29/05/07
-Feel: Fasting. Light, fast, not too strong but not weak either. Had a great night sleep the night before.
-Skills Tuck Sits 9 x :20/Jerks 45lbs bar x 5x5/W-HLR
-WOD "Fran"
21-15-9:
Thrusters, 65lbs
Pull-ups
Time 4:35

28/05/07
Day 1
Snatch Pulls
25x5
30x3
35x3
Feel good.
Drop Snatch
25x3
30x3
35x3
37.5x2
40x2
Feel good. Bit better timing on the long and extension.
Hang Squat Snatch
22.5x3x2
27.5x3x2
32.5x2x2
35x2x2
37.5x2
Elbows out, arms straights but loose. Little bit of bend over in power position.
Jerks
35x4
42.5x4
50x3
57.5x2 Suppose to be 3
57.5x2 Suppose to be 60x3
Really need to work on the jerks. Need to get my front leg way out more, explode more on the toes and take less time between reps.
Front Squats
45x4
60x4
67.5x4
72.5x4
77.5x3
Solid
This was my first day on the template Larry gave me. Felt a bit tired walking in but otherwise all good. Chest was a bit sore from the push-ups the day before but I' lived. It was a long session going about an hour and a half, feeling a bit gassed at the end. I guess from this point on I'll see if this Oly lifting idea was a good one or not...

27/05/07
-Skills: Pistols 3 x 5 L&R/ Tuck Sits 8 x 0:20
-WOD "1/2 Cindy"
10 Minutes of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats
Total Rounds 10 + 5 Pull & 6 Push

26/05/07
-Climbing

25/05/07
-Skill: Pistols 7x3/Tuck Sits 7 x 0:20
-WOD 3Rounds:
7 L-pull ups
14 Swings, 45lbs
28 Hollow Rocks
Time 7:15
Felt good walking into this one, could have used a tad more sleep but I think I always could.

24/05/07
Went in and got my template from my coach, Larry today and decided to wait until Monday to start it up so I just went through a couple movements that I was having problems with and wasn't quite too sure about. Kept the weight light and reps low working technique and form. Felt a bit tired walking in and am glad it wasn't a full on day. Felt good once I got going though.

23/05/07
-Climbing

22/05/07
4th and last training session and PowerPlus. Learned Behind-the-neck-Press hitting 40kg, Behind-the-neck-Push-Press going 50kg, Bench Pressed 70kg and finally finished off with some squats hitting 110kg.

21/05/07
-Warm Up: JM/BSWU BCWU 2 R
-Skill: L-sit work
-Strength: W Pull-ups 25-3/25-3/30-3/35-3/35-3
*"3 round Nancy"
3 Rounds for time of:
Run 400m
15 OHS, 85lbs
Time 9:25
-Core 3R 10 GHS/10 LHS/Plank 60 sec
Had a nice couple days off, which was much needed and well deserved. Probably ate too much food but it was all clean and lean. Fasted coming into this one and felt good.

18/15/07
-Warm Up: JM/BSWU BCWU 2 R
-Skill: HSPU 5x3/Pistols 5x3
-Strength: Farmers Walk 75/80/85/85/85 gym length. go heavier but with hook grip
*WOD 20 Muscle Ups - 80 Pull-ups/50 Ring Dips 9:37 58"ring hang
-Core/stretch circuit

17/05/07
Had my 3rd Olympic Lifting session at PowerPlus. Worked on clean and jerks and their different components. Coach says my cleans are pretty solid as are my deadlifts but it's the jerk that needs to be worked on. My overhead strength needs some major catching up and my form on the jerk needs improvement; gotta get that front leg out further. Cleaned 65kg and jerked 50kg. 65kg clean was pretty easy and I tried to hit 70kg but I started thinking and lost it from there. I got to remember to stop thinking. Finished off with some deadlifts pulling 135kg for a single, which wasn't too difficult.

