Road to the 2027 Crossfit Games
You gotta have dreams, right?
Background:
I'm 28, 5'9, and 67kg. Around 5 years ago, I was 77kg and pretty fat with very little muscle. I then cut on and off for 2 years, making tons of mistakes along the way. I got down to around 59kg, and realized I was way too small and weak. I then did SS, got too fat (ate way too much), then cut again. I then did Madcow 5x5, got too fat, and cut again. Next came 5/3/1, fatness, and another cut. Along the way I plugged many leaks. One of them was that I would count my calories diligently until dinner, and then eat whatever for dinner without going overboard. Looking back, that was a really dumb move because I ended up eating way too much on both cuts and bulks. My cuts were really slow and I put on weight way too quickly when bulking.
Once I figured this out (duh), my previous cut was the best ever and I was pretty easily able to lose weight. Now, I plan on going on a long, slow, bulk (300 calories above maintenance).
That was the introduction to my previous log 3 years ago. I'm now 31, still 5'9, and around 71kg. I did a few bulking and cutting cycles, but it was becoming really monotonous and I was taking a lot of mini breaks. Enter crossfit. I stumbled onto the website of one, signed up for an induction class, and was hooked after day 1. I liked the structure and the competitive nature of it. I also liked how you had to be good at everything to be good at crossfit.
Crossfit Journey
I started in October 2016 and until around December 2017, just did crossfit. I stayed around the same bodyweight, my lifts went up, my endurance improved, my gymnastics got better, I learned the olympic lifts, and I finally didn't have to deal with feeling fat and skinny from all the bulking/cutting cycles. Having said that, I think I've reached the point where I need to do less crossfit to become better at it.
After a year and a half, I think I'm finally a pretty average crossfitter. Here are some of my numbers:
Squat: 127.5
Front Squat: 115
Deadlift: 145
Bench Press: 84 (estimated)
Overhead Press: 62.5
C&J: 77.5
Snatch: 52.5 (a bit old, should be closer to 60)
5k run: 24:37
1k row: 3:40
Jackie: 10:03
Fight Gone Bad: 225
Crossfit Open 2017: 28th percentile
Crossfit Open 2018: 45th percentile
Strict Pullups: 13
Muscle Ups: 1
Handstand Pushups: 14
What I'm doing now
My gymnastics is relatively stronger than my strength and endurance, and my weightlifting is pretty rubbish. Here is a rough weekly plan for the next couple of months.
5/3/1 - 2 sessions a week (combining BS and BP in one session, DL and OHP in the other)
Pete's plan beginner - 3 a week (it's a rowing program, to get a solid aerobic base)
Olympic lifting class - 1/2 a week
Crossfit class - 1/2 a week
Run - 1 a week (I wish I could run more, but it destroys my legs)
The End Goal
The goal is to just become as good at crossfit as I can and to keep getting better. I turn 40 in 2027 and there is a 40-45 division at the Crossfit Games, see you there.
Crossfit
Strength
OHP: 45x5x5
Bent Over Row: 55x5x5 (superset)
Metcon
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Power Snatch, 52.5kg
Burpee over Bar
9:55 - 30kg
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Smart scaling, good RPE. 2 hard days in a row, might do a 60 minute bike tomorrow.
Bike
C2 Bike: 60 minutes, 24889m, 2:24.7
Crossfit
Metcon
21-15-9:
Ring Dips
Inverted Ring Rows
Push Ups
Calorie Row
14:15
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Cool
Weightlifting
Snatch (every 30s): 40x3, 42.5x3, 45x3, 47.5x3, 50x3, 52.5x2, 55, 50x2
Jerks (every 30s): 60x6, 65x14
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Snatches were off. I think something is a bit off in my bar path that causes everything else to be loopy. I'll figure it out. Jerks felt really good.
Crossfit
Strength
Front Squat: 100, 105, 110, 115
Metcon
30-24-18-12-6
Kettlebell Swings, 24kg
V-ups
10-8-6-4-2
Box Jumps, 30"
11:10
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I'm currently in a holding pattern. Motivation is down a bit, but I'm going 5 days a week and not caring too much about if I'm getting better or not. I could definitely do a 120 front squat, and perhaps a touch more. PB is 127.5
Crossfit
Weightlifting
Snatch: 40x2, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65f, 65, 65f
Metcon
5 sets (Every 2:30):
15 Calorie Row
5 Bar Muscle Ups
Max Wall Balls in Remaining Time
71 - 16, 14, 14, 14, 13
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Mixed bag. I didn't go for an allout max in snatch, which is why I tried 65 again. I thought they felt horrible, but looking at the video, they actually look really good until 60. I moved my starting position a bit forward and tried staying over the bar for longer. I just need to drill this now.
