Workout of the Day
PaleoFX
After years of wanting to attend, we were finally able to make the trek to Austin this weekend to witness PaleoFx in person! It was originally food-based, and still is, but has also expanded into covering a variety of ancestral health related topics, like hormonal balance, sleep, the effect of the digital environment, stress management, etc. In short, precisely my cup of tea!
Over the next few days I plan to summarize my favorite learnings, but in the meantime I wanted to summarize:
It’s important to do what you love, to know who you are, and to live in accordance with your values.
It’s important to eat things that are good for your body. Yes, there is some debate, even among Paleo aficionados, about what that means precisely, but making an effort to eat the most nutritious things you can, and to learn about what’s best for you specifically, certainly beats the alternative in terms of health, longevity, and often even aesthetics.
Managing stress is necessary to optimal health. We are wired to be able to handle a high degree of stress for a long time, but not indefinitely, and not without breaks. Take deep breaths, go outside, be present in moments that have potential to make you happy. And try to recognize and get off the roof.
We are in an unprecedented digital age - people and kids are in front of screens SO MUCH, and in part because the designers responsible for the apps and games we use are well studied in the function of human brains, and are accordingly doing their best to make their app the most addictive possible. To paraphrase something Chris Kresser said, “never before in history have so few people, mostly white males age 25-35 living in San Francisco, controlled so much of the media the world consumes”. Whoa.
Also, the sunscreen and skincare products from Third Rock Essentials are really cool (and as an expert in getting sunburned, I would know). It’s all made entirely of food-grade, reef safe, non-hormone-disrupting ingredients, and designed by a really interesting PhD Chemical Engineer who’s also a surfer. He invented the sunscreen as a passion project on the side of his normal career because two of his young surfer friends got melanoma, and he wanted to help. I’m not a scientist, but he explained that most conventional sunscreen is formulated such that the zinc oxide turns into zinc hydroxide on the skin, and doesn’t protect against UVA. His patented formula stays zinc oxide, plus it rubs in much less white than most zinc oxide sunscreens. Anyway, if you use our code TRIUMPH or click the link above you can get 20% off (and we get a commission too), but more importantly you get better sunscreen. If you buy it please let me know what you think!
The end for today. Looking forward to telling you in more detail what I learned about gut bacteria and digital detoxing!
WOD For 04-30-19:
Overhead Squat:
4-3-2-1
Front Squat:
4-3-2-1
Back Squat:
4-3-2-1
If performing this workout as Rx (Black Level) the goal is to increase the weight every set, for a total of twelve consecutive climbing work sets (i.e. the bar only goes up in weight). If that is unreasonable (be honest with yourself!) decrease the weight when starting the next movement, then climb back up again to a heavy single in four sets.
An example of performing this workout as Rx is as follows:
Overhead Squat 4x95, 3x115, 2x135, 1x155 directly into...
Front Squat 4x165, 3x185, 2x205, 1x225 directly into...
Back Squat 4x235, 3x255, 2x275, 1x295
(Compare to 08-21-18, 02-23-16, and 04-21-15)
150 Burpees For Time?
We were on a plane Sunday evening, enjoying a very delayed flight with a 1-year old, after visiting family for some kiddo play time. Which means we haven’t seen GOT yet, and I’d like to officially ask for no spoilers please (and thank you). Lest you’d prefer Tuesday’s WOD to be changed from what is already planned to “150 burpees for time” instead.
And for those of you who would rather do that anyway regardless of what the Tuesday WOD is i say to you, “What is dead may never die… and what the hell is wrong with you?!”
WOD For 04-29-19:
4 Rounds For MAX REPS (0:45 Work Per Movement / 0:15 Rest Between Movements):
KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
Ring Dips
Overhead Walking Lunges w/Plate @ 45/35 lbs
Row, Ski, or Assault Bike Calories
(Rest 1:15 Between Rounds)
*This workout is 19 total minutes (including rest minutes) and your score is total reps across all 4 rounds
-then-
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:15 Between Sets)
*If possible add to 04-17-19
Twisted Team "Jackie"
Can your team make it through THREE full rounds (or more)?
Happy weekend, partner exercisers!
WOD For 04-27-19:
With a Partner, AMRAP 25 Minutes:
1000m Row
50 Thrusters @ 45/35 lbs
30 Burpee Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like.
Friday: Deads and Sprint
A few days ago we alluded to the loading on the barbell getting heavier as the week went along, and for most of us this Friday program will be the heaviest strength piece of the week. It will also be the shortest, or “sprinty-est” (is that a word?), met-con piece this week with a 10-to-1 couplet that will push the pace and get the power output into the margins of our threshold training.
