CrossFit Minneapolis + St. Paul

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
Jerk:
1-1-1-1-1-1

AMRAP 17 Minutes:
10 M HS Walk
10 – 10 M Shuttle Sprints
10 Push Ups
10 TTB

Today’s workout provides the opportunity for you to choose between a push/power jerk or a split jerk. If wondering what route to go down, base your decision on where your current skill level lies for each, as well as which lift you feel you need the most work on. Other than the obvious goal of increasing the loading on the barbell across your working reps, there are a few unique points of performance that we should pay attention to for each lift: 1) power/push jerk: there is a slight difference between a power and push jerk. A power jerk requires the feet to move and widen out on the landing/catch. Whereas in the push jerk the feet remain in the same position throughout. While this is getting terminologically specific, there is a difference. It does require some skill to make the feet move under heavy enough load. The main focus of the push/power jerk should be our body position during the catch phase of the lift. When catching a bar OH in the push/power jerk it’s important that we push the hip back and knees out. This preserves the integrity of the core and allows heavy weight to be overhead. What we want to avoid is catching where the knees “lead” and move forward. Knees forward puts pressure on the spine, whereas hips back and knees out creates the curve of the back. 2) Split Jerk: With the split jerk you have the exact same OH position with the barbell, but the biggest difference is the footwork. Instead of moving out, the feet move front and back. In a perfect landing position, your front quad should be at a 45 degree angle to your shin, and the rear quad should be completely vertical. Front foot flat facing straight, rear heel off the ground with toe planted and turned in slightly. The rear quad and glutes should be supporting nearly all of the weight that is OH. The front leg is essentially your rudder and should be there mainly to maintain lalance. The landing is a huge challenge with the feet, in which case it may require you to lighten the loading of the barbell. When you “split” your feet for the landing, focus on getting your lead foot/leg into the position described above as it will help dictate how the back leg with land.

The HS walk has a tendency to make us shy away a bit from a workout like this, which is why we have an AMRAP format today. A great way to work on inversion and stability and mimic the walk to some degree would be this sequence: Wall walk up to an inverted position facing the wall. From there perform 5-10 shoulder taps per arm. Wall walk back down in control without falling. Put an emphasis on moving/stepping with the shoulder and a tight midline. Outside of that we should look at doing a straight legged bear crawl for 10 m to put the focus on doing an inverted walk. If it doesn’t rain, snow, sleet, or poo on us tomorrow per the forecast you could do a 100 m sprint. Now for these last two we know all the scaling options by this point to help us out. However, the way we should look at these movements today is “what do I need to do get better?” And “better” should be defined on a personal level. That may mean forcing yourself to do/try as many unassisted push ups as possible in a given timeframe to ensure you’re doing push ups. For the TTB it may mean that you’re going to force yourself to truly kip every rep and not do any swinging. This workout should be analyzed and used for skill practice outside of the running. That said, if you can move through these movements as it is written work on the highest quality output possible.

WOD AT HOME
6 Rounds For Time:
8 Devils Clean (4/arm)
14 Box Jump-Overs
8 Devils Press (4/arm)
…rest 1 minute b/w rounds…

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
For Load:
1 Hang Power Clean + 2 Front Squats / 1 Clean

5 Rounds For Time:
12/10 Bike Calories
9 Hang Power Clean (165/113)
6 Bar-Facing Burpees
…rest 30 seconds b/w rounds…

The only change to this week’s clean complex is the final lift in the sequence which is a full clean. You should also notice the line between the front squat and the clean where you would normally see a “+” symbol. This represents a break, meaning you need to drop the bar and reset for a quick single clean as opposed to doing a touch and go rep. This will break up the complex into a more favorable opportunity for you to go as heavy as you are able to and not have to worry as much about your ability to cycle, and hang onto a heavy barbell at the end of a heavy initial complex. You are testing yourself on a few metrics: 1) at what weight are you able to maximize your hang power clean, which of the three lifts should be the weakest; 2) after an initial hang power clean, can you still front squat for a heavy double; this shouldn’t be an issue assuming this is your strongest lift of the three; 3) after dropping the bar on the front squats, can you pick it back up quickly for one more heavy clean. Don’t think of this as a challenge, think of it as an opportunity to have everything primed for a good lift. At this point in the complex you’ve done the hang power clean, so the pull and catch are warmed up, and you’ve squatted the weight twice, so you’re legs have felt it and are ready to catch it one more time.

