Ben Plotnicki

Ring MU – 3 reps EMOM x 5-6
6 rounds

I feel we are still making progress – 3 is a good number, I feel consistent here. It’s weird though my kip is better on rep 1 & 3 then it is on rep #2

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Hang Squat snatch – 2 reps EMOM x 5-6
165 x 6

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AMRAP 15 min, rest 60 sec after each round
4 TNG squat snatches @ 135lbs
12 toes to bar
50ft sandbag bear hug carry
7 rounds

On the 4th round I could tell grip was going to be my limiter but didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen. I was self aware on the last 2 reps of ttb and then could feel grip working really hard on the bear hug. Round 5 ttb were solid because I made sure I had a better hand position but once again bear hug could feel the fatigue. On round 6 I lost my kip on the last 3 reps, but would not let myself come off the bar. Round 7, I knew the “rest” was going to bleed into no time left for another round so I took a good 20 sec after the snatch. Completed the ttb unbroken, however, had there been a 13th rep I don’t think I would’ve been able to make contact with the bar. Average time per round was around 1:05 – 1:10

+
Front squat 3×3 @ 85%, tough but no compromise to concentric speed/positioning
255

I had nothing after that conditioning piece so I was going to go nowhere near 85%

+
Shin box drive to pseudo half kneeling x 3/direction x 3 sets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT_-_Y2PTM)
done

Why do you not like me, this was horrible but I loved it

Every 8 min x 3 sets
Row 1k
5 burpee bar MU
10 dbl DB step overs (50/hand, 24in)
6:24 – 6:18 – 6:23

+
Every 8 min x 3 sets
60 cal AB
5 BBJO @ 30in
10 dbl DB devil press @ 50/hand
6:38 – 6:00 – 7:24

This was by far the hardest w/the burpee always being tough after the bike, more so due to the height and devils press being so aptly named

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Every 8 min x 3 sets
Ski erg 800m
5 heavy sandbag ground over shoulder
15 dbl DB front squats @ 50/hand
4:51 – 5:08 – 4:59

The sandbags were a grind, and the squats were a gut check

Skills testing
1 min max reps of each movement, rest 30 sec. between movements (must be completed in this order with the load prescribed):
-DU – 107
-RMU – 12 (7-3-2)
-Row for calories – 24 ( tried to stay above 1475+ and around 29-33 spm)
-HSPUs (any style) – 25
-burpees – 15
-Power snatch (135/95) – 9
-CTB – 25 (12/8/5)
-Squat clean (135/95#) – 8
-DL (225/155) – 15
-Thrusters (95/65#) – 15
*Scoring: Report reps for each movement

As far as the burpee went, it was at that point, I didnt feel I was absorbing the eccentric well, I was controlling the lowering too much to have a fast cycle time on them. My shoulders were fatigued and that might have been somewhat of a limitation, but was just too slow in the eccentric.

Power snatch – the energy it took to get the 9 reps felt like this is where the workout really elevated my heart rate.

C2b – even though at this point I was feeling it, I was happy with the rhythm I felt on my first set. I should’ve hung on for a few more reps, because the next 8 were more of a grind in my mind vs overall fatigue. Breathing was high, and this is where I struggled to jump back on the bar right away, but the minute of work made me do so a little. Lost butterfly for the last 2 reps, but I hung on to get the last reps as time expired.

Squat clean – coming out of the squat I didn’t have good dorsiflexion as my anterior tib was super sore and was never able to really get it loose, the only thing I can assume was from the depth jumps yesterday.

DL – hurt – even the few reps, was not going to let myself do any singles, don’t exactly remember the breakdown, but I know I picked up the bar for the last 3 reps and it hurt/burned my hamstrings so bad that it kind of hurt in my belly.

