Category: Workout of the Day

Skill

3 Rounds not for time
90 Seconds plank Hold
60 Seconds Wall Facing Handstand Hold

Today we’re working on two basic gymnastic skills.  Holding the plank with an active hollow position for up to 90 seconds/round.  If you need to, break up that work into a couple of sets for each round.   Do your best to transfer that hollow position to your handstand.  Working with your body facing the wall will usually yield the best results.

WOD

In front of a clock set for 12 Minutes
1 Minute of Chest To-Bar Pull-Ups
1 Minute of Front Squats 135/95lb
2 Minute of Chest To-Bar Pull-Ups
2 Minute of Front Squats 135/95lb
3 Minute of Chest To-Bar Pull-Ups
3 Minute of Front Squats 135/95lb

Workout notes: Your workout today will be scored by total repetitions you complete in the full 12 minutes.  Think about using the first 1 minute rounds as warm up rather than trying to perform a max effort within the minute.  Working with small sustainable sets on both movements will most likely be the best strategy.

Strength
Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5

Work up to a strong effort set of 5 back squats.  Newer lifters should be starting with a light weight and increasing only if you are performing the lift correctly.  Practice pressing your knees out so they track over your feet and keep your torso at the same angle throughout the lift. Press back on the bar so you don’t lean forward to get yourself out of the bottom.  You don’t want to reinforce a bad habit so if you feel that happening drop the weight and practice proper form.

WOD

AMRAP in 8 Minutes
20 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch 45/30lbs
10 Burpee Box Jump 24/20″

Workout notes: Both of these movements require a high power output so you will do well by practicing a controlled pace.  Establish a maintainable breathing and movement pattern as you begin your first round. As you fatigue sustaining your power output will be difficult so setting a sustainable pace early on will be important.

WOD

3 Rounds for time
20 Toes-To-Bar
200M Uneven Farmer Carry
800M Run

Workout notes: This workout falls in the longer duration category so most of your work should feel very aerobic. It won’t make sense to go all out on the Toes-To-Bar or Run as you most likely won’t be able to maintain a sprint pace for those two movements.  Spend some time on the toes to bar and establish a rep scheme that works for you.  If you are unable to complete the round of 20 in small sets. Then you might do better with a strengthening exercise like a sit-up or strict knee raise. The farmer carry does not have a prescribed weight but you are encouraged to challenge yourself. If you are able to complete the entire 200M lap without rotating arms at the halfway point you may have gone too light. Either way, make sure that you distribute the work evenly across both arms.

WOD

AMRAP in 25 Minutes
3 Heavy Deadlift
Sustainable set of HSPU
Rest 120 seconds

Workout notes: Today’s workout will feel a little different than many of the metabolic conditioning workouts that you encounter.  For this workout you will be spending essentially the entire time working in an entirely anaerobic pathway.  Working a heavy 3 Rep deadlift will most likely be unsustainable without some rest. The same goes for a properly executed HSPU which requires a great deal of upper body strength.  For that reason you should attempt to complete each round as quickly as possible and then rest following your HSPU.  For the deadlift work with a weight that is above 75% of your 1RM.  Remember this is a strength and technique workout so execute the deadlift with good form at a manageable weight and increase later on if the workout is going well. For the HSPU use a method with which you can achieve around 10 reps total when fresh.  As the workout carries on you will most likely need to break up the repetitions.

Skill

AMRAP in 6 Minutes
30 Seconds Hollow Hold
30 Seconds Passive Squat Hold with Stretch

For the skill work today credit yourself for one round when you complete a total of 30 seconds of each movement consecutively.  Most athletes will need to break up the movements at some point so remember that your 30 seconds only needs to be cumulative.  Stop and rest if you need to in order to keep perform quality movement.  Scale the hollow hold to a method you think you can hold for at least 30 seconds for 1 round.   For this version of the squat hold descent as deep as possible below parallel.  Letting your back round is fine in this case.  Relax into that position and press outward on your knees with your elbows.

WOD

AMRAP in 10 Minutes
Squat Clean Thrusters 115/75lbs
EMOM 5 Burpees Over The Bar

Workout notes:  The workout STARTS with 5 burpees at the top of EACH minute including the first minute, you will then perform squat clean thrusters for the remainder of the minute. Your score is your total number of squat clean thrusters completed by the end of the 10 minutes. Pacing will be paramount! In this type of workout you are doing a required amount of work at the top of every minute. Try a lower number of reps on the first minute and give yourself a lot of rest to maintain a steady # throughout. Scale the squat clean thrusters by weight first or to goblet squats if your chest and elbows are caving forward. The most difficult form of burpee will be hopping over the bar but that will make those thrusters even harder than they already are. This workout is a repeat! Compare your score to December 1, 2014

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
3 Overhead Squat

Work up to a light load and perform 3 Overhead Squats every minute for 10 minutes.  Practice squat snatching your first rep if you can. If you are new to the movement power snatch the bar and ride it down into the bottom of your first squat.  A big part of being able to perform this movement to full depth is purely mobility.   If you can’t achieve the position with a pvc or an empty barbell then adding weight won’t help.  If you are in that situation keep the load light and work on the mechanics of the lift.

