19.1

15:00 AMRAP

19 Wall Balls

19 Calorie Row

This is a really potent combo. It’s a push and a pull. They go together like peanut butter and chocolate, but instead of diabetes, you get bloody lungs and you’ll look a little better naked. 

Beginners// Really focus on doing awesome squats. I often see people late in WODs doing wall balls where they just can’t hold up the ball, while they squat they hold the ball down around their belly and put their elbows on their knees. If it when this happens, I suggest taking a break, slowing way down and making darn sure every rep is gonna count. Let’s say you start to get sloppy, and don’t slow down. There’s a really good chance for ‘no-reps’. Having 1 no rep + 1 good rep takes more energy than doing 1 good rep in the same amount of time for the same number of reps.  focus on making the reps count, going fast isn’t important.

Intermediate// I suggest very manageable even sets on the wall ball. Think of a number you feel good about. “I could do sets of 7 pretty easily! I’ll go 7-7-5.” Good idea, but now subtract 1. 6-6-4-3 will be more sustainable. This is a true mental test because it will feel too easy at first. Talk to me about that “too easy” on round 3...

Advanced// The top score for this WOD world-wide will likely be in the round of or 12’s maybe 13’s Brent Fikowski? 6’s, 7’s and maybe an 8th? Coach Matt? Is where we’ll see our highest scores. Chris felt like he could have started bigger on the wall balls, and that he broke too often in the mid rounds. After watching Bryce go unbroken for the whole WOD, It’s possible and lucrative... just painful.

6 or 7 rounds isn’t too many for you to have a specific rep scheme for each round. You do not have to just say, “awe hell, unbroken til I die!” Something well thought out for every round could be really helpful. 19, 15/5, 13/6, 12/4/3, 10/5/4, 10/9. When you know what’s to come, it’s a bit easier mentally to take short and intentional breaks. If you pick up the ball and just hope for a big number, you’re more likely to look at the ball a little longer than you should because the next set is a mystery.

Everyone// row with your heels down, just don’t even let them off the platform. The wall balls are quad driven. A deep knee bend where the seat slides up near your heels is also quad driven rowing and it’s a fault. Picture this, your heels are up, the slide is jammed up near your heels, you lean back then push with your legs. When you lean back first, that lean back nets you zero pull on the chain, you pushed with your legs, but you’re already leaning back so your back and hamstrings helped you none. All quads. You might like to have those quads for the wall balls. A push-Pull workout isn’t going to go well if you make it a push-Push workout!

Ground your heels and reach in as far with your torso as you can but with good posture. Once your heels fee like they’re about to come off, don’t bend your knees any further. You’re setting yourself up to use your butt/hamstrings and save your quads!