From Strongest To Fittest

[AJ Roberts]

AJ,

The more articles I read, and see pics of you I wonder. How tall are you?

I'm 6ft on a good day, depends on how much spinal compression I have going on...lol

[AJ Roberts]

This stuff is too easy. Here was yesterday's wod for me:

Bench, bar 5x20
Barbell ext, bar 3x20
OHP, bar 3x20
Bent over rows, 3x20

By my very accurate internal clock, I did all of this work in 29 minutes 13 seconds. Beat that $hit!

BEAST MODE

[AJ Roberts]

You will get that endurance up in no time. I went from pathetically out of shape and weak from not lifting for around a year to doing grace in 2:XX in just a few months of just doing crossfit. At your strength I can't imagine what your wod times will be in a couple months.

I hope so. You'll probably see a lot of changes of the next few weeks in my training as I try to figure out just how much abuse my body can take.

[AJ Roberts]

Workout 1 @ Crossfit Invictus

Got a text from Dave asking if I want to hit a workout with him and Cody Burgener before they take off to the Games so headed downtown to do work.

Did on the minute for 20 minutes with
53lb KB Swings x15
Burpee x6

Dave did bench and deadlift while Cody did Bench and back squat. Although we weren't all doing the same movements just working out together really pushed each of us. I was complete spent at the end and rolled around on the floor for a good 15 minutes before I could stand. Good stuff!

Workout 2 - ME Lower

Giant Cambered Bar Squats w/green band (over plates ~150-200lbs) up to 445

This was done about 2hrs after workout 1 and although I felt recovered I started to feel extremely dizzy under the bar so shut it down early.

Laying Leg Curls - 3x20

Leg Extensions - 3x15

Today makes week 3 of the CarbNight diet. I'm down to 286 which although isn't a whole lot still is heading in the right direction. After talking with Mark this week i'm going to do two things, bump the healthy fats to at least 20g's a meal and increase my meals to around 9 a day (6 food 3 shakes). Will probably do this for the next week and then maybe look at switching things up to shock the body once again.

[Future]

Without really knowing you I want to say I am impressed and inspired.

I have been dealing with injuries as a raw lifter for a while. I just decided to retire because I can't take the heavy weights like I could before. I have worked at a box as a strength coach for a while but that was just improving their absolute strength. Truth is I couldn't hang with their workouts. I was embarrassed many times. It was humbling.

I am gonna get back on the horse.

Shawn

[AJ Roberts]

Without really knowing you I want to say I am impressed and inspired.

I have been dealing with injuries as a raw lifter for a while. I just decided to retire because I can't take the heavy weights like I could before. I have worked at a box as a strength coach for a while but that was just improving their absolute strength. Truth is I couldn't hang with their workouts. I was embarrassed many times. It was humbling.

I am gonna get back on the horse.

Shawn

Shawn that's awesome to hear. I feel very exposed writing this log as quite frankly it's down right embarrassing how bad I am at this stuff. Hearing that it has giving you some inspiration though helps. Would love to see you keep a journal here.

[Future]

I hate journalling but maybe for accountability it would be good. I know Chris would always have some solid input as well. I might steal your template idea as well. Hope you don't mind.

[AJ Roberts]

As I'll be heading up the Crossfit Games tomorrow I wanted to get my ME Upper body day in today.

Headed over to Crossfit PB to workout with co-owner Anders Varner.

Snatch - up to max

Worked up to 195x3 but my technique started to go down hill fast and instead of snatching, it looked more like a deadlift front raise. So we took the weight down to 175 and I did a 3 position drill until I got it right. Worked back up and did the same weight again for a single but much much cleaner.

Rings Dips - 3x8
Pull ups - 3x10

Metcon - 4 Rounds

Wall Ball w/ 25lb x10
Row - 250m
Farmers walk w/100lb dumbbells ~50 yards

After the workout Anders and I talked for quite some time about training for the games. They have a pretty solid crew and as it's literally 5mins from my house I'm going to start training with them on a regular basis. I'll still be visiting other gyms and learning from as many people as I can but I just feel if I have a home box it moves me one step closer to the overal goal.

[AJ Roberts]

Here's a interview with Dave Castro on programming for the Games where I play a lil' cameo role. This was before Camp Pendleton was announced and Sevan was trying to get him to reveal what was in store.

[Bako Lifter]

Haha is that kid a super annoying dick in real life or just he just play that character on camera? He's always interviewing people.

[Ben Norris]

AJ make sure you are doing a couple Mobility WODS every day.

www.mobilitywod.com (WFS)

Not only will it immensly help your positioning with stuff like O" Lifting it will ensure you avoid injuries. Keep up the good work, your metcon will come quick for somebody with your strength numbers.

