Cameron's Fitness Journal

November Monthly Update

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:03:00 -0800

So, it’s been another month and it’s time for an update. A few highlights:

New food plan cut about 600 calories per day out of my diet and my performance has suffered for it. No times/weights of note, other than that I’ve felt depleted compared to July thru September.
I’ll be fixing the food mess and doing a bit of back tracking in order to bring my metcon numbers back up AND to provide enough of a nutritional base to add some weight to my heavy lifts.
Added some extra heavy lifting and extra work on my weaknesses (pullups, dips, handstand pushups, long rows, etc) along with 12 or so other folks from Jogo

Progress Update

So, I got pinched again this morning and I’m down to 10.87% bodyfat. This is NOT what I was hoping for. Trying to get down to single digits before the decimal! Dropped 11 lbs, but only 5.25 lbs of fat—the rest was lean mass. Alas. On the plus side, though, I’m below 12% bodyfat for the first time, which was once a goal, so that’s another PR (of sorts) that I can cross off the list. Also, it’ll take less than 3 lbs of net fat loss to hit single digits. I’m thinking right around 220 while maintaining my current LBM will be just right.

Here’s hoping my continued low-carb ways keep the fat off. I’ll be adding back in a pile of protein and healthy fats to add to my overall calories to feed to newly expanded workload.

It’s been a while since I’ve updated my progress photos as well, and I thought I’d do that this past weekend. In case there’s any confusion about the dates, the pics from January 2008 are indistinguishable from what I looked like on May 12, 2008 when I did my first CrossFit workout. Here are the latest progress photos:

January 2008 vs. November 2009 (Front)

January 2008 vs. November 2009 (Profile)

Some additional info:

Since starting at Jogo, I’ve lost 49 lbs, including 42 lbs of fat.
At my heaviest (in 2005), I was 282 lbs.
I haven’t weighed less than 225 since, at least, Feb/Mar 1997. More probably, it’s been since Spring 1994, my freshman year of high school. And wasn’t strong or fit at either time.

October Monthly Update

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:48:42 -0700

So, I’m still on my monthly update schedule. Here’s what’s been up for the last month in my fitness and nutrition world:

Bodyfat 7-location pinch test says 12.6% body fat. That’s the same thing it said before the hydrostatic test last month.
On October 12th, Betsy and I started a fairly strict paleo zone diet. We’ll be sticking with it at least until Thanksgiving.
First “Jackie” as Rx’d @ 9:23
A new “Filthy Fifty” PR @ 27:08 (down from 30:00)

Monthly Updates? Sheesh!

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:31:40 -0700

So, I’ve kinda fallen off the wagon in terms of food and exercise tracking. The good news is that it’s not because I’ve gone off the deep end and started eating for crap and skipping workouts.

A few highlights:

Hydrostatic Body Fat Testing Says I’m 16% body fat. That’s +3% compared to 7-point pinch
New Grace PR: 4:00 (down from 4:51)
New Annie PR: 7:30 (down from 8:53)
New FGB PR: 348 (up from 324 in March)
New “400m” PR: 1:09 (down from 1:1?; this is the around the block 400m, which is really about 380m)

Also, Betsy has started working out with me and it’s been a lot of fun to have her at the gym.

Catching Up + Progress Update

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:13:00 -0700

Catching Up

So, I haven’t posted anything in a week. Frankly, posting here daily was a lot more critical to my success early on. Now that I’ve been CrossFitting for just over 15 months, daily posting isn’t quite as critical to my success. I’m still tracking my numbers, but I’m just not posting them all quite as religiously.

8/14: Max Effort Deadlift — 365lb, 1 rep. 10 lbs below PR of 375. This feels really low for a guy my size and I’m really read to see this number go up dramatically.
8/17: An untimed snatch technique building workout & a “400m” run around the block. New “400m” (it’s really more like 380m) PR of 1:09.
8/18: Jogo Lab Stuff: Walking OHD KB Press [16kg], Walking lunges w/ KB in rack position [2x16kg], Split Jumps, Romanian Deadlifts
8/19: Mojo: More snatch technique. Then, attempted 45 consecutive 1/2 bodyweight thrusters (got 23).
8/20: More Jogo Lab: Lateral lunges w/ press, kb swings, suitcase deadlifts, etc.
8/21: Fight Gone Bad prep workout:everything scaled down one level.65#/14#/18in — 366 reps

Progress Update

Got body composition tested again on Wednesday and I’m now down to 12.6% bodyfat (7 point caliper test). Getting hydrostatic tested tomorrow morning.

