Category: Workout of the Day

Skill

Strict Pull-Up with Pause at top of pull-up
8×3

Spend some time today focusing on strict pull-up strength.  Hold your chin over the bar momentarily after you reach the top of your pull-up and then practice a controlled descent for every rep. If you are still unable to perform strict pull-ups, practice holding at the top with as slow of a lower down as possible. If the lower down is not an option you can perform the movement ring rows pausing in the same manner.

WOD

5 Rounds with 1 minute on each station

Push-ups
Two arm dumbbell hang squat cleans 45/30 lb
Row for calories
Rest

Workout notes: Score this workout as you would score the workout Fight Gone Bad.  Count your total number of accumulated reps and come up with one final score.  Focus on quick breaks during the push-ups and hang squat cleans so that you can spend as much of the minute working as possible. Transition quickly between movements and go harder on the row than you might if it did not come directly before the rest.

Strength

Deadlift
2-2-2-2-2

Work up to a strong effort set of  two 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 though each set of two and as you increase in weight.
WOD

AMRAP in 10 Minutes
10 Front Rack Walking Lunge Steps 115/75 lb
50 Double Unders

Workout notes: Pay special attention to the walking lunge steps! The prescribed weight usually feels much heavier than what you are used to when performing a bi-lateral lifting movement. Be certain that you can perform the lunges on both legs with proficiency.  Keep your torso upright and carry the barbell in the front rack position with your elbows ups.   We’ll offset those lunges with a heavy dose of double unders. If you are new to the movement and struggling, use this opportunity to commit to a set number of double unders per round even your score is diminished. You can scale the rep count per round or set yourself a target number and switch to single unders if you are  struggling to complete any reps.

Skill

10×1 Lunge Kick to freestanding handstand

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.

WOD

3 Rounds for time

400M Run
21 Thrusters 45/35
12 Pull-ups

Workout notes: Today’s workout is a 3 round couplet in the format of one of our favorite workouts “Helen”.  In this version we’re performing unloaded barbell thrusters instead of kettlebell swings.  Just like in Helen a large part of this workout is running so do your best not to just use the run as recovery and push the pace!

Skill

Back Squat
1-1-1-1-1

Work up to a strong effort single rep back squat today. We’re not necessarily “maxing” out here so don’t to failure but work up to a heavy single.  If you are new to lifting and not sure what your max might be it’s best to judge your effort by the strain of each lift.  Practice keeping your knees out and tracking over your feet.  Your torso should remain upright throughout the lift.  Try to avoid letting your chest cave forward by pushing back on the bar from the top to the bottom of the lift. As always review spotting for strong effort lifts.  Typically we use two active partners on either side of the bar who are ready to help you out of the bottom if you need assistance. In this scenario you don’t bail on the lift. Follow through with your spotters help and rack the bar.

WOD

for time

50-40-30-20-10
Sit-ups
25-20-15-10-5
Box Jump Overs 24/20″

Workout notes: This 5 round couplet is a little something like the classic CrossFit bench mark “Annie”.  Box jump overs require less skill than the double under but come at a higher cardiovascular expense.  Make sure you are facing the box when you jump on it, but you don’t have to stand and open your hips before jumping to the other side. Move fast and move safe! If you are worried about the high volume of sit-ups, scale by skipping the round of 50 and starting the workout with 25 box jumps.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes Straight Set of Kipping Toes To Bar

Use this time to practice your kipping swing and toe-to-bar with a kip. If you are new to the movement start by alternating between the hollow and arch position on the bar and follow that by pulling the knees in and up to the chest. Remember that this skill practice so don’t start with a max set! Start with small sustainable sets and try to maintain that effort across a the entire 10 minutes.

WOD

for time

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Hang Power Clean 135/95 lb
Burpees over the bar

Workout notes: In this workout we’ll be performing 10 rounds of the hang power clean and burpee couplet. Don’t be fooled by the low rep count per round. Ten rounds of anything is a difficult task. There are a total of 55 reps of each movement with this rep scheme.

