Welcome to the first month of “Friendly WODs”. This is a blog style article that includes the personal workouts I do on a daily basis with brief descriptions about why I did what I did and what my thoughts are before, during, and/or after the workouts.
It is not meant to be for anyone but me, but everyone is more than welcome to pick from anything in here and give them a go. If you do any of them, let me know on Instagram!
Welcome to the first month of “Friendly WODs”. This is a blog style article that includes the personal workouts I do on a daily basis with brief descriptions about why I did what I did and what my thoughts are before, during, and/or after the workouts.
It is not meant to be for anyone but me, but everyone is more than welcome to pick from anything in here and give them a go. If you do any of them, let me know on Instagram!
July 30
Location: CrossFit Big Dane
Training Program: Improv Day with Nikko Ronnow & Rafael Paredes
Workouts:
Strength work of choice. I snatched. They did deadlifts.
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4 Rounds for Time
20 cal ski erg
5 clean and jerk 135
10 burpees over bar
5 clean and jerk 135
*100 foot jog from ski erg to barbell
In true Hopper style, one of us picked a weightlifting movement, one picked a gymnastics, and one picked a monostructural. Put them in the blender and here’s a nice little 4 rounder. Priority was to jog every transition- seriously. And to ski at a pace where I wouldn’t have to waste time staring at the barbell. Don’t always get workouts like this on the road, grateful for it today.
July 25
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: J.R. Howell on Shut Up and Scribble
Workouts:
3 Rounds
21 Back Squats 135 lbs
21 Ring Rows (feet elevated on 12 inch box)
Simple but devastating combination, as advertised. Keep it varied. Light weight squats (originally mentioned at 185 lbs, but I did what was reasonable for me) for big sets coupled with demanding isometric upper body pull in small sets. High priority on maintaining integrity as muscular fatigue set in. To do so required going a little slower than I had planned for, but that’s where I was at today. Counting it as a win.
July 24
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: Cf Charlotte Class / CFG 23 Testing
Workouts:
5×5 Bench Press
5×5 Deadlift
*Superset; new set every 6:00
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“Helen” Variation
3 Rounds for Time
400 meter run
21 double kettlebell snatch (26 lbs xx 2)
12 kipping gymnastics pull-ups (no grips allowed)
Bench Press and Deadlift were meant to be building, I ended up going heavier than expected for the final three sets of each which was nice. Plenty of rest, so I really tried to focus on technique throughout each set even as it got heavy.
Helen was tough. I am not in the same metabolic condition I used to be so I had to accept a slower time than I’m used to. The double kettlebell snatch was a good change that I could see them using at the Games (much easier standard to judge than a kettlebell swing), and the kipping gymnastics pull-ups in a metcon were a nice change of pace. It still got grippy, but it’s just a hold on until the end time of workout regardless, which is what I tried to do.
July 21
Location: McAlpine Park Charlotte, NC
Training Program: CFG 23
Workouts:
5K Cross Country Trail Run
I grew up running and swimming. I didn’t touch a barbell until I began CrossFit at 25 years old. Over the last decade I’ve prioritized lifting over running in an effort to balance those things out. I’m not the best runner anymore, but I am much more well rounded as an athlete.
What I’ve learned in the process is that it does not matter if you are a seasoned runner or just starting out; running is a mental challenge just as much as a physical one. As expected, half way in, I was uncomfortable. That’s the time to implement mental strategies. A few of my favorites when running:
- Relax and Breathe.
- Trust the technique.
- Get to the next tree, turn, lap, etc.
July 18
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: Charlotte Classic Testing
Workouts:
Clearly I can’t advertise what these workouts were yet, but there is an important lesson when testing programming for a competition, which is to be intimately aware of both the intended stimulus for the workout on its own, and to also understand how that fits in with the larger set of programming for the competition. You aren’t going to get everything right the first time, that’s why testing exists. Make relevant notes when you finish each workout, compare them after a round of testing, make changes as needed, and perhaps test again.
Personally, I like to do as many of the workouts as I can. When possible I would encourage all programmers to do this too (or at least a version you can do that is comparable).
July 15/16
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: CF-L1 Trainer’s Course
Workouts:
The Level 1 workouts were very similar from the first time I took the course over five year’s ago. Day one featured a task priority workout (meaning the task is set and the score is your time) that was short and very metabolically challenging. Day two featured a time priority workout (or AMRAP) which was scored based on the amount of work you were able to complete in 8 minutes.