Thruster – 5 and I felt like I was going to die. Picked up the bar with about 30 seconds left or less and wasn’t going to put it down. Wasn’t able to go fast at all but was going to hold on the best I can

HS warmup
+
EMOM x 6
25ft HS walk for speed
14-17-17-15-16-19

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EMOM x 10
Odd min – 3 TNG power snatches @ 135lbs
Even min – 3 TNG squat cleans @ 135lbs

I really do not feel as much control on my eccentric lowering/positioning as I have in the past
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EMOM x 10
Odd min – 5 jumping back squats for height @ 95-115lbs
Even min – Depth jump from 20in box x 3 for distance
105

My last set on the depth jumps was a little was a little shaky as I wasn’t as quick in the amortization phase in the last set. Felt pretty good on 1-4 – but it was the 5th – whether I lost focus or the newer stimulus fatigued a little

+
BB hip thrusts x 20-16-12, rest 2 min, go for burn here

105-115-135

TTT comp tester
2 rounds for time
20 thrusters @ 115
20 bar facing burpees

5:11

I couldn’t power through the 2nd set of thruster unbroken. It was the overhead/pressing position where I felt muscular endurance being my limiter. Same for burpee. I had a pretty thorough warm up so I was completely comfortable with high respiration. It was just the muscular endurance of pushing. Felt hip endurance towards the end of the last round of burpees

Time breakdown

1st round

Thruster – 48sec

6 sec before starting first burpee (straightened barbell)

Burpee – 1:38

5 sec bt last burpee rep and hands on barbell for 1st thruster

12 thruster – 34sec

22 sec break

8 thruster – 19 sec

3 sec from last thruster rep to initiating 1st burpee

Burpee – 1:11

Other than the long break during the break on thruster, which needs to be tightened up, I need to get better at getting the first rep in quicker. It wasn’t until about the 4 sec mark that I completed the first thruster rep.
+
60 cal AB @ 90+% (should be tough effort, but sub max compared to a Time Trial)
new set every 8 min x 4, record times and try to keep them within a 10 sec window

3:37-3:41-3:43-3:47

Didn’t have as much time as I would’ve like to recover before this, after getting settled in each round, just tried to keep my watts up and never looked at the clock. Just tried to go for it.

A1 – 1-arm push up plus x 4-5/side, rest 30 sec
A2 – 1-arm push up plus from elbow x 4-5/side, rest 30 sec
A3 – Plyo push up with single arm catch x 4-5/side (alternating reps), rest 30 sec
A4 – Single arm down dog x 3/side, rest 30 sec
A5 – Single arm rotate through x 4/side (alternating reps), rest 90 sec x 2-3 sets

This was awesome – loved it!!!!
B – 1-arm DB snatch balance x 6/side with a 1-2 sec pause in bottom for stability, rest 30-45 sec bt arms x 3 sets

50-60-70 – tried to stay in neutral hand position, I felt this was where I was most challenged to stabilize. If I went into pronation it was easier to hold in the bottom, however I assumed this wasn’t the takeaway. Did use my lifters though, warmed up in my regular shoes and thought it might have gotten dicey. 
C – 1-arm DB OH walking lunge with high knee follow through x 30ft/side x 3 sets, rest 30-45 sec bt arms x 3 sets

70 – this might have been a bit aggressive but I wasn’t going to back down or stop
D – 1-arm banded KB OH carry x 40ft/side x 4 sets, rest 30 sec bt arms (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCJWaw7ZlQU)

Wanted to do 70 but couldn’t move that bitch off the ground – moved the 50 and that should got harder and harder each set. 4 sets today was perfect.
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EMOM x 12
Min 1 – 40 sec bike @ 400+ watts
Min 2 – 20 DU’s + 30ft HS walk
Min 3 – 40 sec row @ 1300+ cal/hr
rest 5-6 min
EMOM x 12
Min 1 – 40 sec bike @ 425 watts
Min 2 – 3-4 burpee ring MU’s
Min 3 – 40 sec ski @ 1100+ cal/hr
Goal was to keep 425 watts for both bike EMOMs – stayed bt there and 442

Calves were still pretty smoked from flight simulator, but luckily it was only 20. Hanstand walks started slowed but felt really good, my shoulders were tired from the oh work before and they finally loosened up.

Row goal was to stay above 1400, solid on that – ski was to stay above 1200, not as solid there but was always above 1175. Burpee muscle up probably elevated my heart rate more than anything – got sloppy on a couple of reps, but I like the movement and making me focus on getting quickly into good position.