[Samppa]

Interesting to see you change your goals AJ!
It's a big change for your body to switch from anaerobic alactic energy systems to aerobic and anaerobic lactic energy systems. As you have mentioned many times here, your lungs are your weakness at the moment without a doubt. That is actually your heart most of all. Your heart is conditioned to pump hard against high blood pressure, and that makes the walls thick but the volume the heart can pump is compromised. If you want to be able to perform nonstop for over 1-2 minutes, you need aerobic capacity, which means you need your heart to be able to pump larger amounts of blood per beat.
You will see the greatest improvement in condition in the long run, if you start building your endurance with steady 130-150bpm cardio for 40-60 minutes up to 5 days a week. Walking your dog I'm not sure is enough effort, do you have a heart rate monitor?
Build your heart pumping capacity first to be able to pump oxygen more efficiently to your body and you will see a drastic change in a few months.
Intervals and other sport specific training is also important, but I would focus on your aerobic capacity FIRST, since that's what you have the LEAST conditioning in based on your sport background, and crossfit requires a good aerobic capacity. Good luck with the training!

[AJ Roberts]

AJ make sure you are doing a couple Mobility WODS every day.

www.mobilitywod.com (WFS)

Not only will it immensly help your positioning with stuff like O" Lifting it will ensure you avoid injuries. Keep up the good work, your metcon will come quick for somebody with your strength numbers.

Yea I follow Kelly religiously after working with him when he came to Westside.

Here's a video of him take me through some joint mobility stuff for my hips and shoulders

[Paulo_Santos]

Interesting to see you change your goals AJ!
It's a big change for your body to switch from anaerobic alactic energy systems to aerobic and anaerobic lactic energy systems. As you have mentioned many times here, your lungs are your weakness at the moment without a doubt. That is actually your heart most of all. Your heart is conditioned to pump hard against high blood pressure, and that makes the walls thick but the volume the heart can pump is compromised. If you want to be able to perform nonstop for over 1-2 minutes, you need aerobic capacity, which means you need your heart to be able to pump larger amounts of blood per beat.
You will see the greatest improvement in condition in the long run, if you start building your endurance with steady 130-150bpm cardio for 40-60 minutes up to 5 days a week. Walking your dog I'm not sure is enough effort, do you have a heart rate monitor?
Build your heart pumping capacity first to be able to pump oxygen more efficiently to your body and you will see a drastic change in a few months.
Intervals and other sport specific training is also important, but I would focus on your aerobic capacity FIRST, since that's what you have the LEAST conditioning in based on your sport background, and crossfit requires a good aerobic capacity. Good luck with the training!

Not to mention that doing cardio for 60 minutes burns at least 500 calories, which helps with losing weight.

[AJ Roberts]

Not to mention that doing cardio for 60 minutes burns at least 500 calories, which helps with losing weight.

I appreciate your guys input but truth be told done individually neither slow state cardio nor high intensity intervals are going to get me to where I want to go. Slow state cardio straight up burns calories but pretty much once the workout is over that's it. High intensity cardio creates exercise post oxygen consumption which keeps me burning more calories around the clock. Mix those both with a solid nutritional plan, resistance training and just straight up moving more in general, which quite frankly can never be a bad thing, and now you have a formula for success.

[Samppa]

I know steady state cardio is boring but the point of it is not fat loss, it's the effect on the heart muscle.
The bigger the volume per beat your heart can pump, the longer it takes for you to gas out, and with a large muscle mass you will gas out quick if your heart isn't huge. Steady state cardio increases the volume your heart can pump like no other exercise. It's a different ballgame from high intensity exercise, which has it's place also, HIIT and such is just the muscular side of aerobic/anaerobic treshold conditioning. Check out Joel Jamieson, his book is very enlightening.

[Paulo_Santos]

When I started doing CrossFit in January of 2010, I was a pure cardio guy. Even though I had a hard time doing some of the workouts RX due to the heavier weights, I would destroy my co-workers at most of the WODs just because I would pace myself and catch up to them and beat them. The only things they would beat me at was the heavy stuff. Then as my strength increased, I was able to beat them at pretty much everything. They hated doing cardio and they never developed that engine to go longer than 15 minutes.

And looking at the first couple of workouts at the games, I think a lot of guys were caught off guard, especially by the first workout.

[mrelwooddowd]

I can't see a link or anything to the videos you post. Sucks.

I would be interested to see the times for you WODs. It'll go a long way for seeing your progress.

[Chubrock]

When I started doing CrossFit in January of 2010, I was a pure cardio guy. Even though I had a hard time doing some of the workouts RX due to the heavier weights, I would destroy my co-workers at most of the WODs just because I would pace myself and catch up to them and beat them. The only things they would beat me at was the heavy stuff. Then as my strength increased, I was able to beat them at pretty much everything. They hated doing cardio and they never developed that engine to go longer than 15 minutes.

