Quote :

"Have this ongoing debate with a friend about the Games athletes' physique. He seems to think that they can't get that way just through Crossfit alone and that all of them probably hit the static machines at the local gyms to hit(isolate) the muscle group."

They might not only do crossfit wods (ie mix in strength training) and they definitely came from an athletic background but you do not need to use machines to isolate your muscles to get a physique like that.

11/10/2011 5:41:30 PM

Quote :

"It just gets annoying when people are dogmatic about it and think any other style is inferior."

Crossfit is superior to some other exercise styles, I don't think there's any question about that. But for the majority of styles, it's more a question of what your goals are. Crossfit's stated goal is to be good at all types of exercises, but master in none.
And I am not saying that crossfit is the greatest of all styles. I think swimming might be one of the best exercises. It just gets boring and is extremely inconvenient.
Anyway, from yesterday:

AMRAP x 20 minutes:
Inverted Wall Climb, 3 reps (toes and chest touch the ground, to toes and chest touch the wall)
Up-down, 10 reps (thighs touch the ground then stand up fully)
Parallette Pass-through, 5 reps (forward + back = 1) (hips open at the front and back)
Grasshopper, 10 reps (right + left = 1) (shin contacts the opposite forearm)

5 rounds&3 wall climbs. This was a lot of fun, but also pretty painful, especially the grasshoppers. I can definitely notice my endurance is getting better.

11/11/2011 10:03:53 AM

I strained (maybe pinched a nerve too) while doing overhead squats last night! Please suggest some remedies, I need to heal quick for an affiliate competition! Right now I have taken 600mg Ibupofren and will alternate ice and heat throughout the day.

21-18-15-12-9
Overhead squats
Singles for 60 seconds each round
reverse hyperextensions

11/11/2011 10:37:20 AM

What is bothering you specifically?

11/11/2011 12:08:04 PM

neck/traps area. Massaging seems to help.

11/11/2011 1:30:34 PM

That's what I'd suggest to keep doing. Stretch as well. How far out is the competition?

11/11/2011 1:36:06 PM

How often do you guys get injured?

11/11/2011 2:43:47 PM

I'd say it's a fairly low occurrence

not any more than when I just did a typical lifting program

11/11/2011 3:00:38 PM

Surprisingly, I am thinking about adding a crossfit-esque (aka conditioning) day to my 5/3/1 program.

Thinking about this...

AMRAP in 20min:

-400m Row
-15 push ups
-5 chin ups

Is there a name for that one?

[Edited on November 11, 2011 at 3:13 PM. Reason : ;]

11/11/2011 3:13:13 PM

I am being overdramatic...competition is Feb. 4 and 5. I still have to qualify for it. But I'm getting older, nothing heals quicker anymore.

MJ-
FUNNY

[Edited on November 11, 2011 at 5:35 PM. Reason : b]

11/11/2011 5:34:06 PM

Quote :

"How often do you guys get injured?"

Strangely enough I have found myself getting less injured during my time doing CrossFit than when I did a more powerlifting based routine. I attribute that to CrossFit making me work muscles I didn't typically work as much.

11/11/2011 9:13:23 PM

2 days of back-to-back long wods...dumb


WOD for Warriors (yesterday)

11 rounds (alternating exercise with partner)
11 burpees
11 tuck jumps
11 handstand pushups
11 ring dips
11 sit-ups
11 air squats
11 deadlifts, 135/95
11 pull ups
11 plate press, 45/25
11 jump lunges
11m firemans carry

37:27


Today:
400m run
10 pull ups
20 toes-2-bar
30 wall ball, 20lb
40 box jump, 24"
50 kb swings, 1.5 pood
800m run
50 kb swings, 1.5 pood
40 box jumps, 24"
30 wall ball, 20lb
20 toes-2-bar
10 pull ups
400m run

25:58

[Edited on November 12, 2011 at 1:42 PM. Reason : ]

11/12/2011 1:42:18 PM

^ those kb swings sound killer

I did two tough wods in a row too (not near that bad though)

Yesterday did a 30min AMRAP:

10 sumo deadlift high pull
10 front squat
10 hand release push ups

Today:

Run 1 mile
21 clean and jerks
Run 800m
21 clean and jerks
Run 1 mile

Rxed weight was 155, started with it but couldn't finish. Got shin splints after my first mile and it made the clean and jerk that much harder.

I found an olympic lifting coach in the area that supposedly only charges like $30 for a session, I am going to try to get some coaching a few times a month from him. Really want to work on my oly lifting technique. He has coached two olympians so I was pretty shocked to hear it is so cheap to get coaching from him, hoping that price is accurate.

