After a week of “Deload” and a “lighter” week we got back to things and didn’t skip a beat.

This week was intense and I was able to get in 4 workouts and my legs hate me for sure!

I’m going to keep it short this week but a few takeaways to note which are important:

1. We noticed that my max weight on Deadlifts was a bit low and that could’ve been due to how I felt during the test week.  So, we bumped it up just a bit (10 LBS) and did the specific workout.  Not only did that still feel good, I was able to blow away my Max Set number as I did 17 unbroken reps in the final set at a weight of 215
2. We noticed my squat wasn’t looking good and we figured to widen my stance a bit as my legs could allow for it.  It was definitely a different feeling but I noticed I had more stability and could get out of the low spot of the squat.  Will keep working on this each week but feel the wider stance may be more beneficial
3. Still love the competitiveness of CrossFit but also the camaraderie.  I enjoy the Saturday workouts as we generally turn those into partner workouts and it’s neat to be able to pair up with others and push ourselves together and achieve results.  If you like being motivated and pushed to succeed then the partner workouts will surely do that for you.

All in all, each week I continually learn a few things, some big and some small, but all to get a tad better and get closer to my goals.  It’s important to reflect on each day’s workout, both good and bad, so that you can start to map out areas where you can push harder and areas where you need to improve or focus more.

Excited to hit the 4 month mark this coming week and would’ve never believed I could have the gains I’ve had in that short period of time and continue to enjoy the process each and every day.

Until next time, keep grinding!

Brian

We are now 1/3rd of the way through the 12-week strength building program and Week 4 was our “Deload” week although it was anything from easy.  Our Deload consisted of doing 3 sets of 5 of a low weight (roughly 40-60%) just to work on form and keep the movement fresh.  However, it was a week to let our bodies relax slightly in preparation for the next 3 weeks of intense work.  For a reminder of the program and weight you can follow along on my progress here – 12-Week Program Details

Remember, the 4 main moves we are hitting each week are Back Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Front Squat.

We focused a lot on core movements and endurance this week and boy was I gassed after a couple of them.

Learning moment for me was this AMRAP (As many rounds as possible) with strict shoulder presses and then a 200 meter run.  I was determined to be the best in the class and accomplished that by doing 6 complete rounds in 8-minutes.  It was a lot of mindset endurance as well as the physical aspects that of course are a part of it.

As I head into week 5 I am continuing to be conscious of my nutrition and sleep and recommend others reading this to make sure you are getting your calories right but also you’re eating foods giving you the right amount of energy.  I can’t stress sleep enough and it’s be so impactful getting at least 7-hours a week.  For those interested, I highly recommend to check out the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Episode #1109 with Matthew Walker, Author of Why We Sleep.  The most fascinating podcast episode I’ve ever listened to.  It’ll be a wake up call for many, no pun intended – Here is the link to it – Matthew Walker Podcast Interview – Joe Rogan Experience

Until next time….take care.

As we turned into week 3 of this strength building program I was eager to push my limits and continue building muscle and strength in various core areas.  Remember, each week I’ll post my progress here in this updated Google Sheet -> 12-Week Program Details

As I am learning, the time of day I work out has a lot of impact on my gains and it appears that earlier is better in regards to more energy.  Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury to always do morning workouts so will have to figure out ways to keep my energy at a high level into the evening as normally I am working out after work.

Back Squats this week I did 11 as my max set at 125lbs (about 85% of my max weight).  This has continued to improve each week and it may be that I’ve worked out in the morning on 2 of the last 3 weeks

Bench Press was solid at 7 max reps at 145 lbs.  I also changed my grip up slightly to go narrower as I was way too wide in early weeks (and throughout my entire lifting career).

Dead Lifts were fun and actually really loving them.  Maybe my taller frame makes it easier but they are becoming my favorite movement in this series. Did 12 max reps this week at 220 lbs.

Front Squats have continued to be my nemesis and I think it is because I partially guessed on my max weight and that has made me do a bit more than I should be.  Also, learning from some of the coaches that I may have not been going as deep in the squat as I needed to and that’s why the first week I was able to hit 10 max reps and then past 2 weeks have been barely 2 each time.

