Friday, January 25th
A.
SKILL CONDITIONING:
12 Minute EMOM: Minute 1 - 50 Double Unders Minute 2 – Gym Length Handstand Walk (HSW Progression Video Below) Designed to be purely for practice and recovery.These numbers can be modified based to our specific capacity, most especially on the handstand walking. If the gym length distance is not appropriate for us for today, let's use this second minute as a full 60 seconds of practice. A chance to practice our handstand walking, under the light metabolic fatigue from the double-under.
B.
METCON:
“Sea Legs”
PART A:
In a 15:00 Time Cap:
2 Rounds: 30/21 Calorie Row 25 Box Jump Overs (24/20) 20 Front Squats (135/95)
PART B:
Time Remaining in the 15:00 Cap: Build to a 1RM: 1 Squat Clean 1 Hang Squat Clean 1 Jerk
PART A NOTES
"Sea Legs" is based off a format we saw last year in the Open, during 18.2. With two scores, our first was for time, with our second, being the max load lifted in the time remaining inside the window.
We'll follow the same format today with a 2 rounds triplet to start our efforts. Any time remaining in a 15:00 window is dedicated towards finding a max effort lift, where athletes can take as many attempts as they please - with only the heaviest completed, counting.
Looking at the workout as a whole, we can recognize the effort on the lower half of the body. This will be a stamina test of our leg capacity, where pacing plays an important role. Yet pacing here does not mean we are moving slow - it's anything but, as this is a 2 round workout where seconds will separate. Our aim is instead to move as fast as possible, without slowing down in the second round. Our second round must be as fast, if not faster, than our first. If we move in with such a mindset, we'll hold in reserve just enough in the first round to make our push in the second.
On the rowing, this is to be an aggressive pace. These seconds do matter, but it's purely an aggressive pace for our own personal standard. Row at a pace that we feel confident we can immediately transition into the box jumps with, at our planned methodical pace. Row at a pace where the thought of needing an extra breath before beginning the first box, is out of the question.
On the box jump overs, a methodical pace here is important. Opening with a pace in the first round that falls off in the second is naturally counterproductive, as is a pace that could require us to break an additional time on the front squats.
On the front squats, we are looking for a loading that we are very confident we could complete 21+ repetitions unbroken when fresh. It's more towards the 30 repetition mark, so that this is a push towards the finish, versus a multiple set grind. Thought of in a different way, if we need to break up the 20 repetitions more than once per round, let's choose a slightly lightly load to achieve that specific stimulus.
Front squats are taken from the floor and you are allowed to squat clean the first rep.
Any time remaining inside the 15:00 running clock is dedicated towards Part B, the max effort lift.
PART B NOTES
Using the same barbell from Part A, athletes have the time remaining the 15:00 time cap to build to a max effort lift. This 3-rep complex must be completed unbroken. Once the bar comes off the ground for the first squat clean, it cannot return to the ground until the hang squat clean and jerk have been completed for it to count. Athlete's choice on the jerk, which is a true "shoulder to overhead".
Upon finishing Part A and recording our time, we want to take a quick analysis of how much time we have remaining. This is an important first step as if the clock says 8:00, it's a fairly different course of action than if it says 12:30.
In both instances, we want to give ourselves at least moments of rest, but with taking this quick analysis can help us determine if that rest is 1:30, or if it's :30s to the first lift.
Given how we were cleaning the barbell from the floor in Part A for the final 20 front squats of the workout, our body is well aware of how a clean feels at that weight. We are safe to climb in loading after our short rest - but in a controlled amount. We have not gone overhead since the start of the workout, and the jerk may very well be the limiting factor for many of us today, given how our legs will be fatigued from two cleans leading into (despite "fresher" shoulders).
From here, we think through generally three "themes".
A "safe weight" A "goal weight" And a "reach weight"
Our safe weight is that first weight we lift in Part B. It's something we are very confident we will complete - even if, our technique is far off the mark.
Our goal weight is a loading that we would be happy to walk away from the workout with. It's not our best, not a PR, but with the full picture in mind, we would be content with it.
Our reach weight is a weight we would be ecstatic to lift. Relative to our all-time PR, it may be one, or it may not even be close. But given the considerations of the workout, it's a load we may miss more than make - and we'd be absolutely psyched to get it.
Inside each theme, there can absolutely be multiple lifts, but by visualizing the loadings falling into these three categories, it can provide some structure to our planning. Naturally, we start with the safe weight(s), and we move into the goal weight categories with the intentions on leaving more than enough time for at least 2 attempts at our heaviest goal weight. That way, we have the chance to attempt it again if we miss it.
If we make it, we now have the chance to attempt our "reach" weight, which we naturally only attempt if we made our final goal weight and we have the time for the extra and final push.
HANDSTAND WALKING PROGRESSIONS
