Author: cfdavis

EMOM for 10 Minutes
30 seconds of Handstand Push-Ups

For today’s skill work we are working on a difficult gymnastics skill.  The strength and skill minimum for attempting handstand push-ups is 10 perfect and unbroken push-ups as well as at least a 60 second handstand hold.  If you aren’t able to perform the base skills, scale the movement to one that gets you working on the movement and addresses your biggest weakness. Spend 30 seconds of each  minute working on the skill by working in small sets or performing single reps if need be. Scale with one or two abmats in order to learn the skill but any more than that and you are better off choosing a scaling option that will address strength issues.  Pike push-ups with your feet on the ground or on a box are a great option.

WOD

AMRAP in 12 Minutes

12 Power Clean 95/65 lb
8 Front rack walking lunge step 95/65 lb
4 Strict press 95/65 lb

Workout notes: Today’s workout is all about the barbell! The benchmark load is on the lighter side so you should be looking to use a weight you can perform very large sets with. Going unbroken isn’t required of course but if you find you are unable to perform each round in 1-2 sets per movement, you may have gone too heavy.  Most athletes will need to choose their barbell load based off of your abilities in the strict press or lunge.  You’ll need to go with the lighter of the two movements. Lunges have an increased level of difficulty because they are unilateral and the press requires you to remain static below the shoulders which eliminates the efficiency you would get from a push press or jerk and focuses on shoulder strength.

[creativ_alertbox icon=”” colour=”theme” custom_colour=””]Next Friday we are having a pumpkin carving party and gift card collection for those affected by the Nor-Cal Fires. Bring a pumpkin to carve, carving tools if you have them and a gift card to donate. We will have Sudwerk beer and Halloween treats! The fun kicks off at 6:30 pm after the 5:30 class. Bring your kids, family or friends! [/creativ_alertbox]

Skill

Deadlift

2-2-2-2-2

Work up to a strong effort set of 2 deadlifts.  This doesn’t necessarily mean you go up to max effort, but work up in weight as you feel comfortable. Judge your effort by the strain it takes you to achieve each lift.  New lifters should keep the load light and work on proper body mechanics as they increase in weight.  Start with a light weight and make sure that you have established a straight back and an  appropriate setup as you address the bar.  Be sure to maintain your posture as you progress through each set and as you increase in weight.

WOD

for time

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Medicine ball sit-up 20/14 lb
Box Jump 24/20″

Workout notes: Today’s workout is a task priority couplet with two bodyweight movements but we’ll be upping the ante on the sit-ups and adding a medicine ball.  Tap the ball behind your head and between your feet for every rep.  Scale to a box height you can successfully jump to throughout the entire workout using a smaller box or a stack of plates.  If for any reason you should not be jumping you can perform step ups on a regular box.

[creativ_alertbox icon=”” colour=”theme” custom_colour=””]Mark your calendars! The date is set for our 4th annual Hometown Hoedown, in house competition and member celebration. Don’t miss it! This year will not disappoint! [/creativ_alertbox]

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes

[odd] Kipping chest to bar pull-ups
[even] 40 second arch hold

For this skill work you will be working on maintaining a set of kipping pull-ups for 5 rounds and an arch hold for 5 rounds. If you are new to the kipping swings you should be working the cadence and timing of your swing so you can link repetitions together.  That usually means working on small sets of 2-5 for each round. Leave yourself plenty of rest so you can lower the intensity and use this as skill work.   If you are still working on building the strength to support kipping swings and pull-ups work for about 30 seconds performing jumping pull-ups with a slow lower down.  On even rounds you will work the arch position for as much of 40 seconds as possible. Keep your body tight with legs and arms extended.  For an additional challenge try hold a PVC pipe with your arms outstretched.

WOD

AMRAP in 10 Minutes
10 Medicine Ball Clean 20/14 lb
10 Push ups

Workout notes: Today’s workout features one of CrossFit’s nine foundational movements.  The medicine ball clean may look simple but it requires quick reflexes and coordination to perform properly. Start by deadlifting the ball off of the floor and as the ball passes your knees quickly open the hips to create some vertical momentum.  Immediately after full extension you will need to drop under the ball while rotating your hands around the ball while dropping into a full squat.  Stand up and you have finished the rep.  Scale your push-ups to a standard for the entire workout even as they become more difficult under fatigue. Maintain a rigid torso throughout the entire rep.

WOD

AMRAP in 20 Minutes
15 Deadlift 155/105 lb
12 Hang power clean 155/105 lb
9 Push-Jerk 155/105 lb
200M Run

Workout notes: Today’s workout is a twist on the classic CrossFit hero workout “DT“.  Complete as many reps and rounds as possible in 20 minutes of 1 round of DT and a 200M run.  With each round you will have a bit of recovery for your grip as you complete the run so use this opportunity to push the pace a bit on the barbell complex.  With that being said the running does take up a lot of time on this workout so you’ll want keep the intensity high and get back to the barbell as quickly as possible.  Most of us will need to break up the barbell movements into manageable sets so remember to strategize your rest periods so you don’t do additional reps of the deadlift and cleans when transitioning from one movement to another!

