Monday 27.5: Hero wod Hammer + muscle-ups, handstand

Monday. Hero workout Hammer. Time 19.13. Muscle-up training (10 reps), handstand walk.

Hero workout Hammer. Created in honor of U.S. Army First Sergeant Michael "Hammer" Bordelon.  He died on May 2005 from injuries sustained from a car bomb explosion near Mosul, in Iraq.

Toes-to-bar

Hammer. Time 19.13. Barbell 60kg. Compare to 2.1.2013

• 5 rounds of:
• 5 power cleans
• 10 front squats
• 5 push jerks
• 20 pull-ups
• 90sec rest

Hero workouts are sick ones. The feeling is intentionally created for athletes to identify themselves with the circumstances the soldiers are going through on a daily basis. No matter the workout, no matter how difficult it is, it's always easier than being in a war. The burden is huge and you'd like to quit sometimes but you don't have an option. You will struggle through, period.

This was no exception, one of the toughest workouts I remember doing. I did this same workout in January without the pull-ups. Still, it was extremely difficult. Since then, I've received more strength and have better technique in those movements required for this wod. That was my salvation 'cause I don't know what would have happened if I had similar problems as few months ago. Then, my jerks were not good and muscle endurance wasn't as good as today. I believe I managed Hammer well today and I'm proud of my performance.

On the first round I did it unbroken. Maybe on the pull-ups I might have dropped from the bar once after 15 reps. My heart was pumping fast. The combination of 20 barbell reps is challenging. On the rounds of 2-4, I did power cleans and front squats in a row and unbroken, then dropped the bar to catch a breath and loosen that tension in the grip, forearms were on fire at times. After a break I grabbed the bar and jerked it 5 times, every time unbroken and in a steady pace. That was from another planet compared to first Hammer. On the last round I did 4 cleans, dropped it and continued to front squats. After 10 front squats had to take another rest and then finish the jerks.

Pull-ups were not cool. On the first round it was almost unbroken. Second round was 10 and 10. Little by little it got tougher. Third round was about 10, 5 and 5. Then it started to go really challenging and had to be broken to smaller pieces. From the very beginning the pull-ups had an effect on my forearms and grip strength and thus influenced the barbell work as well.

I'm very happy for completing this workout rx'd. It surely was difficult and taxing but as each and every workout, it ends at some point. This ended at 19.13, including the breaks (6min).

Round times.

1. 01.40
2. 02.00
3. 02.32
4. 03.06
5. 03.55

Muscle-up

Muscle-ups and handstand. After work we decided to hop on our bicycles and take a short ride to a place where they have monkey bars, pull-up bar, dip station, training place for abs and back muscles as well. Pauliina did toes-to-bar, pull-up training and played with the monkey bars. I had a goal in my sight: muscle-ups and handstand training.

After I completed my first muscle-up at first try (see below), I wanted to get more of them. I did them in singles all the way to 10 reps, yeah baby! This was the second time doing this movement successfully. I can't thank my bro enough for giving those technical hints to complete my first one. Now it seems soooooo much easier. I managed to do all 10 reps without failures in between. It got "easier" after the first one and they weren't such struggles (at least all of them…) compared to the video below =)

After my shoulders were smashed I also took some handstand training but that wasn't so easy after all this training today. 25 cleans, 50 front squats, 25 jerks, 100 pull-ups in the morning, 10 muscle-ups in the evening so I think I can call this a training day. Let's save something for tomorrow.

Toni's workouts.

• Back squat 3-3-3-3-3 (90kg)
• Kettlebell work for 45min as Tabata training.