Rowvember Day 24 - Book Ends
500m sprint
rest 2:00
25 min easy row
rest 2:00
500m sprint

Score is average between both 500s. Woof! I wanted to keep both 500s under 1:45 but I just could not find that gear during the second 500. 

Score: 1:46.4 average

Rowvember Day 22 - Pressure Washer 

24 minutes continuous at 20spm

Every 3rd minute, bump up to 25spm and perform 20 powerful strokes

Effort: 4/10 RPE

Woke up feeling good so decided to press on rather than taking a planned rest day. Rowed the Power 20s at r25 and found it helpful to program these intervals directly into ErgZone. Still trying to dial in Zone 2 pacing - should be able to maintain a short conversation, think this would still be sustainable at 2:17.5 split at r20.  

Rowvember Day 21 - Old, Old Fashioned
3 rounds 
20 minutes 
2 minutes rest
Rate 20
DF 107

This was the last session of what has already been a high-volume week. Followed along with ATFS #61 to break up the monotony, repeating intervals of 4 minutes recovery (RPE 4), with the last 30 seconds of each interval at max watts while still holding r20. 

Rowvember Day 20 - Xacto Knife
Starting at rate 16, row 15 consecutive strokes at that rate before moving up to 17. Then 15 more consecutive strokes and so on - all the way up to r30. The strokes must be consecutive at that rate without changing in order to move on. One missed stroke at the rate means you begin the 15 strokes over. 

This was extremely humbling. I spent over 10 minutes at r16 & 17 before bailing. This workout is a similar format to DH 10-minute build. Followed along with the video to get some practice at being consistent at low rates while staying smooth. Was so helpful being able to match rate with Shane. Did the warmup one time through then again but only the first five minutes to get more practice at the lower stroke rates. 

Rowvember Day 18 - Light Ain't Easy 
3x 10 minutes
2:00 rest
DF 90

Set the damper to 1 for these three intervals and learn how to be quick at the catch. What you miss in tension at the catch, you'll make up for in speed throughout the drive. Work on changing directions quickly at the catch and keep your body tight and tensioned throughout. I followed along with ATFS #18 which includes three nine-minute intervals with easy, moderate and hard segments built in. I did an easy, moderate and hard final minute respectively for each interval to get to 10 minutes. 

Rowvember Day 17 – Power Hour
Duration: 20 minutes
Rate: Open

DF: 115
Score: Average Watts * .95 (158.65)

Today we are testing your highest power output available over a 60-minute window. You’ll test the highest wattage you can maintain for 20 minutes and then multiply average wattage at the end by .95. Two words for this one 🤬🤬 I used my 5k split as a guide, with a fast start and fast last three minutes. Finished with a total of 4690 meters and 167 average watts. This would have been a 5-second PR for 5000 meters. 

Rowvember Day 15 - Power 10
21 minutes
r22 
2k plus 16

At the top of every 3 minutes, do 10 big, hard push strokes. Don't increase the rate, just change your ratio. Focus was on rhythm and smooth flow between steady pace and power tens. Honestly, the hardest part is always those first few strokes coming down from the power tens - it can be tough not to let the pace drift a little. Still, happy to hit the overall target and had a good time with this one. 

Rowvember 2025 Day 14  

2 Rounds

1000m @ r18 (2k plus 20)

1000m @ r16 (2k plus 22)

1000m @ r20 (2k plus 18)

Rest 2:00 after first round

Today’s session offered nearly 500 chances to refine my rowing mechanics at a low stroke rate. After yesterday’s 2K, my legs had no juice, so I shifted my focus away from chasing target splits and concentrated on nailing the prescribed rates. 

Rowvember 2025 - Day 3 
2000m row
DF 116

8:10.5

Don't treat this like an all out time trial - but hold a pace that is pretty uncomfortable and not sustainable for much longer. This was done after a long workday and I wasn't really in the mood to workout. Sat down, warmed up and somehow talked myself into doing a 2K. 

Rowvember Day 11 
5x500m 
2:00 rest
DF 126
Rate: Open 

Set a moderately hard pace then get faster with each interval. Settled in at r26 for the first four intervals and practiced putting force into every stroke, letting the legs do the pushing. Sent it on the last round! #fastlast 

Rowvember Day 9 - Tic Tock
Row 1200m @ r19
Row 1100m @ r20
Row 1000m @ r21
Row 900m @ r22
Row 800m @ r23
Row 700m @ r24
Row 600m @ r25
Row 500m @ r26
Row 400m @ r27
Row 300m @ r28
Row 200m @ r29
Row 100m @ r30
Rest as needed but not to exceed 2 minutes

Sneaky way to accumulate some volume. I wanted to keep all rest periods at 50 seconds or less. As a result I didn't push as hard as I might with a full 2 minutes rest. Missed the target rate on the last two rounds but overall had a good time with this one. 