The single rep count in an individual round is very manageable, but 5 rounds is going to compound your level of fatigue quite fast. So while you may be able to nearly sprint for a round or too, consider backing off slightly so you have a more even effort across all 5 rounds. This hang power clean volume and weight should be really fun. The two are set up to be a challenging set of 9, but still comfortably able to do it unbroken each round. 9 is fun because it tests your ability to cycle the barbell and maintain grip. Breaking it up into a couple sets won’t hinder pace too much as long as you can manage to pick it back up quickly when dropped. BFB add some added distance to travel for each rep which more or less makes them annoying, while still getting the job done to fatigue is. Don’t hold back, and try to go as fast as you can.

WOD AT HOME
Turkish Get-Up:
2-2-2-2-2

For Time:
100 Double-Unders
50 Single-Arm DB Renegade Rows (25/arm)
100 Double-Unders
40 DB Hang Power Cleans (20/arm)
100 Double-Unders
30 DB Hang Power Snatch (20/arm)

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
Bench Press:
5 x 5 @ ~75-85% of 1 RM

“Diane”
21-15-9 Reps For Time:
Deadlift (225/153)
HSPU

The 5 x 5 falls in line with our plan to do sets of 5 early on in this cycle matching the rep schemes of our other power lifts. Your power lifting this cycle should follow a few characteristics: power, speed and quality. Every one of your reps and sets should meet those standards with power being the most important. Speed is relevant to both the chosen loading and your skill set relative to the lift you are performing. Quality should be a response of you choosing the appropriate weight with the given percentage based on what you feel like from previous workouts, whether you may have some nagging soreness, etc. Focus on improving those three characteristics each set.

Diane marks the third benchmark workout of the cycle. Approach Diane the exact same way you did with Fran and DT, and that is with some sort of strategic gameplan relative to your skill set, and a pedal to the floor mentality throughout. The weight of the deadlifts should allow you to do each set unbroken. The only reason you shouldn’t be able to do it unbroken is if your grip truly fails. If you cannot do a set of 15 HSPU unbroken when you are fresh, consider scaling the volume of each round: maybe a 15-12-9? Put it this way, the workout should be done in 4-8 minutes. So if you can fit the deadlifts and HSPU within that window, do them. And that goes for any rep scheme you see fit. Will there be some outliers less than 4 and more than 8? Of course! But your goal and target time should fall within that range. A very easy modification that is still productive and meets the stimulus is push ups. If you aren’t doing HSPU, go with regular push ups because they still present a challenge for everyone.

WOD AT HOME
4 Sets, Not For Time (warm-up pace):
20 Tucks
10 Jump Squats
30 Single or Double-Unders

Death By, Alt. b/w:
(+2) Air Squats
Push Ups
*Minute 1: 2 Air Squats, Minute 2: 1 Push Up, Minute 3: 4 Air Squats, and so on…

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
For Quality:
Every 4 Minutes, For 24 Minutes:
5 Back Squat (250/168)
2 Legless Rope Climbs
53 Double-Unders

6 Rounds For Time w/a Partner:
12/10 Row Calories
8 Strict Burpees
*Each Partner will do 3 Rounds

All movements in today’s EMOM should focus on quality. For the back squats you do have a prescribed weight to work off of today. If you are not doing the prescribed weight you can use a range of 55-70% of your current 1 RM. The weight shouldn’t feel terribly heavy for you because there are 6 intervals to complete. It should be a weight that you can work through at a good pace each round without the thought of missing in any one of these rounds. Today’s format will also fall in line with our plan for the cycle to stay within our sets of 5 for the power lifts. So, put your emphasis on quality for each set while still trying to maximize the speed of each set, specifically in the last round which will be your scored round. The legless rope climbs are going to dictate the amount of time spent working in each round. You need to determine what is the best plan of attack for this portion. If you can and want to try legless climbs the entire time do it. You may get to a point where you may have to revert to using your legs, which is also a solid plan. You could also start the workout doing 1 legless climb, and 1 rope climb with your feet. You could also attempt to climb as high as possible without your feet, and then use your feet to climb the remainder of the rope for the entirety of the workout. You could also do regular rope climbs the entire workout. Outside of the rope with strict chin-ups or strict knees-to-elbow would be a great modification. Plan on between 3-6 reps in place of the rope climbs. Use a band on strict chin-ups if needed. 53 is an odd amount. It is the sum of today’s date 3 + 27 + 23. Time spent on the rope should be determined by how much time is left in your interval following the rope climbs, and how much time you need before the next interal begins. Modify the dubs with single-unders.

Part two will involve you and a partner doing some rowing and burpees, aternating rounds with a partner of your choosing. A strict burpee begins with a push up and ends with a jump and clap. So everything about it resembles a traditional burpee, but this version is void of your ability to “worm” your body off the ground. Traditional burpees would be a great modification for todays workout. Treat each round as an all out sprint, hold nothing back. You can rest at the end.

