Ian Creighton

And to do that, you cant just do zounds of curls and bench presses and pullups. Every so often, it helps to get explosive and powerful, just like pro sports athletes do, challenging your body to move at a high rate of speed. And one of the best exercises to do that is something called the clean-pull.

This isnt a move you have to have in your workout, but itll definitely change your workouts up. Itll help you in many other ways too, boosting your athleticism on any field of play, whether thats the basketball court or the football field or the soccer pitch. Oh, and it just may make your deadlift a little more monstrous too.

If youre familiar with a power clean or a deadlift, then you have some general familiarity with the clean pull. The clean pull has you starting off in a position very close to a deadlift, and youre pulling the weight up off the floor, using your hamstrings and glutes to power you.

But while the deadlift is mostly about lifting heavy weights, the clean pull will challenge you to focus on moving a lighter weight in a similar motion -- and move that weight as fast as you can. During the deadlift, youre focusing on generating maximum force to move a heavy load, helping you make strength gains. The clean pull is about generating maximum speed.

During the deadlift, your goal is to lift the weight off the ground to generate that force. During the clean pull, youll lift that weight off the ground as quickly as possible, generating force but paying attention to time to generate that force, too.

The move is also the first phase of the power clean or clean, an Olympic lift frequently done by CrossFitters. Youll generate that force primarily by being explosive through your hips, creating whats called hip extension. That hip extension is what helps you generate speed, and training it is critical in sports. Thats why the clean pull is a lift often used by NFL, NBA, and NHL players. For pro athletes, it gives them many of the benefits of power cleans and hang cleans, with less risk of injury or fatigue to the shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

The clean pull seems like an easy lift, and in some ways it is: You essentially set up in a deadlift position with your head up, deadlift the weight upwards as explosively as possible, then pop your hips forward as powerfully as you can to send the bar flying as high as itll go. (While your arms hold the weight, theyre not truly supposed to lift the weight). But executing the clean pull takes practice and attention to detail. Lets run through its steps.

Youre starting essentially in deadlift position, feet hips-width apart, bar over the lace of your shoes. Grip the bar with both hands using a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width. Ideally, youll want to use whats called a hook grip, wrapping the thumb under the index and middle fingers so you can really keep the bar tight. This will also keep your forearms relaxed.

From there, lower your hips until your shins touch the bar; your hips should be slightly lower than your traditional deadlift setup. Think about having your hips below your shoulder-level, but above your knees. Pinch your shoulder blades and look forward (not down as you would in a standard deadlift).

Arch your lower back just slightly and try to keep your weight in your midfoot, not in your heels and not in your toes.

Now youre ready to start a rep, and this can be broken down, essentially into three pulls. Theyll all happen very quickly.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byh_6_7ggEt/" id="960fdd85-38a8-3dc5-ac97-a6fabc02cf0a"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Byh_6_7ggEt/" id="02f147ec-dbaf-3856-a034-92528b8f45f6"> A post shared by BarBend Strength Sports News (@barbend) </a> on Jun 10, 2019 at 6:39am PDT

The first pull involves moving the bar from the floor to just above the knee, and this is the most controlled pull in the clean pull. Keep your back tight and try to turn your armpits forward to engage your lats. Then pull the bar off the floor, shifting your weight back to your heels. Lead with your chest rising, and try to maintain the angle of your hips and shoulders. Youre not standing straight up just yet.

The bar should shift back toward your torso. Its critical to keep it close and not let it shift forward; keep your shoulders in front of the bar as long as possible. Pro-tip: Be patient! Beginners try to rip the bar off the floor as quickly as possible, but thats a mistake. Yes, the bar will accelerate, but this is your slowest pull, setting the foundation for the rest of the lift.

One thing to avoid. First off, keep those hips down! Dont let your hips rise faster than your shoulders, something thats commonly referred to as the stripper pull. If the hips rise too early, your hamstrings stop doing the work, and your lower back steps in, a mechanism for injury. Your weight also winds up in front of your foot.

The Second Pull

The second pull involves moving the bar from just above the knee to the upper thigh, our power position that will permit real acceleration. Now youre focusing on aggressively extending at the hips and knees (essentially standing up) by shifting your hips forward. Pull the bar back toward your torso as you do this, keeping it in close contact with your quads. Your torso angle should become more vertical as you do all this.

Do your best to not let the bar lose contact with your quads. Think about keeping your lats engaged, and keeping pulling the bar back toward your hips.

Now youre finishing. The third and final pull has you achieving max acceleration on the bar by finishing what youve started: Now you fully open your hips, knees, and ankles (something known as triple-extension). At the same time, youll shrug your shoulders. Your weight should shift onto your toes (as if youre jumping) as the acceleration of the bar forces your heels off the floor.

Think of this as a jump and shrug that gets the bar moving vertically. But dont over-involve your arms. Your arms should stay straight, elbows pointed out. The momentum of the final pull will propel the bar upwards to finish slightly above hip level.

Two key things to note here. First off, dont make this final pull too early. When you do that, you dont let your hips open up, and you wont truly accelerate the weight as powerful as it can be. Be patient, even though everything is happening fast. Secondly, dont fall into the trap of thinking the bar needs to rise to a certain target. It doesnt. This isnt a Point A-to-Point B lift. Youre training explosion, not training to a standard.

<h1> The Clean Pull In Your Workouts </h1>

You can use the clean pull in a variety of ways in your workouts. Its a great way to warm up with lighter weights on a day when youre doing heavy deadlifts or even standard cleans, because itll train your body to move with explosion. Whenever possible, we want good-form explosion in our standard lifts.