Rowvember Day 6
5x 1000 meters // 2 mins rest between
Goal is negative splits throughout (drop split by :02 each interval). Normally, I'd row these intervals around my 5K pace. Started at 5K plus 4 so I'd have two intervals on either side of 5K pace. Starting conservatively was 🔑

Midline
5X12+0:10 Hollow Rocks + Hollow Hold 

Rowvember Day 5 - Humpday 
8x 0:45 work / 1:00 rest
r20/24/28/30/32/28/24/20

For these shorter, sprint-ier efforts I have been liking using a lower drag because it forces me to be quick at the catch and push hard with my legs to hit my desired targets. Used the 'tiny circles' drill at the catch to help with connection to the machine and improved power. Put in a good warmup, making sure to reach r32 during the last warmup interval. 

For Time: 
40 banded sit-ups (red mini band)
200m sandbag carry (100)
40 banded sit-ups

12:21

Too many short breaks with the sit-ups. My midline conditioning is not the same since I have been working out at home. The sandbag may be carried anyhow. Dropped the sandbag twice and spent too much time looking at it sitting on the ground. Carry was to street lamp outside of 521 N. Maryland and back to the garage -- see the marked spot on the map.

Rowvember Day 4 
Duration: 20 mins
Rate: 22-23 with 10 power strokes every two minutes at varying rates
28/25/16/26/32/22/19/20/34/30
DF 114

Get ready to row non-stop for twenty minutes! We will build stamina and test our strength through consistent rowing...sprinkled with spicy bursts of power. Followed along with this DH video. Try to hold your steady pace around 2:20-2:23 - it can be very easy to fall off a cliff especially after some of those higher stroke rate bursts. 

Rowvember 2025 - Day 2

4x 4:00/ 1:00 rest

r20, 24, 28, and 30

The goal is simple with this one. Lock in the SPM early and keep it there for the duration of the piece. Kept the drag a few ticks below normal. I don't see a lot of stroke rates that start with a '3' so that round of 30 was tough! Was short on time and I used the first round as a warmup. 

Workout 14 - RowErg - Raise You 20 
Warm Up 
3:00 WORK @24 
REST
3:00 WORK @24/26/28
REST
3:00 WORK @28
WORK intensity is defined as...
:60 Easy, :20 Very Easy, :40 Moderate, :40 Very Easy, :20 Hard

Workout 

Segment 1:  8 Rounds of 20 Second Sprints @28 with 10 Seconds Rest in between 
~2 Minute BREAK 
Segment 2:  4 Rounds of 40 Second Sprints @28 with 20 Seconds Rest in between 
~2 Minute BREAK 
Segment 3:  2 Rounds of 60 Second Sprints @28 with 30 Seconds Rest in between 
 
Kept the drag low and focused on a quick and powerful drive. Don't max out at the start of each set, try and get faster with each interval at each time domain. Very happy with this effort on a beautiful November Saturday afternoon.  

Followed along with a 20-minute workout from RowHouse. There was a warmup, some drill work and a workout all in the 20 minutes. This was 20 minutes straight through with periods of higher rate and intensity sprinkled in. Highest rate was r30. Fun workout although I wish they'd display the target rates and splits (or at least RPE) during the workout. 

A:  Tabata Row for calories 
8 Rounds
:20 HARD effort
:10 Rest
🎯 60 calories

Hit this piece after a brief rest and a solid warmup. The plan was do a tabata workout with row-situps-box jumps-row, but I was having stomach issues and abandoned that plan after the row. The goal was 60 calories in total which would be 7.5 calories per interval. Was shot out of a cannon that first round 🚀

B: CrossFit Community Cup Workout 3
In 20 minutes, establish:
1-rep-max front squat
1-rep-max hang power clean

FSQT: 205-pounds
HCLN: 185-pounds

Took the front squat from a rack and used two bars for this effort, ping-ponging between front squats and hang cleans. Left 3+ minutes on the clock, but was happy with both lifts and did not want to push the front squat without my knee sleeves. With the sleeves, I think 225 is doable on the front squats. 