For time, high effort
3-6-9-12-9-6-3
Burpees to 6in touch
PC/PJ @ 95lbs
Toes to bar

9:52
(rest 30 min)
For time
1500m row
100 wallballs
50 deadlifts @ 185lbs

14:46 (I’m an idiot)

Today I guess was a good and bad day. Good because I do not care why my times stand in the big picture but my effort was of a super high level and I am proud of the effort I put in. Where it was a bad day, reading the tasks at hand I made several mistakes. When warming up for the first part, I started warming up for just pc/pj and ttb – and was thinking how much it was going to suck for just the two of those. Then within 5 minutes or so of go time I took one more look and saw the burpee to a target in there. Well damn, didn’t really have time to change my warm up, at that point I had already spent a 45-60 minutes prepping to get after it. The second bad was, somehow in my mind I read 10 minutes bt the two pieces and not 30. Well, on a good note, when I got done with the first one, i was done, and thought there is no way I will be ready in 10 minutes. So I said, well I will just go in 20. Still not good but I will push it the best I can. So I started, I was still not recovered but I went after it to the best I could. Moral of the story, take a look at my training day before I have a sleep deprived night into trianing.

1st piece

All ttb ub as they should be. Felt I kept moving diligently on my burpee, not fast but I don’t feel I ever went slow. pc/pj 3/6/9 ub on the way up, instead of pacing for the set of 12 I picked it up right away and did a couple of singles, a set of 3 but thought that was a bad idea but I wasn’t going to stop so I did a few more singles, and did the last 3 in a row. Roughly a similiar plan of attack for the 9’s, and the set of 6, I was about to do a couple of doubles, and then I told myself just to hang out you are right there and don’t put it down.

2nd piece

Albeit my misfortune, on the rower, I told myself I wasn’t allowed to go slower than 1:55, spent most of the time around 1:52, I think I finished the row around 5:31. The wall balls, I was smoked but I never let myself walk away from the medball, I don’t feel I let it stay on the ground a lot, did sets of 11’s (one of 12) and one of 22, more breaks than I would’ve liked, but my shoulders is where I felt the most fatigue. The deadlifts – a set of 15, 10, 10, 5, 10.

The one cool takeway from the day, is I loved having my heart rate elevated, I let it happen and never tried to slow it down or take a deep breath to stop it from happening.

Squat snatch – build to a tough triple with all 3 reps completed in 30 sec window
195

(also hit build up sets of 175-185) don’t know if a set of 3 in that time frame at 200 was possible, but after those build up sets, felt happy to call it there

+
Parallette HSPU at tough depth – 8 sets of 3, rest to recovery
Depth to a 45 + 15 + abmat – (last time I used a 25, so this was an isolated progression from the last time we did this work

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Bar MU ladder for time – unbroken sets of 6-5-4-3-2-1
2:34 –

The set of 3 was the hardest set as I was so close and was trying to push it, grinded for turnover and lockout on last rep there, also the set of 1 should’ve been quicker but last rep of 2 was almost a miss

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Double under flight simulator for time
11:00

Double unders used to be a strength but I feel they’ve taken a major step back. Going up broke on 30 & 45. Going down broke on 45 twice and there was at least 2-3 more breaks but don’t remember when. Tried to keep my composure and was going to aggressively push the limits on the back end but I kept breaking. Not happy at all with this. I have no video to diagnose the issue, whether it’s technique/position, rope length, shoulder fatigue. Or just lack of volume in high numbers. I should be able to pick up the rope and do at least 100 unbroken every single time, right now I don’t think I can. I will buy a few more extra cables to see if my rope length is an issue as that might be the quickest easiest fix.