11/12/2011 3:15:08 PM

It's awesome to have someone coach you on the Oly Lifts

Usually once a month (I've been slacking) I go down to CF Affiliate in Winston Salem and train with the owner who coaches a lot of Oly competitors. Usually $40/per person if we can get 2-3 and the sessions usually last 2 hours.

11/12/2011 3:22:57 PM

what do you guys think of this article?
http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_Berger_InsideGymJones.pdf

11/14/2011 2:05:07 AM

Did a variation of "Two Bitches" today.

Fran at 115 followed by Grace at 115

17:24

Fuck this workout

11/14/2011 1:07:07 PM

Looking forward to doing this tonight with some friends. Apparently one of the hardest WODs from 2010 Midwest Sectionals.
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/Games2010_Midwesternevent1.wmv

11/14/2011 5:09:24 PM

Doing the Filthy Fifty tomorrow

ugh...

11/14/2011 7:32:21 PM

ugh. Good luck with that. It's hard as hell.

Max Effort today:
Bench:
Deadlift:
1 x 3 reps, 185
1 x 3 reps, 195
1 x 6 reps, 205
5 x 10 reps, 125

and then the GP WOD

For time:
GHD Sit-up, 25 reps
Muscle-up, 1 rep
GHD Sit-up, 20 reps
Muscle-up, 2 reps
GHD Sit-up, 15 reps
Muscle-up, 3 reps
GHD Sit-up, 10 reps
Muscle-up, 4 reps
GHD Sit-up, 5 reps
Muscle-up, 5 reps

12:20. Had to do a modified muscle-up, but I am getting closer to doing an actual muscle-up.

11/14/2011 10:22:31 PM

Luckily the Filthy Fifty got moved to Thursday, Wednesday is my rest day so I am glad I get a break before it.

Did Jackie today:

1000 meter row
45 pound Thruster, 50 reps
30 pull-ups

Not happy with my time, 11:36, but it was still close to 2 minutes better than my previous time around when I started doing CrossFit. Rowing just wears me out like no other.

11/15/2011 8:03:06 PM

For time:
Row, 300 meters
Push Press, 20 reps, 95#
Row, 300 meters
Push Press, 15 reps, 95/75#
Row, 300 meters
Push Press, 10 reps, 75#
Row, 300 meters
Push Press, 5 reps, 75#

14:20 - Subbed the row for a 200 meter run because I haven't run in awhile, and it was too nice outside not to.

Also, after my heavy bench yesterday, my shoulders were shot after the first 2 sets of presses, so I had to drop some weight.

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 8:34 PM. Reason : 1]

[Edited on November 15, 2011 at 8:37 PM. Reason : bench]

11/15/2011 8:34:18 PM

I think this high volume is making making me lose muscle.

Rethinking my own programming....

11/16/2011 11:01:27 AM

High volume what? Endurance or weight training?

It's probably a lack of calories and sleep/recovery.

High volume strength training is pretty much the staple for muscle mass growth.

11/16/2011 11:35:02 AM

Endurance.

And I agree on the calories. I will burn anywhere bwtn 400-600 cals in a WOD. The issue is force-feeding myself. I do EAT throughout the day, but when it's "clean" food, it's difficult to add those calories, even when you're not hungry.

11/16/2011 11:40:51 AM

What a lot crossfiters fail to realize is that the body adapts specifically to the challenges it's thrown at.

Since crossfit's programming is self described as non-specific and mixed across broad modal domains, putting on slabs on muscle is going to be very challenging for the average trainee. Especially if over half your programming is endurance related, rather than moving heavier weights.

Strength and muscle gains are very metabolically taxing and also use specific enzymes and pathways to adapt the body. Endurance training also is pretty taxing (in a different way), and it uses different enzymes and pathways to achieve adaptations on the opposite side of the spectrum. Generally, an increase in one usually comes with a compromise in the other. Your body has a finite amount of recovery capacity and resources to adapt, spend them wisely.

So, if muscle mass is a goal for you, I'd suggest implementing these protocols...

Cut down on long distance endurance work. Intervals or repeaters are better options. Do not focus on moving a light load many times in one session, focus on moving a heavy load for increased reps over weeks/months or increasing the load for a given amount of reps.

Allow sufficient recovery between sets/rounds, so all reps and sets can be completed with good form. Flopping around in a constantly fatigued state to improve your time provides an inferior growth signal.

Think about it this way... muscle and strength adaptations take place because of high levels of tension in a muscle. Fresh reps allow for a more maximal contraction, ergo higher levels of tension.

