10.22.18 - 10.26.18
Monday 10.22.18
Deadlift
3 Point Hinge Drill
This drill will be performed with a PVC pipe in order to give athletes some awareness of what neutral feels like during their hinge pattern on the deadlift. Athletes will start by placing the PVC pipes vertically running along the back of the body with three points of contact. The goal is to keep the PVC in contact with the back of the head, between the shoulder blades, and with the lower back throughout the whole hinge pattern. When the back rounds, the neck arches back, or the core becomes disengaged, one part of the PVC will lose contact with the body. Having athletes perform 10 good mornings during this drill will give them valuable feedback to transfer over into the workout.
Butt Back First
A quad dominant deadlift is also often a back dominant deadlifts based on the bar placement on the floor and the path it takes when traveling back up the body. This fault is often corrected by the drill above, but is worth touching on. When athletes initiate the descent of the bar towards the floor, they should do so by sending the butt back first as opposed to the knees forwards. This allows them to engage the posterior chain and creates a vertical shin, which is a more efficient and safe position.
Movement Prep
PVC Hinge Drill
5 Good Mornings
5 Slow Deadlifts
5 Deadlifts
Similar to earlier in the week, breaking athletes into groups of 2-3 based on similar projected weight selections. Extra bars will go away and athletes will have 15 minutes to complete 2 warmup sets and the 5 working sets of 3. Another great opportunity to make positive change in each athlete’s deadlift by giving them at least one thing to think about. This will also be a great evaluator of what weight they should use during the conditioning piece.
Like the name suggests, these rounds are intended to be close to a “Dead Sprint”. One thing to be aware of is the speed of the deadlift. We do not want athletes to add a significant amount of speed to the deadlift if that means a compromise of points of performance. The difference between the fastest set of 7 deadlifts vs. a slower set of deadlifts is a few seconds at best. Going a touch slower here and maintain proper technique takes priority over speed of the movement. Time can be made up on the run and the bike. Teams can use tally marks or poker chips to keep track of rounds. Athletes who just finished the bike should reset bike monitor after each round.
Tuesday 10.23.18
Grip
We know that the thruster is a combination of the front squat and the push press in to one big, metabolically challenging movement. In the front squat, we are able to maintain a loose fingertip grip to ensure that the barbell sits as far back onto the shoulders as possible. However, the push press requires all of the fingers to be wrapped around the bar in order to complete a safe and strong press overhead. This hybrid movement also requires a hybrid grip. On the thruster, looking to have all of the fingers wrapped around the bar, but will a slightly loose grip to allow for higher elbows during the squat.
Elbow Position
Just as there was a hybrid grip, there is also a hybrid elbow position. The elbows will slightly change positions during the thruster. While it is more difficult to keep the elbows up during the squat with the hybrid grip, looking for athletes to drive them high out of the bottom of the squat. On the way up, the elbows will have to drop slightly in order to transition from the front squat to the push press. If the elbows remain in the high position, it will cause athletes to complete a press out with the arms, send the bar too far backwards, or result in a push jerk.
Movement Prep
5 Pausing Front Squats
5 Push Press
5 Front Squats (Hybrid Grip)
5 Thrusters
During this weightlifting piece, athletes will have 15 minutes to build to a heavy set of 5 Thrusters. Athletes will group up in teams of 2-3, ideally based on similar projected weight selections. Extra barbells will be put away. This is coaches best time to make positive change in technique by giving every athlete at least one thing to focus on.
Wednesday 10.24.18
Double Unders
Hand Position
When hands widen out or rise up the body, the rope elevates off the ground and forces athletes to bring the knees up to clear the jump. Placing the hands slightly in front of the hip bones will make sure the rope has enough slack on the ground to pass under the feet.
Jumping Rhythm
When the height of the jump varies during the workout, it makes it a much more difficult task for our brain to synchronize hands and feet. Having a steady jump straight up in the air will lead to better timing and rhythm on both single unders and double unders
Movement Prep
Breaking between.
:15 Seconds Quick Singles
:15 Seconds Higher Jump Singles
:15 Seconds Double Taps*
:15 Seconds Double Unders or Practice
*Practicing timing of the double under. With a straight jump in the air, athletes will double tap low on the thigh to simulate a double under without the rope.
Movement Substitutions
Cut Double Unders Repetitions
2x Single Unders
Abmat Sit-ups
Leg Position
There is no wrong way to position the knees during the sit-up, but the different options provide slightly different feels. In both of these, the full range of motion is shoulders to ground in the bottom and shoulders forward of the hips at the top of each rep. When the knees are out in a “butterfly” position with the bottom of the feet pressed together, athletes will be utilizing less hip flexor and more abdominals. When the knees are in, with the bottom of the feet grounded, athletes will be utilizing both the abdominals and hip flexors. No right or wrong option. Athletes should choose the one that come most naturally.
Movement Prep
5 Abmat Sit-ups Knees Out
5 Abmat Sit-ups Knees In
Wreckbag Run
Bag Position
A couple of options of how to position the bag. Athletes may carry the bag on one side of their shoulder during the runs. The downside of carrying in on one side as opposed to across the back is that there is a weight imbalance that will be compensated for during the run. Despite this, athletes can switch the shoulder they carry the wreckbag on as needed. This position is slightly easier to breathe in. The other option is to carry it across the back. The downside of this position is that it is a little more difficult to get in to, but he benefit of carrying it on the back is that weight is evenly distributed and athletes will be able to run more comfortably.
