Ben Plotnicki

8-10 min AB @ warmup pace+

Tumbling play – 10 min or so

Forward rolls from squat + landing in squat x 8-10

Forward rolls from standing + landing in squat x 8-10

Forward roll out of a tripod headstand x 4-5

Diving rolls (alternating shoulders) x 8-10

Backward rolls over shoulder (turn head to side) x 8-10

Cartwheels (alternating lead hand) x 8-10
Rolls were much easeir than the last time we did gymnastics play
+

12 min AB spin @ just above conversation pace, off every 45 sec to do 1 deadlift @ 225lbs

Tried to stay above 330watts

+

12 min row @ just above conversation pace, off every 60 sec to do 1 push press @ 165lbs

Tried to stay below 1:51/:52

+

4 rounds, not for time

50ft seal crawl, active hollow position

30 sec GHD sorenson hold, active hollow 

Seal crawls suck

+

8 min breathing @ 3152 tempo, varying positions

done

A – Jefferson deadlifts x 3/side, rest 30 sec bt sides x 3 sets, light load, just use to open up hips135

B – Power clean – 1 rep every 20 sec x 20 (build every 5)

205-215-225-235

C1 – Lat flys from pullup bar x 4-5, rest 60 sec

love these now 

C2 – Hip CARs from quadruped x 2 rotations/side, rest 60 sec x 3

+

Foot/ankle drills – 1 time through (http://www.coachr.org/the_foot_drills.htm)

felt so awkward with what to do with my hands on some of these as I was focusing so hard on keeping my feet in the right position. 
+

4 rounds for time (set up station, practice transitions, work on breathing and control)

9 thrusters

35 DU

3:24

Here’s what I learned today. A thorough aerobic warm up is imperative. Squatting efficiency and mobility is a must. Spend some time on rack mobility. Anywhere energy can spill over must be avoided. Elbow felt hot today, but it created no limitations in the 4 rounds. Get appropriate amount of blood flow in the legs for the 90/350 reps, and shoulders as well. Some of the work today felt good for my thoracic mobility 
Overhead position felt good, even with the pause for a breath overhead. Not too worried about the pressing and lockout component (4 rounds is a decent enough indicator of seeing into the future for 6 more rounds.) The legs felt a little bit today, but not an ideal warm up for them so that will be a major difference tomorrow. Double unders felt a little more labored than normal, I attribute that as much to warm up, not as much on shoulders. 
Side note, I wore some compression pants today, (didn’t have anything else with me) this is the same pair I wore last year during 16.2 that I felt very restricted, so was just wearing them today, and it was a reminder why not to wear them, I almost felt limited and restricted with them.
+ (rest to full recovery)

Row 60 sec progressive intensity, faster every 12 sec, rest walk 2 min x 4 sets

goal was for the 5th interval to be around 1:35/:36 and the last to be round 1:30/:31 and achieved that. 

AM

10 min bike, low intensity

+

10 min self directed flow/locomotion (hip flow, ido squat, lunge matrix, GHD variations)

+

10 min ski, low intensity

+

10 min self directed flow/locomotion

(try to include some hanging/crawling variation in the flow work to help decompress the back)
PM

5-10 min easy bike

+

3 times through not for time

3/direction/arm teacup rotations

3-4 inverted trap 3 presses

5-6 lat flys with foot assist

+

3 times through not for time

6/side 1-arm russian swings @ 53lbs

6 hip extensions on GHD

3 wall walks with 5 sec hold at top of each

50ft sandbag bear hug carry + 3 squats

+

3 sets

6 deadlifts (break 6/6 each round, use 135-185-225)

6-12 wallballs

6-12 row cals at game pace, focus on breathing here with rhythm of stroke

6 HSPU (broken 2 sets of 3, time your rest)

active rest on bike or walking for 2-3 min bt sets

+

1 time through for time

24 deadlifts (broken as 10/7/7)

30 wallballs (broken as 20/10)

36 row cals

24 HSPU (broken as 8 sets of 3, time your rest)

+ (rest to recovery)

4 sets of 27 row cals @ 90% effort, rest walk 90 sec bt sets

1:10/1:10/1:09/1:14
This was the perfect scenario tonight, one I did not feel strong at all, so I’m glad we did not go for it, I would’ve gotten sore just to learn what to do and what not to do.
One thing I want to do different in warm up when it’s go time is something to hit the CNS a little more, some moderate power cleans OTM or something along those lines in warm up, didn’t like that set up this evening from 135/185/225. Everything else prior to that was pretty solid, so slight adjustment for that.
A couple of memories came back to me from doing this, on last years repeat, and tonight’s 10/7/7 Deadlift made me dizzy as shit.

