: Results of the 6AM class at Crossfit Rife.
Shoulder Press, 3RM test: 95-115-120-125-135-140(f)-140PR
PRed at 140 for a set of 3 after a failed set. 1RM used to be 155, haven’t tested that in a while, but based on my 3 rep, it’s prolly up :)
Run 1 mile: 7:25 not a PR but whatever.
+10 GHD situps post run, for teh abzorz.
Should have dressed up as Jason or something for this workout, but didn’t figure out what the date was til now :(
Overhead Squat 5x5
135-135(3-2)-135-135-135
Some guy thought it would be cool to come use the end of the ONLY lifting platform to do step off lunges with a weighted vest and dumbbells. Normally, not a problem, but RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY WORKOUT!!?!?!?!
Didn’t even ask, just came up and did them. He’s lucky I didn’t drop the bar on his head.
AMRAP 12min
5 Front Squat 185lbs
10 pushups
20 double unders
Result: 4 rounds 5 squats.
Got this one from CrossFit Cookeville’s page. Great WOD, couldn’t do it RX though, 205 is too heavy for me to use in a WOD just yet, but Im getting there. Lost a lot of time when I failed a squat and had to pick the weight up. Squat rack safety bars are helpful, but impossible to clean heavy weight off of. No room for hip extension. Oh well. Good workout though.
Strict Press 1RM
135-145-150-155(PR 5-10lbs?)-160f-160f-160f
Tried to hold 135 for a few sets of 3, 135-135(1-f) <-how you know when it’s time to stop
Then, after a few minutes rest (<10)
21-15-9 rep rounds of:
115lb Shoulder to overhead
Kettlebell swings 1.5pood
Pullups
9:27
This was a hell of a grip workout. Good one though. Maybe could have rested a bit more between strength and WOD. Gotta make sure that happens more often.
Rest Day 4/11/12
Aja Barto 305lb snatch PR at CrossFit Behemoth
Enjoy that. MMMMM Efficient Bar Path……
Deadlift 1RM
For some odd reason, I didn’t write the weights down, or at least can’t find where I did. I know I got up to 385, and that’s where I failed, roughly 6-8 inches off the ground.
I worked up slowly this time, as opposed to last time when I tried to make a 20lb jump off of a 5 lb new PR of 365lbs. I know that I pulled 370, and I may have gotten 375, but I will claim only the 5lb PR and be conservative.
Had an interesting encounter on the 10th though, A couple of really huge (6’5”) dudes were bench pressing while I was lifting, and they were kinda hefty, not chiseled but bigger guys. Anyway, they thought that what I was lifting was impressive enough to compliment me on the weight. They asked my body weight and were impressed that a 185lb guy of my height (6’2”) could lift that much, and didn’t think they could themselves.
That made me feel really good about myself, and though my lifts arent where I want them to be, I know I’m on the right road to get there. Thanks random huge guys at the gym for your compliment!
370lbs PR
This article highlights one of the 40-45 Masters Division athletes going to the 2012 CrossFit Games this year. Thought the article was a pretty interesting read, so naturally, I wanna share.
Mike Ford grew up in Boston and as a result, is a pretty tough dude. He has an attitude like mine about taking things to the extreme, so I can kinda relate.
Inspiring dude, check it out.
First workout post in 6 days. Been ill with the bronchitis. Hacking and all that. Still kinda crappy today, coughing a lot, but couldn’t rest anymore. Went to the gym and got some shit straight.
Back Squat 5x3
205-225-235(3 rep PR)-245(1-f)
I noticed that Im losing power in the bottom of my squat, so to stop the plateauing, I raised the safety bars a bit and started my squat at the bottom position. Resting the barbell on the safety bars and starting from there, going to a standing position.
From-the-bottom squats (Sets of 1)
225(f)-225(f)-205(f-f-1)-205-205
This REALLY Helped me see how to turn my hip flexors on and how to produce power from a fully closed hip position. Great neurological tax and got easier as I taught my body how to use those muscles.
“Grace”
30 reps for time
4:35 - my partner beat me by 3 seconds… oh well, I’ll have to deal with a 1:28 PR!!!!
Previous: 6:07
An article written by Aja Barto. At 6’5”, 225lbs, he is one of the tallest athletes ever to compete in the CrossFit Games. This article is about mental toughness and not allowing your physical limitations defeat you.
No Excuses. Just hard work.
Picture on the left (3/7/11) v. Right side (3/7/12)
So I suppose it’s time for me to do a Before and After Photoset. I have been CrossFitting for over a year now (1yr was 3/7/2012) and have gotten amazing results as far as my performance and physique goes.
I used to be the scrawny kid, at 6’1” ish and 165 lbs, I entered college never having been in a gym other than to play basketball and run the PE mile in high school. I decided my freshman year that I wanted to get stronger and started lifting with my roommates, doing the bench, back and bicep/tricep rotation like most people do. Cardio was out of the question. I was a smoker and was way out of shape, but was getting stronger and progressed from a 95lb bench press to a 115lb bench press in the latter half of my freshman year. I didn’t squat, but did a lot of situps, lat pulldowns and bicep curls. My physique and strength improved a little, but not really significantly.