General takeaway: Don’t forget that intensity is king. You don’t need to go super long, or do a ton of volume all the time, to get a potent response. That potent response is what we should all be chasing.
July 14
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: BFriendly Original
Workouts:
10 rounds for time
20 calorie row
10 ghd sit-ups
Did not have a lot of time today, but wanted to get out of breath. I Chose to do two things I didn’t do at all while training up at HWPO. Goal was consistency in rowing output, ghd cadence, AND transitions between the two (something that is easy to overlook). Goal was achieved on all counts today.
July 12
Location: HWPO Headquarters
Training Program: HWPO Pro (modified)
Workouts:
13 minute emom of 1 power clean plus 1 squat clean
5 rounds at 155 lbs
5 rounds at 165 lbs
3 rounds at 185 lbs
*modified from 1 heavy single that others were doing because I’m in a period where more volume at lighter weights with a priority on positions and technique is more important to me than going heavy for the sake of going heavy.
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5 rounds
75 double unders
15-12-9-6-3 handstand push ups
*modified from 100 double unders and strict wall facing handstand pushups
There was a specific time domain and stimulus intended here, the changes I made allowed me to keep moving, hit those targets, and still experience the intended shoulder fatigue.
July 11
Location: HWPO Headquarters
Training Program: HWPO Pro
Workouts:
Handstand push up work
The Games athletes were working on much more technical skills than me. I did 5 sets of three slow negatives plus kipping to the top. In part used this just to warm up the shoulders for the snatch work.
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4 sets at working weight
1 Snatch Pull + 1 Floating Snatch Pull + 1 High Hang Snatch + 1 Floating Snatch
*working sets at 135
Priority was technique focus here. Nice to have a couple experienced watchful eyes giving me effective cues to dial in on. I usually don’t get coached, nice change of pace.
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For Time:
30/24 cal echo bike
30 Squat snatches 135/95
Fast paced burner against some of the best athletes in the world. I went for 24 cals and 95 lbs and actually held my own. The coach said the mindset was “you can always do one single at this weight”, which I fully embraced for the last dozen reps or so. Make it hurt and think about it after words. Recommend three to five minute cool down on the bike after this one.
July 10
Location: HWPO Headquarters
Training Program: HWPO Sweat
Workouts:
With a partner, alternating every round for 30 minutes:
20 cal echo bike
15 russian kettlebell swings (70 lbs)
This workout is all about the intensity you bring to it. I tried to begin conservatively but Matt O’Keefe called me out. I entered the pain cave in round 5 and fell off the pace from there on in. I was still able to dig and am proud of the effort even though I couldn’t hold my original paces from beginning to end. Kettlebell swings unbroken throughout. Cool impact of this workout is knowing your partner is waiting for you and digging to finish so they can go at the end of each interval.
July 9
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: Self Made Training Program
Workouts:
3 touch and go squat cleans every minute x 7 (135)
Directly into
2 touch and go squat cleans every minute x 7 (165)
Directly into
1 touch and go squat clean every minute x 7 (185)
Similar to the jerks yesterday, high priority on technique more than pushing the upper end.
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5 sets, go every 3:30
15 lateral burpee over bar
9 deadlifts 165
4 bar muscle ups
*looking for consistent times across all sets
Modified this one slightly from 3 rope climbs to 4 bar muscle ups, and rather than go 1:1 work to rest I gave myself a fixed interval that would hopefully closely replicate that.
Intervals should take between 1:30 and 2:00, I average about 1:40. The first two sets felt easy, but by the middle of the third the stimulus was setting in. I knew I could do each set as intended, but didn’t necessarily want to. Perfect workout to challenge the mental discipline to push or go when you’re uncomfortable.
July 7
Location: CrossFit Charlotte
Training Program: Self Made Training Program
Workouts:
10-20-30-40-50
Wall Balls
Calorie Row
*2 short rope climbs after each set
Modified this from a bike to a row and from pegboards to the short rope climbs.
Goal was consistency from beginning to end, I ended up needing to take a break before the final round because I’m still acclimating to the heat in a new environment. Tried to use the row as a pacing and recovery mechanism and attack the partial legless rope climbs which I had never done before.
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5-4-3-2-1 (one rep every 60-90 seconds)
Split Jerks from Rack for quality
(135-155-165-175-185)
Haven’t been doing many heavy shoulder to overhead reps these last months. Certainly could have gone heavier, but really wanted to just dial in some good reps after shoulders were slightly fatigued from the wall balls. Performed all as singles and with no misses. Solid technique work to finish the day.
What do you think?
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