If you use it this way, start with an empty bar and do 8 to 10 reps, then work up to a weight that you can do 3-5 reps with. Remember: This doesnt need to be a heavy-weight exercise. Work up to 30 to 40 percent of your best deadlift.

You can also use this as a power-building move, doing it with half of your max deadlift and doing 4 to 5 sets of 2 to 3 reps each. Dont rush these reps. After each rep, reset on the ground, find your form again, and then go.

No matter how you use it, youre honing speed and strength and training more coordination than you think, too. The clean pull is challenging. But its a move worth learning because itll make your deadlifts better.

Build Explosive Power With The Clean Pull

If youre like an average gym-goer, you dont exactly want to be as jacked as a bodybuilder. Thing is, you dont want to be a distance runner either. Instead, what you may very well want is to look like an athlete.

That's as good a time as any to blend two exercises that are guaranteed to leave you breathless in minutes: The cardio rower . . . and burpees. On their own, each exercise can push you to your limit. Combined, they'll challenge both your body and your mind, blasting fat and calories.

Here, they're blended into a devastating workout ladder that manages to be fun, even as it has you gasping for air. You're rowing as explosively as possible one moment, then getting off the rower and battling through burpees the next. Things start easy but swiftly become a massive challenge. You'll be working out, but thinking too, strategizing how to solve a challenging gym puzzle.

Just as importantly, it's a super-balanced workout: You crush your pulling muscles as you row, then push your body away from the ground to explode up from those burpees. Ready to get started? Let's do it.

Perform 3 rounds of these two moves, which stretch and strengthen your lower back, readying your body to row. After each round, rest for 60 seconds.

This Cardio Row Challenge Will Leave You Drenched!

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a PVC pipe or broomstick (overhand grip) across your upper back. Keeping your knees slightly bent and back naturally arched (no rounding), push your hips back and take 3 seconds to lower your torso. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Pause, and stand back up. Thats 1 rep; do 10.

Lie facedown on the floor with your arms extended so your body forms a T; this is the starting position. Now bend your left knee, raising your left foot off the floor. Slowly bring your left foot across your body and toward your right hand, trying to touch your hand with your foot. Return to the start; then repeat on the other side. Thats 1 rep; do 5.

Yes, rowing is simple (get on the rower and pull!), but you want to do that as efficiently as possible, focusing on leg drive and a strong pull with your upper back muscles. One major misconception of the cardio row: It's an upper-body-focused exercise. It's actually not. If you row correctly, you're grabbing power from your lower body, and your glutes and hamstrings will feel sore when you're done. (Your upper body will also take some strain; it doesn't get off easy, either.) Do these isolation stroke drills, which hone proper rowing technique. Make sure to use a rowing machine that can track your calories burned and meters rowed. For the technique work, you'll focus on meters rowed, but once you get to the challenge portion? That's all about calories burned. You can do this on any rower, although a Concept2 rower is one of your best options for pinpoint tracking. Don't have one? Check out this one.

Sit on the rower and grab the handle using an overhand grip. Fully extend your legs and lean back slightly for the entire set; your torso should be in the 11 oclock position. Use your arms only to pull the handle back to your sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades. Row for 100 meters; then rest 40 seconds. Thats 1 set. Repeat twice.

Start with your torso forward at the 1 oclock position. Your legs should remain extended. Hinge your torso back to 11 oclock and pull with your arms; then return to 1 oclock. Do 100 meters; then rest 40 seconds. Thats 1 set; repeat twice. Now row 750 meters with a full stroke. Focus on timing: Legs move first, then torso travels back, then arms pull.

Now it's game time. Take a few minutes to collect yourself, then you're doing an EMOM (every minute, on the minute). You'll start the rower timer, then work to complete the required work in one minute. Once you do the required work, you'll rest until the end of the minute.

Each minute, you'll start by rowing for 10 calories. You'll pair that with a burpee countup. So the first minute, you'll follow your 10-calorie row with 1 burpee, then rest until the start of the second minute. The second minute you'll do 10 calories and 2 burpees. The third minute, you'll do 10 calories and 3 burpees. (You should get the idea from there.

Your workout is over when you can no longer fit all the required work into a minute. So if you're on the 10th minute, and you do 8 burpees, and time's up, then you're done for the day. Shoot to complete at least 10 rounds of the workout. Can't get there? Keep working? Crushing it more? Let us know how you did on Instagram or Twitter.

Focus on maintaining good form: Push your shoulders back and down and engage your core by bracing your abs. Keep going until youve rowed for 10 calories. Work to employ powerful strokes; aim for 1 calorie every stroke or two. Fast rowers may hit this mark in 20 seconds. Slower, inexperienced rowers may need 40 seconds.

Stand next to the rower with your feet slightly beyond shoulder width. Hinge at your hips, place your hands on the floor, and kick your feet back and lower your torso to the floor. Jump up to a standing position then jump off the ground. Thats 1 rep. Need an even tougher challenge? Instead of jumping straight up, hop laterally over the rower after each burpee. Still figuring out the burpee? The video below offers some pointers.

You can't always spend hours upon hours in the gym. Sometimes, you just need a super-quick sweat session, something that'll swiftly have your shirt drenched and your heart rate up.

This Cardio Row Challenge Will Have You Swimming in a Pool of Your Own Sweat

You know all about Murph if you train at a CrossFit box around Memorial Day. <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19525288/the-history-behind-murph/" id="ed1bbe50-b34a-3e58-aad5-86acbd402edb"> Named after Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy </a> , Murph is the workout of choice at boxes on Memorial Day, CrossFits way of honoring the men and women of the armed forces whove lost their lives.

