Tag: RowErg

Tuesday, May 27th, 2025, was a testament to a varied training approach, layering different types of sessions throughout the morning. It started with some targeted core work, moved into a bodybuilding-style strength session, then a tough Hyrox-focused metcon, and finally wrapped up with a high-intensity Tabata finisher as part of the CrossFit Birch Bender WOD. My legs were definitely still talking to me from previous volume, so it was a day of managing effort where needed.

Workout 1: “Ab Killer” – Core Focus

The morning started early with a focused core session to really engage the abdominals and hip flexors.

The Workout:

• 3 Rounds of:
  • Toes to Bar x 10 reps
  • Sit-ups x 30 reps
• Rest 1:00 strict between rounds.

Movement Breakdown & Rationale:

Toes to Bar: A high-skill gymnastics movement that develops significant strength in the abdominals, hip flexors, lats, and grip. It’s fantastic for overall core stability and pulling mechanics.
Why I chose them: To build dynamic core strength crucial for all Hyrox movements, from running form to powerful lifts and obstacle efficiency.

Sit-ups: A foundational abdominal exercise that targets the rectus abdominis and helps build core endurance.
Why I chose them: Paired with Toes to Bar, they provide a high-volume core stimulus. The strict 1:00 rest was key to keeping the intensity high for this type of focused work.

My Experience: This was a good way to wake up the core and get the body moving before the heavier work later in the day. The strict rest kept it challenging and the intensity high.

Scaled Options for Core Work:

• Toes to Bar: Hanging Knee Raises, Lying Leg Raises, or V-Ups.
• Sit-ups: Reduce reps, or perform crunches.

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Workout 2: Bodybuilding-Style Endurance Session

This session was focused on quality of movement, time under tension, and the challenge of completing the prescribed reps with the given weights, adopting a more bodybuilding-style approach with reduced overall intensity compared to some other days, but with a strong focus on muscular hypertrophy and endurance.

The Workout Blueprint:

• Superset 1:
  • A: Pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
  • B: Half Turkish Get-ups (Blue Kettlebell): 3 sets of 10 reps per side
  (Rest 1:30 between supersets)
• Seal Rows (60 lb dumbbells): 1 set following a ladder scheme (1 rep, then 2 reps, 3 reps… up to 10 reps, with 10 seconds rest between each step of the ladder).
• Superset 2:
  • A: KB Row (62 lb kettlebells): 3 sets of 20 reps per side.
  • B: Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps.
  (Approx. 2:00 rest between supersets)
• Cable Pulldown: 3 sets of 20 reps with 45 lbs (on cable stack) (Approx. 2:00 rest between sets).

My Experience: The focus here was really on feeling the muscles work through a full range of motion. The Seal Row ladder with 60lb dumbbells was ambitious; that weight was too heavy to complete the return down the ladder effectively, so I’ll try 50s next time for that specific scheme. The KB Rows at 62lbs for 20 reps per side not only challenged my grip but also provided a great stimulus for the lats. Supersetting these with Hanging Leg Raises was particularly tough on the core, especially after the Toes to Bar and Sit-ups in Workout 1. The Cable Pulldown work was a nice way to hit the lats and core with constant tension to finish this block.

Scaled Options for Endurance Work:

• Pull-ups: Banded Pull-ups, Ring Rows, or Lat Pulldowns.
• Half Turkish Get-ups: Practice the movement unloaded or with a very light weight to master the form.
• Seal Rows: Bodyweight inverted rows. For the ladder, adjust the top rep count or use lighter dumbbells.
• KB Row: Focus on form; adjust weight as needed to complete reps with quality.
• Hanging Leg Raises: Hanging Knee Tucks, Lying Leg Raises.
• Cable Pulldown: Bodyweight inverted rows focusing on scapular movement, plank variations, or adjust cable weight significantly.

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Workout 3: Metcon – Hyrox Style

This was the main metabolic conditioning piece of the day, a Hyrox-style challenge. My Garmin activity was logged under “ROXFIT(11)” as I used that profile to track this portion of the workout.

This Hyrox Workout Blueprint:

• 4 Rounds For Time:
  • 400m SkiErg
  • 20 Devils Complex (Devils Press + Renegade Rows per side) @ 25 lb dumbbells

Movement Breakdown & Rationale:

400m SkiErg: A full-body cardiovascular assault that also builds upper body and core endurance, a staple in Hyrox.
Why I chose it: It’s a fantastic way to spike the heart rate and pre-fatigue the system before a complex movement.