Another piece of info, even though I had everything in my notes, to take 3-4 breaths between sets, as soon as my clock started I completely forgot. Caught up in the moment, so that mistake will not be made again.
I was way off in my wall balls tonight, not completely sure why, but I will tell you that it is one of the few movements that hurt my elbow, both on that catch and the throw, I was constantly playing with grip to try and minimize the discomfort. I’m sure this threw off my rhythm, but i will take my 30lber for warm up as well, (if you don’t get your timing right with that it hits you in the face). 
Rowing, my measurables were around 1290 – 1320, in tonight’s piece my firsts pull on the handle was at 2:38 and last pull was at 4:21 (1:43 for 36 cals) , that was work but very sustainable, could have easily done that for 19 more cals, so on game day will shoot for the same if not a little faster.
Handstand push ups 8 sets of 3, I know notes called for time your rest, and I kind of did that, but here is where the value came in, of timing “sort of”

All times of handstand push up start times were when my hands hit the ground to kick up

Set 1 – 4:38 – 4:44 – rest 8

Set 2 – 4:52 – 4:58 – rest 9

Set 3 – 5:07 – 5:13 – rest 10

Set 4 – 5:23 – 5:29 – rest 12

Set 5 – 5:41 – 5:48 – rest 12

Set 6 – 6:00 – 6:07 – rest 18

Set 7 – 6:25 – 6:30 – rest 18

Set 8 – 6:48 – 6:55
Set 5, rep 13-15 was when these went from easy to work,set 5 or 6 was also the set I noticed that I controlled the first negative instead of being quick in and out of the kip.

I guess a good plan would be to start with 4 sets of 3, and then go to 2’s, with calculated rest of around 6-7 seconds, to keep myself fresh, and then when I know I’m close, whatever is in the tank, if it its 3’s, staying with 2’s, or singles whatever will keep me moving the fastest based on time left and knowing my skill set around 15-20 hspu in, also knowing I was consistent with 2 sec/rep. 

A – Ring trace transitions x 4-5 controlled reps (with feet on ground) into bottom of dip support hold ALAP, rest 3 min x 3 setsThese were a lot harder than I expected

B – Top to top DB alternating OH press x 16 reps (8/side), rest 2 min x 4

40-45-50 x 2, I used to love these when we did them frequently. I felt more in control of good thoracic position, it wanted to overextend, good fight to not let that happen, this was the only reason going up 5 more pounds would’ve been hard. 

C1 – Banded reverse flys x 10, rest 30 sec

Done

C2 – Planche lean on rings with active protraction and hollow 15-20 sec, rest 90 sec x 3

Done

+

AMRAP 12 min

6 burpee box jumps to 24in

12 C2B pullups

36 DU

6 + 3

Had a horrible double under day, broke on every single set. Even clipped the box with my shin, just a bruise, no cut, on a bright note I did do all C2B’s unbroken. 

Took this at a sustainable pace, had to share pull up bar space and work around athletes re-doing 17.3 so I was curtious. 

+

AB 12 sec progressive intensity, last 4-6 sec are HARD, slow spin 1:18 x 8

Tried to hit 1100+ every set, if I went 4 seconds I wasn’t able to get the output that high, so for 6 out of the 8 at 6 seconds to get the wattage there. 

A – Power clean x 1/Push press x 3 – find tough load of this complex225

Grinded this one out a little more than I probably should’ve 

B – Front Squat @ 2121 tempo x 5, rest 3 min x 4 sets

185-195-205-215

Slower concentrics in squats are stupid 

+

3 rounds for time

AB 30 cals

30 wallballs

15 ring pushups

14:05

Had to run today for AB and only had access to a 25lb wall ball 
+

10 min positional breathing work, varying positions (supine 90/90 with feet elevated, quadruped, straddle seated against wall)

done 

A – Clean grip deadlifts with bands (keep arms long) – 10 sets of 3, rest 60 sec185

Focused on speed here 

B – Straddle tripod to headstand with controlled toe touches x 3, rest as needed x 4-5 sets

got better each set and had fun with these 

C – Side plank pressups x 5 into side plank hold 15 sec, rest 1 min bt sides x 3 sets

done 

+

For time

30 thrusters @ 95lbs

Row 500m

2:37
done with thrusters a :53/54 seconds 

Row – 1:34.2

Held 1:33/:34 for 100 – 400. Last 100 was 1:30.5 (spm-37)

