Category: Workout of the Day

Skill

Tabata Toe-to-bar or kipping swings

For our skill work spend your time practicing one set of kipping toe-to-bar in every twenty second work period. If you are new to the movement practice connecting kipping swings and getting your knees or toes as high as possible while maintaining a fluid hollow-to-arch swing.

WOD

AMRAP in 20 Minutes

16 Hang power clean 115/85 lb
8 Front rack walking lunge steps 115/85 lb
400M Run

Workout notes

We have another long workout on the menu today.  There’s a heavy emphasis on the barbell with a large set of hang power cleans coupled with a set of walking lunges.  Be sure to test both movements and adjust your load based on which movement is harder.  You’ll want to be able to knock out large sets with both movements.  For the hang power cleans starting with a large set and finishing each round in 2-3 sets would be a good target.  As far as the lunges go you have four reps per leg in each round so ideally you should be able to hit a set of eight while fresh.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
30 seconds of strict handstand push-ups

Today we’re working on handstand push-ups in their strict form.  Strict hspu require more strength than kipping so scale if you need to but keep the stimulus intact. Use a box and perform push-ups in a pike position if you are still building the strength.  If you are just learning the movement using 1 or 2 abmats is okay but remove them over time as you gain proficiency.  Focus on finding the same tripod position that you do in kipping hspu and keep your body tight as you lower yourself down and press back up. Handstand push-up sets are hard to maintain so keep that in mind when deciding how many to do during each work period.

WOD

AMRAP in 15 Minutes

21 Double unders
15 Sit-ups
9 Wall ball shots 20/14lb 10/9′

Workout notes

Today’s workout is a fairly long one with small set sizes for each movement.  In a format like this we’re likely looking at a pretty high round count with a lot of transitions.  Make sure you move quickly and keep the intensity high throughout the workout.  Since the set sizes are so small and we have the backstop of the AMRAP to bail us out you do have the opportunity to test a heavier medicine ball or notching an RX for the double unders if you feel that you are ready!

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes

1 Power clean with pause below the knees

We’re working on some positional weightlifting for today’s skill work.  You will have ten opportunities to work on power cleans.  In the power clean we are pulling the bar from the floor with hands just outside of the hips and receiving the bar at the shoulders in a partial squat prior to standing up to finish the lift.  In this version of the power clean we’ll add a pause below the knees which should help you isolate any positional issues you need to work on.  Focus on pulling the bar from the floor under control with the  chest up.  After the bar passes your knees, generate aggressive vertical momentum by violently opening the hips and catching the bar with your elbows up.  Remember that even though we’re working on the power clean you should still drop lower into a partial squat as the bar gets heavier.

WOD

3 Rounds for time

30 Alternating dumbbell snatch 50/35 lb
15 Strict press 95/65 lb

Workout notes

Today’s workout is a weightlifting couplet with two implements.   Each round starts with a large set of alternating dumbbell snatches.  Use a dumbbell weight light enough that you can complete large sets of snatches as “TnG” reps or single reps with a quick reset on the floor. With ninety total reps on the menu the weight should be light enough that you can get through each round of thirty without compromising your technique for any single repetition. Plan to get each set of thirty done in 2-3 sets. The second movement in our couplet is the always difficult strict press.  The benchmark barbell load probably seems like it is fairly light but for most us the “Rx” load will be challenging.  Scale the barbell to a weight you can knock out at least ten while fresh and resist the urge to incorporate the lower body to propel the weight vertically.  Similar to bodyweight push-ups, we’ll all eventually hit a wall and need to set the barbell down. When that happens just take a few seconds rest and pick up the bar when you are ready for another set rather than adjusting the load or resorting to push press.

WOD

with a partner

1 Mile run with a medicine ball 20/14 lb
100 devil press 50/35 lb

Workout notes

For today’s workout we’ll be partnering up and working through a two movement chipper.  We’ll start with a one mile run carrying a medicine ball. You and your partner will need one medicine ball that you can transfer as little or as often as you like while you are on the run.  When you make your way back to the gym set your med ball aside and start working on a large set of devil press,  The “devil press” starts by doing a burpee with your hands on each of two dumbbells. Stand up from the burpee with your feet outside of the DB’s as you deadlift the DB’s into the hang position and finish with with a snatch or clean and jerk. The devil press is definitely as hard as it sounds so choose your weights wisely and make sure both partners are capable of working with that load. With a tough movement like this one, small sets will most likely make the most sense to keep things moving quickly.

WOD

10 Rounds of 1.5 Minutes on 1.5 Minutes off

[odd]
10 Toe-to-bar
10 Two arm dumbbell thrusters 50/35 lb
Max effort air assault for calories

[even]
10 Toe-to-bar
10 Two arm dumbbell thrusters 50/35 lb
Max effort row for calories

WORKOUT NOTES

Today’s workout is a ten round interval workout with a 1:1 work rest ratio.  You will start each round with ten toe-to-bar and ten dumbbell thrusters prior to repping out calories on the bike or the rower.  We’ll alternate between bike and rowing every other interval so you will have a total of five opportunities to score calories on each machine.  To setup for this workout we’ll get into groups of at least two and up to four.  Each group will need two pairs of dumbbells as well as a rower and a bike.  Two athletes will be working at a time starting with toe-to-bar and then finishing on either the bike or rower.  When ninety seconds have elapsed the second pair will start working in the same fashion while the first pair rests.  When round one is over athletes will start again on toe-to-bar but switch from the bike to the row or vice versa.  Continue in that fashion until all four athletes have finished ten rounds and have been on each machine five times.   Your score will be the total number of calories you accumulate after all ten rounds.

