first 8 weeks after GB seminar, gains/losses

Hi all,

I've been working out with Jason at CrossFit Portland since coming back from the GB seminar in May. We had been doing the WODs before the seminar and decided to focus on statics (BL, FL, PL) as per recommended by Coach. MTTHFR, we did our static holds, 6 holds for each position. We had checked our PRs first and then started this journey. During these 8 weeks, I have done a few CrossFit metcon workouts...average a little less than 1 per week. However, I have been sprinting 3-5 times a week. Short hills 2-3 week, mix in 1-2 tempo sprint days as well.

In the first few workouts, it was just statics and then attempting a scaled down version of the WOD afterwards. Soon, we started to pair another movement with the static to break up the monotony and also I guess this is what Coach talks about in the programming part of his book. For example, BL + muscle ups, PL + Hespu, FL + Pistols. I basically stopped doing the GB WODs at this point.

We took a break here and there in the 8 weeks and just retested this Monday.

Start:

Tuck Planche 12 seconds

BL Straddle 4 seconds

FL straddle 6 seconds

Post:

Tuck Planche 14 seconds, arms much straighter, hips higher

BL half tuck 15 seconds, straddle 4-5 seconds. Got a full BL for 1 second a week before testing for the first time!

FL straddle 12 seconds

I wanted to test my Deadlift, Press, and Back Squat. Recently developed a knee injury so I'm laying off it for a while but still curious and will retest when i can. My Hespu's #'s have gone up (we "embedded" these with our statics on and off, 1-3 reps with a static hold) and my endurance to complete more of them in a given time has gone up as well. My Muscle ups have improved, I can do them slower and with a wider grip now. Oh, I also developed the OAC lockoff with both arms (we embedded these as well). This was impossible 8 weeks ago.

Pains-Injuries:

Elbows - definitely started to develop joint pain in the elbows about 4 weeks in. did as much elbow prehad as I could, lay off the volume, took breaks. It is feeling better now and I have 1/2'ed the back lever volume I will doing in the next 8 weeks.

Got the knee pain/injury but that's from sprinting.

Overall, its been fun and made great gains. Looking to mix it up somewhere and keep things interesting but definitely going to continue with the statics.

Oh, a friend of ours joined us about 2 weeks in. She was in the beginning of all the statics - Frog stand instead of PL, ring support instead of BL, just being inverted instead of FL. She has improved DRAMATICALLY in the 6 weeks. She tuck planched for a split second, 7 second tucked BL - flat back, and I forgot where her FL is at now. Ring supports are better.

Get this, She is an aspiring O-Lifter and her previous Jerk max is 110 lbs. She just tested today and it is now 133 lbs. No O-lifting in the last 8 weeks, a few CF metcons.

Thanks Coach!

Xi Xia

xi xia said:

Get this, She is an aspiring O-Lifter and her previous Jerk max is 110 lbs. She just tested today and it is now 133 lbs. No O-lifting in the last 8 weeks, a few CF metcons

That's incredible. It is however also consistent with my own experience of the applicability of gymnastics strength across a wide range of athletic activities.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Hi Coach,

Yeah, she is pretty stoked about it. Curious to see how it goes from this point on. I think the first 8 weeks have been like the "Honeymoon" stage...since we are complete newbies to this, I expected to make some rapid gains. Will the next 8 weeks be as impactful?

I've been thinking of my plans for the next 8 weeks and I think I want to cut out Back levers unless it comes up on a ring series GB WOD day. Instead of BL, do some more general gymnastic conditioning and see if the time off and also time spent on general conditioning will strengthen my elbows enough for resuming BL in more full force later on. I will continue with PL and FL.

xx

Xi xia,

Nice to hear about those results, brother. Very nice indeed for such a short period of time.

Keep it up, and continue reporting of your progress,

Ido.

Friends,

I'd also like to mention that I think XX's gains are even more remarkable because he is is 6-feet-2, weighs 195, and pretty much in every other way defies the stereotypical gymnast phenotype.

best,

jason

"I Do"! Rochelle made me say that Thanks for your encouragement.

Ido Portal said:

Xi xia,

Nice to hear about those results, brother. Very nice indeed for such a short period of time.

Keep it up, and continue reporting of your progress,

Ido.

Those results are great, keep up the great work!

I have a similar experience with the cross over benifits. Back around Feburary I was deadlifting 185 with great effort to get through 3 sets of 5 reps. Last month I went into the gym just to see if anything has changed (for better or worse, keep in mind I havnt done any lifting since then). I put on 155 and pull it with little effort as expected. I then put on 185 and, to my surprise, pulled that 5 times with little effort as well. So I stepped it up to 205 and pulled that with some effort but it really wasnt that bad. Sadly I didnt get to continue because the gym was closing and I have yet to get a chance to go back and see what I can really do. I also overhead squatted 115 . . . previous max 65 (same tiem frame) lol

Gymnastics training is really great and fun too!

All the rings exercises will definitely help with pulling on DL because of improving the grip and shoulder pulling. Besides, just like DL, all rings exercises are intense.

I might try and hit the gym on monday and see what I can really pull. Will post back. 8)

Strict Pressed 170 (PR, previous was 167.5) and Deadlifted 405 (PR, previous was 400). Both were maximal efforts. Nice to see that those did not go down and experience a slight uptick.

xx

benched today for the heck of it. Haven't benched in forever. Also Back squatted.

Bench was 225, smooth. 245 fail. always hovered around 225-235 since Crossfitting in 2007.

Squat was 309, slow, max. Previous was 325 (march 09) and that was not super slow, failed at 345.

FYI

xx

and finally, weight chin. Previous PR was 75 ish? New PR, 90, almost 95. Chin over bar, not bar to chest

xi xia said:

benched today for the heck of it. Haven't benched in forever. Also Back squatted.

Bench was 225, smooth. 245 fail. always hovered around 225-235 since Crossfitting in 2007.

Squat was 309, slow, max. Previous was 325 (march 09) and that was not super slow, failed at 345.

FYI

xx

Do you still do Cross Fit workouts with the GB WODs?

Coach, Dudes,

Followed XX's weighted chin test today. Previous PR was 75# at 142 BW.

Today pulled 90# at 162 BW; just more than 50%.

I am psyched.

best,

jason