POW's CrossFit Log
A little history:
I've done some variation of a split routine on and off through undergrad/law school, but have always been a captain upper body, almost always ignoring leg day. The very few times I did squat, I did them in the Smith Machine, and although I don't remember what my form looked like, I'm sure it was awful.
After law school, my first job was an absolute high stress grind, frequently working 12+ hour days on a regular basis. I ate like ****, was very inconsistent with my workouts, and ballooned up to 250 lbs.
About a year and a half ago, with a wedding approaching, I started cleaning up my diet, getting back to the gym, and running. In March 2012, I got down to 225 lbs., stagnated, and decided to start CF. I dropped another 20 lbs since then, have gotten a lot stronger (couldn't front squat 135 lbs last March), and now am hoping to continue to gain strength, albeit at a slower pace.
Stats:
I'm 29, 6'1, currently fluctuating between 200 - 210, guesstimate I'm somewhere between 15-17% bf. Got it tested with that impedance machine at a gym back in August, where a guy entered my stats and stuck an electric thing on my arm. Guy told me I was at 16%, although I was a couple lbs heavier back then and have no idea how accurate that machine is in any event.
1RMs:
HBBS -?? (LBBS is ~250 and only recently switched over to high bar, so I haven't tested yet and don't have any idea although I'd venture to guess it's anywhere between 225 - 240)
DL - 365
Strict Press - 130
Push Press - 165
Front Squat - 205
C&J - 170
Full Snatch - 155
OHS - 175
2013 Goals:
Drop 10-15 lbs of fat
300 lb HBBS
400 lb DL
200 lb C&J
185 lb snatch
Strength goals are going to be challenging as I am stuck with the programming at my gym, which is metcon-centric, with 5x5 type strength work sprinkled in maybe once every 4-5 days or so, and I only have access to open gym on Sundays and oly classes Saturdays. I don't want to switch to a globo-gym because I like having access to bumpers, platforms, and ropes for climbing, so it is what it is. Plus, the people are cool, the workouts are usually pretty fun, and group classes keep me much more motivated than if I were lifting on my own.
2/16: Oly work
High Bar Back Squat:
45x5
135x5
165x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
190x5
Hang Squat Snatch (from the thigh):
75x3
75x3
95x3
115x3
120x3
120x3
120x3
Snatch Grip DL: (these were weird, but were helpful in thinking about proper body positioning for the 1st and 2nd pull)
135x3
135x3
135x3
150x3
150x3
OHS: (was going to do these from the rack, but nobody else was using the rack, so I said screw it and just snatched the first rep each set)
125x3
125x3
135x3
135x3 (failed 3rd rep - bar was too far forward on the way up and I had to dump it)
135x3
9/2/24
Cable lateral raises: 32.5x12 (R), 22.5x15 (L), 32.5x10+2, 6+2, 20x12
Behind the back raises: 22.5x12, 12, 9
Incline cambered bar bench: 3x7x135
Cable flies: 120x16, 10, 10, 10, 10
Katana extensions: 90x12, 9, 7
Straight bar pushdown: 125x9, 8, 8, 8, 95x12
Calf raises: 50x22, 16, 12, 13
Basketball: 30 minutes (110 HR)
Misloaded one of the stacks for lateral raises on first working set and was confused when right arm was so much easier. Didn't realize until mid-set.
My flies and katana extensions were on a weird stack where the pounds don't equate to resistance at the handle. There was a sign on the machine that said resistance at handle is 1/4 of the weight selected. Idk. I just lifted until I was pretty close to failure.
9/3/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 100x15, 10, 10, 10
EZ bar preacher curl: 4x10x60
Seated plate loaded row (ng): 200x12, 10
Low row precor machine: 180x14, 11, 11
Lat prayers: 102.5x17, 12, 10
Bayesian curls: 42.5x16, 13, 8
Elliptical 30 minutes (123 HR)
Tried the low row precor machine and wasn't crazy about it. It felt like all traps and the movement pattern was a bit weird. I might give it a few more attempts to see if I will incorporate.
9/4/24
Prone leg curls: 110x12, 9, 9, 7+2
Adductors: 115x20, 20, 15
BSS: 155x8, 6, 5
Leg extensions: 135x18, 15, 13, 13
Ab wheel: 15, 12, 8
Elliptical 21 minutes (131 HR)
My right leg on split squats was pretty weak today. Left leg felt stronger.
9/5/24
Y raises: 30x10, 8+1, 6 + 20x4, 20x10
Behind the back raises: 20x15, 12, 12
Incline DB bench: 65x9, 9, 8, 50x6
Pec deck: 170x10, 8, 5 + 110x3
Katana extensions: 40x14, 8, 30x10, 9
Straight bar pushdown: 4x7x110
Unilateral calf raises on leg press machine: 130x10, 160x10, 10
Basketball: 21 minutes (128 HR)
Going to lighten the load on DB bench by about 20% and shoot for higher reps. Pec deck was probably a bit too heavy too.