Coach says that my deadlift is solid but my squat is a little lagging by comparison and my overhead strength needs working on. So far I've learned lots from the 3 sessions and it's been well worth the money, which isn't much. The input and instruction I've got on the snatch, clean and jerk has lighten the light-bulb over my head more than a few times. Lot's of info to digest though and I can feel the session and all that I've learned starting to take effect. A rest day is needed.

I'm slotted in for 1 more session, which will probably be my last. From there I'll start a program/template he's whipping up for me according to what he's seen and what weights I've pulled.

I've also noticed that I've gained some weight but at the same time I've had to make a new notch on my belt to make it smaller to keep my pants from falling down...

16/05/07
-Warm Up: Joint Mobility/3R Burgener Warm-up
-Skill: L-sits
-Strength: TGU DB 30-3/35-2/40-2/45-2/50-1/55-1/45 BB-1
*WOD: 21-15 of:
Swings, 45lbs
Pull-ups
Burpees
Time 7:23
My first WOD made myself, trying to keep under 10 minutes. I originally had it in mind for a 21-15-9 scheme but realized that with 3 movements it was going to take too long, especially because of the burpees.
-Core: 3R: 10 HLR/10 LHS/ Plank 60 sec.

15/05/07
Had my second OL'ing session at PowerPlus. Learned the snatch assistant exercises and fired off a couple snatches in the process. Still couldn't quite hit 45kg. Larry's pushing me though, says he's really testing me and is really impressed with what he sees form and flexibility wise. I guess all that Crossfit has paid off some. Also worked on Push-Jerks, which I finally understand. I think I hit 50kg. Finished it all off with front squats going as heavy as 90kg.

14/05/07
Went to my first Olympic Lifting session at PowerPlus Gym, it was rad. My coach, Larry is great and the gym I'm in is exactly the surroundings I want to be in; no more monkey's doing curls till they puke, i'd really like to see that actually...just plain old lifting, either fast or heavy. Larry is really patient and the techniques he uses work really well with the light-bulb over my head going on more than a few times. His main focus for me is the Snatch and C&J, which is exactly what I want. We started today on snatches and I managed 40kg but couldn't quite get 45kg over my head, I had it but failed to lock-out. 40kg was easy. I need to build nerves. We finished off with some back squats and I went 225x1, which was pretty easy. I'm thinking I'm entering a whole new world.

12/05/07
-OHS 5x1-95/105/115/125/135
-PC 5x3-95
*50-40-30-20-10 of:
Double Unders (Ankle Hops)
GHS swiss ball setup
Back Ext.
Time 23:03
Wasted much time pissing around with the GHS-swiss ball set-up. I think my set-up on the swiss was much more painful than the real deal but then again this is the first time I've done anything remotely similar to it. Perfected it for next time though...

Three Months Review
I've been home now 3 months to consistant gym training and figure I'm up for review.

The Good:
Weight: My weight is down and where I feel it should be and my BF% has gone down too, which is great on the old ego and self esteem
Endurance and metabolic conditioning has also returned to where it was so has mental strength, all three I think have surpassed my previous bests in certain fields.
Strength has also improved and a I've hit PRs on a couple of lifts but others still lag or haven't gotten back to previous bests.
Diet: My diet has been great the last month or so. I've managed to gain control of my eating and avoid any binges or munch out session. I've added a lot of science to the nutrition component but I think I have to. In times past with no structure I was extremely prone to major munch-out sessions, binging on a box of ceral, 3 boxes of crackers, a block of cheese, 1/2 loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter...pretty much anything I could find. I think with the perameters and guidelines I've now put in place I'm forced to eat and am not skipping out of missed calories like before. Plus I still get to enjoy my food and the once a week cheat meal. I typed lot's more on this subject than the others, which I guess shows the importance of nutrition but it also highlights how food had been a problem for me in the past.

The Bad:
Plain and simple, I'm Weak. Sure I can squat 1.5xBW and deadlift 2xBW but I'm still weak. Overhead stuff is just ugly. Strength oriented WODs stare me down and stick out like a sore thumb. OL styled WODs too. I lack power and explosiveness.

