January 12, 2021 – Invictus Athlete

Primary Training Session
Mobility & Activation
Choose any drill from this article that will help you prepare for your Front Rack position

and then …

Two sets of:
Assault Bike x 60 seconds
Hawaiian Squats x 5 reps per side
Over/Under Drill x 10 reps (5 each direction)

Warm-Up Flow
Complete rounds of 27, 21, 15 and 9 reps for time of:
Box Jumps (24″/20″ – Jump Up, Step Down)

*Perform 10 Alternating Single-Arm Devil’s Presses (50/35 lbs) between sets (30 total reps).

Breathe exclusively through your nose throughout this entire portion including the rest period. If you find that your mouth drops open, you’re going too hard. Slow your pace and resume breathing only through your nose. Please prioritize movement quality and focus on breathing.

A.
Every 2 minutes, for 14 minutes (7 sets):
Power Clean + Hang Power Clean + Jerk
(perform a power clean then lower the bar to just above the knee & perform a hang power clean + jerk)

*Sets 1-3 = 2 reps @ 65-70% of 1-RM Clean & Jerk
*Sets 4-5 = 1 rep @ 70-75% of 1-RM
*Sets 6-7 = 1 rep @ 75-80% of 1-RM

B.
Three rounds for time of:
20/15 Calorie Row
20 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
20 Shoulder to Overhead (115/75 lbs)

You’ll notice there is a lot of bar work this week so take care of your hands! Check out this post on taping your hands if you don’t own a pair of grips.

Athlete Notes:
Today’s conditioning piece pairs some classic pushing and pulling exercises that we often see in the Open. This workout has you accumulating volume in your pull-ups as well as shoulder to overhead, so let’s discuss how best to tackle the work.

This workout is not won with the row, so do not push so hard there that you cannot transition out and move quickly on the other components. Frankly, trying to push a pace on the Erg that requires 95+% exertion only yields you a few extra seconds and we often see the toll that extra exertion takes is not worth those few seconds. Your goal is to find a rowing pace that allows you to quickly come off the erg and transition right into your pull-ups. Please ensure you use the quick release method each time you get out of the erg and check out this article if you’d like to read more on tips for rowing: https://invictusfitness.com/blog/rowing-tips/

Keeping a relaxed grip on the erg handle (mentioned in the post referenced) will help your grip from fatiguing. This is very important when it comes to your pull-ups. If you are strong with pull-ups then we’d suggest going by feel (this may mean unbroken in set one, 12/8 in set two and 10/10 in set three – or something along those lines). If you are someone who struggles with volume accumulation in pull-ups, then please break these up sooner than later. That may mean starting with 8/6/6 or 5/5/5/5. No matter what, come down if you lose rhythm. Give yourself one opportunity to chalk up (right before you knock out your first set) and that’s it (wear wrist bands if you sweat a lot).

Keep your shoulder-to-overhead unbroken. The barbell is taken from the floor in this workout, so you will lose a lot of time if you set the bar down. Be efficient from the start with your shoulder to overhead by implementing a psuedo push jerk on rep 1. You can read more about efficient shoulder to overhead barbell cycling here: https://invictusfitness.com/blog/barbell-cycling-strategies-shoulder-overhead/. Stick with measured breathing and efficient technique and you’ll far better than if you try to grit your teeth and blast through.

C.
Every minute, on the minute, for 16 minutes (4 sets) of:
Minute 1 – 10-12 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
Minute 2 – 15 Banded Overhead Triceps Extensions @ 1010
Minute 3 – 15 Reverse Snow Angels (slow & controlled)
Minute 4 – 75-Foot Farmer’s Carry with Heavy Kettlebells

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.

Engine Accessory Option
Three sets for max calories:
12 Minutes of Assault Bike @ 85% of 30 minute max calorie RPM
Rest 3 minutes

Strongman Option
A.
Two sets of:
Supinated-Grip Strict Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups x 5 reps
(initiate the movement with the lats, keep your shoulders away from your ears, and keep your elbows in – if you can do 6 reps with perfect mechanics, then add weight)
Rest as needed
Dumbbell Z-Press x 5 reps
(Place the dumbbells on your shoulders with elbows out and palms facing forward. Shoulders should remain stacked over the hips with a flat back throughout the movement. Lock out the movement overhead, directly aligned over the hips and shoulders, without shrugging. A good goal would be to achieve a weight of 20% of your 1-RM Clean and Jerk in each hand.)
Rest as needed

B.
Two sets of:
100-Foot Hand-Over-Hand Rope Pull

Followed by…

Two sets of:
100-Foot Overhead Yoke Carry

C.
Three sets of:
Forward Sled Drag x 4 minutes
Rest 20 seconds
Backward Sled Drag x 60 seconds
Rest 20 seconds

Suggested loading on the sled: (135/105 lbs)