1+1+1 then 3+2+1

Here’s the name of the game for Friday’s back-to-back weightlifting EMOMs…

For the first piece we want to enforce a straight bar path and complete leg drive for your jerks by forcing you to push press the bar prior to finishing the complex with a jerk. It’s simple, effective, and challenging particularly if you tend to short your extension or have deviations from a “straight up-and-down” drip & drive.

For the second piece we’re looking for BIG power output by making you complete 3 higher box jumps prior to 2 cleans and a jerk. It’s both priming the system and taxing the system all in one little 3-2-1 rep scheme.

Happy Friday and happy lifting!

WOD For 10-19-18:

EMOM 10 Minutes:

1 Power Clean

1 Push Press

1 Push Jerk

*Start at a working weight then work up HAP (Heavy As Possible) with good technique

-then-

EMOM 10 Minutes:

3 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in

2 Cleans

1 Jerk

*Start at a working weight then work up HAP with good technique

*Any style of clean and jerk is allowed

Row, Row, Row Your Erg

Since we already have a bunch of scores for the October Open Gym challenge with even more planning on taking their shot at the top 2K time (remember there are FOUR divisions!), and because Thursday’s WOD leans heavily on rowing for it’s intended stimulus, we thought it might be helpful to post a quick and easy video which reinforces the fundamentals of proper rowing technique.

While none of what you’ll hear in this video will be new to those who have been at AR for some time, it’s always nice to hear things again from a different set of voices — and it helps when those voices are Olympians in the sport. Look, we weren’t kidding when we said you don’t need to jam the fan up to 10… or that if you keep your chest over your knees a bit longer (AKA avoid the early lay back) you’ll basically go faster for free. But don’t take our work for it, here you go…

WOD For 10-18-18:

FOUR Cycles of 3:00 Work / 3:00 Rest For MAX REPS:

500/400m Row

15 Deadlifts @ 205/145 lbs

MAX REPS Ring Muscle-ups

Your score is the total number of muscle-ups completed across all 4 cycles.

EMOM Wednesday: Hold The Door!

Back to our squat 4s with a bump in volume over last week’s 6 sets. And our shortest met-con of the week thus far begs the question “Who can hold 24 and 12 for all 5 rounds???!!!”

Come in to the gym and let’s see…

WOD For 10-17-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 7 Rounds (14 Minutes):

4 Back Squats

*Climbing is allowed.

*If possible add to your top set from last week 10-09-18.

-then-

Alternating EMOM For 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):

1) 24 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

2) 12 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in (facing box not required)

*This workout is scored much like a "Tabata" WOD.

*For Rx start at 24 WB and 12 BBJ reps and attempt to hold that rep count (or as high/close to it as possible) for the five rounds.

*Your score is the lowest rep round for each of the two movements.

"Finishing" The Extension: Snatches on Snatches

You may have noticed over the last four weeks that we’ve been covering some snatch technique complexes that feel related to one another but not exactly identical. We started off working from different starting positions to develop some awareness around posture and position, then began to segment the snatch by basically forcing you to do the pieces of the full lift and then put them all together — we did this first from the hang, and then from the floor, and then from the hang again.

On Tuesday we’ll incorporate the “snatch pull” which can feel awkward to some mainly due to the finish position at the top of the movement where we basically maintain pressure through the floor with the legs while exhibiting full hip, knee, and ankle extension. We aim to keep the bar close to the body (with shoulders elevated, elbows moving up and out) and the balance point of our system straight up and down (no falling back, no getting pulled forward, no re-bending of the legs). While this may not exactly “feel” like what you do in an actual snatch (where, in general, we start pulling under once the bar has left the hips and continues to elevate) it does re-enforce the proper habit of CONTINUING TO PUSH THROUGH THE FLOOR to reach full extension… or to “finish” as some weightlifting coaches like to mysteriously say at seemingly every chance they get.

By almost exaggerating this “finish” via making you hold it for a beat at the top the thought is that you’ll carry-over this complete “finish” to the power snatch and then to the full snatch. This is why high level weightlifters can be seen doing pulls (whether they be snatch pulls or clean pulls) as a regular part of their training — they are re-enforcing the very same feeling of “finishing at the top” without pulling under to complete the lift.

WOD For 10-16-18:

Snatch Pull + Power Snatch + Squat Snatch:

10 Minutes to Build to a Top Set (not a max)

-then-

FIVE Cycles of 1:30 Work / 1:30 Rest For MAX REPS:

10 Handstand Push-ups

50 Double Unders

MAX REPS Power Snatches @ 115/75 lbs

Monday AMRAP: No Barbell?!

It’s not possible that they would plan TWO days of consecutively programmed non-barbell workouts, is it?

Oh it is. And how’s this for a sweaty start to the week?

Hope you all had a great weekend.

WOD For 10-15-18:

AMRAP 18 Mintes:

18/14 Calorie Row, Ski, or Assault Bike

18 Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs

18 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs

18 Toes-to-Bar

Sweaty Saturday Partner Combo

All this fitness and not a barbell in sight…

Happy weekend, all!

WOD For 10-13-18:

With a Partner For Total Time:

A) With BOTH Partners Working Simultaneously (switch however you like):

2000m Row

… while completing…

10 Rounds of “Cindy”

THEN (only when both pieces of Part A are complete)…

B) With Only ONE Partner Working at a Time (switch however you like):

50 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)

10 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

40 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

30 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

20 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

10 Dumbbell Snatches

10 Burpee Box Jumps

Friday Running Clock: Clean & Jerks For Days

Happy Friday, friends!

