Bert's Crossfit Journal

[Bert Brams]

Since I've decided going all the way with Crossfit, I might as well start a log here.

I'm fed up with being injured from training heavy all the time and feeling like an old man, while I'm actually still a young guy.

But, as Indiana Jones said: "It's not the age, it's the mileage."

A little background ...

I'm 23 years old and have been training around 9 years with weights, together with 3-4 years of athletics(mostly mid-long distance).

Picture of my handsome bloated face here:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/635...p7ggwjdknq.jpg

For the last 5 years I've trained with powerlifting as my main goal.

I've integrated Crossfit into my training about 5 years ago as well, but never followed the WOD precisely. I had a lot of success on 3 days a week with a hybrid-Defranco-ish training, and 2 days a week a Crossfit-like training, often with some strongman elements and hill sprinting.

Best lifts and accomplishments, bodyweight varies between 75 and 78 kilos @ 5'8:

Olympic Deep Squat: 190 kilos (belt)
Conventional Deadlift: 250 kilos (belt) (video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz-pwhmkjfg)
Powerlifting Squat to competition depth: 235 kilos (belt + knee wraps)
Front Squat: 150 kilos
Power Clean: 105 kilos
Power Jerk: 100 kilos
Bench Press(another reason I like Crossfit - you don't give a damn about this): 125 kilos
Weighted Dip: bodyweight + 75 kilos
Weighted Chin: bodyweight + 50 kilos, max around 18-20 chinups
100 meter sprint: 10.97

I've been dealing with injuries since day one, the most persistent one being knee problems, for which I had part of my left meniscus surgically removed 3 years ago. I'm dealing with it quite well at the moment, if I'm wise and do my mobility/stretching/prehab stuff.

Since I've always seen myself more like an all-round athlete instead of a powerlifter, and that I've always felt much better when doing Crossfit, I'm going all the way this time.

I'll still integrate some heavy gutsy work on top of some WOD's, but try to keep my volume of the entire training down in general(I'm somewhat of a heavy + volume junky, known for my 20+ set squat workouts).

Trying to get in my best shape ever. So far I've lost 2.5 kilos(5.5 pounds)and I'm feeling and looking much better.

If there should ever be a Crossfit Game near me, I want to be a serious threat .

I'll gradually switch to a typical WOD, while working on my weak points.
(squat clean, muscle-up and kipping pullup, mainly)

Anyway, enough talk.

(all weights in kilos)

Monday @ Stagger Lee's

Mobility circuit

Weighted Dips @ 45 sec between sets

BW x 15
BW + 20 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5
BW + 30 x 5

Sandbag Clean&Press

30 x 5
40 x 5
50 x 5
50 x 5
50 x 5

Kettlebell Circuit

16 kg One-Arm Snatch 5 per arm
16 kg One-Arm Clean&Press 5 per arm
24 kg One-Arm High Pull 10 per arm
24 kg Squat 21 - 15 - 9
24 Kg Swing 21 - 15 - 9

1 one warm-up circuit
3 circuits all-out on A Whole Lotta Rosie

[Bert Brams]

(all weights in kilos)

Today @ SL's

Mobility circuit

Front Squat

Bar x 10
60 x 10
80 x 5
90 x 5
90 x 5
90 x 5

Max is 130 x 5. Stayed light since it's been a month since I went heavy on a squat/deadlift movement due to a hip strain. Went surprisingly fast and easy, but I decided to remain smart.

"Fran"

2 21 kg DB's
Kipping pullups
21-15-9

10:32

First time Fran and first time "seriously" doing kipping pullups.
I learned two things. See below.

Practice:

Squat clean + barbell thruster:
several sets of 5

Knee rehab

Comments:

1) I used dumbbells instead of a barbell due to a wrist injury.
This did not go as planned. The dumbbells are two huge adjustable ones and were very hard to balance when squatting down again(you can't just "rack" them like a barbell). After a while I got the hang of this, but it complicated things and fatigued my shoulders way faster than with barbell thrusters. I had to stop a few times because my shoulders were fatigued and my legs weren't. Have to figure out a way to do this either with a barbell or either more efficiently with dumbbells.

2) The kipping chins(I do them with my palms facing towards me)have gotten a lot better. If I can get these handled, time will go down a lot for sure.

And comments or help are very much welcome!


I ramble a lot, don't I?



That said(while I'm on a roll), I entered my food intake into Fitday, and came up with about a 40/30/30 breakdown of Fats/Protein/Carbs.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5...arch252009.png

Don't worry, I'm getting my vitamins, I just didn't enter my vegetable intake and any condiments I use to fry my eggs or beef.

I'm eating a lot less than a month ago(down from 78 to 75 kilo now), and I'm feeling pretty damn good actually!

Any comments/suggestions/experiences?