And looking at the first couple of workouts at the games, I think a lot of guys were caught off guard, especially by the first workout.

I'm not sure exactly what point you were attempting to make with this post, but in terms of creating a better Crossfit "athlete", I'll take a pure strength trained individual over pure cardio any day of the week. It is far easier to raise metabolic conditioning levels to acceptable points than it is to develop a high level of absolute strength.

I believe it was Alex off the board who said something awhile back that I believe to be true. The comment was made that individuals that regularly work with heavy (relative) loads in the gym, and focus on heavy lifts as the basis for their programming, become more adept at being uncomfortable. Psychologically, after repeated years spent under crushing loads, the mind begins to accept the pain and discomfort as a norm. The focus, aggressiveness and pain threshold needed to hit a heavy squat far outweighs, IMHO, what is needed to complete mileage on foot or on a bike. When pain and discomfort become a normal occurrence, the mind begins to accept it as such, and the fight or flight process becomes very one sided. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

[Paulo_Santos]

I'm not sure exactly what point you were attempting to make with this post, but in terms of creating a better Crossfit "athlete", I'll take a pure strength trained individual over pure cardio any day of the week. It is far easier to raise metabolic conditioning levels to acceptable points than it is to develop a high level of absolute strength.

I believe it was Alex off the board who said something awhile back that I believe to be true. The comment was made that individuals that regularly work with heavy (relative) loads in the gym, and focus on heavy lifts as the basis for their programming, become more adept at being uncomfortable. Psychologically, after repeated years spent under crushing loads, the mind begins to accept the pain and discomfort as a norm. The focus, aggressiveness and pain threshold needed to hit a heavy squat far outweighs, IMHO, what is needed to complete mileage on foot or on a bike. When pain and discomfort become a normal occurrence, the mind begins to accept it as such, and the fight or flight process becomes very one sided. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Sorry, my point was that I started CrossFit and I was pathetically weak and I still did real well in most WODs. As I got stronger, I got even better. But when I started to neglect my conditioning and only doing 8-12 minute Metcons, my conditioning suffered. Example: My best ever time doing the "Filthy 50" was around 25 minutes. I did it again earlier in the year and it took me 27:4?. I just did it today and it took me 31:44. And I have lost 14# in the last couple of months.

To be competitive in CrossFit, you have to be BALANCED, or you will be punished. Most of the top level guys are squatting 400# and Deadlifting 500#, and for comparison, their "Filthy 50" times are in the high teens. So it doesn't matter if you started out strong as hell, or if you started out in great cardio shape. Once you get to the above numbers and have mastered the gymnastic stuff, you will be competitive.

[NITF]

This is becoming my fav journal on here! Really cool all around, thanks for letting us see this man.

[mrelwooddowd]

I'm not sure exactly what point you were attempting to make with this post, but in terms of creating a better Crossfit "athlete", I'll take a pure strength trained individual over pure cardio any day of the week. It is far easier to raise metabolic conditioning levels to acceptable points than it is to develop a high level of absolute strength.

I believe it was Alex off the board who said something awhile back that I believe to be true. The comment was made that individuals that regularly work with heavy (relative) loads in the gym, and focus on heavy lifts as the basis for their programming, become more adept at being uncomfortable. Psychologically, after repeated years spent under crushing loads, the mind begins to accept the pain and discomfort as a norm. The focus, aggressiveness and pain threshold needed to hit a heavy squat far outweighs, IMHO, what is needed to complete mileage on foot or on a bike. When pain and discomfort become a normal occurrence, the mind begins to accept it as such, and the fight or flight process becomes very one sided. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Well put. In-fact, you just inspired me to work harder to follow that philosophy..lol

[Shawn Bellon]

I appreciate your guys input but truth be told done individually neither slow state cardio nor high intensity intervals are going to get me to where I want to go. Slow state cardio straight up burns calories but pretty much once the workout is over that's it. High intensity cardio creates exercise post oxygen consumption which keeps me burning more calories around the clock. Mix those both with a solid nutritional plan, resistance training and just straight up moving more in general, which quite frankly can never be a bad thing, and now you have a formula for success.

Amen.

[Dave Alan]

Most of the top level guys are squatting 400# and Deadlifting 500#...

You know, not being into Cross Fit I wouldn't have thought this but I caught some of the games on TV over the weekend and the top guys and gals are amazingly strong and in ridiculous condition at the same time. It was very impressive and fun to watch.

Completely serious question though - what is the reason for the kipping (kipped?) chin ups? People either mock them or mock those who mock them but nobody ever explains them.

[JohnnyRingo]

I'm 6ft on a good day, depends on how much spinal compression I have going on...lol

Man really?! by looking at a few pics of you next to other people I thought you were like 6'6".


Oh and just in case you haven't seen this.......which I'm sure you have.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=146228603