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Training: Thursday 28th June

Muscle Snatch: 2 x 3 @ 70% (60kg)
                          3 x 2 @ 75% (70kg)

Clean and Jerk: 2 x 3 @ 70% (70kg)
                         3 x 1 @ 85% (80kg)

Clean DL: 3 x 5 @ 110% (110kg)

Smolov: (week 1/session 2) 5 x 7 @ 75% (113kg)

Notes: Squatting was brutal today, its only going to get worse though.

Friday 29th June

Hard workout today, but felt good throughout.

Bench: 6 x 3 @ 100kg (2 min rest between sets)

Pendly Row: 3 x 5 @ 100/110/120kg (3 min rest between sets)

Dip: 3 x 5 @ 20kg (2 min rest between sets)

Chin: 2 x 5 @ 20kg (2 min rest between sets)

Smolov: 7 x 5 @ 80% (120kg) (3-5 min rest between sets)

Notes: Squatting was again super hard, but starting to see improvements in strength/endurance/technique already.

Some nice sessions Al, I'd love to have a regular  training partner to hit some of these sessions! Keep it going!

BMAN, I train alone mate, I seem to manage OK.

Sunday 1st July

Decided to do some DL's today, something I don't do much of at the moment due to high fatigue it causes on the CNS. Having said that though after today I fell like I could benefit from doing some some rack pulls to work the upper part of the lift, which felt weak.

DL's: 3 x 5 @ 160kg
          1 @ 210kg (equaled PR)

Smolov Squat: 10 x 3 @ 85% (128kg)

DB Shrugs: 3 x10 @ 45kg (did a 30 second static hold at the end of each set for grip strength)

Notes: Trained before breakfast today, felt weak so wont be doing that again. Upper part of DL was weak, addressed need for assistance work on that part of the lift. Squats felt good though, comrade Smolov knows his shit obviously.

I had to re-evaluate my training today. I felt that I had drifted away from the whole idea of CrossFit and I was just neglecting my conditioning and working solely on the strength and power element. So I decide on a couple of hard conditioning workout this morning to punish myself.

500m Row
21/15/9 of OH Squat (96lb) and TTB
(repeat row between sets)

10min rest and then:

21/15/9 of 70kg bench and chins.

WOD 1: 17:30
WOD 2: 8:50

I had to re-evaluate my training today. I felt that I had drifted away from the whole idea of CrossFit and I was just neglecting my conditioning and working solely on the strength and power element. So I decide on a couple of hard conditioning workout this morning to punish myself.

500m Row
21/15/9 of OH Squat (96lb) and TTB
(repeat row between sets)

10min rest and then:

21/15/9 of 70kg bench and chins.

WOD 1: 17:30
WOD 2: 8:50

Al, I'm very curious to hear about your experiences on the following:

One of the things I dislike about CrossFit is how many components it tries to train at once and the movements it places emphasis on. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of conjugate training, but you can definitely overdo it, and some of the CrossFit programmes I come across try to progress on way too many CNS strenuous, spinal-loaded movements that it's concerning.

Like I said, how do you feel this is for you? Does the body just really adapt well to everything, or do you ever feel like you're losing that channelled focus of a single goal?

I went on to youtube and put in crossfit, the majority of the videos were crossfit fails people literally nearly killing themselves trying to lift weight far too heavy for them, looks like a disaster to be honest.

Martyk wrote:

I went on to youtube and put in crossfit, the majority of the videos were crossfit fails people literally nearly killing themselves trying to lift weight far too heavy for them, looks like a disaster to be honest.

That is one of the biggest criticisms Crossfit advocates come under, in that it trains too many CNS intensive movements far too frequently to failure and that it goes past the point of being beneficial. However, a lot of Olympic lifters also train in a similar way, although they don't combine as many movements and try to integrate so many variables into their programmes; it's usually just repetitively failing on certain movements they're honing technique on.

Martyk wrote:

I went on to youtube and put in crossfit, the majority of the videos were crossfit fails people literally nearly killing themselves trying to lift weight far too heavy for them, looks like a disaster to be honest.

