Monday 12.18
Name game: What is the current state of holiday decorations at your house/apartment?

Warm up: for 4 minutes complete rounds of 20 jumping jacks, 10 band pull-aparts, 10 band strict press

Strength: push press 5×5

WOD: 4 rounds, 1 minute per station, for max reps
parallette shoot-throughs
double KB front rack carry 24/16 (10m = 5 reps)
calorie bike

How to scale: Pick options that let you keep moving for the full minute.

Shoot throughs: Use boxes or benches instead of parallettes

KB carries: Use lighter kettlebells. You should be able to hang on for the full minute.

Objective: The focus today is on the push press, where like the strict press two weeks ago, you’re aiming to build across five challenging sets of five reps. The workout is all about your core and your shoulders, with your only “break” coming on the bike. There’s no built-in rest, so try to move consistently for all 12 minutes.

Score: push press weights & total reps

Tuesday 12.19
Name game: What piece of gym equipment would you use to defend yourself in a zombie apocalypse?

Warm up: 2 minute bike/row then coach-led barbell

Strength: Every 1:30 for 8 rounds
1 hang power clean + 1 hang squat clean
*First 3 rounds – 2 complexes each interval; last 5 rounds – 1 complex each interval

WOD: For time *10 minute cap
9-6-3
front squat 225/155
3-2-1
legless rope climb
*Rx = squats from floor

How to scale: This workout is heavy and high skill. The scaling options you choose should reflect that.

Front squats: The squat should be heavy for a set of 3-5 reps. If you’re scaling you should not be able to do the set of 9 unbroken. Use a rack if the clean limits the load you can use for the squat.

Legless rope climbs: Sub 4-3-2 regular rope climbs or 12-8-4 of the hardest version of a strict pull-up you can do.

Objective: Today’s clean complex follows the same pattern as the snatches from last Thursday. Build in weight over the course of the EMOM as long as you’re moving well. The workout is heavy and high-skill but also relatively quick. Try to minimize long breaks spent staring at your barbell or rope.

Score: max clean complex & time to complete

Wednesday 12.20
Name game: What’s a small change you made in your routine that made a huge difference?

Warm up: jump rope tabata

WOD: In 32 minutes, working 1 minute on, 1 minute off, for max reps:
8 rounds:
1 minute: 4 devils press 50/35 + max double unders
1 minute: rest
Immediately into 8 rounds:
1 minute: 8 alternating DB snatches 50/35 + max burpees
1 minute: rest

How to scale: Adjust the dumbbell skills so you’re finishing them in :30 or faster each round.

Devils press: Use lighter dumbbells and start with a straight-arm burpee if needed.

Double unders: It’s a good day to make attempts because there is no minimum required number of reps and the clock will cut you off. Otherwise, do single unders, counting every 2 reps as 1, or do max calories on the bike.

Dumbbell snatches: Use a lighter dumbbell.

Burpees: Do straight-arm burpees.

Objective: This workout is two sets of eight 1-minute sprints with equal rest between each round. You should be able to move through the dumbbell skills quickly and unbroken, allowing yourself 30-40 seconds to accumulate reps of double unders and burpees.

Score: total DUs + total burpees

Thursday 12.21
Name game: You’re in a gladiator ring – would you rather have to fight a lion or a rhino?

Warm up: for 5 minutes complete rounds of 1 minute row, 10 scap pull-ups, 10 scap push-ups, :15/side Samson stretch

Skill WOD: AMREPs in 7 minutes
strict ring muscle-ups

How to scale: No kipping today! Do transitions on low rings or jumping ring muscle-ups. Otherwise, alternate sets of 3 strict chest-to-bar/pull-ups/banded pull-ups/false grip ring rows and 3 strict ring/matador/box dips. Each set of 3+3 is 1 “rep.”

The skills you choose should be challenging for those three reps! Use a thinner band or bigger range of motion than usual on the pull-ups, move your feet forward or prop them up on a box for the ring rows, and use a slow and controlled negative if you’re doing dips on boxes or matadors.

WOD: For time with a partner *25 minute cap
5K row (10k bike erg)
**Must switch minimum every 500m
Solo: row 5x500m, resting 1:1, or row a 5K solo (Rx+)

Objective: Last week you had a chance to test your 1K row speed; today you can apply that pacing knowledge to a slightly longer row. The simplest way to break this up is for each partner to do 5 sets of 500 meters, but the work does not have to be divided evenly so long as no partner is rowing more than 500m at a time. Keep in mind, though, that transitions take time, so minimizing those is a good strategy.

Score: total muscle-ups & time to complete

Friday 12.22
Name game: What is your most-watched holiday movie?

Warm up: 2 minute bike row, then 2-3 rounds of 10 pass throughs with a lunge, 10 squat to hip hinge, 10 box step ups

Movement prep: coach-led snatch/OHS review and build to your working weight

WOD: 25 minute AMRAP
5 power snatches 155/105
10 box jump overs 24/20
5 overhead squats 155/105
10 box jump overs 24/20
1 minute plank hold

How to scale: Modify so that rounds are taking you no longer than about 4 minutes each.

Power snatches: These reps should be relatively heavy singles. If you’ve scaled and are able to do touch-and-go reps, your weight is too light.

Box jump overs: Jump over a lower box or a plate, or step over.

Overhead squats: Since the weight will be starting on the ground, your weight should be one you can do for 5 unbroken reps.

Plank: Reduce the duration to something you can complete in no more than 2 sets.

Objective: Today is about moving a challenging snatch and overhead squat load under increasing fatigue. The box jump overs will get your heart rate up; the plank holds will tax your core and shoulders. Try to not get held up on the barbell movements and aim for at least 5-6 full rounds.

Score: rounds & reps (plank = 10 reps)

*No CarlosWOD this week*

Saturday 12.23
Name game: What’s one Christmas carol you can’t stand?

Warm up: coach-led

WOD: 12 Days of Christmas *45 minute cap
*Do this like the song, completing 1, then 2 and 1, then 3, 2, and 1, etc., for a total of 364 reps. The scaled option for each skill is shown in brackets.
1 pullover [candlestick]
2 bar muscle-ups [strict/C2B/jumping pull-ups]
3 toes to bar [knees to elbow/chest/raises]
4 pull-ups [ring rows]
5 back squats 115/75 [lighter; Rx+ 135/95]
6 barbell lunges 115/75
7 front squats 115/75
8 power cleans 115/75 [from hang]
9 bar-facing burpees [straight arm, step over]
10 push-ups [box push-ups]
11 handstand push-ups [push presses or pike push-ups]
12 wall walks [partial wall walks]
**Note: 1-4 can also be done Rx on the rings as 1 skin the cat, 2 ring muscle-ups, 3 toes to ring, 4 ring pull-ups. For the lunges, either front or back rack is ok (athlete’s choice).

Objective: This is our annual long chipper done in the style of the eponymous Christmas carol. This year, the first four movements are all in the pulling family; the middle four are all lower body-driven/squatting movements, and the final four all involve pressing. Remember to pace yourself: more than half of the work is concentrated in the final 3 “rounds” of the workout. When deciding how to scale, keep in mind the total volume you’ll accumulate of each movement. Total rep counts are 12-22-30-36-40-42-42-40-36-30-22-12.

Score: time to complete

Sunday 12.24
Part A: Deadlift 6×4 – 75% to 85% of 1RM
*Rest 2-3 minutes between sets
Part B: Deficit Deadlift 5×5 – 60% to 75% of 1RM
Use a 2” deficit. Stand on top of 25KG bumper plate