Monday 12.9
Name game: If you could bestow a superpower on a family member, what would it be?

Warm up: 2 rounds, 1 minute per station – bike; row; AMRAP 10 air squats, 10 kip swings

WOD: 4 rounds, 5 minutes each, for max calories
24 front squats 95/65
8 bar muscle-ups
Max calorie Echo bike/row*
*Alternate machines each round
**Rest 3 minutes between rounds

How to scale: Modify to have at least 2 minutes on a machine each round.

Front squats: Reduce the weight so you can complete 24 reps in 1-2 sets.

Muscle-ups: Reduce the reps/make attempts or do 8 challenging pull-ups plus 8 challenging dips.

Objective: There’s some weightlifting, then some gymnastics, but make no mistake: this is a cardio workout. The front squats should be light enough to get through quickly — under 90 seconds every time — and the bar muscle-ups should be scaled to be manageable within a similar time frame. This should leave you with a minimum of 2 minutes to accumulate calories every round. The lengthy rest — a full 3 minutes between rounds — should tell you everything you need to know about the intensity expected once you get there.

Score: total calories

Tuesday 12.10
Name game: Who’s your celebrity look-alike?

Warm up: coach-led barbell

WOD: “Grettel” (compare to 10/6/22)
10 rounds for time *10 minute cap
3 clean & jerks 135/95
3 bar-facing burpees

Accessory: 3-5 rounds
20 DB renegade rows
10 DB seesaw press

How to scale: Reduce the load to one that permits quick singles and sub straight-arm/step-over burpees.

Objective: Last week we had “Ingrid”; today we have its clean & jerk equivalent. The strategy is going to be essentially the same: quick singles or touch-and-go on the barbell and minimum wasted time on transitions. Like last week, this is also a quick one, so you’ll have plenty of time for the post-WOD accessory work.

Score: time to complete

Wednesday 12.11
Name game: What’s the best part of growing older?

Warm up: for 5 minutes, rounds of 10 step-ups, 10 band pass throughs, 10 band good mornings, 5/5 active lizard stretch

Skill: 8 minutes to establish a max height box jump

WOD: 2×8 minute EMOM; rest 4 minutes between (20 min. total)
Odds: 15 toes to bar
Evens: 15 American KBS 24/16
(“Rx” = Rx movements; 240 reps is a maximum not a requirement)

How to scale: Modify the movements so that you can consistently achieve at least 10-12 reps per minute.

Toes to bar: Sub knees to elbow, knees to chest, or hanging knee raises. If hanging is not possible, do weighted sit-ups to keep an element of grip.

Kettlebell swing: Use a lighter weight. Modify to Russian swings in case of injury.

Objective: Grip and hip are the themes today, with three skills that rely on explosive opening and hinging at that joint. First up is a max height box jump. Build up gradually and make sure you’re resting between attempts, especially as you approach your max, just as you would with a weightlifting skill. The workout will hinge on muscle endurance in your core and lats. Efficient use of the kip swing in the toes to bar and your hips in the kettlebell swing will help you maximize your score.

Score: box jump height & total reps (max 240)

Thursday 12.12
Name game: If you were to join the Spice Girls, what would your stage name be?

Warm up: 2 minute bike/row then rounds of 5 squats to hinge, 5 jumping squats, 5 monster walks, 10 lunges with a twist

Strength: tempo back squat 5-4-3-2-1 @ 33X1
*Start heavy; build in weight each set

WOD: For time *8 minute cap
22-16-8
handstand push-ups
DB farmers lunges 50/35

How to scale: Modify to keep this a sprint.

Handstand push-ups: Use 1-2 ab-mats or sub pike push-ups or Z press.

Lunges: Use lighter dumbbells. You should be able to do these unbroken or in 2 sets every time.

Objective: We’re closing in on our 1-rep max back squat test at the end of the year, and today we’ll be building toward a heavy single on the tempo squat. Aim to start with heavier loads than you used for our recent sets of 5, 4, and 3 and continue building in weight each set. The workout that follows is a sprint. Try to keep each round of HSPU to no more than 2-3 sets and do your best to keep the lunges unbroken. 

Score: max tempo squat & time to complete

Friday 12.13
Name game: You have 24 hours to get to 40 through any combination of miles run/walked, donuts eaten, and beers drunk. How are you doing it?

Warm up: for 4 minutes, rounds of 20 single or double unders, 10 scap pull-ups, 5 inchworms

Strength: 12 minute EMOM
Odds: :40 max reps strict pulling skill (ring rows, jumping pull-ups, pull-ups, C2B, ring pull-up or chest to ring)
Evens: :40 active hang

WOD: 13 minute AMRAP
40 double unders
10 deadlifts 225/155
4 pullovers

How to scale: Modify to avoid getting stuck on any one skill.

Double unders: Spend up to 1 minute per round making attempts or accumulating single-single-doubles.

Deadlifts: Pick a weight you consider moderate — one that allows for multiple unbroken sets of 10.

Pullovers: Make attempts or sub 4 candlesticks with a controlled descent.

Objective: It’s our fearless leader’s 40th birthday today! Get some solid practice with strict pulling and grip work, then attack a medium-short AMRAP featuring a few of his favorite things. Aim for 5+ rounds.

Score: rounds & reps

Saturday 12.14
Name game: What’s the best part of your day?

Warm up: coach-led funzies

WOD: In teams of 3, 30 minute AMRAP
10/7 calorie Echo bike
10 hang power snatches 95/65
10/7 calorie Echo bike
*alternate full rounds
**Solo/team of 2: add ghost partner(s) to create a 1:2 work:rest ratio.

How to scale: Modify the snatch weight so that you can consistently do them unbroken. Reduce the calories if you cannot consistently do 10/7 in under :45.

Coach’s note: Newer athletes who can’t reach the intended intensity should do this in teams of 2 or solo with a 1:1 work:rest ratio.

Objective: This workout has twice as much rest as there is work, so to treat each of your rounds as anything short of an all out sprint is missing the point. Hold nothing back on the bike, pick up your barbell right away, and try to keep your rounds under 2 minutes the whole time.

Score: rounds & reps

Sunday 12.15
Strength: 8×4 front squat