WOD AT HOME
3 Rounds:
1 Minute at Each Movement for Max Reps:
Single-Arm OH DB Lunges (alt. arms as needed)
Burpees
Single-Arm DB Hang Power Cleans (alt. every 5 reps)
Sit-Ups
Single-Arm DB Push Jerks (alt. every 5 reps)
…rest 1 minute b/w rounds…

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
Thruster:
5 x 5 @ 75% of 1 RM

6 Rounds For Time:
0.3/0.25 Mile Bike
10 Single-Arm DB Push Jerk (AHAP)
8 TTB
*Alt. Arms each round of DB Push Jerk

WOD AT HOME
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
1:00 Wall Sit
…rest 30 seconds…
0:30 Hollow Hold
…rest 30 seconds…
*At the end of the workout complete 5 Push Ups for every round completed in the workout. 1 round = wall sit + hollow hold completed
**Add in 1 push up to your post workout total for every break you had to make during the wall sit or hollow hold. For example, if the 0:30 hollow hold in any round takes you 2 – 0:15 efforts to accmulate our 30 seconds, add in a push up

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY

Back Squat:
5 x 5 @ 75% of 1 RM

AMRAP 12 Minutes:
200 M Row
12 Wall Balls (12′)
4 BMU

While this cycle is not squat focused, you’ll still see enough of them week to week to need some structure. We’ll use the percentage we were at for sets of 5 around Christmas/New Years in the last cycle. Now comparably, you should have established a new 1 RM at the end of the last cycle so you should have a new number to work with for this percentage. All that said, if you’re a little banged up from the week go lighter than the prescribed percentage. 5’s are an awesome opportunity to do a very comfortable volume per set, while at the same time allowing you to go heavy enough to challenge you.

This workout is set up to get between 5-6 rounds. With the shorter distance row you can go at each one of these really hard; don’t hold back on the intensity in any round. While most of us despise the thought of doing wall balls, the benefit of the 12′ wall balls is that there is never a prescribed weight attached to them. The goal of the 12′ wall ball is to focus more on accuracy, power, and coordination rep to rep. Do your best to pick a weight for the wall ball that you can do unbroken each round, or at least 2 sets within the 12 reps. Set yourself up on the BMU portion of the round to be able to do something that you can more quickly and confidently through. Here is a list of modifications/scaling options: 1) Rx – 4 BMU, 2) less volume, 3) 4-8 C2B Pull-ups, 4) 4-8 Pull-ups, 5) Any volume between 4-8 banded BMU, C2B, or pull-ups.

WOD AT HOME
Turkish Get-Up:
6 x 2 (each arm)

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps For Time:
Single-Arm Alt. Devils Press (AHAP)
V-Ups

 

 

WORKOUT OF THE DAY
For Load:
2 Hang Clean + 2 Front Squats

“DT”
5 Rounds For Time:
12 Deadlift (155/103)
9 Hang Power Clean
6 Push Jerk

This week’s clean complex is slightly modified from last week in that it is void of a power clean and elimnates the pulling rep after the front squat. Comparably with the snatch timeline we saw over the last two weeks, the sequence of today’s complex should allow you to at least match, if not potentially go heavier than you were able to last week. Your limiting factor in terms of loading on the barbell should be relative to either your ability/skillset bringing the bar back to the hang for rep 2, or just the general weight on the bar for all 4 reps, or both of these. After the rather lengthy squat cycle combined with a good amount of heavy cleans we’ve done in the last few months you should be set up well for this complex. Put it this way, if you can clean the weight twice, your legs can definitely manage to finish those two squats.

Background: In honor of US Air Force SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on Feburary, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy was survived by his wife Megan and his son, T.J., who was one year old when he passed. The original “DT” Hero WOD was first posted on the CrossFit main site as the workout of the day for Tuesday, April 14, 2009. “Heavy” and “Double” versions of this workout have appeared since then, including at the 2015 and 2016 CrossFit Games, which led to surges in the workout’s popularity. Today marks this week’s benchmark workout, which also happens to be a hero workout. Yes the weight is challenging, and yea the volume will be tough regardless of weight, and yes you’re on a barbell the entire workout. But this is an awesome test for everyone. This workout will te at your endurance, your ability to cycle the barbell, and your grip capacity. Strategically, you want to be able to hang on so that the 27 reps in each round can be done in 3 sets or less. Best strategy is to do 11 deadlifts, then 1 deadlift to the hang and from there finish off the HPC’s and push jerks. Don’t shy away from this workout, it will be a great reference point for everyone.

WOD AT HOME
For Time:
50 DB Thrusters (25/arm)
50 DB Hang Power Cleans (25/arm)
50 DB Push Jerks (25/arm)
*EMOM 4 Burpees
**Workout begins with 4 burpees