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
12/7/24
Y raises: 30x10, 10, 8, 8, 7, 20x8
Overhead rope extension: 70x22, 14, 12, 11
Straight bar pushdown: 90x15, 14, 12, 12
Incline treadmill: 18 minutes at 12% / 2.7 mph
12/9/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 135x14, 11, 8, 115x11, 11
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x12, 12, 12, 8, 9
V handle pulldown: 150x12, 10, 7, 120x13
Flexion cable row: 105x20, 14, 14
Elliptical: 32 minutes
First time doing flexion rows. They were ok.
12/10/24
Cable lateral raises: 30x16, 15, 14, 11, 12
Reverse flies: 25x10, 10, 9, 8
Overhead rope extension: 75x16, 14, 10, 8
Straight bar pushdown: 4x11x95
Calves: 135x20, 18, 15, 18, 16, 13, 18, 14, 13
Elliptical 25 minutes
Tried doing lateral raises with a cuff today. I liked it. Shoulder feeling better but not 100% yet.
12/11/24
Prone leg curls: 110x15, 12, 10, 10
Adductors: 55x30, 75x30, 20, 20
Abductors: 55x30, 75x25, 20, 20
BSS: 2x8x150
Leg extensions: 145x16, 14, 12, 11, 11
Ab wheel: 20, 10, 7
Incline treadmill: 26 minutes @ 12% / 2.6 mph
20 on my first set of ab wheels. This is quite possibly a new world record for me.
In other news, I'm enjoying only training legs every five days or so. I probably should go back to incorporating hack squats or Smith machine squats now that my hip is feeling better, but I'm enjoying focusing on split squats instead. I suppose this level of quad volume isn't going to make my legs grow, but I can't say that I care. I just want to avoid obvious aesthetic imbalances and any imbalances that could lead to injury. I think this routine probably ticks both those boxes, so I'll carry on until I get bored and want to switch things up.
12/12/24
Lat pulldown: 150x14, 10, 8, 8
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x20, 15, 13, 13, 13
Chest supported t-bar row: 150x10, 7, 135x8, 8
Lat prayers: 100x16, 13, 12, 10
Elliptical 30 minutes
12/13/24
Cable lateral raises: 35x15, 12, 10, 10
Cable flies: 55x20
Y raises: 25x13, 9, 9
Overhead rope extension: 77.5x17, 9, 9, 9
Straight bar pushdown: 100x12, 10, 10, 10
Reverse pec deck: 60x10, 12, 12, 12
Incline treadmill: 32 minutes @ 12% / 2.6 mph
Cuffed lateral raises feel pretty good.
I'm sticking with them.
Tried one set of cable flies which felt ok. Was going to do a second set and felt an uncomfortable click in the right shoulder at the start and decided best not to push things as the shoulder feels much better but still not 100%.
Triceps and reverse flies sets were all done on 60 seconds rest.
12/15/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 150x10, 7, 135x8, 7
EZ bar preacher curl: 70x12, 12, 8, 8, 50x12
Flexion cable row: 120x15, 10, 10, 10
Lat pulldown: 165x6, 8
Lat prayers: 100x13, 13, 10
DB curls: 30x12, 7
Full court basketball; ~2 hours
12/16/24
Lateral raises: 30x19, 15, 14, 12, 11
Straight bar pushdown: 120x12, 10, 8, 100x8, 8
Reverse pec deck: 4x12x65
Elliptical 30 minutes
12/17/24
Prone leg curl: 115x12, 9, 9, 8
Adductors: 70x20, 30, 30
Leg press: 270x16, 20, 20
Leg extensions: 150x16, 14, 10, 10, 10
Ab wheel: 16, 12, 8
Elliptical 21 minutes
Decided to leg press instead of split squat today. Felt a little like I was mailing it in but whatever. Everything was fine enough.
12/18/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 135x12, 8, 8, 7, 7
V handle lat pulldown: 120x16, 14, 11, 12
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x15, 12, 10, 10, 7
Lat prayers: 110x18, 12, 9, 9
Calves: 150x15, 13, 12, 10, 13, 11, 9, 8, 10
30 minutes @ 12% / 2.6 mph
Tried 60 second rests between sets, except calves, and seemed fine.
12/19/24
Cable lateral raises: 30x16, 15, 15, 12, 10
Y raises: 3x10x20
Rope overhead extension: 70x17, 10, 10
Face pulls: 3x15x70
Reverse flies: 3x10x22.5
Straight bar pushdown: 120x13, 8, 8, 6+2
Elliptical: 35 minutes
60 seconds rest on all sets.
12/21/24
NG lat pulldown: 180x7, 150x9, 9, 8, 9
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x18, 12, 10, 11, 10
Chest supported t-bar row: 115x13, 11, 8, 8, 90x12
Lat prayers: 100x12, 12, 9, 8
Treadmill: 11 minutes @ 13% / 2.5 mph
Did all this in 53 minutes. 60 second rests between sets keeps things moving and I can get a lot more work in this way.
12/23/24
Prone leg curls: 120x9, 9, 6, 90x12, 10
Adductors: 70x30, 85x25, 20
Abductors: 70x20, 85x20, 20
BSS: 130x6, 2x7x160
Leg extensions: 155x14, 13, 10, 10, 10
Treadmill: 35 minutes @ 13% 2.5 mph
12/24/25
Cable lateral raises: 30x21, 12, 12, 12, 9
Reverse flies: 30x7, 25x9, 8, 20x10
Overhead rope extension: 70x18, 13, 10, 8
Face pulls: 70x16, 17, 17, 18
Straight bar pushdown: 100x12, 12, 8, 9
Calves: 280x14, 16, 16, 16, 16
Treadmill: 35 minutes @ 13% / 2.5 mph
Overhead rope and face pulls were supersets. Everything good but right shoulder still not 100%, so no flies or pressing.