I stuck with 60 second rests between tricep sets and will stick with that from here on out, at least for triceps.
9/6/24
Lat pulldown: 165x13, 9, 7, 7
EZ bar preacher curl: 4x11x60
Seated plate loaded row (ng): 180x6, 210x12, 10, 9, 8+2
Chest supported t-bar row: 3x12x90
Lat prayers: 105x15, 11, 10
Bayesian curls: 45x16, 11, 9
Elliptical 22 minutes
9/7/24 - 40 minutes incline treadmill
9/8/24 - full court pickup
9/9/24
Cable lateral raise: 32.5x12, 8+2+2+1, 8+2+ 5 partials, 7+1+ 5 partials, 6+1+5 partials
Cable flies: 80x14, 9, 8, 6
Incline DB bench: 50x14, 10, 6
Katana extensions: 30x15, 12, 10, 9
Straight bar pushdown: 4x8x110
Calf raises on leg press machine: 90x20, 110x20, 115x20, 16+6
I really pushed lengthened partials on lateral raises today and boy did those burn. DB bench felt hard, possibly because I had some pre exhaust with flies.
9/10/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 110x12, 10, 9, 8
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x13, 8, 8, 7, 40x20
Cable row: 120x20, 16+4, 165x7, 7
Unilateral cross body lat pulldown: 90x10, 120x11, 11
Lat prayers: 110x10, 10, 7
Hanging leg raises: 15, 10, 10, 6
Elliptical: 25 minutes (128 HR)
Don't know what happened with the preacher curls. Last time did 4x12 at 60 but no biggie. I don't really care about the numbers so much as I do the stimulus.
9/11/24
Prone leg curls: 110x11, 10, 9, 7+2
Adductors: 85x30, 130x15, 12, 10
Hack squat: 3x10x185
Seated leg curls: 155x10, 9, 6
Seated leg extensions: 3x15x140
Elliptical 15 minutes
Sleep was bad and weights felt heavy, especially hack squats, which I haven't done in a while.
I've been feeling a little stagnant lately, and lifting has felt a bit monotonous at times, especially with visual progress slowing and not increasing weights significantly week to week. I just remind myself that this is an extraordinarly slow grind and lifting weights/retaining LBM is one of the best things I can do for myself health-wise as I find myself entering middle age. I remember feeling like such an out of shape blob after I ruptured my Achilles. Not interested in going back to that.
9/12/24
Y raises: 30x10, 9 + partials, 6 + partials
Behind the back raises: 3x8x25 with partials on each set
Cable press: 65x15, 15, 12, 10
Pec deck: 140x12, 10, 9, 8
Dip machine: 150x12, 13, 11
Katana extensions: 30x16, 10, 10
Straight bar pushdown: 110x10, 9, 8, 8
Calf raises on leg press machine: 115x20, 22, 22, 22
9/13/24
Lat pulldown: 150x13, 13, 10, 10
Preacher curls: 60x14, 14, 11+2, 11
Seated plate loaded row (NG): 230x10, 9, 7, 180x12
Unilateral cross body lat pulldown: 3x11x120
Bayesian curls: 50x10, 8, 5, 40x12
Incline treadmill: 25 minutes @ 10% / 3 mph
Really wanted to get 4x14x60 on preacher curls but that just wasn't happening.
9/14/24
Prone leg curls: 115x11, 9, 7+2, 6+2
Adductors: 85x20, 100x15, 130x16, 16, 12
BSS: 3x8x150
Seated leg curls: 155x12, 8, 6
Leg extensions: 145x16, 16, 12
Was going to do abs but ran out of time.
9/16/24
Cable lateral raises: 32.5x13, 11, 8, 8, 22.5x10
Behind the back raises: 22.5x10, 10, 6
Incline DB bench: 50x15, 9, 9, 6
Pec deck: 145x12, 12, 8+3+1, 7+2+2+1
Straight bar pushdown: 115x14, 10, 6+4, 6+2+2+2, 6+4
Incline treadmill: 16 minutes @ 10% / 3mph
Today was pretty tough. I did partials on all lateral raise sets after the first and myo reps on pec deck and push downs. The partials really made my delts scream (in a good way). Crazy how these little tweaks bump up intensity so much.
On incline bench, 90 seconds rest may be a bit short but I'm impatient and don't think I'm sacrificing much in terms of gains. 60 seconds for push downs seems to be working out ok too.