My sophomore year, I continued to lift, with various people, and at the tail end of it/beginning of my junior year, I started working out with a guy from my school’s Army ROTC program. He was competing for the top PT score in the nation at the time and started getting me into heavier/longer workouts. We routinely spent 4 hours in the gym lifting, followed by a 4-6 mile run. I got stronger in my lifts, I began to squat, continued to bench and use various weight machines regularly. By the end of a week, he would have me use every one in the gym at least once; again, maintaining the rotation of muscle groups each day we worked out: upper body/back, then lower body. In addition to that rotation, every day we did a hellish abdominal routine that I wasn’t able to do at the same intensity he was. I continued this until March of my senior year when a friend of mine, Ben (whom I met Ben Smith (article WFS) through) suggested I try CrossFit.
I had never heard of it, so I got online and did some research. I don’t exactly remember what I had found, but he told me that I should do a workout called “Angie” three times over the period of our spring break, and that he would start up working with me when he got back. Well, I did it. Instantly I was hooked, and found myself wondering where this program had been my whole life. It was hard, it sucked, but at the end you knew you accomplished something real. You worked hard and were spent. It didn’t feel like the 4 hours in the gym used to. I worked hard then too, but this was different. I gave everything I had. I did more research, and started doing workouts on my own before he even got back, and when he did, we had opposite schedules anyway. It took us a while to catch back up and we still workout pretty regularly together.
I have learned a lot on my journey this past year and have gained a lot of ground physically. I have found new limits to push and have forged myself into the best shape I have ever been in. I have a new goal now, not just to be stronger, but be able to accomplish more work faster, in every workout, every day. My newest long term goal is to make it to the CrossFit Games. CrossFit has changed my life and I will likely stick with it, until some other program proves itself better, which I doubt. ;)
Here is where I’ve seen the most improvement: a short list of some of my more significant accomplishments. I didn’t start keeping track of my workouts until August 2011, so about 4 months into the new lifestyle is where I begin to have some data.
Flat Bench Press: 155(before CrossFit)-230(2/3/12)
Strict Press: 75lbs (before CrossFit)-150lbs(2/20/12)
Back Squat: 135lbs (before CrossFit)-255lbs(3/20/12)
Deadlift: 205lbs (before CrossFit)-365lbs(3/19/12)
Power Clean: None (before CrossFit)-225lbsx3reps(3/30/12)
Thruster: None (before CrossFit)-185lbs(4/2/12)
I haven’t done a max in some of the movements, like Overhead Squat, Snatch, Jerk, etc because the gym I work out in doesn’t allow weight-dropping. However I look forward to joining the local CrossFit gym in my area soon, and will likely see a spike in my strength when I do.
I have improved my conditioning as well, but this is harder to explain I think, to anyone not familiar with CrossFit.
My “Cindy” has improved from 10 rounds to more than 15 rounds (3/20/12) over the course of the year
My “Fran” has improved from 9+ minutes to 6:09(1/2/12)
My “Angie” has improved from 41:35 to 25:00 even (2/20/12)
CrossFit has improved not only my physical capacity, but also my mental capacity. It makes everything else I do in life easier. Pushing through a workout and what it takes mentally to pick that bar back up or do one more rep shows you how you can put all of your effort into everything you take the time to do. It has helped me to see just what I’m capable of and I can’t wait to see how far I can take CrossFit.
OK, So in the midst of my 17 Credit hours, 2 jobs, and such, I havent been on here much. Sorry guys. Here’s what I’ve been up to.
Gaining Weight Again!!!!!! -> Im at 187.6 now up from 185. Yuussssss.
Strength moving on up. Continuing to see gains in my lifts.
Metcon/Bodyweight workouts getting harder -> Definitely need to focus some larger effort into my bodyweight workouts. Can’t be getting slow if I’m trying to get to the CrossFit Games!
3/27/12
Back Squat 135x10-155x10-175x10-185x10-225(5-2-1-2)
Got damn close to my 1RM, but for 5 consecutive reps! Ill take it.
3RFT
10 yoga ball situps (no GHD :()
20 pushups
30 1.5 pood Kettlebell swings
11:02
3/28/12
Push Press 5x5 -> 135-155 (2-2)-135-135-135
This felt pretty weak to me, considering I’ve had a 1RM Press of 155 for a little while now. :/
Row 2k 7:41 <- PR time! Prolly could do better :)
3/29/12 Rest
3/30/12
Power Cleans 5x3 175-185-205-215-225(PR) Feeling much awesome about this.
21-15-9
Power Cleans 115lbs
Thrusters 115lbs
15:35 <- ouch. +5min from last time I did this. I think the issue was I didn’t rest enough between my PR Power Cleans. Oops.
3/31/12 Rest
4/1/12 Rest
4/2/12 Thrusters 7x3 135-155-165-175-185 (1-drop fail) Def tried to catch this PR lift before it went behind me and I dropped it, tweaked my shoulder a bit, but otherwise ok. Bodyweight Thruster PR for the win!
2008 Games WOD: 5RFT
275lb Deadlift 5 reps
10 Burpees
5:24 <- PR at prescribed weight. Last time was 5:09 at 225lbs, so Ill take only a 20 second slow down.
4/3/12 Bench Press 7x3 185-195(3rd rep sucked)-190-190-190-190-190(2-f)
I was hoping to get closer to my 1RM with this, but Ill take holding out at 190.
5RFT
45lb Overhead Lunges
21 Burpees
13:47 Straight from the main page, Ill take it, but it’s a little slow for my taste. Would have preferred something between 10-12 minutes. Will work harder.
That about does it folks, Ill be getting regular again after my physics test tomorrow!