FGB Prep Workout

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:01:22 -0700

Fight Gone Bad, Unbroken Reps Only

Similar to fight gone bad, except that you only work for 30 seconds per station (resting the other 30 seconds) and you can only count your longest unbroken set of reps (so if you do 10 wall balls, stop, then pick up the ball again and do 11, only the 11 count).

Score: 240 (WB: 42, SDHP: 53, Box: 39, PP: 65, Row: 41)

Notes

She set targets of 60 reps per non-rowing movement and 30 calories on the rower. I’m not really sure how I could’ve gotten more wallball shots. I can’t make the ball come down any faster and I cycled at the bottom as fast as I could (which is reasonably fast). That leaves the box and the SDHP, both of which are opportunities for serious improvement.

Lab In The Rain

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:47:56 -0700

Lab Workout

AMRAP in 12 minutes of:

10 lunge w/ KB press R/L [16 kg]
10 rotating recline pull/row R
10 squat jumps (w/ TRX)
10 rotating recline pull/row L

Score: 2+4

then, AMRAP in 10 minutes of:

10 lateral lunge (suitcase style) R [16 kg]
15 american KB swings
10 lateral lunge (suitcase style) L [16 kg]
15 american KB swings

Score: 4+2

Notes

It was pouring down rain at 6am this morning and there were leaks a plenty in the roof. It was fantastic.

Back Squat + "Triple Nine"

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:49:00 -0700

first:

5-3-1-1-1-1-1 back squat

Score: 305#

then, AMRAP in 15 min, of:

push press [95#]
pullups
burpees

Score: 5+1

Notes

Also walked up to the top of the Arboretum at a pretty good clip at lunch time. Took about 45 min round trip.

Lab + CrossFit = Soreness

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Jogo Lab

I haven’t previously posted a lab workout, so it’s probably worthwhile to provide some additional info.

Warmup

The lab’s warmup goes like this, as best as I can remember:

Outside: * Jog forward 10-15 yards/backpedal 10-15 yards (repeat) * skip w/ big arm swings 10-15 yards (repeat?) * side shuffle 10-15 yards/sideshuffle opposite direction 10-15 yards (repeat?) * carioca 10-15 yards/carioca opposite direction 10-15 yards (repeat?) * walking lunge w/ torso rotation and “scary arms” 10 yards forward/backwards * a kind of squat side shuffle movement (Em calls it something else; basically stay as low as you can into a squat while shuffling sideways) 10 yards each direction.

Inside:

while standing on one leg, bending at the hip with one leg back, move your arms in a “Y” then a “T” then a “W” and then an “L” (which doesn’t actually look like an “L”, but whatever). Thumbs should be pointed to the sky for the “Y” and the “T” and toward one another for the “W” and the “L”, I think. Do this 5 times on each side.
Using a 24 or 16 Kg kettlebell, repeat the following circuit for two minutes:
- 5 russian swings (eye level)
- 5 right-arm swings (eye level)
- 5 left-arm swings (eye level)
- 5 high-pull swings
butterfly sampson stretch 12 right/left (or, that’s how many I do, anyway)
10 squat + pull on the TRX (or t-rex, if you prefer).

So that’s the warmup as best as I can remember it. We do that every time.

Workout

The lab is usually broken into two time-oriented workouts (AMRAP in 12-15 minutes) with a bonus following.

First workout:

10-9-8-7…2-1-2-3-4…8-9-10 pyramid, with a 15 minute cutoff, of:

russian kb swings
recline pulls on the TRX
burpees

Second workout:

AMRAP in 12 min of:

10 leg (hamstring) curls w/ heels in the TRX (on your back, in a bridge, hips in the air)
5 walking L sits w/ heels in the TRX (walking on your hands)
10 squat jumps (this is just like jumping from a full squat, using the TRX to help control the movement a bit)
10 knee tucks (from a plank w/ toes in the TRX)

Score (Lab): 6 burpees short of completing “9” on the way back up (99 swings, 99 pulls, 93 burpees in 15 min); 3+1

CrossFit

So, because there is only a 6 am class a the lab, and I was feeling a bit sore after 4 consecutive days, including two lab days (which always makes my glutes sore), following a week off, I thought I’d stop by Jogo on Grand to hit the foam roller and do some stretching while the 7 am class did the WOD. Instead, with a bit of encouragement, I decided to do the WOD.