WOD For 10-12-18:

On a Running Clock…

A) At 0:00

“Partner Baseline”

For Quality:

1000m Row

80 Air Squats

60 AbMt Sit-ups

40 Push-ups

20 STRICT Pull-ups

One person working at a time, split the reps evenly. Not for time but move with a purpose.

B) From 12:00 - 27:00

Clean & Jerk:

15 Minutes to Establish a Heavy Single For Today

Both power and full/squat cleans are allowed. Any style of jerk is allowed as well.

C) From 30:00 - 33:00

AMReps in 3 Minutes:

Power Clean & Push Jerk @ 45-55% of your heavy single from Part B (you choose)

Hummus

Today I received one of those scam emails that we get every few weeks or so - this one was the classic “Do you do personal training, I need it for my 13 family members, do you accept credit card payments, blah blah blah…”

And it made me think of this video. I ALMOST replied.

WOD For 10-11-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 6 Rounds:

2 Hang Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat + 1 Hang Squat Snatch

Climb only as your technique allows.

-then-

“2018 Wodapalooza Qualifier WOD 1”

For Time:

150 Double Unders

60 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

30 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

150 Double Unders

Country Wednesdays

I feel like the once popular Arena Ready tradition has gone by the wayside, but deserves consideration for a strong comeback.

I can think of some warm-up movements to go with it as well…

That video never gets old.

WOD For 10-10-18:

For Time:

1000m Run

30 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

30 Lateral Bar Burpees

20 Hang Power Cleans @ 165/115 lbs

20 Lateral Bar Burpees

10 Hang Power Cleans @ 185/125 lbs

10 Lateral Bar Burpees

Use one barbell and change your own weights. And yes, collars (AKA clips) are required for all reps.

The "October Open Gym Challenge"

First, congratulations to our winners from the September Open Gym Challenge - Kim and Kate! This team of #MightyMinis proved that strategy, teamwork, and tenacity was more important than athlete size, raw strength numbers, or an excessive level of trash talking LOL. With the top score of 16,380 pounds lifted “The Fittest Optometrist in SF” and “The Flying Squirrel” bested respectable scores from — among others — Milgram & Stein (who submitted a questionable video validating their remote workout performance from what is being dubbed “Arena Ready East” AKA the gym in Mike’s new house) and Hillary “The Deadlift Champ” & Steven (winners of the August Open Gym Challenge).

Congrats Kim and Kate! They will be receiving a prize pack once I actually go pick-up the prize packs (I swear, I will soon).

As for the “October Open Gym Challenge” we have a single modality benchmark for y’all, and a test of fitness that many folks are already familiar with either from previous experience or from stories of joy from other athletes who have done it. Here you go…

“The October Open Gym Challenge”

For Time:

2000m Row

1) There will be 4 “divisions” and thus 4 potential winners:

Lightweight Female (129 lbs and under)

Female (130 lbs and up)

Lightweight Male (159 lbs and under)

Male (160 lbs and up)

2) Don’t cut weight for the challenge (this is Sarah talking LOL)

3) If you’re close to the cut-off on bodyweight we can weigh you at the gym for an official ruling (but only if you want to be eligible to win)

I feel like Hillary is about to start fielding a bunch of questions from members haha. Get in here on a Sunday and get after it on a 2K!

The underground (figuratively speaking but maybe also literally speaking) gym being

dubbed as “Arena Ready East”

WOD For 10-09-18:

Every 2 Minutes For 6 Rounds:

4 Back Squats

Climbing is allowed.

If possible add to your top set from last week 10-03-18.

-then-

3 Rounds For Max Reps (0:45 Sec Per Movement / 0:15 Rest Between Movements):

Double KB Front Squats @ 53/35 lbs (each side)

Toes-to-Bar

Row For Calories

(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)

Monday: Pull, Push, Jump

This one’s light, but it may not be as fast as you make initially think… have fun!

WOD For 10-08-18:

For Time:

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Deadlifts @ 185/125 lbs

Hand Release Push-ups

Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

If your feet/toes come off the ground on the push-ups you’re basically kipping and you probably look like a fish flopping on the deck of a boat. Take some pride in your push-ups and cut it out.

Oh and for the competitors… everyone can break the deads at regular intervals and game themselves toward a predictable and respectable time. But can you hold on to this light weight unbroken and let the chips fall where they may? And no, that doesn’t mean deadlift like a dog pooping - take care of your back, friends!

The A, B, C, Ds of Sweaty Saturday...

Happy weekend, friends!

WOD For 10-06-18:

With a Partner Against a 25-Minute Clock:

A) 800m Run TOGETHER

B) 50 Walking Lunges EACH (one partner must always be holding the team’s wall ball)

C) Split the Following (with only one partner working at a time):

100 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

150 KB Swings @ 53/35 lbs

200 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 109 ft

D) MAX CALORIE Row (only one partner rowing at a time, share the same rower)

*Score = total calories rowed

*If you don’t make it to Part D then note your total reps completed of Part C

*Parts B and C can be started immediately by the faster partner, but Part D cannot start until all wall ball reps have been completed