And, of course, if you are burning more calories than you are taking in, you will shrink. Don't be afraid to dirty up your diet with whole milk or other dense calorie sources to hit your calorie req's.

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 11:53 AM. Reason : moar]

11/16/2011 11:52:45 AM

i'm definitely not a fitness expert, but i was a scientist in a past life, and i have done hands on research in cell biology. a lot of what MattJMM2 says makes sense biochemically. not only do you have a finite amount of recovery ability, both in terms of allocating absorbed proteins and nutrients, but also in terms of new protein synthesis that your mRNA and rRNA can undertake in a short period of time. there's also the issue of the number of mitochondria in your cells, and how they might break down everything in sight (including existing muscle) to feed the effort you exert in the workouts. that brings me to the question i asked earlier:

a while back i asked how frequently you guys workout certain muscles. it seemed that the randomness of the WODs meant that you could end up taxing the the large muscle groups many more times a week than on traditional weight lifting schedules, and you might even work the same muscles on back to back days. if this is truly random, and you're spinning the same roulette wheel with the same dealer every time, statistically you're more likely to reach a balance the longer you're at the same wheel. since Crossfit's explicit goal is to prepare you for the real life/reality of combat physical challenges and not "just lift weights", this seems to be a good approach.

i'm a bit at odds however with working the largest muscles groups in the same way on back to back days. largely because i'm still a fatty, i can only do pullups once or twice a week. also on weeks that i do heavy deadlifts multiple times, i am a lot slower when i then play football (on Sundays) with guys much younger than me. as for spinning the wheel and getting pect work on back to back days - forget about it - my phenotype simply cannot handle it.

11/16/2011 1:16:06 PM

Well it isn't like you just pull a random workout out of a hat and go with it, if you have good programming you won't be doing legs five days in a row so there is thought that goes behind it. The reason your question was hard to answer is it isn't always the same week to week but just because it isn't the same and I can't tell you how many times I hit my legs, shoulders, back, etc doesn't mean it is completely random.

11/16/2011 1:26:14 PM

I'm not a box right now, so I program my own at a gym, which she used to rent out in the back, alot of the equipment are still there, so I'm not quite in a hurry to spend 180/month at a box yet.

What's wrong with this? TUES(last night)/WED(tonight's WOD):
KB= kettlebell
Tues:
3 rounds for time
50(25 forward and back) ft. OH walking lunges w KB(26lb) alternate R/L arm respectively
2 KB Clean/Jerk(R/L)
4 pull ups
6 KB snatches(R/L)
8 handstand pushups
10 KB jerks(R/L)
50ft OH walking lunges w KB....
10 KB Clean/Jerk(R/L)
8 pulllups
6 KB snatches(R/L)
4 HSPUs
2 KB Jerks(R/L)
50 ft OH walking lunges w KB

Wed (tonight):
4 rounds for time
5 back squats(load 10lb total each round)
15 DB Ground to Overhead
800 meter run
10 DB pushups
15 medicine ball slams


PS- I also posted Monday's:
20 thrusters
20 sumo high pulls
20 push jerks
20 OHS
20 front squat
Do 4 burpees on the top of every minute, cannot move on to the next movement until all 20 reps are completed.

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 2:13 PM. Reason : time]

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 2:14 PM. Reason : gah]

11/16/2011 2:12:25 PM

Wow, those are some pretty nasty WODs. What were your times?

Shoulder Press:
1 x 5 reps, 95lbs
1 x 3 reps, 105
1 x 4 reps, 110
5 x 10 reps, 70lbs

Too easy, need to add more weight next time.

11/16/2011 6:36:38 PM

^^ that is an ass ton of volume, especially on the shoulders. 3 days in a row of all long WODs is probably not the best programming...

11/16/2011 8:20:00 PM

That bad huh? Shoulders feel fine.

Low weights.

11/16/2011 9:05:38 PM

I would keep it simple

Strength days paired with skill work or a quick WOD, couplets or triplets, occasional chippers

What are your goals?

11/16/2011 9:18:42 PM

Right now, build my endurance(that was my point for this month) back up for the Affiliates challenge first. I have been out of this mode for a year and a half due to injuries. I was going to switch to 2 strength days next month.

