Crossfit Linchpin - D51

Extra
Power Position Power Snatch + 2 Hang Power Snatch: Upto 40
Hang Power Snatch: 40x3x4 (4-5 sets, can't remember)

Main
Jeremy
21-15-9:
Overhead Squats, 43kg
Burpees

6:48 RX

Accessory 1
Strict Pullup: 2x12 (2 sets at 75% of max)

Accessory 2
Single Leg Lateral Line Hop: 2x30s (per leg)

Accessory 3
Bulgarian Split Squat: 10sx12x2, 15sx12

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Since I was overhead squatting in the main part, I decided to do some light snatch technique work. I got in touch with my weightlifting coach and hired him to do video analysis. He looked at my snatches from the last few weeks and said my weight is too far back!! My only focus was to have my weight back to stop jumping forward, but it seems like that was a quick fix and not the correct way. He told me to finish my first pull and jump keeping the bar close. So that's what I tried to do today. I think I did a much better job of contacting the bar higher up my thigh and bending my arms slightly later. Certainly no jumping forward!



The actual main metcon of the day was 3RFT: 500m row, 10 bar muscle ups, 10 OHS @60%. I didn't feel like doing low ring muscle ups (what's the point of learning something new when I can do muscle ups), so I decided to do a benchmark workout that had the same movements. My goal was to go sub 7, and I really gave it everything to get there. My round times were 2:42, 2:39, 1:26. Average HR 179, max HR 192. 62nd percentile, which I'm happy with. OHS were broken up 13+8, 9+6, 9. After the 2nd round, I rested for a good 25 seconds to ensure that I didn't drop the bar. I thought the 8th rep was RPE 10, but I grinded out that 9th. I was really close to failing and that would have put me way over 7 minutes. So I probably paced it perfectly! You can see me suffering at the end. I only got up because I realized it was still recording.

Pull-ups and agility drills were k. I moved up in weight for split squats in the last set and they were fine. I'll do all 3 sets with 15s next time.

Yeah, the wods you and lozen posted are going to be horrible if paced correctly and a true 100% effort. It's similar to any endurance sport though. Any 2k row/5k run, etc with a max effort is just horrible.

Having done crossfit though, these don't stand out to me because there are plenty of wods where I have paced incorrectly and blown up spectacularly. My worst one was where I probably hit max HR 10 minutes into a 40 minute WOD. It was 17.5:

10 rounds: (40 minute cap)
9 thrusters, 43kg
35 double unders

I was 3 months into crossfit and had just learned how to do a few double unders. I think my max was maybe 6 in a row and 2-3 was an accomplishment. It was just impossible for me to now blow up in this because every attempt at double unders spiked my heart rate because I was jumping really high and spinning my hands really fast to just get 1 rep. I think I got time capped somewhere in the 9th round. The bad part about this is I could always get back on the rope and attempt another flailing double under, even if my HR was max. So I really couldn't stop. It was pure suffering.

I remember doing the open in 2012. About 20 of us were doing our own leaderboard for the 5 workouts with a prize at the end. I was leading after the first two and then the third workout was 18 mins

15 box jumps
12 115lb push press
9 toes to bar

I went out way too fast and has done 4 rounds in less than 8 mins and then just fell into the worst hole I’ve ever encountered. Longest 10 mins of my life. TTB completely left me and I spent most of the time with my hands on my knees shaking my head. Not even sure I got to 7 rounds. Was brutal

4 rounds in 8 minutes itself is pretty impressive. Have you done Kalsu? That looks like the absolute worst one. I've done a couple of metcons where you have a buyin every minute to do the other work. They are the nut low.

wouldn’t have even thought of doing that one at my most frothing CrossFit stage. That’s nuts. I remember one of the very early Australian CF weapons called Pete Maxwell did it rx on a video and said it was the worst thing he’d ever done