Lesson learned this week….It’s better to do the movements correct and have less weight involved than try to push extra and compromise the motion.  My focus this week will be on my squats and making sure I get down the entire way.

I’m encouraged being 1/4 of the way through this strength program and looking forward to seeing where I can push myself in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

We are now in the thick of things with this 12-week progression to build a ton of strength in core movements of the Back Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, and Front Squat.

A couple observations in week 2 that I’d like to share.

1. Every day is not going to be the same and if you’re body is just off a bit that could really affect your numbers.  If you look at my max reps from week 1 to 2 on both the Back Squat and Front Squat they are completely opposite.  My back squat went up 5 from the prior week even with the additional max rep weight.  Conversely, I was toast on Thursday as I worked on the Front Squat and could only muster 2 compared to the 10 I did the prior week.

2. We had a ton of conditioning this week and a lot of rowing mixed with other movements.  I absolutely crushed these portions of the workout as I’ve improved my endurance to a point where I don’t get nearly as winded as before and can break through the barriers.

Moral of the story: Recognize how you are feeling each day and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t have it.  Stay focused on good technique and get after it next time.  What I learned from the observation is that I worked out at 5:30am this past week for the back squats as opposed to later in the day the week prior.  I’ve noticed that when I work out in the morning (although more rare) I tend to have a ton more energy and see greater gains.  These details can help you improve as well and recognize patterns to improve your overall fitness.

Remember, each week I’ll post my progress here in this updated Google Sheet -> 12-Week Program Details

Onward to week 3 of this Strength Building Program!

Collectively as a CrossFit Gym we are embarking on a 12-week strength building program and this was Week 1.

We are ramping up for 3 weeks and then using Week 4 as a slight recovery before ramping up more in subsequent weeks.

After the initial trial week to get our max #’s, Week 1 was a full go!

Each week we have a similar focus on specific days.  As a reminder they are:

Monday -> Back Squats

Tuesday -> Bench Press

Wednesday -> Deadlifts

Friday ->Front Squats.

I had never worked out like this before where I was doing about 6 progressions and then a max set at the end (as well as adding additional conditioning after these were done).

Remember, each week I’ll post my progress here in this updated Google Sheet -> 12-Week Program Details

Some highlights:

1. I did a max set of 5 back squats at 135 lbs -> I think I was a bit tired this day and my legs were shot from the get-go so we’ll see how next week goes
2. We did some conditioning on the rowing machine and I accomplished 2320 meters in a 10-minute window
3.  We ran a mile and I set my all-time fastest speed with a 7:11 mile!!!

I feel incredibly energized to go into next week and see how I can push myself toward some more gains!

Stay tuned…

Week 10 was a test week to get ready for a 12-week training program we are doing as an entire facility.  We wanted to test various movements to benchmark where our gains will happen over a 12-week period.  It was cool to see where I landed on some of the areas and excited to see my progression over the next dozen weeks.

For anyone that is interested to see the chart I am using to access weight progressions you can view the Google Sheet here -> 12-Week Strength Program Details *

*As a quick note to the chart, the only numbers I input are in the yellow boxes (at the top after this test week and then at the bottom as I hit my max for each exercise each week).  The pre-filled numbers on the chart auto-populate based on my 1 or 3-rep max and the % of weight we are doing for that week.  Make sense?  It didn’t to me at first so let me know if any questions.

Some areas of note:

Back Squat (max 3 reps) – 145 lbs (with 10 lb weight under heels)

Dead Lift (max 3) -> 255 lbs

Strict Pull-ups – 7 uninterrupted

Bench Press – 165 lbs

“Helen” -> 3 RFT -> 400 m run, 21 kettlebell swings (35 lbs) , 6 pullups -> = Time -> 10:56

5 RFT 5 DL (135 lbs) and 10 burpees -> = Time -> 5:17

Ab Mat Sit-up (2 min max) – 44

150 Wall Balls FT (14 lb) – 9:40

Will update on progress as this moves along!