Murphy was a Navy Seal who was killed in action in Afghanistan. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the U.S. militarys highest decoration, for his actions, becoming the first U.S. Navy member to receive the award since the days of the Vietnam War. <a href="https://themurphchallenge.com/" id="7e87f612-767c-3725-a0f5-6dc70b9a8667"> He designed Murph while on deployment, and it became one of his go-to workouts </a> . Its become a favorite of Hollywood celebs as well, with the likes of all gutting it out to raise awareness for veterans issues.

Its also one of CrossFits most intimidating hero WODs, thanks to a pair of one-mile runs (yes, two of them), and some big numbers for the calisthenic movements. Fighting through Murph demands both physical and mental fortitude, especially if you do it the way its meant to be done, wearing a 20-pound weight vest for the entire endeavor.

But you can take down Murph. You just need a smart plan. Thats what Im going to give you right now.

There are two ways to get through Murph, neither of which is easy. Either way, you work through the following pieces.

<ul><li> 1-mile run </li><li> 100 pullups </li><li> 200 pushups </li><li> 300 air squats </li><li> Another 1-mile run </li></ul>

When the event showed up in the 2016 CrossFit Games, it was contested unpartitioned, meaning you had to complete all the moves in order, finishing all 100 pullups before moving onto the pushups, then finishing all your pushups before moving to the squats.

At most boxes, though, youll see people doing it partitioned. That means you're permitted to complete the pullups, pushups, and squats in any order and way you see fit. You may do, say, 10 pullups, 20 pushups, and 30 air squats for 10 sets. Doing it this way helps you move faster, since one muscle group can recover (at least a little bit) while another one is being worked.

Either way, its all about pacing. And either way, if you really want the true Murph experience, youll do the entire gauntlet while wearing a 20-pound weight vest.

Need a weight vest for your Murph? Check out this option from Hyper Wear, or <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a22115800/best-weighted-vests-for-workouts/" id="44030532-95cc-34d1-aa4e-6526ebece994"> any of these great choices </a> .

Some CrossFit workouts are sprints. This isnt one of them. Youll want to pace yourself, and should expect a 30- to 40-minute grind - if not more. A beginner should expect to finish Murph in 50 minutes. More experienced CrossFitters can shoot to finish in 35 minutes. Im shooting to finish in less than 32 minutes.

Those times, by the way, are for the partitioned version of Murph; the unpartitioned version is even more vicious. For proof, check out the 2016 CrossFit Games, when the unpartitioned version of Murph was an event. Josh Bridges finished first in 34:38. Mat Fraser, a three-time champ, was second in 35:48. Take on the unpartitioned Murph at your own risk.

All that said, this workout is relative to you! Once you figure out a strategy, step back and estimate a goal for completing it based on how proficient you are in pullups, pushups, and air squats. And remember: That weight vest will catch up with you after awhile, no matter how strong you are in those calisthenics movements.

Were going to focus on the partitioned version of Murph in this breakdown, because thats the more common challenge. Theres also loads of strategy within Murph, too. We can mentally break the challenge into three parts: The opening mile, the movements, and the final mile.

Like many longer-duration CrossFit workouts that open with a cardio-based buy-in, the opening mile run wont win you this workout, but it could ruin things for you. Its common for people to want to fly out of the gate, but unless youre a very experienced runner, you shouldnt do this. Instead, start out at a moderate, comfortable pace, get the nerves out, then gradually pick up the pace as the run wears on. You dont want to burn out on this mile, because the meat of the workout is still ahead.

Athlete friends running on footbridge in city during sunny day

Think about breaking your mile into quarters or thirds, and pick up the pace with each interval. Comfortable running an 8-minute mile? Then start with an 8:30 pace and try to finish at a 7:30 pace. You should only be operating at 70 to 75 percent of your best mile capacity on this run.

Once youre through the run, its onto those exercises. And while the moves may seem simple (pushups and squats are pretty basic), you still need a plan here. To achieve your best time, you need to partition reps so you can keep moving the entire time without hitting failure and missing a rep. Your goal is to do a set amount of reps of the pullup, then come down and do a set amount of reps of the pushup, then do a set amount of reps of the squat; youll repeat your rep scheme until youve finished off all the required reps of all three moves. Your goal is to minimize rest; its OK to break the reps up into many sets, but keep moving!

Like most long CrossFit workouts, little details can go a long way in this workout, too. So optimize your setup before diving into the exercises. You want to find a pullup bar that you dont have to jump too high to reach. Also, find your best pushup position before fatigue sets in. Chalk your hands heavily and put handprints on the floor to mark your ideal hand position. Plan for your hands to be in position directly underneath the pullup bar; thatll allow you to drop to the floor seamlessly and go straight into each set of pushups. Aim to squat directly under the bar as well; thatll position you ideally to jump back onto the bar and do pullups after your last set of squats.

Most people will eventually run into problems on either the pullups or the pushups (or both). Your shoulders and chest are smaller muscle groups, so theyll fatigue quickly and need to recover. Again, thats why you should play to your strengths and be creative in how you break up the reps. Lets run through the movements, then dissect a few common rep schemes.

Man doing chin-ups in rooftop gym, Asok, Bangkok, Thailand

You want to be very familiar with your pullup capacity. Youre coming off the run and your upper body may seem fresh and ready to go, so its tempting to bang out a big set of pullups. Dont do it, though, because itll wear you down by the time youre onto the final 50 pullups. Instead, find a number of reps you can do consistently under fatigue. For most, that may be 5 reps or less - and thats OK.

Whatever rep scheme you choose, if youre resting too much, cut it back. Dont even be afraid to do quick singles. The goal is to be consistent and minimize rest. Aim to come off the pullup bar and rest no more than 1 to 3 seconds before jumping back on for more reps.