The metcon was amazing. It was actually every 2:40, and I started with the muscle ups due to a big class. I did the first 5 unbroken and then all 5 sets unbroken!! I rowed pretty slowly and probably overpaced everything to keep them unbroken.
Were these supposed to be power snatches? You're catching these really high. You probably wouldn't have missed those attempts at 65 if you caught them lower.
That's understandable. They are a difficult lift to get good at. As someone not qualified to give this advice, I would say snatch balances and snatches from high hang could potentially maybe help. And I would ride every snatch down. Even if you catch it high, I'd ride it down and squat it, no matter what.
It could be that you need to get comfortable with having heavier weight overhead in a deep squat, and need to get comfortable doing that quickly with maximal loads. But take this with a grain of salt; I'm many years removed from Oly and just do mindless bodybuilding these days.
Crossfit
Strength
OHP: 60, 65, 67.5, 70
Metcon
Teams of 2:
4 sets each:
1 set:
5 rounds
100m Rowling
+1 Bench Press (70kg) for every meter over or under 100m (5 rep limit)
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70 OHP was slightly easier than 70 OHP from 6 weeks ago, still RPE 10.
The metcon was fun and weird. We did 4 rounds per set. So it went row-bench-row-bench-row-bench-row-bench - rest while partner does it. Started at 60, then went upto 65. I did some extra bench presses because I hit 100m a few too many times.
That's understandable. They are a difficult lift to get good at. As someone not qualified to give this advice, I would say snatch balances and snatches from high hang could potentially maybe help. And I would ride every snatch down. Even if you catch it high, I'd ride it down and squat it, no matter what.
It could be that you need to get comfortable with having heavier weight overhead in a deep squat, and need to get comfortable doing t
You're definitely correct. It's a tricky balance right now with motivation a little low to deviate from classes and do things that would benefit me. But snatch balances helped me so much when I used to do them.
Crossfit
Strength
Turkish Getup: 20x2, 20, 24, 24, 24 (every 2 minutes)
Metcon
5 Rounds:
7 Overhead Squats, 52.5kg
11 Toes to Bar
5:13 - 42.5kg, 8 toes to bar
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Today was just the reminder I needed, along with payoffwiz's comments, that my overhead mobility has gone down the drain after all that time off weightlifting. It wasn't even good to begin with. I'm going to recommit to at least 10 minutes a day of targetted mobility using GOWOD. 42.5 wasn't even heavy, but I was losing balance and it felt very awkward on my shoulders.
Crossfit
Metcon
Teams of 3:
60 Strict Pull Ups*
100 Handstand push-ups*
1600m Run (together)
16 Wall Walks
*Non-working athletes must hold plank (elbows) while work is done.
24:15 - in a team of 2, did all the reps (60 strict pull ups, 100 HSPU)
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I would say I am probably 3rd in my gym for gymnastics, maybe 4th for strength and like 25th in cardio. Our gym is a bit weird though and has a lot of decent endurance people and not many strong guys. Today I partnered with one of the guys who is better than me at gymnastics. And he was feeling bullish and convinced me to do all the reps even though we were in a team of 2 and it was written for a team of 3. It was kind of fun though. Pull ups were easy and HSPU became hard towards the end. I think I did 42-43 and he did 57-58.
Crossfit
Metcon
3 Rounds:
10 Front Squats (52.5kg)
10 Bar Facing Burpees
10 Pull Ups
-At 15:00-
30 Front Squats (52.5kg)
30 Bar Facing Burpees
30 Pull Ups
5:24, 6:44 - 40kg front squats
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Dropped down to 40kg last minute because of hayfever. It was a brutal and classic crossfit workout. I would have loved to do this when at 100%.
Crossfit
Metcon 1
12:00 AMRAP
Max Air Bike/Row/Ski Calories
*Every 2:00, including 0:00 perform:
12 Box Jumps (24/20)
12 Sit Ups
87 calories - row
Metcon 2
EMOM 10, alternating between -
1 - 4 strict HSPU
2 - 20 double unders
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Super fun
Crossfit
Strength
3 Push Press + 2 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk: 60, 62.5, 65, 65, 65
Metcon
100ft Wall Ball Lunge (9/6kg)
50 Hang Wall Ball Cleans (9/6kg)
100ft Wall Ball Lunge (9/6kg)
10 Wall Walks
100ft Wall Ball Lunge (9/6kg)
50 Hang Wall Ball Cleans (9/6kg)
100ft Wall Ball Lunge (9/6kg)
11:25
Crossfit
Metcon
5 Sets (New set every 5:00)
3:00 AMRAP
10 Strict Pull Ups
15 Dumbbell Bench (22.5/15kg)
*Max Calorie Ski, Row or Bike in Remaining Time
-rest 2:00 between sets-
114 - 27/27/27/21/12 - 20kg DBs, C2 bike
Accessory
3 sets:
15 Stick Sit Ups
30 Flutter Kicks (each side)
15 Standing Banded Pallof Press (each side)
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Nice little pump session combined with intervals. Pull-ups were easy enough and bench was unbroken for 3 rounds. I'm plodding along. Diet is under control.
