Road to the 2027 Crossfit Games

Looks like you're getting under the bar much better.

Crossfit

Metcon
5 Sets
2:00 AMRAP:
30 Air Squats
Max Calorie Row

- Rest 2:00 between sets -

122 calories - 25/25/24/24/24

Accessory
Bench Press: 50x10, 55x10x2
DB Chest Flys: 7.5sx12x3
Banded Tricep Extension: 3x10

------------------------------

Another super fun day. My goal for the metcon was to not fall apart. The first round felt pretty easy, but I just about hung on. I did the 30 air squats like a madman in 30 seconds and rowed around 1:55. Nice pump afterwords from the pushing.

Yeah for sure. It's crazy how a slight tweak makes everything better. Snatches are the one movement for me that just falls apart if I don't do it often.

Crossfit

Strength
Deadlift: 75x10, 90x5, 105x5, 115XAMRAP=15

Metcon
200m Run
18-15-12-9-6-3
Hang Power Snatch, 42.5kg

11:20 - 30kg

------------------------------

It looks like we are doing a 5/3/1 cycle for squats and deadlifts. I started super light just being smart about my back. A lot of my strength gains from 5/3/1 came from a very conservative training max anyway. 115x15 was actually pretty comfortable, I feel like I could have done 20+. Perhaps too light.

The metcon was no fun in the heat. Brutally hot and I went at 12pm. Snatches were all unbroken except 2 sets in the first 2 rounds.

Crossfit

Strength
Front Squat: 60x10, 70x5, 80x5, 87.5xAMRAP=12 (rep PR)

Metcon
AMRAP 14:
14 Calorie Row
7 Strict Handstand Push Ups
14 Dumbbell Step Ups, 15kgs, 20in box

4+14

--------------------------

Pretty great day. Front Squat was a fairly easy rep PR. My back rounded on the last rep, so I stopped there, but I could have done a couple more. It doesn't look too bad on the video.

This is my kind of metcon. I would be at worst 4th across both gyms. That's purely because of the volume of strict handstand pushups. The Open used to be like this, but has deviated. HSPU was 3+2+2 for all rounds. Step ups were surprisingly hard and gassy. Round times were 2:38, 3:19, 3:28, 3:26, so I paced it pretty well.

Edit - After watching the video again, my squats are so sloppy. I need to tighten everything up and screw my feet in. This is what happens to me when I stop recording a particular movement for a few months

Bike

C2 Bike: 60 minutes, 2:27.3

Squats don't look bad to me. Looks like you might be coming up on your forefoot a bit but I wouldn't call them sloppy.

yes, I think a little more on the heels too but the movement looks decent other than that

Open Gym

Power Snatch + Hang Snatch + Snatch: 42.5, 42.5, 45, 45, 45
5 minute Snatch EMOM: 50, 50, 50, 50, 50
5 minute Snatch EMOM: 50, 50, 50, 50, 50

---------------------------

I have been dabbling with the idea of going full time weightlifting to do something new. The aim would be to qualify for the British Masters and perhaps European Masters.

Today was quite frustrating though. The first part felt good. Then the EMOM felt okay, but looked bad on the video. I repeated it because I was frustrated.

The coming up on my front is actually only on one side. That's the hip mobility imbalance I have that causes all my lower back issues. You can see me landing sideways on all my snatches as well. It's all the more reason for me to be super careful of my form.

Open Gym and Crossfit

Strength
Front Squat: 62.5x10, 72.5x5, 82.5x5, 92.5x5

Metcon
3-6-9-12-15-18-21
Dumbbell Push Press (2x 22.5kg DBs)
Box Jump Overs (24")

9:34 - 17.5s

Accessory
Pull up bar hang: 3x35s
5 second negative pull up: 3x3
Strict pull ups: 3x5

1 minute rest between each

-------------------------------

I went early and squatted and it was a bit much with cycling to and from. But I enjoyed it. I remembered to tighten up with squats and they look a bit more stable.