I remember doing this around 2 years ago and it was 3 and change. 
+

20 min easy bike, off every 4 min to do 5 DB side bends/side and 10 empty bar good mornings from sumo stance

done 

45 min steady effort (60-70% RPE, should be able to hold a conversation throughout)Air bike 20 cals

50 single unders

5 strict pullups

Row 20 cals

5 snatch grip BTN sots press with empty bar with 2 sec pause overhead/rep

10 russian swings
Was kind of hard to do this at conversational pace (I trained alone and wasn’t in a talkative mood to myself)

Perfect day today for focus. About 10-15 minutes in I was already starting to get bored, so I turned the music off completely, and turned off the lights as well. I wanted no other distractions so I could focus on just me. This made a huge difference, the time became irrelevant and high quality movement and breathing became the only thing I thought about and kept me moving diligently. This was what I needed today, and a remembrance of what is needed in longer workouts of finding your place and rhythm. 

Had the opportunity to play around with a Zeus rope on the single unders today. Don’t remember how many rounds, assault bike cut off in the middle and I wanted to use the total running calories as my marker. 

+

6 min box breathing @ 3152 tempo

Done and felt great

5-6 min DB front rack lunge skill work (only if elbow allows to do this with no pain. play around the with the vertical stack, and try to smooth out the movement, i think that there is a good chunk of time to be had here for everyone ive seen so far by moving more deliberately here, so just play here today)I really like the vertical stacking, but I feel it takes a little longer to get in the right position. So I tried just that for quite a few times without the lunges. Elbow felt ok, so was glad that I could practice positions.
+

A – Power snatch x 1/Hang Power snatch x 1 – new complex every 90 sec x 8

165 (x3) – 175(x3) – 185(x2)

B – Front squat @ 20X1 x 6, rest 2 min x 4 (do this as zombie squat if needed to avoid tension at elbows)

185-205-215-225

Went with front squat and tried to use as a big stretch

C1 – KB Banded OH carry x 100ft, rest 90 sec

C2 – Yoke back rack carry x 100ft (break at 50), rest 90 sec x 4

This was stupid, lol. Only because i had to pretty much go on the 25ft track so I had to turn around 4 times. 

+

For time

AB 50 cals

100 DU

Ab 40 cals

80 DU

AB 30 cals

60 DU

12:39

Subbed 800-600-400m runs for AB. 

Shoes came untied in first round, uncharacteristic of not paying attention to that detail.

+

bicep and tricep openers and elbow care

Done

A – Power clean x 1/Front squat x 3 – new set every 2 min x 5
225-235-245-255 (hit the brakes just in time to keep it a power, so I did my last two sets here) second set received it much higher
B1 – 5 strict HSPU + 5 kipping HSPU, rest 30 sec
B2 – Tucked front lever on pullup bar x 10-15 sec, rest 90 sec x 4 sets
I know it was low volume but strict hspu felt good today
+
3 rounds for time, high effort
20 wallballs
10 power snatches @ 75lbs
10 OHS @ 75lbs
So I have been trying to calculate what time I finished becuase I forgot pretty quickly after looking at the clock. All reps were done unbroken, and holy hell this was 10x harder than I thought it was going to be.Wanted to break in the last set of wall balls, wanted to break in the last set of power snatch. Overhead position felt like it got smoked.
+
18 min easy bike, off every 3 min to do 20 sec belly to wall HS hold and 20 sec hollow body hang from bar
Done, belly to wall position is feeling much better

12 min bike @ 300 watts
Done, got more to the mid 300’s towards the back end
+
1-arm half kneeling KB OH hold in external rotation x 30 sec/side
1-arm hang from rings 8-10 sec/side
Side plank from elbow x 15 sec/side with top leg abducted
Split stance banded pallof press x 6/side, steady movement
2-3 times through
Thank you for making the side plank only 15 seconds, I didn’t feel like as big of a bitch
+
12 min row @ 1:55, 2 breaths/stroke
Was a grind to keep this pace
+
Hip flow
Single leg GHD sorenson holds x 6-8 sec/side
Straddle seated leg lifts x 3-4 with hold after last rep
Quads wanted to cramp
2-3 times through
+
12 min bike @ 300 watts
Harder then the first of course but still good
+
Positional breathing work 10-15 min, working on diaphragmatic activation, varying positions