Note too: This is also the workout where youll want to bust out kipping pullups if youre comfortable and proficient at kipping mechanics. Strict pullups will take you even longer to battle through.

For most people, Murph becomes a pushup workout, because they arent ready for how quickly their chest will wear down. Much like the pullups, dont attempt big sets early. Whatever rep scheme you choose, aim to stick with 10 reps or less at a time, and when your chest begins to fatigue, break things up just a little more. For example, if youre doing sets of 10 and starting to struggle, do a set of 5, followed by a 2 or 3-second rest, and then another set of 5. If you start to really struggle, do single pushups, resting 1 to 2 seconds between each rep. Two hundred pushups is a lot. Dont underestimate them-and don't lose your form either. For a quick primer on pushup form, check out the video here.

How To Crush CrossFit's Memorial Day Murph WOD

There are a handful of CrossFit hero WODs out there, benchmark workouts that were named for fallen service members and meant to push you to your limits. But there may not be a hero WOD more revered (or challenging) than Murph.

Yes, You Can Handle CrossFit's Memorial Day Murph Challenge

These steep challenges arent always easy to tackle alone. Some days, youll hit the gym and your motivation and focus will be off. Other days, you just want more variety in your workouts.

Thats where partner WODs come in. Adding a friend instantly makes your workout more fun, and it pushes you to work out more, according to . It also opens up more creative programming options so youre not just staring at the clock or counting reps. And it introduces a level of competition to your workouts, even if you and your gym pal arent competing directly.

Not sure where to start with these workouts? Weve got you covered. So grab a partner and try out these buddy sweat sessions. Youll get in shape and get quality time all at once!

The Lowdown: This ones a great interval workout that helps you work for almost as much time as you rest if you choose the right partner. The beauty of that 1:1 work-to-rest ratio: When its your turn to work, you get to (and should!) go hard, because once youre done, your body will get plenty of rest.

Directions: Complete all reps of each exercise, working to rest as little as possible. Then rest for as long as it takes for your partner to do all reps of each exercise. The moment your partner finishes, youre back to work. Do 8 rounds each of this workout.

Young male cross trainer snatch lifting barbell in gym

The lowdown: The basis of this workout is CrossFits classic DT barbell complex (deadlifts to hang cleans to push jerks). Except theres a twist in here: While youre working through the complex your partner is rowing 20 calories. Theres not much time to rest in this one, unless you complete that barbell complex quickly. If you have shoulder issues, sit this one out, because the push jerks could challenge that joint.

Directions: You and your partner start each round at the same time, one of you beginning on the rower and the other on the DT complex below. Your partner must complete 20 calories on the rower. You, meanwhile, do the complex. (Whoever finishes first gets a little time to rest). Switch back and forth until youve each done 5 rounds; your score is how long it took for you to both complete the full workout.

The DT Barbell Complex: Do each move, working to never once put the dumbbell down. Start with 12 deadlifts, then do 9 hang power cleans. Finish with 6 push jerks, pressing the bar overhead as you dip at the knees and hips, then standing up.

The lowdown: This one is quick and dirty and its a great finisher to a strength session. Just dont underestimate it, because it gets painful and intense quickly.

Directions: Youll need two Airdyne bikes or Assault Bikes for this one, and youll work for 10 minutes. Every 30 seconds, youll put in 10 calories on the bike. The next 30 seconds your partner will put in 10 calories on the bike. Work back and forth for 10 minutes (so youre each doing 10 rounds).

The lowdown: This ones all about your legs. Youll crush your squat pattern on the thrusters, hit your hamstrings with kettlebell swings - and youre sandwiching serious conditioning work with those 2,000-meter rows.

Directions: You and your partner will open this workout by each rowing 2,000 meters. Try to finish this more quickly than your partner so you get more of a breather going into the 10-round workout. Once youre into the 10-round portion, youre using an A-B-A format. Youll do thrusters while your partner rests, then your partner does kettlebell swings while you rest. Alternate moves until youve each done 10 rounds of each move. Finish with a 2,000-meter row each.

The lowdown: Here, youre taking CrossFits classic Cindy workout (5 pullups, 10 pushups and 15 air squats done as many times as possible for 20 minutes) and beefing it up into a team format thatll rock your abs too. Be strategic with this one, because the knee tuck holds will wear you out faster than you think.

Directions: Start with a round of Cindy, doing 5 pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 air squats as fast as you can. While youre doing that, your partner will do hang from a pullup bar and hold a knee tuck with thighs parallel to the ground. The kicker: If your partner loses the knee tuck, you must stop doing your round of Cindy; you resume only once they get back into the knee-tuck.

Alternate back and forth for 30 minutes. Need some points on your pushup form? Check out the video below.

8 Partner WODs That'll Up Your CrossFit Game

When CrossFit workouts are at their best, they challenge your mind as much as your muscles. They push you to grind out rep after rep, battle fatigue, and utilize fitness tactics-and they very often leave you practically drowning in your own sweat by the time theyre done.

8 Partner WODs That'll Take Your CrossFit Game to the Next Level

For the last few days, everyones been speculating that this workout would contain thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups in some capacity, and all that buzz was right. What none of us could have predicted was the insane amount of volume wed face for both movements. This workout is a long burner that doesnt just reward strength and power and execution. You also need strategy, discipline, and trust in your own personal plan.