And, of course, it will play well the day before we get all Sweaty Saturday Special on ya… long and light, and teamwork delight.
But first, deads. Happy Friday, friends!
WOD For 04-26-19:
Deadlift:
5-5-5-5-5
Climbing as your technique allows. If possible, add to last week 04-16-19.
-then-
For Time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Single Dumbbell Hang Cleans-to-Overhead @ 50/35 lbs
Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
*Switch sides on the DB whenever you like, but we recommend splitting the reps roughly equal right/left.
That's a Heavy Lift
That’s a heavy lift, so for now let’s put a pin in it. In the interim we can take a deep dive into any win-win situations that can drive this complex forward. Bonus points for synergies between movements that can leverage cross-functional muscle groups, and empower individual contributors of this community to drive that conversation. For all intents and purposes it’s neither here nor there, and at the end of the day this is the long game that we’re playing.
Wait, I completely forgot what we’re talking about. Hello? Are you lifting? If you are you’re on mute.
WOD For 04-25-19:
EMOM For 10 Minutes (Minutes 1 through 10):
Power Clean + Hang Squat Clean + 2 Front Squats
… Rest 2 Minutes, Then Removing ONE Front Squat…
EMOM For 10 Minutes (Minutes 13 through 22):
Power Clean + Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat
*This should be done without re-setting/dropping to the floor between clean reps for as long as is safely possible
*Start at a light-to-moderate weight and climb as your technique allows (climbing every round is NOT required)
In Turkey They're Just Called Get-ups
Monday was a “slog” and Tuesday was a work/rest intensity burner, so for Wednesday’s program we spend a little time slowing down a bit with a few pre-hab/recovery based movements “for quality” — and then incorporate a lifting complex with slightly lower intensity conditioning.
The lifting will get heavier as we progress through the week, and then will take a turn on Saturday for our beloved Sweaty Saturday Special!
WOD For 04-24-19:
2 Rounds For Quality (NOT For Time):
6 DB or KB Turkish Get-ups @ pick load
12 Single DB or KB Overhead Walking Lunges @ pick load
400m Run
Pick weights that keep you in good positions — this is for QUALITY and not speed or loading.
-then-
Alternating EMOM For 7 Rounds (14 Minutes):
MINUTE 1:
Power Snatch + Hang Power Snatch + Overhead Squat
MINUTE 2:
7 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
7 Burpees to Jump Touch Target @ 6 in above your max reach
Climb in weight for the snatch complex only as your technique allows — and if you arrive at a weight that feels good for crisp, snappy reps then stay there and repeat for multiple rounds.
Tuesday: Skill>Load>Gasser
Skill first, then external loading, then the “gasser” (AKA the thing that brings the suck factor into the workout). Rest and repeat to find your max sustainable pace. It’s a simple recipe that can be used over and over with nearly infinite applications.
By front-loading the skill component at the start of each cycle we aim to set-up newer & beginner athletes with enough rest to practice the skill of simply jumping intentionally with proper position & cadence, to put intermediate athletes in a position to succeed with bigger sets of DU under gradual fatigue, and to challenge advanced athletes to make every round unbroken or close to it.
The swings start heavier and with more volume, but are of course, scaled in the gym to appropriate levels in order to maintain the intended stimulus & timing of transitions. Hinging counterbalances yesterday’s volume of “Cindy” squatting — and the overhead component is a nice compliment after Monday’s upper pushing & pulling (i.e. you use the same parts with USING the same parts).
And what IS the intended stimulus for Tuesday exactly? Assuming your rowing technique is safe and solid let’s call it “There’s no way I’d want to do a seventh round” — if you’re saying that at the end then you probably did it correctly…
WOD For 04-23-19:
6 Cycles of 2:00 Work / 2:00 Rest For MAX CALORIES Rowed:
40 Double Unders
15 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
MAX CALORIE Row
*Score = total calories rowed after 6 cycles.
Cindy Targaryen, 12th of Her Name...
… Ruler of the 10 general physical skills, breaker of Donald Trump Jr.’s alleged “Murph” PR time, and mother of proper push-ups we can all be proud of…
It’s almost as if we’ve started intentionally progressing a few bodyweight movement combos in anticipation of some sort of really grueling workout in a little over a month which contains an even larger volume of said movement combos. Huh.