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

15 Kettlebell swings 32/24 kg
30 Double unders

WORKOUT NOTES

We have two movements in today’s workout.  Each round starts with a small set of double unders.  This workout is a great opportunity to work on the skill. If you are just getting started with double unders but aren’t sure how long thirty reps will take you, decide on a number of reps you could complete in about thirty to forty-five seconds and scale the number in each round to that amount.  If you start failing reps give yourself a minute max and move on to the kettlebell.  Scaling double unders for single unders is a good option as well but make a double under attempt in every round.  Each round includes fifteen kettlebell swings.  If you are proficient at both movements this workout will feel like a fairly kettlebell dominant workout.   You are not required to go unbroken during the workout of course but your chosen weight should be one that you could easily perform a set of fifteen when fresh.

SKILL

EMOM for 10 Minutes

1 Slow pull squat clean

Today’s skill work has us working on positional awareness in the first pull of the squat clean.  Start by lifting  the bar from the floor as you keep your hips low and your back upright.  Practice pulling  the bar off of the floor under control and gradually increase speed without compromising your upper body positioning.   As the bar passes your knees, violently open the hips to create vertical lift and quickly drop into a receiving position.  When you catch the bar in the bottom of your squat drive the bar upward aggressively to finish the rep.  You will have ten opportunities to work on this lift so make every rep count.   Remember that this is skill work so maxing out your lift is not a priority. Start light and work up to a moderate load that allows you to test a reasonable weight but do not sacrifice your mechanics.

WOD

for time

50 Pull-ups
400M Run 50
Push-ups
400M Run
50 Sit-ups
400M Run
50 Squats
400M Run

Workout notes

Today’s workout follows the same chipper pattern as the CrossFit Girls workout “Angie” but we’re cutting the volume of each movement in half and inserting a run after each station.  You’ll still find difficulty in the high rep counts but were starting with what is probably the toughest and progressing to the easiest.  Adding the runs gives you a bit of recovery during those first two, arm heavy sets but they’ll take up a large chunk of your time so keep the intensity high and move as quickly as you can sustain!

SKILL

Two rounds of Tabata alternating between movements

Arch Hold
Hollow Hold

The Tabata interval is 8 rounds of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off for a total of 4 minutes.  Today we’re performing  two rounds of tabata so our skill work will be eight minutes long.   Alternating movements every round will give you eight opportunities at each movement.  Do your best to keep the intensity high during each interval and attempt your best hollow or arch position in each round.  Focus on maintaining a rigid core and focus on creating flexion or extension with your torso and not just bending at the hips or raising your legs up.

WOD

5 Rounds with one minute on each station

Box Jump 24/20″
Air assault bike for calories
Two arm dumbbell push press 50/35 lb
Rest

WORKOUT NOTES

Today’s workout is a five round interval workout with one minute spent working at each of three stations.  You will have one minute rest after each round.  The total workout time is just shy of twenty minutes so even though we’re only working for a minute at time remember that this is a longer duration workout.  Do your best to work through each three minute round at high intensity but moderate your pace so you can sustain your effort for the entire workout.

Skill

Deadlift
1-1-1-1-1

Work up to a heavy single deadlift today.  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 increase in weight.  Warm up with multiple reps as you build in weight and when the bar starts to feel heavy drop to singles until you’ve hit your max for the day

WOD

for time

21-15-9
Deadlift 225/155 lb
Burpee

Workout notes: This deadlift should be fairly light compared to your max but moderately challenging when fatigued.  Consider a weight that is below 50-60% of your true one rep max and think about the total number of reps when choosing your weight.  The toughest but fastest burpee standard is going to be sending both feet back while going down and then forward at the same time prior to jumping.  You can easily moderate the difficulty by stepping forward and/or backward and eliminating the jump at the end of each rep.  Scale to a sustainable standard that allows you to keep moving through all three rounds.

SKILL

2RM Strict weighted pull-up

Work up to a strong effort two rep max weighted pull-up.  Perform sets 0f 2 or more strict pull-ups without weight rather than kipping if you are not quite ready for weighted pull-ups.  If you do not have strict pull-ups yet perform 5-10 sets for max reps of supine ring rows, jumping pull-ups with a slow negative, banded pull-ups with as little assistance as possible or a combination of any of these 3 options.

WOD

5 Rounds with 1 minute on each station

Wall ball shots 20/14 lb 10/9′
Rest
Power snatch 75/55 lb
Rest

WORKOUT NOTES

We have an interval style workout for today with five opportunities to work at each of two stations. You will be working for a minute at each station with an equal amount of rest.  With rest in every round you should use this opportunity to try and keep a high level of intensity at each station for the duration of the workout.    For the wall ball shots use a weight with which you can work through most of the minute with a small number of larger sets rather than slugging away with a heavy ball and getting a couple of reps at a time.  When it comes to the snatches you want to use a weight light enough that you can hang onto it for “Touch and Go” sets.  The weight you choose should not be so heavy that you are forced to perform single repetitions at any point.  We’ll score this workout by the total number of wall ball shots + snatches  so you should have one big number at the end of the workout.