15-12-9, for time, of:

double unders
abmat situps
handstand push ups (or pike pushups for most, myself included)
ring dips (3 days this week)
pushups

Score: 13:3? or 13:5?

Notes

Needless to say, my shoulders and triceps were toast after doing ring dips Monday, a fair bit of shoulder stuff at the lab on Tuesday, doing some extra ring dips on Wednesday after FGB and having done 93 burpees and 15 L-sit walks at the lab earlier that morning.

It’s been a good week, though. I’ve felt good, and I’m really enjoying the Jogo Lab workouts. They’re something a bit different and they’ve exposed some imbalances, etc, when doing unilateral movements (i.e. the fact that I want to fall over any time we do anything on one leg.)

Jogo WOD #1??

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:40:06 -0700

“Fight Gone Bad”

Score: 319 (75# PP & SDHP, 20# WB w/ 10ft target)

Notes

So, I’m not counting anymore. I’m probably approaching 200 WODs at Jogo and, at this point, the numbers aren’t as meaningful. It’s been over a year and frankly, the results I’ve achieved astound me.

I’m stronger and leaner than I ever believed I could be and I have the audacity to believe that I can continue to get stronger and leaner for some time.

Today’s FGB score is inline with my PR of 324, so I’m content.

Jogo WOD #180

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

HSPU/KB Swing/GHD Situp + Wallball/Snatch

AMRAP in 8 min of:

8 hspu [scaled to pike]
8 kb swing [24 kg]
12 GHD situps

rest 2 min, then:

AMRAP in 8 min of:

30 wallball shots
30 hang power snatch [75#]

Score: 6, 1+1

Catching Up (Jogo WODs #175-#179)

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:39:15 -0700

A Weak Recap

O.K., so I’ve become complacent about recording my workouts. I got sick over Fourth-Of-July weekend and the effects dragged on for the better part of two weeks. I finally got back into the swing of things this past Monday, but hey, I’m a busy guy. So here are some highlights.

Karen [150 wall ball shots, 20#, for time]: 6:36 (first time ever doing this WOD; could easily shave 30-45 seconds off just by resting less)
5-3-1-1-1 snatch: 145# (technique, technique, technique)
“Celebration of the Games” which was like 30 pullups, 30 burpees, walking lunge w/ 45# overhead and a 2 mile run: 21:56
Today we did a deadlift workout at 85% of 1 RM, 10 reps, one every 30 seconds and then a team MB slam/row 500m workout.

I’ll try to keep things more up-to-date from here on out.

Jogo WOD #174

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tabata This (Sortof)

tabata of:

squats (bottom to bottom)
row
pullups
pushups

Score: 24

Jogo WOD #173

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:06:10 -0700

5x5 Overhead Squat + Jump & Run

5-5-5-5-5 overhead squat

then, AMRAP in 8 minutes of:

run 100 meters
10 box jumps [24”]

Score: 115-135-145-155-165; 7 rounds in 8:30

Personal Records

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Here’s a post which I’ll continue to update with PRs as I get them. For benchmark workouts, I’m only going to track the ones I can do as prescribed.

Lifts

Deadlift: 315# (5 RM) [2009-06-18]
Deadlift: 345# (3 RM) [2009-03-11]
Deadlift: 365# (1 RM) [2009-04-11]
Front Squat: 235# (1 RM) [2009-01-19]
Front Squat: 230# (3 RM) [2009-10-05]
Front Squat: 185# (5 RM) [2009-01-05]
Back Squat: 305# (1 RM) [2009-04-11]
Thruster: 145# (5 RM) [2008-11-05]
Overhead Squat: 155# (3 RM) [2008-12-11]
Overhead Squat: 165# (5 RM) [2009-06-30]
Clean: 205# (1 RM) [2009-02-16]
Strict Press: 145# (1RM) [2009-01-24]
Push Press: 155# (5 RM) [2009-06-??]
Push Press: 165# (3 RM) [2008-11-12]
Push Press: 175# (2 RM) {2009-06-??]
Push Jerk: 185# (3 RM) [2008-01-24]
Split Jerk: 215# [2009-02-12]
CrossFit Total: 815# (305#/145#/365#) [2004-04-11]

