Monday 19.1: Deadlift, Hero wod Nick

Monday. Strength, deadlift 3x5 (150-160kg). Hero wod Nick: 12rds of: 12 db squat clean (20kg), 6 hspu. Time, 24.21.

I like those hero workouts and benchmark workouts in general. They are always a good kick in the butt so better just close your eyes, think about a happy place and start working. They are a good fight against the demons in your head to tell you to stop. Before hitting "Nick" I took some deadlifts. It's been forever since previous deadlifts because there's been so much squatting and those two are difficult to match together. At least for me.

Strength.

• Deadlift 5-5-5 (150, 155, 160kg)

Nothing super heavy. As it's been long since previous heavy ones I didn't see the point of putting all the plates on the bar and start pulling right away. The bar moved easily but I felt it in my back muscles that this is something new. The move was a surprise to my body I guess =) I'll add deads and cut down a little on the squats. Definitely the squats are gonna be in the program frequently. It was fun to pull semi-heavy in a while!

Nick. Time, 24.21

• 12 rounds of:
• 12 dumbbell squat clean, 20kg
• 6 handstand push-ups

I'm telling you this fooled my big time. Tough money. Those dumbbell cleans were challenging. They just wore me down! Handstand push-ups were like a walk in the park compared to cleans. Don't know how those dumbbells change the game but there was definitely something.

I think it was one or two rounds of cleans unbroken, then I decided to break it down to 8-4. My legs were fired up and breathing was naturally heavy. The feeling got a little desperate at around 4 rounds as there was so much more work to be done and I was already done. So nothing new under the sun. Before the mid-workout it's the most difficult situation mentally. But as you just do the work and don't think much, it gets better. At some point you realize you've passed way beyond half of the workout and then it's just a matter of finishing it. Today it got easier at around 9 rounds.

Physically it felt worse and worse of course but that's just a state of mind. Keep pushing through and the reward will be there. Today it arrived at 24.21 as the last hspu was completed. Those went unbroken each round. This was physically demolishing on legs on the dumbbell cleans and shoulders were also on a test but they held on pretty well. It was more like a general feeling of being beaten. Great workout as I anticipated!

After the workout I took a lot of time for mobility and stretching. Felt extremely good!