Row Pyramids 

Descending Ladder (Warm-Up):
Row intervals in descending order: 5:00 → 4:00 → 3:00 → 2:00 → 1:00
rate 22 

5:00 @ 65% 
4:00 @ 70% 
3:00 @ 75% 
2:00 @ 80% 
1:00 @ 85% 
Rest: After the 1:00 interval, rest for 2 minutes.

Ascending Ladder:
Row intervals in ascending order: 1:00 → 2:00 → 3:00 → 4:00 → 5:00
rate: 26

1:00 @ 90% 
2:00 @ 85% 
3:00 @ 80% 
4:00 @ 75% 
5:00 @ 70% 

Row Intervals 
7 x 1000m 
rest 90 seconds
🎯65-70% 

This is designed to be active recovery. Aim for a bit faster than 10k pace since you'll be getting rest in between each interval. Was able to hit these without any real stress, a better target would be to hold between 70-75%.

CrossFit 250902 
21-18-15-12-9-6-3 reps of:
Bench Press
Box Jump-Overs

125-pound barbell and 20-inch box

On the surface these two movements have nothing to do with one another. However, bench pressing is more challenging when out of breath - expect the box jump-overs to throw a wrench into today's effort. Be smart about breaking up the bench and manage you pace on the box based on your capacity on the bench. Scaled, the recommendation is to lower the box height to maintain a jumping stimulus. I am always cautious about my knee so I did step-overs, but perhaps would have been better to do jumps to a 15-inch box instead. Went unbroken and fast on the box each round and broke the bench into three sets with short rest (10-15 seconds) most rounds. Screenshot is from warmup on rower. 

Strength 

Pause Front Squats 3-3-3-3-3

Warmed up on the rower and did some wrist mobility drills. Took the bar from the ground and used 115-pounds across all sets. Recommended was 70% but I wanted to be cautious as I have not done the pause squats before. All sets were done without much struggle. A better weight would be 135-pounds. You'll hold at the bottom of the squat for 2-3 seconds. There should be no bounce or rocking motion to get out of the hole. Accelerate forcefully all the way back up to a standing position. 

Macho Macho Man 

3 RFT: 

1000m row

5 Rounds DB Macho Man

Macho Man: 3 Power Cleans, 3 Front Squats and 3 Push Jerks

26:21

Used 85-pound barbell for Macho Man and scaled to 4 rounds instead of 5. Had a tough time managing my heart rate and was dropping the barbell after each round. 

Active Recovery - On & Off Again
⏲️ Varied from 5:00 down to 30 seconds 
🥵 Ranged from 50% to 80%
🚣 Based on my 2K time, peaking at:
50%: 2:21.5
60%: 2:16.5
70%: 2:11.5
80%: 2:06.5

This was designed for active recovery but still some nice opportunities to push during the shorter intervals. There is no rest between intervals - this is 23 minutes straight through. Effort is based on 2K pace, was a little fast on most of these intervals, but overall a nice sweat on a beautiful fall morning. 

Workout 65 - Ride The Wave
As The Flywheel Spins Podcast
Workout 65: (Active Recovery Workout) This rhythmic ride today will have us rolling through waves of intensity at a variety of different rates.  Our focus is off of maximum power, but finding a different way to build up our stroke count. 
 
Warm Up:
Easy Rowing without Straps @ 20 Strokes per Minute 
Technique Note: The Dollar Bill Trick and Rowing without Straps
 
Workout:
100 Strokes* @20 
100 Strokes* @24
100 Strokes* @28
100 Strokes* @24/@28/@32
*Accumulating 100 strokes by 3 Rounds of 10 easy, 10 moderate, 10 hard; finish out the last 10 strokes easy. There is a brief rest period between each 100 strokes (~60-90 seconds).

This was a fun one to row along with and the waves of 10-10-10 made the time go by very quickly. Paying attention to the overall stroke count really helped me dial in at these different rates.

CrossFit | 251017

For time: 
Ruck 3 miles

Today’s workout is a longer-duration grind. Fill up a backpack and get outside. Carried the 25-pound slam ball in my backpack and walked at West Goshen park. It was a cooler day - perfect to throw on a hoodie and get after it. This pace is a little slower, try to keep each mile at 16 minutes or less. 

