Tuesday, February 12th
METCON:
Part A: On the 0:00…
15 Minute AMRAP: 25 Double Unders (50 Singles)
5 Power Snatches (135/95) 10 Single Dumbbell Overhead Squats
5 Bar Muscle-Ups
*If we are not completing full bar muscle-ups today, two options:
Work on the "pushing" of the bar with the jumping bar muscle-up drill - Video or
complete 10 chest to bar pull-ups.
Part B: On the 15:00… 5:00 of Handstand Walk Practice
If we are working towards the consistency of our handstand walking, the below two drills below can be used today to refine this skill.
Part C: On the 25:00...Stamina Conditioning
On the 4:00 x 3 Sets: 15 Toes to Bar 15/12 Calorie Row 10 Handstand Push-Ups
PART A NOTES:
Our focus of effort is going to be on the middle 10:00. From minutes 4:00-14:00. Although this sounds a bit strange to read, these minutes between those two marks is where the vast majority of athletes will fall off pace. A common trend in such a workout is that athletes come out looking very strong, with quick work on the snatches and potentially unbroken sets on the bar muscle-ups. But about 4:00 in, we slow dramatically as the movements "catch up" with us. This carries until the 14:00 mark, where in the final 60 seconds, we're able to turn it back up for a final push.
If we can enter this workout thinking about those critical minutes, 4:00-14:00, we'll can move better towards the right pace to Open with. The first two rounds are tempting to move quickly on as we are fresh, but these movements are two that can slow down for us very quickly. We'll find our best score today by focusing on sustaining stamina in our skills, versus absolute raw work capacity. Burpees and power cleans can be an example of the opposite.
On the double-unders, if there's one thing we truly want to think through, it's to relax the wrists and shoulders. By allowing a brief moment of composure after picking up the rope, it can allow us to move through these 25 repetitions with minimal wasted effort. "Wasted" as in, energy spent pushing through a challenging set. We can picture an athlete fighting for the final reps… jumping higher, recruiting more shoulders into the mix, and straining to finish the reps. It won't be a single double-under set that overly fatigues us - it will be the compounded effect of several rounds over time that amount to significant fatigue. If we can move in feeling composed by slowing our transition by an extra moment, we afford ourselves the chance to move with our best efficiency here, affording us capacity on the pull-up bar and barbell late in the workout.
On the power snatches, stimulus wise, we are looking for a barbell we could cycle for 10+ repetitions when fresh. It's not a light barbell - we do want to challenge ourselves here - but we are not going to miss a lift despite the compounding fatigue over the duration. Although many of us can touch and go repetitions at this loading, looking at the combination of movements… fast singles may be our best option. Bar muscle-ups absolutely demand a good deal of grip and pulling strength, and double-unders do indeed tax the forearms and shoulders. Deep into the workout, if we feel very strong and can benefit from touch and go repetitions (without it impacting our Bar Muscle-Ups), let's absolutely go for it - but starting with steady, quick singles may be our best approach.
On the Bar Muscle-Ups, this is naturally the station that will pose the biggest challenge to most athletes. With double-unders and power snatches in combination, we can expect these repetitions to become challenging. As a focus point for the day, focus on pushing.
In the Bar Muscle-Up, it is very common for athletes to "pull" instead of "push". We can tend to pull ourselves, with our biceps and forearms, to the pull-up bar. This results in the impact into the bar, and often the missed repetition. Although exactly what we want to think of with the chest to bar pull-up, it is of course our aim to get above the bar before making contact.
Instead of "pulling", visualize the sensation of pushing. With our lats, and arms still extended, pushing the bar towards the floor. If we visualize pushing the bar to the floor, we would rise above, finishing at the top of a bar muscle-up. Now of course, to do so with completely locked our elbows throughout the duration takes an enormous amount of gymnastic kipping power and strength, and that is solely the theme. If we can think of pushing, we find the elevation we need to clear the bar. It can be followed with a final pull at the right moment, cracking the elbows so that we sneak over the top of the bar into the dip position, but we must push before we pull.
PART B NOTES:
Handstand Weight Shifting This drill gains confidence and familiarity shifting our weight from one hand to the other. Take this movement slow. A common fault here is that our hips move, but our weight actually does not shift. We bend quickly at the side, but this does not translate to the skill we are looking to develop. One inch at a time, slowly weight one hand, while maintaining an active midline. Slowly shift back and to the other side. Short sets here - if we push too far in duration, we likely start to sacrifice technique to support ourselves.
Box Shoulder Taps Lifting the hand off the ground while inverted is best done first on the box, as it reduces the "loading" of the handstand. Over time, it is our goal to be able to couple this shoulder tap, or at a minimum, alternating hands off the ground, while on the wall in the first drill.
Alternate between these two drills for 10:00, in a honed, focused setting of practice.
PART C NOTES: Rounds start on the 0:00, 4:00, and 8:00. Time inside each window after repetition completion is rest. Record all three working times below (time of each round to completion). Our aim here is to complete the handstand pushups in at most two sets with quick transitions between - and by the 3:15 mark. If we are still working by the 3:15 mark, cap our efforts there each round.