Movement Prep
100 Meter Wreckbag Run
The goal of today is to push for larger sets on the rope, using the sit-ups as a recovery station. Moving through the sit-ups methodically, but without stopping, will help athletes immediately transition to the bag run. The wreckbag run will tax both the calves and the lungs. It is tempting to take a long break following the run in order to feel recovered before starting sets of double unders. Holding back slightly on the run will allow athletes to get right to the rope knock out big sets of double or single unders, where a lot of time is made up in today’s workout.
Thursday 10.25.18
Deadlifts
Grip
“DT” has the reputation of being a fairly grippy workout. Although the deadlifts are on the lighter side, they can fatigue the forearms for the most grippy movement of the workout, the hang power cleans. Going with a reverse grip here can help minimize some of this fatigue. In the reverse grip, one palm faces away from the body and the other faces towards the body. Athletes who aren’t worried about grip may also hook grip the barbell.
Transition
Along the lines of grip is the transition from the deadlift to the hang power clean. When a workout like this is done, it is sometimes most efficient on the grip for athletes to utilize the reverse grip for 11 repetitions and drop, changing their grip to the hook grip before completing their 12th deadlift. This eliminates an extra deadlift and sets athletes up in the hang position for their 9 Hang Power Cleans. If athletes are not worried about grip, and especially with the score being their slowest round, they can hook grip the barbell and take out the added transition time of dropping and resetting.
Movement Prep
Establish Setup Position
5 Slow Deadlifts
5 Hook Grip Deadlifts
5 Reverse Grip Deadlifts
Hang Power Cleans
Jump Position
It is common for athletes to send the knees forward when finding the jump position, leaving the shoulders behind the bar. If you were to tell athletes to jump as high as they could, they would most likely load their hips back and send their shoulders forward. If you were to throw a barbell in their hands, this would be considered the most powerful jumping position for the hang power clean. When bringing the bar back down to the top of the knee, have athletes send the hips back and shoulder forward.
Land Position
The landing position in the hang power clean is often more of a power lean. In the power lean, the hips and the knees track forward, leaving the back in a less than ideal position. In the landing position, looking to use the legs as shocks. Athletes can accomplish this by landing with the hips slightly back. Starting in the jump position, the order of operations goes hips back – jump – hips back.
Movement Prep
10 Second Jump Position Hold
10 Second Land Position Hold
3 Straight Arm Jumps
3 Hang Muscle Cleans
3 High Hang Power Cleans
3 Hang Power Cleans
Push Jerks
Forearms
Wherever the forearms are pointed while in the front rack position is where the bar will end up overhead. If our elbows drop in the dip or are behind the bar from the start, the bar will finish out in front of the body. Placing the elbows slightly in front of the bar will result in the forearms pointing directly over the middle of the body, where we want it to go.
Jump and Drop
With the forearms in a good position, the jump is the most important part of the push jerk. This aggressive hip drive straight up is what puts momentum into the bar. Once the bar leaves the shoulder as a result of the hip extending, athletes can then drop fast underneath and catch with locked out elbows. Thinking of jumping and dropping as opposed to pressing the bar to a locked out position.
Movement Prep
5 Second Finish Position Hold
5 Second Dip Position Hold
5 Push Jerks
2 Minutes to Build to Lighter Weight
Friday 10.26.18
Wreckbag Zercher Reverse Lunges
Positioning
The Zercher position is different than the front rack position in that the wreckbag or barbell will be held in the crook of the elbows while cradling it towards the torso. The position challenges the upper back, core, legs, and the biceps. With that being the case, we will touch on how to be most efficient on the other movement to limit the amount of unnecessary biceps and arm activity.
Breathing
The Zercher is more challenging metabolically because it is much harder to expand the ribcage to take in oxygen when in this position. Keeping a tall torso with high elbows during the step-back lunge will help athletes get as much air in as they can.
Movement Prep
10 Reverse Lunges
Establish Zercher Position
8 Wreckbag Zercher Reverse Lunges
Wreckbag to Shoulder
Hand Position
Where you place the hands on the bag will determine much about how it sits over the shoulder. The bag will be placed vertically between the legs. Placing the hands in the center of the bag create equal balance on both sides of the bag. Placing the hands slightly further back on the bag allows more of the bag to sit over the shoulder. There is no right or wrong way, only what is more comfortable for the athlete. Athletes can “touch and go” these repetitions, but it is common here that the middle of the bag stays off the ground while the edges make contact. One thing we want to make sure of is that the full bag is on the ground before the next rep begins.
Arms Long
Just like with the normal barbell clean, we want to keep the arms as long as possible until the hip “pops”. This is even more important with the Zercher Reverse Lunges within the workout as well. If the arms bend early, we lose power on the clean and make the upcoming Zercher Lunges increasingly difficult.
Movement Prep
6 Wreckbag to Shoulders
Lateral Hops
Feet Close
Looking to have the feet close in a couple ways. First, we want to feet close together as if we were performing double unders. This will help athletes spring over the bag. Secondly, we want the feet to stay close to the bag. Jumping further away from the edge of the bag creates a lot more work over the course of the 20 reps.
Movement Prep
10 Hops
10 Lateral Hops on Floor
10 Lateral Hops over Bag
Row
Relax the Hands
Relaxing the hands allows athletes to focus on their legs during each stroke as opposed to pulling hard with the arms. With the Zercher Lunges immediately following each row, keeping the arms relaxed will be even more important. Arms will stay relaxed with the elbows locked out until the very end of the stroke.
Handle Straight In
One very common fault while rowing is that the hands and handle drop while traveling forward towards the catch. When the handle drops, it is hard for athletes to generate the same amount of tension and power that they could with the handle traveling straight in and straight out. There are two screws on the rower where the chain inserts. Keeping the chain between those to landmarks will help athletes stay consistent.