It's 50% Rest 
Complete 10 rounds:
Row for 1 minute, active rest for 1 minute.
*Row for 1 minute as many meters as you can, rest one minute.
*Do not stop rowing during rest intervals, keep rowing lightly. 
*Continue this cycle for a total of 20 minutes.

Rds 1-4: r22
Rds 5-8: r26
Rds 9&10: r30 
🎯 2500m 

I missed the note about increasing your rate along the way. My goals were to find an uncomfortable pace during the first interval and then hold that across each of the remaining intervals. Was just one meter from a perfect OCD screen 😕 but this was a great effort. Pleased to generate this kind of speed at a low rate and low drag. 

Workout 67 - RowErg - Sharp and to the Point
This is 30x1:00 with no rest between intervals. Program the monitor for 1:00 intervals with no rest. 
Warm Up/Workout:
30 Minutes Every Minute we begin a new Interval
*Power increases as the timeframe for power decreases
 
3 intervals of 10 Seconds at 22 SPM / 50 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 15 Seconds at 22 SPM / 45 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 20 Seconds at 22 SPM / 40 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 25 Seconds at 22 SPM / 35 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 30 Seconds at 22 SPM / 30 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 35 Seconds at 22 SPM / 25 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 40 Seconds at 22 SPM / 20 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 45 Seconds at 22 SPM / 15 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 50 Seconds at 22 SPM / 10 Seconds at 26 SPM with power
3 intervals of 55 Seconds at 22 SPM / 5 Seconds at 26 SPM with power

Stay relaxed and focus on changing rate/speed EXACTLY with the same pattern of movement.

For Quality: 

2-4-6-8-10 reps, not for time of:

Dead-stop Deadlift, 70% 1RM

Handstand Push-ups

Box Jumps (2x reps if doing step-ups)

225-pound trap bar and 24-inch box

I completed all reps and sets unbroken, taking short rests between sets—specifically to keep my handstand push-ups unbroken. I focused on pressing quickly and stepping up to the 24-inch box felt comfortable for my knee.

World Rowing Series 2025 Challenge 2: Yin-Yang 
3 minutes at r30 or above
1 minute rest
3 minutes at r15 or below

Score: 1342

Your goal is to row as far as you can each interval but secondary aim is to row the same distance for each interval. Your score is the total distance minus 5 meters for each meter difference between the two intervals. Rate 15 is slow and takes some getting used to. Damper needs to be all the way down for the r15 work and focus on getting as much length as possible with each stroke. You are going to expend a lot of energy on the second interval, so try to hold something back on that first interval. 

CrossFit | 251007 
50 GHD hip extensions
800/1,000-meter row
25 GHD hip extensions
400/500-meter row

11:28

Get ready to find your posterior chain muscles today. I subbed out banded good mornings with green Rogue band for the GHD. On each row — especially the final one — don’t hold back. Push the pace faster than you want to. 

Workout 76 - RowErg - Even Better 
As The Flywheel Spins Podcast 
Warm Up into Workout:
10 Minutes (Warm Up)
RATE: Starting at a Stroke Rate of 16, increase by two every minute
 
8 Minutes
POWER: 30 Seconds Work / 30 Seconds Rest with Stroke Rate @24 
 
6 Minutes
POWER: 3 Minutes Easy; 2 Minutes Moderate; 1 Minute Hard
 
4 Minutes
RATE: Starting at a Stroke Rate of 22, increase by two every minute
 
2 Minutes
POWER AND RATE: Starting at Stroke Rate 24 Increase by two every minute and increase power along the way!

Thirty minutes flew by with this workout. The r24 is right in my wheelhouse - would have liked to get 500m on the last 2 minute interval, but otherwise a solid effort. 

ATFS Workout 6 - Damper Dance 
Warm Up: 

10 Minute Steady State @24 Stroke Rate
 

Workout: 
10x 1-Minute Intervals with 30 Seconds Rest in between
 
Power will remain at Moderate Intensity* (working in Watts)
Stroke Rate will remain at 24 strokes/minute
Damper will adjust each interval: 10 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 2 / 1 / 3 /5 / 7 / 9
 
Then,
5 Minute Steady State at Moderate+ Intensity @Damper Setting of your choice 

Intensity on the minute intervals should be a 6 or 7 on the RPE scale with room to push harder if asked, although this should not be a walk in the park. Target for the minute intervals was 170 WATTS. For the 5 MIN steady at the end, it was 145 WATTS (DF 101)

12 Rounds
Front Squats - 2 reps @ 125-pounds
Burpee box step-overs @ 20-inch box
Rest :45 seconds between rounds

The weight on the barbell felt a bit light—145 pounds would have been more appropriate. Focused on being explosive out of the bottom of the squat while maintaining perfect form: knees out, chest up, and driving with speed and control. The BBSO felt solid. I alternated the lead leg each round, and my knees held up well. Happy with how this movement felt overall. In the future, I’d like to try the 24-inch box to push the challenge a bit more. Rest periods were enough to recover and stay consistent across rounds. Still a solid workout with a good balance of strength and conditioning.

