I just completed my 5 x 5 workout with a new twist, and I’m anxious to share the results.
As you might remember, I recently decided to press the pause button on my squats after my right hip started cursing like an inebriated seaman. It’s been about a calendar week since I last dropped my hips back with any significant quantity of weight bearing down on my shoulders. Instead, I’ve implemented and performed Romanian Deadlifts at a pretty aggressive clip.
Today, I did RDLs, bench presses and rows for five repetitions and five sets each. Somehow, without the squats, it didn’t feel taxing enough at all for my refined (laugh) taste. With some “encouragement” from Cassidy and Hunter, I decided to add a finisher to my workout, if only for today. You may remember those two from this post on Crossfit.
Hunter grabbed me in the middle of my 5 x 5 and, with his best Tony Little impersonation, said “You ready for the ‘Jackie’?!?!” Apparently, this nightmare has a name. What exactly is the Jackie?
- 1000 meters of rowing on this contraption
- 50 squat thrusters with the weight of the bar (45 pounds)
- 30 pull ups
These are all done for time. Cassidy told me I should be able to knock it all out in 9 minutes.
Um, okay. No idea without context.
My first thought was “brother, you realize I just did 5 sets of rows at 245, right? So no, I’m not ready for the ‘Jackie’.”
I wasn’t in the mood in the slightest, but I always give the advice to folks depending on me for motivation to stop thinking, take the first step, and just start. It was time for me to take my own advice. I smacked start on my stopwatch and was off to the races.
Rowing became somewhat challenging at around 700 yards, but I made it through the last 300 without much difficulty.
The first 15 reps of the squat thrusters humbled my stubborn ass. I’m unprepared and not conditioned for longer sets. After all, my body depends on ample rest and very low rep schemes to move heavier weights. I immediately felt inadequate compared to athletes who perform the Jackie and similar workouts on a regular basis. I pushed on. By the time I reached rep 40, I was struggling to catch my breath and resting between every two or three reps.
Finally, I arrived at the pull-up portion of the workout. Generally, pull moves are my workout equivalent to fastballs down the middle. My back is proportionally the strongest part of my body, and despite my fatigue, I was confident. Unreasonably so, it turned out. I nailed my first 11 reps and was deceased. From that point on it was a struggle to complete the workout.
9 minutes? Not so much. It took me 11 minutes and 16 seconds, start to finish. I had no idea what that meant in the cool circle I was entering, but judging from Cassidy’s initial projection, my imagination has me thinking folks are laughing while digesting these words.
Not to worry, I’ve been embarrassed before; I’ll be better the next time. I’m glad I gave this a go. I feel energized. I’m stoked to improve my time next Friday, when I experience my new ‘finisher’ for the second time.
Burn after reading,
Kap
But did you do dead hang pull-ups or those silly kipping pull-ups ? That’s where all those fast times come from not doing real pull-ups
Next week try trap bar dead lifts it’s less taxing on the legs but you bit more muscles than the RDL
Hi Kap, I have a physical disability (gimpy leg) from a brain tumor. I wanted to start working out and wondered if you had any suggestions, thanks.
Hey Sean, pretty difficult for me to help without knowing your situation. But as a blanket, consistency matters more than the workout itself. Whatever you choose, it should be something you can accomplish regularly for the long haul. Good luck, brother.
Nice! You might be ready for FRAN soon!
I agree with Colt on the kipping pull ups. Great if your main goal is time. Physiologically, there is very little impact on your lats and biceps. Most of the work is done by your hip flexors and abs due to the swinging/momentum of the movement. On a personal note, I love to do as many regular (dead hang wide grip) pull ups between heavy sets of squats (5 sets of 3-6 reps). I’m up to 25 pull ups on my first set (decreases each set). Any challengers out there???
While it is true that kipping pullups don’t focus purely on lat and bicep strength as strict pull ups do, it is completely wrong to say they have little impact on those muscles and that “most of the work is done by hip flexors and abs”. If you’ve ever tried a set of 10-15 kipping pull ups, you’d soon realize that it is a whole body exercise. Yes, kipping pull ups are done for speed, but physiologically they are extremely taxing on the whole body, not just lats and biceps. They are done for high power output and high intensity, which is extremely important for athletic performance, not just for pure strength. The intent is quite different than a strict pull up.
If you want a better understanding of the intent of kipping pull ups, see this article: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/32_05_Kipping_Pullup.pdf