Becoming an Athlete

Crossfit is an amazing marketing engine. I love and hate it.  When I saw a barbell advertised as a "WOD bar", I had enough.  I can't justify spending $175 per month to work hard when most gyms either: have poor programming that won't lead to consistent improvement outsource their programming to places you could go directly (Invictus, MisFit, Mayhem, etc.) Have highly enthusiastic coaches with no understanding of long-term planning at all. So here I am training with my buddy making consistent, injury free progress, looking better at 41 than I did at 31. What we're doing now could arguably called CrossBuilding.  Like that?  Yet another CrossFit mashup to differentiate for no real reason. I REALLY like the Cross Lifting stuff coming out of Russia. Dimitri Klokov and Mikhail Koklyaev are just mind boggling.  They know more than I'll ever know about strength training, programming, and fitness.  Its astounding. So what I'm doing is nothing as sop

I'm as lean as I've ever been, and on track to get to a new peak leanness.  I'm running so freaking much, and my calves and shins are responding wonderfully.  Normally I get shin splints and knee pains, but my gradual mileage buildup has paid off. I'm 204lbs and at a lean 32" waist.  My abs are awesome, by my mediocre standards.  The only problem is I've had to cut back the lifting volume and my shoulders are looking a little small. Here's what is working: Monday AM: Chest & Back Monday PM: Distance run Tuesday AM: High Intensity Intervals Tuesday PM: Speed work (AKA Sprint buildups) Wednesday AM: Legs Wednesday PM: Recovery run Thursday AM: High Intensity Intervals Thursday PM: Speed work Friday AM: Shoulders & Arms Friday PM: Recovery run Saturday: Challenge day Sunday: Off

Now that I'm ramping up my run mileage for race season, I have to lift about half as often as I was lifting in previous blocks. All previous training blocks have been: Mon: Chest & Back (power/strength) Tues: Shoulders & Arms (strength) Wed: Legs: (power/strength) Thu: Chest & back (hypertrophy) Fri: Shoulders & Arms For Phase 2, which is Race prep, I've moved to a lower frequency lifting schedule so I can keep up the increased running / conditioning in the evenings. Phase 2 Morning Lifting Schedule: Monday: Chest & Back (strength/hypertrophy) Tuesday: Cardio Wednesday: Legs (strength/hypertrophy) Thursday: Cardio Friday: Arms (strength/hypertrophy) Saturday: Race Day or Challenge Day Phase 2 Evening Conditioning Schedule: Monday: Speed warmup, distance running Tuesday: Speed warmup, sprints, boxing Wednesday: Speed warmup, sprints, boxing Thursday: Speed warmup, distance running Friday: Speed warmup, recovery run Challeng

I've hit a plateau in my cleans.  Stuck at 205.  Switching to snatch grip high pull for this 3 week block.  All other lifts are making steady progress according to plan.  I'm turning up the intensity and ratcheting down the volume just a bit as I ramp up my running to prepare for a pretty aggressive race schedule: Warrior Dash: 3miler on 3/4/17 Bone Frog: 8miler on 4/29/17 Tough Mudder half: 5 miler 5/6/17 Spartan Super: 10-12 miler on 5/20/17