Recovery Row 
10 mins @ 2:30 r18
rest 2:30
7.5 mins @ 2:25 r19
rest 2:00
5 mins @ 2:20 r20
rest 1:30
2.5 mins @ 2:15 r21

Street Parking 3.8.23 
7 Rounds
7 Unbroken Barbell Deadlift
Straight into...
30 Seconds Unbroken Top-of-Deadlift Hold
Rest 1-2 Minutes Between Rounds
*If you break at any point within a round (deadlift and/or deadlift hold), before picking back up where you left off, you must do 20 jumping squats

Done at No Excuses with regular bar loaded to 175-pounds. Weight was challenging but was able to keep all but last round unbroken, used a double overhand grip on the first two rounds before switching to mixed grip. This got TOUGH the last two rounds. Bye bye grip…

Workout 91 - Tip The Scale 
(Moderate Length Building Intensity Intervals) From fixed tempo, to full tilt. We take a consumable amount of calories and stack them up at the front end to find moments of recovery. 
 
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Program Set: 1 Minute Intervals/No REST X 30
 
Warm Up (First 6 Minutes)
Pick Drill starting at the finish
Building in Power
One Minute Calorie Count
 
Workout (24 Minutes)
 
4 Opportunities...
 
Minute 1: SET a number of Calories in 1 Minute
Minute 2: Reach SET number of Calories in less time / use remainder of minute to paddle lightly
Minute 3: Reach SET number of Calories in less time / use remainder of minute to paddle lightly
Minute 4: Reach SET number of Calories in less time / use remainder of minute to paddle lightly
Minute 5: Reach SET number of Calories in less time / use remainder of minute to paddle lightly
Minute 6: REST

Keep the first minute at an easy-to-moderate pace to set a target that you can hit in each of the next four rounds with about :10 seconds to go. I set my target at 13 calories during each of the four blocks. Need to be around 900 cals/hour in order to meet this goal. 

CrossFit | 231028
Hang clean 3-3-3-3-3 reps
Then,
Complete as many reps as possible in 1 minute of:
Hang cleans at 80% of your heaviest set.

125/145/155/160/165-pounds
14 reps @ 130-pounds

Workout 68 - RowErg - Ready to Rip 
Warm Up: 
1:00 @20 Easy
2:00 @22 Moderate
3:00 @24 Moderate-Hard
4:00 @26 Hard
3:00 @26 Hard
2:00 @26 Hard
1:00 @26 Easy
Take 1:1 rest between intervals, paddling lightly.
 
Workout:
4:00 Test - Time Trial - Hard Effort
The time trial will be at a sub-max effort. Kept the drag at 105 for the warmup and workout. Get faster throughout, focusing on one breath per stroke and tiny circles at the catch. Happy with this effort! 💦 💪🏼

Workout 26 - RowErg - Row 500
WORKOUT 26: No meters to count, no calories to burn, no watts to hold, 500 is the number of strokes rowed in this workout. That's it, we row 500 strokes.  
 
NOTE: "On" = Powerful Strokes  "Off" = Easy Strokes
 
Segment 1 (Warm Up): (200 Strokes @24 Damper 4 Drag 111)
 
30 Strokes Off / 10 Strokes On
25 Strokes Off / 15 Strokes On
20 Strokes Off / 20 Strokes On 
15 Strokes Off / 25 Strokes On
10 Strokes Off / 30 Strokes On
 
Segment 2: (100 Strokes @26 Damper 5 Drag 124)
 
5 Rounds...
5 Strokes To Build
10 Strokes For Power
5 Strokes Off
 
Segment 3: (200 Strokes @22 Damper 6 Drag 133)
 
1 On / 1 Off
2 On / 2 Off
3 On / 3 Off...
10 On / 10 Off
9 On / 9 Off
8 On / 8 Off
7 On / 7 Off...
1 On / 1 Off

ATFS Workout 70 - High Five, Low Five 
Warm Up/Workout
Five 5 Minute intervals with 5 Minutes of rest in between
 