Crossfit

Metcon
4 sets:
2:30 AMRAP
20 Bench Press, 42.5kg
20 Kettlebell Goblet Squats, 24kg
Max meter Row in remaining time (rollover meters count)

-Rest 2:30 between sets-

1191m - 347/368/288/188 - only did 12 BP in the last round

Accessory
Some core stuff

---------------------------------

My bench presses are SO much worse than others with a similar 1 rep max or even a worse 1 rep max when it's high volume. Similarly, it's the same with my pull-ups. I get this dull pain and I can't grip anything. The first 2 rounds were unbroken. The 3rd round was 14+6. The 4th round was 7+3!!!+2f!!!! There is no reason for me not to be able to do 20 bench presses at 42.5kg after a 2:30 break, with that much volume prior.

I am torn between it being my grip is weak (and so do more carries, etc) or something to do with my tennis elbow (so do less? idk).

They just stopped the live stream of the run/swim event because someone (Dukic I think) went missing in the swim. Really horrifying and sad if true.

It's probably gg to the amateur way they do things at the games.

I have a hard time seeing how grip would be a limiting factor on bench.

It's been a long time since I paid any attention to the CrossFit games but that's awful. I don't understand how that can happen at an ostensibly professionally run event.

Well, the answer is that it's a) CrossFit and b) now owned by private equity. Obviously a horrible situation all around, but some of the videos I've seen have shown some pretty extensive breakdowns in what I'd assume proper safety protocol is in situations like this.

And it’s confirmed he died. What a horror situation

I smell lawyers

Crossfit

Strength
Deadlift: 80x10, 100x5, 115x5, 120x5

Metcon
For time: (13 minute cap)
50-40-30-20-10-20-30-40-50
Double Unders
5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5
Wall Walks

12:40 - 4/3/2/2/1/2/2/3/4 for both - skipping rope broke in the last set of 30

-------------------------------

I skipped the AMRAP set of deadlifts, will do it next week. I'm being smart about my back.

We had a drop in who did this next to me. She paced it so perfectly. Last to finish the first set of wall walks and first to finish. It's a great reminder to not get carried away at the beginning.

Some thoughts regarding the games yesterday, having read a lot of extreme opinions:

- Firstly, it was heartbreaking. His brother was also competing and swam past him drowning. So horrible.
- It was a freak accident. There are multiple triathlete deaths every year. This guy was a national water polo player and not a recreational swimmer.
- Having said that, it was also gross negligence by whoever is in charge. There are only 80 people swimming as opposed to hundreds (thousands?) in a triathlon. They blatantly weren't prepared or hadn't thought through scenarios like this. There is no excuse for that.

Hopefully this just makes the Games more professional and cleans everything up. It has always been poorly run - from unpaid judges to terrible live streams.

Crossfit

Metcon
2 sets:

3:00 AMRAP
1 Rope Climb (or 3 Burpee Pull Ups)
8/6 Calorie Row/Air Bike/Ski

-rest 3:00-

3:00 AMRAP
15 Deficit Push Ups (4in/2in)
75ft Farmers Carry (32.5/22.5kg)

-rest 3:00-

3:00 AMRAP
15 V-Ups
75ft Dumbbell Front Rack Carry (2x22.5/15kg)

-rest 3:00 -

3+7, 2+13, 3, 3+3, 2+5, 2+15

---------------------------------

Super fun. This was actually a partner workout, where you one partner goes during the rest period. So it was a nice head to head. I did it with a guy who is way fitter than me on came 2nd in our gym in the Open and I beat him by 1 rep!! But, the limiting factor in this is only cardio for the first AMRAP, it is the gymnastics for the last 2 AMRAPS (deficit pushups and v-ups). So it kind of suited me. The carries were a non factor.

Weightlifting
Snatch Balance: 40, 42.5, 45, 42.5, 45, 47.5, 45, 47.5, 50, 52.5
Snatch: 35x3, 40x2, 45, 40x3, 45x2, 50, 55, 57.5, 50, 50, 50, 50x2

----------------------------

Really good session. I was meant to stop snatching at 57.5 and move on to clean and jerks, but it just felt good, so I continued. Touch n go reps from last week made everything click. They felt better because I kept my upper back engaged when lowering the bar. I did that from the setup and everything feels so good.

I've been thinking more and more in the last month about either going back to Linchpin, or go 100% weightlifting for a bit and see if I like it. I've never done only weightlifting and I think even if it's not for me, doing it for a while can only help crossfit.