Crossfit Linchpin - D52

Main
For time: (or not)
100 Double Unders
25 Dumbbell Push Press, 22.5kg DBs
25 Knees-to-elbows
75 Double Unders
20 Dumbbell Push Press, 22.5kg DBs
20 Knees-to-elbows
50 Double Unders
15 Dumbbell Push Press, 22.5kg DBs
15 Knees-to-elbows

25:37 - not for time/52kg barbell push press/strict knees to elbows

Accessory 1
Overhead Carry: 3x50m (with 15s)

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Today's likely finishing time was 12 minutes, but it was also a not for time day. I chose to go slow and that allowed me to use heavier weights. There was a barbell alternative which I did because I wanted more push press practice. My double unders weren't great. I think I figured something out towards the end - I need to jump on my toes and just rebound quicker. Push presses were pretty heavy. I broke them up in 7/5/5/4/4, 5/5/5/5, 5/5/5. Knees to elbow were easy enough and I broke them up in 10/8/7, 12/8, 9/6. It was nice to not worry about giving it 100% though.

I added 10m to each set of overhead carries. I said this last time as well, but I will use the 22.5s next time. The second accessory was 50 burpee box jump overs for time and I don't have a box.

A couple of slight niggles have crept in. My left calf is hurting a bit from all the double unders. My bicep tendonitis is just starting to show up, from all the extra snatch practice. I will manage this over the next couple of weeks and try and pick accessories that don't make it worse. It's not bad at all now, but from experience, it will become worse if I don't change something.

Crossfit Linchpin - D53

Main
Deadlift 5-5-5-5-5

110, 115, 120, 125, 130 (RPE 6?)

Accessory 1
Side Plank: 2 minutes per side

Accessory 2
Barbell Glute Bridge: 90x10, 95x10, 70x10

Accessory 3
Farmer's Carry: 100m, 90m, 90m (with 22.5s)

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Phenomenal day. I read the advice from a few months ago and the screenshot from Rich was really helpful. I kept my hips up and did not kick the bar forward. My 5RM is 135 and I planned on going 110-115-120-122.5-125 today, but 120 felt so light! 130 still felt pretty light. I nearly YOLO'd 3 plates for 5 reps to set a rep PR, but decided to take the solid training session and move on. Touch and go was to minimize noise for the neighbours.

Side planks were fine. Long slow breaths seems to make it more bearable. I watched a video on glute bridges after the second set and lowered the weight to get full hip extension. I'll probably lower it again next time. I added 10m to my first lap of farmer's carries.

Today probably took me from a 65% believer in this programming to 90%. My deadlifts are stronger than they have ever been and I've deadlifted 4 times in the last 4 months, and twice was in a metcon! I look forward to every training session now. There are very few niggles (the only ones are from extra snatches). The volume being low means I can attack every workout. I'm also slowly getting better at everything. Strength is slowly climbing, cardio is improving a lot, gymanstics is better, core is stronger. But the most important thing is that I am loving training. I just need to sort out my weightlifting technique now.

Crossfit Linchpin - D54

Main
4 rounds: (3 minutes rest between rounds)
8 Strict Pull-ups
8 Russian Kettlebell Swings, 32 kg
15m, Dumbbell Front Rack Walking Lunge, 2x15 kg
12 Strict Toes-to-bars
18 Row Calories

14:07 - 3:18, 3:26, 3:34, 3:49
Modifications - 8 KBS instead of 8 kipping pull-ups, 15s instead of 22.5s for lunges, 12 strict TTB instead of 15 TTB

Accessory 1
Single Arm DB Row: 22.5x12x4 (per arm)

Accessory 2
Pistols: 8,7,7,5 (per leg, not alternating)

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Absolutely brutal day. Intervals of hell. Grip and cardio. I saw someone replaced kipping pull-ups with swings, and thought that made a lot of sense. I reduced the weight on the lunges to keep up the intensity of the intervals. I could have used 22.5s but would have then just done the TTB slower and rowed slower. Pull-ups were unbroken until the last round, where I did 4+2+2. KBS and lunges were unbroken. I don't remember the toes to bar breakdown except that the first set was a nice and easy 6+6 and the last set was 2 and then singles! My grip was just destroyed. The 18 calorie row at the end of the interval was a nice touch to add to the misery. If it was at the beginning, I would have just paced it to get through everything else. Since it's at the end, I had to just pull hard. The first round was over 1400 cal/h, the last round was probably 1100. Not fun. My HR hit 190 in the last interval.