11/16/2011 9:24:21 PM

Just make sure to include some faster met cons....intervals/shorter wods will have carry over to longer WODs

[Edited on November 16, 2011 at 9:48 PM. Reason : ]

11/16/2011 9:47:55 PM

Heart of America(basically the states in the Midwest) Affiliate Challenge. This was 3 days. Nov 4 5 6. I was there as a spectator this time, and it was so much fun to watch. Grant Wistrom former St. Louis Rams co-owns CF Springfield. One of the most successful boxes out there, about 500 members.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovF0VwFMBHs

11/17/2011 12:02:39 AM

^check sealfit to give you some ideas about programming endurance wise.

Thats what ive been doing for the past 8 months or so.

http://www.sealfit.com

11/17/2011 12:20:13 AM

Need more girls in here!! Feel like Im the only one who posts here

11/17/2011 1:56:22 AM

Just go post on the CrossFit message boards then


this is STILL the wolf web....

[Edited on November 17, 2011 at 5:17 AM. Reason : ]

11/17/2011 5:17:38 AM

I'll check in as a fellow vag-haver.

We did a deck of cards this morning.
Hearts = Burpees
Spades = Pullups
Clubs = Pushups
Diamonds = Plate Thrusters (20kg men; 10kg women)
Jokers = 15 Squats (132 lbs for men; 100 lbs for women)

Go through the whole deck and do the number on each card with face cards = 11, for time. It was capped at 30 and I think half of us finished. I was somewhere around 27:30. I know I could have done much better, but my grip was limiting me on the pullups toward the end (all my high number pullups were in the last 1/4 of the deck) and I felt like I was having to break those up practically into singles at some points.

[Edited on November 17, 2011 at 9:11 AM. Reason : did 4x3 OH squats first]

11/17/2011 9:09:50 AM

Finally did the Filthy Fifty today. Finished in 31:15, not a great time relative to other people but beat my time in August by 5 minutes so that is huge progress. Burpees are still what killed me, I got to those around the 23 minute mark and didn't finish until the 30 minute mark or so.

11/18/2011 7:37:55 PM

Did the CrossFit Total today:

Back Squat - 390
Shoulder Press - 175
Deadlift - 435

Back Squat was a 55lb PR, shoulder press could use some work and that is definitely my weakness, Deadlift was a 20lb PR and I bet I could have gotten more if it wasn't at the end of all the other lifts. Got a video of my deadlift, wish I had one of my squat but I didn't think of it then.

http://youtu.be/PqvVRBI7L3Q

11/19/2011 1:56:47 PM

That DL looks good. I'd say you have about 20-40lbs you could add to that, given how fast you pulled and how well you maintained positions.

Why no vids of the squat?

[Edited on November 20, 2011 at 1:45 PM. Reason : ;]

11/20/2011 1:44:09 PM

Thanks, I think I definitely have some left in my deadlift, was pretty beat though after the squatting. I just didn't think about taking a video until I got to the deadlift because if I hit that lift it put me at the 1000lb total mark. Will definitely try to get one on my next squat max attempt, going to try and hit 405 next time.

11/20/2011 2:05:06 PM

What is your height/weight?

11/20/2011 5:23:51 PM

6'1" weight varies a lot, right now I am hanging around 215-220. When I started Crossfit this summer I was around 200 or so

11/20/2011 5:47:06 PM

Tied deadlift PR from beginning of the year @ 405#
happy with this considering I haven't trained my deadlift..yay oly lifting

Clean and jerked 205#


AMRAP 12
5 deadlift, 275#
7 box jump, 24"
9 pull-ups

8 rounds + 2 deadlifts

11/21/2011 9:04:03 PM

"Murph"
For time:
Run, 1 mile
100 Pull-up, 100 reps
200 Push-up, 200 reps
300 Squat, 300 reps
Run, 1 mile

82:48. Not a typo. But I finished and did every single fucking pull up, pushup, squat and step of every mile. My hands are torn to shit and I am pretty exhausted, but I feel like a million bucks. Now to cut into that time.

[Edited on November 21, 2011 at 9:19 PM. Reason : 1]

11/21/2011 9:18:48 PM

Last night (forced a rest day today cus of this one):

21-15-9

3 burpee penalty when the bar is dropped
Hang squat clean(60#)
alternating lunges with the bar(60#)
push jerks(60#)*


Good ass workout lol. I feel like I have a knife inserted in my ass right now.

11/22/2011 9:22:47 PM

^gonna have to try that one


looks good

11/22/2011 10:23:14 PM

I have to give credit to CrossFit TNT for this one. Except I modified it a little bit. The burpee penalty and the hang makes it more challenging I think.

-the clean was not a hang clean
-no burpee penalty

Here is the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG77yeQo5V4

Rxed is 115/75

11/22/2011 10:37:47 PM