But every week it’s weird, they’re tied-in with different barbell movements or other external objects… and sometimes they’re mixed in format and intensity.
I think something’s going on here…
WOD For 04-22-19:
4 Rounds For Time:
3 Rounds of “Cindy”
12 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs
***This workout contains 12 total rounds of “Cindy”
***1 Round of “Cindy” is:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats
Sweaty Saturday 800-800
Happy weekend, folks.
WOD For 04-20-19:
With a Partner on A Running Clock…
A) 0:00 - 16:00 (16 Total Minutes)
BUY-IN: 800m Run
Then, in the remaining time…
Both Partners Establish a 5-Rep Back Squat (NOT a 5RM)
*Use the same rack & barbell, loading/un-loading weights between sets as needed. The first person in the door from the run can start on back squats immediately.
B) 19:00 - 35:00 (16 Total Minutes)
BUY-IN: 800m Run
Then, in the remaining time AMRAP of…
30 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs
25 Burpees Over Dumbbell (must “face” the DB)
20 Toes-to-Bar
*Only one person working at a time, switch whenever you like. The first person in the door from the run can start the AMRAP immediately.
Friday Friday, Sprint Sprint
It’s like a sprint(ish) but twice. So does that mean I start slower the first time knowing I have to do it again?
Well, nearly anyone can pace and game plan something like this and get a perfectly respectable time which can be repeated or nearly repeated. And that’s a fine way to do this WOD if you so choose.
But sometimes you gotta go out hot and see if you can hold on (safely, of course… especially on those handstand push-ups). Sometimes we pick our spots to start fast and see what happens. Sometimes we need to go hard out of the gate and not think about what we’ll have to do immediately thereafter — and on those days we can often learn something about ourselves.
Is that “sometimes” going to be today?
Happy Friday, friends.
WOD For 04-19-19:
On a Running Clock…
A) At 0:00 For Time:
500m Row OR SKi
40 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs
30 Russian KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
20 Handstand Push-ups
10 KB Sumo Deadlift High Pulls
B) At 13:00 For Time:
REPEAT!!!
Thursday: Power Power Power
It’s the return of the strict pull-up complex you saw last week, along with some hang power cleans for “all the fun of cleans with none of the burden of squatting or that pesky first pull” (well, only a little pulling from the floor). Hooray!
This met-con piece will be fast and furious with high power output for those with a mastery of all three movements. For those of us working on one or all three of the exercises it will be about moving well to create power and height both on the barbell and the box (aim to land above parallel on the jumps and not in a crumpled squat), and choosing a scaling option for the bar muscle-ups which challenges you but also allows a fairly constant pace of movement without too much standing around staring at the bar.
Enjoy.
WOD For 04-18-19:
Alternating EMOM For 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):
1) 3 Hang Power Cleans: climbing
2) Strict Pull-up Complex: 1 Scap Pull-up + 1 Lat Activation + 1 “One-Half’ Strict Pull-up + 1 Strict Pull-up
*For the pull-up complex add 1 rep every round if possible: 1+1+1+1, 2+2+2+2, 3+3+3+3, etc...
-then-
3 Rounds For Time:
7 Hang Power Cleans @ 165/115 lbs
11 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
7 Bar Muscle-ups
GOT Team Names
This week I saw a post on the interwebs where someone was asking for help with a “Game of Thrones” inspired team name for her upcoming CrossFit competition — these were my favorite responses:
Hodor! Hodor! Hodor! (the competition was for Teams of 3)
A Team Has No Name
Buns of Valyrian Steel
A Lannister Always Counts Their Reps
Fitness is Coming
Khaleesi SnatchEasy
What would your team name be for Wednesday’s WOD? If your partner doesn’t watch GOT then make them do two rounds of the AMRAP for every one of yours.
The Army of Weightwalkers is lunging south to the HSPU wall and OMG I CAN’T STOP WITH THE GOT PUNS PLZ HALP
WOD For 04-17-19:
With a Partner On a Running Clock…
A) 0:00 - 10:00
10 Minutes For BOTH Partners to Establish a Top Set of The Complex:
2 Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat + 1 Squat Snatch
*Use the same barbell and load/un-load the weights accordingly between sets
B) 12:00 - 24:00
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
3 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs
6 Overhead Squats
9 Lateral Bar Burpees
*This is “You Go, I Go” format — i.e complete one FULL round then switch
C) 26:00 - 32:00
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 (Rest 1:15 Between Efforts)
*If possible add to 04-02-19