Rows were k. It was nice to do them on a bench instead of on my bed. Pistols were great. When I hold my opposite foot and bend forward, they are easy enough. I did a bonus 4th set to record myself and check depth. It seems fine.

Karate Kid with the praying mantis attack checking in.

Pistols are hard and his depth is great as well

Pistols are impossible. This is clearly a doctored video.
A+

Those pistols are vg Arjun.

Crossfit Linchpin - D55
BW - 75.5

Main
OHP: 1-1-1-1-1
Push Press: 3-3-3-3-3
Push Jerk: 5-5-5-5-5

60, 65, 60, 68.5 (0.5kg PR!), 69f, 60
60, 60, 60, 62.5, 65
60, 60, 60, 60, 60

Accessory 1
500m row

1.33.8 (0.6 second PR!)
41 spm/188 max HR/123 DF/Foot strap 3

Accessory 2
SLIPS

Scales - Front and back, 2x20s each
L-Sit - 3x22s
Inversion - Handstand hold practice
Plank - 1 arm plank on palms, 1:10 minute each
Stretching - yes

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Boom. What a day. Strength and cardio PRs. These are proper PRs as well. My OHP was in Nov 2019 just before the first lockdown. I was at peak strength then and probably terrible cardio. My 500m PR was towards the end of my rowing career at peak cardio and terrible strength. Feels good. The true test will be whether I can PR my squat, 2000m row, and snatch/C&J around the same time. Then we're in business.

This wasn't really meant to be a 1RM day, but I couldn't resist. In the single at 65, I felt my neck pretty badly and there was a pain down the side. I thought I might have to call it there. I dropped down to 60 and there was no pain. I then just went for it, but was a bit timid because of the pain. 69 wasn't happening and the last set of 60 was pretty hard. I was hoping for 70 and perhaps I could have done it without that little tweak. We will never know. 70 was my 2021 goal, so there's a long way to go. 90.7% BW OHP without doing a strength program is pretty neat.

There were still 10 sets to go! I didn't want to do anything close to maxes now and wanted to work on form. Push presses actually felt really good. The set at 65 looks like RPEASY. Cues were short dip and be aggressive with my legs. Push Jerks OTOH did not feel good. How can 60x5 push jerks feel harder than 65x3 push presses?! I sent the video to my WL coach, let's see what he says. I think I must not be using my legs enough and am not finishing my drive.

500m row splits were 1:34.5, 1:33.0, 1:33.0, 1:34.0, 1:34.0. I didn't really fade away and definitely had more. I just really wanted a PR and once that was in the bag I aimed for sub 1:34 and coasted it in. There's a lot more to come here. I would say it was 97% effort.

SLIPS were fine. I am not making any progress with freestanding handstand holds. L-Sits and 1 arm planks seem great for the core.


Thank you, friends!

Haha, I see it loco. I started watching Cobra Kai - pretty amazing so far.

Hi Arjun

Congrats on the 500m row pr! Splits look really even. My 500m fast times (which I’m currently scared to attempt) always have a huuuuge tail off in the past 150

I’m on my phone and can’t play the videos (the page isn’t loading properly)

What was the lifting PR and what were the weights for all the presses?