Interval 1: 3 Minutes @24 SPM 
Then, Three 20 Second Hard intervals with higher SPM with 30 Seconds rest in between
5 Minutes of Rest: 1 Minute of light rowing, 3 Minute full Rest, 1 Minute light rowing
 
Interval 2: Three intervals starting with 1 Minute at Base Pace @22 SPM
with 40 Second Power Pace @24 SPM
5 Minutes of Rest: 1 Minute of light rowing, 2 Minute full Rest, 2 Minute light rowing
 
Interval 3: Four intervals starting with 45 Seconds at Base Pace @22SPM
with 30 Second Power Pace @24 SPM
5 Minutes of Rest: 1 Minute of light rowing, 1 Minute full Rest, 3 Minute light rowing
 
Interval 4: Five intervals starting with 30 Seconds at Base Pace @22SPM
with 30 Second Power Pace @24 SPM
5 Minutes of Rest: 1 Minute of light rowing, 0 Minute full Rest, 4 Minute light rowing
 
Interval 5: Six intervals starting with 30 Seconds at Base Pace @22SPM
with 30 Second Power Pace @24 SPM - @28 SPM
Cool Down: Take things easy for the last 5 minutes on or off of your machine

Row Conditioning 

Complete nine intervals - three at each rate - each lasting 2 minutes.

r22 for 60 seconds, then paddle lightly for 60 seconds

r26 for 45 seconds, then paddle lightly for 75 seconds

r30 for 30 seconds, then paddle lightly for 90 seconds

Black Widow 🕷️

CNS Prep

Ball slams @ 20 pounds

BOSU ball squats

Sets/Reps: 2 sets of 8 reps 

Hinge

Trap-Bar Deadlift

Weight: 255 pounds 

Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 4 reps

Press

Hand-Release Push-ups

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10 reps 

Box Step-ups

Height: 20 inches, holding 30 pound slam ball on shoulder

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps each leg; hold slam ball on opposite shoulder of leg stepping up

Midline

Hollow Hold

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest

Leg Curl Machine

Weight: 30 pounds

Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps - hold contraction for 2 seconds at top

Bench Press 
6 sets of 3 reps @ 85%+ (based off 250lbs)

First two sets were at 205 and final four at 210lbs. This was just under 85%, but these felt right. Each set was fast but I fought to complete the final rep. I had a spotter who kept me on schedule, was taking about 90 seconds between lifts.

Deadlift 
15-15-15 reps
Warmup: 150lbs
Work Sets: 170-200-220lbs 

Be brave, and go as heavy as the rep scheme will allow. Used the trap bar and was able to get through each set with minimal trouble. 

5 rounds, each for watts: 
Max watts assault bike (cap at 20 seconds)*
12 Russian kettlebell swings @ 53lbs
6 jump squats 
- Rest 1:30 between sets

Warmed up on the rower, ramping up to :30 bursts at race rates to try and elevate the heart rate. The metcon was ROUGH. Got the bike north of 1100 WATTS each round, usually within 10-12 seconds. Was struggling to manage my heart rate and the rest between rounds was closer to 2:30 for the last three rounds. Subbed out jump squats for heavy wall balls due to limitations in the garage. In hindsight, holding the 14-lb med ball during the jumps would have been a better option.

Workout 32 - RowErg - In Sync  
Warm Up:
10 Rounds of...
45 Seconds of Easy Rowing @22 SPM (Strokes Per Minute)
15 Seconds of Power at Increasing SPMs*
*2 Rounds @22, 2 Rounds @24, 2 Rounds @26, 2 Rounds @28, 2 Rounds @30

Workout:
4 Rounds...
2 Minutes @24 Easy
1 Minute @24 Hard
30 Seconds Hard Speed Burst at Increasing SPMs*
30 Seconds REST
*Round 1 @26, Round 2 @28, Round 3 @30, Round 4 @32

Focus was on maintaining length when increasing the stroke rate. Open the front of your body and sit up tall.  

Bench Press

70% x 3

80% x 3

90% x3+

CrossFit 250908
For time:
1-minute handstand hold
50 sit-ups
1-minute handstand hold
40 sit-ups
1-minute handstand hold
30 sit-ups
1-minute handstand hold
20 sit-ups
1-minute handstand hold
10 sit-ups

Although my 1RM on the bench is 265-pounds, I used 250 to calculate the percentages (175-200-225). I was only able to get 3 reps at 225. Scaled the handstand holds to 40 seconds each round. The sit-ups were harder than usual because of the midline stabilization needed in the handstand holds. 

