From Strongest To Fittest

[Shawn Bellon]

Did cleans today as well. Same struggles. Just a big ugly upright row. I looked awkward.

[Big_Byrd52]

Today was one of those days were everything hurt. Luckily, my massage girl could squeeze me in and so I got a little work done to flush out some soreness before I had to hit the gym.

In the gym we focused a lot on technique and didn't worry about the weight, so if everything seems light, that's because it was.

1) Mobility Work

This was brutally painful today and came straight from Kelly Starett. Basically, we took a Rouge VooDoo Floss Band and wrapped it around the top of my arm as tight as possible, then forced my arm into flexion and extension before hanging on the pull-up bar. Hurt like a bitch but gave me at least a inch of extra arm length allowing me to get into the front squat position.

2) Split Jerk - 5x3 w/95lbs

Technique, technique, technique. Learning to move my body fast under the bar vs moving the bar fast away from the body is going to take some time, but things started to click towards the end.

3) Front Squats - 5x3 w/135lbs

Don't really remember how many sets we did as again we were just working on technique. Keeping elbows up and getting my body into the bottom position. Frustrating as the weight feels so light yet I struggle with the catch position and balancing so the concentric phase is terrible. At least standing up is easy.

4a) Romain Deadlifts - 3x8 w/225lbs
4b) Goodmornings - 3x8 w/95lbs

Superset with no rest between them. Hamstrings were fried.

Conditioning Test - 5mins

Row 500m then complete as many Thrusters w/95lbs as possible. I finished with 20.

This was done to give us some base numbers for my current fitness level. I will do a few more tests next week as well. Plan is to come back to these every now and then to track progress.

Please share the tacking band thing. I need that too

[AJ Roberts]

Please share the tacking band thing. I need that too

[AJ Roberts]

1) Mobility work

2) Snatch - up to 205

3) Close stance high bar back squats - 3x5 w/405lbs

4) Standing Military Press - 3x5 w/135lbs

Metcon - 10 rounds
Pullups x5
Pushup x10
Air Squats x15

[chris mason]

AJ, question about that video, is the "fix" temporary, or does it have lasting effects?

[Shawn Bellon]

Thanks for posting video!

[AJ Roberts]

AJ, question about that video, is the "fix" temporary, or does it have lasting effects?

It's kinda like getting adjusted at the Chiro, it's a short temporary fix that when used over time becomes a long term solution.

[AJ Roberts]

[JustinM]

This will be very interesting to watch. Good luck in this transition.

Making it through the Open with only about 7 months of crossfit training will be very difficult. You will be so much stronger than the strongest competitors, but you will likely be moving such light weights that there is minimal difference.

Nobody in CF will tell you this, but Joel Jamison has convinced me that a lot of 60-90m low impact cardio would be extremely beneficial to CF if implemented with some other stuff. I think that this is even more true for very strong guys.

I just got back from La Jolla and San Diego. You live in, possibly, the nicest place in the world.

Good luck.

[AJ Roberts]

1) Mobility work

2) 3 Position Snatch (full, below knee, hang)
95 x 3 sets
135 x 3 sets
155 x 2 sets

Really focused on foot position today and also bar path. I'm starting to be able to feel the movement and my body is being to understand how it needs to move.

EMOTM - 10 mins

Snatch - 135x3

Took my time with each rep and kept the focus on technique vs banging out reps as quick as possible. As fatigue set in I started using low back to lift the bar vs my legs so had to really concentrate on keeping the head and chest up and driving the floor away from me.

WOD - 5 Rounds (10 min cap)

Bar facing burpee x8
Deadlifts w/225lbs x8
Toes To Bar x8

Managed exactly 4 rounds in 10 minutes and then lay on the gym floor for 15mins flapping like a whale while I caught my breath. Funny enough the deadlifts were the easy part.

[chris mason]

It's kinda like getting adjusted at the Chiro, it's a short temporary fix that when used over time becomes a long term solution.

Got it, thanks.

[DoUgL@S]

Keep up the good work. It is interesting to see the journey from this perspective. Thank you for sharing.

[Shawn Bellon]

Keep it up man! Thanks for the videos. I will make my transitions as well with form. Still cant snatch at all.

[AJ Roberts]

1) Mobility

2) Clean & Jerk (using split stance) - up to 3 rep max in 1 minute

Hit 215x3 then went to 235x2 and missed the third rep on the clean portion. What's funny about this is that the Jerk was actually the easiest part. My catch postion is so bad that this is my limiting factor.

AMRAP - 10 mins

Clean & Press (anyway you can)
135x10
165x10
185x10
205 x max reps.

I got through the 10's and hit 6 reps with 205.

Tabata - 10 minutes

Row - 30 on 30 off

Actual distance (no lag) 1452m averaging 38 strokes & 1:43 pace

I finished stronger than I started but hit a wall in the middle that really skewed the numbers.

[AJ Roberts]

1) Mobility

2) Overhead Squat

Talked with Kelly Starrett today about my complete lack of ability to overhead squat. He gave me a few pointers and explained that it was not my shoulder flexibility that was the issue. He gave me two BIG pointers.

1. Get a paid of Olympic Shoes
2. Focus on driving my knees out as hard as I can.

When I got to the gym I was telling Anders and so he figured why not have me overhead squat. As the shoes are going to take a few days to arrive we elevated my heels with a mat and went from there. It was night and day and I was able to full squat with a bar overhead. Last week I couldn't even break my hips without moving so I'll take this as a 45lb pr, lol.