WODs

Fight Gone Bad!: 348 [2009-09-18] {Rx}
The Chief: 16 [2008-09-15] {Rx}
“Filthy Fifty”: 27:08 [2009-10-09] {Rx}
Nancy: 12:40 [2009-04-20] {Rx}
Grace: 4:00 [2009-09-??] {Rx}
Helen: 10:22 [2009-10-06] {Rx}
Fran: 6:50 [2009-06-08] {Rx}
Murph: 53:50 [2009-06-15] {Rx}
Annie: 7:30 [2009-09-??] {Rx}
Kelly: 27:49 [2009-06-24] {Rx}
Jackie: 9:23 [2009-10-15] {Rx}

Run/Row/Etc

Half-marathon run: 2:09:41 [2008-09-28]
Half-mile run: 3:10 [2008-11-21]
Mile run: 6:11 [2008-04-16]
400m run: 1:24 [2009-01-24]
500m row: 1:28 [2009-01-21]
L-sit (rings): 30+ sec [2009-03-04]

Jogo WOD #172

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:16:05 -0700

Badger 400

3 rounds, for time, of:

run 400m (instead of the 800m typically used for badger)
30 full squat cleans [95#]
30 pull ups

and a 30 min cutoff.

Score: 24:40 (w/ 1-leg jumping pull-ups)

Notes

Scaled the pull-ups in an attempt to give my hands a break. I’ve been tearing the crap out of them for the past few weeks and now they’re being a bit finicky and not healing. Also, I figured, particularly given the 30 minute cutoff, that I’d get a better metabolic stimulus if I kept my pace up and hammered out the jump pulls in stead of spending a bunch of time staring at the bar.

Jogo WOD #171

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:57:15 -0700

“Sushi Roll”

Not sure what the name is about, but here’s what it is:

AMARAP in 15 minutes of:

12 SDHP [85#]
6 burpees
12 pullups
6 burpees

Score: 4.5 + 3 pullups

Notes

Still fried from “Kelly” yesterday.

Jogo WOD #170

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:54:30 -0700

“Kelly”

5 rounds, for time, of:

run 400m
30 box jumps [24”]
30 wall ball shots [20#, 10’]

Score: 27:49 (PR)

Jogo WOD #169

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:03:18 -0700

Max Effort Front Squat + Tabata Bonus

3-3-3-3-3 front squat

then, tabata:

ring dips
pushups
push press [65#]

Score: 155-185-205-225*-225; dips-1, pushups-4, push press-9

Notes

I failed one of my reps in the 4th set, but was able to complete the 5th set.

Jogo WODs #159-168

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:49:05 -0700

In Brief

I don’t know exactly why I stopped keeping track of everything. Maybe it got to be too much to track all of my food, my workouts in 2 different places (here and beyond the whiteboard). Maybe it’s because I got so busy with work.

In that time, we did a few benchmark WODs: Fran (6:50, Rx), Murph (53:50, Rx w/o 20-lb vest), and Annie (8:53, Rx).

Now, it’s time to get back on track.

I took a long weekend “off” from Jogo—no Friday, Saturday or Monday workouts. I did Nancy (5 rounds of 400m run, 15 overhead squats) at home on Sunday afternoon. Last week was supposed to be week one of a 60-day “Lean & Green Challenge”, but it didn’t quite work out that way for me. So, I’m starting a new 60-day clock today, which will take me through August 20th.

The basic plan is this: 1) limit my food to meat, vegetables (non-starchy), nuts and seeds, fruit and oils high in monounsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil); 2) keep macronutrients in the following ranges—fat: 120-150 g/day, CHO: 90-120 g/day, protein: 180-210 g/day. In ratio, that means my calories come from—fat: ~50%, CHO: ~20%, protein ~30%.

Anyway, I’m tracking all of my food on an app on my iPhone and it’s just too much of a pain to post it all here.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll begin posting my workouts again.

Jogo WOD #158

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:19:30 -0700

5 RM Thruster + Jump & Run

for weight:

5-5-5-5-5 Thruster

for time:

21 box jumps [24 in]
run 100 m
15 box jumps [24 in]
run 200 m
9 box jumps [24 in]
run 400 m

Score: 165# (PR +20#), 4:45

Notes

My times are so much better when there is someone on my heels.