12/26/24
DB rows: 90x12, 10, 10
EZ bar preacher curl: 70x16, 7, 8, 3
Lat prayers: 110x17, 10, 8, 7
Lat pulldown: 135x10, 8, 8, 8
EZ bar curl: 80x8, 60x10, 7
Cable row: 150x11, 9, 8, 105x15
12/27/24
Cable lateral raise: 32.5x13, 15, 10, 10, 10
Reverse flies: 4x9x22.5
Rope overhead extension: 75x18, 10, 11, 12
Face pulls: 75x18, 15, 16, 18
Straight bar pushdown: 90x15, 12, 9, 10
Calves: 5x16x290
Treadmill: 36 minutes @ 14% / 3.5 mph
Super settled rope extension and face pulls again.
12/28/24
Prone leg curls: 120x10, 10, 8, 7, 90x12
Adductors: 85x25, 3x16x90
Leg press: 4x12x270
Back extensions: 3x12x+25
Leg extensions: 160x15, 10, 9, 9, 8, 7
Treadmill: 21 minutes @ 13% / 2.5 mph
12/29/24
NG lat pulldown: 135x16, 11, 8, 8, 8
EZ bar preacher curl: 5x8x70
DB row: 95x10, 8, 70x14
Cable row: 135x10, 10, 8, 8
DB curls: 35x9, 6, 5
Elliptical: 31 minutes
12/30/24
Reverse flies: 20x15, 15, 10, 12
Cable lateral raises: 35x12, 10, 10, 10, 8
Y raises: 2x7x25
Overhead rope extension: 80x17, 10, 10, 8
Face pulls: 80x17, 15, 15
Straight bar pushdown: 90x16, 12, 9, 12
Calves: 220x18, 20, 20, 21
Shooting around: 30 minutes
12/31/24
Chest supported t-bar row: 100x18, 12, 10, 10
EZ bar preacher curl: 60x12, 12, 12, 9, 8+2
NG lat pulldown: 150x10, 8, 8, 8
Lat prayers: 100x12, 11, 10, 8
Bayesian curls: 40x20, 12, 10
Incline treadmill: 30 minutes @ 13% / 2.5 mph
Quick reflection on the past year as 2024 comes to a close: I've been remarkably consistent with the gym, which is good. I feel like my lifts have generally stagnated, which isn't a big deal because I still have a decent base level of strength for my age and I have a solid amount of LBM.
For the year to come, I want to focus on dialing in the diet. At 6'1 235ish lbs, I definitely look like I even lift, and get told so every now and again. But I'm confident I'd feel better if I shed ~15 pounds, would probably be healthier on the whole, and would look marginally better too. I'm going to see about getting there in the first three months of 2025.
1/2/25
Prone leg curls: 120x11, 9, 7, 7, 90x13
Adductors: 70x20, 100x20, 16, 16
BSS: 3x7x165
Back extensions: 4x10x +35
Leg extensions: 165x13, 10, 10, 9, 7
Elliptical: 15 minutes
This was super taxing, especially the split squats. If I'm only going to do legs every~5 days, best make it count.
1/3/25
Reverse flies: 20x18, 17, 12, 13
Cable lateral raise: 35x9, 30x12, 10, 9, 9
Overhead rope extension: 90x10, 9, 8, 8
Face pulls: 4x15x90
Straight bar pushdown: 100x12, 12, 10, 10
Pec deck: 3x10x50
Calves: 230x18, 22, 21, 20, 20
Elliptical 30 minutes
Couldn't find cuff at gym so did lateral raises the old fashioned way with the handle. Did super light pec deck to try and slow back into chest work. Felt fine but should still needs more time to heal.
1/4/25
Chest supported t-bar row: 135x11, 8, 115x10, 8
EZ bar preacher curl: 70x10, 8, 8, 8, 5
Shoulder width NG cable row: 150x12, 12, 8, 8
Lat prayers: 130x10, 7, 7, 90x9
Bayesian curls: 50x14, 8, 9, 8
Treadmill: 20 minutes @ 7% / 2.6 mph
1/6/25
Behind the back raises: 20x15, 22.5x12
Lateral raises: 3x10x32.5
Reverse pec deck: 70x10, 10, 50x17, 17, 17
Pec deck: 55x20, 22, 20
Overhead rope extension: 90x12, 10, 9, 8
Face pulls: 90x15, 12, 15
Straight bar pushdown: 102.5x12, 10, 10, 10
1/8/25
Prone leg curls: 4x10x80
Adductors: 3x20x100
Abductors: 3x16x100
Leg press: 3x18x270
Back extensions: 4x13x +35
Calves: 235x22, 19, 17, 18
Leg extensions: 170x12, 12, 10, 10, 8
Incline treadmill: 30 minutes @ 11% / 2.5 mph
Hamstrings felt tight/weak, so scaled back weight on them. Leg press felt good. Tried doing high bar squat with just the bar but my ankle mobility in my previously injured Achilles is not as good as it once was. I have a pair of old Romaleos from my WL days that would help but I don't see myself lugging then to the gym to squat. Will just stick with leg press, Bulgarian split squats, and leg extensions. I'll probably start incorporating hack squat again soon too.