9/17/24
Seated plate loaded row: 250x13, 10, 8, 8, 7
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x15, 11, 9, 5+3
Unilateral cross body lat pulldown: 3x13x120
Lat prayers: 110x12, 12, 8+3
Bayesian curls: 50x12, 10, 8, 8
Calf raises on leg press machine: 120x20, 20, 17, 17
Elliptical: 20 minutes
Good workout. My lats felt pretty taxed from pull downs and lat prayers.
First set of preacher curls might have been 16 reps. I lost count. Bayesian curls were ok but I'm feeling slight discomfort in left anterior delt when I do them. I might drop them for a bit and just stick with preacher curls if the discomfort persists.
9/18/24
Prone leg curls: 115x12, 8+1, 9, 7
Adductors: 85x20, 100x20, 3x12x130
Hack squat: 3x10x195
Seated leg curls: 160x10
Leg extensions: 150x18, 12, 11, 9
Ab wheel: 12, 12, 5
Incline treadmill: 30 minutes @ 10% / 3 mph
I was going to do 3 sets of seated leg curls but the machine was broken so I just did 1.
9/19/24
Cable lateral raises: 32.5x12, 7, 7, 25x10
Behind the back raises: 25x9, 9, 8
Cable flies: 70x13, 11, 10, 10
Incline DB bench: 50x12, 12, 6
Dip machine: 145x12, 12, 11, 9
Straight bar pushdown: 115x10, 8+2, 9+1, 6+2+2
Calf raises on leg press machine: 125x20, 20, 18
Elliptical 10 minutes
9/20/24
Assisted pull ups: -33x5, 4
Unilateral cross body lat pulldown: 135x12, 12, 10, 10, 10
EZ bar preacher curls: 70x10, 10, 4, 50x15, 10
Seated plate loaded row: 250x10, 9, 7+2, 200x10, 10
Lat prayers: 115x12, 12, 8+1
Treadmill: 26 minutes @ 10% / 3 mph
9/21/24
Prone leg curls: 115x13, 8, 9, 7
Adductors: 130x16, 13, 13, 13
BSS: 3x8x160
Seated leg curls: 160x11, 7, 6
Leg extensions: 155x16, 13, 10, 10
All felt good today.
Will be traveling and have a stressful work week ahead starting tomorrow. Lifting is such a good release valve for me and helps keep me sane, so will try to lift while I'm away, if possible.
9/22/24
Cable lateral raises: 35x12, 10, 6, 7
Behind the back raises: 25x9, 11, 8
Cable flies: 75x15, 10, 9, 8
Incline DB bench (45°): 50x12, 6, 40x8
Dip machine: 150x12, 13, 12, 10
Straight bar pushdown: 120x10, 10, 8+2, 8+2
I finished lateral raises again with 4-5 partials. DB bench was very weak today. No time for calves, abs, or cardio.
9/23/24
Standing high cable row: 52.5x16, 15, 12, 13, 13
Alternating DB curls: 30x16, 8, 8, 9
Lat prayers (rope): 37.5x22, 42.5x13, 12, 12, 12
Ok abridged pull workout in hotel gym.
9/25/24
Cable lateral raises: 17.5x8, 8, 8, 6
Cable flies: 32.5x20, 37.5x9, 8, 6, 27.5x13
Rope push down: 37.5x20, 20, 11, 10, 10
Weights on the stack were in kilos. Another short session because I've been very busy this week.
9/27/24
NG pull ups: 6, 6, 5
Standing high cable row: 5x10x57.5
Alternating DB curls: 30x10, 10, 8, 7
Incline treadmill: 27 minutes @ 10% / 3 mph
9/28/24
Prone leg curls: 115x12, 9, 7, 95x11
Adductors: 130x20, 14, 13
Hack squat: 3x10x185
Seated leg curls: 160x9, 7, 5
Calves on leg press machine: 130x20, 17, 17
~50 minutes. Ran out of time so no leg extensions.
9/29/24
Y raises: 30x12, 9, 5, 20x9
Behind the back raises: 3x11x20
Cable flies: 80x15, 10, 9, 6
Incline DB bench (45°): 50x11, 8, 8
Dip machine: 140x16, 12, 12
Katana extensions: 30x11, 8, 7, 8
~70 minutes of half court bball
Everything felt good.
9/30/24
Unilateral cross body lat pulldown: 150x12, 10, 11, 8, 8
Preacher curls: 70x10, 7, 7, 5
Seated plate loaded row: 270x7, 230x10, 8, 8, 6
Lat prayers: 125x10, 8, 8
Bayesian curls: 50x10, 10, 8
10/1/24
Prone leg curls: 120x11, 7+2+1+1, 7+4, 95x12
Adductors: 145x12, 13, 12, 8
BSS: 160x8, 6, 6
Seated leg curls: 160x9, 8, 6
Leg extensions: 160x16, 14, 11, 9
Ab wheel: 12, 8, 8, 4
Elliptical: 20 minutes