WOD

2 Rounds for time

50 Push-Ups
400M Run
75 Air Squats
400M Run

Workout notes: Don’t be fooled by the fact this workout is only 2 rounds!  Today you see higher rep sets of bodyweight movements and a total of 1 mile running.  It’s a good idea to break up the push-ups early and avoid reaching your lactic threshold early.  Do you best to make the bodyweight squats meaningful. Squat to full depth and fully extend at the top. Don’t sacrifice form for speed! Even with something as simple as a bodyweight squat.

WOD

for time
100 Pull-Ups
100 Wall Ball Shots 20/14 10/9′
1000M Run with medicine ball 20/14 lb

Workout notes: Today we’re working in the format of a “Chipper”.  You’ll work through all of the pull-ups prior to moving on to the wall ball shots and then finally head out on your run with your medicine ball in tow. Chippers present a unique challenge in that you will face a large number of repetitions for movements you might normally see in smaller sets. You’ll need to pace yourself in a workout like this. Starting with a max set is usually not a good idea if it means going to failure. Especially with a movement like pull-ups. Two strategies you can use are to work on smaller sets at a sustainable pace or start with large (not max) sets and decrease the number of repetitions you in each set as you get more fatigued.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
1 Snatch + 2 Overhead Squats

Today our skill work is the snatch plus overhead squat.  The overhead squat is probably the most difficult barbell movement you will encounter. The lift requires good mobility, coordination and strength.  We’ll be working from the floor so new lifters should power snatch the bar and attempt to catch the bar in a partial squat before riding the bar down into the bottom of the overhead squat. As you gain proficiency in the overhead squat you can attempt to receive the bar in the bottom of your squat for a full squat snatch.

WOD

AMRAP in 6 Minutes
2-4-6-8-10-12 …
Alternating Jumping Lunge Steps
Kettlebell Swings 32/24 kg

Workout notes: This workout is short and fast sprinting style workout.  The jumping lunges offer increased difficulty over walking lunge steps.  In short workout like this with a low rep count you potentially have a large number of transitions before you get into the higher rep ranges. Practice controlled breathing and short rest between movements so you can keep a steady and continuous pace throughout the workouts.  Your score will be the number corresponding to your last completed round plus any additional reps.

Skill

Weighted Pull-Up

1-1-1-1-1

Work up to a strong effort weighted pull-up and increase the weight across each set if possible.  Perform the pull-ups strict and 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. We won’t use jumping pull-ups with a slow negative as a sub here today as we will be saving those for the workout.

WOD

5 Rounds of

21-15-9

Thrusters 65/45 lb
Jumping Pull-Ups

3 Minute cap for each round
1 Minute rest between round

Workout notes: This workout will be done “Chief” style. 3 Minutes on then 1 minute of rest for 5 rounds. If you complete the round of 9 then you get additional rest in that round, your score will be your time if you completed a round and your total reps for rounds where you did not finish the round of 9.  Notice that the “Rx” weights are very light! Keep in mind that it will be very difficult to complete all 90 reps in every round.  You will end up with a lot of volume so if you are new to CrossFit scale by decreasing your total rounds.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
[odd] :30s double unders
[even] :30s hollow rocks

EMOM for 10 Minutes

Complete as many double unders as possible during the odd minutes of our skill work today.  If you are still working on this movement practice completing unbroken sets or work on alternating between some single unders and double unders.  If you are brand new to jumping rope stick to single unders for now. If you are a double under master try triple unders!  On the even minutes work perform hollow rocks. Scale these first by attempting decreasing the time you spend on the movement if you can hold the position.

WOD

AMRAP in 8 Minutes
3-6-9-12-15 … *
Deadlift 225/155 lb

* 15 Box Jumps 24/20″ after every round

Workout notes: Today’s workout is a couplet of deadlifts and box jumps. The weight on your bar should be a manageable working weight. Plan to be able to do the first 2 rounds unbroken for sure and possibly the third as well. If you scale the deadlift weight and do all of your rounds unbroken you may have gone too light. Choose a box that you are able to jump to and focus on keeping your chest up and knees over your feet when you land.