Full Week of Workout Videos - Monday Legs - Squats CrossFit

58 minutes - 688 Calories  Aprox- Average Heart Rate 142 - Max Heart Rate 189.

• Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Session Link 

Location: CrossFit Langley

Warmup & Mobility

Strength:

• Box Squats 225 lbs x10 reps (Legs)
• Box Squats 255 lbs x10 reps (Legs)
• Box Squats 275 lbs x10 reps (Legs)
• Box Squats 305 lbs x10 reps (Legs)
• Box Squats 365 lbs x6 reps (Legs)
• Standard Back Squat 225 lbs x10 reps (Legs)
• Standard Back Squat 225 lbs x10 reps (Legs)

Maintaining Strength After 2 Month Off From Doing Squats and Deadlifts

As many of you are aware that follow what I do here on GetFitOver40.com, I suffered a really bad calf tear about 2 months while ago while doing a 400 meter sprint and had to shut down some of my leg work in order to take care of the calf tear and let it heal up.

So for the most part to keep my leg gains, I have been doing Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, some Machine Leg Press and DB Straight Leg Deadlifts. For calves, just everyday walking around till it heals :(

I am happy to say that over the last few days I have started incorporating Squats and Deadlifts back into my workouts and feel pretty much as strong as before the calf injury. My last Deadlift workout I even managed 8 reps at 395 pounds even though the last couple reps where real grinders. Today I even PR'd a 3 rep 275 pound Front Squat so perhaps those leg extensions did me some good!

In terms of my calf rehab, my left calf is feeling really good but I do not want to ask too much too quickly so I have just started to reintroduce some calf work by doing single leg body weight calf raises to get my flexibility and range of motion back. So far so good and I'm surprised to find that my injured calf is actually keeping up fairly well with my good one so I am well on my way to a full recovery :)

Workout Journal - Front Squat Max 245

It's been a bit over a month since I went for a max Front Squat, Well today was Front Squat Day at my CrossFit gym and I could not remember what my best to date front squat was so I just did what felt good, our work up to max was based on a 3-2-1-1-1. So in other words we started out lighter and did three reps, then upped the weight and did 2 reps, then added some more for a single rep and then we added weight two more times to hopefully get to a max single Front Squat.

I ended up maxing out today at 245 pounds which after I checked back against my last personal front squat workout journal entry was 30 pounds over! Not bad improvements. I have been doing back squats and dead lifts which will for sure improve my overall front squat strength.

Video samples taken from (www.crossfit.com)

Workout Journal - Front Squat Max 215 - CrossFit Baseline Test Time 4:25

I thought I would start something new today, I will be posting some of my workout achievements when I hit first time or new goals. For one reason, I will be able to look back and see if I have improved and also so I have a reason to keep pushing harder to reach new targets.

Today at my CrossFit Class we did Front Squats which by the way are much harder to do than Back Squats! I was able to pump out a max Front Squat rep of 215 pounds, and I do go all the way down to the ground - meaning my hamstring touches my calf muscle at the bottom.

We also finished the days workout (so after my max front squat set) with a CrossFit Baseline Test which starts out with a 500 meter Row, 40 Air Squats, 30 Sit Ups, 20 Push Ups and 10 Pull Ups. I did my CrossFit Baseline Test in 4 minutes 25 seconds, not bad for an old guy ;) Lots of room for improvement here since my rowing technique really sucks right now and that was a big portion time wise of the test. My future goal will be to get to under 4 minutes!

Heres how some of the movements needed to be performed in order to be considered full reps:

• Squats – Squat below parallel, hip crease below your knee crease. (I did mine hamstring to calf again for this)
• Sit Ups – Shoulders must start on the ground, sit up enough to touch the ground in front of you, and return to shoulder ground position.
• Push Ups – Chest to deck and arms straight on the top.
• Pull Ups – Chin over bar. Full extension at the bottom.

Video samples taken from (www.crossfit.com)