CrossFit workouts <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26767497/crossfit-open-19-3/" id="a8311cea-22a9-3e85-a01d-81ec20d846cf"> 19.3 </a> and <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26836731/crossfit-open-workout-19-4/" id="ccf7e719-f6f0-3a78-a581-b4201a06fe50"> 19.4 </a> brought their own challenges. This one at least feels familiar, especially if you've done Fran, one of CrossFit's most legendary workouts, and a blend of thrusters and pull-ups. Still, 19.5 tests your mettle in new ways.

I ran through it last night and finished in 15:14, with no set plan in place and very little warm-up. I highly advise against both of these things. I did break up the early rounds into many sets, but I did not have a rep scheme. And I ripped both of my hands toward the end the round of 21, which made the final 2 rounds of pull-ups murderously hard. Im going to rest up over the weekend and redo the workout Monday, aiming to shave 60 to 90 seconds (or more!) off of my time.

Youre goal is to complete 5 rounds of the following circuit as quickly as possible. In the first round, youll do 33 reps (yes, really) of each movement. Youll do 27 reps in the next round, 21 in the third round, 15 in the fourth round, and 9 in the fifth round. You must finish in less than 20 minutes.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvSjxmdg5me/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="35e40975-601d-344a-a6d6-63784e18b084"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvSjxmdg5me/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="9dc73744-fbf9-3f69-aa19-5272a4ff3702"> WORKOUT #19Point5 33-27-21-15-9 reps for time of: Thrusters Chest-to-bar pull-ups Time cap: 20 minutes Make sure to visit games.crossfit.com for 19.5 the movement standards and scorecard before attempting the workout. #CrossFit | @crossfitgames </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crossfit/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="05b37042-b0d4-3813-ab70-9000affc8737"> CrossFit </a> (@crossfit) on Mar 21, 2019 at 5:11pm PDT

Barbell Thruster: Start standing beside a barbell loaded with 95 pounds. Clean the bar to your shoulders. This is your start position. Now bend at the knees and hips until your thighs are at least parallel with the ground, essentially performing a front squat. Straighten your legs, pushing you through your heels to stand up; use this momentum to press the barbell directly overhead. Thats 1 rep; repeat as needed, trying to stay fluid throughout the motion. Chest-To-Bar Pull-up: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Pull up until your chest makes contact with the bar. You may do this either using strict form, or using the classic CrossFit kip swing, producing momentum with your hips to lessen the load as you pull up.

19.5 is a classic couplet, something weve become accustomed to seeing in the final workout of the CrossFit Open. What we couldnt have prepared for was the sheer volume of this workout, 105 reps of each movement!

This workout may look brutal at first glance, but take a step back. 19.5 is more about strategy and pacing than it is about attacking. In order to do well you have to come prepared with a solid Plan A and have a Plan B ready in case things go off the rails (which they likely will).

Dont try to come out super-hot. Break early and break often. This workout is a marathon version of Fran (21-15-9 on thrusters and pull-ups). Dont get deluded into thinking its a sprint; if you do, youre in for a rough ride. Your key: Break up the rounds of 33, 27, and 21 into small, manageable sets with short, calculated rest periods thatll allow you to keep moving. If you survive those big sets and have room left in the tank, then attack the rounds of 15 and 9. I was able to do the final round of 9 unbroken for both movements.

The people who will score the best on this workout will be those who stay disciplined to their rest windows and stick to their plan.

Mid adult male weightlifter lifting barbell in gym

Even if you dont use my plan, you need to go into this workout with a detailed plan thats somewhat like it. Figure out what a reasonable time is for you to do one thruster and one pull-up. Also figure out an appropriate rest time between sets and between movements. Adding 2 to 3 seconds of rest isnt bad. Once you know these numbers, you know how and where youll be able to finish the workout.

Ask your judge or coach to keep you accountable to your plan. When you are in the heart of the workout, it will be impossible for you to keep track of your times, so you need someone in your corner who can count rest and make sure youre not going too fast, but not slowing so much you stop pushing, either. If things feel too aggressive, add 2 to 3 seconds to your breaks between rounds and moves.

With a whopping 105 pull-ups on the menu just a week after you did 30 bar muscle-ups in 19.4, our hands are going to be ripe for rips. Do whatever you can to insure that doesnt happen, especially in the early rounds of this workout. Ripping your hands will slow you down significantly as you struggle to grip the bar, forcing smaller sets and more rest. Use gymnastics grips if you can. If not, be sure to trim calluses and excess skin from your palms before the workout.

Dont Be Afraid to Do Singles on the Pull-Ups

If you are a beginner and not proficient with stringing together large sets of chest-to-bar pull-ups, consider doing your sets in quick singles. This means jumping into a kip swing and pulling your chest to the bar, then dropping and immediately jumping back up to do your next rep with little to no rest. It may seem slow, but itll keep you moving with very little rest, save your grip and keep your heart rate lower.

Want proof that you need to break this round up? Last years CrossFit Games champion, Mat Fraser, broke his Round of 33 into two sets for both his thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups during Thursday nights Open announcement. He also finished the workout in a blazing 6:53! Mat, of course, is the fittest man on earth, and his break was strategic and planned.

For the rest of us mortals, we need to know our capacity for both movements and break each up into 4 to 6 sets. Think of getting a short 5-second rest between each set. For example do your thrusters in sets of 7-7-7-7-5, resting 5 seconds between each set. If each set takes you 15 seconds, youll be done with that first round of thrusters in about 1:30 or 1:40. Just as importantly, youll have stayed around 75-80% of capacity and be ready to immediately start your pull-ups. If you use a similar scheme on pull-ups and each set takes 10 seconds, youll be done with this brutal first round in a little over a minute. Thatll put you at 2:35 or 2:50; even if you factor in a transition between movements, youll be out of this hell round in around 3 minutes.