[Bert Brams]

Friday @ SL's

Mobility circuit

Handstand pushup

x 6
x 6 (+3 centimeter off ground)
x 6 (+ 6 cm)
x 6 (+ 9 cm)
x 6 (+ 12 cm)
x 6 (+ 12 cm)
x 4 (+ 15 cm)

Circuit

25 Kipping chins
50 GHR situps
50 Reverse GHR + 16kg kettlebell
50 Bentover KB Row(2 x 24)
50 Incline Hyperextension
25 Kipping chins

Time: 9min31 sec

Comment:

Losing a bit too much weight. Perhaps lowering the amount of volume slightly and upping the calories will help.

[Richard Vanmeerbeek]

Hey Bert,I'll keep an eye on your log now that I found it. What an impressive strength base, the carry-over to metcon can be massive !

[Bert Brams]

Originally Posted by Richard Vanmeerbeek

Hey Bert,I'll keep an eye on your log now that I found it. What an impressive strength base, the carry-over to metcon can be massive !

Thanks!

I hope so, just some of the gymnastic moves aren't all that great yet.

Kipping chins are kinda so-so and my muscle-ups are simply absent :-p

I have been chinning and dipping on the rings for about 5 years, so I'm just gonna keep kipping like a nutcase till I get one.

[Richard Vanmeerbeek]

Originally Posted by Bert Brams

Thanks!

I hope so, just some of the gymnastic moves aren't all that great yet.

Kipping chins are kinda so-so and my muscle-ups are simply absent :-p

I have been chinning and dipping on the rings for about 5 years, so I'm just gonna keep kipping like a nutcase till I get one.

The muscle-up is simply a matter of technique for the transition, you have to work on getting that false grip, pull these damn rings to your armpits and you should get in the dip position.

You work out in a public gym ?

[Bert Brams]

Originally Posted by Richard Vanmeerbeek

The muscle-up is simply a matter of technique for the transition, you have to work on getting that false grip, pull these damn rings to your armpits and you should get in the dip position.

You work out in a public gym ?

Nah, I have been training at my home gym for about a year and a half now. I have pretty much everything here(not to boast): KB's, barbells, farmer's bars, squat rack, rings, sandbags, tires, boxes ... and my own music and no people who ask me what muscle group a snatch works... never regretted it once.

I train alone most of the time, sometimes I have training partners over, but most aren't that into Crossfit, so training usually ends up strongman/powerlifting. There's a few other home gyms I train at sometimes though.

I pretty much always use a false grip on the rings, I just can get that transition right ... if I jump I make the transition quickly, but I just can't "muscle it out", if you know what I mean.

[Bert Brams]

Tonight @ Stagger Lee's

Mobility circuit

50 Wall Balls with 20 lb ball(named "Helga")

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/9600/dsc03687rw4.jpg

Around 20 sets of thrusters ... wrist flexibility/pain

A few sets of overhead squats

Around 8 sets of 5-7 reps of bottoms-up kettlebell presses with the 16k

Knee and shoulder rehab(TKE's, band dislocates, band face pulls, stretches)

Comment:

This was mostly a practice day, working on some movements I feel need improvement. Felt somewhat run-down as well.
Barbell thrusters went okay, but I have to be careful with my wrists in that position. "Almost straight" is better than "bent back completely with bar resting on shoulders".

[Bert Brams]

(alle weights in kilos)

Upper Body @ SL's

Mobility circuit

Weighted Dips

BW x 15
BW + 20 x 10
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6
BW + 30 x 6

Superset

Ring Chins(false grip - focus on pulling the rings into my armpits on every rep)

BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 6

Standing Press

bar x 10
40 x 5
50 x 3
60 x 1
65 x 1
67.5 x 1
65 x 1
65 x 1
65 x 1
65 x 1
65 x 1

24k Kettlebell Swing x 25
16k Kettlebell Snatch x 10/arm

4 supersets

Comment:

OH presses were much more stable. Re-read Starting Strength and watched a lot of videos and focused on squeezing my glutes and abs and pressing barefoot. Much faster.

Also:

I have to adapt my program somewhat, since the last two weeks of Crossfit with 4-5 workouts focusing on knee bending(squats, thrusters, burpees)have left my knees in a state of disaster.

New template(with which I had some success in the past):

Mon: Upper Body(dips, chins, sandbag clean&press, various kettlebell drills)

Wed: Lower Body(thrusters, squats, deadlifts ...)

Fri: Upper Body(HSPU's, chins, kettlebell/sandbag rows...)

Sat: Something low-impact

Sun: Bodyweight conditioning

Every week I will integrate a benchmark girl somewhere, preferably on Wednesday.

[Bert Brams]

(alle weights in kilograms)

Tonight @ SL's

Mobility circuit

Conventional Deadlift

Bar x 10
60 x 10
100 x 5
140 x 1
180 x 1
200 x 1(belt)
220 x 1

All went fast and easy. Bodyweight = 75,6 kg, bah. I'd rather have some more(good)pounds on me, fast.

Elizabeth(subbed power cleans instead of squat cleans)
21-15-9
60 kg Power Clean
Ring Dips

5:43

Second time ever doing this(last time was 2 years ago), I think it's a PR.

Barbell Thruster

40 x 5
40 x 5
40 x 10

Superset

Muscle-Up with feet on bench behind me

x 5
x 5
x 5

These are getting better.

Some squat clean practice up to 60 kg.