Devils Complex (Devils Press + Renegade Rows per side): This is a brutal combination. The Devils Press (burpee to double dumbbell snatch/ground-to-overhead) is a full-body power endurance test, and adding Renegade Rows introduces unilateral pulling and core stability.
Why I chose it: This complex hits virtually every muscle group, demands high work capacity, and tests mental grit – perfect simulation for the toughest parts of a Hyrox race.

My Experience: This one was very tough, as expected. My goal was to keep moving through quickly with minimal breaks. I started the first round with 25lb dumbbells for the 20 reps of the Devils Complex. However, to maintain the intended intensity and a quick pace across all four rounds, I had to modify: for the second round, I switched to 10 reps of the complex still using the 25lb dumbbells. For the third and fourth rounds, I kept the reps at 10 but increased the weight to 35lb dumbbells per hand. This allowed me to maintain a higher work rate and intensity rather than taking longer with more reps or the initial lighter weight. Upping the weight for the lower rep count in the later rounds helped maintain the difficulty and strength stimulus as fatigue set in.

Scaled Version for the Metcon:

• 3-4 Rounds For Time:
  • 200-300m SkiErg (or Row/Bike if SkiErg is unavailable)
  • 10-15 Modified Devils Complex:
    • Use lighter dumbbells.
    • Perform a standard Burpee, then stand and do a Dumbbell Snatch or Clean & Press per arm (instead of the full Devils Press).
    • For Renegade Rows, perform them from the knees if needed, or substitute with Bent Over Dumbbell Rows.
• Alternatively, significantly reduce the reps of the full Devils Complex (e.g., 5-8 reps per round) if keeping the movement standard.

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Workout 4: Tabata Finisher (Part of CFBB WOD)

This was a tough, high-intensity Tabata style workout from CrossFit Birch Bender to cap things off.

Tabata Structure:

• 10 Minute Tabata (40 seconds work / 10 seconds rest) alternating:
  • Odd Minutes: Gladiator Deadlift @ 106 lb kettlebell
  • Even Minutes: Max Effort RowErg for calories

My Experience: This was a lung burner to finish! The Gladiator Deadlifts (a type of single-arm suitcase deadlift with a rotation) are a great core and posterior chain challenger, especially under Tabata conditions. For the RowErg, I managed the following calories per 40-second interval: 15, 17, 18, 19, 18 – totaling 87 calories. A solid effort to cap the day.

Scaled Options for Tabata:

• Gladiator Deadlift: Use an appropriate weight for your ability, focusing on maintaining good form throughout the movement.
• RowErg for Cals: Focus on consistent effort rather than max cals, or choose a different cardio machine if preferred. Reduce work interval to 20 or 30 seconds if 40 seconds is too much to maintain intensity.

Overall Reflections:

Today was a prime example of layering different types of training stress. While some parts were intentionally lower intensity (like the bodybuilding work), the cumulative effect, especially with the Metcon and Tabata, was significant. It underscores the importance of listening to your body, making smart modifications (like I did in the Metcon), and recognizing when recovery needs to be a priority. This type of varied training, however, is fantastic for building the all-around resilience needed for Hyrox.

What does your multi-session training day look like, or how do you approach scaling workouts? Share your experiences in the comments!

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Workout Summaries (May 27, 2025)

Ab Killer (Core Focus):

• Start Time: 07:29:35
• Duration: 7m 59s
• Calories: 56 C
• Avg HR: 107 bpm
• Max HR: 123 bpm

Endurance Session (Bodybuilding Style):

• Start Time: 07:42:26
• Duration: 1h 23m 40s (Overall time block)
• Calories: 433 C (For time block)
• Avg HR: 99 bpm (For time block)
• Max HR: 129 bpm (For time block)

Metcon – Hyrox Style:

• Start Time: 09:42:52
• Duration: 19m 17s
• Calories: 257 C
• Avg HR: 149 bpm
• Max HR: 168 bpm
• Training Effect: Aerobic Base

Tabata Finisher (CFBB WOD – HIIT):

• Start Time: 10:26:53
• Duration: 10m 13s
• Calories: 143 C
• Avg HR: 156 bpm
• Max HR: 174 bpm
• Training Effect: Tempo
• RowErg Cals in Tabata: 87 Cals (15, 17, 18, 19, 18 per round)