Similar to the Round of 33, keep playing the long game. Try to keep your heart rate down as much as possible and let your shoulders relax. I recommend thinking of completing each move in 4 to 5 sets here and again trying to stick to 5-second rest periods between sets.

Think of breaking your thrusters down, 6-6-5-5-5; that should take you about 1:15-1:25 to finish. Then the pull-ups will take you around a minute to finish; this should put you at 2:10 or 2:30 for the round. If you factor in a 10-second transition from the Round of 33 to this one, and another 10-second transition between moves, youre now at 5:15 to 5:45. Best part: Youre more than halfway done with your reps!

One more round under control. Stick with your original game plan and shoot for 3 to 4 sets. If you aim to for a 6-5-5-5 rep scheme on the thrusters with 5-second rests between sets, youll finish in around 1:00 or 1:10. Using that same rep scheme on the pull-ups, youll be done with those in 45 to 50 seconds. Taking into account our 10-second transitions between rounds and moves, and were now at 7:20-8:05 with just two rounds of work to go.

Now its time to drop the hammer. This is where you find out what youre made of and go to that dark place! Careful strategy in the first three rounds has hopefully left you with something in the tank for these final two rounds, though. I recommend trying to do the round of 15 in 2 to 3 sets. Break up the thrusters into 5-5-5, and it should take 45 to 55 seconds; the pull-ups, handled similarly, should take 30 to 40 seconds.

Factoring in transitions, thats putting you around 8:55 or 10:00.

Exhausted male athlete after sports class in a gym.

Now, youre almost all the way through, so now you push. Think of doing each move in this round as an unbroken set. It should take about 20 seconds for the thrusters, and 10 to 15 seconds for the pull-ups. Factoring in transitions, this will have you finishing the workout in 9:45 to 11 minutes. Mat Fraser? No, but itll likely be a score in the top five percent worldwide.

The key to success for almost everyone is going to be how they break up their sets. Do your best and find a way to finish this year's CrossFit Open on a high note. Hit me up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ian_creighton/" id="5b27ea6b-a6a7-37e4-aff4-3e01bab858e0"> on Instagram </a> and let me know how it goes.

Your Guide to Crushing CrossFit Open Workout 19.5

Just when you thought this years CrossFit Open couldnt get more hellish, here comes 19.5. And this one is a nasty as it comes.

Your Guide To Crushing 19.5, The Final CrossFit Open Workout

Are you ready for CrossFit Open workout 19.4? The latest workout in the annual CrossFit Games Open pits you against three of the most legendary moves in the annals of CrossFit, burpees, muscle-ups, and snatches.

If youre a CrossFit veteran, you know all these moves. But do you know yourself, and your strengths and weaknesses? Because thriving in 19.4 is all about understanding your own abilities, playing to your strengths, and camouflaging your own weaknesses as best as possible. Your biggest key in this workout: going hard when you can go hard, and finding ways to save your energy for the 30 muscle-ups youll have to do.

If you want to own this workout, keep these tips in mind.

Start with three rounds of this circuit, done for time.