Im not quite sure what you've been looking at but when I search for CrossFit I find videos of some supreme athletes. Guys and girls capable of not only doing extreme volumes of work but also at intensity. I could find you a bunch of videos that show you the negative aspect of anything if you so desire. Take a look at some of the top end athletes like Rich Froning for example. Not only capable of doing 70 chin ups (and before you say yeah but look at the form, there kipping pull ups, designed to get max reps, get over it) but also has a 425lb back squat, 525lb DL, and a 270lb Snatch. I bet most people who clam to be strength only athletes dont have those sort of stats, let alone be able to do a chin up. I mean the man can do 30 clean and jerks with 80kg in 1min 20, any idea how hard that is ? Just try doing something like 'Fran' (Rich does it in 2:17) and then tell me that CrossFit is a "Disaster" as you put it.

In reply to Adam I actually find that strength only training taxes my CNS more than when im training 2-3 workouts a day of a CrossFit nature. Like you said you cant be the best at everything, but thats not the goal. The idea is to able to do anything that is thrown at you, training for the unknown and the unexpected. Ive done many different types of 'fitness' I was a 16.5 stone body builder, ive been a 14 stone triathlete that could cycle 100 miles in 4.5 hrs. I became a Royal Marine Commando at 17 years old and have done 3 combat tours of Afghanistan, and nothing has prepared me for the rigors of my work quite like CrossFit has. So in regards to training specific areas and specific goals, essentially having such goals is detrimental to my over all performance and thus CrossFit is the ideal training for me.

Fitness and Nutrition is a very personal thing. It seems everyone has the best way to do something. Having tried a verity of things I honestly believe ive found the answer for me in terms of training and nutrition. I was also a skeptic (at the time I was just scared of the hard work to be honest) when I first heard of Crossfit. I did one workout and realised how unfit I was and since then its grown on me to the point now I would recommend it to anyone.

Que the haters.

Al Mondz wrote:

Martyk wrote:

I went on to youtube and put in crossfit, the majority of the videos were crossfit fails people literally nearly killing themselves trying to lift weight far too heavy for them, looks like a disaster to be honest.

Im not quite sure what you've been looking at but when I search for CrossFit I find videos of some supreme athletes. Guys and girls capable of not only doing extreme volumes of work but also at intensity. I could find you a bunch of videos that show you the negative aspect of anything if you so desire. Take a look at some of the top end athletes like Rich Froning for example. Not only capable of doing 70 chin ups (and before you say yeah but look at the form, there kipping pull ups, designed to get max reps, get over it) but also has a 425lb back squat, 525lb DL, and a 270lb Snatch. I bet most people who clam to be strength only athletes dont have those sort of stats, let alone be able to do a chin up. I mean the man can do 30 clean and jerks with 80kg in 1min 20, any idea how hard that is ? Just try doing something like 'Fran' (Rich does it in 2:17) and then tell me that CrossFit is a "Disaster" as you put it.

In reply to Adam I actually find that strength only training taxes my CNS more than when im training 2-3 workouts a day of a CrossFit nature. Like you said you cant be the best at everything, but thats not the goal. The idea is to able to do anything that is thrown at you, training for the unknown and the unexpected. Ive done many different types of 'fitness' I was a 16.5 stone body builder, ive been a 14 stone triathlete that could cycle 100 miles in 4.5 hrs. I became a Royal Marine Commando at 17 years old and have done 3 combat tours of Afghanistan, and nothing has prepared me for the rigors of my work quite like CrossFit has. So in regards to training specific areas and specific goals, essentially having such goals is detrimental to my over all performance and thus CrossFit is the ideal training for me.

Fitness and Nutrition is a very personal thing. It seems everyone has the best way to do something. Having tried a verity of things I honestly believe ive found the answer for me in terms of training and nutrition. I was also a skeptic (at the time I was just scared of the hard work to be honest) when I first heard of Crossfit. I did one workout and realised how unfit I was and since then its grown on me to the point now I would recommend it to anyone.

Que the haters.

This is an impressive post Al.

Cheers Deaglan,

Its something I obviously feel passionate about. Having 'wasted' a lot of time trying to find the right formula for 'fitness', CrossFit was almost a revelation for me. The same could be considered in terms of nutrition and the finding of the paleo diet. Both these things I resisted at first but now feel its my duty to educate others so they dont waste there time.

Just a couple of articles that I find back up my theory on training.

http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/06/li … hlete.html
http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/07/lb … oning.html

AM:
"Tumilson"
8 Rounds for time of:
Run 200m
11 KB burpee deadlifts (2 x 24kg)

Completed as RX'd: 16:49

PM: Power Clean (60kg) and Chins
        10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Completed as RX'd: 13:00

Strength Work: Squat: 3 x 5 @ 110kg
                          Bench: 3 x 5 @ 100kg