Where Science Meets Fitness

No matter what your current fitness level or former athletic experience, you can learn to train like an Olympic-caliber athlete. I am Erin Borchard, a former elite springboard/platform diver (NCAA Champion and multi-year All-American at Stanford University, former member of the US National Diving Team, and two-time competitor at the US Olympic Team Trials), specializing in personal and small group training sessions. I am also a Phi Beta Kappa student with a B.A. in Human Biology; my strong science background is an ever present influence shaping and changing my training philosophy.

I want to help you push yourself to YOUR maximum...you'll be shocked to find the true athlete living inside of you.

Friday, September 9, 2011

S3 Endurance CrossFit Workout of the Day - "Holbrook"

Later this month, I will begin working as a certified CrossFit trainer at the CrossFit "box"/ gym in Ballantyne, called S3 Endurance.  I am taking this week and next to workout with the gang over there, get the feel of the place, and to learn the S3 way.  Today, I completed the assigned WOD (Workout of the Day) with the 10am crew, and it was a beast!  I am posting it here today (with modifications and equipment substitutions), so that you can try it on your own at home or at your gym.  This WOD is called "Holbrook," and it is one of CrossFit's many named benchmark workouts.

Here is the prescribed workout:

10 Rounds for Time:

  • 5 x Thruster (men: 115 lb. barbell/ women: 85 lb. barbell)
  • 10 x Pull-Up
  • 100m Sprint
  • 1 minute REST
I was only able to complete 5 rounds exactly as prescribed.  Such a bummer: after round 5, I ended up with two "rips" (giant pieces of skin torn off of my hand) from the pull-ups.  For rounds 6 through 10, I did Ring Rows (ring pull-ups done in an incline reverse plank), instead of pull-ups.  My time was something around 22 minutes and 10 seconds.  

To do this at home, substitute dumbbells for the barbell on the Thruster.  Go heavy, though!!!  Try 20 - 25 pound dumbbells, if you can.  Pull-ups are tough to find a substitution for, unless you have rings hanging from your ceiling=) for Ring Rows, or a door jam pull-up bar and a resistance band for assisted band pull-ups.  And for the sprint, run one length of your neighborhood block or up and down your driveway 2 or so times.  Be sure to go all out during each working set, but be just as sure to also take that full 1 minute rest in between rounds (only way to ensure high intensity throughout).

Good luck!

And thank you to Brandon and Kirk, the owners and head trainers at S3, for the opportunity to finally get my feet wet as a true professional in the CrossFit community.  

No comments:

Post a Comment