<ul><li> 10 snatches with a 95-pound barbell: Start standing over a barbell positioned close to your shins, gripping the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Your knees should be bent, and your hips should be lower than your shoulders. Explosively extend your legs, pulling the bar off the floor and to your hips. Hinge forward, then push your hips forward; use that momentum to drive the bar overhead and stand up. </li><li> 12 bar-facing burpees: Start standing, facing a barbell loaded with 45-pound plates. Drop your chest to the ground, then push yourself up off the ground, stand back up, and jump over the barbell. Turn around, and repeat the process. (Need a refresher course in basic burpees? Check out this video.) Managing expectations is key in this workout. But even if youre not expecting to finish, you still want to come out hard and fast. Your heart rate is going to go through the roof thanks to those burpees, and it wont feel good. The key here is not to panic; dont forget youll get a three-minute rest after you finish the first workout. Thatll help get your heart rate down. Pat Vellner, who finished second in last years CrossFit Games, sprinted the first part of this workout and finished in a little more than 2 minutes. Aim to work at 85-90 percent capacity and dont hold anything back, because you have that breather coming. Tackling Each Phase Heres how you should tackle each block of 19.4. Remember: Come out hard, because you get three minutes to catch your breath. Play to your strengths. Hit the gas on movements where you know youre efficient, and pull back on movements you struggle with. The Snatch Power Snatch The best CrossFitters will muscle snatch all their reps, pulling the bar from the floor to overhead without dropping under the weight. You shouldnt do this! It taxes the shoulders and requires more use of the arms and will spike your heart rate quickly. Lets stick to power snatching all reps, squatting and dropping under the bar after the first pull to save the shoulders and keep the heart rate down. Also, cycle the barbell. You want to move fast but you cant afford to get sloppy and create extra work. So move one rep at a time and focus on keeping your feet as quiet as possible. Try to keep the feet in one position with a wide stance so we are not dancing all over the gym with the barbell. Keep the bar as close to your torso as possible on the way down. I recommend doing a quad graze - allowing the barbell to make slight contact with the quads as you lower it to the floor. This will allow you to keep better control of the barbell as you cycle through your reps and will be much safer on your lower back. Think ahead with your grip Finally, use a hook grip on the barbell to save your grip for those muscle-ups. Havent done a hook grip? Time to learn. To do a hook grip, wrap your thumb inside your middle and index fingers. Itll feel weird but help you secure the bar. Think About the Rep Scheme If youre terrific at the snatch, aim to do your snatches unbroken, but for everyone else, aim to be strategic. If you know that cycling snatches jacks up your heart rate, Id recommend breaking each set into sets of 5 reps. If the bar doesnt feel super-light, break them up further, doing each set in two blocks of three, then two blocks of two. You could even do quick singles so we can save our shoulders and attack the burpees. Bar-Facing Burpees Use the New Standard We knew we werent getting through the entire Open without the burpee rearing its ugly head. This is a CrossFit staple after all. There are a host of ways to do burpees, but this years bar-facing burpee standard allows you to step up from the floor instead of jumping with both feet at the same time. You need to face the barbell when you hit the deck, but after that you can jump or step toward the bar. You must jump over it with both feet leaving the ground at the same time. Use these standards to your advantage. Unless youre trying to make the CrossFit Games, I recommend every single athlete step up from the bottom of the burpee instead of jumping up and then jumping over the bar. This will slow you down just a hair, but itll keep your heart rate significantly lower. {% verbatim %} <a itemtype="link" id="48eaff8a-6e89-39d4-a3ac-05de47412c0b" itemscope="itemscope"> <meta content="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvCLUkugBOo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" itemprop="url"/> View this post on Instagram </a> <a itemtype="link" id="bacff142-b454-30a6-a64a-6bb52aa9a672" itemscope="itemscope"> <meta content="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvCLUkugBOo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" itemprop="url"/> A post shared by Ian Creighton (@ian_creighton) </a> on Mar 15, 2019 at 8:46am PDT {% endverbatim %} Thatll let you push harder on your next set of snatches (and later, bar muscle-ups). And we want to be fresher for the more technical movement in each stack. In addition, lets do a quarter-turn as we jump over the bar. This will make our transition faster and let momentum carry us to the floor for our next burpee rep. Save Your Triceps Lets be strategic and try to save our triceps as much as possible for the bar muscle-ups. You should know how to do a proper burpee (and this video can teach you that), but in this situation, we want to make a minor tweak. Instead of doing a full pushup to get off the ground, essentially, you should do a three-quarters pushup. Then use your core and glutes to raise your torso off the ground before you stand up. No, this isnt classic form, but itll prevent you from fully flexing your tris. Thatll save your triceps and shoulders for the final leg of bar muscle-ups. The Rest Period These three minutes will fly by, but don't waste them. Rest is work too! Take advantage of the rest to bring your heart rate down, but stay focused. I recommend you sit down with your torso upright to allow for deep breaths. Once you catch your breath for a minute to 90 seconds, get up and walk around. That'll get the blood flowing and prevent your body from getting into too much of a parasympathetic state. You need to mentally prepare for the second workout now. The Second Workout By this point, the 3 minutes of rest probably felt like 30 seconds, and your shoulders and tris feel dead. But press on! Almost done! The Bar Muscle-Up Practice! Be sure take lots of time to warm-up your shoulders in advance of this workout. Lets work on kip swings to warm-up by hanging from a bar with the entire body flexed and use our shoulders to push down on the bar into our hollow position then pull ourselves forward into an arch position. Aim for 3 sets of 8-10 kip swings as you warm-up for the workout. Jumping into your first Muscle-up Those who are proficient with muscle-ups often find the first rep to be the hardest one. This is because they have much less momentum and velocity than they do when lowering themselves down from above the bar. In order to generate strong momentum on the first rep, line up 1-2 feet behind the bar and jump into your first kip swing. This will result in a much stronger arch position and will generate more force as you move into your hollow position and pull yourself up and over the bar. Choose the Right Rep Scheme Even one more muscle-up can make a big difference on the leaderboard. We need to break up these up into manageable sets. Lets not start out with a big set of 6 or 7 if that means we can only muster 1 rep at a time by Round 2. Know your muscle-up capacity! Even top-tier athletes should shoot for 2 to 3 sets per round, breaking each set into 5 reps, or even a set of 4 followed by two sets of 3. Everyone else should aim for 3 or 4 sets. If youre new to the muscle-up, work singles. </li></ul>

Can You Handle Crossfit Open Workout 19.4?

Get ready to go to a dark place! Again!

You’ll Need to Conquer 3 Legendary CrossFit Moves in Open Workout 19.4

Welcome to CrossFit 19.3, the third workout in this years CrossFit Games Open. This one is one thats meant to fry your shoulders. Its a chipper workout that starts out by setting your legs on fire with weighted lunges and step-ups, while also stealthily fatiguing your shoulders by forcing you to use the overhead position for those lunges.

Then it flips the script and hones in on the muscles in your shoulders. For the first time in the nine-year history of the CrossFit Open, youre doing handstand pushups with strict form. That means none of those momentum-generating kips that have saved so many handstand pushups in the past.

Your biggest key to this workout: You need to move. Even elite-level CrossFitters are struggling with this one: Lauren Fisher and Alessandra Pichelli went head-to-head after the announcement and both failed to finish the workout. This is all about your handstand pushup; expect to reach that stage of the workout but know that plenty of people simply arent finishing the workout.

I battled through the workout on Friday morning and also didnt finish. I made it to 33 reps on the handstand pushups before time ran out. If you want to survive, keep these tips in mind as youre going through:

<ul><li> 200-meter dumbbell overhead walking lunge: Hold the dumbbell in either hand overhead and lunge for 200 meters </li><li> 50 reps, dumbbell box step-up: Hold a dumbbell anywhere (at your side, at your shoulder) do alternating step-ups for 50 reps. </li><li> 50 strict handstand pushups: Kick your feet onto a wall into handstand position. Do 50 handstand pushups, without dipping your legs low and trying to use an explosive kip. (Need a refresher on the handstand? We've got you covered in the video below.) </li><li> 200-meter handstand walk: Walk on your hands for 200 meters. </li></ul>

You have 10 minutes to finish the workout. For the workout to qualify for the Games, you must use a 50-pound dumbbell and step up onto a 24-inch box.

