Monday
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
Workout Definition
“You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut” – Dr. Suess
This quote is worth reading twice.
We are creatures of habit. We enjoy our routines. From the morning rituals, to the way we warm up for a workout, to our regimented diets and food plans.
Although dialing in the routine is a great thing, it’s important that we remind ourselves to “keep our eyes open.” What Dr. Suess’s quote alludes to is an open mind. Even when we feel we’ve found exactly what works for us, we must resist the urge to close our eyes and ears to new ideas.
There is so much to learn, experience, and challenge ourselves with. That is, if we only keep our eyes open to do so.
Always a student.
Strength
Back Squat
Alternating “On the Minute” x 12 (6 Rounds)
Odd Minutes – 3 Front Squats
Even Minutes – 6 Back Squats
Barbell – 60%
This load is used on *both* lifts, for all sets. We will be increasing this percentage steadily over the weeks to come. Time remaining in the minute after squats is rest. Post completed load today for tracking purposes.
Metcon
Fish Out of Water (Time)
Athletes Notes
For Time:
2K Row
Directly into 10 Rounds:
3 Power Cleans
6 Pushups
9 Air Squats
Barbell Pounds – 155/105
2K time for future reference.
Pacing wise, it is clear that we need to pace the 2K row (different than a max effort). The real question is, how much do we pace.
Looking forward, the stimulus of the barbell loading is one that is on the moderately heavy side. One that we could cycle for 12+ repetitions unbroken, when completely fresh. Knowing that this, coupled with the pushups and air squats is more of a metabolic effort, we can dig into this row a fair amount. Le’s visualize a pace of 2K race pace plus about :10-15s. It is still a reserved pace (finishing a good 45+ seconds slower than our 2K race pace), but this will allow us to push our efforts on the 10 rounds that follow.
In these 10 rounds, as one can imagine, there are a good amount of transitions. This is where seconds can disappear very easily. Between the 10 rounds, there are a total of 30 transitions. We’ve all seen a “lazy” transition before, or a lengthy one where we take a trip to the chalk bucket. Only a handful of these transitions can compound to something very significant. And on the flip side, being disciplined with our transitions can save us 15-30s, without even noticing it.
Inside those transitions, we are looking for a smooth, methodical pace. Most especially, on the air squats. These tend to be the pacer, affording us a chance to regulate our breathing, which tend to be more difficult on the cleans and pushups. Aim is to find a breathing pace, where each rep, we are forcing in a deep breath.
Not to harp on the air squats excessively, but this is a combination that tends to butcher our movement. We start to allow our chest to fall forward, or “good morning” out of the bottom. Although we are going to dig in this workout, focusing on staying tall during these squats will save our back. This combination can lead to a “back pump”, which can be dibilitating. A tight, cramping feeling in the lower back, it commonly comes into play when we are rounding the lower back due to poor movement.
Sat Partner WOD 6/29
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
Oddball (AMRAP – Rounds and Reps)
In teams of two, complete as many rounds and reps as possible:
– P1 50′ sandbag carry 50/35 (ish)
– P1 5 sandbag squats
– P2 50′ sandbag carry
– P2 5 sandbag squats
– P1 50m OH weight carry 45/35
– P1 5 OH weight squats
– P2 50m OH weight carry
– P2 5 OH weight squats
– 10 HRPU (5 each)
– 20 Abmat situps (10 each)
– P1 50′ yoke carry (S: back rack walk)
– P2 50′ yoke carry
– 100 sledge hammer strikes (50 each, 25 each arm)
– push ups, sit ups, and strikes all done at the same time
– 156 total reps in each round (carries all count as 1)
Friday
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” – Bill Watterson
“Satisfied” feels like a dangerous word.
As competitors, we’re always striving for betterment. Through an everlasting hunger to improve, we wake each day looking to press forward. Although a phenomenal quality, this can be a double-edged sword.
We can fall into the trap of telling ourselves, “I’ll be happy when”. I’ll be happy when I make this PR, get that job, or buy that home. Yet, the finish line always moves. As soon as we do reach that PR, we’re immediately turning to thinking about the next.
The call to action is to appreciate where we are today. To reflect not just on the “to improves”, but to reflect on the positives. The accomplishments. To be proud of where we’ve come from, and where we’re about to go.