Hopefully, I can convince Kelly to host a seminar here at CFPB.

3) Front Squat

AMRAP - 20 Minutes

200m Sprint
20 Lateral Hops over bar
10 Burpess

Managed 6 rounds. Running kills me and honestly i'm not sure the pace I was going would even classify as a jogging. This was the first time I've moved at this pace for 20 minutes straight without rest and it was brutal.

Tomorrow is rest day, which means do something other than a gym workout. So, I'll be heading down to the SD Convention Center and running stairs. I think there's like a bazillion or something.

[rheacat]

It is very interesting to see your humility as you place yourself under the direction of other trainers. I wonder if there is any chance you will return the favor and put some of your Crossfit mentors/trainers through some seriously brutal powerlifting workouts?

[ncsuLuke]

Man, that makes me feel better because I can't overhead squat worth a damn either but my back and front squat are decent (in the crossfit world, not powerlifting). I also saw a huge improvement with lifting shoes, absolute night and day.

[Great]

Best log ever!

Thanks, AJ.

[marcorock]

How was the Convention centre stair-climbing? There are friggin' 1000s of stairs, in that place!

[AJ Roberts]

It is very interesting to see your humility as you place yourself under the direction of other trainers. I wonder if there is any chance you will return the favor and put some of your Crossfit mentors/trainers through some seriously brutal powerlifting workouts?

It's only a matter of time before I turn the tables on them :-)

[AJ Roberts]

How was the Convention centre stair-climbing? There are friggin' 1000s of stairs, in that place!

Managed 5 rounds sprinting up, walking down.

[AJ Roberts]

Got a little behind with the log due to helping out Mark Bell and Jesse Burdick with the Crossfit Powerlifting Certification here in SD this weekend. This is the first time seeing these two teach this and I must say they do a dang fine job and really represent Louie and the Westside Conjugate System well.

Back to training though.

Friday I wasn't able to make it into the gym at my normal time so I hit up the 5:30pm class. This was my first time attending a class session which was a little different but fun.

1) 400m Jog

Anytime the workout starts with running I know it's going to be long day in the gym. Although I'm down to just shy of 40lbs I'm still at least 60lbs over where I need to be. I'm heavy on my feet and anything but walking on the concrete flat out sucks as my shins get blown up and my low back gets a really nice pump going.

2a) Kettlebell Swings
2b) Walking lunges
2c) Jump rope

Can't remember the rep ranges here but we did about 3 rounds

3) Mobility Drills

4) Pause Snatch - 150lbs 4x2

Worked on feeling the position of the snatch from mid shin. Focused on staying on the balls of the feet, and using my legs to lift not back.

5a) Goodmoring - 95lbs 3x8
5b) RDL - 225lbs - 3x8

Superset no rest all three sets.

WOD - For Time
Deadlifts - 20-15-10-5 w/ 185lbs
Double Unders - 40-30-20-10

Immediately upon completion – 30 KB Swings w/53lbs

9:57 seconds

I only did the first round of double unders then went singles as instructed. It took me about 5 mins to complete that 40 as I just couldn't string them together. I ended up getting most of them going single, double, single, double then I'd maybe get 1 more before screwing up. As soon as I get these down i'll cut this workout in half at least.

Rest 7 minuts

Tabata

Airdyne bike - 7 minuts (30 on 30 off)

I had no legs for this and had to really use my arms to move. Shoulders were blown up by the end and it felt like my lungs would collapse. Fun stuff!

[GeovanniGonzalz]

Keep at it!

[AJ Roberts]

Another day another brutal workout

1) Mobility work

2) Hang Squat Clean - up to 225x3

First time doing these and I actually wasn't that bad at them. Surprisingly, my catch position has improved and this didn't feel as awkward as I thought it would.

3) High Bar Close Stance Back Squat

Worked up to 365x3 then dropped to 275x20 and then went straight to 20 pullovers with a KB.

WOD - 5 Rounds (12 min cap)

7 Power Cleans w/185
7 Burpee Box Jumps

Time: 11:09

Surprised myself by finishing these but managed to keep a decent pace and push through when things got tough.

[AJ Roberts]

1) Mobility

Added in this today



It's as painful as it looks.

2) Full Snatch

95 3x3
105 3x3
115 2x3
105 2x3

After figuring out I could overhead squat last week the guys thought it would be a good idea today to make me full snatch. Each rep I learned something new and tweaked my technique as we went along.

3) Overhead Squat

105 2x2
115 3x2

Continued to work the overhead position and discovered that when I fully lockout the weight I cease up about half way down. With relaxed shoulders I can cheat the reps and get full depth but obviously as the plan isn't to use weight a teenage girl can lift forever, this isn't something I want to get in the habit of.

AMRAP 5 Min:
5 Power Snatch – 135
10 Burpees (lateral jump)

Score - 45

Rest 2 Min

AMRAP 5 Min:
5 Push Press – 135
10 TTB

Score - 50

Rest 2 Min

AMRAP 5 Min:
5 KB Snatch (5 per arm) – 53
10 HR Push-Ups

Score - 75

Total - 170

What's worse than doing an AMARAP? Doing 3 back to back with only 2 minutes to recover between them. By the end I was a complete mess but I kept going as I know I'm building the foundation here and have to put in the work in order to reach my goal.