My best advice on this workout: Come out of the gates hard and fast and really attack the lunges and box jumps. You need to get uncomfortable here and try to push at 80 to 85 percent of your capacity for the 6 to 8 minutes it will take most of us to get through the early parts of the work.

Dont pace this and hope to be fresh for the handstand pushups later. Why? First off, youre completely done with legs after the lunges and box jumps. Those leg moves will have your heart rate jumping off the charts, but itll have chances to get back down to resting in between your sets of handstand pushups. Secondly, if you dont finish the handstand pushups, the time you took completing the lunges and step-ups becomes your tiebreak time. Racing through the early part could earn you a few hundred (or thousand) places on the leaderboard.

Heres how you should take on the movements in 19.3 Beware, too: This might start out easy, but itll get to you really quickly.

Switch the dumbbell from shoulder to shoulder every 25 feet

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Buwk-SKl4h9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="f8fdb09d-ea72-3661-a3d9-c571d6daa37a"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Buwk-SKl4h9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="797c4430-7732-3ae4-a9dd-63f6feea8969"> A post shared by DS MEDIA (@dsmediaservices) </a> on Mar 8, 2019 at 11:27am PST

Youll be tempted to do hero sets of lunges early while your shoulders are fresh. But dont take the bait; itll haunt you come the handstand pushups. Switch hands every 25 feet. Dont switch hands overhead, either, Bring the dumbbell to the floor, quickly shake out your arms, then bring it back overhead with the opposite arms.

This will keep you balanced, and take tension off your shoulders and core, and allow you to get a couple quick breaths.

Start it all with your weaker arm, too, because then you get to finish the lunge sequence with your strong arm.

There are two ways to lunge: You can bring your feet together after every rep, or you can step through, skipping that and immediately striding into your next lunge. Dont waste time. Step that back leg into the next lunge.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuwRtVLhdvI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="8222dc78-4276-3be2-ad57-b76e7049bc02"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuwRtVLhdvI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="e97985fc-0eda-3a55-a812-37a5e57fab3a"> A post shared by Jake CHECK OUT MY STORY (@jakebm1) </a> on Mar 8, 2019 at 8:45am PST

If you struggle with lunges, however, step your feet through from the start. My strategy of stepping through worked for me early, but later on, I started to step my feet together.

If you are within a few inches of the 25-foot line, try to finish strong. Take bigger steps to get clear of that line -- and thus fewer steps. Lets not waste steps or precious time under tension for your shoulders.

Let the dumbbell rest on your shoulder

The rules say you can hold the dumbbell in any position, so lets save our shoulders and upper body as much as possible for the handstand pushups. Choose a shoulder and let the handle of the dumbbell rest across it. Support it gently with one hand. The goal is to be as passive as possible with the upper body so your shoulders and biceps dont tense up.

Step up facing the corner of the box

By lining up with the corner of the box instead of the side, theres less box in the way of your feet each step-up. You can step straight-up rather than having to swing your foot around the box as you get tired.

Try to go as unbroken as possible here without resting and putting the dumbbell down. Keep the feet moving and invite your friend lactic acid along for the ride!

I found these easy, but you need to have a stepping pattern! My legs werent taxed by this, but i found myself constantly second-guessing which foot I was supposed to lead with (you need to alternate). This slowed me down and caused mental fatigue and a few no-reps. I honestly could have saved 45 seconds to a minute here if Id practiced a pattern beforehand.

Know your strict handstand pushup game and plan accordingly. For the majority of people, I would strongly recommend doing one rep at a time. Yes, really. After each rep, kick off the wall, shake out your arms, and kick back up. This will allow you to keep moving without failure.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuwsKd6h-z-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="85d87737-c0f1-3740-ac80-2bf8f4033fc0"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuwsKd6h-z-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="0e309afe-dc60-3007-a37d-3871eace862a"> A post shared by Ian McGill (@ian.c.mcgill) </a> on Mar 8, 2019 at 1:57pm PST

Plan your rest time too. Its easy to rest too long or too little in between sets of handstand pushups. Make sure you have a plan for that too.

Yeah, its tempting to kick up and bang out a big set to start. For most, this will come back to haunt you and lead to failed reps later. Dont take the bait.

In order to shorten the distance you need to press up, take a wide hand stance, as wide as possible within the rule boundaries. If youre not used to this, play with different positions in your warmup. (Editors note: One caution: A wider hand position does place your shoulders in a more vulnerable, injury-prone position.)

Chalk your hands before you get started and place your palms exactly inside the outer boundaries of the box so you know where your hands should be. I didnt do this, and it lead me to have my hands too narrow for many sets, making my reps harder and leading me to fail earlier.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuuqIfFBNw_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="38d23ad1-efa8-30aa-a69a-7d8bd39c6961"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuuqIfFBNw_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" id="35b2a911-1ce9-3bc3-add7-2ca5e197875f"> A post shared by CrossFit S3 (@cros3fit) </a> on Mar 7, 2019 at 5:37pm PST

Congratulations on making it this far! You likely wont be able to feel your shoulders. But if you get to this point and can walk on your hands, fight like hell to get every five-foot increment possible. If youre a proficient handstand walker and can do big sets, do it. If not, shoot for five to 10 feet at a time, then come off and shake it out.

CrossFit 19.3 Is Here! Take It On With These Tips

This one is all about shoulders. And by the time youre done with it, you may not be able to move yours.

How to Survive 19.3, the Latest CrossFit Open Workout

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