These 8 workouts are programmed by Jacob Heppner, Owner of GRIT Performance and five-time CrossFit Games veteran with three Top-10 Finishes, and a best of 6th Place in the 2019 CrossFit Games.
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Always an athlete, Jacob was born and raised in San Joaquin Valley, California then found his way to Missouri, where he played college football at Central Methodist University. He is an entrepreneur with a passion to help others through health and fitness. He is married to Kelli Heppner, and he is dad to the super famous and fun, Winston the Corgi.
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“Do you have the raw endurance, passion, and perseverance to keep going, no matter what life throws at you? Then listen up. GRIT is designed for individuals who are ready to take their fitness to the next level, and challenge their physical and mental strength. Ignite your passion through our fitness programs, where you’ll be paired with experienced coaches who push, encourage, and motivate you. Are you GRIT?”
Firstly, brush up on your technique before you choose your workout.
ROWING
Rowing is a monostructural metabolic conditioning exercise (just like swimming, running, and biking) aimed to increase your cardiovascular endurance and stamina. It’s cardio worthy of a standby puke bucket! Rowing is a powerful way to increase your endurance. It’s also a great way to work cardio into your gymnastics and/or strength workouts. A sprint on the rower packs a punch.
Set-Up: Start seated on the rower with your arms extended and your hips slightly behind your shoulders—this is the catch position. Sit tall and brace your core.
Execution: Maintain your hip angle and extend your legs. Once the legs have extended, open your hips and lean back no more than 30 degrees. Pull the handle to your sternum. Keep your elbows back. Maintain your lumbar curve. To return to the catch position, reverse the movement: extend your arms, lean your torso forward, and bend your knees.
Points of Performance: To get a “good rep,” ensure the following:
– You reach the necessary meter, calorie, or time prescription required by the WOD (there are typically no requirements for how effectively or efficiently you do so in a WOD)
– In a competition WOD, check standards for when you can mount, dismount, or grab the rower’s handle
Pro-Tip: When you’re in the “catch” position, think about aggressively driving out with your legs and letting the arms simply finish the pull for you. You’ll be a more efficient and effective rower if you primarily use your lower body.
WALL BALL SHOT
The wall ball shot is a cardiovascular endurance movement that, while simplistic in mechanics, is devastating to your lungs, legs, shoulders, and oftentimes ego. The most admirable characteristic of the wall ball is the functionality of the exercise: everyone needs to know how to squat, and everyone needs to know how to lift something above their head. To experience the glory of the wall ball shot, try the “Karen” benchmark WOD—150 wall balls for time.
Set-Up: Start with your feet at a shoulder-width stance. Hold the medicine ball at your chest. Brace your core.
Execution: Descend your hips back and down. At the bottom, your hips should be lower than your knees. Maintain your lumbar curve. Your knees should track your toes throughout the movement. Keep your elbows off of your knees. Extend your hips and legs rapidly, then throw the ball to the target. Keep your heels down until your hips and legs extend. Catch the ball and descend smoothly into the next rep.
Points of Performance: To get a “good rep,” ensure the following:
– Your hip crease drops below your knee crease at the bottom of the squat
– You hit the target with the prescribed weight (common standard for men is a 20 lb ball to a 10’ target; for women a 14 lb ball to a 9’ target. Check the WOD standards.)
Pro-Tip: Use chalk to draw a line on the floor where your feet will go for wall balls (do a few reps to find your sweet spot). This helps ensure that you have the proper starting position every time you begin, and reduces the chance of “no reps.”
1. I KNOW YOU’VE GOT 5 MINUTES
21-15-9 Reps for Time
D-Ball Over Shoulders (150/100 lb)
Calorie Bike Erg
Time Cap: 5 minutes
Scaling
Use a lighter D-ball (Intermediate: 100/70 lb, Beginner: 70/50 lb).
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2. UNDERESTIMATED THIS
For Time
30 Snatches (75/55 lb)
20 calorie Ski Erg
10 Rope Climbs
20 calorie Ski Erg
30 Snatches (75/55 lb)
3. THIS IS A TRAP
For Time
50 Wall Ball Shots (30/20 lb)
50 Alternating Dumbbell Hang Snatches (70/50 lb)
50 Wall Ball Shots (30/20 lb)
50 Bar Facing Burpees
Time Cap: 8 minutes
With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written.
Score is the time on the clock when the 50th Bar Facing Burpee is completed.
Image Sources
- Jacob-Heppner: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc