So, about it here is my below is my clean version of Open 14.5, which if it’s not not burned into your mind, was Thruster/Bar Facing Burpee. 

In my experience, the best conditioning workouts are built off the Push/Pull concept.  The Clean and Jerk, often referred to as the “King of Lifts” is a Pull and a Push.  The Muscle Up, as discussed yesterday is a gymnastic pull and push.  Fran is a Thruster, a weightlifting Push, with a Pullup, a gymnastic Pull.  Diana is a weightlifting pull (Deadlift) and a gymnastic Push (Handstand Pushup).

Even back in the old bodybuilding days, I would work the push/pull concept, coupling bicep work like curls with triceps press down.  I actually did do bench and pull up days, but it was those wide grip Pullups to “hit the lats.”  Because that’s a thing.

An interesting phenomena when doing a push/pull WOD, especially when you mix weightlifting and gymnastics, is what I have heard referred to as “low interference.”  Basically, you come off the thrusters in Fran tired from pushing, and you hop on the bar.  Your Pullups feel light, easy and fast, allowing your intensity to stay very high.  By the time you finish the pull-ups, the lactic acid has moved from your legs to your back and arms, and the first few thrusters feel amaze-balls.  Eventually the lactic acid will catch you, but if you go fast enough, you just may beat it.  Well, you never really beat it.  If you go fast enough, I usually end up in the parking lot, if not throwing up, coming very close.

That’s kind of why I hated 14.5.  Thruster and Burpee is all push/push.  It’s all interference.  The beauty of it is the weight is perfect and you can always do another burpee, so if you’re fit, you are moving until you are done.  If you’re not as fit, you slog through because it’s all doable.

CrossFit addressed my “complaints” in 15.5 with Row/Thurster, which if you were a Sadist or just a huge fan of feeling your blood turn to acid, was a near perfect WOD.

We have done a version of 14.5 with Deadlifts, but it wasn’t that bad.  I always wanted to give it a go with Power Cleans, but the idea of doing 84 singles to save energy made me sick.  Plus, I thing the concept of “hanging on” is needed – to do 14.5 well, you pretty much had to go unbroken on the Thrusters. So, big sets of the Cleans, keeping moving on the Burpees, and I’ll see you on the other side.

Workout of the Day

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Hang Power Clean 135/95

Bar Facing Burpee

30 minute cap