Thanks FW. Yeah, it wasn't true max effort fly and die. I just really wanted a strength and cardio PR on the same day so I made sure I got that. I think a bit of fly and die is definitely optimal for a 500m. It's your turn now! My OHP PR was 68.5, a measly 0.5kg PR. I'm just happy I did both at the same time. At different times in the past, I was probably 68/1:40 and 60/1:34. I think this programming has shown me that I can slowly improve in everything at once.

68.5 is vg for your body weight, well done

just watched the vids on my desktop.

congrats again on the press PR - it looks pretty good.

push press is ok but you could still be a lot quicker/more violent on the dip and drive

push jerk really looks totally off. tbh, it isn't a push jerk. it's a push press with a weird knee dip

not nearly enough speed and explosion on the dip and drive and then you're not dropping underneath the bar at all. the reason we should be able to lift more weight with the push jerk is that the bar shouldn't need to move as far because we drop underneath it. But you're catching the bar in basically the same position as you're finishing your push press.

it's a movement to generate power and you're just not moving with anything like the speed you should be.

I'm sure your coach pointed that out too and he/she will have their own remedies but I reckon you should be warming up with the bar doing push jerks and just focus on dropping as far as you can...almost Snatch balance style, to get your body used to the movement.

Crossfit Linchpin - D56

Main - Helen
3 rounds:
400m run
21 KB Swings (American), 24kg
12 Pull-ups

12:45 - 500m row/7 strict pull-ups

Accessory 1
3 rounds for quality:
7-10 Turkish Get-ups (L)
7-10 Turkish Get-ups (R)

5,3,3,1 (per side)

Accessory 2
Chin-ups: 3x9 (3' rest)

------------------------------------

It was a bad training day after a while. I've been good with my diet since the beginning of the year, but fell of the wagon a bit this weekend. I blame my Lebanese neighbour who makes incredible food and just leaves it outside the door. Saturday was falafels and Sunday was a pizza. I just couldn't control myself. I woke up feeling terrible which is actually pretty nice. It just shows me how important diet is. I just slogged through modifield Helen. Swings were 21, 13+8, 7+7+7. Pull ups were 3+2+2, 3+2+2, singles. Max HR 184, just no WIM today. Grip destroyed. Helen is one of the more well designed metcons. It is so much tougher than it looks and always gets me. You'll only know if you try it. Everything is short enough that you just have to go unbroken and fast on the run. There is just no respite.

Turkish get-ups were added to the program after my suggestion to Pat, so that's pretty cool. The accessories always have a bunch of options. Today's accessory 1 was to pick between Overhead Carry/Wall Walks/Handstand Hold/Handstand Walk Practice/Turkish Get-ups. I naturally had to go with TGU. 7-10 per side is pretty nuts though, and I don't have a light enough kettlebell to do that. So I just scaled the reps down. I think 3 per side with the 16 should be good for no form breakdown. I need to remember to lock out my arms and pack my shoulders. The last round of 1 was just to check my form with a video.

I wanted to skip chin-ups because I wasn't feeling it and because I replaced pull-ups with strict pull-ups in Helen. But today was so **** that I wanted to do them. I never could do more than 2 chin-ups ever without elbow pain, so a pretty easy 3x9 is nice. They actually feel easier than pull-ups at the moment.

Tomorrow is a heavy day and potentially a chance for a clean PR, so good food today and back at it tomorrow.

Thanks a ton for the feedback. I agree with everything really, push press needs more legs and my push jerk just looks weird. My coach gave me 3 main tips -

1. Don't grip the bar so hard for PP and PJ.
2. Sit down like a front squat. My knees are going way too far forward. So I need to sit back more.
3. My weight is going forward on the way up. My heels are off the ground before I'm fully extended.

3 is the most important. I did a few in the mirror with my weight evenly balanced and it feels so much more powerful.

I also owe xuk an apology. When I was weightlifting on my own earlier and trying to figure it out, my quick fix for not jumping forward was totally wrong. He called me out on it and I didn't listen to him. My coach said exactly what he said (delay the 2nd pull). My quick fix (sit back more) also got me in a terrible starting position. Lesson - WL is just too technical for me to figure out on my own at this stage.