Row Intervals 
90secs @ r24, 30secs rest
60secs @r26, 45secs rest
30secs @r28, 60secs rest
15mins @ r22, 30secs rest
30secs @r28, 60secs rest
60secs @r26, 45secs rest
90secs @ r24, done! 

This is a pyramid workout with a difference. You have ascending intervals on the way up, a sustained interval at the top, and descending intervals to bring you home. Lowered the drag all the way down to 89, the longer interval at r22 was quite muscular at such a low drag.   

Power Practice 
6x 1:00 work / 1:00 rest
Stroke Rate: 20
DF 120

Your challenge is to nail that r20 and go to work for a full minute each round. Target pace should be a controlled max effort, anywhere from 2k+2 to 2k+6 is likely. This was challenging, but certainly sustainable. Spend time warming up at r20, sprinkling in some power fives at target splits. 

Workout 78 - RowErg - Step Down 
You can speed things up, but can you step them down AND stay under control? Control is tricky when speed changes. How hard you push shall be our constant. Try to keep the intensity the same throughout the entire 5 minutes. Aim for a 6-8 on the RPE scale. 
 
4 Sets of 5 Minute Intervals with 2 Minutes Rest (121 DF)
 
5 Minute Interval Breakdown:
5-3 Minutes: Build to a Fast Stroke Rate
3-2 Minutes: Drop 2 Beats and Hold Stroke Rate Steady
2-1 Minutes: Drop 2 Beats and Hold Stroke Rate Steady
1-0 Minutes: Drop 2 Beats and Hold Stroke Rate Steady

Set 1: Build to a 26 then drop down to 24-22-20 (this should be used as a warmup)
Set 2: Build to a 28 then drop down to 26-24-22
Set 3: Build to a 30 then drop down to 28-26-24
Set 4: Open Rate - I chose to stay with the 30-28-26-24 

CrossFit 250523
5 rounds
15 back extensions
20 medball sit-ups @ 8lbs
50 singles

Today’s workout is all about the midline. Focus on quality of movement versus rushing and moving with poor form. Touch the medball above your head and between your feet for each rep to count. 

For Time: 
18 calorie ski
18 kb snatch @ 53lbs
18 calorie ski
14 kb snatch
18 calorie ski 
10 kb snatch
18 calorie ski

15:05

No warmup today and I paid for it. Heart rate was sky-high from the jump and I spent a lot of time with my hands on my knees staring at the ground. Spend a few mins before the metcon elevating the heart rate rapidly so that you are more prepared when it happens in the actual workout. 

World Rowing Series 2025 Challenge 1: Podium Power

Row 213 meters as fast as possible 

No restrictions on rate or drag. After my warm-up, I tried this one at r30+ and then again at r15 or lower. Kept the DF low and tried to focus on getting as much length as possible during the r15 interval. Pretty happy with the pace I was able to hold at such a low rate. 

World Rowing Series 2025 Challenge 2: Yin-Yang 
3 minutes at r30 or above
1 minute rest
3 minutes at r15 or below

Score: 1350 

Your goal is to row as far as you can each interval but secondary aim is to row the same distance for each interval. Your score is the total distance minus 5 meters for each meter difference between the two intervals. Used a lower drag, but actually turned up another 8-10 beats for the r15 work. The better approach would be to turn the damper all the way down so the flywheel keeps spinning at r15. Find as much length as possible during the r15 work. This series looks fun and I am keen to try this particular workout again. 

300 Dart Challenge 

Object: To row with a consistent stroke rate and power output
Number of Darts (strokes) : 300
Points: 50 points for a bull’s eye; 25, 10, and 5 points for next three rings.

Time: 12:23.4
Score: 13,920 (15,000 is perfect score)
Distance: 2792m 

The dart game challenges you to be consistent in pace and stroke. Each game gives you 300 darts to "throw" at the target; the object is to earn as many points as possible. 

Aug 2025 CTC - Strokes of Madness 

⏲️30 minutes

🚣🏻 r22 or under

Kept this chill as a recovery effort. Legs are still sore from squatting the other day and I wanted to flush away some of that lactic acid this morning while getting in some volume.