WOD

In front of a clock set for 15 Minutes

AMRAP in 6 Minutes
10 Push Up
15 Box Jump 24/20″

Rest 3 Minutes

AMRAP in 6 Minutes
10 Pull-Up
30 Air Squat

Workout notes: For this workout you will be completing as many reps as possible for two different workouts run back to back.  3 Minutes of rest will not be enough time to fully recover but it should bring your heart rate down a bit and let you plan a strategy for the next portion of the workout. Score this workout as your total and any partial rounds for each workout.

Skill

EMOM for 10 Minutes
1 Squat Clean

For the skill work today we’ll be working up to a moderate weight squat clean. You’ll perform one repetition every minute.  Pull  under control from the floor and practice using fast elbows while you catch the clean in the bottom of your squat. If you are new to the lift work on riding the bar down to below parallel.  Something in the 70-80% range of your 1RM would be a good target weight for experienced lifters. If you are not sure what load would be appropriate start light and increase as you go judging by the strain that it takes for you to complete the rep.

WOD

For time
400M Run
30 Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
100 Double Under
30 Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
400M Run

Workout notes: Today we have a chipper workout that should a feel a bit like a sprint if these are movements you are familiar with. If you have been swinging a heavier kettlebell regularly make an attempt with a lighter kettlebell and see if you have progressed. If you are scaling and complete both rounds of 30 unbroken you have probably gone a little too light.  Those 3 movements together will be difficult so insert rest where needed.  If you do not have double unders yet perform 2:1 single unders with a double under attempt every 20 reps.

Skill

1RM Weighted Pull-Up
Rest to recovery
Max Set of Strict Pull-Ups
Rest to recovery
Max Set of Kipping Pull-Ups

All three of the variations are tests. Testing the 1RM weighted pull-up will take the longest as you work up to a heavy weight. Use any grip but keep the movement as strict as possible.  If you have been working with assistance bands for a while make an effort to complete a strict or kipping pull-up.  If you are still working on developing the strength component for this movement complete 5 max sets of pull-ups using the lightest band possible.

WOD

In front of a clock set for 9 minutes perform
3 Minutes of Wall Ball Shots 20/14lbs 10/9′
3 Minutes of Power Snatch 135/95lbs
3 Minutes of Wall Ball Shots 20/14lbs 10/9′

Workout notes: Your score is your total number of reps completed in 9 minutes.  For a workout like this where you are working with a single element for a long period of time you will want to pace yourself from the start.  Starting by working with sustainable sets is a great idea for the wall ball shots, or you can start with a drop sets and then get into a groove with a set size that you can minimize your rest.  For the power snatch working with a single repetition at a time would be totally appropriate. Work with a weight that is in the 60% range.

EMOM for 10 Minutes
Push Jerk + Split Jerk

Working from the floor, perform the Push Jerk+Split Jerk barbell complex every  minute  for 10 rounds.   This complex will require you to first perform a push jerk and then catch the bar with soft knees, reset your stance and perform a split jerk.    Work up to a light to moderate effort weight for the complex.  Target a weight that is higher than what you would use in a metcon but most lower than your 1RM push jerk or split jerk.  The rest between each complex will fairly short so something in the 60-70% range of your 1RM push jerk would be a good starting point. You may also attempt to increase weight every round.
WOD

AMRAP in 10 Minutes
2-4-6-8-10-12 ….
Front Rack Walking Lunge Steps 95/65lbs
15 Sit-Ups after every round of lunges

Workout notes: The loading probably looks light for this movement but the total rep count will add up so respect the weight. Working with an empty bar or light kettlebell would be totally appropriate if you normally find this movement difficult. Make sure you load the bar to a weight you can easily perform a few reps without breaking form.  You don’t need to go “unbroken” through each round but it will be tempting  For walking lunge steps we are practicing “carrying” something functionally that means maintaining your torso perpendicular through the entire range of motion.

WOD

AMRAP in 4 Minutes
Muscle Ups

Rest 2 Minutes

AMRAP in 4 Minutes
Row for Calories

Rest 2 Minutes
Run 800M for time

Workout notes: We have three very different aspects of fitness today and therefore 3 very different scores as workout results.  First we’ll test out a beginner level gymnastic skill that is quite hard for most of us.  The muscle up is a difficult movement that will test your upper body strength, skill and coordination.  If you are close to being able to perform the movement after some technique practice work during the first interval when you are fresh. Athletes that have good experience with the skill could attempt the rowing workout first and attempt muscle ups after that as a more difficult test.  To scale Muscle Ups work on something that will help you to progress towards the movement for most that means working on transitions with a band or performing pull-ups and dips as a strength movement.

A 4 minute row and 800M runs are a bit longer than what you might be able to complete in an all out sprint so go hard but consider leaving a bit in tank for the final moments of each.