Weightlifting
12 minute Snatch EMOM: 45x3, 47.5x3, 50x3, 52.5x3
12 minute Clean and Jerk EMOM: 60x3, 67.5x3, 72.5x3, 77.5x2, 80, 85
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Snatches are absolutely horrendous. Something is slightly off. I might take the next few weeks to do one snatch only session a week.
Weightlifting and Open Gym
3 High Hang Muscle Snatch + 3 Position Snatch Balance: 30, 30, 30, 30
*3 Positions are quarter squat, parallel and full squat.
2 Power Snatch: 40, 40, 42.5, 42.5
*Receive one rep in a quarter squat and one rep at parallel.
2 Snatch: 45, 45, 47.5, 50, 50
*Receive one rep just below parallel, and one rep in a deep squat.
Deadlift: 110x5, 120x3x3
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FINALLY. Snatches are back. My toes were coming off the ground in the first pull because my knees were in the way, and my weight was going back then forward. This caused the bar to loop. I tried my hardest to not do that and everything looks SO much better.
Open Gym
Bench Press: 70x5x5
Single Arm DB Row: 27.5x10x2, 25x10
DB Curls: 10sx10x2, 7.5sx10
Row: 6km, 2:21.6, 28 minutes and something
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I'm planning on doing hard WODs 3 times a week down from 4, and doing more strength, weightlifting, and easy cardio.
Crossfit
Strength
Front Squat: 85x3, 90x3x4
Metcon
6 rounds for time: (20 minute cap)
10 Thrusters (42.5kg)
12 Calorie Row
10 Bar Facing Burpees
12 Calorie Row
15:00 - 30kg, 8/9/8/9 reps, lateral burpees
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I was the only one in class and my session RPE was perfect (not too high). Some would say they are related. It definitely made it easier to ego lift and to scale properly. Front squats were easy enough.
The metcon's recommended finishing time was 15 minutes, so again scaled it perfectly. Round times were 2:33, 2:33, 2:34, 2:33, 2:38, 2:08. Really perfect RPE.
Crossfit
Weightlifting
Snatch: 40x3, 42.5x3, 45x3x2
Metcon
AMRAP 10:
50 Double Unders
10 Pull Ups
10 Deficit Push Ups, 4"
4+37
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Fun day. My training is going well again. I've been on a 10 day run of eating pretty decently and generally feel better. Today was actually 6x6 power snatches!! I used the time to work on my snatches. They continue to feel better after I've sorted out my first pull.
I wanted 4 rounds in the metcon, so I'm pretty pleased with 4+37. Round times were 1:49, 2:19, 2:36, and 2:38. I always wonder with metcons like these if a positive split is better than an even split. It's not straight up endurance, there is muscle fatigure involved as well. So do I stand around and do a 2:20 first round? Idk
Open Gym
25 Strict Chest-to-bar Pull-ups
50 Front Rack Lunges, 42.5kg
75 Sit-ups
Air Bike, 10 km
75 Sit-ups
50 Front Rack Lunges, 42.5kg
25 Strict Chest-to-bar Pull-ups
43:38 - easy pace, 25 bench press at 60kg instead of chest to bars, 15kg DBs for the lunges, 6 miles echo bike
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New skill unlocked. Our programming lacks long and easy conditioning, probably because they cater to people who goes 3 times a week. In which case it makes sense to go hard during those 3 days. I replaced today's with a long and easy Linchpin workout. I needed more pushing this week, so replaced the pull ups with bench. I will definitely do this going forward instead of an hour of easy cardio.
just noticed that the Crossfit Games are 8-11th August. Seems utterly insane for them to be scheduled on the final weekend of the Olympics
Weightlifting
1 Snatch Lift off to 1” + 1 Floating Snatch Pull + 1 Floating Snatch + 1 Snatch: 40, 45, 45
Power Snatch: 45, 50, 52.5, 55, 57.5, 60, 60, 62.5
3 Position Pause Snatch Deadlift: 70, 70, 70
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Snatches keep feeling good. It's amazing how the one tweak in my first pull changes everything. 62.5 power snatch was fairly easy.
just noticed that the Crossfit Games are 8-11th August. Seems utterly insane for them to be scheduled on the final weekend of the Olympics
I didn't even realize that. That's such a shame. The Olympics are the absolute pinnacle of sports watching. I'm really looking forward to the weightlifting.
