February 17, 2021 – Invictus Athlete Program

Primary Training Session
Mobility & Activation
Two sets of:
45 seconds Band Assisted Lat Stretch (right)
45 seconds Band Assisted Lat Stretch (left)
45 seconds Band Assisted Hamstring Floss (right)
45 seconds Band Assisted Hamstring Floss (left)
10 Plate Ground to Overhead
Rest as needed

followed by …

Two Sets:
10 Calorie Assault Bike @ medium pace
10 Bird Dogs
10 Dead Bugs
3-5 Dragon Flags

A.
Deadlift
*Set 1 – 8 reps @ 50%
*Set 2 – 6 reps @ 60%
*Set 3 – 4 reps @ 70%
*Sets 4-6 – 3 reps @ 80%
Rest as needed

B.
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:
55/40 Calorie Assault Bike
55 Deadlifts (225/155 lbs)
55 Box Jump Overs (24″/20″)
55 Handstand Push-Ups

Athlete Notes:
If you have done CrossFit Open Event 16.4 then you are probably familiar with this type of workout. It’s a longer grind where you need to steadily chip away at large rep sets.

Athletes who are able to maintain discipline in keeping their rest periods brief when breaking will be best prepared to score well in this workout. Of course, being powerful on the bike helps too, but you have to be careful about blowing yourself out on the Assault Bike before digging into the other elements of the workout. It can be easy to get caught up in the big rep numbers and want to blow through a big chunk of reps on your first set, but this strategy may have you hit your redline too early. So below are tips for each station:

Assault Bike: Consider a moderate sprint for 10 seconds and then hold an RPM that is appropriate for you, which for many would be at about your 20-minute max calorie test pace.

Deadlifts: Consider smaller sets with very brief rest. If you love to deadlift and never feel that it tightens your erectors, make a call on whether to push for a bigger set, but most athletes are well-served by quick sets of 10 or fewer with a short break. The more you can save your back to move quickly through the next portions, the better.

Box Jump-Overs: This is a movement you can perform very quickly – 30-40 reps per minute, but understand that if you hit that blistering pace it’s likely to jack up your heart rate to a point that could make it tough to find rhythm in your handstand push-ups. Move quickly, but not so quickly that you will compromise your ability to crank through a large set of handstand push-ups.

Handstand Push-Ups: With the Open coming soon, today would be a great day to get your handstand push-up set-up for the Open figured out and hold yourself to a high standard of movement quality. Using an effective kip should allow you to push through a large set and minimize your breaks, however, if you’re inefficient in this movement or go to muscle failure you will likely lose a ton of time. Be smart and make sure you come down at least 2-3 reps before you start grinding out a slow, struggling lockout. Please review this article if you haven’t already for tips on kipping handstand push-ups
And of course, if you are not participating in the Open please perform 40 strict handstand push-ups or 55 L-Seated Dumbbell Presses instead of the kipping handstand push-ups.

C.
Three sets of:
30 Left Leg Banded Box Step-Ups
30 Right Leg Banded Box Step-Ups

Place the band on the back of your neck, then place the band under the middle of your foot on top of the box. Perform all 30 reps on one leg before switching to the next.

D.
Three rounds of:
Side Hand/Elbow Plank Hip Taps x 10 reps
Elbow Plank Arch/Hollow x 10 reps
Skydivers x 10 reps
Hollow Body Crunches x 10 reps
Bent-over Reverse Crunches x 10 reps

Optional Additional Work Sessions
*Please choose to perform only those sessions that are most focused on your weaknesses, and only perform as much of the additional work as you can recover from successfully before your next training session.

Aerobic/Gymnastics Accessory Option
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
20/15 Calorie Row or Bike Erg
2/1 Legless Rope Climbs
50-Foot Handstand Walk

Rest 2 minutes, and then. . .

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
15/10 Calorie Row or Bike Erg
2/1 Rope Climbs
50-Foot Handstand Walk

Rest 2 minutes, and then. . .

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
10-7 Calorie Row or Bike Erg
2/1 Legless Rope Climbs
2/1 Rope Climbs
50-Foot Handstand Walk

Handstand Walk alternatives:
For every 50-Foot of Handstand Walk:
30 nose to wall or back to wall or freestanding shoulder taps or
5 Wall Walks

Running Endurance Option
Six sets for times of:
Run 400 Meters @ 100% of your 1-Mile PR pace
Jog 200 Meters @ recovery pace”

Rowing Endurance Option
Every 10 minutes, for 50 minutes (5 sets):
3 Minutes of Rowing @ 90% of your 2k PR Pace
Rest 60 seconds
3 Minutes of Rowing @ 95% of your 2k PR Pace

Walk, jog or row lightly during the 3 minute rest intervals. Track your heart rate and note where it was at the beginning and end of each 3-minute rest period for all 5 sets.