I attached the British masters qualifying totals. My current best total is 169.5 (73.5 and 96). I weighed 78 then and was 37 years old. I'm nearly 38.

I feel like in a couple of years when I hit 40, hitting 168kg at <73 BW is pretty doable. Or even 176 at <81 BW. Especially if I train only weightlifting. It would be quite cool to be at a national championship (and probably finish last).

Go for it. Competing in Masters stuff is great fun and it would be cool to see what you can get up to.

Crossfit

Strength
Deadlift: 85x10, 100x5, 115x3, 125xAMRAP=11 (rep PR!)

Metcon
3 rounds:
15 Calorie Row
12 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch, 22.5kg
9 Burpee Over Dumbbell

-Rest until 12:00-

1 round:
45 Calorie Row
36 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch, 22.5kg
27 Burpee Over Dumbbell

6:16, 7:17 - 20kg DB

----------------------------------

Outstanding day. That was a deadlift rep PR at a very easy RPE. My 1RM is 162.5 from years ago, and I did quite a few AMRAP sets back then doing 5/3/1. I've been cautious with pushing my deadlift since then and have trained at sub maximal weights. My rep PRs from then were 120x11 and 125x9. Today's projected 1RM is 171 from this set, and I am pretty sure I could have done 15. I wonder if I can deadlift 180. I think 170 is a lock.

I pushed myself pretty hard in this metcon. I probably should have just used the 22.5. It wouldn't have added that much time.

I'm in a weird place with training. If qualifying for the quarterfinals in the Open is my priority, I should be hammering out cardio (and not wasting an hour a week doing snatches). My strength and gymnastics is more than enough for that. If weightlifting is my priority, I should stop crossfit or maybe just do it 1-2 times a week. I'm just doing what's fun for now, and I guess that's okay too.

Yeah I was surprised at those qualifying standards. I am not that far off the European championships as well. Perhaps I'm just better suited to weightlifting than crossfit, which is a sentence I never thought I would utter, given the state of my snatches a couple of years ago.

I did a 12 week cycle of Oly 4x/week and maybe 1 CF class about 10 years ago. Got bettter of course with a perk of being strongest in squat I’ve ever been, result of quart in 3-4x per week as accessory for Oly. Was scared at first of injury with that much squat, but never felt better (I was 45). Had to hit 182 for national (US) at the time and did so.

I’d recommend a cycle just to change it up and get better in Oly/sqautting. Maybe go to nationals and compete on that stage….the studs will be +50kg in their totals but who cares. My local meet where I qualified I followed myself each lift in my weight class (I was the only Old there)….whatever. Was still fun and held my state record in total for a bit.

That's really interesting, would love to hear more details. How much did you put on your snatch/clean and jerk/squat? What was your bodyweight? What programming did you follow and did you have a coach there for all your sessions?

I think you're right, committing to one 3-4 month cycle and then see how I feel might be the way to go. I need to think up logistics of how to do it.

it's what I did too after leaving crossfit. we did the 12 week Hatch Squat program 2x a week and then did 1 Snatch and 1 C&J session a week separately. We would then do a bro type upper body strength session and after two of the squat or o lift sessions we would do a 5-10 min wod as well

did it for 2 complete squat cycles and then hurt my back in the middle of the third

I left my crossfit box only having a 60kg Snatch and got it up to 82.5kg in 6 months. clean and jerk progress was less but I got at least 15% more iirc

walked around feeling incredible with all the squatting and explosive work

It was 3-4 days per week with a coach. Simple programming, focused on core lifts of snatch, clean and jerk spending lots of times in 70% range. That’s apparently light enough to keep technique while also being heavy enough. Every day finished with either FS or BS, sets of 3-5 and some pauses.

I had shoulder mobility and hit 79 snatch (3 for 3) and 103 c&J (2 for 3, jumped to 110 last attempt just cuz and missed lockout). Lifted at 98 which is my current weight. At start of cycle my maxes were probably 65ish and 95ish. My squat jumped big time - hit 150 on FS and 182 for BS within a month of ending Oly cycle, added 10-20kg on each

Coach was a good,guy just passionate about WL and kept us compliant and consistent. Not even full time coach.