THE ELITE TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE WORLD’S FITTEST PEOPLE. SCALED TO YOUR LEVEL. TAUGHT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.

“Murph“

For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run.

Beginners — partition in a 1-2-3 pattern based on your weakest skill. It’s probably pullups:

1 pullup, 2 pushups, 3 squats for 100 rounds, 

or 2 pullups, 4 pushups, 6 squats for 50 rounds, etc.

Give yourself plenty of time, and just get it done. Whatever it takes.

As this one is particularly rough, set aside some time to relax and feel good about it afterwards. Some research shows that you remember the end of the workout, not the beginning — if the ending is a bit more enjoyable, you’ll be more enthused to try “Murph” next time it comes up.

The research is thin, but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that this is how it works with yoga — those five minutes they spend lying on their backs at the end gets more people to show up for the next class.

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Rest Day

Heretofore to be known as Gymnastics Skills Day.

Got ten minutes?

Pick one — work on your L-hold, your press-to-handstand, your pirouette. Whichever one you’re worst at - don’t get into the habit of choosing the activity that’s easiest for you! I’m sure there’s a life lesson in there somewhere…

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Clean and Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Spend a good twenty minutes in deliberate practice with the bar prior to adding weight. No matter how experienced you are, remember the importance of avoiding automation. Once you feel like you’re “riding a bike”, its much more difficult to improve your mechanics.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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“Barbara“

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round.

A gymnastics benchmark WOD. Beginners, shoot for three rounds. Drink plenty of water.

After you recover, you should be pretty loose and pretty tired. This is a good time for some Pavel Tsatsouline-style “forced relaxation” stretching. If you’ve got the mental fortitude, go for a “clasp knife” stretch on your problem area.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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“Helen“

Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
1 1/2 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 55 pound dumbbell swing)
12 Pull-ups

For beginners, we’ll finish the 400 meters with whatever monostructural activity is appropriate. We’re a big fan of “odd object” lifting (vacuum cleaner push-press is a good time), so we’ll swing whatever we can find. Pull-ups, we’ll do whatever you can do along the progression to kipping pull-ups.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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Push jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Almost my favorite exercise — I’m partial to the split jerk for just plain having fun in the gym, but love the push jerk and it’s greater functionality.

Beginners should follow the usual guideline — do the element of the exercise you are capable of, and then spend as much time as you have available engaged in Deliberate Practice of the more advanced WOD movement, using a PVC pipe. If you can do a shoulder press, do them today and practice the push press. If you can do a push press, do them today and practice the push jerk.

Finish up with some PNF stretching of the upper body.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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For time:
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 21 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 18 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 15 reps
Row 500 meters
115 pound Push press, 12 reps

For beginners, sub whatever monostructural activity you have access to or can handle. Scale weight, not reps, on the push press.

Also, when the Rx calls for a consistent weight throughout the workout, you have a good opportunity to experiment with odd object lifting. Push press a full Poland Spring water cooler container if you have one.

Be sure to include pass-throughs in your warmup. Loose shoulders and traps are vital to a proper push-press.

Everything you’ve got, every workout! That exhaustion you feel leads directly to an improvement in your quality of life.

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For time:
50 Ring Dips
Run 400 meters
50 Push-ups
Run 400 meters
50 Handstand push-ups
Run 400 meters

Push-ups are honest push-ups. Handstand push-ups are “nose to floor”.

For beginners, scale with the appropriate development progression for the pushing movements. Focus on range of motion and power output — if your reps are slowing to the point that you are getting too much of a break with the cardiorespiratory training, switch to the next easiest movement (switch from full push-ups to “girl push-ups”, wall push-ups, etc.)

Shoot for the 400 meters if that’s a distance you can do, even if you need to walk the whole thing. Don’t be intimidated! This is a mental toughness day.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute… continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

For beginners, use whatever pulling movement allows you to work so that you tire from testing your cardiorespiratory endurance, not from testing your strength or stamina. Jumping pull-ups, band assisted pull-ups, gravitron, band pull-downs, lying rows, standing rows, etc.

Always be careful if you use the jumping pull-up — this movement allows you to do a tremendous amount of work in a short amount of time, and yet it seems rather easy while you do it. It has been known to completely wipe out the beginner, and is a good way to induce rhabdo if you don’t listen to your body. Also, do not do negatives while performing the jumping pull-up. That’s just asking for trouble. Treat jumping pull-ups as metabolic conditioning, not as strength work.

Everything you’ve got, every workout!

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