Strength
an: Hang Power Clean
EMOM x 7:
2 Hang Power Cleans
1 Split Jerk
Set #1 – 60%
Set #2 – 65%
Set #3 – 70%
Set #4 – 75%
Sets #5+6+7 – Build to a moderate for the day.
Metcon
Metcon (Time)
For Time:
21 Calorie Row
21 Box Jump Overs 24/20
15 Calorie Row
15 Box Jump Overs
9 Calorie Row
9 Box Jump Overs
… Directly into:
21 Hang Clusters (135/95)
Hang Cluster = Hang Squat Clean Thruster
The aim is here to tax ourselves metabolically before a larger set of hang clusters.
Our training value here lies in pushing to our threshold pace on the row and box jumps. Leaning into the upper limit of what we can hold here is where we find our stimulus. What it is not, is blasting these calories out of the water. Although we’ll “feel” like we got a great workout (as we’re smashed afterwards), it misses the target of true threshold training. Today let’s find the pace we can aggressively hold, without ever slowing down. We push hard to the finish on the 9’s. Although it may feel a bit reserved in the round of 21’s, this is anything but a “comfortable” pace.
Moving into the 21 hang clusters here, in such a challenged state (but not absolutely obliterated), is where the benefit will be found. Where we can train that next rep in an uncomfortable state. It’s a very specific place we aiming for today, and it’ll take both aggression as well as reservation to make it there.
On these clusters, our breakup plan will naturally vary significantly between athletes. But we are at the hang today for a reason… I want you to hang onto the bar. If it were clusters from the floor, fast and steady singles may likely be the plan. But being at the hang, we can push ourselves with sets. While choosing weights, let’s settle on a weight we feel very confident we could cycle for 12+ reps unbroken, when fresh.
As some thoughts for a break-up strategy:
6-5-4-3-3
5-5-5-3-3
7×3
In all of the above situations, we have sets. There will be days where steady singles is the plan… today, let’s try to hang on and push outside the comfort zone.
Thursday
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
Metcon
Metcon (Time)
100 DU, 40 Mtn Climbers
70 DU, 70 Mtn Climbers
40 DU, 100 Mtn Climbers
After each set, complete:
15 Sit-Ups
1 minute dead hang
15 Sit-Ups
Core Conditioning
EMOM x 9: (3 Rounds)
Min 1: :45 seconds of Flutter Kicks
Min 2: 15 Crunches
Min 3: :25 second Hollow Hold
Wednesday
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker
In business, this is ever important for leaders to fully understand. That the culture of a team is everything. Over any marketing plans, product launches… anything.
The same is true for us as athletes.
We’ve all heard the line, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog”. The picture perfect strategy, executed half-heartedly, will always be beaten by the less-than-ideal strategy, but executed with full heart.
Our character is our back bone. It won’t be our strategy that we fall back to in round 4 of “Kelly”. In our darkest hour, where we need it the most, we will fall back to something far deeper. Our character. Our purpose for doing what we do. Cultivate that, and everything else falls into place.
Strength
Bench Press (6 x 3 (3 weight changes allowed))
Metcon
Nancy (Time)
5 Rounds for time of:
400m Run
15 Overhead Squats, 95# / 65#
In “Nancy”, we are looking for a moderate load on the overhead squat that we are very confident we could complete all five rounds unbroken with. We may break for strategy reasons, so that we can push our runs more, but if we had to, we feel confident we could complete all five sets of 15 unbroken.
This allows us to lean into the conditioning side. This workout is intended to be a challenge on the runs, and not a pacer. Let’s make this workout about our conditioning, and not about our overhead squat loads. We’ll have plenty of good work on the barbell in our next cycle, “Sled Dog”.
On the runs, we are looking to find a challenging yet consistent pace. It isn’t very common to see a five-round effort with 400m runs. This takes some thought to dial in a pace that allows us to push, but not to the tune of a rapid slow-down after 3 rounds. For many, this may be in the area of our estimated 3 mile pace. Much like on Monday, the transition back to the barbell is massively important in this workout. Pushing the runs and making it in 10s earlier on each run is very impressive, but not if we lose those 10s standing over the bar trying to catch our breath.
On the overhead squats, we can actually breath very well here. The shoulders of course take the brunt of the work overhead, but we can breathe far better here than we could in the front rack. Using the squats as a cadence, focus in on our breathing here.