Problem: I can run 10km in 50 minutes without any training for it at all but I can't C&J my BW even though I practice.
Solutions: Olympic lifting or a strength/mass style routine based around compound movements. Part of me wants the latter but I know from past experience how borring that can get plus I'm really interested in putting what I know now into that format as it failed miserably in the past.
Plan: Olympic Lifting. I've found a coach and have my first session lined up. I think this path also allows me to do a bit more CF style workouts and the ability to keep some aerobic capacity. Plus it's something I've never tried before and isn't that part of the CF creedo?

Goals: Sept. 16/07 - my birthday
A Bodyweight C&J (140lbs-1)
115lbs, snatch (85lbs-3)
Strength/power/explosiveness, maitanence of metabolic conditioning, increase of GPP.

10/05/07
BW 155
*5 Rounds of:
21 Power Cleans, 95lbs
12 HSPU
Time 21:47
Solid and painful. HSPUs leg assisted with full ROM.
-W Pull-ups 4x3x25/30-3/35-3 Overhand
-3R: 3 Kneeling Evil Wheel/10 Lying Hip Swings

09/05/07
BW 152
*"Crossfit Total"
Back Squat 230-F/225
Should Press 115-F/115-1
Deadlift 335
Total 675
10lbs better than on 12/04/07 but should have done better still. The 10km took it out of my squat; 230 was light last time but this time was no go. Shoulder Press was solid; failed first attempt but managed a solid 2nd and got it up with little back bend. DL was heavy and ugly; back was too rounded, would have probably been much more solid if my legs were a bit fresher.

08/05/07
*Run 10km
Time 50:22
Outside on a beautiful day. Been a while since I've done this and it'll probably be a while before I do it again.

06/05/04
-WU Joint Mobility & Basic Movements
*20 Minutes for rounds of:
7 Thruster, 100lbs (135lbs Rx'd)
7 Weighted pull-up, 35lbs (50lbs Rx'd)
Total Rounds 7 + 7 Thrusters and 2 Pull-ups
Major scale back on that one, way to expose and completely rip apart my weakness, my weakness.
*Power Snatch 7x3 - 55/65/65/75/75/85/85
Make up from yesterday. Surprised I managed that with what little snatching experience I have. It's nice that this WOD came up as I should be starting up OL'ing here in the up coming week and it'll be a nice comparison.

05/05/07
-Skipped the WOD (Snatches 7x3) and went climbing instead.
-Cheat meal, Ethiopian food

04/05/07
BW 151
*20 Minutes for rounds of:
15 Thursters, 65lbs
21 Jumping Pull-ups
Total Rounds 7 +15 Thrusters & 17 Jumping Pull-ups

03/05/07
-Climbing

02/05/07
BW 151
-Wu 1000m=3:54.6@26
*For time:
21 DL, 225lbs
30 GHS
15 DL, 225lbs
20 GHS
9 DL, 225lbs
10 GHS
Time 9:06 1GHS = 1 Back ext. & 1 Straight Leg Sit-up
-OHS 5-65/80/90/100/105/110/115 Solid, warm-up key
-5R 5 Ring Push-ups/10 SL Med Ball Twists

01/04/07
BW 153
-WU 10-OHS/Sit-ups/Push-ups/Box Jumps/Push Press, 45lbs/5 Pull-ups
*Push Press 7x3
95/105/115/125-2F/115/120/115/115
Hit 125 for a single on 22/03/07.
-DL 5x5-225
-TGU 3x1-45OL/55OL/50DB
-3R 10 LHS/Chinnies (30-20-10)

30/04/07
BW 154
-WU 500m=1:55.4@27 227.7watts/JM
*21-18-15-12-9-6-3 of:
Swings, 45lbs DB (85%rx'd)
Pull-ups
Time 8:52
-BP 3x3-135
-BS 5x5-145
-3R 10 HLR/MB Twists/Plank 60 sec

28/04/07
-PM Climb session
-Cheat meal, Indian food