HS skill work
Wall walk into lean away and progressive controlled steps away from wall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkgDui28Vts&list=PL_6Iqj7TQV2PsbWl6uboBnD7gQR05z_KA&index=5
Kick up to partner spot and static hold then controlled steps forward – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXXIL2NHgNg&list=PL_6Iqj7TQV2PsbWl6uboBnD7gQR05z_KA&index=14
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Wall facing HS hold in hollow body, focus on full breath cycles and equal pressure/activation in shoulders – 40 sec on, 80 sec rest x 5 sets
First 30 seconds were solid – and then the last 10 seconds especially on the set 4 & 5 were hard. I felt pretty taxed, fight was also in trying to maintain midline. I was super active in pressing through the ground through my hands, maybe a bit to much tension? Needless to say, 35 seconds wouldn’t have been enough, 40sec was super hard

+
For time
20 ring MU
(5 burpees to start, and 5 more EMOM after)
5:30

8 (UB)- (1/x/1)-2-3-(4/x)-1

Was pleased with the set of 8, but lats didn’t feel recovered going into the next minute and think thats why I missed a rep

+
For time
60 kipping HSPU (go with strict open standard here for line and hand width, try to have someone judge if possible)
(20 DU’s to start, and 20 more EMOM after)
5:50

22-8-8-8-7-7

The last 1-2 reps/round were a grind, fighting for lockout, losing good midline position. hitting those consistent 8’s and 7’s was not a plan that was a grind to get there on each round

Wanted to get 30 on the first set, but upper body pushing endurance wasn’t happening at that point.

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Assault bike 90 sec @ 350 watts
AB 30 sec high effort (get up above 600 watts)
rest walk 2-3 min x 6 sets as able to sustain this effort

30s – I held from 622 – 644 watts – rested 3 minutes each time –

After the third round I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to sustain, but found a happy place to endure the pain in set 4, dipped closer to 601 – 622 watts – so I took about a 3:30m rest and did one more. Ran out of time at that point, but finished with 5 solid sets.

AM

TTT comp tester

On a running clock:

16 min:

4 RFT

25ft 2-DB walking lunge (1 in farmer’s hold- 1 OH) 50/35#

12 TTB

25ft 2-DB walking lunge

6 2-DB devil’s press @ 50/35#

…With remaining time:

Establish a 1RM hang clean and jerk

11:34 & 255

In my mind going into this I thought 2:30/round was doable but not sustainable, so I used that as a metric of sorts. I broke up the devils press in order to go right into the lunge after the last rep. Theoretically it makes sense, however it might have created bigger breaks than I should’ve taken. But this also made the overhead position pretty challenging in the lunge. Another piece that did cost me at least 15-20 seconds is I lost the db from a good overhead position on the very last step of the lunge in the last round. I wasn’t in a safe position to fight for it so I bailed right away. From having to pull the dbs back to the last step and get them back overhead definitely cost time. All ttb unbroken as they should be. Today in this one, I was actually pretty comfortable breathing heavy, I just mentally set myself up well for that. The latter rounds of the devil press got to be pretty taxing.

Another piece I was pretty excited about was I picked up the barbell and completed my first lift within 45-55sec of finishing the 4 rounds. I opened at 225, with heavy breathing and felt strong and stable in the clean but not so fast on the overhead. Next lift at 255 felt really good, and then had about 75 seconds, went for 270, was just so out of breath by the time I went to execute the lift I just struggled to create enough tension to receive the load effectively.

** 2 scores

PM

Thorough energy system warmup, get hot and sweaty

+

On a 6 min clock (2 scores)

Ski erg 1k

+

AMRAP rope climbs to 15′ in remaining time

3:35.4 & 6

My main focus was on the ski and went for it the best I could. I had a hard time generating any top end power to finish off by this point in the day. 200m Splits are as follows

42.9 – 1:47.7

42.7 – 1:46.7

43.2 – 1:48.0

43.7 – 1:49.2

42.8 – 1:47

As you can see, I never really dipped too low off my pace, but there wasn’t an ability to kick, I tried it just wasn’t there.

I got 1 rope climb in right away, I do feel on my 2nd pull I’m came close to questioning why I went after it so quickly, so I held on for a few breaths and finished. From minute 4-5 I only got 2 reps, I know the fatigue was setting in and the effort to climb was a grind. The last minute I was determined a little more and was pretty happy that I could grind out 3 in the last minute.