Friday 230922

Monday 240513

Monday 240513

Freestanding handstand push-up practice

Spend 15-20 minutes practicing the following progression:

Headstand

Headstand with knees to chest

From the headstand position, kick upward to a handstand and hold

Kick to a handstand, hold, and lower back to a headstand

Multiple freestanding handstand push-ups

Rest at least 10 minutes, then perform:

As many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
35 double-unders
5 freestanding handstand push-ups

Post rounds and reps to comments.

Scaling:
The goal today is to build confidence in a gymnastics movement and develop a better understanding of your body in space. This is an opportunity to practice complex skills in a low-intensity environment.

Setup and execution:

*Perform all stages of the progression about 1 foot off a wall. Consider using an AbMat for your head. Even though the wall is there, the goal is to use it only if you lose balance or control. Remember, we are working on a freestanding handstand and handstand push-up.

Headstand | Start in a frog stand and extend both legs above your body. Your head and hands will still be on the ground in the tripod position.

Headstand with knees to chest | While in a headstand, slowly bring your knees to your chest and then extend them back above your body.

Kick to a handstand | While in a headstand, bring your knees toward your chest in a controlled fashion. While extending your legs, think about driving your heels to the sky — this will build momentum. Then press with your arms to complete the freestanding handstand.

Kick to a handstand, hold, and lower back to headstand | If you cannot yet hold a freestanding handstand, use the wall for assistance. Once you kick up, hold for a second or two, then slowly bring your head back down to a headstand. Achieve this by bringing your head in front of your hands, and allow the feet/legs to have a slight backward lean to counterbalance. This can be completed with one or both legs on the wall for assistance.

Multiple freestanding handstand push-ups | Once you have successfully made it back to the headstand, attempt another rep.

Modifications:

Go as far as you can in the progression and stop when it becomes challenging. Over time, progress to the full movement as you develop the skills.

Intermediate option:
Spend 15-20 minutes practicing the following progression:

Headstand

Headstand with knees to chest

From the headstand position, kick upward to a handstand and hold

Kick to a handstand, hold, and lower back to a headstand

Multiple handstand push-ups

Rest at least 10 minutes, then perform:

As many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
35 double-unders
5 handstand push-ups

*Perform all stages of the progression a few inches off a wall. Consider using an AbMat for your head. The goal is to kick up and back to a headstand against the wall. If you are confident with this, try the freestanding variation.

Beginner option:
Spend 15-20 minutes practicing the following progression:

Inchworm

Pike headstand

Pike handstand hold

Pike push-up negative

Multiple pike push-ups

Rest at least 10 minutes, then perform:

As many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
35 single-unders
5 pike push-ups

*Perform all stages of the progression in the middle of an open floor. Consider using an AbMat for your head. To make the pike position easier, keep your feet away from your hands. The closer the feet are to the hands, the more difficult the movement will be. The goal is to practice loading as much bodyweight as possible onto the hands, and to build confidence getting upside down. If you are confident with this progression, try the intermediate variation.

Resources:
The Freestanding Handstand Push-up
The Handstand
The Kipping Handstand Push-up
Handstand Push-up Variations
The Double-under

Find a gym near you:
View the CrossFit map

Featured photo:
Taken by Charlotte Foerschler at Destination Defender in Somerville, Texas.

Wednesday 240207

Wednesday 240207

For reps:
3 minutes of freestanding shoulder taps in a handstand
3 minutes of legless rope climbs (15 feet)
2 minutes of freestanding shoulder taps in a handstand
2 minutes of legless rope climbs
1 minute of freestanding shoulder taps in a handstand
1 minute of legless rope climbs

Post reps to comments.

Scaling:
Time to get gymnasty. The goal of the freestanding shoulder taps is to reach a point of balance in a handstand and begin the shoulder taps. A rep is counted every time a hand touches a shoulder. Challenge yourself to reach balance before beginning the shoulder taps rather than wildly throwing your feet in the air and frantically looking for a shoulder to tap. If you struggle to find a point of balance freestanding, you are better off practicing against the wall. Performing shoulder taps with your stomach facing the wall will be easier than performing shoulder taps with your back to the wall. Scale the difficulty of the rope climbs to allow yourself at least 1 rep every 20-30 seconds.

Intermediate option:
For reps:
3 minutes of shoulder taps in a handstand against the wall
3 minutes of rope climbs (15 feet)
2 minutes of shoulder taps in a handstand against the wall
2 minutes of rope climbs
1 minute of shoulder taps in a handstand against the wall
1 minute of rope climbs

Beginner option:
For reps:
3 minutes of shoulder taps in a pike position on the floor
3 minutes of pull-to-stands
2 minutes of shoulder taps in a pike position on the floor
2 minutes of pull-to-stands
1 minute of shoulder taps in a pike position on the floor
1 minute of pull-to-stands

Resources:
The Freestanding Handstand
The Legless Rope Climb
The Rope Climb (Wrapping)
The Rope Climb (Basket)
Master the Movement: Handstands

Find a gym near you:
View the CrossFit map

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Featured photo:
Taken by Johany Jutras at Wodapalooza in Miami, Florida.