[creativ_alertbox icon=”” colour=”red” custom_colour=””]We will have a large group in the gym today from 10:30-12. The front of the gym and mobility room will be available for use after classes, but the main gym floor/pull-up rig etc. will not. Open Gym will be available from 12-2 if you have extra stuff to work on. Please plan accordingly! Saturday class times will run as usual![/creativ_alertbox]

WOD

Every 5 minutes for 30 minutes

[odd]

30 Wall ball shots 20/14 lb 10/9′
400M Run

[even]

400M Run
30 wall ball shots 20/14 lb 10/9′

Workout notes: Today’s workout is an interval style workout. You will have a total of 6 rounds with a 5 minute window to complete 30 wall ball shots and a 400M run.  You have 3 rounds each either starting on the wall ball shots or on the run. Try to complete each interval as fast as possible and rest with any additional time that you have.  If you run out of time in any round then complete the workout as an AMRAP of 30 wall ball shots and 400M run rather than using the alternating rep scheme. Your score will be the total time it takes to complete each round or your total rounds of 30 wall ball shots and 400m run if you are unable to complete each round under the cap.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
3 Power Snatch

Perform three power snatches every minute for a total of 10 rounds. You can choose to link your reps together or perform three singles, but make sure you’re able to get all 3 reps done within each minute.  The weight you choose should be in the  moderate effort range.  An appropriate weight would likely be 65-70% or less for newer lifters. Consider starting with a weight you are very familiar with and increasing by small increments if  the lifts are going well.  Even though we are not squatting in this version of the snatch, make sure to drop underneath the bar slightly as you catch it with your hips behind you.  If mobility is an issue for you, talk to your coach about practicing a split snatch!

WOD

AMRAP in 10 Minutes

10 Burpees jumping to a plate
10 Overhead walking lunge steps 45/35 lb

Workout notes: Today’s workout is a couplet with the always difficult burpee and unilateral overhead walking lunge step.  We’ll be finishing our burpees by reaching full extension of the hip and knee after jumping onto a small plate. You do not need to clap overhead at the end of every rep.  Use the same plate for your overhead walking lunge steps. You will want to have your shoulders, elbows and wrists stacked above the body throughout the entire rep similarly to the way you would hold a handstand.  If you are having difficulty keeping the plate locked out due to mobility issues consider scaling by holding the plate at your chest or just performing the reps unweighted.

Skill 

10×1 Lunge Kick to Freestanding handstand OR Handstand Walk practice

Have some fun with the skill work today! Make several attempts to kick into and hold a free standing handstand.  For beginners start by just gently rocking up into the upside down position and increase the height of your legs with each attempt.  Don’t go all out in the beginning and turn over too far.  Make sure to start with locked out arms and have a bail out plan or partner assist in place so you don’t come crashing down.  If you are new to this skill start against a wall with some handstand holds or wall walks if you are not quite ready to kick up yet.  If you are comfortable kicking in to a freestanding handstand on your own spend todays skill work time practicing walking on your hands!

WOD

7 rounds of 30 seconds on 30 seconds off at each station

Row for calories
Box Jumps 24/20″
Two arm dumbbell power cleans 50/35 lb

Workout notes: Today’s workout will be scored as you would score the workout “Fight Gone Bad”. Count your total number of reps accumulated across all stations and rounds to come up with one score.  You will be working for a total of 30 seconds on each movement with 30 seconds to recover and move to your next station. Each “round” will include all 3 stations and last 3 minutes so you have a total of 21 rounds, hitting each movement 7 times.   There is rest after each movement so use your best effort to work continuously at each station. This an interval style workout in a longer time domain lasting 21 minutes so the potential for a high amount of volume is present. If you are new to CrossFit or that level of volume consider scaling to 4 or 5 rounds.

Skill
Front Squat
4-4-4-4-4

Today we’re working up to a strong effort 4 rep front squat.  With the front squat we want to focus on keeping the elbows up and chest as upright as possible.  As with any kind of squatting you’ll want to practice keeping your knees out and tracking over your feet. Remember to release the grip on the bar a bit in the front squat and load the bar onto your torso which should help you keep your elbows and chest up. If you have a mobility problem holding you back from keeping your elbows up you can always try crossing your arms across the bar or modifying that in some way.  Feel free to choose one weight and work there for all sets rather than adding weight as you go.

WOD

AMRAP in 15 Minutes

50 Sit-ups
35 Kettlebell Swings 32/24 kg
20 Push-ups

Workout notes: Today we have a time priority triplet with two bodyweight movements and a large set of kettlebell swings sandwiched in the middle.  Each movement has a fairly high amount of volume per round so finding a sustainable cadence will be important.  35 reps of swings is on the large side so most athletes will need to break up each round into a couple of sets. If you have been regularly hitting the benchmark weights but not sure if you should scale, consider performing russian style swings as a scaling option rather than dropping weight.  If 50 sit-ups in a row sounds like a lot, consider dropping the number to something more manageable so you don’t get stuck at one movement for too long.

EMOM for 10 Minutes

[odd] Kipping Toe-To-Bar
[even] 40 seconds of double unders

Our skill work is a great opportunity to refine two common movements. You’ll have a total of 5 opportunities each to work on the kipping swing/toe-to-bar and double unders.  If you are new to the kipping swing  start by alternating between the hollow and arch position on the bar and follow that by pulling the knees in and up as high as possible. Remember that this is skill practice so don’t start with a max set or use this to test your overall work capacity if you haven’t mastered these skills yet.  Start with small sustainable sets and try to maintain that effort across each round.

WOD

for time

15-12-9

Power cleans 135/95 lb
Thrusters 135/95 lb

Workout notes: Today’s workout comes to us from CrossFit.com! We have a task priority couplet with two weightlifting movements!  Most athletes will find that thrusters have a higher difficulty level than the power cleans so you will want to scale your load based on your ability with thrusters.  The advantage with power cleans is that you can perform them as single repetitions and still maintain a fast cadence. Thrusters on the other hand are usually performed in sets. If you are forced to perform single reps of thrusters from the outset of the workout you have gone too heavy.