As a sole focus point on the overhead squats, it’s to drive up. In the overhead squat, it can be common to “relax” into the movement, once we find the position overhead. Although we don’t want to exert extra energy ever in a workout, this is a place where pushing actively helps us in the deeper rounds. Imagine the barbell weights twice as heavy, and we are constantly trying to push it 1 inch higher. What this will do is cue and activate the muscles in the shoulder to stabilize. The better we hold position in the earlier rounds, the better we’ll move later.
Tuesday
CrossFit Evergreen – CrossFit
“Seek not good from without; seek it within yourselves, or you will never find it.” – Epictetus
When something goes right, we’re relatively quick to point actions we took to get there. But when something goes wrong, it’s all too easy for us to do the opposite. To play the “blame game”, using external events as excuses.
A core tenant of Mental Toughness is responsibility. To accept that we played a role. But the purpose is not to blame ourselves, beat ourselves up, or throw a pity party. The purpose is that it gives us *options*.
When we take responsibility and look within, we now are in control. We can now focus on the moves to make to put ourselves into better position. It opens our eyes to the path forward. If we do the opposite however, and blame the externals, we have surrendered control. We won’t have any control, as the story we’re telling ourselves is that outside events determine my path.
Responsibility is a weapon.
Strength
Hang Power Clean
On the 1:30 x 5 Sets:
1 Hang Clean Pull
1 Hang Clean High Pull
2 Hang Power Cleans
Set #1 – 50% of 1RM Clean
Set #2 – 55% of 1RM Clean
Sets #3+4+5 – 60% of 1RM Clean
Hang Clean Pull
This movement is a long arm throughout. With a big shrug at the top of the rep along with triple extension of the lower body, we are purely looking to find our speed through the middle.
Hang Clean High Pull
This movement builds upon the clean pull, and now finishes with a bending of the elbows. With elbows coming high to the outside, our aim here is to train our timing of the bend as well as the bar path. “Hide your knuckles” is a cue that can be helpful for keeping the bar close. Rotate the knuckles forward over the bar towards the ground which will help us find a better scarecrow position.
In terms of height, we are looking to bring the bar to about heart level. Any higher, and it can become an artificial feeling that we do not want to ingrain. Let the bar rise from the extension, and let gravity take it right back down to the hang (don’t fight the negative).
To finish the set, 2 hang power cleans to confirm the bar path and movement. Weights are intended to stay on the moderate side.
Metcon
Water Break (3 Rounds for reps)
“Water Break” Part #1
AMRAP 4:00
27 Hang Power Cleans (95/65)
27 Lateral Burpees Over Rower
27/21 Calorie Row
Rest 4:00
“Water Break” Part #2
AMRAP 4:00
21 Hang Power Cleans (115/85)
21 Lateral Burpees Over Rower
21/15 Calorie Row
Rest 4:00
“Water Break” Part #3
AMRAP 4:00
15 Hang Power Cleans (135/95)
15 Lateral Burpees Over Rower
15/12 Calorie Row
Stimulus wise, we are looking for the following:
Part #1 – Very light. A load we feel confident we could do 27 unbroken with, when fresh.
Part #2 – Light/Moderate. A load we feel confident we could do 21 unbroken with, when fresh.
Part #3 – Moderate. A load we feel confident we could do 15 unbroken with, when fresh.
On the burpees over the rower, these are “lateral”. Completing our burpee parallel to the rower, our standard here for Rx will be a two-foot jump over the rower. Both feet are to take off at the same time, but can land one at a time on the other side. Of all three movements inside the workout, this will be the largest challenge for most. The count in these rounds are on the higher side, and will become metabolic. Pacing our efforts here will be important.
On the hang power cleans, efficiency is our focus point here. Although a simple thing to think about, it’s the reasoning behind that we want to take note of. The better we move here, the more energy we have left for the remaining two movements. These sets, despite the rounds starting with them, do not need to be unbroken. If we spike our heart rate in the first set of a 4:00 AMRAP, it is likely we won’t finish with our best time.
On the burpees, what is very helpful here is a breathing pace. Breathing at the top of each rep before dropping is a chance to regain our composure between each rep. The effort here is to move methodically through these totals so that we can bring strong pulls to our row.
Finishing a single round here will be challenging, but it is within reach in the first part. On the second part, we will find ourselves near the same finishing spot, ideally pushing a bit further than we did before. On the third and final, we are looking to surpass both.
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