I always use the word ‘violent’ for o lifting because I think it’s really appropriate. You need to be really ****ing violent in any o lift to move a heavy bar properly and your jerk doesn’t have any. Be way more aggressive

Crossfit Linchpin - D57

Main
Power Clean 3-3-3-3
Front Squat 2-2-2-2
Squat Clean 1-1-1-1

65, 70, 75, 75
100, 105, 107.5, 110, bonus paused 90x1 to check depth
80, 80, 80, 80

Accessory 1
DB Front Rack Walking Lunge: 3x18m (with 22.5s)

Accessory 2
L-Sit Hold on Rings: Accumulate 2 minutes (6 sets)

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It was a day of ups and downs. First the bad - my right bicep hurt on my last set of power cleans and they really hurt during squat cleans. I wanted to hit 100 and beat my PR of 95, but 80 was painful enough. I really shouldn't have completed the workout, but I really hated to see a DNF, so I just did 4 painful reps. This is a chronic problem of mine and is managed by rest, so I know what to do. The other bad thing was my technique. The first power clean looks fine, but then I jump forward again. I had so many things running through my mind. The pain for squat cleans was reduced when I kept the bar close to me, so that's one thing I need to do. I've sent the videos to my coach, let's see what he says. I told him I need to simplify things and only think of one cue per session (maybe 2 max).

The good from today was front squats. 115 is my PR, but it's pretty old. Regardless, 110x2 seemed like RPE 7? I think I got a bit scared not having a place to bail, so I cut depth a little. I did that extra set to make sure I can reach depth, and it was pretty easy. So this program has my squatting close to all time highs. That's a huge win. 65th percentile in the main part, which includes the light squat cleans, which is nice.

Walking lunges were fine. It's a bit of cardio doing 18 steps in total. I think it's all these lunges, split squats, pistols that's keeping/increasing my strength. The accessories in this program are top notch. Who knew you can get stronger squatting once in 2 weeks and doing a bunch of other stuff?

L-Sits were fine as well.

the walking forward at the end of your lift thing is really weird. the obvious cue is to keep your weight back on your heels until you've completed the life...I assume you've tried that?

Yeah pls stop doing that

Crossfit Linchpin - D58

Main
For time: (or not)
100 Single Unders
Plank Hold, 1 min
-- then --
Handstand Walk, 20 m
20 Push Press, 52kg
Handstand Walk, 15 m
15 Push Press, 52kg
Handstand Walk, 10 m
10 Push Press, 52kg
-- then --
100 Single Unders
Plank Hold, 1 min

21:30 - not for time/10-7-5 strict HSPU instead of HSW/45kg push press

Accessory 1
Row: 2x300m, 2:00r

1:55.1 (1:35.9, 41spm)

Accessory 2
Farmer's Carry: 100m, 80m, 60m (2' rest, 22.5s)

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I chose to do the main part not for time. Average HR was 145, max 175. It was all shoulders. I severely underestimated how difficult the HSPU would get after push presses. HSPU were 4-3-3, 2-2-2-1, 2-1-1-1. Push Presses were 4x5, 3x5, unbroken. I surprised myself with that last unbroken set. I messed around a bit with form and think it's better. I dipped straight down and tried to push straight up. Upper back tighter and elbows lower.

The row was good. Steady progress on this piece. It's not close to max effort yet. I lost meters the farmer's carry because I stuck to strict rest times. I'll do this going forward.




It's quite a common mistake. I've tried everything! I'll figure it out eventually.

Stop jumping forwards? I wish I knew how. That's been my sole focus for the last few months. I managed it a few times, but that was by adding something else that was wrong (weight back at setup).

No the walking forward first!! That should not be a difficult thing to fix.

I've got my crash mats just outside the frame. I'm walking forwards to drop the bar on them.