Tuesday 231212

Tuesday 231212

Meet Guest Programmer – Michele Letendre: Dec. 4-17, 2023.

For time:
12 wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
9 wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
6 wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
3 wall walks
10 wall-ball shots

♀ 14-lb ball to 10-ft target
♂ 20-lb ball to 12-ft target

Post time to comments.

Goal: Midline and upper-body endurance. Aim to finish in 10 minutes or less.

This workout will give us a dose of humble pie. The first set of wall walks is a high number and will keep us busy for upward of a minute to 1:30. In contrast, the wall-ball shots will likely take the same amount of time each round, which means the first 2 rounds of wall walks will compound quickly. The higher target for the wall-ball shots adds an element of difficulty that will increase the demand on the core, making the wall walks much more difficult. To make things even more challenging, the arms are overhead for a good portion of the workout.

If you can't throw higher, throw heavier.

Michelle Duke, one of our coaches, is the creator of this workout and has already tested it. She has offered us some words of wisdom:

– Warm up the wall ball to the 10-foot target because that first set can take you by surprise.
– The wall balls were enough to slow down my wall walks.
– The shoulders will fatigue but the demand on the core had my wall walks feeling really sloppy.

This means:
– Get a good warm-up.
– Focus on proper mechanics and positioning for the wall walks: Tight hollow body, neutral spine and short steps.

Scaling:

Intermediate option:
For time:
12 scaled wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
9 scaled wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
6 scaled wall walks
10 wall-ball shots
3 scaled wall walks
10 wall-ball shots

♀ 14-lb ball to 9-ft target
♂ 20-lb ball to 10-ft target

Intermediate athletes will use the standard loads and target heights for the wall-ball shots. Since athletes will not get fully inverted, they may find their cores to be even more challenged.

Beginner option:
For time:
12 inchworms
10 wall-ball shots
9 inchworms
10 wall-ball shots
6 inchworms
10 wall-ball shots
3 inchworms
10 wall-ball shots

♀ 8-lb ball to 8-ft target
♂ 10-lb ball to 9-ft target

This workout will challenge core endurance. For beginners, the inchworm requires flexibility, a tight core, and weight transfer in the shoulders. Athletes can perform the inchworms moving forward or inching out to the plank position and backward to a standing position. The first 12 inchworms should take 1:00-1:30. The wall-ball shots should be done with a comfortable weight and athletes should aim for 10 unbroken reps throughout.

Resources:
The Wall Walk
The Wall-Ball Shot

Find a gym near you:
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Friday 231208

Friday 231208

Meet Guest Programmer – Michele Letendre: Dec. 4-17, 2023.

Every 6 minutes for 3 sets complete: 21-15-9 reps Echo-bike calories
Kettlebell goblet squats

♀ 24 kg
♂ 32 kg

Post your total time of all 3 sets combined to comments.

Goal: Get comfortable with the burn and increase your threshold as a result. Aim for 4-5 minutes to complete each set.

To be successful in this workout, aim for high intensity with some level of consistency in all three intervals. This will be difficult but a little bit of discipline goes a long way. High intensity is the goal but not maximal intensity. Keep some in the tank and give it everything you’ve got on the last one.

Equipment matters — the effort on the Assault or Echo bike will change the stimulus of this workout when compared to a bike erg.

More experienced athletes can work closer to their thresholds with less rest than beginner athletes. Beginner athletes should finish BEFORE advanced athletes without exceeding their capacities. This means a beginner athlete should have a LOWER RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) than an advanced athlete in the first intervals since beginners will not have their recovery capacities as high and trained as the more advanced athlete.

I tested this workout and found that it was possible to keep the pace up so long as I didn’t push the squats. I was using a bike erg and was faced with the realization that the 21 and 21 took almost half the time, but staying composed allowed me to hit the goal and finish as hard as I could on the last interval.

Scaling:

Intermediate option:
Every 6 minutes for 3 sets complete:
18-15-9 reps
Echo-bike calories
Kettlebell goblet squats

♀ 16 kg
♂ 24 kg

Aim to complete the work around the 4-minute mark to allow for enough rest to repeat the next interval at high intensity.

Beginner option:
Every 6 minutes for 3 sets complete:
12-9-6 reps
Echo-bike calories
Air squats

Beginners will be pushed out of their comfort zone with the level of intensity we want to achieve. Aim to complete the work in 4 minutes to get 2 minutes of rest.

Resources:
The Air Squat

Find a gym near you:
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